Jesus, Only Son of God, Have Mercy On Me, a Sinner

 

Once again we approach the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, with joy and song as well as humble heart. Let us not forget He is the most high, come to live among us in all His glory, not to sit on a throne but to serve and heal those broken souls among us. Don't let the noise of this fallen world take away your sight or your hearing in the presence of the Lord of light. The material gifts under the tree are not the real prize we should be thankful for but the gift of forgiveness he brings for all those who would receive Him. This is when we should be on our knees thanking our Father in heaven for the most precious gift ever given to us, His son, the sacrificial lamb who takes away the sins of the world. Have a Merry Christmas everyone. Stay safe and remember to always "Love The Details." God Bless and Keep You Always Safe.

Note: If there is a subject you would like to have me write about please let me know. These posts are prepared at least a few weeks in advance to allow for research as needed.

"Get behind me Satan"

(Mark 8:33) "You are not thinking as God thinks but as humans do." (Matthew 16:23) "You are an obstacle in my path. You are not thinking as God thinks but as humans do." Many use the phase "get behind me Satan" when facing a sinful thought. Jesus truely revealed the deity that he is when he responded this way in rebuke to Peter for trying to tell Jesus he was wrong about His coming crucefiction. He knew His path, His purpoe and His destiny. The will of His Father was His will. He was one with His Father in every way to the point of death and beyond. It was the purpose for which He became flesh and blood to walk among us. His birth was a sacred gift to us that gives forever. Take time this Christmas to remember how precious that gift is and that the selfless way in which Mary and Joseph gave of themselves to allow that to happen. We must be humble and thankful for our God's love everlasting. He was willing to become as we are, Flesh and blood, that He might feel what we feel, experience all that we experience and take on all of our sins on Himself when He was crucified on the cross. His birth is all of that and so much more. Be sure to bend the knee and bow your head in thanks for such a selfless gift on His birthday. No other gift is comparable to His in any way.

 Note: If there is a subject you would like to have me write about please let me know. These posts are prepared at least a few weeks in advance to allow for research as needed.

This week Weare going to see some of the wonders of our own galaxy.

1. The Pleiades star cluster immersed in nebulosity.  

2. Abell 39, a nebula formed from a dying star puffung away its outer layers.

3.The Crab nebula. Super Nova remnant containing a neutron star in it's center ironizing the remnant gases making them glow.

4. Super Nova 1987A. The ring of lights are actually the shock front crashing into the gases previously shed by the progenitor star. The rings above and below the shock front are also gases shed by the progenitor. 

5. Another dying star losing it's outer layers of gas becoming a white dwarf star.

6. IC 418 The Spirograph nebula. This is still another example of a dying star.

7. Our milky Way as seen under a dark unpolluted shy. We forget the beauty of the sky when the light polution was not a problem of civilization. The wonders that drew us to the stars is fast disappearing as artificial lights pollute the earth. 

That will do it for this week. Have a Very Merry Christmas. God Bless and keep you safe. Remember to always "Love The Details."

Death

 

When is death not death? When is life not life? Contradictions? Not really. 2 Corinthians 4:7-15 clears up what death is and what life is. Life and death as taught in this world is different from the life and death taught by our lord Jesus. He was of this world and not of this world. He was born into this world to experience what this world had: which was pain, suffering, death and decay but was not suseptable to death and decay. He is immortal and incorruptable. We started out that way as well but we sinned thus giving in to this worlds death and decay. What does this mean for us? It depends on what you accept of the truth of this existance. True, our bodies suffer pain (as well as every other emotion and experience), decay and death. If that is all you see then you are missing the whole truth. Our bodies are but vessels for our spiritual souls much like the fetus of an unborn baby. We fear the death of that vessel but in trueth the spirit lives on despite the death and decay of the body. Death is not death. It is birth. The true life is not of the body but of the spirual birth. Just as the body must be born and nourished through our mother's body, we as Children of Christ must be born and nourished through this life from the body of Christ.

 Note: If there is a subject you would like to have me write about please let me know. These posts are prepared at least a few weeks in advance to allow for research as needed.

This week and next week I will be posting some images from my large astonomical collection.

1. Galaxy M96 (Hubble)

2. Galaxy NGC1300

3. Galaxy System NGC 5216 (inter acting galaxies)

4. Galaxy NGC 7479

5. Polar Ring Galaxy NGC 4650

According to some God does not exist. Really???? 

