Fear Not!

In my many travels, I have come across people who have never gone outside of the area in which they were born.  Some say it’s because of a lack of transportation.  Some have been quoted to say that other areas are too far.  The price of gas is too much.  They don’t have the time.  And there are those who never thought about leaving their local stomping-grounds because of FEAR.

 

Have you ever been outside of where you live?  Do you think it’s too far, or have you not gone on the other side of your town because of FEAR?  Fear of the unknown.  Fear of other cultures.  Fear of not being accepted.  Fear of crossing bridges.  Fear of going by yourself.  Fear of getting lost (there are now GPS’s available, Google, and they still make paper maps).

Recently my Husband & I had the pleasure of going to Savannah, Georgia, which is about a two and a half hour drive from where we live.  I don’t know why we never visited the area before, but now he sometimes works around Savannah.  He thought that I would like it and I did.  There is a lot of history and things to do there just as there are probably things to do in your town.  But you have to get outside of your comfort zone and visit other places of interest.

We have just celebrated the proposed time of Jesus’ birth when the angel of the Lord came to Mary and said …”fear not”.  There are eight times those words “fear not” are mentioned in the book of Luke in the New Testament.  God has not given us ‘the Spirit’ of FEAR, but He gave us the Spirit of Power, the Spirit of Love and the Spirit of Self-discipline.  So, Fear Not!

To read more – get the book: “Bent But Not Broken” by Ms. "V" (Victoria Thomas Poller)

NEW!  Top 5 Google Areas to Ms. "V"s Website for December 19 – December 29, 2014 are:

   • Lakeside, FL

   • Melbourne, FL

   • New York, New York

   • ATL, Georgia

   • State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

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What does Christmas mean to you?

It is said that people should not debate religion or politics, but does Christmas also have a place in the arena where people tend to “agree to disagree”?  Do we get into a debate as to whether there is a Santa Clause?  Do we get bitter because we’re reminded of the loss of a loved one and it hurts too much to celebrate when this time of the year rolls around?

Is it a continual discussion as to the real birth date of Jesus Christ?  Do you get offended (as I sometimes do) when someone calls Christmas a “Xmas” day?  Is it wrong to send out Christmas cards or type a generic Christmas letter to people telling them about our year in review?  We normally spend more money on coffee or other treats, even if stamps are getting more expensive.  Some people want to celebrate or empathize with you.

Is it all about the cute Christmas songs that we all know most of the words?   Does it matter if we put up a tree, or hang a wreath or string some lights?  How about taking down the decorations – is there a specific day that they should come down?  There’s a lady nearby who keeps some Christmas something up all year – go figure.  Now, that may be taking it to the extreme, but we never know if the family is waiting for someone to come home from overseas.

Some people almost start wars over the true meaning of Christmas.  If you have Christ in your heart, then you could have a joyous season no matter what is displayed.

Christmas is not about the presents, the cards, the decorations, the songs, or the holiday (or is it holyday) – Christmas is about Jesus Christ and how everything that is mentioned above, should be celebrated and focused on with peace, love and the joy that this season brings.  It’s a reminder of how we need to live throughout the year.

So in closing, allow me to wish everyone a very “Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year”.

To read similar stories – get the book: “Where Did That Come From?” by Ms. "V" (Victoria Thomas Poller)

NEW!  Top 5 Google Areas to Ms. "V"s Website for Dec. 2, 2014 – Dec. 19, 2014 are:

   • State of Sao Paulo, Brazil

   • Lakeside, FL

   • State of Parana, Brazil

   • Dallas, TX

   • Ann Arbor, MI

Ms. “V” WELCOMES ALL the new states to her site.   ***Please Check The “Reaction” Box at the bottom & let us know what you think***

Happy Holiday, What happened to Christmas?

It’s time to go shopping once again, and this is a conversation that you might  hear one day:

“Good afternoon, I’d like to buy a Happy Holiday gift.”

“For what occasion Sir?”

“It’s a Happy Holiday gift for my wife.”

“Do you want a Valentine, Birthday, Anniversary, St. Patrick’s or a New Year’s day; Easter, Mothers, Cinco de Mayo, Independence day, Labor day, Columbus, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Daylight Savings, Veterans, Hanukkah or a Kwanza gift?”

“No, none of those - I want a Happy Holiday gift.  People use to call it, uh, Christmas, yeah, that’s it – Christmas.  I want a Happy Holiday/Christmas Gift.”

Are we coming toward this type of department store conversation in the future?  Is there soon to be a day when we’ll have a separate departments in stores that run all year long, contains nativity sets, heart shaped boxed chocolates, shamrocks, bunnies, crosses, specialty foods, menorahs, turkeys, flags, pumpkins and fire crackers.  It would be the largest department in the entire store, well-stocked and well-staffed establishment; open all year long and available for your Happy Holiday needs.

If you’ve noticed, some of the above mentioned holiday names have been changed (and not to protect the innocent).  Why do we “mess with a good thing”?  Christmas is understood in many different languages.  Many websites would have to change their domain names.  Are we to replace popular Christmas movies and Christmas songs with the “Happy Holiday” motif?  Try it.  It doesn’t work.

Well, Merry Christmas and remember to keep CHRIST in the masses.

The Gift

It wasn’t given to you on Christmas, because we don’t wait to express ourselves on just one day; and besides that — it’s Jesus’ birthday and not yours.

It wasn’t given on Valentine’s Day, because we love you all year long.

