SEASONS - Resources
Christmas / Easter / Halloween / Misc / New Year's / Spiritual 'Seasons' in our lives / Thanksgiving
**Disclaimer: We have not had a chance to read all of the articles so may not necessarily agree with everything included here.
Annie's
Gingerbread Page
An Online Christmas Songbook
Christmas
Around the World
Christmas Carol
& Lyrics Page
Christmas
Checkers - game
Christmas Crafts
- free
Christmas from A Christian
Perspective - Links
Christmas MP3 to download
Christmas
Pages & here
Christmas Recipes
Christmas WAVS & MIDIS
Free Christmas Scene
to download to your desktop - biblical
Free Christmas
Sheet Music
Holiday
Traditions of Various Nations
Holiday
Traditions Immigrate Too
Is Christmas Necessary?
(history of Christmas) - Jerry Solomon
Southern Angel's Christmas
Page
Word
Search Puzzles re Christmas
WorldView
- Christmas Around the World
Christmas
from Connie's Christian Corner perspective
A Religious
Christmas
Ancient Biblical prophecies fulfilled
in Christ's Birth
Christian Christmas stories
Christian origins of 'the
12 days of Christmas'
#1
Christmas
Around the World
Christmas ideas from Reader's Digest
Christmas
in China - true story - Christian
Christmas in Cyberspace - Christian
perspective
Christian perspective/stories
about Christmas - ****
Reader's Digest
Christmas stories
The
True Meaning of the Candy Cane - Christian story
The Christmas Story – What Really Happened?
T'was the Night before Jesus
Came
Xmas or Christmas?
– Larry Burkett
++ CHRISTMAS POEM ++
(Picked this up from the WEB).
Andy
'Twas The Night Before Christmas,
He Lived All Alone,
In A One Bedroom House
Made Of Plaster And Stone.
I Had Come Down The Chimney
With Presents To Give,
And To See Just Who
In This Home Did Live.
I Looked All About,
A Strange Sight I Did See,
No Tinsel, No Presents, Not Even A Tree.
No Stocking By Mantle,
Just Boots Filled With Sand,
On The Wall Hung Pictures
Of Far Distant Lands.
With Medals And Badges,
Awards Of All Kinds,
A Sober Thought Came Through My Mind.
For This House Was Different,
It Was Dark And Dreary,
I Found The Home Of A Soldier,
Once I Could See Clearly.
The Soldier Lay Sleeping,
Silent, Alone,
Curled Up On The Floor
In This One Bedroom Home.
The Face Was So Gentle,
The Room In Such Disorder,
Not How I Pictured
A United States Soldier.
Was This The Hero
Of Whom I'd Just Read?
Curled Up On A Poncho,
The Floor For A Bed?
I Realized The Families
That I Saw This Night,
Owed Their Lives To These Soldiers
Who Were Willing To Fight.
Soon Round The World,
The Children Would Play,
And Grownups Would Celebrate
A Bright Christmas Day.
They All Enjoyed Freedom
Each Month Of The Year,
Because Of The Soldiers,
Like The One Lying Here.
I Couldn't Help Wonder
How Many Lay Alone,
On A Cold Christmas Eve
In A Land Far From Home.
The Very Thought
Brought A Tear To My Eye,
I Dropped To My Knees
And Started To Cry.
The Soldier Awakened
And I Heard A Rough Voice,
"Santa Don't Cry,
This Life Is My Choice;
I Fight For Freedom,
I Don't Ask For More,
My Life Is My God,
My Country, My Corps."
The Soldier Rolled Over
And Drifted To Sleep,
I Couldn't Control It,
I Continued To Weep.
I Kept Watch For Hours,
So Silent And Still
And We Both Shivered
From The Cold Night's Chill.
I Didn't Want To Leave
On That Cold, Dark, Night,
This Guardian Of Honor
So Willing To Fight.
Then The Soldier Rolled Over,
With A Voice Soft And Pure,
Whispered, "Carry On Santa,
It's Christmas Day, All Is Secure."
One Look At My Watch,
And I Knew He Was Right.
"Merry Christmas My Friend,
And To All A Good Night."
This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa Japan. The
following is his request. I think it is reasonable.....
PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this
to as many people
as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our
U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these
festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we
owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed
themselves for us. Please, do your small part to plant this small seed.
Easter
Pages
Easter
from Connie's Christian Corner perspective
Greek
Orthodox Easter liturgy
Easter in
Cyberspace
The Easter Page
Christian
Perspective on Halloween
Halloween
- Bible Study Resources
NEW HALLOWEEN EVANGELISM WEBSITE!
