Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts

Saturday, August 18, 2018

Word of God Speak

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1
~
Many years ago, this old bible was given to us by my mother-in-law.
I don't remember how long we've had it in our possession
but I think it had been in a box with some other old things she had given to us.
I don't even recall seeing it until after she had passed away.


There is nothing personal written within it's pages so surely it did not belong the family
and whoever previously owned it wrote nothing inside either.
It wouldn't surprise me if she found it at a rummage sale or flea market.
Since there is no evidence inside, it's pretty much a mystery.



I can't even find so much as a date of publication or printing on it...
but one look can tell you it has been around for many years.


It's been on the top shelf of the spare closet in a plastic bag, bound together by heavy string,
actually not a very nice place to keep this beautiful old bible, really.
The things is, it's so very fragile...you can barely even turn the pages...
no doubt that I had to be very careful as I was taking the photos.
 As you can see, the spine is nearly worn through.


And it's also very heavy.
Of course it isn't practical at all to carry it around.
A bible like this would most likely have been kept on a table or possibly the mantle.



The actual dimensions are 14" x 18" x 5" thick.
The inside boards are embellished with a rich sapphire and gold paper edged in gold trim.


It really is so very beautiful and has wonderful pictures throughout it's pages.


There's just something about old books...the smell and the way the paper feels against your hand.
I try to imagine the people whose fingers have touched it's pages and what their stories were.


I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.
Job 23:12

   
When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank.
Exodus 2:3


Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Colossians 3:16
~
When I see this big old family Bible, a picture forms in my mind's eye...
I see a family from long ago, sitting in a semi-circle by a fireplace or maybe around the supper table.
The room is dimly lit with only the glow of the burning embers and oil lanterns to read by.
A father is reading from the Scriptures as the mother and all of the children,
and maybe even Grandma and Grandpa, are all listening intently.
The scene is truly heart-warming.


So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17


Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105
~
GOD IS SPEAKING

Can you hear God speaking?
He’s talking to you now.
If you don’t it’s because you’re not listening
Or you don’t understand how.
The whisper of the wind,
The rustle of the breeze blown leaves,
The patter of the rain,
His voice is all of these.
The smile of a stranger,
The sunshine in the morn,
It’s the twinkle of the stars above
As another babe is born.
The Lord’s language is simplicity,
Not made of nouns and verbs.
It’s in the blooming of rose,
It’s in the growing of the herbs.
His words are in this beauty,
Seen only by the wise.
It’s what we take the time to view,
And what we will recognize.
Our Creator gave us everything,
We need not ask for more.
Give him thanks for what we have,
Give him thanks for what’s in store.

~ George C. Clements


But he answered, “It is written,
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Matthew 4:4


 
THE VOICE OF GOD

When we hear the voice of God
Speaking to our hearts,
Do we obey and follow Him
Or are we slow to start?
For when the Lord speaks to us,
We need to heed the call
And do the things He wants us to,
Giving to Him our all
I know at times it can be hard
To know the Father's will,
We need to listen to His voice,
For He speaks when all is still
Many times we fret so much
And rush so much about,
We then find all our busyness
May cloud our Savior out
So this is why we take some time
To be still before the Lord,
So He can speak into our lives
And show us so much more.

~M. S. Lowndes



The Lord is able to speak to us in many ways...

through His written Word,
through other people,
through the beauty of creation,
and through just about any circumstance we can imagine.

What a blessed people we are to have a God who created us just for this purpose!

What are some of the ways God speaks to you?

Monday, April 10, 2017

Thank You Jesus

They seem to be popping up everywhere in my neck of the woods.


In fact, this one literally is in my neck of the woods...a.k.a my front yard.
I first heard the story (through one ear as I was preparing dinner) on our local news channel one evening,
saying to myself what a nice thing it was for this young man to do.
I didn't think much more about it until I started noticing these cheery, bright yellow signs.
Before long, they started showing up on front lawns all over the place.


This one is in my next door neighbor's yard.
~
I copied the link from our local news station's interview with him and you can read it here.
What started out as just the placement of a few homemade signs,
has become a nation wide Thank You Jesus Movement.
What a dedicated and inspiring young man Lucas is!
~
Like I mentioned, whenever I am out and about I see the signs everywhere.
Over the weekend, I took my camera with the zoom lens to see how many I could snap.
There were many more than I could actually capture due to obstacles and such,
but here are just a few.









(mine again)
I actually purchased my sign at one of our local Living Free Ministries Thrift Store.
The stores are a part of a wonderful ministry for the restoration of drug and alcohol addicted men.
They sell the signs for $2 more than the website does and the extra $$ helps to support the ministry.
Any one who knows me probably also knows that a ministry such as this is very close to my heart.
And I thank Jesus every day for what He has done and is doing in Aaron's life!
Easter is the perfect time of the year to thank Jesus for what He's done for us.
If it wasn't for Him dying on that cruel cross, we wouldn't even have a savior to thank, period.
Here's a song I hope you enjoy, simply titled "Thank You Jesus".


As I reflect on this Holy Week leading up to Resurrection Sunday,
I pray that I never take for granted, not for one single moment, that Jesus gave His life for me.
THANK YOU JESUS!
I am taking this opportunity to wish you all a most blessed Easter week.
Company's a comin' and I've got tons to do before their arrival Thursday evening.
If I don't get around to visit, I'll catch up as I can :)
Hugs,
 

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Peace

Another week, another senseless act of terror.
Will true peace ever come to this world so full of hate?
If you believe the Bible, the answer is no.
As Christians, we find our peace in Jesus, not in the world, itself.
Ah yes, but peace can be found if you know where to look.

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. 
See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
Matthew 24:6
~
Peace.

