Pictures Galore!

Welcome to this post of pictures!  You will be viewing the result of my Advanced EXCEL photography assignment: a photo scavenger hunt.  Please scroll your way through. I am very interested to know what your favorite picture is, so please comment to let me know! 
  
1. Stapler - This is the antique stapler that's been apart of my family for years.  



2. Reflections - I like the clouds in this picture. 



3. Leap of joy - Dove chocolate has a way of cheering me up.

4. Fear of Poison Ivy  -  I've been allergic to poison ivy for as long as I can remember.  

5. Coffee - No telling which country this coffee is from. My Dad is always bringing back different little packages. I found it in our cabinet and thought it would make a nice picture. (Comment and let me know if you can decipher the language.)  

6. Shadow of time - This is my shadow in our front yard, and no, my hand really isn't that big. 

7. Love of God - My God is the covenant-keeping God of the universe! Rainbows remind me of His unending love. Unfortunately, this picture only captures a fraction of the rainbow that was stretched across the sky.    

8. Shoes - I couldn't decide which shoe to take a picture of, so I threw them all together.

9. Date - This date on the calendar happens to be very special...it's my birthday.

10. Passion - Yes, I have a passion for kids.  These particular girls were my Incredible "I" Pre-exel team at the Big Sandy Regional Conference.  

11. Self Portait  -  This is me, the author of this blog. 



12. Making a Statement - This seems like a pretty bold statement to me.

13. A memory - Making memories with friends from church. (This was the day I discovered my favorite popcorn flavor: jalapeno-caramel. Yes, you should try it!) 

14. Weather - Rain, rain, go away.  

15. Broken - This was a fun picture to take. 

16. Green -  Green is my favorite color, because it represents growth.  

17. Music - I thought about posting a picture of my clarinet, but this picture won the race to the blog.

18. Dream  - I dream for a lush and flourishing garden.

19. A tool - Flowers have long since been my tool for happiness. 

20. Journey - Just as this flower, I want my life journey to be one that is constantly reaching towards THE LIGHT, Jesus Christ.

21. Funny - Don't eat Jelly Bellys because look what they're advertising: Fat Bellied Beans!  Do you want to turn into one of those? I guess you can tell I don't care for jelly bellys.

22. Fire Truck - WAY TO GO MCKINNEY FIREMAN! I caught these men headed to the rescue.

Thoughts from me...

Communicating Convictions

            Alcohol…what makes it a pleasure for some and offensive to others?  Why is alcohol not universally accepted like other beverages?  All are drinks, are they not?  Is it wrong to drink alcohol?  What is the big deal?  All these questions! But where do we go for answers?  Please read on. 

     

            As a Christian, my standard for determining right from wrong is the Bible, God’s Holy Word.  It is the source for my answers in every situation.  God has given us His Word, not for us to be overwhelmed and bound by the rules and regulations, but to provide us with instructions for following a path toward holiness.  So with this in mind, let us take a look at a few verses.  

Ephesians 5:18 says: “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;” To me, this verse is saying a person should be filled with the Spirit rather than be excessively filled with alcohol.  In most cases, consumption of alcoholic beverages hinders a person from being consciously aware of his actions and words.  How then, can a drunken person be walking in the Spirit?  Most importantly, we should ask ourselves the following question: Which one will fill us with something of eternal value?  Will drinking alcohol allow a person to be in the proper state of mind, to witness and share the love of Christ with others as the Bible commands?  

Proverbs 23:21 states: “For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.” I am not sure about you, but I do not want my choices to leave me in a state of poverty.  Proverbs 20:1 reads, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” Is wine honoring to God?

             I believe God’s purpose for the Bible is to give us instruction on how to live holy lives.  With this in mind, I do not believe alcohol fits into the purpose of a sanctified life.  Instead, alcohol would seem to detract a person from living fully for God.    

God's Perfect Faithfulness

                                                    

       Every time I see a rainbow I always think of the little phrase my parents taught me when I was little to help me remember the colors:  

Rainbows - R= red

Over - O = orange

You - Y = yellow

God's - G = green

Blessed - B = blue 

Vow - V = violet

     I was ecstatic the other day when I looked out my window and saw the most amazing rainbow stretched  across the sky.  After I ran outside to get a better view, I was even more thrilled to find a double rainbow staring back at me! (The pictures just don't do justice.) 

     When I look at a beautiful rainbow, I am always reminded of God's unwavering faithfulness to man.  God has and will keep His promise He made to Noah so many years ago: "... and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh."      