From: "Gospelcom.net Announce" <gospelcom-announce-owner@lists.gospelcom.net>
American Tract Society thinks that Halloween
night might just be the greatest opportunity Christians have all year to share
the Gospel with children. With this in mind, ATS has created an all-new website,
October31st.org, designed to share a Halloween-themed evangelistic message
with visitors. In conjunction with a new series of Halloween tracts,
October31st.org can help you to share the Good News with others this Halloween!
October31st.org
American Tract Society
Halloween
Page
Halloween from Connie's Christian
Corner perspective
Annie's Halloween
Page
Halloween History
Halloween - What
it Is From a Christian Perspective
Hell O Ween
- a ChHalloween
#2
The
Dark Side of Halloween
The Spirit Watch: A Christian
Perspective on Halloween - uses lots of Scripture
Trick
or Treat: A History of Halloween from A Christian Perspective - good site
history
CONTENTS
SPIRITUAL SEASONS IN OUR LIVES
Elijah at the Dried Up Brook at Cherith
A Journey in the Wilderness - Becoming Fruitful
in the Kingdom - Paul Weigel - excellent book!! - ever been in the 'wilderness'? If so, this book will affirm and confirm things that you have gone through...if you haven't been in it yet, it's still to come...this will help to encourage you while you're going through this painful process
LOVE IN THE RUINS: Hope in the Wasteland (CD) by Lianna Klassen
Beautiful and profoundly touching/encouraging songs about Lianna's journey through the wilderness...!!
10
Days of Restoration
40 Days
of Wilderness - Chuck Pierce
40 Days
of Wilderness Leading to Power - Chuck Pierce
In
My Father's Vineyard - book - very helpful and beautifully and artistically
done -
Are you going through a 'spiritual winter' or a spiritual desert? This book
will encourage you!
A
Word for Those Who Feel Hot, Dry and Barren!
Christ Within
Coming
Out Of the Wilderness
The
Fire Bride
The
Harness of the Lord
THE
DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL - author unknown
The Journey: Some
of the Processes God Brings His People Through - an artistic journey through
modelling clay figurines, song lyrics and prayer poems
The
Shadowed Valley - very encouraging article about some of God's
valleys in our lives
The Harness
of the Lord
The Fire
Bride
(my rendition of the Fire Bride - Fire Bride: http://ethniclink.net/EthniClayFireBride.html)
The Extravagance
of God
Drink of Me
Feel Like You're Sitting on a Shelf and Forgotten by God? - A
Time of Preparation
Jesus 'In The
Wilderness' - Ron Dicianni - painting
My Only
Compass is You - Song
A
Time of Being Shut Away
Music in the 'Rests'
Escape
from Christendom and the 4 Wildernesses - poem/analogy
Grace
for Failures in the Wilderness
Coming
Up from the Wilderness - excellent poem
PRINCIPLES
OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH (articles from book) - Miles Stanford - book
EXCELLENT meditations on spiritual growth from
a biblical perspective
He
Is All You Need - words to Rob Frazier song and RealAudio
Arise,
My Darling! - prophetic song from Song of Songs/Zeph. 3 - from NIV
The
Sonship of Women - God's Women Coming Out of the Wilderness
The
Harness of the Lord
---------------------
PREPARATION FOR GOD's PEOPLE IN THE CONTEXT OF ANNOUNCING,
PROCLAIMING & DEMONSTRATING THE KINGDOM OF GOD - PREPARING TO TAKE THE
LAND - excellent articles!!
http://www.morningstarministries.org/pages/word_week/2004/word_week_menu_2004.html
http://www.morningstarministries.org/pages/word_week/word_week_menu.html
---------------------
Living Water
- song by Bob Carlisle - lyrics
I feel Your touch, I can feel Your heart,
As I'm lying here, alone in the dark.
I feel Your voice gently say, "Come to Me."
I long for Your love as the earth longs for the rainfall.
I'm weary - Lord, I've wandered this desert too long.
Chorus
So come, living water, flow through me like a river,
My heart's been thirsting so long.
Flood through my soul, and pour out your mercy.
Come, living water, fill me.
Lord, so many times You've called my name,
And I've turned my face the other way.
Yet before I even saw the womb, You loved me.
How can I be so blind
When I alone have created my darkness.
Forgive me, and wash me clean again.
NOW
IS THE TIME (To Make Ready a People Prepared for the Lord) - poem
Others May - You
Cannot
Out
With the Old, In With the New
Parallel Between Spiritual Winter and Darkness/Coldness
of Winter
Preparing
to Take the Land
The Brook Dried Up
Special
Word to the Weary in 2004
The Dark Night of
the Soul
The Process
of Seeing Our Visions Becoming Reality -
Although this has to do with house churches, the process is similar no matter
what visions are on our hearts as God leads us in His directions. Hopefully
this will be of encouragement to you.
