Unraveling the Stress of the Christmas Season

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As we head into heat of the Christmas season with the frustrating lines in the stores, the tangled lights that don’t work after hours of decorating, the strained relationships especially within families, the baking that was a flop, the stress to fit all the activities into your calendar are only examples of  the pressure cooker we make of the season as we blow our tops and lose the joy of the season, I am cautioned by this word my heavenly Papa dropped into my heart.

Dear Child,

The pressure and stress that robs you of the joy of this season has been manufactured by man and led man into slavery when this season was to set man free from the bondage of this world. The angels cry “Joy to the world” not “Stress to the world”.

Do not try to package my gift in wrapping paper of stress tied up with a bow of pressure!

My gift came wrapped in joy and tied with love.

May the joy of the season overflow from your hearts as you extend your arms as ribbons of love to others.

Thus saith Papa

Luke 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 

CHALLENGE: Do not let the world pour you into its mold of stress during this season of joy.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

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Thanking God for His blessings on the lives of these three little girls who grew up to love the Lord and are serving Him faithfully in various ministries around the USA, in Nashville TN, Austin TX and Charlotte NC. 

My young daughters, Kathleen, Patsy and Angela during their first Thanksgiving in the USA  after immigrating from the UK in 1972.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go:and when he is old, he will not depart from it

The Blessings Of A Thankful Heart 

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Why does God continually remind us to be thankful? 

 A thankful heart is full of praise, which ushers us into His presence. 

 A thankful heart blesses the Father’s heart. 

 A thankful heart is a soft, pliable heart that God can mold to
His image. 

 A thankful heart is a joyous heart that strengthens us spiritually. 

 A thankful heart remembers His faithfulness in the past 

thereby feeding our faith to trust Him for our future. 

 A thankful heart will be a good steward of blessings. 

Dear Child,
If you appreciated all My blessings in your life, your heart would overflow with joy! Giving thanks causes you to be reminded of what you are thankful for and this gives you a fresh appreciation. If you are thankful for My blessings, you will enjoy them, if you take them for granted they will not give you joy, for they will be put on the shelf for another day like a discarded gift. Enjoy life, it’s My greatest gift, when you enjoy life you have a thankful heart, and a thankful heart is pleasing in My sight.
Thus saith Papa. 

CHALLENGE: Have the moths of discontentment, complaining and lack of appreciation eaten away holes in your garment of praise, leaving it thread bare, and robbing your life of joy?

Read more on my chapter on gratitude in “DEVELOPING A SECRET HISTORY WITH GOD”

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Want To Be Happier?

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Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have. 

“We are not made happy by what we acquire but by what we appreciate. A survey reveals that we usually take for granted 80% of the blessings in our lives, therefore we are only 20% as happy as we could be! Consequently the degree to which we are thankful determines our happiness.”

Read more from page 145 “Developing A Secret History With God”

Available Barnes &Noble / Amazon or a bookstore near you.

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The Most Taken For Granted Blessing !

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We never seem to notice that electrical pulse of our hearts beating continually an average of 80 beats per minute, that’s about 4,800 times per hour, until it goes out of rhythm, like mine did several years ago. Now after surgeries and a stroke I thank God in my journal everyday for a steady sinus rhythm heartbeat when I spend time alone with Him.

We should be grateful for every heartbeat! That’s a whopping 115,200 times per day to be THANKFUL!