Would You Be Washed Whiter Than White?

          The snow covers the brown earth and making it appear clean.  
              The blood of Jesus actually washes away all our sins 
              and makes our souls whiter that the whitest snow.
                             Jesus takes our twisted lives
              and turns them into something absolutely beautiful.

Original sin muddied the water that we are all bathed in. No matter how hard we try, we make mistakes, we sin. The blood of the Lamb washes away that mud, those mistakes, that sin.

How can blood wash anything clean?

When I first heard about blood washing us clean, I turned my nose up. Yuk. Who wants to be bloody? Not me.

When I read about the Old Testament priests killing sacrificial animals and sprinkling the blood. My nose again turned up. Yuk.

Somewhere along the line, it dawned on my brain that the sacrifice of those animals took away the sins of the Israelites.

It the Old Testament, people repeatedly had to pay for all the sins they continued to commit.

Jesus, the Lamb paid for my sins once and for all.

I used to think that St. Peter would meet me at the pearly gates when I died and that he would weigh my good deeds against my bad.

                         Cemetery located near Saranac Lake, NY.           
            When eternity comes for you, how will you measure up?
                  I could never be good enough on my own.
              Only the blood of Jesus can pay my way to heaven.
                                      How about you?

I came to realize that I could never be good enough to make up for all the sins I commit and continue to commit day after day. I could never possibly pay my debt.

However, the Perfect Lamb, who never committed even one sin, sacrificed His precious life for everything I ever did or ever will do.

He died for me - and for you.

He offers a free pass to bliss for eternity.

He loves us so much that He holds out His wonderful hand and asks “Would you be washed whiter than white? Will you join me in paradise for eternity with all your sins forever forgiven, buried, never to be heard from ever again? I paid the debt that you owe. Come join me, My love for you is limitless.”

Will you take His hand?

       View of Lake Colby from Adirondack Medical Center window
                where my husband was recently in-patient.
         Just as the setting sun and the cloud formations reflected on the lake                                     create a magnificent image,
                       so too does God's love reflected in us 
             create something beautiful beyond our imagination.

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 

 1 Peter 1:18-19


Update:
Many thanks for all your prayers.  My husband's total knee replacement surgery was a success.  He is still in lots of pain and had to be re-admitted to "iron out" a couple of issues but he is well on his way to recovery and much better mobility than before surgery.  His readmission to the hospital is the reason that this blog is late.  My apologies.  I do appreciate your understanding and faithfulness in following my blog.

                   Another view of that sunset from Tim's hospital room.

May God bless you greatly, my friends for all you do for His honor and glory.

In light of all the horrific events that are taking place in the world, I challenge you to sow at least 7 acts of kindness each day.  (Why 7?  7 is the perfect number!)  If we each counter hate with our love, the world has to be affected in a positive manner.
And pray like your eternal life depends on it because it truly does and so does the eternal life of everyone you know!

                  We were blessed with a wonderful view of Lake Colby.

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 December 9, 2017.

                         And yet another beautiful sunset on Lake Colby.
                              In the midst of any adversity,
   God always gives us reason to give thanks and praise His most holy name.

Am I an Owner or a Steward?

                            View from bridge in park in Canton, NY

                       Our Father created all that is.  He is the owner.

                        How magnificent is the work of His hands!

                              It's our job to be the "good stewards" 

                             and provide good care for everything
                                     under our stewardship.

                         

I grew up thinking that what I had was mine, that I could do as I pleased with my stuff – within reason.

I own my house – with the bank.
I own my car.
I own my body.
I worked for and earned my money.

They’re mine, right??
Can't I just do as I please as long as I pay my bills and live within the laws of our nation?

Deep inside my soul, a little voice says “No.”

These things are mine to use and enjoy but I do have obligations.

I need to take good care of all of them.
My property is mine to use and pass on.
I have an obligation to take proper care of my body.
It’s not ok to abuse anything - even myself.

God is good – all the time and He has been very good to me.

I have the right to enjoy my property and stuff.
I also have the obligation to use all these things for His honor and glory.
Even the talents and abilities that He gave me are mine to use – for His honor and glory.

It reminds me of the parable that Jesus told of the Bags of Gold in Matthew 25:14-30 (see below). Those stewards were each given treasure to invest wisely and bring dividends to the master at the end of the time. Those who invested wisely were rewarded. The one who did not invest wisely was punished.

It puts a different perspective on “my property” when I realize that I am only the steward and not the owner.

