Daily Positive Thread for Friday

gloriajean · ‎03-10-2010

Hello my friends! Hope your day went great! Thanks Harlene and luvswesties for your posts! I am tired again, and I will rest up. I don't work at Lori's now until Tuesday and Wednesday, then I'm done for the year again! Cold day today and windy, and snowy, praise God for a warm place to live and work! Hard to believe that next week already is Christmas Eve! wow - coming fast!! My girls have been getting the Willow Tree Nativity set with the last couple of years added things to them, well this year they get the crib for the set! Then they should be complete! Looking forward to tomorrow - Father Jerry is coming again so I'm not working for Lori tomorrow. Looking forward to a nice meal and visit, and his playing the piano. Such a blessing to have him for my cousin!

When we give in to fears and worries they will take charge of our lives.

Lord, I place my trust in You so that I may experience every opportunity

and not miss in life that which is meant for me.

S C R I P T U R E   F O R   T H E   D A Y

"Jesus straightened up and said to the woman caught in adultery, 'Woman,
where are they? Has no one condemned you?' She said, 'No one, sir.' And
Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not
sin again.'" ~John 8:10-11

M E D I T A T I O N   F O R   T H E   D A Y

I can start a new life each day. I can put away the old mistakes and start
anew each day. God always offers me a fresh start. I need not be burdened
or anxious. If God's forgiveness were only for the righteous and those who
had not sinned, where would be its need? I believe that God forgives us all
our sins. We can honestly try to live today the way God wants us to live.
God forgives us much and we can be very grateful.

P R A Y E R   F O R   T H E   D A Y

I pray that my life may not be spoiled by worry and fear and selfishness.

I pray that I may have a glad, thankful and humble heart.

Praying Through Exhaustion

Oh Lord, I am so tired. It seems like the lists of to-do's get longer each day. Help me, dear Jesus. Let me feel your loving arms wrap me tightly in the warm embrace of your endless love. Teach me to make choices about my time, to remember what is important this season and to say "NO" whenever my Yes would take me away from your peace. Fill me with patience, love and a sense of humor. Remind me of your deep love for me and let the fire of that love be something I can share with everyone around me.

That is Christmas

Every time a hand reaches out
To help another....that is Christmas
Every time someone puts anger aside
And strives for understanding
That is Christmas
Every time people forget their differences
And realize their love for each other
That is Christmas
May this Christmas bring us
Closer to the spirit of human understanding
Closer to the blessing of peace!

The Candy Cane

A candy cane is more meaningful than just a sweet at Christmas....
It can remind us of Jesus.
Its shape is like a shepherd's staff.
Its wide red stripes remind us that Jesus shed his blood for our sins.
Its narrow red stripes reminds us that "by Hi stripe we are
healed"(Isaiah 53:5).
Its white stripes stands for purity - by his death we were made pure.
The peppermint flavor is similar to hyssop, which was used in Biblical
times for purification. (Psalms 51:7)
Its taste is sweet, as it is sweet to walk with Jesus.
Turn the candy cane upside down -- it becomes "J" for Jesus.

SANTA, CAN YOU VISIT MY GRANDDAUGHTER?
Author Unknown

Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to see Santa at
Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin. The child climbed up on his lap, holding a
picture of a little girl.

"Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling. "Your friend? Your sister?"

"Yes, Santa," he replied. "My sister, Sarah, who is very sick," he
said sadly.

Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, and saw
her dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

"She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much, Santa!" the
child exclaimed. "She misses you," he added softly.

Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy's face,
asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas.

When they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the
child off his lap, and started to say something to Santa, but halted.

"What is it?" Santa asked warmly.

"Well, I know it's really too much to ask you, Santa, but ..." the old
woman began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa's elves to
collect the little gift which Santa gave all his young visitors.

"...The girl in the photograph .. My granddaughter . Well, you see ...
She has leukemia and isn't expected to make it even through the
holidays," she said through tear-filled eyes. "Is there any way,
Santa . Any possible way that you could come see Sarah? That's all
she's asked for, for Christmas, is to see Santa."

Santa blinked and swallowed hard and told the woman to leave
information with his elves as to where Sarah was, and he would see
what he could do.

