Christian Photographers Community

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Morning Devotional...


Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.      3 John 1:2



It is apparent that Gaius was doing very well spiritually: "the well-beloved," "the truth that is in thee," "thou walkest in the truth."

John could without hesitation pray to God that Gaius might do as well physically as he was doing spiritually.

This is the only mention of the word "prosper" in the New Testament. This will only be true in our lives as we meditate upon the Word of God.

"Thou shalt meditate therein day and night...for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success" (Josh. 1:.

Could someone pray that same blessing upon you?
                                                                        ~W. Gustafson~

It is now more than four years ago when I came here to this new home in the USA. I have a room all my own. In this house are many treasures from other lands. All along the walk to my room are many stone people some without arms and some only heads. It was a fear for me to walk this path to my room each day. I would hide my tears and run with fear to get to the other side. It was my first week in this home and I had a many fears. I ran the pathway and I slip to fall into the stone people. It fell to the ground and broke into many pieces. I could only cry. I was certain this would send me back to Shanghai. My Father ran to me to see what I had done. I was shaking and crying and a scared from his anger. I knew his treasure was gone. He help me to get up and he carried me to my room and he say to me. I thought my treasure is damaged, but I see now you are only ascared. He said Meeks, you will find here, the things of the house are only here for the pleasure of the people who live here. These things are all so easy to replace. It is only in the people of the house where you will find the treasures of this life.

I love this devotional today. It is for this reason it is close to my heart.

It is a Earth day today I think, yes? And strange to me to think of all the things of the earth that are here only for our pleasure. I know the treasure is found in the hearts of the people I love.

You cannot expect to prosper
if in life you neglect your soul,
For the body just holds the treasure
and heaven, not earth, is the goal.

Pat, thanks for the devotional.  Many people think that the way to prosper is to save as much money as they can in the bank, but it's nice to be reminded that real prosperity comes from meditating on the good things of God.  It was great to be reminded of that, and thank you Meika for your added thoughts too.  Our possessions will all be left behind one day and there is a treasure that will never rot or fade away.  Great thoughts for the beginning of the day.

I hope everyone has a great day today on C.P.  The sun is shining in the UK and it looks as  though a lot of people are going to enjoy a great bank holiday.

God bless and I look forward to your fellowship.

Anthony.

Pat, wonderful devotional, and we've had some great responses too.  What a touching story, Meika.  

A good reminder of the uselessness of desiring only riches here on earth is the book of Ecclesiastes.  I've been reading from there recently.  It's excellent for gaining a better perspective.  Although, a bit depressing, but as long as you keep in mind that the Lord is in control over all things, you'll see that He wants  your heart with Him, not here with riches.

Pat S;  Great devotion today on what is really important in life.  You are really active this week.  All of your physical miseries of the past year have been holding you back - don't overdo!  

Etta Sue:  I hope that you are warmer today and that was good news about your not needing new glasses.

I am going through a sleepless in Fort Collins phase and I have been awake since 2 A.M.  It is just irritating and really nothing on my mind that I know of is keeping me from sleep.  So fortunate that I will be able to take a nap later today.  

Marilyn:  I second what someone said about two years being a long time and things can always change.  

One of our sons - along with the entire company - is not receiving a pay raise this year.  He is fortunate to be working as they laid off 350 people world-wide, a German company.  He was so looking forward to selling his small townhouse and getting a house with at least a little yard - one of the ups and downs of life.  

Carol

Just a quick good morning.  Thanks you for the great devotional and all the responses.  

I am off to Ivalou's to wait for the curtesy van to pick us up and take us to Indy for Ivalou's cataract surgery.  I imagine it will be about an all day thing.  The doctor said 5 hours but it takes an hour to get there and an hour to get back.  So an all day thing.  I am just glad that I can be there for Ivalou and she has been there for me many times.  

Talk to you all this evening.

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"The sound of laughter is God's hand upon a troubled world."

Meika, you have really blessed me this day!  What an incredibly loving father you have, and he knew just the right words to soothe away your awful fear when the stone man was broken.  It is so important to remember that "stuff" is just "stuff!"  It will all become meaningless in the light of eternity, no matter how important it seems to us at the time.  

