Here comes the New Year, 2023!
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As we approach the New Year I have been reflecting back and also thinking forward. For sure I can say for myself the past few years have been challenging to say the least. 2020 with the loss of my brother and 2021 with the loss of my wife. Add to that the COVID virus that put a halt to my outreach ministry that has been a blessing since it's conception in 2004. Yes, for me a rough few years. But if I stop and think about it, many others have it it a lot more rougher than me.
What is most amazing to me is one part of my life that hasn't changed in the past 25 years is my life with Christ. Through all the good and the bad I say the same thing, "God You are awesome!" See, I understand that from Jesus lips He said, "In this life you will have trials and tribulations!" He also finished that with, "Do not fear for I have conquered all!" (John 16:33) What that tells me is there is "nothing" that with Him and because of Him, I can not conquer. Problems will come and problems will go but with my Savior I will overcome them all! Praise God!
Times Haven’t Changed
If you go back 2000 plus years
before God spoke to Noah about the rain,
people were on the earth, maybe not as many,
still being people just the same.
Oh, for sure there were no cars,
no TV’s, cell phones or such.
People were still making decisions,
a few cared but probably not that much.
I believe the decisions that they made
that brought on God’s wrath and the rain,
was their lack of interest in their Creator,
today you see much the same.
But praise God for the Bible,
for from His Word we know what’s true.
See, it has all been written,
if read there you will find me and you.
You will find because of the love of Jesus
everything has all been arranged.
Some of us will be on the Ark to Heaven,
some not, yep, times haven’t changed!
So my friends, bring on the New Year, for "nothing is going to come between me and God!"
God's love and grace to you all!
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It is Christmas! December 25th, 2022
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
God's love and grace to you all!
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6 1/2 hours till Christmas! December 24th, 2022
Do you hear what I hear? oh, I pray you do!
God's love and grace to you all!
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One day till Christmas! December 23rd, 2022
O, Holy Night! "For yonder breaks a "new and glorious mourn!"
God's love and grace to you all!
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Three days till Christmas! December 22nd, 2022
What child is this?? This is the Christ child!!! Immanual, Price of Peace!!! Praise His Holy name!!
God's love and grace to you all!
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Four days till Christmas! December 21st, 2022
This I guess is one of the most popular Christmas song. It is sung most Christmas Eve's at a candle light service.
God's love and grace to you all!
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Five days till Christmas! December 20th, 2022
I always love hearing this or singing the song by Mark Lowry at Christmas. I wonder if Mary did know that "when she kissed her baby, she kissed the face of God?"
God's love and grace to you all!
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Six days till Christmas! December 19th, 2022
Well, for sure, "Only One did that for me!"
God's love and grace to you all!
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Seven days till Christmas! December 18th, 2022
This was my wife's favorite Christmas song. I wish she was here to listen to it again.
I was blessed with this poem because of that song. How true it is! The Animals Really Knew
The star was over Bethlehem
and the manger was all aglow.
Mary, Joseph and the Christ Child,
side by side in the hay, all in a row.
Then came the three Wise men,
kneeling with their gifts from afar.
They came to see this Special One,
by following Bethlehem’s star.
Not many in the city
knew why this Child had come.
But it appeared that the animals knew,
as they looked at each other, one by one.
Yes, they knew Him as their Creator,
and the One who gives them food.
He also gave them shelter,
oh yes, the animals really knew.
See, the animals knew more that the humans
because they just rely on need.
Maybe one day we could be as smart,
all it takes is to truly believe!
God's love and grace to you all!
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Eight days till Christmas! December 17th, 2022
An awesome Christmas song. Yep, on the 25th of December we celebrate God's awesome gift to us!
God's love and grace to you all!
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Nine days till Christmas! December 16th, 2022
On of my favorite Christmas songs. As each year goes by this song is more and more so true.
God's love and grace to you all!
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Ten days till Christmas! ~ December 15th, 2022
Well, for sure it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Some of the pictures in this video brings back those times for sure.
God's love and grace to you all!
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Eleven days till Christmas! ~ December 14th, 2022
It seemed the nursing homes always enjoyed "rockin" to this one. It must of brought back some of their younger days for sure!
God's love and grace to you all!
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Twelve days till Christmas! ~ December 13th, 2022
This song is one I heard Elvis sing and always enjoyed singing it also. In Western New York I have seen many "snowy Christmas nights"!
God's love and grace to you all!
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Thirteen days till Christmas! ~ December 12th, 2022
I think it was back in 2004 when I did my first Christmas program in the nursing homes. I wanted to start by sharing pictures from times they might relate to. As I was collecting pictures for the presentation I was blessed with this song that I believe went well with the pictures and leads very well into the next song.
Yep, wouldn't it be nice, "If everyday would Be Like Christmas"? And that is the song!
Well, I pray it may help everyone get into the CHRISTmas spirit!
