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.

The Knot

                 Does your life ever get twisted and confused?

                          Do you ever feel like you are tied in a knot
                      and have no idea of how to get straightened out?

Sometimes my life is so difficult 

  that it seems to be tied in a knot.

I get anxious.

I absolutely cannot manage things on my own 

  and tend to make them worse 

  when I try to proceed.

However, when I pray 

  and put everything in God's hands, 

  He untangles the threads one by one 

  that were tied so tightly. 

He smooths out the bumps and loops. 

It seems so simple when He gets done. 

I can see clearly now, 

  when before it had been such a tangled mess. 

He puts His hands on my shoulders 

  and I can feel His loving presence 

  calming my anxiety 

  and taking my worries away. 

He shows me the way to proceed. 

And it always works.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
               Proverbs 3:5-6

       Jesus has the incredible ability to straighten out our messes 
                    when we surrender to Him and His love.

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Monday July 9 through Friday July 13
      6:00 to 8:00 PM

(Registration starts at 5:30 on Monday night 

   or you can pre-register.  

   Registration forms are available at Church.)
Vacation Bible School
at Knapps Station 
            Community Church

Children ages 2-12 are encouraged to come and 
     learn more about Jesus and the bible
     through stories, crafts, games, snacks, 
     music and fun.

There is no charge 
  and each child receives a free t-shirt.

There is also a free hotdog cookout with bouncy house, smores and much more on Friday July 13.  Everyone is welcome for a fun night.

Here are a few moments of the great fun from last year's VBS whose theme was "Operation Arctic".

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Prayer Request

5 people were shot and killed at a newspaper in Maryland yesterday.  2 more were injured.  This makes my heart ache.  There has been way too much violence.  Please pray for everyone involved.  Please pray that all people allow God into their hearts and allow Him to work.  This world needs Jesus more than ever.  He is the only solution to all our problems.  He can work out solutions where none existed before.  And He always will - if we just cooperate.  Please pray that we all cooperate.

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 July 14, 2018.

                                          Both flowers are beautiful.
The one in the sun is more beautiful just because the sun shines on it.
                          We and our lives are so much more beautiful 
                                when the Son (Jesus) shines on us.

May God bless you greatly, 
           my friend!

I Can Hardly Wait For Tomorrow

This beautiful sunset promises a beautiful day tomorrow.  When we walk with our Father, He promises "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you."

When I started my walk with the Lord, I saw that He was already walking beside me, waiting for me.
He held out His hand and said,“Come follow me.”

I took His hand gingerly because this was a new experience.

The longer I walked with Jesus, the more I saw evidence that He had always been there, always loving me, always taking good care of me.

Wild flowers grow amid rusty barbed wire.  Jesus is with us amid all the chaos and ugliness that the world throws at us.  He makes all things beautiful in His time.

I remember the car crash when I fell asleep at the wheel. My 2 older grandsons were in the car.

The car was totaled but no one got hurt.

I hadn’t started my walk yet and only thought I had been very lucky.

I remember having pains, finding out I needed my gallbladder removed and in the process the doctor found Crohns. Since it was discovered so early, I do not suffer the terrible effects that so many have. Again I thought I was lucky.

Recently I again had abdominal pains only to discover an inflamed appendix and a cyst on an ovary. Surgery removed both. The ovary contained a benign tumor.

This time I knew how very blessed I am and knew exactly who to thank for my blessings.

As I have continued my walk, I see His hand in so many areas of my life and in the lives of others.

Just as this doe is protecting her fawn, Jesus has been protecting me and you. We may have troubles but Jesus is always with us, helping us.

The longer I walk with Him, the more I realize that I need to reach out my hand and firmly take His outstretched hand to help me.

The older I get, the more I realize that I cannot manage on my own. I make messes on my own.

When I allow God to lead, He takes me where I need to go. I may not realize it at the time. Sometimes it really seems like a wrong turn but it never is when He is leading the way.

I finally realize that when I hold His hand tightly, that I am safe and so secure. I may have troubles, pains and serious problems but with Him at my side, I will never be alone and He will lead me along the right path.

I have come to see that He is working on me, shaping me into the child that He will take home.

I look forward to the next steps on my walk. I have come to see that every step leads to an adventure with Jesus.

I can hardly wait for tomorrow.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

This is what the road in front of our house looks like now.  We keep wondering what's happening next?  When will it be done?  What will it look like?  Will it be the improvement that we were led to expect?  When Jesus works on us, there is no question that we will be perfect when He gets done with us.


I Just Don’t Understand, Lord

I just don’t understand, Lord, why bad things happen to good people.

I just don’t understand why such bad things happen to innocents, especially children.

