I had no idea that Lego and other toy block makers were offering Jesus and other Bible stories! Sadly the image of Jesus is unsmiling and angry looking.
I love the fact they exist at all!
The resurrection image is my favorite so far!
Hope they create a smiling Resurrected Jesus!
Anchor devotional is published by The Haven of Rest, better known know as simply Haven. I receive one devotional booklet per month. The theme for the month of July was fishing, written by “Pastor and outdoorsman, Brian White.”
Friday July 29 was entitled “Mercy to the Deepest Depths.” In this entry Pastor White wrote about deep sea fishing. “Some anglers will ask if they might hit the bottom.” He basically tells them not a chance. His writing reflects the heart of “the Fisher of men.”
The prophet Micah declares that while the sinfulness of those that rebel against God is great, His desire to show mercy is even greater. His compassion has a depth that we cannot truly begin to comprehend, and He displays it to us when we turn to Him seeking forgiveness.
Brain White, writing in Anchor Devotional July, 2022
As I draw closer and closer to my Savior I am more aware of my sinfulness. Things I might previously have thought of as errors are brought into sharper focus in light of the righteousness of Jesus. I fall short of His likeness, but His mercy shines more brightly than ever before. I am made aware of my propensity for sin. Brian White is correct. I cannot truly comprehend His compassion. White goes on to say:
The judgement of God was carried out at the cross, where Jesus took it on our behalf. Because of this, we experience a depth of God’s compassion and mercy that truly has no bottom. Conceiving of the oceans’ depths is hard for many of us; grasping the deep, deep love of Jesus is greater and more wondrous still
Brian White
The devotional ends that day with this prayer. “Father, thank you that through Jesus we can know that the depth of our sin is not greater than the depth of Your mercy. Amen.”
Have you recognized the depth of your sin? Have you taken it to the Father asking for forgiveness? Why wait? Paul urges us to keep a short list with the Father. (2 Corinthians 13:5)
While reading this Anchor entry Matt Redman’s song rang through my soul. Enjoy!
This post has been republished due to a technical issue preventing some followers from seeing the initial publication…. So I guess the pressure to write this week has been taken off!
So did he hitch a ride from the flower grower to the flower shop at Kroger’s to my house or come in to find this fragrant place from outside in our yard? I will never know. I was delightfully surprised when I found him, snapped his photo, then caught him in a tissue and sent him on his way in the yellow begonias outdoors.
I will never know his origins or destination!
Jodi Picault wrote a novel entitled Small Great Things. In it was this quote which had me pondering.
I hear the flow of the fountain behind me, and I think about water, how it might rise above its station as mist, flirt at being a cloud, and return as rain. Would you call that falling? Or coming home?
Jodi Picault
These are the kind of thoughts that make me praise God. We have had severe humidity, then thunderstorms, then water flowing from the yards. Is it falling, or coming home?
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Matthew 5:45b NIV
Ponder this and share your own discovery in the comments section!
This post has been republished due to a technical issue preventing some followers from seeing the initial publication…. So I guess the pressure to write this week has been taken off!
Dan and Betty Cooksey have been visiting with us for a couple days. What a delight to see our oldest friends from New Mexico. We are always at ease with them. We share approximate ages, they are married about 3 years longer than us, but best of all we share a deep and abiding faith in Christ.
It has been a whirlwind here. If I have missed a posting or two that is because I have been too busy for my own good! Or perhaps this is all FOR my good? I am lumping along in my orthotic boot with plantar fasciitis, writing a group lesson plan for Saturday (trust stands guard), group lesson plan for Thursday (Philippians Chapter 2), the blog (you are reading), company and preparing for the backyard landscapers to arrive any minute here to create a new garden strip across the back of the yard. All that amidst high humidity and nasty high temperatures, etc.
We did get to visit our son’s food stand created with his friend Ryan, at Findlay Market. He has been making sour dough biscuits and serving them with either fresh eggs, cheese and optional sausage or berries and whipped cream. I opted for the eggs and told Bob I did not think I could possibly get it in my mouth.
Well look at that BIG mouth!
photos by r m dutina
As you can see for a photo I can eat that with determination! Could not finish it until the next morning for breakfast. It was SO delicious! From scratch sour dough biscuit, 3 eggs fresh from a market vendor, cheese from a market vendor, prepared by Ryan and Jeff with care and attention. I will probably opt for berries and whipped cream next time!
Shel Silverstein summed it up perfectly in his verse about Scale:
So did he hitch a ride from the flower grower to the flower shop at Kroger’s to my house or come in to find this fragrant place from outside in our yard? I will never know. I was delightfully surprised when I found him, snapped his photo, then caught him in a tissue and sent him on his way in the yellow begonias outdoors.
I will never know his origins or destination!
