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.
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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.
              
            

         

I Am Broken

                           This rock is permanently cleft in two.
                       However broken we may become, God can repair us.
                           We only have to ask and trust in Him.  

I am broken, Lord, I am broken

I totally surrender to You

I give it all to You

       When the future seems "foggy" read the "God's Word" for guidance.
                                  It has all the answers
               God will speak to you in ways you cannot imagine
                                   and give you peace.

My pride is gone
My spirit is broken

There is only You

And that is enough

You empty me out

                              I trust You to take me around the blind bends of life
                                and know You will take me to safety.
                   You guide me along the right paths and restore my soul.


And then fill me up with Your love

You mold me into a new person
Your person

My way is gone, broken, laid aside

I surrender to Your will and Your love

Thy will be done, not mine

And it will be perfect

                           The snow covered path is not easy
            but with God as your guide, the destination will be wonderful.

Surrender yourself to the Lord,
   and wait patiently for him.
      Psalm 37:7 God's Word Translation

            When you surrender to God, He makes all things beautiful.

I Lay It All at Your Feet, Lord

I give You all our problems

I give You all these pains, all this sickness,
   all these worries, all these concerns

            

We are all broken, Loving Father

Only You can mend us

Only You can take all these issues,
   all these problems,
   all this pain and make it right

          God's love and blessings will break through the ice of life's troubles
           and flow upon us if we only look to Him who is reaching out to us.

I give it all to You

I lay all of us at Your feet, at the foot of the Cross

I give You our talents and shortcomings

I raise our joys as well as our sorrows to You

I give You everything about us

We are weak but You are strong

We cannot handle our problems on our own

You can overcome them all

          Jesus is the light in the storm who will guide us to safety.

I lay them all at Your Feet, at the foot of the cross

You sent Your only Son to free us
         from the power of sin
   and to give us life everlasting,
         to give us life in the fullest

       God gives us a rainbow when and where we least expect it
                  so be alert for your unexpected blessings.

I offer us to You and humbly ask Your forgiveness
   for all our sins

I ask for You to take us, all that we are
   and make us into the children You want us to be

I humbly ask for that life in the fullest for us
   now Lord

I humbly ask You to help us now,
   in the time of our great need

   The clouds in this sunset seem to reach out to us as do the hands of God.
                              We only have to hold out our hands
                and He will take us and hug us in His loving arms.

Thank You Loving Father for loving us so much,
         for listening to our prayers
         and for coming to help us

Blessed be Your most holy name.  Amen

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

            I am nothing compared to the glory and majesty of our God.
                             But He loves me so much
                  that even the hairs of my head are numbered
                       and He knows that number so well.

Book Reviews



Why I Am a Christian by John Stott

Rev. Stott discusses why God who is "the hound of heaven" pursues us and why He values us so greatly. Rev. Stott says that Christianity explains who Christ is, what He achieved on the cross and explains who we are and much more..  Jesus never stops inviting us to come to Him. This is a very interesting and compelling book. I heartily recommend it. 




Billy Graham God's Ambassador by Russ Busby

God put it on my heart to check out Billy Graham. When was he born?  What did he do?  What did he stand for?  This book is full of helpful information and pictures that give a brief overview of exactly that. It has been in the back of my mind to learn about him for a long time.  The first time I experieneced the Holy Spirit was during one of Billy Graham's televised crusades. I borrowed this book from the Knapps Station Church Library. 

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Knapps Station Community Church has started a 13 week bible study entitled Preparing to Hear From God by Pricilla Shirer.  


He Speaks to Me by Pricilla Shirer

It started recently and promises to be a very fulfilling study. It's not too late to join.  I am looking forward to it.

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Treasures in Christ Revival in India

My friend Jean Oathout has a blog post that is focusing on prayer and it's power.  I invite you to check it out.

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Choosing Grace/Partnership in Marriage by Jane Ault

I invite you to check out the blog post of my friend Jane Ault as she give some great insight into her journey as a pastor's wife.

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Voice of the Martyrs

I invite you to check out this link to find out what Christians in some countries suffer just because they believe.  We have no idea how fortunate we are. Please pray for our less fortunate brothers and sisters.  


Blessing

May God grant you the wisdom to seek Him at all times and know that He is always there for you.
May you find the peace that surpasses all understanding when you turn to Him in prayer.
May you be blessed 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 other Saturday 

The next post will be February 11, 2017

May God bless you greatly until we meet again.

 

       Buffalo from behind Webster's Meat Market near Knapps Station

     These little footie prints were in the mud outside my house the other day.
             I think they might be from the skunk who gets under our porch
                                      and "perfumes" our house.

My Heart Shouts for Joy

              On our darkest days, God will always be with us.
                             We only need to look up.

