Christian Photographers Community

• Prayer and Praise    Thanks for visiting this area of our site to share prayer requests and items for praise!

Morning Devotional...

Psalm 51

When David had sinned, he had to say, "Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight." We all have to say the same thing - regardless of what our specific sins might be – because all of them, at root, have dishonored GOD.  

So God gave us this song to provide us an example of what can be done about sin against Him.  Of course Christ has made the ultimate provision for all our sins in His substitutionary atonement on the Cross, but this song is an excellent example of the only thing we ourselves can do about a relationship with God that has, after all, been broken each and every time we sin.

He begins by begging for mercy, and that's what we need to do too!  After all, sin against a holy God can only deserve infinite wrath.  Anything short of that wrath is mercy – and that's what every sinner needs all the time. So our cry to God should be the same as that of David.  He said, "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!"  The word for "wash" is the word the Hebrews used for washing clothing, etc., and that's appropriate because sin results in a soul that's filthy and needs laundering.  And the point here is that unless GOD launders it, it must remain unclean upon us.  

David knew that's what he had to say.  He had to admit, "For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me."  It just won't go away. It's going to take the action of a merciful God to really rid him of it, and that's true for us as well.  We have to admit with David, "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me!" In other words, it's been with me right from my beginning!

Cleansing from such sin can only be accomplished by God, because it has to be a cleansing of the heart and soul.  David makes allusion to Leviticus 14:6, 7, in which hyssop is used for symbolic cleansing of a leper - a harsh kind of cleansing needed because of the clinging results of leprosy - and sin.  So the sinner confesses his sin and begs God's merciful – though sometimes harsh - laundering.

If we have come to Him for mercy, and if we join God's people in this minor-keyed song of repentance, then we need next to change to a major key.  We have confessed the awfulness of sin against so good a God, and now we need to confess the perfect and complete cleansing that God CAN accomplish!  We need to sing, "Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow!"  When GOD answers our plea and cleanses us, then David's next words will be appropriate: "Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice!"  Only God can bring such forgiveness.  Only God can COMPLETELY reverse the effects of sin in our inmost being!  He CAN do it through the Cross of His Son!

Once God grants that gracious miracle, then we can hope for even more - we can hope for a future life free from the sins of the past!  In fact, the song goes on to pray for that very thing: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me!"  That's what every sinner needs.  It's an expression of dependence upon God's Spirit for every moment of life!

With such a miracle of forgiveness and cleansing, we can then even help others like ourselves. We can actually hope for the truth for ourselves of the following words:  "Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You!" Not only so, but all this forgiving, cleansing work of God is the only - but adequate - means for opening our lips for praise.  So we can sing, with David, "O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise!"  We should never presume to worship God without this wonderful cleansing and renewal.

Looking back on the way God has dealt with him, David - and every one of us - can say, "the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.  A broken and a contrite heart - these, O God, You will not despise!"  The result is that afterward, when God's merciful cleansing has occurred, then we can look forward to spiritual prosperity, to freedom to worship Him with a clean conscience.

How is it with you?  Have you seen what sin really is in God's sight?  Do you know God well enough to realize, at least a little, the ugliness of it?  Do you confess it with broken heart?  Do you really care? It's the caring sinner that God forgives and justifies through His Son.

Al Moak

Here's a wonderful hymn that wonderfully reflects these thoughts.  Just click to hear the music.

Thank you so much, Al, the devotion is well written and I truly love that song.

Today has been a "telephone ministry" day, I think. After worship and lunch with friends, I found my couch much too comfortable and ended up resting for a couple of hours. Then, a call to a family member who has experienced not only the loss of her only child to brain cancer, but has also experienced three different bouts with cancer herself. Since we share the 23rd of different months as birthdays, when she said we should get together once a month, I suggested the 23rd! So, when I called, she wasn't able to have me come get her, but I thoroughly enjoyed listening to her (and praying silently as she was talking) for an hour and a half.

Then, next was a church member, who talked nonstop for almost the same length of time. By then, I was really ready for that cottage cheese/tomatoes/crackers dinner. Was it ever good. 

May our Lord be with us and minister to each of us as He perceives we have need. Imagine that! He knows what we need before we even ask. What an awesome God we serve.

Love to all,
Ruth Ann

It is interesting how messages intersect.  Pastor larry spoke on this subject today as well. 

Thank you Al.

Judy, my little book only has the name, such as John and the pronunciation...JAHN.  The original book has the meanings, where they are found in the Bible and short stories about them.  It is over 500 pages.  My little book is 36 half pages...still lots of names...over 4,000.  Some names in the original book said 'see ....'.  Hebrew name for a Greek name or vice versa.  I know I have many mistakes in my little book since there was no way to use spell check.  But I like it to insert in my Bible.  I have it on WORD.  If anyone would like to have it, email me.  If you print it on both sides, then fold it in half, it is like a book.

