We Are The Clay

 

O Lord, You are our Father.  We are the clay.  You are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.  Isaiah 64:8

 

 

When you go outside today stop for a moment and take in all the beauty that God has surrounded you with.  He made all this beauty for us to enjoy.  Then He made us, He molded us in His image and gave us dominion over all this beauty that we so often take for granted.  I want to be like putty in His hands.  I want to let Him mold me and use me the way that He wants so others will see Christ living in me.

 

 

Have Thine Own Way

by Adelaide A. Pollard, 1907

 

Have Thine own way, Lord!  Have Thine own way!

Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.

Mold me and make me after Thy will,

While I am waiting, yielded and still.

 

 

Have Thine own way, Lord!  Have Thine own way!

Hold o'er my being absolute sway!

Fill with Thy Spirit 'till all shall see

Christ only, always, living in me.

Give Thanks

 

You are my God, and I will praise you; You are my God, I will exalt You.  Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever.  Psalm 118:28-29

 

Thank you Heavenly Father for your unfailing love.  Amen

 

We Praise Thy Name

 

Who is God besides the Lord?  And who is the Rock except our God?  It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.  II Samuel 22:32-33

 

I would not make it through a day without God walking beside me and giving me His strength to lean on.

 

Holy God, We Praise Thy Name

by Ignaz Franz, 1774

 

Holy God, we praise Thy name;

Lord of all, we bow before Thee!

All on earth Thy scepter claim,

All in Heaven above adore Thee;

Infinite Thy vast domain,

Everlasting is Thy reign.

Steadfast Love

 

Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning;
For I trust in You;
Teach me the way in which I should walk;
For to You I lift up my soul.

Psalm 143:8

 

This morning my day started with a prayer meeting. 

 

Many of you know or have heard about Mirror Image Ministries here in our community, how this ministry reaches out to the community as a resource center for all ages and groups, our women's transitional living facility, our office where we have exercise classes and Bible study groups.  A group of us meet each Wednesday, 6:00 AM, to lift this ministry up in prayer at the Old Yellow House, the women's living facility.  It is a time that we can come together thanking God for all He has done and for the provisions we know He is going to supply to meet the needs of the ministry.

 

I can't think of any better way to start my day than spending time with my Lord and Savior!

 

Jesus! What a Friend For Sinners

by J. Wilbur Chapman, 1910

 

Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!

Jesus! Lover of my soul;

Friends may fail me, foes assail me,

He, my Savior, makes me whole.

 

Hallelujah! what a Savior!

Hallelujah! what a Friend!

Saving, helping, keeping, loving,

He is with me to the end.

 

Happy Anniversary Lenny & Faye

 

Happy Anniversary to you,

Happy Anniversary to you,

Happy Anniversary we love you.

Happy Anniversary to you.

 

Lenny & Faye,

As you celebrate your love for each other and your lives together we wish you a day filled with love, joy, peace, laughter and sunshine.

 

Love,

Uncle Gary & Aunt Shirley

Happy Father's Day Daddy

 

Today my Daddy is spending Father's Day with our Heavenly Father.  Give Momma a hug for me.

I love you and miss you every day Daddy.

Happy Father's Day Stephen

 

Happy Father's Day to the remarkable young man God placed in our lives.  You are a great husband to our baby girl and a wonderful Dad to our granddaughter.  You are our Son, we love you and we thank God every day for giving you to us.

 

Love,

Mom & Dad

 

Happy Father's Day GD!

 

Happy Father's Day to a wonderful husband who has nerves of steel and a heart of gold!

You're my favorite natural resource!

 

Love,

Me

Paths to God

 

May Thy lovingkindness also come to me, O Lord, Thy salvation according to Thy word.  Psalm 119:41

 

 

 

All That Trills the Soul

by Thoro Harris, 1931

 

 

Who can cheer the heart like Jesus,
By His presence all divine?
True and tender, pure and precious,
Oh, how blest to call Him mine!

All that thrills my soul is Jesus;
He is more than life to me; (to me;)
And the fairest of ten thousand,
In my blessed Lord I see.


