It is a softly raining day in central Ohio the kind that makes you want to curl up with a good book and  a warm blanket. Even though there is so much to be done outside it is good to get an unexpected retrieve. I am thankful for these days! OK now I am going to the sewing room to pick out colors for my color blind hubby for a new quilt that he is starting.

This is a pic that I shot at the Museum of Appalachia arresting isn't it?

Be blessed...

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.”

Think of God's love for mankind it covers a multitude of sins!

Thank you Jesus..









































Have a joyful day because joy in the Lord is our strength :)

We are His witness....

A woman stands before judge and jury, one hand on the Bible, the other in the air, and makes a pledge: to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. She’s a witness. Her job is to tell the truth.

The Christian, too, is a witness. We, too, make a pledge to tell the truth. The bench may be absent, the judge unseen, but the Bible is present, the watching world the jury, and we’re the primary witnesses—subpoenaed by no less than Jesus himself in Acts 1:8. “You will be my witnesses, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world.”

The witness in court eventually steps down from the witness chair, but the witness for Christ never does. The claims of Christ are always on trial, and we remain under oath!

From Just Like Jesus

Love the people that God has given you they are your biggest blessings!

Want to bring focus to your life? Do what Jesus did. Go home, love your family, and take care of business! Your first mission field is under your roof. What makes you think they’ll believe you overseas if they don’t believe you across the hall?

But Max, I’m ready to do great things for God. Good, do them at work. Be a good employee. Show up on time with a good attitude. Don’t complain or grumble. Do as Colossians 3:23 says, “Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people.”

~Max Lucado

No greater gift than Him who gave His life in exchange for ours!

Luke 19:10 says, “The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them.”

 “He did not come to be served, but to give his life as a ransom for many people.” Mark 10:45

Timmy

We had a wonderful test result yesterday from Timmy's cancer Doctor his PSA is really low from 6.5 about 18 months ago to .04 today!

God is good!

Today I am having a lunch meeting with Mary Boyer to set up our Widows Ministry at Church and I am looking forward to it with her help and expertise :)

Be blessed in His love!

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.”

 Live in His peace which He willingly gives to ALL who call on His name!

Be blessed and be a blessing to others..

~Mac Lucado

How long has it been since you let God have you? I mean really have you? How long since you gave him a portion of undiluted, uninterrupted time listening for his voice?

Apparently, Jesus did. He made a deliberate effort to spend time with God. Spend much time reading about the listening life of Jesus and a distinct pattern emerges. He spent regular time with God, praying and listening. Mark 1:35 says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Luke tells us, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

Let me ask the obvious. If Jesus, the Son of God, the sinless Savior of humankind, thought it worthwhile to clear his calendar to pray, wouldn’t we be wise to do the same?

From Just Like Jesus

Pastor Ron Grubb

Each spring our grass groans and stretches like an old dog waking from a long nap. At first it’s not sure what to wear…whether to face the warm sun in its muted browns and tans or to break out the vivid limes and lush greens. But soon it determines it would be embarrassed to put on anything other than its best velvet dress. Besides it knows soon it will be scattered with the eye popping yellows of dandelions and daffodils.

Marilyn and I live with her dad who at 88 still does all the mowing (yea, I know, how lucky can one guy be).  Even though I seldom mow our acre of grass, I still catch ‘”new mower fever” each spring. Our next door neighbor works for a landscaping company and on regular basis test pilots new mowing equipment.

I sit on our patio and cheer, as he flies by like the Red Baron buzzing Snoopy, leaning forward for maximum velocity while the new, razor-sharp blades effortlessly spray rooster tails of grass. Then I hear the sputter of an old International Cub and turn to see my father in law putt by on the only yard tractor that’s ever mowed our yard in its 40 year history.

