And I said to the one who stood at the gate of the year,
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied, “Go out into the darkness and put your hand
into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light
and safer than a known way.” ~ Minnie Haskins
Photo on Pinterest
In this coming year, only one thing is needed ~ ~
I’ll Walk With God ~ ~ Blessings to you all
May you be blessed ~ ~ ~
Lost
Stand still. The trees ahead and the bushes beside you
Are not Lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two branches are the same to Raven.
No two trees are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.
~ David Wagoner
Photo on Pinterest
By God’s Grace ~ may our creativity flow ~ ~ ~
Creating from the colors implanted, we give
from our sense of wonder and into the flow,
even if we do not realize our source
is from the One who made us
allowing us to take the credit,
sharing in, and yes enjoying our creation.
We are creators giving, and reflecting His image,
creating something beautiful.
Poetry and Image © Copyright 2015, ancient skies
Peace and blessings to everyone.
“When we love people, we give them hope.”
I am thinking of you all during these holy days of Christmas.
I am thinking of how you are like shining lights within our world today.
I am thinking of how your love and generosity is caring for the needs of others.
I am thinking of God’s gracious love shown to us through the birth
of Jesus Christ ~ the Savior of the world.
May the song of the angels on that first Christmas night still sing
in our hearts today:
“Glory to God in the highest ~ and on earth, peace and good will to all.”
Merry Christmas ~ ~ ~ Anna Lin (Linda Thomsen)
Photos on Pinterest
This is the joy of Christmas morn,
When creatures of God in mirth
Sing carols of peace, and hope, and love
To tell of our Savior’s birth.
No eye has seen, no mind has known
The wonder of this great gift;
Yet still we look to see the babe
With joy our hearts to lift.
Hush now child upon the hay
Angels watch ’til dawn,
Glistening radiance sent to say
Christ the Lord is born.
~ Anna Lin
There was once a man who didn’t believe in God, and he didn’t hesitate to let others know how he felt about religious holidays like Christmas. His wife however, did believe, and she raised their children to also have faith in God and, His Son, Jesus, The Christ, despite his disparaging comments…
One snowy Christmas Eve, his wife was taking their children to a Christmas Eve service in the farm community in which they lived. She asked him to come, but he refused. “That story is nonsense!” he said. “Why would God lower Himself to come to Earth as a man? That’s ridiculous!” So she and the children left, and he stayed home.
A while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard. As the man looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening. Then he heard a loud thump. Something had hit the window. Then another thump. He looked out, but couldn’t see more than a few feet. When the snow let up a little, he ventured outside to see what could have been beating on his window. In the field near his house he saw a flock of wild geese. Continue reading
One of my greatest struggles while living with chronic illness and disability has been the loss of my identity as a pastor . . . as a productive person in the world. I grew up with a belief system that said my value was determined by what I could DO. People are constantly implying that I need to get healed so that I can really do ministry once again. What they seem to imply is that the ministry of prayer and spiritual support I offer is not a worthwhile ministry.
I have come to know that my true identity is as a child of God . . . as
the Beloved. There is nothing I can DO to earn this position . . . it comes as God’s grace. I am “good enough” just being who I was created to be.
Naturally, just as a little child wants to please their parent because they love them, me desire is to give back to God in whatever way I am able.
In the eyes of the world, my prayers may seem like a pittance. But I know that God honors whatever we offer . . . even as Jesus honored the widow’s mite.
Whoever you are . . .whatever your circumstances . . .
YOU are the Beloved child of a loving God.
May you know this blessing deep within your heart today.
~ Anna Lin
Photo on Pinterest
Healing Soul Streams 