Always and Forever

        "...He leads me beside the still waters, He restores my soul..."                  Psalm 23:2-3  King James Version
        In the midst of all the turmoil that is taking place all around us,
           we are safe and secure in the care of the Good Shepherd
                who loves us more than He loved His earthly life.
             We will still have difficulties, troubles, pain and hardship
              but He will bring us through and bring us safely home.

O Blessed Lord
You are steadfast and true, always and forever
You are love incarnate, always and forever
You are my patient teacher, my Savior, always and forever
I pledge my life, my soul, my heart, all my resources to You
I am nothing without You
I am straw in the wind without You
I would wander hither and yon without You
I know, I've been there
You give me purpose and peace
Your touch completes my being
You are the lover of my soul who makes me whole
With You, I am as I was meant to be
Without You, I am lost
Thank you, Blessed Lord for finding me and bringing me home
Where I will dwell with You always and forever.

I wrote this to read at my baptism in 2014.  I was baptized as a child but chose to rededicate myself to God and have never looked back. It has been an incredible blessing.

On August 27, 2017, the following people from Knapps Station Community Church chose to be baptized and to rededicate themselves to God at Arbuckle Pond near Higley, New York.

                                       Jacob Frego (black t shirt) with Rev. David Tulloch

   Maddie O'Brien with Elder Charlie Frego, Rev. Dave and Elder Harvey Smith

              Isabelle Matice with Charlie, Rev. Dave and Harvey.

             William Sherman (no shirt) with Charlie and Harvey.

                 Lisa LaBrake with Charlie, Rev. Dave and Harvey

                                             Kris Rozelle

                   Kari Dufresne with Charlie (her father) and Harvey.

                            Al DeLorenzo (white t shirt) with Jacob Frego

We each struggle each day to live as Jesus taught us.
May we always remember that He stands with us 
to help us through all our difficulties and problems. 

When we dedicate ourselves to Him, 
it greatly pleases Him and it surely affects us.  

When that last day comes and the trumpet sounds, our every effort will count.  
I believe that our attitude, our best efforts 
will count more than our worldly accomplishments.

Did we love our Father with all our hearts, 
all our minds, all our strength?  
Did we love our neighbor as ourselves?  
Did we repent of our many sins? 
If the answer is yes, at least we tried our best,
if as many times as we fell down,
we got up and kept trying again and again   
then Our Father will welcome us 
to paradise for eternity.

You and your soul are priceless to God.
He desperately wants to spend eternity with You.

There are only 2 choices 
    to burn forever in agony without God
    to spend forever in paradise with Him

Choose carefully where you put your priorities.
It matters, 
you matter 
always and forever.

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 7, 2017.

                              When we make a covenant with God,

                    He promises to keep us in His Loving Hands forever.                                 
                                  We may stray.  We may default.
                                          God NEVER will! 

                              God is faithful from forever to forever. 

                            ...His love endures forever. Psalm 100:5

                                

Does Your Heart Ever Ache, Lord?

                                        Sunrise at Black Lake, NY.
                    (Photo taken by Sandi Farina, used with permission.)
                      No matter how much pain we cause Our Father, 
                                        He loves us dearly.
                               The sun comes up every morning 
                      along with His JOY that is fresh each morning.

Do You ever weep when Your children ignore You?

Are You ever down-heartened 
     when some even deny You exist?

Do You ever regret that You created all of us
    when we let You down so completely at times?

    -especially when we are so mean to each other?

Fortunately, You are Faithfulness
     from forever to forever.

No matter what we do or don’t do 
     You forgive us when we tell You we are sorry.

You love us that much.

You desperately want to spend eternity with us 
     so You put aside all Your feelings to nudge 
     and coax us back to You.

All regrets and heartaches are gone.

All sins are forgotten forever.

There is only JOY when we turn back to You.

Please help me Lord, to do my part to bring You JOY.

Please help me, Your prodigal daughter,  
     to stop causing pain
     to Your wonderful, loving heart.

Please help me to live Your way from now on.

I really want to spend eternity with You.

It’s a tall order, but with God, all things are possible.

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

                   (Photo by David Sanford - used with permission)

                                  What will heaven look like?

     Rainbow at Black Lake, NY.  Photo by Sandi Farina.  Used with permission.

                                                   Boat launch at Santa Clara, NY

     I took this photo in PA on a side road on the way home from Montrose, PA.  

