Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †
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Posted in Uncategorized
“It Is Finished.”
Well done, brother Dan.
Thank you, Dan! It is amazing to me that the Hebrew word for it is finished is Gomer, the name of Hosea’s harlot wife.
Blessed Sunday morning to all in our Tree.
🙂
So beautiful…
Thank you, DD, for these daily, encouraging Scriptures…
Whenever I come across this verse, my initial thought is: Yes, Pleeeeese Lord, come QUICKLY!
But then I am reminded – is there anyone I know who is NOT ready to meet Him? A child, grandchild, parent, spouse, neighbor, co-worker, anyone?
I’m trying to pray more for those who need Christ.
Wait just one more day, Lord. Maybe tomorrow will be the day of their salvation?
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.
Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9
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Purr-ty!
I had three really cool Siamese cats when I was a kid, loved them all.
God Bless America 🙂
Yo, jay 🙂
Howdy Garrison Blessings I Pray! 🙂
Good morning, Mr jay.🤗 perhaps not a stairway to Heaven, but surely a stairway to somewhere beautiful. One thing for certain looking at the age of it…built better than so much of what is today. Gorgeous.
Maidin Mhaith Betsy I’m thinking those stairs lead to here.
Oh my heart…..a Celtic cross💕🙏
And I spy a lovely bench as well in what must be a very peaceful place to sit and reflect. Yes…that has to be where it leads, my friend…
Not a ‘dry wall’ Betsy… as they say in UK. Have missed you and all the other ‘deplorables’ in the last months but I am here, dwelling and drinking in the joy I find here. Bless you and all my friends at the ‘Best Tree in the World’ -P
Oh wonderful, parichute!! You have been missed. So so good to see you back!
I pray you are well🙏 And yes, tis the season for exactly that, my friend. There is no other Tree that can compare for friends and conversation and sharing, no question. Please say your are not just passing through and that we will see you again if not every day, then when you can. Blessings to you always🙏🌲💕
Love Mississippi John Hurt!
🇺🇸😎🇺🇸
Morning jay and a blessed Sunday to you!
Howdy Gramps may all your days be Blessed!
Mornin’ jay (again) 🙂 Some good ‘uns here. Thanks.
Faulkner!!!
Christmas with the Petersens
Christmas songs, bluegrass and the Petersens.
A lot of happy in here.
Yeah, it’s youtube…
Have very blessed Sunday, Treeper friends. If you accept Him as your savior, Our Lord will always watch over you. Many of us here have experienced His Loving Grace. The feeling of His presence when he comes to you is an incredibly transformative experience. There really is nothing to compare to it. Our Lord’s love for us is real. 🙂
Amen!!
Good morning, Garrison💕 Our Sunday benediction and those unsurpassed voices…may we all feel the presence of our Shepherd this day, and be transformed.
Mornin’ Bet. 🙂 A well meaning and very good friend advised me to “go find some joy” . . . That caused me to spend a couple of days in thought. How do I go find joy when my dear wife’s passing weighs so heavily on my awareness?
Whole books have been written about this very subject. In thinking about where I am right now, I’ve decided to avoid the usual prescriptive suggestions. There isn’t going to be any “go” in my finding some joy. Despite my pervasive sense of loss (not something I want to loose, btw), my life at the moment isn’t at all bad. I’m surrounded by close friends and good neighbors, my finances are stable, I’m in pretty good health for an old guy, I like my house, and have a a little black kitty who demands my affection.
So, what am I ‘gonna do? I’m simply going to wait for it to come to me. I know about depression and have successfully moved through a couple of bad episodes. Right now I’m a widower. The grief I carry around is a natural part of that process. Joy will come when it comes. And it will come, even if not right now.
