To Be More Like Jesus

 It's the Fourth Sunday of Advent...We are getting closer and closer to Christmas and celebrating the birth of our Savior.  Today we lit the fourth candle on the Advent Wreath at church. Obviously, this picture doesn't have anything to do with an Advent Wreath, but it was such a lovely evening and it gave me such peace and joy and comfort as we enter this last week prior to Christmas, that I just thought I'd share it with you.

What you couldn't see in the above picture was that there was a whole flock of geese who had landed just before sunset on Still Waters Pond.

They were swimming around the island in the pond, checking things out. Some even went up on the island and walked around.  

And then they all slipped back into the pond and swam away into the sunset...

And this gave me such "Joy in this Place"...

It helped me to focus more fully on the true meaning of Christmas...putting things in perspective as we "wrap things up" (literally)  in preparation for our celebration.  I've been a little stressed as usual at this time of the year in getting everything done, tending to overthink what I think needs to be done...and I need to just stop and "rest beside the still waters" for a little while and let the Lord restore my soul from the hectic pace of the world.

This morning our church choir sang our Christmas Cantata, "Joy In This Place".  It is a relief to have that over with after weeks of practice, but it is also a joy to have shared the "Good News" of Jesus Christ coming to earth..."God with us",  to save us from our sins and give us hope, joy and peace for a better life here on earth and the hope and assurance of eternal life in heaven.  I have already shared this video on Facebook, but if you aren't able to see it there, then here it is again for you if you would like to listen to this joyful message:

As you can see, our choir was "socially distanced", and we are few in number since there are still several who are not able to attend church because of their health concerns. But we who were able to participate sang for the joy and glory of the Lord.  I hope you will enjoy this.

So what special things are you doing to celebrate Christmas this year? I know many are not able to be with loved ones or friends, but perhaps there are special programs you are watching or participating in...or any particular charities that you or your church or club or group supports during the holidays?  One thing I really love about our little church is that we give toys and gifts to the children of our local elementary school. There is one woman in particular in our church who takes it upon herself to start collecting new toys early in the year.  People donate funds to help, but she does much of it on her own, and by Christmas time she has collected enough toys to make sure that every single child in our school will receive some special gifts at Christmas.  (I believe there are more than 500 students now). Some of the ladies help her wrap the gifts and distribute them. It is a wonderful ministry as we are a poor rural community and many children would not have anything for Christmas if people did not help. I am amazed at the love and big heart of this particular woman who has taken on this ministry. She is truly an example to all of us.  I am sharing her picture here because I want you to see her exuberant spirit. I don't think she will read my blog, and she would be very humbled and probably embarrassed if she saw it, but this dear saint of God deserves some special accolades.  I know God already knows, and He takes good care of her...but to me she is a super hero. Her name is Norma.

Norma exemplifies the true Spirit of Christmas to me.

She also baked cookies and gave tins of them to many families in the church for Christmas.

I think what I want for Christmas is to be more like Norma in the New Year.

To be more giving, loving and do so with a humble spirit.

In other words, to be more like Jesus.

Yes, that is what I really want for Christmas. 

To be more like Jesus.

How about you?

Have a blessed and wonderful Christmas my friends.

 

Abundantly Satisfied...

Here it is Wednesday night already...this week is flying by...

Just like that Great Blue Heron, whose wings you may see spread out way over on the other side of the Still Waters Pond...He flew so fast I had a hard time getting a picture:

But when he finally landed, I was able to zoom in on him and get a closer look:

He stretched out his neck as if to say..."Well, if you must take my picture, at least let me stand up tall so you can see me better!"

Something else that is flying around in our back yard is this "lovely" rooster sitting on top of the weathervane... (if you can call a black iron rooster lovely, that is! LOL! At least he doesn't crow every morning and wake us up at the crack of dawn!)

