APPLES OF GOD

Each day is an opportunity to start all over again…to cleanse our minds and hearts anew and to clarify our vision. And let us not clutter up today with the leavings of other days.

Take yesterday’s worries and sort them all out
And you’ll wonder whatever you worried about;
Look back at the cares that once furrowed your brow
I fancy you’ll smile at most of them now.
They seemed terrible then, but they really were not;
For once out of the woods, all the fears are forgot.
Unknown

The Cure for Anxiety
25 "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28 "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 "Do not worry then, saying, `What will we eat?' or `What will we drink?' or `What will we wear for clothing?' 32 "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:25-34).

Oh how I need this lesson. Maybe someone else reading this today needs to trust God in the same way that I need to.

Go now, put your worry aside, and give someone a blessing today.
Mike

You can view more of Mike's Daily Blessings at http://www.TheWoods.phpbbnow.com

THE SANDS OF CHRISTMAS


I had no Christmas spirit

When I breathed a weary sigh,

And looked across the table

Where the bills were piled too high.

The laundry wasn't finished

And the car I had to fix,

My stocks were down another point,

The Chargers lost by six.

And so with only minutes

Till my son got home from school

I gave up on the drudgery

And grabbed a wooden stool.

The burdens that I carried

Were about all I could take,

And so I flipped the TV on

To catch a little break.

I came upon a desert scene

In shades of tan and rust,

No snowflakes hung upon the wind,

Just clouds of swirling dust.

And where the reindeer should have stood

Before a laden sleigh,

Eight Humvees ran a column

Right behind an M1A.

A group of boys walked past the tank,

Not one was past his teens

Their eyes were hard as polished flint,

Their faces drawn and lean.

They walked the street in armor

With their rifles shouldered tight,

Their dearest wish for Christmas,

Just to have a silent night.

Other soldiers gathered,

Hunkered down against the wind,

To share a scrap of mail

And dreams of going home again.

There wasn't much at all

To put their lonely hearts at ease,

They had no Christmas turkey,

Just a pack of MREs.

They didn't have a garland

Or a stocking I could see,

They didn't need an ornament -

They lacked a Christmas tree.

They didn't have a present

Even though it was tradition,

The only boxes I could see

Were labeled "ammunition."

I felt a little tug

And found my son now by my side,

He asked me what it was I feared,

And why it was I cried.

I swept him up into my arms

And held him oh so near

And kissed him on the forehead

As I whispered in his ear.

"There's nothing wrong, my little son,

For safe we sleep tonight

Our heroes stand on foreign land
To give us all the right.

To worry on the things in life

That mean nothing at all,

Instead of wondering if we

Will be the next to fall."

He looked at me as children do

And said, "it's always right,

To thank the ones who help us

And perhaps that we should write."

And so we pushed aside the bills

And sat to draft a note,

To thank the many far from home,

And this is what we wrote:

"God bless you all and keep you safe,

And speed your way back home.

Remember that we Love You so,

And that you're not alone.

The gift you give you share with all,

A present every day,

You give the gift of liberty

And that we can't repay."

~ Michael Marks ~

This was sent to me by a friend, Sgt. Lucas Pickard, who was wounded in the Middle East war. When we begin to stress over Christmas it would be helpful to reflect on where so many of our dedicated military personnel are spending their time during the holidays. Furthermore, relfect on the fact that some families will never have their Loved Ones home for the holidays again!
Think about it!
Mike

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