Incredible testimony of elderly Christian woman ministering to her attacker

Hi everyone,

You can find it at this website:
http://unfurlingflower.blogspot.com/

It's amazing!

For the Gospel!

Washington D.C.

Hi everyone,

Guess where I went to..............wink wink.

I have to admire Washingtonians......it must be easy for them to walk for long stretches of pavement, due to the fact that a good bit of people in the city get around by their feet.

I, on the other hand, do not have durable tootsies. They still feel a little sore after walking for about three miles around D.C.

But boy, did I have a great time! My class and I (this was a field trip) took the subway. This was the first time I've ever been on one, and it was so cool! It was sort of like a car ride, but a lot bumpier and darker. I hope I get to do it again someday.

I loved visiting the monuments. I had never been so close to the Washington Monument before - the last time I visited, I think it was under construction.....or the area around it was. The monument and Lincoln's Memorial was beautifully set off by the blossoming cherry trees that were appearing. In fact, they say the Cherry Blossom festival is starting tomorrow. I wish I could see it, but I'm going to be in another part of the city. It's a rare treat to be able to visit a city twice in a row! I'm thankful that God is allowing me to experience it.

The Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the World War II Memorial are definite must-sees for any tourists, veteran or new. There's also a park nearby that has monuments to other wars, including the Vietnam memorial. Washington, D.C. has that fancy, baroque look to it that makes you feel at home. It sort of has the Southern flair to it, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I'm just saying that I loved the trip and can't wait to go back tomorrow!

Sigh. Washington, D.C. rocks!

I hope to be able to scan the photos I took so I can show you all what I saw, but we'll have to see about that. ;-)

For the Gospel!

Happy Easter!

“The proof that God saves is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Imagine for a moment that Jesus died on the cross without ever rising from the grave. In that case, how could we be certain that Jesus really had dealt with our sin and all its terrible consequences; guilt, alienation, suffering and death? At most we could say, ‘Perhaps God has accepted the cross of Christ as the atonement for my sin, but I cannot know for certain.’ We would have no receipt to show that the price of our redemption had been paid in full. We would have no token of affection to show that we had been reconciled to God. Nor would we have any reason to believe in the resurrection of our own bodies. If God did not raise Jesus, how could he be expected to raise anyone else?....[But] God has raised Jesus from the dead. By doing so, God showed that Jesus did not die in vain, that his sacrifice was accepted. The crucifixion, which was the verdict of sinful men, was overturned on appeal. God rendered his verdict on Jesus Christ in the resurrection, which is God’s seal of approval on the crucifixion, the proof that his justice is satisfied. By raising Jesus from the dead, God has attested that Jesus is the Saviour 'who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord."

Irish Sayings

Sayings:

Legend of Saint Patrick
"Good St. Patrick travelled far, to teach God's Holy Word,

And when he came to Erin's sod, a wondrous thing occurred,

He plucked a shamrock from the earth and held it in His hand,

To symbolise the Trinity that all might understand,

The first leaf for the Father,

And the second for the Son,

The third leaf for the Holy Spirit,

All three of them in one."

"May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields,

And until we meet again,

May God hold youIn the palm of his hand."

"The best way to get rid of your enemies is God's way, by loving them."

"The lesson learned by a tragedy is a lesson never forgotten."

"A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest."

"Dance as if no one's watching, sing as if no one's listening, and live everyday as if it were your last."

"God made time, but man made haste."

"Many a sudden change takes place on a spring day."








For the Gospel!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!

I just love this holiday. The wearin' o' the green, learning more about Ireland, and just celebrating our Irish heritage in general! Unfortunately, I probably won't be at the nearest Irish restaurant tonight, but I have found some great Irish sayings in honor of this fun holiday (coming up in the next post).

Even though it's fun to dress up in green, speak with an Irish accent, and try out corned beef and cabbage, St. Patrick's Day is not just about celebrating Ireland in general. We can be inspired by Patrick's yearning to share the Gospel with the lost people of Ireland. Even though he had been held captive there by pirates and had the chance to stay in England once he was free, Patrick chose to go back and reach out to his enemies because of the pure love of Christ that was in him. Due to his and others' efforts, Ireland became a Christian nation, and helped to send other missionaries around the world to preach the Gospel. Isn't that fantastic?

We should take our cue from Patrick and be brave to share the Gospel with others and live out a Christ-like life, showing the love of God to others. Can I get an Amen?

Here is Patrick's "breastplate," which shows how passionate this man was for God and how passionate we should be for Christ:

"Christ ever with me,

Christ before me,

Christ behind me,

Christ within me,

Christ beneath me,

Christ above me,

Christ to my right side,

Christ to my left side,

Christ in his breadth,

Christ in his length,

Christ in depth,

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks to me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me."

Do cum gloire Dé agus onora na hEireann!

For the Glory of God and Honor of Ireland!

“Then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” - Acts 4:10,12

For the Gospel!

Work

"It is most important habitually to contemplate our work in its proper character as a “work of faith.” As such, it can only be sustained by the active and persevering exercise of this principle. This is what makes it a means of grace to our own souls, as well as a grand medium of exalting our Divine Master.

"It is faith that enlivens our work with perpetual cheerfulness. It commits every part of it to God, in the hope, that even mistakes shall be overruled for his glory; and thus relieves us from an oppressive anxiety, often attendant upon a deep sense of our responsibility. The shortest way to peace will be found in casting ourselves upon God for daily pardon of deficiencies and supplies of grace, without looking too eagerly for present fruit."

- Charles Bridges

For the Gospel!

God's Greatness

"God hath in Himself all power to defend you, all wisdom to direct you, all mercy to pardon you, all grace to enrich you, all righteousness to clothe you, all goodness to supply you, and all happiness to crown you."

- Thomas Brooks
A Puritan Golden Treasury, compiled by I.D.E. Thomas, by permission of Banner of Truth, Carlisle, PA. 2000, p. 126.

Click on the tulip

For the Gospel!

It's Here!

Hi everyone,

Wednesday morning, I, my brother, and my mom were heading out the door to drive to school, when I happened to glance over at the flowerbed in front of our house. To my surprise, there were little tulip sprouts!

Now, these aren't OUR tulip sprouts. It's just a picture I got off the web. But they look similar to what our tulips look like when they grow a little. For now, our tulip sprouts are peeking out, as if to say, "Is it time yet?"

This winter didn't have a lot of snow, but I'm amazed that it's only the beginning of March, and flower buds are already coming up! I even saw a crocus at my grandma's! (Although the poor thing had fallen over from the rain we've been getting!)

God is amazing. He creates all this beautiful nature for His glory and our enjoyment. His artwork is sheer beauty - He created beauty! And one of the best things we can do is look at His artwork admiringly and thank Him for all the goodness He has made. I want to end this post with a poem by Cicely Mary Barker, aptly describing the crocus, one of the beautiful flowers that God made:

Crocus of yellow, new and gay;

Mauve and purple, in brave array;

Crocus white Like a cup of light,-

Hundreds of them are smiling up,

Each with a flame in its shining cup,

By the touch of the warm and welcome sun

Opened suddenly.

Spring's begun! Dance then, fairies, for joy, and sing,

The song of the coming again of Spring.

For the Gospel!