Greater Joy

In the light of what is transpiring today in the Middle East, I pray that God will make Himself real to the suffering, the victims, the hopeless, the helpless, and that the perpetrators of evil will seek repentance and forgiveness and I pray that new joy, greater joy will abound in what seems like an impossible situation. Only God, only God........................

This is a repost from past pages--a year when people were thinking about the joys of autumn--not the horrors of war!

 

Y ou have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. Psalm 4:7

As I was spending time in God's Word this morning, I came across this awesome scripture.

As I have read on many blogs and social media outlets, most everyone is excited about autumn--isn't that the time when the grain has been harvested and the new wine has been made?

It is as if I can hear new hope, excitement and gratitude in the printed word--

but just look, the psalmist states that his Lord gives him greater joy than that.

That is the the cry of my heart today--

"Lord, you give me greater joy than anything else in my life.

No one can love me like you do--

no one can fill my soul with such satisfaction,

joy,

peace,

love, --

You alone can soothe me when I ache,

can heal me when I suffer,

can comfort me when I mourn.

You bring me greater joy!!

If you are finding life hard today and your joy seems to be hidden back in the dead of winters past, give Him your time, your devotion, your voice in singing, read His Word, meditate on it, do not hurry--Let Him fill You with His greater joy.

 © 2008-2023 all photographs and text property of Dianne Hogue unless otherwise noted

In the Morning When I Rise

Meditating on this verse today. And as I am meditating, I am noticing a distinct rise in my faith level as I place my requests before the Lord this morning.

It is very important to me that I pray what the scripture teaches and that I always pray in line with God's will as He has outlined in His Word.

I pray that this verse will be an inspiration to you today--that you will come boldly before the throne of grace in your hour of need and trust Him to meet and supply all of your needs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2023

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2023.

Dialoging With God

Dialoging With God

My Prayer

Lord, I take this opportunity to praise you
Even though I feel very dry within myself--
A desert that is cracked and barren, where plants
that once thrived have now become parched and shriveled--
that is how my soul feels--
Do I know beyond a shadow of any doubt that someday
that same barren, cracked, parched land will
flow with rivers of milk and honey? Yes, I know that--
My faith knows that from years of experience,
but my heart cries out to be released from all its sin,
its ugliness, its resentments and hatreds, bitterness, and jealousy--
My heart cries out to praise from a pure heart once again,
To praise my God from a heart of pure devotion,
from total and complete commitment to Him,
My heart longs to be a heart of flesh and
not a heart of stone--
A heart that has been circumcised to all the vile
and filthy things of the world we live in--
A heart where no area examined will expose anything
except cleanliness, no impure thoughts,
only righteousness, justice, and mercy.

God's Response

The Lord Himself will come to those
who are experiencing the desert of grief.
He Himself will shower the parched land.
He will rain on every inch until it is soaked--
Until the runoff of the Holy Spirit's balm
fills every nook, crack, and crevice
of your heart and soul.
Then you shall minister to others
who are experiencing this same grief. You will teach
them to rejoice, to clap their hands, to give way to
the rhythm in their feet--You will teach them to
praise God at all times--to cherish His promises,
to seek out the "hidden manna" of
Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior.
And then I Myself will come to you and wrap
you in fine linens--linens of purest white--
linens of righteousness, justice, and peace.
And when I look at you, I will see Jesus,
for He has taken all sin, all shame, all degradation
upon himself.
He has exchanged garments with you and
now you are clothed as in LIGHT--when others
look upon you, they will see Jesus and His brilliance.
They will see His love waiting to save them
from the same sin and destruction from which

He saved you.

God's blessings and benedictions to you,
"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." Jude 24-25

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2023

More Than Watchmen

I prepare for the night ahead. 

The darkness here in the desert can be quite cold--

I cocoon myself in future warmth, 

layer after layer of protective covering 

anticipating the deepest, the most penetrating bone-cold winds 

sweeping across the vast spaces of my soul. 

The night will be long, 

 I've served this shift before

 and the moments, the minutes, the hours 

 pass as winter sap from the tree-- 

 I look ever so often to the eastern horizon 

 Waiting for the faintest sparkle of the tourmaline sky, 

I pace from one end of my post to the other, 

 Ever on the lookout for trouble, 

for any sign of the enemy. 

 At times my heart beats like the flap of the eagles wings 

 Once it's spotted prey-- 

 The night brings not so familiar sounds-- 

 Sounds I don't want to be familiar-- 

 The core of my being raps hard 

and I look to The eastern realm again. 

