Christian Photographers Community

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Morning Devotional...


All Thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia.
Psalm 45:8

When a person is dear, everything connected with them becomes dear.

So precious is the person of the Lord Jesus in the estimation of all true believers that they consider everything about Him to be beyond all price.

There is not a spot where that hallowed foot trod, there is not a word that those blessed lips uttered, nor a thought that His loving Word revealed, which is not, to us, inestimably precious.
--Peter J. Pell

Good Morning, Ria, Chris, and Jenny! (((hug)))

It was a good day and now I need to get to bed.

Talk with you all tomorrow and have a fun time at church.
Soni

Welcome Mike!

Hi  Pat, Sonja.  Thanks for the welcome! Bear with me ,  well you know what I mean. there is no bear here.outside,maybe well there could be,I guess. OK I'll stop here and rest.

[size=8]WELCOME MIKE TO CP[/b][/size]


YOU WILL ENJOY IT HERE.     GOD BLESS

Ruthie

Hello Everyone,

I know that I am new and you all haven't heard much from me. Between work and the kids it's been hectic and I just hope to get to know all. This site is so positive and I really pray that it will help with my walk with Christ.

God Bless you and keep you,

Megan

Music in church..........

The best way to guage whether music is proper or not, is to ask one's self four questions......

1...Does the music glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, or self?

2...Is it entertaining, or is it worshipful?

3...Would you sing it standing before the throne of God Almighty?

4...And, would the heavenly chorus sing it?

Perhaps one more might be added.  Can you envision Jesus Christ singing it with you?

If but one doesn't pass the test, is the music proper?

Hello MIke, and welcome aboard.

                      John 6:37

"The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."

These are the words of Jesus Christ.  The Saviour of the World.

Your friends may have forsaken you.  Your family may have disowned you.  You may feel that you have made too many mistakes in life but Jesus promises you, He will not turn away from you.  He loves you.  Call His Name friend.  He is so near.  He just wants to hear you call out for Him. He longs to set you free. He will set you free from your chains.

Today is the day of your Salvation.

Thanks Pat for a beautiful devotional.

How often I smell a perfume and think....Oh My Mother or Oh Nanna Beebee or Oh  Nanna Lewis or Ron...Loved ones who have passed on.

How Mary and the others must have longed for Jesus before they realised He had risen from the tomb. I can imagine Mary His mother holding onto one of His baby toys and weeping over it...or nestling upto one of His garments to smell His perfume......I have done this and I have wept many tears for a departed loved one in  this way., Lavender and Lilies of the Valley are especially poignant perfumes for me.

It can be comforting to smell the perfumes which we associate with our loved ones when they are not near us any more.


"There is not a spot where His hallowed foot has not trod"...Indeed.  I have some precious soil from Olivet and from Bethlehem....Tangible proofs., but more than that I have my faith in Jesus Christ and "Him crucified"  which is more precious than gold or silver.

                ...................

Sad news on the Radio yesterday..
Birds are disorientated.  They are laying their eggs out of season because of the damage to our Eco system.

News also..

The coral reefs will be entirely wiped out during the next Century.

Good Morning THE LORDS day 11.43 in Holland

PAT thank you for the devotional this
morning  and very nice Hymn's yesterday
"IN CHIST THERE IS NO EAST OR WEST" AND
"AND CAN IT BE THAT I SHOULD GAIN"

and i like the Teen Room but i am not a Teener more

SONJA A VERY NICE PHOTO OF LILA MAE for VALENTINE

ZACHERY also a nice photo of you.


I have done the creche work by the church there are coming children from 0 - 3  31/2 years
There is every week an older woman and 2 young girls
I have give the baby's the bottle and after that we have played with the other children. It is lovely work.


PSALM 97 : 2
Clouds and darkness surround Him

    "CLOUDS AND DARKNESS"
Once, the Bible was just so many words to us -
"clouds and darkness" - then, suddenly, the
words become spirit and life because Jesus
respeaks them to us when our circumstances
make the words new. That is the way God speaks to us; not by visions and dreams, but by words.

                                    OSWALD CHAMBERS

I wish you all a Blessed Sunday
Bye Love Ria

            MIKE TO CP

                    RIA

Mike!!!

Running late!!!  Gotta go!!!  Be back later!!!

Going to listen to worship music....old/new doesn't matter as long as we are praising God!!!

Hi everyone.  A special welcome to Mike, glad you are joining with us.  Megan, it was good to see you posting again.  

