"Give Thanks To Jehovah, For He is Good"
Psalm 106:1
2015 year text

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

How Should Jesus Be Remembered?

The angel Gabriel, when speaking to Mary explained the purpose of Jesus birth with the words:
"This one will be great and will be called Son of the Most High; and Jehovah God will give him the throne of David his father and he will rule as King over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom." -Luke 1:32, 33

So, we remember Jesus, born of a virgin, with no sin, grew up under the Mosaic Law in a family of modest means. Jesus presented himself to do God's will and was baptized in the river Jordan, from that time forward he preached the Good News of God's Kingdom and taught his disciples to do the same.  As the time came for Jesus to lay down his perfect human life as the ransom to redeem mankind from sin and death, he continued loving them to the very end, teaching them to remember his death and instituting the new covenant for a kingdom with them.
(Luke 1: 31,34, 35; Luke 2:22-24; Matthew 3:13-17; Luke 9:2; John 13:1; Luke 22:7,8,19,20, 29)

 Remember how sad the disciples were at his death.Then Jehovah, resurrected his Son on the third day! Jesus continued with his disciples for some time explaining why he had died by reminding them of prophecies that were fulfilled and encouraging them for the days ahead. They wanted to know if Jesus was restoring the Kingdom to Israel at this time. Then before the disciples saw him ascend to heaven Jesus gave them a most important assignment, an assignment that would help others and be a constant reminder of their happy hope.
(John 19:25, 38-40; John 20:1, 11-20, 26, 30: John 21:1; Luke 24:13, 14, 26, 27, 45-48; Acts 1:3, 4, 6, 7; Matthew 28:18-20)

Today we are living in the last days of this world's system of things. The nations corrupt reign over the earth has legally ended. How do we know? We have seen the sign of the last days with our own eyes. Confidently, with full faith we know that in fulfillment of prophesy Jesus has received the kingdom he was promised. Yes, we should remember that Jesus is now reigning as the rightful King over all the earth, and we should bend our will to be obedient to Jesus directions. Soon Christ Jesus as King will bring to ruin all those who continue to ruin the earth. What blessings are in store for all who obey Jesus as king! They will be guided to safety and have the privilege of living as subjects of God's Kingdom, with freedom from corrupt men, falsehoods, greed, deceit! Instead they have the opportunity to live under a government based on love, love of God and love of neighbor.
 (Matthew 24:3-14; Revelation 1:10; Rev. 6:1-8; Rev. 11:15-18; Rev. 12:10-12; Rev. 16:14, 16;
Rev 18:2-4, 9-11,15, 20, 21; Rev 21:1-5; Rev.22:1-3, 17; 
Isaiah 25:6, 8, 9; Isa. 33:24; Isa. 35:5, 6; Isa. 55:1, 6-11; Isa. 65:17, 21-25; 
Psalms 37:10, 11, 27-29, 34; Proverbs 2:21, 22; Matthew 22:36-40)

 What will you remember about Jesus? Will you also, recognize him as our rightful King?


"For a child has been born to us, 
A son has been given to us;
And the rulership will rest on his shoulder.
His name will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 

To the increase of his rulership
And to peace, there will be no end, 
On the throne of David 
And on his kingdom
In order to establish it 
Firmly and to sustain it
Through justice and righteousness
From now on and forever. 
The zeal of Jehovah of armies will do this"
-Isaiah 9:6, 7

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Monday, December 9, 2013

On The Porch......

What's going on?

Some workers!
Caulking and Painting

 Working away!
 With happy faces
I put my camera down and picked up a paint brush
so I missed getting the pictures of 
Dalton, Kyria and Koen 
who were at the other end of the house, paint brushes in hand.

And plans in mind for a make over???
We will see....stay tuned.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

They Never Outgrow.....

LEGOS!


Always fun to watch the boys play......

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Friday, November 22, 2013

Ordinary things we do in a day

make us smile real BIG.

 Like picking up the kids from school!

These two stand out and are sooo happy to see me!

Thursday, November 21, 2013

M is for... MOM!

Dennis and I had a long week-end visit with Mom
a couple of weeks ago. 

I was impressed with the progress she has made with her knee replacement surgery. 
Everyday, we went a little further on her walk. And she can walk fast!

Thanks Mom for your kind hospitality!

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Day 31- Treat

 Eggs Benedict! 
Breakfast out with Dennis
A real TREAT

Day 27- Peaceful


Day 22- Change




Day 18- Still


Day 17- First World Problem

Lack of Love for God 
and his righteous standards.

