Here Comes March!

What comes to mind for you when you think of "March"?

This is what pops into my mind:

March Madness

March of Dimes

March for Life

March of the Toy Soldiers

Beware the Ides of March

Marching bands

As we go marching on

We are marching to Pretoria...

Marching to the beat of my own drum

He marched them up to the top of the hill, and marched them down again

March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb(or vice-versa)

We're marching upward to Zion, that beautiful city of God

Oh, Lord, I want to be in that number, when the saints go marching in!

What else?

HEAVEN IS FOR REAL

A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back

Heaven is for Real
By: Todd Burpo, Lynn Vincent

This is the true story of the four-year old son of a small town Nebraska pastor who during emergency surgery slips from consciousness and enters heaven. He survives and begins talking about being able to look down and see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. The family didn't know what to believe but soon the evidence was clear.

Colton said he met his miscarried sister, whom no one had told him about, and his great grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born, then shared impossible-to-know details about each. He describes the horse that only Jesus could ride, about how "reaaally big" God and his chair are, and how the Holy Spirit "shoots down power" from heaven to help us.

Told by the father, but often in Colton's own words, the disarmingly simple message is heaven is a real place, Jesus really loves children, and be ready, there is a coming last battle.
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This book was recommended highly by a friend of mine, so I put it on my Christmas wish list, and did receive it. I read it and then passed it on to Larry to read. Both of us were absolutely amazed by this true story!

It turns out that the author/pastor is related to and known by some people in our church, so he was invited to come and speak to us. He and his wife were our guests this past Sunday, and an audio clip of the interview is posted below. I highly encourage you to listen, and read the book. It is an incredible, yet totally credible account of a young boy's visit in Heaven, and then coming back to tell about it.

Here is an excerpt from the book--read it now.

Buy		Read

Living in a World Gone Nuts!

This morning, as I sit here at the computer reading the news, coffee cup in hand, I am overwhelmed with a flood of disgust and sadness at the state of violent turmoil in which our world spins, seemingly out of control!

People viciously mistreat and disrespect others and then turn around and blame their victims! It's happening everywhere! Even I have personally experienced this strange phenomenon in recent days. Unfortunately, this type of incredulous attack has become reality in our world today--not only in far off places, but within our own spaces.

• What has happened to decency and common sense?
• Why do people insist on promoting their own selfish and corrupt desires, even at the expense of others?
• Why is there no consideration for the personal rights and well-being of others?
• Why does a perpetrator blame his/her victim?

It seems to me that an evil destroyer is hard at work, seeking victims to devour. Hmmmm, a Bible verse suddenly comes to mind:

"Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him and be strong in your faith." (I Peter 5:8,9b)

Oh, God, help me (us) to stand firm against attacks by the enemy. For we aren't really struggling against flesh and blood, but against the devil--the enemy of our souls!

"Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:10-12)

Oh, how I needed that reminder from God this morning! We are living in a world that has gone nuts--a world that is seriously under attack by the enemy of our souls!
But, praise be to God, our ever present help in times of trouble!

Joy Unspeakable

This morning I woke up with a song playing in my head, and it just keeps on playing continuously:

"Hallelujah, I am rejoicing, singing His praises all the day long..."

My heart is full of joy this morning!

(Thanks, Lord!)

Speak Good Thoughts . . .

One addition to the post below this one:

If you speak good thoughts, someone will criticize you.
Speak good thoughts anyway!

Just Do it Anyway!

ANYWAY

(Popularly assumed to be penned by Mother Teresa,
but more likely by Dr. Kent Keith)

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you

of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends

and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down

by the smallest people with the smallest minds;
Think big anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis,
it is between you and your God;
(It was never between you and them anyway.)

(Presented by our pastor in one of his recent sermons)

Think on These Things

Yesterday was delightful! But, what about today?

• Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
  
• Always be full of joy.
  
• Don't worry about anything.
  
• Pray about everything.
  
• Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done.
  
• If you do this, you will experience God's peace . . .
  
• Focus all your energies on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.
  
• Live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people.
  
• Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.
  
• In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing.
  
• Keep putting into practice all that you learned . . .
  
• Remember: I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.
  
• Whatever happens, may the Lord give you joy.

(All of this comes from the Bible--the book of Philippians, the New Living Translation. Check it out for yourself.

