Lord, I’m Floundering

Stream near Nicholville, NY

When life makes us walk up a rocky stream, our Father will take our hands and lead us to safety if we only reach out and take the hand that He ALWAYS has reaching out to us.



Have you ever felt overwhelmed, stressed and had no idea which way to turn?  I certainly have and that's the time to turn to our Heavenly Father.

Lord, I’m floundering between the boulders of life.

My knees are bruised and skinned 

   from my bad decisions

I stumble over the rocks of my confusion.

I have come up against a solid wall 

   and have no idea which way to go.

                   Whiteface Mountain, NY

Then I call out to my Abba, my Daddy

And You come

.

I need You, Father, I am lost and so alone.

My heart is broken.

You were always there, just waiting for me to ask.

You take my hand
You soothe my pains
You guide me along the right path

I am safe.

I will always have problems, stressors will still come
   but I know I will always have You to help me

I will never be alone again

You are with me

Thy rod and thy staff, 

   they will guide me home for eternity.

Dear Heavenly Father, 

   please take my hand and never let go.

I absolutely cannot manage 

   without You and your love.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress 

           and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  Psalm 18:2

When our supports break and leave us, 

we can always count on God.

God is like a giant tree who will support us 

and shield us.

Calling Me Home

I started off crawling
Then I toddled
Next I ran everywhere
Eventually I walked
Thinking I knew where I was going
I didn't see that Your's were the hands    
   that supported me so gently
Who made straight the paths
Who parted the waters
Who cleared the debris that stood in my way
Who is calling me home.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.  
1 Peter 5:10-11

                        Jesus is our bridge 
                over the troubled waters of life. 

                                                Near Depeyster, NY
You can see how fascinated I am by our Father's beautiful clouds and the glorious variety of our world.
Notice the osprey nest on the top of the electric light pole on the right.

           Close up (by Tim) of the same nest.  
  Notice the little head to the left of the mother bird.

Knapps Station Community Church

(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.

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

Black eyed Susan.

Book Reviews
Max Lucado's "Turn"  This little book encourages us to "turn" back to God.  In this time when America so badly needs God's guidance and grace, Max encourages us to turn to the only One who can help us.

 
The Prayer of Jabez for Women by Darlene Wilkinson

This little gem gives us insight about how the Prayer of Jabez can greatly enhance women's lives to live more fully for God.

Swallowtail butterfly on milkweed plant.

Notice the interesting bug to the right 

and below the butterfly.

Life may make me flounder at times 

but God leads me beside His still waters 

and restores my soul with His peace and love.  

The beauty of His creation feeds my being 

and makes my heart sing with JOY.

Blessing

May you be blessed with an awe and wonder 
     for beauty God has placed all around you.
May your eyes be always open to the beauty and love      that our Father never ceases to provide.
And may your heart sing with the glories 
     of the Maker.

           A young robin not yet able to fly.

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 8-13-2016

                                   White tail deer fawn

                                     White tail deer doe

How Much Do I Trust You, God?

Bridge over river between Potsdam and Hopkinton, NY

When we stand on a bridge and watch the river below us, we trust that the bridge is safe.
When we walk through life, we can trust that God will be with us no matter what life hands us.

How much do I really trust God?

I’d like to think that I trust Him completely.

Why then is there a little part of me that tries to take control and make things happen on my own?

Why do I think I know more or could possibly accomplish more than the Great I Am who created the heavens and the earth out of nothing but His love?

Why do I trust with some things but not with everything?

God is my father, my Abba, my Daddy.

On one level I know that He can really do it all.

Why then is there that little place that sometimes doubts, just a little?

I wish it wasn’t so.

I’m learning to trust more all the time,

but I am really a work in progress Lord, 
and I need lots of help in so many areas.

Thank you Lord that You are so patient and loving, so gracious and forgiving.

Otherwise I surely would be lost.

I want to be able to say and totally believe with every ounce of my being that I trust You completely.

I believe, Lord.  Please help my unbelief.

“The God who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of the Philistine.”  1 Samuel 17:37

David said this before he defeated Goliath.

At the time, David was just a boy, probably a young teenager. 

The Philistine army had invaded the land of the Israelites and David’s brothers went off to fight a battle.  David’s father, Jesse sent David with food to the site of the battle to check out the welfare of his brothers. 

When David got to the battle, he found that the Israelites were paralyzed by fear.  

The Philistines had a huge giant of a man who challenged any one of the Israelites to come and fight him.  
Everyone was afraid.  David was not. 

He trusted that God would protect him just as God had protected him all the times he fought off predators who attacked the sheep that he defended. 

David challenged Goliath, “in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (verse 45).   