The Wilderness
- Chuck Pierce
Treasures in Darkness
Waiting on the Lord
Weakened
Warriors
Wilderness
Examples in the Bible
WILDERNESS - the
School of the Prophets
2003 - a Year of Joy & Excitement
Do I Trust You
- Twila Paris
When
the Brook Dries Up - Winkey Pratney
=========
THE BROOK DRIED UP
- Grace Wiebe March 2002
A. Some years ago
The Lord said to me
"I'm drying up your brook
Do you not see?"
Like Elijah of old
I've met all your needs
I've fed you by hand
Here by the ravine.
But it's time to move on
Beyond this dry brook
Your finances are gone
And it's time for you to go.
But look unto Me,
For I am the Way;
Put your trust in Me
And I'll lead you every day.
Now He led me away
To where, I did not know.
Like Abraham of old
He just told me to 'Go'!
So I followed Him away
From this forsaken place
Though it had been to me
A place of God's grace.
He led me to a place
A place called Zarephath
Where He brought me through a 'death'
So He could bring more Life!
"Refinement" and "Humiliation"
Was the name of His school.
"Trust in Me and lean not to
Your understanding" said He.
I stayed with my 'widow'
In a quite dependant state.
This journey was certainly
A major walk of faith.
As with Elijah
After almost 3 years
He 'resurrected' me
And began to set me free!
He's brought me to a spacious place,
To a 'new assignment' says He.
As He's done with Elijah
He's done with me!
There are times
And there are seasons
That God brings us through
"Appointed times" and "proper times"
That God has ordained.
There are reasons for these seasons
Which we may not understand
But we can rest in the knowledge
That they're part of His plan
Is your brook drying up?
Are you in one of His schools?
Then He's preparing you now
For an assignment that's new.
Keep your eyes fixed on Him
His ways are higher than yours
He will not leave you
As you rest in His love.
Though the journey is deeply painful
Torturous, many times
God is working in you
His Righteousness divine.
He will comfort and encourage you
As you trust in His love
Though He often seems distant
His sweet whispers you will sometimes hear.
His grace and His mercy
Will minister to you
As He leads your Flesh to death
On the 'cross' that you must bear.
There's a grace beyond measure
Unspeakable peace and relief
As we find ourselves accepted
Because of all that HE's done!
The cross of Jesus is beautiful
Repentance his gift
As we truly begin to grasp
That all our life is in Him.
So as we go through the Process
Let our fainting hearts have hope
That's He's transforming us into His likeness
And His love for us will never end.
Intimacy and joy
Fulfillment and peace
Are some of the blessings He's working in us
As we submit to His love.
We may not understand Him
But later on we'll see
That what we felt was evil
Was the best for us, indeed!
God be with you and keep you
And wrap you up in His love
May His face of grace shine on you
And water your parched heart.
Take courage in your weakness
For in it He'll be strong
He will lead you through this Wilderness
And fill your life with His Song!
From: Back to the Bible <info@lists.backtothebible.org>
Streams in the Desert devotional
Title: Music and the Rest
Author: Mrs. Charles E. Cowman
Source: Streams in the Desert
Scripture Reference: Matthew 14:13-13
"Into a desert place apart" (Matt. 14:13).
"There is no music in a rest, but there is the making of music in it." In our whole life-melody the music is broken off here and there by "rests," and we foolishly think we have come to the end of the tune. God sends a time of forced leisure, sickness, disappointed plans, frustrated efforts, and makes a sudden pause in the choral hymn of our lives; and we lament that our voices must be silent, and our part missing in the music which ever goes up to the ear of the Creator. How does the musician read the "rest"? See him beat the time with unvarying count, and catch up the next note true and steady, as if no breaking place had come between.
Not without design does God write the music of our lives. Be it ours to learn the tune, and not be dismayed at the "rests." They are not to be slurred over, not to be omitted, not to destroy the melody, not to change the keynote. If we look up, God Himself will beat the time for us. With the eye on Him, we shall strike the next note full and clear. If we sadly say to ourselves, "There is no music in a 'rest,'" let us not forget "there is the making of music in it." The making of music is often a slow and painful process in this life. How patiently God works to teach us! How long He waits for us to learn the lesson! --Ruskin
"Called aside--
From the glad working of thy busy life,
From the world's ceaseless stir of care and strife,
Into the shade and stillness by thy Heavenly Guide
For a brief space thou hast been called aside.
"Called aside--
Perhaps into a desert garden dim;
And yet not alone, when thou hast been with Him,
And heard His voice in sweetest accents say:
'Child, wilt thou not with Me this still hour stay?'
