Christian Photographers Community

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Morning Devotional...

WALKING IN THE OLD PATHS Jeremiah 6:16 By the late Jack Scott 12.  The Shepherd's Psalm-- Part (vi)

In our last essay on this beloved Psalm, we discussed the frightening experience of "The valley of the shadow of death." During the intervening time, some of us have walked in that dark vale. For me it was the stark reality of a beloved sister's death. For other friends, perhaps it was the discovery that a dreaded disease lurks within. Some may have suffered difficulties of a very personal sort. The heartaches which must be borne alone bring the darkest clouds and the deepest wounds.

Surely a beneficent Creator has so designed our world that the beauties of morning follow the darkness of night. The day breaks:



So it is in the spiritual sphere; when the dark clouds and chilly mists of the valley of death swallow us up we can peer through the darkness and see the warm lights of His banqueting house. By faith we can say with the Shulamite maiden:

"He brought me to the banqueting house, And His banner over me is love." (Song of Solomon 2:4).

It is surely by no mere coincidence that the Psalmist reflects on his journey through the dread valley and then in the next verse speaks of a prepared table. This is undoubtedly the banqueting table of love which the Lord Jesus Christ has prepared for His own. Here we renew and strengthen our fellowship and communion with our lovely King. In the place of His presence we enjoy the regal glory of the King of Kings. We bring joy to His heart and refreshment to our own soul when we see the King in His beauty. As we gaze upon the lovely thorn scared brow and nail pierced hands, our hearts crave to love Him more. It is here that our hearts are tuned to praise His Name.

In His banqueting house there is rest and nourishment for the tired and drooping spirit. It is there, too, that we can tell Him of the somber skies and the rugged roads we have been plodding and in His tender embrace, we learn the truth of Isaiah 40:31. "But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."

We do not need to await the end of our sojourn in the dark land for He can "prepare a table in the wilderness", and He does this in the presence of our enemies. My! How the enemies of truth are confounded when they expect to find us overwhelmed by sorrow and fear and come upon us feasting with our lovely King Jesus and enjoying our propinquity to Him.

Finding himself in this position, David says, "You anoint my head with oil". (Psalm 23:5) This is most assuredly the same oil with which the King himself is anointed. In Psalm 45:7 it is called "The oil of gladness". The anointing of oil in ancient days was most significant for kings and priest were marked out by such a ritual. How astonishing it is to read that He has "made us kings and priests to our God, And we shall reign upon the earth." (Revelation 5:10)

Beloved friends, the blessings of our salvation are much more than an insurance policy for the next world.

"My cup runs over". Ah, this prepared table knows no rationing. There is a great affluence of spiritual things for us to feast upon. None need go away unsatisfied. These words call to remembrance Paul's epistle to the Ephesians 1:3-7: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."

The prepared table is the daily provision for everyone who by faith in Jesus Christ has been saved by His abundant grace.

---

Jack Scott loved his Lord! He passed away on January 10, 2001 after a lengthy illness.
He is missed greatly by his family.  

Where is everyone?  I can't believe I'm first to post today after Pat!

Thanks for repeating the Shepherd's Psalm writings by Jack, Pat.  I know they are very special to you, and it's nice of you to share.

I managed to stay in bed until 6 this morning.  I do hope I get lined out again soon, because I hate falling asleep every time I sit down.

Today I need to work on that framing, at least see if I have the right matboards and if the frames they want are still available.  They drop some of the moulding lines so often it's really hard to keep up.

I will go pick up Abby this afternoon after school.  I talked to her this morning, she is very excited about having had her very first piano lesson yesterday afternoon.  She promised to teach me everything Mrs. Lomax taught her! 

I'd best get with it before I waste the entire morning.  Another thing I would like to accomplish today is getting PSP straightened out......

 

How do you like my first try at making a 3D photo?  I saw someone do it on SrNet and thought, 'I can do that!' 

Janet ~ Your inner clock will be synchronized soon.  I know....a long 11 days, hunh!  But having Abby at your house will make you forget how tired you are.

