80 Years Young!

I believe it is a wonderful accomplishment to live to a great old age. This month my daughter's grandmother (her father's mother) turned 80. They gave her a surprise party that my daughter and I attended. My daughter did not tell anyone that we were coming, so it was a total surprise for the family. The drawing below is a "sketch" (not a very good one) from a photo of all the grand kids, and the grandparents.

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 

The Bible says to train a child in the why he should go.... So as parents when our child is born it is our job to train our children to live a life pleasing to God. The life that they should live... it never says they will always stay in the way. They may stray, they may disobey, they may live a life for a time that isn't pleasing to us or our God.

The thing is I believe that every promise of God's Word comes true. This is a promise. If we do our job, to train our children in the way they should go.... then when they are old they will not depart from it... in my mind this means they will come back to it....

I know I did not always follow the path that was laid out for me, but as I grew older I realized how much that path meant to me and the life I really wanted to live, so I came back to God. So can our children....

The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness. Proverbs 16:31

Now, my daughter's grandmother is living a life she feels is pleasing to God and all of her 80 years are reflected on her silver head is a crown of glory for her. I pray that I can live my life and that my daughter will live her life in a way that will please God and that will lead us to a crown of glory. I always say I earned every gray hair on my head, I just want God to be pleased with my life when the time comes....

Thanks for reading. May God Bless each of you!

 

So Colorful!

Today, we are going to a birthday party for my daughter's 80 year old grandmother. The drive yesterday was long and mountainous. I really enjoyed it even though I can't really drive as long as I used to. There were a few times when I was getting sleep, so I stopped, got coffee or some kind of caffeine and walked around a bit... then I was good to go.

One of the cool things about this time of year in this area is that the trees are so beautiful especially here is the mountains. As we were driving I was in awe of the trees and the striation of greens. So many different shades it was so very wonderful. It is sad that my "painting" doesn't do it justice. The road curving up the mountain, and the trees all around...

God made this world so full of color, not just in nature but in us also. It is a shame that we put to much emphasis on the differences, which we call races. God only created one race..... HUMAN! the variation in color makes us each unique... He could of made us all look exactly the same, but God is a God of uniqueness and He desires us to be also.

And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,  Acts 17:26

 The rich and the poor have this in common, The Lord is the maker of them all. Proverbs 22:2

So, we should remember that God loves us all, He made us all. We should encourage children to sing and believe the song Jesus Loves the Little Children. I did not know there were so many verse in this song maybe we should learn them all instead of just the chorus.

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Black and yellow, red and white
They're all precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world

Whether you're rich or whether you're poor
It matters not to Him
He remembers where you're going
Not where you've been

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Black and yellow, red and white
They're all precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world

If your heart is troubled
Don't worry, don't you fret
He knows that you have heard His call
And he won't forget

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Black and yellow, red and white
They're all precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world

All around the world tonight
His children rest assured
That He will watch and He will keep us
Safe and secure

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Black and yellow, red and white
They're all precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world

The world is a wonderfully colorful place that would be really boring if there was no color or differences in us all. We need to embrace the beauty in it all and thank God for His masterpieces. Thank you for reading and God bless you all. 

The Journey Begins

No "art" today, it is an early morning ... I am getting some loose ends together before my daughter and I hit the road.

We are traveling into at least 8 states in 17 days. We have a birthday and a graduation to attend. There are also some friends and family we will be visiting along the way also. I hope that we not only have fun with these things, but the we will also see some wonderful sights in the is country of ours. Since, I was little I have wanted to visit Montana and I hope that I get to on this trip, even if it is only to be able to say I have been there. It will probably be the only new state for me to visit this time.

Every time I travel, I see some wonderful things and God speaks to me in the smallest of them. I pray that this trip will be no exception. His wonderful masterpiece that he has given us to call home for the short time makes me think... "if this earth is this beautiful, how much more magnificent will the new heaven and earth be!!! I can not even fathom it. 

