These are the days I remember so well...

 

You can always tell...

I have seen that this statement is so very true. 

Controlling and Manipulating people and sometimes those who are controlled and manipulated by them are not kind or caring towards animals - theirs or others. 

It is the way they act with them, what they say about them, and sometimes you can see it in their faces.

LORD have mercy on us!

For those people caught among ruthless persons there is a way to escape: TRUST in the LORD God Almighty.

"My heart and my flesh may fail, 

but God is the strength of my heart 

and my portion forever." Psalm 73:26

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Who's that Looking at You?

Little tissue paper pumpkins.  An easy and cute craft. No directions so make it your way!

Meanwhile... We harvested two big pumpkins today! Two littles yesterday :o)

Beautiful!

Patriotism in the Midwest

 

Just as we see patriotism around the midwest - so there is the love of our Savior Jesus among many of the people. 

The world may overwhelm us, but the LORD holds our lives. He can hold yours also if you do not know Him yet.

Just sincerely ask to be His child.

Read the whole Book of John to know who Jesus really is.

John 3:16-21...“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 

He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”...

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Devastations

 

Market street San Francisco after 1906 earthquake

We have all witnessed, if only viewing them, devastations of one kind or another all through time.

For most people it breaks our hearts, it grieves us so, it brings our sense of humanity "out on our sleeves".

I, personally, have seen many tragedies, but not as much as others have. 

Why is this happening? 

Why can't we stop "whatever"? 

Why can't people just be kind?......

The answer in a broad term is sin (that which is wrong before God). 

This beautiful world is full of sinners. 

Some of these sinners are true Christians (saved by Jesus' Grace).  Being sinners, though, these people can be kind and compassionate or sometimes just as cruel as the unsaved. 

The difference between Christian sinners and unsaved sinners is that we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us for guidance, giving us strength, and making us aware of our sins so we will choose to stop sinning with His help. We have been set free from the slavery of sin!

Our job is to listen to the LORD. When we do this we will choose NOT to sin against others.

Other people - those not saved by Jesus's Grace - are just plain old sinners so they can be kind, thoughtless, cruel, to just really mean and evil. They do not have the Holy Spirit indwelling them to give guidance and strength to overcome sin. They are slaves to sin.

Ephesians 2:1-9

"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience... 

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him... 

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast..."

So what do we do while we seemingly watch our world crash and burn around us?

We who are Believers in Jesus, saved by His death and resurrection to life again, are to live our lives for Him. 

Our job never stops no matter what is happening. 

Everyday we can shine for Him, by prayers, actions, talking, listening and responding.

If you are not saved by Jesus' marvelous Grace then you should be thinking right now about what is really important to you. Life is short, we all need to make life saving decisions now.

How to be saved:

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."... 

Interested?

Fearful? See: Psalm 73:26"My flesh and my heart may fail,

But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

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Amid Dark Times the LORD's Creation Shines!

 

Psalm 92:1-5, 13-15

It is good to give thanks to the Lord

And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;

To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning

And Your faithfulness by night,

With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp,

With resounding music upon the lyre.

For You, O Lord, have made me glad by what You have done,

I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.

How great are Your works, O Lord!...

...The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree,


He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

Planted in the house of the Lord,


They will flourish in the courts of our God.

They will still yield fruit in old age;


They shall be full of sap and very green,

To declare that the Lord is upright;


He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

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YIKES! I don't usually bring my cow with me.

 

And just so you know: We were taught to wash our hands when we were wee tikes.

It is Good to Sing Praises to our God!

 

Psalm 147 

Praise the Lord!


For it is good to sing praises to our God;


For it is pleasant and praise is becoming.

The Lord builds up Jerusalem;


He gathers the outcasts of Israel.

 

He heals the brokenhearted


And binds up their wounds.

He counts the number of the stars;


He gives names to all of them.

Great is our Lord and abundant in strength;


His understanding is infinite.

The Lord supports the afflicted;


He brings down the wicked to the ground.

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;


Sing praises to our God on the lyre,

Who covers the heavens with clouds,


Who provides rain for the earth,


Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.

He gives to the beast its food,


And to the young ravens which cry.

He does not delight in the strength of the horse;


He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man.

The Lord favors those who fear Him,


Those who wait for His lovingkindness.

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!


Praise your God, O Zion!

For He has strengthened the bars of your gates;


He has blessed your sons within you.

 

He makes peace in your borders;


He satisfies you with the finest of the wheat.

He sends forth His command to the earth;


His word runs very swiftly.

