Fact: Eating chocolate is great therapeutic exercise.
~~~
My New Kooky Experiment
I’ve been participating in the “Six-Word Saturday” challenges for some time now, and I enjoy it. I don’t have something to say every single Saturday, but it’s fun to take part as often as I can. I also began posting a “Seven-Word Sunday” post on two of my blogs last year. And, again, I don’t hit it every single week, but I post as often as I can.
Now, this week, I got a really kooky idea. Why not do a post every day of the week — each day receiving its own number of words?
Monday = One-Word Post
Tuesday = Two-Word Post
Wednesday = Three-Word Post
Thursday = Four-Word Post
Friday = Five-Word Post
Saturday = Six-Word Post
Sunday = Seven-Word Post
So that’s what I’m going to do for the next three weeks. Now, I will be posting other regular posts as well, as the mood strikes me, but I’m going to challenge myself to say something relevant — or at least that means something to me — in the restricted number of words for each day.
I’d like to invite all my readers to take part in the experiment. There’s no challenge except to yourself — to come up with words that say something significant without any excess fluff.
If you take part, there’s no need to link back to me. You’re welcome to post a link to your own posts in the “Comments” of my post for that day if you want to do so. But there’s no requirement. And you don’t have to take part every day. Just think about it and see if you can have some fun with it.
Of course, on Saturdays, I will link back to the original hostess of the “Six-Word Saturday” challenge, just because I think it’s the polite thing to do.
Now — to get started on this unique posting experience!
Six-Word Saturday – 1/23/16
30 Words From ‘Thermostat’
I’m taking up the challenge to see how many words I can get out of the word ‘Thermostat’ in 2 minutes. My list is below. (And remember: if you’re taking part in the challenge, no fair reading my list until you’ve written your own.)
the
them
most
that
treat
test
tat
sat
set
some
same
tame
tome
hat
haste
taste
mast
rest
Rome
rate
rote
her
home
tea
eat
heat
meat
mate
hate
Tate
~~~
How Many Words Can You Make From The Word ‘Thermostat’?
Hey, how about a new kind of writing challenge for the new year? It doesn’t require you to write a whole story, but it does put your brain to work. This challenge will force you to stretch your thinking muscles, be a little creative, and dig down deep into your vocabulary reservoir.
Set a timer for 2 minutes. Then write a list of all the words
you can make from the letters in this word:
THERMOSTAT
When the timer goes off, you MUST stop. If you are in the middle of
writing a word, you can finish the word, but that’s all. You can’t use
any letter more times than you find it in the word. Contractions and proper names are allowed. Abbreviations are NOT allowed. (Once you’ve stopped, if you read over the list and see typos, you may correct them.)
HINT: It may be easier to write them by hand and then type them in once you have the complete list. Because you have to hit the “shift” key and the “return” key at the same time in order to space down just one line in the editor window, it takes more time to type the words into the editor in a list format.
Play fair. Don’t read anyone else’s list until you have written your own.
Post your list on your own blog; then come over here and give us
the link to your post in the “Comments” section below.
TIME FRAME:
The challenge will run through Monday, January 25.
So have your link in the “Comments” section by the stroke
of midnight (in your own time zone) on that day.
I’ll post my list in a separate article and put the link on this page as well.
Have fun
~~~
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star?????
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
No – wait – that isn’t what you are.
My first-grade teacher set me wise:
That stars are really angel’s eyes
Peeking through holes in pie-crust skies.
So many years have come and gone
Since that odd day when it was done.
When teacher stood before our class
And told that lie. I wanted to ask,
But never would I my teacher sass.
So I kept quiet, but wondered long
About how teachers can be wrong.
Not that she didn’t know the truth;
She did, but relied on our youth
To carry out her unkind spoof.
Thank God that I did not believe;
I’m not so easy to deceive.
For though so young, I had insight:
God’s truth had shed in me its light,
And to that truth I did hold tight.
Now, older, I still ask myself
Why grownups have for ages felt
That, for some reason undefined,
We must plant lies in children’s minds.
When truth would be so much more kind.
We mean no harm, but still it’s lies.
And I have known some children cry
When truth was finally revealed,
And hurt at such betrayal sealed
In little hearts where trust was killed.
Dear grownups, let us stop and think:
These young minds tremble on the brink
Of glorious wonders to be learned.
