Thank you, Father

                       "This is the day the Lord hath made
                           let us rejoice and be glad in it."
                                            Psalm 118:24
                This is a picture of my backyard and the fields behind.
                     I greatly appreciate where He has "planted" me.
                      God is so gracious with His many blessings.


Thank you for this opportunity.

A pending surgery doesn’t sound like an opportunity
   to say thank you
   but it is.

You are giving me the opportunity to surrender
   to You and Your love,
   Your grace and Your peace.

You are giving me the opportunity for spiritual growth
   and for You to work on my soul.

You are the potter
   who is constantly tweaking His work to improve it.
I am the clay that is being tweaked.

I started out as a big lump that needed shaping.
You had a plan and started working on me.
You poked and prodded. You nudged.
You removed the excess that is not part of Your plan.

Sometimes it was painful for me.
Sometimes I didn’t want to give up that excess.

However, You are the Master Potter. 

I am only the clay.

Who knows best?
You, of course.

This upcoming surgery is another opportunity
   for You to work on me.

I am learning to trust. I am learning to have faith. It’s not always easy.
Sometimes I have control issues.

However, I need to remember
   that You made everything that exists.
You absolutely know what is best
   and how everything will turn out.

I need to remember that You are my loving Father
   and that I rest firmly in the palm of Your hand.
I need to remember that You will never let go,
   never drop me,
   that You said,
   “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

I need to remember that Your love for me is limitless
   and that You suffered a horrendous death
   to pay my way to spend eternity with You
   in Paradise.

Therefore, I know I can trust You with my surgery.

Thank you, Father. 

                         "Consider how the wild flowers grow.             
                              They do not labor or spin.
            Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor
                     was dressed like one of these." Luke 12:27

                              I found this "arrangement" 
                        growing wild beside my garage.
                        I've never seen the two color lily before.
                     It must be one of those little "God surprises"
                                 that God uses to bless us.

As I was putting this on my blog post, a tremendous storm came up.  The skies opened and the rain poured.  The wind blew hard and the thunder roared.  A very large limb broke off a tree that is against my house and the limb with all the adjoining branches fell against my house.  It partially blocked the entrance BUT there is absolutely no damage to my house.  There will be a lot of work to clean up the mess but no repairs to make.  God is so good, all the time.  He takes care of us through everything that life and Satan can throw at us.

                      This is what I saw when I opened the door 

     after the branch broke.

                   This is what it looked like from outside the house.

This is my husband starting to cut up the branch.  

We got it cleaned up in less than an hour.

"It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, 

and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain."  

Isaiah 4:4

I wrote the "Thank You, Father" prayer because I am facing abdominal surgery that may be laparoscopic or may need to be major surgery if the polyp that needs to be removed is in the "wrong" location.  I came away from the surgeon's office frazzled.  I know I'm not supposed to worry, but I was.  I called to ask for prayers from my church family and I wrote this prayer.  I am now at peace about the surgery.  It is in the hands of a very good surgeon but ultimately in the hands of my Loving Father who will take the very best care of me.  I am fortunate that the surgeon believes in prayer and I asked that he pray for me.  I am so blessed that God put me where He did, among so many Godly people who are my church family and friends.  I am loved and cared for.  I can only wish and pray for this blessing for all of you.

        Another beautiful sunset from my backyard.
              I have so many things for which to say
                                  "Thank you, Father."

****************************
Save the date.  Mark your calendar.
YUMMY  YUMMY  YUMMY
Knapps Station Community Church will have its
Annual Chicken Pie Dinner 
Thursday,  September 19, 2019 

Times:  starting at 5 pm for the dining room
     take outs will be available starting at 4:30 pm

You can call ahead for take outs if you wish
  Call Barb at 315-212-9771 
      or June at 315-244-3149 for take outs 
Or to order a whole chicken pie for $10.00
Whole pies must be pre-ordered by Sept. 12.

