Thankful for our Missionaries

I have posted this picture before but I thought of it again this Thanksgiving weekend and what the picture represents to me.

It is a picture of the hands of a friend's mother and of my friend's first grand-baby. This friend and her family have served as missionaries for about 30 years in a foreign country. I was able to be at the hospital here in the states when the child was born and my friend sat by a computer through the night to get the message she was waiting for.

This family has made so many sacrifices through the years in order to tell others of Jesus. As a grandparent myself, the sacrifice of living so far from family would be the hardest.

Luke 18:22 "I tell you the truth, Jesus said to them, no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and in the age to come, eternal life."


So today, I offer a prayer for my friend and others who serve.  Thank God for you and I pray you receive many times as much in this age and in the age to come.
For my spiritual truths go to Spiritual Sundays.

Two Pretty Girls

A friend asked me to take a few pictures of her family.

These two little girls looked like trouble.

 "You both look this way and smile"

 "Come on, and sit up." Somehow I lost control.

 "Like my shoes?"

 "No, No, girls, both of you sit up....please."

 "You know, this does feel better"

"Such beauties!"

Life's Difficulties

I am always amazed how trees and plants that God has created will survive even though certain events in their life have caused their lives and growth to be difficult.

What can we learn from this?

When a vine slowly wrapped around this tree, it had to adapt. It could no longer grow straight, but it still grew and produced. 

2 Cor. 12:3 "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak then I am strong."

These plants grew into glass containers. Trapped in situations of out their control but they continued to flourish. 

Sometimes circumstances seem to overwhelm us; life as we have known it has changed and we cry out, "Father, I don't understand."

I Cor. 13:12 "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face. Now i know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." 

When there is a source of constant pain and problem in our lives...

2 Cor. 4:17 "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

When our burden is so heavy and we feel alone...

Matt. 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

His grace is sufficient...then I am strong..I will know fully...eternal life...rest for my soul. What beautiful promises God has given us.

You can find more sites about our Lord at Spiritual Sundays

A Safari Trip

My daughter, grand kids and I recently went to a "drive through safari park" about an hour away. Such a fun place.

 We were all so brave till heads started popping into the window then there were squeals and windows rising.

This guy was a bully. He had found out the trick of sticking his head in the feed bucket and it makes you drop it. He also produced a lot of cow slobber down our window.

 Jerry is my favorite. Such sweet eyes

 Feeding the babies was fun

The zebras were beautiful

Maybe I should have read the sign...too much sugar for kids and they had to dance just to let go of some energy.

A good memory making day.

 

This is My Father's World

 This is my Father's world,

         and to my listening ears

         all nature sings, and round me rings

         the music of the spheres. 

         This is my Father's world: 

         I rest me in the thought

         of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;

         his hand the wonders wrought.

 This is my Father's world,

         the birds their carols raise,

         the morning light, the lily white,

         declare their maker's praise. 

         This is my Father's world: 

         he shines in all that's fair;

         in the rustling grass I hear him pass;

         he speaks to me everywhere.

 This is my Father's world. 

         O let me ne'er forget

         that though the wrong seems oft so strong,

         God is the ruler yet. 

         This is my Father's world: 

         why should my heart be sad? 

         The Lord is King; let the heavens ring! 

         God reigns; let the earth be glad!

Go to Spiritual Sundays for more sites about our Father

     

For more scenes with fences go to lifeaccordingtojanandjer

Run Forest

Don't you love when kids act silly on their own? 

I knew those eyes were sparkling too much that she was up to something when she said "take a picture of me smiling."

It is funny how an unscheduled stop at the town square can quickly turn to a memory and bring up old memories of bringing him here to see the trains since he was little.

Love these old trains

  

All Our Days

Psalm 139 (1) "O Lord...You know me. (7) Where can I go from Your Spirit (11) Surely the darkness will hid me..even the darkness will not be dark to you...for darkness is as light to you...(16)...All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

This picture reminds of our walk with Christ. The fence goes on but I can't see it. But He has promised me to be my Light for today. My days ahead are already in His book. He has my future laid out for me.


(Love these notes from Transformed, Anointed & Redeemed Bible Study)--We were assigned purpose and placed within a God created system where no pain can come to us unless it serves purpose. We need to know that the events that we find so baffling doesn't mean God has forgotten about us or forsaken us. Perhaps instead He has trusted us. A bruised heart that chooses to beat with a passion for God amid pulsing pain and confusions may be the most expensive offering placed on the Divine altar.

Sometimes there is just a bigger plan.

 Go to Spiritual Sundays to find more sites  sharing about God's Truth.