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Link of the day...[/font]

• His Kids Radio

• 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]

"For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." [/color]
~Galatians 5:13 NKJV~[/list]


Quote of the Day...[/font]

"A man who does nothing never has time to do anything."
~Charles Haddon Spurgeon~[/list]



Some News We Should Know About...

• Bush vows to spread liberty around the globe  WASHINGTON - George W. Bush swore the presidential oath for a second term Thursday and issued a sweeping pledge to spread freedom “to the darkest corners of the world” and "show the meaning and promise of liberty."

   

• Photo Moment: World's Smallest 'Coin-Sized' Hard Drive [/b]   

From our forums...

• FREE BOOKS Pay only the postage!!
  
  
• Cider-Braised Apples![/b]  What a great dessert--and it's "In the Kitchen"!
  
  
• Creations With a Brush Encourage our artists by commenting on their works of art.
  
  
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  Morning Devotional...
  
  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. . . to be conformed to the image of His Son.
  Romans 8:28-29
  
  Shattered by storms, twisted by pain, broken by sorrow, numbed by grief, many a perplexed child of God has cried into what seems an unresponsive sky, "What good can come of this?"
  
  What is the good of verse 28? It is the glory of verse 29: "conformed to the image of His Son."
  
  All things are working together to that one great good--the moral and spiritual image of the Son of God.
  
  One day He will finish the work, but He has begun to form Christ in you by pain and pleasure, by discipline and delights.
  
  What a good thing that is!
  --J. B. N.
  
  
  
  
  The flame shall not hurt you,
  I only design
  Your dross to consume
  and your gold to refine.
  G. Keith
  
  
  

Fernando Ortega sings this, it's about my favorite song and goes well with the devotional!

One morning
When time is done
Bright heaven
Will be our refuge
The city of God most high

I long for
That holy day
This longing
Sometimes it captures my heart
And carries me far away

Beyond the sky
Beyond all telling
Our Father himself
Will be our light
His arms will hold us
And with his hands
He'll wipe away the tears
That stain our eyes

When darkness
Falls over me
This promise
It's like a fire inside
Burning the dark away

Beyond the sky
Beyond all telling
Our Father himself
Will be our light
His arms will hold us
And with his hands
He'll wipe away the tears
That stain our eyes

BTW the bid on the house went through so we now have a home. The girls are absolutely tickled! 
Gina

Pat, Judy. Mr TBEAR and all those still feeling under the weather - I pray that as the day dawns in your part of the world that the Lord will bring healing in His wings to you.

'All things work together for good......'

Hands up all those who have had that text quoted to them - while in the midst of absolute turmoil - by some well meaning, not a care I the world friend. It used to drive me nuts the number of times this was quoted to me as I lay on my hospital bed having just suffered a heart attack in my mid forties!!

Yea, thanks for those comforting words folks. My life has just been turned upside down and you and telling me that it is for my own good!! Yea right!!

Since those 'crabbit' days, (A good Scottish word!) I have learned a couple of important lessons.

The first is to be very careful with your choice of Biblical quotations when speaking to someone who is such turmoil that they do not know if it is New Year or New York! Or, if you are willing to quote such a text - and it is a wonderful text - then be sure and back it up with practical experience in order to encourage the one who is suffering.

The other lesson learned? Well God loves nothing more than to prove His own Word to be true. Despite all my murmurings and against all the odds, He put His arm around my should and showed my from that day - in ways that I would never have dreamt of and in paths I would never have gone down - that He works all things together for my good.

God works, despite us. His timetable may run a bit slower than our does most days, but He is never late. Trust Him my friend, and you will be able to say as i read this morning - 'this is the doing of the Lord and wondrous in our eyes.'

With love in Christ

Iain

Iain, very wise words this morning. In the long run, things may work out best, but when we're enduring loss and pain and sorrow and illness, sometimes it's very difficult to understand.

Y'all have a good day.

