IT'S CHRISTMAS, EVERYBODY!

"IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!  THE ANGELS ARE SINGING, AND I KNOW THE REASON, THE SAVIOR IS BORN! IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!  THE BELLS ARE RINGING; AND I FEEL LIKE SHOUTING, JOY TO THE WORLD" 
And Yes, IT IS CHRISTMAS all over the world and most everyone has already begun celebrations and continues to enjoy this season celebrating with loved ones and friends dear to their hearts! But what about the Reason for the Season? Are we celebrating Christ Jesus, Savior of the world! The Christ Child, Born of the Virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit; God in fleshly form, come to dwell among His own creations! The prophecy of Christ Jesus is foretold in Isaiah 9:6 "For unto 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, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace!"
Do we realize God's most prized possession was given to us in the form of man? This miraculous Blessed Gift was not placed under a tree but was designated to reside in the hearts of mankind. His Gift was designated to be nailed to a tree as redemption for you and me to be free from all sins! Designated to free us from all our pasts hurts, hang-ups, and habits! Designated to liberate us from our past so we could and live an abundant life of happiness in Christ Jesus!
IT'S CHRISTMAS, and as we gather around our homes today, enjoying one another and the gifts each brings, let's not forget to thank our Lord for His Gift of Love to us all; and let's be thankful unto Him and bless His dear name, Jesus! Let's celebrate the Hope whereby we were called to redemption through this Christ Child we celebrate today! Let's celebrate the Joy and Peace He brings to us all! And in all that we do, by word or deed, may Christ be glorified in the Love we share one to another!
IT'S CHRISTMAS, EVERYBODY! Let's celebrate the blessings of the Season in Christ Jesus our Lord and enjoy a very Merry Christmas with all! Let's enjoy this wonderfully blessed season because God loves you and so do I~~~

CHRISTMAS EVE GIFT

''CHRISTMAS EVE GIFT"
You Shout it out to the first person who calls you on the phone today!
Just another cherished memory from years ago when early in the morning every Christmas Eve my Momma and Grandpa Raines would race to the phone and hurriedly holler into the phone "Christmas Eve Gift" and oh, how they would chuckle and laugh over the phone and fill the house with such a joyful laughter that thrilled us so! You could hear them laughing and going on at each other all thru the house. Such a fun time with awesome memories to this day!

No matter how old we were or what we were doing, when that phone rang early on Christmas Eve morning, no one answered that phone except Momma....and then years later when Grandpa ascended into Heaven, Momma and Grandma Raines continued the tradition in memory of Grandpa. Such warm and loving memories I hold dear every Christmas Eve and yet it is so bittersweet! Nothing is ever the same once your loved ones have completed their journey on earth and are celebrating with our Lord Jesus face to face with rejoicing beyond compare!

It doesn't matter what memories or traditions you may have passed down year after year, as long as that memory sparks a smile that warms the heart. So don't you want to build a memory with those you are blessed with to love and to enjoy while they are here? I want my loved ones to be able to remember special moments filled with laughter, lots of love, and good times when they think of me after I'm gone! God went to such length to show us His great Love in an effort to fill our life with His unconditional love, of laughter, of joy beyond measure, of peace, of giving, of sharing and caring so shouldn't we do the same?

On this Christmas Eve, I'd like to encourage you to build a memory with your loved ones as you gather to celebrate Christ Jesus and enjoy the time you have been given this year! Time is a precious gift that cannot be regained once it's gone. None of us are promised the next moment, so let's truly enjoy the time we have with those dear to our hearts; then you can recall precious memories once they are no longer present to warm your heart, Memories are a good thing that no one can steal and a way to honor those who filled your life with such joy!

