Christian Photographers Community

• Please sign our Guest Book! [/size]

---

Morning Devotional...


And Saul arose from the earth.
Acts 9:8

Paul, formerly Saul of Tarsus, had been smitten with blindness by the blazing glory of the once crucified, but now risen Christ.

He thought the Lord Jesus Christ was at that moment cold in death in a borrowed grave, but His glory and voice proved otherwise. Paul heard and responded to the voice and "rose up from the earth."

If we are going to effectively serve the Lord, we must rise up and disassociate ourselves from the earth and all its defiling influences to serve the Lord in purity and love.
                                                                     --Arnot P. McIntee

    Oops sorry Pat! hehehe...how often does that happen? LOL

I got back from dance around 9:30pm. We are now 1:20 sec into our jazz dance.  I think we have another minute to go and we'll have it down.  woohoo.

We haven't started our dance in tap yet...still teaching the others some important steps in tap.  We had a great time.  We always have a great time.

I am a bit tuckered out, but it feels good.  

I want to thank everyone who wished Chandraya a happy birthday.  I will let her see them all again tomorrow.  
Tonight she said "Mom, I am a special gift from God, right?" I said "yes"  She said, "Did I come in a pretty package!?"  I laughed and told her she came from my belly.  It was so cute.

Rachelle~ I have 4 kids also. 14, 12 , 5 and 1 1/2.  The two older ones are boys and the two younger of course would be girls. hehehe We live in Wyoming.  I have been homeschooling my kids since they were in preschool.  They did go to school for a year but we didn't like the whole public school thing.  The kids seem to enjoy it.   I normally use Abeka books but this year I am using the stuff off the internet.  I got an excellent book at the bookstore. It gives me names of websites to browse and find lessons for each subject.  It is working out pretty good.  I have been printing quite a bit of pages.  

I can't wait to see some pictures of your little ones.  

 

Sonifo I can relate to the public school thing.  Melaura is 13 in December and has decided to go to highschool.  I am concerned but as a friend puts it I can talk her through some of the peer pressure stuff and help her through.  As out Pastor puts it she has her "thing" that sets her apart from the crowd and that will keep her going.  Her "thing" is the Air Cadet Corps.  I would appreciate some of those web sites though for this year.

Pat I love that hymn.  The devotional is a good one too.  We are getting a lot of discussion on the devotionals, I enjoy that, it gets us all thinking deeper than we would otherwise.

Well I am for bed

Night all

JudyB

I love that, Sonja.  Such a cute little dancer!

(I might lift him for our site!)  LOL

Well, I'll chat with you all in the morning and then I'm leaving for Toronto.

Ruthie and I are going out for supper tomorrow night.  I'm really looking forward to it.  Some time back I spoke about the Mizos from Mizoram in India.  Our father drove them for several years in North America as they sang from church to church and then the last year, I drove them to New York and then Dad and I went to return the bus to Norfolk, VA.

Anyway, the evangelist who travels with the choir phoned me and he wanted to let me know that every day he prays for me--especially since Jack's death.  We're having supper with him tomorrow night.

So, it will be very late when I get home from Toronto.

I'll talk to you all in the morning.

Quote

If we are going to effectively serve the Lord, we must rise up and disassociate ourselves from the earth and all its defiling influences to serve the Lord in purity and love.

I'd especially love to hear your thoughts on this part of the devotional today.  What does it mean to "rise up and disassociate ourselves from the earth...." ??

I'm looking forward to your thoughts.

Pat say Hello to him from me as well.  I met him once at Dad's and had an enjoyable visit.  

Have a good trip, and "Drive Safe"

Love Judy

Pat as I read today's devotional I thought of the verse Romans 12:1,2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

I believe scripture explains scripture, when we are not conformed We then have freedom to do and be exactly what our Lord wants us to be, without the restraint of man made laws and conditions.  All things that are not against out civil law are legal, and God lets us know how to judge if our actions and activities are prudent.  

9 a.m.

Thank-You Pat for the food for thought again today.
I also love that hymn!  I think the old ones are the best...and not sour grapes, they are.  

