Ads

As many of you can see, I have added some ads to our blogs. I thought I would try this for a while. The thought behind it is that I allow ads on my blog, and if anyone clicks on them from my blog, we earn a little bit of money for the advertising. I don't control which ads come on, not too thrilled about that, but I was able to go through and try and filter out some that I thought I wouldn't like to have on here. Please don't think that I support all the ads that show up here,  and don't worry, if I find that they keep putting ones that are offensive, I will quit.
So, if you find something on here that you might be interested in, please click on it. (No, not quitting my day job.)

Speaking of advertising....I wonder, as you look back over the year if we have done a good job representing Jesus? We are after all His ambassadors, and it is as if God were pleading with others, through our words and actions, that they need to be reconciled to God. Thankfully, God can take our broken lives and make them into something beautiful....I just love His wonderful grace . So, in the coming year, don't cry over spilt milk...ie how we did last year, but let us leap into the new year with a desire to glorify God and His holy name , to love people, and to be sowing the seed of the gospel....for this may be the last year that God gives us to do just that.

I thank God for each of you that visit our blog and that have prayed for us, loved us, encouraged us in this last year. It certainly has been a year of change and challenge and comfort from God and others. Blessings on your new year....Bruce

Musings during the Christmas Season

J E S U S
It's what this season is all about. 
All too often we get caught up in a whirl of shopping, and baking, trying to get the best deal, and create the tastiest treats, to invoke the praise and catch the attention of those around us. 
"Be still and know that I am God,"  Psalm 46:10a 
This is not a passing statement, it's a command!!
So how we have peace in the midst of this season?
I want to share a story of an individual of whom we can all take lessons from on how to live a peace filled life.                             This individual life started the same as everyone else, it was born.
From the start this baby's life was a special one.
It's family had a lot of lessons to learn.
Lessons of faith, prayer, selfless love, trust, compassion, patience, gratefulness, unity and more.  
They would learn these lessons through this very very special baby.
-A baby is totally dependent on others for...well...for everything. If an adult decides, I am tired of taking care of this baby who only poops, cry's, sleeps and eats, then this baby will die. 
What carries some parents through babyhood is the realization that this baby will grow up, this season too will pass. Other parents choose to enjoy to the fullest every single season of their babies lives.-
Back to my story; this baby surprised many by it's tenacity in living when many thought that it's life would not be long for this world.
Though different, this baby ate, slept, and grew.  
This baby's family struggled, prayed, and took the best care of this baby that they knew had come from God, and was a "good gift".
 ^-17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.-
This baby had struggles. There were surgeries, illnesses, hospital stays, pain, frustration, and many shed tears. 
People would walk by this baby; there was kind remarks, some stares, thoughts of pity, and maybe even some fear of not knowing how to treat this baby. For this baby did look different from most babies
As the baby grew into a toddler, it became more and more evident to it's family that this was no ordinary child.
This child could not talk. 
At no one time could this toddler verbally express to it's family what was going on in it's thoughts.
Think of what might of been flitting through this child's mind; these thoughts were never expressed to this world.
It is commonly thought that the eyes are the windows of one's soul.
This child expressed much in it's eyes.
Pain Sadness. Trust. Happiness.
Looking up. It's what this child did.
Looking up with trust into it's family's eyes, this child lived, totally dependent on others for it's every need. 
Looking up in the midst of pain.
Looking up during seasons of relative peace.
There were times when this baby's family got tired of caring, tired of the crying, tired of seeing their "baby" go through so much pain.
Then they would look down see the trusting looking and feel ashamed.
-Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:40b-
How often do we struggle manfully on in this life, and then as in an after thought look up to Jesus and realize that our struggling on our own will get us nowhere.
² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
Then came a day, when this child's race was done. God called her home.
As many of you might have guessed, this child was Victoria. 
Our precious treasure who has been in heaven for 1 year 11 days taught us so much. 
We are daily grateful to the Lord for giving us a little jewel to care  for.
-The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. Job 1:21b-
So, how do you keep your focus on Christ during this Christmas season? 

L O O K  U P

Practice Jesus

If we practiced Jesus every way,
 It'd be like Christmas every day;
 If we, like Him, were meek and mild
 And loved each woman, man and child,
 If we'd read our Bible, it'd remind us,
 So that every single day would find us
 More and more in sweet accord
 With our sweet Jesus--Master, Lord. 

Then every day that we're alive
 Would be like December 25.

By Joanna Fuchs