A Gift of Love

A little baby in a manger

Wrapped in swaddling cloth

That was a gift of love

A little boy in the temple

About his Father’s business

That was a gift of love

God the man who walked the earth

Teaching, healing and forgiving

That was a gift of love

A baby born to die on a tree

Suffering for you and me…

That was a gift of love

This Christmas season – stop and think what a gift of love it was when God sent his only son down to earth to die for us. It was the ultimate sacrifice - the best gift ever given. Be blessed.

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Forgive our sins as we forgive others...

My father was 96 years, old battling cancer and pneumonia, plus suffering with the pain of two fractured vertebrae, when he died on November 11—Veteran’s Day. What an appropriate death for a decorated World War II veteran. During those last days, Dad knew that his time on this earth was limited and so family rallied around him and so we should, for the coin of God’s realm is love.

So often little things come up in life that causes pain and leaves a sting…a harsh word spoken, a misunderstanding between brothers and sisters, the loss of a friend over some silly argument that covered up at once would not amount to anything, but, when we hold these things up to view, and brood and sulk and fret, they grow greater before our eyes. When we refuse to set things straight, offer an apology, say “I’m sorry” we allow ‘offense’ to over take us and before we know it there is distance between us that pushes love further and further away. Would it not be better to forget?

As I watched my father laboring to breathe during those last hours of his life I knew if he could speak for himself it would have been his wish to tell the world, especially his family, reconcile your differences, tell your loved ones that they are loved and truly cared for. Don’t wait until you think it’s the end to ask for forgiveness or to forgive. Life is too short to wallow in pain and bitterness.

There is a little remedy to ease the life we live and make each day a happy one – it is the word, ‘forgive’. Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that crushed it. (From Apples of Gold).

I am thankful that nothing can separate us from the love of our Father who art in heaven, who forgives our sins as we forgive the sins of others.

(Thanksgiving article for His Banner 2011 Paraphrased for this column)

Commitment

Hello Blogger Friends,

It's a good thing I don't make my living writing blogs. My apologizes for those who follow me for being lazy when it comes to blogging.

There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit. But when you commit to doing something (like writing a monthly/weekly blog) you simply do it, accepting no excuses, only results. So friends please forgive my lack of commitment and look forward to more enlightening blogs from author Connie L Hawkins.

I trust you had a happy Thanksgiving and are looking forward to a blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year. God Bless us every one.

An Irish Blessing

May you always have work for your hands to do
May your pockets hold always a coin or two
May the sun shine bright on your window pane
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain
May the hand of a friend always be near you
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you
- Irish Blessing

I love being "Grandma"

I got the cutest card for Mother’s Day from Little J.

It said: Wanted – Grandmother
Odd hours. No pay.
Must be willing to work as babysitter-on-call.
Holidays required.
Must have patience, a sense of humor,
And above-average hugging skills!

Fringe benefits include: Lots of love and fridge art!

Now tell me friends, how could any Grandma resist an ad like that!
I love being “Grandma”. Hope you all had a Happy Mother’s Day!

Easter Message

Easter will soon be here. To the kiddo’s – jelly beans fill their baskets and chocolate bunnies dance in their dreams. I’m a kid at heart when it comes to holidays. No matter which holiday I’m celebrating it involves ‘chocolate.’

When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile, at least it is for me. The big question here is why would anyone want to resist chocolate? It’s good for stress. It’s good for the heart – it’s just good, but then man does not live by bread alone or chocolate, but by the Word of God. And, with Easter fast approaching, we need to be mindful of why we celebrate Easter – the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, was dead and buried. On the third day he rose again that we might have abundant life with Him ever after.

Forget the jelly beans. Forget the chocolate. Focus on the one who died for our sins – Jesus – Savior of the world! Choose life in Christ and maybe one Kit Kat bar!

O Spring Whereforth Art Thou?

Just when you think spring is almost here Mother Nature dumps another winter mix on us! Mother Nature and I need to have a chat. I would say to her: I do not like the snow. The rain and sleet it needs to go. I want to run barefoot in the grass and laugh in the face of spring at last.

So, who is this ‘Mother’ that we tend to blame weather disasters upon? Some say, she is the Goddess of Green. Others refer to her as “Mother Earth” so then, she is earth? Or is she the environment? Are the earth and its environment the same? Perhaps she would best be described as Mother Weather. Does she laugh when it’s cloudy and we are sad? When we look into the deep blue heavens is Mother glad? Does she bring the rain, the snow the sleet? The secret of Mother Nature is not for man to know.

The thing that a lot of people cannot comprehend is that Mother Nature doesn't have a bullet with your name on it; she has millions of bullets with “to whom it may concern” on them! And you never know when Mother is going to shoot off some of those bullets.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "In order to adapt to the pace of nature, we have to learn ‘her’ secret – patience.” Mankind prays for snow, prays for spring, prays for the fragrance of summer but Mother Nature does not hurry and yet everything is accomplished in time.

