Christian Photographers Community

Morning Devotional...




Constantine was regarded by many as the village idiot, the simpleton of the Romanian mountain village of Vicov de Sus. I would say that he was either 18 or 19 years old, well built and he looked as though he would be well capable of doing a full days hard labour in the fields.

He had lost his mother a couple of years earlier and his father was an alcoholic. They were very poor. I met Constantine in the afternoon and he was wearing an imitation leather jacket with slant pockets.

I, through our interpreter invited him to attend the Prayer Meeting that evening in the local church. He, like most others in that village had been brought up in the Romanian Orthodox church.

On parting I went to put £10.00 in his pocket, but there was no pocket, just an opening in the jacket!

After the Prayer Meeting, which had been held in a converted house, there was no small stir amongst the women as they tried to find shoes for themselves that would fit.

We had taken the precious cargo with us and the boxes of shoes from the Island of Lewis were now hogging the long porch of the church. Many villagers had entered that Baptist church for the first time that evening.

Many we know only came for a pair of shoes, however they all heard the Gospel, some I am sure for the first time.

Constantine was standing in the corner of the porch watching the women jostle for any pair of shoes that would fit their swollen feet.

I felt drawn to him and I had an overwhelming desire to speak to him about his soul. Marcela had accompanied us on our trip North to the mountain villages.

She had no English whatsoever but she spoke to us freely through her friend and our interpreter. I looked around for our interpreter but she was busy helping the women.

I beckoned to Marcela to come over to where Constantine and I were standing. I did not know how this was going to work; I just prayed that somehow God would let me speak to Constantine about Himself.

I looked into the sad, sad eyes of the young man and I started to tell him about Jesus. As I spoke, to my amazement Marcela understood and relayed the message of hope to our friend.

Starting with the story of Adam and Eve, I spoke for about half an hour. Tears flowed freely from the three of us. When I had finished, and turned to Marcela and said, "Wasn't that amazing?" but she did not understand!

Footnote: Marcela now works full time running a Good News club for Romanian children. Many young souls have been won for Christ since she began over 8 years ago. She gave up everything to serve her Lord - which was not much by our standards -  but great riches in God's eyes.

I have no heard nor seen Constantine since last we met though I pray that one day we will meet again and it matters not to me whether it be in time or eternity.

Your brother in Christ

Iain

IAIN thank you very much for your devotional
this morning you are very good brother

BUT PAT WHERE ARE YOU ??

I have again had a good night only when your husband is snore that is not so nice
How is that is someone of you also know that problem???

I am busy today i want clean up my house today.

It is very foggy in Holland but they say in the afternoon we will see the sun.  We wait

2 Peter 3 : 8
With the Lord a day is like a thousand years,
and a thousand years are like a day.

        GREAT PATIENCE

            Lord, help me to remember
                               that You are not confined
                                 or restricted by Time
                          I can only see Today, but You see
                    Yesterday, Tomorrow and Eternity....
                         Teach me a great patience,
                            a patience fouded
              on the One who was and is and ever will be.


WELCOME AMI YUY


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

Thanks, Iain, cool devotional.  We so often want to keep God in our pocket, don't we.  Amazing.

Hey, Ria.  Good to see you; sorry about the snoring husband!  

Busy day (in a way) ahead for the Shufords.  My uncle's funeral is at 2, but there are a couple of visitation things before, so basically I'll be at the church at 10:30 to be a pallbearer and go from there.  

Hope everybody has a great day!  It's awfully quiet in here, so far!

Maybe the previous discussion hasn't been closed.

Iain, I thoroughly enjoyed your inspirational message. God has given you the gift of communication - we are blessed to receive your gift.

Best wishes to Pat wherever she is.

Ria, often in the summertime my mother and I would bump into each other in the hallway in the middle of a hot night. My dad snored, and he would awaken my mother. Then, my grandma (in whose room I slept) snored and she would awaken me.

So, Mother and I would sometimes go sit outside on the porch in the moonlight and talk. I fondly remember those talks.

Now, guess who snores!

