You Have Made the Heavens

Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. — Jeremiah 32:17

God has made the heavens and the earth.

By His great power and outstretched arm, He has created everything.

Nothing is too hard for the Lord.

He is Sovereign, omnipotent, and omniscient.

The Lord Appeared to Us

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. — Jeremiah 31:3

The Lord appeared to our ancestors in the past.

He tells us that he loves us.

Not just in the past, but with an everlasting love.

He has drawn me with unfailing kindness.

His mercy never ends.

I Will Never Forget Your Precepts

I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life. — Psalm 119:93

I will never forget the Lord's precepts.

By them He has preserved my life.

His law helps guide my life.

He leads me in the path I should go.

And He holds my hand along the way.

Helping me get through any trials that may come.

Directing me through the narrow path.

Preserving my life through the blood of His Son, Jesus.

I Press On

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. —Philippians 3:14

I press on toward the goal that God has set before me.

To win the prize for which God has called me.

God has called me heavenward in Jesus.

Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.

Creator of heaven and earth.

Let Us Run With Perseverance

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. — Hebrews 12:1

La Jolla Shores Beach

We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.

Over the past few weeks, even more saints have gone to be with Jesus.

Sharon's dad, Gale.

Sue's mom.

Ron's mom.

And many more.

Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us.

And let us throw off the sin that so easily entangles us.

Let us run the race before us with perseverance. 

Good Will Come to the Generous

Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. — Psalm 112:5

God asks us to be generous and lend what we have to others.

He calls us to be just and fair.

And to consider others, not just ourselves.

Our Crape Myrtle is blooming now.

Reminding us of God's creation.

And His love and care for us.

He is generous in His mercy and grace.

The Righteous One

Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. — 1 John 2:2

Jesus is the only Righteous One.

He is our atoning sacrifice.

For my sins and for everyone.

I have missed the mark completely.

But Jesus steps in and covers me with His grace.

Making atonement for my sins.

Not only for ours but also for the sins of the world.

As this refreshing watermelon comforts my body on a hot day.

Jesus nourishes my soul.

Let the Little Children Come

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” — Matthew 19:14

Jesus welcomed little children to talk with Him.

He welcomes, me, too, even when my questions seem childish or naive.

Jesus explained that the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

People who come to Him with a childlike openness and eagerness.

And a willingness to love others.

Who are willing to follow Him wherever He leads.

 

Whoever Does the Will of God Lives

The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. — 1 John 2:17 

The world and its desires will pass away.

But those who do God's will are His children.

They have been saved by the blood of Jesus.

And He died so that we can live forever.

These Plumeria appeared to be just dead sticks and wilted leaves when we got it from my friend.

Kirk tended and watered them and they now have a second life.

Gorgeous.

Fellowship With the Father

Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. — 1 John 1:3-4 

Our fellowship in Christ is with God the Father.

He sent His Son Jesus to die for us and give us life everlasting.

In Him our joy is complete.

And we want to share that joy with others.

Last week when we headed over the pool in Palm Desert, we were the only ones swimming for an hour or two.

For this photo, Abby had the pool all to herself!

Live Out the Truth

If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. — 1 John 1:6 

If we claim to have fellowship with God, we can no longer walk in darkness.

If we do, we lie to ourselves.

And we do not live out the truth.

If we walk in the light, we live out the truth.

And we show others how to do the same.

Here's a bridge view over Palm Desert leading to the area where we stayed.

The mountains in the background were especially clear this day.

God Is Light

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. — 1 John 1:5 

This is the message we have heard from God and declare to others.

God is light.

In Him there is no darkness at all.

One day last week we headed over to this pool.

We arrived about 9:05 in the morning, and we had the whole pool (three of them, actually) to ourselves.

I went over to another pool to swim laps while Kirk and Abby enjoyed floating around this one.

God is good.

This We Proclaim

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. — 1 John 1:1 

While in Palm Desert, Abby got this sunrise photo one morning on an early walk.

I love the reflection of the Palm trees in the water.

And the pinks and blues of the clouds.

It reminds me of God's creation.

That which we have seen with our eyes.

