Christian Photographers Community

Morning Devotional...


REAL LOVE
I Corinthians 13:1-13 NIV

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Which quality of real love do you most need to ask God to increase in your life?  Our society confuses love and lust.  Unlike lust, God's kind of love is directed outward toward others, not inward toward ourselves.  It is utterly unselfish.  This kind of love goes against our natural inclinations.  It involves unselfish service to others and gives evidence that we care. Faith is the foundation and content of God's message; hope is the attitude and focus; love is the action.  When faith and hope are in line, we are free to love completely because we understand how God loves.  It is only as God helps us set aside our own desires and instincts that we can give this love while expecting nothing in return.  Thus, the more we become like Christ, the more love we will show to others.[/color]
The Best of the Bible--365 Must-Read Bible Passages[/i]

Posting this again to make sure that David sees it...

Posting this good news again so that everyone will see it and be able to congratulate John (Turbotech)...

Hello everyone
I guess i've just been to busy today haven't gotten time to be on the computer... domenic is quite a handful... he helped decorate the tree (or helped tear things off) he undecorated as i decorated isn't it a crazyed mixed up thing..... well i'm off to bed hope to get rid of my cold before it gets too bad right now its just in my head but it will move if i don't fight it now... ttyl
Sarah

Ohhhhhhh......Lucas John is so cute!!  I want to hug and and gaze at him at the same time.  And I want to hold him and look into those beautiful eyes while he is still warm from heaven.   And his daddy takes wonderful pictures too.  He has such a perfect subject now.  I can't wait to see more of Lucas.

Welcome to CP David.  You've found a neat group of people. 

Today has been a quiet day for me.  Well, quiet, but busy still. haha  I just remembered my daughter, Kim, came over and we put up the wallpaper border.  I've been meaning to do that for about 6 months, but today seemed to be the day.  I started, and she came, scolded me for being on a chair, and took over.  I washed clothes, washed dishes, swept,  dusted, etc....I guess I just did it quietly becasue it still feels like a quiet day.

Etta Sue.....it seems everywhere I turn lately, I'm being reminded that LOVE, the LOVE of God, is my highest goal.  I don't know that I'll ever be there, but thank you for the reminder again.  A very good devotional.

I didn't go shopping today.  I don't like big crowds...especially when I might be standing in the way of what they want.  

I can't remember all who posted on yesterdays page.....but hi, Marilyn, Papa John, Larry, and JERRY....Hello!  Good to see your smiling face again.  Yep.....at least now we'll know when you are lurking.  Funny.   

Hi Sarah......sorry you're puny.  Take good care. ok?

I love you all.  Sister Nita

My thoughts this morning rest with, my savior, Jesus Christ. I can’t fully comprehend his sacrifice; to be omnipotent and to give that up and take human form is amazing. He had never felt hunger or pain or been hot. He had never felt fear or lust. He had never been tempted by the devil. To give all that up and to come to Earth and take on human form and to feel all of our weaknesses so that a person like me could be saved; just blows me away. I could never pay him back for his sacrifice, but I thank him everyday for it.

Good Morning. Etta Sue thank you for today's devotional.

Hello to everyone who comes in today. Don't want to leave anyone out so I will not name names today.
Has anyone heard from Janet yet? Or RuthAnn.?

TTYL

Hi everyone,

Too much going on yesterday to drop in so I have a lot of catching up on posts to read.  This morning's devotional is one of my favorite passages of scripture.  Thanks for posting it.

Little Lucas John is precious.  A wonderful gift for his parents. 

Etta Sue:  Thanks for the wonderful devotions this morning. 

Welcome to Lucas John.  Our youngest, Matt, was born in early November many years ago and I remember getting through the holidays with a newborn.  It makes Thanksgiving even more thankful.

Here is a site that is very calming and lovely music as well as pictures.  I found this on one of the ads - yes, I try to check out several ads in here each visit.
             
             http://thegoodnessoflife.com/

Carol

Welcome David Jay!

Papa John ~ I am feeling well. I still have paralyses on my right side, but that too is part of God's plan. I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday.

Congratulations;John and Joanna 

Larry Hanna ~ Hi Larry. I have looked in as a lurker so the only difference is my name is at the top now. As far as my P/C, it is just something I threw together. As time goes on you will be tired of hearing about it. LOL!!!!!!

Nita ~ Hi, I will answer as I can, but most of the time (You are right) I will be lurking.

