Christian Photographers Community

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Morning Devotional...



He. . . knew no sin. . . .
2 Corinthians 5:21


It was not by chance that Paul, a man who possessed such great intellect, would take up his pen and write about the mind of our blessed Lord.

Never an evil thought passed through the pure, holy mind of our Saviour.

Can we begin to fully understand and appreciate this when we consider what occupies our own minds? Yet at Calvary, man placed a crown of thorns upon that holy brow.

Such was man's estimation of Him and such was His love for each of us that He allowed it to happen.

May we with our minds think upon Him and remember Him today.
--John M. Clegg

One day I shall die. Thinking about that is good for me. It helps me to look at the way I am living.  It enables me to get a better perspective.  I know that I shall not remain forever in this world.  I must ask important questions:Am I making the best of my life? Am I living in such a way that I try always to follow my conscience?   Are my motives in life right? What do I really want? What am I really seeking?" ...Simple and fundamental questions, and ones that we have to ask ourselves.

I fail to understand how anybody can go through life and think there is nothing after death.  That is a totally inhuman thought. Now life for the majority is not easy.  There are periods of joy and happiness of course; there are times when things go smoothly and happily; yet there are a great number of times when it is a burden.  Life is punctuated now with joys, now with sorrows.  Within us is the desire to live; we want to go on.  There is an urge to go on living fully and totally.
We long to enjoy deep down the peace, the joy, the happiness which constantly elude us.  We cannot grasp them now nor keep them.

It is for that deep joy and happiness that we were made.  One day it will be ours.  If it were not going to be ours our lives would certainly end in frustration and be unfulfilled...

We are men and women moving through life like pilgrims heading towards our final destination.  It is healthy to look forward to that destination when we shall find total fulfilment.  That fulfilment must consist in an experience of love because love is the highest of all human experience.  It is in union  with that which is most lovable that we become fully ourselves.

Do not be fearful of death. Welcome it when it comes. It is now a holy thing, made so by Him who died that we might live.

Basil Hume.

Goodmorning Everyone from Sunny England.  Well it is a nice and sunny one here, although it is very cold. Thank-God for His goodness.

Thanks Pat for that devotional.  May we all think on Jesus this day...and indeed every day.  He is the forerunner of our faith and He wants us to become like Him.

The Lord Bless all of you.
Jenny.

Good morning from sunny Indiana. Yesterday was a wonderful day at the Open House to celebrate Carol and Scott's engagement.  The weather was perfect!  Just wispy clouds in the sky with a light breeze.  It was great visiting with old friends and making new friends. 

Jerry and I are ready for church.  After church today the hospitality committee is fixing pork chops and ground pork on the grill and with some other fixin's, the church is all dining together outside.  Another wonderful day to visit with old friends and making new friends.

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"Worry:  The senseless process of using today to clutter up tomorrow's opportunities with leftover problems from yesterday."

Good morning, friends,

It's chilly here in Nashville. I'm still not recognizable from the swelling around my mouth, so will remain home and in bed most of the day today.

Y'all have a good day.

Ruth Ann

Welcome to all the newcomers!  You have found a friendly place!  I hope that you will enjoy visiting often.

Hello Primrose (Beth)!  It is just great to see you posting.  We enjoy your mother's posts and now it is nice to hear directly from you.

Marilyn:  Isn't it funny when you hear such things - I mean about Gloria not sleeping and listening to the television and dialing the "right number" after all.  What a great story.

Hi Jenny!  I enjoyed your post as well - I think about how I ought to live my life a lot and do know that I could do so much more.  Glad for God's Grace! 

Carol

Quote from: Jenny on September 19, 2004, 06:22:50 AM
I fail to understand how anybody can go through life and think there is nothing after death.  That is a totally inhuman thought. Now life for the majority is not easy.  There are periods of joy and happiness of course; there are times when things go smoothly and happily; yet there are a great number of times when it is a burden.  Life is punctuated now with joys, now with sorrows.  Within us is the desire to live; we want to go on.  There is an urge to go on living fully and totally.b]   

I traveled this world afar from God for many years.  I always knew that one day I would die...I always figured that one day I would turn my life over to Him.  I also knew what fate awaited me did I die w/o first giving my life over to Him.

I was deathly afraid of death.  I knew which of the two places I was headed for....but  I was young...as  such....felt that I would go on for years.