I find that the older i become, the less meaning and value "stuff" has for me.  There are very few things I own that I would really mind parting with---just photos and family memories, mainly, and even those I have stored in my heart.

May God richly bless you, Meika, and your wonderful parents as well.  We are so happy that you have joined us here on CP!

Etta Sue, have a good day with Ivalou today, and I pray her surgery goes well and has a good outcome.

Hello, Anthony!~  I hope you manage to get out and enjoy the beauty of the day, and maybe take some photos to share.

Carol, I hope you get a great nigh't sleep tonight!  I have those nights, too, and they are very frustrating.

Jen, have a great day!  I wish you lived near me!

I have a busy day, too~~~have to go get the license tags for our vehicles and do other errands.  I was supposed to do them yesterday, but we got started with those tumbleweeds, and ............

Pat, have a great day, and don't wear yourself out!

Good Morning> Pat, thank you for the devotional this morning. Mieka your story is awonderful example of this morning's devotional.The Bible is our operating Manual for life, and your family is a good example of following that "manual". The Lord provided us with instructions on how to live on this earth for the time he has given us here. Sometimes it is difficult to remember that were are not citizens of this earth but citizens of heaven. We will be going home some day and for me the sooner the better. Not because life here is so hard but because I long to see Jesus to worship at His feet. Oh to lay my hand upon His cheek and yes get a big hug from my Lord.

Well there are my thoughts for today. I will check out the other forums and be back later.
God Bless you all
Marilyn

YEA!!!  We have had our first request for a book from our new book exchange here on CP!!  Now, come on over and find a book you would like to read.  What a bargain, a book for only the cost of postage!  Look at the list and see if there is one or more there that interest you!

Hi everyone.  God has given us a beautiful day here in Georgia with a little wind to help dry us out a bit after having some heavy rain yesterday.  The air conditioning man was just here, he didn't make it yesterday as got caught on a job.  All was fine.  

With regard to the devotional this morning I agree with some of the comments that things really have little meaning.  We sometimes think that having a certain thing will make us happy but, at least I have found, that after getting that thing it really has no meaning at all.  Good devotional this morning.  

Judy, your story from yesterday was certainly touching and, if true, I bet those boys would never forget that game as they would had it been just a regular game, regardless of who won.  They found the joy of doing something for someone else.

Meika, thank you for sharing that moment in your life when you Father showed you what real human love is all about.  He obviously has his priorities in order and must be a very loving and caring person.  

It sounds like everyone is pretty busy today.  This is Calvin Cove day for me and I need to do a little practicing before we leave this morning.  I will try to get back later.

Larry

Good day to all of you here on CP...thanks Pat for the devotional this morning...I have found it to be very fitting with my reading this morning as well....If we neglect to feed our spirit and our soul with the one food they so desperately need...how can we be of any use to others around us in witnessing to them about the Lord and His forgiving and dying love for them....because then we tend to become too carnally minded without the reading of the Word each and every day.Our treasures should be the treasures we find in the Word of life and meditating upon them day and night.....and when we get busy doing things at times they get lost.....

good day to the rest of you and I pray we all take a bit of time to listen to our Father's voice today in the quietness of our soul at least once.....
Paulette.

I am building a Pets Page on my web site. I would like it very much if all of you would email me photos of your pets and some commentary to go with them. Like Age, where they live, what they like to do, tricks they can perform who they own etc. I will post them to the Pet Page with the commentary. I may even open a pet chat room for them I haven't decided yet. There is room for that. you can email them to my Yahoo address as i don't know if they would come through on my hotmail address.  send them to imablessed@yahoo.com

check out the ones I already have put on the Pet Page.  http://www.freewebs.com/marilyn_793/index.htm

Good Morning Everyone!

I've been checking in here and there but have been busy as many of you are.

PATWhat a great devotional!
MIEKAYour real life application to the devotional is very touching.You have such a sweet tender spirit. What a blessing you must be to your Father and Mother.

I hope to go through some book I have soon to see what I may add to the Book Exchange. I'd also like to get over to the food section and add some recipes.
I'm taking some film to the lab later today and hope to have some pictures to share in the next day or so.

Hope you all have a blessed day.
Denise

We have snow here in the "frozen "north. I wish we could travel south to those of you who have the beautiful flowers! ! !  