 6. Galaxt NGC 1280 (Sombrero Galaxy)

7. The (NASA-ESA) Hubble Space Telescope has taken a picture of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1073 which is found in the constellation Cetus the Sea Monster-NGC-1073.ashx

The splenors of our universe are an awesome reminder of our God's creation. Next week I will show some of these wonders that are closer to home. Until then remember to always "Love The Details." God Bless and Keep you always in His graces.

Comfort

 If a nation values anything more than freedom, it will lose its freedom, and the irony of it is that if it is comfort or money that it values more, it will lose that too. W. Somerset Maugham

https://www.brainyquote.com

Psalms are a place to find comfort. My favorite is the 23rd Psalm in the King James bible.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of death, I willfear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runeth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: andI will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

I use many versions of the bible (20+) along with their study guides and a host of resources that were put together over many years. Here are some more Psalms to read on comfort. Psalm 46:1-3, 138:7, 18:2, 22:24, 37:24, 37:39, 55:22, 9:9, 3:31-33, 27:14. Also Nahum 1:7, John 16:33, Matthew 11:28, 2 Corinthians 1:5, Lamentations 3:31-33.

Note: If there is a subject you would like to have me write about please let me know. These posts are prepared at least a few weeks in advance to allow for research as needed.

This is the final Precious Moments image colored.

The Copic colors are:

The Copic in the lower left corner is B63. There was a glare from somewhere. The skin has a yellow tinge to it which is not the case in the image itself.

That is it for this post. Remember to "Love The Details." Be safe and God Bless.

Saved

 
Something that has always bothered me is the attitude that when we were saved by believing in Jesus, by grace there was nothing need be done to earn it. The fact is it can't be earned but just like freedom it is not free. Being saved does not mean business as usual but a genuine change in our course in life. It does not mean we are suddenly without sin or perfect. We are constantly sinning every day of our life. That is hardly perfect. When we are saved we are entering the graces that God provided through the gift of His Son Jesus Christ. Having entered those graces we should thank and bless the Lord for everything in our lives. "Today is the day the Lord has made. A day to rejoice and be glad." (Psalm 118:24) We are to be living each day with thankfulness and love. Becoming a Christian, being saved, means loving as Christ loved, rejecting our old sinful ways. Read (Colossians 2:6-15) and you will see that being saved means a total change in who we are and whom we become. We we are chosen but we also chose to follow Christ.

 Note: If there is a subject you would like to have me write about please let me know. These posts are prepared at least a few weeks in advance to allow for research as needed.

Today another Precious Moments from my stash. 

The Copic colors are:

That is it for this post. Next post will be the last of the Precious Moment images. I pray you are healthy and safe.

Remember to always "Love The Details." God Bless and Keep you safe.

Follow

 

The word, God's word, is a worthy provider of good news for all to follow. (John 6:60-69) Yet all around us there are the followers of beauty that will not last beyond tomorrow. Last post was about the image that we were created to reflect the image of our creator. Look behind the words in the image above. What do you see? Rock? A stone cliff? An impenetrable barrier? Even this will last longer than the beauty many hold up as holy and good. The problem is not even this rock wall will last as long as what God has created in His image, His Spirit within us. God breathed life into us when He created us. (Genesis 2:7) Yes this was how Adam was created but we are from Adam, a creation of God, therefore the breath of life was not from earthly mother and father but from He who made us. That breath created our very spirit, the life which is within. It is Holy because it is created by the very breath of God who is life eternal. The part of us that reflects the God of our creation is the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. The outer shell we see is but a dwelling place, a temple. Whether perfect, weathered, worn, imperfect or incomplete it is the place where the image of God resides to be our guide and to keep us safe until we are called home. When that day comes our spirit will be given a new body/home that is perfect. Remember that we were to be like God by serving as good stewards of the earth and its animals. Jesus was the perfect image and was one with the Father and Holy Spirit.

    Note: If there is a subject you would like to have me write about please let me know. These posts are prepared at least a few weeks in advance to allow for research as needed.

Today is another precious moments image. It is from my stash of images to color collected over time. Not sure where this one came from.

The Copic colors are:

That is it for this post. I pray you are well and safe. Until next post, remember to always "Love The Details." God bless and stay safe.

In His Image?

