This Week's Winner Is...

Hi Friends~


Well, are you ready for Christmas?  I don't mean the tree and the lights outside.  I mean inside, in your heart.  Have you been spending some time with the Lord?  Have you been reading the Christmas sections of the Bible?  Do know Jesus in your heart?  That is what I mean when I ask if you are ready for Christmas. 

I haven't sent out one card, we don't have a tree up or Christmas lights outside, I never even put my Nativity Scene up which is really the only decoration I do put up.  I have not been well.  But, hopefully, I will be better for the Christmas Eve Candle Light Services.  Dave said he would go with me!  I am excited.  And, I know they are offering a nice Christmas Service for Military Members, that Josh will probably go to.  I can not wait to see him!

But, I know that I know Jesus, and I try to learn more about Him every opportunity that I have.  I am so grateful that He let me come to know Him.  That He has changed me through the Holy Spirit.  Thank You, Jesus!

_______________________________

Special Holiday Weekly Blog Candy Winner!

 

We are giving away a set of cards to a person who leaves a comment...about anything before Tuesday at 8pm. The comment will be randomly chosen and announced on Wednesday! The number of cards you receive will range between 1 and 10...that number will be randomly chosen! This Give-Away will run through the month of December!

 

This Week's Winner...

Congratulations, Abby of Little Birdie Blessings!!

Thanks for the comment and for stopping by Abby!  I know your own blog, Little Birdie Blessings is a huge blessing to all of us that visit it!  Abby,  shares beautiful Vintage Art with us, (And we can use it on some cards when given permission!)  But, she shares so much more than that!  She shares so much about the Lord, and about Hymns which she loves and plays at church.  You will be blessed for visiting her blog.  Look on the right side of this blog, and you will see "Little Birdie Blessings."  Just click on that and you will be at her blog in a moment.  By the way, Abby please email me your address, even if I have it, so I know that you do want your gift from the He IS Able blog. I must be notified by Tuesday night at 8pm or you forfeit the cards, and we don't want that.  It is our hope and desire that you will use these cards to share about "His Love, His Word, His Gift of Salvation. "  And, since this is  one of our Special Holiday Weekly Blog Candy Winner!  You didn't win one card!  You won the randomly chosen  5 cards and envelopes!  We will continue to have this special give-away for the rest of December!  So, we hope everyone will leave a post before Tuesday evening.  And, don't forget you could win our "Very Merry Christmas Blog Candy!"  You will receive one entry for every comment you have left between December 10th and Christmas Eve at Midnight (Eastern Time.)  Look below for what you may win!

 

I almost forgot, this was Abby's randomly chosen comment:

Hi Traci, Thanks for your comments on my blog. I hope you're enjoying this Christmas season. Thinking of your son who is in the military now. Merry Christmas. ~ Abby By Little Birdie Blessings on New Info on Blog Candy and Christmas Poetry to Enj... on 12/15/11

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 Do you see that rectangle under our title on the right side?  It asks if you would like to receive the He IS Able blog via email automatically?  If you would, just put your email in there and hit your enter key.  I am the only one who can see your address, and I don't know how to do that yet!  This may be more convenient for you to do this.

How are you spending Christmas?  How about sharing a Family Tradition in the comment section? 

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I have shared about our Special Holiday Weekly Blog Candy Winner!  Now I would like to share about 2 other Give Aways!

Share About The He IS Able Blog!

And, if you share about our give-aways or post our He IS Able blog badge on your blog...and let us know--(please send a link)--we will send you a couple cards/envelopes for your use...as a thank you. (Please click and paste the badge...it is not a button...they will only see the URL if it is copied.) It is a simple way to serve the Lord. The more people learn about this blog, and come to visit and learn about The Prince of Peace aka The King of Kings aka The Mighty One, the more they learn about the grace and love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and His amazing gift of Salvation. The more apt your readers are to pray and give their life to Him. Isn't that what we are really here for?    AND...

We are having a Very Large Blog Candy Give-Away on Christmas Day!

We have many wonderful items that will be given to one randomly chosen person. Here are the details...every time you leave a comment from December 10-24th, you will be entered in our drawing for our "Very Merry Christmas Day Blog Candy!"

We have some fabulous prizes this year:

**An awesome Ash2Ash CD (Click on the words "Rise Up" and turn up your volume on your computer! Get ready to Praise the Lord! I love this song and the whole CD!)

 

 

**Rubber stamps: Stampington Company-"Large Donner," 3. & $. A Set of 4 acrylic Studio G stamps of friendship and thanks, 5. A Hampton Art-Studio G-"Thinking of you in Prayer." and a 6. stamp of a noise maker...one you may find at a birthday party, for instance!)

