My family and I live in the United States. Here we celebrate what is known as “July 4th” or “Independence Day”.
In the mid 1700’s, when the USA was still quite young, Americans had found it quite difficult to live under England’s rule.
A series of significant events led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence that eventually led to freedom from English rule after America won the Revolutionary war. We celebrate Independence Day on July 4th as this was the day that the Continental Congress completed the final draft of the Declaration of Independence. People thus began to celebrate. In Philadelphia, bells rang out and firecrackers were set off. We still celebrate in much the same way to this very day.
I marvel at the fact that we, like our Creator have been endowed with amazing creative abilities!
It’s now becoming a tradition in our family to venture to a local amusement park where we are privileged to watch a spectacular display of fire works. Every year they try to out do themselves at Lakemont Park. I must have counted nearly a dozen different colors as they dazzled the evening sky.
I couldn’t help but to marvel, ponder and entertain various thoughts as we kicked back to watch.
I marveled at the fact that we, like our Creator have been endowed with amazing creative abilities. I thought about the skill that is required to set off such a marvelous display of fire works without blowing oneself up in the process, and the ingenuity that is required to create the many colors and patterns. Oh, how we resemble our Maker!
I found my mind then began to think about our very thoughts! How precious it is to have the ability to commune with one another, to share a word of encouragement, to plan an event, share a dream or to teach one another! Oh, how precious this truly is! I thought about those whom we have known and loved that have slipped from our realm and view. Those whom we love who have gone on to be fully in the presence of our Lord. I thought about the way they used to share their thoughts with us and the fellowship that we shared with them together on this earth.
We human creatures can be a very forgetful bunch! If we don’t become pro-active in either recording our thoughts, particularly, of the most vital thoughts on salvation and Jesus Christ the Word, just imagine how easily and quickly how our thoughts about such things can fade away! As a believing Christian, I do not believe that our thoughts vanish altogether when we die, they only vanish from this present earthly life. King David and King Solomon, two very wise men who sought after and loved the Lord provide us with wisdom in this and many others areas of life. The Psalmist admonishes us to put our trust in God and reminds us that in the day that we breathe our last, our thoughts perish.
This is how the Amplified reads:
Psalm 146:4
3-Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no help. 4-When his breath leaves him, he returns to his earth; in that very day his [previous] thoughts, plans, and purposes perish.
Some theologians interpret verse 4 to mean that we cease to be completely, that our thoughts are gone for good until the resurrection. Hence, the doctrine of “soul-sleep”. Still others interpret verse 4 to mean that our thoughts are now no longer accessible by inhabitants still on the earth but our spirits & thoughts will return to God. King Solomon, also quoted from the Amplified Bible provide us with these words of wisdom:
Ecclesiastes 12:7
7-Then shall the dust [out of which God made man's body] return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return to God Who gave it.
If our thoughts and plans on this present earth cease when we enter eternity, how important should it be that we actively record our thoughts for our friends and loved ones? How often do we even give thought to our heavenly home? As brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, heaven should be uppermost in our thoughts, for it is there that our Heavenly Father resides. Allow yourself, if only for a moment to consider your great grandchildren. Will they remember you? Will they even have the chance to meet you this side of heaven? Unmarried? Well, how about your siblings? Your nieces and nephews? There is a way to reach beyond our small scope and even past the small amount of time that we have here to touch future generations for Jesus Christ! We are given MANY creative talents for this very reason! To glorify God and to reach BEYOND ourselves. Remember what James wrote; “Faith Without Works is Dead”.
Prayerfully consider how you can share the Gospel,
even in the far reaching future!
May God Creatively Bless Your Day!
© 2008 Heart Notes From Home
Tags: Heart Notes From Home, Journaling, July 4th
In the busy-ness of life, sometimes we can very easily forget to take care of ourselves. We this happens we will find that we are comepletly EMPTY! How can we minister to those we love if we have nothing left to give? We can’t now, can we?
I just got an email from my friend, Cindy Rushton. She is “pumped” about her upcoming Ultimate Homeschool Expo. Actually, she is so “pumped” that she has just shared a sneak peek into her Membership Site.
You see one of the neat things about the Ultimate Homeschool Expo is that everything is ONLINE. Cindy builds a private, exclusive Membership Site that includes everything from the UHSE in one place–it has audios (from all of the sessions and from the bonus gifts that her speakers give to us), ebooks, complete unit study guides, articles, printable notebooking pages, cookbooks, on and on. I can’t believe all of the things that we receive for only $40. It is truly ULTIMATE!
Anyway, back to the reason that I am sharing with you…
Cindy just sent me permission to give you a sampler of one of her free gifts that is included on the Membership Site. I am so excited to give it to you! It is a audio and ebook set that she actually sells on her website, but she is giving away on the Membership Site. Here is the link:
Oops! My Cup is Empty and My Coffee Pot is Broke!
Audio Workshop Download With Cindy Rushton
Tired? Weary? Find yourself overwhelmed by the tremendous load of motherhood? Do you consider this one of the most demanding, yet rewarding roles you will ever fill…yet that send shivers down your spine? Join Cindy as she exhorts you in your high calling. This workshop shares Cindy’s heart as she shares about those good days and bad days…sweet memories and rather bitter moments that have made life so precious all along the way. Taking you on a journey back in Scripture to meet Hannah, Cindy will share God’s answers to her heart cry during times she has found her OWN cup empty while “everything” continued to hit all at once!! The biblical insights are sure to draw YOUR heart to your Heavenly Father AND to those you are pouring into. Join us as Cindy ministers encouragement and direction straight from the Word of God to your heart, soul, and mind!
