the Word is never chained ...

the WORD of  God is not chained, said  the Apostle Paul ... he penned those words while in prison ... irony of irony's ... though Paul was physically chained ... the living Word of God wasn't ... 

evil men thought to stamp out God's living, eternal Word ... how foolish ... 

and the world that neglects so great a salvation is still foolish ... 

read the Word - it has the power to transform your life!

january, the month that needs a bit of tweaking!

december is a month filled with hope, endless possibilities and good will towards others ... 

then january arrives ... 

reality looks bleak, life seems routine and if you live in middle canada - the weather is bitterly cold!  that is when we need to walk by faith, not by sight ... and ignore any discontent or ikkiness inside us and offer to God the sacrifice of praise ... 

it is not always easy to be grateful (even when we should be) or to give Jesus praise (even tho' HE is worthy) ... on those days the fragrance of a thankful word may be all that much sweeter to a God who is always attentive to us ... offer to Him the sacrifice of praise ...  this is what proclaims our allgiance to the only ONE worthy of that praise ... 

His banner over me is love ...

as we continue into the new year ... the unknown ... if God is  your Source of all things ... remember He is also the ONE who goes into this new year with you - already knowing what it holds for you ... the challenges, the joys, the trials and triumphs ... go with confidence knowing that HE will take care of you and always always always have your back ... HE is our High Tower ...

new years challenge

yes, please ... help me, Lord ...  may i be a woman who builds up, not tears down ... who praises more than she finds fault ... may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you Lord ... 

go with God ...

"I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.'"

"And he replied, 'Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God.  That shall be to you better than a light and safer than a known way.'"

~ King George VI on New Year's Eve 1939, the first months of WWII ..

O hush the noise ...

this quote from Edmund Sears sums up the season for me ... so much needless chatter about things that perish and that have no eternal value ... when will we ever learn to listen ... we need to still ourselves before the Lord and to hear the message that rang out clear from heaven 2000 years ago ... and still rings out ... the Saviour IS born!

God is not bound by time ...

In Jesus Christ, eternity embraced time ... 

so that those of us who are bound by time, 

may one day embrace eternity.  

~ David Jeremiah

light of the world ...

now is our opportunity to be a reflection of Jesus ... full of mercy, love, non-threatening, peaceful ... we cannot do anything about what people say or think ... our calling is to BE the light in our current darkness ... 

thank you Jesus ...

these are my poinsettias ... i've been enjoying them for 2 weeks now ... they remind me of Christ's sacrifice ... His blood shed for us ... yes, ESPECIALLY at this time of year - His atonement for my sins comes through all the tinsel, goodies and hype of the commercialism of what we  now call Christmas ... Jeremiah wrote "The Lord our righteousness" ... and immediately my own thoughts added:  has come ... 

thank  you Jesus for that GIFT of grace ... thank you that it is a universal gift ... thank you that YOU still speak to hearts, even though we wade neck deep in commercialism and unrealistic nostalgia ...

thank You for John 3:16 ...

reflection

i took this picture at our town beach this morning ... it reminded me that i want to reflect God like the calm waters reflect the morning sun ... may Jesus be seen in me ...

November share ... Max Lucado

for those of you, like me, who can be affected with seasonal sadness ... i want to share some uplifting thoughts from max lucado ... be blessed this month of november!

The most common word for “worry” is the Greek term: “merimnate.” The origin is “merimnao.” This is a compound of a verb and a noun. The verb is “divide.” The noun is “mind.” To be anxious, then, is to divide the mind. Anxiety chops up our attention, derails our purpose, and scatters our awareness in a dozen directions.

We worry about the past: what we said or did. We worry about the future: tomorrow’s assignments or the next decade’s developments. Anxiety takes our attention from the right now and directs it back then or up there.

The challenge is to keep our attention on the “right now.” Here is a resolve that I wrote and read often:

“Today, I will live today.
Yesterday is past.
Tomorrow is not yet.
I’m left with today.
So, today, I will live today.

Relive yesterday? No.
I will learn from it.
I will seek mercy for it.
I will take joy in it.
But I won’t live in it.
The sun has set on yesterday.

The sun has yet to rise on tomorrow.
Worry about the future? To what gain?
It deserves a glance, nothing more.
I can’t change tomorrow until tomorrow.

Today I will live today.
I will face today’s challenges with today’s strength.
I will dance today’s waltz with today’s music.
I will celebrate today’s opportunities with today’s hope.