**A beautiful murano glass cross

**Silver Craft Cord

**A Christmas music CD

**One glazed Nativity Scene Ornament with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus

 

**Spool of Town & Country Ribbon- red with green hearts for all year use

**A Sizzix Impressions Embossing Folder

 Be sure to leave your comments to be eligible for the drawing to be announced on Christmas Day!

This is in addition to our Weekly Card Give-Aways! We are so blessed to have you stop by...it is our way of saying thank you for joining us, encouraging each other---including us, and "Sharing His love, His Word, and His Gift of Salvation through Cards!*" (* This is the blog's Mission Statement.)

 

   Please leave as many comments as you can before Midnight on Christmas Eve to be eligible for our "Very Merry Christmas Blog Candy!"...East Coast Time here in the US. You can enter as many times as you like. To be eligible for the Weekly Give-Away, please be sure to leave a post before Tuesday evening at 8pm! Please be sure to leave your prayer requests in the comment section. Joan and I will pray for each one. May God bless each of you as you bless others!


He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

"--Twas the Night Before Jesus Came--"

Hi Friends~

The following poem was written by Bethany Farms, and WOW!  It is powerful.  I found it in with our miscellaneous boxed cards from who knows when.  I hope that it will cause great thought, perhaps you will share it with another.

I would appreciate any healing prayers.  I am extremely fatigued, and every muscle and joint in my body is in severe pain.  I don't usually ask, but I would appreciate it.  Thank you in advance for helping.  While you are praying...will you please join me in praying for all of the Missionaries around the world. Some of them serve the Lord at the highest price or under terrible circumstances, some are jailed, and most do not make any money for themselves...they do it to serve the Lord.  They do it to share the Good News of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

_______________________________

It Was the Night Before Jesus Came

'Twas the night before Jesus came

and all through the house

Not a creature was praying

not one in the house.

Their Bibles were lain

on the shelf without care

...in hopes that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed,

Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.

And Mom in her rocker with baby on lap

Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter,

I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear

But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.

With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray,

I knew in a moment this must be The Day!

The light of His face made me cover my head

It was Jesus!  Returning just like He had said.

And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,

I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself!

In the Book of Life which He held in His hand,

Was written the name of every Saved man.

He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;

When He said "It's not here" my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love

He gathered to take to His Father above.

With those who were ready He rose without a sound

While all the rest were left standing around.

I fell to my knees, but it was too late;

I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.

I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight,

Oh, if only I had been ready tonight!

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;

The coming of Jesus is drawing near.

There's only one life and when comes the last call,

We'll find that the Bible was true after all!

May the joy and peace

of His presence

be with you until

He comes again!

~Bethany Farms

_________________________

 

For those of you that know the Lord as your Savior, your Friend, your confidant, as the One who loves you more than anyone,  I wish you a very Blessed Christmas, we will be posting on Wednesday with this week's Card Set Winner, and on Friday with a very special post, and on Christmas Day we will announce the recipient of the "Merry Christmas Blog Candy!" 

For those of you who do not yet have that relationship with Jesus, I hope that the words of this poem will resonate with you, and give you a thirst to know Him.  And will soon decide to pray this poem with all of your heart:

"Lord Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me for all my sins.  I open the door of my heart to you and receive you now as My Savior and Lord. Thank You.  Please give me eternal life.  I recognize that the blood shed on the cross was the full payment for my sins.  I acknowledge You as the Risen Savior and Son of God.  Please take control of the throne of my life.  Help me to follow You and obey Your Word.  Amen."

We are so grateful that all of you are here!  If you know the Lord, we hope you will find things in this blog to encourage you in your walk with the Lord and that you will encourage others...even strangers!  We love receiving encouragement and learning from you. 

 If you do not know the Lord, we are so thankful you are here.  Thank you for taking a look and considering what you read here.  It is our hope that you will celebrate a true Christmas this year, and pray that prayer above, or one of your own words, and celebrate the birth of our Savior who came to us as a vulnerable little baby for the first time in your life.  If you decide that you would like to ask Jesus the Christ, and you prayed a prayer to tell Him, let me know if you need a Bible and I will do my best to get one for you!  It is so important that every person has one.

_______________________________

 

Information on the 3 Ways to Win here at the He IS Able Blog!
(This is from the last post.)

 

Reminder of our Special Holiday Weekly Blog Candy!

We are giving away a set of cards to a person who leaves a comment...about anything before Tuesday at 8pm. The comment will be randomly chosen and announced on Wednesday! The number of cards you receive will range between 1 and 10...that number will be randomly chosen! This Give-Away will run through the month of December!  AND...

 Share About The He IS Able Blog!