Download by Mp3 (Right Click – Then – Save As)
Oops! My Cup is EMPTY – Free Audio
Isn’t that FUN?
You know the saying that a picture captures a thousand words,well…what about a a gift like this??? And, just think…this is only ONE of the awesome gifts included on the Membership Site. There are hundreds more!
Take my word for it, you will WANT a ticket to this event and access to all of the wonderful resources. Grab your ticket here:
CHECK OUT The Ultimate Homeschool Expo 2008!
In His Love,
Veterans History – Stories From WWII
Do you know a WWII veteran? With this list of links, I hope to encourage you this day to REMEMBER and ponder for just a moment or two, the sacrifices of our men and women in service.
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13
According to recent statistics, we are losing WW II veterans at the rate of 1200 per day. Their experiences are almost unfathomable and are worthy of our time and attention.
Do you homeschool your children? Did Grandpa or Grandma serve in the Armed Forces in WWII? This is living history AND family history AT IT’S BEST. Don’t let another moment slip away. They have so much to share and we have so much to learn from them.
I’ve included some of the best links that I could find to assist you in documentation and how to conduct an interview.
In the photo on the left, you can see my very handsome father. I am so thankful for him and proud of him. We have already begun some interviews and I’ve included a very short mp3 segment at the end of the post.
Alot of these men had the opportunity to see the gas chambers and the crematoriums http://www.holocaust-history.org/ but my father did not want to see them. I can understand why.
The crimes against the Jewish people http://www.holocaustsurvivors.org/ and against humanity were unthinkable and atrocious.
The Veterans History Project
Help Preserve The History of WWII
http://www.loc.gov/vets/
PBS StoryShare
As part of the community engagement campaign for THE WAR, individual public television stations nationwide are reaching out to a broad range of veterans and their families to capture the stories of World War II.
PBS StoryShare is currently collecting stories in response to Ken Burns’ THE WAR until May 31, 2008
PBS StoryShare is an online story collection tool created by PBS and the National Center for Outreach to allow public television viewers to share personal experiences in response to PBS programming. Viewers are invited to respond to Ken Burn’s THE WAR by sharing stories about WWII through their local PBS affiliate station’s web site.
http://www.pbs.org/thewar/story_share.htm
http://www.pbs.org/thewar/vet_hist_project.htm
Here is another group who are currently collecting WWII stories and accounts;
Here is the home page for the National World War II Museum
http://www.nationalww2museum.org/
Below you will find a link to the Vets to Washington Project. The project is designed to bring WWII veterans to Washington in order to honor them. I’ve included a quote from the web site. I don’t think that I can word it better than they.
http://www.vetstowashington.com/
If you think about the history of the United States of America, we have fought in many wars. All of the wars affected a few countries in one-way or another. World War II, without the contribution of the United States, would have resulted in a world that was ruled by two powers, Germany and Japan, and the annihilation of the Jewish people forever.
The sacrifice of the “Greatest Generation” is what insured the lifestyle and freedom enjoyed today in many countries. They destroyed two dictatorships, brought an end to war overseas, and came home and built a nation that insured our freedom to live as we do.
Somewhere on an island in the pacific, a site of a major battle and the unmarked graves of many Americans, these words are carved on a simple stone monument in memory of those who died there during WW II: “When you go home, go home to your families and say, to insure their tomorrow, we gave our today.”
In His Love,
Dad’s Interview – This is a short segment from an hour long interview.
In this clip my dad is describing his how he entered Belgium on a C47 with the 1ST Army while in the Medics.
Tags: American Soldiers, Preserving the Past, Veterans History Project, WW2
What do you see when you look at the pets in your family? Do you see a creature who possesses an ability to think and
If your view of the creatures who were made ALONG SIDE of man on the sixth day of creation is dim and lacking, please TAKE HEART!
The series of articles that you will find here at *Heart Notes From Home* have been PRAYERFULLY written JUST FOR YOU! I want to help you fully understand and see the value and importance that the Lord of Hosts has placed upon the animals. Our focus will be on the land roaming creatures, particularly those who remained close to man after the fall. Dogs and cats.
Has the Lord of Heaven and Earth, Maker and Creator of the Universe EVER created anything in vain or worthless? NO.
Let’s take a look at Romans 8:19-20
19-For [even the whole] creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known [waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship].
20-For the creation (nature) was subjected to frailty (to futility, condemned to frustration), not because of some intentional fault on its part, but by the will of Him Who so subjected it–[yet] with the hope, AMP
And now let’s look at those same verses found in the King James version;
19-For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
20-For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, KJV
As you can see, verse 19 is making a reference to all of creation, not just humans. What is creation waiting for? For the sons of God to be revealed. Those who are made new and saved by His wonderful grace. No sin was committed on the part of the creature. Since the animals had been placed under Adam’s care from the start, it only stands to reason that they would suffer along with man. Through no fault of their own, the animals and all of creation had to suffer the penalty that resulted from that very first sin in the Garden of Eden.
Animals DID NOT and do not commit sin as we do. Therefore, they do not need to be forgiven of their sin as we do. As they reaped the consequences from the fall, so shall they reap the glories from redemption.
Look at verses 21 – 25 in Romans;
21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) NLT
All of creation is looking forward to this awesome freedom from death! ALL OF CREATION WILL BE FREE ALONG WITH GOD’S CHILDREN! We AND they are NOT looking forward to NON-EXISTENCE, No, but a RENEWAL of ALL THINGS! A new life free from the curse, sin and death.
Is there anything too difficult for our God?
He is able my friend. He is able.
In His Love,
Tags: Pets, Pets in Heaven, Redemption of Creation
