The Evil in Deception

"Deception is a sort of seduction. 

In love and war, 

adultery and 

espionage, 

deceit can only succeed 

if the deceived party is willing, 

in some way, 

to be deceived."

~Ben Macintyre, Operation Mincemeat, pg.232

*

Complete Sentences, Please

~Pickles 

*

A Lifetime of Living

 "When you have a child, you decide to have your heart living a lifetime outside your body."

~unknown

GLORY to the LORD!

*

Finding a Peaceful Place to Enjoy God's Creation

~ROSE is ROSE

* 

Psalm 96:11-13

..."Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;

Let the sea roar, and all it contains;

Let the field exult, and all that is in it.

Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy

Before the Lord, for He is coming,

For He is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness

And the peoples in His faithfulness."

*

Dependent on Your Grace!

O great God of highest heav'n

Occupy my lowly heart

Own it all and reign supreme

Conquer every rebel power

Let no vice or sin remain

That resists Your holy war

You have loved and purchased me

Make me Yours forevermore

I was blinded by my sin

Had no ears to hear Your voice

Did not know Your love within

Had no taste for heaven's joys

Then Your Spirit gave me life

Opened up Your Word to me

Through the gospel of Your Son

Give me endless hope and peace

Help me now to live a life

That's dependent on Your grace

Keep my heart and guard my soul

From the evils that I face

You are worthy to be praised

With my every thought and deed

O great God of highest heaven

Glorify Your Name through me

~Kauflin

*

The Love of Family

~PLUGGERS 

*

Thankful for my safety in Jesus!

*

Romans 10:9-10

 ..."if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."...

*

Glory to the LORD!

*

The Importance of Gratitude

"Virtually nothing is as significant to a good life as gratitude. 

Gratitude is the mother of both happiness and goodness. 

The ungrateful can be neither happy nor good. 

All happy people and all good people are grateful people. 

Anything that undermines gratitude undermines happiness and goodness. 

And nothing undermines gratitude as much as taking something or someone for granted."

~Dennis Prager, The Rational Bible, Deuteronomy: God, Blessings, and Curses, pg.155

*

Praise the Grace that Whispered Peace

Lord, with glowing heart I'd praise thee

for the bliss thy love bestows,

for the pard'ning grace that saves me,

and the peace that from it flows.

Help, O God, my weak endeavor;

this dull soul to rapture raise;

thou must light the flame, or never

can my love be warmed to praise.

Praise, my soul, the God that sought thee,

wretched wand'rer far astray;

found thee lost, and kindly brought thee

from the paths of death away.

Praise, with love's devoutest feeling,

him who saw thy guilt-born fear,

and, the light of hope revealing,

bade the blood-stained cross appear.

Praise thy Savior God that drew thee

to that cross, new life to give,

held a blood sealed pardon to thee,

bade thee look to him and live.

Praise the grace whose threats alarmed thee,

roused thee from thy fatal ease;

praise the grace whose promise warmed thee,

praise the grace that whispered peace.

Lord, this bosom's ardent feeling

vainly would my lips express:

low before thy footstool kneeling,

deign thy suppliant's pray'r to bless.

Let thy love, my soul's chief treasure,

love's pure flame within me raise;

and, since words can never measure,

let my life show forth thy praise.

~Francis Scott Key

*

Character Development

"Whether or not we believe in God, 

we should regard the hardships of our lives 

as tests of our characters. 

Though we are not free to choose our hardships, 

we are free to choose how we react to them."

~Dennis Prager, The Rational Bible, Deuteronomy: God, Blessings, and Curses, pg.151

*

New Songs of Praise with Sweet Accord

 Come, let us sing unto the Lord,

New songs of praise with sweet accord;

For wonders great by Him are done;

His hand and arm have victory won.

The great salvation of our God

Is seen through all the earth abroad;

Before the heathen’s wond'ring sight,

He hath revealed His truth and right.

He called to mind His truth and grace

In promise made to Israel’s race;

And unto earth’s remotest bound,

Glad tidings of salvation sound.

All lands to God lift up your voice;

Sing praise to Him, with shouts rejoice;

With voice of joy and loud acclaim,

Let all unite and praise His Name.

Praise God with harp, with harp sing praise,

With voice of psalms His glory raise;

With trumpets, cornets, gladly sing

And shout before the Lord, the King.

Let earth be glad, let billow roar

And all that dwell from shore to shore;

Let floods clap hands with one accord,

Let hills rejoice before the Lord.

