The Lilies

Irises are in the lily family and I love all the variations of color in both lilies and irises.

We had a sweet neighbor with dozens of irises lining her sidewalk. When I would push my son Caleb who had Down syndrome in his wheel chair, he could not resist reaching over and picking one to take home.

I just watched a story on CBN of a family who adopted several children with Down Syndrome after the deaths of two of their children. They have such a beautiful family.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHYO_Wljvhk

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Luke 12:27

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Sunrise Brilliance to Sunset Beauty

My granddaughter and I colored many Bible verses when she stayed with me after school. She liked adding the stick-on jewels.

I like Psalm 113:3 from The Passion Translation.

It reminds me of one of my favorite hymns of praise:

We praise Thee, O God! 

For the Son of Thy love,

For Jesus who died

And is now gone above.

Hallelujah! Thine the glory,

Hallelujah! Amen.

Hallelujah, Thine the glory,

Revive us again.

William Mckay

Brooks and Meadows

The Lord himself is my inheritance, my prize. He is my food and drink, my highest joy! He guards all that is mine. He sees that I am given pleasant brooks and meadows as my share! What a wonderful inheritance! I will bless the Lord who counsels me; he gives me wisdom in the night. He tells me what to do. Psalm 16:5-7 

God's Plan for You is Good

I am reading one of Corrie ten Boom's books: Marching Orders for the End Battle.

I am very thankful for our men and women in the Armed Services. I also know that all of us can do battle on our knees in prayer. The Bible tells us to pray for our nation, and our leaders, but Jesus tells us to also pray for our enemies.

"A soldier has to know his marching orders," Corrie wrote, and she quoted this Bible verse:

Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity. Romans 12

God With Us

Someone gave me Don Moen's video in 1993 at a time when I really needed encouragement.

Tonight I ran across this song that was so meaningful to me.

I needed a song in my heart this evening.

Be strong and take courage.

Do not fear or be dismayed

For the One Who lives within you

Will be strong in you today.

https://youtu.be/9dN4xks93fo

April Memories

A favorite memory is walking to church early on Easter morning with Daddy. He was Sunday School superintendent and he had been praying that we would have 500 people that day. He and all the teachers had invited many neighbors and friends in our small town. As we walked toward the double doors in the front of the sanctuary, there sat a fat white bunny, twitching his nose. Daddy chuckled and the bunny scampered away, but it was a treat for a six year old girl.

The church looked pretty in the morning light through the stained glass windows. Pots of lilies filled every window sill. My great-grandfather was the church janitor and he had everything spotless and the new piano polished to a mirror sheen. He and Daddy got busy setting up folding chairs along the center aisle and in the foyer.

God answered prayers and we had more that 500 people in worship. They had to open the doors and windows and hand out funeral home fans to keep the folks cool.

After a beautiful Easter service, the whole family gathered at grandmother's for Sunday Dinner. Mother was expecting my little sister.

Grandmother's roses were blooming along the fence, purple thrift edged the driveway and red tulips lined the front walk. Today would have been grandmother's 125th birthday! I am thankful for my family and church family who loved me and taught me about God's love.

You Owe Me Nothing

I heard the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) for many years before I learned that prodigal means giving lavishly. The wayward son spent his inheritance extravagantly and foolishly. But the father was also prodigal as he lavished love and forgiveness on a child who deserved nothing.

God owes me nothing. I deserve hell, 

yet He's given me MERCY!

Praise the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord!

Misty Edwards Worship IHOP KC

https://youtu.be/_1owflm3dnM

Think About God's Love

Think about His love.

Think about His goodness.

Think about His grace that's brought us through,

For as high as the heavens above

So great is the measure of our Father's love.

https://youtu.be/RnjtZ7j9AhE

Peaceful chorus  by Don Moen

I am praying for those affected by attacks on churches during Easter week.

He Arose!

Low in the grave He lay,
Jesus, my Savior,
Waiting the coming day,
Jesus, my Lord!
Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o'er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!

The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. 

Hebrews 1:3

When I was a child, I looked forward to the congregation singing this triumphant hymn every Easter morning.

Living Hope

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5

PINK AND GREEN

I love this cluster of trees in front of my apartment building. They smell nice too. I think they are crabapples. And our lawn is so lush and green suddenly! Everybody was sitting on the rocking chair porch this afternoon. Nice to chat with the neighbors.