Ruth Ann

Thid was sent to me today and I thought you all would like to read it.

http://www.passionup.com/mp/blank/blank100.htm?e=imkld@yahoo.com&f=imkld@yahoo.com&cfp=1&h=7a49f7e8064d5e26&mp=1

Have a good day everyone,  I am off the computer much of the time as my mother board is going and I am trying to hold off in getting a new one for as long as possible.

Bye for now

Judy

Good morning all.  Just paying some bills and stuff online and getting some business stuff done.

Thought I'd pop in and say hi.

HI!!

MFARLEY

Hi everyone.  I have a very busy day planned so will have to make my post fairly brief this morning.  I think I may be getting my plate too full as don't seem to have much time available to leisurely read and contemplate.  I am working on setting up a new web domain for our local computer user group along with several other things involving maintenance of the sites for which I serve as webmaster.  It is all enjoyable but just takes large amounts of time. 

This afternoon we begin our monthly PC User Group meetings at the Senior Center.  Today's program is on geneology and tracing your family history using the computer.  Should be an interesting program. 

Sure am sorry to read of our CP members fighting the flu and other aches and pains and do hope all are feeling better soon.  Karma, sure you and Nards are now counting the days until that new bundle of joy joins your household. 

Welcome to our new CP members.  Happy to have you here.

Iain, very wise words in your post this morning.  While we may know that the Bible scripture you cited is true at the time of serious illness or loss it is hard to focus on it and not very comforting to have someone else spout it to us.  However, we all have been in the position of not really knowing what to say to someone and I sometimes think just being present, giving a hug if appropriate,  speaks to the person and indicates our support during a difficult time.

Chris, your Tozar piece yesterday was very good. 

Janet, sure hope you all hear from the doctor today.  Waiting and anticipating the unknown is so difficult and frustrating.  Glad you got Beth's computer back and sure hope Darrel is able to get his working again soon.

Guess I had better get busy with some of the other work I have to do.  Tbear and Etta Sue, hope you don't get covered up with snow today and the next couple of days.  They are saying we have a chance for some snow about Sunday.

Okay Bob ~ What a great miracle!  I remember my Dad suddenly hearing the brushes on drums and triangles when listening to the 'Stereo'! 

JudyB ~ I had read what is on your link before but it brought tears to my eyes again.  What determination that little boy had. 

Iain ~ Sometimes unspoken words are better than spoken words.  When my husband passed away several people said...It will get better with time.  At that time, I sure didn't think so.  So many new things to face alone.  But things did get better with time. 

I am praying that those who are ill with the flu or whatever has good days soon.

Janet ~ Sometimes it seems that doctors and nurses tend to put off calling the patient with results and scheduling to aggrivate.  I know that isn't true but it is hard to wait hours for life and death answers.  And these new automated phone messages are crazy!  I always want to talk to a human.  And I hate to have to leave a message for them to call me back and then wait and wait for the call.  It seems they think our time isn't valuable but they only call us at their convenience.  <vent> <vent>

Larry ~ Your plate is too full.  You need to take time out for yourself.  Then if there is time for others, do it then.

Well, it is a bright and sunny summer day today in Indiana.  Ooops!  What did I say?  Yes, it is sunny and bright.  The sunshine is pouring through the east and south windows.  But I only need to get up and look out a window to see that it isn't summer.  Everything is covered with pristine white stuff.  Beautiful.  And I only need to put my hand on a window to know that it is cold out there.  But God promises us seasons so we know that summer is on it's way!

Good Morning Fog here this morning. Thanks Pat for the divotional, Good words from Bro. Iain also. Love you guys for your hard work here on CP and for Iain on his Islands of Inspiration site.

