This World is Not My Home

               God filled this world with incredible beauty for us to enjoy 

                                         while we are here 

                                BUT we are only passing through.   

                            We have a different final destination.

                  Photo is of little side road near Waddington, NY Fall 2018.

This finally dawned on me to the point that it’s getting ingrained in my thoughts.

What does it mean?

It means that nothing in this life is my final goal.

It means that I’m in school, in training for a different place.

A place called Eternity.

It’s where we live forever and ever without end.

The choices, the deeds, the activities we choose, the goals we work toward will direct us to our final destination.

Our behavior and choices here will determine if we like our final destination or not.

There are two possible final destinations: heaven or hell.

There are no other choices.

And everyone goes one place or the other, no exceptions.

One place is heavenly and the other absolutely is not.

Our loving Father wants us to spend eternity with Him in Heaven where life will be unimaginably wonderful.

However, He gives us free will and lets us choose to go to heaven or not.

All the while we live, God nudges and encourages us.

He gives us almost unlimited opportunities to live in such a way that we get to go to heaven, but He doesn’t force us to choose Him and heaven.

He wants us with Him in Paradise for eternity so badly that He became one of us in the person of His beloved son who lived to teach us how to live. We can only go to heaven if we are holy as God is holy and no one of us is capable of being that perfect. God knows that and made plans for us anyhow. God loves us so much that He choose that His beloved son, Jesus, would take on all the sins of all men for all time, past, present and future. Jesus chose to be tortured to death to pay for all our sins. God offers forgiveness for our sins if we only repent, tell Him we are sorry and try to not sin again. He knows we will sin again, so He keeps forgiving as long as we keep asking for forgiveness. Our debt is paid.

The road to Heaven, to spend eternity with our Loving Father, who loves us without measure requires us to love Him first and foremost, to love and treat others as ourselves and to repent our sins. Repent means to tell God we are sorry for what we have done wrong.

Somewhere along the way of learning about God and what He wants me to do and how He wants me to live, I figured out that I want to go to Heaven, that Heaven is my final home. As a result, I don’t care as much if I have all the stuff that this world tells me that I need. It isn’t as important to be first or best – except in God’s eyes. It doesn’t matter if I “win arguments”, only that I win souls for God. That does matter. I hope to see all of them and all of you when I do go home.

Will you join me? Our Father is waiting to welcome us with outstretched arms.

But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Philippians 3:20

                     At the end of our toils, Jesus will be waiting for us.

Prayer Requests:

So much is happening these days.  There has been terrible weather.  There was a partial shutdown of our government and thousands of people suffered terrible financial difficulties as a result.  There is a virulent flu going around and the flu shot does not prevent it.  I was very sick with that "bug."  More severe weather is expected this week.  The list of problems goes on and on.  So many people are in need.  Our country and our world are in great need and the only one we can really turn to for solutions is Our Father.  He already has all the solutions.  He tells us: "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. 

Our world needs our prayers and our acts of kindness too.  Every prayer and every act of kindness will light a candle to brighten the darkness in this world and make it a much better place to live.

May God bless you greatly, my friend and thank you in advance for your prayers and your acts of kindness. 

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.

Lately I have been very busy with Grandma duties on weekends 
    so I may try to post during the week.

                               Here's another one of my sunsets.
                        Sometimes I think God sends so many my way 
                          because He knows how much I enjoy them.
                            The colors are sometimes so glorious that 
                          they are almost like a little piece of heaven,
                                      my little piece of heaven
                               that I share with you, my friend.
                                            Blessings.

You Are Precious in His Sight

                                   This is the 4-5 year old group 
                            at Knapps Station Vacation Bible School
                                         for 2018 Cave Quest 
                                                at snack time.
                                  Our children are precious to us.
                    Imagine how precious we all are to the Father
                            who deliberately chose each of us.


Can that be for real?

Am I special to the Creator of all that is?
Am I worthy?
Am I important?

There have been many times in my life when I absolutely did not feel special or important and certainly not worthy.

I have made so many mistakes, done so many things that I would rather not think about today. Things that I truly regret.

And yet He loves me.