 And then the quiet, 

 The orchestral din of reverberated nothingness, 

The clashing cymbal of thought upon anxious thought-- 

 One more quick look-- 

 Can it be the fringe of amber sun spilling 

 Over the horizon onto saffron sands? 

 It has come--Hope rises once more. 

It has come--Hope rises once more. 

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.  My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning,  more than watchmen wait for the morning. Psalm 130:5-6

 This has always been one of my favorite scriptures. I think it so interesting how the last line is repeated. In literature repetition is used for a purpose--to make a statement, to get a point across--The writer is voicing his soul's quest in terms the people of his day can understand. 

If you were this sentry how soon do you think you would want the morning to come?

How hard would you look towards the eastern horizon?

That is how I want my soul to wait for the Lord.

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2023

Sealing the Meeting With A Kiss

When we consider what happened on the cross after 4000 years, it's no wonder that the veil was RIPPED from top to bottom, the earth shook, rocks split, and some tombs of holy men and women of God emptied forth their dead and these people went walking about.

For in the words of Dutch Sheets in Intercessory Prayer, this is where

 "Mercy met judgment

Righteousness met sin

Light met darkness

Humility met pride

Love met hate

Life met death

A Cursed One on a tree met the curse that originated from a tree

The sting of death met the antidote of resurrection."

 and these meetings were head-on meetings--no mealy little clash of one against the other.

Sheets refers to the scripture in Proverbs

It is better to meet a she bear robbed of her cubs  than a fool in his folly.

The Hebrew word paga is used here for the word "meet."  It is the same Hebrew word that is used many times for the word "intercession."

When we intercede for others or things, there is a meeting--a heavenly clash if you will such as a mother bear and the one who comes between her and her cubs.

Try to imagine just for a moment what that "meeting" would be like.

We've all read stories of hikers in Yosemite or Yellowstone who got in the way of just such a mother--I won't go into details but the outcomes usually are very grim--life changing for sure if not life taking.  The "meeting" produced an outcome.

As Sheets says, "When Jesus cried, 'It is finished,' don't think for one minute that he was talking about death when he spoke that word. The Greek word tetelestai, interpreted 'It is finished' was stamped on invoices in that day meaning 'Paid in Full!.'  Jesus was shouting 'The debt is paid in full.'"

Jesus has paid the price.  All that's needed to be done has been done for us to be more than conquerors.

Now it is up to us to pray the prayers that let these victories be loosed.

We are God's hands and feet.  He wants to use us.

Pay very close attention to this scripture--it seems as though I usually dwell on verse 17 the most but look at what it says in verse 18--

2 Corinthians 5:17,18  17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

God reconciled himself to us through Jesus

He has given US the ministry of reconciliation

When we intercede for people we pray for a "meeting" between God and this person--this meeting provides the opportunity for them to be reconciled.

Once again, Jesus did all the work--we pray to release His works.

You've heard of prayer meetings--think of the "she bear" again and that meeting--

Prayer meetings were aptly named.

Every time I pray and ask God to "meet" with me,

I will imagine his righteousness meeting my sin head on,

His mercy meeting what judgment I deserve,

His light meeting satan's darkness that tries to overtake me,

His humility meeting my pride,

His love meeting my hate,

His life meeting my certain death without him.

I speak of spiritual death here.

I will never be able to pray "meet with me" again

without expecting a collision of the highest sorts,

A collision that will release the victory 

that has already been won for us.

I know sometimes God's answers come right away

and sometimes they take years.

I don't care how long it takes,

I will pray and not give up for the certain victories

that I know have already been appropriated in heaven.

I will not give up on any situation in my family.

I will not give up on the salvation or victorious living of any one 

of the precious ones for whom I pray.

I will pray.

I will intercede.

And there will be a meeting.

Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Psalm 85:10

Thank you Lord for sealing the greatest meeting of all with a kiss.

Through Jesus Christ's sacrifice for our righteousness, we have peace with Him.

Now His righteousness and my peace can kiss--

And it is so sweet--

This sealing of our meeting with a kiss.

I am adding this little note at 12:43PM on September 21, 2023.

If you are the first one to private message me through Facebook/Messenger with comments about this post, you will also receive a sunflower painting--I'm not sure of the size just yet.  It is yet to be painted.  No one has messaged me yet as of September 23, 2023.  

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

On September 24, 2023 someone did contact me about the above offer of a sunflower painting.

The winner is from Hendersonville, N.C.

CONGRATULATIONS and I will be contacting you about the painting soon.

