A Wonderful, Wordless Book!

Anyone would love this Peter Spier's wordless book titled, Rain.

His illustrations are many and so intricate they are completely fascinating 

to absorb. If you have never enjoyed a wordless book you will 

discover that you can "read" even without words! 

Search this one out and you will never be the same!

Enjoy!

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More of Peter Spier's 

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"You can always plant another one."

Today I lamented with a woman I know that I was going home to begin to cut down a beloved tree which died after it bloomed this spring. 

Not able to understand the deep feelings I was sharing with her, she told me to "just plant another one".

How can I explain that this 17 years of growth in our yard meant more than just a tree to me.

It is part of my legacy. It ties me to my dear father, to my precious mother, to my childhood home of hills and the beautiful Red Buds growing all down those hills.  Every spring they were in beautiful bloom, then changing to heart shaped leaves until autumn, and in the winter the architecture of a Red Bud was always amazing. 

Red Bud trees are so beautiful even without foliage.

Every home in which we have lived we have planted Red Bud trees. They have tied me, anchored me to memories, to sweetness, to creation, to my gracious God.  Seventeen years ago the Red Bud was the first tree we planted here. It symbolized in me a stability some how. Our world had caved in, blown up, seemingly destroying everything, but "us".

We could not look out front without seeing it every season. Every year growing taller and more full, birds of every kind stopping by, squirrels up and down, 3 kinds of feeders, beautiful flowers circling it, birdbaths, garden paths, and the cool shade it gave to our front walk and porch has always been cherished.

Oh, it is just a tree. 

I remember all the times I looked out from upstairs over its beautiful branches spending time with the LORD. So many prayers, so many cries to Him, so many times, and He always comforted me, held me. I am His, I am His child, and He cares for me.

Psalm 72:12-14
"For He will deliver the needy when he cries for help,
The afflicted also, and him who has no helper.

He will have compassion on the poor and needy,
And the lives of the needy He will save.

He will rescue their life from oppression and violence,
And their blood will be precious in His sight"

A dear woman of God years ago lamented with me over a beautiful tree in her backyard which had recently died. I knew which one as I had seen it before.  It was a beautiful, huge Magnolia. How lovely it had been for so many years. Her marriage had begun with it, all her beloved children had played and grown under it, and eventually, played in it. She had loved this tree through a difficult marriage, all those children, and then when her beloved husband turned to the LORD for his salvation, she had 24 more loving years with him as a new creation. She had so many memories involving that special tree and now it had to be cut down. I had grieved with her then, and I do so again. I understand. It was more than just a tree.

Yes, I will transplant a baby Red Bud from one of my gardens. It may or may not survive. I may or may not be here to watch it grow. I have another Red Bud in the backyard which survived its transplanting a few years back. It is now as tall as I am, surviving rabbits, droughts, and winters, but never blooming. 

I have the LORD no matter if I have a Red Bud tree in the front yard or not. 

He is my Solid Rock, He is my All in All.

He hears my cries, and holds my tears.

Psalm 56 
"Be gracious to me, O God, 
for man has trampled upon me;

Fighting all day long he oppresses me.


My foes have trampled upon me all day long,

For they are many who fight proudly against me.


When I am afraid,

I will put my trust in You.


In God, whose word I praise,

In God I have put my trust;

I shall not be afraid.


What can mere man do to me?


All day long they distort my words;

All their thoughts are against me for evil.


They attack, 
they lurk,

They watch my steps,

As they have waited to take my life.


Because of wickedness, cast them forth,

In anger put down the peoples, O God!

You have taken account of my wanderings;

Put my tears in Your bottle.


Are they not in Your book?


Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call;

This I know, that God is for me.


In God, whose word I praise,

In the Lord, whose word I praise,

In God I have put my trust, 
I shall not be afraid.


What can man do to me?


Your vows are binding upon me, O God;

I will render thank offerings to You.


For You have delivered my soul from death,

Indeed my feet from stumbling,

So that I may walk before God

In the light of the living.
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Glory to God on High!

Christmas in July or is it almost September?!

These happy little guys are almost ready to go live with the special people in my life. Yes, it is only August, but these types of things must be thought through, and accomplished long before their time.

The truth is that one of these little guys has already left the nest as a gift topper for a young woman just beginning her career in another state. With her gift she also received her "first" Christmas decoration!

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Maturity, Choices, Transitioning, Complementing = A New Family

Fullness of Grace

Fullness of Grace in man's human frailty,
This is the wonder of Jesus.
Laying aside His power and glory,
Humbly He entered our world.
Chose the path of meanest worth:
Scandal of a virgin birth.
Born in a stable, cold and rejected:
Here lies the hope of the world.

