Bucket lists.....
There has been a movie out for several years called, "the Bucket List", About two men who meet in the hospital. They each have some things they wanted to do before dying and decide to do them, checking themselves out and go about checking off their adventures as they do them...
After my husband and I watched this movie, we talked about our bucket list...what were the things we wanted to do before we died? We weren't trying to be morbid or anything, but were there some places we wanted to see or things to do that we wanted to accomplish? Our bucket list.....we found out his were more "adventurous" than mine...I wanted safety...assurance that whatever we did was safe...peaceful...ministry type things...but travel as well....
He wanted to go to Africa, the Holy lands...I wanted cruises to Australia, the Amazon...places that sounded "safer"...we wanted to do more ministry related things, to be determined as time allowed....
As it turned out, we didn't make it to Africa or the Holy lands, or the Amazon....I have the opportunity to do some ministry related opportunities through his legacy of giving...our children are having the opportunity to do some of their buckets lists in giving as well.....
We never know when our buckets are full...or we have done the last item...but need to dream anyway...we might get to do some or all of them...or help others do theirs....all of it is an adventure...
Thank YOU for dreams, ambitions, plans...buckets to fill...dwelling in You...places to go and see, things to do...help us to know Your bucket list for our lives....
Psalm 4:8 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 15
A psalm of David.
1 Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
2 The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
Psalm 122
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
New International Version (NIV)
http://www.coolestone.com/media/9724/The-Most-Rewarding-Journey.../#.U9jjpmK9KK0
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Seashells....
Seashells ...
I have a collection of seashells...from Australia, New Zealand, South America, Hawaii, the Caribbean , Alaska, Florida, the Pacific coast, the north and south Atlantic coast....wherever I have been on a beach...a sign next to them says, "Come gather seashells with me"...or to me it means "come and gather memories ".. ....which is what I did at each place...
Also, with this collection are blown glass balls which were used in times past for fishing floats. They came out of my grandmother's things...a picture of a turquoise iceberg floating in the sea of blue...a beautiful abalone shell shined to show the blues under the white calcium outer shell....a piece of solid copper tree shaped from our 10th anniversary...seashell necklaces from Hawaii .....gathered memories.....seashells...
The other note in a sea-like bottle says" cherish yesterday, dream tomorrow, live today".....
I do cherish the yesterdays...never repeatable...no going back..but remembered, cherished, treasured...with treasures to show for them...
We do dream of the tomorrows...what will happen...who we meet along the way...what sights will we see..things to do ....places to visit, enjoy...plans to make...
But living today is so important as well...what we say to others, what our actions show or whom they represent, what memories are we making today that will be remembered later in time...things collected along the path...friends made,...all to cherish as well...like the seashells ...gathered...here and there...
Going through my parents things, treasures from times past....some thing had meaning only for them...and usually not for keeping... Trinkets from their travels, lives....some have history and family value handed down generations.....cherishing the yesterdays....
It is amazing how God has us doing life which is so intertwined .....my seashells and my parents things, sorting, learning life's lessons....what to cherish, what to dream, what to live, what to gather.....coincidence? I don't think so! Life lessons are everywhere .....
Thank YOU for the seashells of life, those lessons ...collected along the way....to make a whole jar full of "cherishes"....lessons....either to pass on or sorted by future generations....
Psalm 119 New International Version
33 Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts!
In your righteousness preserve my life.
49 Remember your word to your servant,
for you have given me hope.
62 At midnight I rise to give you thanks
for your righteous laws.
64 The earth is filled with your love, Lord;
teach me your decrees.
105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.
108 Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth,
and teach me your laws.
114 You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in your word.
135 Make your face shine on your servant
and teach me your decrees.
144 Your statutes are always righteous;
give me understanding that I may live.
147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I have put my hope in your word.
160 All your words are true;
all your righteous laws are eternal.
165 Great peace have those who love your law,
and nothing can make them stumble.
169 May my cry come before you, Lord;
give me understanding according to your word.
I have a collection of seashells...from Australia, New Zealand, South America, Hawaii, the Caribbean , Alaska, Florida, the Pacific coast, the north and south Atlantic coast....wherever I have been on a beach...a sign next to them says, "Come gather seashells with me"...or to me it means "come and gather memories ".. ....which is what I did at each place...
Also, with this collection are blown glass balls which were used in times past for fishing floats. They came out of my grandmother's things...a picture of a turquoise iceberg floating in the sea of blue...a beautiful abalone shell shined to show the blues under the white calcium outer shell....a piece of solid copper tree shaped from our 10th anniversary...seashell necklaces from Hawaii .....gathered memories.....seashells...
The other note in a sea-like bottle says" cherish yesterday, dream tomorrow, live today".....
I do cherish the yesterdays...never repeatable...no going back..but remembered, cherished, treasured...with treasures to show for them...
We do dream of the tomorrows...what will happen...who we meet along the way...what sights will we see..things to do ....places to visit, enjoy...plans to make...
But living today is so important as well...what we say to others, what our actions show or whom they represent, what memories are we making today that will be remembered later in time...things collected along the path...friends made,...all to cherish as well...like the seashells ...gathered...here and there...
Going through my parents things, treasures from times past....some thing had meaning only for them...and usually not for keeping... Trinkets from their travels, lives....some have history and family value handed down generations.....cherishing the yesterdays....
It is amazing how God has us doing life which is so intertwined .....my seashells and my parents things, sorting, learning life's lessons....what to cherish, what to dream, what to live, what to gather.....coincidence? I don't think so! Life lessons are everywhere .....
Thank YOU for the seashells of life, those lessons ...collected along the way....to make a whole jar full of "cherishes"....lessons....either to pass on or sorted by future generations....
Psalm 119 New International Version
33 Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts!
In your righteousness preserve my life.
49 Remember your word to your servant,
for you have given me hope.
62 At midnight I rise to give you thanks
for your righteous laws.
64 The earth is filled with your love, Lord;
teach me your decrees.
105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.
108 Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth,
and teach me your laws.
114 You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in your word.
135 Make your face shine on your servant
and teach me your decrees.
144 Your statutes are always righteous;
give me understanding that I may live.
147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I have put my hope in your word.
160 All your words are true;
all your righteous laws are eternal.
165 Great peace have those who love your law,
and nothing can make them stumble.
169 May my cry come before you, Lord;
give me understanding according to your word.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Honoring parents....
Honoring parents....
Last night as I attended church service, the topic was "honor your father and mother"...
How fitting, I thought as I have been sorting through my parent's life stuff...the papers, photos...on the eve of the anniversary of their passing, July 31 for my dad and August 6 for my mother...
Honor Definition
dictionary.search.yahoo.com
n. noun
High respect, as that shown for special merit; esteem.
the honor shown to a Nobel laureate.
Good name; reputation.
A source or cause of credit.
was an honor to the profession.
tr.v.
To hold in respect; esteem.
To show respect for.
To bow to (another dancer) in square dancing.
Honor your partner.
Synonyms
homage - reverence - veneration - deference
I need to share the gist of the sermon as it was so apropos ....
RAndy Myers, New hope church, Bend, OR
"Why we honor our parents---
It effects how we relate to God.
Malachi 1:6
It effects how we relate with life.
Exodus 20:8, Ephesians 6:2
It effects how we relate to authority .
It effects how we relate with others.
To be honored, we should be honorable
1tim 4:12b 1 Timothy 4:12
.....but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
Ways we honor our parents
We honor them by obeying them....Ephesians 6:1
We honor our parents by listening to them...Proverbs 1:8
We honor our parents by accepting them...proverbs 20:20
we honor our parents by thanking them.....Deut. 26:11
We honor our parents by caring for them....1 Timothy 5:4"
I added In my notes, we honor them by caring for their affairs, estate, stuff after their death as a good steward...honoring them to their grandchildren, great grandchildren and generations to come...
I remember telling my husband over the past ten years," don't ever let me feel guilty for not taking care of my parents " as I cared for them time and time again..."they have been honorable to me, let me choose to do the right thing for them in life and in death"...
Thank YOU again for the parents You gave to me...let me honor them in what I have done and am doing in their name....help me to be honorable to their lives, legacy...in honoring them, I am also honoring YOU, and passing that honor on to family....as a steward for them...
Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Ephesians 6:1-3New International Version (NIV)
6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
Last night as I attended church service, the topic was "honor your father and mother"...