And, if you share about our give-aways or post our He IS Able blog badge on your blog...and let us know--(please send a link)--we will send you a card/envelope for your use...as a thank you. (Please click and paste the badge...it is not a button...they will only see the URL if it is copied.) It is a simple way to serve the Lord. The more people learn about this blog, and come to visit and learn about The Prince of Peace aka The King of Kings aka The Mighty One, the more they learn about the grace and love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and His amazing gift of Salvation. The more apt your readers are to pray and give their life to Him. Isn't that what we are really here for?  AND...

We are having a Very Large Blog Candy Give-Away on Christmas Day!

We have many wonderful items that will be given to one randomly chosen person. Here are the details...every time you leave a comment from December 10-24th, you will be entered in our drawing for our "Very Merry Christmas Day Blog Candy!"

We have some fabulous prizes this year: 

**An awesome Ash2Ash CD (Click on the words "Rise Up" and turn up your volume on your computer! Get ready to Praise the Lord! I love this song and the whole CD!)

**Rubber stamps: (1. "Jesus is the reason for the Season," 2.  Stampington Company-"Large Donner," 3. & $.  A Set of 4 acrylic Studio G stamps of friendship and thanks, 5.  A Hampton Art-Studio G-"Thinking of you in Prayer." and a 6.  stamp of a noise maker...one you may find at a birthday party, for instance!)

 

 

**A beautiful murano glass cross

**Silver Craft Cord

**A Christmas music CD

**One glazed Nativity Scene Ornament with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus

**Spool of Town & Country Ribbon- red with green hearts for all year use

**A Sizzix Impressions Embossing Folder.

 

 

**This list includes several new items!  Be sure to leave your comments to be eligible for the drawing to be announced on Christmas Day!

This is in addition to our Weekly Card Give-Aways! We are so blessed to have you stop by...it is our way of saying thank you for joining us, encouraging each other---including us, and "Sharing His love, His Word, and His Gift of Salvation through Cards!*" (* This is the blog's Mission Statement.)

Thank you so much for reading this long post!  I hope that poem really hits home...and that you will have the courage to share it with someone you love who may be waiting to hear it. Please pray that He will show you anyone that needs to hear about Him from you!  Please leave as many comments as you can before Midnight on Christmas Eve to be eligible for our "Merry Christmas Blog Candy Give-Away!"...East Coast Time here in the US.  You can enter as many times as you like. To be eligible for the Weekly Give-Away, please be sure to leave a post before Tuesday evening at 8pm!   Please be sure to leave your prayer requests in the comment section.  Joan and I will pray for each one.  May God bless each of you as you bless others!

He IS Able!
Traci Starkweather

Have a Birthday Party for Jesus! Here's How...

Hi Friends~


Happy Friday! I hope that this week's posts have been interesting, educational, and fun!  On Monday we shared about the Prince of Peace ...how wonderful that peace is!  Especially during hectic times, or through the storms that we must sometimes face it is an amazing way that He can take care of us.  On Wednesday, we read some fun little poems about Christmas, and found out that Shelly Schmidt was once again out Card Set Winner! (Please email me your address if you want these cards!)   I did forget to mention that Michele's usual post shared on the 3rd Friday of the month, "Precious Women of God--This Includes You!" is being shared next week, just in time for Christmas!  This will be something to look forward to...so be sure to stop by on Monday, Wednesday and Friday!  Lots of surprises!  I will share the info for our Give-Aways on the bottom of the post...including some additional items to give-away!


Today, I want to share about a birthday party I threw with some friends of mine.  When I was the Church's Children's Sunday School Director we had a really fun, large, educational Birthday Party for Jesus!  I am going to share the information that I still have from my notes.  I hope you can share them with your church for next year, or celebrate with your own children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren or neighbors!

A Birthday Party For Jesus

 You will want to have several cameras available...the photos will be precious!  You will also want to share a list of any food allergies to anyone who will be serving food, and you will want another option for those children. You will want the juice to be clear colored so they do not ruin their Christmas clothes. You will want name tags on everyone since you will have parents and new friends in the room.  We marked the name tags of children with allergies by writing their name in a different color.

Here was the plan:

**2 weeks before Christmas, we gave every child five invitations.  They could invite friends or relatives to come to the party for Jesus.  We also talked about how it is our responsibility to ask others to invite Jesus into their hearts.  We gave extra invitations to the rest of the congregation for nieces, nephews, grandchildren and neighbors.  The invitations were simply xeroxed on the copy machine...not hand made and rubber stamped...like I know about now!

**We had a cake donated, tablecloth and paper supplies donated, a Christmas video with the real story was donated, as well as some art supplies.  I did this by writing a letter on church letterhead asking for donations, and listing them.  I also had the Pastor sign it with me.  I asked 2 parents to please be in charge of securing these items.  I didn't want to spend budgeted money, that I could use for curriculum materials, on this party even though it was very educational, from the moment they walked in the door!

