Merry Christmas

A Very Merry and Blessed Christmas 

to Everyone!!!

--LKR

O Holy Night--Carrie Underwood

Sunday's Song--God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

In Bethlehem, in Israel,
This blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
The which His Mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed Angel came;
And unto certain Shepherds
Brought tidings of the same:
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by Name.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

"Fear not then," said the Angel,
"Let nothing you affright,
This day is born a Saviour
Of a pure Virgin bright,
To free all those who trust in Him
From Satan's power and might."
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind:
And went to Bethlehem straightway
The Son of God to find.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

And when they came to Bethlehem
Where our dear Saviour lay,
They found Him in a manger,
Where oxen feed on hay;
His Mother Mary kneeling down,
Unto the Lord did pray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy.

--Unknown

 

This video was made from one of the songs on Annie Lennox's  2010 album, A Christmas Cornucopia.  Hope you enjoy!  --LKR 

 

121212 AKA Aaron Rodgers Day

Happy 121212 !!!

Or, Aaron Rodgers Day!!!

Happy Veteran's Day!

Thank you to all our Veterans for keeping us, our freedoms, and liberties all safe! May God richly bless you all, and your families!  --LKR

FREEDOM IS NOT FREE

I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze;

A young Marine saluted it,
... And then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform,
So young, so tall, so proud;
With hair cut square and eyes alert,
He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought... how many men like him
Had fallen through the years?
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down
How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves
No, Freedom is not Free.

I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still;
I listened to the bugler play,
And felt a sudden chill;

I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant "Amen"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend;

I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands.
With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea,
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No. Freedom Is Not Free!!!!!!

--Kelly Strong, 1981

Written as a tribute to his dad who served two terms in Vietnam and is a career Marine 

Terrific Tuesdays--Budweiser Clydesdales Donkey

I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do!!!  --LKR

Sunday's Song--Give Me Faith

Give Me Faith

I need you to soften my heart
To break me apart
I need you to open my eyes
To see that You’re shaping my life

All I am,
I surrender

Give me faith to trust what you say
That you’re good and your love is great
I’m broken inside, I give you my life

I need you to soften my heart
To break me apart
I need you pierce through the dark
And cleanse every part of me

Give me faith to trust what you say
That you’re good and your love is great
I’m broken inside, I give you my life

I may be weak
Your spirit strong in me
My flesh may fail
My God you never will 

Give me faith to trust what you say
That you’re good and your love is great
I’m broken inside, I give you my life

Give me faith to trust what you say
That you’re good and your love is great
I’m broken inside, I give you my life

I may be weak
Your spirit strong in me
My flesh may fail
My God you never will

--Chris Brown

The Man Who Jumped from Space

Amazing Leap of Faith! What You Didn't Know About The Man Who Jumped From Space from ourgodisforus on GodTube.

Sunday's Song--Matchless

• Matchless

Son of a man, great I am, King of Heaven

Son of God, You hold the measure of my days

Holy Lamb, spotless Lamb, You are worthy, I am not

Before Your throne I stand amazed

Every tongue confess and every knee will bow

To Jesus Christ the Lord forever, hear our praises now

Your name is matchless, Your name is priceless

Your name means more than I could know

You're so far above me, the way that You love me

Goes further than any love could go

Wonderful counselor, root of David, morning star

You are the way, the truth, the life

Lion of the tribe of Judah, mighty God is who You are

The only perfect sacrifice

Every tongue confess and every knee will bow

To Jesus Christ the Lord forever, hear our praises now

Your name is matchless, Your name is priceless

Your name means more than I could know

You're so far above me, the way that You love me

Goes further than any love could go

In Your name You took the blind man and You gave him back his sight

In Your name You took the dead man and You brought him back to life

In Your name You took this prisoner and You opened up the doors

And I will sing before Your throne forevermore

Your name is matchless, Your name is priceless

Your name means more than I could know

You're so far above me, the way that You love me

Goes further than any love could go

Your name is matchless, Your name is priceless

Your name means more than I could know

You're so far above me, the way that You love me

Goes further than any love could go.

