Friday Foto Friends-A Painted Bunting!

Hello Friday Foto Friends! Sorry I am a bit late to the "party" today, but I kind of had a slow start to my morning, and really didn't have any pictures worth sharing with you.  I was bemoaning that fact and trying to come up with something worth writing about, when out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of something very bright and colorful pass by our window...

I grabbed the camera and might have said a bad word because the batteries were dead and I was still charging them, but grabbed them off of the charger and put them back in the camera, hoping they had enough juice in them to capture some pictures before it was too late.  I was so afraid the bird that I saw fly by would have disappeared entirely, but you can imagine my joy and elation when I spied him on the ground beside the back deck!

Yes, it was the magnificent, rarely seen in these parts,  male Painted Bunting!

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Painted_Bunting/overview

He flew up into the tree and perched there a while, and even though it wasn't the best shot, I could still get a couple of pictures of him.

Then he flew to the top of the birdhouse and sat there and posed for me for a minute or two before taking off into another tree and then who knows where from there...

But at least I was able to capture these few pictures before he left.  

I've been watching for him to return, but he may have gone on to bless some other person's life with his beauty for today!

So even if my encounter with him was brief, it was beautiful, and I am very thankful to the Lord for allowing me to see such a beauty on this day,  when I'd all but given up hope of having anything worth looking at!  Isn't God good to even send these little blessings for us, to brighten our days and bring a smile to our faces?  Aren't we truly blessed to know that He cares for us, even in the small stuff, so you can imagine how much He cares for us in the big stuff, can't you?

These were the only other photos that I had to share this week...

I love it when the purple wildflowers start to bloom in August and September...that's a sign that summer is coming to an end and soon fall will be working its way to us...

Of course, here in Florida it takes a while to find us, but at least I know it's coming when I see the purple wildflowers...

And this sweet tiny little blue moth/butterfly, who seems very attracted to whatever was on this dead leaf.  I was glad he stood still long enough for me to get a picture. I was just sorry I only had my phone camera and not my good camera to get a better close up. Oh well, maybe next time!

I think he is a Summer Azure butterfly, or a member of that family anyway. Really really sweet.

Hard to believe we've already gotten through the first week of August!

August has always been a busy month for us...

Lots of birthdays happen this month in our family...

My brother in law Billy, my Dad (another "Billy") would be 103, our first born son, who will turn 50 this month!!, (and actually his first name is also Bill, but he goes by his middle name), my niece Debbie, and our nephew Nicholaus, oh, another niece Leslie...am I missing anyone? 

Then there are anniversaries...our middle son Matthew was married to his wife Nicole 28 years ago on August 7th.  I find that really hard to believe. Sadly, Matthew has been celebrating their anniversaries in heaven for the past seven years...that is even harder to believe. 

And then our own anniversary will be on August 16th...52 years!! I guess that is the hardest to believe! Where have all the years gone?  Oh, and then my brother in law and sister in law will also celebrate their anniversary on the 29th.  It will be their 23rd, I think.

I think that is all of the celebrations for August. 

I think that's enough, don't you? Oops, I left one out...my niece Debbie and her hubby Darrell are celebrating their 16th anniversary TODAY! How could I forget that one?  Happy Anniversary to them!!

Well, I'd better get this posted before the day is done.

Here's some good news:

The years come and go, anniversaries, birthdays, and ordinary days...but the good news is,

Jesus never changes! He is always faithful, always there for us, always looking out for our very best interests no matter what.  We can rely on Him through good times and bad, happy times and sad times...He will always be there for us, and one day He will gently lead us home to be with Him forever.

Amen.

Have a blessed weekend, my friends!

 

Sermon Notes: A Season of Change

This past Sunday was our Pastor's final day of preaching at our little church. He will begin his actual retirement in a couple of weeks, but yesterday was his last opportunity to preach the gospel to our congregation...and he gave us a powerful, challenging message from Jeremiah 29:11-23

The key verses are the most familiar to us:

Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NIV)

11.  "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

12.  Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 

13. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. 

14.  I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

We are in a season of change in our church, and here, above, God is giving a word of hope to the children of Israel, much like what He is giving to us today:

"Build, plant, pray..."  even though they were in captivity...

"You are here for a reason...God has called you here...to bloom where you are planted."

This community needs us to thrive despite transition and changes

We need to stand behind the new pastor...show God's love at work in this church...and remember the people outside.

God has great plans for us...

Have you ever felt hopeless and in despair?

God is with us always and forever...

Jesus told His disciples before He went away:

John 16:33  (NIV)

33 “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

There is NO equal to GOD. Jesus is stronger than any of our fears. God is here...God is stronger than the gates of hell-stronger than death. 