Dearest Garrison, you’ve come to a momentary stop on your journey…I can almost see you sitting on one of Mr jay’s benches, taking a breath,and in your great faith handing to Almighty God your tremendous loss and sorrow, and simply saying your life, as always, is in His hands. He has seen you through so far. He has never left you, which for myself I believe I never realize until I am able to reflect on circumstances past when I was incapable of making any sense of them. Sometimes only in hindsight do any of us see His footsteps.
I am heartened by your blessings which you’ve spoken of. Small they may seem to many, but in fact so precious and bounteous.
Your beloved wife, free from her earthly bonds, has gone ahead. I fervently hope there is some comfort in knowing God has her now, transformed and whole, though I know you feel her absence very deeply. Isn’t that the very definition of love? Wanting what is the absolute best for those we do love, knowing there may be a dreadful cost to us?
You, my friend, are exceedingly blessed with your friends where you are, and here. So yes…pause…knowing also that joy (in whatever form it takes) is assuredly coming your way and probably when you least expect it. With great affection, Bet
Thank you so very much for your kind words, Bet and Delta. . . had to stop reading for a bit to get some sand out of my eyes . . . 🙂 From childhood, my Dad taught me the meaning and profound difference between solitude and loneliness. One day we were fishing on Lake Ouachita—his favorite place in the whole world. I put my rod down and said, “I want to tell you something”. “Everything you ever told me was true . . .” My Dad smiled but didn’t immediately say anything but his look said it all: “It’s about time, kid”. I was 35 at the time.
Sometimes we acquire essential wisdom quicker than at other times. I know now that loneliness born of extreme grief always hurts where solitude never does. My friend’s well-intentioned encouragement served to point out the path to solitude that I have to follow. There’s no shortcut in this. I used to say that in caregiving (18 years for us) there’s no “off”switch. Well, there’s no shortcut on this path. This is why I so very much appreciate your kind words of encouragement. Grief and the pain of loneliness doesn’t have to be endless. I know with Our Lord’s help there is an end to this path. I just have to deal with what’s here right now. Blessings to you both, darlins’ . . .
Sorry for the awkward formatting. I tried to copy and past so that my text would appear at the end of our conversation but couldn’t get formatting to cooperate.
Some people I am sad to say never come to understand the difference. We and our circumstances are all different, but eventually I believe solitude can offer much comfort. It might take time, but I’ve learned that with it also comes peace of a sort. What a gift your dad was to you…and what a most precious gift you gave to him in affirming his wise counsel.💕
Doggone sand-in-my-eye again! Don’t know where it’s coming from, but there you go . . . 🙂
I’ve had sand in mine all this Season of Anticipation, Advent. Like you, I have not a clue where it comes from, but come it does at the most unexpected times.
You are not alone….in this case or anything else.😘🌲
Garrison, It seems the Lord has given you much wisdom to guide you on your faith journey. You are “light-years” ahead of many people.
I, too, learned years ago there is a difference between solitude and loneliness.
There is much solitude in my life now, due to several circumstances, and I’ve learned to embrace it. It’s really NOT a bad thing …
Loneliness is only a choice.
If we realize that the Lord is with us 24-7, and practice being in His presence, talking with Him, we’re never alone!
We can be in a crowd, yet still be lonely. So, it seems that loneliness is a feeling of not being “known” or “treasured” by someone.
But when we absolutely understand that God knows us better than we know ourselves, and we are His prized possession, we’ll never be lonely.
Hope you get the gist of what I mean. I just want for you to be encouraged.
Also, such a sweet thing to hear about your Dad telling you truth.
When I visited my Grandpa (years ago) at age forty years, he looked at me and said: how old are you now?
I replied: forty.
He said: that’s about the time people start getting some sense in them! And then he just laughed.
He was right..haha.
Sending prayer up for you in days ahead., G.
Dayyaamm! Don’t know where all this sand-in-my-eye is coming from. Just a minute . . . 🙂
I think you’re right about loneliness being a choice. I think I accept it because it’s a necessary way for me (anyway) to reach the grief I have to deal with. You simply don’t end 55 years of a relationship without accepting and incorporating the resulting grief into your consciousness. I simply have to do that and, in doing that essential work, there just isn’t much space for joy . . . at least not now.
