122324 From the Banks of Burcham Creek...

 From the Banks of Burcham Creek…

I am posting this poem

"Christmas from the Heart"

in honor of my mother Shelby Mock Childs
And my mother-in-law Dixie Putman
Allison.

They would love our grands…
Caragan Grace and Claire Rose
Clark.

And for all of you that have lost
Someone special in your lives…

I am posting a couple of Christmas
Songs too…

“Christmas in my Hometown”
By Hackleburg’s own Sonny James and
Silent Night by Kevin Cronin and the
guys at REO Speedwagon.

I remember us singing Silent Night
in a Christmas Program at
Dixon Elementary School in my hometown
of Dixon, KY back in the day.

Sorry that REO Speedwagon
Is breaking up after all these years.

- Hayden Childs

***

Christmas from the Heart…

I heard your voice in the wind today
and I turned to see your face;
The warmth of the wind caressed me
as I stood silently in place.

I felt your touch in the sun today
as its warmth filled the sky;
I closed my eyes for your embrace
and my spirit soared high.

I saw your eyes in the window pane
as I watched the falling rain;
It seemed as each raindrop fell
it quietly said your name.

I held you close in my heart today
it made me feel complete;
You may have died...but you are not gone
you will always be a part of me.

As long as the sun shines...
the wind blows...
the rain falls...
You will live on inside of me forever
for that is all my heart knows.

- Judy Burnette

***

Christmas in my Hometown – Sonny James

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBwMNV33Zm4&list=RDmBwMNV33Zm4&start_radio=1

***
On hearing of a serious injury
to his son,
the abolitionist,
Longfellow wrote this poem.
1863

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
and wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth,
good-will to men!
And thought how,
as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth,
good-will to men!
Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night today,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth,
good-will to men!
Then from each black,
accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth,
good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearthstones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth,
good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,”
I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth,
good-will to men!”
Then pealed the bells
more loud and deep:
“God is not dead,
nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth,
good-will to men.”
-    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

***

I wish everyday was Christmas
All around the world
Peace, love, and harmony
For every boy and girl.
-    Anonymous

***

Silent Night – REO Speedwagon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5Y6Hu9Kp8Q

 

122124 From the Banks of Burcham Creek...

From the banks of Burcham Creek…


What’s Your One Word Not Just for 2024
But for Life…

- Brian Dodd

I attended the funeral of a dear family friend.
During the eulogy, the preacher recounted
asking the widow what the one word was she
would use in describing her late husband.

She said, “Gentle.”  

Giving an example, she mentioned that
never in their 54 years of marriage did
she ever fill her own gas tank.

Interestingly,
Jesus described himself as gentle.

In Matthew 11: 28-30, he said,

“Come to Me, all of you who work and
have heavy loads.
I will give you rest.  
Follow My teachings and learn from Me.
I am gentle and do not have pride.
You will have rest for your souls.  
For My way of carrying a load is easy
and My load is not heavy.” (TLV)

I have lived almost six decades and met
thousands and thousands of grown men.  

Never had I heard of one described as
“Gentle.”

If you want to be like Jesus,
one of the qualities you must have is
gentleness.

What a legacy and honoring his life has
challenged me to be a better man.

Having a word for the year has become a
popular leadership exercise.  
I get it.  
Have a word for the year helps with focus,
intentionality, and the setting of priorities.
It also provides guardrails and helps you
know what to say “No” to.

But I was reminded that when our leadership,
and for that matter, our life is over,
people will not remember us for our
ever-changing word for each year.  

They will attach a single word to the
span of our entire life.

I encourage you today to give thought
to your legacy and the impact, you
want your life here on Earth to have.  

What one word would you want people
to say when describing you?

Start living that way now.

For the record,
the word I hope people say about me is
“Kind.”

I still have a long way to go.

- Brian Dodd

Edited by H.C.

***


Friend what is Your Word?

- Hayden Childs

I have thought about it and my word is
“Giver.”