Today is a neurologist appointment.  Then Ivalou wants to go to the hospital for lunch and then visit the rehab department to see if they remember her.  Then she has rehab at 2pm.  Long day for her. 

Yesterday she gave me a scare.  She didn't show up for church.  I called her after church and the phone rang and rang.  So I left to check on her.  All the 4 miles home, I was imagining everything!  But when I went to her door, I could hear her talking to someone on the phone.  Seems she over slept and too late to call me.  Then when I called she was calling in her RX's and couldn't switch hook to take my call.  I thanked God that she was okay.  I don't want her to tell me everywhere or everything she does but today it just didn't add up.  I called Kaye Don and he didn't answer either...but he is in Michigan...I forgot!

Hi everyone.  It is a truly beautiful day here in Georgia.  I am sitting in the porch with a couple of windows open and there is a pleasant breeze coming in.  As it warms up a bit I will turn on the ceiling fan to stir the air more.  Where I sit I have a view out two windows that look across my yard into my neighbor's yard.  He keeps it very nice and and it looks like a well tended golf green.  He is mowing it at the moment.  I must remember to close the windows when I finish out here as the lawn people will be here sometime today.

We didn't walk this morning as the one man at coffee who walks in our group had two doctor appointment today and didn't have time.

My wife is still suffering with the muscle spasms in her hip.  She hoped she would be better this morning but doesn't appear to be.  This is the 4th day for this. 

I have a luncheon to attend at noon.  Today we are going to O'Charley's.  After lunch I will stop at a garden center and get some hanging planters.  We got three hanging plants from the greenhouse on Saturday.  This is all I have on my schedule for today. 

Al, thanks for that fine devotional thought for the week.  We as Christians are so fortunate to have Jesus Christ to bear these sins that we as human seem to be constantly making. 

Etta Sue, that would be frightening when you couldn't reach Ivalou.  I am sure she is comforted to know that you will be keeping a eye on her and follow-up with her when when you don't know that she is OK.  That book of names sounds like it was a lot of work.

Ruth Ann, those two people yesterday must have needed to talk. 

Carol, this is probably a great time to acquire a place to winter in Arizona.  It is hard to believe that so many people are condemning Arizona for trying to protect themselves by enforcing the law. 

Marilyn, hope you enjoy your visit with Keith's sister.  Is the first time you have met her?

Good morning all.  Larry no sunshine here.  I haven't checked to see the forecast for today, but I'm sure there is rain somewhere in there.

I'm headed out the door. I have a doctor's appointment at 8:45, so just enough time to say hello.  She will give me the results of my last lab tests and I'm hoping that my liver enzymes are back in line now.  She thinks it might have been from taking Tylenol and Aleve for my shoulder pain.  We'll see.

Have a blessed day, all.  I'll check back in later when I have time to comment.  Nita

Everyone will see

[Jesus said], "Then everyone will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds with power and great glory. So when all these things begin to happen, stand straight and look up, for your salvation is near!"


Luke 21:27-28 NLT

Good Morning, Larry this will be the first time  meet Keith's sister. She is flying out for  his son's graduation from Medical School on the 1st but will visit us and friends while she is here. Keith's birthday is today and he has had a terrible toothache since yesterday morning. I sure hope he calls a dentist to get it fixed before he  has to leave for Portland and the graduation.

Today I am taking Happy back to the vet to see  if he needs another month of the fungus medicine, check his weight to see if he needs a change in his thyroid medicine. I am going to take Bebe along for the ride. I am also doing laundry and will bake Keith a cake this afternoon.

Nita it looks like the sun just might peek out of the clouds, it is not supposed to rain today but you never know right Nita?

Happy anniversary, Pat and Paul!!  Where does the time go?  You were just married last month. LOL

Marilyn, you are so right about the weather.  You just never know here in Oregon what it will be from minute to minute.  At least for now.  Maybe later, toward the end of May, we'll have some warm and sunny days.

Back from the doctor.  My liver enzymes are back down, and we're pretty sure it was the pain meds.  I guess I'm just very sensitive to that stuff.  I seldom ever have to take anything like that, but with the shoulder pain, I'd been taking them in the morning, and then at night.

QuoteEveryone will see

[Jesus said], "Then everyone will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds with power and great glory. So when all these things begin to happen, stand straight and look up, for your salvation is near!"

Luke 21:27-28 NLT

Judy, can you just imagine?  I can't.  My heart beats faster just thinking of the sight, of His coming, but I still can't imagine it.

