Christian Photographers Community

Please sign our Guest Book! [/size]


Link of the day...[/font]

• Are you sitting on the fence?   A thought provoking sermon by Rev. George Macaskill

• 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 the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.    
 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
 Therefore comfort one another with these words." [/color]
~1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 NKJV~[/list]


Quote of the Day...[/font]

 "Salvation is a helmet, not a nightcap."
~Vance Havner~[/list]  


Some News We Should Know About...

• Canada seeks to relax marijuana drugs law
  The Canadian Government has introduced controversial new legislation to relax its laws on marijuana possession despite strong criticism from the United States.  The bill - now before parliament - recommends that those caught with 15 grams or less of the drug will only be fined and will not get a criminal record or jail term.

• Photo Moment: Two-Headed Tortoise Found in South Africa!  [/b]  

From our forums...

• This is the last day to post a POSTCARD!
  
  Our first challenge of June![/b]  Father's Day!
  
  Fathers' Day Cards For those with photo editing software!  Show us your work with photos!
  
  
  
• Janet Needs Suggestions![/b]
  
  
  
• How about a Layered Salad for lunch?
  

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Morning Devotional...

Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.            
Matthew 13:46


An awesome sight to behold is a magnificent pearl taken out of an oyster shell.

Injured by a grain of sand, then covered by layers of mother-of-pearl, this beautiful gem is formed. It is the only precious stone grown in a living organism.

Yet more wonderful is the mystery of the pearl of great price.

The true Church is formed by the accumulation of many into one by Christ Himself, and purchased by His death for all of the ages to come. Praise Him!
                                                                       --E. MacLelland


                                           

A quick thought on the Pearl of Great Price - no matter which way you view it, it always reflects the Light.

I enjoyed trying to capture an Annular Eclipse this morning. It was spectacular!!I'll leave you with as few thoughts before I hit the sack!

'Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee, He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.' Psalm 55:22

Are you hard pressed today my dear friend with burdens that are almost beyond you?
Struggling on with your daily routine while almost bent double with cares and concerns. Many are at their wit's end. Some cry I cannot take any more! How much longer must I wait? Are these the thoughts going through your mind today?
Seems the Christian's portion in this life is not so much the fact that we will have burdens, rather how we deal with them. Remember the battle is not ours but God's. We are a victorious people though some days that is hard to believe.
It is easy to remember when first we believed and the relief we experienced when we knew our sins were forgiven. Many a battle the Christian has in the days and years that follow. It was one thing for the Lord to forgive us our sins when we lived in darkness, but it is not so easy these days when we sin against Light! Robert Murray McCheyne said that the hardest thing that he had to do was to take his sins to the One Whom he had sinned against.
To whom else can we go.
The Apostle rebuked the Galatians for starting in the spirit then turning to the flesh for justification. There may be times when we do all that we can to please God. We pray more, read more and are more diligent in our good works.
Remember the flood and the dove that left the Ark. We can at times exhaust ourselves looking for refuge and a way to please God. God has appointed a Way in Jesus His Son, yet we still try and justify ourselves. We find no resting place, like the dove, it will not rest on floating corpses, neither can we rest in our dead works.
I can just imagine how much energy the dove spent once it had left the security of the Ark. It was probably nearly spent looking for a suitable place to rest before it returned to the Ark. What a relief that must have been for it! There was a hand stretched out waiting for it's return.
My dear friend, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our Elder brother is waiting with an outstretched hand for you today. He stretched or both hands on the Cross for us in love.
Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Cast all your care upon Him for He careth for you. Like I said earlier, we all have burdens but it's what we do with them that matters. We may indeed be under the yoke but He is carrying all the weight.
Commit all your cares and worries to Christ today. He is far stronger than we are, and He is more than willing to accept your heavy load. It is His joy to lift the weight from our shoulders. Take hold dear friend of His outstretched hand today. May you find rest today just as surely as the dove did within the Ark.

Oops...I got here too late ... or too early ... or something    I wanted to tell Karma how sorry I am for the loss of a good friend and "brother" ... so suddenly makes it all the more hard to accept.  I'm sorry Karma.  