Let's make this blessed season the best time of the year because of Christ Jesus who dwells within us! After all Jesus is the Reason for the Season!
Let's Embrace life and Enjoy each moment and build memories along the way! May you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and may you always, always, always remember that God loves you and so do I~~~MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Opening up the Greatest Gift

Christmas excitement is all through the air; people are scampering everywhere; bidding of well wishes to one and all; no matter how young, no matter how old, or how small. The spirit of Christmas makes this season the most wonderful time of the year! I really enjoyed being in the midst of today's crowd as songs were sang and I was able to share in Christmas tidings with joyful sounds all around. The beauty of Christmas is so majestic with trees and streets all aglow and festive decorations surrounding us more and more. Such a sweet sense of peace fills the earth with good will toward men. What a joyful and blessed goal is noted, to have Peace on earth with good will toward ALL men! 
The birth of Christ Jesus was to bring peace into a troubled world and shine forth God's glorious light into a darkened world filled with turmoil, pain and distress! The blessed Hope of freedom is through Christ the Lord! John 10:10 tells us that Jesus came that we might have life and have it More Abundantly. Luke 4:19 states He came to heal the broken hearted, preach deliverance to the captives, give sight to the blind, and deliver All that are bruised and hurt. A new day was dawning with the birth of God's Son, Jesus!. What greater Hope can there be than Divine Deliverance through the Greatest Gift of all time: the Free Gift of Salvation through our Savior Jesus, the Son of God!   
Just knowing that God gave Himself to us in the birth of His Son, to ease our suffering and pain and to free us from all sin and bondage brings a warmth to my very soul! Can you not feel His Love deep within; His Light shining in the darkness penetrating the very core of your being? Have you not opened up your Christmas Gift and checked it out yet; Really checked it out? Have you seen Who this gift is and what He can do in your life? For your world? Bringing joy and peace beyond measure; Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior of all mankind delivers Hope that lasts forevermore! 
He came into the world and walked along side so many and yet they never truly realized Who He was. Even today He continues to walk along side us, waiting for us to realize Who He is and the gift He brings for each of us. We can only receive this gift when we acknowledge Him and the works He has already accomplished in full, to set us free that guides us into an abundant life in Him! What a Wonderful Blessed Christmas Gift He Is; What a Gift He is to Behold!
I pray that this Christmas we can begin to realize that it's not in the sharing of bought presents, nor the wrapping that encloses those gifts; it's not in the Christmas cards we send, nor the biggest and best Christmas Light Display we can present. But It's all about Jesus coming down from Heaven and His gift extended to us of Eternal Salvation through Him that makes Christmas the best time of the year! As we continue enjoying the Spirit of Christmas, let's continue its spirit through the year by sharing love, sharing hope, sharing joy and peace to those around us, as we reach out in Love as the Spirit leads. 
Let's have a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year celebrating Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior, to one and all! After all Jesus is the reason; the only reason for the season! Enjoy this beautiful season of Love knowing that God loves you and so do I~

"Tis The Season"

'Tis the season to be jolly, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la! Well by now we've decked our halls with boughs of holly, trimmed our trees, and added festive decorations throughout our home; and even managed to obtain a gift or two for those special someones in our life. Our hearts are full of warmth, of love, and peace that passes all understanding and our hearts are becoming more expectant as we look forward to spending time with friends and family we hold so dear! Time is quickly passing and soon it will be Christmas Day!
With all the excitement this Holy Season brings our way, I wonder why there remains those who never catch the excitement of the season? I was walking around my community and noticed some homes not decorated; not even a bow on the door or a decorated tree to be seen, and I began to wonder why? I wondered what had caused them to lose their joy? Had they had lost someone dear to their heart? Had they suffered painful memories from their past; or do they just not like decorating for the season; altho' they had commented on how beautiful and festive mine was? I wondered why they couldn't sense the joy instead of despair, and I wondered how long they had swirled around in their whirlpool of despair without anyone noticing their need for hope in Christ Jesus?
Christmas is a season of Love, of sharing hope and peace on earth because of our dear Savior's birth! Christ came that all may see the glory of His unconditional Love and be delivered from everything that binds and keep us from enjoying an abundant life; a life of hope and joy in Him! God realized our need to be free from unexpected events in life that knock us off our feet and send us spiraling down into deep holes of despair, so He sent Jesus into this world to deliver Hope and Healing to those lost in sin and despair. That's what Christmas is all about! His unconditional Love shared where there is a need; bringing hope and joy to one and all!
So could it be that these around us who are less festive could use a 'friend' to share Hope with them and remind them they are not alone? Shouldn't we share the Hope of His Great Love displayed in Christ Jesus during this Blessed Season of Love? Shouldn't we be sharing this precious gift of Love all year long? As we busy our self giving gifts to those we love, how about joining me in giving the greatest gift of all in Christ Jesus by sharing His gifts of Hope, Joy, and Peace during this Blessed Season every day to one and all! Then we can proudly proclaim as they go out of sight-"Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!"
Enjoy a wonderfully blessed season, dear friends. God loves you and so do I~~~