But there is a machine I use each night to keep me from snoring. They say that if a person stops breathing lots of times during their sleep, they can make themselves vulnerable to heart problems. So, I put my mask on each night and laugh heartily when I'm in Atlanta and the kids tease me about being Darth Vader!

Ruth Ann

Hi everyone.  

First of all I want to welcome Ami Yuy and tell you that I look forward to your participating here with us.  I saw some of your photos and they are very nice.  It looked like you have some very happy dogs.

Iain, wonderful devotional message this morning and what an experience you had with Constantine and Marcela.  

Ria, I really liked the verse you had in your message.  Hope you see the sun this afternoon.

Nards, I know this will be a difficult day for you and your family and I pray that God will grant confort as you grieve the loss of your loved one.  

Ruth Ann, my wife used one of those machines for sleep apnea for a number of years but had to stop because it was damaging her eyes.  She now uses one of the breathe right strips each night and that helps her breathe and get a good nights sleep.  

Well, I am headed out this morning to help a lady from our church with her computer so will likely be gone all morning.  

Larry i see the sun shine and when he is going away because it is now 3.30PM.
Then i am thinking on the words of Jeus
  I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
then we also live not in darkness

RUTH ANN that is a nice story but i go thalk with my husband but that your grandchildren are laughing
i can understand

Lots of Love  RIA

I hope Pat's not being here means she is catching up on her sleep!

Iain, good thoughts today.  I remember fondly a young man named Alex, with whom I visited in Romania.  He had come to the medical clinic we were doing, and I really enjoyed our talk.  He was 18 years old (or would be in a few days at that time.)  He spoke English well so that was why we were able to talk together.

Ruth Ann, it's good you can laugh about being Darth Vader!  A sense of humor gets us through so much in life!

Larry, I wish I lived near you.  I am really having a lot of computer problems now.  I hope I can keep limping along until Curtis comes home for Christmas break from college.  He has promised to come help me out with it.  Or really, do it for me.  I don't know how!!

It is raining here, supposed to be mixed wsith snow.  On TV they are talking about how Los Angeles is getting hit with hail and floods!  Poor California is really getting bettered this year.

We slept a bit later this morning, so we didn't go swim.  I must get busy and try to get some stuff done, I have several items on my agenda for today.

Liz, good luck with the kitchen building!  I wish Darrel and I could do it for you-----we did ours ourselves!  One saves so much $$$$ by doing the work themselves, but not everyone can, I know.  Just don't bring any of those flu bugs home with you!

Just jumping in to say "HI" before we begin our day.  Have a good 'un ya'll!  

Back later

HERE I AM!
Wow!  What a wonderful day Judy McKenna and I had in Toronto but what a stormy ride home.  It was just awful.  By the time I got into the house, the lights were going off and on and my TV was doing the same thing so I thought I'd better  turn off the computer and I went to my bed.  I had it on for a few minutes just as I got home and spoke to Ruthie for a moment and then promptly turned it off just to be safe.


THANKS IAIN for jumping in here and what a wonderful meaningful devotion it was too!  

Thinking about you and Karma, Nards.  I'm feeling especially sorry for your Uncle's wife.  I know exactly how she's feeling right now.    I'll be praying for her in the coming days.

I was supposed to go to London today for a Dental appointment but the roads are just too dangerous today and our executive meeting for tonight has been cancelled for the same reason.

Good morning, Ria, karmat, Pat Scott, Janet! And the rest of you who will show up later.

I finally got sick.  Ugh!  My throat is hurting, Ouch!
At least I was able to care for the other sick ones and help them getting better before I got sick.  

I probable won't be back on today.  Hope you all have a good day.
Sonja

Oh, Sonja,  I'm so sorry.  Get well soon sweetie.  We'll miss you.

There hasn't been much news of Cecilia lately but today's news has something.  Nothing great though.  I wonder where this dear little girl is.  It's really so sad.


http://www.canada.com/national/story.asp?id=BDF70FC5-7C11-4FCA-86DE-EDFCE197445A

Iain ~ Thank you for opening the door with a great devotional.

Pat ~ Are the roads wintery?  Snow?  Ice?  Glad you got back home safe and sound.

Karma, Nard ~ My prayers are with you today and for your Aunt in saying 'Good Bye Until' today.