Etta Sue ~ That is a good devotional. Thank you for preparing it and staying up late so we can read it first thing.

Hi Everybody from Colin alias vec2, nice to be back with you after a break in the sun. I see Pat has a new picture, and looks stunning in the new colours.The weather in Malta was very good, and a good time was had by us both. Nice to be back with you all, and 2 months to catch up on this site, I will be busy.

Bye for now Colin

Hi everyone.  It has turned quite chilly here as it is overcast and 34 degrees.  It had turned colder between the time I went to coffee at the Cafe and came out an hour or so later.  I then went to the barbership and stopped at the drug store to get a couple of batteries to put in my fire alarms.  Don't have much planned today except to watch some football.  This is the day of the big game as Georgia University plays their in-state rival Georgia Tech at 3:30 this afternoon.  Both schools have had good seasons so this should be a good game.

Colin, nice to see you back.  It sounds like you all had a great time in Malta.  How long were you gone?  It seems like quite awhile since we saw you posting.

Jerry, glad to hear you are doing OK and keep lurking but say hi once in a while.  Fortunately Etta Sue keeps us a bit informed about what you are doing.

Carol, I will have to check out the music website you posted.  I set up a playlist of the Christmas music I have recorded on my computer and am listening to it.  I am enjoying it at the moment.

Nita, that didn't sounds like a quiet day.  Just putting up the border sounds like a big job but I am sure it looks very nice.

Sarah, hope you get on top of that cold.  Those are no fun and you have games to play so need to be feeling at your best.  It sounds like you may have had a few too many helping hands when you put up the Christmas tree.

Etta Sue, thanks for that fine devotional.  That is such a familar passage of scripture.

Hi Gwen. Marilyn, Logar and to all who stop by later today.

Thanks for the comments on the devotion.  My favorite story in the Bible, too.

Whew! What a morning so far.  I got up later than usual because I went to sleep later than usual.  Funny how that works.    I dressed in my lounging p.j.'s and then notice a check that I wanted to cash at the bank.  So I put on some shoes and a jacket, grabbed my purse and keys and went to the bank.  No one saw me from my neck down!!  Thank God for drive-up windows!!

Then I had my breakfast and read my morning devotions and the Bible.  I called a friend who got a shot of steroids in her back and her pain has returned.  She works at WalMart in the financial area and was ready to leave for work.  Then I got online and before I answered a reply to Jerry on email, my electric went out.  I got back online and was almost done replying again and the electric went out again.  I called Ivalou and hers did, too.  So I called the electric company and reported it.  They were on and off three times Wednesday and so far today two times.  So something isn't right.  Three years of living here I have only had to reset the clocks a couple of times previous to Wednesday due to power outages.  The lines are to be fixed sometime today.  (Wish Nards and Karma could get their phone lines fixed that quick!!!)

So hopefully, I will get this posted before the lights go out again.  Oh, yes!  It was quite windy Wednesday and today!  So either there is a bare wire somewhere or a loose connection!!!  My a na lysis!!!

Have a great weekend, All!

We just got back from spending a couple of days in Lithuania.  We got together with several of our A/G missionary families for Thanksgiving and Turkey and Football and Turkey and Pumpkin Pie and Turkey and Green Bean Casserole and Turkey and Stuffing and Turkey...  BTW did I mention we had 2 twenty lb turkeys for 18 people?  It was a good get together for us.  The missionaries from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia came in as well as us from Belarus.  We were supposed to have one other family come in from Kaliningrad, but they didn't get their passports back from the Russian government in time.  I can tell you all I am ready to be at home for a while.  Tired of being on the road.  

We stayed in a pretty nice hotel in Vilnius with a big swimming pool.  Noel had fun swimming in the kiddie pool as well as in the Big Pool.  We also enjoyed sitting in a nice Turkish Bath (think Sauna, but with lots and lots of steam/moisture), just like a bit moist heat pad.  RELAXING!!!

But all in all good to be back home in our own bed and with our own stuff.

Blessings all,
Mike

Mike, did you have any turkey?

Mike, are you near to any of the problems in Kiev?

I'm praying for those people.

Hello everybody, from VERY FOGGY interior B.C.!  We live in a cloud here. 

Congratulations, John and Joanna, the baby looks so sweet!  Children are a great blessing.

