Happy Birthday Baby Jesus

Luke 2: 8-20

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

I thank you, heavenly Father for the gift of your son

the perfect lamb that was slain for us 

so that we might have eternal life.

Amen

twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38
when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate.
their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.
they could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.
they were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say.

they remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.
"where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mou

se.
"this is heaven." declared a small boy. "we're spending Christmas at God's house."
when what to their wondering eyes did appear,
but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.

He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.
then He opened His arms and He called them by name.
and in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring
those children all flew into the arms of their King
and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,
one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face.
and as if He could read all the questions she had
He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."

then He looked down on earth, the world far below
He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe
then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,
"Let My power and presence re-enter this land!"
"may this country be delivered from the hands of fools"
"I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!"

then He and the children stood up without a sound.
"come now my children, let me show you around."
excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.
all displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.
and i heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,
"in the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT."

Written by a Gentleman in Southern PA

Please Pray for Newtown, Conneticut

Prayers for all the families in Newtown affected by this tragedy today.

I know God is embracing those children killed in this senseless violence

and giving them a love like no other.

I pray for God's love and comfort for the families of those taken.

I pray for God's love and comfort for all the children traumatized by this horror.

I pray for blessings and an outpouring of love on this town.

We can not make sense of this tragedy

but we trust in you, Lord.

We trust in your love.

Amen.

Happy Chanukah!

No, I'm not Jewish,

But I love the Jewish Religion and Have Jewish Friends!

So I would like to wish them Happy Chanukah!

Today is the 1st day so tonight they light the 1st candle of their Menorah!

Many Jewish Holidays are so interesting to me because

they are so tightly entwined with history.

Here is the Story of Chanukah in a nutshell

(and to my Jewish friends, if I am wrong on anything, please correct me!)

Over 2000 years ago the country of Israel  was conquered / controlled by outsiders that wanted to destroy their religion.  The Jews defeated them and re-established their Holy Temple.

Back then they would honor God by burning purified oil on a Menorah 

(a candle holder for 8 candles)

but they only had enough oil for 1 day.

But miraculously it replenished itself to light the candles for Eight days!

To Celebrate God's Greatness the Jewish leaders created the Chanuka celebration

that continues on to this day!

During this time, Jewish peoples praise and thank 

God for all  He has done.!

Praise Be to God!

And May God Bless his Chosen People!

Want to Know More about Chanukah? Click Here!

PS:  In the Hebrew Calender today is: Kislev 24, the year:  5773

Never go Fishing with Moses

Forgiveness

I listened to a powerful sermon about Forgiveness.

When we are hurt and angry at someone and we hold onto that 

anger it can eat away at our hearts.

Over time it can make us very bitter.

We hold onto this anger because we want some kind of control 

over this person who wronged us.

(Sometimes that person doesn't even know that we are hurt or angry with them)

And what we don't realize is that over time

that hurt and anger becomes a wall.

And this wall separates us from God.

(How can we expect God to forgive us if we don't forgive others?)

And as we cling to this anger and hurt 

and as we build these walls

We don't realize that we are building a jail or prison.

Not to hold and punish that person who wronged us...

But it becomes a prison we put ourselves in.

And when we forgive

those walls come tumbling down

and we release ourselves from this prison

There is a beautiful song about this by Matthew West:

You can listen to it here:

Even more beautiful is the story behind the song...

You can see it here:

So if you are now or in the future in that situation 

where you can't forgive someone....

pray on it

remember this song

pray some more

and then just let it go..

I have done this and it really is like a rush of sweet fresh air filling a stale room

and you feel a sense of freedom and peace wash over you.

I pray for you to forgive those who have wronged you.

My Newest Favoritest Song!

"Losing" By Tenth Avenue North

Hope you Love it!!



The Parable of the Sower

This is one of my favorite Parables:

When Jesus told the above story to the crowd, 

His Disciples asked "What does it mean?"

(see Luke 8: 12-15)

His answer was something like this:

The Seeds are the Word of God.   We receive God's word from reading the bible, 

going to church, talking to other Christians, etc.   How we Grow in His Word depends on how we "plant" the "seeds" of God's Word into our hearts.

Like the 1st group of seeds that fell on the path and were trampled and consumed by birds, sometimes the Word of God is heard by people, but the devil comes and steals God's word so people do not understand and will not be saved.

Like the 2nd Group of Seeds that fell to the hard earth unable to make roots, God's Word is heard by some people who get very excited about the word, but they don't grow deeper in their understanding of God's word and when life becomes difficult, they fall away from Him.

Like the 3rd Group of seeds that fell to the earth, made roots and grew but then were over taken by the weeds,  these are the people who hear  His word but don't allow God to take control of their lives, they let their desires to lead them (they worship other idols---money, fame, beauty, etc) and these other idols choke the Word of God from them.

