Merry Christmas from the Riddles (Our Mary designed this card for TLU.)

Edyta Sitar's Scrappy Panel Quilt with a Sharon Riddle Twist

I have been working on this scrappy quilt for the last month and today I will, hopefully add the final borders and get it ready for the long arm. I love the scripture God gave me for this quilt and for life: John 6:12b, Gather up the leftover fragments that nothing may be lost. He spoke it to the disciples after feeding 5,000 with the little boy's lunch. 

1. My resources alone are never enough, but when Jesus is in charge, His resources are more than enough.
2.  Just experiencing the miracle wasn't enough. Jesus wanted every bit of what had taken place to benefit someone. So when God does something to teach you, or feed you, or direct you, gather up the tidbits and pass them along to the next person through writing or sharing. They might still be hungry for more that day.
3.  The little boy only had a little lunch and what we have to offer up seems so insignificant in light of the enormous problems of the world, but when offered up with grateful hearts and touched by Jesus' hands, our little accomplishes much. That few extra minutes of prayer, worship and Bible memorization redeems miracles for thousands. If we could only see it through His eyes. 
4. This quilt is just scraps...discards by the world's standards. There are so many things in our lives that might seem like that...mistakes, dead ends, wastes of energy and passion, cruel cuts by the enemy into our lives, but Jesus has a pattern in mind. So the enemy can slice and dice us up all he wants. God is making something good and beautiful to display proudly in His living room as a trophy to His power. Every time we forgive, believe, hope and pursue, He stitches those little regrets, lessons and tears into something that looks like Him.

Fire Prevention Week 2015

Free books on Kindle

I turn 59 this month and to celebrate my birthday (and the fact that I'm NOT turning 60), I'm going to share all my books for free on Amazon's Kindle Direct. Check out the dates in July for each book. I hope you have a great time learning about prayer and reading some fun children's stories. Promotions run from July 11th through July 18th.  Check it out at www.amazon.com/author/sharonriddle. I couldn't think of a better way to have a great time with all my friends around the world!  If you want a REAL book, check out my website: https://squareup.com/market/olive-leaf-publications

Join us for our STEM Webinar on Share My Lesson July 9th 11:00 CST

DJ Inkers Teacher Contest

It's always fun to enter the annual DJ Inkers Clip Art Contest for Teachers. I love their clip art and the prizes are gift certificates.  This year I took third place.  Many of you know that my students always made a history quilt each year and this is the entry that was a winner.  However, there are several of my products available on the winner site. Check it out! Download lots of fun stuff from the contest entries

Math Reasoning Using Unit Price

Here's an easy way to teach students (or your own children) how to buy the most economical price on two items that seem similar in value. The lesson is all ready to go, but you have to have a Gynzy subscription to access it. You can get a free membership for one month to try out all the great features of Gynzy OR attend my Webinar on Share my Lesson (July 9th) and get a six months free membership.  Here's the lesson linkMath Reasoning Lesson with Unit Pricing

The Long Train Ride

The Long Train Ride

By Jacquline Rowland

©2015 Olive Leaf Publications  All rights reserved.

     The year was 1942---I was 16, and had never traveled outside the state of California.   My Mother had used the train the year before she was married, and my grandparents had traveled on the train-- but every part of the trip was new to me and unbearably exciting.  How many days would we stay?  What should we wear?  Would our suitcases hold everything?   For months before we left we talked over the trip endlessly, making plans and writing relatives.  We were going all the way to New York State. Grandpa and Grandma Ewell would join us and we would stay two weeks with Grandma's family in Niagara Falls, and then attend a big family reunion in Wyoming.  This was the tiny little town where Grandpa grew up. It was in upstate New York.

     Departure day had come at last.  I was so excited I felt dizzy -- way up on Cloud Nine.  Here we were at the station.  The train was late.  The minutes ticked by slowly.  We took our luggage out to the platform.  Now we could hear the   "Woooo-- wooo woo!” as the train came closer and closer--- clickety clacking down the track toward us.  The big iron monster stopped.  We noted many, many cars.  We walked to a nearby car where there was a little boarding stool for us to stand on, and we placed our suitcases in the baggage car.  We walked down several cars and found our seats.  Mom and I sat down, facing Grandma and Grandpa. 

