Beau's New Year's Sermon

You're gifted!! I'm not talking about what you got for Christmas, but your talents and skills. You may not think you're gifted but you are. The Holy Bible says so! It says EVERYONE has gifts. God gave them to you and everything from God is good, so your talents are good! Not only that, you are supposed to share them and use them. They don't have to be perfect. That's God's department. You're just supposed to use them, and let God work through them, and at perfecting them. (Let God do the rest.) So, today, starting now, make it a resolution to share your gift(s) with the world. God would appreciate it. He wants you to bless others, bless yourself, and bless Him. Love, Beau

Beau's Christmas Sermon

"Then the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.' Then Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I do not know a man?' And the angel answered and said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.' Then Mary said, 'Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.' And the angel departed from her. ... And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ' Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!' So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.' And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them."
"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." Love came down at Christmas!!

**The Holy Bible, Luke 1:30-38, 2:1-15, 1 Cor. 13:13

Examples of Faith

Faith is trusting in something even though there are no facts to support it. It took many acts of faith for Jesus to be born. Mary, who had never been married, and knew how much trouble she would get from friends and family over having a baby, had faith that everything would be okay. Joseph, her future husband, had a dream telling him the same thing, and instead of blowing it off or thinking he was going nuts, had faith in Mary and that everything would be okay. Mary had to have a LOT of faith. Not only was she pregnant and unmarried, but when it was about time for her to have the baby she had to ride cross country on a donkey. THEN she had to give birth in an animal stable and put the baby in a wooden bed. She and Joseph had faith that everything was going to be okay then and in raising Him. The wise men and shepherds that came to see Jesus had faith. They didn't exactly know how to get where Jesus was but they set out, following a big, bright star, and had faith they would find him. In every aspect of the birth of Jesus, they all had fears, anxieties, and concerns...but they had faith everything would work out. That's what God ask us to do. Despite everything, seen and unseen, trust in Him and have faith everything will work out. Love, Beau

Love Came Down at Christmas

Love came down at Christmas. And, love is about giving. God gave us new life through His son. That's the deepest form of giving. Giving is not just about giving money to charities, and or baking stuff. It's about giving from the heart...the deepest part of our heart. It's about giving a true part of ourself to others, including our mind and souls, as well as our heart. When mom is sick I give of myself by lying on the bed with her, to help her feel better and comfort her, instead of playing or bird watching. It's what I choose to do because I love. Every where you look there are people hurting, hungry, lonely, etc. Don't just give them a handout of money or some food. Give them your heart. Give them your mind and soul. Take time to just listen. Everyone has a story. How many people do you see actually taking time to share themselves with the homeless and the drunks. Maybe THAT is what they really need...someone to make them feel valued and genuinely cared about. That is what compassion is all about. Love is about giving compassion. God has tremendous compassion, which is why He gave His son for us. So, give YOU this Christmas. You'll receive more in return than you can imagine! Love came down at Christmas, but it continues by our works. Love, Beau

Christ's Compassion

Not only is the season of love, but also a time of tremendous compassion. God sent His ONLY son into the world to die in our place...even though we were really screwing up bad at the time. That's how much love and compassion He had for us. From the beginning of time God has shown his compassion. When he created man, and he was lonely, he gave him Eve. When Moses the human got angry and threw a hissy fit God punished him by not letting him move into the new home place, but He did allow Moses to see it before Moses died. Throughout the Holy Bible, when God punished a group of people, it was only for a time, and He always gave them multiple chances. Even when Job the man went through a horrible time once it was over Job had things even better than before! God wants us to be like Him, and show the same amount of compassion toward each other that He gives to us. Mom and I feel this place would be a much better world if everyone would practice more compassion towards one another. It seems to make EVERYONE feel better, whether you are the giver, receiver, or just watching it. So, I think it would be a good thing during this holdiday season to work on showing others more compassion. Like, when someone starts making you feel upset say a prayer for them instead. I'm going to try!! Love, Beau

Refiner of Silver

Mom received the following email on a really bad day for her. I thought it was really cool and it seemed to help so I wanted to share it with you. Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered that
this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it" Mom says this a great description of how God is always watching over us, especially when He tests us and or we are going through great trial. Mom said this shows God watches us even more closely during those times, and that He doesn't keep us in the "fire" longer than necessary. Mom also said that it also showed that the more we are perfected the more in God's likeness we become. (Told you this was cool!) To tie this in to both Thanksgiving and Christmas, this shows God's great love for us and I am so very thankful for that! Love, Beau

Giving Thanks in Everything

Thanksgiving is next week and I've been thinking about not only what I'm thankful for, but also how important it is to stop and be thankful. Not just for the good times but in the bad times too. I think in the bad times we need to be thankful God is there to help us, and also it's a chance for us to grow, mature, learn, and become stronger. God even said in EVERYTHING give thanks. Mom is always saying if we don't stop and be thankful, God gave it to us and He can just as easily take it away. I think she's right. I know at a much smaller level if I don't show appreciation for my treats and toys, mom takes them away from me for a while. And God is way more powerful than mom! AND, in the Holy Bible, people were always thanking God for good thing that happened to them, especially a guy named David. They say the first thanksgiving was when the humans called pilgrims ate with those called indians. But, I think it started back in Bible times because lots of times when they gave thanks they also ate big meals too. So, take some time this week and next to think about what you are thankful for, thank those that gave it to you, and eat a BIIIG meal!! Thank you! Love, Beau