Like the 4th Group of seeds, some will hear His Word and allow God to control their lives.  They worship and follow God and grow big and strong in His Word and spread His Word to others.  They "bear fruit" by serving God.  

How do you Grow in the Lord?  It may be immersing yourself in the Bible, other Christian books, listening to Christian music and socializing with other Christians so that you grow in Him. 

When you are ready to "bear fruit" and spread His word, this can be done in many ways.  God will guide you when you are ready.   Some people like to just go out there and talk about God.  For me (and some of you) it is through blogging that I share God's word.  For others it may be inviting friends to your church, Sunday school or youth group.    

I pray that all of us are like this 4th group....I pray you let the Word of God grow strong in your heart, take root and thrive.  Never stop learning about Him and when you grow stronger in Him, begin to spread His word in a way that God puts into your heart.

Passion Flower on Animal Jam

I see from my AJ Friends' blogs that the new item this week is

The Passion Flower

It is called a "Passion" flower not having to do with Romance,

but having to do with the "Passion of Christ"

which is the last week of Christ's Life

clipped from another website:

According to Wikipedia.com and Brighthub.com, the description of its association is as follows:

The unusual shape of the flowers has led to the plant being associated in Christian symbolism with the passion of Jesus; the three stigmas representing the three nails used to nail Jesus to the cross, the ovary and its stalk represent the chalice of the Last Supper, the five anthers represent the five wounds, the corona represents the crown of thorns, the ten 'petals' (actually five petals and five sepals) the apostles (save Judas the traitor and Peter the denyer); the old leaves also represent the hands of those who persecuted Him, the young leaves are the point of the lance used to stab Him, and the tendrils the whips of those who beat Him.

I thought that was pretty interesting, hope you do too!



True Peace in Your Life

I know alot of us, as we become teens, get very stressed.  There is so much out there that stresses us!  School, friends, our parents, bad influences and sometimes we even stress ourselves.  It is a lot of pressure being a kid / teen!  

But The Bible Offers us a Way to Find True Peace in our Hearts:

Adapted from: http://carm.org/christianity/sermons/philippians-46-9-true-peace-your-life

Peace of mind is something that we all want.  We all want to be able to rest, to not have to worry, to feel free to enjoy life, family, friends, work, church, hobbies, entertainment, etc.  We want to be able to enjoy ourselves and not be burdened down with worries that rob us of vigor, life, and purpose.

Sometimes when we can't find peace of mind, we get depressed.  We often get angry and lash out at God or someone else near to you.

What do you do to get peace?  I mean real peace in your life.  Where do you start?  What do you do?

Well, the best place to start is with God.

Philippians 4:6-9,

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things.  9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me -- put it into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you." (NIV)

1. God wants you to have true peace by having you not worry - about anything (act of thinking)
   1. Worry is sin.  It means you are not trusting in God.
   2. God doesn't want you to worry because worry means you do not trust God, that you are not taking Him fully at His word.   God has been providing for you all along - look at the cross.
2. God wants you to have true peace by praying - about everything (act of doing)
   1. All things in your life are of concern to God---The big and the small: where to move, who to marry, what job to get, even your hobbies, and leisure times.
   2. The peace that God gives you will guard your minds.
   3. The peace that God gives you will strengthen you.
   4. In the presence of God there is peace.
3. God wants you to have true peace by meditating on what is holy (act of thinking)
   1. Your minds have been set free from slavery to sin.
      1. Romans 8:6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; (NIV)
   2. God wants you to fill your heart with what is good.
      1. Phil. 4:8, "whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent worthy of praise.  Let your mind dwell on these things." (NASB)
      2. Meditate on the Word of God so that you might be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
4. God wants you to have true peace by putting into practice what you have learned. (act of doing)
   1. He wants you to...
      1. trust Him for everything
      2. pray to Him for anything
      3. meditate on what is holy
         1. Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things. (NIV)

Conclusion

These things are written to you so that the God of peace will be with you.  Not simply peace... but the God of peace will be with you.  Ultimately this is about God dwelling with you.  He wants you to be holy, pure, right.  Will you trust Him and not worry?  Will you pray about everything in your life? Will you meditate on the Word of God?  And finally, will you practice, will you do, what God calls you to do?

Haters and Bullies

My Good Friend, Jammie263 posted this on her Blog:

And it really got me thinking.

I think that it is really, very true of Bullies and Haters.

I Think God has created a space in each of us, in our the Heart of Our Souls

(Not our physical hearts)

And He really wants you to fill that Space with Him

But you have to Invite Him in.

I think too many kids start filling that hole with sadness and meaness

and it grows into hate for themselves and others.

That is really, really sad.

