"Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit" - Wilma Rudolph
The video below made me weep - yes, a commercial reduced me to tears. Okay, so that has happened before, but a shampoo commercial? It reminds me of how God uses the weak and seemingly insignificant among us to confound the wise. Watch it and be inspired. Oh, and if you are like me, have tissues ready.
I like the old paths, when Moms were at home. Dads were at work. Brothers went into the army. And sisters got married BEFORE having children! Crime did not pay; Hard work did; And people knew the difference.
Moms could cook; Dads would work; Children would behave.
Husbands were loving; Wives were supportive; And children were polite. Women wore the jewelry; And Men wore the pants. Women looked like ladies; Men looked like gentlemen; And children looked decent.
Cursing was wicked; Drugs were for illness; And divorce was unthinkable.
The flag was honored; America was beautiful; And God was welcome!
We read the Bible in public; Prayed in school; And preached from house to house.
To be called an American was worth dying for; To be called a Christian was worth living for; To be called a traitor was a shame!
Preachers preached because they had a message; And Christians rejoiced because they had the VICTORY!
Preachers preached from the Bible; Singers sang from the heart; And sinners turned to the Lord to be SAVED!
A new birth meant a new life; Salvation meant a changed life; Following Christ led to eternal life.
Being a preacher meant you proclaimed the word of God; Being a deacon meant you would serve the Lord; Being a Christian meant you would live for Jesus; And being a sinner meant someone was praying for you!
Laws were based on the Bible; Homes read the Bible; And churches taught the Bible.
God was worshiped; Christ was exalted; And the Holy Spirit was respected..
Church was where you found Christians on the Lord's day, rather than in the garden, on the creek bank, on the golf course, Or being entertained somewhere else.
I just watched Ken Ham's "State of the Nation" address online. In it he discusses why America has wandered so far from her roots in Biblical values and Judeo-Christian principles and what needs to be done to remedy it. It is excellent and I encourage you to find an hour and listen to it: "State of the Nation" address with Ken Ham
Down the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem that day
The soldiers tried to clear the narrow street
But the crowd pressed in to see
The Man condemned to die on Calvary
He was bleeding from a beating, there were stripes upon His back
And He wore a crown of thorns upon His head
And He bore with every step
The scorn of those who cried out for His death
Down the Via Dolorosa called the way of suffering
Like a lamb came the Messiah, Christ the King,
But He chose to walk that road out of
His love for you and me.
Down the Via Dolorosa, all the way to Calvary.
Por la Via Dolorosa, triste dia en Jerusalem
Los saldados le abrian paso a Jesus
Mas la gente se acercaba
para ver al que llevaba aquella cruz
Por la Via Dolorosa, que es la via del dolor
Como oveja vino Cristo, Rey, Senor
Y fue El quien quiso ir por su amor por ti y por mi
Por la Via Dolorosa al Calvario y a morir
The blood that would cleanse the souls of all men
Made its way through the heart of Jerusalem.
Down the Via Dolorosa called the way of suffering
Like a lamb came the Messiah, Christ the King
But He chose to walk that road out of His love for you and me
Down the Via Dolorosa, all the way to Calvary.
Below is a true story of over a century of kindness shared at Christmastime in one American town. I hope it cheers your heart and inspires you to find simple ways to show kindness this Christmas. Be blessed!
A Legacy of Christmas Kindness
by Marti Attoun
At Christmastime, Pearl Stanley can be found in her Yellow Springs, Ohio, kitchen mixing up batches of chocolate chip cookies and cranberry-apricot bread to give to family and friends.
The tasty treats are the result not just of Stanley’s good will, but of a free bag of flour delivered to her doorstep each holiday season. It’s a tradition that dates back to 1894 in the western Ohio village. Shortly before his death that year, a former slave named Wheeling Gaunt deeded nine acres of farmland to the village with the stipulation that rent from the land be used to buy flour to give to widows at Christmas. Though the property no longer is rented, village taxpayers continue to honor Gaunt’s wishes and since the 1950s have even sweetened the holiday gift with sacks of sugar.
“We’ve always honored this tradition and always will,” says Village Clerk-Treasurer Deborah Benning, whose family has lived in Yellow Springs since the early 1800s. “We take responsibility for each other here. We care about each other.”
Last December, Gaunt’s generous idea once again wrapped the village of 3,761 people in holiday spirit as the Yellow Springs Public Works crew delivered 10 pounds of flour and 10 pounds of sugar to each of the 110 widows in the community. v “They’re always happy to see us coming,” says Public Works Superintendent Kelley Fox, who heads the annual giveaway and has helped make the deliveries for 24 years.
Stanley, 89, is delighted with the free flour and sugar. “It’s been a great help to me,” says Stanley, whose husband, Clarence, died in 1995. “Everyone like me who’s on a limited income really appreciates it.”
Fox maintains a list of widows by checking obituaries each week in the Yellow Springs News and by word of mouth in the close-knit community. Before making a delivery to a new widow, Fox checks to see if she is comfortable with the tradition.
“I really appreciate it, but it does make George’s going-away hit me again,” says Evelyn Britton, 76, a widow since 2006. She uses the sugar to make a medley of candy—fudge, peanut brittle, buckeyes and haystacks—for gifts to send to relatives in Waycross, Ga. The ingredients last her for at least six months, and in the spring, Britton uses the donated flour for a bake sale that benefits the Yellow Springs Library.
“I make pumpkin bread. It’s nice and moist. I pride myself on that,” says Britton, “and my cornbread cake. I’ve never found anybody yet who didn’t like it.”
Even if the widows don’t consider themselves particularly needy, they accept the gift and pass it along, says Bambi Williams, 76, who bakes molasses cookies to give to friends. One year she gave her flour and sugar to a family that lost everything in a fire.
