Psalm 25: "A Plea for Defense, Guidance, Pardon"

Psalm 25

1.  "To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

2.  O my God, I trust in You;

Let me not be ashamed;

Let not my enemies triumph over me.

 3.  Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed;

 Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.

4.  Show me Your ways, O Lord;

Teach me Your paths.

5.  Lead me in Your truth and teach me,

for You are the God of my salvation;

On You I wait all the day."

Amen.

These were the words of the Psalm from our morning devotions, and again they seem to be right on target for all we are going through during these days of unrest and chaos in our land.

"Bull's eye"

The pictures are from our walk in the rain, except for the pictures of the Buzzard, who was sitting atop our tall dead pine tree in our yard early this morning when I stood outside on the deck to see how the rain was helping the water to refill our "Still Waters Pond".

 Believe it or not, this is much better than it was a week or two ago! Little by little it is getting better with each day of rain!  We're getting quite a bit today it seems! That's okay with us. Praise God!

Back to our walk in the rain this morning, I mentioned HERE a week or so ago about someone cutting  up trees and leaving them in the woods where we walk.  Well, they are still at it, but apparently they are cutting down trees right there in the woods and leaving them like this. I am not sure why. They are not trees that were in anyone's way or in danger of falling on anyone that I can tell. These are vacant wooded lots that no one seems to care about, but someone has been selectively cutting down a tree here and there...maybe they plan to come back and cut them up for firewood later after they dry out. I don't know, but I thought these pieces of wood were very interesting with the rain bringing out their grain and texture.  Made for some interesting designs that I enjoyed seeing. I also happen to love the smell of fresh cut wood, and these were still fresh enough to be very fragrant.

For some reason I am drawn to this place, even as the rain was coming down and we needed to get back to the car before we got totally drenched. But I couldn't resist another look at this cool, peaceful sanctuary. Perhaps we just need that right now in our lives and hearts...a place to retreat from the world and find some peace and quiet...

 Lots of fresh sawdust if you want to come gather it up.

I love the designs on these cut logs.

This one looks like the eye of the tree is looking at me, maybe he's weeping because he's been cut down and left to die there alone in the woods. 

Maybe it's weeping for the state of our country right now.

Well, maybe that's a bit too much for us to think about, but I love this picture. Actually reminds me of a horse's eye. I think I like that thought better.  They say "beauty is in the eye of the beholder".

Back to our Psalm of the day:

Psalm 25:8-11, 20-22

"8.  Good and upright is the Lord;

Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.

9.  The humble He guides in justice,

and the humble He teaches His way.

10.  All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth,

to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

11.  For Your name's sake, O Lord,

Pardon my iniquity, for it is great."

20.  "Keep my soul, and deliver me;

Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.

21.  Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,

For I wait for You."

Verse 22 says:

"Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all their troubles!"

I would like to add to that prayer:

"Redeem America, O God, Out of all OUR troubles." 

Amen.

Rambling Thoughts

This will be kind of a rambling post of pictures, thoughts and concerns...

A Juvenile Cardinal enjoying his supper

I honestly don't know what to write these days.  Our country has gone crazy. And if you watch any news at all, you are already painfully aware of this. Our blogs are places where we can retreat away from the world for a little while, and enjoy some time among "friends", sharing things that we enjoy doing, places we've been, words of hope and encouragement that God has given us to pass on to others. 

Great Blue Heron, watching for his supper in Still Waters Pond

Right now the "news" is so dismal, there is only one thing I can do...and that is pray for our nation, our President, our government, our police officers and soldiers on the front line trying to maintain order in a world of chaos. Pray...and commit all of this to the Lord, for without Him we can do nothing. 

Marsh Pinks enjoying the afternoon sun along the shore of the pond

Here is one good piece of advice that we read this morning in our devotions...and it stuck with me.  It comes from 2 Peter 3: 15-18.

"15.  And consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation--

as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,

16.  as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, 

in which are some things hard to understand,

which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, 

as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

17.  You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand,

beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, 

being led away with the error of the wicked;

18.  but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To Him be the glory both now and forever.  

Amen."

Neighborhood Kitty, watching the birds at the bird feeder, and thinking about "supper".  But not gonna happen on my watch!