Nita I can't imagine either.  Soon sister soon!

That's lovely Jeanne!

Jeanne, how thoughtful. That's so pretty.  I'm sure they'll love it.

CP wouldn't load for me yesterday, so I got behind!

Good to read what is going on with each of you.  It is time to leave for work, so I will be back later today to post.

HAPPY SECOND ANNIVERSARY, PAT AND PAUL!!!

This week's promise: Christ will return
A heavenly vision

After I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a mighty shout, "Salvation comes from our God on the throne and from the Lamb!"


Revelation 7:9-10 NLT


Heavenly praise for the Lamb

Many times our prayers tend to focus on this world and the struggles we encounter in our lives. God understands and accepts these prayers, but we must also direct our thoughts and prayers to the victory we will share with Christ. In Revelation, God gives us a splendid portrayal of that final victory. In a vision, the apostle John sees a magnificent scene: a vast multitude celebrating the triumph of the Lamb of God. Waving palm branches, the traditional symbol of victory, people from all over the world extol God for the salvation he had provided through his Son.

As followers of Christ, today, we are privileged to be part of this multitude—the communion of believers. Because Jesus has overcome death, a new life of wholeness and peace through him has opened up to us. This is worth shouting about—praising God with all that is in us!

A prayer for today...

Dear Lord, I join your praying people through the ages to shout about that salvation that comes from you...

You know I just can't imagine what Heaven will be like.  We have the description, but I think the description pales compared to the reality of it.

Kassie has come back from Pitch and Praise totally on a spiritual high.  She is now talking about going to a Christian College.  I see growth this year. 

John is heading out we don't know where to yet.  But thankfully it will be just a week.  We have found out that a friend has stage 4 cancer in his leg.  Cancer is such an insidious disease.

I am keeping the dogs inside today, and the next couple of days.  At least till this heat wave ends.  It is so unusual for us to have 80+ degree weather in May.  They don't seem to like the idea of staying inside though.

Pat when do you leave for the west? 

God bless everyone!

Judy ~ Heat wave?  Didn't you just say a few days ago that you had that thick white stuff? 

Pat ~ Happy Second Anniversary!  I can never remember, are you in the US?  Canada?  Are the two of you together or one here and the other there?  Have you moved in completely in Virginia?  Keep us informed!

Here is a snippet of my 'little book'. 

      Eliel  ee LYE uhl
      Elienai  el eh EE nye
      Eliezer  el eh EE zuhr
      Elihoreph  el uh HOHR uhf
      Elihu  el LYE hoo
      Elijah  ee LYE juh
      Elika  el LYE kuh
      Elimelech  el LIM uh lek

You would think that when they all begin with e, l, & i that they would be pronounced the same.  NO!  It was fun to type and even to correct!  I corrected another one just now.  Most of my mistakes were u and h backwards such as Abagtha   uh BAG thuh and occassionally 'us' instead of 'uh.  Well, that's what am thinking are the most mistakes!  Ivalou couldn't use this book...she wasn't taught phonics in grade school.

Yesterday was a long day for Ivalou.  We went to the neurologist at 10am and she was asking him about the burning she has inside of her right arm and leg.  He said that wasn't stroke related.  So he told her to take a regime of 2 Tylenol Extra Strength three times a day for 2 weeks.  He thinks it might be inflammation and the Tylenol will get rid of it.  But here in Indiana, Tylenol has been taken off the shelves.  So she got some CVS that is comparable to Tylenol Extra Strength.  Hope it does the trick. 

After the drug store we went to the hospital where she was last fall to visit the rehab department.  When we went in she said 'I don't think I know how to get to rehab!'  She didn't come and go like I did so I told her that I knew the way.  She was wondering if they would remember her since it has been almost 7 months since she left rehab at the hospital.  Sure enough they all remembered her and they were all so pleased to see how well she walked and talked. 

Then we went to the cafeteria for lunch.  We got done eating and it wasn't even noon and she didn't have rehab at the rehabilitation center until 2pm!  So we sat there and people-watched until all the tables were filled.  So then we went to the entrance and sat.  At least there was a TV there to watch until the Soaps came on. 

Finally we got her to rehab and she is done with rehab Wednesday!  Every time she goes to rehab they give her more home exercises to do.  So I asked her what she was going to do with all her spare time with not going to rehab.  She said 'Do my exercizes!'  I am kind of sad that it is all over.  I will miss those little kids coming in for rehab.  We just don't know how much we are blessed until you see these little kids with all kinds of problems.  But without rehab Ivalou wouldn't be independent today!

