I Could Never Be as Good as You, Lord

                             gazebo downtown Potsdam, NY
    
In heaven there will be peace and rest from our labors.  God has a place waiting for each of us.
His grace gives us more that any of us could ever earn.

I get impatient, angry, frustrated 

   and so on with others

You never do

Your patience Your love, 

   Your tolerance are positively amazing

It reminds me that You are God who is perfect 

   and I am only an imperfect creature

I profess to be Your child

But I make so many mistakes
I sin so often

I try to apologize

But it must be monotonous to You

To see my sins and hear my apologies so many times

I never hear Your frustration,

I never feel Your anger,

I never sense that you are impatient with me

You are so amazing

I am so blessed to be Your child

I need so much help from you, so much patience,
so much tolerance and forgiveness

I am so imperfect, a real work in progress

How wonderful You are that You love me so much

   that you died on the cross
   to redeem me from my sins

I can’t wait to see You in person
   when I get to go to heaven

Praise You that You paved the way
   for me to get there

Thank You so much, Lord
   for Your immeasurable love and grace

Blessed be Your Most Holy Name.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8

        At boat launch on Canton-Ogdensburg Road  Canton, NY
    The water was like glass.  Notice the clouds and trees reflected on the water.

            

         Bend in the river on Canton-Potsdam Road  Canton, NY

                Same location.  Notice all the geese in the water.
Despite the sin, the chaos, the wrongs perpetrated every day by man against man, God loves us and reaches out to us.  He coaxes us.  He says "Come to Me, My love for you is limitless."

I Was Wrong, Lord

Please forgive me

I could say it wasn’t a “big” sin

But compared to You and Your perfection,
   it was HUGE

Please forgive me, Loving Father

I’m trying to follow You, to copy You, to model You

But I fall so short

I cannot do all this without You

   without Your love, Your mercy, Your grace      
   and Your forgiveness

With You I can accomplish mighty things

Without You, Lord, I am lost

Please help me, a sinner.

"Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the LORD your God to take this deadly plague away from me." Exodus 10:17

Notice the collapsing shed that is overrun by vines. That could be our lives unless we are on guard, watching out for Satan.  His voice sounds enticing. His ways easily lead us on the wide path to destruction.  Choose your path carefully, my friend.  Eternity is for keeps.

           Deserted house on rural road near Morley, NY

                Swamp on Back Hannawa Road  Potsdam, NY

                        Heritage Park downtown Canton, NY

The Golden Days

Nature has taken on a golden caste
   as if her photographer used a golden filter
   on all his photographs

                        Canton-Ogdensburg Road   Canton, NY

Trees are starting to be tinged gold
   with red highlights
   and are peppering the lawns with leafy fallout.

                  Heritage Park  downtown, Canton, NY

Green grass is rapidly fading to pale green
   with golden brown tints

                             Heritage Park

Fields are turning shades of brown and red
   with some vivid greens steadfastly soldiering on

                   Field in rural near Morley, NY

The fogs are rolling in both days and nights
   as air and ground temperatures
   no longer remain constant

                 My back lawn near Potsdam, NY

I often hear the honk of Canadian geese
   as they fly to their winter homes

We have had a bird convention some days
   with dozens of birds perched on trees
   and telephone wires. 
   Is the result cacophony or just plain squawking?
  
Are they discussing their plans for winter?
I wish I spoke “bird”. 
It would be fun to eavesdrop and learn.

The caterpillars inch along
  also seeking a resting place
  for their long winter’s nap.

I see many deer on the side of the road.
Fortunately for all of us,
   they have stayed away from my car.

The air is cooler. 
This weeks “warm” days
   would have been considered “cool” days
   just a month ago.

I enjoy the color changes
   but dread the inevitable coming of winter.

I tell myself to stop complaining and enjoy today.
 

There is no guarantee of how many “todays”
   remain in my life.

                      Brook near West Potsdam, NY

So for now I will enjoy the beautiful golden days
   and the soon to come brilliant orange and red days.

I will let the next day worry about itself.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.  Matthew 6:34

Knapps Station Community Church

This is my church.  I have been fed spiritually here as I never had before.