SHOWING FORTH HIS GLORY

"The splendor of the King, clothed in majesty; Let all the earth rejoice, All the earth rejoice; He wraps himself in Light, and darkness tries to hide, And trembles at His voice, Trembles at His voice; How great is our God, sing with me; How great is our God, and all will see How great, how great is our God. Age to age He stands And time is in His hands; Beginning and the end, Beginning and the end; The Godhead Three in One; Father Spirit Son; The Lion and the Lamb, The Lion and the Lamb; 

How great is our God, sing with me; How great is our God, and all will see How great, how great is our God; Name above all names, worthy of all praise; My heart will sing How great is our God!"

I hear over and over people singing and praying for God to "Show us Your Glory" and yet, Do we not know that He has already shown us His Glory?...And continues to show forth His Glory over and over and over again! Have we not realized that Everything around us displays His Glory? Everything we can see or feel or touch, no matter how great, no matter how small, displays His Glory! 

From the very beginning of time His Glory is displayed over and over throughout our great earth He created by the very breath He spoke forth! In the people we see and love; in the springing forth of another day, another season, another breath we take, another movement we make. In the miracle of another birth, another chance to run, to jump, to speak, to hear, to see, to touch, to feel, to talk, to laugh, to cry, to hug, to Love!

God created all things In His Glory, For His Glory. He created each one of us with specific talents and traits and personalities to highlight the world He created; to bring Honor and Glory to His Holy Name! Each one of us hold His Glory deep within our very being, within our very Soul, within our heart of hearts. Each one of us is filled with His Glory from the first breath we take from birth, and that Glory is waiting patiently inside for us to accept and submit to His calling in our life so His Glory can shine forth and others can see His great works within us. Each one of us hold the destiny to shine forth The Glory of God's begotten Son, Jesus, full of Grace and Truth! 

Today I pray you allow His Glory to shine forth! Allow His Glory the freedom to reach out to those you encounter along your way, so they can see His good works in you and glorify our Father in Heaven! Let's stop crying out,"Show us Your Glory" and start Being His Glory! Let's shower Him with Glory, Honor, and Praise today as we enjoy this beautiful day He has so gloriously given! 

Enjoy a wonderfully blessed day, dear friends. God Loves You and So Do I~~~

There Is Hope When God Is There

   I wake in the midst of the darkness, but God is there! We are given bad news from doctors, but God is there! I see circumstances unfold that are less than desirable, but God is there! We are given trials and testings, but God is there! In the midst of all the darkness; In the midst of all that man's reports would say; In the midst of all the circumstances; In the midst of all the confusion, trials, and testing; God brings forth HOPE!
   Hope springs forth eternal and through it all, GOD is MORE than enough to turn around those things that seem to human eyes, impossible! Our God is the God who shows up and shows out in such miraculous ways before human eyes that all have to say," It was nothing less than a miracle at the mighty hand of our God."
   From the beginning, God's Word sprang forth in the darkness and brought forth Light that changed our world forevermore. His Word brought forth New Life with New Hope so no longer do we look through dark colored glasses worrying about the what ifs! His Word brings forth assurance that whatsoever we have need of, He is ready and able to bring to pass!
It's when we place our trust in Him, that we can look beyond what our human eyes can see, what our human minds can comprehend, and begin to see His glory come shining forth in such miraculous ways that are mind boggling; everything in God's perfect time and in His perfect way; then Jesus shines forth in the darkness and brings Light into whatever need there may be.
   HE continually reminds us throughout His Word in John 14 that He is always with us; that He will never leave us or forsake us, but will remain within us forever and ever more. All that He said He will do, because the only thing He cannot do is to Lie(Numbers 23:19). His Word is Truth and whatsoever is written in His Word is yours and mine to have and to hold as a Promise that can never be broken! And if HE did it for that one noted in His Word, He will do it for you because He is no respecter of persons(Romans 2:11, Acts 10:34)!
   Our God is an Awesome God who loves us beyond measure! He is not a god that can't be touched by our infirmities(Hebrews 4:15); but Who stands ready and willing to meet our every need as we put our trust in Him. All we have to do is call upon Him to feel Him stirring within us as we whisper His name, Jesus! Feel His closeness as you acknowledge His presence; Feel Him urging you to come a little closer and allow Him to comfort you and bring you peace! Feel His Peace! Feel His Hope! Jesus is the Truth, the Way, and The Light, and He is the One and Only Way to the Father(John 14:6) and Life Eternal!
   So today, I pray you rest in His Hope and enjoy a wonderfully blessed day; because God loves you and so do I~~~

The Gift of Love

Enjoying an overwhelming victory over sickness and death through the promise from our Heavenly Father that He never leaves nor forsakes us but watches over us to protect and provide all that we need as we trust in Him.