**The invitation also suggested that children who wanted, could bring a gift for a newborn baby. (Like Jesus was when He came to this world.)We suggested clothing, diapers, formula, anything that was new, and was non-perishable.  (All of these gifts were going to be given to a local abuse center for Women and their children. I had checked with the Director of the center, and they had all they needed, but were short on supplies for babies under 1 year.)

 **We decorated a big box, big enough that the children couldn't see      who gave a large gift and who gave a small gift, and who gave none.They celebrated the birth of Jesus…just like the Wise Men did! 

        The following Verse was written on the front of the box:

 "The Wise Men saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh."  (Matthew 2:11) 


        And, then the children put their gifts in the box.

 
 
There was a large poster that hung above the box that shared the Scripture about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked...  (I'm sorry, I can't remember where it is found, and I couldn't look it up!)  When the children came in the room, I greeted them and their friends and parents, and read (older childred read with me) the Scripture of the Wise Men to them as they put their gift in the box. 

  

     **We then all gathered in a reading area in chairs, since we were all      dressed nicely for Jesus' party.  And, we read one of the Bible's Chistmas stories to the children and parents.  Then we did it again, and left

 out words, having the children fill them in.  They did very well. 

 

       **We made Christmas cards about the "real" Christmas for people in the hospital.  I went the next day to distribute them.  As they colored they were led in a discussion about thinking of others…and not just ourselves.  The leader of this activity wrote exactly what they said in the card...we asked the children to share their favorite part of the Biblical Christmas story.

       **We also celebrated in some fun, although not Biblically based activities.  (Such as eating cake, ice cream, goody bags, and playing pin the star on the tree.)

    **We ended the day by coloring Christmas books that I had put together based on the story of Christmas in Luke: 2.  Then we watched a flannel board story…and the children gave the words. (Showing they had the story down really well!) And the last thing we did was end in joined prayer, and songs of Worship.

 
 

It was a wonderful day, and the children concentrated on just what we wanted.  Only one child mentioned Santa all morning!  I also prepared every adult for the possibility of someone mentioning Santa, reindeer or presents...so they would not be caught like a reindeer in the headlights. I asked that they simply say with excitement, "This is a birthday party for Baby Jesus! Let's go _____!" (It worked the one time someone asked me!)
 
 
I felt that it was worth every effort!  It was nice for the parents to see what type of activities we did in Sunday School, since they hardly ever tore themselves from the Service in the Sanctuary.  And, we really enjoyed them being there.  We enrolled a few children the next week.  They were guests at our party, and enjoyed it very much.  The teachers really enjoyed all of the ages being together (except the infants) for this special day.  Because of that, we decided that once a month we would have a Service for the children...with all of the teachers taking part, and the children participating as much as possible!

     

 _____________________________________

 Reminder of our Special Holiday Weekly Blog Candy!

We are giving away a set of cards to a person who leaves a comment...about anything before Tuesday at 8pm. The comment will be randomly chosen and announced on Wednesday! The number of cards you receive will range between 1 and 10...that number will be randomly chosen! This Give-Away will run through the month of December!

AND...

Share About The He IS Able Blog!

And, if you share about our give-aways or post our He IS Able blog badge on your blog...and let us know--(please send a link)--we will send you a card/envelope for your use...as a thank you. (Please click and paste the badge...itis not a button...they will only see the URL if it is copied.) 

It is a simple way to serve the Lord. The more people learn about this blog, and come to visit and learn about The Prince of Peace aka The King of Kings aka The Mighty One, the more they learn about the grace and love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and His amazing gift of Salvation. The more apt your readers are to pray and give their life to Him. Isn't that what we are really here for?

AND...

We are having a Very Large Blog Candy Give-Away on Christmas Day!

We have many wonderful items that will be given to one randomly chosen person. Here are the details...every time you leave a comment from December 10-24th, you will be entered in our drawing for our "Very Merry Christmas Day Blog Candy!"

We have some fabulous prizes this year:  (Red means newly listed items.)

**An awesome Ash2Ash CD (Click on the words "Rise Up" and turn up your volume on your computer! Get ready to Praise the Lord! I love this song!)

**Rubber stamps  ("Jesus is the reason for the Season," Stampington Company-"Large Donner," A Set of 4 acrylic Studio G stamps of friendship and thanks, A Hampton Art-Studio G-"Thinking of you in Prayer." and a stamp of a noise maker...one you may find at a birthday party, for instance!

**A beautiful murano glass cross

**Silver Craft Cord

**A Christmas music CD

**One glazed Nativity Scene Ornament with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus

**Spool of Town & Country Ribbon- red with green hearts for all year use

**A Sizzix Impressions Embossing Folder.

**This list includes several new items...there are more to be announced!  Be sure to leave your comments to be eligible for the drawing on Christmas Day! 

