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Morning Devotional...

"The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men."  Ps.33:13

Perhaps no figure of speech represents God in a more gracious light than when he is spoken of as stooping from his throne, and coming down from heaven to attend to the wants and to behold the woes of mankind.

We love him, who, when Sodom and Gomorrah were full of iniquity, would not destroy those cities until he had made a personal visitation of them. We cannot help pouring out our heart in affection for our Lord who inclines his ear from the highest glory, and puts it to the lip of the dying sinner, whose failing heart longs after reconciliation.

How can we but love him when we know that he numbers the very hairs of our heads, marks our path, and orders our ways? Specially is this great truth brought near to our heart, when we recollect how attentive he is, not merely to the temporal interests of his creatures, but to their spiritual concerns. Though leagues of distance lie between the finite creature and the infinite Creator, yet there are links uniting both.

When a tear is wept by thee, think not that God doth not behold; for, "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." Thy sigh is able to move the heart of Jehovah; thy whisper can incline his ear unto thee; thy prayer can stay his hand; thy faith can move his arm. Think not that God sits on high taking no account of thee. Remember that however poor and needy thou art, yet the Lord thinketh upon thee. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him.

Heard this on Face Book.  Apparently radio stations in the US are banning it as it is politically incorrect. 

Listen to it here!! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PLwsDvaURY)

Thank you for the devotional Jane.

Thanks, Judy ... I just heard (and shared) that song, too!   :thumbsup:

Thanks Marilyn for the "head's up" on today's Devotional not being able to be seen.

Can you see it now?

I see it now. thank you Jane for the great devotional.

That's great Marilyn!

What could be more wonderful than this?

When a tear is wept by thee, think not that God doth not behold; for, "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." Thy sigh is able to move the heart of Jehovah; thy whisper can incline his ear unto thee; thy prayer can stay his hand; thy faith can move his arm. Think not that God sits on high taking no account of thee. Remember that however poor and needy thou art, yet the Lord thinketh upon thee. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him.

Thanks for the devotional this week, Jane. 

Hi everyone.  It was another cool night and is still chilly this morning.  Pat has gone for a massage and then around lunch time we will go out and eat.  Our DIL called last evening to say she had to go back into the hospital to have the feeding tube or something related to it done as the device had come apart.  This involves surgery.  Sure hope this doesn't set her back as she seems to have been doing better recently.  I have a light schedule for today with just a meeting this evening.  The "Our Daily Bread" email this morning had the following and I liked it:  Our greatest hope here below is help from God above.

Jane, thanks for the devotional thoughts for this week. 

Judy, I listened to the song you posted.  Thanks.

Good morning, friends,

I'm so grateful I was able to go to church yesterday, and then eat with friends. What would we do if we were to refuse the blessings the Lord gives us when we worship in His house and have fellowship with believers.

Jane, I enjoyed that great devotional message.

Y'all have a great day with our Lord.

Ruth Ann

Hi everyone.  I was able to sleep a little later this morning as this is one of the days I don't go for coffee.  I will attend a meeting later this morning and that will pretty much be it.  Pat has a medical appointment and then is meeting her 90 year old friend for lunch.  It is an overcast morning in the low 50s.  We may have a couple of showers this afternoon. 

Ruth Ann, glad you were up to going to church and then enjoying a time with your friends. 

I had the following in my email this morning from a good friend and want to share it with you. I find it a good reminder to wait on God's time. 