Day 16- Leafy

Leaves that I love!

Day 15- Secret


Jesus said to his disciples:
"...To you the sacred secret of the Kingdom of God has been given..."
-Mark 4:11
 (Compare: Ephesians 1:9, 10; Colossians 1:26,27)



Day 14- Favorite space


Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Day 13- Watching

Watching Dennis
watch football

Day 12- Below

Always below my feet

Day 11- M is for...

MUFFINS fresh out of the oven!

Monday, October 7, 2013

Day 7- What I saw today.

 Several projects...
All at once!

Day 6

8:00

 A.M.

P.M.

Day 5 -Afternoon


Afternoon at Fallbrook Gem and Mineral Societies 2013 Fall Festival

Friday, October 4, 2013

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Day 2 -Light

Light
...in the morning


Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Picture of the Day -Day 1

COLORFUL

Enjoying colors - our finger paints.

SELF-CONTROL


 Self-Control A Fine Quality
 Keeping in check, restraining, or controlling one’s person, actions, speech, or thoughts.  The Hebrew and Greek terms involving self-control literally denote having power or control over oneself. Self-control is a ‘fruit of God’s spirit’ (Ga 5:22, 23)

What We Need to Control

 Our thoughts and emotions.
What we let our minds dwell on either helps us or hinders us in our effort to please Jehovah. Self-control is needed if we are to heed the Scriptural counsel found at Philippians 4:8, to keep considering things that are true, chaste, and virtuous. The psalmist David expressed similar sentiments in prayer, saying: “Let the . . . meditation of my heart become pleasurable before you, O Jehovah my Rock and my Redeemer.” -Psalm 19:14

Our words, our speech. 
Many, many scriptures counsel us to exercise control of our tongues. For example:
“The true God is in the heavens but you are on the earth. That is why your words should prove to be few.” -Ecclesiastes 5:2
“In the abundance of words there does not fail to be transgression, but the one keeping his lips in check is acting discreetly.” -Proverbs 10:19
“Let a rotten saying not proceed out of your mouth, but whatever saying is good for building up as the need may be . . . Let all . . . screaming and abusive speech be taken away from you along with all badness.” -Ephesians 4:29, 31
And Paul goes on to give counsel to put away from us foolish talking and obscene jesting.
[Ephesians 5:3, 4. (See also—James 3:5-10)]

Our actions. 
 Jesus summed up the whole matter regarding our actions toward fellow humans when he gave what is generally termed the “Golden Rule,” saying:All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must likewise do to them; this, in fact, is what the Law and the Prophets mean.” -Matthew 7:12. Truly, it takes self-control not to let our selfish inclinations or outside pressures or temptations cause us to treat others differently from the way we would want them to treat us.
One area in which great self-control is needed has to do with our relations with those of the opposite sex. Christians are commanded: “Flee from sexual immorality.” -1 Corinthians 6:18, (New International Version)

Why Self-Control Is Such a Challenge
 Self-control does not come easily because, as all Christians know, we have three powerful forces working against our exercise of self-control.

1.Satan and his demons. The Scriptures leave no doubt as to their reality.  Peter warned:
 “Keep your senses, be watchful. Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone.”—1 Peter 5:8.

2.  This world that lies “in the power of the wicked one,” Satan the Devil. Concerning it, the apostle John wrote: “Do not be loving either the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; because everything in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life—does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world. Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but he that does the will of God remains forever.” —1 John 2:15-17
 Unless we exercise self-control and strongly resist any tendency to love the world, we will succumb to its influence. (1John 5:19)

3.  Our own inherited fleshly weaknesses and shortcomings.  Our inborn selfish tendencies furnish a challenge for us when it comes to exercising self-control. Those tendencies reside in the figurative heart, concerning which Jesus said: “Out of the heart come wicked reasonings, murders, adulteries, fornications, thieveries, false testimonies, blasphemies.” -Matthew 15:19.
That is why Paul wrote: “The good that I wish I do not do, but the bad that I do not wish is what I practice. If, now, what I do not wish is what I do, the one working it out is no longer I, but the sin dwelling in me.” -Romans 7:19, 20.
However, this was not a losing battle, for Paul also wrote: “I pummel my body and lead it as a slave, that, after I have preached to others, I myself should not become disapproved somehow.” —1 Corinthians 9:27. Pummeling his body required exercising self-control.

Qualities and aids to help us exercise self-control.