I don’t understand why You answer some prayers but not others.

I don’t understand why such terrible people sometimes truly prosper.

There are so many mysteries that my little mind cannot fathom.

The sunset through dead branches and leaves.  When we die to sin, we are born again in the light of the Lord.

I also don’t understand why You love us so much all the time, even when we are rotten to the core.

I don’t understand why you give us limitless second chances for redemption in this life.

We are so imperfect and I really do speak for myself.

Milkweed flower.  God sees the beauty in all of us.  Remember, we are all made in His image and likeness.

Yet I feel Your incredible love and caring.

You are my father and I guess I don’t have to understand everything to feel Your love and know You are working in my life.

It's difficult for me to care for outside flowers but I like my orchids.  When one door closes, another opens.  God give us limitless opportunities to enjoy the beauty of His creation.

In my heart of hearts, I know You work in my best interest and in the best interest of everyone else.

I know that sometimes it’s our job to right a wrong or help someone in need. You put us in a situation to fix something that is broken, to do our part to fix a world that is broken.

I am confident You will give us whatever we need to accomplish what You want us to do.

I know You see the big picture from beginning to end and know how it all turns out and what needs to happen to get there.

God can see everything from the beginning to the end of time just as we can see all the craters of the moon at the same time.  We can have absolute confidence that He will make everything come out right in the end.

I know You love us so much that You became one of us to teach us how to live; how to love You first and best and to love one another as we love ourselves.

I know You, the Lord of all Lords and creator of all that is was tortured to death by Your creatures to redeem us from our sins and give us a way to eternal paradise with You.

There is so much that I just don’t understand but I know enough to know that I can completely trust You and Your way.

I will accept my lack of understanding in the areas that are too much for my little mind and be confident that my Loving Father has everything under His loving control.

Trust in the LORD and do good;

Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the LORD;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday.
Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.
Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more;
And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.
Psalm 37:2-10

Spirea bush after the blossoms have fallen off.  There is such beauty in all of creation.  God is making all things beautiful - especially YOU!

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Knapps Station Community Church

Operation Arctic Vacation Bible School.

Mark your calendars: 6 to 8 pm on July 10 to 14 (Monday to Friday)for a really cool time.  Come for the fun, the snacks, the crafts, the great music, the fellowship and learn how much God loves you.
  
Come to the puppet show and meet Bashful Little Bear, the baby polar bear, Ditty the husky puppy, the musk ox, Toothpick the Narwhale, Artie and Brownie the bunnies and more. Learn about the original Operation Arctic where the men and sled dogs traveled 600 miles across the frozen arctic to rush medicine to very sick children.

As an added bonus, there is NO CHARGE for your child to attend.

Friday night is Family Fun Night and the whole family is invited for fun and a barbecue. 

                     *************

Come and see our float at the 4th of July Parade in Norwood, NY.

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Rejoice With Your Friends is Jane Ault's latest blog post to share with us how she has learned to find Restful Living and JOY in the Lord while enjoyng her friends at the same time.

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Prayer, the Nemesis of Satan is Jean Oathout's new blog post about how we can actually become an effective opponent of the devil through prayer.

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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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Blessing:

My friend, may you always know that your Heavenly Father has your back.

You can absolutely trust Him.

When you follow Him and His ways, you can rest assured that you will end up in paradise for eternity.

May you be blessed in the assurance of your 

   heavenly "insurance policy."

It pays incredible dividends!!

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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 July 15, 2017

The orange "thing" on the blade of grass is a snail in the field behind our house.
We have interesting "wild life".

                                                   Peonies.

Some kind of wild flowers that grow near our house.  Something (maybe that pretty doe that was in the earlier photos) ate the tops of my stella dora lilies and hostas so Tim has to photograph the wild flowers!

I Can’t Do This but You Can, Lord

You can see the power and might of the upcoming storm in this sunset just as you can see the power and might of our Maker in all that is around us.

I can’t make this happen but You can

I can’t get well on my own, 

   only You can make it happen

I can’t improve my relationship with friends
    and family, on my own
You can make it happen

                        Life can be dark and foreboding.  
                We can fear what is lurking in the shadows.  
              Jesus is the light shining through the darkness
                who will lead us to safety, love and peace.

I can’t improve my finances on my own

Only You can make it happen

This blue iris has never bloomed before.  God makes all things beautiful in their time.  It is very welcome this year.

My friend is very sick,
   the doctors can only do so much
You can heal her

I was very sick and had surgery
You guided the doctors and support staff
You brought me where I am now,
   well on my way to complete recovery


You are in complete control

After the rain comes the rainbow.  God is there through every storm that life sends our way.  He makes all things beautiful in their time.

