Sunday- Happy New Year

 

It is a new year and a bit of a new focus here at on Wings of Eagles.  Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday will be days I will continue for the Lord…. Mainly, because  I hope not to be so repetitive, but attempt to keep things fresh. I will, also, continue with some of my favorite blogging posts where I have made so many wonderful friends through the years. 

So we are now actually on the cusp of the new year 2023! If one believes all the hype of the doomsday sayers, we are in for a wild ride. I won’t recount all of the crazy prophetic words I have seen and heard in the past few months about the apocalypse 2023 will be! But that is mainly, because, I will not give them yet another voice on my blog.  Here is the banner under which I stand:

Our God is preeminent, He is supreme!   He is all-powerful,and in complete control of all things!  He is Omni- present, He is everywhere at all times.  He is omniscient..   all knowing,  all seeing, all wise! And the most important thing of all is He loves me,  He cares for me and works things for my good because I am His  child; I made my confession of faith to Him as a young adult and He has been for me ever since! Has everything in my life been perfect? No, because I live in a fallen world!   And I am a sinner, saved by His grace. But when I sin, I am compelled to repent and seek forgiveness for  my sin and He is faithful to forgive me . He never ever denies me as His child!  And He is the giver of good gifts.  But as the good Father He does allow things in my life to grow my faith and teach more about His faithfulness. Therefore, I know I can trust Him with what ever He allows in 2023. I have learned to be covered in prayer which shields me from the blunt force  of the winds of evil in the world. My main emphasis to begin this new year is the study of prayer.

   Over the next several  posts  I will be sharing about  various elements of prayer.  Mainly, that prayer is a privilege, is personal,  and is powerful! Obviously, you might imagine that God’s Word  has a lot to say on the topic, so  we will learn a lot with each new post! I am really looking forward to it!  So Happy New Year!

Saturday 9

 

The Last Song

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love to answer the questions, however, and here is today's questions!

Saturday 9: The Last Song (1972)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

 

This is the last Saturday 9 song of 2022. 

Thanks for another great year. 

1) In this song, the lead singer admits he leaves the light on when he goes to sleep. Do you leave any lights on in your bedroom? Or do you prefer it completely dark?  We leave a nightlight on in our room and the bathroom.. at our ages several trips to the bathroom each night demands a lit trail! 🥴

 

2) He sings that he can't stop wondering where his old girlfriend is. Do you know whatever happened to any of your exes? My first boy friend moved to Florida with his family where lived until he sadly passed last year.  Others moved away, who knows where.. and one  was a teacher in Nashville, but sadly passed about 5 years ago. I won the blue ribbon in every way when I married my dearest, Lynn!

3) He says this is the last song he'll ever sing to his girl. What's the last song you sang?  I sing praise songs to God during my bedtime prayer time. It is just what comes into my mind.  Where were you when you sang it? In bed!

 

4) Edward Bear was a Canadian group who took their name from Winnie the Pooh. As written by A. A. Milne, Edward Bear was Pooh's "proper" name. Pooh's favorite food was honey. Is there a food you can't get enough of?I have a sweet tooth.  Just anything. A bite of sweet calls my name.  I have to really be careful.  A tiny bit at a time!

 
5) In 1972, when this song was popular, Disney's Winnie the Pooh was quite a celebrity in his own right, appearing on the cover the 1972 Sears Christmas Wish Book. That year, kids asked Santa for plush Pooh, Tigger and Eeyore. Did you have many plush toys as a child? Yes,  If yes, do you still have any of them? I do not have my original dark  brown teddy bear, but when I was  a much younger adult a dear friend who makes the most gorgeous plush toys gave me a bear with a beret.  I called him Francois , and we inseparable for a time.  When. Just in my private time. I didn’t take him to work, but .I told my students stories about him.  I have always been a storyteller!

6) Enough about 1972! I loved 1972.. the year I got married! Let's look back on 2022. What's something you learned or rediscovered in 2022? I learned to never take a loved one for granted! 

7) Can you think of a moment in 2022 you'd like to do over?This past Christmas was amazing so I’d love to get to relive it, over and over again!

8) What are you looking forward to most in 2023?I look forward to a planned trip with our family perhaps during a school break we plan to go to Lancaster, Pa, to see the Sight and Sound Theater! 

9) Random question: Who received the last email you sent?my friend, Gerri! 