 The weathervane was actually an anniversary gift that we bought (with gift money) for our Golden Wedding anniversary last August. (Hence the gold decorative balls on the post).  Our intention was to perch it atop a cupola on the top of our new shed. (see the Pinterest picture below to get the idea.) ⇓

Cupola w/weathervane, Pinterest picture

However, after pricing the cost of a cupola we decided that will have to wait awhile, maybe until our son can find some time to build us one some day. So in the meantime, the rooster weathervane has been patiently waiting to be set up somewhere...and finally this past week we decided to put it on the deck where we can see it and can watch which way the wind is blowing out by the pond.  It makes for a good conversation piece if nothing else!

On another note, Valentine's Day and my hubby's birthday is coming and we will be having some company for lunch actually two days in a row...tomorrow some dear friends from our previous home neighborhood (and our home Bible Study we had there) are coming and actually bringing the food!  We are really looking forward to seeing them.

And then on Friday my sister and her hubby (from the Orlando area) and my brother and his wife (from Charlotte, NC) are coming for lunch...and we will celebrate my hubby's birthday and also my sister in law's birthday is coming up next week so we will celebrate her birthday too. So this will be another very special day. We don't get to all be together very often! We are thankful to still be able to do this since we lost our oldest brother to leukemia last year. These times together are very precious.

These tulips were so pretty at the store today, so I just had to bring them home to decorate the table.

And we've finally been trying to start doing some "landscaping" in the front yard. This is just a small start, with some pretty flowering plants to bring some color to a very dry and drab looking yard.

It will take some time to get things green and pretty as this home never had any kind of landscaping or flowers before.  Seems like that was what I had to do at our last home too, and then I left it all there. So now we are starting over again little by little.

But when I really want to see something pretty, I just look out the back door in the evenings and see this gorgeous sunset, and then I remember why we bought this house in the first place!

We give thanks to the Lord for providing this lovely dwelling place for us. Yes, there is always work to do to maintain a home and help make it attractive.  But the most important thing is to always remember to honor and praise God for how He has blessed us...and to use this home for His glory.

Psalm 36:5-9

"Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens;

Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the great mountains;

Your judgments are a great deep;

O Lord; You preserve man and beast.

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!

Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,

And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.

For with You is the fountain of life'

In Your light we see light."

(The full moon this past week)

I hope that you are having a blessed week. I know some have had difficulties with too much snow or rain and possible flooding. Others are grieving the loss of a dear loved one or are battling illness or caring for those who are ill. May the Lord give you peace and comfort and strength for whatever issues you may be facing each and every day. And may we each put our trust "under the shadow of God's wings...and be abundantly satisfied with the fullness of God's house..."

Amen.

Rise and Shine

"Rise and shine

and give God the glory, glory

Rise and shine

and give God the glory, glory;

Rise and shine and (clap!) 

Give God the glory, glory,

Children of the Lord!"

 The Red Shouldered Hawk is in the treetop, rejoicing to see a new day!

The sun is rising in the east and reflecting on Still Waters Pond

          Isaiah 60:1 (NKJV) 

"Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you."

Hope your day is filled with the joy and the Glory of the Lord!

 Sailing away into a beautiful day!

2 

"Come and See"... Sermon Notes and a Celebration of Sorts...

I was just looking at the list of posts that I have written over the past 9 years (this blog started in February, 2011), and I just realized that I have now crossed the 1000 posts mark, 1080 to be exact (this will make 1081!)  I suppose I should have had some kind of celebration when I crossed the 1000 "mile marker", but I didn't even realize it had happened.  If I am counting correctly, the 1000th post would have been HERE, April 22, 2019, the day after Easter!  Now that was certainly a time to celebrate! Here is my opening paragraph from that day:

"Happy Easter Monday...can you imagine what a glorious day this was back in Jesus' day?  The day AFTER the Resurrection?  Can you imagine the excitement rippling through the disciples' community network...they didn't have social media back then, but they sure had ways of getting the message around...and look what we have today...God's Word The Bible and the New Testament...we would not have The New Testament if Easter had never happened!  We would not have our churches and Christian schools, ministers, missionaries...we would still be lost in our sins...Oh, my goodness! What a difference Three Days Make!" 