"Called aside--
In hidden paths with Christ thy Lord to tread,
Deeper to drink at the sweet Fountainhead,
Closer in fellowship with Him to roam,
Nearer, perchance, to feel thy Heavenly Home.
"Called aside--
Oh, knowledge deeper grows with Him alone;
In secret of His deeper love is shown,
And learnt in many an hour of dark distress
Some rare, sweet lesson of His tenderness.
"Called aside--
We thank thee for the stillness and the shade;
We thank Thee for the hidden paths Thy love hath made,
And, so that we have wept and watched with Thee,
We thank Thee for our dark Gethsemane.
"Called aside--
Oh, restful thought--He doeth all things well;
Oh, blessed sense, with Christ alone to dwell;
So in the shadow of Thy cross to hide,
We thank Thee, Lord, to have been called aside."
This classic devotional is the unabridged edition of Streams in the Desert.
This first edition was published in 1925 and the wording is preserved as originally
written. Connotations of words may have changed over the years and are not
meant to be offensive
Parallel Between Spiritual Winter and Darkness/Coldness of Winter
-- G. Wiebe, Nov.2002
Recently, as I was up at night for some reason, I was just thinking how dark it was still at 6 in the morning, and the thought just crossed my mind how I sure enjoy the light and warmth of summer more than the long darkness and coldness of winter...
And then suddenly the thought flashed into my mind that this is such a cool parallel to what happens in the spiritual seasons of our lives...and how in our spiritual wildernesses, or spiritual WINTERS, it is so opposite to what happens in our spiritual SUMMERS where the light and warmth is most prevalent and we tend to appreciate the light and warmth much more than the cold and extended periods of darkness.
Just so in our spiritual summers when things are going well for the most part, we enjoy so much more spiritual Light in His Presence - so much more intensity and WARMTH - it feels so much better than the cold DARKNESS of winter...in summer there is LIFE all around us, but in the WINTERS there seems to be death all around...and shadows and so many unknowns in dark places where we can hardly see in front of us...we don't know what kinds of dangers lurk there...the length of the darkness is greatly lengthened and intensified during our spiritual winters...and it can feel very oppressive and scary....we have to face our fears and doubts in our winters...in the darkness... Also, the summers seem to go by far too quickly, whereas the DARK season of winter seems to drag on and on...
Though there are also bright sunny days in winter, and some are even warm, most are cold and dark.. Even here there is a parallel because in our spiritual winters, God is still faithful to provide glimpses of Himself, though the intensity is not the same as in our summer seasons where we can bask in the light and warmth...so much more emotionally enriching than the cold darkness of winter which seems so harsh in so many ways...
But even in the midst of the DARKNESS and COLD, there are very important things going on in the plants and land around us which can only provide the necessary things for us in the summer if it WAS dark and cold in winter....the death that is felt and seen all around us is actually an illusion because there is much growth happening under the surface and in the plants which is not seen during that time...but sooo vital to on-going growth and producing of MORE fruit in the coming spring/summer/fall....so the darkness and coldness we experience in our spiritual winters is also VITAL to our on-going growth in the future...and what appears to be death to us, and which FEELS like death to us in so many ways during that time, is actually an illusion in many ways because God is working behind the scenes and much life is happening though it is not evident on the outside at the time. He is very much in control of the WINTERS, too, and they are in fact very much a part of the NECESSARY PROCESS.
I don't know if I explained this very well, and there may be more to this, but this helps me to see the process better, too, and not to be so afraid of it as we/I can be...
========
2003 Will Be A Year Of Joy And Excitement
From: Patterson <iforj@golden.net>
2003 Will Be A Year Of Joy And Excitement
Dec. 31, 2002
Linda Patterson
2003 will be a year of joy and excitement for My remnant
people. Even as you have been tried and tested throughout the long winter
season, My joy is about to chase you down. You have proven faithful and true
and now I am going to elevate you in places of authority in your promised
land. What has looked
like an unclear, fuzzy picture will suddenly be sharp and clear. Many questions
will be answered as I swoop down and wash away misunderstanding and confusion
that has been in the hearts of family and friends as they have
observed your life and times. Waves of joy shall radiate through you and wash
over onto family, friends
and fellow workers and out into the harvest fields. Joy and delight shall
run together as a golden thread throughout the nations. It will be an antidote
for the sorrow and despair that war will bring in the days ahead. Lift up
your heart to Me for truly your morning is here.
Isaiah 51:11
The ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing, everlasting
joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them and sorrow
and sighing will flee away.
Word Search Puzzles re Thanksgiving