RIGHT THINKING

As I was sitting at the desk, listening to one of my favorite songs, "The Holy City", and asking God what I should share this week for Spiritual Sundays, I reached up on the shelf above my computer and pulled out the book of poems by Helen Steiner Rice entitled Everyone Needs Someone. I opened the book at a random page, and when I read the poem on that page, I knew I wanted to share it with you. It's entitled Make Your Day Bright by Thinking Right". I think there is so much to learn from this poem. Perhaps not really "learn" but recall because I'm sure these are thoughts we all have from time to time.

Make Your Day Bright by Thinking Right

Don't start your day by supposin'

     that trouble is just ahead;

It's better to stop supposin'

     and start with a prayer instead.

And make it a prayer of thanksgiving

     for the wonderful things God has wrought

Like the beautiful sunrise and sunset,

     "God's gifts" that are free and not bought⏤

For what is the use of supposin'

     the dire things that could happen to you

And worry about some misfortune

     that seldom if ever comes true⏤

But instead of just idle supposin'

     step forward to meet each new day

Secure in the knowledge God's near you

     to lead you each step of the way⏤

For supposin' the worst things will happen

     only  helps to make them come true

And you darken the bright, happy moments

     that the dear Lord has given to you⏤

So if you desire to be happy

     and get rid of the "misery of dread"

Just give up "supposin' the worst things"

     and look for "the best things" instead.

My prayer and wish for each of you is that you have a bright happy weekend. If you didn't come here from the Spiritual Sundays blog, I hope you will click here and go there to visit. You will find links to many inspiring posts. Of course, if you did come here from that blog, I know you will return there to visit others. We all enjoy comments so I hope you will also take the time to comment on each blog you visit.

The Power of Kindness

Today, I would like to share an excerpt from The Power of Kindness titled: "Paid in Full". 


One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.

Instead of a meal, he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry and so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?"

"You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said, "Then I thank you from my heart." As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strengthened also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Years later, that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.

Dr. Howard Kelly* was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, he went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown, he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day, he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested from the business office to pass the final billing to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge, and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally, she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words:

"PAID IN FULL WITH ONE GLASS OF MILK..."
(Signed)
Dr. Howard Kelly

*Dr. Howard Kelly was a distinguished physician who, in 1895, founded the Johns Hopkins Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Johns Hopkins University. According to Dr. Kelly's biographer, Audrey Davis, the doctor was on a walking trip through Northern Pennsylvania one spring day when he stopped by a farm house for a drink of water.



Please check out our Spiritual Sundays blog for links to many inspiring blog posts. 

TODAY

Yesterday is gone forever.

Tomorrow may never come.

Today is all we have. 

...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.

 ...As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

Joshua 24:15

"Whether you think you can, or think you can't...you're right."
~Henry Ford

This is a brand new year and today is a brand new day. The Lord has blessed me so much. Today I will try to bring joy to others.

YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW

Thank you to all my blogging friends who have been such an inspiration and blessing to me this past year. May 2011 be the best year ever.

I thought this poem by Helen Steiner Rice would be a good thing to share this week for Spiritual Sundays.

YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW

Yesterday's dead,

Tomorrow's unborn,

So there's nothing to fear

And nothing to mourn

For all that is past

And all that has been

Can never return

To be lived once again⏤

And what lies ahead

Or the things that will be

Are still in God's Hands

So it is not up to me

To live in the future

That is God's great unknown,

For the past and the present

God claims for His own,

So, all I need do

is to live for Today

And trust God to show me

The Truth and the Way ⏤

For it's only the memory

Of things that have been

And expecting Tomorrow

To bring trouble again

That fills my Today,

Which God wants to bless,

With uncertain fears

And borrowed distress ⏤

For all I need live for

Is this one little minute,

For life's Here and Now

And Eternity's in it.

Click HERE to go to the Spiritual Sundays blog to share and be blessed.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I really like this poem by Martin Luther.

A BED IN MY HEART

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,

Make Thee a bed soft, undefiled,

Within my heart, that it may be

A quiet chamber kept for Thee.

My heart for very joy doth leap,

My lips no more can silence keep.

I too must sing, with joyful tongue,

That sweetest ancient cradle song,

Glory to God in highest Heaven,

Who unto man His Son hath given,

While angels sing with pious mirth,

A glad New Year to all the earth.

A special Christmas blessing to all my blogging friends. To those of you who join us each week for Spiritual Sundays, a special Thank You. You have helped make this year a wonderful blessing for me.

Click on Animated Picture.

TINKERBELL

Latest tree decoration is this darling Christmas Tinkerbell. Carol bought it for me at Disneyland last week when she was there. She is such a thoughtful daughter.

