Lenten Photo Challenge Day 23 - Blind

Today's word is blind - how do I find a photograph to show blind? I chose this one because it is hard to see what it is supposed to be. It is not clear what the subject is.

 Do you go through life in a fog - unable to see God at work in your life? In John 9:39  "Jesus said, 'For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.'" Blindness does not only refer to a person's sight. So often we may have good vision, but do not see what is right in front of our faces. The Bible is referring to this kind of blindness in our lives. Do we see God's work in our lives or are we blind to the miracles around us? Are we looking at our lives like the picture above - we see something, but have no idea what it actually is?

I know a person who is legally blind, but only in his vision. In his daily life, he is able to "see" God's love surrounding him in everything that he does. And so often he sees more than I can! I pray that each of us looks for the daily miracles in our lives and do not turn a blind eye to God's wonders.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 22 - Fight

Fight is a subject that is hard for me to photograph. We had a tree come down and block our road in the subdivision last week. The snow was too heavy for it. Our neighbor needed to get to work and knocked on our door looking for a chainsaw, before we knew it was down.  I thought at the time that some people may have become irate and in "fighting" mode at a time like this. We were thankful that our neighbor was totally understanding and stayed to help while the tree was cut up. (Two others also showed up to help move the branches so the neighbor could be on the way to work.)

In the Bible I have learned that "fight" can have a different meaning. It can mean standing up for what is right as in the Christian songs "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus" and "Onward, Christian Soliders".

While God tells us to be kind, it is also important to know when a fight is warranted. We should never give in to make someone happy if it is at the expense of God's word. The OLd Testament has many instances when fights and battles were done at God's direction.

In today's world we may be faced with many fighting instances. We need to be sure our battle is God's battle and not our personal fight. Then we can be confident that right is on our side.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 21 - Doubt

March, 2014 - many friends in our area are "doubting" that spring will ever come this year! It is March 25, five days after the official start of spring and this is what we saw in yard!

We have doubt in so many areas of our lives, whether about the weather, in personal relationships, or in God's love. In Mark 11:23 Jesus says, "Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him."

My first inclination is to say "Really?!" Could anyone really believe something like this can really happen? This shows my doubt in God's power already! While I believe in the Bible, my human nature simply cannot fathom how I could throw a mountain into the sea.

I have experienced many blessings from God and truly believe that He hears my prayers. He has worked miracles that others said could never happen. We say God can do anything, but do we really believe it? If we could get beyond our doubting natures, what fantastic, wonderful "unbelievable" blessings we would experience.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 20 - Receive

What a joy to receive a gift! The wrapping is beautiful and inside there must be something wonderful, right? We get gifts for birthdays, weddings, new babies, retirements, and other special occasions. However, the most important gift we can receive does not come wrapped in pretty paper or in a gift bag.

In Matthew 7:7-8 (and Luke 11:9-10) we hear Jesus say, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."

God has provided all we need to live in this world. He simply tells us to "ask".

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 19 - Water

Water is one of the mixed blessings we have. At its best it helps crops grow through timely rain and provides drinking water around the world. At its worst it destroys though floods of creeks, rivers, and oceans.

In the Bible we read that water destroyed the Earth when Noah and his family lived. Then water became the symbol of God's love when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. Perhaps the best know Bible verse is in the Twenty-third Psalm:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;
He restores my soul.
He leads me in the pathes of righteousness for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

May we remember that even in the worst of times. God knows our needs, and works for our good.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 18 - Peace

Can you hear the butterfly in this photograph? It was taken at a very quiet, peaceful scene last summer. It may be quiet here, but is the butterfly really at peace? It spends all its life searching for food and fighting for survival.

Many times I have heard people wish for peace - peace from noisy children, peace in a disruptive classroom, even "world peace" is a common theme in beauty pageants in the movies. But is peace really? Is it simply quiet around us? Is it just a lack of fighting, although the people involved may not really like each other? Is world peace a cessation of war?

