e-Sword Bible Study Software

Download this software program for free! (They do accept donations.) This is great software that I use all the time.

The Soul

Matthew 16:26

(NKJV) For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

(MSG) What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?

Bible Knowledge Commentary

"If it were possible for an individual, in preserving his own life, to gain the whole world, but in the process lose his soul, of what value then would be the possessions of the world? True discipleship involves following Christ and doing His will, wherever that path might lead."

Only One Thing Counts

No one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. —1Co_2:9

"Think about the day Christ comes. There you are in the great circle of the redeemed… Though you are one of a throng, it's as if you and Jesus are all alone…

I'm speculating now, but I wonder if Christ might say these words to you: "I'm so proud that you let me use you. Because of you, others are here today. Would you like to meet them?"

At that point Jesus might turn to the crowd and invite them… One by one, they begin to step out and walk forward.

The first is your neighbor, a crusty old sort who lived next door. To be frank, you didn't expect to see him. "You never knew I was watching," he explains, "but I was. And because of you, I am here." …

It's not long before you and your Savior are encircled by the delightful collection of souls you've touched. Some you know, most you don't, but for each you feel the same… You feel what Paul felt …" "I'm so proud of your faith" (see 1Th_2:19 ).

Max Lucado
Grace for the Moment

The Empty Tomb

Easter is fast approaching. It's on April 4th this year.

You can download the jpeg file and use for your graphic designs, websites, church bulletins, etc.

Signs of His Coming

Matthew 24:3-8

3) Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"
(4) And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you
(5) For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.
(6) And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
(7) For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
(8) All these are the beginning of sorrows.

The beginning of Birth Pains. As a woman labors, the pains grow quicker together and more intense.

Roar and Fury of the Sea

Luke 21:25

"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;"

Prayers up for the people involved!

Psalm 91:1

The Message Version

You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow,
Say this: "God, you're my refuge.
I trust in you and I'm safe!"

Psalm 91:1

Psa 91:1

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Wintery scene with old barns and silos.

Beautiful Autumn in the Mountains

Psalm 37:4

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Blue Ridge Parkway

1935 - 2010

Celebrating 75 years!

Happy Birthday, Parkway!

Daniel Series

End Times Prophecy

Daniel... the ultimate power, sovereignty and faithfulness of God.

Calvary Church is having a series of messages from the book of Daniel.  You can get their podcasts here.

When You Need Guidance

Proverbs 3:5-6

(5) Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
(6) In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

NCV New Century Version

Alexander Haig

RIP, Alexander Haig.  Thanks for your service to our country.

Must Read This Book

For those who are interested in Bible prophecy and the United States, this is a MUST read book!

Purchase thru Shutterfly

SALE SPECIAL!  Buy 11 x 14 print and get a 5 x 7 FREE!

You can purchase prints/posters through Shutterfly.

You can also download the photo (jpeg file) for only $12.00 and use for your own website or printing projects.

Also available are note cards, mouse pads, coffee mugs, magnets, jigsaw puzzles, desk organizers and keepsake boxes.

Thanks for your support!

Proverbs 3:5 - Trust God

Don't assume you know it all.

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he's the one who will keep you on track."

The Message Bible version

Winter Tree Branches

Proverbs 2:6

Only the Lord gives wisdom; He gives knowledge and understanding.

God is Love

This passage is from The Message Bible.

7-10My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God.
11-12My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!

13-16This is how we know we're living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He's given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we've seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God's Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we've embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.

Happy Valentine's Day!

God is Love!

1Jn 4:7-21
(7) Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
(8) He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
(9) In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
(10) In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
(11) Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
(12) No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
(13) By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
(14) And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.
(15) Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
(16) And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
(17) Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
(18) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
(19) We love Him because He first loved us.
(20) If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
(21) And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

Psalm 34:4 in Photo

Tree stump with lush ferns and pretty flowers.

Psalm 34:4

Psalm 34

God delivers those who hold fast to their faith.

Psa 34:1-22
(1) A Psalm of David When He Pretended Madness Before Abimelech, Who Drove Him Away, and He Departed. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
(2) My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
(3) Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.
(4) I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.
(5) They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.
(6) This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.
(7) The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.
(8) Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
(9) Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.
(10) The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.
(11) Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
(12) Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?
(13) Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.
(14) Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
(15) The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.
(16) The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
(17) The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.
(18) The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
(19) Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
(20) He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.
(21) Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
(22) The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

Psalm 34:4

"I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears."

Barnes Commentary:

Psa 34:4
I sought the Lord, and he heard me - That is, on the occasion referred to in the psalm, when he was exposed to the persecutions of Saul, and when he sought refuge in the country of Abimelech or Achish: 1Sa_21:1-15. The idea is, that at that time he did not confide in his own wisdom, or trust to any devices of his own, but that he sought the protection and guidance of God, alike when he fled to Gath, and when he fled from Gath.
And delivered me from all my fears - From all that he apprehended from Saul, and again from all that he dreaded when he found that Abimelech would not harbor him, but drove him from him.