Learning that although sickness or traumatic injuries may try to overtake us, they cannot conquer us; because in Christ Jesus we are made MORE than Conquerors! We are children of the Most High God and in Him there is no lack!

So forever I will sing praise unto the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and give thanks for my family and Christian heritage on which we are founded. Each one of us from start to finish are destined for good things in Him who created and predestined us for His glory sake; and unto Him we gratefully give all glory, honor and praise!

As the Christmas season is upon us, let's be more mindful of showing our love one to another, instead of running ragged shopping around and trying to buy things we cannot afford for those we love. Love isn't remembered by the gifts we give, but by the love we've shown through the years. With some trying to leave Christ out of Christmas, we must never forget that the greatest gift ever given to mankind was LOVE; and that Christmas is only Christmas because of Him!

John 3:16 declares that our Heavenly Father SO LOVED the world(you and me) that He gave His only begotten son, JESUS, into a world of sinners(you and me) so that all who would believe on Him and His works, and receive Him into their hearts as their Lord and Savior, would be saved. That's when we can stand before God wholly redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, Christ Jesus!

There has never been a greater gift of love than this; God giving His only begotten Son and Jesus' willingness to lay down His life for you and me. Love cannot be bought with a price, but true Love is when you share it one to another! So as you give your gifts this Christmas, don't forget to give the Gift Of Love to one another and Have a very Merry Christmas from my house to yours! God loves you and so do I~~~

The Key to Wonderful Day

I love the passage found in Proverbs 3: 5,6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." The older I get the more I have come to fully trust that God's timing is always perfect, so today let's trust Him to guide us along our way so we will be at the right place and the right time, to do whatever is needed to help someone, and as needed, to keep us out of harm's way. Our Heavenly Father delights in protecting His children❤️ and we know He delights in giving us the very best of everything that is for our good. After all, He gave us His only begotten son, JESUS, as our ransom, to cover all our sin debts in full, just by trusting and resting in His works! So now, as we rest🙏 in His guidance through our day, we can relax and enjoy a blessed day!
So have that blessed day today, dear friends, God loves you and so do I~~~❤️

God's Amazing Love

I am so amazed by God's love!God loves us with a love we are unable to understand. He is forever faithful to watch over us and prepare the way before us. There is no measure to fit the dimensions of His love, no descriptions to describe His love, and positively no requirements we must meet to deserve His love. He loves all His creations, you and me, with an Unconditional Love that is totally free and without reserve! 
Before we were born, God designed a perfect plan for each of us. No one else has your plan; only you can fulfill the plan He designed just for you. You are unique in who you are, in how you look, in how you think, in how you talk, in how you walk; and You are the child He adores just the way you are!
The creator of this universe is your Father and You are His Child: created in His image and for His purpose by His very own hands. No one else can be you, just as you can not be someone else, no matter how much you try to change!
When God began creation, every thing was created in its own design, its own shape, and its own color to be just what He meant it to be; and when He had completed each creation, He declared, "It is good!"
You are a very detailed part of His creation; unique in your own way; materializing from the same artist who created the heavens and the earth, sunrise and sunset, the rainbows and all that exists!
When you begin to feel unworthy and think yourself less than others, begin to speak His Words over your life and allow His love to engulf you as you snuggle up tightly in His loving arms and allow His Love to encourage you; His child He loves beyond measure.
He awaits continually 24/7 with arms open wide to comfort, to love on us, and to fill us with His peace. He never slumbers nor sleeps, but is forever faithful to watch over us in good times and bad.
So whatever you may be battling in your mind today, rest assured and be secured in God's unconditional love and allow Him to carry you through it all.
Have a wonderfully blessed day, dear friends. God loves you and so do I~~~