I shared with my teenage Bible class and
told them you do not have to be a Warren Buffet,
Bill Gates or Elon Musk to be a giver.

The Bible affirms that…

“ Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw
how the people put money into the treasury.
And many who were rich put in much.

Then one poor widow came and threw in two [o] mites,
(which make a [p ]quadrans.
[o] Gr. lepta, very small copper coins
[p] A Roman coin

So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them,
“Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put
in more than all those who have given to the treasury;
for they all put in out of their abundance,
but she out of her poverty put in all that she had,
her whole livelihood.”
Mark 12:41-44 (NKJV)

Remember this…

In the Lord’s eyes,
this poor widow gave more than all
the others put together,
though her gift was by far the smallest.

The value of a gift is not
determined by its amount,
but by the spirit in which it is given.

A gift given grudgingly or for
recognition loses its value.

When you give
gifts of any size are pleasing to God
when they are given out of gratitude
and a spirit of generosity.

The Lord watches how we give and
examines the motives of
our heart
(Matt.6:1-4).

He also sees how much we give and
measures the proportion,
not the portion
(1 Cor.16:2).

Holocaust survivor
Corrie Ten Boom wrote…

“What I spent, I had.
What I saved, I lost.
What I gave, I have.”

“We are not the sum of our possessions.
We are not the sum of our accomplishments.
We are finally the sum of our gifts.”
– Roger Kunkel

“And whoever gives one of these little ones only
a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple,
assuredly, I say to you,
he shall by no means lose his reward.”
 Matt.10:42


“Give, and it will be given to you.
You will have more than enough.
It can be pushed down and shaken
together and it will still run over
as it is given to you.
The way you give to others is the
way you will receive in return.”

Luke 6:38 (NLV)


***

“ Do not fear, for I am with you.
Do not be afraid, for I am your God.
I will give you strength,
and for sure I will help you.
Yes, I will hold you up with
My right hand that is right and good.
Isaiah 41:10


Overcoming Grief and Depression…

All of us are acquainted with grief and depression. It is estimated
That about 35 million people in this country suffer with these emotions.
It is one of the worst feelings one can experience. Many commit
Suicide rather than cope with it.

1. The first step is to determine the cause of your grief or depression.
The causes are many and complex. It may be disappointment, the
Loss of a job, business failure, serious illness, break-up of a marriage
Or death of a loved one. Job said, “Man that is born of a woman is of
Few days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1). We need a source of comfort
And strength for such times.

2. Faith in God as a Refuge and a help is necessary.
Paul said, “But My God shall supply all your need according to His riches
in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil.4:19). David had to deal with this problem in
his life. He said, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness
of The Lord in the land of the living” (Psa.27:13). The godly men recognized
The need for God and turned to him for help.

3. The hope of Heaven is an anchor of the soul.
Jesus went back to Heaven to prepare a place for us. He promised to
return for us that we May be with Him (John 14:1-3). Hope is a strong
medicine for despair. The Hebrew Christians were struggling to hold on
to their hope. They were told that hope is an anchor of the soul, both sure
and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil (Heb.6:19).

4. Friends and loved ones can help.
Our friends hurt when we hurt. They usually want to help but feel helpless
to do so. Their letters, visits, cards, phone calls, and prayers can be so
comforting in times of distress and grief. Think of the strength and comfort
Mary and Martha must have felt when they saw Jesus weep at the tomb
of their brother Lazarus. Sometimes we just need a sympathetic friend to
listen while we talk. It is a well known fact that to “talk out” a problem is
good therapy. It can be helpful for the whole person; body, mind and spirit.

5. Prayer helps to overcome sorrow and depression.
God allowed His Own son to suffer pain and agony on the cross in dealing
with our problem of sin. He, therefore, understands fully the pain and agony
we sometimes suffer. He loved us so much that He gave Christ to die for us.
God has No pleasure in our grief. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the
throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time
of need” (Heb.4:16). David said, “In my distress I cried unto the Lord and
He heard Me” (Psa.120:1).


