"By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created,
people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see:
eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being."
Romans 1:20 (The Message)
July 26, 2010 |
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Have you ever experienced moments when your spirit fills with ardent emotion, deep, deep within, long before your mind fully understands? God is on the move. God is in this place. Sometimes it's simply and only His love, joy, peace and awe pumping through your being, overflowing, filling endless space around you. Words can not describe, nor do justice to convey the height, the depth. In the story Anne of Green Gables (by Lucy Maud Montgomery) Marilla is instructing Anne on bedtime prayers. Anne responds to Marilla:"Why must people kneel down to pray? If I really wanted to pray I'll tell you what I'd do. I'd go out into a great big field all alone or into the deep, deep, woods, and I'd look up into the sky--up--up--up--into that lovely blue sky that looks as if there was no end to its blueness. And then I'd just FEEL a prayer." Some time ago a particular song captured my heart. The song was in Spanish, a language I don't know. Yet, each time I'd hear the song waves of emotion would well up inside me, toward God, from God...a most divine exchange. Later I found the English translation. The words struck me as profoundly beautiful, certainly so profound because of what I had already felt. The song is by Jesus Adrian Romero. Written below is the English translation. Here's a link to where I first heard the song if you'd like to hear it, too: Mi Universo |
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You're my world |
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"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words." Romans 8:26 NRSV |
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sunrise on Mt Jefferson, Oregon |
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July 19, 2010 |
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"...for our 'God is a consuming fire.'" |
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July 12, 2010 |
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"How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! |
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"Even the sparrow has found a home, |
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We discovered this nest of baby birds next to our camp last weekend. God did a great job coloring them to blend in with their surroundings. We couldn't get a good look at the parents, but think they are either Peewees or Flycatchers. |
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July 6, 2010 |
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| The portion of the Cascade Range pictured above shows (left to right) Mount Bachelor (9060 ft), Broken Top (9152 ft), South Sister (10358 ft), Middle Sister (10047 ft), and North Sister ((10085 ft). The wildflowers pictured upper right, perhaps some sort of phlox and monkey flower, are each no larger than a shelled sunflower seed. |
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June 28, 2010 |
"My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, |
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"The LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, says: I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is good and leads you along the paths you should follow. Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling like waves." |
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Umpqua River, June 26, 2010, southwestern Oregon |
June 21, 2010 |
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sentinels Nutmeg and Lucy, our Jack Russell Terriers |
June 14, 2010 |
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dividing boundary wall, three centuries old, eastern Massachusetts |
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June 7, 2010 |
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"O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; |
Strong emotion does not intimidate God. From honest pain He will not shrink back. He proves faithful to the teachable heart. |
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"Does he who implanted the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see? |
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May 31, 2010 |
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"Cling tightly to your faith in Christ, and always keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked." 1 Tim 1:19 NLT |
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May 24, 2010 |
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Umpqua National Forest, Oregon |
May 17, 2010 |
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another sunset from the Ochoco Mountains of Central Oregon |
May 10, 2010 |
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May 3, 2010 |
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"As for myself, I do not care if I am judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. I know of no wrong I have done, but this does not make me right before the Lord. The Lord is the One who judges me. So do not judge before the right time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light things that are now hidden in darkness, and will make known the secret purposes of people's hearts. Then God will praise each one of them." 1 Corinthians 4:3-5 NCV |
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"O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my every thought when far away. You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. You both precede and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to know! I can never escape from your spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." Psalms 139:1-10, 23-24 NCV |
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April 26, 2010 |
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"But you must not forget, dear friends, that a day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment. Since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives you should be living! You should look forward to that day and hurry it along ... looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world where everyone is right with God. And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to live a pure and blameless life. And be at peace with God. And remember, the Lord is waiting so that people have time to be saved." 2 Peter 3:8-15 NLT |
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| Be where you are... ...all the while knowing, though it seem so far away, our coming King will return, bringing an end to time as we know it. May our heart's treasure, our investments of time and resources, be found in eternity. |
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April 19, 2010 |
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| "If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn't love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn't love others, what good would I be? And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would be of no value whatsoever. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will all disappear. Now we know only a little, and even the gift of prophecy reveals little! But when the end comes, these special gifts will all disappear. It's like this: When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now. There are three things that will endure -- faith, hope, and love -- and the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 NLT |