Ocracoke Lighthouse

The top of Ocracoke Lighthouse in the Outer Banks of NC.

Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Empty Tomb

Easter is April 4th this year. I've got quite a few Empty Tomb photos available for your designs.

Thanks for your support!

Cast Your Burden Upon the Lord

Oswald Chambers

"Cast thy burden upon the Lord." Psalm 55:22

We must distinguish between the burden-bearing that is right and the burden-bearing that is wrong. We ought never to bear the burden of sin or of doubt, but there are burdens placed on us by God which He does not intend to lift off, He wants us to roll them back on Him. "Cast that He hath given thee upon the Lord." (R.V. marg.) If we undertake work for God and get out of touch with Him, the sense of responsibility will be overwhelmingly crushing; but if we roll back on God that which He has put upon us, He takes away the sense of responsibility by bringing in the realization of Himself.

Many workers have gone out with high courage and fine impulses, but with no intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ, and before long they are crushed. They do not know what to do with the burden, it produces weariness, and people say - "What an embittered end to such a beginning!"

"Roll thy burden upon the Lord" - you have been bearing it all; deliberately put one end on the shoulders of God. "The government shall be upon His shoulder." Commit to God "that He hath given thee"; not fling it off, but put it over on to Him and yourself with it, and the burden is lightened by the sense of companionship. Never disassociate yourself from the burden.

My Utmost for His Highest

God's Promises

Psalm 55:22

Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you.

Winter Storms

Waiting on a winter storm to arrive! Perfect for "being still" and staying home.

(Scene from our small snow storm last year.)

Waterfall in Autumn

Psalm 46:10

Glen Falls in North Carolina

The Message Version of Psalm 46:10

"Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything."

Psalm 46:10

God Protects His People

God's strength provides security, protection from harm, peace for His people.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Psalm 46:10

"Cease striving and know that I am God;..."

Psalm 46:10

A bench for resting at Daniel Stowe Gardens in Belmont, NC.

Psalm 46:10

"Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."

King James Version

This scripture is a favorite to many. I'll be sharing some of the different Bible versions this week along with some photography.

Butterflies in Scripture

"Butterflies in Scripture"

This is the most popular request I get from my customers. While there are not any verses in the Bible that mention butterflies, we often think they represent....

Joy
Change
Spirit, Spiritual Rebirth
Soul
Transforming
Springtime
Born Again
Immortality
Freedom

Feel free to add your comments of what they represent to you.

I'll have more butterfly photos during the year!

Born Again

1 Peter 1:23

"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."

New Creation

2 Corinthians 5:17

"Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."

Monarch butterfly on yellow orchids.

Here's a slideshow of my work.

I make my living in photography and enjoy creating "Scripture in Photography". Your support is very much appreciated!

John 3:3

Born Again

Excerpts from Max Lucado's Devotional Bible

"The first birth was for earthly life; the second one is for eternal life. The first time we received a physical heart; the second time we receive a spiritual heart. The first birth enabled us to have life on earth. The second birth enables us to have life eternal."

Monarch Butterfly on Orange Zinnia

John 3:3 “...unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

Hooker Falls in Autumn

John 4:14 “...but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst...”
 

Bodie Island Lighthouse in the NC Outer Banks

Psalm 119:105

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Yes, I'm still alive!

I started a Charlotte Skyline Collection.
Check out my NEW Charlotte Page.

Red Poppies... this isn't a photo.
It's my first digital drawing.

Hope everyone had a good New Year!
I'll be visiting blogs this week... trying to catch up.
Been out of pocket lately.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Horse Farm in Weddington, NC

Water Fountain

Thank You, Veterans!!!

Cable Mill at Cades Cove

Meet Hollywood...baby African Grey with his feathers still coming in.

Comet Holmes

This rabbit was in our yard today. He was being soooo still... hoping the large bird flying above wouldn't see him.
Which do you like better??? The warmer (bottom) version or cooler (top)??

Forest Colors

Piney Mountain
Mountain near our home

Creeks are low in the Mountains

Blue Ridge Parkway on Sunday

You've got to see this Cockatoo video!!! Very Funny!

Our Mountain View

Mayberry.... Mount Airy, NC
Old Squad Car

My nephew and sister-in-law went skydiving last weekend.
I've wondered if I could do this, too....

Balsam Inn Front Porch
Midnight Sepia Effect

Welcome Fall!

Our Neighbor's New Puppy!
Isn't she cute??
Charcoal Sketch from Photo

Has anyone else had problems getting on Google lately?? Everytime I tried to post something, it was so slow I just gave up.

I saw this Red-Tailed Hawk swoop down in the trees by our house.
I had no idea he had gotten a squirrel.

American Bald Eagle

A Young American Bald Eagle

Young Quaker Parrots

Meet one of our new neighbors.
Oliver says... "Look out for the cat"!

Jigsaw Puzzle... Enjoy!