Today we start a New Year.  

We cannot go back and change anything from the past year,

 but we can go forward into the New Year resolved 

to do as Paul said in Philippians:

 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: 

but this one thing I do, 

forgetting those things which are behind, 

and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 

 I press toward the mark for the prize 

of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 3:13-14

My wish for each of my followers is that each of 

you will have a blessed New Year 

with Christ at the center of your life.

Very busy month and I forgot to post my Christmas page.

Hope everyone had a joyful Christmas 

with Christ at the center of your celebration!!

COME AND SEE…GO AND TELL

COME AND SEE…GO AND TELL

 As I was thinking about Christmas being so close,

my mind wandered to the Christmas story.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,

keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,

and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:

and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them,

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,

which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David

a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you;

Ye shall find the babe

wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel

a multitude of the heavenly host

praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest,

 and on earth peace,

good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone

away from them into heaven,

the shepherds said one to another,

Let us now go even unto Bethlehem,

and see this thing which is come to pass,

which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph,

and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad

the saying which was told them concerning this child.

And all they that heard it wondered at those things

 which were told them by the shepherds.

Luke 2:8-18

As I was thinking of the message given to the shepherds,

“Come and see”, the result was to be, “Go and tell.” 

The same message that was given to the shepherds

was also given to the women who went to the empty tomb

and Peter and John.

“Come and see… go and tell.”

This message is also for all of us today who know the reason for Christmas.

Jesus, the only begotten Son of God,

 came to earth, born as a babe so He could

go to the cross and bear our sins on Calvary.

Because He lived without sin, died for our sins and

rose again triumphant over death,

He can be our Saviour.

We must not only “Come and see”,

but we must also

“Go and tell”

those who do not know.

That is the challenge of Christmas for us today.

“Come and see…Go and tell.”

I have been quite busy this month making my Christmas cards.
Here is some samples.

  

  

Wishing all of you a blessed Christmas 

with Christ the center of your celebration!

THANKSGIVING

Here it is Thanksgiving Day again in the U.S. 

God is so good to every one of us 
and we should be thankful every day, 
not just at Thanksgiving.

Let's make a practice of looking for things

to thank Him for every day.  

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God 

in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 

Thank You Lord For Your Blessings On Me

While the world looks upon me, 
As I struggle along, 

And they say I have nothing,

But they are so wrong, 

In my heart I'm rejoicing,

How I wish they could see,

Thank You Lord for Your blessings on me!

CHORUS:

There's a roof up above me, 

And I've a good place to sleep,

There's food on my table,

And shoes on my feet,

You gave me Your Love Lord,

And a fine family,

Thank You Lord for Your blessings on me!

I know I'm not wealthy,

And these clothes are not new,

And I don't have much money,

But Lord I have You!

And to me that’s all that matters,

Though the world may not see,

Thank You Lord for Your blessings on me!

CHORUS
Thank You Lord for Your blessings on me!

Song was written and recorded by the Easter Brothers.

Psalm 136:1 says,

 O give thanks unto the LORD; 

for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

 I created the following card to enter the challenge
at http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com
using their word art.

Wishing you a Thanksgiving Day full of blessings 

and a grateful heart.

We set aside this day

to honor our Veterans!

Your Place

Is your place a small place?

Tend it with care!

He set you there

Is your place a large place?

Guard it with care!

He set you there.

What’er your place, it is

Not yours alone, but His

Who set you there.

 My newest card for WAW:

I thought the following poem went well with the Word Art Wednesday 

scripture  card for this challenge.

HE KNOWETH

"HE KNOWETH"! Yes--the dear Lord says He knoweth --

He knoweth them who trust in Him repose;

Perhaps He wills it should bring saving comfort--

This blessed fact -- that He His children knows.

"HE KNOWETH," too, what things we here have need of -

"Your Father knoweth" is the Saviour's word:

And so, whatever things He sees are needful

Will, in good season, reach us from the Lord.

"HE KNOWETH" also what lies in the darkness;

So nothing there need make our hears afraid:

He sees the utmost end from the beginning, -

And peace is ours as we on Him are stayed.

"HE KNOWETH"! Yes - of course, He always knoweth-

And in this blessed fact our hearts may rest,

Rejoicing in the happy calm that cometh

When we our refuge make within His breast.