Today Kitty and I are going to go swim but first, I want to mow my yard.  Tomorrow is the beginning of our 50th Class Reunion out of high school.  We are going to Brown County for two days, then tour the new high school on Friday and Friday evening is a catered meal at Lapel Lions Club.  Next Saturday, June 5, we will be recognized at the High School Commencement.

Yes Etta Sue we did have lots of white stuff, and the weather has done a 180 and now we have major heat coming up from the south.  Our temps are up in the 80's.  Now down south that is considered normal, but up here and this time of year mid 70's is the norm. 

I am glad Ivalou is doing so well.  Having her independence is so important.  Give her a hug for us here at CP.

Gotta run.

Hi everyone.  Been to coffee and a walk at the church gym.  I have somewhere I need to be about 10:45 and need to leave here in about 9 minutes.  This evening, if Pat is still feeling like it, we are going with our friends to the airport in the nearby town for dinner and to enjoy the two hour bluegrass band.  We were there last Tuesday evening and really enjoyed it and the rest of the band is suppose to be there tonight.  I was happy to hear Pat say she thought she would be up to it as not much walking and that is what is so painful for her right now. 

It is overcast here today and the wind has shifted to be from the East, which is a bit unusual.  We may get a shower later today, which would be fine. 

Happy Anniversary Pat and Paul.  Hard to believe it has now been two years. 

Good Morning, it is raining here  and will be for the next few days.

I took Happy back to the vet yesterday , his blood draw showed that his thyroid is right here we want it to be, he is to continue on with the fungus  and thyroid meds. I took Bebe along for the rind and she got to see the Doctor too for her first physical here in Oregon and they both got their  Booster and  Bordetella shots. It is better for them to have the Bordetella  if they are going to be boarded and they are  going to the horse ranch for boarding while we are gone.

Happy Anniversary Pat and Paul. How is your shoulder? We celebrated our first one last month.

I just had a very quick visit from Doug.  He has asked for prayer for the family.  God knows the details.

Dishonesty Doesn't Pay

One year, at Western, there were these two guys who were taking Chemistry and who did pretty well on all of the quizzes and the midterms and labs, etc., such that going into the final they had a solid A. These two friends were so confident going into the final that the weekend before finals week (even though the Chem final was on Monday), they decided to go over to Toronto and party with some friends there during the Vanier Cup weekend. So they did this and had a great time.

However, with their partying and everything, they overslept all day Sunday and didn't make it back to Western until early Monday morning. Rather than taking the final then, what they did was to find their Professor after the final and explain to him why they missed the final. They told him that they went up to Toronto for the weekend, and had planned to come back in time to study, but that they had a flat tire on the way back and didn't have a spare and couldn't get help for a long time and so were late getting back to campus.

The Professor thought this over and then agreed that they could make up the final on the following day. The two guys were elated and relieved. So, they studied that night and went in the next day at the time that the Prof had told them. He placed them in separate rooms and handed each of them a test booklet and told them to begin. They looked at the first problem, which was something simple about molarity and solutions and was worth 5 points. "Cool" they thought, "this is going to be easy." They did that problem and then turned the page. They were unprepared, however, for what they saw on the next page.

It said:
(95 points) Which tire?

- Don A. Wicks, Instructor Graduate School of Library & Information Science Elborn College, University of Western Ontario

*Thanks to Pastor Tim for this joke!*
cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh

We arrived home after a hard drive against wind only to find that a terrific old tree in the open space had collapsed - now where will the hawks go?  Such a hard drive that Don took it instead of me.  Then, one son came to visit and we were so happy to see that he was doing so well - life has been stressful for him lately. 

Today, just trying to catch up and a pot of Chicken Tortilla Soup is in the crockpot.  Have never made this before and it is a little of my own imagination which can be dangerous but it sure smells good.  The leftovers from a baked chicken is in the soup plus black beans, corn and chicken broth and a little kick of Rotel tomatoes.   

Summertime there is no Wed. bible study and I will feel lost tomorrow 

Happy 2 year anniversary to Pat and Paul.  Isn't it just wonderful that you found each other?  I know - it was planned   

Al:  thanks for devotions and the reminder to ask to be cleansed of all of our sins.  I do hope you and Marbeth are enjoying this spring.  Take care -

While cleaning the place in AZ, I found a bible under the bed along with all kinds of Budweiser beer caps.  A teen slept in that room - you never know what they are up to if you don't search the rooms.  I did when mine were young. 

Jeanne:  Perfect test for those young men. 

Guess who?....

hank you Colin I have saved yet another  of your wonderful poems.   


Now I will go back to my corner 

Colin - haven't seen you in here in quite a while.  That poetry is quite unusual, to say the least (and I only rarely say the least).  Good to see you back.

That is an amazing poem....


NOW don't be a stranger. Come back soon!

That's wonderful, Colin!