It makes me think that I am to share that I have, that the goal is not to accumulate more wealth in the way the world looks at wealth but at the way the Father looks at wealth.

Do I need that new whatever or do should I help…………….??

It’s important to meet our own needs but it’s also important to share with those whose needs are not being met.

Do I look for opportunities to be kind – even when the individual doesn’t “deserve” my kindness?
Do I “deserve” all that Jesus did for me?

If I use my talents and money and whatever He gave me to share the treasure of His love and grace and to spread His Word, then I will have invested wisely, and my Master will be pleased.

I may never be “rich” as the world views wealth but if I use my resources as Jesus taught, I am confident that I will be very wealthy in eternity.

Deep in my soul, I know I am only “a steward”, that my Father is truly “the owner” of all that exists, of all His creation.

I pray that my Father will teach me to be a good steward, so I can enjoy my rewards with Him for eternity.

How about you?

                            View from the other side of the bridge.

             I never cease to be amazed by the beauty that God has created.

                Our Maker makes all things beautiful - even a single leaf.

The Parable of the Bags of Gold

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

“ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 
Matthew 25:14-30

Knapps Station Community Church is just finishing a study on 

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller.

I heartily recommend this book.  It spoke to me about Psalm 23 in ways I had never considered before and greatly enhanced my appreciation for my own "Good Shepherd."

Knapps Station Church will also have their
Annual Bazaar
Nov. 4, 2017
9 am to 3 pm
There will be a food sale
and a donation white elephant sale.

            This beautiful, lone petunia is growing out of the pavement
                           on Main Street in Waddington, NY. 
                          It is thriving despite its environment.
             It embodies the idea of blooming where you are planted
                           and does so with grace and beauty.
                     It inspires me to face adversity as a challenge,
           to be the good steward and make the very best of any situation.
                  The one thing I truly own is my attitude 
                     Lord help me to make mine like Yours.

Blessing
May you be blessed by a life of Godly stewardship
 and an attitude that gives you a heart after God.
May our Loving Father bless you with His Love,     Grace, Peace, Wisdom and everlasting JOY.

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 4, 2017.

             Canada Geese that I saw at the park in downtown Canton, NY.

            And lastly, don't let the sun set on you without seeking the Son
                         who will give you light and life everlasting. 

Just for Today, Lord

                                  As I gaze at this beautiful sunset, 
                              I am in awe of Your might and majesty.

Just for today, Lord, let me live Your way.

                       Please, Lord, open my eyes to  see You
                    and Your love in the beauty of Your creation.

Let me know that I cannot live in tomorrow.

I cannot relive yesterday.

Let me know that this moment is the one You give me now.

Let me make the most of it.

                            Your creativity and love, Lord
         are mirrored in the beauty You provide for our enjoyment.

Let me hear You knocking at my door this morning and invite You in.

Let me open my heart and soul to You.

Please fill me with Your love and Your JOY.

Just for today, please take hold of the strongholds of my flesh 
     and open my will to do Your will.

                             These lilies are beautiful 
         because they are true to the plan that the Creator made for them.                                            We too are made beautiful 
                       when we do our best to follow the Word.  
                              We cannot do this on our own 
                  but only through the grace of our Loving Father.
         

I’m not strong enough to handle all the things      
     that will take place in my tomorrows
     or to redo all my mistake and sin filled yesterdays
     but please give me the grace to live today
     to the best of my ability as that ability is guided by You.

I am weak and You are strong.

I am a speck. You are the creator.

I am sinful but You love me so much
     You want to spend eternity with me.

            (Cross on steeple at St.Gabriels Church near Paul Smiths, NY)
                   Lord, may I never forget what You paid for my sins. 
                        Please help me to live as You taught
                     so I can enjoy paradise with You forever.

Please forgive me my sins and help me Lord not to sin for today.

Please take my hand.

Please help me to make this my best day ever.

Please come back tomorrow and repeat.

Amen

                 Because we are made in the image and likeness of God, 
                       we too can reflect Him in all we say and do.
            Please Lord, let me be a loving, Godly reflection of Your love and JOY.
               Let Your light shine in and through me to everyone I meet.

