Christian Photographers Community

Link of the day...[/font]

• Christian Classics Ethereal Library There's so much available on this website!  

• Creation Moment Listen to the Creation Moment every day for a new creation moment!  We can learn a lot from these!  Terrific if you are home schooling.

Verse for Today...[/font]

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."[/color]
~Philippians 4:13~   [/list]


Quote of the Day...[/font]

 "Let the year be given to God in its every moment!"
~G. Campbell Morgan~[/list]  


Some News We Should Know About...

• Christmas Catalogues Turn Gift-Giving Into Ministry
  A number of Christian ministries have borrowed a page out of the Neiman-Marcus Christmas Catalog.  Like the upscale retail chain, these ministries use the seasonal catalogs to offer unique gift ideas, ranging from the simple to the extraordinary.
  

• Photo Moment: Ancient Babylonian city of Ur, Birthplace of Abraham? [/b]  

From our forums...

• Worship  What is worship?  Join Karma as she and others discusses this important subject.

• Monthly Photo Challenge~SIGNS OF THE SEASON[/b] During the month of December, show us how you decorate your house, your town, etc. for the Christmas season!

• We're well into our first of only two weeks for this interesting challenge! December 1st Bi-Weekly Challenge~AROUND YOUR TOWN  This Challenge was inspired by Lee Kirkwood!  He wanted to see what some of our towns and cities where we reside really look like!

• Creations with a Brush  There are some terrific artists on CP!  How about checking out their work and encourage them to post more of their paintings!

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Morning Devotional...


But wisdom is justified of all her children.
Luke 7:35

The Lord addressed the "rude children" parable to the religious self-righteous. They were likened to children playing and dancing to their own tune, oblivious to everyone else.

The Pharisees wandered aimlessly in a realm of a self-concocted wisdom. They condemned John, whose ministry was fostered in self-denial and simplicity. They called the Lord a drunkard and a glutton for socially connecting with the sinners He came to save.

No ministry but their own would please them. The same spirit is alive today.

If the Lord has called you to a work--then do it and be prepared for criticism.
--Warren Henderson

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Thanks Pat.  That is another timely devotional.  Tho' you did wipe out my question and rather long post.  Oh well, need the typing practise anyway.  So will start again:
I would like to have input on the question on the Christmas Tree.  Not controversial data, simply what folks think!

I recently read an article in our Island Sunday Christian paper and found it quite interesting.  According to the research of the author, the fir tree was used as a Christian symbol as early as the seventh century.  A monk used the tree to teach pagan believers about the Holy Trinity - like St. Patrick did in Ireland, using the three-leaf shamrock.

Pagans, who had revered the oak tree, became converted to Christianity and referred to the fir tree as "God's Tree."

In 1510 Martin Luther was returning home on Christmas Eve, when he saw how the stars sparkled above the trees, appearing to be suspended in their branches.  The treetops all pointed towards the Creator, and the stars reminded him of the Magi following one bright star to the manger in Bethlehm.  Luther was inundated with the thought that the evergreen tree itself carried the true message of Christmas - the advent of God expressing his everlasting love to humans by sending his Son to earth.

Martin Luther cut down a tree and brought it home, placed candles in its' branches and explained the symbolism to his family.

Both Martin Luther and the Monk were aware that the purpose of God's creations is to bring Him glory.  "The earth is the Lords' and everything in it."  Psalm 24:1

Jesus continually used the natural elements of the world to teach gospel truth.  Some believe that the longstanding emblem of the Christmas Tree, with bright lights, gifts beneath its' boughs, can tell people about the love and grace of an eternal God - who gave the gift of his Son, so we might have eternal life.

What say you folks?

Late ths afternoon Vivian asked me to take the ATV out to our adjoining acres and cut our yearly Christmas tree.  The field was deep in snow and when I got out there three young boys (Our neighbors grandchildren) came running out of the woods wanting to know what I was doing out there.   They had been playing in the woods making-up games from nothing. When I told them what I was doing they asked if they could help.  After looking at several trees we found the right one and I cut it down.  What great memories for those young lads.  How many city children have such an opportunity.  And yes, the experience wasn't too bad for me either.

Liz...........

We were both knocked off by Pat.  Grrrrrrrr.  Also, we were writing about trees at the same time.  I wasn't aware of your post.  How neat.

That is funny, Lee.  It is a great experience to cut down a fresh tree for Christmas.  Haven't done that since leaving Alberta.  Actually, gave up on 'live' trees and have a small artificial one that sits on  my table!  Not quite the same thrill....

