"Sing Aloud"

"But I will sing of your might; I will sing aloud of
your steadfast love in the morning." Psa. 59:16

Christmas is past. The days seem to go so fast
with all of the hustle and bustle, and before you
know it, the holiday is over.

Some of our neighbors have the lawn decorations
that are filled with air. During the day, these
ornaments have been deflated and lying dormant
waiting for air to fill them back up again.

We can feel like these ornaments after the
holiday is over, or we can choose to sing aloud
in praise to our Creator in gratitude for all of our
blessings.

We have so much to be grateful for. As the
Psalm says "your steadfast love in the morning,"
is something we can be grateful for as we do
our after Christmas clean up and shopping for
sales.

God's love is steadfast, not only in the morning,
but every moment.

A favorite hymn of mine is "Count Your Many
Blessings." Perhaps as we put away the
Christmas decorations and prepare for the New
Year, we can sing aloud our praise and count
our many blessings.

Let Us Pray:
Sweet Holy Spirit, we are truly grateful for Your
Presence that is steadfast Love in every
moment. We are grateful for the many ways
we have been blessed and continue to be
blessed. Thank You. Amen.

I am grateful for your continued support of
this ministry, and feel so blessed to have you
in my life.

Happy New Year!

In gratitude,
Sandy

"Joyful Noise"

"Make a joyful noise to the Lord..." Psa. 100:1

I was reminded of this psalm while we were in
church singing Christmas carols. It makes me
so grateful that the Lord loves a joyful noise,
because my singing is truly "joyful noise." So,
much so, I think my husband was glad he had
forgotten to wear his hearing aids to church.

Christmas brings a lot of joyful noise as we
gather together with family and friends. There
is laughter and joy as we recite memories of
times past.

This week end we had joyful noise at our home
as my two daughters, their children (7), and my
Mother joined us for an early celebration. We
aren't used to so much activity in our home,
but we were grateful for the opportunity to get
together.

As we celebrate the birthday of our Wayshower,
Jesus, and celebrate the realization of the birth
of the Christ in us, may we let our noise be
joyful.

Let Us Pray:
Living, loving Presence, we celebrate the birth
of Jesus, and we celebrate the birth of the
Christ in us. We raise joyful hearts in praise
and gratitude to You. Thank You, God. Amen.

Merry Christmas, and thank you so much for
your love and support.

Love,
Sandy

"Good Grief"

"Good grief, Charlie Brown!" -Charles Schultz

Yes, it is December, and only two weeks
away from Christmas--I really haven't forgotten
that this is the time of happiness and joy. Or,
at least that's what we most often think.

The holiday seasons can also be a time of
grieving for many. We grieve because of
loved ones who aren't here any more to
celebrate the season with us. Sometimes
we grieve because Christmas just doesn't
live up to the stories and carols.

It also is a time of change as we see the
last weeks of the year start to come to a
close, and perhaps things haven't worked
out the way we wanted or goals haven't
been achieved.

Jesus is reported to have said," Blessed are
those who mourn, for they will be comforted."
Matthew 5:4.

We are blessed as we grieve when we take
time to be aware of our feelings instead of
stuffing them inside. It's alright if we are
not full of happiness and joy.

The most important thing to do is to be kind
and gentle with ourselves, and allow us to
feel our feelings.

Perhaps then we can go from grief to joy as
we release those feelings.

None of the feelings are right or wrong. They
are just feelings. The important thing is to
recognize them and take care of ourselves
around what we are feeling.

Let Us Pray:
Sweet Holy Spirit, we go within and connect
with You. We are grateful for this time when
we can be aware of our feelings, and grateful
that Your love surrounds and enfolds us. We
are so blessed. Thank You. Amen.

We are grateful for you, and we wish you
awareness and peace in this blessed time of
year.

Love,
Sandy

"Angels We Have Heard on High"

"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on
earth peace among those whom he favors!"
Luke 2:14

A great host of angels spoke the above words
as an announcement of the birth of Jesus.

There are many recordings of angels being
present during the events of what we know as
the Christmas story.

Metaphysically we think of angels as being
messengers. They are bringers of a Divine
Idea or message to us.

We don't necessarily see a being with wings
and a halo, but we receive a message of
guidance, strength, healing, comfort through
our inner knowing. These messages usually
come when we are quiet or in the Silence.

Sometimes the message will come from
other people.

It is up to us to take time to listen. We never
know when there is a special message that
Spirit is trying to communicate.

Let Us Pray:
Sweet Holy Spirit, we go within, and we
listen for Your message. We know You
desire the highest and best for us. We are
open to You. Thank You, God. Amen.

We trust all is well with you. We give thanks
for you.

In joy,
Sandy