     The conductor came  and  took our tickets.  Mom was a bit restless, so she took off on a discovery tour.  She was going to locate the bathroom, the dining car, and the observation car. About twenty minutes later she came back.

     "What a lovely train!  Everyone is so helpful and friendly.  Dinner won't be too long.  There is a snack shop too. " And I found the handy little bathroom.

      I had brought along a duffel bag full of paper, pencils, books and a game to play.  I got it out to peruse.

      "Jacque,” Mother chided.  "You are well prepared, but there is so much to see, you may not need all that stuff."  We laughed.  I knew I wouldn't be bored.

     As I looked out the windows what I saw at first was the ugly backsides of big cities.  Factories, tall buildings. and dirty streets-- and lots of cars and people.  

      

     "The scenery will improve.  Mark my words," she promised And it did.  Lovely meadows and little farms, wide fields and rushing rivers and not long after -- everything was dark.

     "I'll bet we're going through a tunnel.”  I whispered.

     We were, and when the sun shone again, we saw huge beautiful mountains.  I thought of the song "America the Beautiful.”  There were majestic purple mountains and amber waves of grain.  I felt as if I were seeing a panoramic view of the good old USA.

     On the train we saw all kinds of people:  there were grandmas and grandpas, mothers and dads, and children too-- from teenagers to babies.  Since World War Two had begun last year, there were men from the army and navy strolling the aisles.

     We had brought some snacks along with us, but as I reached for a cookie, Mom said, "  Jacque-- don't spoil your appetite.  There's going to be a wonderful dinner in just a little while. "

     I didn't have to wait long.  An announcement was soon made that dinner reservations were being taken. Later it was fun to walk down through five cars to the dining car.

     There were black waiters, little tables with vases of flowers and white tablecloths.  People were already eating and everything smelled so good.

     "We don't have to stick together, like Siamese twins,” Mom suggested.  "Why don't we make some new friends?  “So Grandpa and Grandma sat at a different table with two strangers, and Mom and I met two nice young soldiers, who had just enlisted.  Over a tasty dinner of roast beef and mashed potatoes, we found out they were from southern California.  I told them my brother Dick wanted to join the Navy. These soldiers were going to New York, too.

     As the sun went down we discovered that the seats we were sitting in, extended and made into a berth, which was called a Pullman berth.  A man came through our car, demonstrating how the upper berths worked. These were pulled down from the train ceiling.  It was fascinating to see how quickly a bed could be made up, with a little bag at the side to hold our clothes.  There were curtains to draw too, to make the upper and lower berths into little private rooms. Mom and I offered to sleep in the upper berth, since it would be easier for us to climb up and down than Grandma and Grandpa.  We hoped to fall asleep easily, but I was still too excited.

     This had been a wonderful day and there were more days left----We were bound for Chicago, and we would bundle up all our luggage and get off there, and take a bus -- the rest of the way to New York.

     Even though I was anxious to meet family I had heard so much about, I was not ready to have the trip end.   I wanted to see the Mississippi River and mountains and prairies and people.  How much just then I loved seeing my country-- from coast to coast.

This story was written by the sister of my Uncle Dick Mack, Jacqueline Rowland. We are compiling great stories for children that help them understand life beyond a video game and here's a notes from her about the family camping trips they shared:

          Camping trips were such a big part of the lives of my four kids that I need to write a little story-- not of my childhood, but theirs.  We had so many adventures.  Once a rattlesnake drew back his head and shook its tail, right in camp.  He was promptly dispatched.  We saw ‘coons, and chipmunks, big bears and toads galore, and have many warm memories.

        When they were quite young we stayed in California, but did branch out and spent a lot of time in Oregon.  So here goes:

Camping Trips-- Getting There 

By J.J. Rowland

©2015 Olive Leaf Publications       

              When I picture our many, many family camping trips, I can see four excited little children and myself, stowing all our things in boxes and bags:  sleeping bags, fish poles tackle boxes and food.  Hopes were high and smiles lit their faces.  All of us enjoyed the family bonding from a camping trip.  All sorts of plans were made and maps studied before school was even over for the summer.   When school ended, it was "Oregon -- here we come."

        It might be the MacKenzie River campground, with the cute little red pumps—which were our water supply. It might be Wickiup Reservoir.  There were many different places we tried out.