 

Genesis tells us we were created in His (God's) image. (Genesis 1:26 - Genesis 1:27) The implication of this is not readily apparent. Gen. 1:27 goes on to say "male and female He created them." This would imply He is both male and female. But He appeared as Jesus Christ, a male. There have been few explanations concerning this but the one I have heard that best explains this is that it is not the physical appearance but the spiritual reality of God's creation that was created in a likeness of Him. It was that spiritual likeness that was to be the mirror of the creator for all to see and follow. In His image is not a referral of physical likeness but of being created as a spiritual mirror image of Him. There is no "Him" or, as some would have you believe, "Her" in describing what God looks like. No one has seen God and lived to tell about that meeting. It has been a confusing thought to try to unravel. I have written about this in an earlier post. How can we represent the perfect God in such an imperfect body? We fail miserably as a mirror image of God spiritually as well. The imperfect can't be the likeness of God. Our representation, mirror image, is imperfect and piecemeal at best. We are charged to be the best Christian we can be even though we are flawed. That is what says we are in His image. Can others see in you what the word says what YahWeh is like. I have met those that were not physically beautiful who were better "mirrors" of Christ than others that are physically "beautiful." Our physical appearance is not the "In His image" but the spiritual likeness within our heart and soul is the likeness that reflects our Holy God. Humankind was to be like God by serving as good stewards of the earth and its animals.

Today's image is another precious moments. This is not one I know the origin of.             

The Copic colors used are:

That is it for this week. 

If you enjoyed the post or have an opinion of your own, please comment. If you have a question or a subject you want me to address, comment. Thank you for stopping by and remember to always "Love The Details." God Bless and Keep you safe.

Note: If there is a subject you would like to have me write about please let me know. These posts are prepared at least a few weeks in advance to allow for research as needed.

Psalm 19:8-11

 

The average person seeks what he does not have and prays only when they feel there is a need in their lives or something they cannot control or fix. That is all well and good but it falls short of what we should be doing. In reading scripture it becomes clear that our God, Yahweh, Christ, the Holy Spirit, is praised and glorified with words spoken from our lips. It is woefully left out of the thoughts and prayers we offer up as part of our daily prayer, if a daily prayer is even offered up. I often hear praise offered about people, places and things in this world that are material but seldom do I hear prayer that is for the one who created us. Going back to scripture, especially Psalms, the praise of our Lord and God is as important and making requests. (Psalms 18:1-24, 24:1-10, 29:1-11, 48:1-14, 71:1-24, 93:1-5 and many more) It doesn't matter if we repeat that praise ten times in a day, it is music to Him . It glorifies His name and Him. It matters little if it is poetic as long as it is from the heart. When I take my walks I praise His name and talk with Him. Those walks seem short, an hour will seem but a minute. His presence is ever closer  when He is praised, His name is glorified and He walks with me and talks with me in those moments. These are the times I know He already knows my needs and desires. It is these times I know I am taken care of and watched over by Him. Praise Him at leased as much as you lift up your requests. In fact the more you praise Him the more you will know he is listening.

More Precious Moments

The Copic Colors Are: YR000, YR00, YR65, YG21, E29, YR82, E07, YG13, E08, E49, R81, BG34, G07, E42, RV95, V000, E81

Note: If there is a subject you would like to have me write about please let me know. These posts are prepared at least a few weeks in advance to allow for research as needed. 

That is it for this week. Thanks for stopping by and, hopefully, commenting. Remember to always "Love The Details." God Bless and keep you safe.

Compassion

When was the last time you blessed someone who was a nemesis to you for as long as you have known them? I am on a prayer chain. I see many sad situations and afflictions that often brings tears and sorrow to my heart. There are times when there is great suffering for a single person and other times when a family or community are greatly impacted. There have been times when I am personally impacted. It is always difficult to take in prayer requests whether I know them personally or not. Humanity is the community of God's children and He loves each and every one of them. Christ's acknowledgment of this was His death on the cross but the pain he felt was for the suffering His children faced on this earth. He felt more than we are capable of  in this life. (Mark 9:17-27) Even when His disciples had failed for lack of faith He had compassion. It was not until He rose from the dead and the Holt Spirit entered their lives that they truly understood who He was and why He had the the divine power over all things.

This is my image for today.

The Copic colors are: Y02-Y38-BV02-E50-T6-T4-B34-E07-E87-E91-E000-YR0000-T8-E84-E71-E23-G17-BV0000

Note: If there is a subject you would like to have me write about please let me know. 