(Check out the website for directions and lots of other great information.)

Knapps Station Church is a great place to feed your soul with the "good stuff" from the Bible.

My church is always providing new bible studies. We have begun one on what it really means to be a Christian.
The class takes place every Sunday at 6:30 pm and runs 4 more weeks. It's not too late to start and find out what the word "disciple" really means.


Christian, It's Not What You Think

Knapps Station Community Church has many surprises in store for those who seek.

Some creative soul put this in one of the sidewalk blocks.  Can you find it?

         Tree on Potsdam-Madrid Road  Potsdam, NY

I would also like to suggest that you check out the blog page for my friend, Jean Oathout.  I have received much good information and many blessings from her blog:

Treasures in Christ

Resurrection Power  is a current post that is very inspiring.

Book Review

The Jesus I Never Knew

Phillip Yancey takes a serious look at the Jesus he found in the Gospels.  He explores Jesus as the passionate, dynamic, emotional and incredibly loving Son of God that we will find when we carefully read the Gospels and truly look at the One whose life inspired "the greatest story ever told!"  This book is one to be read slowly and savored in order to pick up the insights Philip Yancey learned from many decades of study.  I heartily recommend it. 

Audacious by Beth Moore

Do you have an "audacious" love of God?  Beth Moore, who is a dynamic teacher of Christian classes, takes on the challenge to lead women and everyone to learn to boldly love God who "audaciously" loves us and is longing for us to "audaciously" love Him in return.

Commentary
A friend gave me a Gospel Parallels.  In it, you read the same New Testament stories from Matthew, Mark and Luke - at the same time.  The Gospels are not all identical.  Each has a lightly different slant. Matthew wrote to the Jews, Mark wrote to the Christians in Rome and Luke wrote to the Gentiles (all those not Jewish).  I've read all these stories before but reading them together like this has helped me to gain greater insight into what Jesus meant when He spoke the words.  I am enjoying this.

Blessing

May you be blessed by knowing
   that the Great I Am
   who is Creator of Heaven and Earth 
   is YOUR Loving Father.
   His grace and forgiveness
   for whatever you've done or should have done
   is anxiously, audaciously waiting for you
   to come to Him, to acknowledge Him
   and to ask for
   and experience His complete forgiveness.
And may you be blessed by the absolute JOY
   that only His love can bring.

                    Bridge downtown Potsdam, NY

Blessings for you,my friend for a wonderful week. 

All photos taken by Debbie and Tim McEwen - 

  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 10-22-2016

                A cute birdhouse on a stump near Higley  Colton, NY

Your New Umbilical Cord

                                                      Canada Geese and babies 
                                 at Power Authority in Massena,NY
                    

When you were born, someone cut your umbilical cord to physically separate you from your mother.

 

Previously you were connected to your mother by this vital cord that supplied you with nutrients and oxygen so you could grow and develop.

When you are born again to Christ a new umbilical cord is created.

Now you are fed directly by the Word of God, through your new vital connection with God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

This cord permanently connects you with the most nourishing food that your soul can have. 

This nutrition feeds your heart and soul and helps you to develop into God’s precious child, a child worthy to be called the son or daughter of the King.

You become a child worthy to spend eternity in the presence of the Great I AM.

How does one manage such a feat, you ask?

  

It’s so much easier and involves so much less pain to be born again than to be born the first time.  

When you are born again, you reach out to the outstretched hand of God that is always there, 
always reaching out for you.
 

You then accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you tell Him you are sorry for all the things you have done wrong.

 

God is anxiously waiting for you to do just this and He will welcome you with open arms.

 
The heavens will rejoice and you will have the best
spiritual food that no money can ever buy but God will give to you just for the asking.

 

Will you join Him at His feast for eternity?  

Your heavenly Father is patiently waiting, 

just for you.

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! God has given us a new birth because of his great mercy. We have been born into a new life that has a confidence which is alive because Jesus Christ has come back to life.  1 Peter 1:3  (God's Word Translation)

            Tim and I rode from Potsdam, NY to Lake Placid, NY 
                         and took pictures along the way.

