What Are You Searching For?

          As I zoomed in for closer shots of the "supermoon" in November. 

                  as I searched for clarity, I found what I was seeking.

                          Jesus told us "seek and you shall find, 

                     knock and the door shall be opened to you."

What is your heart’s desire?
It is money, fame, power?
How about good health?
A good marriage?
A happy life?
One without worries?
Satisfaction and success in your job?
What else would you really like?

How can you possibly achieve all this in your lifetime?

And what about eternity?
What do you want there?

So many questions.
Where do you find the answers?
Where do you even start looking for answers?

I strongly suggest the “Good Book”
It has answers for everything under the sun.
It only guarantees results if you follow the Son.

I am studying the Good Book myself and have learned that Jesus is my heart’s desire.

The problems still come, things break down, I have relationship problems with family and friends from time to time. I still make lots of mistakes.

However I now have new priorities and I make more choices based on God’s Word.

The satisfaction and inner peace, the Hope and the JOY that I have, show me that I am now heading for what my heart and soul truly crave.

The Wise Men followed a star searching for the King of the Jews.

If you are still searching for peace and happiness.
If you want an eternity of bliss.

Follow your heart and seek the Christ Child.
It is the season to seek and find the only One who can satisfy your deepest desires.

Reach out and take the out-stretched hand that has been waiting to give you the inner most desires of your heart and soul.

In Him, your search is over.

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."  Luke 19:10


You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Romans 5:6

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  Matthew 7:7-8

                          Near Saranac Lake, NY
                   I gaze to the mountains and wonder what lies there.
                   We think about tomorrow and wonder what it holds.
                     When we trust in Jesus, we can rest assured, 
                                   regardless of what happens 
                    never will he leave us, never will He forsake us.

Blessing:
 May the Christ Child bless you greatly with His       Peace, Love, Peace, Grace, Healing and
       never ending Joy.
And may your New Year be filled with His Hope.

            Route 458 between Nicholville and Saranac Lake, NY
                       Even on a frigid winter day, there is beauty. 
                  Our Father has decorated the world for our pleasure.
                                Do you enjoy His handiwork?

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 next year on January 6, 2018.  
                 

          O Come let us adore Him, 
               Christ, the Lord!

What Will You Choose?

                                 Sisson Road near Potsdam, NY

                          Which way will you choose for your path?

                                      Each one looks desirable.

                        Which one will get you where you need to be?

                          Only the Divine Navigator knows for sure.

                              He always directs us on the right path.

Life is a series of opportunities.
A right or a left turn.
A good or a not so good response to a situation.

For me it’s been a lot of mistakes and often the opportunity to resolve those mistakes.
A time to reflect that if God forgave me all the wrongs that I’ve done then I must forgive whatever and whoever has wronged me.

Nothing done to me could ever compare with the wrongs that I have done to God with my sins.

However, God made me and He knows I’m not perfect.
He sees deep into the innermost parts of my heart, soul and mind.
He sees my intentions, my efforts and the results.

In my heart of hearts, I believe that He regards my efforts and intentions as most important.

I can never do anything perfectly but I can keep trying.
I can try to do better today than I did yesterday.
I can pick myself up and brush myself off when I fall down or I can lay there and cry “poor me.”

I can try to do the right thing even when it’s killing me to do it.
And it never does kill me.

I can tell God I’m really sorry for all the bad I’ve ever done and continue to do – or not. My choice.

Either way, I’ll live till I die.

Then I’ll face eternity and the consequences of all my choices.

If I choose Jesus and ask forgiveness, all my sins are forgiven, never to be thought of again.

If I don’t choose Jesus, the consequences are too terrible to consider.

Knowing that, colors my thought processes these days and brings to mind the question, “What would Jesus do?”

I may forget this message from time to time but a little voice always comes to mind gently reminding me and encouraging me to choose His way.
He may give me consequences to my choices but never forces His way. It’s always my choice.

I’m really trying despite my many failures.

I certainly need all the prayers and help I can get to make the good choices, so please pray for me.

How about you?
What will you choose?

Please know that I’m praying for you too. 

None of us can make it on our own.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21

               The weatherman said we had a "supermoon" last week 
                       meaning that the moon seemed very large 
                    because it was closer to the earth than usual.
                    At first it was partially hidden behind clouds .
     Then I zoomed in and got a better view when the clouds passed. 
     Life can seem one way when seen through the eyes of the world.
                       It is amazing what it becomes 
                when seen through the lens of God's word.

Commentary:

Right now the world seems a mess.  Our politics are filled with turmoil and scandal.  
The massive wildfires in California are burning out of control.  
Shootings and terrorist attacks are almost commonplace.  
The news is very depressing.  
Is there anything to give us any semblance of hope for our future?

A little baby boy was born two centuries ago into a world that had great similarities to our present one.
He grew up in an extremely oppressed society with almost no rights.

