July 17, Today’s thought — The Name of Jesus

This fig tree is from a cutting from the tree
we had on Lincoln Avenue.

We have eaten the first crop of the year.
This second crop is the heaviest for this young tree.
One of my favorite ways of eating figs
is to get really ripe figs
and mash them on a toasted everything bagel.
Yummy!

“There is salvation in no other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

There is only one name that opens heaven’s doors and God’s heart—
the name of Jesus.
There is only one name that breaks the power of sin
and sets the captive free—
the name of Jesus.
There is only one name worthy of all praise,
and deserving of your allegiance—
the name of Jesus.

Early on in His public ministry the name and fame of Jesus spread like a prairie fire on a windy day. People all throughout the region—rich and poor, king and commoner, Jew and Gentile—all heard of Him; for His fame was ever-increasing.

His death on the Cross did not have the effect the rulers of the day had hoped. He rose from the dead and His followers became invincible in their faith—so much in fact that in ever-widening circles the number of disciples increased vastly in Jerusalem; and many of the Jewish priests were themselves converted as well.

Paul the Apostle, a few years later wrote, “Finally, dear brothers, as I come to the end of this letter, I ask you to pray for us. Pray first that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and triumph wherever it goes, winning converts everywhere as it did when it came to you” (2 Thessalonians 3:1, Living Bible).

Jesus Christ!
He is peerless in His exaltation,
unrivaled in His Lordship,
incomparable in His grace,
invincible in His power,
unassisted in His work as Redeemer,
matchless in His mercy,
adored in His glory
and worshiped in the beauty of His holiness.
In His birth is our significance.
In His life is our example.
In His death is our forgiveness.
In His resurrection is our hope.
In His Second Coming is our consummate glory!

Isaiah spoke for us all when he said, “Lord, Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts” (Isaiah 28:8, NIV).  Rylie

Trust God for your day. . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on July 17, 2012 at 10:58 am  Leave a Comment  
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July 16, Today’s thought – Praise Him

This tree lives down the road from us,
I think trees are so amazing
with their tenacity to keep growing not matter what…
hmmm is there a lesson in that?

Good Morning

Sunday Morning we sang the hymn ‘God is Love,’ by D.O. Teasley.
Verse 4 and the chorus:

Sing my soul, and all within me
Sing till all the clouds remove
Sing and praise and shout forever
for the Lord our God is love.
God is Love
God is Love
Song of angel choirs above
Hallelujah! God is Love.
Paradise now helps to swell it
Saints on earth a far go tell it
Satan;s host can never quell it
For the Lord our God is Love.

‘Sing till all the clouds remove!’

2Chronicles 20 tells of a great battle against the children of God.
The king, Jehoshaphat calls on God for help, ending with
(verse 20). . .for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
The prophet,Jahaziel, stands before the king and all the people and encourages them, telling them just where the enemy will be found and ( 15, 17)
Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.
As the army of the Lord marched out the next morning King Jehoshaphat said,
( 20) Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
He, also, appointed singers and players on instruments to sing and play before the army: Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Can you hear this chant in time to the pounding of the feet:

Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

And GOD. . .
(22-24)“And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.. . . and none escaped.”
(25) And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.
(30) So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.

Oh! the blessings received when we first thank and praise the Lord for his mercy that endures forever.

Trust God for your day. . . Today.
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on July 16, 2012 at 11:05 am  Leave a Comment  
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July 13, Today’s thought —

Pickin’ happens on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Good Morning

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

A number of ministers was assembled for the discussion of difficult questions. Among others, it was asked how the command to “pray without ceasing” could be complied with. Various suppositions were started, and at length one of the number was appointed to write an essay on it to be read at the next monthly meeting.
This being overheard by a servant exclaimed, “What a whole month to tell the meaning of that verse? It is one of the easiest and best texts in the Bible.”
“Well, well, Mary,” said an old minister, “what can you say about it? Let us know how you understand it. Can you pray all the time.”
“Oh, yes, sir.”
“What, when you have so many things to do?”
“Why, sir, the more I have to do the more I can pray.”
“Indeed. Well, Mary, do let us know how it is . Most of us think otherwise.”
“Well. sir,” said the girl, “when I first open my eyes in the morning I pray, ‘Lord open the eyes of my understanding;’
and while I am dressing I pray that I may be clothed with the robe of righteousness,
When I wash I ask for the washing of regeneration;
as I work I pray that I may have strength equal to my day;
when I begin to kindle the fire I pray that God’s work may revive my soul;
as I sweep out the house I pray that my heart may be cleansed from all its impurities;
while preparing and partaking of breakfast I pray to be fed with the hidden manna and sincere milk of the Word;
as I am busy with the little children I look up to God as my Father and pray for the spirit of adoption, that I may be His obedient child–
and so on all day.
Everything I do furnishes me with a thought for prayer.”
“Enough! Enough!” cried the minister. “these things are revealed to babes and hid from the wise and prudent. Go on, Mary,” said he. “Pray without ceasing. And as for us , my brethren, let us bless the Lord for this exposition, and remember that He said,