One of my favorite songs is "Let There Be Peace on Earth"

Let there be peace on earth 
and let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth, 
the peace that was meant to be.
With God as our Father, 
brothers all are we.
Let me walk with my brother
in perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me. 
Let this be the moment now.
With ev'ry breath I take
let this be my solemn vow:
To take each moment 
and live each moment
in peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth 
and let it begin with me.

(While this song is often heard during the Christmas season, it was written by Jill Jackson Miller after a time in her life when she was very depressed and suicidal following the breakup of her marriage. She wrote the words when she realized God's love for her. )

I think this song helps explain what Jesus meant in John 14:27 - 

       "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world give do I give to you. Let not       your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." 

 I have also found peace in experiencing God's love as described in Philippians 4:7 -

       "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus."

This peace from God, which truly does surpass all understanding, is the true peace which people seek. It is ours when we believe that it is ours.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 17 - Worship

One of the first Bible verses I remember learning as a child was Psalm 100. I had a Bible bookmark with these words printed on it:

Make a joyful noise to the Lork, all the earth!
     Serve the Lord with gladness!
     Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
     It is he who made us, and we are his;
     we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
     and his courts with praise:
     Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
     and his faithfulness to all generations.

It is not a long psalm, but to me it is a perfect example of worship.  Each verse praises God and describes how He should be acknowledged. Make a joyful noise, come with gladness, singing! In these verses the author does not moan, complain or ask for help. Its only purpose is to worship and praise God.

As a teacher, I was instructed to start every parent conference with a positive comment about our student. I hope I can remember to start my prayers and conversations with God on a positive note as well. If I cannot think of something positive because of concerns at the time, I need to praise God for loving me, and I bet the positive ideas will then flow.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 16 - Blessing

Children, pets, jobs, weather conditions are often referred to as blessings. For today's word - blessing. - I checked the dictionary to see what a generic definition would be. I found - 1) a special favor, mercy, or benefit; 2) a favor or gift bestowed by God, thereby bringing happiness; 3) praise; devotion; worship, especially grace said before a meal. Which definition would you consider to be the best one?

Matthew 5:3-12 is know as the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus spoke the Beatitudes:

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

These verses show how the second definition is for us. God blesses His people when we feeli discouraged or simply down. He blesses us when we feel happy or like celebrating. Turn to Him and the Bible for these comforting words.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 15 - Free

FREE - snow allows children to get out of school for "free" days, but they always have to be made up.

FREE - advertisers give a free product and get our attention, but often there are stirngs attached.

FREE - Psalm 118:5 - Out of my distress I called on the  LORD;
                                    the LORD answered me and set me free. 

Only the Lord can provide what is completely free - the peace of His love and understanding when we are in distress. May we always remember to turn to Him whenwe are troubled, anxious, fretful, discouraged, or sad. He will set us free from our emotions so we are then able to feel His love and presence.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 14 - Love

LOVE -  many things come to mind with this word. Love for a spouse, children, parents, friends, job, toys, house, vacation. The word can be used to describe feelings of great emotion or feelings of temporary "great like". Wayne has this plaque hanging in his office, from I Corinthians 13 -

Faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love. I know no one who has ever wished for less love in a life! How wonderful to know that as much as our family here on Earth love us, our Father in heaven loves us even more.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 13 - Wind

Can you see the wind? I always asked this question to my kindergarten classes each March.  In Mirandy and Brother Wind,  written by Patricia McKissack, Jerry Pinkney drew the wind as a jolly man who enjoys disturbing various outside activities. After reading Gilberto and the Wind , by Marie Hall Ets, the students made their own illustrations of wind. We used dark construction paper and lightly pulled white chalk across their pictures. Now they could "see" the wind.

While we cannot see the wind, we can see the results of wind - cool skin on a hot, summer's day; dry laundry hanging on a clothes line; destruction after a tornado or hurricane.

While we cannot see God or the Holy Spirit, we can see the results of God in our lives - comfort in a moment of distress, the correct answer to a decision we did not know how to make, loving families and friends around us.