Thanks, PAT ... for the devotional and the links for today.  I have had the cd of CCEL for some time now, and really love browsing the classics and reading (sometimes several times) their writings.  Some years ago Nita and I both got acquainted with Jeanne Guyon ... awesome reading.  She really knew, and had an intimate relationship with our Lord.

I have been gone most of the day ... After the Womens Ministry met at my home this afternoon, one of the ladies invited me to go with her "for pie" and of course I wouldn't turn down an invitation like that!  We visited in the restaurant for a couple hours and then she asked "Do you want go walk through Wal-Mart?"  Having nothing else on my agenda I said "sure" ... Each of us had the same anticipation of "What's God got in mind for us now?" .. As we were in the store, we saw another friend and before long we were deep in conversation that lasted another few hours!    Guess what? That friend had just purchased a book and was really excited about it because someone had recommended it to her....the title of the book? you ask .... THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE!  Is that awesome or what?  We, all three, agreed God was totally in charge of our day and our agenda...He is in control of our lives we just enjoy what He ordains for us to be a part of!  

Well ... that's been a part of what God has been doing in my life ... How about your's??

GOOD MORNING  ALL   11.15AM

PAT thank you for the devotional today
and all the links but also for the very nice songs yesterday in your evening yes that is our night.

SONJA thank you for your help yesterday and don't forget you are every day in my prayers ((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))

I have get paint pro 8 who from you can learn me how that is working i don't no hahaha
the computer programmer yesterday evening has put it on my computer he say that is so nice. But he is working so quick that can i not follow

It is today ST. NICHOLAS IN HOLLAND
BUT WE ARE DOING NOTHING MAYBE IT IS NICE FOR THE LITTLE KIDS.

It is dark and cold in Holland


Father in heaven, sometimes we too feel as if we are going to lose our faith in You. Sometimes we are so angry, and so sad.
Please take us into Your sanctuary and into the forest.
Then Father, please let us see the greatest unfairness
of all. Don't let us rest until we see Your Son suffering
for our wrongs, and dying in our place.
                                                 Martin R. de Haan


I wish you All a BLESSED DAY
BYE FOR NOW
LOVE RIA

WELCOME DRAKE TO CP
RIA

A quick Good Morning to all,

Thank you, Pat, for the devotional, for the link to CCEL(I will just HAVE to visit later)..what a site!, and for one of my favorite Bible verses...doing all things through Christ.  Oh! How I Love Jesus!

May each of you have a blessed day.

 And for Sonja..I will be praying today

I missed yesterday so don't know what's going on.

kathy

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Look forward to "meeting" some fellow believers, especially in the Photography area (a hobby I really enjoy).

All for now,
Drake

Morning Everyone!!

HI Suzanne

After some problems with my computer I am back online.  I have a pile of stuff to do, that will just have to wait until I get home tonight.  I have some travelling to do today, but will be able to catch up on what everyone has had to say when I get home tonight.

Love to all

Heather

Good Morning Heather and Sonja  

hello everyone,
Just in agian before school. today should be and easy day since it is a friday and a game day. (teachers tend to go easier on us for game days and fridays) fridays because we can't have homework over the weekend ( board policy) well i hope everyone is having a good day. i'm getting ready to head off to school ttyl
Sarah

Well, I haven't been here in a few days but I have been reading the posts.  Seems like C.P. was down for awhile today.

Welcome to the Drake.  I hope you will enjoy the fellowship here.  A few days ago in our daily Bible reading Cornelia and I read the following familiar passage:

Rom 8:35-39
35   Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
36   As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
37   No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38   For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
39   neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(NIV)

--- Papa John              <)))><<

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Sure great to be able to get back on here again!!

WELCOME DRAKE - in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who also welcomes you![/size][/color]
Tell us a little something about yourself, where you are, how long you've known our Lord, etc.

Good to have things back running again.  

We're under a "winter storm warning" for late tonight and all day tomorrow with our area predicted to get from 5 to 10 inches of snow.  Just a little south of us they're getting the snow already and expect up to 18 inches in some places.  Doesn't sound like much accumulation for the severe warning, but I guess some gusty northeast winds will be adding to it.

I don't know what's wrong but for the last two days I can't upload to my website for some reason.  Pretty soon I'll switch to the Mac and see if I can do it from there.

Even on the Mac I can't upload.  I can get to the directory and I can link to it but I can't put up anything new.   Tomorrow if it still doesn't work I'll have to find time to call them.  Of course, I'll have weekend help to contend with and the snow may create more problems...  

