The Christmas Challenge ~ Be a Blessing

For a friend who cannot get out much

Christmas has gotten greedy and selfish, especially in America.  It seems like fighting over who is first in line for the latest toy or hurting someone to steal their large screen TV is becoming the norm.

‘My’ child deserves this new X Box.  ‘My’ husband needs this i Pad.  ‘I’ deserve these new boots, not you.

Sad.

Culture has taught that new is better and pampering ourselves rules.  All the while, the true message that Christ taught, of blessing others, gets lost in the shopping madness.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to give special gifts to our loved ones, or of wanting something new for Christmas.  However, when we do so at the expense of neglecting to give to others, we miss the truest blessings of the season.

In reality, by the time they trash the bows, the kids have likely moved on to what they want next.  The new wears off about as fast as they open the box these days.  Even the Grinch could vouch for that.

However, Christmas that is all about getting stuff doesn’t satisfy; it only temporarily thrills.  The secret to feeling true warmth at this season is giving.  By drawing near to Christ, then letting Him bless others through you.   Giving affords the way to be a blessing.

Most of us who already know this.  So, when you are out there frantically trying to finish your holiday shopping, allow the Holy Spirit to direct you about who and how to bless.  The needs are everywhere, but opportunities for giving are sometimes close to home, even right down the street. 

It may just be that those people God puts on your heart has a need that nobody else will meet.  For them, you could be their only Christmas blessing. 

Blessings to each of you today,
Sue

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We Are One ~ A Message From Karina

A single rose bloom among many buds

This morning, the Lord awakened me early.  As I spent time with Him in prayer, He prompted me to go to the computer.  Thinking that I needed to write something on His heart, I instead discovered a surprise that He wanted me to see before I went to work today. 

My sweet friend and sister in Christ, Karina, emailed something for me that God laid on her heart, and I am both humbled and honored by this special blessing.  

As I read what she wrote, though, I realized that this message is not just for me, but for each of us, as the body of Christ.  Just as Karina is not exclusively my friend and sister, she is a sister in Christ to every true follower of His.  Although sometimes separated by distance, or have differences based on nationality, race, denomination, etc., if we are truly His, we are intricately connected because of Christ in us.   Because of Him, we are one. 

I thank you, Karina, for taking the time to share this beautiful, yet powerful message.  Those of us who know you through blogging continue to pray for God to equip and strengthen you during this difficult season in your life.  May God continue to use you in powerful ways to encourage others and spread the truth of His word.

We Are One

by Karina Susanto

We are apart by thousand miles of distance; we are apart by tunnel of time. We are apart by seasons. We are apart by culture diversity.

But,

We break barriers that divide us along lines of caste, class, gender, race, nation, and age.

We are Community of Christ and we are walking the path together and called as sisters in Christ

We yearn to be together and feel connected by an unbreakable bond, to find a true home.

We also know that we are not alone in Christ

We walk and work together with all those who proclaim the values of Christ.

We are longs to blessed and be blessing, spreading God’s love, joyful and peace to others

We are one in our belief in the worth of every person and the value of every soul in God’s sight

We are called to be a servant of the Lord through the gifts that God given to us

We are one in knowing that we must do, and not only think.

We are one in generosity. We have many ways of giving.

We avoid debates for fear that in winning the argument we will lose each other

We learn to encourage each other, strengthen each other through our adversity

We are one, called to tell others about the gospel.

We sing Him. We pray Him. Live, see, and think Him.

We lift on high the name: Christ Jesus. We testify of Christ Jesus.

We have faith in him. He makes us one.

We are one in Christ

****

“So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:5

“I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
John 17:23

Friday ~ What I Missed

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17

I missed your posts while I was spending time in the woodshed.  Although I would love to go back for the entire week and read each one, I do not know how to balance that with my work and family obligations. 