My friend’s encouragement and my thoughts about it has turned into a catharsis. And that’s something I can definitely use at the moment.
I understand your process here, Garrison, and totally agree.
After being my mother’s “one and only”caregiver for fourteen years, it took me a year to even get my balance.
Hope you will give yourself lots of “grace” and tender self-care. You need that.
No need to hurry things along.
” . . . it took me a year to even get my balance. . . ” Thanks for this, Della. It’s a good reminder to not get impatient. Things will change when they change . . . 🙂
😔 🙏🏻
Darn Texas dust bowls. They kick up all the sand. (hugs)
I’m way over in Georgia – there’s sand here, too…
Doggone dust . . . all the way here to central Texas! 🙂
Garrison, You have my deepest sympathy for the passing of your dear wife. It is a heartbreaking trial, no doubt. I wanted to offer you a few words of encouragement, which you probably already know, but nevertheless. God is with you and will help you at all times. Immanuel. I believe that grief is an emotion that God allows us to have so we have a way to express/release that deep hurt when we lose someone or something so precious. Ecclesiastes 3:4 tells us there is a time to mourn. It is fitting.
Elisabeth Elliot wrote in her book, “The Gift of Loneliness,” to offer whatever God has allowed us to suffer, back to Him as a gift. He is the only One who can transform it into something beautiful.
It is a wonderful thing that you recognize even now the blessings He has surrounded you with. Even the patience to “wait” upon your joy. It will come in the fullness of time. Meanwhile, lean hard on the Lord.
I’ve always loved this quote by C.S.Lewis: “Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything…”
We have a GC who was taken from us years ago and because of that, Lewis’ comment is clear to me.
Every holiday, every family gathering, every day – her absence is felt.
May God give you an extra measure of His peace and comfort in the days ahead.
I am so very sorry for your loss, Della…a loss as a grandmother I feel for you and your family, please believe me. I know everyone keeps a place for this grandchild in their hearts when you gather every Christmas. I am familiar with many, many of Lewis’s quotes, but this is one I didn’t know. As was his wont, he put into perfect words feelings for which I’m sure no words ever seem adequate. It is beautiful. B
Thank you, Betsy. 🙏🏻
💕
It’s important to feel it, Garrison. Blessings to you, dear friend, and that your lovely wife would come to visit you in your dreams to let you know she is doing splendidly well in our Eternity. I was given that gift when my father passed. He came to me two years later in my dreams and it was a blessed assurance.
I feel her presence even now. When I first wake up, it feels like she’s here with me. Sometimes when I come into the house from my study, it’s like she’s standing at the kitchen sink. It’s just a flash of an image but I’ve seen it several times. I don’t try to solve the mystery. 55 years will easily imprint images in one’s memories. 🙂
Thank you for your courage, Garrison.
You lift up others (like me) with your example
Me, too.
I’m taking notes. 😕
I’m praying to be one of the meek.
When I was a teenager, I would listen to Chopin’s two piano concertos over and over. They remain favourites.
Equally beautiful with finger work which always reminds me of Carl Czerny’s intricate pieces as well as Chopin’s is the little heard Polish composer Ignacy Feliks Dobrzynski’s compelling Piano Concerto in A Flat Major, Op 2 (1824). One which lifts my heart every time I listen to it…which is often.
Thank you for this, Garrison.
Don’t think I’ve heard this, Bet. Thanks! In truth I wasn’t raised in a household that much valued music. Didn’t hear a symphony all the way through until college when I worked at the campus radio station . . .
Oh I am so glad you’ve listened. He was a contemporary of Chopin. In fact, this concerto is very Chopin-esque to me.
