POEMS & THOuGHTS SHARING

Our Emmanuel

His birth in the manger was only the start
The crib lies empty today
He brought joy to all the earth
But He knew He could not stay

As He lay there in swaddling clothes
The shepherds were declaring His birth
Telling the world that had waited so long
That the Savior has come to earth

Wise men would come from afar
As gifts for the child they would bring
But a far greater gift our EMMANUEL
Throughout the ages would ring

Let us return to that lowly manger
And rejoice because of His birth
We now have hope of life everlasting
Because God sent His Son to earth
Eddie Roush ©2008
~**~
Luke 2:11 (KJV)
For unto you is born this day
In the city of David a Saviour,
Which is Christ the Lord.
May Jesus be your joy,
Your hope, your song
And may this Christmas
And each day of the new year
Be directed by His
Guiding hand of love!

Twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38 when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate. Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air. They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there. They were filled with such joy; they didn't know what to say. They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.

“Where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.

“This is heaven" declared a small boy. "We’re spending Christmas at God's house”. When what to their wondering eyes did appear, but Jesus, their Savior, the children gathered near. He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same. Then He opened His arms and He called them by name. And in that moment was joy that only heaven can bring as those children all flew into the arms of their King and lingered in the warmth of His embrace. One small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face. And as if He could read all the questions she had He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad.

“Then He looked down on earth, the world far below He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe, then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand, “Let My power and presence re-enter this land! “May this country be delivered from the hands of fools” “I’m taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools! “Then He and the children stood up without a sound.

“Come now my children let me show you around. “Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran. All displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can. And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight, “in the midst of this darkness,” I AM STILL THE LIGHT."

…..Author Unknown by way of “Christian Voices” (ChristianVoices@att.net)

Touch of Wonder

By Arthur Gordon

When I was about 13 and my brother 10, our father
promised to take us to the circus. But then at
lunchtime there was a phone call--some urgent business
that required his attention downtown--and we braced
ourselves for disappointment. But then we heard him
say, "No, I won't be able to come down. It's going to
have to wait."

He came back to the table and mother smiled, "The
circus keeps coming back, you know."

"I know," he said, "but childhood doesn't."

After all these years I remember that moment. And I
knew from the sudden glow of warmth that no kindness is
ever really wasted or completely lost. Because the only
thing you take with you to heaven is your family.

*******

Today's Thought: "There is more to life than increasing
its speed."

*******

From Mickey'sFunnies, Copyright 2013 Mike Atkinson,
www.mikeysFunnies.com

There is no Christmas without Jesus,
He sends me His gift each day.
I tell Him how much I love Him,
For the love and joy He sends my way.

I see the pretty trees and lights glowing bright,
I think of my dear Saviour for He is my Light,
Jesus is Christmas, I'll bow to Him and pray,
And give Him many thanks for just another day.

As we celebrate this Christmas season,
Do share the Gift of God's Love with everyone,
It's not only about glowing lights, gifts, and fun,
It's all about Jesus, God's precious Son.

Jesus Sweet Jesus so meek and mild,
You came to Earth as Mary's own child,
You wrapped the world in the greatest Love,
In giving the best gift, God sent from Above.

God gave The Greatest Gift that day,
He sent His Son to light our way.
No room in the inn, He was born in the stall,
Please remember always, Jesus gave all.

I see the trees and sparkling lights,
With gifts all wrapped for everyone,
Christmas brings such a time of joy,
As we celebrate again Mary's baby boy.

The Shepherd’s and Wisemen came from afar,
To see precious Jesus Our greatest gift,
Late in the midnight they followed the star,
Now new life begins, Oh what a joy You are!

Jesus I love You, You are my Salvation.
You came to Earth to save the lost,
You gave Your life to die for me,
I will love and Praise You for all Eternity.

The Babe in the manger the Saviour of men,
Still rules the world for those lost in sin,
Today Jesus still calls for all to come in,
Come into the arms of Jesus your Friend.

Jesus I thank You for Your Special Birth,
You left Heaven's best to come to Earth,
You became our Precious Lord and King.
Happy Birthday Jesus while the angels sing.

I'm sending You my Christmas blessing,
To show You love as we stay in touch.
I pray Your Christmas will be merry,
Because I love You, Oh so very much.
Bernice Ward © Dec. 2008
May the Lord Bless and Watch over you
And your loved ones this CHRISTmas
And may He prosper and bless the work
Of your hands in the New Year!
~**~
Psalm 9:2 (KJV)
I will be glad and rejoice in thee:
I will sing praise to thy name,
O thou most High.

