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Morning Devotional...
From Chris Saunders


 
"By faith Israel passed through the Red Sea, as by dry land, when the Egyptians tried to do so they were drowned" .
Heb. 11.
Imagine it, a vast, deep, sea in front of you, Pharaoh's vast army coming to butcher you, was ever a miracle needed, but God had promised to bring them out of bondage into a promised land, our God keeps His promises, the Bible tells us that "God is not a man that He should lie." Well that is actually a condemnation of man! But it happens to be oh so true.
We do lie.
But fortunately God cannot, for He is without sin.
And if He promises to protect you then protect you He will, let's trust Him now to bring us through this dreadful time, " He will never fail you nor forsake you".. Now that's a good promise!

 

Greetings Everyone  Splendid that we have an April folder now. You do a magnificent Job JudyB.  Thank you.  Ellie 

Greetings Everyone  It was yesterday I read that the singer Bill Withers passed away, gee what a splendid song his Lovely Day was.   Ellie

THE KING IS COMING!!!

The marketplace is empty
No more traffic in the streets
All the builders' tools are silent
No more time to harvest wheat
Busy housewives cease their labors
In the courtroom no debate
Work on earth is all suspended
As the King comes thro' the gate
O the King is coming
The King is coming
I just heard the trumpets sounding
And now His face I see
O the King is coming
The King is coming
Praise God, He's coming for me
Happy faces line the hallways
Those whose lives have been redeemed
Broken homes that He has mended
Those from prison He has freed
Little children and the aged
Hand in hand stand all aglow
Who were crippled, broken, ruined
Clad in garments white as snow
O the King is coming
The King is coming
I just heard the trumpets sounding
And now His face I see
O the King...

Judy...
...a very powerful song - hymn, and a very powerful message...as we deal -tackle altogether with our now countries situation...

I am glad you are enjoying the music and new month.

From Chris Saunders



"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down when they were compassed about for seven days." Heb 11
What a sight this must have been to the inhabitants of the city.. The mighty men of Israel with the priests marching around for a week. God had said to Joshua " See I have given you this city, the king, the mighty warriors." That was all Joshua needed to know, God said it that settled it. The city was gone!
The bible tells us..
" none went in and none went out"
We know the feeling!
And so it was that Joshua believed God's Promise and on the seventh day at the sound of the trumpets, the walls fell flat.
Joshua had told the army. " don't say anything just keep quiet as we march, but on the seventh day.. Shout! For the Lord has given you this city!"
We don't see any Jericho's today we don't need to, but today if you hear His voice, better obey it eh?

Greetings Everyone  A splendid sunny day here and I was out for fifteen minutes today and yes I was social distancing.  Ellie

Marilyn...
...are you alright, only i have noticed you have not made any postings for a week...although you have been popping in...

Thanks for asking Jackie. We are fine here.  However my cousin James in California nees prayer, He has the virus and his wife Sandra is on home  Dialysis. He told me this morning that yesterday was so bad he thought he was going to die.

Yesterday I ordered my groceries on line  with a program called Instacart. They were delivered  from a local store in under and hour. I am not going to stores unless absolutely necessary. Tomorrow is Freckles Grooms appointment and next week is her yearly  Exam and shots at the Veterinarian.They are not letting anyone i  the office, a Technician will come out to your car to get your dog and bring  them back to the car.

We are following orders to stay in place.  No one has come in the house.  Our children park in the drive way and we stand a long way apart to chat.  They are following the Stay Apart rules.  It sure is different. With all of the lay-offs  there will be more and more homeless.  If we didn't have the rule of non-gathering, I wonder how  church will get through this financially.  They have hired quite a few people and have been in financial trouble for several years.

Thank you for two great songs. 

Marilyn:  Sorry to read about your cousin's suffering and the health condition on his wife.  Sometimes, the load of life gets rather heavy.  I order online and do the Pick Up instead of delivery.  We open the trunk at a specified time, and they load and even sign (so we don't share pens).  There are some substitutions and I have OK'd  all so far.  Just very happy to have that service because Don has health issues where he could not catch anything.