Just for This Moment, Lord

Just for this moment, Lord,
may I enjoy my time with You.
May I praise You
and thank You for the multitude of blessings that I enjoy.
Quiet my thoughts.
Slow my breathing.
Close my eyes.
Just for this moment, Lord,
may I enjoy my time with You.
Amen

                            St. Gabriels Church near Paul Smith's, NY.
                   May we always make time to worship and fellowship 
                                  at the house of our choice, 
                          giving all glory and honor to the Creator 
                              who gives so much to us daily.

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 5, 2017

  

  

                     Take time to reflect and REJOICE!

Jesus, I am Your Little Girl

                                Your love makes my soul 
                                as beautiful as this sunset

You love me at all times.
You teach me.

When I come to You and I am dirty from my sins and my choices, you wash me clean with Your blood.

When I tell you I am sorry for what I have done wrong, you welcome me with open arms.

You whisper Your directions, Your way, the best way to proceed.

Sometimes You correct me when I am not listening. Sometimes, Your correction is very unpleasant or even painful. That is the way of all loving parents.

I welcome Your corrections because You are shaping me more and more into the child You want me to be.

You comfort me through all that life throws my way, including the problems that were caused by my own choices.

You see all my “boo boos.” You put your band aids on them and help me with my healing.

You always watch over me, allowing me to choose my path, nudging me along the right path but never forcing Your way.

If I were to stop listening and caring, You would still nudge but Your voice would get fainter.

Please help me never to allow that to happen.

When my choices cause the inevitable problems, You help me. There is never an “I told you so” or “you got what you had coming” even though I would so deserve those, even though I have been guilty of saying those to others.

You are so much better to me than I deserve.

Your love is so incredible.

I am so wonderfully blessed to be Your little girl, Jesus, I can’t wait to see Your loving face in person when I get to heaven. I can’t wait for a real hug from my “Daddy.”

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 
1 John 3:1

         Seen from boat launch in Madrid, NY,
          looking across the Racquette River
     Loving Father, You make all things beautiful.
              You renew us with Your love

                           Gazebo in park in Madrid, NY

                           Boat launch in Madrid, NY

Brook near Buck's Bridge, NY

River in Buck's Bridge, NY

You are My Awesome Father

You are Lord and Maker of all that exists

You are all powerful

You existed from before the beginning of time

You are the Great I AM, the Great Jehovah

You are the Prince of Peace and the Might of the Nations

You have endless names and titles

You are the greatest of all beings

You are not a creature but rather the creator

You are faithful from forever to forever

You are too wonderful for words

There are not words sufficient to describe You and Your qualities

But the greatest of these is love

And You are love incarnate

I love because You loved me first

How blessed I am to be Your creature and Your child

And to know You are my awesome Father who loves me!

We love because He first loved us.  1 John 4:19

Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.  Psalm 136:2

                                    Richville, NY taken from Route 11
                       Father, You are so much more faithful
                     than the seasons that follow each other.

                   An old silo and barn on Route 11 near Richville, NY

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Book Review



90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper

Would you like to find out what happens when you die?  Would you like to hear from someone who was dead for an hour and a half and came back?  Is heaven for real?  Read about someone who experienced just that first hand.  This is a very interesting and inspirational book.  I borrowed it from the Knapps Station Library.

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Knapps Station Community Church



Stay tuned for more information about Operation Arctic Vacation Bible School July 10-14 at Knapps Station Community Church.  It promises to be very COOL!

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Appreciating God Through the Beauty of Flowers

I invite you to check out my friend Jane Ault's blog post. As you may have noticed, I also love nature and flowers and never fail to find the glory of God through His magnificent handiwork.

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Chitty Chitty Bang Bang   Musical presented 
by the home schoolers at the Christian Fellowship Center in Madrid, NY! Tickets

May 4, 5, - 7:00

& 6th- 1:30 & 7 pm

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When You're Hit with Life's Hammer

I invite you to check out the blog post of my friend Jean Oathout.  Many posts center around the importance of prayer.  This one discusses dealing with the trials that life throws your way.

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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:

May you be blessed to know that you have a heavenly Father who loves you dearly.

May you always know that He is closer to you than you can possibly imagine.

And may you remember that He is always listening, patiently waiting for you to ask so He can answer.  

Know it will be in His time, His will and His way
and it will be perfect.

May God bless you greatly,
      my friend!

All photos taken by Debbie and Tim McEwen 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 May 20, 2017

                                      My backyard.
                   My heart sings with the new life of spring.
                   God is renewing the earth and me as well!

                    This is the first violet that I found this year.
                      Finding it  seemed like finding a treasure.
                      Finding God is the best possible treasure.