Hydrangea Pictures

     Yesterday Ellen and I were playing volleyball in the front yard; and as we both are novices (to say the least), the ball hit the hydrangea bush (among plants).  The sweetest little sprig was broken off, and I just couldn't let it go to waste.  So I took it inside and put it into a little vase with water.  This morning I walked past it and knew it was picture-worthy.  So I grabbed the camera and put on my creative photographic thinking cap.  I had so much fun with it!  It is such a sweet, simple little testament to the beauty of God's creation.

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful, 

I know that full well." 

Psalm 139:14

If you can't quite read it from the picture, this is an encouraging quote by Elizabeth Elliot that I came across on someone's blog over a year ago. 

"Whatever you want, it's going to cost you something...if you want God's will more than anything in the world it is going to mean endurance." 

It is so true, and I need to remind myself of that every single day. Often I know I want God's will for my life, knowing His way is always the best, but I struggle with the endurance part.  But He does not leave us alone to endure.  He gives us His strength to endure with us.  

Happy Fourth of July!

     Happy Fourth of July to everyone!  I hope you all enjoy the celebration of this great day in our country's history.
     I want use this post to give a reminder of why we celebrate this day and of how blessed we are to be part of this country.  We celebrate this day because it is the day back in 1776 that we declared our independence as a new and separate nation with all the rights and responsibilities that goes with it.  It was voted on and accepted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.  Then it was signed and sent to King George of England.

Here is the last portion of the Declaration of Independence:

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, and contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which independent  States may of right do. - And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

     That is why we celebrate today; and because of the faith and courage of our founding fathers, we are blessed with freedom.  I am so grateful for the freedom of worship and of the freedom to homeschool in this country, and I am also grateful for those who gave their lives for our country and for those today who defend our country.

     We also must remember that God is the one who has blessed this nation and given us the freedom that we have, and He is the one in control over everyone.  

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

the people he chose for his inheritance.

From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind;

from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth--

he who forms the hearts of all,

who considers all they do....

But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,

on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,"

Psalm 33:12-15,18

Another Great Quote...

There are so many great quotes by our country's Founding Fathers!  This quote was in the program from the play/musical "Let Freedom Sing!" that we went to on the Fourth.  It was performed by the Millard Alliance Church in Seward, NE. 

"How is it that we have forgotten 

to humbly implore the Father of lights 

to illuminate our understanding?  

During the late contest with Great Britain 

we many times offered prayers for help 

in this very room and our prayers were heard 

and they were graciously answered.  

The longer I live, the more convincing proofs 

I see of this truth, that God governs 

in the affairs of men.

And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground 

without His notice, is it probable that an 

empire can rise without His aid? 

 And have we now forgotten  

that Powerful Friend?  Of do we imagine 

that we no longer need His assistance?

"We have been assured, gentlemen,

in the Sacred Writings,

that "except the Lord build the House,

they labor in vain that build it."

I firmly believe this; and I also believe

that without His aid we shall not succeed

in this political building...I therefore beg

leave to move that henceforth prayers 

imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its

blessings on our deliberations be held

in this Assembly, not just today

but every morning before we proceed..."

--Benjamin Franklin--

Spoken before the Constitutional Convention

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania --1787

Happy Fourth of July!

Here are some great quotes that I think fit with the celebration of our Independence:

"The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: It connected, in one indissoluble bond, the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity"

John Quincy Adams

"And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?"

Thomas Jefferson

I think the last quote is so true today.  We all need to remember that 

"Righteousness exalts a nation,

but sin is a disgrace to any people."

Proverbs 14:34

A Quote...

''As long as the natural life is in your body, it will do a lot towards repairing that body.  Cut it, and up to a point it will heal, as a dead body would not.  A live body is not one that never gets hurt, but one that can to some extent repair itself.  In the same way a Christian is not a man who never goes wrong, but a man who is enabled to repent and pick himself up and begin over again after each stumble--because the Christ-life is inside him, repairing him all the time, enabling him to repeat (in some degree) the kind of voluntary death which Christ Himself carried out.''

--C.S. Lewis from his book Mere Christianity

Quotes From Our Founding Fathers

"It is impossible to govern rightly without God and the Bible."

George Washington

"The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: It connected, in one indissoluble bond, the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity"

John Quincy Adams 

"In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed.  No truth is more evident to my mind that the Christian religion must be the basis of and government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people." 

Noah Webster

"And can liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction on the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God?"

Thomas Jefferson

A Quote From Abraham Lincoln

" In regard to this great book I have but to say it is the best gift God has given to men. All that the good Savior gave the world was communicated through this book."

Abraham Lincoln, speaking about the Bible