Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year


May the the new year be blessed

Love,

Brian, Jodi , Ethan and Jake

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=2007134554829&source=jl999

God wants you to know

... that strength is available. When you are at your weakest, God is strong. When you are down, God can lift you up. When all seems lost, God will help you win. Strength is available when you need it. Believe it, embrace it and rely on it.

do not worry

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.' Matthew 6:34.

Quotes

Anyone can give up...it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength. ~Christopher Reeves





At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent.


Barbara Bush

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest up to God!

Scriptures

“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”


"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor foresake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8



"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

Psalm 91

Psalm 91

1He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.



2I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.



3Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.



4He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.



5Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;



6Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.



7A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.



8Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.



9Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;



10There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.



11For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.



12They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone

inspiration for the day

Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness,heart, talent, guts. That's what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice.

Bethany Hamilton

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Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.




Nelson Mandela

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Children will not remember you for the material things you provided but for the feeling that you cherished them.




Richard L. Evans

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When things go wrong as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all up hill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must, but don't you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about, When he might have won had he stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace seems slow--You may succeed with another blow, Success is failure turned inside out--The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far; So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.




Unknown

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the steeper the mountain the harder the climb the better the view from the finishing line




Anonymous

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friends ...

I believe that friends are quiet angels
Who lift us to our feet when our wings
Have trouble remembering how to fly..

things ...

"Things which matter most should never be at the mercy of things which matter least." ~ Johann Von Gorthe

my husband

~ My husband ~

A strong arm to lean upon

A tender shoulder to cry upon

A patient ear to sound upon

A firm chest to rest upon

A loving heart to rely upon

My best friend

I love you

Mark Twain said it best...

Mark Twain said it best...




"The human race has only one really effective weapon, and that is laughter. The moment it arises, all your irritations and resentments slip away and the sunny spirit takes their place."

The most important success principle ...

"The most important success principle of all was stated by Thomas Huxley many years ago. He said, 'Do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.'"

Words for the New Year

Words for the New Year


Thank you Guide Post for this story



Look over past mistakes and make resolutions for the new year.

By Sue Monk Kidd, Charleston, South Carolina







This January my mind wanders back to the day my daughter, Ann—six years old, her hair tied in bouncing brown pigtails—lined up for a potato sack race.



This was her first time to don a potato sack, and when she climbed inside (headfirst), most of her disappeared. From the sideline I could see the shape of a foot, an elbow; then finally she popped through the opening, grinning like a jack-in-the-box.



Grasping the sack at her chest, she looked toward the finish line with determination. "On your mark. Get set. Go!" Shouts rang out from the crowd as the children jumped forward.



As I suspected, the taller ones left Ann behind. Undaunted, she kept hopping. Then it happened. Her foot tangled in the sack. She sprawled headlong into the dirt.



When she lifted her face I saw a bright-red scrape across her nose. The urge to run onto the track and gather her up was nearly more than I could bear, but something held me back. I stood still, watching, wondering if she would be able to get up and keep hopping.



Slowly she struggled to stand. She tried again and again. Just when I would think she had regained her balance, kerplunk, her feet would catch in the sack and down she'd go again! She reminded me of a baggy-pants clown slipping and sliding on a banana peel.



Finally, though, Ann pushed to her feet and stayed up. She stood there a moment, one blue ribbon dangling from her pigtail and dirt smudged across her cheek. I expected tears, disappointment, humiliation. Instead she looked toward the sideline and shouted excitedly, "Look, Mama, I got up!"



Then off she hopped, all the way to the end, the last to finish. Yet I was more pleased with her that day than if she'd won the whole race.



It reminded me that during the course of living, we all take our share of tumbles. We make mistakes. We fall down on promises to our family, to ourselves, to God. But often our "falls" are not as important as the way we respond to them.



Some people concentrate on the failure, becoming mired in disappointment and negative feelings. But others, like Ann, concentrate on the possibilities left, trying to overcome and press ahead.



It seems to me that that's what Paul had in mind when he wrote of "forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before" (Philippians 3:13).



Can you think of a better principle to guide you this January as you look back over mistakes of the past year and form resolutions for the year ahead?



Today on the starting line of this glorious new year, I'm setting my heart on the race ahead, keeping in mind that just what pleases God most are not the words "I won," but "Look, Father, I got up!"

The New Year ...

The New Year ...



It's that time of year again for resolutions. Instead of resolutions make a list of all your blessings of 2009. No matter what 2009 brought you 2010 is a bright, fresh, new start. We should think of 2010 as a new beginning. So make a list of your blessings and be thankful for everything you have. -love the Mathis family