Christmas Cards to the ACLU
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Nov 29, 2007 11:55 am
Mood: Amused,
699 Views
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Yes, Christmas cards!!!
I received this email today, and thought it worthy of your consideration:
This email is coming early, so that you can get ready to include an important address to your list.
Wanna have some fun this Christmas? Send the ACLU a Christmas card this year.
After all, they are working very hard to get rid of the Christmas part of this holiday. We should ALL send them a nice Christian Christmas card to brighten up their dark, sad, little world.
Make sure it says Merry Christmas on it, and don't be rude or crude, it's not the Christian way, you know. Here's the address:
ACLU
125 Broad Street, 18th Floor
New York NY 10004
Two tons of Christmas cards would freeze their operations because they wouldn't know if any were regular mail containing contributions. So, spend 41 cents and tell the ACLU to leave Christmas alone. Also, tell them that there is no such thing as a "Holiday Tree".......It has always been called a Christmas tree.
For those of you who aren't aware of them, the ACLU, (American Civil Liberties Union) is the one suing the U.S. Government to take God, Christmas or anything Christian away from us. Help us put Christ back in Christmas
And, pass this on to your email lists. We really want to communicate with the ACLU! They really deserve us!!
What do you think?
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The Smiley
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Nov 29, 2007 7:51 am
Mood: Smiling! :) :) :) :) :) :) :),
737 Views
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I LOVE Smileys!
             
I have been collecting Smileys for almost 10 years. The picture on my blog today is one of my bathrooms, where I display my Smileys. They make me smile, some make me laugh, there's a Smiley for almost every expression of emotion. Every day, I see Smileys being expressed through blogs, comments, and emails. So, I thought it would be interesting to see what I could learn about Smileys.
The Smiley is a stylized expression of a smiling human face. It's commonly represented as a yellow circle with 2 dots, representing eyes and a half circle representing the mouth. The first Smiley was created in 1963, by Harvey Ball, who designed it for State Mutual Life Assurance, an insurance firm in Worcester, Massachusetts. He never attempted to use, promote, or trademark the image, so it fell into public domain. He never made a profit from his design, other than his initial $45 fee.
David Stern, of David Stern Inc, a Seattle-based advertising agency, also claimed to have invented the Smiley. He created his version in 1967, as part of an ad campaign for Washington Mutual, but also failed to trademark it.
The Smiley was popularized in the early 1970's by 2 brothers, Murray and Bernard Spain, who seized upon the image in a campaign to sell novelty items, such as T-shirts, bumper stickers, coffee mugs, and many other items with the symbol and the phrase "Have a Happy Day". Every hippie, myself included, had some form of Smiley ingrained within their personality.
Of course, the application of Smileys have permeated our lives, through the web, music, art, literature, and movies. (Forrest Gump is my fav reference to Smileys, in movies,lol.)
Perhaps the strangest use of Smileys was seen in 2002, by Luke Helder, a midwestern pipe-bomber. He tried to replicate a Smiley face in his pattern of pipe bombs. His first 16 bombs formed the circle, then, one in Nebraska and the second, on the border of Illinois and Iowa, completed the two eyes. Two other bombs in Texas and Colorado, were apparently the beginnings of the smile. However, he was captured before being able to complete it.
So, there you have it, some useless information about Smileys to enlighten your day!
Which Smileys are your favorites and why?
My favorite is Steve's, with his hair looking as if he stuck his fingers in a light socket, poor Steve! lol
Keep on smiling and keep on using those Smileys, cuz they make me smile.
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The Smiley
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Nov 28, 2007 3:19 pm
Mood: Smiling! :) :) :) :) :) :) :),
592 Views
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I love Smileys!
I have been collecting Smileys for almost 10 years. The picture on my blog today is one of my bathrooms, where I display my Smileys. They make me smile, some make me laugh, there's a Smiley for almost every expression of emotion. Every day, I see Smileys being expressed through blogs, comments, and emails. So, I thought it would be interesting to see what I could learn about Smileys.