 This is in addition to our Weekly Card Give-Aways! We are so blessed to have you stop by...it is our way of saying thank you for joining us, encouraging each other---including us, and  "Sharing His love, His Word, and His gift of Salvation through Cards!*"   (* This is the blog's Mission Statement.)

 Thank you so much for sharing part of your day with us today!  If you have any ideas that worked well at a Birthday Party for Jesus, that is one thing we would love to hear about in the comment section!   We'd also love to hear which of the Gospels has your favorite version of the Christmas story to read.  You are welcome to write about whatever you would like...these are just a couple of ideas!


He IS Able!
Traci Starkweather

New Info on Blog Candy and Christmas Poetry to Enjoy!

Hi Friends~


Thank you for leaving so many comments this past week! It is exciting to see some new names, and we are so gratefully for those of you who have stayed with us! You were all entered into our drawing for BOTH of our Give-Aways!  Please take a look:

Reminder of our Special Holiday Weekly Blog Candy!

We are giving away a set of cards to a person who leaves a comment...about anything before Tuesday at 8pm. The comment will be randomly chosen and announced on Wednesday! The number of cards you receive will range between 1 and 10...that number will be randomly chosen! This Give-Away will run through the month of December!

AND...

We are having a Very Large Blog Candy Give-Away on Christmas Day!

We have many wonderful items that will be given to one randomly chosen person. Here are the details...every time you leave a comment from December 10-24th, you will be entered in our drawing for our "Very Merry Christmas Day Blog Candy!"

We have some fabulous prizes this year:

**An awesome Ash2Ash CD   (Click on the words "Rise Up" and turn up your volume on your computer!  Get ready to Praise the Lord! I love this song!)

**Rubber stamps

 

     

**A beautiful murano glass cross

**A Christmas music CD

**One glazed Nativity Scene Ornament with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus

**A Sizzix Impressions Embossing Folder.

 

 

Newly added items will be announced this Friday, the 16th!!!

 

 

That's all we are going to tell you now...but it is quite an exciting collection of goodies. We will tell you about more items as time goes by...the recipient will be announced on Christmas Day! This is in addition to our weekly card give-aways! We are so blessed to have you stop by...it is our way of saying thank you for joining us, encouraging each other---including us, and sharing His love, His Word, and His gift of Salvation with others!

________________________________

This Week's Winner of 4 Cards and Envelopes is...

Shelly Schmidt, Again!!!

The numbers 1 through 10 were gathered and the number 4 was chosen.  So Shelly, this week you have won 4 beautifully made cards and their envelopes!  This goes to show that it is good to leave a comment every week!  Shelly was our randomly chosen person to have left a comment last week, also!  You can win as many times as your name or user name is chosen!  All you need to do when you win, is email me your mailing address.  My email is located on the very bottom of the right hand side of the blog.  If I do not hear from you before Tuesday evening at 8 o'clock, I will think that you do not want to receive the cards (for some reason unknown to me!) that were to be sent to you...so please email your address right away!

Here is Shelly's comment:

Thanks so much for choosing me to win two cards! How awesome!

By Shelly Schmidt on Big News Today! on 12/12/11

And, every commenter was put into the drawing for our "Very Merry Christmas Day Blog Candy Drawing!"  You can leave as many comments as you would like for this drawing...and each one will be entered.  So, don't hesitate.  And, if you share about our give-aways or post our He IS Able blog badge on your blog...and let us know--(please send a link)--we will send you a card/envelope...as a thank you.  (Please click and paste the badge...itis not a button...they will only see the URL if it is copied.)  

 It is a simple way to serve the Lord.  The more people that learn about this blog, and come to visit and learn about The Prince of Peace aka The King of Kings aka The Mighty One, the more they learn about the grace and love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and His amazing gift of Salvation.  The more apt your readers are to pray and give their life to Him.  Isn't that what we are really here for?

_________________________________

You may not know this about me.  I love to collect quotes.  I do it with the intention of using them on cards.  I rarely do, however.  I do quote Scriptures on many cards, however.  And, I hope that if any of you decide to donate cards for our give-aways and other He IS Able usage, that you will consider including a Scripture on the front or back of your card.  Even on the left inside of the card would be fine...I just want to make sure we leave room inside for people to share what they would like to share about Jesus and His Gift of Salvation and Love.  We have a nice stash of cards right now...for all different occasions!  But, the more we have, the more we can give.  Anyway, I didn't mean to ask for cards...but I guess I did.  What I did intend was to share some great little quotes that may come in handy. These may not be from the great scholars...but they brought me a bit of enjoyment.  I hope you will enjoy them also. If you want the best Christmas quotes that really make a difference...I suggest going to the Bible and quoting Scripture!

I hope you enjoy these:

"He who has no Christmas in his heart

will never find Christmas under a tree." 