It’s the third movement that I find so joyful, which is why I find myself listening to it when I need some joy. 😘
Beautiful talent of the pianist and the brilliance of Chopin!
Wonderful and thank you! I do have to wonder about the elite that control these amazing people that have this amazing talent…
Bread of Heaven, bread of Heaven
Feed me ’til I want no more
I have always loved this (above) particular performance. It brings tears to my eyes.
I will add one that, having lived abroad…reminds me of our hard fought for freedoms, Preformed by none other than “The President’s Own”.
Good morning Chesty, wherever you are…
Oh my, trapper!! At Royal Albert Hall no less! One of the beloved hymns of my beloved Wales.
Thanks for this. I wore two vinyl copies of Dark Side smooth by playing them so often.
. . . but deliver us from the Evil One.
The Jesus Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.
Amen!
The 50th Psalm
Septuagint
Prayer of Saint Ioannikios the Great of Bithynia (+ 846)
My hope is the Father, my refuge the Son, my protection the Holy Spirit. O Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.
Amen, Amin
From Small Compline
Rejoice Virgin Theotokos, Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, for thou hast borne the Savior of our souls. (Thrice)
Twenty-sixth Sunday of the Epistles
Nativity Fast
Holy Monk-Martyr Stephen the New, the Confessor (+ 767)
Holy 16 Martyrs at Tiberiopolis (+ 361)
Saint Oda of Brabant in the Netherlands (+ 726)
Holy New Hieromartyr Seraphim, Metropolitan of Saint Petersburg (+ 1937)
November 28th – Patristic Calendar of the Orthodox Christian Church
December 11th – civil or commercial calendar
Saints of God pray for us!
“Blessed is the Man”
Psalm 1
Live recording from the Monastery of Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco (+ 1966) in New York State.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pBjl9QNhug
11 December Ravi Shankar
(1920-2012)
Bengali Brahmin sitar master and Indian classical music composer (West Meets East; Concert for Bangladesh), dies at 92
11 December 1999 Charles Earland, American jazz Hammond organist, and bandleader, dies of heart failure at 58
11 December 1995 John Heawood, Canadian actor, singer and choreographer (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), dies at 75
11 December 1995 Arthur Mullard, English actor, comedian and singer (Romany Jones), dies at 82
11 December 1992 Andy Kirk, American jazz saxophonist, tuba player, and bandleader (Clouds Of Joy – “I Won’t Tell a Soul (I Love You)”), dies at 94
December 11 Oswald Chambers
Individuality
If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself. — Matthew 16:24
Individuality is the husk of the personal life. Individuality is all elbows, it separates and isolates. It is the characteristic of the child and rightly so; but if we mistake individuality for the personal life, we will remain isolated. The shell of individuality is God’s created natural covering for the protection of the personal life; but individuality must go in order that the personal life may come out and be brought into fellowship with God. Individuality counterfeits personality as lust counterfeits love. God designed human nature for Himself; individuality debases human nature for itself.
The characteristics of individuality are independence and self-assertiveness. It is the continual assertion of individuality that hinders our spiritual life more than anything else. If you say — “I cannot believe,” it is because individuality never can believe. Personality cannot help believing. Watch yourself when the Spirit of God is at work. He pushes you to the margins of your individuality, and you have either to say — “I shan’t,” or to surrender, to break the husk of individuality and let the personal life emerge. The Holy Spirit narrows it down every time to one thing (cf. Matthew 5:23-24). The thing in you that will not be reconciled to your brother is your individuality. God wants to bring you into union with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself He cannot. “Let him deny himself” — deny his independent right to himself, then the real life has a chance to grow.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We are not fundamentally free; external circumstances are not in our hands, they are in God’s hands, the one thing in which we are free is in our personal relationship to God. We are not responsible for the circumstances we are in, but we are responsible for the way we allow those circumstances to affect us; we can either allow them to get on top of us, or we can allow them to transform us into what God wants us to be.
https://utmost.org/classic/individuality-classic/
A long showing of “The President’s Own”…. at 53 minutes, they step into Star Wars…I saw the CSO do this with John Williams conducting, at Ravinia, years ago…and that did not hold a candle to “The President’s Own”.
