What Was Jesus Thinking?

                         The sun descends in glorious colors.
           The clouds reflect the sunlight adding beauty to the scene.
                            We become incredibly beautiful
                        when we reflect the majesty of God.
                            Jesus death and resurrection
                           opened the door to enable us
                to reflect that incredible beauty for all eternity.

What was Jesus thinking when He rode the donkey into Jerusalem to the shouts of “Hosanna to the son of David, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven.” (Matthew 21:9) knowing that a few days later the same people would shout “Crucify him” when given the choice of freeing innocent Jesus or a criminal? Was His heart heavy?

What was Jesus thinking when He taught His followers those last parables, those final lessons? (see Matthew 21:18 through Matthew 25)
Was He trying to make sure He had covered all the important points, so He could leave knowing He had prepared His followers for the enormous job ahead of them? Was He anxious? No. He knew how well they would spread His word and His Love?

What was Jesus thinking when He went to that Last Supper with His disciples? Did His heart ache knowing that both Peter and Judas would betray Him? Knowing that almost all His disciples who had pledged undying loyalty would run off leaving Him to suffer and die in unspeakable agony?

Did He also rejoice knowing that His words “This is my body and this is my blood” spoken over the bread and wine would be said by millions of followers for thousands of years as they, as we celebrate Jesus precious gift for us?

How did Jesus possibly manage going to Gethsemane? He knew His followers could not follow where He had to go. He said to His Father “Your will, not mine be done” knowing the agony that was to start shortly and last for many torturous hours. (Matthew 26:36-45)

What was Jesus thinking when His betrayer greeted Him with a kiss to identify Him for those who came to take Jesus to His horrible death? He knew ahead of time what was about to happen. Could I, could you have gone through it all? He was innocent, I am not. He knew He could call on God and His angels at any time to stop His death. He chose to continue knowing all those who would deny Him, refuse His love, sinning repeatedly. I could never have done what Jesus did. Imagine His love for us!

What was Jesus thinking when the soldiers pounded nails into His wrists and feet to nail Him to the cross after beating Him so badly that the skin was ripped off His back and His bones were showing, bleeding, His lifeblood oozing out onto the ground. The blood had dripped into His eyes from the crown of thorns forced on His head. He was beaten and bloody from head to toe. This was God in the person of His precious son who chose to accept this death, the punishment that we deserve for our sins. What did He say? Did He condemn? He said “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34

What was Jesus thinking as He died? Why did He do this? His actions say to each of us “I love you more than this life itself. I love you so much that I willingly accept the punishment that you deserve. I want you to spend eternity with me in paradise. Will you take my hand and follow Me? 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 
 Matthew 11:28-30

What was Jesus thinking when He did all this? He was thinking how much He loves you and me and wants us with Him for eternity in Paradise. 

Will you accept?

Blessing:
Be blessed my friend, knowing that we do not have to pay for our sins, that Jesus did that for us - if we only accept.

All photos taken by Debbie unless otherwise noted.

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

on April 7, 2018.

                                      Spring is bringing new life.
                                     Jesus' death and resurrection
                                  bring us new life, everlasting life.
                                  Will you accept His incredible gift?
                                Photo taken at West Stockholm, NY.

You are Jesus’ Precious Child

Jesus protects and cares for us just as this egret protects her babies.

Picture taken near Black Lake, NY

Do you feel precious?

                            You are so much more important to Jesus 
                                    than this fawn is to his mother.

Jesus knows you are.

He went to hell and back just for you.

He would do it all over again
   if that was what it would take to save you.

But He doesn’t have to.

He paid the price for your sins and for my sins once
   and for all time.

That covers everything everyone ever did wrong
   or ever will do wrong.

You and I are so important to God that He wants us
   to spend eternity with Him in Paradise.

Can you possibly fathom what that means?

I feel overwhelmed to think about it.

The One, the Great I Am, the Great Jehovah planned
   each and every one of us from the beginning of time.

         Despite the immeasurable power and might of our Father,
            not a bird falls without Him knowing and caring.
                 Think how much more He values you
           when even the hairs of your head are numbered.
             Picture taken from boat launch Ogdensburg, NY

And He loves us.

Each of us has value beyond measure. 

That means that God loves us without limit,
   without conditions, without strings attached.

However, to get to spend eternity with Him in Paradise,
   we have to accept His love, His free gift.  
We have to believe in Him and love Him back.  

We have to tell Him we are sorry for the things
   we do wrong. 

He forgives each and every time we ask Him to.

When the thief crucified beside him, asked Jesus
   to remember him when Jesus got to His kingdom,
   Jesus said, “You will be with me today in Paradise.”

The thief was Jesus precious child
   and so are you for all eternity.

And don’t you ever forget it!

See what great love the Father
            has lavished on us,
  that we should be called children of God!
           And that is what we are!
                    1John 3:1

                                      In the eyes of the world,
           we may mean no more than the fluff of a dandelion who is gone by.
             In God's eyes we are worth than the life of His beloved only son.