The Smiley is a stylized expression of a smiling human face. It's commonly represented as a yellow circle with 2 dots, representing eyes and a half circle representing the mouth. The first Smiley was created in 1963, by Harvey Ball, who designed it for State Mutual Life Assurance, an insurance firm in Worcester, Massachusetts. He never attempted to use, promote, or trademark the image, so it fell into public domain. He never made a profit from his design, other than his initial $45 fee.
David Stern, of David Stern Inc, a Seattle-based advertising agency, also claimed to have invented the Smiley. He created his version in 1967, as part of an ad campaign for Washington Mutual, but also failed to trademark it.
The Smiley was popularized in the early 1970's by 2 brothers, Murray and Bernard Spain, who seized upon the image in a campaign to sell novelty items, such as T-shirts, bumper stickers, coffee mugs, and many other items with the symbol and the phrase "Have a Happy Day". Every hippie, myself included, had some form of Smiley ingrained within their personality.
Of course, the application of Smileys have permeated our lives, through the web, music, art, literature, and movies. (Forrest Gump is my fav reference to Smileys, in movies,lol.)
Perhaps the strangest use of Smileys was seen in 2002, by Luke Helder, a midwestern pipe-bomber. He tried to replicate a Smiley face in his pattern of pipe bombs. His first 16 bombs formed the circle, then, one in Nebraska and the second, on the border of Illinois and Iowa, completed the two eyes. Two other bombs in Texas and Colorado, were apparently the beginnings of the smile. However, he was captured before being able to complete it.
So, there you have it, some useless information about Smileys to enlighten your day!
Which Smileys are your favorites and why?
My favorite is Steve's, with his hair looking as if he stuck his fingers in a light socket, poor Steve! lol
Keep on smiling and keep on using those Smileys, cuz they make me smile.
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God Told Me To Tell You..........
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Nov 27, 2007 12:39 pm
Mood: Loved By My Father,
1054 Views
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A Word From God, For You Today
While I was praying for all at bc this morning, I asked God to give me an inspiring subject to blog about today, that would bless those who read it. No sooner were the words out of my mouth, when that voice invaded my thoughts. Now, I recognize that voice, but today, it was emphatic. This is what He said:
"Tell them that I love them"
WOW!!! What do you say to that? A hundred thoughts rushed through my mind, in a few brief moments. Will they believe me, will some think I'm crazy, lol, what words would I use, will people receive it? I finally asked "Lord, how do I do that?"
In His awesome faithfulness, He reminded me of some scriptures I know well, and impressed that these would be the foundation for the revelation of love, He wants you to have.
And, hence, the origin of my blog today. I submit it to you, in humility, and in faith, that it's God's will for you today.
And we know and believe, the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love, dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him.
I John 4:16
Know, recognize, and understand therefore, that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, Who keeps covenant and steadfast love and mercy, with those who love Him....
Deuteronomy 7:9
May Christ through your faith, actually dwell and make His permanent home in your hearts! May you be rooted, deep in love, and founded, securely on love.
Ephesians 3:17
In this, is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son, to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
I John 4:10
I think we all believe these scriptures, but many times, consider them in too broad a scope. Yes, God loves us, He loves ALL of us, collectively. But I feel led to tell you that God loves YOU, personally and individually, right there, where you sit, just as you are, right now. He loves you intimately, and knows everything about you, He knows every word before you utter it. He knew you and chose you, before you were born. You are the apple of His eye and your picture, yes your picture, is tattooed on the palm of His hands. He has a jar, with every tear you've cried, and has a count of every single hair on your head. How much more personal can it get?
He loves you deeply and will NEVER leave you, nor forsake you, no, NOT EVER! He has a perfect plan and purpose for your life., He chose you and set you apart, for His purpose. His perfect love for you.,will cast out all fear in your life. He loves you in a way that is unique, to only you.