Santa thought of little else the rest of that afternoon. He knew what
he had to do.

"What if it were MY child lying in that hospital bed, dying," he
thought with a sinking heart, "this is the least I can do."

When Santa finished visiting with all the boys and girls that evening,
he retrieved from his helper the name of the hospital where Sarah was
staying.

He asked the assistant location manager how to get to Children's
Hospital.

"Why?" Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face.

Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah's grandmother earlier
that day.

"C'mon .... I'll take you there," Rick said softly.

Rick drove them to the hospital and came inside with Santa. They found
out which room Sarah was in. A pale Rick said he would wait out in the
hall.

Santa quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door and
saw little Sarah on the bed.

The room was full of what appeared to be her family; there was the
Grandmother and the girl's brother he had met earlier that day. A
woman whom he guessed was Sarah's mother stood by the bed, gently
pushing Sarah's thin hair off her forehead. And another woman who he
discovered later was Sarah's aunt, sat in a chair near the bed with
weary, sad look on her face. They were talking quietly, and Santa
could sense the warmth and closeness of the family, and their love and
concern for Sarah.

Taking a deep breath, and forcing a smile on his face, Santa entered
the room, bellowing a hearty, "Ho, ho, ho!"

"Santa!" shrieked little Sarah weakly, as she tried to escape her bed
to run to him, IV tubes intact.

Santa rushed to her side and gave her a warm hug. A child the tender
age of his own son -- 9 years old -- gazed up at him with wonder and
excitement.

Her skin was pale and her short tresses bore telltale bald patches
from the effects of chemotherapy. But all he saw when he looked at her
was a pair of huge, blue eyes. His heart melted, and he had to force
himself to choke back tears. Though his eyes were riveted upon Sarah's
face, he could hear the gasps and quiet sobbing of the women in the
room.

As he and Sarah began talking, the family crept quietly to the bedside
one by one, squeezing Santa's shoulder or his hand gratefully,
whispering "thank you" as they gazed sincerely at him with shining
eyes.

Santa and Sarah talked and talked, and she told him excitedly all the
toys she wanted for Christmas, assuring him she'd been a very good
girl that year.

As their time together dwindled, Santa felt led in his spirit to pray
for Sarah, and asked for permission from the girl's mother. She nodded
in agreement and the entire family circled around Sarah's bed, holding
hands.

Santa looked intensely at Sarah and asked her if she believed in
angels.

"Oh, yes, Santa ... I do!" she exclaimed.

"Well, I'm going to ask that angels watch over you," he said.

Laying one hand on the child's head, Santa closed his eyes and prayed.
He asked that God touch little Sarah, and heal her body from this
disease. He asked that angels minister to her, watch and keep her. And
when he finished praying, still with eyes closed, he started singing
softly,

"Silent Night, Holy Night ... all is calm, all is bright."

The family joined in, still holding hands, smiling at Sarah, and
crying tears of hope, tears of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed at
them all. When the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again
and held Sarah's frail, small hands in his own.

"Now, Sarah," he said authoritatively, "you have a job to do, and that
is to concentrate on getting well. I want you to have fun playing with
your friends this summer, and I expect to see you at my house at
Mayfair Mall this time next year!"

He knew it was risky proclaiming that, to this little girl who had
terminal cancer, but he "had" to. He had to give her the greatest gift
he could -- not dolls or games or toys -- but the gift of HOPE.

"Yes, Santa!" Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright.

He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead and left the room.

Out in the hall, the minute Santa's eyes met Rick's, a look passed
between them and they wept unashamed.

Sarah's mother and grandmother slipped out of the room quickly and
rushed to Santa's side to thank him.

"My only child is the same age as Sarah," he explained quietly. "This
is the least I could do."

They nodded with understanding and hugged him.

One year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in Milwaukee for
his six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do. Several weeks went
by and then one day a child came up to sit on his lap.

"Hi, Santa! Remember me?!"

"Of course, I do," Santa proclaimed (as he always does), smiling down
at her. After all, the secret to being a "good" Santa is to always
make each child feel as if they are the "only" child in the world at
that moment.