~Anonymous

(This reminds me of my first Christmas...I was 29, and I slept under the tree with only little white lights on it...and I fell asleep reading the Bible right there under the tree. I slept under it for a long time! Still, my favorite Christmas!)

"Happiness is a homespun Christmas!"   ~Anonymous

"At Christmas,

Play and make good cheer,

For Christmas comes but once a year."

~Thomas Tusser

"Love's the thing.  The rest is tinsel."  ~Pam Brown

"Christmas is the day that holds all time together."

~Alexander Smith

"The real secret of happiness is not what you give or receive; 

it's what you share."  ~Unknown

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."

~Charles Dickens

"May you have the gladness of Christmas, which is hope;

The spirit of Christmas which is peace;

The heart of Christmas, which is love."

~Ada V. Hendricks

And, one of my most favorite:

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given."  (Isaiah 9:6)  

THAT is a great quote!

_____________________________

On Friday, I would like to share about a great Christmas Party we gave when I was a Children's Church Director.  It was wonderful.  I have shared about our hands-on educational and fun "Easter Extravaganza" in detail, so you could share it with your church if you wanted.  Now, I will share about "Our Birthday Party for Jesus!"  It was great fun...and so meaningful!  Even if you don't have a Sunday School, or don't want to be involved in one...it is full of great ideas to do with Grand-children, or neighbors and their children...or your children!  LOL  I almost forgot them!  So sorry. 

We are always glad to know you have been here. Thank you for spending part of your day with us.   I look forward to sharing about the "Birthday Party for Jesus" tomorrow.  I hope you will stop by!  God bless!

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

 

 

Introducing The Prince of Peace...

Hi Friends~


Last December I told those of you who were here that I was doing a different study than usual to prepare my heart for Christmas.  I was studying the book by Ann Spangler titled Praying the Names of Jesus. I wanted to learn more about the many different aspects of Jesus.  Last year I shared with you many insights from the author, the Bible and my own thoughts on a few of our Lord's names.  We shared about the names and qualities associated with these names:  Immanuel, Jesus, Christ, Anointed One, Great Physician and Messiah.  I am studying some of His other names this year...and I wanted to share about one of those names today.


I have been reading about His name, "The Prince of Peace."  Miss Spangler shares this information:

"Who hasn't longed for peace, living in a world that is so often full of strife?  The Hebrew word for peace, however, means much more than the absence of conflict or the end of turmoil.  Shalom conveys not only a sense of tranquility but also of wholeness and completion.  To enjoy shalom is to enjoy health, satisfaction, success, safety, well-being, and prosperity.  Though the New Testament does not directly call Jesus the Prince of Peace, this title from Isaiah has traditionally been associated with Him as the One who brings peace to the world.  Furthermore, Paul assured the Ephesian Christians saying of Jesus, "He Himself is our peace." (Ephesians 2:14).  When you pray to Sar Shalom, you are praying to the One who is the source of all peace.  To live in peace is to live in His presence."


Here is the Scripture from Isaiah 9:6:

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

(Isaiah 9:6 KJV)

 

I just love this Scripture.  It is amazing to me that while I was still Jewish, I never saw most of the Old Testament.  I learned about some of the "popular" stories.  But, I never read Isaiah.  So to me, this is one of the key Scriptures that tells me about Jesus' coming...right there!  It was amazing to me...and I found so many other Scriptures...especially in Isaiah that foretold us of Jesus' coming to earth...in detail.  Isn't it great how His Word foretells many of the things in the New Testament, in the Old Testament!?  You just have to look!


Let's pray together, if you would:
"Dear Jesus, my life was in chaos until You entered it.  Thank you for the forgiveness that brought me peace.  Deepen my sense of your presence by keeping me close to You.  Teach me to be a peace-maker----loving justice, doing right, and leading others along the path of peace.  Amen."

Luke 2:14 tells us that shortly after Jesus was born, the angels proclaimed:  "Glory to God in the highest Heaven, and on earth peace
 to those  on whom His favor rests."

I'd like to share more that I learned from this chapter on the Prince of Peace and Sar Shalom (SAR sha-LOME).  The name Sar Shalom is not found in the New Testament.  Isaiah 9 and Luke 2:14 both share about a child who will bring peace to God's people.  The New Testament develops our understanding of peace by revealing Jesus the Christ as the source of all peace!


Spangler states:  "Though we were alienated from God because of our sins, Jesus reconciled us, making peace through His blood.  Peace with God produces peace with others and peace within ourselves.  When Christ's kingdom is fully established, all strife and cease, and those who belong to Him will enjoy forever the fullness of peace---health,  wholeness, well-being, tranquility, satisfaction, safety, prosperity, and perfect contentment." 

Of course, we aren't promised a life without any troubles or hard times.  They are a part of life that often get us to lean on Him, or go to Him in prayer, or strengthen us, or pull us together and share with others.


