December 2009 - the Light of Christ Jesus continues to SHINE

First 'annual' Tree Lighting Ceremony in Birdsboro. GOD'S LOVE brings the 'community of Birdsboro' & surrounding communities together, to witness the 'light of CHRIST'.

It is 'true' that a 'PICTURE' is worth a thousand words, so for the month of  Dec., words will be limited

Dec. is the month, Christians celebrate the birth of the CHRIST child, that is all that needs to be said 4 Dec..  Beautiful STAR of BETHLEHEM - SHINE upon us until the glory of dawn. For Jesus is now that STAR divine, Brighter & brighter HE will SHINE. Beautiful STAR of Bethlehem 'shine on' . (stanza #6)

On this 'blog' you will see a CHRISMON tree, showing Christian symbols. The 'evergreen tree' represents the everlasting prescense & everlasting love of GOD, thru CHRIST JESUS, His SON. Also shown is a grandfather & a grandson preparing to bring an 'evergreen' indoors, a baby in a crib, a throne with a crown on the seat, representing the 'return' of CHRIST JESUS again, we don't know when, it could be 2010, but then again, GOD tells us in His Word, we  do not know when; we are to 'watch' our lives & be 'ready' for THEN. Children are an 'expression' of GOD'S LOVE,

May we come into GOD'S PRESENCE, with 'Worship & Praise', for all of our days, he has given us. May our days be used to Glorify Him, in the 'ordinary' of everyday. The ordinary may seem 'small' to us, but to HIM, the ordinary, is 'not small' at ALL !!! Psalm 90:12 - Teach us O Lord to number our days so that we may grow in Wisdom. Psalm 90, a 'prayer of  Moses to GOD'.  Our lives are 'not' about US, but about bringing the 'FOCUS' on GOD' !!!

Giving Thanks 4 Ancestors & Today's Generation

Giving THANKS on  Thanksgiving 2009 for Ancestors, Baggage & All    

                                             This Thanksgiving 2009, without my maternal ancestors, would NOT have been mine.......as the saying goes, 'we bring our baggage' with us, some we need to get rid of. Our 'ancestors' literally, did bring their 'baggage' with them to this country of USA.....literally, that was ALL they had to bring.

My  ancestors, from maternal side, came from Poland to Ellis Island in Nov. 1902, the sky was sooo 'blue' and they had a song to 'sing', because they were finally in the U.S.A., the land of the Free, and the 'home' of the Brave, where the USA FLAG did wave !! They had made it to the " Land of HOPE", hope for a better future for theirselves & their family !!All they had were the clothing on their back & their baggage in hand !! It took 'bravery' to get them here. To think of what they went through , should bring many a tear....Ellis Island is called, the "Island of Hope, Island of  Tears". Ellis Island is 'where' the OLD world met the NEW.......Immigrants, including my great grandparents 'adopted' the U.S.A. as their 'new home' !!!  I have been adopted also, by a Jewish Carpenter named JESUS. HE has allowed me to be HIS CHILD....I now have an 'old nature' & a NEW nature. The 'new nature' comes from being a 'child of GOD'.....AND my 'Adopted HOME' will someday be HEAVEN. O, what GLORY & BEAUTY will be there !!  Revelation 21 & 22 tells of a 'New Jerusalem' that will be born out of the 'previous Heaven"

I am 'very thankful' that our 'first born' daughter was able & willing to take me to Ellis Island, to see the 'Island of Hope' where my grandparents & greatgrandparents came by Ship from Poland. The bronze statue, to the right,  is of a 14 yr.old Irish girl who was the 'very first' Immigrant to enter the U.S.A. at Ellis Island.      Below, is another 'blessing' we are thankful 4, is 'youngest'  grandson........we took him 4 a walk after Thanksgiving dinner, PopPop & Grandmom. He loves all kinds of animals, bugs, all of nature, it seems, spiders & salamanders........this is a 'child in awe of GOD'S creation' !!!    He found 'grasshopper Haven' in Parkesburg, after Thanksgivng dinner.   It was 'his treasure' to behold !!

Ancestors leaving the 'old world', for the U.S.A.

I have an IRISH daughter in law, must ck. Ellis Isl. site 4  her ancestors, sometime.

