The Big Choice

If you don't want to serve the LORD, you must choose for yourselves today whom you will serve. —Jos_24:15

[God's] invitation is clear and nonnegotiable. He gives all and we give him all. Simple and absolute. He is clear in what he asks and clear in what he offers. The choice is up to us. Isn't it incredible that God leaves the choice to us? Think about it. There are many things in life we can't choose. We can't, for example, choose the weather. We can't control the economy.

We can't choose whether or not we are born with a big nose or blue eyes or a lot of hair. We can't even choose how people respond to us.

But we can choose where we spend eternity. The big choice, God leaves to us. The critical decision is ours.

That is the only decision which really matters.

Max Lucado And the Angels Were Silent

Pink Summer Roses

Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength..."

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Memorial Day Weekend

Have a great and safe holiday!

Thank you, Veterans!!

God Bless America

He Guides You

Pro 4:11-12


(11) I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths.

(12) When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, And when you run, you will not stumble.

NKJV

Pro 4:11-12


(11) I'm writing out clear directions to Wisdom Way, I'm drawing a map to Righteous Road.

(12) I don't want you ending up in blind alleys, or wasting time making wrong turns.

The Message

2 Corinthians 5:7

"We live by faith, not by sight."

Psalm 37:4

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

Happy Mother's Day!

Hoping everyone has a great Mother's Day weekend!

I Love You, Mom!

God's Passion and Plan

Your word is like a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105

The purpose of the Bible is simply to proclaim God's plan to save His children. It asserts that man is lost and needs to be saved. And it communicates the message that Jesus is the God in the flesh sent to save his children.

Though the Bible was written over sixteen centuries by at least forty authors, it has one central theme—salvation through faith in Christ. Begun by Moses in the lonely desert of Arabia and finished by John on the lonely Isle of Patmos, it is held together by a strong thread: God's passion and God's plan to save His children.

What a vital truth! Understanding the purpose of the Bible is like setting the compass in the right direction. Calibrate it correctly and you'll journey safely. But fail to set it, and who knows where you'll end up.

"How to Study the Bible" Max Lucado

National Day of Prayer

Today is the National Day of Prayer for our country. 

God's Word is Timeless

Psalm 119:142-143

Your justice is eternal, and your law is perfectly true. As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands.

"The Bible doesn't have an expiration date. It is timeless. Its description of God is never obsolete because God's nature never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, so what was written about Him centuries ago by Moses and the apostle Paul is still true. God's plan to connect with the human race through Jesus Christ hasn't changed. The truth of the Bible will never be outdated."

God is in the Small Stuff

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Secondhand Spirituality

Come near to God, and God will come near to you. James 4:8

Some of us have tried to have a daily quiet time and have not been successful. Others of us have a hard time concentrating. And all of us are busy. So rather than spend time with God, listening for his voice, we'll let others spend time with him and then benefit from their experience. Let them tell us what God is saying. After all, isn't that why we pay preachers? …

If that is your approach, if your spiritual experiences are secondhand and not firsthand, I'd like to challenge you with this thought: Do you do that with others parts of your life? …

You don't do that with vacations… You don't do that with romance… You don't let someone eat on your behalf, do you? [There are] certain things no one can do for you.

And one of those is spending time with God.

Max Lucado - Just Like Jesus

Hooker Falls in the Autumn

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

God is Thinking About You

Psalm 139:17-18
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God! They are innumerable! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!

"The Bible identifies God as our heavenly Father. He isn't a father who is too busy with His work that He doesn't have time for you. You are God's work. You are what He thinks about all day long. Since before the world was created, God knew and loved you. As you go about your hectic schedule today, take a little time to think about God - He is thinking about you."

"God is in the Small Stuff"

Lyrid Meteor Showers

For those who enjoy watching the sky at night...  God's Lightshow!

The Lyrid Meteor Showers are this week.

The Lyrid meteor shower is not one of the strongest of the annual meteor showers, but it can be enjoyable to those meteor observers thirsting for something after over three and a half months of weak meteor activity.

The Lyrids generally begin on April 16 and end on April 26, with maximum generally occurring during the night of April 21/22. At maximum, hourly rates can reach about 10 meteors per hour. The Lyrids are particularly interesting for two reason. First, observations have been identified back to at least 2600 years, which is longer than any other meteor shower. Second, the meteor shower occasionally experiences an outburst of about 100 meteors per hour and the reason is basically unknown.

There are other, weaker meteor showers going on around the same time as the Lyrids. The Lyrids move rather fast. When you see a meteor, mentally trace it backwards. If you end up at the constellation Lyra then you have probably seen a Lyrid meteor! If you are not sure where Lyra is in the sky, the following charts will help you find it from both the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere:

One Nation Under God

Beautiful Bald Eagle and the American Flag

National Day of Prayer is Under Attack

Comment and leave your suggestions here.

National Day of Prayer declared unconstitutional

The National Day of Prayer is UNDER ATTACK!

What are you going to do about it??

April 17, 2010
National Day of Prayer declared unconstitutional
Phil Boehmke

On Thursday, American Patriots from all across our nation gathered together in a celebration of national unity in defense of our freedom. As we exercised our God given rights under the protection of the First Amendment to our Constitution, a terrible injustice was being perpetrated in Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.


A Wisconsin federal judge on Thursday found the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional, saying it violates the First Amendment prohibition against laws respecting an establishment of religion.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Barbara B. Crabb of the Western District of Wisconsin was a victory for the Madison-based Freedom From Religion Foundation.


Crabb, a Jimmy Carter appointee claims that since the purpose of the National Day of Prayer is to "encourage" all Americans to pray, it is unconstitutional. The operative word here is "ecourage," this is not a mandate or even a request from the government, it is merely encouragement.

The federal government and our 50 states all have spent valuable resources to encourage us all to refrain from using tobacco products and in fact they actively encourage us to quit smoking through onerous taxation. Mrs. Obama is encouraging us all (especially the children) to eat healthier foods and exercise. There are a myriad of ways in which our government acts through advertising, regulation and taxation to encourage us to live in the manner that they feel is best.

The First Amendment states that, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibition the free exercise thereof..." and as the National Day of Prayer carries no mandate and no penalty and does not exclude any religious belief (or lack thereof) it could hardly be in conflict with the constitution.


Jordan Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice, which filed an amices brief in the case on behalf of 31 members of Congress, said he was confident the decision would be overturned on appeal.

"This is one district court judge," said Sekulow, an attorney with the public interest law firm founded by evangelist Pat Robertson. "It's not like it's happening all over the country. In no way do we think this is the mainstream of judicial thinking in the United States."


If the loyal Americans that I had the great pleasure of joining with in friendship during the Crystal Lake, Illinois Tea Party had been aware of Ms. Crabb's outrageous decision it is safe to say that they would have aroused her anger...by praying for her!


Phil Boehmke

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