          It took us a day or two to pack everything and see the car was in good working order for the long trip. This was Daddy's department. He was a good car mechanic. We had lots of shopping to do.  We mustn't forget the marshmallows and hot dogs and mosquito repellent. Were our bathing suits in good shape?  Beach towels?   Did we need new air mattresses to put under our sleeping bags?

        Finally, finally, it was time to load up the station wagon, we had named, “The Big Blue Boat,” since it was long and roomy.  We needed lots of room to take the six Rowlands: Daddy Jack, Mommy, Chris, Ralph, Cindy and Larry and we mustn't forget Grandpa.  He loved to go along, and his job was to make the campfires.

         We set the alarm clock to get a good early start, and could make it to the Oregon border, late in the day if we didn't have trouble.

         Finally everyone was in-- the tent, the food, the people, the poles, were all in place.  It was time to go.  We hadn't gone too far when “Bam,” there was a blow out. What a surprise!   Daddy had to stop and take out a lot of boxes to find the spare tire.  Would a spare tire make it all the way to Oregon? Probably not.  In the next town we stopped at an auto store and bought a new tire.  It didn't pay to take chances.  It took several hours to install the new tire.  That slowed us down.

           We stopped now and then, as we sped along the road, to pause at a rest stop and catch our breath. We would eat a cookie or two, and splash cool water on our faces.  It was also fun to pull off and have lunch at a hamburger stand. Grandpa would go to the store and buy comic books for everyone. We played travel games in the car, and when everyone got tired and noisy, we’d have a quietness contest. "Who can be as quiet as a mouse for twenty minutes?"   Ralphie never won the contest, but Cindy usually did.

          At long last, the sun went down and we came to a sign that said, “Oregon.”  We had reached the border and could find a temporary camping spot for the night.

        It was a relief to stretch tired legs and arms, breathe the wonderful fresh air, and eat our supper of chili beans and salad on a long picnic table.

        "I just saw a chipmunk.  “said Chris.  "Daddy, can I go fishing yet?"

        "Tomorrow,” said Jack,” I need you to help me pitch the tent.  You can hold the flashlight for me."

         Camping meant a vacation from housework and the boys were glad to eat on paper plates, which meant no dishes to do.

        As we stretched out in our large blue tent, the children quickly fell asleep, to dream of a lovely body of water where everyone caught lots and lots of fish.

Engage Your Students by Adding Interactivity to Your STEM Lessons

July 9th I will be presenting a webinar on Share My Lesson in partnership with Gynzy, a compnay that creates content and tools for the interactive white board.

This webinar will share wiggly worm ideas and tools to snag all types of learners. so you can feel the tug of learning on the end of the line. We will bait ideas for deep level questions, collaborative learning, student kits and easy-to-use technology in our session on the sea of learning. You’ll bag some trophy ideas and documents to use in your classroom that will demonstrate you are a master fisherman to the world.

Math is our speedboat of choice to get around on for the day, but as the best STEM fishing takes place over a variety of subjects, we’ll cast a few ideas into science, technology and engineering. Don’t rest on the dock of your current skills. Whether you’ve spent years reeling in pesky surface learners or are just getting your feet wet, we’ll help you snag their attention and hold them in the net of knowledge until it’s time to release them out of your class.

So go fishing for new ideas during the summer and learn something to help snag a student's attention next year at the same time!

Train the Next Generation How to Honor the Flag (and the Country Behind It)

Do you realize that we now have an entire generation of children unschooled in flag etiquette? It's true.  Unless you and I pass on the importance of showing respect and honor for the flag, they won't know it. At the same time we can raise the level of honor for our country. Where you show honor, respect is sure to follow.

Check out my new lesson for the interactive white board.  However, even if you don't have an interactive white board, you can open a personal account with Gynzy and view this interactive lesson on your home computer or tablet.  All of Gynzy's tools can be used by families at home, as well as at school.

Gynzy's Newsletter, Highlighting the Flag Day Lesson

Today the Preview Copy of Wonder at the Window Arrives

Today the Preview Copy Arrives!

I can't wait.  I've been writing for the last nine months and this is the fruit of that labor. This is the fourth book I have written on prayer.  Other titles include: Waiting at the Window, Warring at the Window and Waltzing at the Window.  They are available for purchase at my online store: https://squareup.com/market/olive-leaf-publications

This has been a great project because my daughter, Mary has designed the cover and formatted the book.  She is an art major and its been great to work with her on this endeavor. What author wouldn't love having a graphic artist in their own home?

