In The Arms Of an Angel - Sarah McLaughlin

This song reminds me of my daughter-in-law, Cassie.
She has a beautiful voice and sang it in a talent quest, and won!!

I am in a hotel room in Thailand and unwell with chills and runny nose and eyes.
Ray has gone to golf, at my request.
The Thai people are friendly and kind..BUT, they lie easily, and smile as they do..
Perhaps that is Hindu or Buddhist? it is not Christ.
Only satan is the father of liars. There is no way to say this kindly.

Praise God he is ever here with me, and the angels comfort at His request.
Much love to all.

The Heavens Declare

"Happy Christmas from my home to yours."


     "May the Son of God, Shine on You."




                              
We have been experiencing tropical storms and flash flooding.
We are expecting more over Christmas.
BUT, nothing can diminish the thought,
Of what Christ did in coming into the world.
Jesus, The Only Begotten Son of God,  was Born!!
No other faith can proclaim what Christianity can.

"OH Come Let Us Adore Him, Christ the Lord."

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork." Psalm 19:1

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."
Psalm 14:1-3

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Phillipians 4:4

"I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;

with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
through all generations.

I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant,


I will establish your line forever
and make your throne firm through all generations."
Psalm 89: 1-4 

LOOK TO THE SAVIOUR

Christmas Bush

DYING of Thirst

                                                Please Help!>>

I am going to be very forthright here.. I think when we live in countries with adequate water supplies we take a glass of that life giving GOLD for granted.

So here it is... the raw truth of what happens to a person who cannot drink the water needed to sustain life.
Signs and Symptoms of Dehydration: These may include a dull headache, muscle cramps (especially leg cramps), a sudden episode of visual haze, decreased blood pressure (hypotension), and dizziness or fainting when standing up due to orthostatic hypotension.
Body Water Content: The human body is about 60% water in adult males and 55% in adult females. Lean muscle tissue contains about 75% water by weight. Blood contains almost 70% water, body fat contains 10% water and bone has 22% water. Skin also contains much water.
Body Shut Down: In untreated dehydration, the person feels very sick, the blood pressure drops from the decreased Body Water Content. Delirium then unconsciousness with swelling of the tongue, and, in extreme cases, death occurs.

CLEAN Water IS Required: For Hygiene related good Health.

Disease Results: Diarrhoea 1.8 million people die every year from diarrhoeal diseases (including cholera); 90% are children under 5, mostly in developing countries. 88% of diarrhoeal disease is attributed to Unsafe Water Supply, inadequate sanitation and hygiene.

Malaria (1.2 million die), Trachoma(500 million sick), Schistosomiasis (160million infected, many die) Intestinal Helminths (e.g. Ascariasis, Trichuriasis, Hookworm) disease (133 million infected) ETC .... would you believe, there ARE even more.

All foods contain water. Even the driest nut or seed has a lot of water in it. Furthermore, when food is digested, it is converted to energy, carbon dioxide and WATER. Most people can get the fluid the body needs from food, and they only need to drink enough water to prevent constipation.

"When you eat, the pyloric valve at the end of your stomach closes to keep food in the stomach. Then the stomach takes fluid that you drink and food that you eat and turns the solid food into liquid. If you don't drink enough fluid, your stomach takes fluid from your blood and adds it to the food in the stomach to create the soup. The pyloric valve will not let food pass to the intestines until this liquid soup is formed. Then the liquid soup passes to the intestines and remains a soup until it reaches your colon. Only then is the fluid absorbed to turn the soup into solid waste in the colon. If you do not have enough fluid in your body, your body extracts extra fluid from your stool and turns your stool into hard rocks, causing constipation. Drink water whenever you feel thirsty, but there's no health benefit from forcing yourself to drink eight glasses of water a day. Drinking too much water can be dangerous; (Hyponatremia.) This is of particular concern if you are exercising in hot weather and fail to replace the salt you lose in sweat."
(Journal of the American College of Nutrition, April, 2003.)

A Love Story

She was a beautiful girl and a delight to his ever watchful eyes. These now roamed over her lithe young body. She was modestly clad in a cream linen robe that enhanced the tawny eyes and rich chestnut platted hair hanging over her shoulder. Catching his look she smiled then lowered her gaze to hide the flush of colour rising to stain both cheeks..
She was new to this town, and prepared as any stranger to be the center of attention. Women watched as she walked by, cupping hands over mouths as they gossiped in wonder.
"How could Naomi dare to bring that Moabite pagan here?"
The man looking on, stroking his beard in contemplation.
His thoughts wandered down a different direction.
"Ah, if only I were a little younger, what a pleasure it would be to ask for her hand....I am a relative of her mother-in-law after all."
His whisper soared Heaven bound to the ear of the Father. While his watchful eyes scanned sunlight skies.