My Husband cut his hand this morning and in looking for a bandaid I remembered the many times our now adult son went down to Aunt Pat's for a bandaid, as he had used all of ours! ! !

Thanks Pat.


I received this from a friend today.  The story says it all.

My mother used to ask me what the most important part of the body is.

Through the years I would take a guess at what I thought was the correct
answer.

When I was younger, I thought sound was very important to us as humans,
so I said, "My ears, Mommy."

She said, "No. Many people are deaf.  But you keep thinking about it and
I will ask you again soon."

Several years passed before she asked me again.

Since making my first attempt, I had contemplated the correct answer.
So this time I told her, "Mommy, sight is very
important to everybody, so it must be our eyes."

She looked at me and told me, "You are learning fast, but the answer is
not correct because there are many people
who are blind."

Stumped again, I continued my quest for knowledge and over the years,
Mother asked me a couple more times and
always her answer was, "No.  But you are getting smarter every year, my
child."

Then one year, my grandfather died. Everybody was hurt. Everybody was
crying.  Even my father cried. I remember
that especially because it was only the second time I saw him cry.  My
Mom looked at me when it was our turn to say
our final good-bye to my Grandfather.  She asked me, "Do you know the
most important body part yet, my dear?"

I was shocked when she asked me this now. I always thought this was a
game between her and me. She saw the
confusion on my face and told me, "This question is very important. It
shows that you have really lived in your
life.  For every body part you gave me in the past, I have told you were
wrong and I have given you an example why.
But today is the day you need to learn this important lesson."  She
looked down at me as only a mother can. I saw her
eyes well up with tears. She said, "My dear, the most important body
part is your shoulder."

I asked, "Is it because it holds up my head?"

She replied, "No, it is because it can hold the head of a friend or a
loved one when they cry. Everybody needs a
shoulder to cry on sometime in life, my dear. I only hope that you have
enough love and friends that you will
always have a shoulder to cry on when you need it."

Then and there I knew the most important body part is not a selfish
one.  It is sympathetic to the pain of others.
People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did.  But
people will NEVER forget how you made them
feel.

The origination of this letter is unknown.

I used to stock bandaids, all sizes and shapes, just for the kids three doors up the road!  "Auntie Pat!  I need a bandaid!"  

Lets not forget to pray for Francylou who is having surgery in just 4 more days.

I had a email from her this morning with the photos of Tipi Doo and Puter Pat for my pet page.

Well, we got back to Nashville today around noon.  Everything is beautiful here, the trees, the grass, the flowers, etc.

It will take me awhile to catch up.  Meika[/u], I loved your story of how your Father there told you that you were his treasure, not the things in the garden.  Love in a family, the dad, the mother, the children, the brothers and sisters,  is so very important.  I know that we love our children and grandchildren so very much.  Nothing of a material nature compares with the love in our family.  You are fortunate because this love isn't in everyone's family, but it should be.

Judy, the story about the baseball game as has been mentioned was very moving.  You can see something good in the hearts of those boys on both teams.  One team wanted to give the child the thrill of playing which circumstances had denied him.  The other team was willing to lose the game to him the thrill of winning, something he could not otherwise have achieved.  We have to admire both teams very much.

Well, it is good to be home and good to have the speed of my wireless and cable access again.

Good to see you all.

--- Papa John      

Glasd you made a safe trip home, Papa John, our prayers were traveling with you. And the Angels were encamped round about you as you drove home.


Marilyn

I just composed an absolute masterpiece.  It was a work of art and I saw it float off into cyberspace and there was nothing I could do, but watch it disappear.  I never realised joining in with forums could be so tough.

Anyway,  just wanted to pop in to say goodnight.  I am glad that Papa John & Co were granted travelling mercies - gee but it's great to be back home - as the song goes.

Thanks to everyone else for their fellowship and thoughts - JudyB, you bring some good stories and they are very interesting thanks for that.

I am sorry I can't remember everyone else's messages, but you have to be easy on me 'cause I am only a grandma.

Public Announcement

If you want to see something to make you feel good all over, click on Bernard's link to his personal website (found in his profile) and read what he says about our dear Karma girl.  I tell you, it's absolutely awesome.

Well, goodnight and God bless.