Matthew 19:14 CHRIST JESUS said, Let the 'little children' come unto me, do not forbid them, for of such , is the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 18:3 - Jesus said, Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted & become as little children, you will by no means, enter the 'kingdom of Heaven'. v.4,5........also 1 John 3: 1-3 -children of GOD - Psalm 127:v.3 - behold, children are a hertage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is reward.  Psalm 127 is a mere 5 verses of instruction  from GOD.

Raking leaves on God's Mountain

This is HOW a 4 yr. old likes to RAKE leaves.......

The huge Maple out front gives us 'lots' of leaves on the lawn each Fall. The great abundance of leaves is enough to make a huge 'jumping pile' for kids to enjoy. As far back as I remember, each of our grandchildren 'enjoyed' jumping in those leaf piles, provided by our beautiful Maple. The 'MAPLE' is soooo beautilful, I should have given it a NAME a long time ago. So on this date, Nov.20, I 'name' the 'maple' MAJESTY.
Outside of a church I pass, close by to my home, is a SIGN on their lawn which says; FALL LEAVES us, but JESUS 'NEVER' LEAVES us !!! (how appropriate for this season)
JESUS 'is ' the reason even 4 the Fall season; after much inhumane torture at Calvary, HE 'FELL' to the ground for US,
I came across a wonderful web site today for Nature lovers, it is by someone in the Netherlands.
The web site is http://moremirthquake.blogspot.com
I will leave 'you' with the thought of LEAVES & LEAVING things behind. Some of us need to 'leave behind' our FEARS.
 PROVERBS 9:10 tells us The FEAR of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the HOLY ONE is understanding.
Will leave U also, with the cliche that is soooo TRUE; enjoying life is enjoying the SIMPLE THINGS in life, the beauty all around us that GOD provides !!!
The colored 'text' is for the many colors of the Fall season.....
Have a Blessed Thanksgiving........remembering our many daily Gifts from GOD.
A saying I have seen often is 'you can't CHOOSE your family, but U can CHOOSE your friends'.
Well, in the 'soverienty' of our GOD, who created everything.........I just recently saw a positive family comment'.......It is:
We didn't get to CHOOSE our family, cause they are GOD'S GIFT to us !!!
Families are 'used' of GOD to teach us many things, one of which is, 'how to LOVE'.
Families teach us 'GOD'S' KIND of LOVE..........forgivness, mercy, grace, all the attributes of  GOD.    
My closing thoughts are: NEVER 'leave' GOD, & NEVER 'leave' your family.

GOD'S Myers Mountain & Faith Orchard photos

hello again, I do 'not' intend on making this a 'daily blog'. I have a 'tendency' to write so much, that I'm not leaving space for photos to be shared.

Oct. 31, 2009 - All "Hallows' Eve'

dear  'family & friends',
Please 'bear' with me, I am still 'transitioning' to this new venture of Blogging, not LOGGING, but BLOGGING !!  I may take up 'LOGGING' next yr., but for now I have my plate full with 'blogging'  ;o) !!
I have changed my BLOG title to TREASURES on GOD'S MOUNTAIN, instead of Thoughts from Toni on God's mountain.  I decided to 'not' put my name in the title. So I hope that will clear up any confusion I have caused. I am still trying to get rid of the 'original' title on my blog......;o(
I would like to finish what I said in the first blog, I was about 2 yrs. old when my 'dad' returned from WWII, I then had to 'transition' from not having my 'daddy' to having one. My father had to 'transition' from being in 'combat' for our country, to being 'free' to be at HOME with his wife & little daughter. He carried with him, the 'scars' of WAR, many were his nightmares. Remember to PRAY 4 those men & women, protecting countries at this time.
Today is 'All Hallows Eve', not really Halloween......... in God's Word, the word 'hallow' is a synonym 4 the word, 'sanctify'.  The prayer that many of us know, the OUR FATHER, uses the word 'HALLOWED be Thy Name',  O Lord
Back to speaking of MYERS' Mountain & Faith Orchard. We have gone thru much 'transitioning' on this MOUNTAIN. One of those transitions, was our 3 children growing up & leaving home to start their own lives. There is a 'huge red Maple tree' outside our dining rm. window. It is sooo gorgeous at any season of the yr.  There hangs a simple flat bd 'swing' on that tree, that my 'creative husband' made. That swing represents 'our children' & now our GRANDCHILDREN' !!!