What Makes Your Heart Sing?

                                   Does it take your breath away 
              when you see a beautiful sunset?
               

            How about when you look in the eyes 
              of your children or grandchildren 
        and see them looking back with eyes of love?

                Does it brighten your day
                  and quicken your step
         when you come upon a beautiful flower?

       Or find a woolly caterpillar with no black?
      Can that actually mean a very mild winter?

               Discover the sun sparkling on the water                                  under an old bridge.

       Find the sun sparkling through

               ice covered trees.

          Find the first dandelion in spring.

                       Do you chuckle 
      when you find your kitty peaking out at you 
              from his latest hiding place?

              Or discover that he is an acrobat?

         Experience the magnificence
            of the mighty mountains.

           Or the delicate beauty of a butterfly.

   View the riotous colors of fall in Northern New York.

Find a barred owl perched just outside your home and are able to sneak up and shoot a picture.

Enjoy the friendship and love of friends and family.

Enjoy the beauty that God has created just for me to enjoy.

           I am blessed to be married 45 years 
                   to my best friend, Tim.

These and so many other blessings have brought happiness to my heart and a laugh to my lips.
Some have taken my breath away.
I am so blessed that God has placed me in a time and place where I can experience so many wonderful things.  
I am not a world traveler but I have found incredible beauty in my life. 
So many discoveries have brought me great happiness.
However, when I feel the love and presence of Jesus in my heart and soul, I am filled with an incredible JOY and peace that no earthly event can compare to.
That is why my heart sings!
Have you found that song in your heart yet?
Our Father is waiting patiently for you to reach out and He will freely give it to you.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.  Psalm 28:7

All  photos taken by Debbie McEwen

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 usually post every other Saturday.

The next post should be about October 13, 2018. 

Some blog posts have been late due to my having extra Grandmother duties and enjoying my grand babies.
My apologies.  I will try to budget my time better in the future. 

      I took this picture from the Medical Campus 
              in Canton, NY yesterday.  
     It as a glorious day with mild temperatures 
              and a beautiful blue sky.
I could only say "This is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."  
           Psalm 118:24      

Come, Loving Father

        I took the photo of this magnificent sunset about a week ago.
            As you will see in the pictures that follow the prayer, 
                           the more I zoomed in on the sun, 
   the more beauty and intense color that the camera was able to pick up.
        In our prayer lives, the more we "zoom in" on God, 
                      the more JOY we find in our lives
                         and the happier we become.

I sit here and wait for You to come
I welcome You into my heart and soul
I ask You to fill my being
I long for Your heavenly presence

I am empty
And You fill me up

I am insignificant
You are my everything

For many years, my heart had longed for You
I didn't know what I was seeking until I found You

Now my whole being knows that I need Your presence every day

I need Your wisdom
I need Your love
I need Your grace, Your mercy

I have humbly repented my many sins
and asked Your forgiveness
As my loving Father, my Abba,
I know that You have forgiven me
And welcomed me back into Your loving arms

I need Your essence to be complete

With You, I am as I was meant to be

My whole being rejoices when You are with me
You are the lover of my soul who makes me whole

Thank You, loving Father
for always being so accessible
Always being so present in my life

You have all of creation to attend to
And yet I matter, everything about me
is important to You

You are too wonderful for words

You dearly love all Your children
You made all of us in Your image and likeness
And we are all so precious to You

You are always present and available
for each of Your children
We only have to ask You, Our Loving Father
and You come to us

Blessed, blessed be Your most holy name

...that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. John 17:20

     This is what I saw with my eyes without benefit of a zoom lens.

            Just starting to zoom in and getting prettier.

           The sunset also gets more beautiful as it progresses.

     Never underestimate the power of prayer to affect our lives for the better.

Prayer Request:
There is so much going on in our world.  There are almost daily tragedies with shootings, crashes and so much more.  Never forget that God is in charge and will make all this right.  Please pray for the victims.  Please pray for the perpetrators.  Please pray that God will touch these people in a mighty way and prevent further tragedies.  Please pray for unity under God in our country.  Whatever you choose, please pray.  Pray for God to make all the wrongs right and know that He will in His time, His will and His way.  He does all things for our good and this too will turn out right.  Please, just pray at all times.

May God bless you greatly, my friend.

All  photos taken by Debbie McEwen

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 on September 1, 2018.

                  This is a moon shot that I took about a month ago.

             This world where God has placed us is absolutely amazing 

      from the sun, moon and stars down to the tiniest molecules in our bodies.

                   Everything is a testimony to God's infinite power 

                          and the incredible love He has for us.

                and God

What Was Jesus Thinking?

                         The sun descends in glorious colors.
           The clouds reflect the sunlight adding beauty to the scene.
                            We become incredibly beautiful
                        when we reflect the majesty of God.
                            Jesus death and resurrection
                           opened the door to enable us
                to reflect that incredible beauty for all eternity.

What was Jesus thinking when He rode the donkey into Jerusalem to the shouts of “Hosanna to the son of David, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven.” (Matthew 21:9) knowing that a few days later the same people would shout “Crucify him” when given the choice of freeing innocent Jesus or a criminal? Was His heart heavy?

What was Jesus thinking when He taught His followers those last parables, those final lessons? (see Matthew 21:18 through Matthew 25)
Was He trying to make sure He had covered all the important points, so He could leave knowing He had prepared His followers for the enormous job ahead of them? Was He anxious? No. He knew how well they would spread His word and His Love?

