A Post In Remembrance

This post is for all the victims' families and friends. I want each of you to know that there are people who really care --people whose hearts are breaking for what you are going through--people who are praying for you.

We, seemingly, are living in a world gone mad.

Our hearts grieve for the fallen--

For those who were in their prime--

For those of the older generation--

and especially for those who never made it to full bloom--

A single life snatched from a family

changes the course of history forevermore--

Though our words are weak;

We pray that our supplications will be strong--

That the God of all peace will comfort you in His loving arms

and in due time bring you deep and abiding joy--

The joy that only He can bring.

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2016

A Spacious Place

Bbecause of His great love for us, He made a way for each of us to be brought into a spacious place. It is a gift from Him. We must choose to accept or reject this gift--the greatest offering in the history of mankind--

I pray today that you will choose to make Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior of your life.

Have a wonderful weekend--Holy Week is coming up--a few more days to prepare our hearts for the meeting of all meetings--where the greatest cataclysmic (cataclysmic for SIN) event of all time took place and created that spacious place for us--judgement met love and Love won!

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Here is your link for today's lenten reading--

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2016


I love hearing from you. Email address can be accessed at top left of this page. picture taken by my son--

Spiritual DNA

What does it mean to 'bear witness?'

The online Free Dictionary says this:

Verb

1.

bear witness - provide evidence for; "The blood test showed that he was the father" This really made me start thinking! If there were such a thing and I were to have it--a Spiritual DNA test, what would it show?  Would it prove that God is truly my Father?  That I have come to Him through belief in His only Son, Jesus Christ. From John 14:6:  Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. God made sure that John would know who Jesus Christ was--He spoke to John and told him that the Holy Spirt in the form of a dove would alight on the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. from John 1 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’  I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”           And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it      remained on him.  I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’   And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” Who does your heart tell you that Jesus is? That is what Jesus wants to know. Who do you say that He is? "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Messiah."  Mark 8:29 If you have one grain of faith that is enough and God gives us even that! Choose to use that one mustard see of faith today and tell Jesus, like Peter did, that He is the Messiah. I may not be able to prove my identity through a Spiritual DNA test but the whole world will see and know who I am on that day when He says-- Well done my good and faithful servant. God will say this to me because I believe and because He sees me through Jesus-- Not because of my own integrity-- I choose the sinless blood of Jesus to cover me-- His Spiritual DNA shows only the markers of God Himself! And because of that, my Spiritual DNA is perfect! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2016

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Worship Is Not A Place But A Person

My precious, unsophisticated (by society's standards) mom got on a plane one time in her lifetime and flew to Israel.

There, with likeminded friends, she got to experience the places where her master had walked during His earthly life.

Hearing her tell about it and watching her expressions made me want to visit there also.

I have never made it to Israel and doubt that I will get to since international traveling has become difficult for me--BUT,

this I know--

Worship is not about a place but a person--

This quote is taken from today's Lenten reading at Redeemer.com--

"When the temple curtain split at the death of Christ (Mark 15:38), the barrier between God and humanity came down for everyone. Jesus became the “house of prayer for all nations.” Today there is no need to travel to the temple in Jerusalem to worship. Nor is there any distinction between Jewish and Gentile worshippers. Worship is no longer attached to a place, but a person. Jesus is the temple. He is where we meet God."

Jesus is the temple.

He is where we meet God. 

This is not to say that we shouldn't go to Jerusalem to experience what my mom did--but only to say that we can experience all of that and more right where we are!

Sitting right here on the left hand side of my sofa in my living room, I meet with the Master of the Universe, I experience his presence and bask in His love.

I pray today that you, too, meet with God through our savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

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And a gentle reminder, Wednesdays are when we pray especially for the peace of Jerusalem!

Father,
We come before you today to ask your blessings on Jerusalem and all of Israel.
We pray that in the days ahead you will burden our hearts more and more for Israel and teach us how to pray.
In your Word we are told to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and we know that you are peace--the only true peace comes from you--
We pray that you would protect Israel from those who would want to destroy her, who would want this country wiped from the face of the map.
When her enemies stretch forth their bows, may their arrows fall short--Psalm 58:7b
And not only that, Lord, but we pray that her enemies would have miraculous encounters with you--we pray that You would make Yourself real to them in visions and dreams, in encounters that we cannot even imagine.
Thank you so much for the readers of this blog from that part of the world. Be gracious and compassionate towards them, Lord, and enrich their lives abundantly with the knowledge of You.
Thank you for the power of prayer.
All things we ask in the name of Jesus,
Amen

Here is your link to the daily Lenten devotional from Redeemer Presbyterian. It is another really good one!