“If we had no winter, spring would not be nearly as much fun. It’s in sitting quietly when we are doing nothing that spring comes, and the grass grows by itself.” Zen Proverbs

Worry Accomplishes Little

My mother once told me that I’m the world’s greatest worrier. I even had a plague that said “World’s Greatest Worrier.” And even though I’ve read all the scriptures that pertain to worry, “…be anxious for nothing…” Phil. 4:6 “Do not be anxious for tomorrow…” Luke 6:34, among others, and my favorite in Christ’s own words from Luke 12, verse 29 “…do not keep worrying.” I still manage to do a pretty good job of worrying.

I worry about what the weather is going to be like, especially in the winter…will I get out, and will I be on time. I worry about my children and their children. I worry about whether or not we’ll have enough money to pay our taxes. I worry about everything! You name it, I worry about it. It must be working because half the stuff I worry about never happens!lol

To worry adds nothing to our lives. In fact, (Internet advice) WORRYING does not take away tomorrow's TROUBLES; it takes away today’s PEACE. When you look at it that way, we definitely need to STOP worrying and start living in His peace.

The Importance of Walking

Walking can add minutes to your life.
This enables you at 85 years old
to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing
home at $7000 per month.

My grandpa started walking
five miles a day when he was 60.
Now he's 97 years old
and we don't know where he is.

I like long walks,
especially when they are taken
by people who annoy me.
I have to walk early in the morning,
before my brain figures out what I'm doing.

I joined a health club last year,
spent about 400 bucks.
Haven't lost a pound.
Apparently you have to go there.

Every time I hear the dirty word 'exercise',
I wash my mouth out with chocolate.
The advantage of exercising every day
is so when you die, they'll say,
'Well, she looks good doesn't she?'

If you are going to try cross-country skiing,
start with a small country.
I know I got a lot of exercise
the last few years
just getting over the hill.

We all get heavier as we get older, it's
because there’s a lot more information in our heads.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
You could run this over to your friends
But just e-mail it to them – it’s easier!

I got this article in an email from a friend;
hope you enjoyed it. I did.

Baking a Cake

You know what’s fun to do on a cold, snowy day? Bake a cake! When I was a little girl I used to love the smell of cookies or cake baking in the oven, especially on cold snowy days. It was a special time when I could talk to my mother and tell her my problems. All the time I talked, Mom would bake.

Mom knew how to solve all my problems – a cookie and a glass of milk. One Saturday she was baking and I was going on and on about my problems…school, homework, friends…”How about a snack?” she said. What child would turn down a snack, especially a chocolate chip cookie hot out of the oven.

"Here, have some cooking oil." She poured a little oil into a glass.
“Yuck.” I turned up my nose.

"How about a couple raw eggs?”
"Gross, Mom."

"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?"

"Mother, those are all yucky!" I remember the incident well.

“Yes,” my mother agreed, “All those things seem bad by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! God works the same way,” Mom said.” Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!"

And I thought I was baking; instead I was learning a life lesson!

Curtain Rods

I did not write the following, but it sure made me chuckle when I read it. I just have to share it. Into the New Year we need a good laugh. Enjoy.

She spent the first day packing her belongings into boxes, crates and suitcases. On the second day, she had the movers come and collect her things.

On the third day, she sat down for the last time at their beautiful dining room table by candle-light, put on some soft background music, and feasted on a pound of shrimp, a jar of caviar, and a bottle of spring-water.

When she had finished, she went into each and every room and deposited a few half-eaten shrimp shells dipped in caviar into the hollow of the curtain rods. She then cleaned up the kitchen and left. When the husband returned with his new girlfriend, all was bliss for the first few days..

Then slowly, the house began to smell. They tried everything; cleaning, mopping and airing the place out. Vents were checked for dead rodents and carpets were steam cleaned. Air fresheners were hung everywhere. Exterminators were brought in to set off gas canisters, during which they had to move out for a few days and in the end they even paid to replace the expensive wool carpeting. Nothing worked

People stopped coming over to visit. Repairmen refused to work in the house. The maid quit. Finally, they could not take the stench any longer and decided to move.

A month later, even though they had cut their price in half, they could not find a buyer for their stinky house. Word got out and eventually even the local realtors refused to return their calls. Finally, they had to borrow a huge sum of money from the bank to purchase a new place. The ex-wife called the man and asked how things were going.

He told her the saga of the rotting house. She listened politely and said that she missed her old home terribly and would be willing to reduce her divorce settlement in exchange for getting the house back. Knowing his ex-wife had no idea how bad the smell was, he agreed on a price that was about 1/10th of what the house had been worth, but only if she were to sign the papers that very day. She agreed and within the hour his lawyers delivered the paperwork.

A week later the man and his girlfriend stood smiling as they watched the moving company pack everything to take to their new home. And to spite the ex-wife, they even took the curtain rods!!

I LOVE A HAPPY ENDING, DON'T YOU?