The dark days come and tempt me to give up
It becomes so difficult to go on at times

Some days hurt so badly
Some days I just want it to stop hurting

I just want to stop being
I don't think I can take any more

                      He is the Way, the Truth and the Light.
                         We only need to look for His path.

Then You tap me on the shoulder
And I turn back to You

You, who are always waiting for me to reach out

No matter what has happened
No matter what I have done or haven't done

You are always there

                   He gives beauty and light even to the gray days.

And when I come to You
You soothe my pains
You replace my emptiness with Your love

    Just as the snow makes all things beautiful, so does God's love.

You are always the light at the end of the tunnel
You find the way to turn things around

    The clouds give great beauty to this sunset in my backyard.
       Our experiences and even our problems
          give great beauty to our lives
             if we only cooperate
       and allow God to help us through them.

You create solutions where none existed

You change my tears of sorrow to tears of pure joy

I delight to be in Your presence

To feel Your love

You fill my soul
You fill my being with Your love

My heart shouts for joy because You are with me.

   God will bring light and life into our darkest places
           if we only open the door and let Him in.
I will bless the LORD who guides me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I know the LORD is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
My body rests in safety.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead
or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
You will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasures of living with you forever.
Psalm 16:7-11

Please click on the link below to see a Facebook video that demonstrates a tiny portion of the magnitude of God's incredible power. Turn on the sound and go to "full screen."

http://www.flixxy.com/hubble- ultra-deep-field-3d.htm"target="_blank" href="">http://www.flixxy.com/ hubble-ultra-deep-field-3d. htm">http://www.flixxy.com/ hubble-  ultra-deep-field-3d.htm

                The little brook near W. Potsdam is beautiful
                         even in the gray days.
           God makes each of us beautiful with His love and caring.

How can the One who did all this care for each of us so much? How could this all-powerful creator lower Himself to become one of the lowliest of all creation? How could He allow Himself to be tortured to death to save us from ourselves because we could never do enough to accomplish that feat? How could He do all that?

This little brook on the Wright Rd. W. Potsdam is beautiful
when the sun warms it and melts some of the ice.
Our lives become beautiful when we allow God's love to melt
our hearts and open us to His light and love.

 What lies around the bend in the river at Norwood Pond?
We can only guess.  If we trust God to guide us
around the bends in life's rivers, we can rest assured
that we will be safe.

LOVE!! Love is the only answer. Whatever happens to you, whoever you are, know that you matter. Everything about you matters so much to the Creator. Know in your heart of hearts that the Almighty One loves you limitlessly.

    

              This is the road from Lake Placid to Saranac.
            The blue shading was caused by it being dusk.
             God can make even our "blue" days beautiful.

...“What is mankind
that you are mindful of them,
a son of man that you care for him?

You made them
a little lower than the angels;
you crowned them with glory and honor
and put everything under their feet.”

Hebrews 2:6-8

Book Reviews




Fresh Power by Jim Cymbala

Rev. Cymbala discusses how we can experience the vast resources of the power of God. He gives many words of wisdom to direct us on how to live holy lives in this world and to grow in God.This book is a feast for the soul to be enjoyed and contemplated slowly in small bites. I heartily recommend it.  I borrowed this one from Knapps Station Library. 




The Shepherds Song, A Story of Second Chances by Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers

This is a story of faith and second chances. A loving mother carefully prints out the 23rd Psalm for her teenage son who has drifted away from God.  He rejects it and God.  Through a series of coincidences, that paper finds its way around the world and touches many souls who find God, including the teenager it was meant for.  


Chasing the Dragon, One Woman's Struggle Against the Darkness of Hong Kong's Drug Dens by Jackie Pullinger 

A powerful true story of a 20 year old English woman who took God at His word and followed His leading halfway around the world to the place where He guided her spread His word. Becauses she lived what she preached, she was able to convert many of the worst drug lords and save many souls for Christ.

Knapps Station Community Church has started a 14 week bible study entitled Preparing to Hear From God by Pricilla Shirer.  


He Speaks to Me by Pricilla Shirer

It just started this past week and promises to be a very fulfilling study. It's not too late to join.  I am looking forward to it.  

Jean Oathout blogspot "Let Go"

Another great blog post from my friend Jean Oathout.



Voice of the Martyrs

I invite you to check out this link to find out what Christians in some countries suffer just because they believe.  We have no idea how fortunate we are. Please pray for our less fortunate brothers and sisters.  It might surprise you to know that they feel they are the fortunate ones.


Blessing:

May you always be aware of how much God truly loves you.
May you always count your blessings and praise our Loving Father for all He provides.
And may you never lose the sense of wonderment you had as a child as you discover the magnitude of His power, might and endless love for you.

                                       A wintry sunset from my backyard.

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 January 28, 2017

May God bless you greatly until we meet again.

             In the late fall there were many dozens of Canada geese
                      at the playground in Madrid, NY