Yesterday was so frustrating at Fay's with her negative pessimistic attitude and the things I heard her saying to me. I was just ready to tell her to "shut up" but I bit my tongue and endured. Last week I did tell her I didn't want to hear anymore about how I will never find a place to live where I can keep my dogs. She said some very cruel thigns about that. She hasn't spoken of it since i told her I didn't want to hear it. God is in control of every situation and I am praying that He will put the right words in my mouth when speaking to her. I love Fay but sometime I think she is getting dementia. Hard to deal with that.

Today I will be having my hair trimmed and colored a little bit. Any way got to go now.

TTYL

Really good stuff here today already.  Yes, someone saying Scriptures or spouting platitudes when they have no idea of the situation you're in reminds me of the scripture that says (my paraphrase)  "When you say to someone, go your way, be warmed and fed; but do not those things needful for the body, what good is that?"  We need to be sensitive and caring when we speak to those in difficulties.  Yes, Larry, I agree---sometimes just your presence and a hug are the very best medicine.

We are still waiting to hear from that doctor!  Grrrrrr!  So frustrating.

I have stuff to do, as always, be back later.

Hi, Etta Sue!  Glad you have sunshine today!  We have been having unseasonably warm weather here--70 degrees yesterday!  Unbelievable!

Oops!  Marilyn popped in, too---Hi, Marilyn!

This made me smile, hope it will make you smile, too. 


Curious when I found two black-and-white negatives in a drawer, I had them made into prints. I was pleasantly surprised to see they were of a younger, slimmer me taken on one of my first dates with my husband. When I showed him the photographs, his face lit up. "Wow! It's my old Plymouth."


--Contributed to "Life in These United States" by Donna Martin

Well I'm off to the doc's office. I'll let, y'all know what he says.

Mark 7:37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
Bob


P.S. This should be fun.
Bob

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morning!

Well, I have Zachery in school now and he is loving it.  He says the teachers are great.  He gets pretty tired after PE though.  He is doing about the same.  Still somewhat sick.  We need to get him back to Denver to see the doctor down there.  Not sure why they haven't called us.

Troy is on his way to Scottsbluff, Nebraska for a swim meet.  Hope he qualifies. 

Well, I better get.  Lila Mae just woke up and wants some love.

Soni

Quote from: Janet on January 21, 2005, 10:59:10 AM
This made me smile, hope it will make you smile, too. 


Curious when I found two black-and-white negatives in a drawer, I had them made into prints. I was pleasantly surprised to see they were of a younger, slimmer me taken on one of my first dates with my husband. When I showed him the photographs, his face lit up. "Wow! It's my old Plymouth."


--Contributed to "Life in These United States" by Donna Martin

LOL! That's cute.

Soni, it's so nice to hear a little about your sweet family.  I've missed your posting about them.  Please give that specialil Zachery a hug from Grandma Janet for me, will you?  And here are some for his mom, too.....(((((hugs)))))

January 21   

Personal Life: Dependence on God

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever
state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how
to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be
full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 
--Philippians 4:11-12

We can learn important lessons by considering God's disciplines in
dealing with Elijah. As Elijah fled to the wilderness following his
first confrontation with King Ahab, God said to him, "Elijah, go to
the brook Cherith, and I will feed you there." God sent big, black
buzzards--ravens, scavenger birds--each morning and evening with
Elijah's meals. What humiliation! All his life Elijah had been
self-sufficient. Now he waited on scavenger birds to deliver him
his daily bread....

Elijah was like so many faithful preachers of the Word who are too
true and too uncompromising for their congregations.

"We don't have to take that," the people protest. And they stop
contributing to the church. More than one pastor knows the meaning
of economic strangulation. Preach the truth, and the brook dries
up! But the Lord knows how to deal with each of us in our
humiliations. He takes us from truth to truth.  Men Who Met God,
96.

"Lord, I commit myself anew today to never compromise the truth,
even if it costs me my job. Amen."

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Well my doctor now believes in miracles.    He is coming with me to church Sunday.  