Love of Christ so freely given,
Grace of God beyond degree,
Mercy higher than the heaven,
Deeper than the deepest sea.


Every need His hand supplying,
Every good in Him I see;
On His strength divine relying,
He is All in All to me.


By the crystal flowing river
With the ransomed I will sing,
And forever and forever
Praise and glorify the King.

On My Side

 

He tends his flock like a shepherd:

He gathers the lambs in his arms

and carries them close to his heart;

he gently leads those that have young.

Isaiah 40:11

 

I am so glad that God is on my side.  When I let the things of this world start to weigh me down I know I can turn to Him.  He tells me to trust Him, I've got this.  

 

It Is No Secret

by Stuart Hamblen, 1952

 

The chime of Time rings out the news
Another day is through
Someone slipped and fell
Was that someone you
You may have longed for added strength
Your courage to renew
Do not be disheartened
For I bring hope to you


It is no secret what God can do

What He's done for others
He will do for you
With arms wide open

He'll pardon you
It is no secret what God can do

There is no night for in His Light

You'll never walk alone

Always feel at home

Wherever you may roam

No evil power can conquer you

While God is on your side

Just take Him at His promise

Don't run away and hide

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Pamela

 

BirthVerse

For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.  Romans 6:14

 

O Happy Birthday to you,

O Happy Birthday to you.

Every day of the year may you find Jesus near.

O Happy Birthday to you and the best one you've ever had.

 

Happy, Happy Birthday sweet niece!

We wish for you a day filled with love, joy, peace, laughter and sunshine as you celebrate you.

 

Love,

Uncle Gary & Aunt Shirley

Paths to God

 

All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

Psalm 25:10

 

All That Thrills the Soul

by Thoro Harris, 1931

 

Who can cheer the heart like Jesus

By his presence all divine

True and tender, pure and precious

O, how blest to call Him mine.

 

What a wonderful redemption

Never can a mortal know

Ho my sin, though red like crimson

Can be whiter than the snow.

Face to Face

 

Someday we are going to see Him in His completeness, face to face.  1 Corinthians 13:12

 

 

Have you every thought about what it will feel like when you are face to face with Jesus?  Have you thought about what you will say to Him or what He will say to you?  I think I might say something like "I could have done better."  I pray that He will say to me "Well done good and faithful servant."  Today I am choosing to live my life, one day at a time, for Christ, to set the example so others can see Christ living in me.  Will I always be successful?  Probably not but I am going to try.

 

 

Face to Face With Christ, My Savior

by Carrie E. Breck, 1898

 

 

Face to face with Christ, my Savior,

Face to face what will it be,

When with rapture I behold Him,

Jesus Christ Who died for me?

 

 

Face to face I shall behold Him,

Far beyond the starry sky;

Face to face in all His glory,

I shall see Him by and by!

 

 

Faithfulness

 

Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.  Your faithfulness continues through all generations.  Psalm 119:89

 

Growing up I remember my Mom telling us stories from the Bible.  My Mom did not drive but she always made sure we had a way to Sunday school and church so we could learn about Jesus.  It wasn't just someone to take us to church but to take us as a family.  She never would have dreamed of dropping us off and having someone come back later for us.  Going to church as a family is what my sweetie and I did too.  We went as a family to Sunday school and worship service and now our daughter is doing the same with her family.  When we visit with them in Vancouver WA we always attend church together as a family.  We have come to think of their church as our away from home church and love the people there just as much as we love those in our congregation here.

 

It is so vital to teach our children about God, His love, His mercy, and for them to place their faith and trust in Him and not in material things or things of this world.  We need to teach our children the stories from the Bible and how they can use the lessons learned in their lives today.  We need to go to church as a family, to learn about God together and His will for our lives.

 

Tell Me The Old, Old Story

by A. Katherine Hankey, 1866

 

Tell me the old, old story of unseen things above,

Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.

Tell me the story simply, as to a little child,

For I am weak and weary, and helpless and defiled.

 

Tell me the old, old story, tell me the old, old, story,

Tell me the old, old story, of Jesus and His love.