                                   A golf course in Montrose, PA

               I'd like to think that when we see the beauty of nature, 
                      that we catch glimpses of what we will see 
                            when we get to our eternal home 
                                  - if we choose Jesus.

Blessing:
May you be blessed each day 
    knowing that you have a Loving Father 
    who is always on your side, 
    who does all things for your betterment.
May you always realize 
    that you can simply trust Him 
    and He will always come through for you.

Hope to see you all in heaven someday!!!
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 Wednesday and Saturday.
The next post will be August 9, 2017.

                             We are all traveling on the road of life 
                              headed toward our final destination.  
                                      Our choices along the way 
                       determine where we end up for all of eternity.  
                  Where do you want to spend your forever and forever?
                                           Choose wisely.
                         I'd love to spend eternity with you in paradise.
                   (photo taken on the way home from Saranac Lake, NY)

With God All Things are Possible

          I could not create this kind of beauty on my own.  God created it.  
                                         I photographed it 
            and my husband edited the photograph taking out power lines 
                                  and enhancing the colors.
             It is amazing what we can do when we work with our Father.

I have taken on a new challenge 
to produce a blog 2 times per week. 
I feel stressed. 

How will I manage all that? 
How will I get all the pictures? 
How will I accomplish all I need to do? 

I looked at a serene picture 
and the Holy Spirit put the words in my mind 
and on my heart 
“What will the Lord give me?” 

This blog has never been about what I can accomplish. 
It has only been what the Lord gives and does. 

These are His words and if He wants me to do it,
“He will provide.”
And He always does. 

Remember that when life gets stressful. 
We can do little or nothing on our own 

but “With God all things are possible.”

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  Matthew 19:26

         This the same sunset a little earlier and at a different location.  
        God gives us so much regardless of our location or point of view.  
                 We only have to check out what He provides.  
                We are enriched when we share God's bounty.  
             He makes it possible to have enough for ourselves 
                    and to share with those who are needy.

        The cloud formations and colors changes as the sunset progresses.  
            I love to take lots of pictures and see what I can get.  
               I have "chased sunsets" to accomplish that end.  
       God provides so much when we open our eyes and hearts to His love.


Blessing: 
My friend, may you allow our Heavenly Father
    to enter and inhabit your heart and soul
May you find your rest, 
    and the incredible JOY that only He can provide.

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 Wednesday and Saturday
The next post will be August 2, 2017

                              When you give Him a chance, 
                      He will lead you beside the still waters 
                               amid the storms of life 
                       and He WILL give peace to your soul.
       (photo taken at a campground near Eel Weir, near Black Lake, NY)

I Can Hardly Wait For Tomorrow

This beautiful sunset promises a beautiful day tomorrow.  When we walk with our Father, He promises "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you."

When I started my walk with the Lord, I saw that He was already walking beside me, waiting for me.
He held out His hand and said,“Come follow me.”

I took His hand gingerly because this was a new experience.

The longer I walked with Jesus, the more I saw evidence that He had always been there, always loving me, always taking good care of me.

Wild flowers grow amid rusty barbed wire.  Jesus is with us amid all the chaos and ugliness that the world throws at us.  He makes all things beautiful in His time.

I remember the car crash when I fell asleep at the wheel. My 2 older grandsons were in the car.

The car was totaled but no one got hurt.

I hadn’t started my walk yet and only thought I had been very lucky.

I remember having pains, finding out I needed my gallbladder removed and in the process the doctor found Crohns. Since it was discovered so early, I do not suffer the terrible effects that so many have. Again I thought I was lucky.

Recently I again had abdominal pains only to discover an inflamed appendix and a cyst on an ovary. Surgery removed both. The ovary contained a benign tumor.

This time I knew how very blessed I am and knew exactly who to thank for my blessings.

As I have continued my walk, I see His hand in so many areas of my life and in the lives of others.

Just as this doe is protecting her fawn, Jesus has been protecting me and you. We may have troubles but Jesus is always with us, helping us.

The longer I walk with Him, the more I realize that I need to reach out my hand and firmly take His outstretched hand to help me.

The older I get, the more I realize that I cannot manage on my own. I make messes on my own.

When I allow God to lead, He takes me where I need to go. I may not realize it at the time. Sometimes it really seems like a wrong turn but it never is when He is leading the way.

I finally realize that when I hold His hand tightly, that I am safe and so secure. I may have troubles, pains and serious problems but with Him at my side, I will never be alone and He will lead me along the right path.