I knew deep within that God longed for me to return to Him.  His Holy Spirit sent people across my path that directed my attention away from the World and towards HIM.  Finally that feeling deep within my soul was awakened, I longed to return to Him.  It didn't make any difference that the guys at work would call me a fanatic, it didn't matter to me that most of my "friends" would desert me.  It didn't matter that I would leave the lifestyle I was living.

While I sitting on my frontroom floor, watching Billy Graham invite me to join him in the Sinners Prayer......all that mattered was that I wanted to come home..."Home where I belong." (B.J. Thomas)

"Oh Death, Where Is Thy Victory."  Death no longers holds me in its hand.....I fear death no longer.....Nay, I welcome it.

That is not to say that I won't miss my loved ones...for at this point I will......but I know that on the other side, there will be no more sorrow, no more tears, no sadness.  my finite human mind cannot put that into words, nor feelings.....but I still know it to be true....upon that I rest my faith.....

My prayer is that I want others to know Him as I do.  I want my children, grandchildren and my friends and the people I meet to know Him as I know, in a deep deep way....even better than I know Him.

QuoteMy prayer is that I want others to know Him as I do.  I want my children, gradchiuldren and my friends and the people I meet to know Him as I know, in a deep deep way....even better than I know Him

Eddie:  Such a thoughtful message and I do agree.

Larry:  Good Morning to you! 

Carol

Carol

You do so much for the Lord.  I know that.  You are such a treasure and an encouragement to me.

Eddie

Thank-you for your response.  Certainly you are a great inspiration to us also.

Hi everyone.  It is a crispt, sunny and lovely day here in Georgia.  Pat and I will head out for Sunday School and church in a little while.  Then we will probably go out to lunch.  

Ruth Ann, it sounds like your dentist did a number on you.  Hope the swelling goes down soon.

Jenny, thanks for the devotional thought and your subsequent posting.  

Etta Sue, sounds like the affair last evening went well but sure you gave a big sigh of relief when it was over.  Enjoy your church lunceon today.  I was surprised to read your comments, either here or on SeniorNet, about how dry it is up your way.  Everything is so green down here and usually by September things are beginning to brown up.

Marilyn, the blackberry cobbler sounds great.  I like the taste of blackberries but don't like all those little seeds.  Hope you are feeling much better today.  Also, thanks for checking with Jeanne Lee.  I was beginning to worry about her.

Welcome 05ramseashae to the CP site.

Pat, thanks for the devotional this morning.  

Papa John, I image it is quite a lively time with that many in the house.  I can tell you enjoy every minute of your time with that wonderful family.

It is good to see everyone posting.  I have read them even if I haven't commented on each and everyone one.

      Good Morning everyone,My mom just called me, they spent the night in Overland Park Ks,KC area
she says hello to all of you.Pat I told her to give you a hug from me so if she forgets you remind her.
I enjoyed todays devotional.Meika has moved her puppy back under my bed so I will leave them for now since she seems to pefer it there.I got high speed internet now too so I can come more often.I have not spoke to John since friday,so hope to get him later today.I'll come  back later my med is zonking me out pretty much,so I will go let it do its thing.Beth

Beth, I was just coming here to ask if you had heard from Mum!  So glad you did.  Thanks for the hug.  I'll let you know if she remembers! 

Good Morning Everyone. Pat thank you for the devotion.

Jenny another wonderful devotion from you also. I am praying for your family and your friend Myrnel.

Fast Edddie thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and your testimony. I too spent many years far away from God doing my own thing and not even thinking about where I would end up but knowing somewhere deep within me that it would be a Hot place. "But God" pulled me out of the deep mud of the world and spun my life back onto the right path, cleaned me off with the blood of our Savior and here I am serving the Lord with all my heart, mind, body and soul.

Carol, Gloria is one of the ladies that I work for. I worked for her for a couple of weeks in 2003 and just couldn't deal with her bad attitude etc so I quit.  I do believe that God brought us back together in order for HIM to do a wonderful work in her. She had been away from God for a number of years. Her stroke wiped a lot of stuff from her memory (she was angry with God)and now her childhood of being in church is all coming back to her. I am happy to be a part of the miracles I see happening in her life. God is definietly working on her heart.

Ruth Ann I do hope that swelling goes away. Are you sure you are not having a reaction to the antibiotics the Doctor gave you?

Beth thank you for dropping in this morning, I am praying for you sister.

Have to get ready for church, it rained last night and is a little cold thismorning. So I have to adjust what I was going to wear to church.Sorry this got so long.

