The Secret of Being Content

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. — Philippians 4:12 

In every situation, I am learning to be content.

Paul is a good example of contentment.

He learned the secret of being content in all situations.

Even when he was hungry or in want, he was content.

Help me to be the same.

Today is the last day of April this year.

Thank you, Lord, for another month.

Whatever Is True and Noble

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. — Philippians 4:8 

Think on things that are excellent.

Concentrate on things that are praiseworthy.

Whatever is true and noble, think on these things.

Whatever is admirable and lovely, think on these things.

The wonderful things God has given us.

God of Peace

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. — Philippians 4:9 

God helps us to put His Word into practice.

The God of peace will be with us.

God wants us to put His teachings into our hearts.

And then to practice them so we can be instruments of His.

And the God of peace will be with us.

Rejoice in the Lord

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. — Philippians 4:4-5

We rejoice in God's presence.

And ask Him to give us gentleness.

And to give us patience.

So that we can be a light in the darkness of our cruel world,

And an example to others.

The Son of Man Came to Save Us

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. — Luke 19:10

Jesus came to save us.

He came to search us out and find us.

He is called Son of Man, Counselor, Redeemer, Savior.

And He loves us as His children.

He came to seek and save the lost.

You Were Redeemed from the Empty Way of Life

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. — 1 Peter 1:18-19

We were not bought with silver or gold.

Rather, God purchased us with the blood of His Son, Jesus.

He redeemed me from my empty way of life.

I had no way to purchase my salvation.

My sin was handed down to me from my ancestors.

Jesus served as the lamb without blemish or defect.

He was the perfect sacrifice for me.

Not perishable things, but with His precious blood.

Let Your Gentleness Be Evident

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. — Philippians 4:4-5 

Rejoice in the Lord!

Help me to be gentle to all.

God the Lord is near.

I rejoice in Him.

His love endures forever.

Here's our family on Easter.

Cameron took this photo so he's not in it.

Rudy joined us after dinner for desert.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

We Live for the Lord

If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. — Romans 14:8 

We belong to the Lord.

Therefore, we live for the Lord.

And if we die, we die for the Lord.

Whether we live or die, we still belong to the Lord.

This week I'm reading "Founding Mothers" by Cokie Roberts.

My sister sent me this book several years ago, and I started reading it but never finished.

It's a fascinating compilation of stories of the wives of the founding fathers.

The subtitle describes it well: The Women Who Raised Our Nation.

Very fitting description!

Every Knee Shall Bow

It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’” — Romans 14:11

One day every knee will bow before the Lord.

And every tongue will acknowledge Him as God.

And confess that He is Lord.

Today my Uncle Os celebrates his birthday.

Formerly of Cape Cod, he now lives in Scottsdale.

My Aunt Diedree (his wife of 59 years) passed away in 2016 after suffering from cancer and Parkinson's disease.

She enjoyed gardening and had a green thumb.

When I can't recall the names of flowers and plants, I remember that my mom and Aunt Dee could both name them all.

They Shall Never Perish

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. — John 10:28

God gives us eternal life through His Son, Jesus.

As a result of this amazing gift, we shall never perish.

No one can snatch us out of God's hand.

No one can snatch us out of God's protective love.

He wraps His loving arms around us and tells us not to worry about anything.

Everything is in His control.

Just as He clothes this beautiful Easter orchid, He cares for me.

But unlike the fading flowers, I will never perish.

This Is the Gospel That You Heard

If you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. — Colossians 1:23 

We strive to continue in the faith, established and firm.

Moving toward faith in Jesus.

And to the hope held out in the gospel.

This is the Gospel of Christ that we have heard.

His gospel has been proclaimed to every creature on earth and under heaven.

These are the Easter tulips our friends brought to decorate our dinner table.

We were blessed with lots of bouquets.

He is risen!

He Has Reconciled You by Christ's Death

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation. — Colossians 1:21-22 

Yesterday for Easter we were overwhelmed with flowers from family and friends.

