I don't usually advertise anything but I have before and will do so when it is a product or service worth mentioning. Such is the case with Christian Gifts and Jewelry.

Doug Sunker is a friend and brother in Christ. He built and maintains my website and has offered talents and insights to help me grow as a Christian and my newsletter flourish. His online store of tasteful Christian gifts is brand new and a refreshing place to shop. That is made obvious when you see the opening page and it says:

But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

Show both your Faith and Love this Valentine's Day with a gift from the heart for the one you Love.

At Christian Gifts & Jewelry, we have gifts of Faith, Love and Inspiration from our beautiful Crosses, Crucifixes and Rosaries to our Inspirational Home and Garden Décor.

Doug is strong in his faith and speaks sincerely and from the heart when he tells about his site:

Christian Gifts & Jewelry is a result of a call from our Lord to service the Christian community. This call started out with helping a friend publish his monthly Christian newsletter, The Independent Evangelist, on the internet. Once his newsletter was up and running, I felt that the Lord wanted yet more from me. After much prayer, discussion and thought, I discerned that His call could best be answered by starting this e-store. As I was beginning to work on Christian Gifts & Jewelry, I made a promise to the Lord that all of the profits would be tithed to serve the church and benefit charities. So with the Lord's call and a sincere promise in my heart, I welcome you.

Stop by to read the daily Bible verses and perhaps you will find a gift of inspirational value or something to dress up the garden.

www.christiangifts-jewelry.com

O give thanks unto the Lord, for [he is] good: for his mercy [endureth] for ever. Psalms 107:1

CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN

Well, climb at least one if you can. On my website, there is a picture of me with my wife and editor. You might not be able to tell, but we were at the summit of Mt. Washington. It's a story that would not mean anything to the able bodied outdoorsman but it made me feel like I had just conquered death.

To anyone else, it's child's play; drive up to the observation deck and the summit is close by. No tools are necessary and no climbing experience is needed. There are huge jagged boulders to navigate but hikers bound up them every day.

The picture was taken shortly after I had a stroke though. It was a stroke from which I was not supposed to survive. Normally, when a person has a crippling stroke, they give into it and accept retirement and health care. My wife and editor said, "Get out of bed, we're going camping". I wouldn't recommend it for each stroke victim, but it worked for me.

God blessed me with a rowdy, tough little woman and with me being 42 at the time, she figured I still had to experience some more of anything life had to offer. I never quite realized just what a kind and gracious God we had until He allowed me to travel places with Mary.

Since the stroke, we've been in oceans, deserts, rain forests, mountains, rapids, lakes and seen skies so dark with planets and galaxies so bright as to take your breath away. We've taken a faith journey together that I never would have believed possible before the stroke. I couldn't have had the physical journey without the faith journey. I know now that both had to happen or I would have simply fallen victim to the stroke and death would have claimed me.

Every campground and every rock I climbed was a leap of faith. The cool part has been support from strangers. You should see how big a person's eyes get when they see a cripple with a leg brace and a cane trying to climb to the summit of a mountain. Strangers rally to help because somehow they feel "God must be watching out for this nut" and they want to be a part of the action.

We sure met some kind a gracious people in our travels but I wonder if they would have has as good a time if it wasn't for that nutty old cripple doing what should have been out of his realm. It was hard work for Mary but she grew spiritually and she found her own limits to be farther out than she expected.

I probably won't see another summit, but God gave me that one. In the Bible, the mountain is a symbol for the Kingdom of God. In a small way, I can say I saw a glimpse of the Kingdom with the one I love. An actual mountain may not always be in reach but with a leap of faith the Kingdom is there for you. Climb your mountain.