Fearing God and Hating What Is Bad
 One of the greatest aids in cultivating self-control is the fear of God, not a morbid fear, but the wholesome fear of displeasing our loving heavenly Father. "...Happy is the man in fear of Jehovah. In whose commandments he has taken very much delight." -Psalms 112:1. How important to have a  reverent fear of God. Yes, the fear of God will help us to exercise self-control.
Closely related to the fear of Jehovah is the hating of bad. “The fear of Jehovah means the hating of bad...” -Proverbs 8:13. In turn, the hating of what is bad also helps us to exercise self-control.   
 "O you lovers of Jehovah, hate what is bad..."-Psalm 97:10.    That which is bad is often so pleasurable, so tempting, so enticing that we simply must hate it in order to fortify ourselves against it.
"Search for what is good, and not what is bad, to the end that you people may keep living; and that thus Jehovah the God of armies may come to be with you, just as you have said. Hate what is bad, and love what is good, and give justice a place in the gate..." -Amos 5:14, 15. All such hating of what is bad has the effect of strengthening our determination to exercise self-control and thus serves as a protection to us.  "...Abhor what is wicked, cling to what is good." -Romans 12:9.

Appreciate Self-Control, as the Course of Wisdom
Appreciate the wisdom of displaying self-control. Jehovah asks us to exercise self-control for our own benefit. (Compare Isaiah 48:17, 18.) His Word contains much counsel showing how wise it is to curb our selfish inclinations by practicing self-control. We simply cannot escape God’s unchangeable laws. His Word tells us: “Whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap; because he who is sowing with a view to his flesh will reap corruption from his flesh, but he who is sowing with a view to the spirit will reap everlasting life from the spirit.” (Galatians 6:7, 8) An obvious example is that of eating and drinking. Many ills result because people eat or drink too much. Yielding to selfishness robs a person of self-respect. More than that, an individual cannot yield to selfishness without also damaging his relationships with others. Most serious of all, lack of self-control damages our relationship with our heavenly Father.
 We must keep telling ourselves that selfishness is self-defeating. An outstanding theme of the book of Proverbs, which stresses self-discipline, is that selfishness simply does not pay and there is wisdom in exercising self-control. (Proverbs 14:29; 16:32)  Notice, that self-discipline involves much more than simply avoiding what is bad. Self-discipline, or self-control, is also needed to do what is right, which may be difficult because this goes against our sinful inclinations.

Unselfish Love Helps
Paul’s description of love at 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 shows that its power can help us to exercise self-control. “Love is long-suffering.” To be long-suffering takes self-control. “Love is not jealous, it does not brag, does not get puffed up.” The quality of love helps us to control our thoughts and emotions, to curb any tendency to be jealous, to brag, or to get puffed up. Love moves us to be just the opposite, making us humble, lowly in mind, as Jesus was. (Matthew 11:28-30).
 Paul goes on to say that love “does not behave indecently.” It also takes self-control to act decently at all times. The quality of love keeps us from greed, from solely ‘looking out for our own interests.’ Love “does not become provoked.” How easy it is to get provoked because of what others say or do! But love will help us to exercise self-control and not say or do things that we would afterward regret. Love “does not keep account of the injury.” Human nature is inclined to harbor a grudge or to cherish resentment. But love will help us to dismiss such thoughts from our minds. Love “does not rejoice over unrighteousness.” It takes self-control not to take pleasure in what is unrighteous, such as pornography or degrading TV soap operas. Love also “bears all things” and “endures all things.” It takes self-control to put up with things, to endure trialsome or burdensome things and not let them discourage us, cause us to retaliate in kind, or incline us to quit serving Jehovah.
 If we truly love our heavenly Father and appreciate his wonderful qualities and all he has done for us, we will want to please him by exercising self-control at all times. Also, if we truly love our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, and appreciate all he has done for us, we will heed his command ‘to pick up our torture stake and follow him continually.’ -Mark 8:34. That certainly requires that we exercise self-control. Love for our Christian brothers and sisters will also keep us from hurting them by taking some selfish course.

Faith and Humility as Helpers
 A  great aid in exercising self-control is faith in God and his promises. Faith will enable us to trust in Jehovah and wait for his due time to set matters straight. The apostle Paul makes the same point when he says at Romans 12:19: “Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, . . . for it is written: ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says Jehovah.’” In this regard, humility can also help us. If we are humble, we will not be quick to take offense because of imagined or real injuries. We will not rashly take the law into our own hands,  but will exercise self-control and be willing to wait on Jehovah.
"Do not show yourself heated up because of the evildoers...Let anger alone and leave rage; Do not show yourself heated up only to do evil." -Psalm 37:1, 8.

