Jesus . . . born once . . . that we may be born twice
Keep Looking Up . . . His Best is Yet to Come!
From Our Home to Yours @ Christmas
Brrrrrrrrr!
50 Degree Rhododendron
Zero Degree Rhododendron
The Great Smoky Mountains has joined much of our nation’s pre-Christmas frigid cold snap . . . the coldest temperatures recorded here in a quarter century!
At our digs up here on the mountain > down in the ‘holler’ > over the ‘crick’, the temperature plummeted from near 50 degrees last evening to flirt with zero this morning . . . an ‘invigorating’ touch of the Last Frontier😊
Unlike her unhinged Alaskan hubby, my refined New Orleans spouse isn’t a ‘cool’ temp aficionado. I explained to her that there is really no such thing as cold weather, just improper clothing. She tacitly complied by layering herself in a decorous assortment of stockings, sweatpants and sweaters (pic strictly forbidden!)😊
Evidently, rhododendrons prefer warmer climes as well, and shrink from ‘cool’ temps as the pics indicate. BTW, don’t nibble on their leaves. They have high severity poison characteristics . . . that reminds me . . . I need to check my dinner salad tonight😊
May this Christmas find you surrounded by friends and family rejoicing together in His birth that conquered death. Smile😊. . . . and stay warm, happy, and healthy.
MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!
Never Alone
A 2018 UK survey of loneliness during Christmas revealed that 17% of people felt lonely during this festive time. I suspect it may be even more in our tragically divided nation.
This morning at a men’s breakfast the issue of Christmas loneliness came up. It brought to mind a story I once read regarding the dismal oppression of feeling alone.
American Indians had a unique practice in training their young braves. After they had demonstrated their skills and proficiency through various hunting, fishing and scouting trials, the young brave’s final rite of passage from youth to adulthood arrived.
On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, he was taken deep into the forest. There, he was left to spend the night alone.
Sleep did not come as the young brave imagined each rustle of leaves, twig snap, and muffled sound in the dense darkness could be a stalking, lethal predator. Throughout the night he huddled frightened, anxiously waiting for the dawn to finally appear.
After what seemed like the longest night of his entire life, the first faint rays of morning began to dispel the darkness. Slowly, the young brave began to distinguish bushes, rocks, and the faint path along which he had been led into the forest.
Then, in an instant, his fear vanished! His heart leaped with joy! Just a few feet away, armed with a bow and an arrow, stood his father behind a tree. He had been there throughout the night watching over his son.
Our Abba Father stands besides us day and night . . . 24/7/365 . . . armed not with a bow and arrow, but with the love and power of His Spirit to protect us from all the lurking dangers of life’s dark forests.
I pray you’re rejoicing surrounded by family and friends this Christmas season. However, if this finds you troubled by loneliness, may you find comfort in knowing your Creator is standing right there besides you. Reach out and take His hand as He whispers . . .
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5
Keep Looking Up . . . His Best is Yet to Come!
MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!
The Gift of Others
Christmas blessings from our home to yours. In whatever circumstances and wherever this may reach you, may it find you and yours resting assured in knowing His Best is Yet to Come!
This momentary adventure called Life is more often experienced in its valleys than on the mountaintops. Suffice it to say my 2022’s sojourn was one mingled with both the depths of failure and the heights of victory. The former of was regretfully of my own doings, the latter was gratefully attributable to:
- God’s unmerited mercy, grace, and forgiveness
- Others unmerited acceptance, encouragement, and prayers
Bottom line, this Christmas season thankfully finds Ellen and I still here happily fogging a mirror together, albeit with perhaps a tad less vigor and a few more wrinkles than in days of yore😊
You are one of the many special individuals who astonishingly follow my blog 😊. . . special not because you follow my blog for sure 😊, but special because one or more of your blog posts and/or comments have encouraged and blessed me, and made a difference. Thank you!
A retired pastor friend in Alaska recently sparked a thought of a way this Christmas to reciprocate the Gift of Others you, and countless others, have so graciously blessed me with throughout life. He suggested, “Ask them if there’s something on their heart you can pray for them about.”
Not just another quick, shallow, from the lips “I’ll pray for you” prayer, but a thoughtful, deep prayer from the heart to the One whose heart hears and answers each and every prayer in His time and way, both in Life’s valleys and on its mountaintops.
One of the glorious luxuries of retirement is time, and I’m blessed to be able luxuriate in it. So, if there’s something on your heart you feel you can trust me to pray for from my heart, in absolute total Thee – Me – He confidentiality, I’d be privileged and blessed to do so.
I’m forever grateful for the crucial piece you represent in my Life’s bewildering mosaic God chose to place there . . . it fits! Thank you for making a difference.
Keep Looking Up . . . His Best is Yet to Come!
Merry Christmas!!!
Fred, Ellen and Bullwinkle
Unnoticed God
Yesterday’s Christmas Eve’s sunset pic was sent with a subtle double entendre one brother noticed. The steeple on the little country church has no cross atop it, but in glowing sunset background you’ll see God provided one.
So often in the chaotic pace of today’s world the subtle traces of God’s majesty goes unnoticed, but He notices every subtle nuance of our lives.
“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” – Matthew 10:30
MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!
Keep Looking Up . . . His best is yet to come!
Christmas Splendor
This afternoon’s Christmas Eve church service and sermon left us blessed. The radiant sunset brushed across the heavens behind the little country church steeple on the way home left us in awe . . . God’s spectacular silent sermon of Christmas splendor.
All the best to you and yours for all His best this Christmas – Merry Christmas!
Keep Looking Up . . . His best is yet to come!
The Gift of the One
From our Smoky Mountain home up on the mountain – down in the ‘holler – by the ‘crick’ . . . to wherever you and yours may be this Christmas . . . we wish you the Gift of the One who left Heaven for earth 2,000 years ago to bring “Peace on earth, good will to men” to everyone who chooses to accept the only eternal promise of hope and joy this world has.
Merry Christmas !
Abba's Art 