And Marilyn  I think the name of the song is "The Great Speckled Bird" ... It's a good thing that Martha's grandson is a minister and will be officiating at her funeral.  How about the grandson who was living with her?  How is he doing?

Tomorrow (today?) is Saturday and Nita and I are thinking about "going exploring" ... We kinda got in the mood last Monday when we went for a drive .. now she thinks we should do it again cuz it was so much fun!  This time we will probably take along some sandwiches and get out of the car more often to just enjoy this wonderful world our Father has created.  

Pat and Iain  I am always delighted with the devotional thoughts you bring each day.  God bless you both.

And may God bless all the rest of y'all as you come in for coffee or tea or whatever.... and join in the chat here on the best place for Christian fellowship on the 'net.    

Karmat, so sorry to hear of the lose of your friend, Anthony.  The police and highway patrol that are there to protect us have a tough and dangerous job.  What a shock this must be to his family as well as his friends.

I also want to welcome Elizabeth and am looking forward to your postings as you join in our conversations, discussions and fellowship.

Marilyn, was that song about the great speckled bird? (I see Jane indicates that is probably the title.) I seems to remember a song about that.  It is nice of you to transport those ladies who don't have transportation available.  I sure don't see how a grandson could get through preaching a funeral service for his grandfather.  Maybe I am just too sentimental and emotional (something that seems to increase the older and less healthy I become).  

Karmat, after our serious discussions related to cremation, I think a little glibness is not out of order as a chuckle and a grin are healthy for us.  

Pat, your link of the day "Are you sitting on the fence?  A thought provoking sermon by Rev. George Macaskill" is excellent and certainly stresses the need to make the commitment for Christ now and not later.  

The "Verse for Today" brings to mind a question that I hope someone can help me understand.  When does a Christian go to Heaven?  

Quote"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.    
 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
 Therefore comfort one another with these words."
~1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 NKJV~

If we go to Heaven at the time of death, then what does this "And the dead in Christ will rise first" mean?  I understand that the alive Christians will be taken up to meet the Lord, but just confused on those that are dead.

Ian, another fine writing and your reference to "dead works" really is a good illustration.  Thanks for sharing these thoughts with us today.

Jane, hope you and Nita have a nice outing.  It sounds very relaxing and a nice way to spend the day in the company of a good Christian friend.

It is about time to go to the Cafe for coffee with my retired friends.  I look forward to doing this each day, except Sunday, as it gets me out of the house.  I started feeling better yesterday afternoon and feel good this morning so am hoping the increased medication is making a difference.

Hope everyone has a nice day

Good Morning all,

Larry:  It is good that you are feeling well enough to have coffee with your friends.

Janet:  Such thankfulness for the news about Beth.  

Karmat:  My sympathy to you on the loss of your good friend.

Carol

Good Morning: Larry and Jane, Yes the name of the song is The Great Speckled Bird.  Jane you asked about the other grandson, the one living with Martha. This is the same one I mentioned awhile back who had mistreated her so badly verbally and that I had called Adult Protective Services  on for elder abuse. He is holding up and seem to be over the worst part. Just minutes before she passed, he yelled that he wished she was dead. I know he must be regreting those words.

Larry You know something, I think that as we get older our emotions tend to surface more and more, I know that my eyes leak very easily and over many things. As I sing on the platform every sunday, many of those days there are tears streaming down my face.

BTW Pat Many times (not every time) that I read that Scripture I am reminded of a song Betty Jean Robinson wrote "Ain't no grave gonna hold me down". To me that scripture means that those who have died knowing Christ, will be the first to rise. That they are going to come out of the grave and meet Him in the air. That includes those who have been buried at sea.
Ah Come Quickly Lord Jesus!."Maranatha";

Larry The Apostle Paul said "absent from the body is present withthe Lord" so apparently as God takes our breath away we are present with the Lord. Immediately!

