Tag Archives: God

Become the Gift…

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Jesus was born dying…

Dying to LOVE you.

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The wood of the manger…the wood of the cross.

Christ Child breaking open the virginal womb of Mary…Crucified Christ tearing the temple veil in two.

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Newborn Babe swaddled in clothes…Christ Man mocked in purple cloth.

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Blessed Mother holding the Babe to her chest…Sorrowful Mother holding her Son from the Cross.

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Angels singing triumphantly “Holy, Holy, Holy”…Soldier at cross declaring, “Surely this was the Son of Man.”

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Jesus, God with a human face, born to die for LOVE of You!

When we receive the gift of the Christ Child, we receive the LOVE that came into the world to lay down His life for all.

Do we realize the true message of Christmas is about the Receiving?

The greatest gift we can give to our loved ones is to RECEIVE more deeply the LOVE that knows no bounds…

And LIVE that LOVE passionately.

Have you received the GIFT of Christmas?…Would you lay down your life for another?

May we all more deeply RECEIVE…

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So we may all more deeply GIVE.

RECEIVE and become the GIFT.

Give Christmas away.

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to seperate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8: 38-39

A Day Well Spent…

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If you planted hope today in any hopeless heart…

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If someone’s burden was lighter because you did your part…

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If you caused a laugh that chased some tears away…

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If tonight your name is named when someone kneels to pray…

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Then your day has been well spent!

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Blessings on your weekend,

Fromtheheartofj

Be Someone’s “Leaven in the Dough”…

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How many times have we forgotten to say thank you? How many people have we forgotten to thank?

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 It may be someone living in our house, a dear friend, an acquaintance, or even a perfect stranger.

We may have been too distracted or too busy…

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or thought we deserved it or took it for granted.

But we missed a graced moment…an opportunity to begin a chain of contagious thanks.

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There are many sweet souls in our midst that are doing “little things with great love”.

Do we notice them?

They are the “leaven in the dough” assisting the kingdom of God to rise.

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They are the “salt that has not lost its flavor”.

They come in all shapes and sizes…

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The spouse that brings home carry out when you’ve had a long day…the girl at the sandwich shop that always remembers you like extra onions on your sub…the neighbor who picks up your paper when you are travelling…the bagger at the grocery store who ties the tops of your bags so they are easier to carry…the housekeeper that takes the time to pull the dead leaves off your favorite but forgotten houseplant…the church memeber who often says, “I am praying for you.”…the volunteer who goes the extra mile filling in when others have slacked off…the gas attendant who reminds you to have a blessed day…the gentleman who always opens the door…the teenage child who sends a random I LOVE YOU MOM text…

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It’s all those who stopped to smile and say hello…all those who let you pull in front of them in busy traffic.

It’s all those who have passed on a funny joke, left a “like” on your blog, or pointed out the beauty of the sunset or the clouds in the sky.

For all those little ones too numerous to count who have come in and through my life…

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I thank you!

And to show my thanks I lift you up to heaven and ask the Lord to shower you abundantly with His blessings of peace, love, and joy. May you know how much He loves you for being His hands and feet, His words and heart, in this world sometimes too busy to give thanks.

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Little ones, God knows who you are…and in His eyes you are the great ones.

Will you join me in giving thanks for the “leaven in the dough”ers and the “salt that hasn’t lost their flavor”ers?

Christmas is about giving…let us thank these little, great ones…better yet let us become someone else’s “leaven in the dough” or “salt that hasn’t lost its flavor”.

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Heard it said that gratitude is the foundation of spirituality. How stable is the path you are walking?

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“Blest the Lord, my soul; all my being, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, my soul; do not forget all the gifts of God.”

Ps 103:1-2

Please feel free to add your thanks for the little, great ones in your life in the comment section below.

Twelve Days of Christmas…(two days late)

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The Twelve Days of Christmas…

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On the first day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…

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A Life unique in His image.

On the second day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…

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a Father to guide.

On the third day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…

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a Mother to comfort.

On the fourth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…

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a Spirit to fill my heart.

On the fifth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…

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the precious gift of Faith.

On the sixth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…

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A Hope to endure.

On the seventh day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…

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a Love all consuming.

On the eighth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…

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Joy and Peace.

On the ninth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…

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the Tree of Life.

On the tenth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…

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Blessings that fill my days.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…

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A Star to lead the way.

On the twelvth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…

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 Himself in a manger.

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” 2 Co 9:15

A Trip To The Manger…

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Let us in these days before Christmas take a trip in prayer to the empty manger…

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Let us kneel down in the prickly straw, feel the cold drafty air up on us…

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and smell the somewhat stink of the animals’ living space.

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 Let us see within our hearts those places most in need of Our Savior.

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Within this posture of receiving let us wait in joyful expectancy and holy longing for the coming of the Messiah more deeply into our hearts.

So that in the holy hush of Christmas with hopeful hearts of “YES”…

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we may walk forward to receive and be transformed, believe and be set free, adore and soar to the heavenly heights…

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Receive, Believe, and Adore.

Live the Reason…

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With Christmas two weeks from now…

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We must honestly ask ourselves the question…

Are we consumers?

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Or are we being consumed?

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 Are you Living the Reason for the Season?

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The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people…And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:10-11,13-14

The Little Drummer Boy in Each of Us…

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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.

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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?

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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.”

The King of Kings Friendship Award…

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King of Kings Friendship Award

Thank you Anne at for the wonderful King Of Kings Friendship Award …what an  honor…what a blessing.

And truly an affirmation that we are all connected in this Body of Christ in a real way.  And are serving Him by being missionaries of the internet…flooding cyberspace with good and wholesome words that have the potential to encourage faith and rekindle hope.  Thank  you for this Godly pat on the back.

To read more about the King of Kings Friendship Award, please go to

http://freedomborn.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/the-king-of-kings-friendship-award/

The Wrong Person at the Wrong Time?…or the RIght Person at the Wrong TIme?

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Do you often think…I must have been the wrong person at the wrong time?!…

But when we are the right person at someone else’s wrong time….

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and GIVE from the HEART…

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We become the hands of Christ…

bringing wholeness into the brokenness.

The needy are all about us…

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They come in all shapes and sizes of woundedness.

Let our gifts this Christmas come from the heart…bringing wholeness to the broken.

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Let us find ourselves to be the “Right” person at someone else’s “Wrong” time.

Enjoy this 10 minute video that will inspire and transform your heart. You will not be disappointed.

“Give and gifts will be given to you;  a good measure, packed together, shaken down and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.  For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you. ”  Luke 6:38

Mission Impossible?….Not At All!

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“God has created me to do Him some definite service:  He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another.  I have my mission – I may never know it in this life, but I will be told it in the next. “

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“I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.  He has not created me for naught.  I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it –if I do but keep His commandments.  Therefore I shall trust Him,  Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away.  If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him.  If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him.  He does nothing in vain.  He knows what He is about.  He may take away my friends.  He may throw me among strangers.  He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me — still He knows what He is about. ”  Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

“Lord you have probed me,  you know me:  you know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar.  My travels and my rest you mark;  with all my ways you are familiar.  Even before a word is on my tongue, Lord, you  know it all.  Behind and before you encircle me and rest your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is beyond me, far too lofty for me to reach.” Ps 139:1-6

May you walk in your mission this day….grounded in the love of God.

My readers…you are in my prayers, fromtheheartof j

fromtheheartofj