And here are my closing remarks from that same post:

"Again, I think..what would our lives be like without Jesus in our lives? There would be no "church family"...no Easter music...no Christmas...no salvation from our sins...none of the wonderful sacred music that we enjoy so much every week at church and in between...no Christian charity, ministries, hospitals...wow...if Jesus had never come to earth...if Jesus had never died on Calvary...where would we be? Have you ever thought of this?  I supposed we'd all be like the rest of the heathen world...following after false religions and gods...or not knowing any kind of god at all. We'd be lost. Our lives would be dark and sad and filled with sorrows with no hope.
Thanks to Calvary...we have hope of life eternal...we have salvation from our sins...we have life and love and faith to carry us through all of life's trials.
Jesus said to Martha in John 11:25-26
"I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die...."

Hallelujah for this hope that we have in Christ Jesus, all because of Easter!" 

I love this because today's sermon reminded us that we are to be disciples of Christ like the early converts to Christ found in John 1:29-42.  First there was John the Baptist, who testified that Jesus is the "Son of God" (John 1:34), and then again in verse 36: "Behold the Lamb of God!" In verse 37 the two disciples of John heard him speak, and then they followed Jesus. One of those disciples was Andrew, and then he went and found his brother Simon Peter and told him that they had found the "Messiah", and then next came Philip, and then Philip found Nathanael, and the list just kept growing from there...and here we are today!

We were challenged in the message today to remember and think about who it was who led us to Christ...was it a Sunday School teacher, a Pastor, a friend, a parent?  Who has ministered to us in the Name of Jesus?  Who sent you to Jesus? Who gave you a Bible? Who helped you to form a relationship with Christ? We should thank God for those people who had such an influence in our lives.

And then furthermore, is there anyone who thanks God for YOUR witness? Who do YOU represent to the people you meet every day?

Jesus invites us to "Come and See" (verse 39) where He is staying. He invites us into His presence.
Do you know someone who is filled with darkness, bitter, angry?
Jesus can shine in the darkness...God's Word brings light and new life into old dry bones...

As believers in Christ we should want to tell others about the Good News of Jesus Christ. We just need to share what has transpired in our own lives since we met the "Messiah".

We should pray that God will give us the words to say to that person...whatever their need may be...listen to them, and then allow the Holy Spirit to speak through you and give the comfort and peace they need.
We need to be the ones who get folks to the place where Jesus can be found..."Come and see..."
We should be disciples who make disciples...
Listen to your heart...the hope that you have in Christ...share your faith...
I don't care what the question is...the answer is Jesus!
"The more you give your faith away, the more you share it...the more you have of it."
Jesus is ever calling us.
Your challenge is to introduce someone to that voice....

Okay, so there you have it! I am trying to get back into writing the weekly sermon notes again.
A dear soul in our church anonymously gave me this Sermon Notes journal for Christmas. (I did find out who it was and thanked her).  I took the hint...I needed to get back to doing what I was doing before...

"And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have..." 

2 Corinthians 8:10-11

So this is my way of celebrating passing the 1000 posts mile marker (1081!)  Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with you and looking for ways to share Him with others throughout the week.  Oh, and by the way, in keeping with my One Word for 2020, "Joyful",  I found this cute placemat (see above) the other day in, of all places, the Dollar General store..."Enjoy the little things"... and it gave me joy to see it and I wanted to bring it home with me so that I could continue to enjoy it! We should be looking for the "little things" in life every day that bring joy to our hearts...and also perhaps ways that we can bring joy to other people's lives.  What better way is there than to introduce them to Jesus?

"Come and See!"