‘The meek will He guide in judgment;
and the meek will He teach His way.'” (Psalm 25:9)

Watch ye and pray always.  Luke 21:36

Trust God for your day…Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on July 13, 2012 at 10:14 am  Leave a Comment  
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July 12, Today’s thought — Let Go

I love the water circles in this picture…
the cat is pretty special, too.

Good Morning

Lord, increase our faith. Luke 17:5

Faith is not clinging–it is letting go.

Somewhere we have read a story that goes like this:

“A traveler upon a lonely road was set upon by bandits who robbed him of all he dad. they then led him into the depths of the forest. There is the darkness they tied a rope to the limb of a great tree, and bade him catch hold of the end of it. Swinging him out into the blackness of surrounding space, they told him he was hanging over the brink of a giddy precipice. The moment he let go he would be dashed to pieces on the ricks below. And then they left him. His soul was filled with horror at the awful doom impending. He clutched despairingly the end of the swaying rope. But each dreadful moment only make his fate more sure. His strength steadily failed. At last he could hold on no longer. The end had come. His clenched fingers relaxed their convulsive grip. He fell—six inches, to the solid earth at his feet! It was only a ruse of the robbers to gain time in escaping. And when he let go it was not to death, but to the safety which had been waiting him through all his time of terror.”

Clutching will not save anyone from his hopelessness.
It is only Satan’s trick to keep you from being afforded
security and peace in the solid promises of God.
And all the while you are swinging over
the supposed precipice of fear and mistrust.
Let Go!
It is God’s plan that you fall–not to defeat,
but into His arms, the solid Rock.
As soon as you recognize your sheer helplessness
and your failing strength,
you let go;
and falling upon Him,
your fear goes,
your mistrust goes,
and the blessed assurance come forever.
For He–not your clinging but–
“He shall save his people from their sins.”
from ‘Streams in the Desert 2’

Trust God for your day. . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on July 12, 2012 at 1:23 pm  Leave a Comment  
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July 11, Today’s thought — Never Yet

These ‘hens and chickens’ stay where they belong,
are very quiet and don’t make a mess. . .
and they are so pretty.

Good Morning

For I am the LORD, I change not;  Malachi 3:6

God’s eye has never yet become dimmed with age;
His ear has never yet become dulled with the years;
His arms have never yet been wanting in strength,
nor have His footsteps ever faltered.
He is not changed;
He is still the same immortal,
immutable,
invincible God,
from all the ages.
He makes a commitment of Himself to me.
What a gift,
what an offering,
what a mearsureless,
boundless condescension
of the infinite God to give Himself.

Trust this God for your day . . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on July 11, 2012 at 5:54 am  Comments (2)  
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July 10, Today’s thought – God’s Love and Wisdom

Did you ever see a preying mantis ‘ghost’?
This little guy was so light green; he turned white in the flash.

Good Morning

The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, . . .
the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm,
and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
The LORD is good,
a strong hold in the day of trouble;
and he knoweth them that trust in him.
Nahum 1:3, 7

The fiercest wind that may blow in me
is held in the hollow of His hand.
Behind what seems cruel chance,
there is the love so wise
and wisdom so loving of our God
.

If God can send a storm through space;
And dot with trees the mountain’s face.
If He the sparrow’s course can trace,
What can He do for you?

If God can hang the stars on high,
Can paint the clouds that drift on by,
Can send the sun across the sky,
What can He do for you?

If God can send us sunny days,
And nature from her slumber raise
Till song birds lift their notes of praise.
What can He do for you?

If God can do these many things,
Can count each little bird that sings,
Control the universe that swings.
What can He do for you?