Happy Birthday Debbie

 

 

BirthVerse

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 

Ephesians 6:11

 

O Happy Birthday to you,

O Happy Birthday to you.

Everyday of the year may you find Jesus near.

O Happy Birthday to you and the best one you've ever had.

 

Debbie you are such a blessing to our lives.  We wish we were there to help you celebrate but since we can't be there our wish you is a day filled with love, joy, peace, laughter and sunshine as you celebrate you. 

 

Love you little sister,

Shirley & Gary

Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful!

 

No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him.  1 Corinthians 2:9

 

When I look around this great planet that God blessed us with, and all the beauty He put here for us to enjoy, I can only imagine how beautiful heaven must be.

 

Isn't He Wonderful

by S. Jones

 

Isn't He Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful,

Isn't Jesus my Lord Wonderful!

Eyes have seen, ears have heard

It's recorded in God's Word

Isn't Jesus my Lord Wonderful!

Knock, Knock

 

Behold, I stand at the door, and know: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him.  Revelation 3:20

 

 

Have you ever really looked at this picture of Jesus?  If you are like me you have seen it dozens of times and never noticed what is missing.  My sweetie and I were at a Bible study and he pointed out that there was one thing missing from this picture and asked if we knew what it was.  There is no door knob on the door.  Just as the scripture says "we have to open the door and invite Jesus into our lives."  Will you invite Him into your heart today?

 

 

Have You Any Room For Jesus?

by Anonymous; adapted by Daniel W. Whittle, 1878

 

Have you any room for Jesus,

He who bore your load of sin?

As He knocks and asks admission,

Sinners, will you let Him in?

 

 

Room for Jesus, King of Glory!

Hasten now His Word obey;

Swing the heart's door widely open,

Bid Him enter while you may.

Master Bed & Bath Update Is Finished

 

 

The master bed and bath update is finally finished!  We started this project several months ago and my sweetie actually got the bathroom painted before I took the before and after pictures.  So I thought I had better get some shots before he started painting the bedroom. 

 



 

 

 

After a bout of flu for me, then spring break, and pneumonia for my sweetie it was now time to get the painting done in the bedroom.  I was so sick of white walls!  The brown bedding we had had since 2004 and the draperies since 2006.  It was definitely time for a change.  The bathroom color is Fall Garden while the bedroom is Desert Castle.  I still wanted to have some brown in the room along with green and a cream color.  I found the perfect comforter and pillows, with all the colors I wanted, Moss Green, Brown and Pearl White with the exception of my little "Always Kiss Me Goodnight Pillow."  The brown draperies made it dark in the bedroom so we replaced them with Pearl White and I am really happy with all the light we now have.  Of course it did take some getting used to as we now have bright sunshine in the morning.

 

 

Yesterday we finished hanging all the pictures and I absolutely love our room!

Unfailing Love

How priceless is Your unfailing love!

Both high and low among men

find refuge in the shadow of Your wings.

Psalm 36:7

 

 

God's love is always there for us.  It is there when we open our eyes each morning.  It is there in the beauty we see all around us.  It is there when we hold our child in our arms.  It is there in the wind that blows, the sun that  shines, the stars that twinkle.  His love is all around us.  Take time today, no matter where you are, and thank God for His unfailing love.

 

 

I know God's Promise Is True

by Leila N. Morris, 1899

 

 

The "whosoever" of the Lord,

I trusted was for me,

I took Him at His gracious word;

From sin He set me free.

 

 

Eternal life, begun below,

Now fills my heart and soul.

I'll sing His praise forevermore

Who has redeemed my soul.

 

 

 

 

 

Wherever I Am

photo by CarolSue Keller Butler

 

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

Psalm 139:7-10

 

I don't know about you but I am glad that God is wherever I am.  God is there to guide me, to give me strength, to give me courage, to pick me up and get me through whatever comes my way.