He sacrificed everything He had to teach us and model for us how to live and to know that HOPE is absolutely not dead and buried but alive and vibrant today and for every day to come.

As we progress in the Christmas season, look for reasons for HOPE.  
See the good that is around you and complement those people to encourage them.

Spread little seeds of kindness each and every day.  Make someone else's day a little brighter.  

Know that each act of kindness and love that you do will make the Christmas star shine a little brighter and help crowd out the darkness that is filling our world.

Rest assured that your acts of kindness and love will point others to Jesus who is the one true HOPE for this broken world.

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 icicle appeared on a power line in my backyard. 
                         I have no idea how it formed and hung on 
                              in such impossible circumstances  
                 Even nature gives us reason to HOPE for a brighter future.

May God bless you greatly, my friend!

  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 December 23, 2017.  

                   I will close with a beautiful sunset. 
                    May you always have HOPE for bright tomorrows!     

Would You Be Washed Whiter Than White?

          The snow covers the brown earth and making it appear clean.  
              The blood of Jesus actually washes away all our sins 
              and makes our souls whiter that the whitest snow.
                             Jesus takes our twisted lives
              and turns them into something absolutely beautiful.

Original sin muddied the water that we are all bathed in. No matter how hard we try, we make mistakes, we sin. The blood of the Lamb washes away that mud, those mistakes, that sin.

How can blood wash anything clean?

When I first heard about blood washing us clean, I turned my nose up. Yuk. Who wants to be bloody? Not me.

When I read about the Old Testament priests killing sacrificial animals and sprinkling the blood. My nose again turned up. Yuk.

Somewhere along the line, it dawned on my brain that the sacrifice of those animals took away the sins of the Israelites.

It the Old Testament, people repeatedly had to pay for all the sins they continued to commit.

Jesus, the Lamb paid for my sins once and for all.

I used to think that St. Peter would meet me at the pearly gates when I died and that he would weigh my good deeds against my bad.

                         Cemetery located near Saranac Lake, NY.           
            When eternity comes for you, how will you measure up?
                  I could never be good enough on my own.
              Only the blood of Jesus can pay my way to heaven.
                                      How about you?

I came to realize that I could never be good enough to make up for all the sins I commit and continue to commit day after day. I could never possibly pay my debt.

However, the Perfect Lamb, who never committed even one sin, sacrificed His precious life for everything I ever did or ever will do.

He died for me - and for you.

He offers a free pass to bliss for eternity.

He loves us so much that He holds out His wonderful hand and asks “Would you be washed whiter than white? Will you join me in paradise for eternity with all your sins forever forgiven, buried, never to be heard from ever again? I paid the debt that you owe. Come join me, My love for you is limitless.”

Will you take His hand?

       View of Lake Colby from Adirondack Medical Center window
                where my husband was recently in-patient.
         Just as the setting sun and the cloud formations reflected on the lake                                     create a magnificent image,
                       so too does God's love reflected in us 
             create something beautiful beyond our imagination.

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 

 1 Peter 1:18-19


Update:
Many thanks for all your prayers.  My husband's total knee replacement surgery was a success.  He is still in lots of pain and had to be re-admitted to "iron out" a couple of issues but he is well on his way to recovery and much better mobility than before surgery.  His readmission to the hospital is the reason that this blog is late.  My apologies.  I do appreciate your understanding and faithfulness in following my blog.

                   Another view of that sunset from Tim's hospital room.

May God bless you greatly, my friends for all you do for His honor and glory.

In light of all the horrific events that are taking place in the world, I challenge you to sow at least 7 acts of kindness each day.  (Why 7?  7 is the perfect number!)  If we each counter hate with our love, the world has to be affected in a positive manner.
And pray like your eternal life depends on it because it truly does and so does the eternal life of everyone you know!

                  We were blessed with a wonderful view of Lake Colby.

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 December 9, 2017.

                         And yet another beautiful sunset on Lake Colby.
                              In the midst of any adversity,
   God always gives us reason to give thanks and praise His most holy name.

Do You Ever Feel Discouraged?

                           Have you ever noticed that the sunsets 

                           broken by clouds are the most beautiful?

                                  When times are at their worst,

             Jesus takes our pain, our problems and turns them around.

              He truly makes us beautiful, if we just allow Him to do so.

                 

Stressed?
Down in the dumps?
Overwhelmed?
Broken?
Like you messed up your life?

Fall down on your knees and look up.
Jesus is calling to you,
He says “Take My Hand, I’ll help you.
I’ll take your broken life and make you
   and your life beautiful.
I love you more than you can imagine.
I have loved you from before the beginning of time.
I know you are hurting.
I feel your pain.
My heart hurts so much when you are hurting.”

