I Hope to Sparkle

                      Photo taken on Rte. 56 between Norwood and Potsdam, NY 
                                        at Norwood Pond
                             When we allow and cooperate, 
                         Jesus makes us sparkle with His love.

I looked out the window and saw the sun shining on the fresh snow.  The snow lies flat reminding me of a frosted cake.  The sun is bright and individual flakes sparkle like prisms when the sun reflects on them.  The scene is so bright that it resembles of bed of diamonds shining in the sunlight.

Each snowflake is tiny and does not stand out but when joined with the thousands and maybe millions of flakes in my backyard, each does his part to make a thing of beauty.

These tiny flakes know only one thing, that is to be a snowflake, and each is the best snowflake he can be. 

It occurs to me that we are each very tiny in the scheme of creation and we may not feel very significant since  God has created billions and billions of people.  We may not feel that we stand out.  

However, if we each do our very best, we sparkle.

Our souls shine. 

                            This photo and the following ones 
                     were taken after the ice storm in Feb. 2016.

Each of us shines in our little place and each stands out to our Maker.  He individually chose us.  We were not random any more than the snowflakes that we are told are each shaped differently from every other snowflake.  

God has a special plan for each of us.  He placed us deliberately in a specific place and time with a specific job to do.

How do we find out what our job is?  

Good question.  

We pray. We evaluate out abilities and talents and gifts.  We develop those gifts and pray some more.  We listen and wait for that still small voice to speak through others, through what we read or even thoughts that come in our minds.

We read and study the Bible.  

When something is right for us, we will be at peace with it.  If is isn’t right for us, we will know no peace.

When we strive to find our purpose and then work to achieve it, when we do our very best, our souls will stand out like those fresh, clean snowflakes on the snow outside.

Then we will sparkle.  

I am still very much a work in progress and God has a lot of work to do with me.  

However, in due time, I really hope to sparkle.  

I hope you do too, my friend.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

                                The ice storm was serious and dangerous 
         BUT because the sun was shining, the landscape was gorgeous.
       Imagine what your life will look like when the SON shines through you.

    This and the next picture were taken on the back side of Norwood Pond.

Apologies:
I apologize for posting my blog a week late.  My 
computer wasn't working and had to be fixed.
I hope this is worth the wait.

Blessings:
I pray that God shines through you and your soul so you absolutely sparkle.
Blessings on you, my friend.

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 February 10, 2018.

            Even through the bitter cold of winter, there is great beauty.

                   God makes all things beautiful in their time.

                         Imagine what He can do for you, 

               the child that He chose before time even began.

Where are You, God?

                                                          The sun is setting. 
                           Light is leaving the world for the night.
                                      Have You left us, Lord?
                                            NEVER!
                               Jesus said, "Never will I leave you,
                                  never will I forsake you!"

Hurricanes have ravaged.
Droughts, forest fires, earthquakes,
tsunamis have struck.
Shootings, shootings, shootings!!

People are being oppressed.
Others are starving to death.

Man is hurting man.
Where does it end?

Where are You in all this?

You say You love us.
You say You are with us?
Where do You fit into all this chaos and pain?

I hurt for all these people.
My heart breaks.
When I open my heart to You, I feel that Your heart is breaking for all of them.
I can’t imagine how badly it must hurt You.

But where are You?

Why don’t You fix everything so there isn’t so much pain?

You let me know that You have given us free will, the power and right to choose how we behave.

People making terrible choices have caused so much of the pain we see.

The earth was perfect when You created it and then, Adam and Eve chose their own way, refusing to follow You.

Life became hard for all of us.

I suspect that their choices and resulting banishment from the Garden of Eden affected not only them and the rest of mankind but nature and the weather as well.

Who knew that eating one little piece of fruit could cause so much trouble!

Satan knew.
He knows today that every choice we make has repercussions.

It’s like throwing a pebble in a pond.
The ripples go on forever.

One sin causes so many things to happen.

One prayer does too.
It’s power goes on forever.

One act of kindness - to feed the starving, the give aid to the victims of the disasters, of the shootings.

One act of kindness and a lot of praying might even prevent some of the shootings, some of the oppression, some of the pain.

We are God’s hands, feet and tongue.
He acts through us.

That is where You are Lord
You are with us, guiding us to live as You taught us.
If we follow You and Your Way, we can make incredible differences in our world.
If we pray, if we do what You put in our path.
If we listen for Your still small voice directing us.