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2016


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The Anointing

she walks hesitantly but with determination to the door and knocks

leper Simon opens the door

she does not turn and run from the disease

her disease was worse--spiritual leprosy

she enters the house, alabaster jar in hand--the best she had to give

she bows at His feet, tears streaming down

washes the feet of Jesus in rivulets of remorse

anoints his head with perfume poured from alabaster jar

simon refers to her as sinner, questions Jesus about her presence

disciples question wisdom of emptying alabaster jar of pure nard--could be sold, money given to the poor

Jesus explains that she is preparing Him for burial

Jesus is preparing her for burial

burial of a lifetime of sin and shame

He is preparing her for resurrection

resurrection of love that had died

love that will now love much

because it has been forgiven much

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she poured out herself in worship to Jesus

her community viewed it all

will we do any less?


a repost from past pages

thanks to Polly at www.bannerofblessings.blogspot.com for the beautiful photo

Link to Lenten Reading--Day 35--The reading today is wonderful and about the woman with the alabaster jar--It blessed me.


© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2016


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The Marvelous Light of Life

Good Morning to all of you precious people.  I hope that your weekend was wonderful and full of the Light of Life.

Isn't this an absolutely incredible scripture?

Choosing to follow after Him is our part and He supplies all the light we will ever need from that moment on to follow the right path.

This walk with him is a daily thing--really the choices are minute by minute.

I seemingly make better and wiser choices if I start my day with Bible reading and prayer--being alone with Him, spending time with the God of the Universe.

Wow!  How could I ever think I don't have time to do that?

The fact that He wants to be alone with me is staggering but I accept it and know it is true.

He has proven it to me over and over again.

He feels the same about YOU!

His presence is to be more desired than any kind of rare and beautiful treasure.

He is the rare and beautiful treasure.

It's not long until Easter Sunday.

The excitement is growing in my heart for the day we will celebrate His resurrection!

Here is a link to the Lenten reading from Redeemer for Day 34.  May it bless your soul.

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On Mondays, we pray for the generations.  What a privilege and pleasure it is to bring our friends and family before God to beseech His salvation and care for them.

I am including a prayer for you--

The Lord will keep you from all harm—

    he will watch over your life;

 the Lord will watch over your coming and going

    both now and forevermore.

from the Psalms

O Lord, the precious ones!  Would you watch over their lives?  Will you watch over their comings and goings both now and in the future.

Will you guard them as the apple of your eye?

Will you finish the work you have started in them?

Will You use them all for Your glory?

Will You purify and purge them with Your precious Holy Spirit so that they can be used of You to minister to a lost and dying world?

If there is any among them who does not know You, will You arrange a meeting for them today to accept You?

Will You set in motion all the events that need to happen for them to be drawn closer to You?

Will You heal broken hearts?

Will you mend crushed spirits?

Will You ordain angels to guard them in all their ways?

Will You be to them all that a Godly mother and father should be to a child?

Will you guard and love them with all the power You possess?

Lord, I love You and I know You love these precious ones more than my mind can even fathom.

I praise You for what you are doing and going to do in each of their lives.

Would You help me to guard my heart and my mind today so that I may reflect Your love to others.

I ask all of this in the precious and lovely Name of Your only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to whom belongs glory and honor forever and ever.

Amen.

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2016

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Killing Me Softly With His Song

Out of the blue this song ran through my mind yesterday morning.

I have always loved it but haven't heard it in a very long time.

It may seem odd to you, but when I thought of the words, I thought about the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery and the alabaster jar woman, thought to be Mary Magdalene.

Any of them could very well have written this song with a few minor changes.

Strumming my pain with his fingers 

Singing my life with his words 

Killing me softly with his song 

Killing me softly... with his song 

Telling my whole life with his words 

Killing me softly... with his song 

I felt all flushed with fever, embarrassed by the crowd 

I felt he found my letters, and read each one aloud. 

Strumming my pain with his fingers 

Singing my life with his words 

Killing me softly with his song 

Killing me softly... with his song 

Telling my whole life with his words 

Killing me softly... with his song 

As far as we know, there was no crowd at the well.

The woman had gone during mid-day to escape the rejection of her community.

But the woman caught in the act of adultery was a different story--Jesus broke up a crowd getting ready to stone her.

I think it might be possible that her embarrassment was worse than her fear of death.

However, there is a major difference between the singer of this modern-day secular song and any of us who would sing that song about Him, Jesus.

Yes, He is killing us softly--but thank goodness, His Song is a song of deliverance that kills the parts of us where pride, prejudice, hatred, bitterness, fear, envy and all other sins live.