The Farmer Waits
Originally Posted on 5-28-13 / Updated and revised 9-29-14
As I travel each day, I pass a farmer's house.  I blow my horn and smile and wave.  He always waves back. Sitting under a shade tree, relaxing, he always has time for a friendly wave.  It seems to me that he is watching his garden.  Why wouldn't he?  In weeks prior, he has worked so hard.  He has tilled the soil and planted the seed.  His energy and resources have been put to use once more.  He is invested, to say the least.
But he waits.  He waits on the land to do what he cannot do.  He waits on the seed to bring forth what he cannot produce.  He waits on the rain and sun to nourish those seedlings. Ah, calmly he waits.
The old farmer knows this universal truth: "You can't hurry the harvest!"
Only God knows how the crops will turn out this year for the old farmer.  The farmer has seen both good and not-so-good crops over the years.  But still he plants, trusting the land to yield its gift once more.  Yes, he waits for when the picking is good.
You know, we could learn a lot from that old farmer.  We, too, plant our seeds of faith in prayer and ask the Lord of the Harvest for many things: a touch of healing for a friend, a blessing for our business, a new opportunity - whatever the case may be.  But unlike the old farmer, we want the answer NOW.  But as the farmer knows and shows us all, you just can't hurry the harvest.  It doesn't work that way.
We are in God's garden of grace.  He cares deeply about how we grow.  He is invested.  He shed His own blood, gave His own life for you and for me so that we could grow into His likeness.  He knows how long we need to be in the ground.  All of our dreams and hopes need the nourishment of troubles, trails and hardships.  Growth never comes easy.  He longs for mature children who can stand the storms of life because they are fully rooted in Him.
Remember, you cannot hurry the harvest.  God is not concerned with time like we are. However, He is very concerned about timing.  Relax and trust the Master.  Wait on Him.  Renew your strength.  Harvest will come and it will be "Mmm, Mmm Good!"
Update (9-29-14):
Although I still pass his house often, I have NOT seen the old farmer this entire summer (2014).  I've missed his wave.  I was afraid he had passed away.  Finally, last week he was back in his folding lawn chair.  I gave a blow on the horn and an enthusiastic wave.  He waved back with a feeble hand.  Something within me said that I should stop and chat with him, but I didn't want to intrude or scare him.  Still, just a mile down the road I did stop, turn around and go back to say hello face-to-face. He was very kind, and I was correct in thinking that he had been very ill.  I asked if I could bring him a CD or a DVD to help pass the time and he said, "Naw, young man.  I don't have anything like that in my house.  I'm just happy to feel the sun on my face.  Thanks for stopping by and for the friendly waves.  That's enough for me."
I feel honored to have met the old farmer and shake his hand.  And, I might add, learn a lesson that sometimes, "Less Is More" and "It's Good To See The Sun."
Oh What A Savior!
Ernie

Here I am.  At least most of me.  My right hand is wrapped up firmly so that it can be used, cautiously, for almost everything.

It all began late Saturday afternoon.  I tripped over a loop of wire that shouldn't have been on the floor and went headlong, flat onto my stomach, but by reflex I had apparently put my hands out to break the fall and most of my weight was taken by my right hand.   When I suddenly found myself flat out on the floor, all I could think of was "Did I break a hip?"  Thank God the fall was in an area where there was nothing in the way to fall over or against and I was able, quite easily, to get up on my feet.

Saturday night and all day Sunday I was certain the hand was broken.  A beautiful October Sunday with the colors just about peak, so I couldn't find anyone at home to take me to the ER for Xrays and treatment.  If I called the emergency squad I'd still have to find someone available to get me home.  So I waited. 

The computer was impossible - I couldn't use the right hand at all and I failed completely trying to use the left for the mouse or the touch pad.  Even closing down took about 15 minutes.

Finally Monday morning I was able to contact a dear friend who quickly rearranged her day and took me to the local clinic.  There I found that the hand, which by now wasn't quite as painful as it had been but still pretty useless, wasn't broken but very badly sprained.  So it was firmly splinted, which immobilized things and helped relieve a good bit of the pain.  After two sleepless nights all I could do was snuggle down and try to catch up on my rest.

Then this morning when I finally woke up enough to get back to the computer I had to internet connection for a while.  But, obviously, that's corrected now.

So I'm back, mostly in pretty good shape but still slow doing things with the right hand.  And I have a lot to get caught up with.  So - see you later.   :D

Not a good thing, Jeanne ...  :(  I am so sorry you took such a tumble and then had to wait so long, in pain, to get care.  Now is the time to REALLY take it easy and get some much needed rest!   :sleep:

Jeanne:  A sprain can be just as painful as a broken bone.  let someone wait on you for a change.... wish I could be there to fix your dinner.

Larry:  There is a lot to be said for the farmer living a simple and grateful life. 

I am all set up and paid for my lunch for an up and coming genealogy day of free classes but lunch is $10.  I would say that is a deal for it is five classes.  We have to drive a bit and Don will spend a day by himself near the Phoenix area - hoping he can meet a friend.  We have had some concerning news today that our friend is at the hospital with his wife & she is a friend as well.  She has had a Parkinson's Disease episode with hallucinations and weakness - I really have little knowledge of her health and she has been doing so well when we met each week this spring.  They are planning to stay with us for three days next month so we are praying she will be recovered by that time. 

I forgot to go to a quilting meeting this afternoon so you can see how discombobulated I am these days.  Living by a notebook each and every day and I need to LOOK at the notes more.   

Hi, friends,

Well, 1 more day will finish up my work with my sister in law's apartment. A friend helped me today and we really got a lot done, unpacked, put away where it should be, linens on the shelf, bed made and turned down with electric blanket plugged in and tested, photos all stored together, mementos in a nice place, etc.

