GIFT OF TIME! ... cute kids pictures.... and more ENJOY

 WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY... 

(its a shame I am not ready to take down my Christmas decorations outside yet.. It would have been a perfect day to do it)

BUT, I'M THANKFUL FOR THE BEAUTY AND WARMTH OF TODAY.... "THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HATH MADE ......."

 To my surprise (even though it's not to unusual) there is a small FORSYTHIA bush is blooming! Gives hope for an awesome spring to come.. Yes, it will be awhile yet.. but it will come! And for that, I will be grateful too..  And, I am thankful to see even that very small bush blooming (hope the cold don't freeze it out) but, in the meantime, THANKS GOD, it warms my soul

Norman and I have been wandering around the stores some the past two days.. and geez, there are so many empty shelves.. Christmas decorations leaving at a great discount makes for many of the empty shelves... (we've had a few days off together and enjoying them very much, and enjoying our family)

But, it also reminds me that THINGS CHANGES.. some for the worse, some sad, some happiness, yes, I agree... but Change ... a new chance, a new beginning.. just like each and every day of our lives.. we are blessed with..  24 hours each day.. to use hopefully to the best of our ability.. A 24 hr gift per day... What will you do with yours? Which brings something I once read back to mind, I'd like to share with you..
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GOD'S GIFT OF TIME TO EACH OF US

Redeeming the Time

I appreciate the scripture that was read, the fifth chapter of Ephesians that says, “We are to be redeeming the time,” but I want to add to that. A verse of scripture taken from the book of Psalms. Psalm 118:24 which says this, “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

How would you like to live 365 days and not have one bad one? Impossible? Not really. I want to give you a few facts, and if you will take these five facts and apply them to tomorrow or to any day, I will promise you it will be a wonderful day. I want to show you how you can take every God-given day and make it a God-governed day, and then by God's grace it will be a God-gladdened day.

I want to talk to you therefore about how to redeem the time. “This is the day which the Lord hath made.” Now there are some things I want to say about this day that the Lord hath made.

The very first thing I want to say is this: this day is a provided day. God made it. Now time is God's great gift to you. And time is God's great gift to me. And like every gift, the value of it is determined by what we do with it. We are stewards over this day that God has given us. Have you ever heard anyone say, “Well, he has more time than I have.” Or, “She has more time than I have.” That's not true. We all have the same amount of time. It doesn't matter who we are there are 24 hours in a day, 1,440 minutes in a day, 86,400 seconds in a day. We all have the same amount of time. The difference in people is not that one has more time than the other person, the difference is how we spend that time.

So what I want to tell you is this: that this day is a provided day. It is God's gift to you, and you are a steward of this day. See every day as a precious gift from God. You see, God doesn't have to take your life for you to stop existing. All God has to do is to stop giving it.

The second thing I want you to see about today: not only is today a provided day, but today is a present day. Remember what the Psalmist said, "This is the day which the Lord hath made,” not “was the day,” not “will be the day.” This is the day which the Lord hath made. There are two days that can steal the joy out of today. One is yesterday. And the other is tomorrow. Let me tell you another way tomorrow can eat the joy out of today. Not only are we waiting for tomorrow, but we spend so much time worrying about tomorrow. Do you know what our Lord said in the Sermon on the Mount? Our Lord said this, “Take no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” 

Friend, listen to me. Worry doesn't take the sorrow out of tomorrow.

Worry takes the strength out of today. And you might be like that little lady who said, “Don't tell me worry doesn't do any good. Most of the things I worry about, never happen.”

I want to tell you, dear friends, that God refuses to want his people to worry because God gives us strength for today. Now, it's a shame that so many of us are reaching out and pulling tomorrow's clouds over today's sunshine. Just live today. Why worry about tomorrow? What good does it do?

The third thing I want to say about today is that today is a precious day. Because the Bible says, “This is the day which the Lord hath made...” Right? I like what Ethel Waters had to say, “God don't make no junk.” That's right! “This is the day which the Lord hath made...” Don't waste time.

Do you know what it means to waste time? Wasting time is suicide by degrees for time is the stuff that life is made out of. Don't kill time. Spend time. Invest time. Squeeze every ounce of juice out of today that you can.

Do you know the secret of living? Do you? It is spending time wisely. The 90th Psalm says, “Lord, teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” You have to spend enough time with God alone every morning to get a clear sense of direction, to find out what it is that God wants you to do. You're not wasting time when you wait on God. Do you have a quiet time? Is there a time when you get alone and say, “Speak Lord and give me direction.”

It's not God's will for you to be floundering around. One of the greatest truths I have ever learned is this there is enough time in every day to do gracefully everything God wants you to do. Did you hear that? There is enough time in every day to do gracefully everything God wants you to do. And don't you insult God by saying, “I don't have enough time.” So, "DON'T COUNT THE DAYS, MAKE THE DAYS COUNT"

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I heard about a man who was a constant worrier. Everything went bad for him. The man had a bad job. He wasn't making money. He drove a rattle-trap automobile around. His children were failing in school. Everything was going bad. And one day he straightened up. He changed dramatically. He dressed up. He smiled. He stood straight and tall. A friend said, “I've never seen such a dramatic change. What changed you? What made the difference? Why don't you worry anymore?” He said, “Well, I learned something remarkable. I learned about a firm that has some professional worriers. And what you do is you pay these people and then you tell one of them about your problems, and then you go off and do your business, and they will stay there and worry for you. You don't have to worry any more. You just tell them and pay them.” His friend said, “That's marvelous! How much does it cost?”He said, “It costs one thousand dollars a week.” The friend said, “How are you going to pay for that?”  He said, "THAT'S HIS WORRY"              

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Worry looks around

  fear looks back,

 faith looks up,

 guilt looks down,

 but I look forward. 

          Unknown.   




                                    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!                                  

When as a child, I laughed and wept
Time crept.
When as a youth, I dreamed and talked
Time walked.
When I became a full-grown man
Time ran.





When older still; I daily grew
Time flew.
Soon, I shall find in traveling on
 Time's gone.

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Praying for you and yours that God will bless each of you spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally, financially, and with His awesome and unconditional love, grace, mercies, forgiveness, guidance and a special blessing that only He knows you need. Praying for all those that are sick, for healing, comfort and inner peace for them as well as their families. Praying for those that are grieving, God wrap Your loving arms around each please and give them some of Your awesome grace, strength and comfort. Praying for the soldiers and all the service people (policemen and women, National guard and such) that God will protect each, guide and bless them and keep them safe, and grant them a quick, safe, return home, to loving families, and plentiful jobs, gratitude and respect. GIVING THANKS IN ALL THINGS LORD, WITH OUR LOVE, RESPECT, PRAISE, HONOR, AND GLORY IN JESUS HOLY AND LOVING NAME, AMEN.