The wind is real -  I do not need to see something with my eyes to know that it exists. God is real - I do not need to see with my own eyes to know that God exists.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 12 - Spirit

Driving down the road one day we went into a severe fog. While we knew the road and where we were, all the familiar landmarks were clouded. We kept going and eventually the fog lifted. 

Sometimes I feel the Holy Spirit is what directs us through those foggy times in life. We know where we want to head, but we cannot always see the path clearly.

In Isaiah 63:11-13 it says:

Then he remembered the days of old, 

   of Moses and his people.

Where is he who brought them up out of the sea

   with the shepherds of his flock?

Where is he who put in the midst of them 

   his Holy Spirit,

who caused his glorious arm

   to go at the right hand of Moses,

who divided the waters before them

   to make for himself an everlasting name, 

   who led them through the depths?

 We have the words of Jesus as written in the book of John 14:26 - "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." Faith keeps us moving forward through the fogs of our lives.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 11 - Born

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
     a time to be born, and a time to die:
     a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
     a time to kill, and a time to heal;
     a time to break down, and a time to build up;
     a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
     a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
     a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
     a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
     a time to seek, and a time to lose;
     a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
     a time to tear, and a time to sew;
     a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
     a time to love, and a time to hate;
     a time for war, and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 

   

Notice the complete opposites in each line. Beginning with a time to be born (our beginning) and a time to die (our ending), the many phases of life are shown here. We  remember that no matter what we experience now, there will be times of change in our future. It is comforting to know that God is fully aware of these changing circumstances in our lives, to have it written in his Word.

Originally put to music by Pete Seeger in the late 1950s, these verses were popular in the 1960s in a song by a pop group band, The Byrds. They are the lyrics to their number one hit, "Turn, Turn, Turn". How many young people back then knew this song was directly from the Bible? Doesn't God work in mysterious ways?

Catching up with the Jingle Belles

I hae had so many other things going on with my hobbies that I did not take much time to work on the Jingle Belles Christmas card challenge. I am trying to do each weekly challenge, but not always the week they are presented!
This is the current challenge, for the holly and the ivy. 

Quilt catch up time

I finally took a few days to do some sewing on my quilt projects. I have not started on the March challenge, but I did go back to my self imposed block-a-month project of stained glass squares. I was able to make three more, and now only have 4 more to go. I am not sure what I will do with these, since the original directions were for  a bed sized quilt. I know that is not my plan!

I am also impressed that the actual color of the fabric is pretty true in these pictures. I have had trouble with purples showing up accurately in the past.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 10 - Give

You may "give" gifts to friends for birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas and other special occasions. 

"Give" is such an action word it can be hard to find a photograph that demonstrates the action. This is a group of cards I made and sent to Operation Write Home. That is an organization which collects blank hand made greeting cards for our deployed troops. The blank cards and envelopes are sent overseas so our service personnel can send mail to their loved ones back home. As their site mentions, there are no card shops in the desert or on submarines. I give cards to those who give in service to our country.

The greatest gift, however many times we say it, is described in John 3:16. I have seen lists where this is the most often cited Bible verse, and I can see why. Those few words say all that anyone needs to know.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." John 3:16-17

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 9 - Remember

Remember when we were young? When our kids were young?  When our dog was a puppy? Remember the good old days -  Do you have photos or a diary? Remember high school? classmates get together to relive the past that they share, but does everyone remember the same way? Our lives include the past - memories; the present - actions of today; and the future - plans in the making.

I often hear that if we do not remember the past, we are doomed to repeat it. Moses reminded the Israelites time and time again of all God had done for them. Then they would go and make the same mistakes over and over!

God remembers his promise to us in Leviticus 26:45 "But I will for their sake remember the covenant with their forefathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the signt of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD."

We also must remember what God asks of us as seen in Psalm 103:17 says "But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments."

Memories, reunions, and photographs help us remember our past. The Bible helps us remember  God's promises to us and our promises to Him.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 8 - World

Did you write on your notebooks in middle school? I was in Junior High School - the Middle School was not created until my younger brother was in 7th grade. One thing we did was establish our position in the world - I am Irene, in Murphy, in Jefferson County, in the state of Missouri, in the United States of America, in the North American continent, on planet Earth, in the Milky Way galaxy, in the Universe! That was as far as we could go. Years later I have seen the same concept in children's books about maps and location.

