Be Thou My Vision

Wow, I have not written a blog post in a while!  (Well, at least one with lots of type and pictures.)  I need to be more faithful in posting, but life seems to get busy and I don't have time to sit down and write a reasonably decent post. Well, here goes....  It is now truly winter here! We have had two snows this week and it is fun to walk the puppies in the snow and watch them play. I don't think I have written about the puppies yet on here, so I will fill you in. We got two Great Pyrenees pups in November, right after Thanksgiving. We are planning on getting a few goats and want the dogs to protect them from predators. It is hard to believe how big Great Pyrenees can get, because our pups are so small and cute! I have been volunteering at a Bible Club for children in our area. It is a lot of fun, and I have learned so much from the children and other volunteers there. In January, I have a meeting scheduled to be certified as a teacher at Bible Club....

These are some beautiful pictures of Christmas light bokeh. I get this website's photography emails, they have some great tips and tutorials on photography. http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-take-beautiful-bokeh-christmas-images-with-31-stunning-examples Here is a link to their photography composition tips. http://digital-photography-school.com/digital-photography-composition-tips -Elizabeth                                                                      True!

There are many links in the chain, people who witness and share the love of Christ with a person. You might be the first contact, a middle contact, or the last contact who has the privilege of praying with a person to accept Christ as their own Savior. But we are all important in the work of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   This story illustrates that.  -Elizabeth “A person’s coming to Christ is like a chain with many links…. There are many influences and conversations that precede a person’s decision to convert to Christ. I know the joy of being the first link at times, a middle link usually, and occasionally the last link. God has not called me to only be the last link. He has called me to be faithful and to love all people.” – evangelist Cliffe Knechtle Vicky Armel didn’t look the part. She was an attractive blonde mother of two with a contagious smile and warm personality, but she also had a reputation as being an aggressive and street-toughened detective for the Fairfax...

I found this lovely poem while I was reading one day. It is very thought provoking. Enjoy! -Elizabeth  If we could for a moment to ourselves portray    All hope removed --hope which pertains to God-- How black and awful would the picture be! How blank the future! yea, how aimless life! What turning of the tide of better thoughts! What chaos! ruin! what despair!    But oh, The God of mercy hath not left us thus! For is not Christ our hope?   yea, more, The precious pledge of all we hope to have? Earth's hopes are fleeting, and the fondest dreamed Could never satisfy the longing soul. How many a soul, all tempest-tossed, and cast Upon the shoals of disappointed hope, Turns, in the bitter loss of earthly prize, To Christ, and sure and everlasting gain! Life, at least, looks bright and hopeful To the young and strong. Forgetting all things bear the stamp of death, That this is not our home, And God must needs make new this blighted ea...

I am reading a book called "Think" by John Piper right now. It is so good!  I thought I'd share a quote with you.  So I conclude that we must use our minds and we must know that the use of our minds is not enough. We must exercise our reason in the proclamation of the gospel. We must contend for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3).  We must be ready, like Paul, to go to prison for "the defense and the confirmation of the gospel"  (Phil. 1:7 ). That is indispendable. But as we use our renewed mental powers for Christ, we must pray with Paul that the Holy Spirit would attend the preaching and hearing of the gospel. We must pray that the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," would shine in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Only when that happens will true faith be awakened and true Christians be created who say, "I count everything as loss because of...

Since the 1967 six-day war, Israeli scientists have been surveying the desert and have discovered that below the surface of the Sinai are great reservoirs of water - enough to supply the wide, dry regions in the center of the Sinai Desert with millions of cubic meters of water per year for the coming fifty years and longer. The water is salty but drinkable. Their tests cause the scientists to believe that the water has been there thousands of years.    Yet, in that very place during the war, many soldiers died in agony of thirst because they were cut off from supplies of water!    When Moses led the children of Israel out in the wilderness from Egypt, they came to this same desert place and they, too, were thirsty until the Lord commanded Moses to strike the rock in Horeb.Water came out from the rock and flowed out into the desert. The people drank and were satisfied. The Lord knew that water was there thousands of years ago, but it was unattainable t...

I had a fun photo shoot with my sisters.  :)  A few things things I'm thankful for: #1. being photographer at photo shoots with my sisters. #2. a quality reflector. (graciously lent to me by a friend) #3. finding just the right angle for the reflector. #4. laughter, lots of it. #5. a warm house to go to after the photo shoot. #6. great portraits! We got these from a birthday party we went to. We accidentally let them go! :)

                                                   Beautiful Abilene countryside.            The lane leading to the farmhouse.    Mimosa tree. I always think of Amy Carmichael's book about a girl called Mimosa, when I see these trees.                 My Grandpa grew up in this farmhouse with his one brother and three sisters. I am the 5th generation to have slept in this house. It is right in the middle of wheat fields in rural Kansas.                           We were there for the 122nd Birthday of Dwight Eisenhower. Dwight D. Eisenhower's 122nd birthday will be marked this year with a number of activities at the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home...