It feels good to have been able to work so hard for so long, but now I'm ready to take a long rest. (But not tomorrow! I obligated myself to take someone to Kroger's tomorrow. :) )

Then, Thursday, someone comes to help me clean my own apartment. Friday? Well, I just haven't gotten there yet.

My daughter in law is in need of our prayers. Last Friday night, she had a grease fire in her kitchen, and received 3rd degree burns on 3 areas of her body. They operated today to clean the wounds and try to prepare them for healing. I'm certain she's in plenty of pain tonight, and would appreciate your prayers for an uneventful recovery.

Well, must go.

Much love to all,
Ruth Ann

Praying Ruth Ann.

Jeanne I hope you make sure there is nothing on or near the floor that you can trip on again.  This was not good!  Glad you didn't break anything, however I have found sprains can be worse than a break cause they take linger to heal.

Heading to bed Night all

Hi everyone.  It looks like it will be a nice day here weather-wise although getting up to about 84 but no rain.  Today's big activity will be Bible study and the rest of the morning at Dunkin' Donuts with our friends.  I think Pat is going to make it today.

Jeanne, sure glad to see your posting as was worried about you.  Sure glad you didn't break any bones in the fall but know that hand must be very painful as I have it heard it said that sometimes the sprain is worse than a break. 

Carol, I am worried about you if you forgot to go to a quilting meeting.  I didn't think you ladies every forgot something like that--priorities.  :)  So sorry to hear about your friend having to go to the hospital.  Are the genealogy classes on five separate days or all in one day?  I hope you enjoy them and learn a lot. 

Ruth Ann, a busy week you have had already but it sounds like you have accomplished a lot and that is always a good feeling.  How dreadful to be burned.  Even a small little burn is so painful. 

Ruth Ann:  Prayers for your DIL, it sounds terribly painful.  What a nice gesture to set up your SIL's apartment. 

Larry:  There are five classes in one day with a lunch break.  Free from the LDS church.  Anything can help me and family is expecting me to "do something".   Agree with you, my mind was a complete blank and we even talked about the quilt meeting in the morning.  Losing my grip.  Our friend is still in hospital - no news yet.

JudyB:  Any snow yet?  It is snowing off and on in the high places. 

Hi, friends,

Today was scheduled to be busy, but someone cancelled. So, I've unexpectedly had a wonderfully quiet day. It will be a bit difficult to get going again tomorrow! :)

I haven't heard how my daughter in law is doing today. Thank you for your prayers on her behalf.

Much love to all.

Ruth Ann

Ruth Ann Praying...

No snow yet thankfully.  There is further north from us but not here yet!

Hi everyone.  I am writing fron the Hyundai dealer where I am having an oil change a tire rotation done.  It is suppose to get to 84 this afternoon with the chance of showers.  Today is my Thursday Men's Luncheon.  We are going to a buffet that has a salad bar I really like.  After lunch I will pick up a couple of sheets of styrofoam board that a friend has cut into circles that Pat wants for our sun porch table.  She uses the board to lay out her jigsaw puzzle and could cover it with the second sheet.  That will be it for today. I think Pat plans to visit a friend at lunch time.

Ruth Ann, nice your busy day turned into a restful and quiet day for you.

Judy, expect you will see snow soon enough.

Hi, friends,

It's a slow day again today. The cleaning lady is coming tomorrow instead of today. So, I have one or two things to do, but otherwise, will enjoy another quiet day.

So, y'all have a good day.

Ruth Ann

Hello from the island.

I enjoyed the devotional and also the Diamond Rio song....needed both as I am reeling from a $800.00 vet bill for Misty.  Trust in God, but not Vets!  Misty is going to be fine but is hiding under the bed.  Her trust level is rather low at the moment :'(

We have had a lovely fall and the weather is now due to turn cooler.  So far, so good!  Like most folks on the site, I deal with discomfort and also the struggle of being 82 yrs. old.  But, again, so far so good :)  No matter how old though, I will never be able to understand the brutality of the human race.  I feel as if we are now watching The Book of Revelation in Real Time.  Certainly, the world has received warning.

God Bless,

Liz

Hi everyone.  After a very busy day yesterday that had me dragging I am looking forward to a less active day today.  I have the Friday men's coffee and then at noon our ROMEO's group is meeting for lunch at an Asian restaurant.  Both of these events are very enjoyable.  While there were some heavy rains and some hail in and around the Atlanta area we escaped yesterday.   Today's forecast is basically the same as yesterday and it is to get up to 83 degrees this afternoon. 

Ruth Ann, isn't it nice to have our living areas all clean at one time after the housekeeper(s) have been there? 