These are the beautiful sunflowers my niece Carly brought for us.

They brighten the room!

We had a fun time with those who were able to join us - about 14 of our closest family members and friends.

Once we were alienated from God.

We were enemies of Him because of our sins.

But now God has reconciled us to Himself in Christ's death.

Now Jesus can present us holy in God's sight.

Through Jesus we are without blemish and free from accusation.

We celebrate Easter because Jesus died for us and came alive again.

Making Peace Through His Blood

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. — Colossians 1:19-20 

Through Jesus, God paved the way for us to be reconciled to Him.

Yesterday we celebrated Easter with family and friends.

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Through Jesus, God reconciled to himself all things.

Both things on earth and things in heaven.

Making peace through the blood of Jesus, shed on the cross.

We praise Him for His mercy.

Come and See What God Has Done

Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind! He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot—come, let us rejoice in him. — Psalm 65:5-6

Come and see what God has done.

He has shown His awesome deeds to us.

He turned the sea into dry land.

The Israelites passed through the waters on foot.

Their enemies were destroyed.

Come, let us rejoice in God our Savior.

He is risen!

He is risen indeed.

Happy Easter!

All the Earth Sings Praise

 All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name. — Psalm 66:4

Our Ohio friends also sent us this photo of the beautiful lilacs nearby.

All the earth bows down to God.

They sing praise to Him and so do we.

The earth sings the praises of God's name.

The flowers, birds, and hills join together.

Today we'll attend a prayer service for the people of Ukraine.

We'll hear from our pastor's daughter, who was just there with Samaritan's purse, helping to assign medical staff to various parts of the country.

We'll sing God's praises that He provides, even in the midst of war.

We'll bow down to Him with humility.

Awesome Deeds

Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! — Psalm 66:3

Our friends in Ohio sent us these photos of the cherry blossoms today.

How awesome are God's deeds.

He created the beautiful flowers.

And He created me.

Yesterday I had a minor surgery on my knee.

To remove the area around a mole they removed in February.

Since it was on the kneecap, I saw a plastic surgeon.

She did an amazing job, and the sewed-up incision was really beautiful.

Tonight we sing Rutter's Requiem for our Tenebrae service.

Praising God with music.

How awesome are His deeds!

 

Shout for Joy to God

Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. — Psalm 66:1-2

Yesterday our friend Holden came to visit from Humboldt.

His dad was Kirk's best friend.

Holden brought his girlfriend Gabrielle with him.

We had a great time reminiscing and catching up with them.

It was a beautiful afternoon out on our patio.

Kirk opened a bottle of Fratelli Perata cabernet, which we enjoyed together.

Here he is a few years ago with his mom and older brother.

Such fun to get to spend time with them both.

God Answers Us With Awesome Deeds

You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas. — Psalm 65:5 

God our Father answers us with awesome deeds.

His acts are righteous.

He is our Savior.

Jesus is the hope of the world.

The hope of all the ends of the earth.

The hope of the farthest seas.

Happy Birthday, Rudy!

God Cares

You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. — Psalm 65: 9

God cares for the land.

He waters it with rain.

He enriches His creation abundantly.

And He blesses us, His creation.

Showering us with His goodness and love.

God cares for us.

The Whole Earth Is Filled with Awe

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy. — Psalm 65:8 

Yesterday was Palm Sunday.

The children in our congregation waved palm branches as they came down the center aisle.

Next year, these palms will provide the ashes we'll use for Ash Wednesday.

Yesterday we sang Hosannas.

By Friday, we'll be shouting "crucify Him"!

What a fickle bunch we are.

Yet God calls forth songs of joy.

The whole earth is filled with awe at God's wonders.

God Demonstrates His Love for Us

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. — Romans 5:8

God demonstrates His love for us in His creation and through His Son, Jesus.

Christ died for us.

The death of a criminal.

Humiliating and painful.

He took my place so I can live with Him forever.