How fitting, I thought as I have been sorting through my parent's life stuff...the papers, photos...on the eve of the anniversary of their passing, July 31 for my dad and August 6 for my mother...
Honor Definition
dictionary.search.yahoo.com
n. noun
High respect, as that shown for special merit; esteem.
the honor shown to a Nobel laureate.
Good name; reputation.
A source or cause of credit.
was an honor to the profession.
tr.v.
To hold in respect; esteem.
To show respect for.
To bow to (another dancer) in square dancing.
Honor your partner.
Synonyms
homage - reverence - veneration - deference
I need to share the gist of the sermon as it was so apropos ....
RAndy Myers, New hope church, Bend, OR
"Why we honor our parents---
It effects how we relate to God.
Malachi 1:6
It effects how we relate with life.
Exodus 20:8, Ephesians 6:2
It effects how we relate to authority .
It effects how we relate with others.
To be honored, we should be honorable
1tim 4:12b 1 Timothy 4:12
.....but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
Ways we honor our parents
We honor them by obeying them....Ephesians 6:1
We honor our parents by listening to them...Proverbs 1:8
We honor our parents by accepting them...proverbs 20:20
we honor our parents by thanking them.....Deut. 26:11
We honor our parents by caring for them....1 Timothy 5:4"
I added In my notes, we honor them by caring for their affairs, estate, stuff after their death as a good steward...honoring them to their grandchildren, great grandchildren and generations to come...
I remember telling my husband over the past ten years," don't ever let me feel guilty for not taking care of my parents " as I cared for them time and time again..."they have been honorable to me, let me choose to do the right thing for them in life and in death"...
Thank YOU again for the parents You gave to me...let me honor them in what I have done and am doing in their name....help me to be honorable to their lives, legacy...in honoring them, I am also honoring YOU, and passing that honor on to family....as a steward for them...
Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Ephesians 6:1-3New International Version (NIV)
6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Growing in the hard places....
Growing In The hard places....
It seems like it would be easier to grow in the good times we have in life....but no, for me , reality is that I grow in the hard times when I am not dependent on my own strength......which is really in itself an oxymoron ..we really have not breath or strength apart from God who gives us each breath, each bit of strength...
I am sorting through 62 years accumulation of pictures of a marriage..and 86 years of my dad's life and 82 of my mother's..which means I was there for 61 years of their life together...but added to that...I moved away when I was 17 to go to collage, so they had lots of years of photos of which I wasn't a part of,.... trips, seminars, other activities which filled their busy lives with enrichment before grandchildren came along...and even after...
I am watching others through their camera lens....so many have passed away, as have they...some, I have no clue who they are...
But, lives well lived...some have gone through heartaches, health issues, hard places and still they smile for the camera....those smiles captured for a moment in time when the hard places are forgotten....
Papers with old bank accounts, receipts, showing slim times, and those with a little more creative use of time and money...maybe a little more worry on how to make ends meet....giving times of church and organizations which could use their expertise and talents...
They passed on a legacy of commitment to one another, to others, to their family...in the hard times and the good...they grew, learned, encouraged....smiled even in The hard times.....but the pictures show so many happy times as well, gathered as families, we are laughing, enjoying one another....hugs and tears ...all rolled up into lives well lived.....
Thank YOU for family...the legacy, the learning, the good and bad times, the smiles...the pictures, the papers, the trinkets, the stuff.....reminders....of generations...
Your Word in well used and old copies...
Deuteronomy 8:2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
Deuteronomy 32:7 Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.
1 Chronicles 16:12 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
Psalm 111:4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
Psalm 111:5a He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers .....
Psalm 115:12a The Lord remembers us....
It seems like it would be easier to grow in the good times we have in life....but no, for me , reality is that I grow in the hard times when I am not dependent on my own strength......which is really in itself an oxymoron ..we really have not breath or strength apart from God who gives us each breath, each bit of strength...
I am sorting through 62 years accumulation of pictures of a marriage..and 86 years of my dad's life and 82 of my mother's..which means I was there for 61 years of their life together...but added to that...I moved away when I was 17 to go to collage, so they had lots of years of photos of which I wasn't a part of,.... trips, seminars, other activities which filled their busy lives with enrichment before grandchildren came along...and even after...
I am watching others through their camera lens....so many have passed away, as have they...some, I have no clue who they are...
But, lives well lived...some have gone through heartaches, health issues, hard places and still they smile for the camera....those smiles captured for a moment in time when the hard places are forgotten....
Papers with old bank accounts, receipts, showing slim times, and those with a little more creative use of time and money...maybe a little more worry on how to make ends meet....giving times of church and organizations which could use their expertise and talents...
They passed on a legacy of commitment to one another, to others, to their family...in the hard times and the good...they grew, learned, encouraged....smiled even in The hard times.....but the pictures show so many happy times as well, gathered as families, we are laughing, enjoying one another....hugs and tears ...all rolled up into lives well lived.....
Thank YOU for family...the legacy, the learning, the good and bad times, the smiles...the pictures, the papers, the trinkets, the stuff.....reminders....of generations...
Your Word in well used and old copies...
Deuteronomy 8:2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
Deuteronomy 32:7 Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.
1 Chronicles 16:12 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
Psalm 111:4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
Psalm 111:5a He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers .....
Psalm 115:12a The Lord remembers us....
Friday, July 25, 2014
Hummingbirds.....
Hummingbirds....
Last week a hummingbird arrived in my yard. I have a crocosmia plant that is in full bloom.. As well as Scarlett runner beans...both with their beautiful, brilliant red flowers..and two feeders..( I hurriedly put up the feeders after the birds arrived)..
My parents had hummingbirds that stayed in their area year around as well as ones which migrated to their area, families of them in their yard, year after year, nesting in their trees and bushes...as a painter, my mother even went to hummingbird painting seminars in Arizona and else where...plus she collected hummingbird "anything" from jewelry to crystal to statues and had a whole cabinet of collectibles at her passing...
So it was fun to have a reminder of her come and visit my yard this week...flitting, buzzing around with their familiar sounds...I had planted both plants in hopes that the hummers would notice...and they did...a gift again of times past and people loved...
thank YOU for little gifts...with big memories ....
Jesus calling-July 25
As you listen to birds calling to one another, hear also My Love-call to you. I speak to you continually: through sights, sounds, thoughts, impressions, scriptures. There is no limit to the variety of ways I can communicate with you. Your part is to be attentive to My messages, in whatever form they come. When you set out to find Me in a day, you discover that the world is vibrantly alive with My Presence. You can find Me not only in beauty and birdcalls, but also in tragedy and faces filled with grief. I can take the deepest sorrow and weave it into a pattern for good.
Search for Me and My messages, as you go through this day. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with your whole being.
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
—John 10:27
We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.
—Romans 8:28 amp
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
—Jeremiah 29:13
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Thunder and lightning...
Thunder and lightening ...
The other night, the sunset was spectacular....reds, oranges mixed with giant thunder clouds, lightning ...i was on my way home from a meeting, took a longer route by going to the top of a hill that over looks the whole valley with a 360 degree view. The parking was packed, cameras everywhere, looking at the lightning in the close distance, the sunset...I finally found a parking spot from someone leaving, pulled out my camera and it was dead...so just enjoyed the view without recording it...
We have had thunder and lightning a lot these past weeks...causing wildfires in it path, heavy hail storms, rain, wakefulness in the night times, anxiety for some from the noise... I love to watch them, smell the moist fresh air, watch the rainbows that form with the sun and rain, see the lighted skies, the bolts crack from sky to earth, hear the rumblings...
One of our homes was near some high mountains and the clouds would back up on the mountains and in the summer we would get many thunder and lightning shows with rainbows across the mountain tops, on the rugged rock formations...I taught my children to enjoy the sights, the sound, the smells...of storms...
The rainbows were reminders of Gods promises...the thunderings, His voice that can penetrate the earth and our hearts, even the stillness, His waiting, His patience..the wind, the Holy Spirit...the beauty, His creation....the moisture, His feeding the land....the lightning, His illumination of His word...
thank YOU, for the show of your great power through the storms...of life...
Psalm 77:18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.
Psalm 93:4 Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea— the Lord on high is mighty.
Isaiah 29:6 the Lord Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire.
