Peace - No Matter What!

 PEACE - NO MATTER WHAT!

When the world turns upside down, where can we find peace?

      So many people are brimming over with anxiety and fear these days.  Certainly, we are living in perilous times. It’s not the only time in history where times have been perilous, but as far as our generations experience, it’s the first time we’ve felt like our world is truly turning upside down. 

     Famous words from a Charles Dickens novel come to mind: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”  I see parallels in this statement with the times in which we are living.  When we think of all the modern conveniences and knowledge that is available to us today, we could say these are the best of times, but when we consider how our values, liberties and beloved way of life are crumbling around us, then we might think it is the worst of times.

     I’m here to encourage you to consider this the best of times.  No matter whether the world is turning upside down or the sky is falling in, if we keep in mind that God is in control of every bit of everything, then we can rest in the assurance that He loves us – no matter what!  These are times when our faith is being tested.  Will we trust God or will we curl into a ball of fear?  It takes the worst of times to test our faith and bring out the best in our journey of faith.

      Let me share today’s reading in Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling (written in 2008).  Jesus is saying to us: “I am your Refuge and Strength, an ever-present Help in trouble. Therefore, you don’t need to be afraid of anything – not even cataclysmic circumstances. The media are increasingly devoted to fear-inducing subject matter: terrorism, serial killers, environmental catastrophes. If you focus on such dangers and forget that I am your Refuge in all circumstances, you will become increasingly fearful. Every day I manifest My grace in countless places and situations, but the media take no notice. I shower not only blessings but also outright miracles on your planet.

      “As you grow closer to Me, I open your eyes to see more and more of My Presence all around you. Things that most people hardly notice, like shifting shades of sunlight, fill you with heart-bursting Joy. You have eyes that see and ears that hear, so proclaim My abiding Presence in the world.”

       I love the opening words of the old hymn: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace” (written by Helen Lemmel in 1922).

     When we keep our eyes upon the Lord Jesus Christ and trust His heart of love, we can rest in that wonderful “peace that passes understanding,” which is available to all God’s children every moment of every day.

     “A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you…because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place,” Psalm 91:7 & 9.

  

Photo:  I took this picture at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  The building in the picture is upside down - it's Ripley's Believe it Or Not.

Book:  Charles Dickens wrote “A Tale of Two Cities,” published in 1859.

    

Christmas

CHRISTMAS 

    Christmas means many things to people.  Certainly, beautifully decorated trees, shimmering with lights is a favorite sight during the Christmas season.  This impressive tree in the lobby of the Animal Kingdom Lodge is especially pretty.

    Food is certainly up there with favorite things at Christmas.  There are some foods that only seem to show up in December - like this Maple Buche de Noel, which in plain English is maple mousse and cranberry rolled in gingerbread chiffon cake, iced with rich chocolate.  And - it tasted as good as it looks!

The most beautiful flower of Christmas - the poinsettia -- comes in such lush colors, it's hard to choose which is the prettiest!  These special flowers have been a part of Christmas for over a hundred years.

Stars are special, especially the one that led the Wise Men to Jesus nearly 2,000 years ago.  I love this plaque my friend Peggy made many years ago.  The message is timeless and its truth undeniable.  The word "star" is "estrella" in Spanish - such a pretty sound it makes on the tongue (:

Ah, the songs of Christmas are so special!  "Joy to the World the Lord has come" - you can't help but smile singing that one.  Then, there is Silent Night, Away in a Manger, and O, Little Town of Bethlehem, just to name a few.  What would Christmas be without music?  What is your favorite Christmas carol?  

But, the most wonderful and amazing aspect of Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ who was born on that day.  Or, we might say, Christmas was born on that day when baby Jesus made His entrance into this world.  "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace," Isaiah 9:6.  This most wonderful Gift - Jesus - is the reason for the season.

From our house to yours, 

we wish you a blessed Christmas 

and a healthy, happy new year of 2022.

 

Glory to God

 

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST

"Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: you will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.'"

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!'" Luke 2:8-14.