Here's a sneak preview of the book summary:

The only times in my life I have been truly speechless have been those times when God did something so amazing, so out of the ordinary, that I could only look on with my mouth hanging open. In this book, the fourth in the series, I have shared some of these awe-inspiring moments with Jesus. As you will see, this book has been about my time in a wilderness of sorts and what the Lord has taught me there.

The wilderness is a place far away from ATM machines, fast food providers, and drinking fountains.  Yet we find here that God can provide fresh manna, water from a rock and whatever we need from out of nowhere.  Perhaps there will be a time up ahead when you will be led through the wilderness.  I hope this collection of scriptures and thoughts will provide encouragement. I am sure there are some jaw-dropping moments ahead for you too.

An Experiment To Try Over the Summer

This story was written by my Uncle Dick’s sister, Jacque Rowland.  She has used her curiosity to learn many things throughout her 89 years. It’s an important quality she hopes to encourage in children everywhere. She has written countless poems, stories and science experiments for children. She currently resides in Scott’s Valley, CA.  

The Science Experiment

By Jaqueline Rowland

 My big brother, Dick, four years older than I, seemed like a brother, father and good friend from the time I was very little.  He was always there for good advice and counsel, at an early age. My life was enriched by him, and he widened my horizons.  He had a sharp and questioning mind, and was curious about the world around him.  When he was very young, his favorite word was,“Why?"  I was fortunate to have him, and to learn more about the world in general, and my own neighborhood. Mother never worried about where I went as long as Dick was there beside me.

There were many vacant lots all over, in my neighborhood. We were living during the Great Depression, which meant that a good many people didn't have the money to build a house or buy a lot to build it on. There was a big vacant lot just behind our house, but we needed two vacant lots -- side by side,  Dick's science experiment we would do this afternoon.

Last week Dick had asked Mom for the empty baking powder can, she just emptied.  He already had another one.

"Goody, Mom, I can use that can.  I just need a hammer and nails.  I already have the ball of string.

You can help me, Jacque.  "

I watched Dick take a hammer and a nail and make a small hole in one end of the can.  Then he threaded a long, long string through one end and made a knot.  He took off the lid of the can on the other end and laid it aside.

"This will be the telephone I talk into, Jacque.  You hold the receiver.  "

I held the other red baking powder can, and he did the same thing with hammer and nail.

          

"Why such a long, long string-- between the two cans,” I asked.

          

"You'll see,” he said with a smile.

          

Dick and I soon headed out the back door, down the alley and I knew we were scouting for two vacant lots, but Dick had already looked around the neighborhood and found the two he'd need.  We soon came to them.

"I'll stand in this lot and you go to the very end of the other lot, “Dick told me, " and when you talk into this can, you don't have to shout or speak very loud-- but you have to hold the string just as tightly as you can.  "

I followed his instructions. When he raised his left hand, I knew I was to start speaking.

         

"Hello Dick,” I began speaking softly."  Our phones don't have a number.  I'm happy the sun is shining and that we aren't playing baseball.  Can you hear me okay?  I'm pulling the string just as tight as I can."

"I can hear you just fine.  See our little cans are working out.  This is fun.  I'm glad. "

So the experiment worked! Have you ever made a telephone like this? Do you know how it worked? This would be a great experiment to try over the summer when you have time on your hands and you want to use a little curiosity. You might even ask Dick’s question, “Why?

This story will be included in a forthcoming book, Grandma and Me Stories by Olive Leaf Publications. All rights are reserved. 

Little Mermaid Performances at Gruene United Methodist Church this weekend

Imperial Entertainment Presents:

Info https://www.facebook.com/events/841247465917600/

What Should I Remember on Memorial Day?

Read my latest blog for Gynzy

Join our webinar +Share My Lesson  July 9th 

Engage your students by adding interactivity to your STEM lessons  July 9

This webinar will share wiggly worm ideas and tools to snag all types of learners. so you can feel the tug of learning on the end of the line. We will bait ideas for deep level questions, collaborative learning, student kits and easy-to-use technology in our session on the sea of learning. You’ll bag some trophy ideas and documents to use in your classroom that will demonstrate you are a master fisherman to the world.