The knowledge and revelation of His love, for you, personally, is the foundation upon which your victorious life is built.
Will you receive this word today, from God's own heart to your heart? He told me to tell you, that He loves you.
PS this gift is applicable any day you read it, cuz He wants you to have a revelation of His love, every day for the rest of your days!
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How Do You Love?
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Nov 26, 2007 9:24 am
Mood: A Spirit of Giving!,
789 Views
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The expression of love, is giving
Learning to love comes from God, because He is love. If we follow His example, we must consider this:
For God so LOVED the world, that He GAVE........John 3:16
Jesus said:Give, and it shall be given unto you, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.
Does giving to our family and friends separate us from the world? No, the Bible says that even evil fathers know how to give good to their children. What separates us from the world, is our heart of compassion and empathy, to give to those outside of our comfort zones. During the Christmas season, we feel compelled to give, more so than at any other time of the year. Why is that? What is that stirring in our hearts, to want to give to those less fortunate?
Many would answer that it is God's way of providing for the needy. I would disagree. I have found, in my years of giving, that it blesses me, much more than those that are receiving. I believe that the reason we are instructed and admonished to give, is not necessarily for the benefit of others, although they are blessed by it, but rather for the benefit of our own needs being met. It is amazing to me how God's principals seem in complete opposition to the world's principals.
The world says, "As you receive, give to provide for a need."
God says, "If you have a need, give, so that you can receive."
To Whom Do You Give? And Why?
I also think it is amazing how God sows a seed of empathy in each of our hearts, for a particular group or segment of the population, according to our experiences. I was reading some of the hundreds of responses to Big Church's $200,000 giveaway, and the thing that was most common, is that with each suggestion for a charity, came an explaination of how that charity had touched their life, in some way. Many voted for Hope Hospice, because a loved one was touched, in their final hours, by that group's mercy and compassion. Many suggested various Homeless Shelters, because they or a loved one was blessed by a place to rest their heads. Many suggested a Humane Society or SPCA, because of the joy in their life that came from adopting a pet.
We had a Board meeting Saturday, for the ministry I'm involved with, and voted to spend $500 for gift bags for the 12 women, currently in our program. I cannot describe the feeling, each year, as all 11 of us Board members, watch the tears and gratitude that come as the women open their gift bags, for the simple, basic things that you and I take for granted, such as deoderant, shampoo, toothpaste, and new socks and underwear. Some come into our program with nothing, but what is on their backs. The reason we volunteer our time and money, is because we have a heart of compassion for these broken, addicted, abused, and homeless women, for most of us have walked in those shoes.
Is Giving All About the money?
No, No, and No. Giving can be expressed in many ways:
Giving your time to help, is a gift of love.
Praying for others, is a gift of love.
Encouraging words, is a gift of love.
Listening is a gift of love.
None of these things cost a penny, but show the love of Christ, within us. Regardless of your method of giving and regardless of the group you feel led to give to, give of yourself, this Christmas season, out of what has been given to you. Share your love, and the love that has been given to you, with those who need to be loved. Give of your time, to serve someone who cannot return the favor.
You may just find that it will bless you, much more than those that are receiving.
I pray that all who give, will be blessed beyond measure, for their kindness and generosity.
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Ten Commandments Day
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Nov 25, 2007 10:20 am
Mood: Patriotic,
756 Views
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This is a Battle Cry For All Believers!!!
OK, Blog Cops, you've got me, I'm guilty, this is my second post for the day, lol. In addition to my post on miracles, I had to add this also, as it really excited me!
IS THIS TOO POLITICAL FOR BIG CHURCH?
Last night, while looking for something interesting to watch on TV, I came across a show I enjoy, called the Jay Sekulow Show. For those of you unfamiliar, Jay Sekulow is the nation's top legal advocate for Christian rights. He is the Chief Counsel for the ACLJ-American Center for Law and Justice. He, and a team of brilliant, Christian lawyers, go about the country and the world, to defend and protect our beliefs and values.