Your devotional set me thinking..."The first Adam was of the earth"...a created being.....The second Adam was the Man from Heaven, JESUS CHRIST.....He is the "lifter up" of ALL THINGS.

"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive"......"sown in dishonour, raised in Glory"....1 COR 15:22,45.

Adam was of the earth, just like us....fleshly!

By the Grace of God, we are lifted up by Jesus and given New Life in the Here and Now in order that we may serve HIM.....not to sit in Holy huddles, dreaming of heavenly spires. WE CAN BE SO HEAVENLY MINDED THAT WE ARE OF NO EARTHLY GOOD!

This mortal flesh is very weak.  I need Jesus daily to lift me up from "earthly" and to give me a fresh anointing so that I may serve Him more usefully.

                           

God bless you all today and always.
Special prayers for IAIN AND PAPA JOHN.
Love Jenny.

                                 

                         THE FIGHT


A group of children were playing together. Their game became more and more boisterous. Before long, tempers became frayed and an argument started.
Each thought he was right and refused to yield ground to the others. When they returned home, each child looked battered and bruised.

"Just like children - always arguing!" said one mother.

"You wretched child, look at the state of you" said another.

"I hope you gave as good as you got" said one father.

"Don't let anyone get the better of you" said another.

THEN...............
ONE WISE FATHER SAID,
                         
                                  "CHILD FORGIVE"

                                      .............

Colin Urquhart wrote the above.

I pray for all children that do not have wise parents.....
May we learn  to love and nurture them, even though sometimes they come to us as adults with stunted growth......Merciful Father, In Jesus' Name. AMEN!
                                                                 

Good morning All 11.30AM

PAT thank you for the devotional this morning

I think sometimes we are doing to much what we will do
and we ask not God what He will what we do

I have had a bad night i have read in the Bible and i found
Psalm 121 :  AT THE END

THE LORD WILL KEEP YOU FROM ALL HARM
HE WILL WATCH OVER YOUR LIFE;
THE LORD WILL WATCH OVER YOUR COMING AND GOING
BOOTH NOW AND FOREVER MORE

After that i have read i am going back to bed and i am
falling in sleep.

Pat it is difficult for me to say in my own words in English about what you have writen. I am sorry

This morning i have been to a friend and we have drink coffee together.

I wish you all a very good day
God Bless you All
Bye for now
Love RIA

Hi Jenny-
We have a friend in England... He has tried to call many times lol-but usually when im online -Its early morning here now and Im still awake-my husband just asked me if I was going to bed lol-Im enjoying my quiet time...and still working on my lessons for paint shop pro..
TTYL
Rachelle

A comment about the devotional: my parents tried hard to teach me to keep my feet on the ground - to realize that while I'm IN the world, I certainly don't have to be PART OF it as far as habits, thoughts, and actions are concerned - for that, I should be "other-worldly."

About having children, Sonya and Rachelle, I'm also mother to 4 - 3 boys and a girl. But, I'm probably old enough to be YOUR mom - my baby's 31st birthday was Tuesday.

I'm here early this morning, in an hour I'll be at the airport to fly to meet a client. Hopefully the meeting will be short with opportunity to return on the 4:15 flight back this afternoon.

My prayer is that everyone have a good day today. Mieka, my friend, I'm especially praying for you.

Ruth Ann

 

Hello and Good Morning to all!  I have been working, working, working.....not much time for playing on the computer...but all of you have been in my prayers as the list is right here at my home desk where I read and study my Bible.

The hymn may be old..but new to me.  Guess we country Baptists don't have all the old Wesley hymns.    I went back an re-read it a couple of times to get the whole feeling.  The verse that Pat asks about:  
   
When I disassociate myself from the earth...I think of not being a part of the things here on earth (Satan's stomping ground).  Anything that would not glorify my God is "off limits" and Romans 12:1-2 that Judy B found is perfect to explain it!  

To all of you.  I pray a great day in the LORD!  

Good morning everyone!

I am up early. Zachery has to be at the hospital at 8:00am to get blood work done and another remicate infussion.  <yawn>

I will come back in to give my thoughts on the message today later.  