Lots to do this morning before it gets hot. So TTYL

I'm going to be downright wishy-washy this morning!  I think it's time we got off the fence and jumped right into double mindedness!  After all, if two are better than one, then two answers must be better than one answer!
Larry - having said all that, I'm actually going to try to answer the question as to the dead in Christ rising first, yet being with the Lord as soon as they pass from this life.  My opinion (I've got lots of them) is that "absent from the body, present with the Lord" refers to our spirits, but that "the dead in Christ shall rise first" refers to our recreated bodies.  So - taking my wishy-washy position, we pass from this life, go immediately to Christ in the spirit, and then are rejoined by our new body at His return.
There is another possibility though. The time between passing from this life and "rising first" will seem less than an instant.  As far as our consciousness is concerned, we're instantly with the Lord, though, viewed on an earthly timeline there is an interval of time between our passing and Christ's coming.  
So - there's another view.  There are probably more views as well.  I do know that when our Lord returns at the last trumpet, everybody's going to know it (trumpets, especially heavenly ones. tend to be loud).  We're told that "every eye shall see Him."  Those still in rebellion are going to shriek in terror and call for the rocks, etc. to fall on them to hide them from the Judge of all. Those who have ended their rebellion and returned to Christ as Lord and Savior will only rejoice - for ever and ever!
Well, there.  That didn't hurt, did it?  There's enough wishy-washiness there to satisfy almost anybody.

Karma, I am so sorry you lost a long time friend.  Those accidents are just awful.  Hugs to you!

Larry, I'm glad you are feeling better, and hope you continue to improve.  I heard a sermon just this week about your question.  The preacher said that our spirits go immediately to heaven to be with the Lord, but our bodies stay on earth, awaiting the trumpet call, at which time, they are resurrected and glorified, reunited with our spirits forever.  More things to be taken in faith, right?  I know my finite mind can't get wrapped around such majesty!

Now, Al!!!  Preachers are not supposed to be wishy-washy!! You can WISH and you should WASH, but don't do both together!

Welcome, Elizabeth!  We look forward to getting to know you better.

Marilyn, our thoughts and prayers are with you today as you bid farewell to your friend.  I certainly hope the "ugly" grandson finds God and forgiveness for the way he treated his grandma!  What a terrible thing to have to live with, otherwise.

I am trying to make sure I have everything I need for next week all packed and ready, and have some other chores to tend to as well.  See you later!

Karmat~I am sorry to hear about your friend.  I will keep you and his family in my prayers.  That is truely sad.  


I didn't read the post for today, but will come back tomorrow.  I wanted to share this with you.

Thought for the Day:
If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.
If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.
He sends you flowers every spring.
He sends you a sunrise every morning.
Face it, friend - He is crazy about you!

Karma ~ I am sorry to hear about your friend, you have my sympathy!
Karma wrote;

Quote(I am just kidding with those last two, though I know two churches that almost split over those things.  And I am not trying to make light of the question Pat posed, and I apologive if I offend anyone with what may seem like glibness.  I truly do like questions that force us to find some Biblical answers to situation facing Christians  in what has been called a Post-Christian society.)

[/size] [/color]  If we can't have and show a little humor here then I won't want to post! Remember I am the clown with the weird sense of humour!

Al ~ I have had another minister explain it just the way you did. I am so happy to hear it the second time! I was told that our spirit met Christ at our death and when Christ returns to gather up his Saints our glorified body and spirit will be reunited. [/size]

Larry ~ Another Praise God that you are feeling better with the increase of medications.  

Karma ~ I hope that me being sad with you over Anthony, your trooper friend, that it will soften some of the sadness that you feel.  Our troopers do so much for us (even gave me a ticket for not clicking ) that it is really a blow to hear of one being killed in any manner.  Thank God, you will meet with him again someday.  And to think that just a few years ago, truckers were the safest drivers on the road.  

Marilyn ~ My thoughts and prayers are with you today as you attend Martha's funeral.  

Jane ~ I pray that you and Nita have a great time exploring.  I love those spur of the moment drives.  You seem to always find something interesting.  Hope you didn't forget the cameras!!!!  

Larry ~ Good question that I have wondered about also.  When a Christian dies, we think they are looking down upon us and guiding us and guarding us.  But that scripture says different.  Maybe it is that our spirit goes to heaven when we die and the body comes to life when Christ returns to take us to heaven for eternity.  I see Al's wishy-washy view #1 followed the same.  