What an amazing sight that must have been for those simple shepherds!  Then, when they walked to the nearby stable and saw the little baby lying in a manger, their hearts must have burned within them as they recognized this very special birth.  Had not a host of angels flying in the sky above their heads told them that this baby was the very Lord Himself - the long-awaited Messiah?  When you are visited by hundreds of shining angels, you don't take their message lightly.

Out of all the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks that night, God chose these few men to be the recipients of this wonderful message, delivered in such a stunning manner.  Wow!  What an amazing honor!  Scripture ends our glimpse of these shepherds with these words, "Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them," Luke 2:20.

I imagine this experience changed their lives and these shepherds were never the same again.  No doubt, they repeated the story over and over again to anyone who would listen and always, there would be awe and wonder in their voices as they remembered that supernatural experience in the dark field of Bethlehem and the special baby in the stable.

As we celebrate the awesome birth of our Savior, let's embrace the wonder of it all and rejoice in the amazing grace God has showered upon us by sending to us this incomparable Gift.

Doors of the Bible

Doors are fascinating, because they may lead to something wonderful, or not. One of the most important doors described in the Bible is the door that was rolled away from the opening to the tomb of Jesus, providing the proof of His wonderful resurrection.  Matthew tells us, "...an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door..." and the angel said, "He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." (2 & 6)

The most important door is Jesus Himself.  He is the "way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by Him," John 14;6, and the verse where He describes Himself as THE door is found in the gospel of John, "I am the door, if anyone enters by Me, he will be saved," (10:9).

Another Door verse regarding sheep is also found in John 10, where Jesus describes Himself as the Door to the Sheepfold, "Then Jesus said to them again, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.'"  This statement refers to Jesus as laying down His life to protect the sheep within His sheepfold, which would be His children.  

Then, there is an intriguing verse in Revelation 3:8 where Jesus tells the church in Philadelphia, "I know your works.  See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it..."  In this picture, there is an open door that leads into a lovely room - and a second door that is shut.  A verse in Isaiah 22:22, tells us that God is the One who, "opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens."  When we pray to God for guidance, we can ask that He shut the door He does not want us to through and open the door He wants us to go through.

Then there is the verse in Revelation 3:20 where Jesus tells us, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."  What an amazing and generous offer from the King of kings!

Doors are a part of everyone's lives.  The important thing is to choose the right door when it comes to our eternal destiny.  We are plainly told in Matthew 7:  "Enter by the narrow gate [or door]; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it," verse 13-14.

Fun Sights & Tasty Treats

 

In this post, I'll share some fun sights and tasty treats along the way on our recent Road Trip.  Bet you recognize the fellow sitting beside me on the bench above.  Fred Rogers was one of the nicest guys, even if he was a bit stiff in this picture.  We stopped in Latrobe, PA, his hometown and I was reminded of the simple, yet wonderful TV shows Mr. Rogers produced.  He was the epitome of a Good Neighbor.

I love this beautiful sunflower against a partly cloudy blue sky.  It was growing in a plot of sunflowers at our first rest stop in Pennsylvania.  What a nice welcome to that lovely state!

Yum!!  And yes, it tasted just as good as it looks.  We told our server we were going to share a banana split and she said she made this one extra large for us to share.  Double Yum!!  This place is called Valley Dairy Restaurant in Latrobe, PA.  The town is known for the creation of the banana split back in 1904, by a young man named David Evans Stickler, an apprentice pharmacist in Latrobe.

Speaking of food - this is one of the most unique sandwiches you'll see.  It's not very pretty, but it is quite tasty and filling.  It consists of thickly sliced (delicious) homemade white bread, meat of your choice, tomato, homemade cole slaw (more like sauerkraut) and French fries.  It's quite a hefty sandwich and takes some maneuvering to get it into your mouth, but it's very good, and - yes, I ate the whole thing!!  My nephew Alex recommended Primanti Brothers in Pittsburgh as a local must-try and I'm so glad we did.  The original sandwich was created in 1933 for truck drivers and steel workers so that they could eat their entire meal - meat, potatoes and bread - with one hand.  This stop was both fun and tasty!