--Aaron Shust, 2005

Terrific Tuesdays--Denver the Guilty Dog

Sunday's Song--Glorious Day

Glorious Day

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises

One day when sin was as black as could be

Jesus came forth to be born of a Virgin

Dwelt among men, my example is He

Word became flesh and the light shined among us

His glory revealed

Living He loved me, dying He saved me

Buried He carried my sins far away

Rising He justified freely forever

One day He's coming, oh, glorious day, oh, glorious day

One day they led Him up Calvary's mountain

One day they nailed Him to die on a tree

Suffering anguish, despised and rejected

Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He

Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree

And took the nails for me

'Cause living He loved me, dying He saved me

Buried He carried my sins far away

Rising He justified freely forever

One day He's coming, oh, glorious day, oh, glorious day

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer

One day the stone rolled away from the door

Then He arose, over death He had conquered

Now He's ascended, my Lord evermore

Death could not hold Him

The grave could not keep Him from rising again

Living He loved me, dying He saved me

Buried He carried my sins far away

Rising He justified freely forever

One day He's coming, oh, glorious day, oh, glorious day

Glorious day

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming

One day the skies with His glories will shine

Wonderful day, my beloved one bringing

My Savior Jesus is mine

Living He loved me, dying He saved me

Buried He carried my sins far away

Rising He justified freely forever

One day He's coming, oh, glorious day, oh, glorious day

Glorious day, oh, glorious day.

--John Mark Hall; Michael Bleecker, 2009

Fall is is the Air...

While it's been a relatively warm September, so far, trees are beginning to to usher in the forthcoming season.  Here are some photos taken at beautiful Big Falls County Park:

Even though it's arguably beautiful, I don't relish the anticipated colder weather.  Perhaps we will have an extended, glorious Indian Summer instead! --LKR

Who to Vote For? Think for Yourselves! :-)

I can still  hear my Political Science teacher speaking to my class echoeing in my mind from oh, so long ago:  "People!  We need to think for ourselves!  Don't believe everything you hear, and don't be content listening from one perspective!  Be empowered!  Be informed!  Don't just follow blindly!" Thank you, Miss Heckman, my wonderful "keep your eyes open, think and find out for yourselves" Political Science high school teacher!!! :-)

I challenge anyone who wants to comment to do so only after you've actually seen this movie or read this book so you have your *own* opinions, and come to your *own* conclusions. Be empowered! Be informed! Don't just follow blindly: Obama's America 2016 by Dinesh D’Souza.

This movie resonates well with me, being the daughter of parents who escaped first the socialist (my mom) and then communist (my dad) Hungary.  And I totally agree with this comment:

"My family came to America from Soviet Russia in the late 70th. We love this country dearly and this is so painful for us to see very clearly that this President wants to turn this country into communist hell we escaped. Only people who experienced firsthand life in communist state truly understand how horrible, inhumane, anti-human it can be. If you talk to any immigrant from USSR, Cuba, Korea, Vietnam etc. he will tell you the same thing. The makers of this movie understand the grave danger of current government, they are real patriots ofnthis country (the ONLY great country left in this world). I hope that we will not live to see this country disappear into abiss should this administration of self-important, lying, cheating criminals steal power again."

The below are other comments from people that expressed their own opinions after viewing this movie and worthy of posting:

" '2016' completely surprised me. I thought it would be an emotional exhortation to get out the vote against Obama. Instead it was a factual, unemotional documentary of Obama's life and cutlural influences. If what Obama is actually doing to our country wasn't so distructive to our nation's heritage, economy and culture one might even come away feeling somewhat empathetic to Obama's goals and dreams. At the very least one will take the objective truths of Obama's anti-colonialist influences learned first hand from his father, and mentors who were card carrying communits, Weather Underground radicals, and the like. He detests what America is and stands for; the change he wants to bring is to destroy that cultural heritage."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The film answers the question about Obama's birth.

"What will America look like in 2016 if Obama is re-elected? That is the producers' question that he leaves with the viewers to consider."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We went today at 11:15 a.m (Sunday) & expected the theater to be empty. Quite the contrary, it was packed  and NOT with just white people either. I was glad to see that the movie did NOT address the issue of Obama's birth certificate. Instead, the movie connected the dots on information that has been right in front of us all the time, but we simply did not know how it all fit together. If anyone has doubts about Obama, Sr. being Obama's father, you won't after you see the interview with his half-brother in Kenya. Not only do they resemble each other, but their voices sound amazingly alike. What was surprising is that his brother is a supporter of capitalism, & that is probably why Obama doesn't help him even though he knows his brother lives in poverty. By the movie's end, you know where we will end up in 2016 if Obama is re-elected and it's a terrifying place. Go see it & take your liberal friends."