Math is our speedboat of choice to get around on for the day, but as the best STEM fishing takes place over a variety of subjects, we’ll cast a few ideas into science, technology and engineering. Don’t rest on the dock of your current skills.  Whether you’ve spent years reeling in pesky surface learners or are just getting your feet wet, we’ll help you snag their attention and hold them in the net of knowledge until it’s time to release them out of your class.

Gynzy's Mathland Tool

Preparation for the National Day of Prayer 2015

National Day of Prayer

It is very Biblical to pray scripture. We know that God’s Word is truth, so to wrap our prayer around scripture is praying truth. Also, scripture reveals God’s heart, so when we pray His Word, we are in essence, asking for His will.When we repent for our nation, we may confess things corporately that we wouldn’t necessarily need to repent of individually. For instance, as a nation, we have showed contempt for God’s name and Word, whereas, personally, we may show great honor for them. God understands the big picture. In scripture we see men like Daniel confessing the sins of his nation, and we can see God moving on national events as a result of his prayer.  See Daniel, chapter 9.Fasting gets God’s attention and if you feel this is something that you want to do, do it.  However, it is better not to vow to fast and break it, than it is not to vow at all. The purpose of fasting is to give up the time spent preparing and eating food to be in prayer. Isaiah chapter 58 holds some keys to the kind of fast which gets God’s attention. He tells us that when we humble ourselves, He notices. When we treat others rightly, He notices. When we have a heart for the helpless, He notices.Isaiah 58:6-7“Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke?  “Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?Repent of National Sins
National Revival
Isaiah 64:4 For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides You, who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.
Lord, You have said it in Your unchangeable Word, that you act on behalf of those who wait for You.  We are confident that You are going to act on the things we have prayed about tonight.
Isaiah 30:19-23 O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left. And you will defile your graven images overlaid with silver, and your molten images plated with gold. You will scatter them as an impure thing, and say to them, “Be gone!” Then He will give you rain for the seed which you will sow in the ground, and bread from the yield of the ground, and it will be rich and plenteous; on that day your livestock will graze in a roomy pasture.
Lord, we long for the day when we as a nation will worship You only. We long to have you bless the fruit of our hands and multiply our plantings of salvation in the world so that all will know You and the earth will bloom with Your glory.
Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?”
Jeremiah 32:17-18 ‘Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, 18 who shows lovingkindness to thousands, but repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O great and mighty God. The Lord of hosts is His name;
Matthew 17:19-21 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
It’s true Lord, there is nothing too difficult for You. You can bring revival to America and turn her around. We bring more than a mustard seed of faith tonight that You will intervene and bring revival so that America will once again stand for Your great name.

Isaiah 5:20-21  Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight!

Lord we are sorry we have raised human thought higher than Your truth. We repent and ask You to show us Your eternal wisdom.

Jeremiah 10:12-13 It is He who made the earth by His power, who established the world by His wisdom; and by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens. When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain, and brings out the wind from His storehouses.

Lord teach us Your wisdom.  The wisdom that created the universe and calls out lightning and wind. Your wisdom is great enough to get our country out of the mess we’ve made of it. Please Lord, show us the way for Your thoughts and ways are very high; much higher than our own.

Isaiah 1:18-21  “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.  “If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land; “But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” Truly, the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Lord, please forgive our sins, which are many, and help us to obey You so that we can once again eat the best of the land.

Isaiah 1:3-4 “An ox knows its owner, and a donkey its master’s manger, But Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”  Alas, sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away from Him.

Lord, we are sorry that we haven’t recognized your authority over us.  We are sorry we have abandoned You as a nation. Please forgive our sin.

Isaiah 3:8b For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their actions are against the Lord, to rebel against His glorious presence.

Lord we are sorry that our speech as a nation has been against You. We have not honored Your name, Your house or Your Word.  Please Lord, forgive us.

Isaiah 17:10a For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the rock of your refuge.

Lord, we are sorry that we have ignored You as a nation. You were so gracious to bless us and strengthen us as a nation and we repaid You by turning away. Please forgive us.

Isaiah 2:8b Their land has also been filled with idols; they worship the work of their hands, that which their fingers have made.

Isaiah 5:12b But they do not pay attention to the deeds of the Lord, nor do they consider the work of His hands.

Isaiah 22:11b But you did not depend on Him who made it, nor did you take into consideration Him who planned it long ago.