For lo, he comes; at his command

all nations shall in judgment stand;

In justice robes and throned in light,

the Lord shall judge, dispensing right.

*

Psalm 95

*

Thankful for the microwave and the heating bags!

 ~PLUGGERS

A Pack of Cats

~internet photo

Soft and furry

Often purry

Sometimes in groupings

Often times, one-lings

Kind of sassy

But always happy.

*

Vindicate me, O Lord...

*

 Psalm 26:1-5

"Vindicate me, O Lord, 

for I have walked in my integrity,

And I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.

Examine me, O Lord, and try me;

Test my mind and my heart.

For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,

And I have walked in Your truth.

I do not sit with deceitful men,

Nor will I go with pretenders.

I hate the assembly of evildoers,

And I will not sit with the wicked."...

*

1 Corinthians 5:9-13

..."I wrote you in my letter not to associate 

with immoral people;

I did not at all mean with the 

immoral people of this world, 

or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, 

for then you would have to go out of the world.

But actually, I wrote to you not to associate 

with any so-called brother 

if he is an immoral person, or covetous, 

or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, 

or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

For what have I to do with judging outsiders? 

Do you not judge those who are within the church?

But those who are outside, God judges. 

Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.

*

Matthew 12:33-37

...“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, 

or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; 

for the tree is known by its fruit.

You brood of vipers, how can you, 

being evil, speak what is good? 

For the mouth speaks out of that 

which fills the heart.

The good man brings out of his good treasure 

what is good; 

and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure 

what is evil.

But I tell you that every careless word 

that people speak, 

they shall give an accounting 

for it in the day of judgment.

For by your words you will be justified, 

and by your words you will be condemned.”

*

Matthew 7:15-20

“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."

*

Psalm 31:12

..."I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind;

I am like a broken vessel."...

*

In the Presence of God

 2 Timothy 4:1-5

"I solemnly charge you in the presence of God 

and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living

and the dead, and by His appearing and 

His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in 

season and out of season; reprove, 

rebuke, exhort, with great patience 

and instruction.

For the time will come when they will 

not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to 

have their ears tickled, they will 

accumulate for themselves teachers 

in accordance to their own desires, 

and will turn away their ears from 

the truth and will turn aside to myths.

But you, be sober in all things, 

endure hardship, do the work 

of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

*

Let's go Skating!

 ~internet photo

Parhelia: God's Creation on Display

 -internet photo

What is it!?

*

And so...how can you become a new creation?

Ephesians 4:17-24

..."So this I say, 

and affirm together with the Lord, 

that you walk no longer 

just as the Gentiles also walk, 

in the futility of their mind, 

being darkened 

in their understanding, 

excluded from the life of God 

because of the ignorance 

that is in them, 

because of the hardness 

of their heart; 

and they, 

having become callous,

have given themselves 

over to sensuality 

for the practice of every kind 

of impurity with greediness.

But you did not learn Christ in this way, 

if indeed you have heard Him and 

have been taught in Him, 

just as truth is in Jesus, 

that, in reference 

to your former manner of life, 

you lay aside the old self, 

which is being corrupted 

in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 

and that you be renewed 

in the spirit of your mind, 

and put on the new self, 

which in the likeness of God 

has been created in righteousness 

and holiness of the truth."...

*

Romans 6  

John 3 

Acts 2

..." ‘I saw the Lord always in my presence;

For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken.

‘Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted;

Moreover my flesh also will live in hope;

Because You will not abandon my soul to Hades,

Nor allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.

‘You have made known to me the ways of life;

You will make me full of gladness with Your presence.’ "...

*

The Level Paths... Beautiful Safety in the LORD

-Patrick McDonnell

*

Nothing like being outside with your kitties 

while they enjoy the weather among the wildflowers.

Although, today we do not know where the ground is 

under all the snow we have received!

*

Psalm 5:8

..."O Lord, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes;

Make Your way straight before me."...

*

Psalm 18:19, 33, 36

..."He brought me forth also into a broad place;

He rescued me, because He delighted in me."...

..."He makes my feet like hinds’ feet,

And sets me upon my high places."...

..."You enlarge my steps under me,

And my feet have not slipped."...

*

Psalm 26:12

..."My foot stands on a level place;

In the congregations I shall bless the Lord."

*

Psalm 27:11

..."Teach me Your way, O Lord,

And lead me in a level path

Because of my foes."...

*

Psalm 31:8

..."And You have not given me over 

into the hand of the enemy;

You have set my feet in a large place."...