Their eager minds to us are turned –
In trust – and by truth, trust is earned.
~~~
(First line borrowed from Jane Taylor’s poem “The Star,” published in 1806.)
Share Your World 2016, Week 3
I haven’t had much time or opportunity to blog since the first of the year, so I’m going to jump into this third week full steam ahead with Cee’s ‘Share Your World’ post. Hop over to her blog and get the details if you’d like to take part in the fun. It’s a great way to get to know some of the other wonderful people in the WordPress family.
Question # 1: What is your favorite piece of art? (It doesn’t have to be famous.)
My favorite piece of art is a marquetry picture my father created for me showing Jesus Christ standing at the front of a boat in the midst of the storm, stilling the storm. Dad used so many different kinds of wood in the piece, and if you’re familiar with marquetry, you know that none of the wood is painted. It is left in its original shading, and it’s the different colors of the wood itself that gives the picture its color.
He made it some 30 plus years ago, and it still hangs in my living room for everyone to see. It has faded a little over the years, but I’d rather have it the way it is than to hide it away to keep it from fading and not share it with others who can be encouraged by it.
Question # 2: What made you smile today?
When I looked out my door at about 5:30 this evening, and saw the clouds with the red sunset reflecting off of them, I immediately smiled and told the Lord He had done a good job again. I didn’t get a picture of those clouds, but I’ll include a picture that I took previously of some other clouds in a similar state.
Question # 3: Which place do you recommend as a “must see”?
Definitely the Smoky Mountains. You can see this beautiful section of the Appalachian mountains from a number of different states in the southeaster U. S. And even a dozen pictures could never do them justice or show you their complete beauty, because every view from every direction at every elevation on every different day is unique.
Question # 4: Finish this sentence: “When I was young, I used to ….”
When I was young — really, really young — I used to think kindergarten was a cemetery. When I was 5 and 6 years old, I was thrilled with the idea of education. I read a lot and I wrote a lot. In fact, I asked my mom and dad to show me cursive letters and taught myself to write in cursive before I started first grade.
But back then kindergarten was a new concept. It was just becoming popular with many school systems, and in our area, people began to talk about it because it was coming to our school. It didn’t get added to our town’s educational system before I started school, though, so I went straight into the first grade.
But I was fascinated by the concept of ‘little’ kids being taught before they got to first grade, and as I listened to people talk, I’d wonder just how it worked. I finally decided that I knew what it was all about. I had been to a very few cemeteries by that time, and I knew what a garden was. So I decided that kindergarten (note the similarity to the word “garden”) was a big place outside with all these stones spaced evenly around the grounds, and the teacher sat on a big stone to teach, while all the kids sat on smaller stones learning their lessons.
I pictured this type of scene many times as I contemplated this new phase of education, and I probably would have continued in my fantasy for a couple more years if it hadn’t been for having a younger sister. Kindergarten finally arrived in our town, and as my little sister prepared to take her place as one of the privileged 5-year-olds who got to enroll in this advanced educational experience, I mentioned to my parents that I understood what kindergarten was.
Well, you can imagine my surprise when they cleared things up. But I was also more than a little disappointed — because I had been pretty proud of myself to think I had figured out what this brand new educational program was all about. Occasionally now, when visiting a cemetery, I’ll think about those years, when I was so young — and so smart — and so hilariously wrong.
Bonus Question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to this week?
I’m very grateful for my wonderful 6′ 7″ friend, Kent. I have two round fluorescent lights on my kitchen ceiling, which is very, very high. They don’t usually go out at the same time, but this week, they did. I had to get them replaced immediately or have a dark kitchen.
My step stool won’t get me high enough, and I used to climb up on my kitchen table and do the job, but my table has a shaky leg right now, and I didn’t have time to wait for it to be repaired. So I called up my friend and asked him if he would come once to take the bulbs down (because I didn’t remember what size they were and had to take them with me to get the right size) and then come back again once I had the new ones.
He readily agreed and managed to come both times in one day to put up my new lights. Now my kitchen and I are bathed in glorious light once more. Even if my friend were not 6′ 7, he would be very tall in my eyes anyway.
This coming week, I am looking forward to getting my book Healing Is For You! onto the Amazon Kindle Store. I know there are so many people who need help from the Lord for their health, and I’m hoping that having my book available in e-book format will make it much easier and less expensive for them to get help through what they learn in the book.
