Top Ten Christmas Movies/Shows of All Time

Top Ten Christmas Movies/Shows of All Time
(my humble opinion)
Great movies that I don't always catch during the holiday season,
but if I do, it makes life much better. These are classics or soon to be classics.

10. Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964)
9. Frosty the Snowman (1969)
8. The Santa Claus (1994)
7. Miracle on 34th St (1947)
6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
5. Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
4. Scrooged (1988)
3. A Christmas Carol (1984) George C. Scott plays Scrooge
2. It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
1. A Christmas Story (1983)

Honorable mentions-
The Nativity, Home Alone, Elf, Christmas Vacation,
Trapped in Paradise, Serendipity

Stop and Listen

Yesterday was a very windy day here Forty mph winds. Tough to hear. It was cold too. It was so windy I could not hear anything but the wind. No cars driving by, no birds, nothing but a loud wind. Today was different. This morning before daybreak it was clear, cold and quiet. The full moon was out and lit up the morning sky like the sun. The trouble was I could not experience the peace of the moment without stopping. As I walk through the grass and leaves I sometimes tend to make noise. I have to physically stop to hear the quiet. I stand motionless and can hear for miles. When I am walking or running, I can usually only hear myself making noise. Today, stop and listen. Experience the quiet.

Go in peace and go with God.

Give Your Best To God

Do you give your best or worst to God? When I think about how I organize my life, I have several things to consider. Time. Schedule. Importance of events. Purpose. Priorities. Church. Family. Friends. Finding Joy. Finding Peace. Growing. Etc.

Sometimes I honestly do not give my best to God because I have not organized my life in a way that allows for my best. Sometimes it's the last. The least. It can't be my best when I just throw things together. Usually, as many of you know, I have spent considerable amounts of time thinking and praying about things. Which then lends to me giving my best. My heart, mind and soul are focused when I pull my priorities together, based on God's purpose for my life, joyfully spending time with family, friends and completely and in a deeply healthy way scheduling the calendar to maximize every moment to grow in faith, hope and love. So, what does it really take to give my best to God? I'm not sure and I guess it would depend on who you are and how you relate to God. But I will say that when you read that question at the beginning and if there is any doubt about giving your best, it might be time to think and pray.

Go in peace and go with God.

Peace

Find peace for your soul. Are you restless? The God of all is available and is ready to listen. Turn your life over to Him and find your new path. During this season of hope, faith, joy and peace, seek Him. Let go of the worry, let go of the fear and trust in the Lord.
May the God of creation grant you peace this holiday season.
Go in peace and go with God.

Edith Clarke- obituary

Funeral Services will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday, November 28, 2009 at Williams Funeral Chapel in Holden with Reverend James Stanfield-Myers and Reverend Jeremy Vickers officiating. Interment will follow in the Wesley Chapel Cemetery, located north of Kingsville. Pallbearers will be Barth Burgin, David Koerner, Dennis Petett, Duane Williams, James Willis and Dale Williams.Edith E. Clarke, 87 of Lee’s Summit, Missouri passed away Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at the Lee’s Summit Medical Center.
Edith was born October 28, 1922 in Kingsville, Missouri, daughter of John H. and Lola E. Talley Clarke. She was raised on a farm north of Kingsville and graduated from the Holden High School in 1940. Next, she attended the Huff Business College in Kansas City. Edith had been a resident of the Plaza area of Kansas City for several years, prior to moving to Lee’s Summit. She was a secretary with Petett & Grether, Inc. in Kansas City for many years. She joined Wesley Chapel ME South Church, located north of Kingsville in 1935. She was also a charter member of Grace United Methodist Church in Lee’s Summit since 1991. She loved to write.
Survivors include a sister, Isabella Burns and her husband, Bill of Monterey Park, California; a sister-in-law, Lois Clarke of Holden; two nephews, James Clarke of Blue Springs and Stanley Clarke of Holden and a niece, Mary Lynn Dodson of Independence. Edith was preceded in death by two brothers, James T. Clarke and John L. Clarke and a sister, Naracissa M. Clarke.

The Meal Matters

This week we will all celebrate Thanksgiving. Hopefully you will celebrate around a table with friends and family. For your meal, I'm sure the following might be involved.
Turkey
Stuffing or Dressing
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Green Bean Casserole
Sweet Potatoes
Rolls
maybe a ham?
Lots of pie (pumpkin, pecan, apple)

Now, imagine one of these things missing. How would you feel if there was no turkey, no dressing...NO PIE! You would probably get over it, but as you think about spending time with family and friends, hear this passage of Scripture-
11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:11-13
Learn to be content in every situation, whether well fed or not. The secret to happiness and joy in this life is learning to appreciate what God has given, and what God has not given. Rejoice in the Lord always, I say rejoice.
Go in peace and go with God.

All Church Thanksgiving Dinner

Thank you to all who attended and helped with our All Church Thanksgiving Dinner. Thank you to finance for helping put everything together and cleaning up. Thanks to the men's group for setting up the other night. A big thanks to the youth for the pie auction. A big thanks for all who made this another wonderful fellowship dinner. I love being part of a church that breaks bread together in a spirit of joy and fun. Thank you to all who make Grace such an amazing church to be apart of for these past few years. And thanks to everyone who made some awesome food and shared it with the rest of us.
Go in peace and go with God.