Which we have looked at and our hands have touched.

This we proclaim concerning the Word of life.

That Jesus is Lord and lives in heaven.

Walk in the Light

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. — 1 John 1:7

Last week we were in Palm Desert with friends.

This is the view from our condo living room.

Kirk moved his recliner so he looked out on this view of the golf course each day.

We got some great photos of the sunrises.

A reminder that if we walk in the light, as God is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.

And the blood of Jesus, God's Son, purifies us from all sin.

To God Be Glory

To him [God] be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. — Ephesians 3:21

I praise God this morning as we head out to worship Him at church.

To Him be glory in the church, which is the body of Christ.

To our Lord be glory in Christ Jesus.

Lord, help us to pass Your Word on to the generations before us.

May you be glorified for ever and ever!

Amen. So be it!

His Power Is At Work Within Us

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. — Ephesians 3:20

God is able to do much more than I can imagine.

He is able to do immeasurably more than I even think of asking.

According to His power.

His Holy Spirit is at work within me.

And His glory fills the earth.

Here's the view of the pool where Abby and I swim several times a week.

This time of year, we don't usually stay late enough for the sunsets, but we enjoy the view of the sky and the feel of the water.

We get to celebrate God's glory as we swim.

The Gift of God's Grace

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. — Ephesians 3:7

I am a servant of the gospel of Christ.

Through the mentorship and love of my mom, I received the gift of God's grace.

Grace given to me through the working of God's power in me.

And through the saving blood of His Son Jesus.

I am grateful, undeserving, and humbled.

Here's our friend Mike being blessed and inducted as a subdeacon at his Antiochian Orthodox church.

God's Way Is Perfect

As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. — Psalm 18:30

God's way is perfect.

His Word is flawless.

He always keeps His promises.

And He guides me in the way I should go.

He shields me from disaster and all who take refuge in Him.

He is my rock and my fortress.

This was our view of Lake Murray from the top of Cowles Mt. when Abby and I hiked up on Monday.

Beautiful!

How Wide Is the Love of Christ

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. — Ephesians 3:17-18

I pray that I will be rooted and established in the love of Christ.

And I pray that for my family and friends.

For all the Lord's holy people.

As we grow in the love of Jesus, I pray that He will empower us to love others.

And that way may begin to grasp the depth and breadth of the Christ's love for us.

It seems incomprehensible.

One of our neighbors took this picture over at Lake Murray, where Abby and I walk occasionally — way too cute!

Heal Me, Lord

Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. — Jeremiah 17:14 

The Lord is our Healer.

When He places His mighty hand on me, I am healed.

He can heal my physical body as well as my spiritual illness.

He can heal our land when we turn to Him in prayer.

And He can heal me of my sin.

When He saves me, I know I am saved.

He is the one I praise.

Independence Day Celebration

Blessed is the  people whose God is the Lord! — Psalm 144:15

On this July 4th, the birth of our country, we are blessed.

God is our Lord, and we are thankful.

We live in a democracy, for which we're grateful.

And we'll share the day with family and friends.

We'll head over to Lake Murray for fireworks tonight.

God has blessed us.

And today we'll celebrate.

The Place of Our Sanctuary

A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary. — Jeremiah 17:12 

In our busy lives, it's often hard to set aside time to rest and be quiet.

But God is the creator of our sanctuary.

His glorious throne was exalted from the beginning.

This is the place of our sanctuary.

We need to simply rest in the Lord.

He is the place of our sanctuary.

We Do Not Fear

They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. — Jeremiah 17:7-8  

Those who trust in the Lord are like a tree planted by the water.

It does not fear the heat.

I have no need to fear since God is with me.

It's leaves are always green.

God keeps me nourished so I can grow in Him.

It has no worries in a year without rain.

I don't need to worry since God will guide and direct me, even when things look bleak.

It never fails to bear fruit.

I can keep sharing the love of God with others.

Blessed Is the One Who Trusts in the Lord

Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. — Jeremiah 17:7-8 

Our confidence is in God the Lord.

We trust in Him.

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord.

Their trust and confidence is in him.

Happy July!