Praise You Lord
    for All Your Creation

Praise You Lord for the stars and moon that light our nights
   and bring our time of blessed sleep

Praise You for the sun that lights and warms our days
   so we can marvel in the glory of Your mighty hands

Nature Preserve on St. Lawrence River near Massena, NY

Praise You for the hills and mountains, for the rivers
   and streams
   that fill our lives with animals, fish, birds, trees, flowers
   and bountiful foods for us to enjoy, to nourish our bodies
   and our souls

                                      Lake Placid, NY  in winter

                            Brook near Nicholville, NY in Fall

                     River in West Stockholm, NY in Springtime

Praise You for the oceans filled with endless fish 
   and amazing creatures.
   The seas are vast and deep like Your amazing love.

                     St. Lawrence River in early Spring with ship and tug boat.

Praise You for the four seasons that bring us variety
   and allow nature to rest, revive, grow, mature
   and be fruitful.
   Your creation never ceases to amaze me
   with its variety and beauty

                         Canada geese in bare cornfield in Spring

                            Brook near West Potsdam, NY in Summer

                               Flat Rock Road, Potsdam, NY in Fall

               Back side of Norwood Pond after ice storm Feb. 2016

Praise You for the rain and snow that bring life-giving water 
   to our lives and our environment

Praise You for all of nature that shouts Your praise saying 
   “The  Almighty Creator and Lord of all,
   the Great I Am, made me. 
   Look at the beauty and infinite creativity
   of His loving hands.”

Praise You Loving Father for making me,
   “for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   Your works are wonderful, 
   I know that full well.”  Psalm 139:14

” God created mankind just a little lower
   than the angels,
   and crowned him with glory and honor.”
   Psalm 8:5.

   The details of Your creation are infinite.
   No photograph has sufficient pixels
      to capture all the details.
   No painter can begin to duplicate the Master.

Praise you Lord for the wondrous majesty that is You!

Praise You for Your incredible love that caused You to call all
   creation into existence   

Blessed be Your most holy name.  Amen

            Even on gray days, God makes all things beautiful - including us!

Book Reviews

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller

Every once in a while I inadvertently find a real treasure.  I had no idea how great this book was until I started reading it.  Phillip Keller raised sheep and describes in detail what a good shepherd goes through to take good care of his sheep.  He draws remarkable parallels between a shepherd caring for his flock and Jesus caring for us. This is one I plan to reread and hopefully do a study on.  It is really that good.

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Begin Where You Are is the new blog post by my Jean Oathout encouraging us to begin where we are to reach our place in eternity.
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Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Check out the production at Christian Fellowship Center
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Knapps Station Community Church
Stay tuned for more information about Operation Arctic Vacation Bible School in July at Knapps Station Community Church.  It promises to be very COOL!
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What it Takes to Give Others Grace is the Jane Aunt's newest blog post.  Do we only soak up God's grace or do we pass it on to others?  Can we become a bridge between God and others to share God's grace and love?
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Voice of the Martyrs 
Please pray for our brothers and sisters who do not have the freedom to worship as they choose.
Many suffer and die for their faith.
We are so blessed to worship as we choose.
Many died to give us this freedom
May we never lose this freedom.
And may we never take it for granted. 

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Blessing:

May you be blessed in the knowledge that 
   you are indeed Jesus' precious child
   that He loved enough to die for.
May you never forget just how special 
   that makes you - and all His other children too!
May you never take the magnificence of His creation
   or God's love for granted.
And may you daily receive great JOY 
   through your relationship
   with our Creator and Father.

                                   Lighthouse in Ogdensburg, NY

Know that His love and JOY will guide you over any troubled waters that life sends your way on your journey to an eternity with the Father in Paradise.

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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 April 22, 2017

May God bless you greatly until we meet again

      Paul Bunyan and Babe the Big Blue Ox live on Route 56 near Colton, NY

Imagine you’ve never owned a Bible. How would you feel when they called your name to give you one? Kumar experienced that joy.

What is God’s Plan for You?

                            Lake Clear, NY in February
                     All nature sleeps awaiting the coming of Spring.
       Is your life on hold awaiting God letting you know His plan for you?

Did you know that God has a plan just for you?

Did you know that He formulated that plan
   long before you were born?

Pretty amazing, isn’t it?

At least I was amazed when I was told that.

I had no idea that I was so important
   that He thought about me
   from the beginning of time,
   that He decided that the world
   isn’t complete without me
   and my little part of His “big picture.”

                                 Brook near Nicholville, NY
                         Each little brook is an important part
                              of the complete ecosystem.
                     Each of us is an important part of God's plan.
 

You know of course, that the same applies to you
   as well.

Each of us is irreplaceable in God’s plan.

Now, how do we find out what that plan is?

I’ve been taking a bible study at Knapps Station Church about “Listening for the Voice of God
and Discerning the Voice of God.”

Our lesson for this week discusses that God’s voice reveals His plan for each for us and to each of us.

How can that be, you ask?

He speaks to each of us in a way
   special to each of us.

It really helps if you know some about the Bible
   and then know a little about God’s character
   so you can judge if the message you receive
   is from God or from Satan.

