GAZE OF THE SOUL BY Julia

The Care Of Providence....

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:35:00 +0000

"The care of Providence reaches to the most magnificent creatures, and the most minute events... the death of a sparrow and the fall of a hair."
(Charles Haddon Spurgeon)

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 05:14:00 +0000

A Ballast for My Soul

Life is like a stormy sea

That tosses to and fro,

But God's Word will ever be

A ballast for my soul.

By its truth I'll be held fast

Till I reach heaven's shore

Where I will be home at last

And sail life's sea no more!

—Perry Boardman

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

~~Timothy 3: 16~~

Have great and blessed days ahead Bloggers!

Sincerely,

Ophelia Jane Julia

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

top photo: Christ in the storm of the Sea of Galilee by Rembrandt

middle photo: The Bible and Candle from Yahoo photos

bottom: Ophelia from FLICKR

Ever Since By Faith I Saw The Stream....

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 08:08:00 +0000

"Ever since by faith I saw the stream

Thy flowing wounds supply

Redeeming love has been my theme

And shall be till I die!"

"The grandest fact under heaven is this - that Christ by His precious blood does actually put away sin, and that God, for Christ's sake dealing with men on terms of divine mercy, forgives the guilty and justifies them, not according to anything that He sees in them, or foresees will be in them, but according to the riches of His mercy which lie in His own heart. The justification by which comes from God Himself must be beyond question. If the Judge acquits me, who can condemn me? If the highest court in the universe has pronounced me just, who shall lay anything to my charge? ...No tongue can tell the depth of that calm which comes over the soul which has received the peace of God which passes all understanding." (Charles Haddon Spurgeon)

Born in 1834 and died in 1892, Charles Haddon Spurgeon was England's best-known preacher for most of the second half of the 19th century. Here was a man who lived to the full - he was all out for God. It is unlikely that any of us can compare remotely with his God-given brilliance, but we can all ask God for something of his devotion to the Savior and his love for souls. For more on Charles Haddon Spurgeon, do visit the following links below...

http://www.spurgeon.org/

http://www.spurgeongems.org/

Have great and blessed days ahead Bloggers!

The Joy That Visits My Soul

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:03:00 +0000

"O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,

Has a wondrous attraction for me;

For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above

To bear it to dark Calvary

St. Paul loved the person of Christ, because he felt sweet experience that Christ loved him. His love was but a reflection of Christ's love first. He loved to see christ, to embrace Him, and enjoy Him that had done so much and suffered so much for his soul. No joy ever visits my soul like that of knowing that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Have a blessed weekend Bloggers!

Heart's Desires

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 05:06:00 +0000

"God knows your heart's desires, and His plans and purposes for you are far greater than anything you can do on your own."

"God knows what it will take to accomplish His purpose. Sometimes, the greatest disappointment or tragedy can be the catalyst God uses for blessing and renewing hope - especially if the trial reveals a lack of faith on our part. While we cannot see the end of every hardship, the Lord can. And "He works all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8: 28)

Have blessed days ahead Bloggers!

Sincerely,

Ophelia Jane Julia

a c k n o w l e d g e m e n t

top photo : Riverbend by Dr. Charles Stanley

The Heart Is Unweldable....

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 06:14:00 +0000

The heart is unweldable, and nothing but grace can so heat it as to enable the hammer of conviction to wield it to Christ; and when thus wielded, it becomes one with him.

Take heed of a false faith; none is true but that which is acquired by a kneeling, searching, seeking for truth as for hidden treasure.

Have Blessed Days Ahead Bloggers!

JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 06:17:00 +0000

Carrie Underwood Jesus, Take The Wheel

Music Video Codes By Music Jesus.com

She was driving last Friday on her way to Cincinnati
on a snow white Christmas eve.
Going home to see her momma and her daddy
with the baby in the back seat.
Fifty miles to go,
and she was running low on faith and gasoline.
It'd been a long, hard year.

She had a lot on her mind
and she didn't pay attention
She was going way too fast.
and before she knew it,
she was spinning on a thin, black sheet of glass.
She saw both their lives
flash before her eyes,
she didn't even have time to cry
She was so scared.
She threw her hands up in the air.

Jesus take the wheel,
take it from my hands,
cause I can't do this on my own.
I'm letting go,
so give me one more chance.
to Save me from this road I'm on.
Jesus take the wheel.