Lilly practicing her surfer stance.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

MILDNESS

Exhibit Mildness

Mildness is gentleness in temperament and behavior. 
Jesus was mild-tempered while on earth, perfectly reflecting Jehovah's personality.
 "Come to me...I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am mild-tempered and lowly at heart..." -Matthew 11:28-30 (compare John 5:19)
As Christians we are expected to "exhibit mildness toward all men" -Titus 3:2.
Counsel given in a spirit of mildness usually is very well received. (Galatians 6:1)
All can contribute to Christian unity and peace by displaying "lowliness of mind and mildness". -Ephesians 4:1-3
  
When the weather is mild, it is agreeable, enjoyable. When a person is mild, or mild-mannered, it is a pleasure to be with him.   The original Greek term describes, not outward gentleness or meekness, but inward mildness and graciousness; not the manner of one's behavior, but the condition of one's mind and heart. The adornment of Christian women is a "quiet and mild spirit, which is of great value in the eyes of God." -1 Peter 3:4. Men do well to have this same spirit in imitation of Christ Jesus. Yes, mildness is a godly trait that Jehovah values highly.

Mildness Linked to Humility
"Pride is before a crash, and haughty spirit before stumbling. Better is it to be lowly in spirit with the meek ones than to divide spoil with the self-exalted ones." -Proverbs 16:18, 19

 Mildness is closely linked to humility, being "lowly in heart".  Jesus demonstrated humility throughout his earthly ministry. When he was hailed as King of the Jews, six days before his death Zachariah's prophecy was fulfilled: "Look! Your King is coming to you, mild-tempered, and mounted upon an ass, yes, upon a colt, the offspring of a beast of burden." -Zechariah 9:9 (Matthew 21:5)
Also, the prophet Daniel saw a vision of Jehovah delegating ruling authority to his Son.  Jesus is described as "the lowliest one of mankind." -Daniel 4:17; 7:13, 14.  Mildness and humility go hand in hand. Mildness does not imply weakness.  Jesus showed a firm resolve not to compromise, even when under assault from Satan the Devil.  He refused to tolerate the illicit commercial  practices of the religious leaders of his day. (Matthew 4:1-11; 21:12, 13; John 2:13-17) However, Jesus maintained mildness of temper when dealing with the shortcomings of his disciples, and he patiently bore their weaknesses. (Matthew 20:20-28) Behind the gentleness there is the strength of steel. May we display this Christlike quality - mildness. Mildness is a remarkable quality that combines pleasantness with power.  It is just as King Solomon wrote:
 "a mild tongue itself can break a bone." -Proverbs 25:15.

Pursue Mildness
People have different temperaments. Some of God's servants find it easier to manifest mildness than others. All Christians need to cultivate the fruitage of God's spirit, including mildness. 
(Galatians 5:22, 23) We need to lean on Jehovah in prayer, asking for his holy spirit and then cooperate with his spirit to cultivate this quality.  Paul's words to the young man Timothy were: 

"Pursue righteousness, godly devotion, faith, love, endurance, mildness of temper."
  -1 Timothy 6:11.  
 The word "pursue" implies that effort is needed. If you make the effort to meditate on the fine examples of mildness from God's Word, mildness can become a part of you, just like an implant. God's word will mold and guide you.  "Hence put away all filthiness and that superfluous thing, badness, and accept with mildness the implanting of the word which is able to save your souls".-James 1:21.  The way we conduct ourselves toward others demonstrates how well we are doing in this regard.
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show out of his fine conduct his works with a mildness that belongs to wisdom." -James 3:13 

We can exhibit mildness if we consistently walk by spirit and exercise self-control.


 Things we saw on a mild day in Encinitas our favorite Beach Town:
Breakfast at Java Hut

Lots of old cars!


Bike riders everywhere! 
Cool Shoes clip on pedal!
These guys were from Riverside.
We observed friendly, dog loving, health conscious people in Encinitas!
I should have took more pictures of people with their dogs
There were sooooo many! 
I was amazed at how obedient this puppy was,
Then the owners told me, this is a miniature Aussie
7 years old.
Skateboarders!
Dennis droooling

Lunch at Swamis Cafe!
Thick Acia smoothie, on top of homemade granola,
Topped with banana, strawberries, blueberries, boisenberries,
coconut, and bee pollen!

MMMMMmmmmm Better than Dairy Queen!
If that is possible.