As I watched, I was so pleasantly surprised to learn that a resolution is before the House and the Senate, called "Ten Commandments Day". This resolution provides for a day, each year, the first Sunday in May, to be set aside, for celebration and Federal recognition of the Ten Commandments. What an excellent concept!!! (feeling a fire stir inside!) After all, we have days set aside to honor past leaders and presidents. We have recognized holidays for both parents, grandparents, and even one for love! lol. Why not celebrate our history and heritage of the Ten Commandments, which is what our constitution was based on and the origin of our established laws.
Brothers and Sisters, the last 40 years of our history, prove that surely and gradually, our Christian rights have been taken away. The rights of our children to pray in school, the right to read their Bibles, the right to display the Ten Commandments in public, and on and on it goes.
Why has this been allowed to happen? Because we, as Christians, have decided to sit back, be complacent, and remain silent on these important issues, while the enemies of our faith, have spoken out, and rallied strength and support for their cause-which is to abolish God completely from our nation. And, it is working for them, so far. It took only 1 aetheist to initiate all the conflict and controversy about removing the name of God, from our Pledge of Allegiance, only 1 aetheist, speaking out.
Fellow Believers! The time to remain silent is over! If every Christian would excercise their vocal chords and let their voices be heard, this removal of our rights would be ended.
There's a Petition, that each of you can add your name to, online by adding a dot com to the name of the resolution, or by toll-free telephone. (if you email me, I will give you the number) If you believe in the Ten Commandments, please, I implore you, to take the 5 or 10 minutes, to make your voice be heard. Let's have a day of recognition and celebration of God, and His principals for our lives. And, there is almost always some other legislation pending, that could have an impact on our lives, as we know it. We need to be more informed and pay closer attention to the issues that will affect us.
Thank you for your time and consideration, and your desire to help protect our Christian rights and values.
I pray that every person will accept their part, in the ongoing responsibility, of upholding and protecting our religious freedoms. In Jesus Name, Amen and So Be It.
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Do You Believe in Miracles?
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Nov 25, 2007 6:41 am
Mood: Believeing in Miracles!,
834 Views
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MIRACLE:
An extraordinary event or action, manifesting Divine intervention, in human affairs.
Do you believe in Biblical miracles?
Biblical miracles are found in both the Old and New Testaments. Many show God's power over nature while other miracles are a sign of His mercy and love for those who fear Him. These events are supernatural and can only be attributed to God.
Miracles demonstrate God's hand intervening in earthly affairs in extraordinary ways. New Testament miracles tend to be "personal" miracles, as opposed to miracles affecting the entire nation, in the Old Testament, such as the plagues on Egypt, or the crossing of the Red Sea.
Apart from His own miraculous birth, resurrection, and the transfiguration, Jesus performed more than 35 miracles in the Gospel. I, personally, would add a few to that list.
Some Thoughts About Miracles
A miracle is supernatural, it goes beyond the ordinary.
Miracles work in the realm of the difficult or the impossible.
Miracles will draw attention, even unbelievers want to see them.
Miracles will also bring about opposition and cynacism.
Do you believe in miracles today?
Jesus said, These things I do, shall you do also, and greater things than these.
This, alone tells me that miracles are applicable, beyond the realm of His short life.
Have YOU ever witnessed or experienced a miracle?
There are many well-documented medical miracles of healing. We hear of them frequently, but I am interested in hearing about miracles that have occurred in your life. I have witnessed a few, here's the story of one.