~~~
First Poem of the Year
Ho! The new year is upon me!
Its first poem must be penned.
I have a new beginning,
And I must to it attend.
Oh, I do not take it lightly
That I have another chance
To reach for goals before me,
To learn a brand new dance.
To dream some happy new dreams,
To reach out loving hands
And touch new hearts with my love,
To help my fellow man.
Ho! The new year is upon me!
It’s running swift and free.
So I must ply both heart and soul
To give it all of me.
~~~
Morning Glory
~~~
Epiphany: You Don’t Have to Be a Christian to Call on Jesus
Epiphany is a celebration by the Body of Christ of the revelation of Jesus Christ to the gentiles — all nations of people who are not from His own Jewish heritage. On this day, we often celebrate the arrival of the wise men from the east, who came many miles, following a great sign in the heavens, to worship Jesus as the Lord of the universe who had come to earth as a man to redeem His creation from their own sin and its curse. The following article is an edited version of one I posted a few years ago, but I feel it says what is in my heart on this special day of celebration. I hope it blesses you, even if you read it when I originally shared it. It comes to you with my wish that you will have a continuous revelation throughout this new year of Jesus Christ and all He wants to be for you and your life.
“Jesus of Nazareth is coming!”
“Do you see Him yet?”
“Here He comes!”
“Here comes Jesus!”
Excitement was rampant, and cries of “Hosanna” filled the air. Shouts of joy and triumph could be heard for miles along the road, and people rushed to lay palm branches and their personal garments as a carpet of welcome. Jesus of Nazareth was coming to Jerusalem.
This carpenter-teacher who had journeyed among them for nearly three years, teaching them, healing them, feeding them, forgiving them, raising their dead. This miracle worker, this wise man, this man who was gentle enough to draw crowds of children to his side yet bold enough He would soon drive money-changers from the temple with a whip — this man whom many claimed was the prophesied Messiah of Jehovah — this man was coming again to Jerusalem! I’m sure, had we been there, we would have heard the message repeated over and over again for miles: “Here comes Jesus! Here comes Jesus!”
We in the Christian world celebrate that event on one special day out of the year, and we call it Palm Sunday. We have special services and some of us wave palm branches in the air to commemorate the day that is often referred to by church historians as Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. But that event happened over 2000 years ago. One could say it’s all history now; it’s been said and done; it’s over.
But not so, my friends! I am thrilled beyond words to be able to tell you that Jesus is still coming to anyone and everyone who would like to receive Him. He’s a living, vital, right-now Jesus. He is the I AM (The self-existent one who causes all other things to be; the one who is and becomes whatever He desires to become — Hebrew definition). And the great I AM desires to become everything that His creation needs.
Jesus of Nazareth is alive today, and He’s still loving people, teaching people, feeding people, forgiving people, delivering people, healing people and making them whole. And, yes, He’s still raising people from the dead. He’s the same Jesus who fulfilled the words of the ancient prophets by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey that day. He’s the same Jesus who worked myriads of miracles for the people. He’s the same Jesus who went to the cross to pay for the rebellion and sin of all the human race.
He’s the same Jesus who rose from the grave and took His throne as Lord of the universe. He’s the same Jesus who promised that if we would call on Him and receive Him as Lord, He would freely fill us with His own eternal life and with power to serve Him. He’s the same Jesus who promised that after our life of service to Him on this earth, we would move on to Heaven and live with Him forever. No questions — no if’s, and’s or but’s. No struggling to get there, no sacrifice, no hard work, no price to pay. Jesus did the work. We receive the benefit. And the Word of God, Hebrews 13:8, says “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.”
So I can tell you confidently: “Here comes Jesus! He’s coming to you today! He’s coming because He sees your need; He sees your trouble; He sees your sorrow; He sees your pain; He sees your desperation; He sees your hopelessness; He hears your questions; He hears your confusion; He hears your private crying. He’s coming to you because He loves you.
Did you know that you don’t have to be a Christian for Jesus Christ to love you? Sometimes we who call ourselves Christians tend to flock together so tightly that we become almost like a clique, and the rest of the world feels as though they can’t break through the wall to become a part. But my message to the “rest of the world” today is that you don’t have to become a part of the “clique of Christianity.” All you have to do is get to know Jesus, the real person.