What was Jesus thinking when He went to that Last Supper with His disciples? Did His heart ache knowing that both Peter and Judas would betray Him? Knowing that almost all His disciples who had pledged undying loyalty would run off leaving Him to suffer and die in unspeakable agony?

Did He also rejoice knowing that His words “This is my body and this is my blood” spoken over the bread and wine would be said by millions of followers for thousands of years as they, as we celebrate Jesus precious gift for us?

How did Jesus possibly manage going to Gethsemane? He knew His followers could not follow where He had to go. He said to His Father “Your will, not mine be done” knowing the agony that was to start shortly and last for many torturous hours. (Matthew 26:36-45)

What was Jesus thinking when His betrayer greeted Him with a kiss to identify Him for those who came to take Jesus to His horrible death? He knew ahead of time what was about to happen. Could I, could you have gone through it all? He was innocent, I am not. He knew He could call on God and His angels at any time to stop His death. He chose to continue knowing all those who would deny Him, refuse His love, sinning repeatedly. I could never have done what Jesus did. Imagine His love for us!

What was Jesus thinking when the soldiers pounded nails into His wrists and feet to nail Him to the cross after beating Him so badly that the skin was ripped off His back and His bones were showing, bleeding, His lifeblood oozing out onto the ground. The blood had dripped into His eyes from the crown of thorns forced on His head. He was beaten and bloody from head to toe. This was God in the person of His precious son who chose to accept this death, the punishment that we deserve for our sins. What did He say? Did He condemn? He said “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34

What was Jesus thinking as He died? Why did He do this? His actions say to each of us “I love you more than this life itself. I love you so much that I willingly accept the punishment that you deserve. I want you to spend eternity with me in paradise. Will you take my hand and follow Me? 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 
 Matthew 11:28-30

What was Jesus thinking when He did all this? He was thinking how much He loves you and me and wants us with Him for eternity in Paradise. 

Will you accept?

Blessing:
Be blessed my friend, knowing that we do not have to pay for our sins, that Jesus did that for us - if we only accept.

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

on April 7, 2018.

                                      Spring is bringing new life.
                                     Jesus' death and resurrection
                                  bring us new life, everlasting life.
                                  Will you accept His incredible gift?
                                Photo taken at West Stockholm, NY.

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!

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!

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

                                

Your Eyes Must Gush Rivers of Grief, Lord.

                Does the color and JOY drain from Your loving eyes, Lord,
                  when you see the way we brutalize each other?

There is so much violence in the news.
So many people have been injured and killed.

Even children!

You made us because You love us
   and want us to spend eternity with You.

We have lost our way.

So many do not know You and even deny You.
So many do terrible things in Your name.

It must break Your loving heart.

It breaks mine.

As much as my tears flow,
   Your eyes must gush rivers of grief.

                            When we turn to Jesus and His way,
               there is light, life, peace and JOY shining through the darkness.

             

                  Out of His tears come rivers of life and beauty.        
                   Jesus is making all things beautiful in their time.

Has it always been this way?
History has not been pretty.
We have always brutalized each other.
Your Precious Son, Jesus,
   came at a terrible point in history
   when life for Your people was at its darkest.

He taught a different way then,
I know His message is still vital and relevant today.

Please guide us, guide me to do whatever we can
   to spread Your word, Your message of love.

Please help us to sow the seeds of love, of tolerance,    of forgiveness, of peace
   and of Your JOY that is never ending.

Please help us how to show others
   there is another way.

Your way

Help us to do our part to bring peace on earth
   so there are no more tears of grief,
   only tears of JOY.

                  Lord, please teach us to live Your way.  
        Help us do our part to bring light, color and Your JOY 
                   back into this dark, cold, cruel world.
              Please teach us to love as You have loved us.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, 

holy and dearly loved, 

clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 

Bear with each other and forgive one another. 

If any of you has a grievance against someone, forgive as the Lord forgave you. 

And over all these virtues put on love, 

which binds them all together in perfect unity. 

 Colossians 3:12-14


Book Review:


Sons of Encouragement by Francine Rivers is a wonderful compilation of stories of 5 unsung heros of the Bible.  Aaron, the Priest; Caleb, the warrior: Jonathan, the prince; Amos, the prophet and Silas, the scribe whose lives are fleshed out in this set of 5 fictional bible stories.  Ms. Rivers took the actual people from the Bible wrote these men into life with human qualities and faults and ultimately with a desire to follow and serve the One True God. Ms Rives has researched the Bible and its times so carefully that her writing has the flavor of reading an unabridged biblical account of these men. 

YUMMY, YUMMY!

Knapps Station Community Church will have their annual Chicken Pie Dinner on 

Thursday September 21, 2017.

Not to be missed!

Blessing:

May you be blessed, my friend in the knowledge that you have a loving father in heaven who is watching over you all the days of your life.  He sees what is happening in this world and will guide you over the rough patches and through the hard times that come to all of us.  He will take your hand and never let go- unless you tell Him to.  His love for you is never ending and He waits anxiously for you to join Him in heaven.  Lets all meet there together! 

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 September 9, 2017.

                              The road at our house is now paved.  

                            There is still finishing work to be done

            but the worst of the dust and very bumpy road are ended.