It was a summer day, in the afternoon, when my phone rang. It was my sister, in Nashville, and she was sobbing hysterically. Her son, my nephew Jason, was chasing a ball that had gone into the street, and was hit by a car, going about 40mph. The impact threw him, over 30 feet, to the other side of the street. X-rays revealed that his neck was broken. My sister pleaded with me to pray for a miracle, and call everyone I knew, that would pray, in agreement. I did just that. More X-rays were ordered the following morning, and the doctors were amazed to discover that there was no broken neck, no broken bones anywhere! Hallelujah! Other than some bruises and abrasians, he returned home, healed and whole, the next day. Even some of the nurses, who were astounded at what had happened, told my sister that this was a true miracle.
I would love to hear about miracles in your life! The hearing of miracles builds our faith and reminds us of the goodness and power of God.
Just a thought for today, from Albert Einstein:
There are 2 ways to live. You can live as if nothing is a miracle, or, you can live as if everything is a miracle.
Just a thought for today, from me, lol:
Sow seeds of belief, today, for miracles, so that when you need one, you will be able to receive. For you cannot receive, tomorrow, what you speak against today.
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New Members at BigChurch, WATCH OUT!!!
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Nov 24, 2007 11:50 am
Mood: Cautious!!,
3333 Views
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There are scammers here, trying to take advantage of you!!!
For those of you that have been here for a while, please forgive my repetition, as I (and others) have posted these warnings before.
For those of you that have NOT been here very long, please pay attention. In the last 4 days, I have received emails from 7 different scammers. In the month of November alone, I have received over a dozen. I have reported them all for abuse, but many remain. Some common signs to look for:
1. Most are widowed, the most common story is that their wife died some years ago, in a car accident.
2. Most have Masters Degrees and work in Engineering, Construction, or Self-Employed.
3. Even though they have Masters Degrees, they cannot spell correctly, form complete sentences or paragraphs, do not capitalize the letter "i", and use language common to texting, and their punctuation is terrible.
4. Most say that they live in the U.S., but their speech suggests that they are foreign.
5. They will ask you to contact them on their private email or ask to accept them as friends so they can IM you, almost immediately. All that I have found use yahoo.
6. Most tell you that after viewing your profile, they find you to be beautiful, attractive, interesting,and include a great deal of flattery.
7. Most say how honesty and trust are so important to them and get offended/angry if you question them too much. After all, you're supposed to trust them completely.
8. Shortly after meeting you, they begin to talk of financial problems, getting robbed, or becoming very sick. Beware!
9. They will try to convince you of their sincerity and will fall in love with you, within a week or two. Run away, quickly!
These are only a few of the common qualities, many have refined their art of deception very well, and may be more difficult to spot. If you receive emails that reflect these qualities, hit the "Report Abuse" button, so Big Church can check them out. But, even that doesn't always work, as I have reported some, and they are still here.
Verify Everything!
Verify the city they live in, their jobs, their churches and Pastors names, their drivers licenses, phone numbers, addresses. Many say they are from the US, but on a job or something, in a country in Africa, (Ghana and Nigeria the most common) and I have found a few to be in the UK.
Please, please, if you have any doubts or suspicions, about anyone you have had contact with, go to scammeralert, on this site, (go to the top right of the page, to : "groups", then to "groups main", then type in "scammeralert" and search.) There is a great deal of good info there, along with testimonies from other members that have been scammed, and the screennames of some. I wish I had gone there when I first joined.
I am not allowed to mention specific names here, but if you will email me, I will give you the dozen or so, most recent ones. Many are the same person, with various screen names. One guy I found, started with one name, then I exposed him, he came back a month later, with a different screen name, and I exposed him again, and he came back several weeks ago, with still a different screen name! But, guess what? He used the exact same profile, and all the same pics! Not very smart, huh?
And, men, I have been told by other men on this site, that there are female scammers too. Most of the time, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
I am praying that this information is useful to someone, and that all of you will be very cautious.
May God bless and protect you!!
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Do You Want or Need Power In Your Life?
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Nov 22, 2007 7:44 am
Mood: Appreciative,
893 Views
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Giving thanks allows us to have power in our lives!