Today.
May I laugh, listen, learn, and love today.
And, tomorrow, if it comes, may I do so again.”

Leave your problems with God. He does not need our help, counsel, or assistance. (Please repeat this phrase: I hereby resign as ruler of the universe.) When he is ready for us to re-engage, he will let us know.

© Max Lucado
November 2015

God's promise ...

another blog anniversary rolls around ... it is 11 years since i first began sharing my life and faith in this manner ... i feel blessed by the friends i've made ... and  shared life experiences  ... God is good ...

i snapped the above picture 2 weeks ago, during a walk in the neighbourhood ... and the verse is from Isaiah ... indeed, our Heavenly Father would never forget His own ...

blessings on all who stop by ...

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving 2015

we've enjoyed a balmy thanksgiving weekend up til now ... today the winds are gusting to 80 clicks - so i'm thankful i took this photo yesterday when the leaves were still on the tree!  LOL!!!

thankfulness is something i try to practice daily ... and being thankful for God's grace through Jesus - is where it all starts.

blessings to all who may stop by!

be prepared ...

i'm so glad that we have eternity to look forward to ... we are a prepared people, for a prepared place ... i get so impressed with the sunrises that meet my eyes in the morning (this being one of them, pic taken this summer) ... and the God who created the sunrise, has also created a home for those in Jesus ... how absolutely cool is that?!!!!  David Jeremiah said that "the days of surface faith and cowardly christianity are soon coming to an end."  yet, even if there will be bumps  in the road, the destination will have us forgetting the hardships - and rejoicing in the realities of heaven ... be blessed ...

do not be discouraged ...

i think discouragement is a sneaky emotion and state of mind ... just when we think "yes, we ARE victors!" ... then negative thoughts sneak in and knock the rah rah out of our enthusiasm ... once again, we need to re-focus on HIM who is the only Victor in this earthly battle against sin and defeat ... and it is only IN HIM that we can truly lay hold of that victory  ... thank you Lord, for always picking me up, when emotions want to trump reality - the reality that Jesus is my Lord and Saviour right to the end of days.

and Jesus said, Come ....

our generous God ... offers life everlasting to all those who "COME" ... He never forces belief on anyone, it is a gift prepared for each - please unwrap ... drink deeply of the waters of life today ....

i wait for the Lord

every morning as i read HIS word, i expectantly wait for HIM ... wait for HIM to work through me ... wait for Jesus to walk with me ... wait for my life to be lived for HIM ... that is my prayer in the morning ... and at the end of the day ... i give HIM thanks ... because i know that i will again watch for the morning, as my soul waits for the LORD ... 

labour day ...

a tranquil scene from the bed and breakfast i stayed at a few weeks back ... in northern manitoba ... God has oasis' pockets all over this world, doesn't He!!!  of course i had to make a poster out of it!  blessings on ya!

Behold!

what a time we live in ... what a God we live for!!!

worry? why?

"pray and let God worry." ~ Martin Luther

Resting Calmly

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" ~ Jesus (recorded in Luke 12:25-26)

salvation to those who are waiting ...

how does this verse make you feel?  i find it a good spiritual barometer ... it helps me get in synch with the reality to come ... Jesus return!  

O Lord, do not put me to shame ..

teach us to number our days ... grow in us a heart of wisdom ... let our every thought be in line with  your Word ... may The Church be a sweet fragrance to you, O' Lord ...

AND ... even so, Come Lord Jesus ...

teach us to number our days ... that we may gain a heart of wisdom ...

this passage, though written by Moses - centuries ago ... applies to our hearts, at this time ... 

God's Word IS timeless ... with truth that resonates all throughout history ... 

Isaiah ...

this verse gives me comfort ... even tho' it was first spoken to Israel, i still feel a connection with the Words ... i am HIS ... always ...

grace that is sufficient ...

no one understands my heart like Jesus does ... lead me to the ROCK that is higher than i!

I know Whom i have believed in ...

this picture was taken while flying over the Canadian Rockies a few weeks ago ... i love to fly ... it is wonderful to think of how God has made all this beauty ... and even though we as humanity try to muck things up ... God will restore and remake it - One day ... until then, Jesus is our Mediator ... the One to Whom i run ...

Sunday blessings ....

Blessings on your sunday ... read up, pray up, so we can be the light of the world ... for Jesus ...

