Seasons

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which 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 get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, 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 of war, and a time of peace.
What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

Enemies of Grace

...from without: legalism, expectations, traditionalism, manipulation, demands, negativism, control, comparison, perfectionism, competition, criticism, pettiness and a host of others; and from within: pride, fear, resentment, bitterness, an unforgiving spirit, insecurity, fleshly effort, guilt, shame, gossip, hypocrisy, and so many more ... grace killers, all!

~ Charles Swindoll

Moments

Days pass and the years vanish and we walk sightless among miracles.

Lord, fill our eyes with seeing and our minds with knowing.

Let there be moments when Your presence, like lightning, illumines the darkness in which we walk.

Help us to see, wherever we gaze, that the bush burns unconsumed.

And we, clay touched by God, will reach out for holiness and exclaim in wonder,

"How filled with awe is this place and we did not know it."

~ Gates of Prayer

Cheesecake

It floats effortlessly towards the table
A small slice of serenity atop a simple china plate.
The eyes of the waitress are elsewhere
Utterly unaware.
The fork slices through
Softness envelopes and disguises the sharp metal prongs.
Suddenly..
Resistance,
A short, yet satisfying crunch.
Sharpening the senses.
Anticipation almost at an end.
First taste
An explosion of textures
Aiming to savour every ounce of essence.
All too soon a solitary crumb
A distant reminder
Of innocent ecstasy.

~ S. Holmes

He's our Fav..=)

Blessed birthday to a dear Bro who's 18 with 11 years experience..;)

Your talent is God's gift to you; what you do with it is your gift to God. ~ Leo Buscaglia

Enjoy who you are and who the Lord God made you to be..

Enjoy Him and the journey of faith that lies ahead of you..

He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6b)

We thank God for ya, Bro! :D

Redeeming The Time

..Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

~ Ephesians 5:14-17

Backward Christian Soldiers

Which song are we marching to as Christian soldiers of the Lord? We need to decide whether it is the old hymn - Onward Christian Soldiers, or the more modern version - Backward Christian Soldiers..

Backward Christian soldiers, fleeing from the fight,
With the cross of Jesus, nearly out of sight.
Christ our rightful master, stands against the foe
Onward into battle, we seem afraid to go.

Chorus:
Backward Christian soldiers, fleeing from the fight,
With the cross of Jesus, nearly out of sight.

Like a mighty tortoise, moves the church of God.
Brothers we are treading, where we've often trod.
We are much divided, many bodies we,
Having different doctrines, but not much charity.

Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the cross of Jesus, hidden does remain.
Gates of hell should never against the church prevail,
We have Christ's own promise, but we think it might fail.

Sit here then ye people, join our sleeping throng.
Blend with ours, your voices in a feeble song.
Blessings, ease and comfort, ask from Christ the King,
But with our modern thinking, we won't do a thing.

- George Verwer

Father, please help us to endure hardship as good soldiers of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Please help us to remember that no soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of this earthly life. Help us to please You and praise You daily with all that You have blessed us with and with all that You have made us to be for Your glory.
In Jesus' name, amen.

The Word is our weapon,
Jesus is our Shield
To witness is our mission,
To hardship we WILL NOT yield.

The Master Hath Come

The Master hath come, and He calls us to follow
The track of the footprints He leaves on our way;
Far over the mountain and through the deep hollow,
The path leads us on to the mansions of day:
The Master hath called us, the children who fear Him,
Who march ’neath Christ’s banner, His own little band;
We love Him and seek Him, we long to be near Him,
And rest in the light of His beautiful land.

The Master hath called us; the road may be dreary
And dangers and sorrows are strewn on the track;
But God’s Holy Spirit shall comfort the weary;
We follow the Savior and cannot turn back;
The Master hath called us, though doubt and temptation
May compass our journey, we cheerfully sing:
“Press onward, look upward,” through much tribulation;
The children of Zion must follow the King.

The Master hath called us, in life’s early morning,
With spirits as fresh as the dew on the sod:
We turn from the world, with its smiles and its scorning,
To cast in our lot with the people of God:
The Master hath called us, His sons and His daughters,
We plead for His blessing and trust in His love;
And through the green pastures, beside the still waters,
He’ll lead us at last to His kingdom above.

~ Sarah Doudney

Do we not see God at work in our circumstances? Dark times are allowed and come to us through the sovereignty of God. Are we prepared to let God do what He wants with us? Are we prepared to be separated from the outward, evident blessings of God? Until Jesus Christ is truly our Lord, we each have goals of our own which we serve. Our faith is real, but it is not yet permanent. And God is never in a hurry. If we are willing to wait, we will see God pointing out that we have been interested only in His blessings, instead of God Himself.

~ Oswald Chambers

An Honour To Be Used In His Service

I thought I looked and saw the Master standing, and at His feet lay an earthen vessel. It was not broken, not unfitted for service, yet there it lay, powerless and useless, until He took it up. He held it awhile, and I saw that He was filling it, and soon I beheld Him walking in His garden, where He had "gone down to gather lilies." The earthen vessel was yet again in His hand, and with it He watered his beautiful plants and caused their fragrances to be shed forth more abundantly.

Then I said to myself, "Sorrowing Christian, hush! Hush! Peace, be still! You are this earthen vessel, powerless, it is true, yet not broken, still fit for the Master's use. Sometimes you may be laid aside altogether from active service, and the question may arise, what is the Master doing with me now? Then may a voice speak to your inmost heart, 'He is filling the vessel, yes, only filling it to be ready for use.' Don't ask how He will use you. Be silent. Is it not all too great an honour for you to be used by Him at all? Be content, whether thou art employed in watering the lilies or in washing the feet of the saints. It doesn't really matter. Surely it is enough for an earthen vessel to be in the Master's hands and employed in the Master's service."

~ C.H. Spurgeon, The Quotable Spurgeon