That will do it for this week. Remember to always "Love The Details." God Bless and keep you safe.

The Name

 

What name do you call God by? God? YWHY? Adoni? The Great I AM? El Shaddai?  El Elyon? Adonai? Lords of Hosts? Rock? Refuge? Savior? Friend? In actuality there are many more names for God. In the Jewish community it is The Name. Yahweh is never used out of reverence and respect for God. Respect and reverence for our Lord is not something most even think about. For westerners a name is not often a thing that commands respect unless the person owning it has power of some sort such as political or monetary or even fame. None of these are as worthy of the respect that Christ, the Holy Spirit or Yahweh should command. Yet they are most often far from the thoughts of people unless there is a problem and then only because they see God as a place to go to fix things instead of someone to share our lives with. Our Lord should be near and in our thoughts at all times in all we do, every moment of our day, every day of our lives. God is not a candy man. He is our creator, the creator of all that is. Reverence and respect should be give for the gift of our very lives.

This week is another Precious Moments image. 

The Copic colors used are:

That will do it for this week. Thank you for stopping by and commenting. Remember to always "Love The Details." May the good Lord Bless and keep you always safe.

Courage

 

(John 16:33, Psalms 10:17, Psalms 69:32) How do you see courage? What is courage to you? Courage is not the opposite of fear but the triumph over it. The phrase "He pressed on despite his fear," says it all. Over our lifetimes we are faced with many challenges that also have our fears attached to them. We have all had our defeats in the face of fear and our victories over those fears. The Christian has something others do not, the knowledge that death has been defeated through Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 1:8-10) The sufferings of this world are only temporary and should not be feared but faced head on. This time on earth is not a time of aging and death but a time of growth and birth. We are children yet to be born into the kingdom of heaven. Unlike the way we were born into this life without choice, we have the choice to live in eternity or to die in darkness. Fear is mostly the fear of failure. Failure is what can teach us to be victorious. Fear can also be the road to death in many ways. Take courage in the knowledge of death's defeat even though it may seem impossible and move forward toward immortality. (Romans 8:34-39)

This week I would like to share another Sarah Kay Precious Moments image. 

The Copic colors are:

That will do it for this week's post. Remember to always "Love The Details." God bless and keep you safe.

Matthew 13:17-19

The Apostle peter was a fisherman, poor and unlearned, when called to follow Jesus. He was candid, eager and loving. The point here is that he was uneducated. In many ways he was childlike. Even today some of the most profound of followers of Christ are not heavily educated. In fact He rejoiced that many of His followers were childlike. (Matthew 18:3, Luke 10:21, Mark 10:14) He called us to be childlike that we may enter the kingdom of heaven. Children have an open mind, not yet blinded by this world, with eyes that more easily see and ears that more easily hear the word of the Spirit of God. The truth of what they see is often reflected in what they do and say. In this way we are to be as little children. This is not to say we should not be mindful of what the bible teaches us. We should consult the bible for the truth in what we do and say and be mindful that the example of Christ is how we must conduct ourselves toward others. Do not be fooled by the words of those who would twist the truth to suit their own purposes but prove the worth of their words with the word of God.  

For the next Few weeks I will be sharing precious moments images from Sarah Kay. My mother adored precious moment figurines. Jill also loves the stamped images. I kind of like this one since it is a bit like having Christ in your life. You don't deserve what gifts you are given but it is nice to know you matter enough that you are given them anyway.

Thank you for stopping by and commenting. Rememb er to always "Love The Detail." God Bless you and keep you safe.

Witness

Witnessing is not something we do; it is something we are.

  Anon

In life it is the way we live that bears witness to whom we are. Knowledge is what we seek and upon acquiring it we think we are wise. The problem is there is a large supply of knowledgeable people but few that are wise. Common sense among the knowledgeable is not wisdom but knowledge. The ability to apply that knowledge in a useful way is seen as common sense. Wisdom in the biblical sense , as Solomon asked for it, is the ability to apply the principles of God to the needs of His people for their benefit according to the word of God. Wisdom is the Christian way of living and is the witness of the Christian walk with Christ. For this reason knowledge is desirable but wisdom is critical. True wisdom is the product of selfless living in the guidance of the Holly Spirit of Yahweh. It is not acquired through purchase or knowledge but through grace from Yahweh. Solomon asked for wisdom to guide God's people during his reign as king. (1 Kings 3:6,28 - 10:24) This did not make him perfect but it did bring Yahweh's name to be greatly admired. It was witness to the gift of wisdom and the power of God. Witnessing is more than our words proclaiming Jesus, it is our lives changed to bear the truth of our words. We are not perfect but Jesus thought we are worth it so He hung on a cross for us to prove it. That is witness.

