CHRISTMAS GREETING

I WISH EVERYONE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS!

MAY YOUR HOMES SHINE BRIGHTER AS WE CONTEMPLATE ON THE HUMBLE BEGINNING OF THAT ONE BLESSED NIGHT WHEN THE SAVIOR WAS BORN IN A MANGER TO DWELL AMONG US!

PEACE, PROSPERITY AND LOVE ABOUNDING FOR THE COMING YEAR 2013!

MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL!

FMF: WONDER

Five Minute Friday is a feature on Lisa Jo's blog encouraging people to write for 5 minutes completely WITHOUT OVER-THINKING and without over-checking on grammar etc.  Just check on her blog every Friday for the word prompt.

November 30, 2012 word prompt is WONDER.

GO

I wonder if I could write again here in my blog.  It seems that my hands are full to wander off along the little rectangle of my keyboards.  Most often I am hampered by the internet ban at the office or burdened by acquiring our own connection.  The latter is a no no as of yet because my third world purse wouldn't let me get that liberty.

Lately, I wonder if it is something good for me that way.  Too much liberty makes one take things for granted. Limitations in a way is good.  We try to work on what we have and celebrate them.

PHOTO SOURCE

The season of remembering the first ever heavenly wonder that fell on Earth is nigh.  This is the season when most people are peace-loving, generous and kind.  

I wonder if it would be fine to celebrate the birth of Jesus daily.  I do.  Does it make me peace-loving, generous and kind?  Well, most of the time, when I dwell right there at the center of WONDER.  I need to be where the waters are always fresh and the grass is always green.  He is there.

Thinking about the first Christmas at that Holy Ground of a stable, I couldn't help but wonder how much heavenly display of magnificence the shepherds have witnessed, for them to fall to their knees trembling?  What kind of vision and sound did they see and hear, of the winged heavenly being, who proclaimed the coming of the Son of God to Earth and mankind?

I want to ponder upon this magnitude of God's eternal love for His people, making Jesus be born in the flesh and next making Him the perfect sacrifice for sin.  It is the greatest love of all!

Isn't it enough for people to turn their eyes upon the one who, in all compassion and meekness, submitted Himself to mortals and humiliation, so that we me be reconnected to the Father?

Wonder of all wonders, is the son of God. 

STOP

Scripture Theme:

A Savior Is Born

Luke 2:1-20

When the angel announced to the shepherds the birth of Jesus he said: 

"Be not afraid; for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Jesus is our Savior! 

What good news! 

LINKING UP WITH LISA JO-BAKER OF FMF

and with Kel of: Nourishment for the Soul

FMF: ROOTS

"For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit."   

 (Jeremiah 17:8 NASB)

-GO
Just in these recent years, our third world country has caught up with the developed ones in terms of commercialism.

Strategic places are now planted with malls instead of trees.  Sky-rise buildings and hotels are growing here and there.

In one of the tourist spots up north, which we call the summer capital of our country because of it's altitude and cooler temperatures, there was this issue  between mall developers and one nature advocacy group, over earth-balling of centuries-old trees.  The trees are practically like citizens.  How on earth did this method come about?  Trees are being moved to other locations, earth and all, to give way to change and progress.

This has lead me to think about the roots which has long been established and secure to the ground, and perhaps has extended to reach to where it can be watered.  If it were a person, I would think I am supplied with everything  I need, thriving and yielding fruits in season. But what is going to happen when you are earth-balled and transferred?  Will I last the trauma of the transition and then adopt to my new settings?  Will I ever bear fruits again?

But one thing is sure, wherever one is planted, one has to grow, thrive and bear fruit.  One must live up to the purpose God has created him or her for.  If so, to whom should we abide?  Where comes our provisions?

The true nourishment comes from the Lord.  Complete obedience and being rooted to the Word of God makes us grow like the tree of Jeremiah 17:8.  Come storms, floods, droughts and other forces of nature, it will remain standing and will yield fruits in season.