Which candidate will keep the American Dream alive?  Which one will continue to allow religious freedom?  Which one holds onto Biblical values?

Never Forget...

9-11 Memorial in Chatham Boro, New Jersey

9-11 Memorial in Morris Plains, New Jersey

9/11 Tribute: America's Rise From Tragedy (featuring Everything by Lifehouse) from anberlin_fan on GodTube.

Ronald Reagan Speaking Gospel Message

President Ronald Reagan Tribute: Rare Footage of Him Speaking the Gospel from vids2inspire on GodTube.

Sing Me A Love Song

The tension is thick in the air
Making it hard to see
I fear what is to come
And what will become of me
I say a prayer help me not run away
Will you please hold me

And sing me a love song again
Say the words that heal my heart
sing me a love song and then
Let your words remind me who I am

You've never failed me before
Why do I feel betrayed
If I close my heart to you now
The darkness would have its way
I crave your voice help me not fall away
Will you please hold me

'Cause you are all I need
And all that I want is you with me
You are all I need
And all that I want is you with me.

--Barlow Girl

Never Forget

May we never forget to honor our brave military men and women who have chosen to defend and protect our great nation! Thanks to all who have, are, or will be fighting to keep our country and our freedoms safe! --LKR

"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived." General George Patton

Annular Eclipse Today!

We in the United States haven't had an annular eclipse in 18 years. "Annular" refers to the fiery ring shape formed when the moon passes in front of the sun. This is different than a total solar eclipse where the moon fully covers the sun.

This afternoon, the western United States, along with China and Japan, should be able to see it to some degree. We are hoping to get a glimpse of it here in Wisconsin starting at around 7:20pm, even though thunderstorms are being predicted. Hopefully the clouds will part long enough for this solar show! --LKR

Mr. Know It All

Abuse isn't just physical. It can be verbal and emotional, too. There is help. --LKR

Mr. Know It All

Well ya think you know it all

But ya don't know a thing at all

Ain't it, ain't it something y'all

When somebody tells you something 'bout you

Think that they know you more than you do

So you take it down another pill to swallow

Mr. Bring Me Down

Well ya, ya like to bring me down, don't you?

But I ain't laying down, baby, I ain't goin' down

Can't nobody tell me how it's gonna be

Nobody's gonna make a fool out of me

Baby, you should know that I lead not follow

Oh you think that you know me, know me

That's why I'm leaving you lonely, lonely

'Cause baby you don't know a thing about me

You don't know a thing about me

You ain't got the right to tell me

When and where to go, no right to tell me

Acting like you own me lately

Yeah baby you don't know a thing about me

You don't know a thing about me

Mr. Play Your Games

Only got yourself to blame when you want me back again

But I ain't falling back again

'Cause I'm living my truth without your lies

Let's be clear baby this is goodbye

I ain't coming back tomorrow

Oh you think that you know me, know me

That's why I'm leaving you lonely, lonely

'Cause baby you don't know a thing about me

You don't know a thing about me

You ain't got the right to tell me

When and where to go, no right to tell me

Acting like you own me lately

Yeah baby you don't know a thing about me

You don't know a thing about me

So what you've got the world at your feet

And you know everything about everything

But you don't

You still think I'm coming back but baby you'll see yeah...

Oh you think that you know me, know me

That's why I'm leaving you lonely, lonely

'Cause baby you don't know a thing about me

You don't know a thing about me

You ain't got the right to tell me

When and where to go, no right to tell me

Acting like you own me lately

Yeah baby you don't know a thing about me

You don't know a thing about me

Mr. Know It All

Well ya think you know it all

But ya don't know a thing at all

Yeah baby you don't know a thing about me

You don't know a thing about me.

This Lame Man Now Walks!

Enjoy this awesomely inspiring video of Arthur Boorman, an injured Gulf War Veteran, as he overcomes the disability his doctors told him he'd never be able to overcome!

Years ago, I had a friend who was in a car accident who was told she'd never be able to walk or use her arms. She wouldn't take that as an answer, so worked very hard. Within a year, she was walking and hugging, again!