This is a long presentation…enjoy…they give a little history during the show.
One more from across the pond:
Pavillion or lawn?
Mornin’ all!
The Babylon Bee on Twitter: “Biden Calls For $50 Billion To Help Ukraine Track Down Notorious Russian Arms Dealer https://t.co/NUoXdDDUPy” / Twitter
December 11
MORNING
Let not your good be evil spoken of. Rom. 14:16
Abstain from all appearance of evil. I Thess. 5:22
Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. II Cor. 8:21
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. I Pet. 2:15
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. I Pet. 4:15, 16
Brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. Gal. 5:13
Take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. I Cor. 8:9
Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Matt. 18:6
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matt. 25:40
EVENING
Awake thou that steepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. Eph. 5:14
It is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. Rom. 13:11
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night: and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. I Thess. 5:6-8
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people, but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. Isa. 60:1, 2
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. I Pet. 1:13
Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord. Luke 12:35, 36
J. Bagster
https://dailylightdevotional.org/12/1211.html
PLEASE PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER
“God please help”, “God why” no, God please bless someone who needs it.
There is this really cool invention, God ordained, called a family. They all pray for each other, in faith, in love. Hmmm wait what!
Yeah, God thought you needed support before you even considered it.
PRAYING ON THE ARMOR OF GOD
Father God, I now follow your command to put on the full armor of God, because my battle is not against flesh and blood but against rulers, authorities, the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the unseen world.
I first pray on the Belt of Truth that it may be buckled around my waist, may I be centered and encircled by your truth dear Lord. Hem me inside all that is true and right, and may I be protected and held up by the truth of your living word, in my Lord Jesus name.
I pray on the Breastplate of righteousness, please protect my vital organs and my inner man, cover my integrity, my spirit, and my soul. Guard my heart for it is the wellspring of life, please strengthen and guard the most vulnerable places in my life with that which is right, good, and noble that I might not receive a fatal blow from the enemy, in my Lord Jesus name.
I pray on the Gospel Shoes of Peace. I choose to stand in the shoes of your good news, and on the firm foundation of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the solid eternal rock. All other ground is sinking sand, I pray that I will not slip or fall, but that my feet would be firmly fitted on your lordship, my Lord Jesus. I choose to stand on you, so that the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus, the eternal Rock of Ages. I receive your holy peace now my Lord, from the sole of my feet to the crown of my head, in my Lord Jesus name.
I pray the Shield of Faith into my hand now. As I take up the shield of faith, I ask that you might extinguish every dart and arrow, that is launched from the enemy to take me down spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, and every attempt of the enemy to destroy my joy. I ask that my faith in you would make it flame out. Extinguish every flaming arrow that would come against me, my life, my family, my home, or my ministry. May my faith always be out in front of me like a shield. Give me the courage to “faith my fears” by choosing to walk by faith and not by sight, in my Lord Jesus name.
I pray on the Helmet of Salvation, that you might protect my mind from the thoughts that can lead me astray. I choose to take every thought captive, and arrest all intentioned ideas and motives that would harm others, or distract me from your holy will for me. I submit every captured thought to the Lordship of my Lord Jesus Christ, and ask that you would imprison those thoughts that are not of you my Lord. Transform my mind and renew my thinking that I may think God thoughts, and have a sober mind that is focused on your glory. Please protect me from being double minded that I may allow my mind, I reject to live an earthly life, because I choose to live a holy one, governed by you My Lord Jesus, the prince of peace, please have my mind to be saturated with the holy mind of Christ, in my Lord Jesus name.