Sometimes they are very slow deaths-- and sometimes they try to rise from the coffin of defeat--try to make another stand, try to grab another foothold.

It is then that we are reminded once again of His Song:

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. 

He will take great delight in you, 

he will quiet you with his love, 

he will rejoice over you with singing. 

And we know that only when we have died to self can we truly be free, liberated and live the abundant life He meant for all of to LIVE!

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 1 Corinthians 15:55

Let's LIVE this week like we have been redeemed. We were purchased at a very costly price while we were yet living (or should I say dying) in SIN.

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a repost from past pages

Here is a link to the Lenten reading for today--

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2016


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When Our Words Have Life

'The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life." from John 6:63 NIV

What will my words show today?  Will they bring life to whom I speak?  Or will they bring discouragement, depression, distance, or worse, death?

When I read the words of Jesus printed in red in the New Testament, I would be hard pressed to find any of them that did not pack a wallop of life.

He counsels us, warns us, exhorts us, loves us, and most of all offers LIFE to us through His words.

Oswald Chambers said:

Allow God to have complete liberty in your life when you speak. Before God’s message can liberate other people, His liberation must first be real in you. Gather your material carefully, and then allow God to “set your words on fire” for His glory.

I encourage you, if you have a red letter edition Bible (I just found all of Jesus' Words in red online) to take one chapter from the gospels and read His Words.

The hebrew word ruach means breath, wind, spirit.

I pray today that my words bring 

a breath of fresh air, 

a wind of compassion, 

and a spirit of humility.

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Here is the link to Redeemer Presbyterian's Lenten reading for today.
Forsythia blooming in my side yard--
Editing: Lightroom, Photoshop and Wacom tablet

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2016

Shout to the Lord!

Shout to the LORD all the Earth!

A walk through my yard indicated that the Earth is starting to show signs of shouting to the Lord Most High!

Of course, there are some timid souls who are still burying their little heads and hands but just give them some time.

A few more days, a few more weeks and they too will lose all their inhibitions and come forth as bold, beautiful creatures who are not ashamed to proclaim the goodness and beauty of our God.

What about me?  What about you?  Have you shouted of His goodness lately?  Have you startled those around you with your carefree and and uninhibited bursts of praise?

At my husband's advanced age, I don't want to cause him to have an episode, so I think when he leaves for errands I will take advantage of the opportunity!

Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday!

Here is a link to Redeemer Presbyterian's Lenten series--it is good!

And a gentle reminder, Wednesdays are when we pray especially for the peace of Jerusalem!

Father,
We come before you today to ask your blessings on Jerusalem and all of Israel.
We pray that in the days ahead you will burden our hearts more and more for Israel and teach us how to pray.
In your Word we are told to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and we know that you are peace--the only true peace comes from you--
We pray that you would protect Israel from those who would want to destroy her, who would want this country wiped from the face of the map.
When her enemies stretch forth their bows, may their arrows fall short--Psalm 58:7b
And not only that, Lord, but we pray that her enemies would have miraculous encounters with you--we pray that You would make Yourself real to them in visions and dreams, in encounters that we cannot even imagine.
Thank you so much for the readers of this blog from that part of the world. Be gracious and compassionate towards them, Lord, and enrich their lives abundantly with the knowledge of You.
Thank you for the power of prayer.
All things we ask in the name of Jesus,
Amen

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2016


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Gateway to Peace

T
oday's Lenten devotional was emotional for me.

Realizing anew that it was my sin that sent Jesus to the cross--

That if I had been the only sinner, He still would have given his life--

What seemed at the time like an ending was truly a beginning--

A seemingly closing door became an opening--

The place of the skull that represented death became a life way for whosoever will--

Who so EVER will accept this tragic but beautiful love story--

Who so EVER will accept grace and mercy in exchange for his/her Sin--

There is Peace for Who So Ever will when we accept these wonderful truths.

I found it interesting in reading about Golgotha, the place of the skull, to discover that it was near a gate to Jerusalem.  I had already titled this post before reading that but thought it was so fitting.

Not a closed door but a gateway!

Here is the link to today's Lenten devotional.

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Living In Life Eternal

From death to life!  That is a powerful statement.

He has (past tense) crossed over from death to life.

So if we have heard the Word of the gospel and believed in God Who sent Jesus Christ--then we are already living in eternity.  We are living in LIFE ETERNAL!

That is enough to perk up a gloomy Monday, isn't it?

Sure hope your week is starting out in a celebration of all things right, noble, true, pure--

And just a little reminder--Mondays are the days we focus on praying for the generations--here is a link for you with a prayer.

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© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2016

Frilly daffodils are from my backyard--


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