Let’s begin 2012 with thoughts about: ATTITUDE by Charles Swindoll 

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play the one string we have, and that is our attitude… I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.”

And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes”

The following was  submitted  by Bennie Hill:

In preparing for New Series on Prayer for the new year (John 17) I was thinking about the history of the church steeple and found this interesting.

History of Church Steeples (by David England)

“American church architecture originated from European influence as the early American settlers brought with them what they had seen in Europe, which established their ideas of proper church design. These ideas came from the great churches in England and other areas in Europe that, to them, were correct “church architecture.” Certainly their churches in their new home should not be lacking in grandness or detail.

Early church architects (England) designed grand cathedrals and churches that had intricate, soaring steeples. The vertical lines of the steeple helped to visually enhance the lines of the church, directing the viewers’ eyes vertically to the heavens.

Obviously, this upward look complements part of the mission of the church, to keep us in a heavenly frame of mind,

The early church believed that the church could communicate the truth of the Bible in pictures and symbols to those who were illiterate, such as using the picture in the stained glass to tell stories, as well as the steeple, which helped by pointing upwards devotedly to Heaven.”

The next time you see a church steeple or hear the ringing of a bell in the belfry – look up toward Heaven!