Liz, very nice to see your posting.  That was some vet bill.  Glad to see that Misty will e fine.  It sounds like she is mad at you at the moment but that will pass with a little bit of time.  I am with you in not being able to understand the mentality that it is all right to just randomly kill people.  Our world is a mess and I have wondered the same thing that the things are not being put in place for the final days. 

Please pray for my 6 yr old great grand son James he lives in Aurora Colo. He is in the hospital with the Entero virus and asthma. He was taken to the children's hospital  Wednesday and was re-diagnosed this morning to have the virus.

Oh, he poor little fellow.  It seems they're ever so sick with this.  My prayers, Marilyn.

Hi everyone on this beautiful Georgia Saturday morning.  I went to McDonald"s this morning and plan to stay home the rest of the day unless Pat wants to go out to eat.  I will be watching football this afternoon as Georgia is playing Missouri and it should be a good game.  I am ready for a quiet and restful day. 

Yesterday Pat got a prayer request through our church regarding the dire situation two missionaries and other Christians are in in Syria.  Here is the email that explains the situation.   

Prayer Request from Dan and Marilyn Wilson
Missionaries who are in the areas that are being attacked by ISIS are asking to be showered in prayer. ISIS has taken over the town they are in today. He said ISIS is systematically going house to house to all the Christians and asking the children to denounce Jesus. He said so far not one child has. And so far all have consequently been killed. But not the parents. The UN has withdrawn and the missionaries are on their own. They are determined to stick it out for the sake of the families - even if it means their own deaths. They are very afraid, have no idea how to even begin ministering to these families who have had seen their children martyred. Yet he says he knows God has called them for some reason to be His voice and hands at this place at this time. Even so, they are begging for prayers for courage to live out their vocation in such dire circumstances. And like the children, accept martyrdom if they are called to do so. These brave parents instilled such a fervent faith in their children that they chose martyrdom. Please surround them in their loss with your prayers for hope and perseverance.
One missionary was able to talk to her brother briefly by phone. She didn't say it, but I believe she believes it will be their last conversation. Pray for her too. She said he just kept asking her to help him know what to do and do it. She told him to tell the families we ARE praying for them and they are not alone or forgotten -- no matter what. Please keep them all in your prayers.
This came this morning...
Just a few minutes ago I received the following text message on my phone from Sean Malone who leads Crisis Relief International (CRI). We then spoke briefly on the phone and I assured him that we would share this urgent prayer need with all of our contacts.
"We lost the city of Queragosh (Qaraqosh). It fell to ISIS and they are beheading children systematically. This is the city we have been smuggling food to. ISIS has pushed back Peshmerga (Kurdish forces) and is within 10 minutes of where our CRI team is working. Thousands more fled into the city of Erbil last night. The UN evacuated its staff in Erbil. Our team is unmoved and will stay. Prayer cover needed!" Please pray sincerely for the deliverance of the people of Northern Iraq from the terrible advancement of ISIS and its extreme Islamic goals for mass conversion or death for Christians across this region. May I plead with you not to ignore this email. Do not forward it before you have prayed through it. Then send it to as many people as possible. Send it to friends and Christians you may know. Send it to your prayer group. Send it to your pastor and phone him/her to pray on Sunday during the service - making a special time of prayer for this. We need to stand in the gap for our fellow Christians.
Thank you for all your prayers !!!!
Dr. Becky Peters
Professor of Education
Director of Lutheran Teaching Programs,
Colloquy, & Lutheran Placement
Concordia University Irvine


Marilyn, I certainly will be praying for your little great grandson.  Serious concerns that need our prayers like the above request. 

Praying for your Grandson Marilyn.

I am passing on that prayer request.

So many people here is Canada believe that we are intolerant to the Palestinians, Hamas, and ISIS...  They call prayer letters like this "Hate literature!"  Even those within our own family.

I just wish they would open their eyes and see the truth.  The enemy has the so blinded.

Hi, friends,

About the world situation, I recall a quote: "These are the times that try men's souls." How true, how true.

I'm thankful for my clean apartment, for my son in law and daughter who will be taking care of the mailbox at the house (someone ran over it and flattened it to the ground), and I'm thankful that my daughter in law with the bad burns is feeling a bit less pain.

I'm praying for another family member who is dealing with a difficult situation. That person certainly needs prayer for physical, moral, and spiritual healing.

It's been a cool, damp day with rain so fine, it's more like a cloud sitting on the ground. I pulled out the first sweatshirt today, and was grateful for the warmth it supplies.

Y'all have a good day with our Lord and Master.

Love to all,
Ruth Ann

Time to start a new week with a new devotional HERE (http://www.christianphotographers.com/community/index.php?topic=13164.0)