A Christmas Tale
by Allan Thompson
Hi all,
My sister did a final edit of this poem I wrote. I got the idea for this
particular poem and I think I might have shared it once before.

A number of years ago I had a thought, a vision of Santa Claus kneeling at a
church alter to pray. I suddenly realized that, maybe if the person of
Santa Claus was real, that he too would submit to the Lord Jesus Christ,
just as any good Christian would do? Sure, in todays commercialized world,
Santa Claus has become a becon of secular mythology, but in reality, if this
guy was in fact real, I think he would hate the idea of it, just as much as
you or I would, that he would ever be found in opposition to Christ, rather
then in doing good works that God may be glorified. Thus, just like in
scripture, Saint Nick, as he is called, would come and that knee would bend,
and that tongue would confess, and he would defend the reason for the season
just as much as ourselves would.
I hope you enjoy this. Please share it if you find a blessing in it.
al


A Christmas Tale
by Allan Thompson

It was Christmas Eve, and the place was quite still
In this church, old and worn, it was ten minutes till

All night I stayed, hoping for a good word
Praying for a miracle, hoping God had heard

The powers that be want a road with four lanes
Abusing the law of eminent domain

Wouldn't you know, politicians have the gall
To take all our land to build a new strip mall

Their property value would increase tenfold
But not until this old church had been sold

We fought like King David, we fought tooth and nail
Yet still City Hall won, our sign reads "For Sale"

We gathered together, our last Christmas Eve
We praised our God's love, then the flock left to grieve

I stood there alone; time had gone by so fast
I stood there recalling memories of the past

How many children had learned in this place
About God's love, His wonder and grace

The baptismal tank, where we dunked quite a few
The merry pot lucks with delicious beef stew

Babies were anointed, which made some of them cry
I think about the weddings and let out a deep sigh

Heartbroken I felt, my memories went still
All I could do now was wait on God's will

I longed for a miracle till the last possible hour
When midnight chimed, my heart grew sour

Then something happened; my eyes opened wide
For I heard a door open; someone came inside

I ducked out of sight; I did not know who
Would come in a sold church nor what they would do

And what I now saw, my mind had to pause
Standing in the sanctuary was Mister Santa Claus

He was a large fellow, his suit was dark red
Looking just like the poem from his foot to his head

He took off his cap and tucked it into his belt
Then he stepped to the altar, and before it he knelt

He seemed to struggle for just the right word
I listened very closely, and this is what I heard

"Oh, Father God and Jesus Christ the Son
Heaven and Earth are yours; your will be done

Lord, every year while on my evening flight
This church left its lights on to guide me through the night

But today it stands empty, there is nobody here
The lights are all off, there are no hymns to hear

My Lord God Almighty, it is the Christmas season
This little town forgets that Jesus is the reason.

If they lose faith in Santa, it doesn't mean a lot
Christmas goes ever on, if my name is forgot

But to lose faith in Christ, if a town's faith stalls
Then Christmas without Jesus is no Christmas at all"

I wanted to shout! My heart just soared
He would not steal glory from Jesus the Lord

Then a small voice spoke, I fell down to my knees
Though it spoke to Saint Nick, I could hear it within me

"My child, do not fear, do not disbelieve
For your prayer has been heard and faithfully received

This building is old and its future is dim
It's not safe for my children who remain here within

It will be torn down, but be of good cheer
I will build another church, it will be quite near

This work that I do, you will very soon see
I will provide a new church; it will be built for free

Then the light that you see every new Christmas Eve
Will shine with new glory, don't doubt it. Believe."

Saint Nick blessed the Lord for being so wise
And he turned and walked off with tears in his eyes

My own tears I cried, not from pain but release
My fear had been lifted, I was filled with God's peace

But had I been sleeping? It felt like a dream
Did it really just happen, or was it real as it seemed?

I stood up and looked; I raced to the door
Before I could reach it, I saw it on the floor

It was Santa's hat, just like I had seen
And I understood, what I saw was no dream

Outside the church, not a soul did appear
Just some sleigh tracks, and maybe the footprints of reindeer

I went back inside, and turned on every light
So that Santa could see through one more dark night

Two days later, the politicians came to call
They were scared and anxious, and to me they seemed small

They said, "Preacher, we have been very, very bad!
For Santa had come, and he was really hopping mad

The presents we bought for our children and kin
Were expensive and nice; Brand new they had been!