Zachery, thanks for the special Valentine card that you made for Nards and me.  

Speaking of Valentines, I just saw this today and it came from Pat's cousin and when I saw it I wanted to share it with you all:

The discussion on music brought to mind the Lord's Prayer.  At least in our church it is a part of every worship service.  Is this being repetitious or following what Jesus told us to do?  Personally, I don't feel that we sing the old hymn so often that they become repetitious as the hymn book is large.  I don't dislike the newer praise type music, except don't like to hear the same words and tune repeated over and over again.  I also like to be able to hear the music over the instruments but have to admit that sometimes the organ can overpower the singing.  

This is Senior Sunday at our church.  About 20 senior citizens will make up the choir and do the special music.  Following the service we have a special luncheon provided to the senior with entertainment provided by the Atlanta Youth Choir, which is a group of highly talented young people.  They use our church as a practice location so we get to hear them in our service 2 or 3 times a year and they also provide smaller groups for things like our senior banquet.  

It rained all day yesterday and is doing so again today.  Dreary is the word for it.

Good Morning: Pat thank you for the devotion and Jenny for your additional words of wisdom.

"This is the day the Lord hath made and I will rejoice and be glad in it.'' " Rejoice and again I say Rejoice."

I am so looking forward to going into the sanctuary this with the prayer team and worship team praying together as we do every Sunday Morning. Spending that special time with our Lord is wonderful beyond description.

See you all later.

I am dressed and ready to go to church.  Darrel says he is taking me to Liberal to eat at the Golden Corral after church, for Valentine's day!!  Yippee!!  It is really rare that he wants to go out to eat!

Curtis is home, and I can't wait to get some of his great hugs!  And Mark's and Abby's too, of course.  Grandkids are great!  

I love the praise songs and choruses, but do not like too much repitition either.  Some of the old hymns, the ones WITHOUT doubt, fear and unbelief, I love, but some I can barely tolerate, if they talk about me being an old unworthy worm.  I WAS but now I am NOT.  And the contemporary Christian music may as well be the world's music, as far as I know, because I cannot understand a word they are singing!  There are exceptions to that, of course.  Okay, that's my 1c worth.  (Not worth the whole 2c!  

I need to get off here and go!  See you later!

WELCOME, MIKE!!  WELCOME MEGAN It is good to have you both posting!

Our friends are those who know their own faults well enough to forgive us ours.

Lee, can the music be entertaining and worshipful?  I agree, though, the first measure is "Does it glorify Jesus."

Nita made a good point last night.  A lot of the traditional music is about Jesus (Victory in Jesus, I Love to Tell the Story, Are You Washed in the Blood, There is a Fountain, A Mighty Fortress, etc), but the focus of the "new" music is to Jesus (Shout to the Lord, I Worship You, Lord I Lift Your Name on High, I Exalt Thee, As the Deer, etc).

As far as tune/music repeating, I am really not trying to argue here, as I like the old hymns, but in a lot of the  ones I know, the tune is repeated, and the words (ie -- chorus) are repeated as well.  Bernard tells me I just haven't heard the repeatedness of some of the praise teams that are out there.  I suspect that is true, and just because it is new, doesn't mean it is not good.  "A Mighty Fortress" was new too, one time, ya know!      Also, don't throw the baby out with the bath water.  If you don't like the presentation of the song, don't count the song as being "bad."  I have heard some renditions of "Old Rugged Cross" that I wanted to burn!!  but, that didn't meant the song was bad.

Please, please, please, don't think I am arguing, or trying to stir something up.  I really do like both kinds of music (if there are only two).  I enjoy hearing them, singing them, leading them.  We go to a church where there is absolutely no praise music, all old hymns (shaped notes!), and I am the choir director!!!

Amazing the conversations we get into in here!  But it's good to hear the various opinions isn't it?


