The Majesty of God

Counterfeit

Tuesday, we had an ice storm.  

Thursday, which was yesterday, the sun was absolutely brilliant, shining through a bright blue sky decorated with wispy, white clouds.  

Ice-covered trees and shrubs were reflecting and refracting the brilliant sunlight.  Many tree branches bowed down to the ground touching the pristine white snow.  

The landscape was an incredible vision, almost magical.  Everywhere we looked was breathtakingly beautiful.   

Memories of a lifetime were created.

Today, Friday, the temperatures remain very cold so the ice is still in place but the sun isn’t shining.  

The landscape is pretty but cannot compare to yesterday’s luminosity.  Today is only a counterfeit of yesterday’s glory. 

Life is like that.  

Many people live and die only experiencing mediocrity, having never really seen the sun shine.  

When we come to know Jesus and allow Him into our lives, we become His children and we shine.  

Our lives take on a brilliance that makes living incredible.   

When we walk with Jesus, we walk in the SON-shine.  

Anything less is only a counterfeit.


The heavens declare the glory of God
      the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
                                       Psalms 19:1

Paradise

            The Book of Revelation Chapter 21 talks about paradise existing in the new Holy City of Jerusalem.  

God the Father, Jesus the Lamb and the Holy Spirit will dwell there with the angels and all those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.  

The city will be full of God's light and love.  

Absolute joy and ecstasy will fill those who are in God's holy presence.  

The River of Life will flow down the main street with the tree of life growing on either side of the river.  

There will be no sorrow, no mourning, no sickness but only life, health and joy.   

            In the middle of this wonderful city, I hope there will be a place where nature and wildness as we know it now, exists.  

My heart belongs in the wild that echos the majesty and creativity of God.  

My heart thrills to the sight of His mountains, His streams, His lakes, His fields, His flowers, His wildlife.  

The sun sparkling on blue waters that are trickling over rocks strikes a chord of joy in my soul.  

The clear, sweet notes of certain birds strike the same chord.  They bring tears of joy to my eyes and joy to my heart.  

It is moments like these that bring me close to my Maker.  

However, in my heart of hearts, I want to spend my time with Him doing only what He wishes and where ever He wishes it.  

To be in His presence will bring ecstasy incomparable to anything that I have ever experienced.  

My heart has learned that His presence is all I need to be happy, and I will be truly in paradise as long as I get to spend eternity with God.

Great are the works of the Lord,
     they are pondered by all who delight in them.
             Psalms 111:2

   

    From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
         the name of the Lord is to be praised.
             Psalm 113:3


    The Blessing

May each of your days 
       provide something to look forward to
May each of your days be filled with delight 
       in the Maker's wondrous creation
And may our Loving Father bless you 
       with His unending JOY



God's blessings to you, my friend, 
       for all your days.     Debbie


Next blog post 3-12-16

All photos taken by Debbie McEwen on 2-18-2016, 
All gorgeous scenery courtesy of our Loving Maker 
              who created this delightful world 
All bible quotations taken from the NIV. 

Only With God's Help

Deep Cleaning

The weather is feeling so much like spring
even though it is only February.
that I’m feeling like it’s time to start spring house cleaning

There’s so much dust and so much clutter
that has accumulated
I need to go through the whole house
Every drawer and cupboard needs to be cleaned out
and re-organized
Every surface needs to be cleaned

When and if I finally get it all done,
the house will be renewed and spiffy

Spiffy is neat, clean and decent, not perfect but decent

Today I am asking God to deep clean my heart and soul
My own efforts are making me sort of spiffy

But here are a lot of areas that I’m sure I never get to
I want my heart and soul to be absolutely clean
and right for Him

Spiffy isn’t good enough for God
I want to be the absolute best for Him

I would never be able to do that on my own
But with God’s help, all things are possible

I’m asking You, Lord
Please take me and make me Your own

Please clean out all the sin,
all the stuff that stands in the way of me being Your child

For You, spiffy isn’t good enough,
For You, I want to be the best

With Your help, Lord, I can do it

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Hebrews 4:16

Guide My Thoughts

Dear God

Please guide my thoughts today so my words and actions will be what You want them to be

I ask this before I get started
so my whole day would meet with your approval

Please help me to stop and think before I act
so I have no regrets

It's so easy to slip up and I've done it so many times.

I really want to be the best child of God that I can be

But I need your help so much with everything I say and do

I cannot do it alone

On my own, I make messes

With Your loving help, I'll get it right

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Philippians 4:18

In honor of Valentine's Day
I'd like to share something I wrote 
for my husband of 42 years.

My Mind's Eye Canvas - My Love

I paint a picture of my love in my mind's eye. 
I start with a clean white canvas.  

I begin a pencil drawing of his face and form.  
Then I take a delicate brush to paint his blue eyes,
I remember the love that has shown in them 
for so many years.
I rim those eyes with the glasses that he now needs.  

My eyes mist when I paint his reddish mouth 
that has spoken so many loving words, 
given so many kisses over the years. 
I choose to ignore our verbal disputes
because his love overshadows them.  

I paint his strong nose, his forehead
now wrinkled from years of work and worry.  

I use a very fine brush dipped in grays 
to paint his eyebrows, his beard and his hair, 
revealing his receding hairline.  

I use a medium brush to paint the blue-grey plaid shirt
that covers his muscular shoulders and arms. 
I remember those arms holding me, loving me,
supporting me through all the trials and joys
that our life has given us.  

I vividly remember those arms holding our son
right after he was born. 
I was too weak to hold our baby but Tim did. 
He supported me through all my labor that day
and all of our days together.  

I paint the expanded waistline from all my cooking;
the good meals and the "burnt offerings" 
(not so good meals.)  

I paint his strong hands that have fixed my car,
manufactured things that we needed for the house
and things he has done just to make me happy.  

I remember him lying on the cold ground in winter 
to fix my car and to change the oil 
when we had no money
for anyone else to do the job
and he had no other place to work.  

He now walks with crutches from arthritis.  

I remember his strength and gentleness.  

My eyes tear to realize how blessed I am
to have had so many years of love.  

I cannot finish this mind's eye canvas
because our life together is not done.  

Each day brings new details.  

It's so difficult to paint a picture of love.  

It's a series of moments, a series of days and memories
that I treasure in my heart.   

Happy Valentine's Day Tim
and I ask God to bless us with many more years together.

My Blessing for you, my friend

The Book of Deuteronomy tells us that God is our dwelling place. We have the promise of security when His arms are beneath us,
holding us, supporting us, strengthening us.
He never leaves us alone.

May He bless you all the days of your life
with the assurance of His mighty love.

In your darkest hours and happiest days,
may you always feel His loving arms around you
and know that He never leaves your side.



May your days be blessed until we meet again.  Debbie

     
       A "smiling tree" located on Rte. 11B
              between Hopkinton and Potsdam.
                         Photo taken by Tim McEwen and used with permission


All bible verses from the NIV
All photos taken by Debbie McEwen unless otherwise noted.