Menu:  Chicken pie, mashed potatoes and gravy,  squash, green beans, rolls, and for dessert either apple crisp or pumpkin pie

Prices:  Adult (ages 12-90)  still $8.00
            Child (ages 5-11)    still $4.00
            Free for those under 5 and over 90
            Take outs are available at the same prices
           
****************************

Prayer Request:  I ask everyone to pray that God softens all hearts.  There is so much division, so much hate in our country right now.  Some of you may already be praying for all the victims of the horrendous shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio from this past weekend and I encourage those prayers. I also ask you to pray for everyone who has hardened their hearts and would wish to harm anyone else.  God loves all of us regardless of the color of our skin, where we came from, how we choose to worship Him or who we love.  All lives matter.  God listens and He answers prayers.  If we all pray every week for all those with hurtful intentions, I wonder how many shootings might be prevented, how many lives might be saved and how much heartache might be prevented. Let's call this Preventive Prayer and pray with all our might.  Pray for love and peace and God's JOY to fill the emptiness of those hardened hearts.

              Just as the wax will soften 
                   when the flames melt it,
              so too will hardened hearts soften 
                 when we pray and God acts.

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 have not posted regularly and I apologize to my followers.

Life, health issues and grandchildren interfere.

Mea culpa my friends.

I will try to do better in the future.

Blessing:  

I pray for God's blessings on all of you.

I pray that you experience
    His many "God surprises" 
    on a daily basis.
I pray that you experience 
    the JOY of having

   God touch your heart and soul.

You only have to allow Him in.

Blessings, my friend!!!

           This dragonfly (I think that is what it is)                       
                    is so delicate and beautiful.

          God made us all in His image and likeness.

                      Just imagine how much He loves us.

                     "For You formed my inmost being;

     You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

                             I will praise You,

        for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

                      Marvelous are Your works,

                  and I know this very well."

                                 Psalm 139:13-14
                     
                                 Thank you, Father.

Each One Counts

                 These young barn swallows hatched in our garage.  

     My husband was using an impact wrench today and they never moved.  

                         One even seems to be sleeping.  

                      They have grown up in this garage 

             and know they have nothing to fear from my husband.  

                 Our Father is always near and watching over us.  

                      We are each so precious in His sight.

                              (Photo by Tim McEwen)

Every individual, every person, every soul,
every one of us that God created is precious 
in His sight.

He thought up each one of us 
long before we were born.

And He loves each of us without measure.

God desperately wants each of us 
to spend eternity with Him.

He loves us so much that He forgives us 
when we do wrong,ask for forgiveness 
and try our best not to sin again.

Just as we forgive our children when they say 
“I’m sorry” and mean it, 
when we do the same, all is forgiven. 

Regardless of what happens or what they do,
we never stop loving our children.

Neither does God.

God left nothing to chance.

He loves us so much that He sent 
His precious only Son to teach us how to live 
and love each other.

This Son paid for our sins and opened the door 
to heaven so each of us could spend eternity 
with our Heavenly Father.

After Jesus died, He sent the Holy Spirit to help us.

God gave us His Word, the Bible, the ultimate guidebook on our road to the greatest treasure, 
which is heaven for eternity with our Father.

God has provided everything we need
to follow that road leading to heaven.

We only have to choose to take that road.

God loves us so much that He wants to give us 
the opportunity to choose.

He does not force us.

But He is anxiously waiting for each one of us.

Will you join Him for eternity, precious child?

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.  Matthew 10:29-31

             This petunia was growing out of the asphalt 
               in front of a restaurant in Waddington, NY.
                    God never ceases to amaze me 
        in that He showers blessings on me - large and small
                  Some, like this flower, just to please me.


Requests for prayers:
My dear friends, yesterday and today, we received news of 2 major earthquakes in California.  We need to pray for everyone involved.  This is so serious and so dangerous.

Also, my heart is breaking for the migrants who are living in cages in terrible conditions.  Children have been separated from parents.  Can we put politics aside and pray for all these people?  Most are here to escape even worse conditions in their home countries.   When asked who is our neighbor, Jesus gave us the parable of the Good Samaritan. Doesn't that make all these people our neighbors?
Please pray that this situation is resolved and made right.  If you can do more, please do what God leads you to do. 