Ria ~ I had a husband that snored big time.  I always planned to go to sleep before he came to bed.  Now I do the snoring and wake up Ali Cat.

Janet ~ We didn't get snow last night but the winds were terrible.  I could hear it even with these new windows.  I have corn debris from a neighboring field in my yard!

Larry ~ That is great that you are helping someone with their computer.  I wish I had someone that I could call on to come 'clean' mine of hidden files and stuff!

Ruth Ann ~ When I was first married and had my mobile home on the west side of this house...I could hear my Dad snore in the summer when the windows were open!  Now that was loud!

Sonja ~ Sorry to hear you are unwell.  Take those meds so you can take care of those young'uns.  

Yesterday was a wonderful day spent with Donna Marie.  I kept thinking last evening how great the time we were together was.  She would say something and I would say 'I do, too!'  I would say something and she would say 'I do, too!'  When we parted I felt like I had known her for years.  God is Good!

Today, Ivalou wants to do a little shopping for some Christmas presents and a gift for her Secret Sister.  The revealing is this Sunday.  And of course, we will have lunch out.  My day....MEXICAN!  I haven't talked to Jerry....I am praying he is fine.

?º°`°º?ø,¸¸,ø?º°`°º?ø?º°`°º?ø,¸¸,ø?º°`°º?ø?º°`°º?ø,¸¸,ø?º°`°º?ø?º°`"Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk."

Pat i am happy that you are coming savely home

and thank you for the news about Cecilia
it is so terrible poor little girl and poor parents
i keep here in my prayers.

SONJA I WISH YOU A GOOD HEALTH

BYE
LOTS OF LOVE
RIA

Good Morning Pat.  I too was wondering where you were.  I was on here last night when the girls came down saying there was a bad lightening storn going on.  I shut down quick.  

We woke up to a winter wonderland today.  The snowplow has been and cleared the road for us, but thankfully I don't have to go out.  We can look and enjoy without having to drive in it.  You have snow yet Pat?

Rachelle I am so sorry for your daughter.  I told the story of what happened to Melaura and she says "I'm sorry Lindsey,  How are you feeling today?"  Congrats on the sale though!   Rachelle I have marking and recording to do today as well so I won't be on for a while.  I have volume of shapes to teach as well.

Good afternoon Ria.  Dont work till you hurt.  You need to take it a bit slower than when you were younger.  Look after yourself.  When your hubby snores nudge him so he changes position.  Then maybe you can sleep before he starts snoring again.  This sometimes works with John.  

Sonya I am sorry you are sick.  Drink a lot and get some rest if you can.

Lee even when you told I didn't get it!  Dense today wouldn't you say?

Nards I am sorry about the funeral, They are always difficult.  I am praying for you both.

Janet I had better give my cousin a call. I didn't know about the hail and floods, see how he is making out.

Well back to school work.

Love you all
Judy

Hi y'all.  I've got a cold today (why do they call it that?  That's not cool.)  I'm supposed to go meet our lender at the mobilhome today for his once over and for a roof inspection.  So I won't be on here this afternoon at all.
God bless you every one!

Good Morning, Thank you Iain for the devotional, that was a wonderful story  about Constantine.

Pat Sory tohear that you are having terrible weather. Isaw the news this morning where Los Angeles is really have it bad. The rains are supposed to start here tonight.

Last night my Pastor suggested to all of us to get the Purpose Driven Life, So I am bidding on it at www.half.com (ebay). I have already been out bid on one now I am trying on another one. There are quite a few on there.

Must get ready for work.

TTYL

Chief Justice Roy Moore

I just heard that he's no longer the Chief Justice of Alabama.  This was certainly a pretty severe punishment.

My prayers are with this man today.

Brother Iain...........

Thanks for the morning devotional and taking the bit and running with it.


Sister Judy.........

Hummmmmmm.  Can anyone explain the message?


Sisiter Pat........

Turning off your PC during a storm won't help you from losing it if lightening hits.  You must disconnect the PC from the wall for positive protection.  Electrical energy from lightening can (but not always) run through your house wiring and will go directly into your PC.  When you turn it off, power still sits in your PC up to the Off switch.  It's the same with all of your appliances.  Power generated from lightening will blast its way through a little switch.  Kapisch?