Goliath was unbeaten and very sure of himself.

Goliath had a huge spear, shield, javelin and lots of armor.  

David had God on his side.  David had refused armor. Instead he just chose 5 smooth stones for his slingshot.    

David and Goliath ran toward each other.  Goliath raised his spear to kill the puny boy who dared to challenge him.  David chose one stone, put it in his slingshot and let it fly.

In that one motion, the boy, David killed the mighty Goliath and won the battle for the Israelites and for God.

Can we trust God completely?  

David trusted God and he beat a giant.  

Do we have any problem bigger than Goliath?  

God can overcome that too.

I paraphrased what you will find in 
     1 Samuel chapter 17.

God finds unique ways to tell us that He loves us.
This is a heart shaped repair patch in the pavement in the road in from of my driveway.  
Imagine what you will find if you keep your eyes and heart open to Him!

                              Delphenium

God is the master of details.
Notice the beautiful blending of blues and purples.

                         
                           Stella Doro Lily

                            Bleeding Heart

                                                Queen Anne's Lace

                    Anybody know what this is?

                         Lily pad on a pond

The next time you see a beautiful flower, really notice all the details, the scent and the delicate touch.
This is one of the many JOYS, God put on His earth for our enjoyment.
Just imagine the JOYS of heaven!

  

           At a little river near Santa Clara, NY

I know clouds are only bodies of water vapor BUT
when I look at the sky with all the beautiful cloud formations, my soul tells me that God painted them
with His mighty paintbrush just for us to enjoy.
Think of His love for you the next time you see a cloud. 

When you admire the beauty that God puts in His flowers and His clouds, imagine the love He puts in you:
You are made in His image and likeness 
            (Genesis 1:27)
He chose you because He loves you.
             (Deuteronomy 7:8)
You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
             (Psalms 139:14)
You are God's precious child and He loves you dearly.
             (Isiah 43:4)

                 Blue Heron photographed at Black Lake, NY

And the Rains Came

It has been so dry.

 
The ground was hard and the grass was turning brown.

 
It has not grown and did not need mowing this week. 

The flowers are still in bloom only because we water them.

The air has been damp and muggy but doesn’t help the growing stuff.

Pollen and dust have spread on the breezes.

The sky turned dark.  Rain was predicted.

And then the rains came, pouring in torrents.

In short order, puddles are forming on the hardened ground, 
soon to be absorbed.

The grass is already starting to become greener. 

Thunder rumbles.

Trees and bushes blow, trying to travel along with the sheets of rain.

Because they are firmly grounded and rooted deeply, they bend with the Southern gusts, but do not accompany the breezes.

Everyone and everything hunkers down to wait out this storm.

Welcome rain.  

Welcome this greening up of the earth.  

Welcome clean air so I can breathe easier.

Thank you Loving Maker for this reprieve.

                   Brook near Nicholville, NY

Knapps Station Community Church

(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.

We just finished our week of Vacation Bible School. We were blessed with 59 children and almost as many volunteers. Praise God for His great blessings!

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

The Most Important Measure of Prayer  

is a recent post that I found helpful.

A Remembrance "You Can't Get Away"

When I was very small, I played "you can't get away" with my grandfather who raised me. He would carry me to my crib at bedtime and when he put me in, I would hang on as tightly as I could, for as long as I could, but eventually he would slip away so I would get to sleep.

Today I want to play "you can't get away" with God for real. I want to hang on tightly and never let go. I know He will never let me slip through His fingers. I want to rest in His arms for all of eternity.



Montrose Christian Writers Conference

I will attend this conference starting Monday 7-18 to Friday 7-22-2016 for the second year. It is located in Montrose, PA,
Last year, I got set up to start writing this blog.
My friend Jean Oathout has also been a great help in getting my blog going and keeping it on track. Thank you, Jean.
This year I have no idea what God has planned for me but I know it will be great. With Him and His love, it always is.

Book Reviews

Silver Linings, Keeping Faith During Tough Times was a gift.  This book is an inspiring collection of short articles, "snipits" and quotations to help us persevere when times are difficult or even seem impossible.

Memorable Scenes From Old Testament Homes

This book by Charles R. Swindoll gives us insight into the lives of some of the people of the Old Testament. It provides some understanding of why these people did what they did and their great faith in God.

The Blessing

May you be blessed each and every day of your life

   with wonder and awe at the the might and                majesty of your Loving Father.

May you never cease to be filled with the JOY

    of knowing that you are His precious child.

    His love for you is limitless!

Jesus died to prove this incredible love.

REJOICE and be glad that you are His!

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 7-30-2016

I hope to see you then. 

An egret nesting on a light pole in a field on the road to Saranac Lake, NY.