He plucked me out of where I was and placed me firmly in His presence. He has always watched over me and protected me. I can look back now and see His hand in my life, guiding me, nudging me away from the bad and toward the things He wanted me to experience. I always had a choice and can remember the gentle voice calling and encouraging me. Sometimes I listened and heeded the call, sometimes I didn’t. The times when I didn’t are times I now regret.

He never gave up on me even when I deserved it. I guess God never gets discouraged and never gives up on us. He keeps working on us because He loves us so much.

Way back before anything was created. Way back when only God and His incredible love existed, He thought about you and me and He chose us because He loves us and wants us to spend eternity with Him in paradise. He knew back then all the mistakes and sins we would commit and still created us and still loves us. No matter what we do or don’t do, He never stops loving us.

Because only perfection can go to Paradise and we can never be that good, God sent His beloved Only Son to live and to die for our sins. He paid the price so imperfect you and me can spend eternity with Him in Paradise. He loves us that much. We truly are precious in His sight.

However, we can only go to Paradise if we choose to go. We must choose God and tell Him we are sorry for what we have done wrong. We cannot earn this privilege. God freely gives it to all who choose Him.

Regardless of your choice, you are precious in His sight but only those who choose Him get to spend eternity with Him.

I hope to see you there someday. 

Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.  Isaiah 43:4

                                This is most of the group.  
                There were over 70 children and over 50 volunteers
          who participated in the fun learning about and growing in Jesus
                at Cave Quest, the Vacation Bible School 2018
                     at Knapps Station Community Church.

Commentary:  We are going through a very hot spell where the temperatures reached the high 80's and low 90's and it has been very uncomfortable.  We can get relief by using fans or air conditioning.  Cool drinks and cool foods also help.  A cool breeze and shade give some relief. 

What would it be like if there were no relief?  No breeze, no fan, no air conditioning.  Nothing cool to eat or drink and there never would be.  What if the temperature got into the 300s or more and there was never any kind of relief and it went on forever and ever.  You never passed out, you never died.  You just suffered unimaginable agony for eternity.  

Did you just imagine hell?

Would you willingly choose that?

You would if you didn't choose Jesus. 

Think about it!

When you die, there are only 2 places to go and I know where I want to spend eternity.  

How about you? 

Some of our older kids

            This is most of the group who performed a puppet show 
              at the beginning and end of each day of VBS.
                          I am the one on the far left.
                            I really enjoy doing this.

       This is Miner Marlene and Tad who helped the kids learn about Jesus.

                                              Learning about Jesus.

                              Some of the 2-3 year old group.

All VBS photos taken by Beth Shanty and Stephanie Johnson

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 August 7, 2018.

        My grandson Mark having fun and learning about Jesus at VBS.

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

                                

Do I Bug You, Lord?

         Part of Norwood Lake seen from Sober St. Road between Norwood and Norfolk, NY

Am I annoying?

I certainly make lots of mistakes,
            commit lots of sins
            some accidental
            some deliberate

Sometimes I’m good
Sometimes, I’m rotten
Sometimes I don’t even like me

Why do You always love me?

         God demonstrates His mighty love for us 
                    in unexpected ways.
         Notice the unexpected beauty He provides
                   in out of the way places.  

I’m just a very minor creature, no one special

But You always treat me special
            no matter what I do or don’t do

              My neighbor's trees are so pretty

You are the Creator and Lord of all the exists
            and You love me so much

I could never do enough to earn all You do,
            all You give

What would happen if we could see our world through God's eyes?  Would we see how beautiful it is and would we come to realize a tiny fraction of His mighty love?

You are so amazing

You bless me so greatly

      View from my back yard

Blessed, Blessed be Your most holy name.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Before It’s Too Late

Some say the end is somewhere around the bend, sometime in the future

But when?

                     View from dry bridge near Norwood, NY

How much time do I have?

Can I do everything I want and still “get ‘er done”?

I really don’t want to go to hell

But all that work to learn about Jesus, the Bible,
    the rules, going to church

Is it really necessary?

I want to have fun now

I want to do as I please

Isn’t that what everybody says and does?

Why do I have to be different?

I guess I like the way some of “those church people”    treat me but what they do looks like so much work

They do look happy

They invited me to church
     and said “no strings attached”

I suppose I could go just one time
     and see what this stuff is all about

They seem really concerned, even worried about me.