When Christmas had come, we gathered as a whole
We opened the presents, but in each box was coal!

We then found a letter, addressed to the whole town
It said, "You all deserve coal, for tearing a church down.

Know this at once, that every Christmas day
You will only receive coal, unless the deed you repay."

We then rushed to the church, but alas it was too late
It had been torn down, now we worry for our fate

So a meeting we had, and we did our research
To find a good place to build the town a new church

We will build it quickly; it will all be brand new
We will build on our land, and give it all to you

We hope this appeases the God that you serve
Pray that we don't get the coal we deserve"

The new church was built; so bright and so clean
The building was huge, the biggest church I had ever seen

It soon became a beacon, and many God did save
Our charity had grown and many people gave

Now every Christmas Eve, we thank the Lord with praise
For all of His kindness, and the new church He raised

It happened long ago; now I'm old and so grey
But I will never forget when Santa Clause knelt to pray

"The truth will make you free"
Jesus Christ of Nazareth 33AD

POEM
Reflections In December
December is the most wonderful time of the year,
With bright chilly days and crisply cool nights.
Aromas announcing the season waft from kitchens
As homes brightly sparkle with a myriad of lights.

Of this one thing we can be certain,
Whether you celebrate with mennorah or tree,
It's the time for the giving of gifts; of caring,
And experiencing the love God gives . . . it's free!

The season for reflections; a time to count blessings;
For friends and families to each other draw near,
Giving gifts, love, peace, good will, and great joy;
Creating memories that we'll cherish all through the year.

A special season to be shared with all
With a smile, a nod, and a cheery, "Hello" ;
A time made to build memories
That give joy when now becomes long ago.

When giving our gifts, we all should remember
A truth that rings true from coast to coast;
Gifts need not be expensive or costly;
It's the gift from the heart that counts the most.
Used with written permission
©2005 Wynona Mitchell McKinney

Psalm 7:17 (KJV)
I will praise the Lord
According to his righteousness:
And will sing praise to the
Name of the Lord most high.
Wishing you a wonderful CHRISTmas season
Filled with heavenly peace
And the warmth of
His presence in your heart and home.

May God bless your Christmas and New Year

POEM
The Unopened Gift
‘Twas the day after Christmas 
And under the tree 
Was an unopened gift 
Remaining for me 

In all the excitement 
Of gifts we adored 
It lay there unopened 
Overlooked and ignored 

My eyes filled with tears 
As I came to my sense 
For this unopened gift 
Had cost God great expense 

'Twas the Gift of Salvation 
Wrapped in God's Love 
Purchased by Jesus 
With His own Precious Blood 

Thanking God there was grace 
To receive this great Treasure 
To begin life anew 
And have joy without measure 

I fell to my knees 
And He tore off the strings 
That had my heart bound 
By life's worthless things 

The Gift is now opened 
The Treasure revealed 
My soul is now saved 
By His Spirit I'm sealed! 
Phyllis M. Sizelove © 12-24-07 

~**~ 
James 1:17 
Every good and perfect 
Gift is from above 
May Jesus' the giver 
Of every good and perfect gift 
Bless you with 
Heaven's&# 39; blessings 
This CHRISTmas!

If You Think You Are...

There is an important poem that a wise friend,
Anonymous, once wrote which distils the importance of
controlling our thoughts if we want to control our
destiny. Anonymous entitled this poem, "The Winner's
Creed," and may this creed inspire new thoughts and
visions of greatness in our lives:

"If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win, but you think you can't
It is almost certain you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you're lost.
For out of the world we find
Success begins with a person's will --
It's all in the state of mind
If you think you're outclassed, you are.
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win the prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger woman or man,
But sooner or later the one who wins
Is the one WHO THINKS HE CAN."

-- Anonymous

The Glory of Spring
I opened up the door this morning and did a little jig.
I smiled at the falling rain even though the drops were big.

Those drops didn't discourage me as they fell on the window pane,
before the dawn of sunshine I knew there'd be some rain

For now the barren gardens are floating in muddy gloom,
soon they'll house the buds from where the flowers bloom.

