“A sense of humor… is needed armor. Joy in one’s heart and some laughter on one’s lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life.” Hugh Sidey (1927-2005)
“A sense of humor… is needed armor. Joy in one’s heart and some laughter on one’s lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life.” Hugh Sidey (1927-2005)
If you planted hope today in any hopeless heart…
If someone’s burden was lighter because you did your part…
If you caused a laugh that chased some tears away…
If tonight your name is named when someone kneels to pray…
Then your day has been well spent!
Blessings on your weekend,
Fromtheheartofj
Don’t we all have a little bit of the Drummer Boy in our hearts?
We long to give the Lord a gift that truly expresses the uniqueness of who we are, but we feel poor in the offering.
Sometimes we don’t realize that what makes us special is often that one thing we think is not so special.
The childlike within us.
It must make the Lord smile when we offer him a bit of that child in us as praise to Him.
Be it a song. A dance. A poem. The list is endless.
What will you give as gift to the Christ Child this Christmas?
Let us discover the Little Drummer Boy within who humbly gives back a gift he has received.
***The news article and accompanying video below REALLY made me smile. A modern day Little Drummer Boy who has touched many with his gift to the Christ Child. I’m passing on the smile. Enjoy : )
CTVNews.ca Staff
Date: Mon. Dec. 5 2011 10:10 AM ET
One month ago, 16-year-old Sean Quigley was just an ordinary student attending Oak Park High School in Winnipeg. Today, Quigley has become a YouTube sensation thanks to his rock rendition of the classic Christmas tune, “The Little Drummer Boy.”
“I had no idea this was going to happen,” Quigley told CTV’s Canada AM on Monday.
Up on YouTube for less than a week, Quigley’s video ode to this holiday standard has been seen in 128 countries and earned more than 165,000 hits as of Monday morning.
The catchy video also pays tribute to the song’s message about the true spirit of Christmas. That resonated deeply with Quigley, a Christian teen who plays drums in his local church.
“About a month ago I started thinking about this song,” said Quigley.
“It’s the story of a little boy going to find Jesus and not having any gifts to bring — he just plays his drum. That spoke to me so much,” he said.
The teen’s production is all the more remarkable considering Quigley played all the instruments, sang the vocals, recorded everything and directed and edited the video. Using a Canon digital camera and with the help of his sister, Quigley’s DIY project plays with surprising quality.
Even the freshly fallen snow that covers Winnipeg’s streets seems made to order.
“God helped us out with the snow,” said Quigley. “The fact that it was perfect was a blessing.”
“I posted this video online and watched and waited,” said Quigley.
“I’m hearing lots of positive things. People love it.”
Struggling in a one- size- fits- all holiness?
Trying to put on Christ like your best friend, your spouse, your neighbor, some character in a book?
Are you a do it yourself-er?
Holiness isn’t about being like everyone else.
Cookie cutter people we are not….
“Do it yourself-er”, “I am the maker of me” people we are not!
You are a “once in a lifetime”, they “broke the mold” after you, unique gift of a person.
Created by Him who is Love, molded in His mighty grace.
It takes courage to be the real you…
But when we live our uniqueness clothed in Christ…
it gives permission for others around us to be real!
so……
Lions and tigers and bears in your life?
The Holy Spirit fills you with the courage…
to be who you are and be that well!
Surrender to His grace.
Be the best you today….God needs you!
“I have told you this so that you might have peace in Me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world”. John 16:33
FAITH…
A gift given by God…
Passed on by others…
Believer to Believer to Believer .
Paper doll people with hearts of love,
Held by the faith of others; supporting others through their own.
Believer to Believer to Believer
Paper doll people with hearts of love,
Reach out to the disconnected.
Building the kingdom one soul at a time.
Reach out to the disconnected. Share the gift of your faith. Dare to transform the world wherever God has placed you.
“For whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our FAITH.”
1 John 5:4
If Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder…
If eyes are the window of the soul…
Beauty seen is a reflection of our Beauty within.
We have all known ah ha moments when Beauty catches our breath.
A pause as it sinks within.
Then we too must BELIEVE in the beauty within.
Extravagant, unique.
No two of us the same.
Yes, BELIEVE in this Beauty within.
The stamp of the Creator, His Divine image.
Heart within heart.
Let the scales fall from clouded eys. Vision restored.
Life IS beautiful. Your life IS beautiful. All life IS beautiful.
You are a reflection of Beauty.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you….” Jer 1:3
“The stars, the desert – what gives them their beauty is something that is invisible…”
“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” Antoine de Saint Exupery
What is beauty? To see beauty, to know beauty is to drink in the Divine. Who I am is beauty created by the One who is pure beauty, pure love. I am not only a divine reflection of this beauty, of this love….it knits my being together. Anything that assaults this truth is a lie that can never take away the Divine dignity within. “God looked at everything He had made, and He found it very good.” (Gen 1: 31) Let go of the thieves of mind and heart that pickpocket the truth of who you are.
Believe in the beauty God sees in you and allow your heart to see the beauty of your brothers and sisters about you.
“See I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” Is 43:19
Black bears can be found in the Smoky Mountains. They are basically shy animals but do come around looking for food when it is scarce. Many years ago I remember reading advice to hikers when encountering a bear. They are words that struck me then and are a constant reminder in this journey of the heart.
So what does one do when a bear crosses the path?
BE BIGGER THAN THE BEAR!
Yes, BE BIGGER THAN THE BEAR…
When life hands you the unexpected….BE BIGGER THAN THE BEAR!
Conflicted relationships, financial downfall….BE BIGGER THAN THE BEAR!
Depression, aloneness, hopelessness, boredom…..BE BIGGER THAN THE BEAR!
Pain of the heart, the body, the mind…BE BIGGER THAN THE BEAR!
Begin this day…BIGGER THAN THE BEAR!
Live this day….BIGGER THAN THE BEAR
End this day and rest in the Truth….
You walk in communion with the Resurrected One!
“Blesssed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in His great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials.” I Peter 1: 3-6
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