Glad to see the site back up.  I kept checking several times during the day.  

Jeanne, sure hope you don't get snowed in tonight.  

Welcome Drake, glad you found us and I look forward to your photos and postings.

Heather, it was good to see you are back online.  I was also glad to see JudyB posting yesterday.  

It is late and I am about ready for bed so will just say hi to everyone and good night.

I am Happy that CP is back
But is night in Holland i am wake up and take a look
and yes

I was missing CP in our evening i missed you all

but now i go back to my bed

I hope everything is tomorrow also allright

GOODNIGHT   I LOVE YOU ALL

RIA      3.31AM

Well, this is such good news.

I'm glad to see CP back.  Poor Ian and Wendy have been sitting all day wondering if their upline would get things fixed.  I never did find out what was wrong but I'm just glad things are alright now.

At least all of you who are on that Yahoo mailing list had the letter from me saying that CP was down.

I wish every one of our members was on that Yahoo mailing list.

I'll not open a new New Every Morning tonight since we've not that many posts to be concerned about in this one.

Talk to you all in a little while.

I am so glad to be back.  I didn't even get to post in here today.  

I will be back later tonight if I am not to tired.

Sonja...I wanted to hear how it went with your test today!  Wasn't it today you were having it?  I've been praying for you!

Sonja, I have also been praying for you and wondering about the test result.  Will keep on praying that all will be okay.

Pat, were you not able to use the photo's....would it be better if I sent them as an email attachmemt??
I will try to learn about all of this after the move and the New Year.  Poor Pat, folks like me must be a real test of your endurance!

Another exciting day with my head stuck in packing boxes.  Lots of rain and wind...so far the power has stayed on.  Missed taking a break and coming to CP for a little spiritual refreshment.  Glad the site is back on.  

God Bless and pleasant dreams all.

Good evening everyone (just looked at the time...guess it is morning now... )

Thanks for the song yesterday Pat.  The Shortbread cookies (I make the Whipped Shortbread) turned out quite nice.  I took a dozen into work today and I think they lasted all of 15 minutes once word got out that they were there.  

Pat, I saved some just for you.  They're wrapped up to keep them fresh.

Alas, some of this evening was spent visiting an elderly couple whose wife fell a few weeks back and she broke her hip.  She is mending nicely, but I think is starting to feel a bit housebound and was quite pleased to have the visit.

Have a great day everyone.

Goodmorning ALL  10.55AM



I AM SO HAPPY THAT CP IS BACK

But i have not a lot news on this moment i am tired to much problems and sorrow this week

On different places are the coming weeks Christmas marktplaces but in Germany there are Christmas marktplaces they are beautiful but very busy also there we are going sometimes.

He Himself is our peace
Ephesians 2 : 14

            Jesus
     A name to subdue
mighty oceans and nations
      A name to tame
hurricane winds and wild beast,
  A name to call for praise
     from all God's creation,
       yet so gentle a name
    that we call Him our Peace.
                                                B.J. Hoff


I wish you all a Blessed Day
Bye for now
Love Ria

God sets the prisoners free.

Psalm 146:7


I have been a Christian now for a good many years and I have never heard anyone preach a sermon on this text. I have often felt that my soul has been bound in a spiritual prison. I have been keenly aware of God hedging me in, kept a prisoner within confines that He alone has set.

There may be many who feel 'trapped' in their spiritual lives. I have seen many a parent having that feeling when, instead of being involved in just about everything that happened within their church, they were confined by their young children to stay at home and look after them.

Others perhaps through pressures at work and having to cope with a young family after work, simply do not seem to have the energy or zeal that they once had for the things of God.

There may be Pastors who have served in their present congregation for a number of years now but gradually things have dried up and they find themselves getting into a 'monotonous' routine with little vigour left for the task in hand.

They may feel that it is time to move on, however until a call comes from on High they feel trapped like prisoners by circumstance.

There may be others who feel trapped by family commitments or stuck in places of employment that they may not have a heart for. They long to be free and experience the liberty of the children of God.

Perhaps today the doors remain firmly closed.

For years I had a desire to serve the Lord in Romania. I loved the place and I loved the people and many an hour I spent praying that God would somehow set me free to let me serve Him there. I longed to be 'somewhere' else! I honestly felt that I was 'locked' in prison.

I had this desire for almost a decade and believe me my friend it was a fervent desire. The desire itself took up most of my waking hours. I thought of nothing else.