Jodi Picault wrote a novel entitled Small Great Things. In it was this quote which had me pondering.
I hear the flow of the fountain behind me, and I think about water, how it might rise above its station as mist, flirt at being a cloud, and return as rain. Would you call that falling? Or coming home?
Jodi Picault
These are the kind of thoughts that make me praise God. We have had severe humidity, then thunderstorms, then water flowing from the yards. Is it falling, or coming home?
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Matthew 5:45b NIV
Ponder this and share your own discovery in the comments section!
I did not get this post written on my usual writing day. And next week looks even worse as far as quietening time for writing. But seize the day! Here I am for the Sunday posting and when I opened my computer Bing told me we are at “Halfway Day.” Frankly, I never remember hearing about this day in my entire 71 years!
“It’s Halfway Day, the midpoint of the year. We’ve lived through 182 days of 2022, and today is the first of 182 days left—we’re halfway there. It’s up to us whether we see this as a glass-half-full or a glass-half-empty day… But the past is gone, so we’re all for making the most of the remainder of the year.”
Saith Bing
That certainly rang a bell though! Let’s make the most of the remainder of this year! Last week in our group study I mentioned that Psalm 118 is the center book of the Bible, (someone taught me that years ago), and verse 8 in the center verse of the Bible.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in humans.
Psalm 118:8 NIV
Now I think that is certainly true!
Pondering what to write I remembered a praise song based on 1 Thessalonians. It does not seem to be on You Tube, but the words are easy to read, something else to accomplish EVERMORE!
Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 KJV
So how would you finish this blog? What could you write? Here are some of my thoughts.
Getting along with a family member much better. My closest neighbor/friend has finally gotten home from Florida. Our entire home is finally painted inside. Tiles in bathroom are repaired and cleaned. Josh did our windows! Cliff built some window sills. Holy Spirit is present with us always. The Word is powerful and has never lost its power. We got 3 turkeys thawed, baked, cut up and stored, (not to mention shared and eaten). Awful heat and humidity broke long enough for some outdoor chores to get done. Now it is back. Free online photos to enhance my writing. I have never learned to cook for two – and that benefits others. I love to read and books are abundant! I am grateful for upcoming Doctor appointment as plantar plantar fasciitis is not healing much on its own with boot though I rest, stretch, soak, ice, etc. I pray without ceasing for Cathy and Kathy and Kathy. Others are often in my prayers including Kassie, Sue, Pamela, and Ginny. I give thanks for Jeff, Melissa, Natalie, Juanita, Angie, Bob, Terri, Jessie and Lee. Emily, Dave, Liz and Ellie are delights. Almost every single plant I brought from our old house survived in new flowerbeds. Ferns are flourishing. We really like our new church home. Our marriage continues to flourish though we are aging and slowing down. It is nice to walk Lucky without coat, hat, gloves and scarf. Though a sun hat, ice pack and a bandana are helpful!
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2 NRSV
“A living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.” He desires your sacrifice.This is seen as your spiritual worship! “BE TRANSFORMED” by the renewing of your mind. Gain the discernment towards what is the will of God. What is good and acceptable and perfect.
Oh there are so many things we CAN do to please God. No time to focus on the “Thou shall nots” if we are doing the things God desires.
Rejoice
Evermore.
And if you find typos here, yep, Molly wrote it!
In a recent Bible study on Philippians we discussed what is happiness and what is joy? There are times in life when the two or wrapped together and difficult to separate in just one category. I will give a few examples.
Leading a Philippians discussion I said, “Happiness is I had a birthday party with cake, balloons, and presents. All my favorite people came to celebrate.
“What is joy? Joy is a rich attitude in my spirit whether I have a birthday party or not. Joy is always made deeper by gratitude to God for another year of living and seemingly more to come. This joy outlasts any birthday party with all the trimmings. Bill Burke wrote ‘a joy not dependent on circumstances, but rather a relationship with Jesus.’
My friend has been gone to Florida much, much longer than she planned due to illness. Six+ months in fact. A few ‘Ewe sheep’ from the “Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23” book study decided to bless her with dusting, sweeping and a tiny bit of laundry before she arrived back in Ohio. We were tickled to do that together. It took all of about 45 minutes and led to deeper fellowship among us. That created happiness for us.
My same friend is due home in a couple days from this writing. I am almost overwhelmed with a deep and grateful joy over her homecoming. I can relate to Paul when he wrote about Epaphroditus in Philippians 2.
For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety.
Philippians 2:26-28
I have a taste of what the believers in Philippi experienced when they welcomed back Epaphroditus. She and her husband are coming home and I could not be more delighted! I will be so happy to see them. I will have to get accustomed to having someone IN their home, instead of an empty house across the street. I am ready to do just that!