It was still getting colder
when she made it to the shoulder
And the car came to a stop.
She cried when she saw, that baby in the backseat
sleeping like a rock.
And for the first time in a long time,
she bowed her head to pray.
she said "I'm sorry for the way I've been living my life,
I know I've got to change
so from now on, tonight"

Jesus take the wheel.
take it from my hands,
cause I can't do this on my own.
I'm letting go,
so give me one more chance.
To save me from this road I'm on.

Oh, Jesus take the wheel
Oh, I'm letting go,
so give me one more chance,
to save me from this road I'm on.
From this road I'm on.
Jesus take the wheel.
Oh, take it, take it from me.
oh wah ooooooooo

PERFORMED BY CARRIE UNDERWOOD

ANYWAY

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:11:00 +0000

Anyway lyrics - Martina McBride lyrics

Anyway Video - Martina McBride Music Videos

Music Videos by VideoCure

You can spend your whole life building
Something from nothin'
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway

You can chase a dream
That seems so out of reach
And you know it might not ever come your way
Dream it anyway

God is great
But sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway

This world's gone crazy
It's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway

You can love someone with all your heart
For all the right reasons
In a moment they can choose to walk away
Love 'em anyway

God is great
But sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
Yea - I do it anyway

You can pour your soul out singing
A song you believe in
That tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway
Yea, sing it anyway
Yeah, yeah!

I sing
I dream
I love anyway

PERFORMED BY MARTINA MC BRIDE

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 07:16:00 +0000

He Will Lift You By His Love....: "Souls in danger look above,

Jesus completely saves;

He will lift you by His love,

Out of the angry waves,

He's the Master of the sea

Billows His will obey;

He, your Savior wants to be,

Be saved today!"

"The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord...

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."

~~Romans 6:23; Acts 4:12 KJV~~

VISIT MY OTHER BLOG SPOTS AT

http://janejulia1128.livejournal.com/

http://opheliajane.multiply.com/journal

THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 06:58:00 +0000

WEARY, TIRED AND HEARTBROKEN?

" The heart is by nature restless as old ocean's waves; it seeks an object for its affection; and when it finds one beneath the stars, it is doomed to sorrow. Either the beloved changes, and there is disappointment; or death comes in, and there is bereavement. The more tender the heart, the greater its unrest. Those in whom the heart is simply one of the largest valves are undisturbed, because they are callous; but the sensitive, the generous, and the unselfish, are often found seeking rest and finding none. To such, the Lord Jesus says, "Come unto Me and I will give you rest."

Think about God. Make much of Him till He broadens and fills the horizon of faith. Then prayer will come into its marvellous inheritance of wonders. The marvels of prayer are seen when we remember that God's purposes are changed by prayer. God's vengeance is stayed by prayer, and God's penalty is remitted by prayer. Here is a force which must be increasingly used, that of prayer, a force to which all the events of life ought to be subjected.

Prayer brings to us blessings which we need, and which only God can give and which prayer can alone convey to us. Asking is man's part. Giving is God's part. The praying belongs to us. The answer belongs to God. Man makes the plea and God makes the answer. The plea and the answer compose the prayer.

God is everywhere, watching, superintending, overseeing, governing everything in the highest interest of man. He is not an absentee God. He did not make the world with all that is in it, and turn it over to the so-called natural laws and then retire into the secret places of the universe having no regard for it or for the working of His laws. His hand is on the throttle. The work is not beyond his control. Earth's inhabitants and its affairs are not running independent of Almighty God. God's hand is in everything. None are beyond Him or beneath His notice.

The providence of God reaches as far as the realm of prayer. It has to do with everything for which we pray. Nothing is too small for the eye of God, nothing too significant for His notice and His care. God's providence has to do with even the stumbling of the feet of His saints. The care of Providence reaches to the most insignificant creatures and the most minute events - - the death of a sparrow and the fall of a hair."

E.M Bounds

THEREFORE FRET NOT, NEITHER BE WEARY. LIFT UP THE HANDS THAT HANG DOWN AND GO TO GOD IN PRAYER... "CASTING ALL YOUR CARES UPON HIM FOR HE CARES FOR YOU."