You are a Precious Jewel

Did you know that?
  
In God’s eyes you are a precious jewel. 

Are you a ruby or an emerald or a sapphire or even a diamond?  

Whatever you are, you are precious in God’s eyes and in His heart.  He chose you precisely because you are precious to Him and He wants you very, very much.
 

In the beginning every gem is dug out of the ground.  Dirt and impurities of all sorts must be cleaned away.  

The stone must be cut and polished and then put into a beautiful setting to display its beauty.  When the jeweler is done, he has a work of art.

We are like the gem stones.  

We must be cleaned of dirt and impurities.  

Some dirt and impurities, that is sin, can be very difficult to get rid of.  

However, because God values us so greatly, He is persistent.  He works very hard to clean us, to cut and polish us and to put us in a beautiful setting.

Our beautiful setting will be heaven.

The gemstone does not have a choice of whether or not to become a beautiful jewel.  

We do have a choice.  

God loves us so much that He lets us choose.  

Our choice is to become His beautiful jewel in heaven for eternity or to spend eternity burning in the fiery pit.

You are a precious jewel.  

Will you choose to shine for eternity?

                        Japanese Iris


Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.  Isiah 43:4

  When we take the time to look below the surface of the water, we see the beauty waiting for us to discover it.  There is beauty in everyone and everything waiting to be discovered and God sees it all.

Beauty

True beauty is a quality 
    that overwhelms our very soul

It is a sight that makes our being rejoice

The first time we see it, it takes our breath away 

We know it is beauty 
   because we can feel it in our soul 

Once we have experienced beauty,
   we know that we will continue to seek it

Our hearts were awakened 
   to an essential part of us that was missing

   and is now complete

Opening our heart and soul to God is like that

At times He takes our breath away 

   with His power and might

Knowing at the same time 

   that He loves each one of us so much
   that He suffered and died for us 

   so we can spend eternity with Him.

It is truly overwhelming

God is an essential part of our being 

Knowing Him makes our souls rejoice 

   and makes us realize
   that we absolutely cannot live without Him

He is as essential as air, food and sleep

He makes our lives shine with His love

He completes our being.

You turned my wailing into dancing;

you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.

Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

   Psalm 30:11-12

        There is beauty all around us if we just look.

      Each day, each choice in our life takes us 
     one step closer to heaven or the other place.  
                 Choose well, my friend. 

Prayer for the Lost

Pray for the lost, the forgotten, the imprisoned, 

all the ones who think no one cares.  

Please Lord, let them know You remember, 

You care so very much.

Please touch them 

so they know they are never alone,
that their Loving Father is with them always.

You will help them get through.

Please help us all.

Sometimes, we are all lost and need You 
to guide us home.

Praise You, Lord for Your infinite Love.

Where ever we go, there is a place to find God, a place of refuge where He will embrace us. A place where we will find His peace and love.

As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.
   Ezekiel 34:12

As we travel through life, we will find a lighthouse in the unlikeliest of places, put there to guide us home to the one who is searching frantically for His lost sheep.

Knapps Station Community Church

(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.

Vacation Bible School
   at Knapps Station Community Church

Cow Abunga Farms

   

July 11-15, 2016 6:00-8:00 PM

What:    A week of fun and faith

as we learn that God has a plan, 

       God is always with us, 

       God is in control, God convicts of sins, 

       and God is good at the farms

.
Who:     Children ages 2 to 12 years

.
When:   Monday, July 11-Friday, July 15, 2016

           

             From 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM

Where:  Knapps Station Community Church

           3035 CR 47, Norwood, NY 13668
           315-353-5093

For more information click here.  

       For early registration you can fill out the form               below.  Someone will contact you for more 
          information if needed. 

                  Thank you.

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

The Most Important Measure of Prayer  

is a recent post that I found helpful.

Book Reviews

The Shack by Wm. Paul Young

I read this book in 2 days.  It's Christian fiction that's a real page turner.  However it does touch on some deep topics that caused me to rethink my relationship with God and want to work harder to close the gap between us.  God loves us so much that He goes to incredible lengths just to have relationships with us.  We just need to cooperate.  I was given my copy but it's available on Amazon and probably most bookstores and libraries.

Great Attitudes by Charles Swindoll

Great food for thought.  Short bites to digest a little at a time and enjoy.  I borrowed my copy from the library at Knapps Station Church.

The Blessing

May you listen carefully each day for that still, small voice that is always present, always waiting patiently to guide you home.  

May you always hear and follow His loving guidance.

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 7-16-2016

I hope to see you then. 

                                                    A Barred Owl

     Both these winged creatures visited our home in the past.
       Anybody know what kind of moth this is?