Love & Faithfulness

Let love and faithfulness never leave you: bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and Man.  Proverbs 3:3-4

From www.Heartlight.org

Turn to the Son

Sunflowers always face the sun. In the morning they face east. By evening, they have turned west. They follow the sun as it crosses each day's sky, so they can gather in as much sun as possible. We can be like sunflowers, and turn to the SON, Jesus Christ, and gather spiritual light from Him. A sunflower seed will grow most anywhere. You, too, can bloom and grow where you are planted. By desiring to believe and by studying the scriptures prayerfully, you will nurture your personal gospel seed.

As the sunflower grows, small buds will soon appear, surrounded by protecting leaves. Like those leaves, your parents, leaders, and teachers surround you, and love you, and protect you, and help your budding testimony grow. As a sunflower grows taller, its stalk grows thicker, for it must support the large flower that will soon be full of seeds. So as your spiritual stalk must grow, and your testimony will grow stronger as you prayerfully read the scriptures that teach of Jesus Christ and strive to become like Him.

When the sunflower bud opens, bright yellow petals form, and its head becomes a golden crown. The blessings of its growth at last begins to show. And, having been born of a seed, it now produces seeds of its own that nourish people, animals and birds. Your testimony will likewise produce its own new seeds and you will nourish family, friends and others who will see the Son reflected, like a golden crown, in you, for you have become like Him.

So, turn to the Son. Open your heart to His light. Seek it first thing each morning. Follow its warmth across each day's sky. Let its comfort be the last thing you feel each night. Then as the evening of your life's last setting comes, you will arise to a glorious new morning and turn again to Him and He will see His image in your countenance.

By Melanie, at Sugardoodle.net

Come Holy Ghost

Come... Holy Ghost

Abide inside with me

Let's look, out my windows

Show me what I need to see

Point and I will go

Oh, I will follow Thee

Come... Holy Ghost

Abide inside with me

Let's decorate my mind

With thoughts, Divine

We'll set a guard at my heart

To keep my mouth, in line

We'll receive our directions

From the Holy Throne above

Oh, Come... Holy Ghost

Teach me to walk in love.

Come... Holy Ghost

Abide inside with me

Let's look, out my windows

Show me what I need to see

Point and I will go

Oh, I will follow Thee

Come... Holy Ghost

Abide inside with me

~ Thomas Eugene Hudson

America's Birthday

Happy 4th of July, America!

St. Patrick Breastplate

Breastplate of St. Patrick

Christ, be with me where I am

Be before me where I stand

Lord, be everywhere around me

Christ, be where I sit and where I lie

And be with me when I arise

May your Spirit, Lord, surround me

Christ, be in the heart of everyone who thinks of me

Christ, be in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me

Christ, be in every eye that sees me

In every ear that hears me

I want to be like Christ

Christ, be with me

Salvation is of the Lord

Christ, be with me

Salvation is of the Lord

Breastplate of St. Patrick, sung by Donna Cori Gibson

Happy St. Valentine's Day

                                                                   


                                                                            Ephesians 3:17
                                               May Christ through your faith dwell in your hearts!
                                     May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love.

Do You Have Room?

Please click on this beautiful and meaningful song below, and sit back and sing along with the words...

                                                             Do You Have Room?
They journeyed far, a weary pair, they sought for shelter from the cold night air.
Some place where she could lay her head, where she could give her Babe a quiet bed.
Was there no room? No corner there? In all the town a spot someone could spare?
Was there no soul come to their aid? A stable bare was where the family stayed.

Do you have room for the Savior, and do you seek Him a-new?
Have you a place for the One who lived and died for you?
Are you as humble as a shepherd boy, or as wise as men of old?
Would you have come that night? Would you have sought the light?
Do you have room?

A star a-rose, a wondrous light, a sign from God this was the Holy night.
And yet so few would go to see the Babe who came to rescue you and me.
This Child Divine is now a King. The gift of life to all the world He brings,
And all mankind He saves from doom, But on that night for him there was no room.