Fullness of grace, the love of the Father
Shown in the face of Jesus.
Stooping to bear the weight of humanity,
Walking the Calvary road.
Christ the holy Innocent
Took our sin and punishment.
Fullness of God, despised and rejected:
Crushed for the sins of the world.

Fullness of hope in Christ we had longed for,
Promise of God in Jesus.
Through His obedience we are forgiven,
Opening the floodgates of heaven.
All our hopes and dreams we bring
Gladly as an offering.
Fullness of life and joy unspeakable:
God's gift in love to the world.

By Keith and Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend

Love, Partiality, Mercy, and Works

*Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment*

James 2:8 
"...If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law 
according to the Scripture, 

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” 

you are doing well. 

But if you show partiality, 
you are committing sin and 
are convicted by the law as transgressors. 

For whoever keeps the whole law 
and yet stumbles in one point, 
he has become guilty of all.

For He who said, 

“Do not commit adultery,” 

also said, 

“Do not commit murder.” 

Now if you do not commit adultery, 
but do commit murder, 
you have become a transgressor of the law.

So speak and so act as those who are to be 
judged by the law of liberty. 
For judgment will be merciless 
to one who has shown no mercy; 
mercy triumphs over judgment.

What use is it, my brethren, if someone says 
he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 

If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
and one of you says to them, 

“Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” 

and yet you do not give them what is necessary 
for their body, what use is that?  

Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself..."

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Let us look at ourselves: Love Continued

1Peter 4:22-25

"Since you have in obedience to the truth

purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren,

fervently love one another from the heart,

for you have been born again not of seed

which is perishable but imperishable, that is,

through the living and enduring word of God. For,

“All flesh is like grass,


And all its glory like the flower of grass.


The grass withers,


And the flower falls off,

But the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word which was preached to you."

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1 Peter 4:7-11

"The end of all things is near; therefore,

be of sound judgment and sober spirit

for the purpose of prayer.  Above all,

keep fervent in your love for one another,

because love covers a multitude of sins.

Be hospitable to one another without complaint.

As each one has received a special gift,

employ it in serving one another as good stewards

of the manifold grace of God.Whoever speaks,

is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God;

whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving

by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things

God may be glorified through Jesus Christ,

to whom belongs the glory and

dominion forever and ever. Amen."

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Galatians 6:1-10 
"Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, 
you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; 
each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, 
he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, 
and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, 
and not in regard to another. For each one will bear his own load.

The one who is taught the word is to share all good things 
with the one who teaches him.

Do not be deceived, 
God is not mocked; 
for whatever a man sows, 
this he will also reap.

For the one who sows to his own flesh 
will from the flesh reap corruption, 
but the one who sows to the Spirit 
will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Let us not lose heart in doing good, 
for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.
So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, 
and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

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John 13:33-35
"Little children, I am with you a little while longer. 
You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, 
‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’

A new commandment I give to you, 
that you love one another, even as I have loved you, 
that you also love one another.
By this all men will know that you are My disciples, 
if you have love for one another.”


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John 15:12-17 
“This is My commandment, that you love one another, 
just as I have loved you.

Greater love has no one than this, 
that one lay down his life for his friends.
You are My friends if you do what I command you.
No longer do I call you slaves, 
for the slave does not know what his master is doing; 
but I have called you friends, 
for all things that I have heard from My Father 
I have made known to you.

You did not choose Me but I chose you, 
and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, 
and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask 
of the Father in My name He may give to you.
This I command you, that you love one another.
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Regret, Gratitude, and Loving One Another

"Dead people 
receive more flowers 
than living ones
because 
regret is stronger 
than gratitude."
--Anne Frank
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1 Corinthians 13
"If I speak with the tongues of men 
and of angels, 
but do not have love, 
I have become a noisy gong 
or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy, 
and know all mysteries 
and all knowledge; 
and if I have all faith, 
so as to remove mountains, 
but do not have love, 
I am nothing.

And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, 
and if I surrender my body to be burned, 
but do not have love, 
it profits me nothing.

Love is patient, 
love is kind 
and is not jealous; 
love does not brag 
and is not arrogant, 
does not act unbecomingly; 
it does not seek its own, 
is not provoked, 
does not take into account a wrong suffered,
does not rejoice in unrighteousness, 
but rejoices with the truth;
bears all things, 
believes all things, 
hopes all things, 
endures all things.

Love never fails; 
but if there are gifts of prophecy, 
they will be done away; 
if there are tongues, 
they will cease; 
if there is knowledge, 
it will be done away.

For we know in part 
and we prophesy in part;
but when the perfect comes, 
the partial will be done away.

