Merry Christmas

 

I am so excited about December. All our family will be gathering this Christmas, unlike last Christmas.

I know everyone will be looking forward to spending time with their families and friends as the days go by in the month.

In the hustle and bustle, and the gift buying, I hope we can all focus on the one true gift of Christmas. The baby boy born to a virgin who came into the world to save the world. . .

​SARA TELLS US ABOUT PROPOSALS AND POETRY

 There is a widely popular rock song in which the singer says to someone else, “Put a ring on it.” Now how does this relate to us and poetry? Well, both suggest a proposal and a follow-up commitment. But how do we get friends and acquaintances to commit? To poetry?

Let’s look at some of the ways our poetry can present the “ring.”. . .

Happy June

 

Happy June to All!

What a fantastic month.  I love this month for so many reasons. The flowers are out in radiant colors. Just hard to pin-point which is the prettiest.
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It is also a month where seniors will be graduating from high school. They are all so excited to be finished with these chapters of their lives and anticipating wondrous chapters of new as they leave the halls of their school. . .

Helping Others Please God

Did Jesus give us advice on helping others? I believe He did.

William James said, "Whenever you're in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude."

Hebrews 13:16 "But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." (KJV) In other words, do good to others, and don't forget to share with others in need. This pleases God.

With the cornona virus prevalent around the world, now would be a great time to help others in need. The one thing I have learned is I can't outgive God. He always blesses me when I am helping others. One of the greatest blessings is the feeling you get when you have done something for someone else.

Susan Reichert was the co-publisher and the Editor-in-Chief of Southern Writers Magazine, a national magazine for authors and readers and is now retired. The magazine is also retired. But she continues promoting authors and their books on Suite T, and The Gallery of Stars.

Reichert discovered one of her life's purposes when she began to write. "First, it was short stories as a child." Some Saturday afternoons you could find Susan, her sister and friends acting out the stories. Her writing took a back seat until she was in her twenties where she began writing a novel, set in Jamaica. "Unfortunately, over the years, it became lost."

She is a big proponent of writing your feelings, life thoughts, prayers, and ideas in journals. Something she has done for forty years.

Besides facilitating a writing group since 2010 she writes every day. In April 2015, her book, Storms in Life, released.  Her second book will be released this summer, God’s Prayer Power.

She lives in Tennessee with her husband. They have four grown daughters who have families of their own.

DO YOU DREAM DREAMS?

Walt Disney

Many people wonder if they have dreams to pursue. While others have dreams and lack the courage to pursue them. Then there are a few, who have dreams and walk out in courage to bring those dreams into fruition. A case in point of course, is Walt Disney. Thus his quote above. We all know that this was a man who had a dream, used his courage and brought his dream into reality.

Winston Churchill once said, "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

There will be many times in ones life that they will recognize they have a dream, even if it is very vague. Muster the courage and walk toward your dream. If you step out, God will help you to bring it about.

"And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome." Acts 23:11 KJV

God plants a dream in our hearts because He created us with skills and abilities so we could accomplish what He called us to do. Trust him, follow him and He will take you to places on high.

When Do You Get Boldness?

“In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.” Psalm 138:3 (KJV)


There are many reasons in life ever day that we need courage, strength and boldness in our spirit. For most of us we wait till we need them before we cry out and ask for them.


Perhaps it would be better if we prepared our hearts with God's words each day so when the time comes that we need these things, we will already have them, deep down inside of us ready to come to our aid immediately.

CAN YOU FORGIVE AND FORGET?

 

Joseph's brothers definitely did Joseph wrong in many ways because they were jealous and envious of his relationship with their father. We have all been hurt by someone in our lives and sometimes we hold grudges. The sad thing is, the grudges hold us in bondage, our unforgiveness creates unrest in our lives and misery. Nine times out of ten the other person is totally oblivious to our feelings toward them. So they aren't the ones hurt–we are.


"So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him." Genesis 50:17 KJV


Here Joseph's brothers send him a message from their father and Joseph's father asking him to forgive his brothers for the evil, the wrong, they did him. And Joseph forgave them.


It was hard on Joseph to be taken away from his father and home and sold into slavery. He did endure hardships, yet through it all, God's hand was upon him, and what was meant for his harm God produced good.

Our prayer:

Father, because of you, I can forgive those for the wrongs they have committed against me. Although it is not easy, and in the natural, my feelings are hurt you give me the strength to choose to forgive, and overcome those feelings and forgive them. What was meant for my harm you will bring good out of it. You are faithful to forgive me of my wrongs; therefore, I must forgive others of their wrongs to me. Amen

Are there people today, that have hurt you and you have unforgiveness in your heart for them? Do you wish them misery? Let go of those feelings. Those feelings are toxic and harmful to you mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Choose to forgive them. In doing so, it is you who is set free.