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Showing posts with label Good Shepherd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Good Shepherd. Show all posts

Saturday, October 21, 2017

Am I an Owner or a Steward?

                            View from bridge in park in Canton, NY
                       Our Father created all that is.  He is the owner.
                        How magnificent is the work of His hands!

                              It's our job to be the "good stewards" 
                             and provide good care for everything
                                     under our stewardship.
                         
I grew up thinking that what I had was mine, that I could do as I pleased with my stuff – within reason.

I own my house – with the bank.
I own my car.
I own my body.
I worked for and earned my money.

They’re mine, right??
Can't I just do as I please as long as I pay my bills and live within the laws of our nation?

Deep inside my soul, a little voice says “No.”

These things are mine to use and enjoy but I do have obligations.
I need to take good care of all of them.
My property is mine to use and pass on.
I have an obligation to take proper care of my body.
It’s not ok to abuse anything - even myself.

God is good – all the time and He has been very good to me.

I have the right to enjoy my property and stuff.
I also have the obligation to use all these things for His honor and glory.
Even the talents and abilities that He gave me are mine to use – for His honor and glory.

It reminds me of the parable that Jesus told of the Bags of Gold in Matthew 25:14-30 (see below). Those stewards were each given treasure to invest wisely and bring dividends to the master at the end of the time. Those who invested wisely were rewarded. The one who did not invest wisely was punished.

It puts a different perspective on “my property” when I realize that I am only the steward and not the owner.

It makes me think that I am to share that I have, that the goal is not to accumulate more wealth in the way the world looks at wealth but at the way the Father looks at wealth.

Do I need that new whatever or do should I help…………….??

It’s important to meet our own needs but it’s also important to share with those whose needs are not being met.

Do I look for opportunities to be kind – even when the individual doesn’t “deserve” my kindness?
Do I “deserve” all that Jesus did for me?

If I use my talents and money and whatever He gave me to share the treasure of His love and grace and to spread His Word, then I will have invested wisely, and my Master will be pleased.

I may never be “rich” as the world views wealth but if I use my resources as Jesus taught, I am confident that I will be very wealthy in eternity.

Deep in my soul, I know I am only “a steward”, that my Father is truly “the owner” of all that exists, of all His creation.

I pray that my Father will teach me to be a good steward, so I can enjoy my rewards with Him for eternity.

How about you?

                            View from the other side of the bridge.
             I never cease to be amazed by the beauty that God has created.

                Our Maker makes all things beautiful - even a single leaf.

The Parable of the Bags of Gold
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
“ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 
Matthew 25:14-30

Knapps Station Community Church is just finishing a study on 

I heartily recommend this book.  It spoke to me about Psalm 23 in ways I had never considered before and greatly enhanced my appreciation for my own "Good Shepherd."

Knapps Station Church will also have their
Annual Bazaar
Nov. 4, 2017
9 am to 3 pm
There will be a food sale
and a donation white elephant sale.




            This beautiful, lone petunia is growing out of the pavement
                           on Main Street in Waddington, NY. 
                          It is thriving despite its environment.

             It embodies the idea of blooming where you are planted
                           and does so with grace and beauty.
                     It inspires me to face adversity as a challenge,
           to be the good steward and make the very best of any situation.
                  The one thing I truly own is my attitude 
                     Lord help me to make mine like Yours.

Blessing
May you be blessed by a life of Godly stewardship
 and an attitude that gives you a heart after God.
May our Loving Father bless you with His Love,     Grace, Peace, Wisdom and everlasting JOY.

All photos taken by Debbie and Tim McEwen unless otherwise noted-          
     used with permission.
All bible reference from the NIV
     unless otherwise noted.


If you are interested,
    you can click on the Blog Archive
    dates on the top right side of this post
    to connect to previous blog posts.
I would love to hear from you either 
    on the comment section of this blog post
    or through my email.
    debbieamcewen@gmail.com
I post every other Saturday.
The next post will be November 4, 2017.







             Canada Geese that I saw at the park in downtown Canton, NY.

            And lastly, don't let the sun set on you without seeking the Son
                         who will give you light and life everlasting. 

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Always and Forever

        "...He leads me beside the still waters, He restores my soul..."                  Psalm 23:2-3  King James Version
       
In the midst of all the turmoil that is taking place all around us,
           we are safe and secure in the care of the Good Shepherd
                who loves us more than He loved His earthly life.
             We will still have difficulties, troubles, pain and hardship
              but He will bring us through and bring us safely home.
O Blessed Lord
You are steadfast and true, always and forever
You are love incarnate, always and forever
You are my patient teacher, my Savior, always and forever
I pledge my life, my soul, my heart, all my resources to You
I am nothing without You
I am straw in the wind without You
I would wander hither and yon without You
I know, I've been there
You give me purpose and peace
Your touch completes my being
You are the lover of my soul who makes me whole
With You, I am as I was meant to be
Without You, I am lost
Thank you, Blessed Lord for finding me and bringing me home
Where I will dwell with You always and forever.
I wrote this to read at my baptism in 2014.  I was baptized as a child but chose to rededicate myself to God and have never looked back. It has been an incredible blessing.
On August 27, 2017, the following people from Knapps Station Community Church chose to be baptized and to rededicate themselves to God at Arbuckle Pond near Higley, New York.
                                       Jacob Frego (black t shirt) with Rev. David Tulloch


   Maddie O'Brien with Elder Charlie Frego, Rev. Dave and Elder Harvey Smith


              Isabelle Matice with Charlie, Rev. Dave and Harvey.


             William Sherman (no shirt) with Charlie and Harvey.


                 Lisa LaBrake with Charlie, Rev. Dave and Harvey


                                             Kris Rozelle


                   Kari Dufresne with Charlie (her father) and Harvey.


                            Al DeLorenzo (white t shirt) with Jacob Frego

We each struggle each day to live as Jesus taught us.
May we always remember that He stands with us 
to help us through all our difficulties and problems. 

When we dedicate ourselves to Him, 
it greatly pleases Him and it surely affects us.  

When that last day comes and the trumpet sounds, our every effort will count.  
I believe that our attitude, our best efforts 
will count more than our worldly accomplishments.

Did we love our Father with all our hearts, 
all our minds, all our strength?  
Did we love our neighbor as ourselves?  
Did we repent of our many sins? 
If the answer is yes, at least we tried our best,
if as many times as we fell down,
we got up and kept trying again and again   
then Our Father will welcome us 
to paradise for eternity.

You and your soul are priceless to God.
He desperately wants to spend eternity with You.

There are only 2 choices 
    to burn forever in agony without God
    to spend forever in paradise with Him

Choose carefully where you put your priorities.
It matters, 
you matter 
always and forever.


All photos taken by Debbie and Tim McEwen unless otherwise noted-          
     used with permission.
All bible reference from the NIV
     unless otherwise noted.

If you are interested,
    you can click on the Blog Archive
    dates on the top right side of this post
    to connect to previous blog posts.
I would love to hear from you either 
    on the comment section of this blog post
    or through my email.
    debbieamcewen@gmail.com
I post every other Saturday.
The next post will be October 7, 2017.

                              When we make a covenant with God,
                    He promises to keep us in His Loving Hands forever.                                 
                                  We may stray.  We may default.
                                          God NEVER will! 
                              God is faithful from forever to forever. 
                            ...His love endures forever. Psalm 100:5