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"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!" Like a voice from the past, the words of this child's song came to me the other day. Have you ever felt very tiny in a vast world filled with millions of people? Sometimes the desire to make a difference can be overwhelming. It is easy to wonder what kind of an impact you are having on the world around you. What will you leave behind when it is time for you to depart from this earth?

Look what I found!  I glanced up from my desk to survey the blanket of snow that surrounded our office. Even more had fallen during the night. It resembled a white desert edged by leafless trees and a hopeless tangle of barren brambles. Only months ago this same spot had been filled with vibrant life - shades of green punctuated by birds of various hues flitting back and forth, chirping happily as they whistled to their mates.  I sighed and dropped my head back to the ledger in front of me when out of the corner of my eye I caught a flash.  I strained to peer into the wild jumble of briars.  That is when I saw it - a crimson jewel on a breast of milky white snow.  The male cardinal fluttered closer and landed on a piece of dead wood. Creeping nearer I silently raised my camera to the window pane, and snapped a picture capturing this glimpse of beauty in a barren wilderness.

Many people mistakenly believe that once they become a Christian they will not have any more trials.  Somewhere they have gotten the idea that God's blessings always come in the form of money, health, and other good things.  Though it is true that God does bestow many blessings on us, sometimes those gifts come in strange ways.

The warm breeze caressed the tree branches where the perching birds warbled to one another as Jesus settled down on the grassy mountain. A huge crowd of disciples had followed Him here and listened intently as He taught them important lessons.  Many of these determined followers were poor and hard pressed to provide the daily essentials of food and clothing for their growing families.  Jesus pointed them to the beauty of nature to bolster their trust in the Creator of all things.  "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they? . . .  And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

Anyone who has turned on the TV recently has been bombarded with the Olympic Games.  It always amazes me as I listen to the biographies of some of the most talented athletes in the world.  I am impressed with how much time and energy these competitors have expended training to win an Olympic gold medal for themselves and for their country.  What dedicated sacrifice and singleness of mind they demonstrate in forging ahead towards accomplishing this objective.

I have always loved Thursdays. Thursday is the promise of Friday - another day closer to the weekend.This day was always special for another reason, too. When I was growing up, my family would gather on Thursday nights around the television set. Mom would toast cinnamon rounds (something similar to a pop tart) and we would snuggle on the couch to watch the next episode of The Waltons. How I loved this country family! They cared for each other and persevered through difficult situations brought on by a large brood living during the Great Depression. I admired Mama and Daddy as well as Grandma & Grandpa for their unconditional and sacrificial love for their children and for their neighbors. And what young girl couldn't help but fall in love with John-Boy?