November 27   

Spiritual Warfare and Sin: Victory Assured

Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the
breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him
He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was
out of joint as He wrestled with him. 
--Genesis 32:24-25

The enemy never quite knows how to deal with a humble man; he is so
used to dealing with proud, stubborn people that a meek man upsets
his timetable. And furthermore, the man of true humility has God
fighting on his side--who can win against God?

Strange as it may seem we often win over our enemies only after we
have first been soundly defeated by the Lord Himself. God often
conquers our enemies by conquering us.... When God foresees that
we must meet a deadly opponent, he assures our victory by bringing us
down in humbleness at His own feet. After that, everything is easy.
We have put ourselves in a position where God can fight for us, and
in a situation like that, the outcome is decided from eternity.  We
Travel an Appointed Way, 14.

"Lord, help me to submit willingly to You, in complete humility,
without struggle or wrestling. Then You fight for me against my
strong enemy. I'll rest-and revel-today in Your victory. Amen."

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For those of you who use Paint Shop Pro, Ursula has written a wonderful tutorial using PSP9 for making a photo Black & White.

CLICK HERE

Let her know what you think.  Hopefully, Ursula will write us some more in the future.

Ephesians 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

We praise God for His grace and love we certainly don't deserve. Jesus Christ gave His life on the Cross in payment for our sins. In fact, Jesus took our place and took the punishment we deserve. Only the Blood of Jesus makes us acceptable to live for eternity with him.  There is absolutely nothing we can do to make ourselves acceptable except to put our trust and faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Anything we do for Him is for His Glory, not our own.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Quote from: OK Tom on November 27, 2004, 03:57:59 PM
Ephesians 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

We praise God for His grace and love we certainly don't deserve. Jesus Christ gave His life on the Cross in payment for our sins. In fact, Jesus took our place and took the punishment we deserve. Only the Blood of Jesus makes us acceptable to live for eternity with him. There is absolutely nothing we can do to make ourselves acceptable except to put our trust and faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Anything we do for Him is for His Glory, not our own.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Tom, thanks so much!   Your post reminded me of this hymn.  The words are lovely.

HYMN HISTORY:

The family of Count Nicholas Ludvig Von Zinzendorf was one of the wealthiest in all Saxony. So when the young nobleman wound up his law studies in the university of Wittenberg he set out to see the world in luxury.

However, he only got as far as an art gallery in Dusseldorf. There, pondering a painting of Christ with his bowed head and the inscription 'This have I done for thee, and what hast thou done for me"', the young count was smitten with conviction.

He went back to his estate in Berthelsdorf with a heavy heart - and miserable. But God was dealing with him. At twenty-two, on his wedding day, he and his bride put aside their rank of nobility to follow in the simple footsteps of the lowly man of Galilee.

Shortly after this a religious outcast named Christian David wandered into Berthelsdorf. Christian David belonged to a society known as 'The Moravian Brethren'. The Moravians had been founded some three hundred years earlier by John Huss, known in history books as 'The Old Goose of Bohemia.' Zinzendorf took David in and then rounded up all the other brethren he could find so that within ten years, six hundred Moravians were living on his estate. He organised them into missionary groups and sent them off to the far corners of the earth.

To Greenland they went, to Holland and India, to America and the Indies these pioneers of missionary endeavour set forth with holy zeal.

Long before William Carey put down his cobbler's last to take up the Bible and long before John and Charles Wesley had preached a sermon or wrote a hymn, the Moravians had one hundred and sixty-five missions scattered throughout the world.

They faced disease, poverty, loneliness and persecution; but nothing stopped them from carrying on the work of the crucified Christ, whose picture their leader had seen in an art gallery at Dusseldorf.

On December 21st 1741, Zinzendorf himself founded a mission and preached to the Indians in Pennsylvania. As it was only four days to Christmas he named the colony Bethlehem. It's a great steel centre today and the Moravian capital of the United States.

The former Count saw the world - but not in luxury. When he died, back in his native Saxony, aged sixty, there wasn't even enough money to pay for his grave.

Zinzendorf wrote 2,000 hymns during his long life of service for Christ, among them this one penned in 1739 while on board a ship on the way to establish a mission in the West Indies.

Jesus: Thy blood and righteousness,
My beauty are, my glorious dress,
'Midst flaming words, in these arrayed;
With joy shall I lift up my head.

When you think of all that Count Zinzendorf gave up and all he endured for the sake of Christ's kingdom surely you're bound to be persuaded that he meant everything he wrote.

The hymn was very interesting.