Isaiah 30:30 The Lord will cause people to hear his majestic voice and will make them see his arm coming down with raging anger and consuming fire, with cloudburst, thunderstorm and hail.
Jeremiah 10:13 When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
Jeremiah 25:30 “Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them: “‘The Lord will roar from on high; he will thunder from his holy dwelling and roar mightily against his land. He will shout like those who tread the grapes, shout against all who live on the earth.
Jeremiah 51:16 When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
Joel 2:11 The Lord thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty is the army that obeys his command. The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?
Joel 3:16 The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the heavens will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
Amos 1:2 He said: “The Lord roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds dry up, and the top of Carmel withers.”
Zechariah 10:1 [ The Lord Will Care for Judah ] Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.
Mark 3:17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”),
John 12:29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
Revelation 4:5a from the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.
Revelation 8:5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
Revelation 11:19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.
Revelation 14:2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.
Revelation 16:18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake.
Revelation 19:6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
The other night, the sunset was spectacular....reds, oranges mixed with giant thunder clouds, lightning ...i was on my way home from a meeting, took a longer route by going to the top of a hill that over looks the whole valley with a 360 degree view. The parking was packed, cameras everywhere, looking at the lightning in the close distance, the sunset...I finally found a parking spot from someone leaving, pulled out my camera and it was dead...so just enjoyed the view without recording it...
We have had thunder and lightning a lot these past weeks...causing wildfires in it path, heavy hail storms, rain, wakefulness in the night times, anxiety for some from the noise... I love to watch them, smell the moist fresh air, watch the rainbows that form with the sun and rain, see the lighted skies, the bolts crack from sky to earth, hear the rumblings...
One of our homes was near some high mountains and the clouds would back up on the mountains and in the summer we would get many thunder and lightning shows with rainbows across the mountain tops, on the rugged rock formations...I taught my children to enjoy the sights, the sound, the smells...of storms...
The rainbows were reminders of Gods promises...the thunderings, His voice that can penetrate the earth and our hearts, even the stillness, His waiting, His patience..the wind, the Holy Spirit...the beauty, His creation....the moisture, His feeding the land....the lightning, His illumination of His word...
thank YOU, for the show of your great power through the storms...of life...
Psalm 77:18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.
Psalm 93:4 Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea— the Lord on high is mighty.
Isaiah 29:6 the Lord Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire.
Isaiah 30:30 The Lord will cause people to hear his majestic voice and will make them see his arm coming down with raging anger and consuming fire, with cloudburst, thunderstorm and hail.
Jeremiah 10:13 When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
Jeremiah 25:30 “Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them: “‘The Lord will roar from on high; he will thunder from his holy dwelling and roar mightily against his land. He will shout like those who tread the grapes, shout against all who live on the earth.
Jeremiah 51:16 When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
Joel 2:11 The Lord thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty is the army that obeys his command. The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?
Joel 3:16 The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the heavens will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
Amos 1:2 He said: “The Lord roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds dry up, and the top of Carmel withers.”
Zechariah 10:1 [ The Lord Will Care for Judah ] Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.
Mark 3:17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”),
John 12:29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
Revelation 4:5a from the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.
Revelation 8:5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
Revelation 11:19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.
Revelation 14:2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.
Revelation 16:18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake.
Revelation 19:6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Cancer....
Cancer.....
A dreaded word....
Both of my parents, my mother in law, several friends and family have had it or are struggling with it....
My husband died from it, one aunt, two uncles, three cousins, several friends and acquaintances as well....
It is taking its toll on so many....whole hospitals are dedicated to it, whole research facilities, money raising events for various kinds.....this past weekend, Relay for Life,....mailings for funds all the time....
It doesn't seem to care which age, culture, race, economics, gender it effects...it just is there, lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce it seems.....on suspecting and unsuspecting victims....
Or, I could substitute the word sin or Satan, only this time it would cover everyone...we have all sinned..we are all tempted....we may succumb to either...but we can be forgiven from the sin, there may be consequences of either the sin or temptation....the wages of sin is death...we can flee from temptation or the devil...we usually can't flee from cancer ...
From cancer , we may hear , "I am sorry to tell you " or "there is a cure"....
From sin, we can hear, "You are forgiven, welcome"....if we put out faith in Christ the Son of God....
thank YOU for your forgiveness from sin by the repenting our sins and the belief in and acceptance of Your Son....
Matthew 9:2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
Matthew 9:5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
Matthew 9:6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”
John 1:29 [ John Testifies About Jesus ] The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you,
Deuteronomy 28:61 The Lord will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed.
Proverbs 18:14 The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?
Jeremiah 6:7 As a well pours out its water, so she pours out her wickedness. Violence and destruction resound in her; her sickness and wounds are ever before me.
Jeremiah 10:19 Woe to me because of my injury! My wound is incurable! Yet I said to myself, “This is my sickness, and I must endure it.”
Hosea 5:13 “When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his sores, then Ephraim turned to Assyria, and sent to the great king for help. But he is not able to cure you, not able to heal your sores.
Matthew 4:23 [ Jesus Heals the Sick ] Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Matthew 9:35 [ The Workers Are Few ] Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
Matthew 10:1 [ Jesus Sends Out the Twelve ] Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
Luke 4:40 At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.
Luke 5:15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
Luke 7:21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.
John 11:4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
Matt Redman, song
Oh No, You Never Let Go
Through The Calm And Through The Storm
Oh No, You Never Let Go
In Every High And Every Low
Oh No, You Never Let Go
Lord, You Never Let Go Of Me
A dreaded word....
Both of my parents, my mother in law, several friends and family have had it or are struggling with it....
My husband died from it, one aunt, two uncles, three cousins, several friends and acquaintances as well....
It is taking its toll on so many....whole hospitals are dedicated to it, whole research facilities, money raising events for various kinds.....this past weekend, Relay for Life,....mailings for funds all the time....
It doesn't seem to care which age, culture, race, economics, gender it effects...it just is there, lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce it seems.....on suspecting and unsuspecting victims....
Or, I could substitute the word sin or Satan, only this time it would cover everyone...we have all sinned..we are all tempted....we may succumb to either...but we can be forgiven from the sin, there may be consequences of either the sin or temptation....the wages of sin is death...we can flee from temptation or the devil...we usually can't flee from cancer ...
From cancer , we may hear , "I am sorry to tell you " or "there is a cure"....
From sin, we can hear, "You are forgiven, welcome"....if we put out faith in Christ the Son of God....
thank YOU for your forgiveness from sin by the repenting our sins and the belief in and acceptance of Your Son....
Matthew 9:2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
Matthew 9:5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
Matthew 9:6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”
John 1:29 [ John Testifies About Jesus ] The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you,
Deuteronomy 28:61 The Lord will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed.
Proverbs 18:14 The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?
Jeremiah 6:7 As a well pours out its water, so she pours out her wickedness. Violence and destruction resound in her; her sickness and wounds are ever before me.
Jeremiah 10:19 Woe to me because of my injury! My wound is incurable! Yet I said to myself, “This is my sickness, and I must endure it.”
Hosea 5:13 “When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his sores, then Ephraim turned to Assyria, and sent to the great king for help. But he is not able to cure you, not able to heal your sores.
Matthew 4:23 [ Jesus Heals the Sick ] Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Matthew 9:35 [ The Workers Are Few ] Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
Matthew 10:1 [ Jesus Sends Out the Twelve ] Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
Luke 4:40 At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.
Luke 5:15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
Luke 7:21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.
John 11:4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
Matt Redman, song
Oh No, You Never Let Go
Through The Calm And Through The Storm
Oh No, You Never Let Go
In Every High And Every Low
Oh No, You Never Let Go
Lord, You Never Let Go Of Me
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
It is well, but it may not be easy....
It is well with my soul, but it isn't easy....
Last Sunday, we sang "it is well with my soul" during the song service...I noticed that around me, people were quietly crying, wiping their eyes...as I was...indicating that it may be well, but it wasn't easy.....then the worship leader commented that we may sing this song, but it didn't make life easy....even though it may be well....
World catastrophes, wars, family crisis, loss of friends and loved ones, surround.....sucking out the joy, leaving emptiness , sorrow, brokenness, tears...there are times when it is just plain hard to praise....hard to smile, hard to find the light in the darkness...even though in our hearts we know it exists...