“We just really appreciate this legacy and wouldn’t want it to fade away,” Williams says.
Gaunt’s legacy of kindness is astounding, considering his own life of hardship. Born into slavery in 1812 on a tobacco plantation in Carrollton, Ky., he was separated at age 4 from his mother.
Gaunt saved enough money, $900, over 32 years to buy his freedom. In the 1860s, he moved to Yellow Springs, attracted by the racial tolerance of the area and nearby Wilberforce University, says Phyllis Jackson, village historian. Through hard work and frugality, Gaunt acquired several pieces of property and was one of the town’s wealthiest residents when he died at age 82.
“He was—and is—the town benefactor,” Jackson says.
Gaunt’s name lives year-round in Yellow Springs at Gaunt Park, the property he willed to the village, but it’s at Christmastime when the magnitude of his kindness touches every widow’s heart.
“Who would have thought of the widows with little kids who wouldn’t have any cookies or cakes?” Britton says.
She’ll be waiting this year, mixing bowls and cake pans ready, for her delivery of free flour and sugar—a gift from a caring community that is as precious today as when it was first given 114 Christmases ago.
I woke up yesterday morning to discover that the candidate I did not choose had been elected by an overwhelming majority, as our next president. I am grieved that God felt it necessary for this country to be passed into the hands of such a man. It is my sincere prayer that this drastic "change" will shake Christians in this country out of their stupor of mediocrity and apathy and bring us to our knees and lead us back to God's Word. Regardless of the outcomes of elections and the uncertainty their "changes" bring, one thing is sure - our God is still on His throne and He is still in control. A friend sent me a link to a great article this morning. Her friend posted a beautifully expressed entry on her blog and I want to share that link with you: "A King and A Kingdom". I hope you too will be blessed.
Blessed be Your name in the land that is plentiful,
Where Your streams of abundance flow, blessed be Your name
Blessed Be Your name when I'm found in the desert place;
Though I walk through the wilderness, blessed Be Your name
Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say:
Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be Your name when the sun's shining down on me;
When the world's 'all as it should be', blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name on the road marked with suffering;
Though there's pain in the offering, blessed be Your name
Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say:
Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be Your glorious name
You give and take away, You give and take away
My heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be Your name
I saw this video today and thought it was worth sharing. With several members of my family currently in the armed forces or formerly serving our nation in that capacity, it stirred my heart deeply. It is a vivid reminder that our freedom is not free - it always has a price, and that price is worth paying. Be blessed.
God, give each true good woman
Her own small house to keep,
No heart should ache with longing,
No hurt should go too deep...
Grant her age-old desire:
A house to love and sweep.
Give her a man beside her,
A kind man, and a true,
And let them work together
And love, a lifetime through,
And let her mother children
As gentle women do.
Give her a shelf for dishes,
And a shining box for bread,
A white cloth for her table,
And a white spread for her bed,
A shaded lamp at nightfall,
And a row of books much read.
God, let her work with laughter,
And let her rest with sleep.
No life can truly offer
A peace more sure and deep...
God, give each true woman
Her own small house to keep
The team who brought us the movie "Facing the Giants" has done it again. "Fireproof" opens in select theatres tomorrow, Friday, September 26, 2008. If you can, find a babysitter and take your sweetie out for a date this weekend and see the movie in the theatre. The more people who flock to see a quality movie when it's in the theatres, the louder message we send to the theatres and movie people about what kinds of films people really want to see. This one looks like a keeper too. Check out the website or the blog for more information.
I just found a unique blog called Red Letters Campaign. Their name was inspired by a book called Red Letters by Tom Davis. The premise of both the book and campaign is that the Gospel (Christ's words in red) was meant to be lived, not just talked about, and that when Christians put the Gospel into action (and as the Church, it is our responsibility) God is able to work through us to meet the needs of the impoverished of the world. By living what we believe and working together, we can make a difference. The video clip below is from their website. I hope you too will be challenged and inspired.
In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all— Here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ev er pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.
Today I saw the video clip below and was greatly encouraged. Too often we wives and mothers feel invisible to those around us and believe the lie that our "invisibility" makes us less valuable as people - that our "invisible" lives are of less worth and importance because we work unseen. The truth is that "invisibility" is a "cure for self-centeredness" and the "antidote to pride". It is only when we are willing to sacrifice being known and willingly serve "invisibly" that great things are accomplished and we become instrumental in creating a masterpiece. Watch the video, I know you'll be blessed.
And the pain falls like a curtain
On the things I once called certain
And I have to say the words I fear the most
I just don’t know
And the questions without answers
Come and paralyze the dancer
So I stand here on the stage afraid to move
Afraid to fall, oh, but fall I must
On this truth that my life has been formed from the dust
God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man
So I’ll never understand it all
For only God is God
And the sky begins to thunder
And I’m filled with awe and wonder
‘Til the only burning question that remains
Is who am I
Can I form a single mountain
Take the stars in hand and count them
Can I even take a breath without God giving it to me
He is first and last before all that has been
Beyond all that will pass
God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man
So I’ll never understand it all
For only God is God
Oh, how great are the riches of His wisdom and knowledge
How unsearchable for to Him and through
Him and from Him are all things
So let us worship before the throne
Of the One who is worthy of worship alone
God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man
So I’ll never understand it all
For only God is God
Here is an inspirational video about a father and his disabled adult son. Makes me cry just thinking about it. If this is not a beautiful picture of how Christ loves us sacrificially, I don't know what is. Make sure you have some tissues on hand before you click play - you'll need them. Be blessed!
This video is too precious for words! Little Zoe is two years old and gives a very stirring rendition of the classic, The Lord's Prayer. I hope you will be blessed.
THE OLD PATHS