OK, we know it's Thanksgiving, and we know that we are mandated to give thanks. There are literally hundreds of scriptures admonishing us to do so. Here are a couple of my favorites:
Thank God in everything; no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks, for this is the will of God for you who are in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:18
Through Him, therefore, let us CONSTANTLY and AT ALL TIMES offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge Him Hebrews 13:15
The power is not found in our knowledge of these scriptures, but rather, in the doing of them.
Giving thanks allows us to have more power in our lives
Giving thanks expands our capacity to receive more from God.
Giving thanks keeps our faith operating.
Giving thanks keeps our spirit aligned with His spirit.
Giving thanks and delighting in Him, will give us the desires of our heart
Some of you may say "I just don't feel I have anything to be thankful for". I would like to give you a short list of the countless blessings EACH of us have in our lives, whether we realize them or not:
He forgives your sins and remembers them no more
He is all-powerful and in complete control of all that affects you
He is all-knowing and knew you and chose you before you were formed in your mother's womb
He is ever-present and will NEVER leave you nor forsake you, no, not ever
He is your Provider and your Strength
He desires to lavish love on you, simply because you are His child
He considers you His treasured possession
He is for you and not against you
He is the Giver of every good gift
He is the Father Who comforts you in trouble
He has plans for your future that are always full of hope
He gave up all that He loved to acquire YOUR love
These are only a few of the countless promises of blessings He offers to those who believe. The only requirement besides believing is receiving them. It is as simple as making a choice, and it doesn't cost a penny.
Remember, grumbling and complaining is what kept the Jews in the wilderness for 40 years, for what was only an 11 day journey. I can't believe that anyone would consciously want to remain in the wilderness.
Make the right choice for your life today, and everyday. Thank God in ALL things, whether good, or not. Watch His miracle working power transform your mind and your circumstances. I dare you and challenge you to give this one simple, but powerful principal, a try for 30 days, consider it the prescription for what ails you. And I guarantee that you will experience power that you have never known before.
Doing this principal was an important milestone in my Christian walk and has blessed me in more ways than I can share.
I pray that you would be willing to be obedient in this important mandate for all of us, not for God's sake, but for your own.
May you all be blessed on this day of Thanksgiving.
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Thanking God For Friendship At Big Church
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Nov 21, 2007 5:30 am
Mood: Full of Thanksgiving!,
956 Views
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Today, I am thankful for each of you!
At this season of giving thanks, and after reading all the blogs about gratitude, I felt inspired to contemplate all of the things I am thankful for. Of course, the list is long, as God has blessed me beyond my expectations, and my daily prayers include all of the generic things that I am grateful for, such as Jesus, my family, friends, the talents and abilities He has given to me, love, the priviledge of serving Him in the ministry, my work, and all the clients He has sent me, salvation, the Word, prosperity, health, spiritual blessings, and all of you here at Big Church.
Today, I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for each of you.
For the last 6 months, you have provided me with such encouragement. During the difficult times, I have felt your prayers for me. The friendship you have so freely given, has impacted my life in so many ways. Most of you will never realize the extent of your influence and your presence in my life. It has been a blessing that I cannot describe.
Thank you all!!
I recently received this email, and it blessed me. I hope it blesses you also:
Friendship
People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.
When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support. To aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes, they die, sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up, has been answered, and now it is time to move on.
Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace, or they make you laugh. They may teach you something you needed to learn. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real, but only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned, to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind, but friendship is clairvoyant.
Thank you, Big Church, for being a part of my life, whether it be for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.
They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then, an entire lifetime to forget them
Distance and time may separate us, but friendship, fellowship, and memories, won't.
May your troubles be less,
Your blessings be more,
And, nothing but happiness,
Come through your door.
I pray for you daily, sometimes specifically, sometimes generally. Please know today, that I am grateful for every one of you. Thank you for your friendship. May you all be blessed!
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To link to this blog (racefan4) use [blog racefan4] in your messages.
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