God's love and grace to you all!
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George Müller, never heard of him ~ December 1st, 2022
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George Müller is said to have read the Bible more than two hundred times, many of which on his knees. Before his death, asked by a reporter what he would still like to do, he, on his knees, replied, "To read more of the Bible because I know too little about the excellence of Christ."
This was an Evangelical Christian, director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England, where he cared for 10,024 orphans throughout his life based on God's promise found in Psalm 68:5 “God is a Father to the orphans them"
Known as a figure wholly involved in the education of the children he cared for, he was even accused of providing an education beyond the usual norm for those times. He founded 117 schools that offered Christian education to 120,000 children, many of them without parents.
He said, “If I, a poor man, can build and administer an orphanage without asking anyone for money or assistance, only through prayer and faith, this, together with the blessing of the Lord, could encourage God’s children in faith, being, also a powerful testimony to the unbelievers about existence of God. "
The famous writer Charles Dickens himself visited the parliaments of George Müller to see himself the treatment offered to children. Dickens was so impressed that he wrote articles for several newspapers, an advertisement money can’t buy.
Thus, even after the age of 70, Müller traveled intensely, reaching 42 countries, speaking even to White House authorities, sharing with others his rich experience with God.
On the day of Müller's funeral, the Bristol factories shut down. Thousands of people came to pay their last respects to the man who was transformed by God from a thief who betrayed his closest friends, to a man who put himself at God's disposal and raised the equivalent of 180 million dollars would through prayer and faith in Jesus.
Müller wrote of his conversion: “When I surrendered myself totally to God, the love of money was gone, the love of a home was gone, the affection of wealth was gone, the Love of worldly things was gone. God has become my everything I found everything in Him, there is nothing else I wanted. And I stayed with Him, a happy man, a very happy man, seeking to only accomplish the things of God. "
Many more lives have been transformed because of Müller's faith and courage. Even if he is no longer among us, the work initiated by him still exists, and Müller's message echoes today: "God is real, He is a God in whom you can trust!"
It is sufficient to trust in the living God, Müller said, and not worry about earthly things, for the beginning of worry is the end of faith; and the beginning of faith is the end of worry.
After reading the above story it brought to mind a few poems that the good Lord blessed me with;
Why Not I
Today I saw a homeless person,
life was passing him by.
I raised my head above and asked,
“Lord, why not I?”
Then I saw a single mom,
discouraged and cast aside.
Again I raised my head above and asked,
“Lord, why not I?”
Next a saw an addict,
losing everything for his need.
I looked away and thought,
thank God that isn’t me.
But then I heard God’s voice,
as He did speak to me,
“Life is but a choice,
what you chose, so it will be.
So far you have chose wisely,
My grace has fell on you.
See, it is there for everyone,
what it depends on, is what they choose.”
E. P. Shagott
12/15/2010
Woe Is Me
I woke up this morning and said,
“Woe is me!”
I have a pain in my hand
and one in my knee.
The coffee is taking longer
than I would like.
I bit my tongue,
when from my bagel I did bite.
There is nothing on the TV
for me to see.
It is raining outside,
“Woe is me!”
I looked up toward the Heavens
and then said, “God please tell me why!
How can all this be happening to me,
I am really a nice guy!”
Then I opened an email
from my brother whom I love
and what I got was,
God’s answer from above.
There it was,
on my computer monitor to see,
“Deadly storms struck again”,
How dare I say,
“Woe is me!”
E. P. Shagott
5/27/2011
Why Not You
I have seen so many people
lost, hurting and confused.
Then as I looked at my life,
I wondered why I did not lose.
So many people hurting,
their bodies filled with pain.
Then as I looked at my life,
I wondered why it wasn’t the same?
Then within a heartbeat
my life changed like I’ve never known.
Pain was ever present within
and fear within me had grown.
I cried out to the Heavens,
“Lord, why is this happening to me?
I am now one of the hurting,
Lord, please tell me how can this be?”
Then within the moment,
I became quiet through and through.
The answered rang from above,
“My Child, why not you?
You are no different
than any Child of Mine,
in this life you will all have problems,
see it is only a question of time.
So remember to live each day
the very best you can,
and remember I am with you always,
yes, in the good as well as the bad.”
E. P. Shagott
12/24/2011
See, I can relate to what Mr. Müller felt and understood for I also feel the same sentiments. “When I surrendered myself totally to God, the love of money was gone, the love of a home was gone, the affection of wealth was gone, the Love of worldly things was gone. God has become my everything I found everything in Him, there is nothing else I wanted. And I stayed with Him, a happy man, a very happy man, seeking to only accomplish the things of God."
Also, "God is real, He is a God in whom you can trust!" It is sufficient to trust in the living God, and not worry about earthly things, for the beginning of worry is the end of faith; and the beginning of faith is the end of worry.
God's love and grace to you all!
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