Finally, I take up the Sword of the Spirit which is the holy word of God, I pray this powerful offensive weapon into my hand, and ask that your holy word would be fitting for every encounter I face. As the enemy gets close to me, please give me the insight, wisdom, and skill to wield the word of God to drive away the enemy, in my Lord Jesus name.
May the enemy and his team flee from me, upon hearing the word of God spoken by the power and direction of the Holy Spirit. Give me the sword of the spirit to cut through the wiles of the devil, so that I may discern the schemes of the enemy when he is near.
With all kinds of prayers, supplication, and intercession I pray to you my Lord God as the one who fights my battles. Now that I’m in your holy powerful armor, I walk away covered and ready to face my day as you go before me, and please protect me in the midst of the spiritual warfare in this unseen world, in my Lord Jesus name.
Thank you my Lord, for the spiritual weapons of armor and prayer that you have given me. It is written no weapon formed against me shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses me.
Thank you Father God, my Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit, that I am more than a conqueror in my Lord Jesus. I pray all of this in the mighty name of my Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ.
AMEN.
BE MY VOICE
BABY LIVES MATTER
JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN
Verse of the Day for Sunday, December 11, 2022
✟
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”
Romans 15:13 (KJV)
Thank You, Jesus, for blessings received and prayers answered!!!
Wood and stubble, vs gold and silver!
Wood and stubble are the achievements made at others expense, gold and silver are the eternal achievements made with others in mind. I’d go on to say “righteous acts” we can do both. Are we righteous? Doesn’t matter, whole other issue. Remember “manual” for success, not failure.
I see that when a mistake is made inadvertently that impacts another in a negative way and is not a righteous act, meaning intent does not consider others, from that point on the issue is voided for your eternal reward and meaningful success. You must make amends and right the issue if you want that to be a reward or have meaning besides the physical benefits.
Back stabbing is a low hanging fruit for this issue. To rise in promotion by using someone else at their expense will bring only a physical promotion that will end up a curse or have a negative impact on the perpetrator.
Heaven considers all in its promotions, hell a downward battle for nothing of importance.
We are on trial for eternity in our lives here in these dirtbags we call home. If you knew what was beyond the veil it might make people think when they act with selfish intent. Then again maybe not.
Didn’t know where else to post this, so I figured the, ‘open thread,’ would be the best.
Anyway, (and not that I really care) however, I logged onto twitter yesterday and discovered my account was, “permanently suspended,” awhile ago. I haven’t logged into twitter since 2020(?) and wasn’t even aware of this. There was nothing to indicate exactly why, other than, a violation of twitter rules.
I suspect I was suspended due to persons I followed, because I rarely posted anything. I generally just read tweets of others and ‘liked,’ things. Just thought I’d point it out to others.
Oh well… I think I like being watched and suspended for being a non-conformist.
Have blessed day!
Yesterday I saw an Elon Musk tweet that said something about a lot of accounts were going to be shuttered, something to do with them either being bots or simply not being used in quite a while, so am wondering, since you hadn’t logged in since around 2020 if it was shuttered for lack of use?
“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:14
Just read this research from Associates for Biblical Research, it took some time but was so amazing…I wanted to read the Book of Luke and I think The lord led me hear to answer some questions I’ve always wondered…
https://biblearchaeology.org/research/the-daniel-9-24-27-project/4368-pinpointing-the-date-of-christ-s-birth
They have a YouTube channel also.
Lockerbie Bomb Suspect Detained in U.S. Custody (breitbart.com)
This one is of personal interest to me.
It was merely the stroke of an Army clerks pen that determined I was not on that flight but instead one leaving a few hours later to come home to the US. When I arrived at the Airport in Frankfort for departure, my flight left the same gate that one did.
They even had me take my military pen apart! Our luggage was lined up on the ramp and each passenger identified their baggage before boarding the old fashioned way, instead of through the skyway.
ONCE IN ROYAL DAVAID’S CITY
Now in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to enroll themselves, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David; to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant.