Pat ~ Thank you for the 23rd Psalm devotions of Jack's!  He lives on through his words.

Larry ~ Yes, I must install Animations.  I wish I could do the morphing like a SrNetter does but mine freezes up when I try.  Maybe I need to uninstall and re-install Animations. 

I can't remember who else posted yesterday since me.  Don't think I am slighting you...just can't remember.  I am hoping everyone has a great August 25th....wherever you are!!

Ivalou has to get her car maintenanced today.  So I will ride along with her and we can visit while she gets the car worked on.  She also has a window that won't go up or down and a seat belt in the back that you can't pull out to fasten.  Probably the window will wait until next Spring.  But anytime spent with Ivalou is icing on the cake!

Then I need to mow this afternoon since storms are predicted the next two days.

Good morning everyone.  Share the blessings of the Lord with others today!

Good Morning to each and every one of you.

This is the week that I go to clean house for the couple in the Manufactured Home park. It is a huge house so I will be tired when I come home.

Thank you Pat for sharing Jack's 23rd Psalm series again. for those who have not seen them before. It is always good to revisit them.

Must get going now.  More later.

Oh yeah the concert last night was great stuff that I grew up listening to as a teen back in the 50's.

TTYL

Good Morning Everyone!

It's rainy and drizzly here today.  It will make the lawn grown and I'll cut it tomorrow (if it stops raining).

Nice to see you here (those who have posted and those who will still come.)

Please, please, will you all go to the Introductions area and welcome our new folks?  Thanks so much in advance for doing that.

I'm off to our gallery to gaze and photos and leave some comments!

Talk to you all later.

Voting closes tomorrow!

Cast your vote!

Great to read Jack's sermon Pat.    It was so good.     

Love Ruthie

I'm making progress!  I cut 6 mats and backs, got the frames all ordered, and called Mark.  He is flying to Hugoton tomorrow, then on to Coffeyville.  (Well, not exactly on, as that is the opposite direction!  So he will be criss-crossing Kansas in the sky tomorrow.  He will have lunch with his parents, but I can't go, as have a business training meeting in Dodge that won't be over yet by noon.

Now to see what else needs doing around here...........always something!  For one thing, I need to go take Beth's clean clothes back to her.  By the way, her birthday is on Monday.  She will be 44.

Good afternoon everyone !  Pat thanks again for sharing Jack's writings with us. It is a special series. God Bless You for doing that.

I have some good friends that have had their plate full for the past few years, I've really stepped up the prayers lately, if you would add them to your prayer list, I would appreicate it.  The family is the Ingellis's.  In-Gel-IS, said just as it sounds.  Please pray for Tony, Kathy, Shane and Chris.  I won't go into details, but Kathy (the mom) is having a lot of health problems and they have had a lot of problems with their son Shane. Also, their oldest son, Chris, is married and having some problems of their own. Please add them to your prayer list. They are good people that need God's Touch !

Thanks and may the Lord Bless and Keep You !

Pat: Thanks for the Shepherds Psalm

We have a rainy drizzly day here as well although earlier I had gone out and transplanted several merigold plants. 

Since that I have stayed in and worked some of the inside jobs which are about half done the remaining half will take less than an hour to do. 

Etta Sue: You did a good job with your 3D. I wish someone lived close that could come and teach me how. The fear of the wrong thing stands in the way.

Hello to Janet, Ruthie, Rob, Marilyn & ohenry and also to those I have missed.

Hi everyone.  Been another busy day as attended a meeting this morning and then went out to eat with some of the folks meeting.  So it was late when I got home and I laid down for an hour or so.  This evening my good friend Rod has invited me to eat with he and his wife.  I always enjoy my time spent with him.  It is probably boring for his wife as sometimes we talk about computers.  They are Christians and we also talk about that.  She has taught the Kay Arthur Bible studies for years.  The other morning at the Cafe, where a number of retired men meet most mornings for coffee, he commented how nice it was that all of us around the table were Christians.  Of course most of us go to different denominations. 