We have a to make a willful decision to look up, to seek the light when darkness surrounds...to seek the wellness of our soul....to seek the God of all peace...to hear His songs in our hearts...to listen to His Word reverberating in our lives....there is hope...it may not look just like we expect it to....it may come in a song, a word, a sunset....a hug, a smile from a stranger...
Thank YOU for the tears...the hope...when the world around us is dark, dying...help my soul to rest in Your Wellness...even when it isn't easy...
1 Chronicles 16:10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
1 Chronicles 16:11 Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.
Psalm 9:10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 63:1 [ Psalm 63 ] [ A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah. ] You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
Matthew 7:8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Romans 12 New International Version (NIV)
A Living Sacrifice
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Humble Service in the Body of Christ
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Love in Action
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good..
it is well with my soul lyrics youtube, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X6yDFn3OAFo
Last Sunday, we sang "it is well with my soul" during the song service...I noticed that around me, people were quietly crying, wiping their eyes...as I was...indicating that it may be well, but it wasn't easy.....then the worship leader commented that we may sing this song, but it didn't make life easy....even though it may be well....
World catastrophes, wars, family crisis, loss of friends and loved ones, surround.....sucking out the joy, leaving emptiness , sorrow, brokenness, tears...there are times when it is just plain hard to praise....hard to smile, hard to find the light in the darkness...even though in our hearts we know it exists...
We have a to make a willful decision to look up, to seek the light when darkness surrounds...to seek the wellness of our soul....to seek the God of all peace...to hear His songs in our hearts...to listen to His Word reverberating in our lives....there is hope...it may not look just like we expect it to....it may come in a song, a word, a sunset....a hug, a smile from a stranger...
Thank YOU for the tears...the hope...when the world around us is dark, dying...help my soul to rest in Your Wellness...even when it isn't easy...
1 Chronicles 16:10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
1 Chronicles 16:11 Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.
Psalm 9:10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 63:1 [ Psalm 63 ] [ A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah. ] You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
Matthew 7:8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Romans 12 New International Version (NIV)
A Living Sacrifice
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Humble Service in the Body of Christ
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Love in Action
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good..
it is well with my soul lyrics youtube, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X6yDFn3OAFo
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Classified ads....
Classified ads....
"For sale- lift recliner, jazzy wheel chair,-like new, power scooter-like new and a variety of other medical supplies...."
The other day, the preceding ad caught my eye...after taking care of my mother, husband and father, I could have put a similar ad into the paper....In fact several of their things were borrowed from others who had gone through similar situations...
One organization I contacted early on had a whole room of walkers, where I learned I could go and exchange parts to get the "perfect" walker , right height, right width, perfect sized wheels, perfect closures.....
We needed shower chairs and they come in a variety shapes and sizes....wheel chairs, seated walkers, walkers to go in loose gravel, walkers to walk down the street, walkers to sit on...
Wheel chairs come in different widths, with different foot equipment, arm equipment...
There are Whole catalogs with equipment to help with bathing, eating, life skills for so many different needs....book holders, page turners, etc, etc, etc....
One day, my mother decided she wanted to go to the large "box" store. She wasn't strong enough to walk the whole store yet, so we tried out the scooters available for customers. It was all hand controlled and very sensitive to the touch. We got the shortened "how to" session and she was off, bumping into racks , fast/slow...we laughed so hard on this new adventure that others were laughing with us and at us.....I finally asked the attendant if he had a "student driver" sign for us...but we made it around finally, picking up groceries along the route...the next time she was stronger and used the large grocery carts to lean on as we shopped...
As my husband weakened, we went from various walkers to a wheel chair. We walked the huge stores, malls, hunting stores with big aisles..to talk and observe, get out of the confines of the care places for awhile ...good for both our mental and emotional attitudes, having lunch out among people and with friends as often as we could...for as long as possible...
I am thankful for all the equipment that we could use to get through various stages of our lives. It has made our lives easier to deal with, more convenient to treat others with honor and dignity through life's process and medical issues and challenges...the people who have had the inventiveness to create tools that make life easier from engineers to the guy next door who wanted to help another...
Thank YOU, for gifting people with helpful, thoughtful talents which in turn help others through life...You are the master designer, creator....who bestows those talents ....
Exodus 39:8a The Breastpiece ] They fashioned the breastpiece—the work of a skilled craftsman....
1 Kings 7:14 whose mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali and whose father was from Tyre and a skilled craftsman in bronze. Huram was filled with wisdom, with understanding and with knowledge to do all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all the work assigned to him.
Isaiah 3:3a the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor, skilled craftsman......
Jeremiah 10:9 Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple— all made by skilled workers.
Psalm 139:13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
"For sale- lift recliner, jazzy wheel chair,-like new, power scooter-like new and a variety of other medical supplies...."
The other day, the preceding ad caught my eye...after taking care of my mother, husband and father, I could have put a similar ad into the paper....In fact several of their things were borrowed from others who had gone through similar situations...
One organization I contacted early on had a whole room of walkers, where I learned I could go and exchange parts to get the "perfect" walker , right height, right width, perfect sized wheels, perfect closures.....
We needed shower chairs and they come in a variety shapes and sizes....wheel chairs, seated walkers, walkers to go in loose gravel, walkers to walk down the street, walkers to sit on...
Wheel chairs come in different widths, with different foot equipment, arm equipment...
There are Whole catalogs with equipment to help with bathing, eating, life skills for so many different needs....book holders, page turners, etc, etc, etc....
One day, my mother decided she wanted to go to the large "box" store. She wasn't strong enough to walk the whole store yet, so we tried out the scooters available for customers. It was all hand controlled and very sensitive to the touch. We got the shortened "how to" session and she was off, bumping into racks , fast/slow...we laughed so hard on this new adventure that others were laughing with us and at us.....I finally asked the attendant if he had a "student driver" sign for us...but we made it around finally, picking up groceries along the route...the next time she was stronger and used the large grocery carts to lean on as we shopped...
As my husband weakened, we went from various walkers to a wheel chair. We walked the huge stores, malls, hunting stores with big aisles..to talk and observe, get out of the confines of the care places for awhile ...good for both our mental and emotional attitudes, having lunch out among people and with friends as often as we could...for as long as possible...
I am thankful for all the equipment that we could use to get through various stages of our lives. It has made our lives easier to deal with, more convenient to treat others with honor and dignity through life's process and medical issues and challenges...the people who have had the inventiveness to create tools that make life easier from engineers to the guy next door who wanted to help another...
Thank YOU, for gifting people with helpful, thoughtful talents which in turn help others through life...You are the master designer, creator....who bestows those talents ....
Exodus 39:8a The Breastpiece ] They fashioned the breastpiece—the work of a skilled craftsman....
1 Kings 7:14 whose mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali and whose father was from Tyre and a skilled craftsman in bronze. Huram was filled with wisdom, with understanding and with knowledge to do all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all the work assigned to him.
Isaiah 3:3a the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor, skilled craftsman......
Jeremiah 10:9 Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple— all made by skilled workers.
Psalm 139:13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Sowing and reaping.....
Sowing And reaping......
I was going through some of my husband's notes the other day...and found the following written on a post-it-note attached to some old business paper....random to me, but he must have heard it, written it down, and attached it to the nearest thing...
"Sow a word, reap a thought,
Sow a thought, reap an act,
Sow an act, reap a destiny"
And then I had the opportunity to put it into practice....while in the outpatient portion of the hospital...waiting for a procedure.....scheduled for a particular time and they were running "late", almost four hours late....laying there hooked up, on this uncomfortable bed...so we talked to, joked with attendants, nurses, doctor, Anesthesiologist, whomever came to check on me....as the day dragged on...and night approached....
Later, in recovery, the nurse thanked us for being so patient while waiting so long.....and went on to describe other patients who weren't.....
Just said, I was thankful to have the wonderful service I did as well as having the service at all...so blessed to have the medical opportunities we do have...besides getting angry just raises your blood pressure which creates a whole new set of problems....and what does it benefit or reap?
I would rather sow in peace, laughter, care, the positives and reap a destiny of positives....who wants a negative remembrance of themselves???
Thank YOU for leaving the quiet reminder in the papers for my benefit reminding me of the destiny we sow and reap.....even in my husband's particular handwriting....a note from You and him....
