New Years Prayer

Dear Lord,
In the New Year, we pray that You will guide us each new day in paths that are pleasing to You.
Lord, the new year gives us another chance to rededicate our lives to You, to study Your Word so that we know right from wrong and to act in accordance with Your commands.
Thank You for the sense of direction, purpose and peace we get from aligning our lives with Your Holy will.
We pray for the strength and the will to obey You each and every day of the new year, and when we fail, we pray for Your mercy, Your compassion, Your grace and Your love. Help us in the new year to be Your faithful servants.
In Jesus' name we pray, Amen

By Joanna Fuchs

The Lovely Evergreen in Nature

Divine Art
by Joan Adams Burchell

Evergreens so beautiful -
dressed in virgin white;
Here and there, ornaments of colour -
God’s winter birds - a delight!

Cardinals, Jays, Chickadees,
and God’s beloved Sparrows -
All a part of His winter canvas
perfected by He who knows.

Snow that falls throughout the night -
untouched by human hand,
Is a vision of Holy loveliness
to those who understand.

Painters, photographers and poets, too,
try to capture the sight;
Skiers, children, enjoy it their way -
as they play with all their might.

Some look through their window-pane,
just admiring the view;
God sends it for those who are shut in -
not only for me and you.

How Great His Wisdom and Love for all!
He knows whate’er the season -
Creative paintings send LOVE all around
and that is God’s gift and reason.

Happy New Year To My Friend's

I wish you Health,
So you may enjoy each day in comfort.

I wish you the Love of friends and family,
And peace within your heart.

I wish you the Beauty of nature,
That you may enjoy the work of God.

I wish you Wisdom to choose priorities,
For those things that really matter in life.

I wish you Generosity so you may share
All good things that come to you.

I wish you Happiness and Joy
And Blessings for the New Year.

I wish for you a Holiday
With happiness galore,
And when it's done, I wish you
Happy New Year, and many more.

No Place at the Inn

The birth of Jesus in the manger (from the movie Ben-Hur, 1959)

Joseph and Mary entered the stable, the animals stirred and made some sounds, they had been asleep. It seemed good to Joseph and Mary to be in out of the weather, there was no room at the inn. Mary was very tired and weary from all the traveling, so Joseph made her as comfortable as he could on the soft straw, she was near giving birth. The little town of Bethlehem was very still and quiet this time of night, only the animals in the stable were awake, but no sound did they make.

Joseph was busy making a bed of straw in the manger for the baby to lie on. As soon as the baby was born Mary wrapped him in clothing and placed him in the manger, not a sound did he make. This is how our Lord and Savior came into this world, surrounded by stable animals, which must of felt the presence of something all inspiring.

They named him Jesus, and you can imagine the angels that were present, the heavens were rejoicing over his birth, and I am sure that trumpets were ringing out, singing his praise. Three wise men came in the stable to see this birth, they fell down and worshiped him, they had brought him presents.

Let us all remember the first day long ago, and praise his name, for he so gave us the gift of life. Let us reach out to those that are not as fortunate as us, let this season be merry and bright. It is hard to live as we should all the time but we have someone that will guide us along the way, believe in Jesus and you shall be saved. I wish all of my friends a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, from my house to yours, God Bless you and your loved ones.

History of the Riga Christmas Tree

When searching for the historical beginning of the first Christmas tree, one must go very deep into the past. Just like Santa Claus one finds that the first Christmas tree was a combination of many different facts, legends and customs all starting in the Baltic countries and what is now Northern Germany. The first documented use of an evergreen tree in a Christmas celebration was in Riga, Latvia, in the year 1510 according to many sources,

Finland has Santa Claus, Russia has traditional handmade Christmas ornaments, Germany has Christmas markets. But arguably the most well known of Christmas traditions--decorating the Christmas tree--may have its origins in Latvia, and it's all but unknown. The location of the first recorded evergreen tree being used in a new year (Christmas) celebration was in Town Hall Square in Riga Latvia, just yards from the majestic Daugava River banks.

Riga has come a long way from those early beginnings. Surviving the harsh Soviet occupation for 50 years. Latvia is once again one of Northern Europe's most exciting places with great possibilities. Latvians look like and consider themselves Nordics.

By the early 18th century, the custom had become common in towns of the upper Rhineland, but it had not spread to rural towns. In the 19th century, the custom became popular among the nobility, in Britain the Christmas tree was introduced by George the third. Several cities in the United States with German connections lay claim to that country's first Christmas tree.

The United States' National Christmas Tree is lit each year on the South Lawn of the White House. Traditionally, Christmas trees were not brought in and decorated until Christmas Eve and taken down the day after twelfth night (Jan. 6th) to have a tree up before or after these dates was even considered bad luck. The term "Charlie Brown Christmas tree" is used in the United States and Canada to described any poor-looking or malformed little tree.

The first artifical Christmas trees were developed in Germany during the 19th century, though earlier examples exist. The trees were made using goose feathers that were dyed green, the size of the trees ranged from two inches to 98 inches, often the tree branches were tipped with artifical red berries which acted as candle holders. In 1930, the U.S. based Addis Brush Co. created the first artifical Christmas trees made from brush bristles.

Over the years since the first people celebrated the first Christmas tree in a far away time, we have since developed our own way of putting up our own tree and making it look beautiful. We even like to decorate outside, so to bring joy and beauty so others may see, in other words we are spreading the joy of the season. I am wishing all my friends a very Merry Christmas, may your spirit of the season touch your heart and your loved ones, God Bless everyone and remember it is a season to reach out and touch someone.

Thanks For Caring

I want to thank all my friends for coming by and leaving a kind comment on me being sick. I feel better and I am working on a new post, which will be on my blog by the week end. Thanks again, love Margaret