Do you have room for the Savior, and do you seek Him a-new?
Have you a place for the One who lived and died for you?
Are you as humble as a shepherd boy, or as wise as men of old?
Would you have come that night? Would you have sought the light?
Do you have room?
Will you come tonight? Will you seek the light?
Do you have room?

Do You Have Room? Lyrics by Shawna Belt Edwards, Sung by April Meservy

Happy Thanksgiving Day

Most of All

Thanksgiving Day brings to mind the blessings in our lives
that usually go unnoticed:
a home that surrounds us
with comfort and protection;
delicious food, for pleasure
in both eating and sharing;
clothes to snuggle up in,
books and good entertainment
to expand our minds;
and freedom to worship our God.
Most of all we are thankful
for our family and friends,
those treasured people
who make our lives extra special.
You are part of that cherished group.
On Thanksgiving, (and every day)
we appreciate you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

By Joanna Fuchs

Thanksgiving Prayer~Thanksgiving Song

Welcome Baby Sophia Grace

On Friday, July 29, 2011 the world welcomed little Baby Sophia Grace. She was born in the Bay Area to her loving parents, Claudia and Rocky. Looking on is her honorary Auntie Olivia! 

Sophia decided to come into the world a week or two early, so she is catching up on her sleep all snug in her blanket and cap. Sleep tight, little one. Welcome to our world!

Happy Fourth Of July

                                                   God Bless Our Troops Around The World

Grady and Marianne's Wedding ~ June 25, 2011

Grady, our son, and his fiancee, Marianne, were married on Saturday, June 25th, 2011 at the Garden Vineyard outside Portland, Oregon. Everything about the day was gorgeous: the bride and groom and all the family and friends, the setting, the food and wine, and especially the weather! We were so blessed with a day full of sun...as I receive more candid shots I will post them up to share with everyone.

Happy Mother's Day

                                                                  Mother's Love
                                                               ~Author Unknown


                                               There are times when only a Mother's love
                                                        Can understand our tears,
                                                        Can soothe our disappoints
                                                         And calm all of our fears.


                                               There are times when only a Mother's love
                                                         Can share the joy we feel
                                                  When something we've dreamed about
                                                            Quite suddenly is real.


                                               There are times when only a Mother's faith
                                                           Can help us on life's way
                                                     And inspire in us the confidence
                                                          We need from day to day.


                                                For a Mother's heart and a Mother's faith
                                                        And a Mother's steadfast love
                                                        Were fashioned by the Angels
                                                            And sent from God above.

The Meaning Of Easter, by Billy Graham

We worship a risen, living Savior who has promised to give immortality to all who believe on His Name. No longer do men and women need to stumble in the fog and darkness of hopelessness. A light shines brighter than the noonday sun, offering hope to everyone who has been born again.

Jesus promised, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in  Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die." (John 11:25-26).

Long ago Job asked the great question of the ages: "If a man dies, shall he live again?" (Job 14:14). Death carries with it a certain dread. It has always been the enemy, the great, mysterious monster that makes people quake with fear.

Death stalks the rich and the poor, the educated and the uneducated. Death is no respecter of race, color or creed. Its shadow haunts us day and night. We never know when the moment of death will come for us.

Is there any hope?

I take you to an empty tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea. Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Salome had come to anoint the body of the crucified Christ, and they had been startled to find the tomb empty. An angel sat on the stone by the door of the tomb and said, "I know that you seek Jesus...He is not here; for He is risen." (Matthew 28:5-6). 


The greatest news that mortal ear has ever heard is the news that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, as he had promised. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the chief proof of the Christian faith. It is the truth that lies at the very foundation of the Gospel. Without a belief in the resurrection there can be no personal salvation. The Bible says, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9).

In the resurrection of Jesus Christ we have the answer to Job's question. The Bible teaches that because Christ lives, we also shall live. The greatest truth that you can ever hear is that Jesus Christ died but rose again, and that you, too, will die but can rise again into newness of life.

The resurrected Christ still lives today. Though Jesus is in His glorified body in heaven, through the Holy Spirit He dwells in the heart of every Christian. The Scripture speaks of "Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:27). Christ, in whom "dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2:9), lives within the hearts of people. This is a mystery that is beyond comprehension and yet is gloriously true.

