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Posted on 04/01/2019 6:53:58 PM PDT by JustAmy
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Love those bluebonnets! :-)
Makes for a lovely drive! I don’t think I’ve ever been to Parker State Park.
Beautiful photo Meg!
Oooh, great colors with the flowers and the dog!
Good evening ML ((HUGS))
Pretty flowers & dog too.
The Internet can be a very beautiful place! :-)
I can’t figure out what breed of dog that is, but he’s beautiful. :-)
It looks like an Australian breed; a herder.
Yes, I got that impression too. He looks SO intelligent!
over the top
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 1–3; Luke 8:26–56
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. Ezekiel 36:26
The news was grim. My father had been having chest pains, so his doctor ordered a test to peer into his heart. The result? Blockage found in three arteries.
Triple-bypass surgery was scheduled for February 14. My dad, though anxious, saw that date as a hopeful sign: “I’m getting a new heart for Valentine’s Day!” And he did! The surgery went perfectly, restoring life-giving blood flow to his struggling heart—his “new” heart.
My father’s surgery reminded me that God offers us a new life as well. Because sin clogs our spiritual “arteries”—our capacity to connect with God—we need spiritual “surgery” to clear them.
That’s what God promised His people in Ezekiel 36:26. He assured the Israelites, “I will give you a new heart. . . . I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” He also promised, “I will cleanse you from all your impurities” (v. 25) and “put my Spirit in you” (v. 27). To a people who’d lost hope, God promised a fresh start as the One who could renew their lives.
That promise was ultimately fulfilled through Jesus’s death and resurrection. When we trust in Him, we receive a new spiritual heart, one that’s cleansed of our sin and despair. Filled with Christ’s Spirit, our new heart beats with the spiritual lifeblood of God, that “we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4).
How does God’s promise of a new life bring hope when you’re struggling with guilt or shame? How will you rely on the Spirit’s power today instead of your own?
Happy Friday!
Looks pretty nice outside here today.
I signed up for an all day women’s retreat at church for Saturday. Never been to one before. I can’t imagine how we can be busy for the whole 8 hours. But I will give it a try.
Cheers
Red Friday, at Amy's Place
to support our troops!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
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I’ve been to women’s retreats and they were a lot of fun along with being thoughtful and informative. Enjoy!
Thanks, I think it will be inspiring.
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 4–6; Luke 9:1–17
She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” Genesis 16:13 The Experience Project, one of the largest online communities of the twenty-first century, was once a site where tens of millions shared deeply painful firsthand experiences. As I read through the heartbreaking stories, I reflected on how desperately our hearts long for someone to see—to understand—our pain.
In Genesis, the story of a young handmaid reveals just how life-giving this gift can be. Hagar was a slave girl likely given to Abram by a pharaoh of Egypt (see Genesis 12:16; 16:1). When Abram’s wife Sarai was unable to conceive, she urged Abram to conceive a child with Hagar—a disturbing yet familiar practice of that day. But when Hagar became pregnant, tensions flared, until Hagar fled into the wilderness to escape Sarai’s abuse (16:1–6).
But Hagar’s predicament—pregnant and alone in a harsh, unforgiving desert—didn’t escape divine eyes. After a heavenly messenger encouraged Hagar (vv. 7–12), she declared, “You are the God who sees me” (v. 13). Hagar was praising One who sees more than the bare facts. The same God was revealed in Jesus, who, “when he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless” (Matthew 9:36). Hagar encountered a God who understood.
The One who saw and understood Hagar’s pain sees ours as well (Hebrews 4:15–16). Experiencing heaven’s empathy can help the unbearable become a bit more bearable.
How does it reassure you to know God understands the challenges you face? How can you be a channel of His empathy and compassion to others?
Gorgeous!
“April's air stirs in
Willow-leaves...a butterfly
Floats and balances”Matsuo Bashō
Happy Caturday, Dogurday and Bunnyday!
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