Janet ~ I must have scanned when I should have been reading.  Where are you going next week?

Good morning, Sonja!  Hurry back!

It is cold and gloomy today.  A good day to stay inside and upload my lessons and then print next weeks lessons.  Then get body and mind ready for church tomorrow.

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"Some carve out the future; others just whittle."

Good morning, Jerry.  I see you posted while I was composing.....

Etta Sue, I will be spending the week "right next door to heaven!"  Hee hee!  That means doing what I love to do---painting!  I'm taking a seminar next week.

ELIZABETH!!    Lizzy1!!
We visit every day.  We talk about our children, grandchildren, local politics, aches and pains, sorrows, triumphs.  We discuss the Sunday sermon, our reading of scripture, a new book that touched or troubled us.  We post photographs.  We sing.  We laugh a lot.  Sometimes we cry.  We make an effort to listen intently.

Our visits to CP is our holy time.  As we read each others posts and look at each others pictures, we posts our thoughts, hopes, and fears to each other and to God.  Our posts are a manifestation of Christ in the world.  Being part of the Body of Christ is not a private walk with Jesus; it is two or three people gathered together with Christ in their midst.  When we show compassion or 'listen' with love, we are expressing Christ.  We are being the church in the world.  Even though we aren't perfect and we don't have all the right answers, we experience Christs's presence in these times together.

Who needs someone to listen???!!!

Good morning CP.

Another beautiful morning here in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Al, I think you did a good job explaining various ideas about the question asked by Larry.  I have never thought we could be dogmatic in our views of this question.  So, being wishy washy is OK.

I Jn 3:2  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (NIV)

Sonja, I liked your thought for today.

--- Papa John              

 

Right AL... What you said!      

Yes Etta Sue Elizabeth and Lizzy 1  are one and the same. I knew her as Lizzy1 until she emailed me that she is both.

I guess I have had my 10 lashes with a wet noodle for the day, huh???

Janet, you said,

QuoteLarry, I'm glad you are feeling better, and hope you continue to improve.  I heard a sermon just this week about your question.  The preacher said that our spirits go immediately to heaven to be with the Lord, but our bodies stay on earth, awaiting the trumpet call, at which time, they are resurrected and glorified, reunited with our spirits forever.  More things to be taken in faith, right?  I know my finite mind can't get wrapped around such majesty!

But when you said that, your own words indicated a wish that I would wash that exact same way.

Jane - I'm still trying to figure out what your smiley faces were trying to say to me!

Al---huh???  Say what???  I have no idea on earth what you mean!!  I was only teasing you, but if you were offended, I sincerely apologize.  Maybe I just have a strange sense of humor.

Janet : I think Al was being humorous in an earlier post he said he was being wishy washy.
There fore his statement to you about wishing he would wash that way.

Well Al were you being humorous or not..

I am just waiting for the time to come when I have to leave to fo to pick up the ladies to goto Martha's service.

It is already 99 F. here, and getting hotter. I've had the A/C on since 8:30 am so it's cool in here. I have decided that I am not going to suffer in this heat this year and I am going to use the A/C to stay comfotable for the rest of my time here.

Thanks for all your caring thoughts and prayers today. I will be just fine, I know where Martha is now and that she is not suffering any longer. She is dancing on those golden streets.

TTYL

Thanks for the explanation to my question.  That certainly makes sense.  

Karma:  I am reading where several are extending their sympathy to you on the loss of a friend.

Where was that posted, Karma?  I am not able to find your post.

However, I too wish to extend my sympathy to you!

Judy, I posted it yesterday.  A friend of mine who was a state trooper had pulled a person over and was struck and killed.

Thanks to all the well wishes.  I truly appreciate them.  Apparently, just before the accident, teh emergency dispatcher had received several calls about a trucker driving very erratically and dangerously.  He hit a guardrail, turned over, slid about 100 feet, hit Anthony's cruiser, flipping it over and sliding it about 300 feet and it burst into flames.  The driver was charged with reckless driving, involuntary manslaughter, and possession of drug paraphenalia.  Ugh.  You would think he would know better.  That's what gives truckers a bad name.