We can have hope in the midst of troubles

Hebrews 13:5

"Let your conduct be without covetousness; 

be content with such things as you have,

For He Himself has said, 

"I will never leave you nor forsake you."

God is pursuing us.  

We've been given great privilege and responsibilities.

Ephesians 2:8-9

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

The key to a great life is the decision to live for God. 

It was said that recently many, many people waited ten hours in line to ride the new "Harry Potter " ride at Disney.   Ten hours standing in a long line to ride a new ride...can you imagine?

As believers, we are living an adventure in our relationship with Jesus Christ...the adventure of a lifetime! Far greater than any ride Disney or any other theme park could imagine.

We need to humble ourselves and get pride out of the way...

"Seek Me and find Me...I will be found by you when you seek Me with your whole heart..."

God has plans to prosper you and not to harm you.

Accept and believe that God has plans for you...and it will be good because God will not do anything to harm His church...

Embrace the new pastor...It is God's will that he is coming here.

Have an open mind and an open spirit.  

Choose to look at the bright side of life

Choose to step into the unknown that brings in the future...

Share your unique gifts and graces with others...

Choose to have faith that God is in control...

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord,

thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

Sermon Notes: FUMC, Interlachen, FL, Pastor A.C. Myers, 6/16/2019

Please Note : I want to repeat this disclaimer here...the notes, outline, and content included here are based upon my own personal understanding of the message that was being given. I am not attempting to completely quote or reproduce this message or any other message I've shared previously. Just as each person reading these notes may glean insights and thoughts that seem to directly apply to one's own situation and interpretation, my own delivery of these messages is skewed by my hearing and translation of what is being said. Some may read my notes here and wonder if they were hearing the same message as I...and I say, God speaks to each of us as He wills...there are things He is trying to get across to each individual that may be entirely different than what the person sitting next to you in the pew is needing to hear... That is how the Holy Spirit works! He knows what we need to hear and how to apply it to our hearts. So it is with that understanding that I present these sermon notes to you.

Are You Being Renewed Day by Day? Updated 7/23/13

Originally written 7/25/11, just about two years ago exactly...Not much has changed since then...I'm still on the "downward slope" physically, but I'm working on the renewal part inwardly day by day...how about you? Some good things to think about here...

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day."  2 Corinthians 4:16

I had to ask myself the question that I wrote as the title of this particular blog: "Am I being renewed day by day?  What exactly does this mean?  The verse quoted above states that "Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day..."  

Can this really be me?????

It is pretty obvious to me that my "outward man (woman) is perishing"... The signs are all there...a wrinkle or two (or three or four) here and there, a stray gray hair (again, more than just a few) sticking right straight out, much more visible because of its tenacious curl (friz) and coarse texture refusing to obey the smooth curves of the rest of the style I'd worked to hard to achieve.  A few extra inches to pinch in places I'd prefer not to have noticed by anyone..numerous creaky joints that crack and pop and slow me down when I'd prefer to run a little faster...yeah...my outward woman is definitely on the "downward" slope.  Even with all the tender loving care I've tried to lavish upon myself over the years...age has a way of catching up with us sooner or later, whether we like it or not.

So what about the "inward man"...is there something I can do about that to keep it from going downhill as rapidly as my "outward man"?

If we go back to verses 8-9 of this same chapter, we can read about the trials and tribulations of the Apostle Paul  and the other early church leaders:

"We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed..."

And yet, even though these early missionaries for Christ suffered many things at the hands of those who wanted to see the cause of Christ stamped out before it could firmly take root...these saints of God persevered...held fast...moved forward...yes, even though their outward man was perishing...their inward man was being renewed day by day...

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."  2 Corinthians 4: 17-18

Have you ever experienced these kinds of trials in your life: hard pressed on every side, perplexed, persecuted, struck down?  I think we all have had our share of heartaches, disappointments, anxieties and sorrow.  Most likely we didn't feel like it was a "light affliction" at the time...and we probably also didn't feel like it was working a "far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" while in the midst of the struggle. 
But one thing I have learned in the midst of such difficulties is that when I allow myself to let God take control of the situation...I begin to understand that the work that is taking place inside of me is actually the renewing process that God wants to accomplish in me...it's not something that can be seen outwardly...at least not at that particular moment in time, but it is working that metamorphosis within that is eternal and complete.  My insides are being restored, renewed, revived and preserve for eternity. 

Now that's change we can live with!!!  Amen?  Amen!

Father God, Help me to let you finish the work that You have begun inside of me.  Help me to not just grab for the immediate temporary repair jobs...but to seek and desire that eternal restoration that will give the most rewarding and lasting results!  I pray this in Jesus' Name...Amen.