Just wanted to let you know that our second challenge for the month of February is now open...

http://christianphotographers.com/yabbse/index.php?board=24;action=display;threadid=2351

WELCOME MIKE!!!![/color][/u]
and WELCOME AGAIN MEGAN!!!![/color][/u].  
Larry - I think the answer to your question about "vain repetition" is simpler than we'd think.  Repetition is "vain" when it's meaningless repetition, not just when it's repetitive.  I mean it's what we make it.  When you repeat one of those choruses for the 3rd or 4th time, what are your thoughts?  Are the words still meaningful to you?  Then they aren't "vain."  So also things like the Lord's Prayer - it's what you put into it that counts.  If you're repetition of those words is killing the meaningfulness of it for you, then it's "vain." But that's up to you, not the worship leader.  Now, of course - it is up to him to think about human nature and to construct the service so it's best likely to help true worship.  But if he's not going to do that, and if you're not going to talk to him about it, and if you're not going to pray for him about it - then it's up to you what you do about it.  You can make it vain.  You can make it meaningful.
I pray that truly Christian worship leaders everywhere will indeed think about what they're doing and that they'll shape the service so that it's most likely to help people worship.  I pray that truly good, harmonius music, music whose cadence is conducive to worship, to awe, to reverence, etc. - will more and more be used by Christians.  But right now - today - it's up to me what I do with it.  Oh may I be worshipful, and may I thus be pleasing to Him.
There.  Off the soapbox for the day.  God bless our worship!

Ready to go to church now. Enjoying all the comments about the music. All I really know is that I like to sing the songs TO Jesus telling Him how much I love HIm. Even if the words are repeated over and over a few times. Someitmes  The Holy Spirit is so close to me that the words and music  enhance the power. Call it emotionalism if you like. But I don't think so.

4.10 p.m.England.

Hi Marilyn, Hi Pat, Hi Larry, Hi Pastor Al......and all....

I have just got back from a short ride...very short because I saw some "park friends" and we talked and talked., by which time I was freezing up and home was the only wise answer.  Bob is blind and he and his wife Theresa have been shut in too during this Winter.They said they had been thinking of me..as I had of them.
Bob has difficulty accepting that our sufferings do not come from Jesus...Mind you he loves to "wind me up".  I have learned to speak to him as the Lord leads.  Theresa and he have been to church this morning but her faith is of a different substance than his...

On the return journey I saw another "friend", George on his bike.  He is a lonely old batchelor..a bit eccentric but I try to share a few lifting words with him.  He is one of those few people you meet of whom can be said there is "no harm in him"., If you know what I mean!

I have fed my cats and my dear little Sunday doggie and I have prepared the veggies for tonights meal as Chris will be home about 7 p.m.  I might have mine and warm his when he gets in...I am hungry...

Oooh...Hello Zach, says she in eager anticipation..ha ha!

Time now for some more Bible study and prayer..

t.t.f.n.

Love Jenny.

I think you have made an excellent point, Al.

I was just thinking about the music issue and came to this conclusion.  It really isn't about the music.  When person A makes a statement about person B's music, person B feels like the statement was about them.  

I'm just going to go ahead and say "names."  Marilyn is of a more charismatic persuasion.  Their style of worship is very emotional and outward.  Pat seems to be of a more traditional persuasion -- quiet and internal.   It is easy to see how they could have some "issues" during worship.

However, I have learned that whilst I might not agree with everything Marilyn believes (or she, me), I can't discount her "style" of worship.  If it draws her closer to Jesus, and helps her to feel Him, then that is what she should do.  If it helps someone else to worship better by being in a more subdued environment, then so be it.  When we get to Heaven, how much fun it will be!!!!!!

I will also say this.  There are times when singing praise songs is emotionalism.  There are also times when singing the "old" songs is just dead.  
It is a matter of the heart.  I think God would rather hear a pure heart singing a praise song, than a hard heart singing a hymn.  Vice versa.  I think God would rather hear a pure heart singing a hymn than a hard heart singing a praise song.  

Karma~ I totally understand!    It is all about our relationship with the King of Kings.  Sometimes I go back and look (really look) at the words of the "old" songs and marvel that they say so well how my heart feels.  It's as if they are brand new all of a sudden!  God looks on the heart, after all!  

Pat:  Great Devotional


About Christian Music I love it all, of course some more than others and I do feel that the most of us will relate better to the ones we grew up with.  

Today is a beautiful sunny day, a little on the cool side but the soul is lifted up none the less.

It is Pizza at our house for dinner this evening you are all invited.


Ruth

Did I open a can of worms or not...Whew!!!  I'm almost sorry that I broached the topic, but then again, healthy discussion is good.

I know that Pastor Al caused me to think with his comment yesterday and Larry re-inforced it.

I was looking at my side of the story (selfish me!!)  I really do like a lot of the praise hymns that we sing (and yes, we pay a fee each time we print the words or put them up on a screen)

I guess my real objection is to the NOISE!!  We went from people who sat up front (we wanted to be where the action is) to sitting as far away as possible  from the overhead LOUD-speaker.  I even turn down my hearing aids.