In other news -- Eric Rudolph has been found.  The FBI has been looking for him since the Olympic Park bombin g in 1996.  The suspected he was hiding in the mountains of WEstern NC, then said he was probably dead, but kept looking anyway.  I don't know why it took them so long to find him.  (hahaha)  About 6 years ago, Daddy was hunting in the area with some friends.  The FBI drove by once, again, and a third time.  At that point they stopped and asked directions to their headquarters.    I promise that is a true story.  These mountains are filled with little trails and roads that all look alike.  The locals probably would have helped, but it was made very clear from the beginning, by some of the initial investigators, that they didn't need "mountain people" to help them.  As such, the "mountain people" in that area never did.  He became sortof a hero, oddly enough.

I hope each of you has a good evening/night and a wonderful Sunday.  Back laters, hopefully.

Thanks so much for answering that Karma.

Yes, I did see on CNN where that Eric Rudolph was captured.  It was a terrible thing he did, killing and injuring those people.

I certainly don't call him a hero, not at all; I am amazed that he was able to avoid being captured all that time.  I do not think he had the right to bomb abortion clinics, but I do wonder if he saved any babies from being aborted when that facility was shut down.

Now please, please don't anyone think I agree with what Rudolph did....BUT, I find it hard to be sorry when I hear of abortionists being killed!  I always think of the many innocent lives THEY took!

Janet:  I am so pleased to read that Beth dosen't have cancer.  This is such a relief!

Now, here is another Baptist doing the Pentecostal dance with Janet and Marilyn!..no, not in church; just here in C.P.!....LOL

Thanks, Judy.  I got a big chuckle out of your post!  (And I won't tell on you, either!)  

I feel that abortion is murder, too.  But two wrongs do not make a right.  I understand why the mountain people made a sort of hero of Rudolph; after the FBI and other law people intimated that they were too stupid or backward to help them catch him.  They never did catch him, either!  His being apprehended today was just a fluke.  Not feather in the law enforcement's caps, except for the young man who thought he recognized him.

I'm pretty tired this evening; been keeping at it pretty well all day today!

Evening, my friends!  I have enjoyed reading the wishie-washies today!    The discussions have been good, about the dress code, style of music, and the subject of cremation.  On that last one, we have already committed to burial, having purchased plots, and paid for the works already.  It took us 5 years to do it, but we're paid for.  None of the kids will have to worry about what to do with us!    Two smileys, one for Him and one for Her.  Nothing left to add except the final date.  

Janet, what wonderful news about Beth not having cancer.  I am so grateful to God for all of you!  How do you spell relief???   B-9...

We went to Amarillo yesterday for Earl's checkups.   Heart is doing fine, kidneys and diabetes are the focus now.   He is still retaining a little too much fluid, and that caused his blood pressure to be a little too high.  So Dr. Marck increased the Lasix.  He still is limited to just one liter of fluid intake per day.   I asked Dr Marck what is the outlook for his kidneys, and if it is very likely, or just maybe, that they will fail more.   He said they will, but that it would be over time.   It will be more gradual if he takes his meds and takes care of himself like he should.   He certainly is doing that!  
He said the kidney damage was diabetes related, the ibuprofen just aggravated it (not caused it) as we had thought.  

We appreciate all the prayers and concern.   He got very, very tired yesterday, his strength is still quite low, but he is so much better than he was other than that.

Karmat, so sorry about your friend.  That must have been quite a shock to all of you.  We just never know what tomorrow brings.

Pat, thank you so much for that copy of the poem "I needed the quiet."  I have looked for that poem for many years.   It must be at least 40 years by now.  I sent my copy to a friend from my church who was in the hospital, and she wrote me the sweetest note in reply about how it helped her.  

My family all say I should go ahead and have the surgery, so it will be in a couple of months I guess.  I looked up the name of the surgery and read about it.  It is called Laparoscopic Fundoplication.  Strange words, strange sounding procedure.  

Have a great Lord's Day tomorrow, everyone!  
Love in Christ, Janice

Janice, good to see you here today.  I'm so glad Earl's checkups were satisfactory, and hope his strenth returns day by day.  And you remember to take care of your sweet self, too!  We love you!