The opposite goes to those who do not trust in God and depend on their own strength.  They will dwell in the parched places of the desert and go to waste. (Jer 17:5-6)

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him." (Jer. 17:7)

I had been planted and earth-balled many times.  Pain comes with it and some re-adjustments.  I know deeply why and I pray I will be rooted upon His promises and remain in Him so that I may grow, thrive, and bear fruits.  My roots need to extend to where the soul-nourishment is, to where life is, to where eternity begins.



Happy to join the Lisa-Jo and the FMF community writing about ROOTS (November 2, 2012).

I may be late due to some constraints in connection but nevertheless heard.
-STOP

LINKS TO SOME EARTH-BALLING POSTS:

http://myquaintlife.com/2012/04/12/easter-earthquakes-earthballing/

http://www.baguio-city.net/2012/04/luneta-hill-scene-of-crime.html

FMF Community: V O I C E

VOICE-STRUMMING MY LIFE INTO HIS WORD

-START

Image Source

During my teens, there was this rave over learning how to play the guitar.  I live in an island which is known for the production of world-class guitars and it is just right for us to know how to strum those chords to tune.

Do I have a singing voice?  Nah!  Quite the contrary, I can only croak.  Yes, I am definitely an out-of-tuner yet I desired to voice my song through the strings of the guitar.

At one time, I was learning to put the chords I learned into a song.  I was making a sound and I thought I was alone.  I croaked and worst, I played against the rhythm of the song.  I know it was not a pleasant sound because my Momma had to peep into the little room where I was to voice her thoughts and perhaps to stop the noise I was making.

It was then that I poured my attention into reading and I again, this time, thought I could sing silently or play silently in the lines of the stories I am reading.  I dreamed of writing poems and short stories to voice my feelings and tell the stories of my life.

Then there came into the internet world a new word, a new community, sisterhood, brotherhood, even a community of inter-connected Christians, into writing which they called BLOG.

And here my dreams, aspirations, stories or even discordant poetry, found a voice, which, perhaps to my own kind, encouragers, journal writers, etc...... I may not be a NOISE, but my own VOICE.  In this way, in this media, I hope to speak encouragement, hope and joy, and maybe to the right ears or eyes, they may lift some heaviness of heart or mind.  And from the same, from others' voices, I may also journey in perfect thythm with those along my path.

Now may the God Who gives the power of patient endurance (steadfastness) and Who supplies encouragement, grant you to live in such mutual harmony and such full sympathy with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus.

Romans 15:5

Bear (endure, carry) one another's burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it].

Galatians 6: 2

From the above verse, I am certain and I do believe, there is a joyful noise in this community.

-STOP

Today, I am happy to be in community with FIVE MINUTE FRIDAY, writing to the word prompt:  VOICE.  Come in with us and join,

"a group of people who love to throw caution to the wind and just write without worrying if it’s just right gather to share what five minutes buys them. Just five minutes.......not a perfect post, not a profound post, just five minutes of focused writing."

LINK-UPS:

Also with:

Jen McAllister of SCATTERED GRACES

and with Pam @ Writing Apples of Gold

FIVE MINUTE FRIDAY: LOOK

LOOKING THROUGH THE EYES OF LOVE

 It is so weird to think of how we liked to look good and be our best when we were young.  We have our own idea what is attractive and trendy.  We peer into mod magazines to see what is new and popular so that we can imitate them.

Then as we grow older, suddenly we look into the character of the person, what is inside rather than what is outward.  We laugh at our attitude of youth when we went overboard just to look like everyone else.  We met our prince charming and we settle down.  We grow close and accept one another's shortcomings and conclude that love is greater than any of them.

Certainly character lasts, which can be proven, much as we may deny it, by the wrinkles that we are clothed now.  Gone are the smoothness and softness of youthful skin.  Our hands ache with arthritic pains and stiffness.  And we look for the character which our loving Lord wants us to manifest. Do people see Jesus in our face or actions?

To me, the knowledge of our Savior's grace and living the love He gave us so that others may see whom we believe in, is the greatest look of all time.  Mirroring the image of our Lord is the most beautiful countenance of all- the look of LOVE.

Matthew 5:16

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

I am thanking the FMF community for the word prompt for today (October 19, 2012)-LOOK.

In community with FMF

 

and linking up with Hyacynth @

and with Sandra @ SANDRA HESKAKING