Saturday's Selections

Ideal for those in need of assurance that God is watching over them...I love the inspirational truth in this song. God is with us through everything! Never once will He leave us.

~Merry Christmas!~

The white Christmas hasn't come yet, but it stands to reason that there's no place like home for the holidays!
This celebration of Jesus is a mere one for such as Him. Everyone is busy celebrating His wonderful birth! The tree, the presents, the laughter, the families gathering, sharing, and love.

You know, that's what Jesus was portraying when He came: His amazing love.

Thinking beyond the packages coming week after week this season, the temptation to take a small peek under the wrapping paper, the endless question "Is it Christmas yet?": Did we remember Who gave us Christmas? Who gave us this love, joy, and peacefulness?

Or have we waited for the morning when we get to grab out the stockings, rip open the paper, and spend all day in our pajamas?
This isn't all that Christmas should be. It should be more! Giving is better than receiving after all!

Give with your heart. You'll be glad you did.
Jesus Loves You, everyone.

Saturday's Selections

"The best evidence of our having the truth is our walking in the truth."-Matthew Henry

Share Some Love

Christmas is arriving. But families in poverty may not receive any gifts.
While we sit around the tree, opening up our packages or smiling for the camera, holding up our stockings in our Christmas pajamas, there will be children who will be sitting on dirt floors, never getting the chance to know what a gift is.

But you can help give a family in destitution two special gifts: love and safety.
This Christmas, why don't we give instead of receive? Compassion International aims to raise $20,000 through their Gift Catalog. Your donation will help these families not only thrive, but show them that someone in the world is caring. And showing that you care is a gift in itself. 

Jesus gave Himself to us, and He was (and is) the greatest, most precious gift we will ever receive. Why not give for Him?

By giving love, time, and sometimes money, you will abound in happiness. Give generously and without resent ...you are doing a good deed.

"But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you —see that you also excel in this grace of giving." (2 Corinthians 8:7 NIV)

"Freely you have received; freely give." (Matthew 10:8b NIV)

"Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you."(3 John 1:5 NIV)
THANK-YOU,
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!

Carrying a Stranger

I had a dream a few nights ago. I dreamed I was carrying a child in my arms through unfamiliar streets. Past stoplights and cars, and children playing, I carried this small one. Where I was going, I did not know.
 But all the while, I heard a voice saying, "Jesus. This is Jesus..." over and over again. 

I could not see the child's face; it was blurred in my dream. But I could see what he or she was wearing: Filthy, musty rags, and bare feet. While I continued walking, I remembered a quote by Mother Teresa: "I see Jesus in every human being. I say to myself, this is hungry Jesus, I must feed him. This is sick Jesus...I must wash him and tend him. I serve because I love Jesus."

I proceeded on my slow, steady walk to somewhere. I noticed how light and easy it was to carry the small child. Whoever I was holding was very thin, dark, and very dirty. And I carried this one child all the way to a large home.

Nothing looked familiar about this place, a very unusual thing to happen with me: Practically everything in my dreams look familiar.
I walked up the steps to the door with the child still in my arms, and the door was opened by a woman. Still nothing familiar, but she welcomed me in. However, she looked quite uncertain about the child I was holding.

I told her that this child would be staying with us for a while. We needed a nice bath for the little one, new clothes, and good hygiene lessons.
She smiled, took the child from my arms, and headed up the staircase, while I proceeded into the dining room. A large family was sitting at the table, and they all smiled. They invited me to sit down and eat with them. They were very friendly. Though I did not know them, they seemed to be a kind of family to me.

A short while later, the child and woman came downstairs to the dining room. The child was no longer in rags, but had a cute, flowered dress on, and clean white socks. I still could not see the face, but assumed, by the clothes, that I was looking at a little girl.

She ran up to me and gave me a big hug. A sweet, adorable, big hug. No one said a word. But words were not needed; she expressed her love all in that one hug.

Right after that, I woke up. It took me a second to figure out I was no longer dreaming. Then I decided what to do with this amazing dream: Put it on my blog.

Exactly what this dream means, I do not know. But I do know how that dream might have come.
I requested K.P. Yohannan's book No Longer a Slumdog and received it in the mail with great enthusiasm. This book is a real eye-opener, and the gripping facts may have moved from my mind, into my subconsciousness. And other reasons, such as my love for helping those in need.

I don't know how this dream occurred or why, but I will keep it in mind. Do you have a thought about this dream? Leave me a comment below. I'd love to see your input!

What does Giving mean?

When I really think about giving, I think of many different things. Happiness, love, charity, peace, joy, emotions.
There are so many ways to give.
Soup kitchens, volunteering your time, money, love and friendship to do something for someone, schooling, giving the Good News to someone in need. But, as James 1:15-16 says, we should not just say what we should do, we should do what we say.
And, every good and perfect gift comes from above (James 1:17), from God.

I collected a "survey" of what my friends and family think the phrase "It's About Giving" means:
My Dad- Willingness to give: When you want or own something, but you give it to another person who needs or wants it.
Little Brother-"When you give somebody something."
Little Sister-"You give somebody something."
Big Brother-There are lots of ways to give, not just gifts.
My Mom- Give with a cheerful heart.
A Family Friend- Christ crucified is the epitome of giving for all ages. An honest account of giving is...“Ouch!” It is painful, BUT God has directed His creation of us such that the joy in giving exceeds the suffering, and ultimately refined through Him, the joy dissolves any remnants of suffering.
The gift from our eternal Father of his only begotten Son is again the model for an answer: The pouring out of oneself is the Grace of the gift, of love. There is disappointment in a gift refused, but no diminishing in the love itself. Love is giving of self.
A Friend- It looks like someone cares, it sounds like something nice, it tastes like something sweet, and it feels good. Babies love their mom but they can not give her anything but love. It is the feeling of knowing you helped someone, give the word of Jesus to others and share about Him.

And this gift can be given to people whom you do not even know! Give a gift of love, care and assistance to someone in need with Compassion's Christmas Gift Catalog! Give a family livestock, safe drinking water, food for malnourished children, and more. 
 
And, some quotes for Giving (Before Saturday's Selections!):

Here are a list of Bible Passages for thought:
Deuteronomy 15:11  Open your hands wide to the poor and give.
Proverbs 21:13 Listen to the poor.
2 Corinthians 9:6-12   God loves a cheerful giver.
Romans 11:29 The gifts of God are unchangeable.
Matthew 2:11 The wise men gave gifts.
Romans 12:6 We all have different gifts, use them.
1 Corinthians 12:4 Many differing gifts, same in Spirit.

Saturday's Selections

"There is no harm in repeating a good thing."-Plato
I think this is a great quote because it's true. And it isn't just for words...You can repeat a good thing someone else did, too.

Saturday's Selections

Here is another quote. I have decided also to take an approach with Saturday's Selections, posting not only quotes, but also music, Bible verses, and videos.

 

"A man may study because his brain is hungry for knowledge, even Bible knowledge. But he prays because his soul is hungry for God."- Leonard Ravenhill