2 Corinthians 9:6 [ Generosity Encouraged ] Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
,
2 Corinthians 9:10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
Galatians 6:8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
James 3:18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Matthew 23:28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Mark 7:23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.
Luke 11:39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.
Luke 11:40 You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?
Luke 11:41 But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.
I was going through some of my husband's notes the other day...and found the following written on a post-it-note attached to some old business paper....random to me, but he must have heard it, written it down, and attached it to the nearest thing...
"Sow a word, reap a thought,
Sow a thought, reap an act,
Sow an act, reap a destiny"
And then I had the opportunity to put it into practice....while in the outpatient portion of the hospital...waiting for a procedure.....scheduled for a particular time and they were running "late", almost four hours late....laying there hooked up, on this uncomfortable bed...so we talked to, joked with attendants, nurses, doctor, Anesthesiologist, whomever came to check on me....as the day dragged on...and night approached....
Later, in recovery, the nurse thanked us for being so patient while waiting so long.....and went on to describe other patients who weren't.....
Just said, I was thankful to have the wonderful service I did as well as having the service at all...so blessed to have the medical opportunities we do have...besides getting angry just raises your blood pressure which creates a whole new set of problems....and what does it benefit or reap?
I would rather sow in peace, laughter, care, the positives and reap a destiny of positives....who wants a negative remembrance of themselves???
Thank YOU for leaving the quiet reminder in the papers for my benefit reminding me of the destiny we sow and reap.....even in my husband's particular handwriting....a note from You and him....
2 Corinthians 9:6 [ Generosity Encouraged ] Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
,
2 Corinthians 9:10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
Galatians 6:8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
James 3:18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Matthew 23:28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Mark 7:23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.
Luke 11:39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.
Luke 11:40 You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?
Luke 11:41 But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Psalm 30.....
Psalm 30.....
In re-reading through the psalm, I was struck with so many personal notes as I said the other day..
My mother died unexpectedly in 2010 and I was gleaning from these passages yet again...I didn't have much strength left, tired from care, daily visits to the hospital, my foot in a cast from torn Achilles' tendon...it was a year of mountain tops and valleys..close to one another....I put 10,000 miles on my car...I needed something to cling to...and it was God's word....and He supplied abundantly....through the Sorrow, activity, the surprises, various people, lack of rest, safety in thousands of flying and driving miles.....
I added the end of psalm 29 to psalm 30, just because I wanted to...it was a good beginning form psalm 30 for me , personally...
And the someone gave me the blanked out part to add my own words to.....to personalize it...so meaningful....so deep, penetrating...
Thank YOU, for Your strength in tired, weary times....your peace is restless times, your help in questioning times, your faithfulness in all times....
Psalm 29:11 The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 30 New International version...
1 I will exalt you, Lord,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
2 Lord my God, I called to you for help,
and you healed me.
3 You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;
you spared me from going down to the pit.
4 Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
6 When I felt secure, I said,
“I will never be shaken.”
7 Lord, when you favored me,
you made my royal mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
I was dismayed.
8 To you, Lord, I called;
to the Lord I cried for mercy:
9 “What is gained if I am silenced,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me;
Lord, be my help.”
11 You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise forever....
1 I will exalt you, Lord,
for you .............
and did not let ................
2 Lord my God, I called to you for help,
and you ............me.
3 You, Lord, brought me..................
you spared me from ................
4 Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
praise his holy name.
5 For his ............lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
6 When I felt secure, I said,
......................
7 Lord, when you favored me,
you made ...................
but when you .................
I was dismayed.
8 To you, Lord, I called;
to the Lord I cried for mercy:
9 “What is gained if .............
...................
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me;
Lord, be my help.”
11 You turned my................into dancing;
you removed my ................and clothed me with ...........
12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise forever..
In re-reading through the psalm, I was struck with so many personal notes as I said the other day..
My mother died unexpectedly in 2010 and I was gleaning from these passages yet again...I didn't have much strength left, tired from care, daily visits to the hospital, my foot in a cast from torn Achilles' tendon...it was a year of mountain tops and valleys..close to one another....I put 10,000 miles on my car...I needed something to cling to...and it was God's word....and He supplied abundantly....through the Sorrow, activity, the surprises, various people, lack of rest, safety in thousands of flying and driving miles.....
I added the end of psalm 29 to psalm 30, just because I wanted to...it was a good beginning form psalm 30 for me , personally...
And the someone gave me the blanked out part to add my own words to.....to personalize it...so meaningful....so deep, penetrating...
Thank YOU, for Your strength in tired, weary times....your peace is restless times, your help in questioning times, your faithfulness in all times....
Psalm 29:11 The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 30 New International version...
1 I will exalt you, Lord,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
2 Lord my God, I called to you for help,
and you healed me.
3 You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;
you spared me from going down to the pit.
4 Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
6 When I felt secure, I said,
“I will never be shaken.”
7 Lord, when you favored me,
you made my royal mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
I was dismayed.
8 To you, Lord, I called;
to the Lord I cried for mercy:
9 “What is gained if I am silenced,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me;
Lord, be my help.”
11 You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise forever....
1 I will exalt you, Lord,
for you .............
and did not let ................
2 Lord my God, I called to you for help,
and you ............me.
3 You, Lord, brought me..................
you spared me from ................
4 Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
praise his holy name.
5 For his ............lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
6 When I felt secure, I said,
......................
7 Lord, when you favored me,
you made ...................
but when you .................
I was dismayed.
8 To you, Lord, I called;
to the Lord I cried for mercy:
9 “What is gained if .............
...................
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me;
Lord, be my help.”
11 You turned my................into dancing;
you removed my ................and clothed me with ...........
12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise forever..
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Notes in my Bible....
Notes in my Bible.....
The other day, computers were down for some reason and I had to resort to reading my Bible in book form....how different I have come....
But, it was like holding my history treasure...how often have I turned to the book of psalms over the last few years..over and over agin, there were notes and dated passages... Some very personal and others, observations about life, politics, world events, life in general....insights where God spoken directly to me in a passage needed for that day or in days to come...some passages have more than one date, where He has used a particular passage again and again for comfort or admonishment...or deeper meaning at a different level...
My Bibles are not pristine, clean copies ....I have marked them, underlined, circled, cross referenced, added dates, people's names, prayer requests and answers, pleas, and thanksgiving...sermon notes......the pages are broken, torn from use...ripped from baby's tiny hands...the binding has been replaced...or even one, cut into new and Old Testament books..
The whole Bible is precious...each day, each year has its life learning there in the Word...words written many years ago, but as new and meaningful today as then...they never are outdated... Each generation discovering anew God's meaning for their lives...a never ending heritage ....
Yes, it is fun having the Bible on computer with all of its bells and whistles, but holding that paper copy with its added written history ...was refreshing ....holy...reminding me of times past, lessons...personal care...thank YOU...for roots, words of encouragement ....timelessness...
2 Timothy 3:14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The other day, computers were down for some reason and I had to resort to reading my Bible in book form....how different I have come....
But, it was like holding my history treasure...how often have I turned to the book of psalms over the last few years..over and over agin, there were notes and dated passages... Some very personal and others, observations about life, politics, world events, life in general....insights where God spoken directly to me in a passage needed for that day or in days to come...some passages have more than one date, where He has used a particular passage again and again for comfort or admonishment...or deeper meaning at a different level...
My Bibles are not pristine, clean copies ....I have marked them, underlined, circled, cross referenced, added dates, people's names, prayer requests and answers, pleas, and thanksgiving...sermon notes......the pages are broken, torn from use...ripped from baby's tiny hands...the binding has been replaced...or even one, cut into new and Old Testament books..
The whole Bible is precious...each day, each year has its life learning there in the Word...words written many years ago, but as new and meaningful today as then...they never are outdated... Each generation discovering anew God's meaning for their lives...a never ending heritage ....
Yes, it is fun having the Bible on computer with all of its bells and whistles, but holding that paper copy with its added written history ...was refreshing ....holy...reminding me of times past, lessons...personal care...thank YOU...for roots, words of encouragement ....timelessness...
2 Timothy 3:14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
This day....
This day after Don's death was weird.....he was still there and he wasn't...I expected him to say something, to comment, to call...and he didn't...