And makes me Sad for the Haters in Bullies

If you know a Hater or Bully, Pray for them.

Pray that they see the Light of the Holy Spirit 

and take Him into that space

which will push out the darkness and fill that person with joy

This Guy Inspires Me!

I hope he inspires you as well!

So many of us would turn our backs on God if we were born this way,

But Not Nick.

But Nick Sees God's Blessings and Spreads God's word.

Will you use what God has given you to Share God's Love with Others?

The Bible is Real

Many people don't believe the Bible is Accurate.

But it Is:

Many of the Peoples and Places and Events in the Bible have been said to be totally untrue.  But in the last several years many (but not all) of these peoples and places and events have been proven by archeologists.

They find the places mentioned in the Bible

They find records of Events Described in the Bible

They find records written by OTHER peoples (such as Egyptians and Romans) that agree with what is in the Bible

Here are a few "Cut and Paste" clippings below:

The Bible is Historically Accurate

There were several secular historians who wrote about the events of the New Testament at the same time the Bible was being written. Josephus is the most well-known of them. He was a Jewish historian. Tacitus was a Roman historian who would have no benefit from not telling the truth. Both these men, as well as others, can be used to back up the historical accuracy of the Bible.

There are historical discoveries regularly coming to light that continue to support the accuracy of the Bible. Merrill Unger, who compiled a Bible dictionary wrote, “Old Testament archeology has rediscovered whole nations, resurrected important peoples, and in a most astonishing manner filled in historical gaps, adding immeasurably to the knowledge of Biblical backgrounds.”

Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/10-amazing-bible-facts/#ixzz23jb70q5E

The 19th-century critics used to deny the historicity of the Hittites, the Horites, the Edomites, and various other peoples, nations, and cities mentioned in the Bible. Those critics have long been silenced by the archaeologist’s spade, and few critics dare to question the geographical and ethnological reliability of the Bible.

The names of over 40 different kings of various countries mentioned in the Bible have all been found in contemporary documents and inscriptions outside of the Old Testament, and are always consistent with the times and places associated with them in the Bible. Nothing exists in ancient literature that has been even remotely as well-confirmed in accuracy as has the Bible.

Read more:  http://www.icr.org/bible-history/

Archeology proves the Bible is true. Archeologists have been able to dig up the places mentioned in the Bible. For example, they’ve found the Pool of Siloam where the blind man was healed and portions of Herod’s temple. The Hittite Empire is a great example of how archeology has shown us that the Bible is historically accurate. For generations, historians had no record of the Hittites’ existence anywhere else. Yet in the early 1900s, an archeologist discovered 10,000 clay tablets in the Hittite capital. Now everyone knows that the Hittites once existed.

Read more:  http://purposedriven.com/blogs/dailyhope/index.html?contentid=10204

Bullying

I see lots of posts by my blogger friends blogs about bullying.  

I am so happy to see so many of you stand up against this!

This guy was bullied, maybe not as badly as some, but still people teased him about his weight.

He and his friend are competing on "Britain's Got Talent" 

And he reminds me that everyone is beautiful in God's eyes. 

God blessed this 17 year old guy with an amazing voice.

I am so happy he is sharing his talents with us.

Check it out

Introduction

God created me as a very Curious Creature.    I have so many questions about Him and the Universe He Created.   Things like, is He Real?   Does He really Love us?   Why do Bad Things Happen?   How do I know He is the One True God?  So many questions.  So I have done lots of reading and research and go to Church and have learned SO Much!

I've always wanted to share what I have learned, but didn't really know how.

Then Great Shot turned me onto blogging.  That has been great fun.  I don't really play games too much, I don't have a Wii or a DS or X-box, I'm a bit of a nerd.  I love reading and researching and my passion right now is learning all about God.

Through my blog, however, I have made some really great new friends.  I didn't know you could feel a closeness to a person you never really met, but I do.  I feel a kind of love for my blogging friends and I think about them, pray for them, etc.

Recently, one of my blogging friends introduced me to one of her friends who was conflicted.  She was spending so much time blogging and playing video games that she wasn't spending time with God or with other people in the "real" world.

She thought she would quit blogging and gaming.  I suggested to her if she loves blogging and God, why not Blog about God??   She liked that idea.  You can see her blog here:
http://animaljamandletters.blogspot.com/

Then I discovered another girl who felt she was spending too much time gaming so she has dedicated a blog to God, you can see her work here:   http://fuschiatwister.blogspot.com/

So I have been thinking about what they are doing and have become inspired to do the same.  I decided to create this blog.   I won't be posting as much as I do on my Ode To Reese Cups Blog, that is a lot of work (and alot of fun) and I like to post on it daily because many of you check in on me daily.  So I may try to do this once a week and I invite you to follow this blog.  It will be a glimpse into the serious side of Tiggerkat.