Skywatch Friday

Plockton , a northwestern Scottish sea coast town

I am remembering a beautiful area where we stayed in Scotland  ….we wanted to have easy access to the Isle of Skye, so we stayed in a fabulous manor house known as Duncraig Castle which was nearby the coastal town of Plockton! 

                                                      

What a fabulous place to stay. We were there two nights and being a Bed and Breakfast, the most beautiful breakfast was included. It was hard to leave our accommodations, but the Isle was calling us.  I shared about being at the Old Man of Storr last week.. When we left there we had our granddaughters with us to take to dinner at the town of Plockton, but the further we drove the stormier it became!  The clouds really filled in and lowered. we knew we were in for some rain, at least!

                                 The Plockton peninsula is so delightful!   The terrain is magical!

The town itself  is built close up to the quayside.  The road , considered Main Street , I suppose, is a one lane road with cars parked along the sidewalks.  

There was no available parking out front of the Plockton Hotel where we had our dinner reservation, so we parked down where the fishermen park when they embark to sea!  And the sky opened up in earnest. 

We ran for it..  arriving to our pub-like accommodation like a few drowned rats!  

                                       But it sure was fun! 

Sunday Abiding- The Christ Candle

 

On Christmas Eve the white candle will be lit.    

This candle is called the “Christ Candle” and represents the life of Christ. The color white is for purity—because Christ is our sinless, pure Savior. Celebrating Advent is an excellent way to prepare your mind and heart for Christmas.

Lighting a candle is a simple yet profound act. It is a testimony to the power of light over darkness. Something we will experience later during the candle lighting. Four weeks ago we began our journey toward Christmas and lit the first candle of advent, the Hope or Prophecy candle.

[Read Isaiah 7:14 and Romans 15:12-13 and light the front right purple candle]

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

“The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Three weeks ago we lit the second candle of advent, the Peace candle. Let us remember our need for a Savior to save us from our sins, and give us peace with God.

[Read Isaiah 9:6-7 and light the front left purple candle]

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

Two weeks ago we lit the candle of Joy. 

[Read Luke 2:8-11 and light the rear pink candle]

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Last week we lit the Love candle.

[Read John 3:16-17 and light the rear purple candle]

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Jesus Christ is the true reason for hope, peace, joy, and love in this season and forever.

As we light the Christ candle, celebrating the end of Advent and the arrival of Christ and Christmas, let us remember how our savior came once as a lowly baby, that the world through him might be saved, and how he will return one day in glory.

[Read John 1:9-14 and light the center white candle]

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

[Read John 8:12]

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

J~Merry Christmas and God bless !

 

Christmas is here for me.

 Family has gathered and love is everywhere in the sizes of our 7 and 9 year old grand daughters.   So no more posts for me until after Christmas.   But I will put a wonderful group of songs on here for your delight!

Voices of Lee Concert

                                           Josh Groban

                

                                          Piano Guys Christmas.   

Tuesday 4

 

Counting Down to Christmas

Hosted by Annie!

 

Hello and welcome once again to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4. 

Let's talk about the countdown to Christmas or Chanukah or both!

1. What was the countdown to the holidays like for you as a child? I was very involved in church as a child and we had choir performances, and special events each weekend.  Special projects at school.. too long ago to remember…at home.. we always went away for Christmas to the country to visit both grandma’s.  We stayed at mom’s family leading up to Christmas.  And after Christmas Day dinner, we would go down to dad’s mom for supper.  We literally would founder from all the food ingested on Christmas Day…. with friends, eh, I do not remember time for friends!   

 Was a big deal made of the month in your family or town? Mom worked downtown at Miller and Rhoades, a nice beautiful department store so dad and I would go down on Friday nights and window shop the myriad shops.  So many specific shops to enjoy. I loved that, and each one decked out with holiday displays, there would be special venders on street corners, selling chestnuts, and other goodies, of course early in December was the Christmas parade on first Saturday, and there was a huge flying sleigh and reindeer strung catty cornered across the main intersection of town that was vibrantly decorated. Wreaths a lit with bulbs on every lamp post, and Santa could be visited at the huge Heironimus Department Store on the corner. There was so much gaiety among everyone , it seemed like everyone was of one accord! What does your countdown look like now? Church events keep us busy through the month and then we drop everything and make being with our kids our priority. This year we are with them at their home. We just arrived today! 

