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.

Are You Naked Before the Lord?

                          Do you see the beauty that is inside you?
                      God makes all things beautiful, including you!

Do you bare your soul and heart to Him?

Do you open all your innermost, secret parts to Him?

Do you acknowledge all your faults to Him?

You know the ones you don’t want anyone to know about?

Do you realize that He already knows you so well that there is no part of you that is hidden from Him?

Regardless of your hidden faults,
   and we all have them.

Regardless of the walls that we put up,
   God knows us better than we know ourselves.

And He loves us anyhow.

Remember, He made us.

We only have to acknowledge our faults,
   missteps and sins and tell Him we are sorry
   and He will forgive us

.

Do we know our little children so well
   that there is nothing they can do
   that we don’t know about?

It’s the same with God

.

Do we forgive anything our children do
   when they say they are sorry?  Of course!

God is our father and He will do the same for us.

There is no reason to try to hide anything from Him.  He knows it anyhow.

 

The best part is that
   He will help us through any problem
   we may have if we only go to Him.  

He’s just waiting for us to say:

   "Daddy, I have this problem, this concern."  

Talk with Him all about it.  

And He will help you through it.

It’s so freeing to know that He knows
   everything there is to know about you.

          God is the blue sky in the midst of the grayest clouds.
 He sees the beauty and solutions behind all our issues and problems. 

He is aware of every wart, every pimple,
   every thought, every desire that you have.  

He knows everything you ever did
   or even thought about doing.  

He knows every word that ever came out
   of your mouth, including the ones you didn’t say.

In His eyes, you are naked and He loves you.

So open up. Lay it all out for Him
   and feel the incredible love
   that only He can give.  

Give your all to Him and let Him work on you
   and your life.

Get ready for the ride of a lifetime.
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13

                                         God is waiting for you.
Nature is sleeping awaiting the touch of Spring to bring new life.
Is your soul sleeping awaiting you to reach out for God's touch of new life.

Commentary:

Right now it is early spring.  We get periods of very cold and periods of really warm weather.  The ground is bare. Nature is still sleeping.  Trees are bare.

                 
Everything is exposed.  I do hear birds sing at times and have seen robins in the yard.  This is a messy, dirty time of year.  We like to call it the "mud season." My kitchen floor shows it at times.

My life is like that, very messy.  However, my "mud season" never ends.  My life never stops being messy and dirty.

I have learned that God sees me as an open book and I've stopped trying to hide anything from Him. 
I've also learned how very much He loves me with all my faults and failings.  

If I just let Him, He will take my messy, life and make me as beautiful as the most glorious Spring day.

Just as the spring flowers grow out of the mud and dirt,
God makes our lives blossom with His love.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1John 4:10

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Book Reviews 

Heart Connections by Jane Ault

Do you ever wish you had a closer relationship with God?  Do ever wish for a true heart connection with your Father?  Jane has the gift of transparency in her writing.  She shares her struggles and victories in establishing just such a connection.

This book is available by contacting Jane directly through her email janeault1@gmail.com.  

The Paperbag Christmas by Kevin Alan Milne

I know this is NOT Christmas time BUT this is a really sweet book that I just had to write about.  The spirit of love and friendship never go out of season.  This is the story of 2 boys who discover the real meaning of Christmas and want the season to never end.  I borrowed it from Knapps Station Library and really enjoyed it.

The Secret of Happiness by Billy Graham

The great Dr. Billy Graham discusses the immense happiness that can be found by living the Beatitudes given by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.  Another book borrowed from the Knapps Station Library that I heartily recommend.

Ruth, Under the Wings of God by John Piper

This is the story of Ruth as told to young David by his grandfather Obed.  King David was Ruth's great grandson and he never got to meet her.  However, he never tired of hearing about her.  It was a delight to read.

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Knapps Station Community Church 

Knapps Station Community Church sends children to Camp Mandaville each year.

Mandaville Camp & Retreat Center, operating under BCM International, has been offering Christian summer camp and retreat experiences to the North Country since 1974. With a winterized lodge, creation center meeting area, seasonal cabins, and 2 outpost campsites, we offer year-round programming for all ages. It is our desire to evangelize and disciple people of all ages for Jesus Christ through Bible-based camp and retreat experiences that will result in a deeper personal commitment to Christ and active involvement in a local church.

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God's Will and Prevailing Prayer

This new blog post by my friend Jean Oathout deals with surrendering to the Holy Spirit and actively seeking the will of God.  It ties in very well with the bible study we are currently having at Knapps Station Church about listening for the voice of God.

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Learning to Love in Simple Ways 
is the Jane Ault's new blog post.  She gives simple and effective ways to improve your "love life" with the rest of the human race and with God.

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Voice of the Martyrs 

Raise a prayer force for Christian prisoners

Marat Niyazaliev

Yklas Kabduakasov

Yuri Pak

Zhao Weiliang

Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel

Asia Bibi

Alimujiang Yimiti

Ebrahim Firouzi

Imran Ghafur

Hassan Abduraheem

Haile Nayzgi

Kidane Weldou

Lacheng Ren

Petr Jasek

Yang Hua

****************************************** Blessing

May our Loving Father bless you with the knowledge that He loves you with all your faults and failings.
Know that He loves you enough to die a terrible death so you can spend eternity with Him - if you choose to accept His invitation.
May you be blessed with the wisdom to accept His invitation and spend eternity in bliss.

And may your life be as beautiful as this sunset!

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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 March 25, 2017

May God bless you greatly until we meet again.

The swamp on the Back Hannawa Road Potsdam, NY sleeps
waiting for the signal to burst forth with new life.

                          Pond on the Back Hannawa Road.

                                           

                                   Amish buggy