I can't end the Yum section without sharing this hulking piece of berry pie with a hefty scoop of ice cream I had at Lyn-way Restaurant in Ashland, Ohio.  This was much larger than expected, but once again -- I ate the whole thing (:  It reminds me of the verse in Psalm 34:8, "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"  I felt very blessed indeed with that dessert!

Well, this is something you don't see everyday!  A deer with a full rack of antlers casually leans on the bridge over the Scioto River in Columbus, Ohio. Back in 2015, artist Terry Allen fashioned three bronze deer to enhance the Scioto Mile along the waterfront (we only saw this one).  Scioto means "hairy deer" in a Native American language.  This big guy is lucky - he gets to enjoy this wonderful view 24/7.

Here I am sitting on yet another bench with a well-known character -- at least to Cincinnati Reds Baseball fans.  Redlegs, who sports bulging eyes and a walrus mustache, made his debut as mascot in 1953.  It's quite impressive the way Redlegs is able to hold a pose for a very, very long time.

I saw this sign on a building in Lexington, Kentucky.  If you were thinking about getting a tattoo, how likely would you be to choose a place named, "Poisoned Pen?"  It's as if they're advertising infection, or worse if you pop into our shop for the needle.  My advice - run, run as fast as you can!

Here we have a giant - and I mean GIANT gavel on display outside the Supreme Court building in Columbus, Ohio.  I really should have crossed over the barrier to stand beside the thing to give it  perspective, but it was one of the rare times I wimped out on stretching the rules for a photo opt.  This 31 feet long, 17,000 pound stainless steel work is considered the largest judicial gavel in the world.  It reminds me of the verse in Matthew 7:1, "Judge not, that you be not judged."  

I guess I might include this in the "Yum" category - not for me, but for this grey squirrel who seemed to carry supper for her entire family in her mouth.  Another new sight for me - in Beckley, West Virginia.

And finally, in the charming town of Lewisburg, West Virginia, I spotted this sign in a shop window.  It makes me think of the verse in Isaiah that I especially like where the Lord says He will, "give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified," 61:3.

Journey

 

JOURNEY

    Join me as I share a glimpse of our recent journey which encompassed 1800 miles through Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia.  The inviting path above is part of the gardens at Stan Hywet Hall in Akron, Ohio.  I do love a good path and this one reminds me of one of my favorite verses in Psalm 16:12: "You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

    I'm going to share some of my favorite pictures of the road trip.  I love to illustrate photos with truths from God's Word.  I hope you will enjoy what follows - "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver," Proverbs 15:11 

   It was a foggy morning in the mountains of West Virginia.  There is something evocative and haunting about foggy scenes.  While you can see part of the picture, other 

parts are shrouded in mist and mystery.  

    I'm reminded of the verse in 1 Corinthians, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known," 13:12 

    

In contrast, these beautiful bright blooms growing at the Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio evoke smiles and feelings of joyful abandon.  These yellow flowers are like sunshine on a stalk.  David was speaking of the God of Israel when he said, "And He shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, like the tender grass springing out of the earth," 2 Samuel 23:4.

This historic building in Beckley, West Virginia, was used as a workshop by a person in the 1800s.  It's a wonderful old place, complete with stacks of chopped wood for the fireplace, and beautiful autumn foliage falling to the carpet of green grass below.  It would make a snug workplace in the winter.  We took a tour of a coal mine nearby.  This workshop would have been a palace compared to the mines.  "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men," Colossians 3:23.

Cherry trees grew all around Frankfort, Kentucky.  Unfortunately, I don't think they were edible, but they were pretty pops of red color among the green leaves and I was happy to get this nice picture on the grounds of the WVA State Capitol.  You can probably guess the verse I choose related to fruit (:  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is not law," Galatians 5:22-23.

    Ah, the Ark.  I've wanted to visit this actual-size wonder for many years.  So glad we finally had the opportunity to go to Kentucky and see it up-close and personal.  This ark is so large that if you could see people under the piers holding it up, they would be tiny.  