It was a respectable yard tractor in its day, but now its sixty inch mower deck rattles and creeks—having been welded back together more times than I’ve been on diets. It’s identifying decals have long since faded to white and its turf tires are checked with age. There is so much free play in the steering mechanism, it’s like reigning in a dashing horse. He sits on a stash of wrenches and pliers regularly needed to keep it running. When it is running, it mows fine. But then some days, it just decides it ain’t going another inch and chunks it in the middle of the yard. That’s where I come in. I’m the mash surgeon for the ol’ girl. “Let’s check the points…hmmm…maybe it’s the carburetor…there, try it!”  Some weeks it sits for several days before we get the problem isolated and repaired.

Marilyn and I have repeatedly failed to convince him it’s time to retire the old tractor—put it out to pasture. He just looks sideways at us and says with sincere conviction, “There’s nothing wrong with that mower it just needs a little attention once in a while.” And he’s right, for the most part. It often mows two weeks in a row before breaking down again.

A couple years back I was determined to purchase a new mower. I reasoned, “After he mows with it a few times, he’ll love it.”

But then, Marilyn and I put our heads together and thought better of that idea.

We considered why he preferred his old mower over a fast, efficient and dependable new mower. Money wasn’t the problem. It must be something more important than dollars. Finally as we discussed the history of the mower the answer became obvious. I was embarrassed when I realized how insensitive I had been regarding the old mower.

Wayne and Naomi built the house in which we now live over 40 years ago. When they moved into their new home they were middle-aged and perfectly healthy. One of the first major purchases was the yard tractor.

Marilyn’s mom, Naomi, was the quintessential farmer’s wife and while Wayne worked the fields, she mowed the grass atop their brand new International Harvester Cub Cadet. Thirty years later, Naomi was diagnosed with cancer and several years after that, she was gone. We still miss her terribly. There remains only a few things at this house that are distinctly Naomi.

When I thought back on the history of her dad and all that’s dear to him, I was embarrassed to think how insensitive I was to believe he would be happy with any other mower. I realized some things are just worth hanging onto.

“The grass withers and the wildflowers fade, but our God’s Word stands firm and forever.”
Isaiah 40:8

Precept upon precept...

Colossians 3:10 reminds us, “You have begun to live the new life, in which you are being made new and are becoming like the One who made you. This new life brings you the true knowledge of God.”

Troubling times in those who are suppose to protect us...

God created all people;

God loves all of His creation; He saw that it was good.

What we do to any person we do for Him or to Him.

What were the commandments that Jesus gave to us? 

To love God above all and love others  much as yourself. 

John 14:22-31

²² Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”

²³ Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, 

and We will come to him and make Our home with him. ²⁴ He who does not love Me does not keep My words; 

and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

He is risen...praise God

What if, for one day, Jesus were to become you? His priorities would be governing your actions. His love would be directing your behavior. Would people notice a change? How about your enemies? Would they receive more mercy? Keep working on this for a moment. Adjust the lens of your imagination until you have a clear picture of Jesus leading your life—then snap the shutter and frame the image. What you see is what God wants. Nothing short of a new heart. In Philippians 2:5 it says, to “think and act like Christ Jesus.” He wants you to have a heart like His.

I’m going to risk something here. It’s dangerous to sum up grand truths in one statement, but I’m going to try. God loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus!

From Just Like Jesus

~Max Lucado

Good Friday

Six hours, one Friday. To the casual observer the six hours are mundane. But to a handful of awestruck witnesses, the most maddening of miracles is occurring. God is on a cross. The Creator of the universe is being executed!

It is no normal six hours; it is no normal Friday. His own friends ran for cover. And now his own father is beginning to turn his back on him, leaving him alone. What do you do with that day in history? If God did commandeer his own crucifixion. . .if he did turn his back on his own son. . .if he did storm Satan’s gate, then those six hours that Friday were packed with tragic triumph. If that was God on that cross, then the hill called Skull is granite studded with stakes to which you can anchor your soul forever!

~Max Lucado

John 19:19 says, “Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross: Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews.”

May our King reign in our hearts always and manifest itself outwardly in our actions!

Easter is coming....He conquered sin and death for all who accept it by faith believing :)

Blessings!