Easter Sunday, 2015

it is Resurrection Day ... thank you Jesus!!!  so very glad HE loved us ... that much ... WOW!

low in the grave He lay ... Jesus, my Saviour ...

it's that time again ... when those of us who are Jesus followers, think of His sacrifice ... and are humbled and grateful ...

Easter IS coming!

Jesus WON over death ... over sin ... over everything that drags down the  human spirit and doesn't allow us to worship GOD in truth and in deed ...

EASTER is coming!!!

imperfection and God's perfect plan ...

as i watched the sunrise this morning ... i was once again aware of my own fallible efforts ... the good that I want to do, and the good that gets done - are sometimes 2 different things ... then there is God's timing ... i smiled to myself as i read my morning devotions, as i was once again reminded, that God uses imperfection in His work ... as i live out my life in His grace and mercy ...

timelessness of GOD ...

words that are thousands of years old ... yet with a truth that is timeless ... 

one short hour ....

oh, this world we live in ... the wars, rumours of war ... where wrong is declared right and right is declared wrong ... we live to please ourselves and forget Who created us to please HIM ... i wonder when God will say, "ok, enough is enough - the end begins ... "

when the light shines, take notice ...

Thank God for His light ... that illuminates the way ... 

teach us to number our days ...

Psalm 90 is always an encouraging read ... this morning, verse 12 reminded me of the brevity of life ... so i made a poster, using a picture i took in 2012 of the sunrise at the town beach ... just sharing ...

what you put in the well, comes up in the bucket ...

we listened to an excellent message by Charles Stanley this morning ... he was talking about how our minds are the control tower of our thoughts and actions ... it reminded me of Philippians 4:8 ... we need to feed our minds and think on good things ... and also to filter our thoughts through God's Word ... it's the basics that i may forget from time to time ... a reminder to myself!

the fruit of the spirit is love ...

for such a time as this ... 
the message of Jesus is peaceful and full of love ...

warning ...

we are starting off January in the red ... as this screen capture of environment canada clearly shows  ... the extreme weather alerts cover the land ... it's good that these warnings are there ... otherwise, how will the traveler know to prepare? 

these warnings made me think of God's word ... the bible ... we have been able to read the warnings for humanity, if they don't turn to GOD ... the Father even sent His own Son, Jesus ... who gave us the way (John 3:16) to escape the extreme conditions that will hit the planet earth one day (soon?) ... yet many have not heard ... don't care ... won't believe ...  

just like the person who goes on a trip, gets caught in bad weather and says no one told them ... YES THEY DID ... but we all have to search out the information ... the warnings are everywhere ... everywhere ... and only the wise listen, then act upon it ...

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

John 3:16-17

Happy New Year!

new year's a coming ...

greetings on a crisp, post Christmas day ... it went down to -29C last night, but warmed up to a more comfortable -22C ... though it could go up 10 more degrees and i wouldn't complain ... ha!  i had to put my whole winter garb on for my walk ... 

just getting dressed took me almost 10 minutes ... long johns, ski pants, columbia turtleneck, lace-up boots, hat, mitts ... then to take a picture meant i had to remove my warm mitts ... but it was all fun and manageable ... i counted my many blessings as i walked, ready to greet a new year soon ... 

so for those who may pop by this poor neglected blog, may God find you in 2015 ... and may you grow in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ ... 

JESUS was born in the fullness of time ...

"fullness of time" ... i like that phrase ... to me it says that God has a plan in place ... He has always had things mapped out ... well thought out, well executed ... a plan that took 100's of years to bring to fruition ... He gave us hints through the pages of the old testament ... prophecies ... interspersed by centuries ... then it all fell into place ... no coincidences with God ... 

i am celebrating the birth of my Saviour ... and also looking for the return of Jesus, the One and Only ... searching through the pages of the new testament ... hoping it will happen in my lifetime, but knowing it will happen in God's perfect time ... life is interesting ... the bible makes it more so!

Joyous Christmas greetings ... for unto us is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour - who is Christ the Lord!

gift of God ...

reminder to self ... if i forget that it's all about Jesus, then i have forgotten the most important part of Christmas ...

The Spirit and the bride say ...

just finished reading the book of Revelations ... when reading it from the point of view of a saved sinner, waiting for Jesus to return ... it is encouraging ... however, if read by those who do not believe in Jesus - not so encouraging ... YET God has put the Word out there for one and all to digest ... those who have an empty spot within them, that needs filling ... God has the answer ... His Son Jesus ... and now, with the troubles that are starting to brew and bubble over in the world - the Holy Spirit within believers - is starting to urge the prayer of "even so, Come Lord Jesus" ... 