    Although our visit was somewhat marred by crowds, it was still a wonderful experience and helps scripture come to life in special ways.  "Then the Lord said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation," Genesis 7:1.

The second day of our trip, we were in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - home of Larry's favorite baseball team, the Pirates.  Ever since he was a little boy beginning to follow sports, through thick and thin, he's been a Pittsburgh Pirates fan.  So, of course, a major stop for us was PNC Stadium, complete with a 90-minute tour.  This photo is taken standing on the Sixth Street Bridge which runs alongside PNC Park.  God blessed us with a beautiful, warm sunny day.  You can see that Larry is a very happy camper!  "How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!" Psalm 36:7.

This was one of the few spots where there was this much leaf color grouped together.  As we drove past, I snapped a quick picture and I'm glad it's in focus.  We were on our way to the New River Gorge in West Virginia (the next picture).  Here's a nifty "tree" verse:  "Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord," 1 Chronicles 16:33.  Pretty cool to think that even trees can rejoice (:

    This elegant steel structure spanning the river is the New River Gorge Bridge.  It's the second highest vehicle-carrying bridge in the US and the third longest single arch bridge in the world.  Finished in 1977, it's 876 feet high and over 3,000 feet long.  We rode across the bridge and then wound around narrow roads to get to the gorge below.  It was lovely!

    While the word "bridge" does not appear in the Bible, here are a few meaningful sayings using bridges:  "Prayer is a bridge between panic and peace." - "Jesus Christ is the bridge to everlasting life." - "Only Jesus could build a bridge to heaven with two pieces of wood." - "Faith is the bridge between where I am and the place where God is taking me."

    We enjoyed a lovely walk along the Ohio River in Columbus, Ohio, with great views of the big city in the background.  I love the way the buildings are mirrored on the surface of the water.  It's like a mirror image, but a bit murky and unclear.  

    Near the beginning of this post, I used the verse about "seeing through a glass, darkly..." from the King James version of the Bible.  This scene reminds me of the NKJV of the same verse in 1 Corinthians 13:12, when it says, "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face..." it's like the  muted skyline of Columbus reflected in the water's surface - unsubstantial, fleeting and not the real thing.  That's kind of how life is on this ole planet earth.  We're living in a pale reflection of what life will someday be when we'll see Jesus face to face and live in a solid eternal world that is more wonderful than our imaginations can ever conceive.

As the sun sets on this particular post, I wish for you joy in the Lord, "From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord's name is to be praised," Psalm 113:3.

    

Outer Banks Interlude

OUTER BANKS INTERLUDE

I dub the picture of this beautiful sunset over the Pamlico Sound at Duck, North Carolina, as an illustration of the verse in Psalm 118:24, "This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."  It was the ending of a lovely day the Lord made for us and we rejoiced in His gracious gift.

I will share some of my favorite pictures from the week Larry and I spent at our timeshare in Kitty Hawk in the magical Outer Banks.  We were there the week leading up to Labor Day.  It was a needed time of relaxation and change of pace after a very difficult five weeks.  It all began on July 21, when Larry's sweet mother died of a sudden, massive stroke.  She was so blessed to have lived in her own home, healthy and independent until the day she died at age 96 years old.  We miss her, but know she is rejoicing in heaven.  Two weeks later, Larry's sister Pat died at the age of 72 years of covid.  Her death was a shock and we still can hardly believe it happened.  We at least have the comfort that she joined her mother and they are both enjoying a happy reunion with loved ones.  We had a double funeral on August 13.

So, you can see that a healing week at the beach was something we needed to help us process our loss and renew our strength.  God is so good!  "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds," Psalm 147:3, and "You...put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?" Psalm 56:8.  Rejoice with me as I share illustrations of God's grace in our lives.

"For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that

are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord God will cause righteousness

and praise to spring forth before all the nations," Isaiah 61:11

I was so excited to see this rainbow - a rare occurrence for me.