Here is a verse that I want to start this trip with...

"I will walk before the Lord In the land of the living." Psalm 116:9

I want to put my best foot forward and be a witness for God on this trip. Will I stumble at this, probably. I know that God does not expect perfection from me, He only wants my willingness to be obedient to Him. Everyday I pray I see His beauty, and find peace in knowing He is with me. I want to be able to share Him with everyone I see in some way.

Lord, please keep us safe as we travel in the land of the living, and help us to grow in your grace and love for one another. Bless those reading this.

Above All

No art today... sorry I know everyone just loves it... (it is so hard to put sarcasm in print) I am going to link to a video here though....

Today, the praise team sang this above song during worship. The video will be up soon but I am not trying to get you to here that. I am trying to express my love for my Savior by writing this blog.

 As I was teaching my Sunday School class today the power of the words of this song hit me. Jesus put me, you, everyone above everything He could have had or done. I was telling the kids that I thought they should watch "The Passion" to get just how much Jesus loved us. Yet, I told them that even that movie could not portray the immense love He showed, the profound pain He suffered, the unrecognizable person that He became, all for us. I compared it to a fighter who has been beaten beyond recognition, I told them to think about a time when they might have had a black eye. What happens is the eye and skin around the eye swell until sometimes you can barely see that there is even an eye there. Jesus looked worse than that, Isaiah 53 says....

Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Surely, He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
And they made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

I think about how, by the time Jesus was carrying the cross, before Simon of Cyrene had been compelled to carry it for Him, He didn't even look human any longer. What immense pain and suffering He bore. He traveled on and laid down with no prompting and let them nail Him to that cross. His breathing would have been almost non-existent, it would have been unbearable for Him to speak the few words He spoke. Then as His Heavenly Father turn His back on Him and placed the weight of me sin on His already indistinguishable form He said.... "It is Finished"

I am so glad that Jesus died for me, for you, for everyone.... I am so glad that all I have to do is believe that He was able to be that FINAL sacrifice for me. I am so glad that He didn't stay dead but that He is alive and well.... and He is coming again to claim all who believe for life eternally with Him. 

One more video, if you care to watch that makes me think of all Christ did for me... Thanks for reading, I hope all of you come to know, love, and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you all!

A Project and Usefulness

I have been busy the past week or so working on a project. I am going to share a couple of photos but will not be sharing what the project is because I don't want to spoil the surprise. I am doing better at blogging this time, just not doing as well I as I first started, sorry about that. Here are the photos of the project I am working on.  These are tassels I made and there are metal pieces that I have "engraved".

Now on to the blog....

Have you ever felt "useless" not really in a bad way. I don't mean I feel good for nothing or incapable. I am capable of many things but there are times when I feel useless. 

I have friends who God has put in my path, people God sends my way that need my help... and all I can do is pray, most of the time. Not that prayer is useless, prayer is far from useless. I just long to be able to do more. I can listen, but I still want to do more. I can give a ride, share verses, or even if I have it give money. I still feel like it isn't enough. 

Since I have been retired more and more people have stepped into my life (God has put them in my path) who need me. I want so much to help them, to share God with them, to take their hurts away. I feel like I fail at it in so many ways, because of time, distance, money, and even ability.

Ministry is hard, and I know God never said it would be easy. Why should I think it would be, Jesus' ministry wasn't easy, he was rejected, belittled, mocked, beaten, called names, and eventually died. I am so glad He didn't stay dead!

There are some verses that remind me that the people God puts in our paths are there to help us see Jesus everyday. 

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’  Matthew 25:34-40

I hope that I am helping others the way these did, but I feel like my help is not as useful as it should be.  I want to see Jesus through the people He brings my way. I also want to be useful. I pray all the time for God to help me love people the way he wants me to... I just wish it was easier to do.

Lord, thank you for the people you have and will send my way. Help me to be what you want me to be to them, and Love them the way you love them. Thanks to those of you who read my post. God bless you all.