*

Psalm 59:1

..."Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;

Set me securely on high 

away from those who rise up against me."...

*

Psalm 61:2

..."From the end of the earth I call to You 

when my heart is faint;

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I."...

*

Psalm 118:5

..."From my distress I called upon the Lord;

The Lord answered me and set me in a large place"...

*

Psalm 119: 45, 114

..."And I will walk at liberty,

For I seek Your precepts."...

..."You are my hiding place and my shield;

I wait for Your word."...

*

Psalm 124:7

..."Our soul has escaped 

as a bird out of the snare of the trapper;

The snare is broken and we have escaped."...

*

Psalm 147:3

..."He heals the brokenhearted

And binds up their wounds."...

*

THE LORD's SAFETY!!!

*

If anyone would like to share 

their scriptures of God's safety---

I would treasure them.

Thank you

*

How can you Forget?

"You never forget the face of the person who destroyed your family."

~unknown

*

Kitties and their evil plans

~PICKLES frame

We have one of these...she is about 6 pounds now and "on" most of the day...we no longer have any free time ...

The bonus: is she is as cute as can be  :o)

*

Did Abe Lincoln have a Sister?

1 Peter 5:6-10

..."humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you."...

*

The Watchman

~The Watchman's Bagpipes

*
 

I personally don't mind it at all :o)

*

A Miracle of God...and It is Free to Those who Choose to Believe...Glory to God! :o)

Acts 2:38-39

...“Repent, and each of you be baptized 

in the name of Jesus Christ 

for the forgiveness of your sins; 

and you will receive the gift 

of the Holy Spirit.

 For the promise is for you 

and your children 

and for all who are far off, 

as many as the Lord our God 

will call to Himself.”...

*

Acts 4:12

..." And there is salvation in no one else; 

for there is no other name under heaven 

that has been given among men 

by which we must be saved.”...

*

John 14:6

..."Jesus *said to him, 

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; 

no one comes to the Father but through Me."...

*

Isaiah 12

“Behold, God is my salvation,

I will trust and not be afraid;

For the Lord God is my strength and song,

And He has become my salvation.”

*

Seize the Day, Pay Attention, Do What is Important, Glorify God with Your Life!

 ~ROSE is ROSE

*

All Your Life You Will Be Connected to Your Children

 

The Uncontrolled Dogs

What do dogs symbolize in the Bible?

Metaphorically speaking, the dog signifies worthlessness and offense. 

Revelation 22:15

..."Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying."...

Psalm 59

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;


Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.


Deliver me from those who do iniquity


And save me from men of bloodshed.


For behold, they have set an ambush for my life;


Fierce men launch an attack against me,


Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Lord,


For no guilt of mine, they run and set themselves against me.


Arouse Yourself to help me, and see!


You, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel,


Awake to punish all the nations;


Do not be gracious to any who are treacherous in iniquity.

They return at evening, they howl like a dog,


And go around the city.


Behold, they belch forth with their mouth;


Swords are in their lips,


For, they say, “Who hears?”


But You, O Lord, laugh at them;


You scoff at all the nations.

Because of His strength I will watch for You,


For God is my stronghold.


My God in His lovingkindness will meet me;


God will let me look triumphantly upon my foes.


Do not slay them, or my people will forget;


Scatter them by Your power, and bring them down,


O Lord, our shield.


On account of the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips,


Let them even be caught in their pride,

And on account of curses and lies which they utter.


Destroy them in wrath, destroy them that they may be no more;


That men may know that God rules in Jacob


To the ends of the earth.

They return at evening, they howl like a dog,


And go around the city.

They wander about for food


And growl if they are not satisfied.

But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength;


Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning,


For You have been my stronghold


And a refuge in the day of my distress.


O my strength, I will sing praises to You;


For God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness."

*

A Guilty Conscience

1 Peter 1:13-16

..."Therefore, prepare your minds for action, 

keep sober in spirit, 

fix your hope completely

on the grace to be brought to you 

at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

As obedient children, 

do not be conformed to the former lusts 

which were yours in your ignorance,

but like the Holy One who called you, 

be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;

because it is written, 

“You shall be holy, for I am holy.”...

*

Romans 12:1-2

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, 

by the mercies of God, 

to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, 

acceptable to God, 

which is your spiritual service of worship.

And do not be conformed to this world, 

but be transformed 

by the renewing of your mind, 

so that you may prove 

what the will of God is, 

that which is good and acceptable and perfect."...

*