6. God is the God of all comfort.
“Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
mercies, and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor.1:3). “Casting all your care
upon him: for he careth for you” (1 Pet.5:7). “Cast they burden upon the
Lord, and he shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be
moved” (Psa.55:22). “Fear thou Not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed;
for I am thy God: I will strengthen Thee; yea, I will help thee: yea, I will
uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness” (Isa.41:10).
May you let God help you.

- G.L. Mann
Via Beacon

Edited by Hayden Childs

Like Abel of old our esteemed brother in Christ still “speaks being dead”
(Heb.11:4).


Try a Little Kindness Glen Campbell
live with the South Dakota symphony


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX7NNMKBPsw

122024 Christmas Quotes...

Christmas is doing a little
something extra for someone.
- Charles M. Schulz

Every gift which is given,
even though it be small,
is in reality great,
if it is given with affection.
- Pindar

Never worry about the size
of your Christmas tree.
In the eyes of children,
they are all 30 feet tall.
- Larry Wilde

Christmas is the season of joy,
holiday greetings, exchange,
gift-giving, and families united.
- Norman Vincent Peale

Christmas is not a time nor a season,
but a state of mind.
To cherish peace and goodwill,
to be plenteous in mercy,
is to have the real spirit of Christmas.
- Calvin Coolidge

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet
ice cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling,
how could it be so?
It came without ribbons.
It came without tags.
It came without packages,
boxes or bags.
And he puzzled and puzzled
’till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of
something he hadn’t before.
What if Christmas,
he thought,
doesn’t come from a store?
What if Christmas, perhaps,
means a little bit more?
- Dr. Seuss from
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas”

Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often.
Anonymous


Christmas In Dixie - Alabama

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjGbi5nz-8A

 

121824 Christmas Quotes Plus...

 I will honor Christmas
in my heart,
and try to keep it all
the year.
- Charles Dickens

If "ifs" and "buts"
Were candy and nuts,
wouldn't it be a
Merry Christmas?
- “Dandy” Don Meredith

My idea of Christmas,
whether old-fashioned
or modern,
is very simple…
loving others.
Come to think of it,
why do we have to wait
for Christmas to do that?
- Bob Hope

Christmas is a day of meaning
and traditions,
a special day spent in the
warm circle of family and friends.
- Margaret Thatcher

***

White Christmas Elvis Presley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XNXT4-SIK8

Let It Be Christmas Alan Jackson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwJ4SwxEvb8

Sing Me Home Tim McGraw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIP_i-kppcY

121824 Without Life Insurance...

 Without Life Insurance…

1.    You Die. Family Grieves.
2.    Family Must Find $ To Bury You.
3.    Family Must Find $ To Pay Off Your Debt,
        Mortgages, Car Note, etc.…
4.    Family Might Have to Take on More Debt
        To Bury You and To Pay Off Debt,
        (Loans And Credit Cards)
5.    Family Struggles to Make Ends Meet.
6.    Family Is Sad.


With Life Insurance…

1.    You Die. Family Grieves.
2.    Family Has $ To Bury You and Pays
        Off All Debt.
3.    Family Can Focus on Grieving and Has
       Nothing To Worry About Financially.


Which Situation Would You Rather
Leave Your Family In?

-    David Vogelsang


Got Insurance?

Hayden Childs
Alabama Licensed Agent


I Still Make House Calls

Contact Me Today

(205) 269-1382


“The grief is bad enough
Don’t leave the burden
To your family.”

121624 In Memory of Colson Lee Clark...

 From the Banks of Burcham Creek…

I am posting this today for all
Parents and grandparents who have
Had children and grandchildren to
Pass from this earth life all too soon.
Many are grieving today, and I hope
This post in some small way
May be a blessing to them.

Hayden Childs

***

The Children's Christmas…

The children's Christmas is simple and bright
They sing the music, they laugh in the light,
Sparkling colors are a magical spell,
Their instant joy flows bubbling and well.