We have online messages from church, we call neighbors and friends,

Prayers for those who lost jobs, and businesses that are failing through no fault of their own.  Prayers for medical equipment needed, and a true cure delivered soon plus everyone on CP. 

Thanks for the music you choose to put on CP.  Prayers for Canada - one grandson wants to go to a fireman's training there.  He has one more class (online) to finish here.  I told him, that he has to love hockey.

Be safe!  Keep faith!   



 

Greetings Carol    When I ventured out today into the Town shopping area it was deserted. Apart from the two large food stores, all the shops were shut. As were the hotels, pubs, restaurants, cafes, hairdressers, and many other businesses.   As well all the Churches are closed.  To decrease Covid-19 infections, in the UK,  the Island where we live and around the world; self isolation and social distancing is  seen as key to stop transmission of Coronavirus.  Ellie

Hellooooo  I just got back from a long time out.  Was wondering if anyone still remembered me. 
Things have been pretty much rolling along in the usual pattern for me, here.  I live alone and seldom go any place anyway, so this social distancing is nothing new for me.  I order my groceries online and drive over to pick them up. Just pop the trunk and they come and put them in for me ... even sign for me ... so I don't even have to get out of the car.
Some of my family and I were planning a reunion of sorts in Albuquerque New Mexico for this month but that has been scrubbed.  We have been planning it for more than a year, and there are even two of my brother's sons that we have never met who were going to be there.  The house had been reserved and tickets purchased but we had to cancel and hope to reschedule within a year so we don't lose all that money.
I am the matriarch of this family so I'm thinking my sisters and all the younger ones should treat me with honor and respect.    That's my thinking but that's not to say anyone else thinks that way.  My great granddaughter, Karmen, sent me a message on Facebook after my recent birthday. "I want to talk with you more often and I love you. You are getting really old but I still love you very much" I think that's great that, even though I am so old she still loves me.    I call her my Special K and she came back with "you're MY special G" I haven't seen her for well over a year but I had planned to drive to California and then my daughter, her two daughters, and my two great grandkids were all going to go by Amtrak to New Mexico in a group.  That would have been an interesting trip but now we'll never know.
I will be popping back in,now and then, just to see who's here and what y'all are up to.
Take care and stay safe (and well) and I'll be back.

Hey Jane, good to "see" you

I have a prayer request.  Many of you will remember Heather our daughter.  I have a prayer request regarding her situation.

Her husband Jon has been tested for Covid-19.  His breathing is shallow.  Heather is obviously concerned. Please pray that god will give her peace, and that if it is God's will to heal Jon.  Heather lost her daughter nearly 2 years ago.  She really needs God's peace in this.

Good night everyone and God bless

Jane Walker...
... welcome back to our fold, and yes i remember you as i have often posted on here " has anyone heard from Jane Walker, as i had not seen any postings from you for a long time," and here you are...

Judy...
... as if this epidemic is not bad enough but worse when it hits " one of our own." Like everyone, prayers are said on behalf of the world from me every day, to end this never ending death toll....So many Christians must be asking this same question, " why is our God letting this happen, and why and when will our God put a stop to all this."

Thank you for the welcome back.  I really have no excuse for my long absence except for the fact that I just had no desire to see or "talk" with anyone after my second daughter's death.  That really hit me hard and now, since her memorial service over three years ago, I have not seen nor heard from her only son.. my grandson, Bryan.  His stepdad moved to Missouri two years ago and there is no one to even keep me updated on Bryan's goings or comings.  My granddaughter, Becky filed a missing person report last December, but the one friend he had visited said he last saw him a year ago last October.  I have been a bit concerned about him. He has no family that cares about him and he does have problems.  Just a loving grandma here during this "stay home" time wondering if he even has a home to stay in.  He has spent a lot of time in his life being homeless and sleeping under bridges, etc.  I'd love it if, while we're praying, you'd help me pray for word of his whereabouts.  Thank you. 

Hello, everyone!  And welcome home, Jane!  I have thought of you and wondered where you were. I have missed a few days in here.  We have been really overloaded with trying to get John's apartment emptied, having to go through years of mail, a lot of it never opened, looking for important papers concerning his retirement, looking for his Social Security card, just so many things.  And we had to throw away most of his stuff, it was just too nasty to clean.  I wasn't going to do it, and there's no one else either.