Forever Valentines

It has been a very nice day!
What fun to exchange valentine messages with so many!

Wishing and Hoping

Awhile back, in the process of setting up a new computer, my blog lost all of its photos. I have only replaced a few of them because of all the time it would take to complete my entire blog. If you are browing through old posts and come across one that you would like to see the picture replaced, I hope you will let me know. If there are photos missing that you would like to see, just leave me a comment there to let me know, and I will be happy to repost it/them.

Again!

Well, I guess there won't be any dips in the pool today--it's "winter" again!

Although we had a few nice days of almost spring-like weather (snow and ice all gone), today all the area schools are closed--again, and Larry's workplace is closed--again, plus, I've just cancelled the ladies Bible study group for tonight--again!! Seems wimpy, right? It's because Dallas has no snow plows, since they are seldom needed. Plus, this always starts out as freezing rain or sleet, so the roads quickly become sheets of ice before it turns into snow.

Wouldn't you know...our first winter in Dallas turns out to have record-breaking winter weather! This is not at all what we expected for Dallas, Texas! However, this is predicted to last only a few days and then return to temperatures in the 60's and 70's by the weekend. What a roller-coaster ride we're getting!

Joy

Sunday morning when our pastor began to preach, I wondered if he had visited my blog or managed to get his hands on my Bible study notes. Of course he didn't, but his message on joy so clearly expressed my thoughts, I just had to post his sermon here.

I embedded an audio clip of his message. If you choose to listen (even maybe just for a few minutes), keep in mind that you will have to wait through a bit of music first.

Also, I just discovered this old blog post (written in May of 2006) in my saved documents: Happiness and Joy

Wishful Thinking or Crazy Determination?

Today dawned bright and beautiful! Ahhhhh, sunshine at last! Larry brought me my morning cup o' coffee (to my bedside, as usual....yeah, I know--I'm spoiled), and said, "It must have gotten really cold last night because there's a skim of ice on the pool this morning." (I think he must have finally discovered the way to get me to jump out of bed early in the morning because it worked again today!)
I grabbed my robe and camera, and rushed right out the back door, hoping to capture the scene. I took a few pictures, but the skim of ice was so transparent, the camera just couldn't capture what my own eye could see.Trying to get the best view for the camera lens, I knelt down (without looking below me), only to quickly realize that I had just knelt right down into the snow!

That goofy mistake, combined with the sunbeam drawing my attention to the chaise lounges was all it took to spark a crazy (I mean really crazy!) idea.

When I came back into the house and told Larry my idea, he said, "Honey, this could get you locked up in the looney bin!" I'm not sure if I was blessed or cursed with the gift of very determined wishful thinking.) With a laugh and a quick change of clothing, out I went!

Ahhh, what a life!Then reality hit--instantly, and I came back to my senses!
Yes, I really was sitting in the snow.)

So much for soaking up the sunshine on a snowy day!

Maybe I'll try again tomorrow--it's supposed to get a little warmer tomorrow.

Well, well, by 5:00 P.M. the temperature had climbed above 50 degrees and the whole scene had changed.

Maybe tomorrow, maybe just maybe . . .

Welcome to my Snowy World!

What fun to wake up to this scene today!
My dear husband brought me a cup of coffee (in bed) and said, "Guess I'm not going in to work again this morning." That's all it took to get me out of bed! Not the coffee--it was the instant realization that we must be buried in snow, as was predicted on the weather news last night.

I wasn't disappointed when I jumped out of bed and ran to the window! Here's what I saw:

"Choose to feel happy..."

While I was in the shower this morning I remembered something my sis said recently. It was good. It was her response to this plea:

"Can someone please tell me how to feel? Cause I don't know how to feel anymore."

Dianne said to her: "Choose to feel happy no matter what the situation. The Joy of the Lord is our strength. Go out and get some praise music CDs and jam them way up on your music system. It's easy to start singing with them which immediately uplifts the feelings. Get together with people who will uplift you."

Those are great "tools" to grab when one's mood is in need of repair--especially when broken by the circumstances of one's own life.

Is the repair job really that simple? The answer, for the one who looks to God for joy and strength, is YES. True joy is not dependant on my circumstances. Joy is a choice I am able to make when I allow God to have His way in my life.

Yes! Be joyful--it beats being happy! Choose joy!

Thanks, Dianne, for your contribution to my blog today.