James 1:22 says "Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says."
Verse 27 says "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

             This is some of the group from 2018's Vacation Bible School
         Splash Canyon 
     Vacation Bible School

  for children ages 4-12
when:  July 8-12, 2019; 6-8 pm
Knapps Station Community Church
3035 County Route 47
Norwood, New York  13668
Registration begins @ 5:30 pm
      Monday July 8
Come for the fun
Come and bring your friends.
Come for the games, snacks, crafts, songs and dances, puppet shows
Come to learn more about God through Bible Stories and verses
There is no charge for this fun time.
Friday night will have a hot dog cook-out with a bouncy house and more.

These are just a few pictures of the fun from last year.  Come and be in next years pictures.

It is Only Through Your Grace, Father

I could not have made it on my own.
You were with me every step of the way,
every single day.

I was never alone, never lonely.

You spoke to me, directing me, encouraging me, helping me.

Your love is absolutely amazing.
Your kindness is so wonderful.

You are so wonderful.

You are faithfulness from forever to forever.

I am so blessed to be Your child.

Blessed be Your most holy name.


My dear friends.  I apologize that I am once again late getting my post out.  I had my left knee replacement on May 7 and went to a rehab in Tupper Lake, NY on May 10 to May 23.  The surgery was successful and the rehab was most beneficial.  I am doing very well and am in out-patient therapy.  However, I am very slow with everything I do.  

God was with me all through the surgery and recovery.  Actually He has been with me ever since He thought of me and caused me to be born.  I had to learn that He was always there.  Now I can look back through my life and see His footprints and His love.  

I also know that all the prayers and love that I received from my family and friends made all the difference in the world.  
May God bless you all.  Thank you.

Anyhow, it is late Monday night and I wanted to at least touch base with my friends with an update on me and the following important news.

Knapps Station Community Church, Norwood, NY will have their annual Strawberry Shortcake Dinner 
on Thursday June 13, 2019
Dinner consists of  roast pork, potatoes, vegetable, applesauce, rolls and strawberry shortcake.
starting at 4:30 for takeouts and 5 pm for eat in.
Dinners cost
age under 5 and over 90 are free
age 5 -12 are $4.00
ages 12 to 90 are $8.00
extra shortcake is $2.50

Sorry I didn't have time put in pictures.  I will try to do better from now on.

This is the Day…

It’s early May and the weather is finally warm enough to go outside without a jacket. Yeah!! The grass is that wonderful shade that I like to call Spring green. Trees are starting to produce tiny baby leaves that create almost a green translucent veil. The birds are singing. The sky is blue today with white, puffy clouds that I also like to call “happy” clouds because it makes me happy to have clear weather with warm sunshine. Some flowers are starting to bloom in other peoples’ yards. I have one lone blue Siberian Cilla blossoming.

 

          These are my Mother's Day flowers from my 4 year old grandson 

                              that I still have to plant.

 There are very few bugs. In the evening I hear the frogs and “peepers” singing. The frogs croak seeking a mate. The peepers sound a little like tiny jingle bells. Again, another very happy sound. The “muddy season” has passed.

Spring is upon us. It is the time of new growth and a time to rejoice. In all days, God gives us reason to rejoice but today it is especially so. This day truly make my heart sing and praise my Maker who gave me all these gifts just to delight me. This doesn’t mean that my life is perfect. I have as many issues as everyone else, but I choose to put them aside and enjoy this day with all the JOY that my Sweet Lord has given me and say

This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Will you join me and celebrate this glorious day?

May God bless you greatly, my friend.

                                       A recent picture of the moon.

                      God has placed so much beauty here for us to enjoy.

Prayer Requests:

There is so much turmoil in this world, so much hate and strife.  So many people have been hurt and killed as a result.  Please pray for all the victims and all the ones who seek to hurt others.  Pray that God change all our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh so we can truly love our brothers as we love ourselves.

I would also appreciate your prayers for me.  I will have a total knee replacement of my left knee tomorrow.  Thank you.

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.

                A couple of recent golden sunsets from different days.
                        I live where I get to see a beautiful sunset many days 
                             if I only choose to look in the right direction. 
                                             I think life is like that.
                                   We can find beauty and goodness
                                           in almost any situation,
                                if we choose to look in the right direction. 
                                                      
              

Time Races By

"but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

My life is passing so quickly.
Days merge, a blur
Weeks and months disappear, gone forever

What did I do?
Did I make each day count?
Did my life count?
Am I living in the moment?

