BLESSED BE YOUR NAME...

SUNDAY

IN

THE SON






BLESSED BE YOUR NAME



as sung by Tree63




BLESSED be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where the 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


Every BLESSING You pour out,
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in,
LORD, still I'm going to say...




BLESSED be the Name of the LORD
BLESSED be the Name of the LORD
BLESSED be Your glorious Name
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.

~BLESSED~

I AM BLESSED... FAMILY AND FRIENDS...

"The holidays" are here! They can be soooo memorable and sooooo stressful. Before you head into this day/this weekend/this next week, take a moment and read through these few words of inspiration, taken from a book put out by Hallmark, called FRIENDSHIP IS A BLESSING. My friend, Melody, gave me this book about a year and a half ago.

"BLESSED

are they who have the gift of making friends,

for it is one of God's best gifts.

It involves many things,

but above all,

the power of going out of one's self,

and appreciating whatever is

noble and loving in another."

ABC'S of Friendship

A - Accepts you as you are.
B - Believes in you no matter what.
C - Calls you just to say "Hi".
D - Doesn't give up on you.
E - Envisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts).
F - Forgives your mistakes and shortcomings.
G - Gives of self unconditionally.
H - Helps you without being asked.
I - Invites you to come over.
J - Just wants to be with you.
K - Keeps you close in heart.
L - Loves you for who you are.
M - Makes a difference in your life.
N - Never judges you.
O - Offers you support.
P - Picks you up when you are down.
Q - Quiets your fears.
R - Raises your spirits with encouraging words.
S - Says nice things about you.
T - Tells you the truth when you need to hear it.
U - Understands you.
V - Values you.
W - Walks beside you during the hard times.
X - eXplains those things you don't understand.
Y - Yells as loud as it takes to make you listen.
Z - Zaps you back to reality.



And, if these ABC's are too hard to remember, Charles Swindoll, makes it simpler:

"I A ccept you as you are."

"I B elieve you are valuable."

"I C are when you are hurt."

"I Desire what is best for you."

"I Erase all offenses."

~BLESSED~

I AM BLESSED... I WILL ENDURE...

TRANSFORMING THURSDAY

The past month or so I have visited with many friends who are Despondant, in Despair, Discouraged, and almost Destroyed... they are ready TO QUIT. I know people who are out of work, had their utilities turned off, lost their jobs, lost their homes, lost a family member... Endurance is not simple!

Please, my friend... DO NOT QUIT! Endurance is not just stamina or strength of will. It requires a dependence on resources that we don't even possess... SOME-ONE greater than ourselves. There is a need for deep breathing... health... pacing... positive thought... against all odds.

This time of year -during the holidays- is so hard. This time of year -when winter has set in and the days are short- is so hard! Hanging in our den are the words:

Life is hard,

but GOD is good!

How did this guy make it up the mountain?

With the life and limb given to him by GOD!

How did this tree maintain it's brillance in the midst of a snowstorm?

It has gotten some nourishment from the sun and water

into it's root system that other trees have not.

How did this little guy get these icebergs to separate?

He did not! He waited in faith, nothing doubting,

for this amazing opportunity to give him passage.

1. Count as BLESSINGS what GOD has given to you.
2. Seek GOD's SON first... He is our "SUN" who is the LIVING WATER.
3. Know that GOD will make a way! There may not be anyway that looks possible, but JESUS can make a way when there is no way!



Depending on where you are in your life right now, I beg you to participate in the encouraging act of ENDURANCE... Either be...

1. the hands and feet of Jesus to others... provide love, encouragement, food, gifts, etc.




2. the willing recipient of those who want to minister to you




3. And while you are doing 1. or 2. or both, count your BLESSINGS and not your troubles!!!!

Today, will find me involved in all three! Join me in ENDURING!

~BLESSED~

‘Come, you who are BLESSED

by My Father;
take your inheritance,

the kingdom prepared for you
since the creation of the world.

For I was hungry and

you gave me something to eat,

I was thirsty and

you gave me something to drink,

I was a stranger and

you invited me in,

I needed clothes and

you clothed me,

I was sick and

you looked after me,
I was in prison and

you came to visit me.'

~BLESSED~

I AM BLESSED... TO GIVE AND RECEIVE...

MATTHEW 25

31 “When the Son of Man comes...

HOW?

...in
His

glory,

and all the angels with Him, He will sit...

WHERE?

...on
Hi

glorious

throne.

32 All the nations will be gathered...

WHERE?

...before
Him,

and He will separate the people one from another...

HOW?

...as a

Shepherd

separates

the sheep

from

the goats.
33 He will put

the sheep

on His right

and the goats

on His left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on His right,

WHAT WILL HE SAY?

‘Come, you who are BLESSED

by My Father;
take your inheritance,

the kingdom prepared for you
since the creation of the world.