Hope you all have a good day!
Sonja

Jesus said "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto Me."  

My primary goal should be to follow Jesus.  

If I lift Jesus up, and follow Him, I will be raised above the "earth" that so easily confounds my Christian walk.  However, only He can give me the strength required to lift Him up and to follow Him.  If I attempt to "rise above the earth" (disassociate myself) in my own strength, I will only crash and fall on my face.  Separation is useless unless done in the strength of the Holy Spirit.  

Separation is intended on a purely spiritual level.  Jesus was very often found in the middle of a huge group of people.  He dined with sinners.  He walked among the sick, offering healing and love.  He fed 5000 rather than send them home.  Did this mean he wasn't "separated"?  No, far from it.  

I should never shy from the homeless, the downtrodden, the drug dealers, the prostitutes, or the hateful simply because I am more spiritual than they.  No, far from it.  Jesus' command was to go into all the world - not just the parts that are already clean and holy.  

My motives are to be pure.  My actions are to be right.  My love is to be real.  But never am I allowed to put myself on a pedestal of holiness; Jesus said "There is none good, no not one."  Somehow I still want to believe that I can be good, somehow I still want to sometimes think that I AM good.  Hogwash.  There is nothing good about me; without Jesus' blood covering my sins I am nothing but another rebellious reject on my way to hell.  Any thought that I can elevate myself "above" worldly things in my own strength is simply an abomination in the eyes of God.  

I cannot rise above the world in my own strength any more than I will be able to raise myself from the dead; it falls my lot simply to follow Jesus.  He can raise my life into the realms of holiness, and He will raise my body from the death that will someday claim it.  

We must make a daily choice to follow Jesus and His ways, and the separation will not be our job.  He will take care of that.

Just a slightly different perspective...

Love you guys!

Good morning!

I have worked extra hours for the past couple of days... today is my day off from work... so that I can work at home!  
Backed up on laundry, and .. well, everything. So, I just wanted to share a hello before I get started.
It is snowing here
The kids enjoyed it per usual. They were trying to catch the flakes on their tounges on the way to school.

disassociate ourselves from the earth? Hmm. Perhaps it is a complete dedication. Don't get so wrapped up in the material things. Feed your spirit instead.
I like to have certain things.. in particular my computer and digital camera. But, deep down, I know this is all "fluff", to entertain me while I am here on Earth. I could think that maybe some of my photographs could serve to remind people of hope, beauty, and happy times. But, in the end, this is all "fluff". Someday I will be with the Lord in Heaven, and all of this will mean nothing.

Hello all!!  Wow, I'm barely out of bed and this is already on page two!  

SNOW!!!  WooHOo!  Did you hear that Nards?  I love snow!!!

I think we are to be in the world, but not of the world.  If I totally disassociate myself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually from those around me, I am breaking the part of the great commandment -- Loving my neighbors as myself.  If it had said to love my church members or family as myself, I think non-Christians would be excluded.  But it says neighbors, indicating to me, everyman.  

I need to rely on my relationship with Jesus to show that I am different, not separation from those around me.

A very thought-provoking devotional this morning!  I agree that while we are in the world, we are not to be of the world.  To me, this speaks of what is going on in our minds.  While we have to take care of the everyday things around us; we can keep our minds stayed on the Lord, trying always to maintain that vital connection with Him.  My beloved pastor used to tell us often "You need to think about what you're thinking about!"

By this, he meant that thoughts become actions!  One illustration was divorce.  If you think, every time you have a disagreement with your spouse (read fight), I don't have to put up with this!  I'll just get a divorce!  Then that is exactly where you are heading.  But if you think "How can I solve this?  What does the Word say?  How can I handle this better the next time?  Am I in the wrong here?" then most likely you will stay married and work consistently to build a better and better relationship with your spouse.  He gave us many other examples as well.  Another preacher said it like this "You gotta keep your head in the game!"

Pat, have a wonderful time tonight visiting with your friends.......and Ruthie, too!