I still don't clap my hands (that's my problem, not theirs or yours)  I don't jump up and down in the aisles....I do think on the words, but sometimes its it hard to get anything out of "NaNaNa  Naana." even after singing it 5 times as we did this morning.

I also realize that I am now part of the "Old bunch"...my time is past or passing....."Out with the old and in with the new."  So I do not object all that often.  

No one wants to hear this old man anyway.........I know I know....... nobody's sayin' that...but it doesn't keep me from thinkin' it.

THANK YOU ALL FOR RESPONDING TO MY QUESTION "IS IT ME?"
There is plenty of room in our services for all types of songs of praise, and no need for so much repetition, it's just that I sometimes feel that things get dumbed down, even in church,
and I hate  feeling as if I should sing over and over the same chorus's like a zombie!
I can say that some old hymns move me to tears, and so do some modern chorus's, but it's just that for some reason worship leaders ask us to repeat some songs over and over as if doing this will bring some kind of ecstacy, which it seldom does.
If you dont strike oil  after a few repetitions, then stop boring! lol.

http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh368.sht

Eddie, glad you brought up the subject as it has provided a good topic of discussion today.  I think Al is right on with his wise comment and that it depends on the person.

We had a wonderful morning at church as our Seniors composed the choir and sang "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" in a two part arrangement.  Following a fine sermon the seniors went to our youth center that was beautifully decorated with a valentine's theme and enjoyed a delicious lunch.  We were then entertained by 11 young ladies of highschool age, who are a small group from the Atlanta Youth Choir.  They sang about 6 numbers for us and were very enjoyable.  

Jenny, it sounds like you know some very interesting people.  Hope you didn't get chilled.

Janet, hope you had a great lunch at Golden Corral.  We often go there with our friends.  They have a senior special on weekdays from 2-4 pm for $4.99, including the drink.  Sometimes we combine lunch and dinner when we go about 4 pm.  Their food is usually very good.

Well I have need to work on some webpage updates and a brochure for our Sunday School class so guess I had better get busy.

Hi Ed...

Don't feel badly.  It wasn't just you.  I see that Chris has said that he asked the original question "this time"!  We've been through this discussion many times in New Every Morning!  lol  

I guess we'll never ever agree and that's fine.  We've all got our own feelings on this one and as I grew in my Christian life through the years, I never thought I'd be in the minority on something--especially in the singing of hymns and spiritual songs--but I don't mind!  Not at all.  

The hymn that you mention, Janet, (about "a worm such as I") is one of my favorites and if David could refer to himself as a "worm", I guess it's ok for us to do so every once in awhile.    I'm certainly not perfect and never will be on this earth.  None of us are without sin...not on this earth.  One day we Christians will be perfect--perfect bodies--free from illnesses and free from disfigurments--free to worship a Holy and wonderful God in person!  I can hardly even think about it without tears as I type...this person who is NOT worthy the least of His favour.




Anyway, I hope that you are all having a wonderful Sunday--kissing and hugging grandchildren--kissing and hugging your own children--smelling the wonderful odors from the ovens in your homes--eating in great places that I've never even heard of--or lying nursing sore backs (like I'm doing!).  Whatever you're doing, have a great time!

I've been trying to get caught up on my Paint Shop Pro lessons and I haven't got very far.

Don't forget to look at our latest challenge.  Don't forget to look at the fantastic family photos from Sonja and Mike.  And for goodness sake, make sure you look at Janet's underwater photos from her diving trip.  They are marvelous.

God bless you all.  It's great to have these discussions.


What's our next one?


Hmmm...  We could talk about the best translation of the Bible!     or we could talk about .... hmmm...  let's see ... Women in men's clothing!    or let's think...  driving our cars on Sundays!!!    or ....  


Well, as you can see there's lots we could talk about!

Talk to you later!

Karma I have no objections to what you have said. Yes I am of the charismatic persuasion and at times get just as emotional over the old hymns as I do the newer songs. Songs of both kinds, depending on the words, will bring tears to my eyes. There are a lot of the old hymns that I dearly love, How great thou Art, Amazing Grace, Where would I  Go, It is Well With My Soul and many others.

Today I received a couple of gifts from my secret pal at church, in one of them was a can of chocolate covered cashews, which I am sitting here eating as I type. MMMMgood.