2. As a kid did  your family stay home on the holidays or go visiting around ...we visited around at friends home during the month. Folks with whom parents worked mainly.  What do you do now? Again our main focus is special events at church, ..we had a JoySenior ministry party, a women’ s brunch, my Six Sisters got together at one of our homes for a wonderful party of food and games,  the church went carolling to shut ins etc, our Sunday School teacher had us over Saturday night for a fabulous party.so much food.. sharing love and getting to know each other much more intimately.   Good friends!

3. What foods did Mom and Grandma make for those  days?   Grandma made delicious cakes, an apple sauce cake that mulled a bit with a little brandy and was wrapped up and stored in a cool dry place for a few days.  Really delish!  She also made homemade old fashioned egg nog or egg custard.  She made amazing soft ginger cookies, and had chocolate drop candy and peppermint sticks in jars. Those thick kind that are brittle.   Mom always made shrimp cocktail for Christmas Eve,  potato salad, cranberry molded salad, country ham biscuits, and chips and dip.  She also made pecan tassies, coconut cake, What snacks were out?   Mom loved to made cheese balls with assorted crackers, cashews in bowls, cereal trail mix ,  7 layer cookies like the ones I shared last week.What is the food situation in your home today? When my daughter get together we always end up with our Christmas morning brunch,, usually a sausage or ham with veggie quiche, cranberry orange scones,  Brandied fruit, nuts.   We leave the dinner up to Josh because he loves to cook up exciting meals. I brought the ingredients to make individual mince pies . I’ve been seeing them everywhere!  So British!

4.  Did you have a traditional way of spending the day with time to open gifts, visit,  special breakfasts, special dinner, guests?  We generally opened gifts on the Eve, giving Christmas Day over to church,  baking, dining and visiting we also did a lot of visiting leading up to the big day.  Loving to see others decorations etc.  Mom usually invited the same people in for Christmas Eve dinner and we opened gifts after the party was over which was usually around 8.  Yes ,we would be up late!She always invited folks who were good friends with no family to visit.   What do you do now?We generally spend Christmas with just our family. We open gifts on Christmas Day after going to church. This year we will do out Christmas brunch on Saturday because of church on Sunday!

Tuesday- Finding Joy in God’s Word/ Wednesday- Receiving

                                            

Christmas is the best time of year to seek and find Christ, the Savior.  When we see Him as a babe in a manger and sing the wonderful carols about His coming.. it resonates even in the most hardened of souls.  Yes, life has a way of hardening our spirit and  closing our hearts to God’s gentle call to receive Him and be saved! There may be someone who has been following these posts who is curious,  but hasn’t yet yielded their heart to God. On the right side bar there is a list of posts I wrote last year about choosing the become a child of God’s.   If you have not made that commitment,  it is  my deepest prayer that you will use those resources listed to come to the decision that will change your life for so much  the better.  God is not a task master.  His yoke is light .. Christians realize the benefits of living a saved lived  heavily out weighs the changes we experience in our regenerated hearts. Suddenly we desire godly living...  our  old nature is renewed and we actually are repulsed by the sinful manner we used to live.  This doesn’t mean we never sin again, by no means, but we are immediately  burdened by our sin which creates a repentant attitude and we seek God’s forgiveness regularly as we desire to seek holiness and godliness in order to please our Savior, the Lord of our lives. The most valuable gift one can ever receive is the salvation we have in Christ, whose innocent blood shed on the cross  washed away all of our sins.  But we have to appropriate  it.  We have to choose Him as our Lord and Savior.  We must yield our heart to Him and desire Him to come in  and join with our Spirit  and accept Him and His regenerative work in our lives. 

One of the most joyful scriptures in the Bible follows:

Roman 10: 9-10

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Click here for more information on how to be saved and begin a wonderful new life. The greatest  gift you will ever receive!

Monday- Intentional Living

 Today I found a wonderful blog post from   Joyfully Domestic on how  to enjoy an intentional Holiday at Christmas.  She really said it all so well I hope you will click on the link above to read and consider her points on celebrating a God-centered Christmas.  It is just so easy to get carried away with the trappings of Christmas., when it really is all about the birth of a very special baby.  And what His life means for us who believe.  Of course, it is our hope that as many who will yield their hearts and lives to Jesus Christ   will be saved from their sins and lead fruitful, peaceful lives.  Enjoy the article and plan for a very Merry Christmas! 