My wife will be coming home late tomorrow afternoon and I will be very happy to have her back home.  I spoke with her again last evening and she said she is really enjoying the convention and most of the sessions she has attended.  She said they have the most distributors of quilting related items  that the Guild has ever had. 

Etta Sue, your 3D photo is quite impressive.  Does that use layers in PSP?
It is nice to read how much you enjoy being with your sister.

Rob, thanks for sharing your prayer concern for the family you know. 

Janet, it sounds like you are getting a little more rested us.  It sounds like you have resumed your very busy schedule.  I think if I ever really need to get someone to do something for me I will ask you as the busy people usually get things done.    Wouldn't it be great if young folks could keep the same joy and enthusiusm about the piano lessons after they have been doing it awhile.  Most kids just don't like to practice but if they will keep it up it is something that will be with them all of their life.  I am so thankful that my mother was persistent and that I was able to have 7 years of lessons.  She was never too busy to take my sister and I for our lessons once a week.  I remember each lesson was an hour and cost a big fifty cents.

Marilyn, manufactured homes and huge seems like strange partners.  However, I do know that some of the manufactured homes are very nice.

Pat, as always Jack's writings are timeless and so wonderfully written.  Thanks for sharing them again with us.

Ruth Ann, that sounds like it was a lovely meal in a very nice place.  Glad you were able to spend time with your daughter and her boyfriend.

Hello everyone. i'm here i believe. just been a lazy day  since i didn't have classes and i don't have to be at work until 5 tonight.
Janet: I took paino under mrs lomax she is a good teacher. I enjoyed it and learned a lot.
anyways i'm off to be lazy some more so i can go to work ttyl
Sarah

Good afternoon. I have been very busy too. After  cleaned the house for Bernice and Wayne, I stopped by the recycling place to  empty the trunk of my car. Then I stopped or gas and on to the bank to make a deposit then I stopped at McDonald's for a chicken sandwich which I ate there. 

After I got home I did my laundry, cleaned my house took my neighbor to recycle her stuff, to the post office and to the bank. I folded one load of laundry and am waiting for the second load to get dry. I will have going to do but not today. I have to work for Jan again tomorrow to take her grocery shopping. I still have to put my new kitchen cart together and  since  bought two under be storage containers I want to do that to. That will ave to wait I am making myself tired just typing all this busyness. 

TTYL

Are y-ll tired yetreading about my busyness. 

Larry, any time I can help you with anything, you just holler!  I would be honored.

I met Diane at our halfway spot and picked up Abby, and she is really full of energy.  Wish she could give me a transfusion of it!    And it is past time for supper, so I better get off this machine and see what I can find to feed us.

Marilyn---yes----ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. 

Well, it was a very busy day at work. That, of course, makes the workday go by a lot faster than if the work is sparse.

I've really enjoyed the devotionals, too, Pat. Jack's writings are wonderfully put together. And, I appreciate that you share them with us.

Y'all have a good evening.

Ruth Ann

Thank you all for the comments on "The Shepherd's Psalm" devotionals.  There's only one more and that will be on the last verse of the Psalm. 

I do hope that you've all gone to the gallery to see the lovely photos.  One of our new members, Tivvyphoto, has started his album and he's put in some lovely photos of the south coast of England in Exmoor on the South-West Coast Path that Jack and I did.  Please look and comment so he'll be encouraged to keep posting his photos.

Here's a link to them:
http://www.christianphotographers.com/gallery/index.php?cat=10565

AND after many problems and some help from Pat, I got some photos from China posted in my gallery, if you want to take a look.  Some of them really need to be viewed larger, to really appreciate the places.

And now, I'm going to get Abby and myself to bed!

Yes, I've had a look Janet and looking forward to more from your trip.

Closing the door a wee bit early tonight.  Tonight is the last part of Jack's "A Shepherd's Psalm".  I do pray that you will be blessed by it as I have been.

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