They said I need to be saved before it’s too late.

                    Cemetery near dry bridge Norwood, NY

But do I really?

They said this guy Jesus loves me.

Why should he?

They said He died just for me to make up for my sins

I’ve done a lot of sinning in my time

Why should He care what happens to me?

Maybe I’ve done too many bad things
   for Him to ever love me

They said I’m His child and He loves me so much
   that He died a terrible death just for me,
   to pay for all the sins I’ve ever done or ever will do

I guess it wouldn’t hurt to check out someone
   who loves me that much.

They said He’s reaching out His hand to me

  Is the shadow reaching out to the trees like God's loving hand reaches out to us, His precious, beautiful children?

That all I have to do is accept
   that outstretched hand
   and tell Him I’m sorry for what I’ve done wrong        and I can spend eternity with Him in heaven

   The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

   Psalm 23 1-4

Otherwise when I die, I go to the other place
   that’s “hot as blazes” for eternity.

They said Jesus is calling,
   telling me that His love for me is limitless

“Those church people” said they’d help me too.

What do I have to lose?

Maybe I better check this out before it’s too late.

                          Same cemetery

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who 
wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.  
1Timothy 2:3-6
  

The Old House in Fall

Rain thrums on her roof

Car wheels whoosh on the wet pavement nearby

Her flowers are asleep awaiting winter’s passage

Her still green lawn is littered with leaves
   from her near naked trees

Inside, the clock on the wall tick, tick, ticks

Faint hums come from the computer on the desk

The old house is quietly breathing

Witnessing the passage of time

Having seen decades of season changes

Having sheltered many families
   who have called her “Home”

Patiently enduring the changes
   they have made to her

Patiently facing whatever awaits her.

For everything there is a season, a time for 
every activity under heaven.  Ecclesiastes 3:1
(New Living Translation)

Book Review:



Christian Caregiving by Kenneth Haugk

This book gives insight into the world to Christian Caregiving, into giving care to the whole person from a Christian perspective. It discusses that we need to provide the care and leave it to God to provide the cure.  It discusses how caregivers' jobs are to meet the needs of their patients and to look to God for guidance.  It discusses things like even when we pray with someone, we should ask what they would like in the prayer to make our praying as beneficial to them as possible. This book is the basis of the Caring Ministry at Knapps Station Community Church.

Jesus said, " the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
Matthew 9:37-38

We at Knapps Station Community Church plant, tend, and harvest crops, but God causes the growth, the healing and the cure in people's lives.
Our God gives us the strength and compassion to reach out to others.
The motivation for our Christian caring is summarized in 1 John 4:19
"We love because he first loved us ".

We show our love for others by reaching out to those in need by phone calls, sending cards, making meals, hospital visits, nursing home visits, home visits, nursery coverage and the power of prayer. Individuals do not have to be members of our church to be recipients of these services.  We extend our minisry to anyone in our area and pray for everyone whose need is made known to us.

Our ultimate reason for caring is Jesus Christ. Knowing this affects our identity, attitude, confidence and perspective as a Christian Caregiver.

Knapps Station Community Church


Commentary:

Don't forget to set your clocks back tonight.

The old saying is that we "fall back" in Autumn and "spring ahead" in Spring. Let us resolve to try our best not to fall back on our old habits but to always spring ahead striving toward Our Father and our eternal home with Him.

This is my 26th blog post, the completion of my first year of blogging.  It has been a great blessing for me and I am so grateful that you have shared it with me. You will bless me greatly if you join me for this next year. I would welcome your comments and suggestions to make my blog relevant and helpful for you.  God's blessings on you.

The Spirit Help Us To Pray
is a new blog post from my friend Jean Oathout.  You may find it informative and helpful.

                 When we follow Jesus,
           we shine with His light and love.


Blessing:

May the blessings of our Loving Father fall on you
   as the leaves fall from the trees.
And may His blessings remain with you
   all the days of your life.

Blessings for you,my friend for a wonderful week 

All photos taken by Debbie and Tim McEwen - 

  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 11-19-2016

                                    An Amish buggy