"I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant

between Me and the earth," Genesis 9:13

This soldier-like row of Seagulls in Wanchese are specifically mentioned in 

Leviticus 11:16 among a list of birds the Jewish people were not to eat, 

but then, would you really want to eat one of these birds??

"the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the sea gull, and the hawk after its kind:"

I prefer this encouraging verse about all birds in Matthew 6:26:

"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns;

yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?"

Here's another bird - the Hawk - listed with the sea gull in Leviticus.  He doesn't

look very tasty either, but rather intimidating with his glaring eyes and sharp, curved beak.

In Job 39:26, God asks Job, "Does the hawk fly by your wisdom, and spread its wings

toward the south?"  The answer, of course, is No, Job did not have that ability anymore than

we do.  Only God is in control of all things.  He reminds us in a following chapter 

of this very truth.  "Everything under heaven is Mine," Job 41:11.

We enjoyed a visit from my sister Ava and hubby Mike (sorry we didn't get a pic of Michael!)

So thankful for family - a true blessing from the Lord!!  "By this all will know that 

you are My disciples, if you have love for one another," John 13:35

Here are Larry and I on the famous Jeannette's Pier in Nags Head.  The original pier was

built in 1939.  It was destroyed several times and finally rebuilt of sturdier stuff by the

 NC Aquarium Society in 2011.  We enjoyed exploring this very long, interesting pier.

 This is a sweet little lighthouse on the waterfront of Manteo.  I love blessings and I love

joy, and the following verses offer both:  "Blessed are the people who know the

joyful sound!  They walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance, in 

your name they rejoice all day long..." Psalm 89:15-16

Did you know that turtles are mentioned in the Bible?  We saw a brackish inlet full

of turtles along the boardwalk of Sandy Run Park in Kitty Hawk.  There's something sort

of endearing about turtles, and here's what scripture says:  "The flowers appear 

on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of 

the turtle is heard in our land," Song of Solomon 2:12 KJV  

Note:  I realize this verse may be referring to a "turtle-dove," but I for one know

that God can cause even a hard-shelled turtle to sing His praises if He wishes (:

I'll close with this bit of humor.  We enjoyed watching a Pro-Surfing Contest 

in Nags Head.  I thought I'd try out the long (or short) board and catch a wave 

myself.  It was fun (:   "But I am the Lord your God, who divided the sea 

whose waves roared - the Lord of hosts is His name," Isaiah 51:15

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!

 

License Plates & More License Plates

 

LICENSE PLATES & MORE LICENSE PLATES

      A friend of mine sent me this picture from his backyard (photo by Gotti) and I knew it was perfect for this post.  What a cool display of license plates!  My collection of personalized plate names is growing so fast, I need to off-load the latest batch even before the summer is over.  So, here goes:

                   There are plates that appear to indicate either an interest or profession
                    MUS1C5          TUB1ST       NEWHMS (from a realtor)       TU TYR
 
                    I like the plates that offer encouragement
                   THNKGD       BELIEVNU       NXT 100       CLAR1TY
 

                   There are always the interesting attitudes and self-designations
               STAY FLY       LIVABIT       SOMEONE      IMASUUR (with an Italian accent)
               HIT RD      SAYESIR      OLREDNK      OBX WGLR       JBIRD2       SLOWR      
 

                  Then, there are just people who come up with clever license plates
         SSHAWK (gotta love this movie!)        SMUV RID       RINGMUP       GOOSE
              PERA CYT       MSLNGNK       JOYRIDN       SUGABGR       NT EASY
         MM CANDY       ALL4UZ       NOARK       NYDOGVN       CIZZLE     EYOREE 

Notice on Highway Sign:    “Ease up – Lead Foot”

Sign in OBX – “Mistakes are proof that you’re trying”

 

                   My very favorite license plates are ones that honor Almighty God
                    GLR2 GD       GOD IZZ       I PR4Y       HS IMAGE      2 NO HM
 

The message I get from the last set of plates is:  God IS, and I wish to know Him more and more.  I pray to be conformed to His Image and I offer glory to God.