For this Friday Feature post, I would love for you to pick one of your favorites from what you wrote during the week of Sept. 9th and post a link and brief description under the comments section here.  That way, I can enjoy reading some of what I missed; others will be blessed, too, as we hear from you!

Blessings on your Friday.
Sue

Friday Fill in the Blank ~ A Break From the Intense!

Since I spent this past week sharing about my Painful Saga, it has been a little intense on my blog.  I am taking a break from this series and will pick back up where I left off next week. 

Today just seemed like a good day for round two of Friday Fill in the Blank.  Instead of my thoughts, I would LOVE to hear from you.  The guidelines are the same.

*Share a verse from your devotion or a song for the day.
*Post a link to your site with a brief summary.

After posting, please read others thoughts and leave a comment. 
Today is a day for connecting with fellow bloggers and directing readers back to your site.

Begin the dialogue.  Simply fill in the blank.

If nobody else needs to hear your thoughts, I sure do! 

Blessings!
Sue

Friday Feature

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken down, running over.”
Luke 6:38

People are typically either givers or takers.  Takers tend to suck up all the air in a party, and demand their way through life, whereas givers are content just blessing others.   Although the giver path is not always easy, since we all struggle with selfishness on varying levels, God’s Word is clear that He blesses givers.

My featured author today is a giver.  Although he has plenty of followers, and could become prideful by walling himself off from others, he instead stays in touch with his readers and gives.

Today’s Friday Feature highlights:

 Darrell Creswell

Darrell has tons of accolades.  The last time I checked, he was number three out of the top 100 Christian websites.  Many people follow him as Face Book Pastor.  Due to his popularity, I doubt my Feature today will make much of a difference in his overall readership!  However, since he blesses so many, and often has blessed me through his writings and inspiring graphics work, I decided to send this out as my thanks.

In part of his About testimony on his website, Darrell shares that starting from an early age until now he has had the opportunity to preach the gospel all over the world.  He describes that his heart and life’s ambition is to spread the Word, speak the Word and share the Word.  He is fulfilling that goal daily as he gives unselfishly to God’s kingdom.  Here are some examples of how he gives to God by blessing others:

~ His writing

If asked, I would summarize Darrell’s writing as that of encouragement.  His tag line says it best and exactly matches every post of his I have read, “Just a servant with a laptop sharing stories of Grace, Hope and Comfort.”  As he writes, Darrell weaves into others those very things of which he intends – expressions of God’s grace, assurance of His hope and blessings of the Savior’s comfort.  By his anointed writing, Darrell gives readers a window into God’s heart.

Follow this link to one of my favorite of his posts:

God This Isn’t Fair – Finding Grace – Inspirational Bible Verses

~His designs

Although not trained in graphic design, I enjoy trying to create inspirational images.  Darrell’s are exquisite.  Each image is like a devotional, all in itself.  Packed with Truth and visually pleasing imagery, his graphics are beautiful at a glance, but best appreciated when absorbed slowly.  Through his amazing images, Darrell gives viewers a glimpse of God’s glory.

It was hard to pick a favorite image, and I am sure you will like them all, but this one is a good start:

Jesus Is The Answer – But What Is The Question

~His feedback

This is perhaps my favorite example of Darrell’s gift of giving.  Whenever others post a comment on his website, Darrell always replies with a thoughtful response affirming his readers’ remarks.  What he does next, though, is such a blessing.  Using the comment reply section, he directs other readers to the website of the person who posted a comment, including a link back to the site, and often comments about something the person has written that blessed him.  This selfless directing of attention back to his followers’ websites, and his encouraging affirmation of readers’ comments is a remarkable blessing, especially for blogging newcomers, like me.  With his kind feedback, Darrell gives readers an example of God’s passion for others.

I urge those who have not yet discovered Darrell Creswell to follow the links above. Thanks so much, Darrell, for all you do across the highways and hedges of the Internet for God’s kingdom.  May God give back to you for all the ways in which you bless others!

Written with permission from Darrell Creswell.