Sometimes we get so caught up in the things that are happening around us that it is easy to lose sight of the real issue and the bigger picture of what God may be trying to teach us. If you hear something being said often enough from the media and from people in high places, it almost becomes  a "law" to us...even though it may be totally incorrect and against our beliefs. But if it is told to us often enough, we may begin to go along with the "crowd" and with popular thought, regardless of whether or not it is really true or in keeping with the truth of God's Word. 

Without intention, I believe I was just describing "propaganda"...here is the definition according to Wikipedia:

"Propaganda is communication that is used primarily to influence an audience and further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be presenting facts selectively to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded language to produce an emotional rather than a rational response to the information that is presented.[2] Propaganda is often associated with material prepared by governments, but activist groups, companies, religious organizations, the media, and individuals can also produce propaganda.

In today's world, we are being bombarded with propaganda from every outlet.  Social media is one of the biggest methods being utilized to spread messages of hate and false information.  Therefore, it is even more important than ever that we stay in God's Word as much as possible...and pull away from the influence of the media and the world whenever we can.  Take a walk, read a good book, take a ride (but don't turn on the radio or read your cell phone). Turn off social media for a while and take a good break from it. Call a friend and be a good listener and encourager. I love reading what my friends write here in "blogland", and I look forward to your posts each day. 

I hope you've enjoyed these pictures from around my side of the pond that were interspersed among my rambling thoughts today.  

Gloxinia has two blooms!!

Friends, we just really need to pray for one another!  We are all hurting in one way or another...and we need each other! And as we see the day approaching for the return of the Lord, we are going to need each other's encouragement and prayers all the more. Thank you for being here. You are each a special part of my day...even if I don't always get around to reading everyone's posts until a day late...I look forward to catching up with you. May God bless you each and everyone, and give you peace. Amen.

Young Cardinal Says Good Night!

A Prayer for Guidance-A Psalm of David

A Prayer for Guidance~

A Psalm of David

Psalm 5

1.  "Give ear to my words, O Lord,

Consider my meditation.

2.  Give heed to the voice of my cry,

My King and my God,

for to You I will pray.

 3.  My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;

 In the morning I will direct it to You,

And I will look up.

 4.  For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,

Nor shall evil dwell with You.

5.  The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;

You hate all workers of iniquity.

6.  You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;

The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

7.  But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;

In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.

 8.  Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness 

because of my enemies;

Make Your way straight before my face.

9.  For there is no faithfulness in their mouth;

Their inward part is destruction;

Their throat is an open tomb;

They flatter with their tongue.

10.  Pronounce them guilty, O God!  

Let them fall by their own counsels;

Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions,

For they have rebelled against You.

11.  But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;

Let them ever shout for joy,

because You defend them;

Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.

12.  For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;

With favor You will surround him as with a shield."

Amen.

(Photos were taken early on a foggy morning this week as I walked to our neighborhood pond, praying and contemplating all the sorrows of our nation over the past few weeks, especially this past week with the rulings on late term abortion coming out of the state of New York, and then later that same day in the evening when the sun was going down on our way to choir practice at our church)   

Please continue to pray for our nation, our President and our leaders. May God give our President much strength, wisdom and courage as he seeks to do what is best for our country.

God's Gifts of Peace and Blessing

So here it is, Labor Day Weekend, and we really don't have any big plans...no picnics, no bar-b-que, no large gathering of people...seems strange.  But our sons are at home and that is sweet company!  And our new daughter-in-law-to-be will be visiting tomorrow...so that is also a time to celebrate!  Therefore, in honor of this occasion I decided to bake some Dutch Apple pies:

And this afternoon I am also cooking a Boston Butt roast in the crock pot for "barbeque pulled pork" for supper and for sandwiches tomorrow. So I guess we are having a bar-b-que of sorts after all!

When a new person is becoming a part of the family it is an exciting time!  As we get better acquainted with our oldest son's chosen "helpmate", I especially feel more and more blessed to be gaining a "daughter"...another woman to help balance out our mostly male family!  It is thrilling to me to know that this sweet girl not only loves our son, but she also loves to cook, to create beautiful things, and she seems to be very happy to become an active part of our family. We thank the Lord for bringing this beautiful "Rose" into our lives! (That is her name!)

"Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

For He has done marvelous things;"

Psalm 98:1

Earlier today I spent a little time walking through The Secret Garden.  I haven't spent much time there this summer due to the heat and the mosquitoes that just love to bite me whenever I step outside...but today seems a teeny weeny bit cooler and not quite as humid...so I ventured out to enjoy the beauty of that special place.