Truth versus Lies

 

TRUTH VERSUS LIES

This statue of an ugly demon at the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Florida, represents for us the evil ugliness in the mind of Satan - the father of lies.

Jesus was teaching in the temple when He said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,” John 8:32.

You would think that most people want to know the truth, but sadly, too many people in this world willingly accept lies.  Why?  Perhaps because the lie sounds good -- more acceptable and easier to process than the truth.  Or, maybe the lie is what they want to hear and so they don’t question, or even care that it’s not true.

 The greatest danger is when the lie being told relates to salvation.  People believing such lies don’t realize they’re captives of the enemy, blinded by his lies.  Paul wrote, “….the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God,” 2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV

 The god of this world that Paul speaks of is Satan – our enemy.  When Jesus spoke of Satan, He said, “When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies,” John 8:44 ESV

 There are countless lies spread by the enemy.  Like poison seeds, he flings out feelings of, fear, jealousy, bitterness, lust, discontent, hatred, selfishness, worthlessness – and the list goes on.  The enemy also seeks to dilute God’s Word by claiming if you just do the best you can, treat others kindly, go to a church of some sort, and do good deeds, then, of course, you’ll go to heaven someday.

 Below, is a poem written by a precious sister in Christ who went to be home with the Lord just last month (June 20).  In spite of the fact that she was battling brain cancer, she still wanted to share the truth of God and encourage others of His love and truth when she wrote these words.

 It’s A Lie

Everyone says all religion’s the same, the fast track to the gods above,

It's so pleasing to the ear to hear them say, "In this world, all you need is love

Everyone says do lots of good works, and don’t worry about God’s plan.

Others will praise all the efforts you made, impress God the best that you can.

Everyone says how you feel is what counts, don’t let the notion of sin mar your day,

Just be happy and smile with a song in your heart and make sure you live life your way.

“It’s a lie, it’s a lie,” that’s what Jesus would say; He wants us to know there’s a better way.

"It's a lie, it's a lie," that's what Jesus would say; He wants us to know there's a better way.

                                                                                             Poem by Debra Cunningham

                                                                                    

 Here’s the Truth that will set you free: 

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me,” John 14:6.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast,” Ephesians 2:5-6.

 

The Word of God - Illustrated

 

The Word of God - Illustrated

It's heartening to know that the Bible is the best selling book of all time with an estimated 5 billion copies sold.  Paul tells us, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit...and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart," Hebrews 4:12.

I enjoy offering pictures I've taken to illustrate verses from the Bible.  They remind us that the Word is relevant to all times and seasons.  And, they can be fun too!

"And Jesus said to him, 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, 

but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head,'" Luke 9:58

"So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs

came up and covered the land of Egypt," Exodus 8:6.

"He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay 

back what he has given," Proverbs 19:17

"And the desert shall rejoice and blossom

 as the rose," Isaiah 35:1

"The lizard skillfully grasps with its hands, and it is in

kings' palaces," Proverbs 30:28

"Like a ring of gold in a swine's snout, so is a lovely woman

who lacks discretion," Proverbs 11:22

When the Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke His disciples when they were

praising Him, Jesus said, "I tell you that if these should keep 

silent, the stones would immediately cry out," Luke 19:40

This last verse reminds me of a passage in the book of Job, when God tells Job how all of nature knows who He is and praises Him by their very existence:  "But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; and the fish of the sea will explain to you, who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?" Job 12:7-11.

~~~Photos were taken:

--Church doorway with verse - the French Huguenot Church in Charleston, SC

--Fox - asleep in my back flower bed

--Frog - a blue poison dart frog in Raleigh Science Museum, NC

--Me & Statue - in Bend, Oregon; sculpture by Richard Beyer

--Pink Roses - in a palace garden in Cordoba, Spain

--Lizard - is a Fiji banded iguana in the Norfolk Zoo, VA

--Swine statue - in Winchester, VA

--Stone wall - also in Winchester, VA