The Scripture says that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead on the first Easter will raise us from the dead if the Spirit lives in us. Call upon His resources. His grace is more than sufficient; He will cause you to triumph over the world, the flesh and the devil.

From PRAYER FOCUS, by Billy Graham
Thank you to my dear sister in Christ, Carol, for sharing!

An Irish Blessing

 

                                                                 An Irish Blessing


                                                             May neighbors respect you,


                                                                 Trouble neglect you,


                                                                The angels protect you,


                                                               And heaven accept you.




Link to a beautiful Ireland video especially for St. Patrick's Day:
This Blessing Is For You

Jubilation In Egypt

The huge crowd in Tahrir Square, Cairo, reacted in jubilation today to the stunning news that the dictatorship government of President Hosni Mubarak fell. The military council will be setting up a provisional government until political parties can be formed and elections held.

Mubarak's regime ruled for over 30 years. Eighteen days ago the people of Cairo began an uprising in Tahrir Square which played out on TV screens around the world, even when Mubarak shut down all internet and cell phone usage in Egypt.

The Egyptian people have earned the right to re-write their constitution and embrace democracy so that they can be free. Besides watching history unfold in the mid-east, I have a special interest in the political outcome in Egypt as I have a dear friend, Rawia, who lives and works in Cairo. My thoughts and prayers are with her and her family and friends on this historic day.

"All About God," By Ethan

Early Friday morning Ethan, one of our fifth graders at Valley Christian Academy, came into school and walked up to me with a big smile on his face. He handed me a piece of paper with red ink words and music chords scrawled on it, and the title of the song was "All About God." He said to me, "This is for you."

This was one of those moments that you live for as a teacher. A few months ago Ethan had never touched a piano, then my co-teacher began to teach him to play chords to some of our songs that we sing every day. To our amazement Ethan was soon accompanying us daily and even when we performed!

On Thursday night he was playing his keyboard at home, (a Christmas gift from his parents), and he started to hear words in his head and a tune. He said to himself, "I'd better start writing this down!" Smart boy.

Within forty-five minutes or so he had a song, fresh from heaven. 

The first thing we did when school started on Friday was to start learning "All About God." Ethan stood by me and sang the melody as I played the chords on my guitar. The other students quickly picked up the melody and the words, and Ethan had exact instructions for us such as, "Sing it through, then repeat the song playing the chorus at the end twice." My co-teacher spent some time with him writing out the melody and chords for us. It truly sounds beautiful! What a blessing for Ethan and for our school.

New Year's Blessing

New Year’s Blessing

As we look toward a brand new year

Then gaze back to the past

We pause with mixed emotions

And memories that still last.

For these years have taught us lessons

We never thought we'd learn

To stand in the face of adversity

Seeking peace for which we yearn.

Our nation still stands together

  Since that sad September day 

    When in an instant all was changed

And so many taken away.

Each life a precious memory

Each face burned in our souls

     The heroes, the innocent, those who were lost

Were halves who made someone whole. 

So we pray for this year to be peaceful

For strength to see us through

For each one who lost someone precious

And for all that is holy and true.

As we pray God's eternal blessings

For our leaders and our land 

We walk toward the future together

Heart to heart and hand in hand.

 by Allison Chambers Coxsey

Count Your Blessings

Merry Christmas, dear family & friends, all around the world!!!

Count Your Blessings Video from my friend, Pat

Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and may God bless you and yours abundantly!

GIVE THANKS WITH A GRATEFUL HEART, a beautiful music video by Integrity Worship Singers

Valley Christian Academy Fall Program

                      
                   Some of our students dancing and singing to "Every Move I Make (I Make In You)"

Last week our students put on their first program! They sang contemporary Christian songs, they danced,  and they recited fall poetry. Two of them accompanied on instruments they had never played until less than two months ago, the piano and bass guitar, and they sounded like they had been playing for years.

The audience was wowed, but more importantly it was all for the glory of God...How wonderful it is to be able to sing, dance and pray to God with students after teaching public school for 16 years!

EVERY MOVE I MAKE~ song and dance video by our students