TTYL

I thought that since this hymn is mentioned in today's devotional, we could sing it together.  Lovely words!

Jenny, that quotation from Hume was wonderful!  It reminded me of Psalm 90, verse 12, which says, "So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."  We need to take stock.  We need to think about our lives.  We need often to rededicate every moment to God.  We are coming to Him.  We don't know when.  Every day is important.  We shall one day awake in His very Presence!  Oh may we rejoice in Him then!  But we need to begin rejoicing in Him NOW!

Hello Pastor Al.

I have just been having a Bible study.

"What fruit had ye then in those things whereof you are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." Rom 6:21-22

Thse words mean so much to me. Pastor, "Jesus came along and He touched me and I have never been the same."

God bless Pastor Al and give my love to Marbeth please 

Morning folks!

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday! 

Soni

Good morning "everyone!"   ;D   It is a lovely sunshiny day here on the Oregon Coast but it is a bit chilly.  I am most grateful for all that the Lord does for me -- day by day, moment by moment.  All this year I have experienced His goodness and perfect timing.  Earlier this year I was blessed with several loads of fire wood.  It was dumped in the front of my home though, and needed to be stacked in the woodshed out back.  Well, about that time, I broke my collarbone and could not even pick up any of the wood.  I usually borrow my neighbor's wheelbarrow to tote it around back, but couldn't do that either.   :-\ 

One day a lady showed up and said the Lord had sent her to help me get my wood where it belonged.  She used the wheelbarrow to bring it all to the back and chopped some of it to stove size while I stacked it.  We didn't get it all chopped (it was wet and full of knots) and there was a lot of huge pieces left from an earlier blessing that would not fit in my stove and I could not use.
We just dumped all the "too big" pieces in one section of the woodshed.

A month or so ago a friend asked me to help him get a webpage set up for his church.  I did that a couple weeks ago.  One day he called to say that he had been by my place and checked out the wood out back that I had said I couldn't use.  He said "I can cut that up for you."  I told him I didn't need it right now -- thinking later, into the winter, would be good.  He said "I can't do it now either."  A week ago, on Friday, he showed up with his chain saw, and even brought me a new chopping block, and cut all that wood into really neat, usable stove wood.  I even ended up with a big box full of shavings for kindling! How I appreciated that!!  He said he owed it to me for helping him with the webpage.   

Well!  The very next day it started raining!  Not too good for chopping wood.  God knew that!

Then, about a month ago I had decided I would not have a fire in my stove until I could get the chimney cleaned.  I called for a chimney sweep and he said he couldn't get here until Sept. 18.  That was yesterday.  It had started raining HARD Friday night and continued storming all night and through the day yesterday.  And it was COLD!   Mr. Chimneysweep got here, cleaned the chimney and announced there was a 2" buildup in the flue.  ::)   I sure needed that cleaned out!!

Anyway, I've said all that to say that I am so happy that my Father cares about even the daily happenings in my life.  I don't need the fire today, but I'm sure I will soon ... and I'm ready for Fall and Winter!   

Quote from: Marilyn Fisher on September 19, 2004, 09:57:34 AM
  "But God" pulled me out of the deep mud of the world and spun my life back onto the right path, cleaned me off with the blood of our Savior and here I am serving the Lord with all my heart, mind, body and soul.

Psalm 40:  "....you heard my cry, and you lifted me up out of a miry pit, you set my feet upon a rock and gave me a new song to sing."  The quote is not verbatim, but close enough.  God is REALLY gracious isn't He.....He reached down into that awful smelly pit, and picked you up and set you free.......He set me free......He set us all free.  Praise be to God.

Can you tell....I met with the Lord today.......................

Hymn..."Hallelujah I have found Him".....or something like that.  Help me out Pat or someone.......

ozer on Christian Leadership," the book version of these devotions you
enjoy daily by email, is available from Literature Ministries' Online
Store at www.litmin.com (USA and Canada only).

September 19   

Revival: Poured-out Devotion

Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men
in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not
regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward
me. 
--Philippians 2:29-30

That many Christians in our day are lukewarm and somnolent will not be
denied by anyone with an anointed eye, but the cure is not to stir
them up to a frenzy of activity. That would be but to take them out of
one error and into another. What we need is a zealous hunger for God,
an avid thirst after righteousness, a pain-filled longing to be
Christlike and holy. We need a zeal that is loving, self-effacing and
lowly. No other kind will do.