Praise God, for he is worthy!
Bob

People  usually do mean well when they quote scripture to us, but at the time we just cannot take it in or believe it, when we are "down in the dumps" nothing that anyone can say will help, whether scripture or not.
"Cheer up, it could be worse" So I cheered up, and they were right, it did  get worse! lol.
But I would rather be encouraged by a sincere person who genuinely cared about me, than  by someone who agreed that "things were bad and there is not much hope of them getting better.!"
No moaning minnies for me thanks!
"A merry heart doeth good like medicine, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken."Proverbs ch. 17 v 22.
Lets all be encouragers, whether quoting the Bible or not.

Great verses Chris & Margit! I haven't changed my "favorite" one in a while, this might have to be what I change it to!
Gina

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http://christianphotographers.com/community/index.php?topic=4077.0

Hi Everyone
I just had a brief moment to get on here and read some posts.  But I had to say Wonderful News Bob.....I am very happy for you!  Praise God!!
Have a great weekend Everyone
Blessings, Carrie

Brothers and Sisters,

I'm sending all of you a BIG OKLAHOMA HUG! I'm also praying for all of those with illness, loss, and other trials this day and every day.

I'm thinking about contrasts that are present in the life of every Christian:

First, we all lived in darkness at one time during our lives, but the LIGHT OF THE WORLD rescued us and brought us to THE LIGHT, JESUS CHRIST - our Lord and Saviour forever.

Our citizenship was once in this world, but it is now in HEAVEN, and we are now simply travelers here for a short time.

We were once doomed to the curse of sin and death, but JESUS has given us eternal life with HIM.

We once walked according to the flesh and the world had dominion over our lives. We now walk in the SPIRIT, and JESUS is the LORD over our lives.

What can we say then:


Love In Christ,
Tom

Psalms 36:5  Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.

Today was our day for our annual physical.  The doctor was pleased with both of us.  We have to wait a few days to hear from the blood tests.

Bob, my doctor always says something about the Lord.  He was my brother-in-law and my sister’s doctor also.  He reminded me this morning that now she is with him and that is where she wanted to be.  He died in December and just one month later she died a week ago tomorrow.

Good to see each one here.  Welcome to the new comers.

--- Papa John          <)))><<   
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Papa John:  So good to see you posting.  I hope you saw all the messages of condolences that were put on here for you.  We used to have a Christian doctor for many years.  It sure makes a difference when your doctor believes in prayer.  Bob:  I'm so happy about your hearing being restored.  I'll be praying that your doctor will attend church with you., and who knows....perhaps he will accept the Lord as his own personal Savior too.

Now, won't that be something to write about....I'll be praying very sincerely about this!

Thank you Iain for your prayers.  Norm is feeling some better, I still feel nauseous.  This is almost a week now....and weak I am!

Thanks to everyone for your concern!

Love to all.....Judy M.

Chris - your link here in NEM didn't come through - I just got a little box with a question mark in it.

Bob, every time I have thought about your miracle today, I had to smile!  God is so good, and He loves to do miracles for His kids.  I pray if your doctor isn't a child of His yet, that He will do that most awesome of all miracles and translate your doctor from death to life.

Beth finally got a call from the hospital this afternoon.  They said they were doing her pre-admittance papers, and that she is scheduled for January 27th, next Thursday.  No other information as to time, expected length of stay, etc.  But at least now we have a date.

Beth felt good today, and I took her to the bank and the grocery store.  And John is more than happy she is back online!

Mark (grandson) came up after school to work on Darrel's computer, but without the new router, which I ordered last night, he couldn't get him back online.  Mark also brought Abby to spend a couple days with us.    Mark is a senior this year, and is planning what he is going to wear to his senior prom.  I plan to drive down to take photos of him and his friends all dressed up.  I asked if he is taking a date, and he said no.  There are several freshman girls who are trying hard to make time with him, but he says they are too young.    Pleases his Mom, because she thinks they should only date someone their age, one year older or one year younger.

I better give this precious granddaughter some attention now!