When I look at the beauty of God's creation, I marvel at His creativity and stand in awe at His ability.  

     Notice the incredible variety of color and species
                        of wild flowers.

                   

                   Boat launch on the St. Regis River at Santa Clara, NY

                Notice how God decorates  

                     with so much beauty.

                  All of creation proclaims 

             the wonder and majesty of God

                             
                    With a little imagination, 
       you could see legions of angels in the clouds 
               awaiting the bidding of the Lord.

Admittance

We are God's children

He made us as we are

He loves us regardless of our sins

His love has no limits

He knows our limitations

He knows our sins

He loves us anyway

All we have to do is believe in Jesus,

Ask for His forgiveness

And try our best to sin no more

And we are forgiven

We are the Prodigal sons and daughters

Who are always welcome

We only have to go home

And ask for admittance

     

So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.  

          Luke 11:9-10

                                       Near Saranac Lake, NY

Our heavenly Father is concerned about everything that involves each of us, even giving us a reprieve from the sweltering heat of a hot summer day. 

Evening Haven with a Bite

It found me, that single blood thirsty mosquito.  

I have sat outside tonight for a few minutes undisturbed and felt blessed.  

Today was sweltering hot and muggy.  

The temperature rose to just above 90 degrees which is warm for Northern New York, even in August.  

The evening breeze cooled the sweat on the back of my neck and lowered my temperature.

The gloom of early night has set in.  

When I walked outside on the deck, I could only see faint shapes.  

My hands found the chair I knew to be there and my bottom found the seat.  

As I sat, my eyes became accustomed to the low light and were able to discern the darkened outlines of the shapes in my backyard and in the fields behind my house.

Lady moon is only a quarter visible tonight like a single candle in the dimness peeking between the heavy laden crab apple tree branches.  She provides only ambient light.

As I sit and relax, my ears start to hear the night sounds.  

I think I hear grasshoppers singing for rain.  

I hear the clop, clop of horse hooves on pavement and an Amish buggy comes into view following the light beam that had preceded it.  

Occasional cars zoom and depart, their headlights piercing the darkness almost seeming to violate the sanctity of the quiet and the dark.

I am amazed that no mosquitoes found me sooner.  

I want no further bites so I leave this evening haven having been cooled and my soul refreshed.

                       An Amish buggy minus the horse.

             Route 11 between Potsdam and West Stockholm, NY

Knapps Station Community Church

This is my church.  I have been fed spiritually here as I never had before.

(Check out the website for directions and lots of other great information.)

It's a great place to feed your soul the "good stuff" from the Bible.

These are across the road from Knapps Station Church

I would also like to suggest that you check out the blog page for my friend, Jean Oathout.  I have received much good information and many blessings from her blog: Treasures in Christ

             Bales of hay "For Sale" and field of corn.

           Even the back roads are beautiful this time of year.  
                                     God is so good!


Book Review




The God I Never Knew

As important as your relationship is with God the Father and Jesus, it is equally as important to learn about and develop your relationship and friendship with the Holy Spirit.  He is the part of the Holy Trinity who is here on Earth and He is so anxious to make friends with you and to help you in every area of your life.  I am still reading this book. It is a slow read for me because there is so much important content.  I recommend this book.

                      Route 345  Potsdam, NY, near my home


The Blessing

May you be blessed in your friendship 
         with the Holy Spirit
May He guide and keep you safe
         in your Father's arms all the days of your life
And may He lead you to your heavenly home
         for all eternity

               At the boat launch on the Grasse River near Canton, NY

                 When life is at its worst, 
           look to your Heavenly Father   
         to break through the storm clouds.

Blessings for you,my friend for a wonderful week 

and a safe, happy holiday.

All photos taken by Debbie and Tim McEwen - 

  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 8-27-2016

 

                                This is me, Debbie.  
                       It's so nice to meet you!!

                        A mud turtle (facing away from us) resting 
                                   on a piece of driftwood 
                          at the boat launch on the Grasse River.
                        We think the trees reflected on the water 
                           made the water appear green.