 

Where Could I Go But To The Lord?

by J. B. Coats, 1940

 

Living below in this old sinful world
Hardly a comfort can afford
Striving alone to face temptations sore
Where could I go but to the Lord

Where could I go oh where could I go
Seeking a refuge for my soul
Needing a friend to save me in the end
Where could I go but to the Lord

Neighbors are kind, I love them everyone.
We get along in sweet accord.
But when my soul needs manna from above,
Where could I go but to the lord

Life here is grand with friends I love so dear
Comfort I get from God's own Word
Yet when I face the chilling hand of death
Where could I go but to the Lord

 

Happy Birthday Jakob

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to you.

Happy Birthday dear Jakob,

Happy Birthday to you.

 

Jakob,

 

Wishing you a very Happy Birthday with lots of cake, ice cream and lots and lots of presents.

 

Love,

Uncle Gary & Aunt Shirley

Sunshine

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lords bestows favor and honor.

Psalm 84:11-12

It has been a beautiful sun shiny day here in the city with the small town charm and it is a cool 91.2 degrees.  When it cools down a bit more my sweetie and I are heading to the back yard to finish some transplanting we started and got side tracked from.  Here are a few pictures I snapped of the back yard with the sun shining through.  Can you image how bright it would be out there if we didn't have trees and such to block part of the sunshine?  Can you image how bright Jesus' light would shine through us to others if we didn't let the every day cares of life get in the way?  Give those cares to God and let Jesus shine brightly through you!

 

BTW, I picked up some plants at the market, 2 columbines and a sun blaze rose, that they had on clearance for 99 cents each.  My sweetie and I will give them a little TLC and see what happens.

 

I love it when the two of us get dirt therapy together!

 

 

Sunshine In My Soul

by Eliza E. Hewitt, 1887

 

 

There is sunshine in my soul today,

More glorious and bright

Than glows in any earthly sky,

For Jesus is my Light.

 

 

O there's sunshine, blessed sunshine,

When the peaceful, happy moments roll;

When Jesus shows His smiling face,

There is sunshine in the soul.

Garden Therapy

 

The sheep listen to His voice.  He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out.  When He has brought out all His own, He goes on ahead of them, and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice. 

John 10:3-4

 

The past couple of days I have been spending time in the back yard transplanting some plants.  We were getting way to many Calla Lilys in the front so I decided to move some to the back flower beds.  Also one of my hydrangea plants wasn't doing well in a pot so we are in the process of moving it to the flower bed as well.  I think it is root bound and needs more nutrition which it will get, hopefully, in the flower bed and start producing those wonderful big flowers.

 

Working in the dirt is therapy for me, especially when I am feeling stressed or frustrated.  I find that when I spend a little time in the garden I get the chance to commune with God, one on one, and that stress and frustration melts away.  It is a chance to marvel at the wonders God created, a flower from a tiny seed, the earthworm that fertilizes the soil, the gentle breeze blowing through the trees, etc.  It is my time to spend time with God and be nurtured by Him.  Let Him turn your chaos into joy and spend some time with Him today.

 

In The Garden

C. Austin Miles, 1912

 

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,

Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,

And the melody that He gave to me 

Within my heart is ringing.

 

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own;

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other has ever known. 

Happy Anniversary Chris & Christy

 

Happy Anniversary to you,

Happy Anniversary to you.

Happy Anniversary dear Chris & Christy.

Happy Anniversary to you.

 

Today as you two celebrate your love and lives together we wish you a day filled with all the good stuff.

 

Love you,

Uncle Gary & Aunt Shirley

This Little Flower

 

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth.  Psalm 115:1

 

 

Have you ever thought about our Heavenly Father and His love and loyalty to us?  Just as the Daisy flower shows loyalty to love and commitment to us we can always count on our Heavenly Father's love and commitment to us.  He is always there for us no matter what we have done.  He even sent His Son to die a horrible death for us so that our sins could be washed white as snow. 

This little flower shows us how much He truly cares for us!

 

 

I Will Praise Him

by Margaret J. Harris, 1898

 

When I saw the cleansing fountain

Open wide for all my sin,

I obeyed the Spirits wooing,

When He said, Wilt thou be clean?

 

I will praise Him!  I will praise Him!

Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;

Give Him glory, all ye people,

For His blood can wash away each stain.