As I bring in an April 5th's photo for a closer view, let's bring our hearts into God's closer view. LORD, shine Your light of love deep into our hearts and ways. Show us where, show us how the love we live must be transformed to reach Your higher mark. |
April 9, 2010 |
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| "I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him." Psalms 34:1-22 NIV |
sunset from the Ochoco Mountains of Central Oregon looking west toward Mt. Washington |
April 5, 2010 H E I S R I S E N ! J E S U S I S A L I V E ! |
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| A walk through my neighborhood last weekend ... new life on the rise where I live! |
March 29, 2010 |
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"Many people were shocked when they saw him. He was so scarred that he did not look like a man at all. His body was so twisted that he did not look like a human being anymore." Isaiah 52:14 NIRV "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5 NIV "The LORD says, ‘It was my plan to crush him and cause him to suffer. I made his life a guilt offering to pay for sin. But he will see all of his children after him. In fact, he will continue to live. My plan will be brought about through him. After he suffers, he will see the light that leads to life. And he will be satisfied. My godly servant will make many people godly because of what he will accomplish. He will be punished for their sins. So I will give him a place of honor among those who are great. He will be rewarded just like others who win the battle. That is because he was willing to give his life as a sacrifice. He was counted among those who had committed crimes. He took the sins of many people on himself. And he gave his life for those who had done what is wrong.'" Isaiah 53: 10-13 NLT |
Camp Crestview, Oregon, overlooking the Columbia River |
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March 22, 2010 |
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"I will sweep your sins away as if they were a cloud. I will blow them away as if they were the morning mist. Return to me. Then I will set you free." Isaiah 44:22 NIRV |
March 15, 2010 |
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March 8, 2010 |
"You, indeed, have made my days short in length, and my life span as nothing in Your sight. Yes, every mortal man is only a vapor. Selah. Certainly, man walks about like a mere shadow. Indeed, they frantically rush around in vain, gathering possessions without knowing who will get them." Psalms 39:5-6 HCSB "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. ...You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures... ...God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble... ...Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up... Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'" James 4:1-3, 6, 10, 13-15 NIV |
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"Teach us how short our lives really are so that we may be wise." Psalms 90:12 NCV |
"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5 NIV |
| "Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You." Psalms 39:7 HSCB |
March 1, 2010 |
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| "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me… …The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." Psalms 51:1-11, 17 NIV |
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| "Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:22 NIV |
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February 22, 2010 |
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February 14, 2010 |
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"Open to me, my darling, my treasure, my lovely dove..." Song of Solomon 5:2 NCV |
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"Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ And this gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son." Ephesians 1:4-6 NLT "And from far away the Lord appeared to his people and said, 'I love you people with a love that will last forever...'" Jeremiah 31:3 NCV |
"You have captured my heart, my sister, my bride. You have captured my heart with one glance of your eyes..." Song of Solomon 4:9 HCSB |
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February 8, 2010 |
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| "It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah. Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing." Ephesians 2:1-10 The Message |
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February 1, 2010 |
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"A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. A tree is identified by the kind of fruit it produces. Figs never grow on thornbushes or grapes on bramble bushes. A good person produces good deeds from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil deeds from an evil heart. Whatever is in your heart determines what you say." Luke 6:43-45 NLT |
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"Be alert. Continue strong in the faith. Have courage, and be strong." 1 Corinthians 13:15 NCV |
January 25, 2010 |
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"Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few." Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 NKJV |
| With Jesus' death and resurrection the "house of God", the location where God's presence dwelt, transferred from being in one place (the Holiest of Holies, within the temple in Jerusalem) to that of being present within the hearts and minds of every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19). Yes, the "house of God" is far more reaching than a particular place, far beyond any "house of worship". Outside the limits of any corporate gathering, you, me, as believers, house God's presence. Astounding. Thus, we would do well to consider this truth not only when approaching God corporately or individually, but even and especially when interacting in conversation with our brothers and sisters in Christ. | |
January 18, 2010 |
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| "Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The Lord executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them. The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all." Psalms 103:1-6, 8-19 NKJV |
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| R E F L E C T O N H I S G O O D N E S S A C C E P T H I S L O V E | |
Puget Sound, Washington State |
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January 11, 2010 |
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"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also... No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:19-21, 24-27, 31-34 NIV |
Finley National Wildlife Refuge, Willamette Valley, Oregon |
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January 4, 2010 A N E W D A Y |
"Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord." Psalms 31:24 NIV "...the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love..." Psalms 33:18 NIV "...those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31 NIV "The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him..." Lamentations 3:25 NIV |
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Those who seek the Lord Jesus Christ, who place their trust and hope in Him, have every reason to expect good things, great things in the new year. |
"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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV |
view from my front yard looking east, Springfield, Oregon |
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Comments? Feedback? Testimonies? Please feel free to send an email to deb@HeartScribeForHim.com. |
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