I need it like oxygen.
I thirst for it as if it were water.
I crave it like food when I am hungry.
I long for it in my day to day life.
~
I made a decision a while back to live in it.
That doesn't mean that I live my life burden-free...is that even possible?
If you know anything about me, you know that's not the case.
Peace is a choice we make and we need to seek it, wherever we can find it.
~
There are many things that speak peace to me.
Most recently, there was a precious dove lying motionless in the grass...



...and when I knelt down to investigate, off it flew towards the safety of the trees.
That sweet bird was safe and sound, and peace swept over me.



Then there was such peace after a storm that left the skies gloriously rich in texture.



There's a sense of tranquility coming from that quiet drive in the country on a sunny morning...



...and those cows haven't a care in the world.
Peace.



Just soaking in the beauty that God has created speaks peace to my soul...



...and those tiny beads of water that hang on for dear life after a soothing summer rain...


...remind me of how God hangs on to me through times of trials, 
bringing such beautiful, unspeakable peace.



Just the other evening I walked into the kitchen and something immediately caught my eye.
The last golden rays of the setting sun peered through the Mason jars in the window,
creating the most calming glow, leaving me with such a peaceful feeling.
~
So as I'm typing this post, an old hymn is echoing in my brain.
I haven't heard it sung for a long time.

WONDERFUL PEACE
Warren D. Cornell, William G. Cooper - 1889

(click to listen)



I don't know how you can listen to that song and not sense God's peace and presence.
~
And I'll close with this poem I found.
  I think it speaks right to the events that we are witnessing in the world today.

GOD'S PEACE
~M.S. Lowndes

God's tender love and peace
Is what we all long for
In a world so hopelessly chaotic,
So unstable and unsure

It brings stability to our minds
And calmness to our souls,
For that is what we desperately need
As this world can be so cold

We need to have God's peace
When turmoil's in our lives,
For God's peace doesn't depend
On the daily pressures of life

When we have those stressful days,
God's peace can often soothe
And bring us such a quiet hope
That chases away the blues

So when you feel the pressure on,
Remember, Jesus Christ,
Receive from Him the peace He gives
As His daily dose for life!

~
And now, my favorite scripture about peace:

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, 
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7

I pray you enjoy a peaceful week, my friends!


Sharing at:

Spiritual Sundays

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Saturday Afternoon at the Movies


I had an experience today I'll not soon forget.

The hubby and I went to see a movie...
...not just any movie

We went to see "God's Not Dead".
(click on link for preview)

Never have I worshiped in a movie theater...
...until today.

I don't want to give anything away for those of you who haven't seen it.

I am still reeling from it actually.

I have that drained feeling...or you may call it spent...
...you know, like how you feel after you have cried a million tears.
Tears of sadness, yet tears of joy.

How blessed I am at this very moment...
...believing with every fiber of my being that there is a God who loves me.
 That He will never leave me...or forsake me.

My heart breaks for those who choose not to believe.

Please join me in praying for those lost souls.
Many of them, we don't know...some of them, we do.

 The Lord is not slow to keep his promise. He is not slow in the way some people understand it. 
He is patient with you. He doesn't want anyone to be destroyed. 
Instead, he wants all people to turn away from their sins. ~2 Peter 3:9

So, if you haven't yet seen this movie, I highly recommend it.
You will laugh. You will cry (a lot). You will worship.

Love to all, 




Saturday, February 15, 2014

A Stand-out in the Crowd


“Those who follow the crowd usually get lost in it.” 
~ Rick Warren


"Birds of a feather flock together."
I will never forget those words coming out of my sweet mom's mouth quite often as I was growing up.
This was her way of letting us know that we needed to be careful of just following the crowd...
...and to choose our friends wisely.

When I was snapping photos of the birds, I was just randomly clicking here and there,
unable to see exactly what birds were feeding there against the bright glare of the snow.
As I went through them on my computer I saw right away that there was a stand-out among them.

The first thing that entered my mind was that Sesame Street song...
..."One of these things is not like the others."

Then I asked myself this question: "Do I stand out in a crowd?

I like to think that I do, as a Christian...but I'm afraid there are those other times...
...those times when I just seem to fit right in with the world around me.
Oh, nothing blatantly ungodly, mind you...
...just nothing special...nothing specifically godly.

As a Christian, God calls me to stand out from the crowd by living a holy life.
Me...holy? 
Using my name and the word holy in the same sentence....really?
Sometimes it seems like an oxymoron.

**********

“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth.” 
Ephesians 4:29

**********

“Let your speech always be full of grace, seasoned with salt.” 
Colossians 4:6

**********

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2

**********

I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 
They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 
As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.
John 17:15-18

**********

I don't know about you...if you struggle with this like I do.
All I know is that I do want to stand out...
...so that people will know without a doubt that I have Jesus Christ living within me...
...and maybe, just maybe...
...they will see something in me that they want also.


Dear Father in heaven, I don't want to get lost in the crowd.
Through Your abundant grace, I will be a stand-out!
Amen

Have a blessed week!

Sunday, February 9, 2014

The Sweet Truth

This was originally posted two years ago.
Today, I am sharing it again at...

The Enchanting Rose

~*~*~*~*~*~*~


I have always loved these little candy hearts and the messages they convey...
...usually a romantic message of some sort, right?

I got to looking at what some of them said and it got me thinking...
...what about applying some of them to our love relationship with God?



“This is what the Lord says—
    Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.

Isaiah 44:6


O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary. 
The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be to God!

Psalm 68:35




How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Psalm 119: 103




He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting.

Job 8:21


Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105



“They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, 
“On the day that I make them My jewels.
And I will spare them
As a man spares his own son who serves him.”


Malachi 3:17


And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Luke 10:27



Blessings from God in a box of candy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

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