The Story Of Ruth.
A love story, a Bible story, rich in devotion, loyalty and love. 
It may be a little different to the one that I have portrayed here, but one needs an imagination to SEE, the richness of God's beautiful Word.

For instance, how old was Ruth. She was a wife to her first husband for approximately ten years. So perhaps she was about twenty eight.
Boaz we are led to believe was much older, but how old?
I'd like to think he was younger than Ruth's mother-in-law Naomi.
So I place him as perhaps forty five, with Naomi closer to fifty.
Not that old, in this day and age.  

He was a man of integrity, upstanding, kind, considerate and gentle.

I love this story because it shows true unselfish compassion and consideration. 
It also shows Gods reward to those who strive to do what is right. 
Against all odds, two lonely women, from different backgrounds, cling together in mutual respect and love.
Because of their loyalty to one another, God blesses them beyond all expectations. 
Down through the ages, the linage of Jesus Christ can be traced back to the woman called Ruth.   

Read the Story of Ruth in "The Book of Ruth" in the Bible.

Meditate

Scripture is God talking to us.
So its not to be taken lightly...
Read it slowly, contemplate on the Words.
Visualise in your mind the meaning of what is expressed.
Know, that this is truth...
Then chose your path.

Blessed is the man/woman
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm1:1-6

God In Us...

Coming before the throne of God in adoration and worship
Fills our very being with a sanctification of who we are in Him
Just standing in His awesome presence and allowing His love flow back and forth, is so wondrous....

Yet I feel so small in those times.
And so unworthy.
My heart cries out, Abba Father, help me to remain steadfast,
Strengthen me so that I never let go of your promise.
Shine in and through me...

John 15:1-5 
The Vine and the Branches
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
Remain in me, and I will remain in you.
No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
"I am the vine; you are the branches.
If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Myth: A Christian Life is Easy.

I have always thought that, if whatever I am doing is right,
God will open the doors and it will be smooth sailing.
OR if everything is against me, then it is not right by God?
Yet when I read how the Apostle Paul suffered continually in his walk with Christ,
I see my understanding is wrong.

Faith is believing in what we cannot see, but also in knowing, God is with us.
Besides that, it is accepting Gods Will.
NOT demanding our own. He knows best!

I read the following by the Paul and it shows his suffering for his faith.
It also shows suffering brings out the heart of a true believer.

Will we remain strong no matter what?
Or will we cave in, complain and give up?

Read and apply this to yourself...NOT to someone else...
Be Honest!!

2 Corinthians 11:23-29 (New International Version)

"(Paul says)I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently,
been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.

Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.

Three times I was beaten with rods,

once I was stoned,

three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,

I have been constantly on the move.

I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits,

in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles;

in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from
false brothers.

I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep;

I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food;
I have been cold and naked.

Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches."

Paul's conversion, When Jesus spoke to him on the road to Damascus.

It changed his life forever.  Has it TRULY changed yours?

Amazing Happiness

I am so happy......
Arising prematurely in the morning to be, walking beside the glistening sea.
Greeting the dawns colour spectrum display, reminiscing with the sunset at the end of the day.

I am so happy....
Watching  as folks merrily make their way, to a cruise ship anchored out in the bay.
Watching the pelicans floating with the tide, eager eyes seeking fish that frustratingly hide.

I am so happy......
With Gods Creation, ...the simplicity of life,  the loving companionship of husband and wife.
Families picnicking as laughing children play ball.
Palm trees gently swaying, yet still standing tall.

I am so happy....
For all that I have,...the good and the bad, as the comparison makes me appreciative and glad.
So put on a happy hat of POSITIVE THINKING...
Subsequently all will be brighter, and God will be winking....C.M.L

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

GOD Breathed Evidence - The Dead Sea Scrolls

Many people ask the question!
Can you prove the Bible is true?
How do you know it is?
Show me the evidence!

Well my question to them is.......
How can you prove the Bible is not true??
It seems many have tried to disprove it, and many have failed.

I have recently listened to a professor speak on the magnificent find of the Dead Sea Scrolls,

What an amazing discovery of Bible truths.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of about 900 documents, including texts from the Hebrew Bible, discovered between 1947 and 1956 in eleven caves in and around the ruins of the ancient settlement of Khirbet Qumran on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea in the West Bank.



