Psalm 111

Location: Amana Colonies 
Picture: Karen Pilling 

Psalm 19:1

Location: Yankton, SD
Picture: by Karen Pilling 

Bible Verse: Ephesians

:0) Created it! 

Love Never Fails

Made by Karen 
Inspiration: Red Letter Words

Love is....

Bible Verse: Psalm 5:11

Photo: Karen Pilling

Hearing

"He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

~ Matthew 11:15

Picture: Google.com 
Quote: Matthew Henry 

Emotions & Truth

"But you are near, O LORD,

and all your commandments are true."

~ Psalm 119:151

""My feelings are not God. God is God. 

My feelings do not define truth. God’s word defines truth. 

My feelings are echoes and responses to what my mind perceives. 

And sometimes - many times - my feelings are out of sync with the truth. 

When that happens - and it happens every day in some measure - 

I try not to bend the truth to justify my imperfect feelings, 

but rather, I plead with God: 

Purify my perceptions of your truth and 

transform my feelings so that they are in sync with the truth." 

~ John Piper 

It is so easy for our feelings to run away from us! 

It is so important to turn to the Lord 

to direct our thoughts and attitudes back to the truth! 

Pics By: Karen Pilling

Top Quote: John Piper  

"Mine!" ~ God

Pictures: Karen Pilling
Thanks to Noel-ridge Park for the beautiful
flowers you planted this summer & to more so to the
LORD who made these flowers to grow and bloom! 

When we show our faith in God, 

we show others how Faithful and Strong and Worthy of Praise He truly is! 

 "Your daddy is standing in a swimming pool out a little bit from the edge. 

You are, let’s say, three years old and standing on the edge of the pool. 

Daddy holds out his arms to you and says, “Jump, I’ll catch you. I promise.” 

"Now, how do you make your daddy look good at that moment? 

Answer: trust Him and jump. Have faith in him and jump. 

That makes him look strong and wise and loving. 

But if you won’t jump, if you shake your head and run away from the edge, 

you make your daddy look bad. It looks like you are saying, “he can’t catch me” 

or “he won’t catch me” or “it’s not a good idea to do what he tells me to do.” 

And all three of those make your dad look bad. 

But you don’t want to make God look bad. 

So you trust him. Then you make Him look good–which He really is."

"And that is what we mean when we say, 

“Faith glorifies God” or “Faith gives God glory.”

 It makes Him look as good as He really is. 

So trusting God is really important." 

"And the harder it seems for him to fulfill his promise, the better he looks when you trust him. 

Suppose that you are at the deep end of a pool by the diving board. 

You are four years old and can’t swim, and your daddy is at the other end of the pool. 

Suddenly a big, mean dog crawls under the fence and shows his teeth and growls at you 

and starts coming toward you to bite you. 

You crawl up on the diving board and walk toward the end to get away from him. 

The dog puts his front paws up on the diving board.

 Just then, your daddy sees what’s happening and calls out, 

“Johnny, jump in the water. I’ll get you.” 

"Now, you have never jumped from one meter high 

and you can’t swim 

and your daddy is not underneath you 

and this water is way over your head. 

How do you make your daddy look good in that moment? 

You jump."

"And almost as soon as you hit the water, you feel his hands under your arms 

and he treads water holding you safely while someone chases the dog away. 

Then he takes you to the side of the pool."

"We give glory to God when we trust him to do what He has promised to do

especially when all human possibilities are exhausted."

"Faith glorifies God." 

Pictures: Karen Pilling

Quote: John Piper 

Illustration from his sermon entitled: Faith: In Hope, Against Hope, for the Glory of God. 

Text: Romans 4:16-21

Happy 4th of July

:: The Lord blessed us with a wonderful day on the 4th of July ::

:: We went hiking at Pikes Peak State Park in Iowa ::

:: Purple Cone Flower :: 

:: Beauty ::

:: A Wonderful Picnic including hamburgers, 

hot dogs, watermelon, cantaloupe and other goodies! ::

:: We ended the day with the Cedar Rapids Fireworks ::

:: Happy 4th of July ::

Bible Verse: Isaiah 41:10 & Winnie-The-Pooh

I have a bit of something that is not helpful at all and then a bit that is helpful! 

"Pooh tried to think, and all he could think of was something which didn't help at all. 

So he hummed it very quietly to himself...."

"If Rabbit

Was bigger

And fatter

And stronger, 

Or bigger

Than Tigger, 

If Tigger was smaller, 

Then Tigger's bad habit

Of bouncing at Rabbit

Would matter

No longer,

If Rabbit 

Was taller."

:: Keep on Bouncin' ::

:: FEAR NOT! ::

Photos: Karen Pilling
Location: My Backyard! 
Quote:The Complete Tales & Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh 
By: A A Milne  page 276 
Bible Verse: Isaiah 41:10 

God Is God Devotion

“God Is God”

~ Read Daniel 3

“Women received their dead raised to life again. 

Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, 

that they might obtain a better resurrection.”

 ~ Hebrews 11:35

     When Polycarp (AD 69-155), who was bishop of the church at Smyrna, was asked by Roman authorities to curse Christ if he wanted to be released, he said, “Eighty-six years I have served Him, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” The Roman officer threatened, “:If you do not change your mind, I will have you consumed with fire.” Polycarp remained undaunted. Because he would not curse Christ, he was burned at the stake.           

   

  Centuries earlier, when three young men named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego faced a similar threat, they answered, “O Nebuchadnezzar, ….our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods” Dan 3:16-18. A similar experience but two different outcomes. Polycarp was burned alive, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego left the furnace unsigned.

   Two different results but the same display of faith. These men showed us that faith in God is not simply faith in what God can do. But it’s the belief that God is God whether He delivers us or not. He has the final say. And it’s our decision to choose to follow Him though it all.

Devotion written by Albert Lee

Lord, help us trust You all the time.

Regardless of what comes our way.

Accepting from Your goodness that

You always have the final say.

~ ~ ~

Weddings VII

:: Aaron seeing Becky walk down the aisle

for the 1st time in her dress ::

:: Aaron & Becky Aamodt::

:: Giving of the Bride ::

:: Hugs ::

:: Bridesmaid Christine ::

:: Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord ::

:: For the husband is the head of the wife 

even as Christ is the head of the church, 

His body, and is Himself its Savior ::

:: Now as the church submits to Christ, 

so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands ::

:: Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church 

and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, 

having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word... ::

:: Kiss ::

:: Bridal Bouquet ::

:: Leaving for the reception....::

:: ...amidst bubbles & well-wishers ::

:: First Dance ::

:: The smile on your face lets me know that you need me

There’s a truth in your eyes sayin’ you’ll never leave me

The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall

You say it best when you say nothing at all ::

:: Father ~ Daughter Dance ::

:: Help from Mary, Becky's Sister ::

:: Congratulations, Aaron & Becky Aamodt :: 

Pictures: Karen Pilling

Bible Verse: Ephesians 5:22-25

Lyrics: "When You Say Nothing At All" by Alison Krauss