Nice! :)

The ear protection I use at the range doesn’t fit her! Poor Baby.....

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A Letter from the Battlefield

July 3, 2015

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. —2 Timothy 4:7

For more than two decades, Andrew Carroll has been urging people not to throw away the letters written by family members or friends during a time of war. Carroll, director of the Center for American War Letters at Chapman University in California, considers them an irreplaceable link to tie families together and open a door of understanding. “Younger generations are reading these letters,” Carroll says, “and asking questions and saying, ‘Now I understand what you endured, what you sacrificed.’ ”

When the apostle Paul was imprisoned in Rome and knew his life would soon end, he wrote a letter to a young man whom he considered a “son in the faith,” Timothy. Like a soldier on the battlefield, Paul opened his heart to him: “The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:6-8).

When we read the letters in the Bible that the heroes of the Christian faith have left for us and grasp what they endured because of their love for Christ, we gain courage to follow their example and to stand strong for those who come after us.

Lord, give us strength for the spiritual battles we face today, knowing that You have won the ultimate victory and that we will one day live eternally with You.

Run the race with eternity in view.

INSIGHT:

Titus and 1 Timothy were probably written after the apostle Paul was released from house arrest in Rome (ad 61-62) and during his fourth missionary journey (ad 62–63; see Acts 28:30-31). When persecution broke out under Emperor Nero, Paul was imprisoned again. During this second Roman imprisonment, Paul wrote 2 Timothy (ad 65-67). This time he knew his death was imminent (4:6-7). Paul warns that a time is coming when Christians will not “endure sound doctrine” and will turn away from the truth (vv. 3-7). To counter false teaching, Timothy is to “preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (v. 2).

We had a greyhound who hated fireworks and thunderstorms, poor girl.

Amen!

My border collie (Tori, RIP) was so smart that once I explained to her the principles of ballistics and pyrotechnics, then took her for a walk while the kids were lighting firecrackers, she put 2 & 2 together and realized that, although fireworks were loud and obnoxious, they were no threat to her.

However, since I have no control over atmospheric conditions, I was unable to demonstrate my scientific explanation of thunder and lightening. Thus, I had to tell her the age-old explanation that it was Angels in Heaven bowling.

CHRIS BOTTI~THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!

Have A
Happy Independence Day Everyone

God Bless America***Land That I Love

*Thank You To All Who Serve Our Country*

That’s Just Beautiful, MEG!

Happy Independence Day!

Thank you!

What a beautiful porch! Thank you Meg

Enjoy your visit!
Thank you, Rus.

Thank you for the Beautiful Daily Pings, Dear FRiends.
(((((Love & Blessings to Everyone)))))

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The Cyrus Cylinder

July 4, 2015

The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia. —Ezra 1:1

In 1879, archaeologists discovered a remarkable little item in an area now known as Iraq (biblical Babylon). Just 9 inches long, the Cyrus Cylinder records something that King Cyrus of Persia did 2,500 years ago. It says that Cyrus allowed a group of people to return to their homeland and rebuild their “holy cities.”

It’s the same story told in Ezra 1. There we read that “the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia” to make a proclamation (v. 1). And in that proclamation, Cyrus said he was releasing the captives in Babylon to go home to Jerusalem, re-establish their homes, and rebuild their temple (vv. 2-5).

But there’s more to the story. Daniel confessed his sins and his people’s sins and pleaded with God to end the Babylonian captivity (Dan. 9). In response to Daniel’s prayer, God sent an angel to speak to Daniel (v. 21). Later He moved Cyrus to release the Hebrews. (See also Jer. 25:11-12; 39:10.)

Together, the Cyrus Cylinder and God’s Word combine to show us that the king’s heart was changed and he allowed the exiled Hebrews to go home and worship.

This story has great implications for us today. In a world that seems out of control, we can rest assured that God can move the hearts of leaders. We read in Proverbs 21:1 that “the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord.” And Romans 13:1 says that “there is no authority except from God.”

The Lord, who is able to change our own hearts as well as the hearts of our leaders, can be trusted for He is in control. Let’s ask Him to work.

Dear Father, the world so often seems out of control. We know You are sovereign over everything. We pray that Your will be done in our homeland and in the hearts of our leaders.

Rather than complain, pray.

INSIGHT:

Ezra is one of the Old Testament books that deals with the Israelites’ return to the land of promise after their exile in Babylon. Along with the books of Nehemiah and Haggai, it focuses on rebuilding Jerusalem, the once proud capital of the southern kingdom. Ezra’s role as a scribe was to rebuild the religious life of the Israelites through the law of Moses. In Nehemiah, the focus is on rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem to once again make it a safe haven for the people. Haggai’s focus some years later was on the importance of rebuilding the temple, the center of the Israelites’ national life.

Cyrus Cylindar

Just a picture to go with uour excellent post.

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

Perfect, Thank you!

Go, Fourth!

The Fourth of July is a birthday event,
Of fireworks, parades, and a testament,
That an idea shared is a nation’s prize,
More than churches, and battles, and history’s lies.

Americans all wave the flag on the Fourth,
From the West to the East, and the South to the North,
For a day at least, we can stand together,
Like the stands we took in the worst of weather.

It’s all the bad times that have made us all strong,
Not the smug apprehension that we did no wrong.
Mistakes have occurred and we’ve learned from the pain,
So we’ll stand up again knowing what’s there to gain.

As the Flag marches by on this Fourth of July,
With a pang in your heart and a tear in your eye,
Link arms with your brothers, and stand for the pledge,
And be glad for their strength for we stand at the edge.

The world need not fear us, for we pose no threat,
And the best of our being they haven’t seen yet,
America rising in awesome display,
Is a reason for gladness, O World, on this day!

NicknamedBob . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 4, 2007

Amen.

Beautiful!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

With Love to all of YOU