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 06:52:00 +0000

"The purpose of life is to look for its purpose." It still echoes in my mind, a saying that I first read in my Literature 101 book. Some of us were born in a privilege childhood and some were born in the dimness and obscurity of poverty but the one common denominator that binds us altogether is our souls' searching for the deep and profound things of life. "Who am I? Why am I here?" are the common questions that come to mind from time to time. When we experience nothing but the enjoyment of all life's pleasures, we regard life as beautiful, but when sufferings, pain and sorrows come, we regard life as one whole big dark room. We tend to disregard the beauty of the rose when we are hurt by its thorns. Often the hurt, the pain, sorrows and sufferings dim our view of the bright skies that lay ahead. But to the courageous, the brave and the patient, rewards of greatness and satisfaction in living are given. We are like soldiers fighting for our very own existence so hold your head high soldiers and march forward with courage because the profound reason and meaning of life is to be understood by only the wisest and the bravest!!!

Ophelia

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 06:38:00 +0000

Facts, Facts, Facts!!!

The distance of the earth from the sun, approximately 93,000,000 miles is just right to sustain life!

The 23 1/2 degree tilt of the earth on its axis ensures seasonal changes without which much of the earth would be desert!

The balance of oxygen (21%) and nitrogen (78%) in the air we breathe is perfect for supporting life!

An ozone layer in the atmosphere shelters our planet from deadly ultraviolet rays from the sun!

These and more are but proofs of an Intelligent Maker!

"The starry heavens on a moonlit night, a golden sunset at the end of the day, majestic mountain peaks, tall, stately trees, the music of a babbling brook, the warm rays of sunshine, or perhaps something as common, and as beautiful as a wildflower in the field." May we never become too busy to appreciate the ordinary things in life and to offer gratitude to God!

THOUGHTS, THOUGHTS, THOUGHTS!!!

"True love endures in spite of difficulties. It does not depend upon the continuance of pleasing qualities in the loved one. It flows from a deep desire for the wlefare of the other and grows sweeter with the passing of the years."

"Beauty, youth, good fortune, even love itself, cannot keep care and pain, loss and sorrow, from the most blessed for - 'Into each life some rain must fall, some days must be dark and dreary.'.." but....

"God's hands that holds the ocean depths can hold my small affairs; His hand which guides the universe can carry all my cares."

QUOTES FROM A CLASSIC

" My great miseries in this world have been Heathcliff's miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning; my great thought in living is himself. If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger. I should not seem a part of it...I am Heathcliff - he's always, always in my mind not as a pleasure to myself - but as my own being!" (Catherine from Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights)

POETRY

I never saw a moor;

I never saw the sea,

Yet know I how the heather looks

and what a billow be.

I never spoke with God,

nor visited in heaven.

Yet certain am I of the spot

As if the checks were given.

(Emily Dickinson)

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Thu, 28 May 2009 01:25:00 +0000

Yesterday I received an email from a thoroughly bewildered father in El Salvador and it reads:

"I came across your blogspot, Gaze of the Soul, as I googled through spiritual topics...I admire your passion for spiritual things and your firm views on God, Christianity and salvation through Jesus Christ...My brilliant, intelligent, good and kind 17 year-old son was recently mutilated and killed by drugged men....May I ask you one question, "MISS OPHELIA JANE JULIA, WHERE WAS GOD WHEN MY SON WAS KILLED?"

DEAR SIR: I deeply appreciate you for sending that email to me. I want you to know that I completely understand and feel the pain and suffering you are going through right now over the recent death of your brilliant, good son and my sincere thoughts and prayers for comfort and strength are with you and your family. Your question echoes that of those who had passed through the same kind of bereavement that you are experiencing right now....Sometimes, even to a Christian, injustices of this kind are hard to fathom which often lead us to question Divine justice and interference. But to answer your question as to where was God when your son was killed, all I can say is....MY FRIEND, GOD WAS JUST WHERE HE WAS WHEN HIS OWN SON, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, WAS KILLED.

IN MEMORIAM

Shafileah Ahmed, 17 year-old Pakistan girl victim of an honor-killing in January last year in Warrington, UK. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-507020/Teenager-honour-killing-girl-dramatic-plea-help-died.html

World events, its cruelty, wickedness and total defiance of God is such a perplexing thing to a Christian, I must admit. Somehow, secular history does not explain the WHY of all what is happening. But divine history or the WORD OF GOD explains it and gives glory and honor to the Almighty God alone. May we as believers in Christ Jesus, even in the most adverse circumstances, would praise and thank God for He knows what He is doing and that He has promised that what He had begun to do, He will perform it until the day of Christ.

"Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance..."

~~Psalm 32:7~~

Have blessed and fruitful days ahead bloggers!