In 1947 a young Bedouin boy decided to climb the face of some very high cliff's near the Dead Sea, to bring back his stray goats. 
His name was Juma and little did he realize his discovery of two small openings to one of the thousands of caves within the cliff, would hold a secret hidden for thousands of years. 
He threw a rock into one of the openings. Hearing an unexpected cracking sound, he suspecting treasure hidden within and called to his two cousins, Khalil and Muhammed. They climbed up to listen to his exciting tale.
The younger of the three boys investigated further a few days later and was saddened to find  nothing but broken old clay pots and pieces of old parchment.
Collectively found in total were 15,000 fragments from some 574 manuscripts...
All carefully written, recorded and safely stored for future discovery.

The scrolls those Bedouin boys removed would  later come to be recognized as the greatest manuscript treasure ever found.
The Dead Sea Scrolls--------
Proof of the Bible's existence and the truth of God's Word!!
 
 
 

Turn Your Eyes to Jesus

WHO shed His life for us??  JESUS

Who lived in Heaven (perfect harmony) and didn't have to come to earth (disharmony)???   JESUS

Who is a very part of our creator God???  JESUS

Who told us, we come to the Father, by NONE ELSE but Himself??  JESUS

Yet what do we do in return????

We label ourselves with certain denominations!

We place walls between ourselves and others!

We believe that the denomination we serve is the One True Faith!!

Did Jesus teach that???  NO!

Jesus was the greatest teacher who ever lived!!
Who are we, to think, we are greater than He???
Who are we to think, we are wiser than Him???
YET...many of us believe, we are walking in His ways....
When we do it our way instead of His.
Lets read God's WORDS ON THIS!!  
It is NOT a story, It is His word! and His teaching!


FROM THE APOSTLE PAUL

 1 Corinthians 1:10-12 Divisions in the Church


I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this:
One of you says, “I follow Paul”;(I am ? Faith)
another,
“I follow Apollos” (I am ? Faith);
another,
“I follow Cephas” (I am ? Faith);
still another,
“I follow Christ. ( AMEN)”
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?
Were you baptized into the name of Paul?
I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name.
So then, no more boasting about men!!!!!!
 All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours,
and you are of Christ,
and Christ is of God.  (1Corintians 1 :10-12)
We are not to BOAST about our denomination. Read it yourself!

We Are To Be One In HIM Alone....

I was stunned to read, not so long ago, that the First Christian Denomination to be Founded with Christ, and followed AFTER his death.
Was "The Sect of The Nazarene"
Acts 24:5... The Bible.


 

                                            
We are to stand together in Him, as part of His body.
Not alienated apart from Him, a broken body.

Spiritual Sundays, Out back.

Our sunflowers about a month ago before dying off and leaving the seed for the birds to feed on.

This is a female king parrot.

           

One of my favourites is the Bird O Paradise. It grows in my side yard.

                                                                     

The taller plant is a Kangaroo paw, we have them in three different colours.

They grow up to approx four feet tall. The dark pink is a Lilly.

                                                             

                                                             

There are always visitors close by.

                                              

In the Palm tree.

                                                              


And White Cockatoo's on the overhead wires.

                                                          


Frangapani in the back yard.

With the yummy Paw Paw tree.

Its been growing about a year. This is our first crop of fruit. 

Look at the size! They turn a yellow orange colour when ripe.

 

And a little bit of America to help my hubby feel at home.

Where we lived in Tennessee was Cherokee country.

So a chief smokes his peace pipe in our garden.

                                                              

JESUS SAID.....
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

John 14:27

Children are of the Lord. 'Sepia Saturday.'

I know this photo isn't as old as most posted on here, but it is the original colour.

This is my daughter Daniella at age 9 months.

She looks apprehensive, not sure what was going on.

 

This is her again, grown-up and married with  to little boys of her own.

                                                                              

And an old fashioned look of these two same little boys taken by my elder photographer daughter.

                                                                    

Elyshah Liam is on the left and Antonio Elijah on the right.

Both boys are almost six feet tall today and tower over their mother.

Antonio, Daniella and Elyshah.

I am a proud mother and grandmother.

(just wish the boys wouldn't straighten their hair)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proberbs 3:5-6



                                  

My Tropical Bush Garden

My favourite Bush

There's great delight in a garden.

With plenty of flowers to see.

Kookaburra's keeping a close watch for snakes...

                                     Lambs tail bottle brush bush.

Pointsettia bush in my side garden.

                                    Rainbow lorakeets visit for a snack.
                        Their chatter awakens all, very early in the morning.

  A native bush, unsure of the name, but a favourite feed with the birds.

For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow.

So the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise to spring up before all nations.... Isaiah 61: 11