Through Cloud and Sunshine

My heart goes out the the people left homeless by the wildfires around Gatlinburg TN.

I couldn't get to sleep Tuesday night and watched lived coverage as 14, 000 people evacuated with very little notice. I guess this seems more real to me because I have visited that area and it is not too far from my sister in north Georgia.

I listened to my son Cameron this morning leading worship
 in the prayer room.
He was singing;
The only thing that's going to keep us in the hour of trial
 is God's voice.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

Henry Lyte  - Abide With Me 

Feeling at Home

This is my childhood home in Georgia, Mother and Daddy built it when I was a baby and I lived there until I married. I still dream about good times I had in that house with little sister Mildred and big brother Larry.

Larry and me, at home on Christmas Eve, 1950.

It began to snow on Christmas eve, and Mother begged her doctor to let her take me home from the hospital. We arrived home late after Larry was in bed, and the next morning, he found a little sister under the Christmas tree, along with his new cowboy suit.

At Christmas we read about there being no room at the inn for baby Jesus.. What an honor that Jesus' desire is to make our hearts His home.

Soothing Instrumental - Peaceful Sunsets

Being Thankful - My Chief Task

King David appointed Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord and to celebrate, thanking and praising the Lord, the God of Israel.... David entrusted to Asaph and his brethren the singing of thanks to the Lord [as their chief task]: 

O give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known His doings among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His wondrous works and devoutly praise them! Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
1 Chronicles 16:4, 7-10

Song of Moses

They sang the song of Moses,

the bond-servant of God,
and the song of the Lamb, saying,
"Great and marvelous are Your works,
O Lord God, the Almighty;
Righteous and true are Your ways,
KING OF THE NATIONS!
"Who will not fear, O Lord,
and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy; for
ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU,
FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED."
Revelation 15:3-5 NASB

Thanksgiving Night

On Thanksgiving evenings Mother and Dad would take us kids to downtown Atlanta to Rich's Department Store. As the sky grew dark, we'd stand in the street with the crowd waiting for the lighting of the Great Tree that sat on top of the five-story crystal bridge.

Choirs from Atlanta area stood on each bridge. The floors would light up one at a time and each choir would sing a familiar carol. For the finale, a soloist would begin to sing "O Holy Night". All the floors would light up at once and every voice would join in singing, "Fall on your knees. O hear the angels' voices. O night divine! O night when Christ was born". At that moment the huge tree would be lit and everyone down in the streets would gasp in delight.

After I was married and had kids, we started a tradition of turning on the lights of the Christmas tree at our house on Thanksgiving night.

Precious Name

My children loved to watch the movie The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. In it, a little girl named Imogene, who has never been to church before or heard the Christmas story, is practicing to play the part of Mary in the children's Christmas play. When she hears the prophecy from Isaiah 9: He shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, she innocently asks, "With a name that long, how will the kid will ever get out of first grade!"

Imogene was beginning to understand how precious the Name of Jesus is!

John Newton penned these words in 1779.

How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.

Jesus! my Shepherd, Husband, Friend,
O Prophet, Priest and King,
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
Accept the praise I bring.

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12

Keep On Praying for Unity

The glory that you have given me I have given to them, 

that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me,

 that they may become perfectly one,

 so that the world may know that you sent me 

and loved them even as you loved me.

John 17:22-23

Keep on praying in the Spirit (Eph 6:18).
This is a short clip of a beautiful chorus: MAKE US ONE

  

Honoring Veterans

"We will also finally take care of our great veterans who have been so loyal, and I've gotten to know so many over this 18-month journey. The time I've spent with them during this campaign has been among my greatest honors. Our veterans are incredible people."

President Elect Donald Trump, 11/9/16

Be Glad

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;

    let the sea resound, and all that is in it.

Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;

    let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,

    he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness

    and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Psalm 96:11-13

I will bless the Lord

I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

Psalm 34:1-3

Praying for our nation

Cameron on left with other missionary friends

This is from my son Cameron in New Jersey:

This week our house of prayer is doing a 3 day solemn assembly. If you are not familiar with that term, it just means a call to prayer. We will have people and teams praying 24/7 for our nation at this critical time around the election. Regardless of political agenda, we can all agree that our nation needs God! We have invited the greater church community in our area to participate. So far we have 9 churches that will be joining us!

If you would like to join in with us online, you can stream it at ihopeg.org.

I know many believers, churches, and other houses of prayer around the country are also praying fervently this week.

Even as we cry out for mercy on our nation, may we have our hope and faith in Christ alone.

"The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day." Isaiah 2:11

Much Grace to you,

Cameron

Howdy NEIGH-bor!

A horse pasture borders the property where I live. 

This guy is like me, he grazes all day!

I'm joining Eileen at Saturday's Critters.

Revive US Again

Many places of worship are having solemn assemblies this weekend

 to pray for the election and our nation.

Will You not revive us again,

That Your people may rejoice in You?

Show us Your mercy, LORD,

And grant us Your salvation.

I will hear what God the LORD will speak,

For He will speak peace

To His people and to His saints;

But let them not turn back to folly.

Psalm 85:6-7

All glory and praise

To the God of all grace,

Who hast brought us, and sought us,

And guided our ways

Very beautiful rendition of one of my favorite hymns.

Friday Foto Friends

My son moved to a new location nearer to his church in New Jersey. He was thrilled to find this peaceful park and walking trail nearby.

Happy One Year Anniversary to Friday Foto Friends. and Debbie at Breathing in Grace.

Light and Life

The way of the righteous
is like the first gleam of dawn, 

which shines ever brighter
until the full light of day.

Proverbs 4:18

I listened online to a Christian in a country that is hostile to the gospel of Jesus Christ. She said many there are hearing the Word of God and placing their faith in Jesus Christ, knowing they are surrendering all and putting their lives in danger. Yet these new believers are quickly becoming bold witnesses and leaders in the underground churches. http://www.joelstrumpet.com/?p=8458

Now Christ Jesus has come
to show us the kindness of God. 

Christ our Savior
defeated death and brought us the good news. 

It shines like a light
and offers life that never ends.

2 Timothy 1:10