Joy does not come from the ice cream cone company, not candy with almonds, not a talk show host or perfume. There is a common saying about ‘choose joy.’ Perhaps it should be find joy in God or choose gratitude or choose a positive outlook?
Delight, happiness, but also deep joy that the Lord is bringing them back to Ohio. I often get tangles in the yarn I crochet with. I do not even want to try to untangle these feelings. There has been deep joy as the Lord has walked with her through this nasty illness (no, not Covid, though she suffered that recently). She has known His presence and comfort in the dark hours of “alone-ness with sickness”. As many of you know I have a chronic pain condition. I have been able to encourage her through some of the things I have learned about coping, walking through the maze of medical decisions, trusting the Lord in the midst of no medical cure. Assured that He is comforting her and carrying her is the best blessing of all.
This neighbor only lived here 8-1/2 weeks before going to Florida. We became close, fast friends without even trying. Yes, we both now believe the Lord orchestrated our living across the street from one another. We are blessed to know each other. We are the same age, married the same amount of years, husbands are the same age. We both have a son and daughter. We have similar outlooks on our faith, though she is Catholic and I am protestant. The similarities go on and on.
So try to determine in your life where happiness flourishes and where it is in fact joy. https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/how-to-have-unshakeable-joy-like-paul.html says First, unshakable joy is rooted in Christ and what he has done for us. and Second, unshakable joy is rooted in the progress of the gospel. (see the link above for more details. Christ has done so much for us I could write until my fingers fall off and still not tell you all I have experienced of His power and working in my life. The progress of the gospel? Well the gospel has reached almost every single people group in the world. He is coming soon and we can trust Him to keep us until that day.
Joy unshakeable, joy unspeakable, joy beyond our wildest hopes and dreams. Let the Spirit of Christ dwell in you and lead you to His plan for the best you ever. Keep watching and yielding to Him!
On April 15, 2022 I wrote a post about daughters and dying to self. You can read that at https://wordpress.com/post/treasures-in-plain-sight.org/8594
I have since decided to adopt that headstone. Why not? My parents are buried across town. I have never gotten much from visiting burial sites, but this headstone calls to me with the reminder that I need to die to myself. There is this huge headstone with the family name. As far as I can tell there are no other graves around it except theirs. How sad. I would like to figure out how to clean it off from years of weather stains.
After I visited last time, I researched Mr and Mrs Daughter on line. There was very little revealed about them. Only the location of their graves.
W. P. Daughters was born 1855 and died 1914. Fannie M. Daughters was born 1859 and died 1915. Come to think of it, for all I know they might have been brother and sister? One listing had Fannie as Fannie M. Bennett Daughters. So unlikely they were brother and sister. Perhaps this might get me to the Clermont County court house records? I have been meaning to go for years since I learned of the purported divorce my mother had that it is rumored my father paid for so they could get married?
I do not want this to be the only legacy when I die. In fact, Bob and I do not have a grave site, unless of course the kids decide otherwise after we die. We purchased a brick with Dutina engraved on it at Sawyer Point Park, downtown Cincinnati. So if the kids or grand-kids feel a need to pay us tribute they can go for a walk in the park to find the brick. Column 30E. 16 paces towards stadium. 3 rows N from Drain #5. If you see power plugs you went too far.
Good luck!!
When I was a child my parents had a small farm and fishing lake in Loveland, Ohio. The lake was a pay lake called “Lake Cast-A-Line.” (It has since been drained to make a subdivision.) I can still remember being allowed to give a lamb a bottle of milk in the kitchen. That lamb was one messy eater, but I was delighted! I was perhaps 4 years old? Due to my Dad’s poor health we had to move by the time I was 5.
The milk was mixed from powder and perhaps explains why that scent draws me to this day?!
Has the Lord assigned someone to feed you? Here is your challenge: Have you thanked them?
Here is John Michael Talbot singing Psalm 23. I wore out the album, I bought the CD. I about wore that one out also. I listen to this collection regularly even today!
Trust in the Lord. He will keep you, feed you and shepherd you forever.
But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 NIV
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 NIV
It seems that thanks should run supreme in our conversations with God. There is always a need for sorry but never enough thanks and praise. Seven times a day* we are challenged but do we praise even once? We are a disobedient and contrary people* told in Scripture not to worry about our life, our body*. Americans overfed, having long life, abundant clothing, are undernourished in the things that matter, eternal things that would give us never-ending joy. So thank You, thank You, Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One. You give us life and that more abundantly*. You offer us Your very kingdom. Help me be loyal to praise practice, seeking first Your kingdom and righteousness. Doing that, I receive all that is needed. If I seek You, I will find you* and be more satisfied than having all the kingdoms of this world and their splendor*. Psalm 119:164, Romans 10:21, Matthew 6:25-33, John 10:10, Jeremiah 29:14, Matthew 4:8
Well that about sums it up, don’t you think?
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 