Isaiah 17:7 In that day man will have regard for his Maker and his eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel.

Lord we are sorry that we have given things WE have made the place of honor that belongs to you alone. We sorry that we have ignored the blessing of what You have made and the blessing of Your presence.

Jeremiah 2:13 “For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns That can hold no water.

Lord, we are sorry that we have turned away from You and have tried to fill the void in our lives with other things that cannot fulfill us.

Jeremiah 8:9 “The wise men are put to shame, they are dismayed and caught; behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord, and what kind of wisdom do they have?

Lord, we are sorry we have not read, obeyed and honored Your Word as a nation.  We have made fun of Your precious Word. We have scoffed at Your laws and we have withheld the honor due Your Word. Please forgive us for this great sin.

Malachi 1:6 “‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?’ says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’

Malachi 1:14 “But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King,” says the Lord of hosts, “and My name is feared among the nations.”

Lord, we are sorry that we have forgotten what a great King you are and that we have not feared and honored Your name.  We have not given you the honor and respect You deserve. We have heard Your name dragged through the gutter and we ourselves have been guilty of not treating You like a GREAT KING.  Please forgive us.

Psalm 106:16 For He has shattered gates of bronze and cut bars of iron asunder.

Lord, the enemy has set up strongholds in the minds of your people and in the minds of those who don’t know You yet. We will need Your great might to tear down these fortresses of thought. Please Lord, only a powerful God like you are can do this. Abortion is wrong.  Homosexual behavior is wrong. Prideful living is wrong. The idol worship of self, food, power and money are wrong. Help us give up this idol worship and give you the worship due You.

Isaiah 26:9 At night my soul longs for You, Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently; for when the earth experiences Your judgments The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

Lord, sometimes trouble helps get our attention.  We don’t ask for trouble, but we do know that if trouble will turn our nation back to You, then it will be useful in your loving and merciful hands.

Psalm 103:13-14 Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.

We are so grateful, Lord, that You love us and understand our failings.  Thank you that because You lived in a human body, You know all about us and can care for us perfectly. 

Jonah 3:9 Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish.

Joel 2:14 Who knows whether He will not turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him, even a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?

Oh Lord, even now you can relent from judgement and show mercy. We know we deserve judgement, but Lord, we ask You to please consider giving us mercy instead of judgement. Turn and leave us a blessing that we might bring to You offerings due Your great name.

Isaiah 1:26  “Then I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning; after that you will be called the city of righteousness, a faithful city.”

What a testimony it would be for you to restore America by Your own wisdom and power so that once again she would stand for justice and righteousness among the nations of the world. Only a great God could take a nation of rebellious sinners and return us to a people after Your own heart.

Isaiah 58:9-11 “Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday. “And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

Lord, please help us to cry out to You.  You can help us turn and do the things that please Your heart.  Then, You have said in Your unchangeable Word that You will turn our gloom to daylight and take our deserts and water them. We are counting on You, to do as You have promised to do.

Isaiah 42:18-23 Hear, you deaf! and look, you blind, that you may see. Who is blind but My servant, or so deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is so blind as he that is at peace with Me, or so blind as the servant of the Lord? You have seen many things, but you do not observe them; your ears are open, but none hears. The Lord was pleased for His righteousness’ sake to make the law great and glorious. But this is a people plundered and despoiled; all of them are trapped in caves, or are hidden away in prisons; they have become a prey with none to deliver them, and a spoil, with none to say, “Give them back!”

Psalm 2:8 ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession.

Lord, we hear you saying in these verses that if your servants will say, “Give them back” that you will hear and will help plundered people who are trapped to be set free. So we do that tonight, Lord.  We ask You to fight the enemy for You are strong enough to unlock the prison gates of minds and hearts. You have prompted us to ask You to allow the nations of the earth to know and honor You as Lord.  Please Lord, keep Your promise that if we ask, You will give us this gift.

Psalm 5:3 In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.

Psalm 4:3 But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him.

Lord, in Your own words You have told us that You will hear our voices tonight and we will take You at Your word and expect to see the answers to our prayers.

