Is This World Broken?

                                      This rock is called "Split Rock" 
                     and it is located on the Split Rock Road 
                               near Saranac Lake, NY.
                     It reminds me of how our world is broken
                          Nature has grown around this rock
                     making it  quite attractive and interesting.
                                 If we give God a chance 
                              to work on our broken world
                       He will make it and us beautiful too.

Is it beyond repair?
Is it hopeless?

Hurricane Dorian is raging 

in the Carolinas but has at least diminished to a Category 1.

The Bahamas are absolutely devastated, leveled, beaten to a pulp with the death and destruction of Dorian when he was Category 5 raging through the islands.

There was another mass shooting in Texas.

Then there was the horrible boat fire in California.

This is the news for the United States just this one past week and does not include what is happening abroad.

There is so much heartache.

So many people’s lives are broken. Both the victims and the perpetrators.
Is it hopeless?

I don’t believe it for a moment.

Believe it or not, I firmly believe that God is in control.

I don’t know why God allowed all this to happen.

I don’t know why so many people had to suffer and so many to die.

But I do know God has a plan.

And I know in my heart of hearts that if we all turn to Him, He will guide us through the storm of this life.

I know He wants us to love and honor Him first in our lives.

I know He wants us to reach out to the people He puts in our paths to treat them as we want to be treated.

I am certain that if we can do these, which are the commandments that Jesus gave us, that we can turn this world around.

And remember to pray, the power of prayer is incredible. God does love us and really does answer prayers in the way that is the very best for us.

There will still be storms, there will still be problems, but if we follow God’s laws, the world will no longer be broken.

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2Chronicles 7:14

           This swamp is located near Waddington, NY. 

                     It joins the St. Lawrence River

                       I took this picture last fall.

                      Some of the trees are bare.

                       The colors are past prime.

                    But it is still a beautiful scene.

                   God makes all things beautiful,

                          at the right time,

                                His time.

                 Another beautiful swamp scene.

               This one was located near Lisbon, NY

It has been almost 2 months since I posted a blog.  I have been busy and had a couple of major illnesses.  I apologize that it has been so long.  This piece obviously was written last month.  The message is at least as vital today as it was a month ago.  Our country is in turmoil today and desperately needs our prayers to unite us.  We need to put our differences aside and become one nation under God.  I'm not saying that there are not issues that need to be dealt with because there are. I pray to God that they are dealt His way. We need to return to decency, manners and consideration for all our brothers.  Who are are brothers?  Are they just Americans? What would Jesus answer to that question?  Listen to your heart and follow what it says.

            The moon is covered with craters.
          Sometimes we can see "the man in the moon"
                           in the craters.
              It has been seriously damaged by meteors
                       that caused those craters.
                 Our land has been damaged 
                          by so much turmoil
                         from so many sources.
                    If we all turn to God and pray,
                        He will heal our land
                     and we will be whole again.
*************************

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 have not posted regularly and I apologize 
to my followers.

Life, health issues and grandchildren 

continue to interfere.

Blessings on you, my friend.

May our Loving Father bless you 
   and all your endeavors

May you see Him in the colorful leaves 

   from the changing season

May you see Him in the eyes 
   of your loved ones
May you feel the peace, love and JOY
   that only comes from the Great I Am.
And may His grace mend our land
   as only He can

                As the sun sets on our day
         God gives us hope for our tomorrow.
              
            

         

Are You Ever Overwhelmed?

              Do you ever feel like you are at the end of your rope
                           and hanging on for dear life ?

Do you ever feel like you have too many obligations?

No time for yourself?

Thoughts swirling in your head?

Do you ever feel like there's just too much to do?

Do you ever have people coming at you from all directions with requests and demands?

Do you ever feel like there just isn’t enough of you to go around?

Do you ever feel totally depleted, empty, like there is nothing left of you and your essence?

Is that how Jesus felt when the crowds followed him?

Pleading, yelling, demanding, requiring, “heal me!” “help me!” “save me!” “speak to me!” “give me what you’ve got, all you’ve got!” “I’m needy” “feed me” “It’s all about me!”

Did anyone have a care if Jesus ate, if he slept, if he had any comfort, any peace?

Did He complain?

Did He send the crowds away?
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness. When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 9:35-36

Or send the children away?

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14 


Was He ever sick?

Was Jesus ever exhausted?

Did He ever have a bad day and just not feel like “doing all that?”

Although fully God, Jesus was fully human so He must have felt that way at times.

The time He spent in prayer with His Father kept Him going.

He knew He was opening the door, paving the way for all of us to spend eternity with Him and His Father.

He knew He was paying a terrible price to atone for all the sins of humanity.

When Jesus was overwhelmed, He thought about the end game and how precious we are to Him.

When you feel overwhelmed, turn to Him, reach out to Him and He will give you eternal peace and never-ending JOY!

                              This was my yard just a month ago.

                        This is my yard today.  The snow is gone.  
                                 New growth is everywhere.  
                  I have heard the peepers and Spring is here.  Yeah!!
          When I turn to God, He takes away the cold in my heart and soul. 
                                   He gives me new growth.  
                          He warms me and makes me come alive.  
                    I may still need a lot of cleaning up like my yard
                              but He puts me on the right path. 
                            And He puts JOY in my heart and soul!

Blessing:

My friend:  I wish you the peace of knowing that when you are troubled, when your life is in turmoil, that our Brother and Savior, Jesus is only a heartbeat away, waiting anxiously for you to call out.  When you do, He always answers.

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 May 19, 2018.

              2 pictures of a beautiful sunset this past Monday night.
             No matter how bleak and foreboding your life may seem,
                   God can take you and your life and make you
                                 absolutely beautiful!