My Heart Jumps For Joy: December 2017

Friday, December 22, 2017

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!

Saturday, December 9, 2017

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.