© all photographs, art and text property of Dianne Hogue unless otherwise noted

Where We've Been Is Truth

"W here we're heading is all about plans and hopes; where we've been is truth."

I took this short quote from a description of Hyatt Moore's (American artist) autobiography, memoir 1 of 3.  I am supposing he wrote the description.

Here is a link to his website.

I had never thought about it in exactly those terms BUT one cannot argue with truth.

All of where I have been is truth.  Some of it good truth.  Some of it bad truth.  I am so sorry for the bad but am determined not to have it define my life.

I am determined to have God's truth define me.  I am determined to live a life full of resolve to do things His way.

Oh yes, I make many mistakes and will continue to do so at times but I know with God's help and my resolve to obey Him each day, I can have my latter days of life reflect more good truth-- not for my sake but for the sake of the Father--to bring glory to Him.  That is my desire!

I will know truth, God's truth, when I seek Him with my whole heart.

And thank God, ALL of His truth is good!!!

Hoping your day is filled with awesome truth!

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2023

Preparing For Fall

Do you love Fall? I do. Summer is my least favorite season so I always look forward to Fall. I love the colors, football, the crispness in the air.

 I also love changing the colors in our home to reflect more of the autumnal hues. 

 This year I am trying out something new for me--mixing magentas, burgundys, rust and deep golds as well as some yellow. I am really liking it. 

Oh yes, and white pumpkins!  I am not too much of an orange lover so I will decorate downstairs in the entry way and outside with orange--.

I'm not through yet so as it progresses, I will keep you updated.

And by the way, my favorite season is Winter--yes, Winter.  I love football and basketball, Christmas, blustery, cloudy, cold days when I can curl up by the fire with a good book and not feel guilty. LOL

If it is a beautiful, sunny day, I always feel like I should be producing--making hay while the sun shines.

See how lazy I really am!

Guess I will go try to cross a few things off my "to do" list.

I hope your day is blessed!

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2023

Peace

"You cannot think through spiritual confusion to make things clear; to make things clear, you must obey. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will only think yourself into further wandering thoughts and more confusion." Oswald Chambers 

I had a situation recently that I kept muttering to the Lord about.  "Lord, I just don't understand."

Well, the reason I did not understand was because I was not willing to obey God in the dregs.  I was looking to "my rights." I still don't completely understand but I don't have to--At least I have peace.

How ashamed I am to admit this but how freeing it is when finally I am convinced of my sin and my need to surrender it all to God and let Him figure it out.

When I do this, I simplify my life and I love simplicity.        

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2023.

Stuffed With Wonder

"Am I getting nobler, better, more helpful, more humble, as I get older? Am I exhibiting the life that men take knowledge of as having been with Jesus, or am I getting more self-assertive, more deliberately determined to have my own way? It is a great thing to tell yourself the truth."

The above paragraph is a quote from the wisdom of Oswald Chambers.  Besides the Bible, his writings and wisdom have impacted my life and my thinking more than anyone else.

As I am entering my 80th year of living, I want to grow more like the good things in that quote.

I received a great little book for my birthday entitled Finding Muchness.  As far as I know it is a secular book but its message comes straight from the Bible I think.

A quote from that little books says:  "Live bravely, care deeply, share freely.  Get the most out of each shining moment.  Fill your life with love and stuff your days with wonder."

So. today I am praying that you stuff it with wonder--me too--the kind of wonder that glorifies God and helps us to see all the heavenly wonders He has prepared for us.

Have a wonderful day!

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2023

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.

A Bouquet of Relationships

Yesterday I received this bouquet of flowers for my birthday. As I studied its beauty, I couldn't help but think of how it reminded me of all the people I had heard from yesterday--representing almost my whole lifetime.

I

I heard from people as far back as when I was eleven years old.  And I received birthday greetings from people who had been a part of my life in my teens, twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, sixties, and seventies.

What blessings you have brought to me over this long lifetime.  I am so grateful for you and for the color you have added to my lifetime bouquet of memories.

A special thanks to my husband, Larry, and my son, Jeff, who threw a little party for me last night.  It was special.  Thank you.

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2023

Happy Birthday, Dianne

s

eventy-nine years ago today I was born. And I was born on a Sunday. How special is that! I always consider it a very special birthday when it falls on the exact day of the week I was born. 

 And every day is special but I love that I was born on a Sunday--the most special day of the week to me. 

Does that make me extra special.  No, of course not.  We are all extra special to God.  He made provision for all of us.  My personal belief (I believe supported by the Bible) is that God loves each of us equally and wants each of us to know the joy of making Him Lord of our life plus getting to spend eternity with Him.