Moral of these two (of many) stories? To quote a line from Galaxy Quest, "Never give up! Never surrender!" --LKR

Dancing Flowers

Enjoy!!! --LKR

Sunday's Song--The End of the Beginning

Here's to a very Happy and Blessed Easter! --LKR

Raising Confident Girls

Robi's article can be read here. The interview is below. Enjoy! --LKR

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

6 Tips for Raising a Confident Daughter

Psychologist Robi Ludwig says parents can help their young girls grow up to be strong women by acknowledging their strengths, sharing their passions, and pointing out positive female role models.

This morning on "Parenting Today," raising confident girls. Every parent wants her daughter to grow up to be strong, smart, and successful women. But in a world filled with mixed messages that often highlights beauty over brains, parenting a young woman can be daunting. Here with some advice is psychologist Robi Ludwig, contributor to care.com. Good morning, Robi.

Good morning.

So much to talk about here. I'm very interested in this as the father of a young girl. We do put an awful lot of emphasis on appearance in our society.

It's true. In fact, care.com did a survey and found what adjectives did mothers use when describing their daughters. You're beautiful. So clearly, listen, we live in a world where beauty does count. But if that's the only message your send to your child it's a dangerous one because really, we're comparing ourselves to images at one point that aren't even really real. And you don't want to give your child that there's only one trait that matters.

So how do you fight what's happening in society? Because as you say the reality is you go out into the world and people will judge a woman on her looks. You open up magazines, it's all about appearance. How do you fight that?

You have to remember that as a parent, your voice counts. In fact, it lives inside your child for the rest of their lives. So if you help your daughter understand that, yes, looks are important, but often what they're comparing themselves to are airbrushed images or there are many successful people in the world who are not only attractive, but they're smart, and confident, then that message will get through to your child.

And maybe when you're giving a compliment to your daughter lead with smart.

And also confident. so when you're looking at your daughter, point out, you know, "I really like how thoughtful you are with your friends". Or, "Wow, you are such a great cook". or "Oh, you're so organized. In fact, you're more organized than Mommy". You're pointing out things that she's good at. And you're noticing her strengths. And really, part of having high self-esteem is knowing what you're confident and good at.

I love the second one. Share your daughter's passion. Explain that one.

You want to plug in to what your daughter likes. And this sends the message, what she likes and what she is turned on by really matters to you. So you really are following your daughter's lead and you're also sending the message, "You don't need to be exactly like Mommy and Daddy. You can be like yourself, and have your own interests, and we will follow those interests and expose you to those interests".

And expand into some fields dominated by boys like science.

Math and science and we're seeing women, you know, representing all areas these days, which is terrific.

Your next tip, teach her to claim her own strengths with pride.

Right.

What does that mean?

Men are really good at this. But sometimes little girls or women have a hard time saying, "You know what, I'm really great with vocabulary". Or "I'm a fabulous reader". or "I'm a fabulous runner". You don't want to necessarily encourage them to say it to every single person that they meet. But basically have a knowledge of themselves. It''s wonderful because they're going to need it in terms of going out into the world and being resilient. And the person who is confident about the many areas that they have strengths in, they tend to be the more humble people.

Now, what's the best way for a parent, a father like me, to be supportive when a young girl is struggling with her self-esteem, maybe hearing things at school from friends that are making her feel bad about herself. What can I do as a dad?

Well, listening is learning. You basically want to listen to your child, remind her of all of her strengths and why she is special, remind her how you are there for her as a parent. and you may want to tell a story about something that happened to you in childhood or somebody who's prominent, who went through something similar and came out the other end. But basically the job of a parent is to help your child make sense of what's going on in their lives.

We're running out of time. But I want to get to point out positive female role models that we see in public. But also incorporate everyone in your daughter's circle. family, friends. How do you pull that off?

Basically, tell your baby sitters, your extended family, that you want your child to know that she's smart and to identify the areas in which she's good at. It's not just about beauty. It's the total package, a person that feels good about themselves. It starts in the home and they know that there are lots of areas that they're good at and strong.

Great advice. And you said the right thing. Parents have the strongest voice.

They really do. It lives on forever. so your voice counts the most.

Robi, thanks so much. Great to talk to you this morning.