Upon entering the garden, I couldn't help but notice that some"one" had been visiting there before me:

One of our resident doves apparently left me a little gift to let me know he had flown by. (That feather is actually more gray than the picture makes it look)

I wonder which one of these it could have been? (There are actually quite a few more than these four doves in our back yard on a regular basis...here they are lined up in the morning waiting for me to bring out the bird feeders!)

I found this feather to be a gift...perhaps a kind of "sign" from the Lord...a sign of His everlasting peace...

The dove was a symbol of peace and God's promise to Noah and his children who were waiting on the Ark for the flood waters to recede so they could return to the earth and begin a new life. 

(Genesis 8:1-14)

This past week we have witnessed the ravaging floods along the coastal cities of Texas and Louisiana. Many lives have been disrupted and thousands of people are waiting for the waters to recede so they can return to their homes and begin a new life.

Perhaps the feather is a symbol of hope...the promise that life will soon be restored for these dear people.  

Tomorrow our President has proclaimed a National Day of Prayer for all those affected by this storm.

It is my prayer that our nation will truly take this opportunity to come together and pray for our country to be restored once again...in every way.

Have a blessed and peaceful Labor Day weekend! 

I know I will be praying for our nation...won't you join me?

Choose You This Day

I just posted this on my facebook page, and wanted to put it here so it won't get "lost in the shuffle".  I am certain it will illicit some negative responses...but perhaps it will also inspire some positive thoughts as well. That is my prayer.  Please pray for our nation and our President and leaders. I feel greatly burdened to do this today.

I can't help but think that while people in our country are going around tearing down monuments that are over 100 years old, and fighting with each other over their right to destroy artifacts from the history of our nation and express their freedom of speech regardless of how crazy and unfounded it may be...while we are destroying each other from within, and forgetting that we are supposed to be "One Nation, Under God, Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all..." there is a much bigger and more ominous enemy sitting on the outside of our country, watching, waiting, and preparing to strike when we least expect it. The enemies of our free way of life are sharpening their swords, testing their missiles, building their weapons of destruction, and they laugh at us as we fight each other over old, moldy, tarnished, statues and monuments...and as we rehash old battles long over and done with that we should have learned something from...those enemies are watching us as a lion stalks her prey...and while we are much distracted with our fights over rights and speeches and crazy ideologies...the Lion will cease to just watch and will pounce with fury and terror upon us and devour us...and we won't even know what hit us until it is too late.

Remember 9-11? I know I won't forget it... and I pray that our nation will wake up and realize that there is a much bigger picture going on that we can't see...but our President, our military, and many others who are awake and aware of this mortal enemy are trying their best to be prepared and protect us...and we are kicking against them like a furious two year old child having a temper tantrum...we can't see the danger we are in because we are too focused on our own little petty struggles and fights for our rights...all I can say is, wake up, America! Stop your infighting and crazy squabbles and realize the real danger we are in before it is too late.

We need to stand together against terrorists, evil, and hatred from every side. Our enemy is NOT our President or those elected to serve and protect us. Our enemy should not be our neighbors and family members and people across the aisle politically. Our enemy is much bigger...and it hates our freedom to live in such a marvelous country...and it wants to destroy us.

Of course, there is an even bigger enemy...Satan himself...who is behind all of this terror and hatred...and that is where the real battle is. I am reminded of Joshua, as he reviewed the history of Israel from the time of Moses when God rescued the Israelites from their enemies and captors in Egypt...and then the people wanted to go back to Egypt and wanted to turn against Jehovah God who had saved them...and Joshua said to them in the book of Joshua 24:14-15

"Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

People, if we are going to survive as a nation, we have to stand united. Recognize who/what the true enemy is...and put away all your little 'gods' and idols and battles over past history...and stand strong to fight the real enemies of our land...and to give our children and grandchildren the chance to live an even better life than we've had.

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the DEVIL walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world."
I Peter 5:6-9

The Secret Garden Chronicles-Day 10-Morning Praise and Prayer

"When morning gilds the skies

Sunrise on Lake Kerr

My heart awaking cries,

"May Jesus Christ be praised."

Alike at work and prayer

To Jesus I repair,

May Jesus Christ be praised!

To Thee O God above

I cry with glowing love,

"May Jesus Christ be praised!"