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" ... 

Romans 8:18

i don't like the thought of suffering, who does?  but i do like the idea of glory being revealed ... a glory that is in me ... cool ... *smile*

deliver us ...

we continue to pray the Lord's prayer daily ... to think of the words to the simple prayer that Jesus left us ... well, it only sounds simple until you start to really feel/think the words as you pray them ... the thought of temptation and to be delivered from evil, were words that seemed to go naturally with this picture that i took the other day ... using a negative image of it ... because after all -  evil is the negative side of all that God would have for us ... thank You for freedom Jesus!  thank You for accepting us in Your Beloved, Father ... and thank You for indwelling us, Holy Spirit ...

Whose is the battle? The Lord's!!!!

as I was praying this morning, then reading the Word ... this verse caught my heart - we DO pray and we DO believe - but what a RELIEF (to me anyways!!!) to know that the battle is ultimately our Heavenly Fathers ... and we know that HE has the might and power to DO all things ... so we pray in confidence, knowing that the BATTLE truly is the LORD's!

The Christian life is not a playground ...

from my morning devotions ... "The One Year walk with God devotional"
~ chris tiegreen

The Christian life is not a playground; it is a battleground.  
~ Warren Wiersbe

IN WORD  Satan rules a rogue nation in one small corner of God’s cosmos.  But to us, it’s not a faraway corner; we were born in it.  It is exceedingly relevant to our lives.  It affects us every day, constraining our choices and influencing our personalities.  We were born as its citizens, destined to die when it is overthrown.  But we have found a way of escape:  We can fall as refugees into the safe asylum of Jesus.  His Kingdom will grant us protection.

Paul tells Timothy that everyone – no exceptions – who wants to live a godly life will face persecution.  This is one of God’s promises we rarely claim by faith, but it is certain anyway.  It’s a solid guarantee:  We will be  harassed within our born-again hearts and harassed on the outside by a campaign of misinformation and even physical threats.  Temptations aim to dissuade us from our holy calling, and people try to convince us that we need to conform to their wishes and their corrupt world.  The battle wasn’t over the day we placed our faith in Jesus.  It had only just begun.

Evil doesn’t die without a fight, and sometimes the fight can be really nasty.  Satan’s tactics aren’t fair; lawlessness is one of his core attributes.  We might as well get used to his attempts to hit us below the belt.  We cannot turn a blind eye to his tactics.  The only sure way to resist them is to be aware of them.  Our awareness will turn us to the refuge of Jesus at exactly the right times.

IN DEED  Do you wonder why you struggle?  Are you disheartened because you thought the Christian life was easier than this?  Avoid such illusions.  You’re in a war.  Maybe you didn’t realize that when you joined the Kingdom, but you will have to realize it now.

The good news is that the only harm that can come to you in this battle is temporary, and the only victory Satan can win is psychological.  Real victory, lasting victory, is certain.  It is our inheritance.  Do not be disheartened.  Stand firm.  The day of triumph is coming.

Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

2 Timothy 3:12

10 years of blogging ...

it's a blog anniversary for me ... 10 years of being out here in cyberspace, sharing little bits and pieces of my life and world ... 10 years ... wow ... and so much has gone on in that time ... changes, changes, changes ... 

this blog really was a life line for me when i first started it up, with much fear and trepidation!  i didn't know what to expect, just wanted to reach out from my little corner of the world ... i needed some positive diversion back in 2004, with another dreaded winter fast approaching ... and i got way more than i expected ... what i received was encouragement and friendship ... folks who prayed for me and cheered me on ... a total blessing!

the body of Christ in blogland - how awesome!  at times, a glimpse of heaven ... 

these days my posts are slow in coming ... yet i still want to blog ... still want to put something positive into cyberspace (as one blog buddy encouraged me to do!) ... 

so thank you blog friends (many are facebook friends now) ... may  we lift up the name JESUS in any way we can, in any place we can, with any tools we can ... blessings on ya ...

whose will do we want?

A.W. Tozer said that God's plan will continue on God's schedule ... so - to save ourselves heartache and worry ... to keep joy and peace ever present ... we may as well just trust in the One who saved us and made us for Himself ... He is the Father, who really does know best!

our Guide

season of change ... yet GOD is the same ... our Guide to the end ... even in the seasons of change ...