I may have stopped at "the Universe", but God does not. Jeremiah 10:12 - "It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens." We may not know what, if anything, lies beyond our known world, but I do know that God is not limited by my knowledge.

We look at life from our viewpoint on Earth - looking up toward the heavens. The astronauts have been able to leave Earth and look back at the planet from space and from the moon - getting a differnet perspective. What is God's perspective when He looks at creation? At us? The world may seem like a big place, but out of all that has EVER been created, God even numbered the hairs on our heads!

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 7 - Bread

When our family hears the word bread, especially in a church setting, we are taken back many years to a Sunday morning when the sermon was based on John 6:35 - "Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.'" The pastor had just started reading the verse - "I am the bread..." when our two year old promptly shouted out "and butter!" (He had just discovered bread and butter and it was his favorite food at the time, even eating the butter and handing back the bread to ask for more butter!)

Many, many verses in the Old and New Testaments mention bread including:

Matthew 6:11 - "Give us this day our daily bread,"
Mark 8:4-9 - the feeding of the four thousand
Luke 4:4 - "...It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone."
Luke 22:19 - "And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them,      saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

The phrase "bread of life" describes how Jesus fits into our daily lives - a necessary nutrient for good health.  For more examples, do a search in your Bible concordance for "bread" - amazing, fulfilling results.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 6 - Darkness

I am sure many things come to mind when one hears the word "darkness". Things can hide in the dark, people may be afraid of the dark and often there is confusion in the dark. The first thing I thought of  was "I can't see". I simply stop because it takes some time for my eyes to adjust, if they ever do.

I took this picture one morning while trying to capture the sunrise. I can't figure out what this was supposed to be! The picture is too dark with no real focus point. The next picture I took, however, the sun was dispelling the darkness as daybreak arrived.

The word "darkness" can be found in the Bible many places. It is God's will that all people should come out of the darkness, whether confusion, fright or evil. John 12:46 says "I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness." Jesus is the answer to whatever darkness has come into our lives. By giving up our concerns and worries, He will lead us through the dark into His light.

Yesterday my father had serious surgery and today the darkness has passed. He did fine and now is in next recovery phase, thanks to God's power with the medical staff who helped him. We are all thankful to God's comfort surrounding my mother at this time as well. He provides the hugs that I cannot deliver in person.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 5- Wilderness

The Israelites, Daniel Boone, the Union Army ouside Chancellorsville - these all had experiences of traveling in the wilderness. Each was trying to reach a destination, but there were no roads or clearly marked paths to follow. If faced with the area in this picture, I would wonder just what I might find in there or on the other side.

In our modern world we have clearly marked roads and GPS systems on our cell phones, in our cars and even on wrist watches which will give directions to any place one would choose to go.

So why do we still feel lost sometimes? I often feel like I am in a modern technology wilderness! There are no clear paths or even directions for traveling the multiple computer, internet, etc roads. When I was using my first computer, the school technician told me to just "jump in and do something". I could not hurt anything that he would not have been able to fix! The students all had that same attitude and they would just start pushing keys!

I still like to have directions laid out, so exploring an unknown wilderness is not appealing to me. Thankfully God has given me those directions through his word - and many paths show me how to get to my ulitmate destination in heaven and God's promise.  The Bible, church, family, friends, helping others, praying - each plays a part in keeping me on God's path through my personal wilderness.

As I write this, my father is going in for a second surgery for a broken hip and this time he is considered a high risk patient. I am praying that God will continue to guide my mother, brother and sisters and me through the unknown at this moment.  Traveling through this "medical wilderness" for the past month has kept me focused on God's promises and the certainty that He will lead us on the right path through it all.