If God can bring sweet peace to be
And to my soul bring liberty,
By Christ who hung upon the tree,
This He can do for you.
G. E. Wagoner

Trust God for your day . . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on July 10, 2012 at 10:53 am  Leave a Comment  
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July 9, Today’s thought — Mourning into Joy

Looking through the fir tree at the Crepe Myrtle

Good Morning

And when she (Martha) had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. John 11:28-34

“The Jews thought Mary was going to weep at the sepulchre,
and she did;
but she heard that the Master had come,
and she went first to Him
and He went with her to the grave.
He went with her first to weep
and then to turn her mourning into joy with life from the dead.
Ah! my friend, whatever we mean to do,
let us got to Jesus first.
Mary wept for her brother
and she had the sympathy of Him
whom it is our blessed privilege to claim as our Elder Brother; . . .
So, heart stricken mourner,
He knows the grief and anguish you feel;
He knows the desolations of your spirit
and its yearnings after a solace the world cannot give!
Go to the grave of your beloved one;
but as you go let not your tears so blind you,
neither so hang down your head
that you may not see that Jesus has come to sustain you.
Hear His gracious voice from beside the tomb,
“I am the Resurrection and the life.”
from Streams in the Desert 2.

We suffer grief from the loss of many different things during our lives, not just the death of a loved one. May we, too, go to Jesus early; so He will go with us every step of the way of grief.

Trust God for your day. . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on July 9, 2012 at 11:51 am  Leave a Comment  
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July 8, Sunday Bible Reading Hebrews 6:13-20

Sunflower backs.

Good Morning

Heb 6:13-20 Amplified Bible

“For when God made [His] promise to Abraham,
He swore by Himself,
since He had no one greater by whom to swear,
Saying, Blessing I certainly will bless you
and multiplying I will multiply you.
And so it was that he [Abraham],
having waited long and endured patiently,
realized and obtained
[in the birth of Isaac as a pledge of what was to come]
what God had promised him.
Men indeed swear by a greater [than themselves],
and with them in all disputes
the oath taken for confirmation is final [ending strife].
Accordingly God also,
in His desire to show more convincingly and beyond doubt
to those who were to inherit the promise
the unchangeableness of His purpose and plan,
intervened (mediated) with an oath.
This was so that,
by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath]
in which it is impossible for God ever
to prove false or deceive us,
we who have fled [to Him] for refuge
might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement
to grasp and hold fast the hope
appointed for us and set before [us].
[Now] we have this [hope]
as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul
[it cannot slip and
it cannot break down under whoever steps out upon it–a hope]
that reaches farther
and enters into [the very certainty of the Presence]
within the veil,
Where Jesus has entered in for us [in advance],
a Forerunner having become a High Priest forever
after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek.”

Trust God for your day. . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on July 8, 2012 at 6:00 am  Leave a Comment  
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July 7, Today’s thought — Devotion

I asked Emily to take a picture of me knitting – Margaret caught us in the act. This Picture makes me smile.

Good Morning

I know that, whatsoever God doeth,
it shall be for ever:
nothing can be put to it,
nor any thing taken from it:
and God doeth it,
that men should fear before him. Ecclesiastes 3:14

Devotion

The heart can think of no devotion
Greater than being shore to ocean –
Holding the curve of one position,
Counting an endless repetition.
Robert Frost

God endures – holds one position; so we can have hope of enduring until the end.

Matthew 10:22 . . .but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Trust God for your day. . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on July 7, 2012 at 6:00 am  Leave a Comment  
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Junly 6, Today’s thought — Who Hears, Not Who Says

A glimpse of San Francisco on the way home from Monterey, CA

Good Morning

We all know that God does not listen to sinners,
but he listens to anyone who worships and obeys him. John 9:1

Most of our prayer lives could use a tune-up.
Some prayer lives lack consistency.
They’re either a desert or an oasis.
Long, arid, dry spells interrupted
by brief plunges into the waters of communion. . . .

Others of us need sincerity.
Our prayers are a bit hollow,
memorized,
and rigid.
More liturgy than life.
And though they are daily,
they are dull.

Others lack, well, honesty.
We honestly wonder if prayer makes a difference.
Why on earth would God in heaven want tot talk to me?
IF God knows all,
who am I to tell him anything?
IF God controls all,
who am I to do anything?. . . .

Our prayers may be awkward.
Our attempts may be feeble.
But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it
and not the one who says it,
our prayers do make a difference.
He Still Moves Stones, Max Lucado

Now we know that God heareth not sinners:
but if any man be a worshipper of God,
and doeth his will, him he heareth. John 9:31

Trust God for your day. . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on July 6, 2012 at 6:00 am  Comments (2)  
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July 4th, Today’s thought — Choices

Coneflowers

I Hear America Singing

ByWalt Whitman

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,
The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown,
The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.

America, where each one can choose and have joy in the choosing.