Marilyn, I hope you and Keith can avoid the virus.  Such a sad time for so many.  Jane, how well I remember your often talking about "My guy Bry" way back when he was in the service.  I pray you can locate him soon. Life can hand us some tough ones, but by trusting our Father God, we somehow make it through.

Judy, so sorry to hear about Heather's husband.  She doesn't need more heartache either, that's for sure.

Today I managed to get through the last huge bag and good sized box of John's papers (junk mail, cards, important stuff and trash all jumbled together) and I found another check for $100 from his sister; his Social Security card; both his and Beth's birth certificates, his retirement information, and a lot of pictures. Now I have it pared down to a manageable size and can send his family the pictures and things that are of value to them but not to me, as I have never met any of them.  Such a sad, heartbreaking situation.

Jacqueline, always good to see some lines from you.  Hope you're staying safe and have someone to shop for your groceries, etc.  My granddaughter just got a job at Dillons and will be gathering the online orders for folks.

Ellie,it sounds like we are all living under the same rules, uh, sorry!  Guidelines.  We live a few miles out in the country and are staying put, except for occasional trips to the grocery store.  Sometimes we call ahead to the Senior Center, order two meals, then drive by and pick it up.  They bring it out to the car. I heard today that the Covid-19 is now in 184 countries!  Goodness!  And how many countries are there?

Carol, do stay safe.  I'm used to being so active I hope I won't get antsy after I get rested up some from this ordeal over John.  I'm wanting to get back to my painting.  I have quite a bunch of things painted and more I want to do.  Best therapy in the world for me.  I pray Don is doing better.

It is soon going to be four AM, I went to bed at 9:30, had just gotten to sleep when Darrel came in and woke me (unintentially) and I couldn't get back to sleep.  So I got up and read for an hour and a half, went back and tried again, no go, so up again and had a cup of hot chocolate and decided to try to catch up in here. I'm gonna need a nap this afternoon, I'm thinking.

Judy, I saw your message on FB, will try to find what you put on CP.

Blessings, everybody.  Please stay safe!

In two days time 11th April, will be the " one year death anniversary " of my partner-hubby Richard, so a hard day for me to get through, although every day since his death has been hard...

From Chris,

" Who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame."
He is our Forerunner, our great Example, He shows us how to Live and How to die.
Can you feel a little of that great joy now?
That Joy that awaits every faithful believer, every beloved child of God, why worry about what the world thinks of us, they will never know persecution or scorn nor mocking. Nor God's wonderful blessings, all they have to look forward to is a Christless life a Christless death and a Christless eternity in a very lonely place. But there is always Hope... Where their is life there is hope.
Let your joy be full.

Hello!
Rebot:  I would think being on an island would be of some help of staying away from this virus.  Perhaps it could be more difficult for you to keep up with supplies? 

Jane:  It is very nice to see you post.  Prayers for Bryan. 

Judy: Prayers for Heather and her husband plus you and John.  Thank you for the message of joy.

Janet:  My parents died just weeks apart and she was in an Alzheimer unit in Minnesota and he was in Seattle.  It was a whip lash kind of year for me trying to take care of everything.  I am so sorry that you have to carry this load.  All I can say is it will be finished some day - sending a prayer for you two. 

Here is a funny note.  Last night at 8 PM - it was cold and dark here - I could hear a dog yipping.  Stepping out (we have a ravine in back that is a half block wide) the noise became louder.  It was neighbors all around barking at the full moon.  So funny when some dogs, and some were really deep sounding yips, started howling. My howl wasn't very coyote like - It is to support our health care givers plus police and firemen.  The UK claps hands and here in Colorado, we howl and that opens up the neighborhood to signal the dogs. 

Don cut my hair yesterday - he was so shaken by the thought but it turned out OK.  His was easy to trim. 

Thank you to Chris for reminding us of JOY!  We always have The great example to follow.