By the way, the picture above was taken from my front steps, looking out at our front yard - I know the neighbors on the other side :-)

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 4 - Listen

Have you ever felt like the cardinals here? Are they really listening to each other? A good listener is often the most important part of a conversation. Without someone listening, the speaker is simply talking to thin air! I hope God is not speaking to thin air when talking to me! How can I become a better listener?

Body language says a lot when a person listens to someone. As a teacher I gave advice to students on how to improve their listening skills in the classroom: look at the speaker; lean slightly toward the speaker; nod occasionally to show that you are listening (not that you agree with a statement); make eye contact periodically.  When these actions come together a speaker and listener can communicate through their body language.

Many times I felt that I was not focused when listening to God and His word. I realized that I was not practicing the skills of a good listener. If the speaker is God through prayer or the Bible, these skills can be very productive. Rather than simply hearing sounds, one can become an active listener to the Word.

*Look at the speaker - really take time to read the written word or when in prayer, face a focus point where you are not distracted by the surroundings.
*Lean slightly toward the speaker - hold the Bible in a comfortable, direct position or lean forward as if really listening to what God will tell you in prayer.
*Nod occasionally - this simple act makes the listener an active participant in the conversation. It also provides the opportunity to stop and reread something not understood.
*Make eye contact- Really look at the words as you read them, stop and look around to "digest" them, or you may want to look upward as praying.

Proverbs 20:12 - "The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both." Together they help a person listen.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 3 - Return

Returns at Christmas time, "Return to Me" song, return library books when due, return home after a trip - return is when something or someone comes back after being gone. Items go back to a store, the song asks for a lost love to come back, books go back to the library and we go back home. 

For us, the St. Louis area will always be home, although we have lived in Virgina for almost 30 years. We go back to visit family and friends yearly. Then when we leave St. Louis, we are "returning home" to Virginia!

 I attended a women's retreat recently that had the theme "Return to Me", focusing on Lamentations 3:40 - "Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD." We realized that God does not change - we do. When I feel apart from God, it is not because He is ignoring me. I have turned away from Him. He patiently waits for me to RETURN to Him. I pray that I always will.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 2 - Prepare

Day two and I am already behind - I have not been able to adequately "Prepare"!

This winter has been full of weather surprises for us. It has been exceptionally cold. More snow and ice have fallen than in the past 3 years. We like to be "prepared" for the cold with a pile of firewood for the wood stove. It feels good to look on the deck and see the woodpile full. Right now, however, there is an empty space. We will need to refill our supply before the next snowstorm comes. Once it starts snowing, it will be too late to easily move wood.

Life is much easier when we are prepared. We often complain that "I'm not prepared for..." when troubles come our way. However, learning God's word through the Bible provides help and direction. We do have a place to go for advice, support and comfort. The more we study His Word,  the better prepared we will be to handle life's challenges. And the comfort I get from reading the right passage at the right time is a hug from heaven, reminding me that God does know about me!

Looking back and then forward...

Last month we made an unexpected trip to St. Louis to help my parents. After being gone for two weeks, I am still trying to catch up on everything that I did not do during that time!

Ash Wednesday was yesterday, which is the beginning of the Lenten season for us.  Two years ago  I was challenged to give something, rather than "give up" something. I managed to send out 40 cards to friends and family - simply to let them know that we were thinking and praying for them during Lent that year. I was amazed at the feedback that simple act received. At one time I had planned to do the same this year, but our trip changed that.

Instead, I found a Lenten photo challenge. This will give me a reason to use the camera with a purpose and do double duty as part of my photo -of-the-day work. I have a list of 40 words that will help me focus my attitude during the next six weeks, I hope. My challenge will be to find a photo for each word that illustrates what I am thinking. I have two friends who are also doing a Lenten photo challenge, but it seems that we each have a different list to follow.

Day 1: DUST - I immediately thought of our front steps. I have always been fearful of falling on ice and several years ago I had a concussion from a fall.  (We were in St. Louis to help my father who broke his hip when he slipped on a patch of ice.)  This dirty, messy dust has made it much easier for me to go down our front steps during this most recent ice/snow.

God watches over each of us all the time, as He provided this dusty ash to protect me.