Doubting

   He [Thomas] … said, Except I shall see … I will not believe … Jesus … said … But not faithless, but believing

        John 20:25, 27

Every doubt in the heart of a Christian is a dishonor done to the Word of God, and the sacrifice of Christ.

Selected

Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997).

The attitude of seeing is believing is not always a good thing. Faith means believing in what is unseen. The proof will come later as you live in the faith of Christianity. The beauty of that faith is the reality of living a life of love and service to others. The joy of others becomes the joy in your life. It is worth more than anything else on earth.

I will not be posting next week. Have a great and joyous Christmas. May the good Lord bless and keep you safe. Remember to "Always love The Details."

Tribulation

 

  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world

        John 16:33

Tribulation is God’s threshing—not to destroy us, but to get what is good, heavenly, and spiritual in us separated from what is wrong, earthly, and fleshly. Nothing less than blows of pain will do this. The evil clings so to the good, the golden wheat of goodness in us is so wrapped up in the strong chaff of the old life that only the heavy flail of suffering can produce the separation.

                                                      J. R. Miller

Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997).

2 Corinthians 12:10

 

  When I am weak, then am I strong

        2 Cor. 12:10

This is God’s way. We advance by going backwards, we become strong by becoming weak, we become wise by being fools.

F. Whitfield

Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997).

In the course of our travels on this earth we encounter many different individuals. Those encounters range from pleasant to regretful, both in-person and unseen. The scripture quote is especially relevant for me. I have spent many hours, even longer, being weak and a fool (Not that there was a choice in most cases). It felt like going in reverse at times. That is when you realize you are alone with no-one to share the loneliness, to show the way back, to hold hands. It is also the time we find strength to move forward and press on in the apparent lack of direction. The reality of life is that only at these times are we truly strong. Strength and wisdom are co-existent in being weak and, at times, a fool. I am no superman. I am not invincible, nor can I fly or walk on water. We can learn from our passage through life. It is well to remember that as we pass through this life everything anyone does affects everyone else in this life. The good, the bad and the ugly all affect everyone. There is more to learn from the bible and the wisdom within its pages than most bother to seek from it.           

May the good Lord bless and keep you safe. Remember to "Alway Love Details."

Unmoved

  These have turned the world upside down.… None of these things move me

        Acts 17:6; Acts 20:24

The men that move the world are the ones who do not let the world move them.

Selected

Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997).

No matter the circumstances, the Saints always held fast to the fact that they were fully devoted to Christ and God our father. They knew the possibilities they faced and held fast to their beliefs and trusted in God for their safety. They regarded their safety not in terms of their physical safety but their spiritual safety. They considered their physical worth as nothing compared to their spiritual worth. This is how we should see life and the path before us. The world before us will pass away but the souls inhabiting it with us are precious and of value to our savior. He wishes none of them to be lost. Hope is something we can give by being the image of the God who cared enough to come down, live among us and die for us for the forgiveness of our sins. He also demonstrated that death is not the end but the beginning when He rose on the third day. This life is but a temporary stopover where we are tested and given our strength, our guidance for what is to come. It is hard to be joyous and jubilant at all times, but we should view it as a special time and worthy of being joyful. It is prelude to the life to come.

May the good Lord bless and keep you safe. Remember to "Always Love The Details."

Renewal

  A daily rate for every day

        2 Kings 25:30

The acts of breathing which I performed yesterday will not keep me alive today; I must continue to breathe afresh every moment, or animal life ceases. In like manner yesterday’s grace and spiritual strength must be renewed, and the Holy Spirit must continue to breathe on my soul from moment to moment in order to my enjoying the consolations, and to my working the works of God.

                                            Toplady

Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997).

Each day we are confronted with new, never-ending challenges. It is not enough to assume because today was lived that tomorrow will be the same. Every day is different. Every day requires us to be vigilant. Yesterday's pain does not dissipate with the setting sun or it's rising in the morning. What we experience and endure in the course of our life is like breathing. Life does not go on without that next breath and the experiences within that life do not go away on their own while we live. As Christians we have accepted the Holy Spirit as our gift of grace from Christ. That grace is to live as Christ lived and be images of Him. That means repent of our sins, be examples of peace, unity and forgiveness. The life you live and what the world at large sees of you when you are in this condition is the light that will change lives and the world.

May the good Lord bless and keep you safe.