I have come to see that He is working on me, shaping me into the child that He will take home.

I look forward to the next steps on my walk. I have come to see that every step leads to an adventure with Jesus.

I can hardly wait for tomorrow.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

This is what the road in front of our house looks like now.  We keep wondering what's happening next?  When will it be done?  What will it look like?  Will it be the improvement that we were led to expect?  When Jesus works on us, there is no question that we will be perfect when He gets done with us.


I Just Don’t Understand, Lord

I just don’t understand, Lord, why bad things happen to good people.

I just don’t understand why such bad things happen to innocents, especially children.

I don’t understand why You answer some prayers but not others.

I don’t understand why such terrible people sometimes truly prosper.

There are so many mysteries that my little mind cannot fathom.

The sunset through dead branches and leaves.  When we die to sin, we are born again in the light of the Lord.

I also don’t understand why You love us so much all the time, even when we are rotten to the core.

I don’t understand why you give us limitless second chances for redemption in this life.

We are so imperfect and I really do speak for myself.

Milkweed flower.  God sees the beauty in all of us.  Remember, we are all made in His image and likeness.

Yet I feel Your incredible love and caring.

You are my father and I guess I don’t have to understand everything to feel Your love and know You are working in my life.

It's difficult for me to care for outside flowers but I like my orchids.  When one door closes, another opens.  God give us limitless opportunities to enjoy the beauty of His creation.

In my heart of hearts, I know You work in my best interest and in the best interest of everyone else.

I know that sometimes it’s our job to right a wrong or help someone in need. You put us in a situation to fix something that is broken, to do our part to fix a world that is broken.

I am confident You will give us whatever we need to accomplish what You want us to do.

I know You see the big picture from beginning to end and know how it all turns out and what needs to happen to get there.

God can see everything from the beginning to the end of time just as we can see all the craters of the moon at the same time.  We can have absolute confidence that He will make everything come out right in the end.

I know You love us so much that You became one of us to teach us how to live; how to love You first and best and to love one another as we love ourselves.

I know You, the Lord of all Lords and creator of all that is was tortured to death by Your creatures to redeem us from our sins and give us a way to eternal paradise with You.

There is so much that I just don’t understand but I know enough to know that I can completely trust You and Your way.

I will accept my lack of understanding in the areas that are too much for my little mind and be confident that my Loving Father has everything under His loving control.

Trust in the LORD and do good;

Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the LORD;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday.
Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.
Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more;
And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.
Psalm 37:2-10

Spirea bush after the blossoms have fallen off.  There is such beauty in all of creation.  God is making all things beautiful - especially YOU!

****************************

Knapps Station Community Church

Operation Arctic Vacation Bible School.

Mark your calendars: 6 to 8 pm on July 10 to 14 (Monday to Friday)for a really cool time.  Come for the fun, the snacks, the crafts, the great music, the fellowship and learn how much God loves you.
  
Come to the puppet show and meet Bashful Little Bear, the baby polar bear, Ditty the husky puppy, the musk ox, Toothpick the Narwhale, Artie and Brownie the bunnies and more. Learn about the original Operation Arctic where the men and sled dogs traveled 600 miles across the frozen arctic to rush medicine to very sick children.

As an added bonus, there is NO CHARGE for your child to attend.

Friday night is Family Fun Night and the whole family is invited for fun and a barbecue. 

                     *************

Come and see our float at the 4th of July Parade in Norwood, NY.

****************************

Rejoice With Your Friends is Jane Ault's latest blog post to share with us how she has learned to find Restful Living and JOY in the Lord while enjoyng her friends at the same time.

****************************

Prayer, the Nemesis of Satan is Jean Oathout's new blog post about how we can actually become an effective opponent of the devil through prayer.

****************************

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.

****************************

Blessing:

My friend, may you always know that your Heavenly Father has your back.

You can absolutely trust Him.

When you follow Him and His ways, you can rest assured that you will end up in paradise for eternity.

May you be blessed in the assurance of your 

   heavenly "insurance policy."

It pays incredible dividends!!

*****************************************

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 July 15, 2017

The orange "thing" on the blade of grass is a snail in the field behind our house.
We have interesting "wild life".

                                                   Peonies.

Some kind of wild flowers that grow near our house.  Something (maybe that pretty doe that was in the earlier photos) ate the tops of my stella dora lilies and hostas so Tim has to photograph the wild flowers!