For Sunday, January 4th, 2008

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
JANUARY 4rd, 2009


TODAY'S THOUGHT

As you step into this new year, be bold enough and daring enough to believe in the abundant good that has been prepared for you

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale


TODAY’S ACTION

Contemplate new ways to extend you voice and bring beauty to the world


TODAY’S QUOTE

A great attitude does much more than turn on the lights in our worlds, it seems to magically connect us to all sorts of serendipitous opportunities that were somehow absent before the change.

Earl Nightingale


IT’S SUNDAY !!

In many homes today, including mine, Epiphany is being celebrated.
Epiphany is normally celebrated on January 6, although it can be celebrated on the Sunday between January 2 and 8, as is done in the United States and many other countries. It may also combine the celebration of all three epiphanies ("showing forths") of Christ – His epiphany to the Magi at His birth, His epiphany to St. John at His baptism in the Jordan and His epiphany to the disciples and the opening of His public ministry by the miracle of Cana.
However, its primary significance is the closing of the Christmas season with the celebration of the visit of the Magi to the manger (Matthew 2:1-12). The Messiah is thus shown to have come to all people, not just the Jews. The three kings represent the three major races:
Melchior, an old white man with a long white beard, bearing the gift of gold for Christ’s royalty; Caspar, young and of darker hue, carrying incenses for Christ’s divinity; and Balthasar, a black man, offering myrrh for Christ’s suffering and death.
The names of the wise men are not given in the Bible, but were supplied by later story tellers to enrich the meaning and celebration of the Epiphany.
A tradition associated with Epiphany is the blessing of homes. Using blessed chalk, a parent can mark the inside of the main door of the house with the initials of the Magi and a code of the current year connected with crosses: 20+C+M+B+09. Another explanation of the initials (C-M-B) are the fist letters of the blessing: Christus mansionem benedicat, which is Latin for May Christ bless the house").
May your house be blessed this year

Have a great day all ! Another wonderful one on the Way !


TODAY’S PRAYERS

Following the appeal of the 13 patriarchs and heads of Christian churches in Jerusalem, issued on December 30, the faithful of the Holy Land are preparing to dedicate January 4, the first Sunday of the New Year, to prayer for an end to the conflict in the Gaza Strip, and for a lasting peace solution.

You may light a candle for Peace
or any other reason here on this site
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?l=eng


Please pray for God's protection of
our troops and HIS wisdom for their
commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in
your loving hands.
Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for the
selfless acts they perform for us
in our time of need. I ask this in the
name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.




25 WORDS

God, I thank You for today, for the ways You will bless me,
and for the ways that I will serve others in Your name


TO REMEMBER…

I am in the hands of God,
and in God’s time all things will be made well.






TODAY’S TRIVIA

Today is Eat An Oreo Cookie, Look at Your Teeth, and Remember to Floss Day

Today is Trivia Day
Whether the roots of Trivia Day are deep....or whether this day was established by the Ecard dot coms is irrelevant. Trivia day is a fun day. It is an opportunity for us to share those many little trinkets of knowledge. It doesn't matter how big or how trivial. Dazzle your friends and family with generous portions of trivia today

Today is National Spaghetti Day

Today is Utah Admission Day. Utah became the 45th U.S. state on this day in 1896

1493: Christopher Columbus returned to Europe from what he thought was India with six Native Americans that he called Indians

1946: The cartoon characters Heckle and Jeckle debuted



TODAY’S SMILE

According to a story circulating on the Internet, an 11-year-old boy I’ll call Todd was struggling to adjust to the death of his mother. His father had abandoned the family long ago, and Todd was living with an aunt who made it known she resented the responsibility.

On several occasions, the boy’s teacher heard the aunt tell Todd, "If it weren’t for my generosity, you would be a homeless orphan."The teacher tried hard to make Todd feel valued, and she encouraged his interest in making things. Just before the Christmas break, Todd shyly presented her with a small decorated box. "It’s beautiful!" the teacher gushed.Todd replied, "There’s something special inside my mom gave to me before she died. She said it’s the one thing I can give and still have plenty left. It helps you feel better when you’re sad and safe when you’re scared."

As the teacher started to open the box, Todd warned her, "Oh, you can’t see it.""Well, what is it?" she asked kindly. "It’s love. And you’re the first person since my mom who I love." The teacher hugged Todd and whispered in his ear, "I’ll treasure this forever. It’s the best gift I ever got."She kept the box on her desk always.

Whenever she was sad or scared, she opened it and the love inside never let her down.Years later, Todd sent her the tassel he wore for his graduation from medical school. It’s been in the box ever since.

In truth, the gift that keeps on giving is not diamonds; it’s love.
The more you give away, the more you have left.


The Way to a Happy New Year

To leave the old with a burst of song;
To recall the right and forgive the wrong;
To forget the things that bind you fast
To the vain regrets of the year that's past;
To have the strength to let go your hold
Of the not worth while of the days grown old;
To dare to go forth with a purpose true,
To the unknown task of the year that's new;
To help your brother along the road,
To do his work and lift his load;
To add your gift to the world's good cheer,
Is to have and to give a Happy New Year.
author unknown

A HEAVENLY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year, this is God.
This year, as with every year, I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember, I do not need your help. If the devil happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it Kindly put it all in the SFJTD BOX. (Something for Jesus to Do) It will be addressed in my time, not yours.
Please be patient. Once the matter has been placed in the box, do not hold onto it. Do not become impatient and take it back to see if you can find a solution. Holding on or removal will delay the resolution of your problem. You must surrender the problem to Me for proper resolution.
If a situation you think you cannot handle arises, please consult Me in prayer. Together we will come up with proper resolution. If you do not receive what you anticipate as proper response from Me, remember--some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayer.
Because I do not sleep, there is no need for you to lose any. Rest, my child...if you need me, I am but a prayer away.
Author unknown


TODAY’S WORD

gelid \JEL-id\, adjective:Extremely cold; icy.

Gelid comes from Latin gelidus, from gelu, frost, cold

TODAY’S REFLECTION

Then they opened their coffers and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Matthew 2:11

For most of the world, today's feast of Epiphany is the most important day of the Christmas season. It's the day when many people exchange gifts and imitate the wise men who gave gifts to Jesus. Today the Lord is calling us to give Jesus the present of ourselves
City dwellers have no time and little opportunity for contemplating the heavens. It takes a special person— a magus—to see the connection between the heavens and the earth. For these men, the star called for a response: ‘We saw, and have come to worship’. Herod sought to use their information for his own political, self-serving ends. It would take something as insubstantial as two dreams to thwart his machinations, without altering their dreadful consequences.‘Climate change’ is a modern situation causing our rulers to behave like Herod! The sun (the chief player) is too big to handle, so they alight on a few known earthly factors and hope to bend the divine order to preserve a cherished way of life instead of changing it to serve equity and justice.
On this great feast of Epiphany, let's be wise enough to give Jesus our all.

TODAY’S ADVICE FROM THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC

This is about the time to watch for the Quadrantid meteor showers. Look for them in the northern sky before dawn. If you're lucky, you may see as many as 80 meteors per hour

75 DAYS UNTIL SPRING!
AND 89 DAYS UNTIL CAMPING SEASON BEGINS

Delight yourself in the Lord

and He will give you the desires of your Heart

Psalm 37:4

May there be a miracle in YOUR life today
and may you have the EYES to SEE it!

I Love You All !!!

Be Blessed !!!

MA


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What’s New at My House

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http://goodmorningsmiles.blogspot.com/

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