A few more ideas:

Here are 10 ways to keep Christ at the center of your Christmas celebration:

1. Read the Bible story with your family.

This is a simple way to start and the best way to remember what brought our Savior into the world. Read portions or all of the following biblical passages documenting the original Christmas:

• Matthew 1:18-2:23
• Luke 2:1-20

2. Walk through Old Testament prophecies about the birth of Christ.

There are hundreds of Old Testament prophecies documenting the coming of the Messiah. Several of these deal directly with the birth of Christ. Reading through the Old Testament prophecies about Christmas and seeing the New Testament fulfillment in Christ is a powerful way to build your faith and focus on Christ.

3. Use an advent calendar with Scripture in it.

The advent season looks forward to the coming of Christ at Christmas (advent comes from a word meaning ‘coming’) and is a time of preparation for Christmas. It also looks forward to the Second Coming of Christ.

Using an advent calendar with Scripture will provide you with a daily reminder from Scripture and help you renew your mind as Christmas day approaches.

4. Watch a Christ-focused movie.

Sadly, many “Christmas” movies do not even mention the name of Jesus. Those movies fall way short of the true meaning of Christmas.

Watching a Christ-centered movie can entertain you, provide positive family memories, and build your faith as you ponder the work of our Savior. Some recommended movies to watch at Christmastime include: The Gospel of John,The Star of Bethlehem, The Greatest Story Ever Told, The Nativity Story, and the classic A Charlie Brown Christmas.

 5. Call out wrong messages about Christmas.

Holiday movies tell us there are several meanings to Christmas: giving to others, spending time with people you love, getting good gifts, and that you can be a hero if you have “the Christmas spirit.”

All of these things fall short of the true and amazing meaning of Christmas: God sent his Son into the world, in the form of a baby, to perfectly fulfill God’s law and eventually serve as the sacrifice for the sins, saving whoever would put their faith in him (John 3:16).

6. Listen to Christ-exalting Christmas music.

So much Christmas music is meaningless fluff, lacking any mention to Christ and lacking substance. Read the words from one of the most popular Christmas songs of all-time, Bing Crosby’s White Christmas:

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas / Just like the ones I used to know / Where the tree tops glisten / And children listen / To hear sleigh bells in the snow…

Although it is a catchy song, it does a better job glorifying snow than Christ. Christ has given us so much, why would we not sing about him at Christmas time? Through him we have the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:7), a new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), the Holy Spirit living in us (Romans 8:11), an eternal inheritance in heaven with Christ (1 Peter 1:4). Snow isn’t bad, but Christ is so much better!

Here are some lyrics from a great Christ-exalting Christmas song called “Mary Did You Know” by Mark Lowry:

Mary did you know that your baby boy would some day walk on water? / Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters? /  Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new? / This child that you’ve delivered, will soon deliver you.”

Or if you are into classical music, Handel’s “Messiah” is one of the most glorious pieces of music ever written or played—and is about Christ!

7. Remember the dangers of materialism. 

Don’t let yourself or your children get sucked into the materialistic trap that exists at Christmas. If you are a parent, it is especially important that you make sure your kids understand at an early age that Christmas is not about getting presents and having more possessions.

Some practical steps for teaching and learning a biblical perspective on gifts and earthly possessions are:

1. Walk through Scriptures dealing with possessions. Matthew 6:19-34 and James 4:1-12 are good places to start.
2. Go to a garbage dump and look at all of the old things that might have been highly-coveted at one time.
3. Focus on giving at Christmas time. Jesus is the ultimate example—sacrificially giving Himself to pay the price for our sins.
4. Make your Christmas list be a list of things you are thankful for, not a list of things you want.
5. Pray that God would change your focus.

8. Give Christ-centered gifts.

Giving gifts that will build faith is an excellent way to celebrate Christ at Christmas. The Unlocking the Bible Storehas several items that would make excellent gifts:

• For the studious Christian: The ESV Study Bible
• For the new believer or non-Christian: Ten Keys for Unlocking the Bible
• For anyone wanting to get into the Word: The OneYear Unlocking the Bible Devotional

Writing a Christmas Bible verse on a Christmas card is a great way to point back to the Savior as well!

9. Make the highlight of your Christmas serving others.

Christ, himself, did not come to be served, but to serve (Mark 10:45). Christmas can be a very self-centered time, and serving others provides you an opportunity to think about and meet the needs of others. Serving can happen in your church, a homeless shelter, giving a gift to the child of a prisoner, and many other ways.

Regina commented on our Facebook page on a way her family serves others during Christmas time:

We pool our Christmas money together and instead of buying gifts, we decided together on a relief organization to send it to. Our kids ask us every year what organization we can give to. We all enjoy it!