Hi, Liz, Ruth Ann, Rachelle, Karma, KarenB, Nards, Sonja, Kathy, Ria, Jenny, JudyB, and the rest of you, too!  (Those are the ones who have posted on this page!)  It is always good to come here for a little visit with you each morning.  God bless!

Hi everyone.  This has been a busy place already this morning and very interesting discussion on the devotional message.  I think my thoughts on the subject have already been adequately expressed.

I have nothing pressing on my schedule today so will take things easy (which I usually do anyway  ).  Pat will go to her quilting group at church this afternoon.  They are making neck pillows to be used by our parish nurse as she calls on folks in the hospital or who are ill.  When my father was so ill in the hospital one day I had one of these pillows with me and I gave it to him to use.  He never relinquished it as it gave him a great deal of comfort.  I think over the time he was hospitalized and then in the nursing home Pat made about 6 of these for him.  One of them also served as support for his leg stump after having his amputation above the knee.  

Papa John, good to see you posting and to know that you feel you are gaining strength as the days pass.  

Going to make this short today.

P.S., Janet you were posting as I was writing and what you said about divorce reminds me of something I read many, many years ago in Reader's Digest.  Basically it said that when a couple is experiencing problems, never verbalize the word divorce in an argument as this often sets in motion events that are very difficult to back away from.  I believe there is a lot of wisdom in that advice.  I am also reminded of a Masonic teaching that "if you cannot speak well of a person you can at least remain silent".

Joyfulhrt -- I don't think I formally welcomed you.  WELCOME!

I am not an official homeschooler, though I do home preschool my 21 month old son.  

I also work with homeschoolers a great deal as I tutor and teach small classes to supplement areas where the parents don't feel as comfortable.  I also provide the annual testing that our state requires.

You've (and the other homeschoolers on here) have chosen a great path.  Way to go!

Good Morning everyone.  Good afternoon to you folks on the other side of the pond!

We have a nice sunny day here in the north, cold +2* centigrade.  Still the sun surely lifts your spirits.

Ria you have asked how to convert your temperature into farignheit.  Well multiply the temp times 9 (2 X 9 =18) then take the answer and divide that number by 5. (18 Divided by 5 is 3.6) then if the temperature is above 0 you add 32, so today's temp is 35.6* F  if it is -0 you would subtract the mumber from 32. (32-3.6=28.4*F).  Is that as clear as mud?  A point to remember is that 0*C =32*F and 16*C = 61*F  and
-40*C = -40* F.

JudyB

You have all expressed my thoughts on todays devotional. The only thing I can add is that it reminds me of our Bible Study of the last three weeks title. Which is, "Living Right in a wrong world", with the text being Psalm 119:116-130.

I don't have time to go into any detail this morning as I have to go to work soon and still need to get ready to go, stop and the bank and store on my way over to Bea's house in Arcata.

A special hello to Karen B and Rachelle. Good to see you here today. Jenny So glad to see you posting today.  Are you feeling better?

Gotta run now TTYL

Karen  WOW snow already!  we have had a skif of snow a couple of mornings bur nothing serious.  Please don't send it this way.  

You folks will never hear me complain about the heat or humidity of summer.  But come winter I am a crybaby.  I really dislike winter and have a real hard time handling the cold.  I love looking at it, but being IN it is rough on the old bod.  I will someday make a good snowbird.!  The word snow is a four letter word LOL

Well Karen have a productive day, but make sure you get enough rest too.  we don't want to see you overdo it.  OK?

JudyB

Judy B we will have this night -3*C is that also -3*F???

and in the east of Holland we are living in The North
there can fall a little bit snow. That is happening never in oktobre

Love RIA

My, My, My .... already quite a crowd in here this morning!  That's great!!    I'll just grab a cup of coffee and sit over here by the window while y'all continue your conversation.

I will say, most heartily, that I agree with Nards discussion of the devotional ... and so many of the others have echoed the same sentiments.  I still maintain that it's Christ IN you the hope of glory ... we can do nothing...nothing...nothing...of ourselves, it is all about HIM!  In fact, the moment we try to do something to be Christlike that's the moment we fail!  I need to stay out of the way and let His life and Light be seen in and through me.  Oops, didn't mean to preach here.  