This song of sacred joy, 

It never seems to cloy,

May Jesus Christ be praised!

Does sadness fill my mind,

A solace here I find;

May Jesus Christ be praised.

Or fades my earthly bliss,

My comfort still is this:

May Jesus Christ be praised!

Be this, while life is mine,

My canticle divine;

May Jesus Christ be praised!

Be this the eternal song,

Through all the ages long;

May Jesus Christ be praised!

As I am sitting here in the Secret Garden this morning, our President and many government and religious leaders are gathering together for the National Prayer Breakfast.

I was going to stay inside and listen to it on television, but decided to come out to the garden and pray with them instead.

I am praying for our President as he addresses this group of godly people from our nation who are concerned about the direction of our country, and who believe in the power of prayer to sustain, empower, correct, and protect our leaders and nation as a whole.

The Lord directed my attention to Psalm 5 as I prayed:

1.  "Give ear to my words, O Lord.

Consider my meditation.

2.  Give heed to the voice of my cry,

My King and My God;

For to YOU I will pray.

3.  My voice You shall hear 

in the morning, O Lord.

In the morning I will direct it to YOU,

and I will look up..."

And then I prayed:

"May You, O Lord God,

Hear our prayers.

May You, Jesus, intercede on behalf of people (believers)

everywhere who are being persecuted for Your Name's sake.

Lord, we heard on the news just this morning that over 

90,000 Christians worldwide have been persecuted and killed

for their faith in You.  

Many, many more are suffering severe persecution every day.

We are feeling the effects of this persecution beginning to permeate

our society here in America...and if we as Christians don't stand united

against these enemies of our faith, 

we will soon see such atrocities against Christians reach our shores.

O Lord, I look up to You today and pray for our nation."

Psalm 5:4 ~

"For You are not a God Who takes pleasure in wickedness,

Nor shall evil dwell with You."

Verses 11-12:

"But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;

Let them ever shout for joy,

because You defend them;

Let those also who love Your Name

Be joyful in You.

For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;

With favor You will surround him as with a shield."

Lord, Please bless the righteous and surround us with 

Your shield.

Defend us and bless our nation with Your peace.

In Jesus' Name I pray,

Amen.

"If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways...then will I hear from heaven...and will forgive their sin, and heal their land." II Chronicles 7:14

Oh Clap Your Hands, All You People!

"Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!

Shout to God with the voice of triumph!

For the Lord Most High is awesome;

He IS a great King over all the earth.

He will subdue the peoples under us,

and the nations under our feet.

He will choose our inheritance for us,

the excellence of Jacob whom He loves.

God has gone up with a shout,

The LORD with the 

sound of a trumpet.

Sing praises to God, sing praises!

Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

For God is the King of all the earth;

Sing praises with understanding.

GOD reigns over the nations;

GOD sits on HIS holy throne.

The princes of the people have gathered together,

The people of the God of Abraham.

For the shields of the earth

belong to GOD;

He is greatly exalted."

Psalm 47

Our God, the Creator of the whole earth, rules and reigns over all the earth.  Psalm 33:12 tells us 

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."

Verse 18 says:

"Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,

On those who hope in His mercy..."

Verse 20-22:

"Our soul waits for the Lord;

He is our help and our shield.

For our heart shall rejoice in Him,

Because we have trusted in 

HIS HOLY NAME.

Let YOUR mercy, O LORD,

be upon us,

Just as we hope in YOU."

Amen

My plea and prayer for our nation is that we will truly trust in the Lord our God, in His Holy Name...and that we will acknowledge His Presence and Power in our lives and in our nation.  Just as we heard God's Holy Name invoked in many prayers during the inauguration of our new President yesterday, as godly men prayed for our country, our new President, his cabinet and our government...prayers in the Name of the Father, and The Son, and the Holy Spirit, may it be so, Lord God.  May YOU truly reign over our nation, and bless us just as the rain fell upon our new President as a sign of Your Blessing...

May we truly acknowledge and know that You are our God,

"Our God forever and ever;

He will be our guide 

Even to death."

Psalm 48:14

Amen.

"GOD BLESS AMERICA,

LAND THAT I LOVE!

STAND BESIDE HER, 

AND GUIDE HER,

THROUGH THE NIGHT

WITH THE LIGHT FROM ABOVE!"