Gynzy's New Ancient Timeline Tool

4/8/2015 8:29:39 AM

Gynzy's New Poetry and Prose Tool

Two of my six entries in Gynzy's Contest are in the final six. The most votes would win the Gynzy tools for the interactive white board for a year for all the teachers at New Braunfels Christian Academy. Can you help me spread the word?  Any teacher anywhere in the world can vote. My tools are the classroom team building tool and the daily journal.
http://en.support.gynzy.com/forums/231862-gynzy-feedback-forum/category/96066-contest-ideas-2015

Day and Night Clock

Multiplication Facts

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

This morning I began to read the book of Lamentations. Here are the two verses that caught my eye:

How lonely sits the cityThat was full of people!She has become like a widowWho was once great among the nations!She who was a princess among the [a]provincesHas become a forced laborer! 2 She weeps bitterly in the nightAnd her tears are on her cheeks;She has none to comfort herAmong all her lovers.All her friends have dealt treacherously with her;They have become her enemies.Lamentations 1:1-2 NASB

This passage is written about Jerusalem and the destruction that Jeremiah foretold would come as a result of idol worship and not honoring the Lord. As I read the passage, I too wept because Jerusalem and America are so similar.  When David led Israel and they worshiped the Lord and honored His name, the Lord made Israel great. The nations of the earth gave her honor. She was a princess among the provinces. 

But when Israel chose to forsake the Lord by not honoring Him, by turning away to worship other things, the Lord allowed Babylon to invade her. Verse seven and ten tell us that the enemy stretched out his hand over all her "precious things."

How tragic to see America fall from greatness because she has chosen to worship other gods and to not honor God as the one true and living God that made her great.

Right now, however, you and I have a choice to make.  God sees even the choice of one faithful follower, and that obedience is a powerful influence on His movement. Si turn aside today and honor Him with your time. Make the choice to give Him the honor of the One True and Living God. In the famous words of  Joel,

Who knows whether He will not turn and relent And leave a blessing behind Him, Even a grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God? Joel 2:14 NASB

Are you an obedient son or daughter? Or are you just a big talker?

Jeremiah 35 tells of an interesting family: The Rechabites. Their father had asked them not to drink wine and to their credit,  they had obeyed. So when the Lord was looking for a word picture of obedience, He asked Jeremiah to do an odd thing.  "Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak to them, and bring them into the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers and give them wine to drink."

That seems like a terrible thing for the Lord to request. Take some teetotalers and ask them to drink? However, the Lord is so sure of their obedience, that He knows how they will respond, even when it is a prophet requesting them to take a sip. This is what He needs to communicate with Judah His displeasure at their disobedience. He tells the rebellious people who are supposed to be His children, "Hey--even the Rechabites obey their father, but You, who are supposed to be my children, are NOT obeying My Words." (My loose paraphrase.)

This is in strong contrast with another incident in Jeremiah chapter 42. The remnant, which has been left in Israel after Jerusalem has been invaded, asks Jeremiah to inquire of the Lord what they should do next.

"Please, let our petition come before you and pray for us to the Lord your God, that is for all this remnant; because we are left but a few out of many, as you own eyes now see us, that the Lord your God may tell us the way in which we should walk and the think that we should do." Jer. 42:2b-3

So here is a group of people saying, "Ask God what we should do next and we'll do it." They even go on in verse 6 to say this:
"Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, in order that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the Lord our God."

They seem so sincere in what they are saying, but if you read on you will see that they have no intention of really following through on all their big talk. Jeremiah tells them in verses 20 and 21:
For you have only deceived yourselves; for it is you who sent me to the Lord your God, saying, 'Pray for us to the Lord our God and whatever the Lord our God says, tell us so, and we will do it.' So I have told you today, but you have not obeyed the Lord your God, even in whatever He has sent me to tell you."

As it turns out, they completely disobey Jeremiah's instructions to stay in the land and defiantly declare that they are going to continue burning incense to the Queen of Heaven, who they say has blessed them. See chapter 44, verses 15-17.

My friend, Jenny asked me to pray for her regarding the Lord's next big request of her life.  She said, "I've already told Him YES.  I just don't know what it is that He will ask." Wow! Oh to have that kind of obedience that we are already telling God, "YES" before He even gives us the instructions.

So what kind of example will you be to God's people?  Will you be like the Rechabites and my friend Jenny, stellar examples of obedience? Or just a lot of hot air, declaring you will obey when you really have no intention of following through?

You might want to think through the last few things the Lord has asked you to do already.  Have you followed through?

Finding God's Will

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