Marilyn:  Sorry, I just wanted to say prayers for your family members - and most of all for you and your husband. 

Carol..
... Yes every Thursday at 8.pm we clap hands in support of our front line workers, we do not howl at the full moon..i never even realised till our news this morning that we had ourselves one last night, i missed it...

From Chris

"Consider Him Who endured such contradiction
Of sinners against Himself, lest you be weary and your mind wants to give up."
Contradiction.... Contra = against... Diction=speach.
Let's consider whar our Gracious Saviour had to put up with.
He said that He was the Messiah they said no.. The messiah will come from Bethlehem not Nazereth!
He intimated that He was God, saying that He and the Father were one.. They said no.. You can't be!
He quoted Moses and the Old Testament to them.. They disagreed.. for they had the teachings of their Rabbis which contradicted the scriptures!
He told them that He cast out demons with the Finger of God.. They said You cast them out by power given You by the devil!
They set Him traps and riddles all through His ministry. Many, many more things they did to try and contradict Him, they just did not want this kind, gracious Messiah. Who gave sight to the blind, made cripples walk, cleansed lepers, raised the dead. And who was willing to forgive them their sins.
Instead they accused Him, the Holy, Sinless, Lamb of God of being the sinner!
Human nature does not change over the Centuries, science, technology, medicines. Etc, progress, human nature remains the same.
This world has no time for Christ, as the Scribes, Pharisees, Saducees had no time for Him back then.
And like them, people today want to live their lives without Him, they had Him crucified then, they would crucify Him still today.
Life for most is still one great contradiction!
If you know Him as your Lord and Saviour then rejoice... You will know what contradiction is!
He shall never leave you nor forsake you.

Hello again!  I have some news/answered prayer of Bryan!
A couple months ago I tried to contact a family who were friends with Joy and John and with whom Bryan used to hang out .  Just now I got a message back saying "Bryan's fine ... he's a part of our family, off and on.  He's living with his girl friend, Nicole" (she is the daughter of one of Joy's good friends).  I am so relieved to know he is okay and maintaining contact with some good people.  I think it would be nice if he felt comfortable enough to make contact with some of our family.  We have been so concerned about him.

I want to thank each of you for your welcome back ... I'm sorry for not keeping in touch.  There was just so much suffering and the passing of so many friends both here and on S&F I just felt overwhelmed.

Tomorrow is my daughter Dottie's birthday.  She's 59, the same age her sister Joy reached before leaving us.  Jacqueline, I see it is also an anniversary for you as well.  I do empathize with you. I know these "firsts" are really difficult.  I'm not sure they get any easier with the passing of time, but maybe we're more able to cope with the emotions. 

I will be back later, but now I must get busy with some other stuff.  And I want to let the family know that I've had news of Bryan.  So, until later ... y'all behave and stay safe and healthy. 

THE BUMMER LAMB

Every once in a while, an ewe will give birth to a lamb and reject it. There are many reasons she may do this. If the lamb is returned to the ewe, the mother may even kick the poor animal away. Once a ewe rejects one of her lambs, she will never change her mind.
These little lambs will hang their heads so low that it looks like something is wrong with its neck. Their spirit is broken.
These lambs are called "bummer lambs." Unless the shepherd intervenes, that lamb will die, rejected and alone. So, do you know what the shepherd does?
He takes that rejected little one into his home, hand-feeds it and keep it warm by the fire. He will wrap it up with blankets and hold it to his chest so the bummer can hear his heartbeat. Once the lamb is strong enough, the shepherd will place it back in the field with the rest of the flock.
But that sheep never forgets how the shepherd cared for him when his mother rejected him. When the shepherd calls for the flock, guess who runs to him first?
That is right, the bummer sheep. He knows his voice intimately.
It is not that the bummer lamb is loved more, it just knows intimately the one who loves it.
It's not that it is loved more, it just believes it because it has experienced that love one on one.
So many of us are bummer lambs, rejected and broken. But He is the good Shepherd. He cares for our every need and holds us close to His heart so we can hear His heartbeat.
We may be broken but we are deeply loved by the Shepherd.
The Lord is MY shepherd... I'm a bummer lamb.