THE STORY

This week for Spiritual Sundays I'm sharing another page from the wonderful little book entitled Everything Christmas. The Story was written by Rebecca Currington.

You know the story ⎼⎼ an infant, born in a stable, worshiped by lowly shepherds and travelers from the East. Sweet story, but does it hold any meaning for your life today?

Consider this. The entire Bible pivots on this single event in history. The Old Testament predicts it, and the New Testament confirms it. The child lying in that tiny manger was no ordinary child ⎼⎼ He was God incarnate, who came to live and die for you. The story won't be fully told until you bow your knee to Bethlehem's Babe and call Him the Lord of your life.

What Can I Give Him?

                              by Christina Rossetti 

 What can I give Him,

Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, 

I would bring a lamb.

If I were a wise man,

I would do my part

Yet what can I give him?

I give Him my heart.

And a quote by Erma Bombeck: There's nothing sadder in this world than to wake

Christmas morning and not be a child.

❅ ❆ ❇ ❈ ❉ ❅ ❄

You will find lots of inspiring posts by clicking the links on Spiritual Sundays. You may even want to share a post on your blog with us there. Click HERE to go there where you will find instructions on how to participate.

Celine Dion - Happy Christmas

If you're not already in the Christmas spirit, this video should put you there. This has long been one of my favorite Christmas songs.

Be sure to click the music on my sidebar off before starting the video. (You can click on the little x to turn off the ads on the video.)

I hope you will drop by my other blog to read my Spiritual Sundays post.

http://char72.wordpress.com/

GOTTA LOVE THIS GUY!

They give Sheriff Joe a hard time, but he sticks with his principles. I'm proud that he's our sheriff. He still provides pink underwear for the inmates. A few years ago they were selling the pink shorts signed by Sheriff Joe at Christmas time at the mall. I gave a pair to hubby. No, he doesn't wear them. I think he is quite proud to own them, however.

This has nothing to do with Sheriff Joe, but thought I'd voice my disappointment with the people who attend the Silver Sneakers exercise group at 24 Hour Fitness. The last two times there were only two of us there besides the teacher. And - it was a different one and me each time. Maybe they're still celebrating Thanksgiving. Or maybe they have started celebrating Christmas early.

THE DAY AFTER

Thanksgiving is over. I hope you all had a great day. Wonderful day for me, but like many others did, I ate too much. Now, it's on to decorating for Christmas. Our son helped hubby set the tree up yesterday (major job). Now the fun begins. Decorate, decorate, decorate.

Since it's time to decorate I thought I'd start here by decorating my blog for Christmas. It is much colder here in the desert this morning. Makes it seem more like Christmas. Now if it would just snow a little. Not much chance of that. We've seen a little snow on two different occasions here in the last 21 years we have lived here. Oh well, we'll get along fine without the snow.

JONAH

This video was e-mailed to me by an old friend. I thought it was so cute and quite amazing that this little girl could tell the story so well that I wanted to share it with you today. It definitely should put a smile on your face, as it did mine. (You may need to turn up your sound to hear it well.)

The story of Jonah from Corinth Baptist Church on Vimeo.

The Corinth Baptist Church is in Albertville, AL.

Click HERE to go to the Spiritual Sundays blog for links to more spiritual/inspirational posts.

A TRIBUTE TO ADAM

Today for my Spiritual Sundays post, I want to pay tribute to a wonderful family from my past, and who have become friends again on facebook after more than 40 years.

The lady in the picture is Valorie. She was a young girl when I knew her and her family when my husband was the minister of the South Hills Church of Christ in West Covina, CA. The handsome young man with her is her son, Adam. Valorie just changed her profile picture on facebook to this one.

I'm fighting back the tears as I write this post. Yesterday was the memorial service for Adam who was killed in a motorcycle accident a few days before. He was only 27 years old, and left behind a wife, young daughter and another baby who will be born next month. I can't even imagine the pain Valorie and her husband Kevin as well as the rest of the family, are going through right now. And, I'm asking you to join me in praying for this family in this trying time. What a reminder this is of the brevity of life.

I was wondering what God would want me to share today for Spiritual Sundays. In fact, I asked him about it before I got out of bed this morning. When I came to the computer and saw this video that Valorie had posted there in tribute to her son, I knew immediately this was what I should share.  I think this video will be a comfort to many people who have recently lost a loved one. It is a good reminder too that no matter how old or how young we are, we need to be ready to answer the call when it is our turn to meet the Creator.



I hope you will visit our Spiritual Sundays blog for links to many different posts by different people who share there each week. If you are a blogger, you may want to join us by posting something on your own blog and linking it to Spiritual Sundays. Click HERE to go to that blog.