I know when I put my life in Your hands,
   I am completely safe

When I put my situation in Your hands,
I have complete trust that You will manage everything in my best interest

I make such messes.

When I give it all to You, You make my messes 

  into something beautiful.

Actually You make all things beautiful in Your time

I am so weak, You are completely powerful

How blessed I am that You are so loving and caring

You do not squash me like the annoying bug
   that I am.

                    Lord, thank you for seeing the beauty that is in me
                        and for loving me even when I am at my worst.

Instead, You are the Master Potter who is shaping me    into the perfect child that You will take home
   to paradise

I can’t do this on my own, only You can

And I know You will

Thank You, Father.

For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome...Deuteronomy 10:17

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

Please Lord

My friend is so sick.

Her poor body has endured so much.

Only You know what is best right now

But if it be Your will, if this be in Your time
  and Your way

Please heal her

                  Please give her the love that only You can provide.  
               Please let her feel the wonderful JOY of Your healing touch

If You take her, I know she will go to heaven
  and have no regrets

But I will miss her so much if You take her home now

  
I cry for myself and for the others who love her

We need her

She is such a loving soul who cares so much
  for so many people

As Jesus, said, Your will not mine be done

But I know You listen and You care

So I’m asking, I’m knocking and I’m seeking

And pleading with my Loving Father

Please Lord, heal her.

"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

                         Racquette River on Miner St.  Canton, NY

The Lord is My Shepherd

{A Psalm of David.} 

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  

Psalm 23: 1-4  King James Version

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Book Reviews

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis   Mr. Lewis argues and explains many aspects of Christianity such as why 2 people become the 2 halves of a whole unit when they marry.  He discusses that there is a universal understanding of right and wrong, of fairness that all people have though often do not follow. 

This is my first time reading this book.  There is so much meat to digest that I must read it at least one more time to fully appreciate the great insights that Mr. Lewis offers.

This is a book to be read slowly and digested in bites.  I recommend this highly.

Esther by John Piper

This gem is a lovely poem by a great preacher as well as a book of lovely paintings.  It is the story of Esther, Queen of Persia who just happened to be a Jew. She risked everything to save her people.

The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers

Just what is a "sin eater" and can he save your soul?

This historical novel by master story-teller Francine Rivers is a riveting tale of a young girl with a very guilty conscience.  She seeks the sin eater to take away her guilt and finds her heart's true desire.  I borrowed this page turner from the Knapps Station Church Library.  Please note:  The book jacket on the book I borrowed is different from the picture above.

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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.

****************************************************

Knapps Station Community Church

Our Strawberry Shortcake Dinner was a great (and delicious) success as evidenced by all the happy diners who told me as much.

Upcoming is 

Operation Arctic Vacation Bible School.

Mark your calendars: 6 to 8 pm on July 10 to 14 (Monday to Friday)for a really cool time.  Come for the fun, the snacks, the crafts, the great music, the fellowship and learn how much God loves you.  I help with the puppet show at the opening and closing of each day and have so much fun with the kids especially the little ones.  

As an added bonus, there is NO CHARGE for your child to attend.

Friday night is Family Fun Night and the whole family is invited for fun and a barbecue. 

                     *************

Come and see our float at the 4th of July Parade in Norwood, NY.

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Seven R's of Restful Living - Resist Resentment

Seven R's of Restful Living - Reduce Committments

My friend Jane Ault has written 2 excellent blog posts that give us great advice to help us live more restfully with more time for ourselves and for God.

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We are Most Godlike When We Share God's Travail

My friend Jean Oathout's blog discusses the importance of putting your passion and deep-down care into your prayers.  God does not want wishy-washy prayers.  He wants you to pray like it's really important to you.  I think when it becomes really important to you, it becomes really important to Him too.

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Blessing:

May you be blessed in the knowledge that you have a Loving Father who is all powerful and all loving.

He is capable of creating the universe and a butterfly - at the same time.

He is the voice of thunder and the voice of your newborn child.

May you always know that even when you are powerless, you have a Father who always has your back and He never turns His back on you!

Your prayers mean the world to Him.

He always listens and answers.

The friend who was so ill that I wrote "Please Lord" for is on the mend.  Thank You and Praise You Lord!

Update:  I got word today that she has yet more complications.  Please pray for her and all the people on your heart.  God really does listen.  He's just waiting for us to ask.  God bless you greatly, my friend!

              With God all things are possible.

               His mercies are never ending.

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 July 1, 2017

Playground at Knapps Station Church

The Girl's Club made this a couple of weeks ago.

More pix of the road construction in front of our house.

                A deer in our back yard.