But round that tree I see a space,
Beside the table an empty place,
A voice is missing, a form of grace,
The sweetness of a little lost face.

A vacuum was left by the child who's gone;
Though all seems right, yet it's terribly wrong.
I'd give up my Christmas, and gaiety fine,
To clasp that small hand again in mine.

- Rosemary J. Gwaltney


In loving memory of our grandson.
Colson Lee Clark
May 28th, 2020 

 
***

“Till the last leaf shall fall” – Sonny James

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlE3BiyAT2M

 

 

 

 

120724 Christmas Quotes Plus...

A Note from Hayden…

I have been singing the chorus

Of this song at work recently

It is making an impact.

 

The Jesus Way…

If you curse me, then I will bless you
If you hurt me, I will forgive
And if you hate me, then I will love you
I choose the Jesus way

If you're helpless, I will defend you
And if you're burdened, I'll share the weight
And if you're hopeless, then let me show you
There's hope in the Jesus way

I follow Jesus
I follow Jesus
He wore my sin, I'll gladly wear His name
He is the treasure
He is the answer
Oh, I choose the Jesus way

If you strike me, I will embrace you
And if you chain me, I'll sing His praise
And if you kill me, my home is heaven
For I choose the Jesus way

I follow Jesus
I follow Jesus
He wore my sin, I'll gladly wear His name
He is the treasure
He is the answer
Oh, I choose the Jesus way

And I choose surrender
I choose to love
Oh, God my Savior, You'll always be enough
I choose forgiveness
I choose grace
I choose to worship, no matter what I face

I choose the Jesus way
I choose the Jesus way
I choose the Jesus way
I choose the Jesus way

I follow Jesus
I follow Jesus
He wore my sin, I'll gladly wear His name
He is the treasure
He is the answer
Oh, I choose the Jesus way

I follow Jesus
I follow Jesus
He wore my sin, I'll gladly wear His name
He is the treasure
He is the answer
Oh, I choose the Jesus way
Oh, I choose the Jesus way

Written by: Jonathan Smith, Phil Wickham

Album: The Jesus Way - Single

Released: 2023

Lyrics provided by Musixmatch

 

 ***

 

The habit of giving

Only enhances the

Desire to give.

- Walt Whitman

 

Christmas waves a magic wand

Over this world, and behold,

Everything is softer and

More beautiful.

- Norman Vincent Peale

 

Realize that true happiness lies

within you.

Waste no time and effort searching

for peace and contentment and joy

in the world outside.

Remember that there is no happiness

in having or in getting,

but only in giving.

Reach out.

Share.

Smile.

Hug.

Happiness is a perfume you cannot

pour on others without getting a

few drops on yourself.

- Og Mandino

 

J – esus

O – thers

Y – ourself

 

***

 

There’s A New Kid in Town – Keith Whitley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3uGaCyzCVw&list=RDl3uGaCyzCVw&start_radio=1

 

 

 

 

120524 Covid... I Live a poem by Cecelia Weir

Covid… I Live

You may can take me

From my father or my mother

My sister or my brother

My aunts and uncles

And even my loving cousins

But you cannot take me from... my God.

The pains the fever

The fewer visits from friends

To skip church or to lose my job

Just more reasons until the end

To depend upon the written word

Of... my God.

You devastate time and hinder progress

But you cannot stop the future

You stop kids from going to school

But still stands is the golden rule

And the devoted divine promises

Of... my God.

Though loss of family

Poor health and no job

No church or no school

And still, you're not in charge

For everything is in the merciful hands

Of my Savior and... my God.

And should the day come

When I close my eyes in death

Even then still shall I rise

Far above the clouds of storm

Out of your reach beyond your sunset

And live eternally with... my God.

- Cecelia Weir

 

***

 

A Word…

What a fool says

Comes out of the mouth.

What the wise expresses

Comes from the heart.