Often I tried to 'force' open the necessary doors that would set me free, but this led only to pain and even more frustration.

Today I praise God for closed doors!

It takes courage to ask God to open doors, however I believe it takes even greater courage to ask Him to keep other doors locked! Our desires, though genuine enough can be so wrong! Admitting we are wrong is not something that we are good at.

One of my favourite films of all time is 'The Great Escape.' Knowing my rebellious nature if I had been part of that group of prisoners of war, I am sure that I would have been Chairman of the Escape Committee.

How wrong it is to try and 'force' God's hand in things.
We try to justify ourselves by saying it's a step in faith, when in reality it is presumption! My friend please do not make the same mistakes that I have made.

If today you are feeling like a spiritual prisoner, trapped by your circumstances whatever they may be, then WAIT!

I know that it is a difficult posture to assume when your insides are almost exploding with impatience, however let God be the One to open the door.

If God shut the door on the Apostle Paul's attempt to go to Asia then again to Bithynia shall He not do likewise for you and I? If God wants us to be in 'Troas', then be sure that all other doors which lead not to Troas will remain closed!

God does all things well.

His timing is perfect, His way is perfect the only problem is that sometimes WE get in His way! Let the all seeing, all powerful, all knowing God set you free in the way that He chooses.

He knows our hearts and He knows what we desire. If you will but commit your way to Him then you can be sure that He will bring the desire that He Himself has planted in your heart to pass.

Trust Him.

We are all in a sense prisoners of sin. The Christian is daily perplexed by the shackles of transgressions. We long to be free from sin, not just cleansed from it. The Christian longs for Home. He lives to die because that is the door that leads to the Land of Beulah.

It will not be long my friend before each one of us will bid farewell to this scene of time. Sin will be left behind and then we shall truly know the blessing God commands, life that shall never end.

Do not be faint hearted today, do not be weary in well doing, do not be cast down though you may feel trapped by a monotony that you find suffocating. No my friend take heart it is God who sets the prisoners free.

Perhaps today He has allowed you to start your 'long walk to freedom.' The Truth shall set you free. God is Truth. His Word is Truth. Live by it and you shall be free indeed.

Though often I have experienced my heart breaking due to circumstances, this morning I can honestly say that He has done all things well.

Hope you have a blessed weekend.

LOL

Your brother in Christ

Iain

Well, good morning!!  I, too missed CP yesterday.  I kept trying until time for us to leave, then we got back very late, but I am early this morning!  Darrel is still softly snoring.

Darrel and I went to Dodge City yesterday, did a bit of looking and shopping (not much!) and then attended a play at the Repertory Theatre.  It was their Christmas one, and we had lots of laughs.  I saw 22 other people there from Ulysses.  That's the most I have ever seen there at one time from Ulysses! 16 of them were celebrating one lady's retirement from one of the gas companies, they said.

Interesting about the Christmas trees.  I have always loved Christmas trees.  When I was a child, we didn't get to have a tree, but when we got up on Christmas morning, each of us kids found some small gifts laid at our place on the table.  We usually got underwear, socks, an ORANGE and a few small hard candies.  That was the only time we ever got oranges, so that was a really big deal!  Later, sometime in my teens, we kids would go out and find a huge tumbleweed and spray it with glitter and use that as our tree.  Sometimes I think those Christmases made better memories than the ones when we spend and spend and buy the kids TOO many things.

When I was a young Mom, my husband and I owned a greenhouse and nursery, and each Christmas, we traveled to Colorado to the mountains to cut Christmas trees to sell.  I loved being out in the cold and the snow, tramping around looking for nicely shaped trees.  We are still friends with the people on whose land we cut the trees.  I remember that we were on our way there the day President Kennedy was shot!  When we stopped for lunch, they had heard about it and told us. Ahhh.........memories!

I have a really busy day today, and again tomorrow.  Much to get done today, many events to attend tomorrow.  But I will be popping in to see what's going on here.  Have to get my "CP fix!"

Sonja, I am praying for that good report!

I hope all of you have a wonderful and blessed day!

Good morning folks.  I have a busy morning.  My boys have a swim meet today.  I wanted to stop in and say hello!

Hello!



Be back later to read everyones posts.
Soni

Hi, great to see all of your cheery faces once more.
Ria, I think PSP 7  is actually much quicker and easier to use than 8.
8 is a lot more advanced,  very good, but not for beginners I would say.
Anyone agree?
Regards Chris.