And did you know that you don’t have to be a Christian to call on Jesus? That’s right. Jesus isn’t listening just for the call of the Christians. Certainly, He’s attuned to their cries and He rushes to their help when they need Him, but Jesus the Christ is listening — intently — for the cries of all the millions of His creation in this world who don’t know Him at all. His heart is waiting expectantly for their voice to call out His name. And He’s ready to answer that call swiftly. He’s ready to come home with you at any time.
When Jesus walked the earth, He was often found in the homes of those who were not active believers. People whom the scriptures refer to as “publicans” and “sinners” found that Jesus was more than willing to spend time with them and teach them the truth about God — and show them God’s love by healing their sick and delivering those in demonic bondage. In fact, He often received hateful criticism from the religious leaders of His day because He gave Himself so freely to those who did not have a relationship with the true God. But Jesus’ response was simply that His main reason for coming into the earth was to find those who did not know Him and offer Himself to them.
Zacchaeus was one such man. (His story is told in the Word of God, the book of Luke, chapter 19.) Although technically a descendant of Abraham, Zacchaeus was chief among publicans — which means he made his living working for the Roman government, collecting taxes from his fellow Israelites — and, by his own admission, cheating them. He had heard about Jesus, but he was no believer. However, he was curious, and as Jesus passed through Jericho, right before his entry into Jerusalem on the donkey, Zacchaeus, a short man, climbed into a tree so that he could see and hear Jesus easily. Jesus called him down from the tree and invited Himself to Zacchaeus’ house.
Zacchaeus recognized Jesus as the Messiah and opened to Him his home and his heart. We know that he invited Jesus in with his whole heart, because, after spending only a short time with Him, Zacchaeus voluntarily confessed his sin of cheating and promised to make restoration of everything with interest. Jesus did not ask Zacchaeus to do so. The man simply opened his heart to Jesus, and a changed nature was the result.
So, I will say once more: You do not need to be a Christian to call on Jesus. No matter what religious tag you wear — including that of “Atheist” — that tag will not keep Jesus from coming to you if your heart is reaching out for Him and inviting Him in. What will happen to that religious tag after you meet Jesus? Who cares? I can guarantee you — without qualification — that if you ever meet the real Jesus, you won’t care.
Here comes Jesus! He’s coming to us today — Christian and non-Christian — He’s coming. With words of comfort and reassurance to destroy fear — with delivering power to destroy the yokes of the devil — with healing and wholeness for body, mind, and spirit — with wisdom and direction that leads to successful solutions — with the power of His Holy Spirit and all of the anointing for service — with eternal life to overcome death once and for all and forever.
Jesus is coming! He’s coming to you! Right now! Open your heart to Him and let Him meet all of your needs today.
~~~
Picture courtesy of Wikipedia commons: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jesus_entering_jerusalem_on_a_donkey.jpg
12 Days of Christmas Blessings: Day 12 – ‘A True Love’s Locket’
What if on the 12th day of Christmas, some girl’s true love gave her a locket?
And what if she lost it?
Here’s what I hope would happen:
I found a locket nestled 'neath a tree.
It sparkled, and it twinkled, and it surely winked at me.
It looked forlorn, forgotten, skimmed with dew,
And I felt an intruder as I wondered what to do.
At last I reached and plucked it from the grass.
The chain was fragile – I could tell – and had a broken clasp.
A lovey heart, engraved on back and front,
Showed me it was a gift of love that someone still would want.
I opened it with tender, loving care,
And found, all safe and snug inside, a single lock of hair.
The curly tress was of the darkest brown,
And I felt so entranced by this small mystery I'd found.
But I was in a quandary what to do:
How to locate the rightful owner I had not a clue.
Then finally I thought, “I'll advertise,
and if the owner sees my ad, there'll be a nice surprise.”
I tucked it in my pocket, nice and warm,
And, eager to relay my news, I headed quickly home.
I couldn't help but sing a little song,
So happy I could have a part in helping love along.
~~~
As we come to the real close of the Christmas celebration, I hope you and your loved ones have enjoyed a happy, healthy, love-filled holiday season. And may you carry all that happiness, health, and love throughout this new year.
~~~
12 Days of Christmas Blessings: Day 11 — ‘What Are You Worth?’
This post is a repeat of an article I posted a couple years ago, but I feel it is important enough to deserve re-posting. The truth incorporated in this lesson is something we need to be reminded of frequently, so for myself — and for you — I’m sharing it again.