If !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
Matthew 25:31-40

      This bee is gathering pollen to make honey to feed the hive for the winter.  

      This is  her job.  It is what God made her to do and she does it well.

                                      Are you doing your job?

      Do you love God first and foremost and love your neighbor as yourself?               

               Nature reflects the beauty and wonder of the Creator.

                       Since we are made in His image and likeness,

             we also reflect Him when we follow His teachings and His love.

                  (a little brook on a side road near Saranac Lake, NY)

                 

Blessing:

May you be blessed my friend
by listening and watching carefully
to find the jobs that Our Father has in mind for you that no one else can fulfill quite the way you can.

May you have much JOY and peace 

in completing those jobs!

Be Blessed!!

                    Don't let the sun set without finding the true JOY 

              that comes from doing a little of the Lord's work each day.

                             If we each do our little bit each day,

                            truly amazing results will be achieved!

NOTICE!! NOTICE!! NOTICE!!

You can find and follow me now on Instagram by going to Instagram and entering:

#myheartjumpsforjoy.

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 21, 2017.

            I recently got a new camera. Now I can take moon shots.
    I took these over a few nights when the moon was at different phases. 
           With a more powerful lens I was able to see more details
                              of the moon's surface.  

    

With God All Things are Possible

          I could not create this kind of beauty on my own.  God created it.  
                                         I photographed it 
            and my husband edited the photograph taking out power lines 
                                  and enhancing the colors.
             It is amazing what we can do when we work with our Father.

I have taken on a new challenge 
to produce a blog 2 times per week. 
I feel stressed. 

How will I manage all that? 
How will I get all the pictures? 
How will I accomplish all I need to do? 

I looked at a serene picture 
and the Holy Spirit put the words in my mind 
and on my heart 
“What will the Lord give me?” 

This blog has never been about what I can accomplish. 
It has only been what the Lord gives and does. 

These are His words and if He wants me to do it,
“He will provide.”
And He always does. 

Remember that when life gets stressful. 
We can do little or nothing on our own 

but “With God all things are possible.”

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  Matthew 19:26

         This the same sunset a little earlier and at a different location.  
        God gives us so much regardless of our location or point of view.  
                 We only have to check out what He provides.  
                We are enriched when we share God's bounty.  
             He makes it possible to have enough for ourselves 
                    and to share with those who are needy.

        The cloud formations and colors changes as the sunset progresses.  
            I love to take lots of pictures and see what I can get.  
               I have "chased sunsets" to accomplish that end.  
       God provides so much when we open our eyes and hearts to His love.


Blessing: 
My friend, may you allow our Heavenly Father
    to enter and inhabit your heart and soul
May you find your rest, 
    and the incredible JOY that only He can provide.

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 2, 2017

                              When you give Him a chance, 
                      He will lead you beside the still waters 
                               amid the storms of life 
                       and He WILL give peace to your soul.
       (photo taken at a campground near Eel Weir, near Black Lake, NY)

What Will You Do with Your Allowance?

                      River Road between Norfolk and Raymondville, NY

There is a pile of rocks in the middle of this field that allows the flowers to grow undisturbed.  Sometimes our disadvantages can be blessings in disguise that allow us to develop talents that we never would have considered if not for that pesky "disadvantage or disability!"

When we were born, we were each given an allowance by God. 

                           Our true colors show the brightest in adversity 
                                      as when a storm is brewing.

We were born into our family which may have lots or little money. We might or might not be beautiful or strong or athletic. We might be talented in some area. We each had a series of experiences that shaped us into the people we are now. 

Each of our positive and negative qualities is our allowance. Even negative ones can be positive if used in the right way. 

For example, someone who is stubborn is also persistent and may work very hard to achieve a goal. Someone who is not very strong or athletic may have developed skills observing others and could use those skills to help someone who is athletic to get better at their sport.

This dandelion was created by Our Maker to bloom and die to spread its seeds and birth more dandelions.

We were born and live to die to self, to bloom in the life of Our Maker,

to spread His Word and birth more Christians.

We may think we earned our skills or allowance but whatever we have, whatever we were born with or born into is not in our control. Some call it the luck of the draw. I chose to call it our allowance from God.

What does all this mean? It means that we are what we are by the grace of God and not due to anything we had control over or could earn.
What are we supposed to do with our allowance? 

I think we need to make the best with whatever we have. 

             This little pink wildflower blooms with the beauty of God 
                             despite any and all adversity.

