We all have dreams, sugar plum kind, hidden in our hearts. This time of year seems to shake them from their slumber. I hear yours; you hear mine. In the air, there's a feeling of Christmas. Christmas is a portrait of hope, just like the dreams in our hearts. Today we open the twenty-first drawer in our advent calendar. Our Cities, dressed up in holiday cheer; Children are laughing (or driving you nuts) People are passing, hopefully lawfully, and the Shoppers rush home with their treasures.
They assigned my post outside a local Albertson Grocery store and gave me a red bucket and bell. I bundled myself for the cold, rain and many passers-bye: Some hurried, others frustrated, others oblivious to the bell. But I was armed with holiday cheer. I sang every Carole, first verse to last. My sound of music went to tell it on a mountain. People smiled, they lingered and reminisced, some requested a favorite they missed. Dads picked up there child and placed them high on the shoulder. Grandmothers told me a story from Ole'. I sang and I sang, till the cows came home with a hoarse voice, my bucket was filled toots sweet, again and again. Salvation, Hmm? may just be the silver bell sound that we remember from Him! It's a memory I love and a feeling to share. My Silver Bell, tells the world that I care. Happy Christmas Soon after beginning his ministerial career in England in 1852, William Booth abandoned the concept of the traditional church pulpit in favor of taking the gospel of Jesus Christ directly to the people. Walking the streets of London, he preached to the poor, the homeless, the hungry, and the destitute. When fellow clergymen disagreed with Booth’s unconventional approach, he and his wife Catherine withdrew from the church to train evangelists throughout England. The couple returned to the East End of London in 1865, where many followers joined their fight for the souls of lost men and women. Within 10 years, their organization, operating under the name “The Christian Mission," had over 1,000 volunteers and evangelists. Thieves, prostitutes, gamblers, and drunkards were among their first converts to Christianity. And soon, those converts were also preaching and singing in the streets as living testimonies to the power of God. When Booth read a printer's proof of the 1878 “Christian Mission” annual report, he noticed the statement "The Christian Mission is a volunteer army." Crossing out the words "volunteer army," he penned in "Salvation Army." From those words came the basis of the foundation deed of The Salvation Army. From that point onward, converts became soldiers of Christ and were known then, as now, as Salvationists. They launched an offensive throughout the British Isles that, in spite of violence and persecution, converted 250,000 Christians between 1881 and 1885. Their message spread rapidly, gaining a foothold in America and soon after Canada, Australia, France, Switzerland, India, South Africa, Iceland, and Germany. Today, The Salvation Army is active in virtually every corner of the world and serves in over 100 countries, offering the message of God’s healing and hope to all those in need. Read the Entire Article I encourage you to drop in an offering and thank those who ring a Silver Bell and stand next to a red-bucket! The History of Silver Bells
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I'm Kristen WambachI'm all grown up (I think?) Along my journey of searching for answers, I found them. I went from spiritual blindness to OMG! With a driving niche as an entrepreneur. I love hanging out with our four sons, riding with my husband on his Harley, and creating all things hospitality. My mission? To help others see "beyond" and own their awesomeness within!
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