BE GLAD

Always be full of joy in the Lord; I say it again, rejoice! Let everyone see that you are unselfish and considerate in all you do. Remember that the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.

And now, brothers, as I close this letter, let me say this one more thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about. 

Philippians 4

Who Can Compare

My son Cameron plays piano and leads worship at a church in New York.
He sent me the photos above.
I love this beautiful chorus that he sings:

Who can compare to You, my Lord?

You're everything that I adore.

All of my life is in the palm of your hand.

All of my heart I give to You,

All that I am and all I do.

Who can compare to You?

Jessie Rogers Goodman 
 https://youtu.be/4tGk9n4BFUI

Gift of God's Love

By Christ on the cross peace was made.

My debt by His death was all paid.

No other foundation is laid

For peace, the gift of God's love.

Peter Billhorn

“I have given them the glory you gave me—

the glorious unity of being one, as we are— 

I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one—

so that the world will know you sent me and will understand 

that you love them as much as you love me. 

Father, I want them with me—these you’ve given me—

so that they can see my glory. 

You gave me the glory because you loved me 

before the world began!"

John 17:22-24

Praying for the Peace of Jerusalem

"There will be no permanent peace and safety for Jerusalem until the Prince of Peace Himself comes to establish His reign on earth. So in effect, when I pray for the peace of Jerusalem, what I am really praying for is not for the terms of a treaty....What I’m really praying for is the return of Jesus. Yeshua. Israel’s Messiah. The Prince of Peace. So I’m on my knees, praying for the peace of Jerusalem. Even so, come Lord Jesus." - Anne Graham Lotz

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

May they be secure who love you!

Peace be within your walls

and security within your towers!
Psalm 122:6-7

My son's visit to Jerusalem in 2017.

Golden Oldie

This is my brother and me at Georgia State University in 1969. He was kind enough to escort me to a Baptist Student Union party. We now both have children who are in their forties.

Yes, kids! We did have cameras and color photos back in the sixties :-) My brother was voted Wittiest in his high school senior class. He used to do a great imitation of Walter Cronkite. He will soon celebrate his 71st birthday. "And that's the way it is!"

Purpose

Every day is a gift from God, a day He planned for us at this moment in history. His word tells us that He has a book and each day of our lives is written in His book.

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Psalm 139:16

I have a living Hope.

I have a future.

God has a plan for me.

Of this I'm sure!

Don Moen

The picture of Kaedyn is one of my favorites from 4 years ago. Even though it was a blustery day, nothing would suit her but to hunt for Easter eggs on the lawn. I tried to protect her little ears with my scarf and she had so much fun.

Nearer to Thee

I have become absolutely convinced that neither death nor life, neither messenger of Heaven nor monarch of earth, neither what happens today nor what may happen tomorrow, neither a power from on high nor a power from below, nor anything else in God’s whole world has any power to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 8:38-39

Here is an amazing rendition of the melody:

Nearer My God to Thee

Andre Rieu

https://youtu.be/v1mQT1u_45I

Everlasting

Lord, You have been our dwelling place

in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth,

Or ever You had formed 

the earth and the world,

Even from EVERLASTING to EVERLASTING,

You are God.

Psalm 90:1-2

 When I was younger there was always something about visiting the Great Smoky Mountains or the
Atlantic ocean or the Great Lakes that made my problems seem small in comparison with all that our Heavenly Father has planned.

April in Indiana

Dewdrops on the flowers

Blossoms on the trees

Chilly mornings linger

Crispness in the breeze

Kite-tails soaring high 

Happy children sing

Splashing through the puddles

April showers bring

Karen Rice

Precious Name

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, Brother, Friend,

My Prophet, Priest, and King,

My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,

Accept the praise I bring.

John Newton 

John Newton repented and gave his life to Jesus after leaving his job as a slave ship captain in the 1700's. Almost blind at age 82, he still preached. 

Shortly before his death, he was speaking to his church, and had repeated, "Jesus is precious" twice, His assistant whispered, "You've said that  Go on." Then the rafters rang with the cry of the old preacher,

JESUS CHRIST IS PRECIOUS!

 "Yes, you who trust Him recognize the honor God has given Him. 

But for those who reject Him, 

'The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.'"

I Peter 2:7