We've looked forward to a grand awakening that is happily in the works,
a burst of new life from where the bare tree limb lurks.

The snow has all melted, Jack Frost has been sent on his way,
though we thought we'd never see it we welcome Spring this day.

I saw a robin perched on the roof, perhaps scouting out a nest,
I placed shedded dog hair on the fence post, mama robin will do the rest.

Soon tiny tots on swing sets will be reaching for the sky,
filled with wonder and laughter, the magic won't pass them by.

The glory of Spring and the awakening it brings,
is the joy in the tune that the bluebird sings.

It is a chance for us to improve on the days that lie ahead,
to make sure the bounty of our blessings keep our hearts and souls well fed.

Gardener's thumbs will once again regain their color green,
while blooming shades of purple, pink, and red will reign supreme.

Spring nights are for young lover's walking hand and hand in the park,
beneath the starry skies, a chance to dance in the dark.

Every Spring season we are rewarded with this glorious gift of rebirth,
and reminded of our own new beginnings every Springtime on this earth.

Young dreams will be carried along on warm soothing breezes,
sweet recollections of life anew and all that pleases.

So, I'm enjoying the rhythm of the gentle falling rain,
it's nature's way of saying there is so much for us to gain.

These wonderful days of Spring will be bursting out in song,
a sweet melody of promise that carries our hopes along.

AND THAT'S THE GLORY OF SPRING!

The Love of God



The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Refrain:
Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.


Verse 3 was penciled on the wall of a narrow room in an insane asylum by a man said to have been demented. The profound lines were discovered when they laid him in his coffin.

Source http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/The_Love_of_God/

It's Only Words

"Encouraging words well spoken," wrote Solomon, "are
like golden apples in silver settings."1

"It's only words and words are all I have to take your
heart away." These words are from one of my favorite
songs sung by the Bee Gees. Obviously, words can have
a powerful effect either for good or for bad, for
healing or for hurting, for encouraging or
discouraging, or for making others laugh or cry.

With words, we can inspire people and even nations to
noble deeds of courage, such as the words Sir Winston
Churchill broadcast to spur the British people on to
victory when, during World War II, Britain's back was
against the wall as she was being bombarded by
Germany's relentless air raid attacks. Forty-seven of
her warships had been sunk. The Royal Air Force had
lost 40 percent of its bomber strength. Britain was on
the brink of famine and was facing imminent invasion.

Here's what Churchill said in this hour of great need:
"We shall defend our island whatever the cost may be;
we shall fight on the beaches; we shall fight in the
fields; we shall fight in the streets; and we shall
fight in the hills. We shall never surrender."

Or with people such as the Hitlers and the Stalins of
the world, words can be used to motivate people to
dastardly deeds of treachery, murder, slaughter, and
relentless acts of terrorism.

Most of us, of course, will never be in a position to
move multitudes of people, but every single one of us
is in a position to make a big difference in the life
of at least one person--and in realty, the lives of
many people if we are so inclined.

Life is filled with plenty of negatives, setbacks,
unkind and hurtful words. And so we all need words of
encouragement. Let's not fail to give such a word to
at least one person every day whether they are young
or old because:

Words

Words spoken
may soon pass away
and forgotten be,
But when spoken
in love and kindness,
are like beautiful flowers,
and even though
they fade and die
from conscious memory,
their fragrance lives on
embedded in the
deeper mind --
forever.2

-- Dick Innes, (c) Copyright

1. Proverbs 25:11 (Paraphrase).
2. This poem, beautifully presented ready for framing,
is available online at:
http://tinyurl.com/words-spoken.

Heart warming story to share: Potato Chips
A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of potato chips and a six-pack of root beer and started his journey.

When he had go ne about three blocks, he met an old man. He was sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so he offered him some chips. He gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.

His smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer. Again, he smiled at him. The boy was delighted!
They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As twilight approached, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug. He gave him his biggest smile ever..

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?"
He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? He's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked, "dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?"

He replied "I ate potato chips in the park with God." However, before his son responded, he added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime! Embrace all equally!

Have lunch with God.......bring chips.

Send this to people who have touched your life in a special way. Let them know how important they are. I did!!!!

God still sits on the throne. You may be going through a tough time right now but God is getting ready to bless you in a way that only He can.
Keep the faith!

My instructions were to pick four people that I wanted God to bless, and I picked you.