      "It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

     Praise God for His faithfulness and hope in Him!

Spring Happiness

If you have not caught onto my love for flowers, here's your chance.  I LOVE FLOWERS!  I LOVE FLOWERS!  I LOVE FLOWERS!  There, now I'm sure you can sense my feelings on the subject.  Ever since my new camera arrived in the mail a few weeks ago,  I have had fun discovering a whole new world of wonder...tiny flowers.

I took this picture today out in my front yard. When I look at these adorable flowers, I see them proclaiming to the world: "Spring is here!" I see them basking in the warmth of the sunlight shouting to all: "My Creator is the amazing God of the universe!". I see these tiny flowers with enough boldness to make known the happiness of the spring season.  Take time in the busyness of life to observe the magnificence of God displayed in His creation.  Today may we be encouraged to boldly proclaim the greatness of our God to others.

Some of my thoughts...

Just to inform you, this post will be a little out of the ordinary. In the following paragraphs you will read some of my thoughts on a particular topic. I am sharing with you one of my recent assignments on the subject of communicating convictions. Enjoy!

Should a young woman move out of her father's home?

Before I blurt out my thoughts, or jump ahead of myself, I want to lay the foundation and say that each and every family is uniquely designed and put together by God. They have different experiences, different lives, and different convictions. This in no way exempts an individual from the obligation of living under the authority and principals of God's Word.

Our walk with God is the foundation for approaching this question. In everything, God is of most importance. No matter where you live, who your family is, or what religion you believe in, El Elyon is still the most high God and is above all and before all things: Revelation 1:8 "I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." His powerful words spoke this world into existence and in the Bible He has outlined a way of life for all men to live by. The Bible is God-inspired: 2 Timothy 3:16 " All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" It is eternal: 1 Peter 1:25 "But The Word of the Lord endureth forever... It is incorruptible: Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away."

To determine the answer to the question, we must consider the daughter's motive. Why does she want to move out? If she wants to move out in order to get away from authority, then she is going against God's command in 1 Peter 5:5 "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." This leads us to ask "Is she humble and submissive in her relationship with her dad?

If she would be going against the wishes and instructions of her parents in moving out of the house, then she should choose her actions wisely and evaluate the consequences. Ephesians 6:1 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this right." The Bible does not specifically tell us that the daughter should always live in her father's house. This being true, I see no wrong in a daughter moving out of her father's house, if she feels God calling her to do so in order to accomplish His best for her life. In the whole process she should strive to submissively seek her parents' consent, carefully check her motive for wanting to move, and cautiously remain under her parents' authority.

Whether a girl is living in her father's house or not, is an issue that should not conflict or hinder anyone's relationship with God, which is of ultimate importance. Instead, a person should seek for their actions to bring glory to Christ's name. With this in focus, one would be able to discern what the right course of action is. In application, we must ask ourselves: Are our actions leaving a godly example for others, and are we seeking to glorify God every step in life?

He is Alive!

Because He Lives

     By: Bill and Gloria Gather

God sent His son, they called Him Jesus

He came to love, heal, and forgive.

He lived and died to buy my pardon,

An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.

Because He lives, All fear is gone.

Because I know He holds the future,

And life is worth the living just because He lives.

May each and everyone of you have a blessed Resurrection Sunday, celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. No matter what plans or family get-together you may have on your agenda for today, let us remember and focus on Jesus, the one who is the reason for the celebration... this celebration of hope and joy for those who trust and believe on His name.  

  

  "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." 

Corinthians 15:55-58


(Pictures courtesy of farm4.static.flickr.com and www.catholicbishops.ie/)  
Just to clarify: I'm not Catholic, I just like the picture=)

A Lesson from Flowers

Little flowers never worry

when the wind begins to blow, 

and they never, never cry, 

when the rain begins to fall. 

When the clouds begin to gather

and the storm begins to grow. 

Little flowers don't complain 

though their tossing to and fro.

I guess they've learned the secret.

They don't fret because they know, 

if it never never rained, 

then they'll never never grow.

      I love flowers!  Their vivid color, sweet fragrance, and fresh happiness never fail to bring smiles to my day.  It amazes me how such delicately tender blossoms have the vigor to withstand and endure the winds and storms of spring weather.  
      
      The lyrics above are from the song "Little Flowers".  They remind and encourage me not to be so consumed in my own life, but to step back and take time to observe the little things God has created.  
    
      The lesson we can learn from this song is that if God never brought rain into our lives, we would never, never grow.