Are you at peace with your life?  What do you think it means to walk in the "path of peace?"  Do you experience Christ's peace in your life?  I hope that you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior...personally!  And, that you spend time with Him daily...in prayer, in His Word, in meditation...He will give you peace!

On a personal note, many of you have helped me deal with Josh's joining the Air Force.  Josh is doing great!  He is in charge of a couple of details with his flight group.  And, is actually teaching the others on a daily basis.  And, one of you suggested I give Josh back to Him.  He can take care of him better, see over him better, and protect him much better than I can.  I tell you I prayed this a couple of months ago with all of my heart...and He is so good!  He gave me a sense of peace that really is amazing and had seemed almost impossible to me.  I wait for Josh's letters, and write him a few times a week.  I am so excited when I get his 1 minute call...and I do not worry about him...almost not at all. Of course, I still pray for his Salvation...every chance I can.   I am so thankful to all of you for praying for Josh, and Dave and myself.   I thank especially the Prince of Peace...who loves all of us.  

This Scripture states things very clearly:

 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace."  (Colossians 3:12-15)

 

The author of this book reminds us that the cross was OUR punishment, the payback for OUR sins.  But, no matter what we have done, how agitated or frantic we feel, or how chaotic life has become, Christ says to us today:  Shalom Aleikhem!  (Hebrew)  "Peace upon you."  Peace be with you in your relationship with God, with others, and with yourself.  May His peace settle into your soul and rule your heart.  May it become the loom on which your life is woven, clothing you with His compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Repent of what you have done wrong.  Forgive as you have been forgiven.  And let the One who is called the Prince of Peace rule in your heart!

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Reminder of our Special Holiday Blog Candy!

We are giving away a set of cards to a person who leaves a comment...about anything before Tuesday at 8pm.  The comment will be randomly chosen and announced on Wednesday!  The number of cards you receive will range between 1 and 10...that number will be randomly chosen!  This Give-Away will run through the month of December!

AND...

We are having a Very Large Blog Candy Give-Away on Christmas Day!

We have many wonderful items that will be given to one randomly chosen person.  Here are the details...every time you leave a comment from December 10-24th, you will be entered in our drawing for our "Merry Christmas Blog Candy!" 

We have some fabulous prizes this year:

**An awesome Ash2Ash CD

**rubber stamps

**a beautiful murano glass cross

**A Christmas music CD

**One glazed Nativity Scene Ornament with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus

**A Sizzix Impressions Embossing Folder.

(Be sure to watch here as the list of goodies grow!)

That's all we are going to tell you now...but it is quite an exciting collection of goodies. We will tell you about more items as time goes by...the recipient will be announced on Christmas Day! This is in addition to our weekly card give-aways! We are so blessed to have you stop by...it is our way of saying thank you for joining us, encouraging each other---including us, and sharing His love, His Word, and His gift of Salvation with others!

Thank you so very much for stopping by today!  Wednesday, we will see who has been randomly chosen from all of the comments of the last week (You can leave more than one.)  We will also find out how many cards that person will win by a random drawing of numbers 1 through 10.  How exciting is all of this?  We do hope that you will use the cards to share the love, Word, and gift of Salvation from our Lord Jesus the Christ to others.

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather

p.s.  Is there anyone that would be willing to spend a few minutes (any amount of time)  a week praying for the needs of our guests, and for those of us who work on the blog?  If you are willing...please leave a comment or email Traci.  Joan is our Prayer Team Leader and will work with you to give you prayer requests that should meet the amount of time you can spend in prayer.  Thank you for prayerfully considering this request.

Many Give-Aways! "What Shall I Give You?"

Hi Friends~


We are so happy that you like our NEW He IS Able Weekly Give-Away!  If you didn't hear, any comment left before 8pm on Tuesday is eligible to be chosen to win anywhere between 1 and 10 cards and envelopes!  The number of cards given each week will be chosen randomly, and the winner as well as the number of cards will be announced each Wednesday!  If you see your user name posted...or your comment...be sure to email Traci your snail mail address.  (My email is on the very bottom of the right side of the blog.)


In addition to that...every time you leave a comment from December 10-24th, you will be entered in our drawing for our "Merry Christmas Blog Candy!" random drawing!  We have some fabulous prizes this year:  An Ash2Ash CD, stamps, a murano glass cross, A Christmas CD, a glazed Nativity Scene Ornament with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus, and a Sizzix Impressions Embossing Folder.  That's all we are going to tell you now...but it is quite an exciting collection of goodies.  We will tell you about more items as time goes by...the recipient will be announced on Christmas Day!  This is in addition to our weekly card give-aways!  We are so blessed to have you stop by...it is our way of saying thank you for joining us, encouraging each other-including us, and sharing His love, His Word, and His gift of Salvation with others!


