For those who say there is no God ...

... You spread out the heavens like a curtain, you laid the beams of your palace on the water. You make the clouds your chariot, you ride on the wings of the wind.You make winds your messengers, fiery flames your servants.You fixed the earth on its foundations, never to be moved.You covered it with the deep like a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. At your rebuke they fled; at the sound of your thunder they rushed away, flowing over hills, pouring into valleys, down to the place you had fixed for them. You determined a boundary they could not cross; they were never to cover the earth again.You make springs gush forth in the vadis; they flow between the hills, supplying water to all the wild animals; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. On their banks the birds of the air build their nests; among the branches they sing. You water the mountains from your palace; the earth is satisfied with how you provide.You grow grass for the cattle; and for people you grow the plants they need to bring forth bread from the earth, wine that gladdens the human heart, oil to make faces glow, and food to sustain their strength. ADONAI's trees are satisfied -the cedars of the L'vanon, which he has planted.In them sparrows build their nests, while storks live in the fir trees. For the wild goats there are the high mountains, while the coneys find refuge in the rocks.You made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to set.You bring darkness, and it is night, the time when all forest animals prowl.The young lions roar after their prey and seek their food from God. The sun rises, they slink away and lie down to rest in their dens; while people go out to their work, laboring on till evening. What variety there is in your works, ADONAI! How many [of them there are]! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creations. Look at the sea, so great, so wide! It teems with countless creatures, living beings, both large and small. The ships are there, sailing to and fro; Livyatan, which you formed to play there. All of them look to you to give them their food when they need it. When you give it to them, they gather it; when you open your hand, they are well satisfied. If you hide your face, they vanish; if you hold back their breath, they perish and return to their dust. If you send out your breath, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. May the glory of ADONAI last forever! May ADONAI rejoice in his works! 

                                                                       Psalms 104:2-31(The Complete Jewish Bible)

Happy Children

Unspeakable Joy!
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Pr. 22:6 NKJV

There are countless ways for us to bring up our children. Books and articles are written constantly. Telling us what we should and should not do. If you want happy and well rounded children who are emotionally, mentally and spiritually stable, let me suggest one more resource. The Bible. The one book that has stood the test of time over and over again. And with the wisdom shared in the above Scripture as an example, it's no wonder the Bible remains one of the favorite books of all time. 

Raising children can be a daunting task. But if we remember what we do and why we do it, it becomes a little less overwhelming. God’s Word gives us countless examples of how to teach (Deut.11:19), train (Is.38:19), provide (2 Cor. 12:14), nurture (Eph. 6:4 & Col. 3:21), control (1 Tim. 3:4 & 12) and love (Tit. 2:4) our children. Including the very important, but often overlooked, Deuteronomy 6:7 (“You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.) The Ten Commandments. If we remember to seek God first, and train our children in the way He guides us, we are promised that they will not depart from it. Now there's a recipe for a successful parenting! 

Pleasures Forevermore

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.   
Psalms 16:11 NKJV

Fullness of joy. In His presence. What an awesome privilege. The Great I Am, The Most High God, the Creator of the Universe desires for us to experience joy in way that will totally blow our minds! One of the best ways for us to start our day is by asking our Heavenly Father to show us the paths of life, as the psalmist suggests above. But did you also know that we can ask Him to guide us into pleasant paths? At His right hand are pleasures forevermore. Experience the fullness of joy available to us by being still and bathing in His presence.

Our First Love

“Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints!  For the LORD preserves the faithful….Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD.”  Psalm 31:23 & 24
 
“Oh, to love the LORD”…What an awesome privilege we have as Christians!  Today, Valentine's Day is being celebrated. A day set aside to show those that are dear to us how much they are loved and appreciated. However, let us not forget about our first love (Rev. 2:4) Remember how He is forever faithful and true, and how in the times when we think we can take no more, nor go any further, He strengthens our hearts and gives us the courage to carry on.  Why? Because we have chosen to hope in Him.  So, today, while plans are being made for special dinners and surprises, why not also make plans to let God know how much we love and appreciate Him.  How can we do this?  A good place to start is by calling upon the LORD, for He is worthy to be praised.  Glorify, magnify and bless His name at every given opportunity. And who can forget the easiest but perhaps most endearing way of all...

“LORD, I love you.”                                                                                                            

Replacing Worry

It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized ... Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.  
(The Message Bible Phil.4:7b-9a & 13)

Winter...our gift from God

Unspeakable Joy! 


“…ADONAI! Our Lord! How glorious is your name throughout the earth! The fame of your majesty spreads even above the heavens! ... When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place - what are mere mortals, that you concern yourself with them; humans, that you watch over them with such care?”
Psalms 8:1, 3 & 4 - Complete Jewish Bible

Winter! The Glory of the LORD in Creation! What a welcome change from the dog days of summer! And what a beautiful way the Creator of all, has chosen to show His majesty.  Though this is not the season to stop and smell the roses, let us not abandon enjoying what has been prepared especially for us.  Take a brief walk outside, stop and look around in genuine awe in what He has done.  Embrace the cold breezes and allow the frigid air to re-awaken your senses. God’s glory is magnified by His works! From watching in wonder as the snow falls gently from the heavens, to listening intently as the cardinals and blue jays flit around in the barren trees to the exciting thrill of touching the first ethereal icicle of the season, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter were designed for our pleasure, so let us revel in our earthly playground under the watchful care of the Almighty.

Courage & Joy

Unspeakable Joy! 

"Be of good courage , and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD." Ps. 31:24 KJV

There are those days whereas you feel so blessed and so thankful that trying to explain the emotion using mere words almost seem to echo within the halls of blasphemy. Your heart knows it, your soul feels it and your mind even manages to embrace it, but the lips are incapable of appropriate utterance.  Welcome these days as a gift from the Creator of Joy that it is. God gives us these days to encourage and refresh our souls.  Relax, enjoy His blessing and allow your world to be renewed.