I have heard messages from God that came
   through other people, through something I read
   or even from TV.

What I mean is that I prayed or asked a question
    and I heard or read something that addressed
   or answered exactly what I was asking.

So how does God let you know what His plan is
   just for you?

                            Church near Paul Smith's College, NY
                       Worshipping and fellowship at a good church
                             will help put you on the right path.

You have to give Him a chance.

Pray about it and wait patiently.

Look for the unexpected.

I’ve found that He often has already started equipping or even fully equipping people for the plan or job He has for that person.  

        Chimney? Silo? Or what?  At Lake Placid, NY
             What was the plan for this structure?
                What is God's plan for your life?

I write a blog post and got lots of experience 

   writing on my job for many years.
   Actually, my family has told me that I wrote
   from the time I was a child. 
   Now I write for Him.  

Is this the extent of what He has in mind for me? 
   I have no idea but I know He will let me know.

You may already be engaged in His plan for you
   and not realize it yet.

  Because you were made to do that job,
   you probably gravitate to it somehow. 

               This little stream on Outer Main St. Potsdam, NY 
               wanders hither and yon toward its destination.
                     Is your life doing the same thing? 
                     Do you realize that your destination is VITAL
                        and your part in getting there 
                    can be accomplished by no one but YOU!

Remember that you are very important to God and    He wants to spend eternity with you in paradise.

Remember that you have a job to do now
   to prepare you for paradise.

Wait patiently for God to let you know what it is
   and then trust that He will make sure
   you can do it well.

 

When He lets you know His plan for you,

   jump in with both feet and don’t look back.  

You are in for the time of your life.

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
   Ephesians 1:4

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."      Jeremiah 29:11

                      This ice castle at Lake Placid, NY 
              was constructed to celebrate the winter of 2017.
               You were made to celebrate our mighty Creator
                 and to spend eternity with Him in paradise.
                 Please remember how important you are.
                You play a vital part in God's mighty plan!

Commentary:

Spring is now officially upon us and it's often the time to plan for our gardens, our vacations and whatever for the upcoming summer.

       In the midst of all the snow and cold we keep getting,
                         even the lowly dandelion
               would be a welcome sight to me right now.

We are all in different seasons of our lives. Some of us are in the Spring, some in the summer and some of us are in the Fall or even Winter of our lives.

Wherever you are, my friend, what are your plans for the time after your Winter.  The end of this life may be in sight. None of us knows the day or the hour when the end may come.  Do you know where you will go next?  Are you looking forward to that?  The next step is forever without end.  Plan carefully. After you die, there are no second chances.  God gives those unlimited second chances now.  Use them wisely.

Choose carefully and be delighted with your planning for eternity.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
   Romans 6:23

                  God will make your soul bloom for eternity
                        - if you only accept His gift of love.

Book Reviews:

    A Voice in the Wind

An Echo in the Darkness



As Sure as the Dawn

This trilogy was written by Francine Rivers who weaves strong stories that give us page turners that are hard to put down.
These interlocking stories take place in the days of the early church and describe what life was like for those learning about Christ and struggling for their faith despite living in extremely evil times. There is a strong thread of love interwoven throughout.  I found them a very satisfying read.



The Case For Easter by Lee Strobel

Do you wonder why we celebrate Easter?  Is all that talk about Jesus rising from the dead for real?  Lee Strobel goes to the historical experts to explore if the Christian belief has validity.  I recommend this little book filled with facts to answer just those questions.

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Knapps Station Community Church

If you have children and live in the area, or even just like to work with kids, keep the evenings of the second week of July open.  Knapps Station Church will have their annual Vacation Bible School or VBS for short. 
This year the theme will be Operation Arctic and promises to be lots of fun for all those involved.  
Stay tuned in for more information and pictures of last year's event.

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Giving God the Time of Day is today's blog post by my friend Jean Oathout.  Do you take time to spend with Him?  Do you drink in His presence and feel the JOY and peace that only He can bring?

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What Children Can Teach Us  is a recent blog post by my friend Jane Ault.  We may think that children have little idea of what life is about but, given a chance, they will surprise, enlighten and delight us with their understandings.

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Voice of the Martyrs 

Please pray for our brothers and sisters who do not have the freedom to worship as they choose.
Many suffer and die for their faith.
We are so blessed to worship as we choose.
Many died to give us this freedom
May we never lose this freedom.
And may we never take it for granted. 

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Blessing:

May you be blessed by discovering
   our Loving Father's plan for your life.
May you find great fulfillment
   in living out that plan.
May our Creator bless you daily
   with His mighty love, His forgiving grace
   and His unending JOY.

                    And may your heart soar
     and fly into the arms of He who loves you.

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All photos taken by Debbie and Tim McEwen unless otherwise noted- 

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 April 8, 2017

May God bless you greatly until we meet again.

                       A "snow dog" from this winter.

                  God gives us rainbows and promises
                          all throughout our lives
                       regardless of what is going on.

                Just as the sun goes down in a blaze of glory,
                      may your life shine now and forever
                        with the brilliance of God's love.