Jesus says 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. Matthew 11:29

Open your Bible and visit the church of your choice.
Get to know the One who paid for your sins
   with His life.
Put your life in His hands.
Tell Him you are sorry for all you ever did wrong.
He dying to forgive you
   and He will every single time you ask Him.

Life will continue to give you problems, difficulties, stress and turmoil but when you follow our Gentle Lord and Master, you will have peace in your soul, in your core.

When you turn to Him,
   Jesus will be with you every step of the way.
He will take your hand and walk with you
   through the rough patches of your life.

He will even carry you when you can’t walk anymore.

You will feel peace that defies the world’s logic.
You will learn the true meaning of the word JOY.
And you will never be discouraged again.
Because, with Jesus at your side, you are never alone.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Dear Friends:

I just finished writing this last night and then read about the shooting at the Walmart in Colorado.  My heart was broken.  I hurt so much for all the victims and the perpetrators who are hurting so much that they feel they must strike out.  We have had way too many tragedies this year.  One tragedy is too many but there have been so many more. 
What can we do?

We can be extra kind to everyone we have any contact with, especially the ones who may not behave like they "deserve it."  They just may need it the most and our act of kindness just might prevent them from doing something that they shouldn't.

Love with abandon.  Sew the seeds of your love and kindness.  And pray, pray, pray. You will make a mighty difference whether or not you ever see the results.

I would be grateful if you would pray for my husband, Tim who is having knee replacement surgery on Tuesday Nov. 7, 2017.  Thank you!

May you be mightily blessed, my friend.

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

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 18, 2017.

           Jesus is the light that will bring hope and peace for tomorrow. 

                       Turn to Him and be blessed, my friend.

P.S.  Have you noticed how much I love sunsets?             God has given me so many beautiful ones.                       Through these beautiful sunsets, 

    He gives me great hope for my tomorrows 

                  - and yours too!

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 

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller.

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. 

Where are You, God?

                                                          The sun is setting. 
                           Light is leaving the world for the night.
                                      Have You left us, Lord?
                                            NEVER!
                               Jesus said, "Never will I leave you,
                                  never will I forsake you!"

Hurricanes have ravaged.
Droughts, forest fires, earthquakes,
tsunamis have struck.
Shootings, shootings, shootings!!

People are being oppressed.
Others are starving to death.

Man is hurting man.
Where does it end?

Where are You in all this?

You say You love us.
You say You are with us?
Where do You fit into all this chaos and pain?

I hurt for all these people.
My heart breaks.
When I open my heart to You, I feel that Your heart is breaking for all of them.
I can’t imagine how badly it must hurt You.

But where are You?

Why don’t You fix everything so there isn’t so much pain?

You let me know that You have given us free will, the power and right to choose how we behave.

People making terrible choices have caused so much of the pain we see.

The earth was perfect when You created it and then, Adam and Eve chose their own way, refusing to follow You.

Life became hard for all of us.

I suspect that their choices and resulting banishment from the Garden of Eden affected not only them and the rest of mankind but nature and the weather as well.

Who knew that eating one little piece of fruit could cause so much trouble!

Satan knew.
He knows today that every choice we make has repercussions.

It’s like throwing a pebble in a pond.
The ripples go on forever.

One sin causes so many things to happen.

One prayer does too.
It’s power goes on forever.

One act of kindness - to feed the starving, the give aid to the victims of the disasters, of the shootings.

One act of kindness and a lot of praying might even prevent some of the shootings, some of the oppression, some of the pain.

We are God’s hands, feet and tongue.
He acts through us.

That is where You are Lord
You are with us, guiding us to live as You taught us.
If we follow You and Your Way, we can make incredible differences in our world.
If we pray, if we do what You put in our path.
If we listen for Your still small voice directing us.

If !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
Matthew 25:31-40

      This bee is gathering pollen to make honey to feed the hive for the winter.  

      This is  her job.  It is what God made her to do and she does it well.

                                      Are you doing your job?

      Do you love God first and foremost and love your neighbor as yourself?               

               Nature reflects the beauty and wonder of the Creator.

                       Since we are made in His image and likeness,

             we also reflect Him when we follow His teachings and His love.

                  (a little brook on a side road near Saranac Lake, NY)

                 

Blessing:

May you be blessed my friend
by listening and watching carefully
to find the jobs that Our Father has in mind for you that no one else can fulfill quite the way you can.

May you have much JOY and peace 

in completing those jobs!

Be Blessed!!

                    Don't let the sun set without finding the true JOY 

              that comes from doing a little of the Lord's work each day.

                             If we each do our little bit each day,

                            truly amazing results will be achieved!

NOTICE!! NOTICE!! NOTICE!!

You can find and follow me now on Instagram by going to Instagram and entering:

#myheartjumpsforjoy.

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 21, 2017.

            I recently got a new camera. Now I can take moon shots.
    I took these over a few nights when the moon was at different phases. 
           With a more powerful lens I was able to see more details
                              of the moon's surface.