Or am I just existing and riding the tide of life passing by? 

Will I leave my footprint as I pass?
Will it matter that I lived, that I existed?
Will I make a positive difference in anyone’s life?

Can I try to do that each day?
With little kindnesses and encouragements and smiles?

Can I treat my brother as myself, reflect a little of God’s love on each so each sees God through me?

If I can do that, then my life will matter as I race to my eternal home.

Then I will leave each of my footprints topped with the Cross for others to follow, 
as time races by.

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace. Acts 20:24

               As I race through my life, 
      am I racing for the gold or to the Son?
      It really does make quite a difference
                  when I get to eternity.
                       Think about it.

Prayer Request:
Please pray for kindness, love and tolerance for all of us.  There is so much hate and intolerance that is growing in our country and around the world.  Please pray for God to take our hearts of stone and give us hearts of flesh so we love God first and foremost.  And then that we love each (that is every other person in the world) as we love ourselves.  These are the 2 great commandments that Jesus gave us.

May God bless you greatly, my friend with His mighty love and grace.

Apology:  I apologize that it has taken me 2 months to publish another blog.  As my blog says, I have been very busy and the days flew by.  I will try very hard to publish every 2 weeks from now on.  I ask your forgiveness and appreciate your understanding. 

                    As your life races by,

            stop by the church of your choice,
               to review your road map for life.
                   God's Word, the Bible 
        is the best road map for life that exists.
     This church is near Paul Smith's College, NY.

                      This my church, 
          Knapps Station Community Church.
                   I feed my soul here 
            as I worship and study the Bible 
              and fellowship with others. 
         

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.

                      As your life races by,
            remember to check out the beauty 
              that God places on your path.

Ask and You Shall Receive

                               We reach out to our Father 

                     and put our little hand in His big, loving hand 

                                that is reaching out to us.  

                                   We ask "Daddy can I?" 

                       and He always answers what is best for us.

The Bible verse says:

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Luke 11:9

Does that mean that God gives us everything that we ask for?

How about if we pray for our requests in Jesus’ most precious name?

How about if we ask for it for years?

Regardless of our request and prayers, our Father knows what is best for us. He also has a plan for us and for all creation.

Sometimes He does say yes. Other times He says no. Sometimes He says, not now.

All things must be His will, His way and in His time.

Does that mean that He doesn’t listen and doesn’t care? Absolutely not!! He certainly does listen and care and does answer prayers BUT the ones He says yes to must be “in His will”, which is what He knows is best for us.

Many of us are parents and have had our children ask for any number of things. Some are good for them. Some are not. Sometimes they are too young for those things. When my son was 4 years old, he wanted to use a paring knife and was absolutely certain that he could use it and not get hurt. I could not say yes at that age but did say yes when he was older and more experienced. A 14-year-old may want to drive the car. We have to say no until they are old enough and have a learner’s permit. Even then, we must ride with them and teach them the right way to drive. Then they have to pass all the required tests to earn the right to drive alone.

God is our parent and He only wants what is absolutely the best for us. He does not say no merely because he wants to punish or does not love us. Actually, God delights in pleasing us just as we delight in pleasing our children. He is also delighted when we talk with Him, that is pray to Him. He craves our company, just as we crave the company of those we love.

Go ahead and ask God for the things you want. Talk to Him about everything that is on your mind. He would love to hear from you. Hearing from you every day would be just right.

Just know that when you ask, He will always give you exactly what is best for you and precisely what you need and when you need it, even if you don’t realize it at the time.

That’s what the best Parents do.

Springtime Battles

Muddy, muddy, gush, gush
As my feet go push, push
Across the soft and wet, wet ground

Mud tries hard to suck me down
Tries to take my shoes and keep me
But I stand firm and keep on going
Shoes stay on but mud is showing
Remnants of my springtime battle
With that soft and gushy ground

Snow in places still is showing
As my feet do keep on going
Across the muddy, gushy ground

My destination soon I'm reaching
As my feet continue breaching
Springtime muddy, wet, wet ground

I look back and see my journey
Footprints rapidly are learning
Power of the soft and gushy ground

How amazing is the power
Of the mud that makes us cower
When we wage our springtime battles
With the soft and muddy ground

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.