Today I am sharing the last of the images from our image swap. 

That is it for this week. Remember to "Alway Love The Details." God Bless and keep you safe always.

2 Corinthians 5:17

 

This is a continuation from last week so it will be fairly short. "So for anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation: the old order is gone and a new being is there to see." (2 Corinthians 5:17) Last week I spoke of repentance and reconciliation. Repentance reconciles us to God but it also creates a change in us. It is the driving force behind our mental and spiritual renewal. It is what causes us to become not just renewed but new. It is the visual change that people will see even though you may not. These changes often are the catalyst for others to be drawn to Christ. Paul is a prime example of this new person. He went from being feared to the driving force for Christ for the gentiles. Lives are changed in amazing ways through repentance and acceptance of Christ. Some become the vocal Christian others change the manner in which they act and some do both. All have life changes that are noticed as being a new person, different that what was. How has accepting Christ changed you? Do you even notice that you have changed? What do others say about you in this regaurd? 

The Copic Clolors are: B42, RV00, E50, T4, R81, BV08, TR35, R85, R22, RV55

Next week I will share the final image. These images are obviously quite old. They are fun to color.

That is it for this week. Remember to "Alawys Love The Details." God bless and keep you safe.

2 Corinthians 5:15

It is important to understand that because Christ died for us, if we believe in Him we have also died to our old selves. It is this that is the proof of our true walk with Him. Sharing His love and generosity is now our focus. Realizing that we are provided for in every way our needs and even some of our desires is humbling. It isn't often that I hear someone say that they feel our Lord was exuberant in His giving or generous with His gifts. More often it is complaint that something was asked for and not given that is heard. That is something the Lord has dealt with when the Israelites were brought out of Egypt. It still persists today. What is sought today is not always what is good for us, often not appreciated are we thankful for. Reconciliation through repentance and change of focus brings a restoration to our hearts and souls. Be thankful for everything in your life. Remember this, our voyage through life is very short with important lessons to be learned. There is something to be experienced and learned with every breath we take. Rejoice and be glad for the gift of life and every day we are blessed with. (Psalm 118:24) Never forget where that blessing comes from. Be thankful for the breath and the bread we are gifted with. 

Here is the second image from the stamp exchange. Remember that no info is available for these stamps.

The Copic colors are: R81, E51, E23, YG23, YG17, G16, R14, B32, B24, E21, N2, G03, E29, E25, C2

That does it for this week. Next week I will share the third image and the following week the last image. Remember to always "Love The Details." God bless and keep you always safe.

YES or NO

 2 Corinthians 1:18-22

Have you ever noticed that people seem to pick the negatives in the bible to talk about? What do you believe the scriptures are teaching? Do you think the Word is positive or negative? Do you think the message is mostly no or negative? In 2 Corinthians 1:18-22 that question is answered with no uncertain terms. To quote these verses from the New Jerusalem Bible: "18 As surely as God is trustworthy, what we say to you is not both Yes and No. 19 The Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed to you by us, that is, by me and by Silvanus and Timothy, was never Yes-and-No; his nature is all Yes. 20 For in him is found the Yes to all God’s promises and therefore it is ‘through him’ that we answer ‘Amen’ to give praise to God. 21 It is God who gives us, with you, a sure place in Christ 22 and has both anointed us and marked us with his seal, giving us as pledge the Spirit in our hearts." The title of this post is "YES or NO." With Christ it is yes when we believe in him and we try to follow the spirit's guidance throughout our lives. It does not excuse us of sins but when our sins are lain before Him and confessed in truth they are forgiven. It is what Christ died on the cross for. It is the promise we are assured when we believe in Him and accept the Spirit into or hearts.  

This week the stamp image origin is not known. We had a friend over to exchange stamp images that we didn't have. That friend is no longer available to ask or get that information from. Here is one of the images.

The Copic colors are: E57, E99, E51, R85, R81 and T5.

There are three more images to share in coming posts. Remember to always "Love The Details." God bless and keep you all safe and healthy.