Build ye houses, and dwell in them;
and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters;
and take wives for your sons,
and give your daughters to husbands,
that they may bear sons and daughters;
that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
And seek the peace of the city
whither I have caused you to be carried away captives,
and pray unto the LORD for it:
for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
Jeremiah 29:5-7

Trust God for your day. . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on July 4, 2012 at 11:50 am  Leave a Comment  

July 3, Today’s thought — God’s Opportunity

Moon rise over Cozy Acres about 8:15pm last night.

Good Morning

Let patience have her perfect work,
that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing   James 1:4

There are times of testing for everyone.
When there are, Wait!
Use all the forces of faith and put patience into practice.
God’s timing is never late.
Deliverance is at hand!
For He “standeth in the shadows keeping watch above His own.”
In living the life of faith we come to learn
that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts nor His ways are ways.
Great pressure means great power
in both the physical and spiritual realm.
Some circumstances may bring us into difficult times.
But these need not spell discouragement
for “our times are in His hands.”
If we trust in the Lord and wait patiently for Him to perform,
that simply provides the opportunity
for Him to display His almighty power.
. . .
“Wait”
Remember His marvelous works that He has done: His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth Psalm 105:5

Trust God for your day…Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on July 3, 2012 at 11:50 am  Leave a Comment  

July 2, Today’s thought — Hope

‘His eye is on the sparrow (bee) and I know He watches me.”
Monterey, 6/2012

Good Morning

Why are thou cast down, O my soul?
and why art thou disquieted within me?
hope thou in God:
for I will yet praise him.
Psalm 42:5

Hope–what a precious word!
David;s question to himself is answered by a “Hope thou!”
How often have the Lord’s dear children turned to the Psalms when perplexed and heavily laden and found just the right word to give strength, heartease and encouragement!
The wonderful apostle of faith, George Mueller, has left this testimony:

“There is never a time when we may not hope in God!
Whatever the necessities,
however great our difficulties,
and through to all appearances help is impossible,
yet our business is to hope in God,
and it will be found that it is not in vain.”

…and he shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you and forever John 14:16

Trust God for your day. . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on July 2, 2012 at 11:29 am  Leave a Comment  

July 1, Sunday Bible Reading Psalms 119:17-24

I thought the frost killed this spider, but I was wrong. And I’m glad.

Good Morning

Psalm 119:17-24

Deal bountifully with thy servant,
that I may live,
and keep thy word.
Open thou mine eyes,
that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
I am a stranger in the earth:
hide not thy commandments from me.
My soul breaketh for the longing
that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.
Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed,
which do err from thy commandments.
Remove from me reproach and contempt;
for I have kept thy testimonies.
Princes also did sit and speak against me:
but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.
Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.

Trust God for your Day . . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on July 1, 2012 at 6:00 am  Leave a Comment  

June 30, Today’s Thought — Just When I Need Him Most

The Hydrangeas love this shady spot.

“God is our refuge and our strength; a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1).

If you had your choice, which would you pick:
1) to have God’s presence with you,
or 2) to have God’s presence really, really with you?
If your smart, you’ll choose number two.
But, you must realize that by making that choice,
you are accepting the fact that there’s gonna be trouble.
God is with us always,
but He is really, really with us in trouble.
Trouble?
What exactly are we talking about here?
The Hebrew word means tightness.
The kind that is caused by adversity, anguish, distress, or tribulation. It refers to a situation or a time of extreme discomfort, any affliction which comes for many different reasons.
God delivers His people from this condition.

“God is our refuge and our strength;
a very present help in trouble.”
It was this verse that led a tried and harried former Augustinian monk named Martin Luther to pen his famous Reformation hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” Its message is timeless and its encouragement unceasing.

Jacob built an altar at Bethel to “the God Who answered me in the day of my distress and was with me wherever I went.” (Gen.35:3).

Job’s friend, Eliphaz, assured him that “from one disaster after another He delivers you; no matter what the calamity, the evil can’t touch you” (Job 5:19).

David tells us that God is “a sanctuary during bad times” (Psalm 9:9).

“Just when I need Him, Jesus is near,
just when I falter, just when I fear;
ready to help me, ready to cheer,
just when I need Him most.
Just when I need Him, Jesus is true,
never forsaking, all the way through;
giving for burdens pleasures anew, j
ust when I need Him most.
“Just when I need Him, Jesus is strong,
bearing my burdens all the day long;
for all my sorrow giving a song,
just when I need Him most.
Just when I need Him, He is my all,
answering when upon Him I call;
tenderly watching lest I should fall,
just when I need Him most.”
(William C. Poole, 1907).

Jesus is there for you — just when you need Him most. Rylie

Trust God for your day. . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on June 30, 2012 at 5:57 am  Leave a Comment  
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