Be Joyful

Sometimes it's hard to feel joy, especially when everything is going wrong, something bad happens, or if there's death or illness. However, God wants us to be joyful in all things. I find this very hard to do. After all, I'm not exactly joyful about going to the v-e-t (ask him)! I think this is probably hard for all of us. Like I've said, we can always find something good in everything if we look hard enough...even if it's a life lesson. And I DO know, this: God says that our sorrow will be turned to joy and they they weep will be full of joy. That means that whatever is sad, upsetting, or just going wrong is only TEMPORARY. Things will turn around and get better. It may not be as soon as we like or think it should be, but it will. We've just got to hang on! And that in itself is something to be joyful about. Love, Beau

God's Pumpkin

I received the following analogy just before Halloween and thought it would make a good sermon. It's self-explanatory and short, but very deep. I don't know who the author is but thanks to whomever. "Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff-- including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see. Happy Fall Y'all!" (Love, Beau)

Stop and Smell the Roses

We are always so busy that often we rush from one thing to the next forgetting to see the good in everything, even if it's right in front of us. We lose site of our blessings and don't take time to appreciate them. And, this is the time of year when things start to get busier for everyone... both at our humans' jobs and at home. As we approach the holiday season, and in our every day lives, we need to slow down and appreciate the good in our lives, and be thankful for what God has blessed us with and done for us. You will be happier and better for it! Take time today to be thankful and feel blessed! You'll be glad you did! Love, Beau

The Greatest Commandment

Love one another. Sometimes that's easy and sometimes not. But that is what God tells us to do and it is the most important thing we are to do. God says, 'the GREATEST of these is love.' It's more important than anything else. Even when we're really, really mad or hurt, by or at, others we're supposed to love them. We are supposed to love one another as God loved us. . I don't always feel loving toward mom, but then I think about neither of us is perfect, and I love her just the way she is. That is how God loves us. He loves us with all our faults, flaws, and imperfections, and even when we do something really bad. And He forgives us. He loves us so much He even died for us. Do you love someone enough that you would die for them? I think if we see others as a child of God, instead of the imperfect side of them it makes it easier to love one another. So, the next time you're having a hard time loving take a step back and think about others as a child of God. It changes your perception. It really does!! And be sure to say, "I love you" today. Love, Beau

Prayer

Prayer changes things. We have seen this, and what it can do. God wants us to "pray without ceasing." That means everything we want, everything we need, and all the desires of our heart God wants us to tell Him. Yes, He already knows what's in our heart and minds, and what our needs and wants are...but He wants us to tell Him because he really wants that conversation with us. He wants a relationship and one on one time with us. He also wants us to listen to what He has to say. He wants to help us. That is what prayer is all about. It's about a relationship with God, like what we have with our families...talking, sharing, one on one time, and being there and helping each other. We help God by doing His will for us, and He helps us when we share what's in our hearts. So, whatever hurts, scares, worries, hopes, dreams, and joys you have, share them with God. He will rejoice with you in the good times and help you through the hard times. He wants to know and He's waiting. Pray without ceasing. Love, Beau

Hope and Faith

Hope and faith. It's something we all gotta have. It's what keeps us going. We all have our hopes and dreams, and that is what we strive for, but I think without faith we wouldn't work so hard for them. I hope for treats, fresh water and plenty of food, but I also have faith mom will provide these things for me. Sometime you have to take what's called a leap of faith, which means you have nothing to go on BUT faith. That's when it's the hardest but it can be the time when you grow the most and get the strongest. Mom was in the hospital once with a bad hurt foot. After getting out of the hospital she had to stay with Grandpa and Momma S. for a while. I didn't know what had happened to mom and I didn't trust Grandpa since she had left with him, but he was taking care of me. I had to take a leap of faith that I would be taken care of and be okay, even though mom was gone. And I kept hoping mom would come back. My faith and hope paid off. Mom came back and all my needs had been met. It all turned out okay. Sometimes things don't always come out the way WE planned, and this bothers us. But know this. God always has a plan. We may not realize it but He does. Mom lost her job and worried a lot about insurance and paying bills. Finally at one point she realized this: When her present insurance ran out, something else kicked in. And the money for bills was always there. Her bills and insurance had been covered. She worried for nothing. God always had a plan. Mom says when one door closes another one opens. It may not be the one expected, or thought we wanted, but it's a good one. Even when our friends go to the Rainbow Bridge, the door to their earthly life closes but the door to the Bridge opens..and it's a better place. So whatever your challenges, hold onto hope and keep the faith (take a leap if necessary). It will pay off and be worth it in the end. Love, Beau

Life's Lessons

Have you ever felt like your life was "the good, the bad, and the ugly?" I have. Treats, cuddles, and tummy rubs are good. The v-e-t is bad, and mom leaving town was just ugly. Mom says there is a book called, "When Bad Things Happen to Good People." I haven't read it yet but it sounds good. That seems to happen a lot in life, and lately it seems especially true. No one knows what's around the corner so we always gotta be prepared for the unexpected. Mom says one of those ways is learning how to find the good in everything. That sounds really hard, but mom says its' not that hard if you take time to think about things. Like, what life lesson did you learn? Did it make you stronger? Mom says the biggest lesson is showing you can get through a lot of stuff (with God's help) that you didn't think you could. Luna's family got through her being missing and what they learned is they had a lot more support and friends than they thought. So, my challenge for you is to always find the good in the bad, no matter how hard, and be a stronger person for it. Love, Beau

Make Each Moment Count

With all the sad things happening with cat blogging friends and their families, and with the loss of mom's friend, it has made me think. I know I have nine lives, but even then life is short. One never knows when it's their time. So, mom are making more efforts to make each day better. My question for you is this: What are you doing today, at this moment, to show those you love and care about how you feel? What are you doing to make your life, and the lives of those around you better? Don't say, "I'll start tomorrow" or "I have to think about it." That may be too late...JUST DO IT!! Time is of the essence. Take that trash out, open the door for your co-worker, stop to help someone in need, call someone. Pay a favor forward. You'll be glad you did! Love, Beau