J. Danson Smith

My card for the challenge:

But as it is written, 

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, 

neither have entered into the heart of man, 

the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 

1 Corinthians 2:9

HE WILL SILENTLY PLAN FOR THEE

HE will silently plan for thee,

Object thou of omniscient care;

God Himself undertakes to be

Thy Pilot through each subtle snare.

He WILL silently plan for thee, 

So certainly, He cannot fail!

Rest on the faithfulness of God,

In Him thou surely shalt prevail.

He will SILENTLY plan for thee

Some wonderful surprise of love.

Eye hath not seen, nor ear hath heard,

But it is kept for thee above.

He will silently PLAN for thee,

His purposes shall all unfold;

The tangled skein shall shine at last,

A masterpiece of skill untold.

He will silently plan FOR THEE,

Happy child of a Father's care,

As though no other claimed His love,

But thou alone to Him wert dear.

E. Mary  Grimes

My card for the WAW challenge:

Have a blessed week and...

Broken Dreams

(By Lauretta P. Burns)

As children bring their broken toys with tears for us to mend,

I brought my broken dreams to God because He was my friend.

But then instead of leaving them with Him in peace to work alone,

I hung around and tried to help with ways that were my own.

At last I snatched them back and cried, "How can you be so slow?"

"My child," He said, "What could I do? You never did let go."

Here are two of my newest cards.

He’s All That Matters

If I wake up tomorrow

With nothing but pain

And all the things are gone

That I’d counted as gain

If I still had Jesus

As my Saviour and Lord

I’d still be as rich as a king.

If each day brought losses

That were so hard to bear.

If every one left me

With no one who cared

If I still had Jesus

As my Saviour and Lord

I still His praises would sing.

For He’s all that matters

When all’s said and done

The stuff that we treasure

Is nothing but dung

I’d trade it all in a moment

For Jesus my King

For He is what matters to me.

Here is my newest card to link to Word Art Wednesday.

Have a blessed weekend!

COULD THEY BUT KNOW

I sometimes think that God must surely smile,

While looking on His world so tenderly;

And whisper softly to His angels there:

“Could they but see."

His fretted world perplexed and worn and sad,

Distrustful of His watching thought the while;

Unmindful of the strength of love which shines

Behind God’s smile –

The kindest smile a weary world could know –

A smile that pities, loves, forgives and plans;

That knows earth’s strivings, failings, hopes and fears,

And understands.

Could they but see how near His angels are,

And know the grandeur of the ways they tread,

Or glimpse the land of happiness untold

Which lies ahead.  

I sometimes think that God must surely smile,

When looking on His troubled world below,

And whisper softly, tenderly, His thought:

“Could they but know.”

Author Unknown

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: 

now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 

1 Corinthians 13:12

A couple more cards I made.  

The photos aren't too good, but you can get the general idea.

  

Cards

I have been quite busy lately and have not shared any of my cards with you in a long time.

I thought I would share a few of my latest.

Thanks for visiting.

The Bible

THE HOLY BIBLE

 The Holy Bible is God’s love letter to us.

It is God’s words given to men to write down for us to read.

It is our guide book.

It provides strength and comfort.

It encourages us when we are doing right

and convicts us when we are doing wrong.

God’s Word never changes.

 Century follows century – it still stands.

Dynasty succeeds dynasty – it still stands.

Empires rise and fall and are forgotten – it still stands.

Kings are crowned and uncrowned – it still stands.

Storms of hate swirl about it – it still stands.

Atheists rail against it – it still stands.

Profane, prayerless punsters caricature it – it still stands.

Unbelief abandons it – it still stands.

Thunder bolts of wrath smite it – it still stands.

The flames are kindled about it – it still stands.

Author Unknown

Heaven and earth shall pass away:  but my words shall not pass away.

Luke 21:33 

The Bible Stands

The Bible stands like a rock undaunted

’Mid the raging storms of time;

Its pages burn with the truth eternal,

And they glow with a light sublime.

Refrain

The Bible stands though the hills may tumble,

It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble;

I will plant my feet on its firm foundation,

For the Bible stands.

The Bible stands like a mountain towering

Far above the works of men;

Its truth by none ever was refuted,

And destroy it they never can.

The Bible stands and it will forever,

When the world has passed away;

By inspiration it has been given,

All its precepts I will obey.

The Bible stands every test we give it,

For its Author is divine;

By grace alone I expect to live it,

And to prove and to make it mine. 

Words & Music:  Haldor Lillenas