Remember to "Always Love The Details."

A New Day, New Form

 Exodus 14:19 - Then the angel of God, who preceded the army of Israel, changed station and followed behind them.

The New Jerusalem Bible (New York: Doubleday, 1985), Ex 14:19.

It is not always guidance that we most need. Many of our dangers come upon us from behind. They are stealthy, insidious, assaulting us when we are unaware of their nearness. The tempter is cunning and shrewd. He does not meet us full front. It is a comfort to know that Christ comes behind us when it is there we need the protection.

J. R. Miller

Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997).

The "Thought for the quiet Hour" and "Brainy Quote" may not seem to be along the same line of thought but in reality, they fit perfectly. It is not always the place of leadership to go before the assembly but to follow it and protect it from the rear. The Lord provided protection for Israel while fleeing Pharoah and the Egyptian army by moving to the rear of His people and in front of the Pharoah's army. Leading is not always done from the front but by example. Perfect timing and leadership is what Jesus provides for us. 

May the good Lord bless and keep you safe.
Remeber to "Always Love The Details."

In the Fog

 

The world around us is a place of diverse swirling confusion and misinformation. It is getting harder to discern the truth in anything. I am constantly told things that are near truths or fabrications of anything imaginable. Apparently, people are willing to believe almost anything they are told. The world is a mishmash of misleading information partial truths, mirages and total lies. We must remember that we live in a world overflowing with lies and diversions. We are expected to believe what we are told without question. Wisdom would dictate that we stop and weigh everything against what the word of God says. When we do that the realization soon dawns on us that much of what we are told is anything but the full truth. The word of God is something we can go to and discern what is real and biblical. The word of God is what matters. There have been many failures in life and many victories as well. The Lord has been there through all of them. The blessings in life have all come through the Lord. They happen when we seek God and allow Him to provide the blessings. Seeking the blessings rarely makes them happen. It is in His graces that we realize His blessings. The only way that can happen is if we seek Him. It is in prayer and praise that He can be found. 

Have a great week and pray often with praise in the knowledge that He is always there. May the good Lord bless and keep you safe.

Remeber to "Always Love The Details."

Thank You

 Thank You for understanding the time away. Hopefully I will be returning next week. I will not be posting the artwork every week as before. Again, Thank you. God bless and keep you safe.

Lost Tomorrows

This is a thing that growing older causes us to do. To those of us that are ageing the past is still relevant and real, a safer place than the present reality. Just as our parents before us saw the days of their youth as safe and simpler we find ourselves doing the same thing, living in the past. In reality, the present is where we are and where we need to be and participate. The past is good for lessons learned and remembering mistakes made to prevent them from being repeated. There are good memories to be tucked away but today is the time to create those new memories. They do not exist in future times because the future is not the present. We create the future in the here and now. It is good to remember that our travels through the present are where our footprints are left according to what we do in the present. Our actions and even our words mold the future not only for ourselves but for those around us. No-one passes through life without affecting the world around them. Every breath we take, every word we utter, everything we do causes the world to change in some way. Is it any wonder that God spoke, and it came to be? Greater things are accomplished when Jesus is part of the present than just me alone. We cannot change what has passed, but we can move forward with positivity. 

(This will be the last post for some time. I am taking a sabbatical due to other demands in my life.) 

Today I am sharing another of the Highlander Men images. 

 

The Copics used are;

The pen is a Copic multiliner brown.

That's it for now. Thank you for your support and may the good Lord bless and keep you safe. Remember to "Always Love The Details."

Growing up

This is one of my favorite poets and mystics. He is unique and relevant, even in today's world. I have many of his books in my library. He was a large influence in my younger years. 

 

Two of His writings:

"Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness; For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so also the bow that is stable."

You often say, "I would give, but only to the deserving." The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your pasture.

They give that they may live, for to withhold is to perish. Surely, he who is worthy to receive his days and his nights is worthy of all else from you. 

This week I am sharing the image you saw in my post last week. It is finished. It took almost a week to do and consists of more colors than any image done so far, a total of 30 colors. What made it so difficult was the details were either faint or made no sense. AI is far from perfected at this point. This was definitely AI generated.  

The Copics used are:

The two pens are multiliner brown and multiliner green. The zero blender pens were used at times to correct and to lighten the colors used.

That's it for this week. May the good Lord bless and keep you safe. Remember to "Always Love The Details."