When I was a child, 
I used to speak like a child, 
think like a child, 
reason like a child; 
when I became a man, 
I did away with childish things.

For now we see in a mirror dimly, 
but then face to face;
now I know in part, 
but then I will know fully 
just as I also have been fully known.
But now faith, 
hope, 
love,
abide these three;
but the greatest of these is love."
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All I have is Christ

I once was lost in darkest night
Yet thought I knew the way
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross
And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me
O Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

By Jordan Kauflin

Vacations for Whom?!

So sweet!

Saturdays

Truth, Lies, Control and Manipulation, Lists, and Freedom in Christ

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

Because the Lord has anointed me

To bring good news to the afflicted;

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to captives

And freedom to prisoners;

To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord

And the day of vengeance of our God;

To comfort all who mourn...

...I will rejoice greatly in the Lord,

My soul will exult in my God;

For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,

He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,

As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,

And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,

And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up,

So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise

To spring up before all the nations.

Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11

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I grew up in a fundamental, conservative denomination. God's truth was rightly proclaimed. As a child I believed the true stories of the Bible, and as I grew up going through the two years of confirmation classes, I memorized all the basic Doctrine and Bible Verses. (I also memorized in school, learning it all only for the tests, which I do not recommend.)

When I met my Beloved he was a fairly new Christian.  The beautiful exuberance in his life for Christ encouraged me to really know what I believed with my own faith in Jesus. One thing I learned has been our freedom in Christ.

"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery."
Galatians 5:1

In my walk with Christ I learned something else. It is not a wonderful thing like our freedom in Christ, it is actually kind of the ugly opposite: these are the man-made lists and rules which some people believe to be helping them in their faith, but in reality, it only imprisons them with a yoke of slavery and destroys others. 

The big question is "In what do they have faith?"

Many people can claim Jesus' name, but they live by their own "lists" of what they believe is the right "christian" way to live.  They use the Bible, but they twist God's precious Word to suit their own purposes. They unknowingly, or knowingly, live in legalisms, lies, control, and manipulations.  As they live in this slavery they will eventually destroy their own lives, but in their wake, they also can devastate so many other innocent persons.

"For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another."
Galatins 5:13-15

In general, everyone tends to believe they are strong and safe against falsehoods. People seem to think they could never follow after a lie because they know the truth. 

Christians, especially, can think they are so safe from the "wolves" (destroyers of the sheep/Christians). We forget that the wolves can wear sheep's clothing!  Wolves are perniciously dangerous!!

Sadly, many, many times Christians will easily follow after what they believe sounds good because it sounds "christian" , 

"they" (the deceivers) seem so nice, 
"they" (the deceivers) seem so old fashioned, 
"they" (the deceivers) "follow" the Bible (the deceivers own interpretations of it, that is).

We are fragile as human beings. Fragile in body and in soul. We can be EASILY deceived by things which are almost true, we are fooled by pernicious lies, and even out right lies. Sometimes we hear what we want to hear, we see what we want to see even if what we see and hear is "taking us into the woods" where the pernicious wolves are!

We are not stupid.  Some of the most intelligent people are lulled into believing half truths and out right lies. Their minds may question the lies and half truths, but eventually they choose to believe the lies and the liars for many reasons (as has been stated above).

"You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?

This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you.

A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.

But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.


For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 
Galatians 5:7-13

Sometimes I wonder if these people who follow after half truths and lies are truly believing in the Jesus of the Bible because they choose to follow such apostasies.

"It is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God."
1 Peter 2:15-16  

At the same time I truly understand how easily we humans can be tricked, duped, brainwashed.

Yes, Brainwashing. 

"Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  
John 8:31-32

I have spoken of the "wolves in sheep's clothing". It is a truth, it does and is happening, and if we look around there are many wolves out in our culture telling lies for their own reasons. 

The wolves know how to begin. They make statements to "whittle" into people's minds, to give them doubts to real truths. In some people the doubts begin to make "roots" in them. More lies and half truths are spewed by the wolves and the brainwashing really begins to take hold. These people are now caught in the trap set by the wolves, acting and doing what the leaders say to act and do. These people are now not free in Christ at all, but slaves to the wolves!

We are fearfully and wonderfully made, but we are fallible. There are chancers and cheats out and about, they are the wolves in sheep's clothing! They are telling lies and half truths to get for themselves followers and gain more and more power.

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 

You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.

Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”


When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
Matthew 7:13-29

What is your faith in?
Midwest Christian Outreach, Inc

Patriotism Midwest Style

It is Hard Work Being Bitter

Hebrews 12:14-15

"Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification 
without which no one will see the Lord.

See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; 
that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, 
and by it many be defiled"
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