I was relieved and then felt guilty because I was relieved...I was numb, but needed to move forward,,planning, thinking, feeling...whatever....family was about...people called, and I don't even know what they said...fogginess ....beyond crying one minute and crying the next...wondering if I did all I could...assailed with doubt and confidence at the same time...a blur...
Good morning, and you may wonder what is good about it sometimes..and that is okay..God can take all of our comments, emotions, tears....
A friend told me, these times will draw you closer to Jesus and it does...God becomes your constant companion in a whole new level....take time to grieve, cry, laugh, feel...grieve in your own way and God will show how that is. It will be like no one else's....your own special gift and growing...I read a lot, journaled...spent time with our children and grandchildren who each grieved differently....and we still had a business to run...
These are few of my favorite books...each different, each the same...a short and long course on widowhood, grieving...and there are so many more....
Books on grief-
1. The undistracted widow
2. Widow to widow
3. From one widow to another
4. Jesus today
5, Jesus calling
6. Ruth, love, loss and legacy
7. Understanding your grief-wolfelt, alan, book and workbook
****8. Grief share- a whole website with a daily devotions and possible support groups, surviving the holidays, resources
9. A grace disguised
10. The empty chair
11. Getting to the other side of grief,
12. Embracing life again
13. Letter to a grieving heart
14. Grieving with hope
15. Walking on the road you never wanted to travel
16. Let me grieve,but not forever, Davis, Verdell
17. Hope for an Aching heart, Nyman , Margaret
18.traveling through grief , devries, smeege
20. A novel, "God's Gift" by dee Henderson ...
21. A grief Observed by c.s. Lewis
22. Tear soup
23. Through a season of grief
24. Sunshine after the storm, a survival guide for the grieving mother
25. I will love you forever.
Time is the essential...God is the healer....and He holds you so firmly, softly, willingly...so amazingly......
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
—Psalm 40:2–3
Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.
—Psalm 42:5 nasb
The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
—Psalm 147:11
Sent from my iPad
I was relieved and then felt guilty because I was relieved...I was numb, but needed to move forward,,planning, thinking, feeling...whatever....family was about...people called, and I don't even know what they said...fogginess ....beyond crying one minute and crying the next...wondering if I did all I could...assailed with doubt and confidence at the same time...a blur...
Good morning, and you may wonder what is good about it sometimes..and that is okay..God can take all of our comments, emotions, tears....
A friend told me, these times will draw you closer to Jesus and it does...God becomes your constant companion in a whole new level....take time to grieve, cry, laugh, feel...grieve in your own way and God will show how that is. It will be like no one else's....your own special gift and growing...I read a lot, journaled...spent time with our children and grandchildren who each grieved differently....and we still had a business to run...
These are few of my favorite books...each different, each the same...a short and long course on widowhood, grieving...and there are so many more....
Books on grief-
1. The undistracted widow
2. Widow to widow
3. From one widow to another
4. Jesus today
5, Jesus calling
6. Ruth, love, loss and legacy
7. Understanding your grief-wolfelt, alan, book and workbook
****8. Grief share- a whole website with a daily devotions and possible support groups, surviving the holidays, resources
9. A grace disguised
10. The empty chair
11. Getting to the other side of grief,
12. Embracing life again
13. Letter to a grieving heart
14. Grieving with hope
15. Walking on the road you never wanted to travel
16. Let me grieve,but not forever, Davis, Verdell
17. Hope for an Aching heart, Nyman , Margaret
18.traveling through grief , devries, smeege
20. A novel, "God's Gift" by dee Henderson ...
21. A grief Observed by c.s. Lewis
22. Tear soup
23. Through a season of grief
24. Sunshine after the storm, a survival guide for the grieving mother
25. I will love you forever.
Time is the essential...God is the healer....and He holds you so firmly, softly, willingly...so amazingly......
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
—Psalm 40:2–3
Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.
—Psalm 42:5 nasb
The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
—Psalm 147:11
Sent from my iPad
A soft spoke man....a strong will.....
Soft spoken leader.....a strong will...
Several years ago, it seems like another lifetime, but only four....we had the privilege of going to a foreign country to teach English to high school students...they really just wanted to talk to us to,work on their speaking...but we had a curriculum with lessons for each day, idioms, stories, pronunciations, spelling..it was an absolutely wonderful experience...the students were so respectful, so enthusiastic, warm and welcoming...
We arrived in this large town of about 200,000....a huge Buddha on one side and a huge mosque on the other...
Our liaison was a soft spoken man who wanted these students to learn
English, to meet Americans, to share cultures....He welcomed us to his culture as well..he even took us to meet his 80 year old mother....with her beautiful flower garden...
The whole experience was unforgettable, and each day brought a new blessing to us...but one piece of time was listening to his life story...his English was very good, heavy on the accent but, it was like he speaking totally clearly to my husband and I. He told of the cultural revolution that their country under went years ago when he was a teen. He was one of the "privileged" (meaning educated) but was sent to live on a farm to live and work...he said he knew he needed to learn English...even though that was forbidden..he kept scraps of paper with English words, hidden in the mud walls of his dwelling, to practice...finally, he was released from this farm work to become a teacher, and rose from there...all the while learning English...knowing that someday he would be able to use it without being punished...that is why he so encouraged these students to learn all they could...they had been taught since elementary school how to speak/write it, but by teachers who had never been outside their country and learned from recordings...
One day, he took us on a walking tour of various sites around the town, museums, squares, his place of worship, ....he shared himself with us...as we were walking away from one, he said if he were ever allowed to visit America, he would want to visit similar places as well as our churches..with any of us...that was his expectation...church/religion was part and parcel of our culture..
But, comparing the two cultures, each has walked away from our roots of our "religion" being a basis of who we are...we have embraced humanitarianism , materialism, and various other "isms" instead of what our founding fathers came for....for us, the Bible is less read, a relationship with Christ is less sought out, "sins" have been renamed, pleasure is the goal, .....and on and on....
It makes me ask, where do I stand today? Would I be proud and excited to show a foreigner my church? How about my next door neighbors? is my belief/relationship with Christ part and parcel of who I am? And who knows that?....is it even evident?
Thank YOU, for allowing us to have a window of time to see other parts of the world...their lives, their smiles, their similarities and souls, just like us....their need for a Saviour...
Isaiah 39:2 Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine olive oil—his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.
Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
Ephesians 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,
Ephesians 2:7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 3:8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ,
Colossians 2:9-10New International Version (NIV)
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.
Several years ago, it seems like another lifetime, but only four....we had the privilege of going to a foreign country to teach English to high school students...they really just wanted to talk to us to,work on their speaking...but we had a curriculum with lessons for each day, idioms, stories, pronunciations, spelling..it was an absolutely wonderful experience...the students were so respectful, so enthusiastic, warm and welcoming...
We arrived in this large town of about 200,000....a huge Buddha on one side and a huge mosque on the other...
Our liaison was a soft spoken man who wanted these students to learn
English, to meet Americans, to share cultures....He welcomed us to his culture as well..he even took us to meet his 80 year old mother....with her beautiful flower garden...
The whole experience was unforgettable, and each day brought a new blessing to us...but one piece of time was listening to his life story...his English was very good, heavy on the accent but, it was like he speaking totally clearly to my husband and I. He told of the cultural revolution that their country under went years ago when he was a teen. He was one of the "privileged" (meaning educated) but was sent to live on a farm to live and work...he said he knew he needed to learn English...even though that was forbidden..he kept scraps of paper with English words, hidden in the mud walls of his dwelling, to practice...finally, he was released from this farm work to become a teacher, and rose from there...all the while learning English...knowing that someday he would be able to use it without being punished...that is why he so encouraged these students to learn all they could...they had been taught since elementary school how to speak/write it, but by teachers who had never been outside their country and learned from recordings...
One day, he took us on a walking tour of various sites around the town, museums, squares, his place of worship, ....he shared himself with us...as we were walking away from one, he said if he were ever allowed to visit America, he would want to visit similar places as well as our churches..with any of us...that was his expectation...church/religion was part and parcel of our culture..
But, comparing the two cultures, each has walked away from our roots of our "religion" being a basis of who we are...we have embraced humanitarianism , materialism, and various other "isms" instead of what our founding fathers came for....for us, the Bible is less read, a relationship with Christ is less sought out, "sins" have been renamed, pleasure is the goal, .....and on and on....