While they were there, the day had come for her to give birth. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn. There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock.
Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people. For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough.” Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
on earth peace, good will toward men.”
— Luke 2: 1-14
We’ll sing this in church this morning.
Happy Advent, treepers.
This one opens Carols from Kings College Cambridge every Christmas Eve. What a serene and beautiful service it is, and it is our one Christmas gift every year. The voices are angelic. Surely God in His Heaven hears them all! We look forward to it with the same enthusiasm as a child would Christmas morning.
We watch it on Britbox, though I would think it would be on YouTube as well.
Beautiful, 1530.
Associates for Biblical Research YouTube Channel
Fox Sparrow. A very large Sparrow that likes to be near the ground and I get to see for short periods during Fall/Spring migration. Striking in its plumage and size when you see it alongside other Sparrows
What a charming chappie, my friend. We’re expecting cold this week. I must replenish my bird food for His feathered creatures. Bless you, Colkitto. I am truly enjoying these photos you are posting!😘🌲
I always keep you in mind when I post pictures of our feathered friends for the Treehouse to enjoy.
I hope you and your loved ones are doing well and as always prayers and best wishes to you all.
Always a pleasure to see you on here.
We are doing fine, my friend, as I pray you are.
I so appreciate your thoughtfulness in posting these photos. I take screenshots and send them to our daughter’s triplets plus one, ages 8 and 10. Nature is in their DNA, and their mother taught science at elementary level for a couple of years.
She threw her whole self into that job, kitting out her classroom with appropriate containers and appropriate environments for lizards of all types, including a bearded dragon, which she took home on weekends so he “wouldn’t be lonely”. They named him ” Toothless”, and he was the most dog-like dragon you would ever hope to see. He’d sleep on the children’s chests while they were watching a movie…under a blanket of course., with his head right under their chins.
Her class would take trips out into Nature to collect this or that, or just to observe. They loved her and she them. When they moved elsewhere, thankfully her replacement was just as enthusiastic about all of God’s creatures, so as is said, the kids will be all right.😉
Rarely if ever is the television on in their home….books are the mainstay thank goodness. But when I see pictures of beautiful birds, I send them on. And I do thank you so much, Colkitto for being the kind and kind of person you are that you think to post such beauties. You are my much treasured friend.😘🌲
I thought Tucker Carlson’s show was a subscription show, so perhaps due to the importance of this information getting out, the full episode is now available on you tube.
Very thankful that he is making this interview available.
Interview is with Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a UK physician who, being very pro these vaccines, but also very pro going through the facts and figures of medical research papers, and who ended up losing his father because of the mRNA shot, now wants to get the details out of just how out of balance things are so people can make actual informed consent decisions.
Full episode 52 minutes:
From doubter/sceptic to true believer in the horrors of what we are now seeing, but which were clearly warned about. I am sorry his Damascene experience cost him his father. A tragedy of epic proportions experienced by millions. It didn’t have to be….🙏
I watched every minute of it. Thank you.
The Models are finally starting to catch up. Joe Bastardi first forecasted this Arctic blast with snow Dec. 2nd. It is going to be brutal and especially for you folks in the south because you just don’t expect this kind of thing. Looks like a White Christmas for a whole lot of us and a just plain cold one for many more.
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Golly…just misses us, though I wouldn’t be surprised to see some peripheral fallout. Thanks, rah. And prayers for all who will be in the crosshairs.
Don’t put total stock in these projections just yet! Models tend to be conservative in projecting the depth of penetration of cold to the south. Keep an eye on it.
I do know that Joe has said that he was thinking the Arctic air would reach the Gulf but did not say where.
I don’t… models and projections have a way of being off. Our Texas Freeze of coming up 3 years ago was in no way predicted. It just happened.
The ridiculous predictions, all based on ” models ” of the earth’s impending demise because of “climate change” over the decades past came to nothing. But to be fair then they were so absurdly ridiculous, I’m surprised anyone thought they’d become reality.