I am sooo happy to see JENNY here this morning!  I hope you are feeling much better today, and will continue on the upswing of good health and vitality as the Lord blesses.  

Well, hey!  I am happy to see all y'all here too...it's just that Jenny's been sick these past few days and unable to meet with us.    I have no intention to try to name everyone cuz I'd for sure leave someone out and that would be most disasterous!  

I need to get around and prepare for the women's group that will be meeting here this afternoon.  So... I'll be back as I can manage it.  Until next time...  

Dissociation - the most needed thing in the Christian life!  It's also one of the hard things.  It's attitude - not necessarily actions - that make the difference.  Christ needs to be at the center of our focus in life, and that's an attitude.  I can have that attitude even when I'm in the midst of the world, and I can therefore be dissociated, though I'm surrounded with people who don't have any love for my Lord.  It shouldn't necessarily make me separate from them, but neither can I do things for the same reason they do them.  And, because of that attitude, there are things I won't be able to do with them.  
Oh Father, give me always a purity of attitude, and let me be directed by it.

What terrific thoughts so far in here!  I'm going to have a great time reading all of your posts later on tonight when I get home from Toronto.


Here's today's news on little Cecilia...

http://www.canada.com/ottawa/story.asp?id=85B99E84-9551-4C5A-965F-44B7318B687D

http://www.canada.com/toronto/story.asp?id=14EB5733-2F97-40C9-A4FA-6FA80058F90D

I see there are a lot of others having to scroll left and right to read the pages.  This seems to be just SOME pages.  But very annoying and has a tendency to make one dizzy...as Marilyn said.  I had my Text size...View/Text Size as Largest because I have a small screen.  When I changed it back to Medium, I didn't have to scroll L to R but I needed a magnifying glass.....

How are we to bring others to God without associating with ungodly people?  Jesus wants all God's children to come into the fold.  God wants to be in every activity, every conversation, every problem, and even every thought of ours.  He wants constant conversation from us.  He wants us to have continual meditation.  Meditation is simply focused thinking.  When you think about God's Word over and over in your mind, that's meditation.  You have to be honest with God.  In the Bible, God's friends were honest about their feelings and often complained, second-guessed, accused and argued with God.  He wasn't bothered by that...in fact, it seemed he encouraged it.  David, Jeremiah, Job and Moses all were honest with their feeling and told them to God.  We are friends with God if we do what he commands.  We are not his equal.  He is our loving leader and we follow him.  We obey God because we love him.
When we know what God values then we choose to value what He values.  He wants all his lost children found.  Friends of God tells their friends about God.  We must desire His friendship more than anything else.  We need to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and with all our souls and with all our minds and with all your strength.  If we do all of that then we have to go out into the ungodly world to do God's will.  We can't disassociate (separate) ourselves because God commands us to love our neighbors....and that means everyone!!!  That doesn't mean we are to do as they do.  It means we are to show them the way.

Ivalou is returning from Ohio today.  She may be home now...I don't know.  But we are going for lunch and maybe get one of her Grandsons so he can stay with her for a few days.  He goes to public school but has school year round.  This is his 'vacation' from school right now.  His older sister is closing on her new home so the parents need to concentrate on getting her moved into her new home.  Ivalou just called ..... she is home.

Gotta go!

»ïÏï«,¸¸,»ïÏï«,¸¸,»ïÏï«,¸¸,»ïÏï«,¸¸,»ïÏï«,¸¸,»ïÏï«,¸¸,»ïÏï«,¸¸,»ïÏï«,¸¸,»ïÏï«
" It doesn't take monumental feats to make the world a better place.  It can be as simple as letting someone go ahead of you in a grocery line."

On another note, Pat, I haven't been able to upload my lessons to Homestead....I can't seem to do any changes to my webpage.  Homestead is working with me on it but it isn't fixed yet.  Your work is great.  I never did get the Quilted Frame thing done.  Seems something is missing.  Will try it later.