That pure love for God and men which expresses itself in a burning
desire to advance God's glory and leads to poured-out devotion to the
temporal and eternal welfare of our fellow men is certainly approved
of God; but the nervous, squirrel-cage activity of self-centered and
ambitious religious leaders is just as certainly offensive to Him and
will prove at last to have been injurious to the souls of countless
millions of human beings.  The Size of the Soul, 81-82.

"Lord, give me that 'zealous hunger for God,' that 'avid thirst after
righteousness,' that 'painfilled longing to be Christlike and holy.'
I want to give myself in 'poured-out devotion' for Your glory. Use me
as Your servant, for Jesus' sake, Amen."

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the daily Tozer devotionals from Literature Ministries International.

FATHER GOD, we are grateful beyond words for the joy of our Salvation.

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/i/lilyvall.htm

I have found a friend in Jesus, He’s everything to me,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul;
The Lily of the Valley, in Him alone I see
All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.
In sorrow He’s my comfort, in trouble He’s my stay;
He tells me every care on Him to roll.

Refrain

He’s the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

He all my grief has taken, and all my sorrows borne;
In temptation He’s my strong and mighty tower;
I have all for Him forsaken, and all my idols torn
From my heart and now He keeps me by His power.
Though all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore,
Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal.

Refrain

He will never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here,
While I live by faith and do His blessèd will;
A wall of fire about me, I’ve nothing now to fear,
From His manna He my hungry soul shall fill.
Then sweeping up to glory to see His blessèd face,
Where the rivers of delight shall ever roll.

Refrain


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Thanks Chris!.  I really enjoy that hymn.

I was wondering if this is what you were thinking of Ed...

Hello from SC and the sun is shining!  We are having a beautiful day here.  I thought I had just posted a reply....but guess it went into cyberspace because I took so long.

I've enjoyed all of today's (& yesterday's) posts. 

I pray that Nard and Karma have their electricity back on.  My son is working on the lines in the Ashville area.  He works with Progress Energy (Old CP&L).  I have heard them say that they will pull a 20-hr day just to get the people back on.

We missed most of Ivan here....only tornados and not too much rain.

Hope all enjoy this Lord's day. 

Thank-you dear Pat and Chris for the lovely hymns and music here today.

Goodnight and God Bless you all from England.

Jenny.

Quote from: Pat Scott on September 19, 2004, 03:50:51 PM
I was wondering if this is what you were thinking of Ed...

That's the one....thanks!!!!

Hi all, I have been tyring to get my printer to print right so I can print some photos, The  printer heads must be real fouled up cause I ain't got it right yet.

We had a wonderful session of prayer this afternoon at prayer meeting.Only 5 were present but God was there too.

Kathy good to hear from you, I was worried about you. Glad to hear the hurricane didn't do you any harm.
I pray that Karma and Nards will be able to go home and assess the damage very soon. IF there is any damage.

Been doing some crocheting too. I am doing a variation on the crocheted crosses, I will take photos later and post them inthat same thread.

TTYL

Sorry I haven’t been in to add my two cents worth today.  We did enjoy our Bible class this morning and the worship.  This afternoon we made a funeral home visit and then went to the hospital to visit a friend who went to the emergency in the middle of the night last night.  He had chest pains but they have determined he didn’t have a heart attack and that it may be caused by something other than his heart.  He will have more tests tomorrow.  You can say a little prayer for my friend David.

Good to see everyone today. 

Eph. 1:16-20
16   I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
17   I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
18   I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
19   and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,
20   which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,  (NIV)

--- Papa John          
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Glad the sun was shining for you, Kathy!  Hope it shines for Nards and Karma soon.    I see that the eastern part of Canada (the Maritime provinces) and Maine in the USA are getting remnants of this latest hurricane now.

Marilyn, those bookmarks will be nice as gifts.  How long does it take for you to do one?

Glad we got the right hymn for you, Ed!  I like that one too.

Oh, Papa John...   we'll be praying for David.  Sometimes these tests are so difficult to go through.

Glad you enjoyed the hymns today, Jenny!

Well, I have lots to do tomorrow of last minute things before I leave with Ruthie on Tuesday at lunch time to go and spend some time with Janet and Darryl.  WoooHooo!!!  I can hardly wait!

Something to smile at...


This is our Webhoster of Christian Photographers singing along with his little 2 year old son, David!

These are the words:


and now hear the two of them:

Click!!

(Many of you know that that's my son and my little grandson)