Even before I knew Him, Christ died for me.

While I was still a sinner.

And I still am, but He paid the price for me so I can live with Him in heaven some day.

Here's a recording one of our church friends made in 2009 when he visited Ireland:

https://www.7sky.life/john-doan-celtic-pilgrimage/

Amazing love!

Christ Died for the Ungodly

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. — Romans 5:6

Christ died for all of us.

Before we knew Him, God knew us personally.

He calls us by name.

Christ died for me while I was still a sinner.

And I am grateful.

Last night we went to  a Chris Botti concert with friends.

Chris used to play trumpet with Sting.

Now he does tours with his own musicians.

One of the things I appreciate about him is his professionalism in working with other musicians, letting them take center stage.

He also told the security guard not to worry about asking people to put away their phones.

It was OK for them/us to record songs and take photos during the concert.

Very fun evening.

I Have Hope

This I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. — Lamentations 3:21-22

Because of the Lord's great love for me, I am not consumed.

The compassions of the Lord never fail.

Therefore I have hope.

My hope is in the Lord.

And His Son, Jesus.

I Have Been Crucified With Christ

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. — Galatians 2:20

I live by faith in Jesus.

He love me and gave himself for me.

I have been crucified with Christ.

The life I live in the body, I live by faith in Him.

During this time of Lent, we thank God for Jesus.

And for the sacrifice He made for me personally.

 

In Him We Have Redemption

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. — Ephesians 1:7

Jesus died for us.

In Him we have redemption.

Because Jesus died for us and shed His blood for our sin.

All to forgive us from our sins.

We benefitted from the riches of God's grace.

He is merciful.

And He cares for us even more than the birds, which He clothes in all their beautiful finery.

How much more God provides for us.

Numbering the hairs on our head.

Jesus Will Be Raised to Life

On the third day he will be raised to life! — Matthew 20:19

Jesus will be raised to life.

But first, He will die for my sins.

He will suffer pain and humiliation for my wrongdoing.

Jesus will be buried in a tomb.

And His friends will mourn.

But the third day He will be raised to life!

And he will live in heaven forever.

The Son of Man Will Be Delivered Over to the Chief Priests

Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. — Matthew 20:17-18

During this time of Lent, we remember that Jesus knew about His death beforehand.

He explained it to His disciples.

Then He told them that he would be condemned to death.

He would be handed over to the Gentiles.

They will flog Him, mock Him, and crucify Him,

Treating Him as a common criminal.

So that I can live with Him forever one day.

Here's Kirk's brother with his retirement gifts.

The army decanter and glasses arrived just before dinner.

And the redbreast came earlier today.

Perfect timing!

The Spirit God Gave Us Gives Us Love

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. — 2 Timothy 1:7

Yesterday I went to lunch with a coworker.

Our boss is moving on in his career, and she is nervous.

I wanted to offer my support and mentorship along with the resources of my team of writers.

She is a Christian, so we had a chance to talk about her church, her marriage, and her relationship with Jesus.

I shared with her the Scripture that tells us "Do not worry."

And explained that God wants us to cast all of our cares on Him.

When we forget, we can simply pray and ask Him to help us.

I mentioned that God has put her here in our company for a reason.

And that it helps me to ask Him before making decisions, having discussions, etc.

Asking Him for wisdom before I charge ahead with my own agenda.

I also told him how He has given me opportunities to pray with our coworkers, even those who are not Christians.

She told me that she and her husband have joined a Bible study, and how he was more of a social Christian, but is developing more of relationship himself and is even willing to lead their evening prayers.

She is grateful for her Christian coworkers and for our company.

I am thankful for the same.

We All Have Gone Astray

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. — Isaiah 53:6

Today is the start of a new month - April.

It's also the middle of Lent.

Preparing our hearts for Easter.

Since we all have gone astray, just like sheep.

Each of us has turned our own way.

We have not followed God's direction.

And the Lord has laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all.

Thank You, Lord!