"You came to see me in the hospital last year!"

Santa's jaw dropped. Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, and he
grabbed this little miracle and held her to his chest.

"Sarah!" he exclaimed.

He scarcely recognized her, for her hair was long and silky and her
cheeks were rosy -- much different from the little girl he had visited
just a year before.

He looked over and saw Sarah's mother and grandmother in the sidelines
smiling and waving and wiping their eyes.

That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus. He had witnessed --
and been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about -- this miracle
of hope. This precious little child was healed. Cancer-free. Alive and
well. He silently looked up to Heaven and humbly whispered,

"Thank you, Father. 'Tis a very, Merry Christmas!"

SEASON'S MEETINGS
Author Unknown

Each year we ring in the holiday season by attending dozens of holiday
meetings. This Christmas committee, that planning event. Then we still
have to make the rounds to every store in the metro-plex. 'Tis the
season for weeks of ulcer inducing meetings and shopping, then
wrapping for about 72 straight hours. Christmas morning I find myself
sitting around the tree with a glazed look and half a roll of tape
stuck in my hair.

I stack three stories of gifts in front of each child. Within ten
minutes we're up to our eyeballs in wrapping paper. I have five
children. That's five three-story gift stacks and about 1200 yards of
wrapping paper. Last year it took us three days to find the cat.

I was scanning for Christmas sales when I ran across an Internet ad:
"100 FREE HOURS!" That's it! That's what I want for Christmas! Not the
Internet service--just the hours. My holiday calendar could make grown
men weep.

Even if we can't have a chestnut or two roasting on an open fire, it
seems we should at least be able to find time for some popcorn popping
in the microwave. Visions of sugarplums? I don't think so. There
hasn't been a silent night around our place since the season began.

Maybe we're being sucked in to the idea that we need to "super size"
the holidays the same way we're tempted to upgrade every fast food
lunch. We convince ourselves that to have a socially complete
Christmas, we need to super-size our schedules--adding more, spending
more, eating more. I'm popping Tums just thinking about it.

But let's take a look at the big Christmas picture. Jesus didn't come
into the world so that we could enjoy a nice story about a reindeer.
He didn't come so that our kids could put on a cute play.

Christ was born so that through his sacrificial death, we could be
reconciled to a holy God. Emmanuel, "God With Us," came to pay our sin
debt. Christmas is not for making us overworked and overwhelmed, but
for celebrating how we have been made overcomers.

The season becomes a real celebration when we learn to rest in the
faithful hands of the One who has overcome the world. Guess what we
find when we rest in him: Peace! Jesus said in John 16:33, "...in me
you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of
good cheer, I have overcome the world." The Lord has done the
overcoming on our behalf. He's the one who
gives peace. The only thing we truly need to work for is the resting
ability.

If your holiday schedule is keeping you up nights and you'd like a
little sleep in heavenly peace, maybe 'tis the season for saying some
"no's"--for sanity's sake. As for that Internet ad, if someone could
actually give me those extra 100 hours, what would I do with them?
Would I cram them to the brim with more activities? The truth is that
we have loads of time--24 hours every day. Focusing 24/7 on the God
who provided Christmas is the way to find a fulfilling holiday
season.

I've decided to take time to stop and smell the poinsettias- -and find
the cat.

gloriajean · ‎03-10-2010

December 17 - Jesus Calling

Come to Me with your gaping emptiness, knowing that in Me you are complete. As you rest quietly in My Presence, My Light within you grows brighter and brighter. Facing the emptiness inside you is simply the prelude to being filled with My fullness. Therefore, rejoice on those days when you drag yourself out of bed, feeling sluggish and inadequate. Tell yourself that this is a perfect day to depend on Me in childlike trust. If you persevere in this dependence as you go through the day, you will discover at bedtime that Joy and Peace have become your companions. You may not realize at what point they joined you on your journey, but you will feel the beneficial effects of their presence. The perfect end to such a day is a doxology of gratitude. I am He from whom all blessings flow!

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
—2 Corinthians 4:6

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven… Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
—Matthew 5:3, 6

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
—Colossians 2:9–10

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
—Psalm 150:6