10. Share Christ with others. 

The Christmas season may be the best time to invite people to church and strike up spiritual conversations. The topic of Christmas and Jesus Christ will come up often. Take advantage of that and share the life giving truth of the gospel! Take advantage of the fact that people are not satisfied with candy canes and mistletoe and that they long for something deeper and satisfying and that Jesus Christ will satisfy all of their thirsts and longings of this life, and the life to come.

If you send out a Christmas card or letter, you have a great opportunity to share the real meaning of Christmas and the source of true Christmas cheer, Jesus Christ[P

This list was compiled by the management of  The Open Bible..     and has some good ideas.

Sunday Abiding. The Fourth Advent Candle

 

Today is the fourth Sunday of advent and we light the Angel candle, and it stands for LOVE.

Angels appeared in the Christmas story even before Jesus appeared on the scene. The Gospel of Luke describes how the angel Gabriel appeared to a man named Zacharias, informing him that he and his wife would soon have a son (Luke 1:1-25). Zacharias’ son grew up to be John the Baptist, who preached that the Messiah was coming, and baptized Jesus in the Jordan River (Mark 1:1-7)

After giving Zacharias this message, Gabriel appeared to a young woman named Mary. He informed her that even though she wasn’t married and still a virgin, she would soon become pregnant with a son. This son would be from God, the long-promised Messiah (Luke 1:26-38). After Mary became pregnant, her fiancé Joseph considered “divorcing her quietly,” (Matthew 1:19) a way to avoid scandal. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, telling him that Mary’s child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and to marry her in spite of her pregnancy (Matthew 1:18-25).

The night that Jesus was born, angels appeared to shepherds outside Bethlehem, announcing the Messiah’s birth and telling them where to find him (Luke 2:8-20). Several years later, after the Wise Men had visited Mary and Joseph with gifts for Jesus, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream. This time, he got a warning that Herod’s soldiers were coming to kill the infants of Bethlehem and to escape. The small family fled for Egypt and didn’t return until another angel appeared and told Joseph that Herod had died, so it was safe to return to Israel (Matthew 2:13-23).

Thus, within the Christmas story, angels function as messengers of love. They told people “good news” (Luke 1:19) which is unexpected, but no less good for being shocking. In some cases, the news that the angels gave saved people’s lives. Other times, it alerted people to something worth celebrating, in the future or nearby. In each of these cases, their message showed God’s love.

Saturday 9. - The Christmas Song!

 

The Christmas Song.    Hosted by Samantha.

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Saturday 9: The Christmas Song (1964)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

 
1) While this song was published as "The Christmas Song," many people refer to it as "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire." Have you ever roasted chestnuts (in an open fire or in the oven)? No ! I have not.. ever since my hubby ( boyfriend gave me a bag of chestnuts his dad got at a local park, and I had  eaten half of them and placed the bag in my windowsill in my college room only to find a bag full of worms the next morning, .I have lost my interest in them!

2) Ricky Nelson sings that turkey helps make the season bright. Many of us just had turkey last month for Thanksgiving. Do you enjoy turkey all year around? Or do you consider it a seasonal dish? Definitely, a seasonal dish!

3) He wishes "Merry Christmas" to kids from 1 to 92. Who is the youngest person you will celebrate the holidays with? Who is the oldest? our youngest grand daughter is 7, and hubs will be the oldest!

 

4) "The Christmas Song" is a perennial favorite and gets lots of play this time of year. Is there a holiday song that you think is overplayed, and that you hope to not hear again (at least not until December 2023)? All I Want for Christmas is You, and Rockin Around the Christmas tree.   Enough, already!

5) This version of the song is from The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, the sitcom that ran from 1952 to 1966. There were 435 episodes in all. Is there a series whose every episode you've seen?Leave it to Beaver.  I love to watch it while I enjoy my coffee early in the mornings.  So nostalgic!

 

6) Life magazine coined the phrase "teen idol" to describe Ricky's popularity. In your younger days, did you have a crush on a teen idol? I really liked Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders.  

 

7) Do you have a funny/ugly holiday sweater?  I used to as a teacher, but got rid of it!

 

8) Have you received many holiday cards this year? Did you send many?  I sent 60 and have received 24 so far.

9) If you were Santa, what cookie would you like kids to leave for you on Christmas Eve? 

7 layer cookies as seen in Friday’s post!Ps I’ve had a lot of comments about my cookie! These were popular back in the 70’s and 80’s so I thought it was time to revive them .

The recipe is available in my previous post