 

What a fool does

Generates confusion.

What the wise executes

Transpires peace.

 

A word speaks altitude

A word speaks momentum.

A deed speaks attitude

A deed speaks integrity.

- Cecelia Weir

 

 

Not So Silent Night

 

Christmas with REO SPEEDWAGON

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZEtPBf_Yz4

 

 

120424 Quotes From The Archives Plus...

Look around for a place

to sow a few seeds.

- Henry Van Dyke

 

Always think in terms

of what the other

Person wants.

- James Van Fleet

 

He who obtains has little.

He who scatters has much.

- Lao-Tzu

 

If your dream is a big dream,

and if you want your life to work

on the high level that you say you do,

There’s no way around doing the work

it takes to Get you there.

- Joyce Chapman

 

Few people take objectives seriously.

They put average effort into too many things,

Rather than superior thought and effort into

A few important things.

People who achieve the most are selective

as well as determined.

- Richard Koch

 

Good humor is a tonic for mind and body.

It is the best antidote for anxiety and

depression.

It is a business asset.

It attracts and keeps friends.

It lightens human burdens.

It is the direct route to Serenity and

contentment.

- Grenville Kleiser

 

Whatever the mind of man can

conceive and believe,

It can achieve.

- W. Clement Stone

 

Remember that no one is ever rewarded

or promoted because of a bad disposition

and a negative mental attitude.

- Napoleon Hill Foundation

 

Selling is easy if you

work hard at it.

- Anonymous

Your chances of success in any

undertaking can always be measured

by your belief in yourself.

- Robert Collier

 

Winning is great, sure,

but if you are really going to do

something in life,

the secret is learning how to lose.

Nobody goes undefeated all the time.

If you can pick up after a crushing defeat,

And go on to win again,

you are going to be a Champion someday.

- Wilma Rudolph

 

***

 

During the Vietnam War,

Air Force Colonel George Hall was shot down

And captured in North Vietnam.

He was a prisoner of war for 7.5 years.

Even though he was barefoot and dressed in his

black prison uniform, shut up in a small cell,

he realized that through the power of his

imagination he had an amazing freedom.

He realized his attitude is everything about

everything.

He was able to leave his prison cell everyday

dressed in a Polo shirt and slacks.

He wore clean golf shoes.

He could feel the thick grass under his feet.

The Colonel played each hole of his favorite golf course,

starting with the first and ending with the eighteenth.

He studied each shot, measured each swing,

felt each blade of grass between his fingers as he

replaced every divot.

He played his golf every day in the theatre of his mind.

He noted the sand in each bunker, hit each shot,

sank each putt and strode on to the next hole…

all in his imagination.

Every day for 7.5 years he played a perfect game of golf

on his favorite golf course.

The Colonel realized that only he had the power to make a

choice between being resigned to his fate,

of fear and hopelessness, or he could replay his happiest

moments from the past,

taking his mind off solitary confinement and setting it

free upon a beautiful and famous golf course.

When he returned from his captivity,

in his first golf game he shot a 76-not a bad score for a

professional golfer,

but even more amazing for an amateur.

When he was asked how he had accomplished such a feat,

he said he never had more than 2 putts on a green during

the last 7.5 years.

All those years of playing perfect games in the theatre

of his mind,

had produced a near perfect performance on a very

challenging golf course!

It was his best round of golf ever.

Don't think about how tough you have it in life

think about how tough Colonel Hall had it for

7 1/2 years as a prisoner of war.

If you believe your attitude is everything

about everything in your sales career,

work on the little things you can do to

maintain a very positive attitude every selling day?

 

- Jim Meisenheimer

 

***

A Note from Hayden…

 

I just love Phil Wickham’s song…

The Jesus Way…

 

A Beautiful song with

a powerful message!

 

Will You Choose

The Jesus Way?

 

“And when I am lifted up from the earth,

I will attract all people toward Me.”

John 12:32

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fhv4arL3yk