Eternity--something our finite minds cannot comprehend when compared to our years here on earth.

I made myself a little video birthday card. I hope you enjoy it!

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2023 These photos were taken from Canva.

Be Still and Know

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14 

When looking at the photograph above I am reminded that no matter what the action or circumstances around this mountain of rock, it does not move--not even an iota.

Whether the seas are rough or calm, the rock stays the same.

That is my desire as a Christian.  I want my faith to be so rock solid that there is no movement of it when the storms of life come against it or when and if everything is "going my way."

What I must remember though is I can not "muster up" faith.  I need to realize and be grateful that it is a gift from God.  Ephesians 2:8

By obedience to God and His Word, I keep my relationship with Him in the place where my faith continues to grow and rely on Him to do "the work" in me.  Philippians 1:6

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2023

Photo courtesy of Francesco Ungaro at Pexels.com

Creativity--A Form of Worship

The writing course I am taking has everything to do with our creativity and encouraging us to create every day. 

It is my belief that since we are created in God's image, we all have the gift of creativity.

Some of us just don't have enough faith in our abilities.  

This morning as I was researching for this post, I came across this statement:  Creativity is a form of worship to God.

I love that and totally agree with it.  I possess the deepest joy when I create and I think it is because I am honoring that God-given gift He has given to me and everyone else.

Get to know people well enough (all people) and it will absolutely astound you to learn what all talents and creativity humanity is blessed with.

Today ask someone enough questions that you find out what makes them tick--you will usually find, I think, that it has everything to do with creativity whether digging a great looking ditch or diagramming a sentence.

  

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2023 Photo by Al Mamun taken from Pexels.com

The Cut

The knife must have been sharper than I thought. Was I handling it more recklessly than I realized?  It has taken more than the normal allotted time to heal and there is a big bump under the skin that limits movement of the knuckle where I cut it.

Why?  It was a very deep cut.  Maybe I should have let it bleed more to get rid of any bacteria that might have been on the knife.

Have you been wounded recently?  How are you feeling?  Have you been able to let God take the hurt and bear it for you?  Or did the hurt plant deep feelings of rejection, distrust, lack of faith?  The list could be long here but you have to identify what has happened in your life.

Anything that is not of faith is sin--we know that from scripture--Romans 14:23

How do we manage this?  What do we do when those same old feelings that we know are NOT from God keep popping up in our thoughts and tempting us to go through a door that we should not enter.

I am praying that you choose faith today. I'm praying that I choose faith today.   It may not be easy but it will be more than worth it.

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2023 photograph from pexels.com

Looking Back

When one is nearing the octogenerian marker, there is a temptation to look in the rearview mirror way too often. 

After all, the great percentage of my life will appear there, not out the front windshield.

However, I do not want the mindset of always being tempted to look at what has already happened.  Sure, there are many great memories but I want to look ahead at what God is still going to accomplish through me and my life. 

I must be at the ready.  Always primed to respond to the call, to do what I am equipped to do--not what I was prepared to do ten years ago but to work with what I have today.  Time changes things.  Am I ready to deal with the changes?

"Be ready when opportunity presents itself"--just NOW heard that on TV while I was writing this post.  How crazy!

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2023. Photograph courtesy of Pixels.com

Live Intentionally

"Teach us to number our days that we might apply them to wisdom.” I asked a friend what that means and she said, “live intentionally.”  I recently read this on a person's Facebook page.

I thought it was good and an excellent explanation for that verse from the Bible.

So what am I going to "intentionally" do today?

I am going to start my day with time spent alone with God.

I am going to try to fill my mind with good and noble things.

I am going to try to be positive.

I am going to try to do 'build up' and not 'tear down.'

My goal is to leave the world a better place.

My goal is to make everything around me more beautiful.

My intention is to LIVE INTENTIONALLY.

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2023

Your Thoughts, My Thoughts

When I decided to blog again for 31 straight days, I was trying to explain my madness. In the course of that Facebook post, I wrote without thinking this little quote--"It doesn't have to be earth shattering to be of value."

Today's focus--Your thoughts, my thoughts can be of value even though they may not sound earth shattering to the casual reader.

When critiquing my writings, I want to be honest, noble, pure, of good report, no negativism.  I want to write seriously at times but I also want to write with a light-heartedness at times.

I want to give you something of value.

I want to give myself something of value.

First post of 31 day blogging challenge to myself.  

© ALL ART, PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT PROPERTY OF ELIZABETH DIANNE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2008-2023