He gives snow like wool;


He scatters the frost like ashes.

He casts forth His ice as fragments;


Who can stand before His cold?

He sends forth His word and melts them;


He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow.

He declares His words to Jacob,


His statutes and His ordinances to Israel.

He has not dealt thus with any nation;


And as for His ordinances, 

they have not known them.


Praise the Lord!

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Sing to Him, Play Skillfully with a Shout of Joy!

Psalm 33 

Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones;


Praise is becoming to the upright.

Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;


Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.

Sing to Him a new song;


Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

For the word of the Lord is upright,

And all His work is done in faithfulness.

He loves righteousness and justice;


The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord.

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,


And by the breath of His mouth all their host.

He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;


He lays up the deeps in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the Lord;


Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

For He spoke, and it was done;


He commanded, and it stood fast.

The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations;


He frustrates the plans of the peoples.

 

The counsel of the Lord stands forever,


The plans of His heart from generation to generation.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,


The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.

The Lord looks from heaven;


He sees all the sons of men;

From His dwelling place He looks out


On all the inhabitants of the earth,

He who fashions the hearts of them all,


He who understands all their works.

The king is not saved by a mighty army;


A warrior is not delivered by great strength.

A horse is a false hope for victory;


Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,


On those who hope for His lovingkindness,

To deliver their soul from death


And to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the Lord;


He is our help and our shield.

For our heart rejoices in Him,


Because we trust in His holy name.

Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,


According as we have hoped in You.

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Patriotism in the Midwest

 

Maps or Apps?

 

Pray for Us!

 

"Rejoice always; 

pray without ceasing; 

in everything give thanks; 

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

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"Pray for us!"

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The Imitation of Strength

Legalism vs The One True God

In general Legalism finds strength in one leader and their own, ever changing rules.  

This Legalistic Leader may use the God of the Bible's Words, but only to pervert it for their own uses.

????Questions???? 

Sometimes followers of a Legalistic Leader may wonder about how "this or that" actually follows God's Word.

* In general Legalistic Leaders must be followed without question* 

Most times the followers are afraid to ask questions and so the Legalistic Leader continues in their totalitarian rule with little trouble from their ineffective followers. 

These followers find their strength in a flawed human, following blindly - with reality being that they are following an imitation of real strength.

Real vs Fake 

With God's Word other people follow real Truth.

These people read and listen to what the God of the Bible says and they trust Him.

They trust Him, having faith in Him even when their own world crumbles in front of them.  

Their faith in the one true God - not a faulty leader -  is steady even through traumas and tears.  

He always stays the same; He keeps His Word; He comforts the wounded and lifts their head.  

These people draw ever closer to God - trusting Him more deeply as time goes by.

That is Real Strength.

Which do you desire?  

Imitation or the Real Deal?

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The years go by so quickly now

 

Praising the LORD for His Provision

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother

and shall be joined to his wife, 

and the two shall become one flesh."

Ephesians 1:31

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Thankfulness

Psalm 118:22-24

..."The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief corner stone.

This is the Lord’s doing;

It is marvelous in our eyes.

This is the day which the Lord has made;

Let us rejoice and be glad in it."... 

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Being a Crown

 

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,

But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. 

Proverbs 31:30

An excellent wife is the crown of her husband

Proverbs 12:4a

 I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, 

and the man is the head of a woman, 

and God is the head of Christ.  

1 Corinthians 11:3

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Character really matters

PLUGGERS
 

Patriotism is meaningful in the Mid-West

 

Lovingkindness and Truth

 

Psalm 25

To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

O my God, in You I trust,


Do not let me be ashamed;


Do not let my enemies exult over me.

Indeed, none of those who wait for You 

will be ashamed;


Those who deal treacherously 

without cause will be ashamed.

Make me know Your ways, O Lord;


Teach me Your paths.

Lead me in Your truth and teach me,


For You are the God of my salvation;


For You I wait all the day.

Remember, O Lord, Your compassion 

and Your lovingkindnesses,


For they have been from of old.

Do not remember the sins of my youth 

or my transgressions;


According to Your lovingkindness remember me,


For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.

Good and upright is the Lord;


Therefore He instructs sinners in the way.

He leads the humble in justice,


And He teaches the humble His way.

All the paths of the Lord are 

lovingkindness and truth


To those who keep His covenant 

and His testimonies.

For Your name’s sake, O Lord,


Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

Who is the man who fears the Lord?


He will instruct him in the way he should choose.

His soul will abide in prosperity,


And his descendants will inherit the land.