It makes me ask, where do I stand today? Would I be proud and excited to show a foreigner my church? How about my next door neighbors? is my belief/relationship with Christ part and parcel of who I am? And who knows that?....is it even evident?
Thank YOU, for allowing us to have a window of time to see other parts of the world...their lives, their smiles, their similarities and souls, just like us....their need for a Saviour...
Isaiah 39:2 Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine olive oil—his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.
Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
Ephesians 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,
Ephesians 2:7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 3:8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ,
Colossians 2:9-10New International Version (NIV)
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.
Monday, July 14, 2014
The stairway...Ellis Island
The stairway....
The stairway....Ellis island....
With all the immigration disputing going on in our nation right now, I was reminded of Ellis Island in the New York City Harbor...
The island is near the Statue of Liberty... and stands as a reminder of immigration of the millions of people who have come Into the United States in times past..the processes they had to face to be admitted into the country...
At one time there were quotas on countries of origin for the amount of people admitted to the United States.
http://www.ehow.com/list_6301999_american-immigration-quota-laws.html
Two years ago, a friend and I visited the island as well as the Statue of Liberty. The buildings were beautiful, brick and tile work, red and white standing out in the blue harbor....
We walked into this huge room filled with pictures, items from the era of its use as a first step of coming into a new country..black and white pictures of lines of people, their worldly possessions in trunks, baskets, bags.....children sullen, waiting...waiting ...some smiling, most serious...this was another deciding point.....what was next on their lives In this new country...new language...new lives...
The most memorable sight for me was a divided staircase through double doors. If a person was on one side, they were free to take the train on to New York City. But, if they were on the other side of the railed stairway, they were being held for some issue, health or what ever until they were deemed okay to enter this new land...
Looking at those steps, worn down in the center of each side...was a reminder of the millions who had passed that way, Elated or distraught...
I have a trunk matching one in the pile on display...I think some of my ancestors came through that building, carrying their dreams and family heirlooms with them...they were allowed to go down that stairway leading to freedom and on to the Midwest farming grounds...
I am thankful God has no quota on the amount of people who people who pass through the gates of heaven....He desires that none should perish...anyone who believes and receives His Son as Saviour can enter that heavenly realm...
But, there is a dividing point...belief or non belief...those who believe enter...those who don't, won't...
Thank YOU for Your Word...Your patience...Your grace in accepting all who desire to come to You....welcoming us with open arms of freedom in You....
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Hebrews 4:11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
With all the immigration disputing going on in our nation right now, I was reminded of Ellis Island in the New York City Harbor...
The island is near the Statue of Liberty... and stands as a reminder of immigration of the millions of people who have come Into the United States in times past..the processes they had to face to be admitted into the country...
At one time there were quotas on countries of origin for the amount of people admitted to the United States.
http://www.ehow.com/list_6301999_american-immigration-quota-laws.html
Two years ago, a friend and I visited the island as well as the Statue of Liberty. The buildings were beautiful, brick and tile work, red and white standing out in the blue harbor....
We walked into this huge room filled with pictures, items from the era of its use as a first step of coming into a new country..black and white pictures of lines of people, their worldly possessions in trunks, baskets, bags.....children sullen, waiting...waiting ...some smiling, most serious...this was another deciding point.....what was next on their lives In this new country...new language...new lives...
The most memorable sight for me was a divided staircase through double doors. If a person was on one side, they were free to take the train on to New York City. But, if they were on the other side of the railed stairway, they were being held for some issue, health or what ever until they were deemed okay to enter this new land...
Looking at those steps, worn down in the center of each side...was a reminder of the millions who had passed that way, Elated or distraught...
I have a trunk matching one in the pile on display...I think some of my ancestors came through that building, carrying their dreams and family heirlooms with them...they were allowed to go down that stairway leading to freedom and on to the Midwest farming grounds...
I am thankful God has no quota on the amount of people who people who pass through the gates of heaven....He desires that none should perish...anyone who believes and receives His Son as Saviour can enter that heavenly realm...
But, there is a dividing point...belief or non belief...those who believe enter...those who don't, won't...
Thank YOU for Your Word...Your patience...Your grace in accepting all who desire to come to You....welcoming us with open arms of freedom in You....
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Hebrews 4:11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
Ellis Island, in Upper New York Bay, was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United Statesas the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with land reclamationbetween 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the site of Fort Gibson and later a naval magazine. The island was made part of theStatue of Liberty National Monument in 1965, and has hosted a museum of immigration since 1990. Long considered part of New York, a 1998 United States Supreme Court decision found that most of the island is in New Jersey.[4] The south side of the island, home to the Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital, is closed to the general public and the object of restoration efforts spearheaded by Save Ellis Island.
.
Immigrant Inspection Station
Brooklyn Museum - Climbing into the Promised Land Ellis Island - Lewis Wickes Hine
First Ellis Island Immigrant Station, opened on January 1, 1892. Built of wood, it was completely destroyed by fire on June 15, 1897.
In the 35 years before Ellis Island opened, over eight million immigrants arriving inNew York had been processed by New York State officials at Castle Garden Immigration Depot in lower Manhattan, just across the bay.[37] The federal government assumed control of immigration on April 18, 1890, and Congress appropriated $75,000 to construct America’s first Federal immigration station on Ellis Island. Artesian wells were dug, and landfillwas hauled in from incoming ships’ ballast and from construction of New York City’s subwaytunnels, which doubled the size of Ellis Island to over six acres. While the building was under construction, the Barge Office nearby at the Battery was used for immigrant processing.
The first federal immigrant inspection station was an enormous three-story-tall structure, with outbuildings, built of Georgia pine, containing all of the amenities that were thought to be necessary. It opened with celebration on January 1, 1892.[33] Three large ships landed on the first day and 700 immigrants passed over the docks. Almost 450,000 immigrants were processed at the station during its first year. On June 15, 1897, a fire of unknown origin, possibly caused by faulty wiring, turned the wooden structures on Ellis Island into ashes. No loss of life was reported, but most of the immigration records dating back to 1855 were destroyed. About 1.5 million immigrants had been processed at the first building during its five years of use. Plans were immediately made to build a new, fireproof immigration station on Ellis Island. During the construction period, passenger arrivals were again processed at the Barge Office.[33]
Film by Edison Studios showing immigrants disembarking from the steam ferryboat William Myers, July 9, 1903
Second Ellis Island Immigration Station, opened on December 17, 1900 (photo 1905)
Edward Lippincott Tilton and William A. Boring won the 1897 competition to design the first phase, including the Main Building (1897–1900), Kitchen and Laundry Building (1900–01), Main Powerhouse (1900–01), and the Main Hospital Building (1900–01).[38]
The present main structure was designed in French Renaissance Revival style and built of red brick with limestone trim. When it opened on December 17, 1900, officials estimated 5,000 immigrants per day would be processed. However, the facilities proved to be able to barely handle the flood of immigrants that arrived in the years just before World War I. WriterLouis Adamic came to America from Slovenia in southeastern Europe in 1913 and described the night he and many other immigrants slept on bunk beds in a huge hall. Lacking a warm blanket, the young man "shivered, sleepless, all night, listening to snores" and dreams "in perhaps a dozen different languages". The facility was so large that the dining room could seat 1,000 people.
After its opening, Ellis Island was expanded with landfill and additional structures were built. By the time it closed on November 12, 1954, twelve million immigrants had been processed by the U.S. Bureau of Immigration.[37] It is estimated that 10.5 million immigrants departed for points across the United States from the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal, located just across a narrow strait.[39][40] Others would have used one of the other terminals along the North River (Hudson River) at that time.[41] The peak year for immigration at Ellis Island was 1907, with 1,004,756 immigrants processed. The all-time daily high occurred on April 17, 1907, when 11,747 immigrants arrived.[33] After the Immigration Act of 1924 was passed, which greatly restricted immigration and allowed processing at overseas embassies, the only immigrants to pass through the station were those who had problems with their immigration paperwork, displaced persons, and war refugees.[42] Today, over 100 million Americans—one third of the population—can trace their ancestry to the immigrants who first arrived in America at Ellis Island before dispersing to points all over the country.