Please pass this to as many people you want to be blessed. This prayer is powerful, and prayer is one of the best gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot of rewards. Let's continue to pray for one another.

Here is the prayer:
Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and e-mail buddies reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your grace. Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their coming s. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down;
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short;
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask, "How are you?"
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done,
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?

You'd better slow down;
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short;
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
"We'll do it tomorrow"?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say, "Hi."

You'd better slow down;
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short;
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere,
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift thrown away.

Life is not a race,
Do take it slower,
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

- Cited on Mickey's Funnies
http://www.mikeysfunnies.com

"Life is short. Invest it wisely. 'Remember today is
the only day you will ever have.'"

MAY I GENTLY remind you, SOME may have gone through this experience
God loves you, know the trials you faced, your hurt is before Him, Let God heal you of your decision as you come to Him. If you should be facing right now...May he guide you in your decision as you read. GOD HAS A WAY WHEN THERE SEEM NO OTHER WAY and HIS wonders to perform.

I Am a Child of God
Month One
Mommy,
I am only .25 inches long
but I have all my organs.
I love the sound of your voice.
Every time I hear it
I wave my arms and legs.
The sound of your heartbeat
is my favorite lullaby.

Month Two
Mommy,
today I learned how to suck my thumb.
If you could see me
you could definitely tell that I am a baby.
I'm not big enough to survive outside my home though.
It is so nice and warm in here.

Month Three
You know what, Mommy?
I'm a boy!
I hope that makes you happy.
I always want you to be happy.
I don't like it when you cry.
You sound so sad.
It makes me sad, too,
and I cry with you even though
you can't hear me.

Month Four
Mommy,
my hair is starting to grow.
It is very short and fine
but I will have a lot of it.
I spend a lot of my time exercising.
I can turn my head and curl my fingers and toes
and stretch my arms and legs.
I am becoming quite good at it, too.

Month Five
You went to the doctor today.
Mommy, he lied to you.
He said that I'm not a baby.
I am a baby, Mommy, your baby.
I think and feel.
Mommy, what's abortion?

Month Six
I can hear that doctor again.
I don't like him.
He seems cold and heartless.
Something is intruding my home.
The doctor called it a needle.
Mommy, what is it? It burns!
Please make him stop!
I can't get away from it!
Mommy! HELP me!

Month Seven
Mommy,
I am okay.
I am in Jesus' arms.
He is holding me.
He told me about abortion.
Why didn't you want me, Mommy?

Every abortion Is just: One more heart that was
stopped. Two more eyes that will never see. Two more
hands that will never touch. Two more legs that will
never run. One more mouth that will never speak.
Author Unknown.

___Poetry___
From whence cometh poetry?
Where do the roots of word spreadeth
While above
Fruited limbs gather
Unto the Son
In the celebration of wits end?
Is it not from the wellspring of reverent fear
Abiding precariously
Within each poet's awareness of God?
Or
Is poetry born out of a deeper
More profound awakening
Devoid of fright
Wherein there is no night
Or reason to write
Save the love one holds for another
Who seeks to know
Love
And be loved
Through poetry?
Or
Is it both?
John Christopher
1985



____Dying To Live___
At first it seemed somewhat absurd
This holy seed God calls His Word
I'd read it till the break of dawn
And think on where my world went wrong
The answers came and went like snow
Accumulating so I'd know
The knowledge of each pure-white drift
To-ward life's wholly perfect gift
It humbled me to read such wisdom
Unlike my old school catechism
Where God was King and Mary Queen
And Jesus just a child to wean
Or almost dead nailed to a cross
So we could stare and mourn His loss
A single man who bore His fate
For daring to transcend man's hate
Yet as my heart awoke and saw
That God and heaven filled my core
A new dimension housed my soul
God's one and only perfect goal
Where tears and sorrow have no place
To cultivate a saddened face
Where darkness loses to the light
And where there is no fear or night
I fell and died within God's Spirit
To never more reject and fear it
For from then on my heart was His
To serve and praise the way He is
To share my faith with all who need
To understand God's Holy seed
Whereby the truth wins out at last
When Jesus comes back to His past
To bring true justice to the nations
To end the need for blood libations
To rule and make anew the Earth
To keep His promise of rebirth
And so I trust this quest so bold
To comfort me as I grow old
To teach me how to love and give
And die to self so I can live
Forever in heaven
John Christopher
OCT 2006