Yep!  That's what I do, Lee.  

The case against Chief Justice Roy Moore is a Satanic sham.  Satanic?  Yep it is.  If the decision were legal it would be of God.  Chief Justice Roy Moore's placing the Ten Commandment stone in the court house was a legal act and there is NO Constitutional law, State, or Fedreal law that prohibits it.  The judges decision to remove the monument and the removal of Chief Justice Roy Moore is, and was, a personal opinion of the Federal judge.

Do you folks remember what our LOrd had to say about this type of situation that WILL continue to happen in the "End Times"?  "They shall call good bad, and bad good."  I won't get political in this forum, but I call your attention to what is happening in our government at this very hour.

Actually my brothers and sisters, though this seems bleak, we can praise our Lord for having specifically given his church (us)  prophetic warnings of things to come.  This is why we have the Bible.

Here's something off topic but Biblical.  What tree does the Bible speak mostly of?  The Olive tree.  Do you know that it's leaves are always green?  And, that when it does die, it always reseeds itself?  And here's the capper.....The Olive tree is the only tree that does NOT have growth rings (It grows from within). Now compare yourself with the Olive tree.  Neat, huh?  

Here the New York times link to the sotry about Judge Roy Moore.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/13/national/13CND-JUDG.html?ex=1069995600&en=1d440b0841bfe050&ei=5004&partner=UNTD

He stood his ground and I am proud to be in the same family with Judge Roy Moore.

Cold~~~Not IN me but OUTSIDE!  I am not ready for winter!!!  No snow.  No ice.  But cutting winds.  The sun is bright which makes it very deceiving.  And, of all days, the mailman was late and I walked in this cold three times before I finally got my mail.  And now it is too late to go to the bank today!!!  Oh, well!  I guess I can get out tomorrow and go to the bank!

Ivalou and I had a great lunch and a great time shopping.  We always do.  I sometimes pinch myself to make sure I am alive because of how well we get along.  My sister but my best friend, also.

Time to go see the rest of the forum!!

I've been shopping twice today, This morning I brought Bea to Mckinleyville to get her flu shot and took her shopping at K-mart. Then we went to Arcata  to Hunan Village and had lunch (On 18th Al).

After I came home from work I went to the grocery store for myself. I was right next door to K-mart and should have done more shopping for the kids gifts. But I didn't. I will probably be sorry I didn't once the rain starts. Maybe  will go tomorrow.

Now I am having a cuppa tea.

MArilyn.  There will be another time to shop.  Enjoy your tea.

Al drink alot, get pleanty of rest and take some tyleonl,  and call me in the morning!

The roade up here have been rough.  snow ice and blowing snow.  I had no intention of going out but. . . . . . . John came home and needed a pick up.

I got most of the marking done.  there are still a few corrections for the girls to do, hopefully tonight.  I am satisfied with their marks.

We have a big day tomorrow, a hours of service course to change and cadets in the evening.  So I won't be here much.

Love to all

JudyB

Hot tea, Marilyn?  

Getting time to put supper on, but I wanted to check in here first.  Also I've posted a couple of pictures we just got this afternoon from Gene's oldest son.

Although the thermometer was stuck on 40 all day (since 5:00 this morning at least), the wind has been so strong and so sharp you'd think it was much colder.  Especially seeing the snow that's been falling.  Nothing seems to be sticking though...  yet.  Supposed to be about an inch overnight.

hey ya'll
how r u? i'm doing alright. basketball is going good we have only 1 practice before our game we should do well. i hope anyways we have a strong team this year and without the negative attitudes we had last year. so yea. i'm excited! prolly better get off of here and study for my chemistry test   i don't like tests!ttyl
Sarah

Look what happened in the Watts district in Los Angeles. It is all hail not snow.

                       

Sister Marilyn.........

The last time I saw the Watts area, it was ablaze and I was being shot it.  Hummmmmm, my how things have changed (For the now).

Sister Jeanne Lee.....

Get out your bathing suit, it's warm where you live.  We've been in the 20's all day.  Our lawn is frozen and white.