Generally, those immigrants who were approved spent from two to five hours at Ellis Island. Arrivals were asked 29 questions including name, occupation, and the amount of money carried. It was important to the American government that the new arrivals could support themselves and have money to get started. The average the government wanted the immigrants to have was between 18 and 25 dollars. Those with visible health problems or diseases were sent home or held in the island's hospital facilities for long periods of time. More than three thousand would-be immigrants died on Ellis Island while being held in the hospital facilities. Some unskilled workers were rejected because they were considered “likely to become a public charge.” About 2 percent were denied admission to the U.S. and sent back to their countries of origin for reasons such as having a chronic contagious disease, criminal background, or insanity.[43] Ellis Island was sometimes known as “The Island of Tears” or “Heartbreak Island”[44] because of those 2% who were not admitted after the long transatlantic voyage. The Kissing Post is a wooden column outside the Registry Room, where new arrivals were greeted by their relatives and friends, typically with tears, hugs and kisses.[45][46]
During World War I, the German sabotage of the Black Tom Wharf ammunition depot damaged buildings on Ellis Island. The repairs included the current barrel-vaulted ceiling of the Main Hall.
Detention and deportation station
During and immediately following World War II, Ellis Island was used to intern German merchant mariners and “enemy aliens”—American civilians and immigrants detained for fear of spying, sabotage, and other fifth column activity. In December 1941, Ellis Island held 279Japanese, 248 Germans, and 81 Italians removed from the East Coast.[48] Unlike other wartime immigration detention stations, Ellis Island was designated as a permanent holding facility and was used to hold foreign nationals throughout the war.[49] A total of 7,000 Germans, Italians and Japanese would be ultimately detained at Ellis Island.[33] It was also a processing center for returning sick or wounded U.S. soldiers, and a Coast Guard training base. Ellis Island still managed to process tens of thousands of immigrants a year during this time, but many fewer than the hundreds of thousands a year who arrived before the war. After the war, immigration rapidly returned to earlier levels.[33] Noted entertainers who performed for detained aliens and for U.S. and allied servicemen at the island included Rudy Vallee, Jimmy Durante, Bob Hope, and Lionel Hampton and his orchestra.
The Internal Security Act of 1950 barred members of communist or fascist organizations from immigrating to the United States. Ellis Island saw detention peak at 1,500, but by 1952, after changes to immigration law and policies, only 30 detainees remained.[33]
One of the last detainees was the Aceh separatist Hasan di Tiro who, while a student in New York in 1953, declared himself the “foreign minister” of the rebellious Darul Islammovement.[50] Due to this action, he was immediately stripped of his Indonesian citizenship, causing him to be imprisoned for a few months on Ellis Island as “"an illegal alien.”[50]
Prominent amongst the missionaries and immigrant aid workers were Rev. Michael J. Henry and Rev. Anthony J. Grogan (Irish Catholic), Rev. Gaspare Moretto (Italian Catholic), Alma E. Mathews (Methodist), Rev. Georg Doring (German Lutheran), Rev. Joseph L'Etauche (Polish Catholic), Rev. Reuben Breed (Episcopal), Michael Lodsin (Baptist), Brigadier Thomas Johnson (Salvation Army), Ludmila K. Foxlee (YWCA), Athena Marmaroff (Woman's Christian Temperance Union), Alexander Harkavy (HIAS), and Cecilia Greenstone and Cecilia Razovsky (National Council of Jewish Women).
Scenes at the Immigration Depot and a nearby dock on Ellis Island
Records
Immigrants arriving at Ellis Island, 1902
See also: Ellis Island Special
A myth persists that government officials on Ellis Island compelled immigrants to take new names against their wishes.[51] In fact, no historical records bear this out. Federal immigration inspectors were under strict supervision and were more interested in preventing inadmissible aliens from entering the country (for which they were held accountable) than in assisting them in trivial personal matters such as altering their names. The inspectors used the passenger lists given to them by the steamship companies to process each foreigner. These were the sole immigration records for entering the country and were prepared not by the U.S. Bureau of Immigration but by steamship companies such as the Cunard Line, the White Star Line, the North German Lloyd Line, the Hamburg-Amerika Line, the Italian Steam Navigation Company, the Red Star Line, the Holland America Line, and the Austro-American Line.[52][53] The Americanization of many immigrant families' surnames was for the most part adopted by the family after the immigration process, or by the second or third generation of the family after some assimilation into American culture. However, many last names were altered slightly due to the disparity between English and other languages in the pronunciation of certain letters of the alphabet.[54]
Medical inspections
Dormitory room for detained immigrants
The Great Hall in the early 1900s.
Ellis Island Hospital
To support the activities of the United States Bureau of Immigration, the United States Public Health Serviceoperated an extensive medical service at the immigrant station, called U.S. Marine Hospital Number 43, more widely known as the Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital. It was the largest marine hospital in the nation. The medical division, which was active both in the hospital and the Great Hall, was staffed by uniformed military surgeons. They are best known for the role they played during the line inspection, in which they employed unusual techniques such as the use of the buttonhook to examine aliens for signs of eye diseases (particularly, trachoma) and the use of a chalk mark code. Symbols were chalkedon the clothing of potentially sick immigrants following the six-second medical examination. The doctors would look at the immigrants as they climbed the stairs from the baggage area to the Great Hall. Immigrants’ behavior would be studied for difficulties in getting up the staircase. Some immigrants entered the country only by surreptitiously wiping the chalk marks off, or by turning their clothes inside out.[55]
The symbols used were:
Notable immigrants
Further information: List of notable Ellis Island immigrants
The first immigrant to pass through Ellis Island was Annie Moore, a 15-year-old girl fromCork, Ireland, who arrived on the ship Nevada on January 1, 1892.[56] She and her two brothers were coming to America to meet their parents, who had moved to New York two years prior. She received a greeting from officials and a $10 gold piece.[57] It was the largest sum of money she had ever owned. The last person to pass through Ellis Island was a Norwegian merchant seaman by the name of Arne Peterssen in 1954.
Immigration museum
The wooden structure built in 1892 to house the immigration station burned down after five years. The station's new Main Building, which now houses the Immigration Museum, was opened in 1900.[58] Architects Edward Lippincott Tilton and William Alciphron Boringreceived a gold medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition for the building's design and constructed the building at a cost of $1.5 million.[59] The architecture competition was the second under the Tarsney Act, which had permitted private architects rather than government architects in the Office of the Supervising Architect to design federal buildings.[60]
Main Building, which now houses the Immigration Museum
Great Hall, where immigrants were processed (note the 48-star US flags still hanging)
After the immigration station closed in November 1954, the buildings fell into disrepair and were all but abandoned. Attempts at redeveloping the site were unsuccessful until its landmark status was established. On October 15, 1965, Ellis Island was proclaimed a part of Statue of Liberty National Monument. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.
Boston-based architecture firm Finegold Alexander + Associates Inc, together with the New York architectural firm Beyer Blinder Belle, designed the restoration and adaptive use of theBeaux-Arts Main Building, one of the most symbolically important structures in American history. A construction budget of $150 million was required for this significant restoration. This money was raised by a campaign organized by the political fundraiser Wyatt A. Stewart.[61] The building reopened on September 10, 1990.[62] Exhibits include Hearing Room, Peak Immigration Years, the Peopling of America, Restoring a Landmark, Silent Voices, Treasures from Home, and Ellis Island Chronicles. There are also three theaters used for film and live performances.[63]
As part of the National Park Service's Centennial Initiative, the south side of the island was to be the target of a project to restore the 28 buildings that have not yet been rehabilitated.[64]
The Wall of Honor outside of the main building contains a partial list of immigrants processed on the island.[65] Inclusion on the list is made possible by a donation to support the facility. In 2008 the museum’s library was officially named the Bob Hope Memorial Library in honor of one the station’s most famous immigrants.
The Ellis Island Medal of Honor is awarded annually at ceremonies on the island.
South Side
The New Ferry Building was built in 1936 in Art Deco style and is located in the so-called "hyphen" at the foot of the ferry basin, connecting the north and south sides of the island.
Many of the facilities at Ellis Island were abandoned and remain unrenovated.[66] The entire south side, called by some the "sad side" of the island, is off-limits to the general public. The Ellis Island Immigrant Hospitaloperated from early 1902 to 1930.[67][68] The foundationSave Ellis Island is spearheading preservation efforts. The New Ferry Building, built in the Art Deco style to replace an earlier one, was renovated in 2008, but remains only partially accessible to the general public.[69]
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