WHAT ARE YOU WORTH?
“Long lay the world in sin and error, pining, ’til He appeared, and the soul felt its worth.” (‘O Holy Night’ by Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure)
These words are familiar to most of us as part of a Christmas carol — a song we hear only during the month of December each year and then put away with all the other Christmas trappings. But this song, especially this particular line, has so much to say to the human race beyond “Merry Christmas.” The enormous revelation contained in these lines is a vital and eternal truth that affects the daily lives of every man and woman born into the world.
After the human race’s rebellion against their Father God, the whole world lay in deep darkness and the death grip of sin and its resulting curse. Even man’s intellect had become twisted — a prisoner of error and vain imaginations. The souls of human beings had absolutely no concept of their value or of the unfathomable love for them still in the heart of their Creator.
They were confused, afraid, tormented by the evils let loose in this world by their own sin. They were without escape, without hope. Until HE came. God Himself — who had created them, born their betrayal, but loved them beyond it — offered HIMSELF in payment for them. He purchased their freedom from their own self-made dungeon with the only source of payment rich enough to be acceptable — Himself.
Only then did the human race realize their true value. Only then did the human soul begin to get a glimpse of its own worth. Only then did man begin to understand how truly immeasurable — how priceless — his very existence. Only then did any of the human race experience truth and love. Darkness fled. Ignorance fled. Fear fled. Death fled.
With the appearance of Jesus Christ, to fulfill His appointed work of pouring out His own blood to release men from their own sin, light burst through the darkness and revealed the value of the human soul in all its glory — as surely as a bright light causes the facets of a diamond to burst forth in shafts of light that reveal its value for all to see.
“… He appeared, and the soul felt its worth.”
HE has appeared! FOR YOU! And He didn’t come with the expectation that we would celebrate that coming only once a year. No, He came so that we could understand how precious we are to Him every single day of our lives. When we’re good; when we’re bad; when we’ve got it all together; when we’re confused and going under for the umpteenth time. He came when we were totally rebellious and unlovable, and that says it all: it says you are the most important thing in the universe to Him
So don’t wait until next Christmas to think about His coming. He comes to you continually. He comes to whisper love words and life-giving truth. So today — right now — open up your heart anew, and let your soul reach out and receive the revelation of how priceless you are to the God of the universe!
~~~
~~~
Video: ‘Healing Is For You!’ – Chapter Two: How Long Do You Want To Live?
This video offers Chapter Two of my book Healing Is For You! — read by yours truly.
~~~
Charles Dickens changed the world
12 Days of Christmas Blessings is now at day 10. Today I’m sharing a post from a fellow-blogger, Brad Stanton, who wrote this article about Charles Dickens. Many thousands of people connect Dickens with “A Christmas Carol,” which has become world-famous as the quintessential Christmas story and has been portrayed in a hundred different ways all over the world. But Brad shares another aspect of Charles Dickens’ life in this article and another way in which the author affected the whole world with many other novels that he wrote. I hope you enjoy the post.
If I voted for the best writer of English literature, I would vote for Charles Dickens. His writings about orphans enlightened and changed the way people perceived homeless children and brought about great positive change for them. The photo is Dickens as a boy.
Dickens had to quit school and go to work in a factory after his father went to debtors’ prison. He had very little formal education, but he became one of the greatest writers of English literature. He enjoyed more popularity and fame than any writer of his time.
One reason his writing is so good is that he published novels on installments. That means he published a little each week and eventually the writings made up a complete novel (similar to blogging today). He got feedback regularly and changed his writing accordingly.
Many believe his extreme poverty as a child drove him to succeed even though…
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Only In God’s Presence
I’m borrowing this powerful post from “Pure Glory” for my 12 Days of Christmas gift to my readers today. This is the 9th day of this holy celebration of Christs’s coming, and I hope you find great blessing in today’s post.
by Apostle Gabriel Cross
You are released, you are cured, you are healed, you are restored, and you will retrieve all. Only In my Presence! Only in My Presence! Only In My Presence, My GLORY, My way of Doing things. Being in my presence begins, not with what you desire from me, but what I desire from you. Go up, lift up to the mountain of the presence of the Lord, for a better scope, a better view of things; a stronger understanding of things; greater vision and new and improved perception from heaven!
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The Happy Wordcrafter 