One day at a time is enough in our part of the country. Not so in other parts, I do realize.
BTW, check out The Daily Mail UK edition. Brrrrrrrrrr….
Thanks for posting about this. Where I live here in the San Joaquin Valley in CA it’s good news times 2. Our temps may drop one or two degrees, still above freezing so I don’t have to worry about my citrus. The best news is we may get several feet of snow in the Sierra Nevadas from just this one storm.
Our groundwater comes from the snowpack in the Sierras. We have been using as little as possible for some years now due to the ongoing drought and very little snowpack.. It does take between 3-5 years for the underground water to travel from the mountains into the valley so it won’t affect us immediately. Hope on the horizon is, indeed, good news.
It’s been 2 years now that I have not watered any lawns, just trying to keep my trees going and have a small summer vegie garden. I look forward to having a GREEN lawn again in my lifetime.
The current La Nina may break next year during the Spring or early Summer and that should make a difference for you.
Science fiction writers, by definition, make certain predictions and/or assumptions about the future. With some of the long-time and legendary authors, many of their predictions have indeed come to pass. Cell phones. Weather satellites. Water beds. Moon rockets. And many more.
But it isn’t always about things, and gadgets. Robert A. Heinlein, a deeply patriotic American, was an astute student of American culture from the 1930’s onward, and and from those observations made certain predictions about the future of our society. These predictions, and their evolution over that span of time, are plain to see over the span of his authorship. His earlier stories are full of hope and vigor, with an America on the ascendancy, and a “sky is the limit” attitude. In many of his later works, however, America doesn’t even exist, having broken up into a Balkanized amalgamation of satellite “nations,” such as the Imperium of Chicago or the reborn Republic of Texas, or in one case America being taken over by a religious dictatorship.
It could be argued that Heinlein predicted what we are seeing today. Not in the specifics, but just the general state of society. He wrote many stories about it, and named this span of time as “The Crazy Years.” Few would disagree that this is an apt enough term for what we are currently experiencing.
Heinlein’s novel “Starship Troopers” was hugely controversial when it was released in 1963, for it put forth and strongly advocated the concept that “Freedom isn’t free.” In the novel, in order to become a full citizen and earn the right to vote, one must first enlist in a term of government service. For most, that meant the military, as the Earth was currently at war with the Bug Planet. The thought was that in order to earn citizenship and the vote, one must demonstrate that one is willing to put the needs of his country (planet, in this case) above his own needs, thereby showing that he could be trusted to cast his vote responsibly and wisely.
This idea outraged the liberal hippies of the early 60’s, and may I, as an aside, remind you that Hillary Clinton was one of those. But they conveniently forgot that it was the original order of our nation, when only landowners and other pillars were allowed the vote. The concept of “anything close to body temp” voting was a later construct, and has now devolved to what we are seeing today.
Others have posted that witty Mark Twain story about the Mississippi boat captain burying the democrat passengers head down, to make it harder for them to dig their way out and shamble off to vote. This clearly shows that this has been the situation for more than half the lifespan of our country.
P.S.
In Heinlein’s universe, what ended The Crazy Years was space travel. Cheap affordable space travel for the masses.
“Earth is too fragile a basket for which humanity to place all its eggs.”
One way or another if the human race is to survive it will have to leave this planet.
Heinlein was my favorite author when first finding the science fiction section of the library!
Is there a Christmas movie out there with Jesus in it?
You might be interested in this short 24 minute film:
It’s part of “The Chosen” series.
Actually, the 1st episode of season 3 airs tonight at 7:00 pm, available thru The Chosen new app.
It’s free.
(I’ve been waiting ALL year for the release – excited!)
Amen.
Amen
Amen.
Amen.
Amen
Amen.
✝️ Lord, thank You for the day. Amen.
Amen.