Great Hope, Makes Great People

Nobody Flashes

It’s in the air: Christmas. Can you feel it too? My husband and I went out Friday night to the nearby old town of St. Charles, Missouri, where every tree is circled in white flickering bulbs, and hundreds of little quaint novelty stores were all decorated in thousands of lights, Christmas trees, and Christmas decorations. Santa’s of every shape and size on every shelf.

Actors were brandishing chestnuts in English dress and accents: singing groups were Caroling like Dickens characters: Santa’s of every size in every language were “Merry Christmasing” down the cobblestone streets. Lighted up Cinderella Carriages were pulled by beautiful white horses, their hooves clip-clopping down the streets, giving rides to lovers and families. Children were running, little girls dancing, local pubs busting with business, and the restaurants all had fires outside to warm the people eating outside, just to enjoy the festivals.

St. Charles, is probably just like many historical towns in our country. I imagine Williamsburg, Boston, and other tiny town squares, putting on festivals with lights. Its old buildings sit on the Missouri river. It’s where Lewis and Clark started their trek to the Pacific Ocean. There’s a big statue of them with their dog…not far from where they started.

But…dummy me. I had never gone to such a thing. And it felt like Disneyland. (Which I hear is wonderful at Christmas too.)

We ate Chicago Style Pizza at one of the restaurants,, then started on our stroll back in time. By the time we were finished wandering into all the shops, we had consumed down: chocolate covered cherries, hot chocolate, Apple Caramel Cider, and our first Butterbeer soda.

Trust me. We NEVER do that. But the night was so beautiful, and to see the people all so happy was frankly, a gift from heaven after this last year.

And what about love? Yes. I will remember this night as a night that my husband choose the perfect gift for me. I had tears in my eyes, when my husband brought me this picture for Christmas:

Now…my husband doesn’t read a single word I write, but he doesn’t have to. He knows me that well.

As we were walking past some very pretty Christmas trees, I told him, that I had just written a blog a few days before the election called: “This is our Valley Forge: Let’s Not Blow it.”

George Washington was by far, the best President our country ever had. He was the quintessence of a leader. If America needed anything at this time in our lives, it was a man who truly, with all his heart, believed in America. We needed a LEADER…and with the help of God, we got one.

Clint Eastwood summed it up very well with this tweet.

“Thank you America, I don’t have long left to live but now I know the last few years will be great, I can’t thank you enough #PresidentTrump,”

His twitter account was cancelled right after he posted it, but it has been said that his daughter said he didn’t tweet it.

No matter: It’s pretty much how millions of Americans feel. The America that our leaders have forgotten, can come back.

And I can feel it, can’t you?

There’s a new joy in life again. As Thomas Fuller once said:

“Great Hopes make great people.”

There’s no better time to turn off the TV and get out to enjoy some great people, than at Christmastime.

Find one of these festivals in your town, and do yourself a favor.

Don’t wait as long as I did to discover it.

November 26, 2016 Posted by Joyanna Adams | Christmas, Uncategorized | Christmas | Leave a comment

God Bless Us…Everyone.

Nobody Reports

This video broke my heart: Where’s the Al Sharpton’s, holding HER hand? Where’s Eric Holder, comforting the widow? The longer Obama is in office the darker the days become. How are we suppose to dismiss ourselves from it all?

I wonder.

I got a solicitor call tonight..wanting to know if I would take a survey. “Who’s paying for it?” I asked. “I don’t know” said the lady. But the survey was all about promoting people to use more bikes. Wouldn’t I like my neighborhood to be more bike friendly? Would I go play soccer or basketball in the park?

“Lady, I live near Ferguson, do you really think anybody plays in the park?”

Heartbreaking.

Anyway, that’s why it’s so important to spend the next couple of days with my family. I hope every one of my readers have a great holiday, filled with laughs, good food, and wonderful moments of joy.