Sincerely,

Ophelia Jane Julia

BALLAD OF A MOTHER'S HEART

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Fri, 08 May 2009 06:32:00 +0000

The night was dark, for the moon was young

And the stars were asleep and rare;

The clouds were thick, yet Youth went out

To see his maiden fair.

"Dear one," he pleaded as he knelt

Before her feet in tears

"My love is true, why have you kept me waiting

all these years?"

The maiden looked at him unmoved

It seemed and whispered low:

"Persistent Youth you have to prove

By deeds your love is true."

"There's not a thing I would not do

For you beloved," said he

"Then go," said she "to your mother dear

and bring her heart to me!"

Without another word, Youth left

And went to his mother dear

And opened her breast and took her heart

He did not shed a tear.

Then back to his maiden fair he ran,

Unmindful of the rain

But his feet slipped and down he fell

And loud he groaned with pain.

Still in his hand he held the prize

That would win his maiden's hand;

And suddenly he thought of his mother dear

So kind, so sweet, so fond

And then he heard a voice,

Not from his lips but all apart

"Get up," it said

"Were you hurt, child?"

It was his mother's heart.

"God tells us to honor our mother. And He does not set any limits to His command. Because she's our mom, we are to treat her with respect and love. Mothers don't always live up to our expectations. Sometimes, they experience hardships and challenges that affect their ability to offer what we need or want. Or, they might have a personal weakness that negatively impacts us or our families. But we are to follow the example of our heavenly Father, who loved us even though we didn't have any qualities that deserved His favor. God loved us when we were unlovable. We can express our gratitude to Him by giving unconditional love to our mother."
~~Pastor / Dr. Charles F. Stanley~~

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL MOTHER BLOGGERS!

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:24:00 +0000

"Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee;

How great Thou art, how great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee;

How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

~~Stuart Kline~~

"So few people have any conception of what the grace of God really is. It is the wondrous, boundless love of God poured out upon us without stint or measure, not according to our deserving, but according to His infinite heart of love "which passeth knowledge", so unfathomable are its heights and depths. Put together all the tenderest love you know of, the deepest you have ever felt, and the strongest that has ever been poured out upon you, and heap upon it all the love of all the loving human hearts in the world, and then multiply it by infinity, and you will begin perhaps to have some faitn glimpses of who the love of God in Christ Jesus is."

~~Hannah Withal Smith~~

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 03:30:00 +0000

"Fly me up to where you are

beyond the distant star

I wish upon tonight to see you smile

If only for a while to know you're there

A breath away's not far

To where you are!"

~~L. Thompson & R. Marx~~

"You bring out my best, you can bring out my worst

You feed every hunger and leave me burning with thirst

And at the moment that I know that I"ll surely die

Your love is my fountain of life."

~~L. Greenwood~~

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 02:21:00 +0000

"Defenses conceal weaknesses, as graves and thick bottles conceal things that are buried. But though a defense may hide, it is not necessarily impenetrable, just as, though something is buried, it is not irretrievable."

"Every coincidence, improbable as it may seem in the real world, is probable and even predictable in the psyhe's hidden world. The psyche will look for what it wants in the real world; it will project what it needs into what is there."
"We assume that all human beings crave love and move toward it as instinctively as a plant inclines to the sun. But human nature can be perverted and love is too dangerously to want, in fact, it is too dangerous to want anything....but there comes a time when nature will not be denied, when, because we still "feel life at life's sources"..."

"The dead never change, because they are stopped in time. And if they remain always as they were at the moment of their death, everything about them remains as it was. Their memories can never change or fade. Because the dead are stopped, there can be no question of their forgetting, of their ceasing to love."

Those of us who love prose and poetry find in its pleasure, wisdom and inspiration. But even the best literature cannot be compared to the value of the words of the Bible. Imagine a despairing soul on the verge of suicide picking up a book of poetry and thumbing through its pages. It's highly unlikely that even the noble thoughts of Henry W. Longfellow or John Greenleaf Whittier, to say nothing of a modern poet like T.S Eliot, would inspire him to fall on his knees and cry out to God for mercy and grace. Poetry has its honored place in our culture. But human words, however creatively woven together, can never take the place of God's Word for...
A well-turned phrase and words that rhyme
Can give us inspiration,
Yet nothing but the Word of God
Can bring us His salvation.
~~Sper~~

Have a lovely and blessed weekend ahead bloggers!