It wasn’t given on St. Patrick’s Day, because we, as Christians, don’t believe in ‘luck’.

It wasn’t given on your Birthday, because we’re glad that God had a purpose just for you on that day; you were born and that was special enough.

It was given because of the love that God instills in us to be obedient when He calls us to bestow blessings to someone, and to give that ‘gift’ whenever He asks us to bless someone.

(Excerpt – “Where Did That Come From?-Revised” by Ms. “V”

To read similar stories – get the book: “Where Did That Come From?” by Ms. "V" (Victoria Thomas Poller)

NEW!  Top 5 Google Areas to Ms. "V"s Website for Nov.18, 2014 – Dec. 2, 2014 are:

   • Miami, FL

   • Stone Mountain, GA

   • Charlotte, NC

   • Southfield, MI

   • Jersey City, NJ

Ms. “V” WELCOMES ALL the new states to her site.   ***Please Check The “Reaction” Box at the bottom & let us know what you think***

Don't Be Tired - Be a Blessing!

What Have You Done To Be Tired?

Be Encouraged, God is with you

Have you healed the sick?  Raised the dead?  Given hope to the hopeless?  Have you done any of these things in Jesus name?  Have you allowed God to get the glory?  Yes, all these things Christ did, but did He not say to us, as His apostles that even greater things will we do in His name?  “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” John 13:12

What’s A Blessing?

Each person is given a different degree or portion of blessings (gifts) from God.  If all people received the same gift, you wouldn’t be able to recognize your gift when you got it.  What might be considered a blessing to one individual may not be a blessing for another person.  If you were a plumber, would you want your blessing to be a new set of chef’s tools?

We recognize our blessings at different times in our lives—the birth of a baby, purchasing a new home, a marriage, graduating from school, and etc.  As we reflect on our lives, we realize how God’s hand has shown mercy in our lives each and every time He bestowed His blessings.  However, some people never realize that they are being blessed.  They ignore the good in their own lives and become angry at the good they see in others’ lives.  Often, that person is blind to God’s blessings, and that is where we (righteous people) come in.  We are obliged to help others see their own blessings.

 

To read similar stories – get the book: “Where Did That Come From?” by Ms. "V" (Victoria Thomas Poller)

NEW!  Top 5 Google Areas to Ms. "V"s Website for Nov.4, 2014 – Nov. 17, 2014 are:

   • Lakeside, FL

   • Charlotte, NC

   • Mount Vernon, NY

   • DeSoto, Texas

   • Los Angeles, CA

Ms. “V” WELCOMES ALL the new states to her site.   ***Please Check The “Reaction” Box at the bottom & let us know what you think***

Getting Godly Answers

Are we talking with God on a continual basis or just when we want something?

Proverbs 3:5-6Good News Translation (GNT)

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. ⁶ Remember the Lord in everything you do, and he will show you the right way.

It’s great to quote scriptures and do some things that the Bible tells us to do, but after we’ve done the Word, why not talk with Him.  It’s great to check to see if we’re on track, as we begin to get loving counsel from Holy Spirit.  He’s the third personage of the Blessed Trinity.  He’s our friend, comforter and confidant.

Don’t leave home without Him and when you talk with Him, be quick to hear & slow to speak and ready to take action.  Don’t just talk to God, but speak with Him.

To read more – get the book: “Bent But Not Broken” by Ms. "V" (Victoria Thomas Poller)

NEW!  Top 5 Google Areas to Ms. "V"s Website for October 20 – November 3, 2014 are:

   • Florida

   • Illinois

   • North Carolina

   • Virginia

   • Connecticut

Ms. “V” WELCOMES ALL the new states & countries to her site.   ***Please check the “Reaction Box” at the bottom & leave a comment***

When Gossip Isn’t Gossip

When you spend over 20 years serving in the military, you acquire a lot of friends (acquaintances, allies or people) who you know by name or sometimes, only by face.  Some people may be good life-long colleagues and some persons you may never want to see or hear about them again.

Nevertheless, there may be a time when you might want to pray for that person (nothing evil, but good).  But without former knowledge, we discover that a friend has left this earth, (bought the farm, passed-away, died) and not one of your associates on social media mentioned the fact that this person was gone from this earth.

We tend to use these social interaction sites to post what we may think is funny, informative, inspiring, or aspiring.  We say, “It’s our page and we can post whatever we want to post on our page as long as it’s not offensive to others or derogatory according to the website creators.”  That’s fine, but all I’m asking is that we let others, in our inner circle of chums, know what’s happening with other people that we have in common.

Whether it is a death, a celebration in that person’s family, an illness, a milestone or something else that would be encouraging to know; we should make mention of it and not assume that someone else will tell the story.

It’s not gossiping to talk about our friends stations in life.  We can call our other friends, text them or message them.  We never know when we would be needed to encourage others who may need to hear a kind word or know that God is there with them in their time of need.

Gossip – idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others.  Don’t be confused about what we communicate.  The prayer of a good person has a powerful effect.

To read similar stories – get the book: “Where Did That Come From?” by Ms. "V" (Victoria Thomas Poller)

NEW!  Top 5 Google Areas to Ms. "V"s Website for Oct. 7, 2014 – Oct. 20, 2014 are:

   • Florida

   • Georgia

   • Texas

   • California

   • Colorado

Ms. “V” WELCOMES ALL the new states to her site.   ***Please Check The “Reaction” Box at the bottom & let us know what you think***