There WAS a good news story today. Last night in Germany, over 17,000 people gathered in the streets and sang Christmas Carols.:

From BreitBart:

The German PEGIDA movement held its largest meeting yet last night to protest what they call the ‘Islamisation of the Western World’, despite stiff opposition from all sections of Germany’s elite including politicians, media, and the arts.

In addition to the hundreds of banners with slogans such as ‘Against Hatred, Violence, and the Quran’, ‘Against Religious Fanaticism’, and ‘No Sharia in Europe’, the thousands attending brought song sheets which had been distributed online and sang favourite Christmas carols.

Oh, I would have loved to have been there and joined in.

And so, in the spirit of Christmas, I wish every one of you reading this the very best wishes for the holidays, whether you’re Christian or not, it’s the tradition of family and love, and great food, isn’t it?

And on that note, I plan to enjoy the next two days off….and I hope you enjoy this song as much as I did.

See you on Friday!

December 23, 2014 Posted by Joyanna Adams | Christmas, Uncategorized | Christmas | 4 Comments

“Permit them to Come Unto Me”

Nobody’s Opinion

It’s Christmas Eve, and this is not the day to talk about politics, it’s a day to tell the ones we love, just HOW much they mean to us…to go to a church, even if you usually don’t, and to think of Jesus, and his teachings…whether you think he was the son of God or not.

I’m taking  today and tomorrow off…Of COURSE! Like everyone…I can’t wait to spend time with my little family.

You know, I think God wanted me to post this little poem: I am in the process of doing an inventory of all my books, and I came upon this poem just by sheer accident today. It made me think of all the babies that have died before their time, (like the ones in Newtown, and my dear friend Doug Powers who lost his own dear angel so long ago) and all the parent’s who love their children, how their love never dies.

It also is a great example for men…Jesus picks up the child and puts them on his lap. As amfortas has told us, nowadays a man, who is not the father of a young child, would probably be ostracized harshly for putting a child on his lap, unless he was pretending to be Santa Claus.

But the main reason I love this poem, is it shows the REAL point of Christ: The mother took her “heavy heart” and it was lifted. And so, this is the true miracle of faith. If you have faith in a power higher than yourself, life, and it’s hardships, are much easier to bear. Really, it’s a no-brainer.

So, Nobody Says—May You all have a Merry Christmas! God bless us all…and Tiny Tim too!

Christ and the Little Ones

“The Master has come over Jordan.” Said Hannah the mother one day:

“He is healing the people who throng Him, with a touch of His finger they say.

“And now I shall carry the children, Little Rachel and Samuel and John,

I shall carry the baby Esther, For the Lord to look upon.”

The father looked at her kindly, but he shook his head and smiled:

“Now who but a doting mother would think of a thing so wild?”

“If the children were tortured by demons, or dying of fever, ’twere well:

Or had they the taint of the leper, like many in Israel.”

“Nay, do not hinder me, Nathan, I feel such a burden of care; If I carry it to the Master,

Perhaps I shall leave it there.

“If He lay His hand on the children, my heart will be lighter, I know.

For a blessing for ever and ever, will follow them as they go.”

So over the hills of Judah, Along by the vine rows green,

With Esther asleep on on her bosom, and Rachel her brothers between:

‘Mid the people who hung on HIs teaching, or waited His touch and His word,

Through the row of proud Pharisees listening she pressed to the feet of the Lord.

“Now why shouldst thou hinder the Master,” Said Peter, “with children like these?”

Seest not how from morning to evening He teacheth and healeth disease?”

Then Christ said “Forbid not the children, permit them to come unto me!”

And HE took in HIs arms little Esther, and Rachel He sat on His knee:

And the heavy heart of the mother was lifted all earth care above,

as HE laid His hand on the brothers, and blest them with holiest love.

As He said of the babes in His bosom, “Of such are the Kingdom of Heaven”–

And strength for all duty, and trial that hour to her spirit was given.

Julia Gill

December 23, 2012 Posted by Joyanna Adams | Christmas, Uncategorized | Christmas | 1 Comment