Christmas Prayer

In the spirit of the season as I look around and see those who are struggling I am reminded of my many blessings. I look at those who have more than they really need and hope God will touch their hearts to share with those less fortunate. I see those who have barely enough to eat and my heart goes out to them wishing I had the resources to help them all. There is one thing I can do and that is offer my prayers.

• I thank God for being God, for paying the ultimate price for my sinful soul. I pray that those who do not know him will repent and seek his face.
  

• I thank God for my precious daughter, who is the life and breathe of me. I pray that God will watch over all children who are need of His blessings.
  

• I thank God for my grandson, who has brightened my life and added more love than any one person deserves. I pray God will dwell in our hearts so that we may raise our children to trust and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
  

• I thank God for my husband, a person to share my dreams, thoughts, and goals with, a partner in life whose only desire is to see me happy. I pray God will help those who are seeking a companion in their life.
  

• I thank God for my brothers and parents for all they have meant to me and been for me throughout my life. I pray God will touch and heal families who are in need of love and forgiveness.
  

• I thank God for my friends, for those who listen, encourage, but never judge me. I pray God will remind me each day to share his love and teachings and be the best friend I can be to others, that His light might shine through me.
  

• I thank God for my extended friends whom I have never seen, but have had the blessing of knowing through the internet. Especially my writing friends, you know who you are. I pray God will watch over them and protect them from evil and will bless them with whatever their need may be.
  

• I thank God that I wake every morning with food to eat, clothes to wear, and a roof over my head. I pray God will provide me with opportunities to help those less fortunate than myself and that He will cover them with His love.
  

• I thank God for the world he created with all the animals and wonders of nature that add beauty to my life. I pray God will touch our land with his love and help us to see the wrong of our ways.
  

• I thank God for the existence of faith and miracles, and I thank Him for forgiving me when I take them for granted or fail to recognize them for what they are. I pray that all will find peace and faith through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
  

• I thank God that because of Him I will one day see all my loved ones again in heaven. I pray that God will help those who have lost loved ones and comfort their heart as only He can do.
  

I pray you will take a moment out of your day and thank God for the blessing in your life both big and small. May God bless you this Christmas season and everyday that you have the privilege to live in such an amazing world. Miracles are all around you if you only take the time to look.

May your Christmas be blessed with all that is good ~Granny

Tis The Season

Click Here to read the meaning behind the traditional symbols of Christmas, from wreaths to holly, to gifs, to candles, and more.

May the true meaning of Christmas fill your heart this Holiday season.

May God's blessing surround you all year through.

Granny

In The Spirt of The Season

Early Morning

I listen to the wind rustle the trees,
enjoying the feel of the light morning breeze.
I listen to the birds sing their beautiful songs,
enjoying this moment just before dawn.

I listen to all of nature's sweet sounds,
a more peaceful time cannot be found.

This is the way God meant it to be,
He created it all for you and for me.

I listen as the people begin to awake,
my solitude is gone as a new day breaks.
Tomorrow will be another day,
I'll begin it again in the very same way.

(c) 1991 ~Deborah As. Seko

My Confession

This was shared with me by someone who cares about the state our world is in and so I thought I would return the kindness and share it with all who visit here, especially since he captured my sentiments so nicely.

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

Word Play

I was strolling in the park this past weekend and came across two signs that made me realize just how many different definitions there are for the same word.

Sign 1:
Danger! Hot Playground Equipment. - I wonder where they stole it from.

Sign 2:
All tables must be reserved. - Verses what loud and obnoxious?

Smile it makes you feel good!

Have a great day,
Granny

Desires

I had a desire to help,
But lacked the resources.
Convictions, but lacked the faith.
Goals but no one to share them with.
I had the desire to succeed but no ambition.
Needs, but no outlet for them.
Love, but no happiness.
Hope, but no fulfillment.
Then I found Jesus...Now I have it all!

(c) 1992 Deborah A. Seko

FRIENDSHIP

“Friendship, like the immortality of the soul, is too good to be believed. “

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

What would it be like to go through life without at least one TRUE friend? For me, I believe it would be like being lost in a, dry, dusty, lonely, life threatening desert.

Most of us have family with whom we share a bond of love and commitment. We’ve all heard the old cliché’ blood is thicker than water. Yet, family alone is not enough to sustain us through the everyday joys, trials, tribulations, sorrows, and achievements that we go through during our life. After all, we do not get to choose our families and we are often too close to family members to share some our deepest innermost feelings.

A true friend is like an oasis. A place we can go and replenish our thirst, and rejuvenate our inner being. True friends allows us an opportunity to let down our barriers without being afraid of showing too much of ourselves. A true friend is someone we can talk to well into the wee hours of the night and never get tired or bored. Someone who does not judge you for your feelings or inadequacies. They accept you as you are and they have no expectations other than that same friendship in return.

A true friend can often sense your feelings even before your spouse or a family member might. We all have times when we are down for whatever reason and times we want to vent about any number of things. Often times we find it hard to share these thoughts and feelings with our families. However, it is easy to spend an entire day or even weekend sharing and trusting our most private thoughts and feelings with a true friend.

With true friendship, there is an unspoken trust that exist. Somehow and for some reason, you know deep down in your soul that person will be there for you regardless of the circumstances. A bond between true friends is unlike any other; like love it is difficult to describe yet it is essential to your wellbeing.

In life, we may acquire many friends along the way; however, it is a rare gift to find numerous true friends. You know the ones, those who would walk through fire to help you and never ask for anything in return. True friends are a blessing from God that adds to the quality of your life. I have always been a firm believer that God puts certain people in our lives at certain times in lives for a reason.

One true friend is worth more than an entire city of just casual friends or acquaintances. A true friend can sustain you through all that life has to throw at you. Never take a true friend for granted. Like a lifeline, they stand ready to hold you up in both good times and bad.

May God bless you with at least one true friend in your life.

Granny