The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him,


And He will make them know His covenant.

My eyes are continually toward the Lord,


For He will pluck my feet out of the net.

Turn to me and be gracious to me,


For I am lonely and afflicted.

The troubles of my heart are enlarged;


Bring me out of my distresses.

Look upon my affliction and my trouble,


And forgive all my sins.

Look upon my enemies, 

for they are many,


And they hate me with violent hatred.

Guard my soul and deliver me;


Do not let me be ashamed, 

for I take refuge in You.

 

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,


For I wait for You.

Redeem Israel, O God,


Out of all his troubles.

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The LORD comforts us so we can comfort others.

     There was a scar on yonder mountainside,

Gashed out where once the cruel storm had trod,

A barren, desolate chasm, reaching wide

Across the soft green sod.

But years crept by beneath the purple pines,

And veiled the scar with grass and moss once more,

And left it fairer now with flowers and vines

Then it had been before.

There was a wound once in a gentle heart,

From which life's sweetness seemed to ebb and die;

And love's confiding changed to bitter smart,

While slow, sad years went by.

Yet as they passed, unseen an angel stole

and laid a balm of healing on the pain,

Till love grew purer in the heart made whole,

And peace came back again.

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True Comfort

Lessons to be Learned: Don't Pass Them Up

 

Corrie ten Boom

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We Will Not Be Silenced

 Men fight for liberty 

and win it with hard knocks. 

Their children, 

brought up easy, 

let it slip away again, 

poor fools. 

And their grandchildren 

are once more slaves.

D.H. Lawrence, 

cited by Erwin W. Lutzer, 

We Will Not Be Silenced,pg.62

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Patriotism in the Midwest

 

Our Beautiful Back Roads

 

Obey God

Acts 5:29

...“We must obey God rather than men."... 

Galatians 2:20

..."I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."...

Galatians 3:13-14

..."Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."...

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What is True Freedom

 

..."Freedom from morality does not provide true freedom. 

It only brings about another type of bondage. 

It demands to be served and destroys all it touches. 

The other choice is freedom in Christ, which delivers us from the bondage of sin."

..."Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 

Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace"...                             

Romans 6:12-14

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From Midwest Christian Outreach

Oh, Death, where is your victory?

 

"Death leaves a Heartache

No one can heal.

Love leaves a memory 

no one can steal."

--From an Irish Headstone

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1 Corinthians 15:55-58

...“Death is swallowed up in victory. 

O death, where is your victory? 

O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin,

 and the power of sin is the law; 

but thanks be to God,

 who gives us the victory

 through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, 

be steadfast, immovable, 

always abounding in the work of the Lord, 

knowing that your toil 

is not in vain in the Lord."

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Love Lifts!

Psalm 127:3-4

..."Behold, children are a gift of the Lord,

The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,

So are the children of one’s youth"...

Proverbs 1:8-9

..."Hear, my son, your father’s instruction

And do not forsake your mother’s teaching;

Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head

And ornaments about your neck"...

Proverb 5:18b

..."rejoice in the wife of your youth"...

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Thankful for God's Creation

                                                                              

-Charles Schulz

The True Comforter

1 Thessalonians 2:7

..."we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children"...

John 14:26-27

..."the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful"...

Romans 8:26-27

..."In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God"...

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What a Friend We have in Jesus!

What a friend we have in Jesus,


All our sins and griefs to bear!


What a privilege to carry


Everything to God in prayer!


Oh, what peace we often forfeit,


Oh, what needless pain we bear,


All because we do not carry


Everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?


Is there trouble anywhere?


We should never be discouraged—


Take it to the Lord in prayer.


Can we find a friend so faithful,


Who will all our sorrows share?


Jesus knows our every weakness;


Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy-laden,


Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge—


Take it to the Lord in prayer.


Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?


Take it to the Lord in prayer!


In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,


Thou wilt find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised


Thou wilt all our burdens bear;


May we ever, Lord, be bringing


All to Thee in earnest prayer.


Soon in glory bright, unclouded,


There will be no need for prayer—

Rapture, praise, and endless worship


Will be our sweet portion there.

-Scriven

Mark 8:35-36

..."For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?"... 

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In her own hand

 One of my favorite recipes from my mother:

Can you tell this recipe has been used for 45 years?

About ten years ago I covered it with contact paper to preserve it.

Another recipe from my Grandmother in my mother's hand:

This one I photo copied from a piece of paper I just found in my mother's hand writing, and so I replaced my greasy hand written one from 45 years ago. A treasure from two precious women in my life!

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..."

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