Praise You Lord for All Your Creation

Praise you Lord for the beauty that is always right in front of us.  
This is Lake Colby across from Saranac Lake Hospital.  
An overcast day had been predicted. 
God gave us a beautiful day to visit the doctor in Lake Placid.

Praise You Lord for the stars and moon
   that light our nights
   and bring our time of blessed sleep

Praise You for the sun that lights
   and warms our days so we can marvel
   in the glory of Your mighty hands

Praise You for the hills and mountains,

                Whiteface Mountain Lake Placid, NY

   for the rivers and streams

                     Eel Weir near Black Lake, NY

   that fill our lives with animals, fish, birds,

                             White tail deer

               A groundhog who makes his home under our shed.

                       A blue heron at Black Lake, NY

                  

   trees, flowers and bountiful foods for us 

Monarch butterfly on a Zinnia

                   Flowering crab apple tree in my back yard.
   to enjoy, to nourish our bodies and our souls

Praise You for the oceans filled with endless fish
   and amazing creatures.
   The seas are vast and deep
   like Your amazing love.

       On the shore of the St. Lawrence River near Massena, NY
           The sun shines on the water like God's love shines on us

                      My husband Tim with Rev. Dave Tulloch 
                       and the large mouth bass they caught.

Praise You for the four seasons
   that bring us variety and allow nature to rest,
   revive, grow, mature and be fruitful.        
   Your creation never ceases to amaze me
   with its variety and beauty

Near West Potsdam, NY

Ice storm Feb. 2016  Plumb Brook Road Norfolk, NY

Spring on the banks of the St. Lawrence River near Massena, NY

The trees are anxiously awaiting the coming of Spring
just as our souls are anxiously awaiting the touch of God.

                             River near Santa Clara, NY

                         Canada geese families at Black Lake, NY

                                       Summer wildflowers

                                  From bridge near Brushton, NY

                                Route 11 after Malone, NY

                                    Mown hay field near Lisbon, NY

Praise You for the rain and snow
   that bring life-giving water
   to our lives and our environment

                              Bank of frozen Black Lake, NY

 Praise You for all of nature that shouts Your praise         saying “The Almighty Creator and Lord of all,
    the Great I Am, made me. 
    Look at the beauty and infinite creativity
    of His loving hands.”

Praise You Loving Father for making me,
   “for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   Your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.” 
          Psalm 139:14

   The details of Your creation are infinite.
   No photograph has sufficient pixels to capture
       all the details.
   No painter can begin to duplicate the Master.

Praise you Lord for the wondrous majesty
   that is You!

Praise You for Your incredible love
   that caused You to call all creation
   into existence” to create mankind
   just a little lower than the angels,
   and crown him with glory and honor.” 
        Psalm 8:5.

Blessed be Your most holy name.  Amen


Commentary:

Look to the Lord, keep your eyes on Him.  
There is so much turmoil in the news right now.
It is so upsetting, so distracting.

Satan is working overtime.
He's polarizing us, dividing us.
He is taking our eyes off God.  

We must stand together in this
United States of America
to solve our problems and we must turn to God
for the solutions of these problems.
We cannot solve them on our own.

Our Loving Almighty Father can solve ANYTHING! And He will.  "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

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Knapps Station Community Church 

Roberts Wesleyan College Wind Ensemble
Monday Feb. 20, 2017    7pm    
Free Concert
Directed by Dr. Paul Shewan
at Knapp Station Community Church
3035 County Route 47
Norwood, NY  13668       353-5093

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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. 
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Give God Time To Answer

I heartily recommend this new blog post by my friend Jean Oathout.  It reminds us to keep praying for those things that are really important to us.  

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What Do You Need To Be Intentional?
Jane Ault's new blog post gives great advice on keeping focus in life, something I always need help with. 

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Book Reviews

 
Dirty Faith by David Z. Nowell

Do you feel that God is calling you to do more than go to church on Sunday, give your offering and "follow the rules?"  This book makes one think seriously about what it means to be a Christian and to do it the way Christ lived.  Great "food for thought."


Arms Open Wide by Sherri Gragg

Do you like a good story?  I do and this book takes well known Bible passages about Jesus and His followers and makes them into short stories.  These stories help us to better understand the Bible passages. 


The Lost Letters of Pergamum by Bruce W. Longenecker

This is a fictional set of letters between the apostle Luke and a Roman nobleman named Antipas.  The historical background gives us much insight into the horrible conditions that the early Christians lived in. It also gives incredible insight into the power of living as a real Christian and how that causes lives to be transformed.

Blessing

May you be greatly blessed as you see the magnificent beauty that our Loving Father has created for us.
May you always look to our Loving Father for guidance through the turmoil that life is throwing at all of us. Remember...God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5
And may your days be filled with the knowledge that your Loving Father deliberately chose you and loves you so much that even the hairs on your head are numbered and He knows that number so very well.

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 25, 2017

May God bless you greatly until we meet again.

And Happy Valentine's Day!

   Pictures of the 2017 Lake Placid Winter Festival Ice Castle taken 2-8-2017

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