Sincerely,
Ophelia

a c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s:

oil on canvas image 1 - Lachrymae by Lord Leighton Fredric
oil on canvas image 2 - Invocation by Lord Leighton Fredric
oil on canvas image 3 - Clytie, 1892 by Lord Leighton Fredric
oil on canvas image 4 - Odalisque by Lord Leighton Fredric

Oil on canvas images were taken from http://www.illusionsgallery.com/

Featured excerpts quoted from: Introduction to Charlotte Bronte's Villette by Susan Fromberg Schaeffer

In My Dreams...Even If The Sun Refused To Shine...

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 06:37:00 +0000

"in my dreams i always see you soar above the sky

in my heart there'll always be

a place for you for all my life

i'll keep a part of you with me

and everywhere i am there you'll be"

~~From There You'll Be, Love Theme from Pearl Harbor by Faith Hill~~

and even if the sun refused to shine

even if romance ran out of rhyme

you would still have my heart

until the end of time

you're all i need my love, my valentine

~~From My Love, My Valentine recorded and sung by Martina Mc Bride~~

"Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it...

for love is strong as death..."

~~Song of Solomon 8: 7, 6~~

"He who is in his innermost being doesn't possess the qualities to live happily is subjected to the insults of all Ages. He who finds within himself the roots of goodness cannot perceive as bad that which is imposed by natural necessities."

~~Cicero~~

Wish you all blessed days ahead bloggers!

Sincerely,

Ophelia

One Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 02:01:00 +0000

I want to tell You Lord
Of the love I have for You
I'm trying to express
The things You are, the things You do
I've searched the book of rhymes
Looking for words to say, nothing comes to mind
That in any way ever could describe
The love that burns inside
And how life's complete with You.

One day, one day with You and life begins again
Like water to a dry and thirsty land
It's just one day with You
One day, the world will see how great Your love has been
I'll never go back to that world again
After one day with You.

The more I get to know You, Lord
The more I find You true
I try to share with others
That they will know You too
No matter where I go Your love will always stay
Hold me even though I fall along the way
We will never part, You are in my heart
Always there to pull me through.

One day, one day with You and life begins again
Like water to a dry and thirsty land
It's just one day with You
One day, the world will see how great Your love has been
I'll never go back to that world again
After one day with You.

When our heart is full of love to Jesus, His loveliness becomes the passion of the soul, and sin and self are swept away. We start aligning our desires, our will and our life to God. We and God then become agreed in life desires, life purposes, life plans and work them out together. Thus, through all the misfortunes of our life, whenever we are faced with the gravest problems imaginable, we will be totally abandoned and so forced to depend entirely on God's resources. (Ophelia)

Have blessed days ahead Bloggers!

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:13:00 +0000

Tear Drops Poem

They say memories are golden,

Well, maybe that is true;

I never wanted memories,

I only wanted you.

A million times I needed you,

A million times I cried;

If love alone could have saved you,

You never would have died.

In life I loved you dearly,

In death I love you still;

In my heart you hold a piece

No one could ever fill.

But now I know you want me

To mourn for you no more,

To remember the happy times

Life still has much in store.

Since you'll never be forgotten

I pledge to you today;

A hallowed place within my heart

Is where you'll always stay.

If tears could build a stairway

And heartache make a lane;

I'd walk the path to heaven

And bring you back again.

Our family chain is broken,

and nothing seems the same;

But as God calls us one by one,

The chain will link again.

There are flowers that bloom in winter, if we have but grace to see them. Never was there a night of the soul so dark but what some lone star of hope might be discerned, and never a spiritual tempest so tremendous but what there was a haven into which the soul could put if it had but enough confidence in God to make a run for it. Rest assured that though you have fallen very low, you might have fallen lower if it were not that underneath are the Everlasting Arms. "

~~Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 1886~~

"Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD."—Psalm 31:24.

Teardrop photo by pikchers on FLICKR

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 09:44:00 +0000

The Lover's World (oil on canvas) by Eleanor Fortescue

I don't know but I believe.

That some things are meant to be.

And that you'll make a better me.

Everyday I Love You

I never thought that dreams came true.

But you showed me that they do.

You know that I learn something new.

Everyday I Love You

'Cause I believe that destiny.

Is out of our control.

Don't you know that I do.

And you'll never live until you love.

With all your heart and soul.

It's a touch when I feel bad.

It's a smile when I get mad.

All the little things I am.

Everyday I love you

Everyday I love you more

Everyday I love you

'Cause I believe that destiny.