Sermon Notes: FUMC, Interlachen, FL, Pastor John Bennett, 1/19/2020

Please Note : I want to repeat this disclaimer here...the notes, outline, and content included here are based upon my own personal understanding of the message that was being given. I am not attempting to completely quote or reproduce this message or any other message I've shared previously. Just as each person reading these notes may glean insights and thoughts that seem to directly apply to one's own situation and interpretation, my own delivery of these messages is skewed by my hearing and translation of what is being said. Some may read my notes here and wonder if they were hearing the same message as I...and I say, God speaks to each of us as He wills...there are things He is trying to get across to each individual that may be entirely different than what the person sitting next to you in the pew is needing to hear... That is how the Holy Spirit works! He knows what we need to hear and how to apply it to our hearts. So it is with that understanding that I present these sermon notes to you.

"Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee!"

Well, it is so nice to finally be able to sit here and write this post. I was very "joyful" as I started on it yesterday afternoon, but I kept getting this message from blogger that something was wrong and they were unable to publish my post. Finally I realized that the internet was down, and that was that...no more writing, no more reading blogs, no more anything...(except what I could pull up on my cell phone, which was very slow)  So that went on until we went to bed last night, and apparently the internet was fixed sometime during the night. 

 This gorgeous Amaryllis started my day yesterday morning with four gorgeous blossoms at once!

I was already thinking and singing this wonderful old hymn in my head when I began to write this post (before the internet went down), and now I think I will continue with that theme as I share the words of the hymn and post pictures of things that have given me "joy" this week.

Maybe you can sing along with this huge gathering of people singing "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee"

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,

God of glory, Lord of love;

Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee,

Apparently someone forgot to tell this very old flowering pear or wild plum tree that it isn't spring yet!

 Aren't these blossoms just glorious?  Amazing that they are blooming on a very old tree that appears to be sitting next to an old foundation of a house that is long gone...

I kind of found this contrast between dead and alive to be interesting, as well as the thought that new life is springing up out of a very old, and what appeared to be dead, tree!

Praising Thee, their sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;

Drive the dark of doubt away;

Giver of immortal gladness,

Fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee,

Earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,

Stars and angels sing around Thee,

Center of unbroken praise:

Field and forest, vale and mountain,

Blooming meadow, flashing sea,

Chanting bird and flowing fountain

Call us to rejoice in Thee.

(I thought you'd enjoy seeing these beautiful Ring Necked Ducks dabbling in the water of Still Waters pond. They stay out there all day, swimming, diving, and looking like they are playing in the water like a bunch of children. But they are busily finding their food every time they dive.

Such fun to watch.

  Thou art giving and forgiving,

Ever blessing, ever blest,

Well-spring of the joy of living,

Ocean-depth of happy rest!

    

Thou our Father, Christ our brother,

All who live in love are Thine:

Teach us how to love each other,

Lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the mighty chorus,

Which the morning stars began;

Father-love is reigning o’er us,

Brother-love binds man to man.

Ever singing march we onward,

Victors in the midst of strife,

Joyful music leads us sunward

In the triumph song of life.

Okay, that's it for today!

Well, almost: 

I finally hung up this wonderful little shelf/sign/hook thing in our laundry room. 

 Good way to end this joyful post!

Finding JOY Along the Way-Photos of the Week

We stopped in for lunch at a little cafe' near here this week, and they had recently updated their decorations on the walls with these great signs.  I really liked this one in particular, and thought you might appreciate these as well, along with my photos of the week:

 Okay...what's this???

This "toadstool" (mushroom), has great confidence, popping up in the middle of the road...

 The geese continue to entertain us each day...

As do the Tufted Titmouse ...

And the Chickadee...

And before I forget....Here's another sweet little Christmas present I received from my sister, who keeps my "tea cup tree" filled with miniature teacups and teapots!

 Thank you, Doris! You always come up with the neatest gifts!

 Sailing away into a perfect weekend...

I hope you find JOY in the small things along the way as you travel through each day...

Isaiah 55:12

For you shall go out with joy, 

and be led out with peace;

The mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you,

And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands..."

(when you go out with joy)