Count Your Blessings

Sometimes I’m so caught up in the day-to-day bustle of life that I forget how very blessed I am. The holiday season is a time to reflect…and hopefully take a moment to slow down long enough to draw a breath, step back, and count the many blessings that fill my life.

I’m thankful for a loving husband—a man with whom a share a real-life romance filled with love and laughter, adventure and fun (I tell my husband he’s cheap entertainment). Tim supports and encourages my passion for sharing the written word. I’m so thankful God brought him into my life.

I’m thankful for my daughter, Danni, who has grown into a beautiful young woman. Danni illuminates my life with her loving, generous spirit. She’s friend to everyone, and has a special place in her heart for the elderly and the hurting. She is truly a blessing to me.

My friends, especially my precious writing friends, are a reason to give thanks. These wonderful people completely understand when I mention the ‘voices’ that speak to me while I’m writing. I love them dearly.

But, most of all, I am thankful for my Lord and Savior, who has given all of this and more to me. What an amazing blessing to know His love and grace are never-ending.

So, as this holiday season begins, I wish you blessings and peace, dear friends. May you take a moment to draw a breath, step back, and count the many blessings that fill your life.

A Guest Blogger...A Penchant for Pendulums

Hello, my husband, Glenn Carter, wrote something that I enjoyed and wanted to share with you all.This is what he said,

"Do you like to watch pendulums? They can be fun to watch and rather mesmerizing. Yet I must admit that sometimes after watching one for a while I just want to grab it and make it stay “in the middle”.

I was reminded last week about pendulums in our local department store. In recent times as you enter stores at this time of the year you are greeted with a very bland, generic, “Happy Holidays”. But last week as I walked through the front entrance, there in front of me was a great big colorful sign with the words “Merry Christmas” emblazoned across it. Good for them I thought. As I made my way through the store more and more signs came to my attention which had the words “Merry Christmas”. In one section there were signs about every three feet with the words, you guessed it, “Merry Christmas”. Wow, the pendulum has swung the other way, I thought. It was then that it occurred to me that these signs are not about Christmas at all. They are a marketing technique. If it is in vogue to say “Happy Holidays” great! If “Merry Christmas” fits the bill this year, wonderful! The only problem is that with all of these pendulum swings the middle gets left out.

“What is the middle?” you ask. The middle is what Christmas is really all about. It is not about marketing or shopping. It isn’t even really about home and family or exchanging gifts with one another, though these have come to be an integral part of the celebration. The middle is Jesus Christ becoming human flesh and making His dwelling among us. It is about His love for us that is so great that He was willing to endure the cruelties of this world so that we could enjoy the perfection of heaven.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe we should wish people a “Merry Christmas” with a smile. However, I also believe that we who know and love Jesus are responsible to speak up as to why Christmas is “merry” regardless of the economy or our own personal circumstances. The One who came to destroy Darkness has broken it in our hearts!"

Something to think about, huh? In the meantime, Happy Thanksgiving, White Rose readers!

Jesus Christ is Risen Today!

Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son;
endless is the victory, thou o'er death hast won;
angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave clothes where thy body lay.

Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
Lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let the Church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing;
for her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting.

Edmond Budry (1854-1932)




"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen."
Luke 24:5 NRSV

Christ has risen indeed!

Happy Easter to All