LEGACY - Updated

This was originally posted just before our last election,  11/4/2012. Although some of the issues are vastly different in this current 2016 election, the underlying foundation is still the same.  We still need to vote based on biblical principles...what do the candidates actually represent...what is their agenda...what do they stand for?  Do they stand for biblical principles...the sanctity of life, our freedoms of religion, speech, right to protect ourselves...or do they represent ideals that will continue to erode away at our priceless freedoms and godly principles?  What kind of legacy will we be leaving for our children and grandchildren if our nation continues on its current path?  Please PRAY about these things and let God guide you as you cast your ballot.  There is so much at stake here, people.

Here is my original post from 2012.  Billy Graham is still a highly respected and revered man of God. His legacy is the kind I want to leave for my family.
Nov. 4, 2012 :

I was so pleased and proud to see this advertisement in our local newspaper today, the "Ocala-Star Banner". Praise God for Billy Graham remaining true to his life-long beliefs. Billy Graham is THE most respected evangelist our nation has ever known. Thank you, Rev. Billy Graham, for standing up for Biblical Values. Regardless of what people may think because of the constant barage of secular-humanistic teaching of our public schools and current governmental trends, it is Biblical Values that has made our nation strong for the first two centuries of its existence. If we turn our backs on our Judeo-Christian heritage, we will suffer the consequences of our own folly. But "If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves, and pray and seek MY face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I (GOD) will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." II Chronicles 7:14. I have refrained from making too many statements during this election season, primarily because I felt that too many statements were being made already and mine would be lost in the shuffle or ridiculed by many (even some "friends"). But seeing this statement today in our newspaper has encouraged me and given me the courage to speak up. I was admonished by a person indirectly when I made the statement that we need to all pray for our nation. That person was offended by that, thinking that I was suggesting that people in America should be forced to pray. No, no one can force another to pray against their will. All I can say is if you really care about your country, if you really care about your family, if you really care about your freedom...even your freedom to pray or not to pray, then you need to most definitely PRAY for this country and this election. We take our freedoms for granted...but we dare not toy with something so precious. We do not realize what a thin line exists between the free America we know and love and a nation that is no longer the "home of the brave and the land of the free." If you haven't already done so, please take the time to PRAY FIRST, AND THEN VOTE ACCORDING TO THE CONVICTIONS GOD PLACES ON YOUR HEART. I hope and pray you will consider this message by Billy Graham when you make your choice. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to express my opinion. I've listened to many of you over the past months, and have respected your right to express yourself without belittling you. I trust that you will grant me the same respect. "God bless America...Land that I love!"

What's On Your Mind Today?

It seems as though "Facebook" got us all talking about whatever happened to be on our minds at the moment. Sometimes it was something profound and deep, oftentimes it was rather ridiculous and silly.  Now they have just reduced it down to "Update Status"...which doesn't say a whole lot.  I ran out of cute, intelligent, profound, silly and interesting comments some time ago.  I still have a few ridiculous things to say, but I've been trying to learn to keep them to myself.

Now that we are entering back into another election year I expect we will see more and more political remarks and opinions.  I intend to try and stay out of that arena.  First of all, my comments in the last race didn't go very far.  Obviously not enough people were listening to what I had to say...or the outcome would have been very different.  I've decided to just sit back and watch the fireworks, and keep my thoughts to myself.  Those of you who know me already know pretty much where I stand on the important issues.  I haven't seen anyone yet worth getting excited about.  I started to get excited about one of the newer candidates, and then he opened his mouth and showed that he really wasn't quite ready for this fight...so I'm glad I didn't invest all my campaign dollars on his campaign!  (As if I had any to invest).  The jury is still out on that one...

No,  I'm gonna sit this one out.  At least I intend to try and keep my mouth shut.  However, that doesn't mean that I don't care what happens to our country.  It just means that I've decided to fight this battle on my knees. 

II Chronicles 7:14 says:

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

So, if you think I've wimped out and refuse to stand up and fight, have no fear...I'm choosing to kneel down and fight this time around.  Maybe that will achieve the greater results.  At least I'm praying that it does. 
Won't you join me?  If we are all in agreement that we want what is best for our country, and we are trusting in God to hear us and do exactly that, how can we lose?

You think about that...and maybe I'll meet you in the "war room"....better known as the "Prayer Room". 

"Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD'S, and He will give you into our hands."

I Samuel 17:47