35 For I was hungry and

you gave me something to eat,

I was thirsty and

you gave me something to drink,

I was a stranger and

you invited me in,

36 I needed clothes and

you clothed me,

I was sick and

you looked after me,
I was in prison and

you came to visit me.’

~BLESSED~

I AM BLESSED... CHRIST IN MY EVERYDAY...

I am so grateful that Christ my King humbled Himself to be born in a stable and become a child in a poor family. I believe that although He was born, it was not at Christmas. Yet, I am personally very grateful that both Christ's birth and death/resurrection are brought to the forefront each year by the world.

Quoting a FB friend, "He is the reason for every minute of every day. My family celebrates His birth and resurrection ALL the time..."

Our little town has a banner across it's main street that proclaims, "KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS". If you sit on the curb and look up, you can see that proclamation above.

This one sign, in this small town in South Jersey, has recently drawn national attention. The Freedom From Religion Foundation is demanding that sign be taken down. Our town disagrees!

Much like the USA, our town was founded on the belief that:

• Jesus is God, our Creator and King.


• Jesus humbled Himself to come to earth to show us how to live.


• Jesus died on the cross to show us how to love.


• Jesus rose from the grave to show us there is life after death.


• Jesus ascended into heaven to show us that HE LIVES eternally!
  

If you read at wikipedia.com, about Pitman, NJ, you will find some of these statements about the beginning of Pitman:

..."The land had an auditorium located on a central
meeting ground, and twelve roads originated from the central area as spokes on a wheel, each representing one of the disciples of Jesus. "

"...worshipers' tents originally lined each of the
twelve roads, cottages slowly replaced the tents and formed the foundation of the town of Pitman."

..."In 1904, residents of Pitman Grove voted 122 to 35
for incorporation as an autonomous borough..."

I...

• 
  
  live in a nation founded with Jesus Christ in mind...


• 
  
  live in a town founded with Jesus Christ in mind...


• 
  
  live in a town that celebrates Christmas with Jesus Christ in mind...

Let's all live EVERYDAY with Jesus Christ in mind!!!!!!!!!

I say, "Let's replace that sign on 12/26/11 with KEEP CHRIST IN MY EVERYDAY!!!

~BLESSED~

I AM BLESSED... GOD SHOWS UP...

MEDITATION MONDAY

Praise to God for a Living Hope!!!!!!!!

Yesterday, "God showed up" in a more accentuated way than usual in our Sunday morning service. My husband preached a sermon entitled, "I ALMOST QUIT!"

On this christian journey, there are things that often get in the way of victorious christian living and our ability to see the blessings we have all around us. God always shows up, yet the Devil would like nothing more that for us to not realize that and become...

• Discouraged



• Despaired



• Distressed



• Disillusioned



• Distracted

to the point that we quit.

Steve's wonderful words of encouragement with a reading of 1 Peter 1:3-9:

3 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In His great mercy He has given us new birth

into a living hope

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 and into an inheritance that can

never perish, spoil or fade.

This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,

5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power

until the coming of the salvation

that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 In all this you greatly rejoice,

though now for a little while

you may have had to suffer grief

in all kinds of trials.

7 These have come so that

the proven genuineness of your faith—

of greater worth than gold,

which perishes even though refined by fire—

may result in praise, glory and honor

when Jesus Christ is revealed.

8 Though you have not seen Him,

you love Him;

and even though you do not see Him now,

you believe in Him and are filled with

an inexpressible and glorious joy,

9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith,

the salvation of your souls."

~BLESSED~

NOTE: You can join others in listening to Steve's sermon(s) online here.

I AM BLESSED...

UPDATE: I apologize to those of you who have wondered where I've been this past week. I was having technical problems posting and I did not have the time to spend to figure out how to fix it.

As we finish the year strong, may the remainder of this year's posts be an inspiration to you.

SUNDAY IN THE SON

I AM BLESSED

as sung by Rachel Lampa

I may never climb a mountain

So I can see the world from there

I may never ride the waves

And taste the salty ocean air

Or build a bridge

That would last a hundred years

But no matter where the road leads

One thing is always clear...

I am blessed

I am blessed

From when I rise up in the morning

Til I lay my head to rest

I feel You near me

You soothe me when I'm weary

Oh Lord, for all the worst and all the best

I am blessed

All along the road less traveled

I have crawled and I have run

I have wandered through the wind and rain

Until I found the sun

The watching eyes they ask me why

I walk this narrow way

I will gladly give the reason

For the hope I have today

I am blessed

I am blessed

From when I rise up in the morning

Til I lay my head to rest

I feel You near me

You soothe me when I'm weary

Oh Lord, for all the worst and all the best

I am blessed

You've given me joy

You've given me love

You give me strength

When I want to give up

You came from heaven

To rescue my soul

This is the reason I know, I know

I am blessed

I am blessed

From when I rise up in the morning

Til I lay my head to rest

I feel You near me

You soothe me when I'm weary

Oh Lord, for all the worst and all the best

I am blessed...

~BLESSED~