God tells us that we need to love Him first and best. We need to follow His direction. We need to repent of our sins, which is telling God we are sorry for what we did wrong and try our best to not sin again. 

Second we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. That means we are to treat each other the way we want to be treated. I think it means we look for opportunities to help others and then do what is right even when it’s not convenient or pleasant. 

That’s also a great way to teach others about God and God’s love – by example.

            The lily of the valley is not showy but its fragrance is so sweet.
                       When we really practice what Jesus taught, 
                 we too will leave a "sweet fragrance" by our actions.

This doesn’t mean that we don’t take care of ourselves or our families. God wants us to enjoy our lives. He gave us much to enjoy. But it does mean that we owe everything we have to God and His grace. And it means that we must give our best to Him just as He gave His best to us.

God gives us everything and just asks that we give Him one tenth of our allowance. That means we get to keep the other nine tenths that He gave us! 

Would you give so much with so little return? God does. What a bargain!

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19 

And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.  Matthew 22: 37-39

                                                 Sunrise

                                   Sunset
The Lord is with you from the moment you awake until you close your eyes.  He is with you all night long and through the most difficult and the best times of your life.  He will never leave your side and He will help you through whatever comes your way.

Addendum:  One of the most important parts of our allowance is our time.  How we spend it is so important.  Our time with God is critical.  When He knocks on the door each morning, open the door, invite Him in and speak with Him as you would with your very best friend.  He's waiting patiently for you.
P.S. Some days get very hectic.  If you don't have time for a long conversation with God, send Him a quick "text" in your thoughts and let Him know you welcome Him every day.

          This picture was taken on Miner St. Canton.  

River seen on River Road near Raymondville, NY

       When we enjoy the beauty of nature 

         it would be difficult not to contemplate on the Maker 

        who provides such beauty for us to enjoy.

Please Come In, Lord

(a dialog with God)
It’s morning

I can hear you knocking at my door, Lord

Please come in

Please sit with me and talk with me

Please open my heart to listen to you and only You

Please take away all the distractions

Begone satan, you are not wanted or welcomed

Begone from my day, from my thoughts, from my words and deeds

Lord, You are welcome

I choose you, Lord, today

I ask You to please stay with me all day

Please be my constant companion and my guide

Lord, how are you today?

What would You tell me?

My child

You know how much I love you

And I love You, too, Lord

You know I wish you well

Yes, Lord

I know you read my Book

Yes, Lord

You ask for my company

And that is what I really want, your time with me

I will teach you as the day progresses, as things come up in your life

I will speak in my still small voice and tell you what to do and what not to do

I don’t always listen well, Lord but I really want to

My willfulness gets in the way and I am so sorry

I know child

I know you are trying and that is what I seek

The harder you try, the more you will achieve and the closer to Me you will become

You will make mistakes and commit sins but as long as you keep trying your hardest and continue to repent, I will forgive you

You are now Mine and I never let go of what is Mine

Don’t ever forget that

Some days will be wonderful

Some days will be incredibly difficult

Take my hand and I will walk with you every single day of your life, shaping you and molding you into the child I will take home to paradise

Come walk with me today, child

Today is one day closer to the day I will take you Home

Thank you so much, Lord.  Amen


Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 
Revelation 3:20

     Just as the patches of grass are in the middle of this river near Norfolk, NY, 
            we are afloat in the river of life that can have so much turmoil.  
     God will take our hand and guide us home if we only invite Him in our lives.

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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.

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Knapps Station Community Church

Would you like a fresh Strawberry Shortcake dessert after a delicious roast pork dinner for only $8.00? Check us out on June 15, 2017.

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Why Do We Wrestle? (in prayer)

My friend Jean Oathout shares a blog post explaining why we may wrestle when we pray and why that has great value to us.  I invite you to check it out.

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The Seven R's of Restful Living - Receive Kindly Spoken Truth

I invite you to check out my friend Jane Ault's latest blog post.  She explains how listening to God's still small voice has helped her bring so much peace into her life.

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Blessing:

May you be greatly blessed my friend 

    when you accept Jesus' outstretched hand

May His still small voice guide you 

    to His amazing peace and JOY 

    that never fails you

And may you take your Father's hand as He 

    leads you home to paradise

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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 June 17, 2017

My husband, Tim took this picture of a low flying jet from our home.  We do not live near an airport and have wondered why it was so close.

              It's never too late to invite Him in.  
          Jesus is delighted to be in your company 
                      even if it's sunset!