Is out of our control.

Don't you know that I do.

And you'll never live until you love.

With all your heart and soul.

If I asked, "Would you say yes?

"Together we're the very best.

I know that I am truly blessed.

Everyday I love you.

And I'll give you my best.

Everyday I love you

Everyday I Love You, Sung and Recorded By BOYZONE

I wish everybody a blessed, wonderful and prosperous NEW YEAR!

OPHELIA

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:01:00 +0000

Hola, bloggers! The Christmas season is always a busy and exciting time! The streets are filled with shoppers; wreaths decorate the doors; festivity fills home, office and community. Joyful greetings are the pattern of the day. The reason for all this celebration is the birthday of the Lord Jesus Christ. But does His presence grace the party? It is sad to note that we sometimes assume that Christ is in His rightful place, when actually He has been forgotten in the rush. The true sifnificance of His birth is lost in the trappings, gift-giving and party-going associated with the celebration of this holiday.

Luke tells us that "the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). The babe of Bethlehem was born to die. He came to give His life a ransom for sin by hanging on a "tree" - not the tinsel-covered thing of beauty, but an ugly, cruel instrument of execution.

As we remember our Savior's birth, let's be deeply conscious that it is vitally linked to Golgotha's hill. There He was crucified, and there He shed His blood for the sins of the world.

Calvary's cross is the forgotten tree of Christmas, yet it's the most important one!

Have a blessed Merry Christmas Everybody!

Greetings from,

Ophelia Jane Julia

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord!"

~~Luke 2:11~~

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:14:00 +0000

Psyche entering Cupid's Garden by John William Waterhouse

I just swear that I'll always be there

I give anything and everything

And I will always care

Through weakness and strength

Happiness and sorrow

For better, for worse

I will love you

With every beat of my heart

From this moment

I have been blessed

I live only, for your happiness

And for your love, I give my last breath

From this moment on....

You're the reason I believe in love!

And you're the answer

To my prayers from up above

All we need is just the two of us

My dreams came true

Because of you!

~~From This Moment, Recorded and Sung by Shania Twain~~

HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS, BLOGGERS!!!

SINCERELY,

OPHELIA

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 07:22:00 +0000

THE REASON

I'm not a perfect person

There's many things

I wish I didn't do

But I continue learning

I never meant to do those things to you

And so I have to say before I go

That I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me

To change who I used to be

A reason to start over new

And the reason is you

I'm sorry that I hurt you

It's something I must live with everyday

And all the pain I put you through

I wish that I could take it all away

And be the one who catches all your tears

Thats why i need you to hear

I've found a reason for me

To change who I used to be

A reason to start over new

And the reason is You

I'm not a perfect person

I never meant to do those things to you

And so I have to say before I go

That I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me

To change who I used to be

A reason to start over new

And the reason is you

I've found a reason to show

A side of me you didn't know

A reason for all that I do

And the reason is you.

~~The Reason, recorded and sung by Hoobastank

In everything, don't give up, just go on. In every death, there is resurrection; in every fall, there is the chance to rise up and stand tall; in every weakness there is a sustaining power; for every heartbreak, a chance to heal; in every mistake there is an opportunity for change. Everything happens for a reason if you can but believe that through everything, underneath are the Everlasting Arms and God will make everything beautiful in His time to those who love Him and believe in Him.

Have a great weekend Bloggers!

Sincerely,

Ophelia

Featured photo:

The Study For Lady Clare by John William Waterhouse

noreply@blogger.com (Ophelia ) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:37:00 +0000

THE SEARCH

When you left your footprints

On the sands of time

Every step

I retraced

To seek you, my beloved -

Alone.

As I carried the burden

Of my dreams and yours;

Every wave of the sea

I watched

Rise and fall

With insatiate glance

Till the saline waters

Infected my eyes -

Alone.

As I hoped

For the resurrection in your heart

Every evening I heard arriving

With slow steps -

Alone

As I listened

To my chattering and yours.

Today when I realize

Your search has become my life

I weep for you my beloved

And leave behind my dreams and yours

On the endless ocean of time

Roaring before me;

So that,

Each night and each day may

Reach out to the unattainable

Stars in the sky,

And I may retrace your footsteps,

Lightly,

To seek you, my beloved,

Without the burden of carrying

My dreams and yours.

For though none lives forever

And nothing lasts for long,

My dreams and yours

Shall have the fame of...

Immortality.

Ophelia Jane Julia