Today I wanted to share a post from Our Daily Bread.  It was Friday, December 9th's post and wonderful for this time of year especially.  Who isn't hearing a bunch of "Can I have's?"  And, "PLEeeaaaassseee may I???"  As you read the words below, think about what you would like given to you...and if you would like...let us know in the comment section...this would be a great time to share a prayer request, too.

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What Shall I Give You?

I've been told that "three-wish stories" occur in almost every culture, all following a similar theme:  A benefactor appears and offers to grand three wishes to an unsuspecting beneficiary.  The fact that the stories so often occur suggests we all want something we cannot get on our own.

There's even a wish story in the Bible.  It happened one night when the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said to him, "Ask!  What shall I give you? (1 Kings 3:1-9)  Solomon could have asked for anything-- riches, honor, fame, or power.  but he asked for none of these things.  He requested an "understanding heart" or a "listening heart," a humble heart to listen, and learn from God's Word.  The young, inexperienced king, weighed down with the responsibilities of ruling a vast nation, needed the Lord's wisdom to govern well.

Am I that wise?  If God spoke to me directly and asked what He could do for me, what would I ask for?  Would I ask for health, wealth, youth, power, or prestige?  Or would I ask for wisdom, holiness, and love?  Would I be wise or foolish?

Suppose God asked you what He could give to you.  What would you ask for?---David Roper

"True wisdom is in leaning

On Jesus Christ, our Lord;

True wisdom is in trusting

His own life-giving Word."

--Anonymous

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And, here is the section of His Word which sparked the above thoughts:


 Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the LORD, and the wall around Jerusalem. The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the LORD.  Solomon showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.


 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.  At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”


 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.


 “Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.  So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”  (1 Kings 3:1-9)

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Well, I do not believe in wishes.  I do believe in the power of the All Mighty God...and the Bible does say that He knows the desires of our heart.  It also says that He knows the best path for our life...and I am sure sometimes our desires do not add up with His plan.  This is why we do our best to pray for His Will...and do our best at turning things over to Him.  I am SO glad you were here today!  Please tell your friends about our give-aways!

He IS Able!
Traci Starkweather

Big News Today!

Hi Friends~


I apologize for having been missing for a couple of posts.  I have been recovering and we also went up to visit Dave's son-Matthew and our 3 grandsons, and their Mother.  It was wonderful to see them...it's been a while. The long ride causes pain. I rested all day yesterday and today.  I am doing much better today...and I have BIG NEWS to share!


I was so happy to hear that so many of you were blessed by the post "Jesus Saves."  If you would like to print it out, find it by looking at the post below this post...and copy and paste it in Word or email--or look on the side bar under "Labels."  It would be a wonderful gift to memorize the Scriptures in order and be able to "walk" a non-Believer through them...and possibly to the Lord, Himself!!


We have wonderful plans for this month...I hope you will be able to stop by every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to see what we have in mind to share.


First, let's announce the Winner of this Week's Two Cards!  These cards have been donated from people all over the world, and are given to the      He IS Able blog for give-aways like this! Up until a few weeks ago, we were giving one card a week away.  And, we will go back to that one day.  However, we have been blessed with a large amount of cards.  So, we have been giving away 2 Cards each week.  And, they are made for every occasion!


Each week all of the comments that were left before 8pm on Tuesday night were gathered and one was randomly chosen!  The writer of that comment has one week to email me (lower right hand corner) with their US postage address.  (snail mail)  Your cards will be sent out to you! (Please put "He IS Able" on the subject line.)

This Week's Winner is...

Shelley who writes the blog, "My Creative Rumblings!"

 

Shelly wrote the following comment: 

"Congrats to Becky! And it was nice for you to stop by my blog today.  A very heartwarming post- great ministry!"

Please visit Shelly at http://shellymc2.blogspot.com/   She has many different posts with different paper craft ideas...as well as blog-candy right now.

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Announcing Some of Our Very Exciting News for December...

 

Be sure to leave a comment, a prayer request, a prayer for someone else, anything you would want to share in the comment section because...

 

You May Receive Up to 10 Cards and Envelopes

in our Weekly Give-Away!

That's right...for the entire month of December, each week...someone who leaves a comment by Tuesday 8pm, will be randomly chosen to win between 1 and 10 cards!  Now, that is worth get exciting about!  The number of cards each week will be determined by random drawing also!  I will send the cards and envelopes to your mailing address in the US, when you email me it within a week.  So be sure to stop by on Wednesday's to see if you have won!

 

This will be 1 of the Cards Given-Away Next Week!  We hope you will use the cards to share about our Lord, Jesus the Christ and the Gospel!  Thank you for being here today!  God Bless!

 

He IS Able!

Traci Starkweather