Anthony Patrick

Good Night, Anthony!  "See" you tomorrow!

How do you all like the News feature at the top?  Have you noticed it?

I have to go out in a few minutes so hopefully there will be lots of messages to read when I get home!

I noticed Pat. The scriptures drew may attention when I saw John 3:16 my favorite scripture

Just popping in for a short time.

We've had a busy day today.  Norm and I often wonder how we accomplished what we did when we both worked.

Meike:  You are such a sweet girl., and what wonderful parents you have.

I just looked out the window...here it is April 21st and its snowing!!!!...not hard., a wet snow, but snow just the same.

Marilyn:  I will see if Pat will come over and take some pictures of Rags for me, and she'll send them to you!

Papa John:  Glad you got home safely!  How long a drive would that be to Tenn.?

Etta Sue:  Let us know how Ivalou makes out with her cataract surgery.

Hi Carol, Denise, Paulette, Jen, Janet, Pat, Anthony, Larry.  Oh dear, I'm sure Ive forgotten someone., I really shouldn't do this!

Oops - Its April 22nd., see.... I've been so busy, a day went by without me even noticing it!...LOL

- Judy Mc.

Was planning on visiting other forums, but, the hockey game is on!

Its "do or die" tonight for my Maple Leafs!
(right now they are losing to Philadelphia 1-0)
sob, sob!!

It has been a good day and a bad day.  Well, not bad exactly, just different.

Ivalou didn't have her surgery for cataracts.  They found that IF they dilated her eyes, it would cause her to go into ACUTE glaucoma...blindness.  She has never had her eyes dilated before.  She has never had eye drops put into her eyes before...I didn't know that.  So she has lazer on her right eye.  They actually put holes into the iris of her eye.  Now instead of 1 out of 100 chances for her to get acute glaucoma when dilating her eyes, it will be 1 out of 10,000.  The doctor called this condition 'short eye'.  She goes back next Tuesday for the other eye...same treatment.  Then she will be set up for cataract surgery.  So what it means is she will be later in getting her catacts taken care of and two extra trips down there.  You would not believe how efficient they are down there.  They run people through like cattle but they know exactly what they are doing.

Praise God that all this time, no one every dialated her eyes.  They said she was born with this 'short eye' and the eye doctors had to notice something to tell them NOT to dilate her eyes.  And thank God that today they can correct this condition.

It has been very cold today in Indiana.  And it is to get to freezing tomorrow morning.  Just hope that the freeze doesn't zap the new buds and such.  But God is in control.  I imagine the farmers are glad that their corn and soy beans aren't up enough to freeze.

Mieka, your story was very touching.  I am so glad you found your 'mom and dad' when you came to America.  They are to be commended for their beliefs and for making you feel like theirs.

JudyB, a very touching story.  Well, all the stories you have posted.  I love those inspirational stories.  I love it when the underdog wins!

Thanks to all of you with comments and concerns about Ivalou's surgery.  She will be fine.  We are praying every day for all the family.

Papa John ~ I am glad you made it home safe and sound.  I love Tennessee in the spring time.  

Mieka, I read your post and it was very touching.  What a blessed family God has given you.  Was it worth the wait?  I bet it was.  

I am going to Colorado tomorrow and will be gone till Saturday.  I will be leaving early in the morning around 9:00am.  Yes that is early.  

Have a good rest of the week.
Sonja

Pat, I really like the NEWS line up at the top, and also the Scripture!  You're just getting so smart!  Good for you!

Etta Sue, I'm so glad they are so efficient there at the eye center and knew not to dilate your sisters eyes!  And it's good you could be with her duting this stressful time.

WELCOME HOME, PAPA JOHN!!!

I have been working on Bebe's Pet Page.

http://www.freewebs.com/marilyn_793/bebespetpage.htm

Don't forget to email me photos of your pets with some info about them. Check out the page and let me know what you think. I am so thrilled with myself.  rotfl.
Mieka rotfl means rolling  on the floor laughing.

To all our new people check ALL the pages and sign my guest book

What a lovely day in here today!

Now, it's time to lock the door but as usual, we'll keep the light on for those out on the west coast!

Please feel free to continue the discussion in the next thread by CLICKING HERE[/b].