Author Archives: sagescenery

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About sagescenery

Christian, licensed minister, author, wife, mother, teacher, and drama team pastor who loves landscape photography and writing. Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved. Photos and Text.

How And When Did You Meet Jesus???

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This is your post today!!

Your Comments will tell the story and witness to others…go for it!!

Was it anything like this???

Listen to “When Mercy Found Me”

by Rhett Walker Band

Here are the lyrics:

“Something had to give, something had to give…

‘Cause living my life so wild and free, finally caught up…

Oh, it left me broken, left me hopeless…

But that’s where I met Jesus…

In one moment everything changed…
Who I was got washed away…
When mercy found me…
My Savior’s arms were open wide…
And I felt love for the very first time…
When mercy found me…
All those days, all those doubts…
They don’t seem to matter now…
His Grace is all I need…
And the chains that I was in before…
They don’t hold me anymore…
His love has rescued me…
His love has set me free…
In one moment everything changed…
Who I was got washed away…
When mercy found me…
My Savior’s arms were open wide…
And I felt love for the very first time…
When mercy found me…
My mind found peace…
My soul found hope…
My heart found a home…
In one moment everything changed…
Who I was got washed away…
When mercy found me…
My Savior’s arms were open wide…
And I felt love for the very first time…
When mercy found me…”
Yes, it felt exactly like this!!  Amen!

Things I’d Like To Say…

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To  Backbiters…

“How do you have the time to talk about, and judge other people???

Is your own life not complicated enough???

Mine is!”

To Unkind People…

“Has no one ever told you that…’If you have nothing nice to say…say nothing?!?’

It’s far better to ignore than to be maliciously cruel!!”

To Insensitive People

“Think BEFORE you speak!”

To Hateful People

“What’s the matter with you???”

To Fickle People…

“How’s does what you’re saying, or doing, concern me?”

To Pushy People…

“Don’t try to manipulate, or control, me!”

To Unconcerned People…

“Are you kidding me???”

To Accident-Prone People…

“What were you thinking???”

To Scared People…

“Do it afraid!!”

(As Joyce Meyer would say!  Ha!)

To Gossipers…

“Should we tell everyone all we know about you??”

To Grudge-Holding  People

“Life is so short…

Your grudge is not hurting me as much as it’s hurting you!”

To People Who Are Babies…

“GROW UP!”

To Better-Than-Thou People…

“No, you’re not!!”

To I-Take-Offense-To-That People…

“Get over it!”

To It’s-All-About-Me People…

“How wrong can you be?”

To I-Take-Life-Seriously People…

 “Lighten Up!!”

To I-Talk-Too-Low-Or-Write-Too-Small People…

“I can’t hear you, or read what you’re writing!”!

To Angry People…

“I don’t want to be around you!”

To Always-Late-Or-Don’t-Show-Up People…

“I  can’t wait for you any longer!”

To I Never Have Any Money People…

“G E T  A  J O B ! ! !

Or, quit spending it all!”

To Wishy-Washy People…

“Make a decision!!

And stick with it!”

To Trying-To-Get-Out-Of-Work People…

“Stop wasting time, just do it!”

To Annoying People…

“Stop it!”

To Poor-Driver People

“Stay off the road!”

To Stalking, Mooching, and Clingy People…

“Get a Life!

Your own Life!”

To I-Never-Feel-Good People…

“Eat right and get some exercise!”

To I-Don’t-Like-Change People…

“Try something new!  Change is good!  Ha!”

To My-Life-Is-A-Mess People…

“Pick up the pieces and move on!”

To There’s-No-God People…

“Really?  He’s right here!!”

Sorry, this is just the teacher coming out in me!

Really, sometimes we make things so complicated!

They aren’t!

Love you…but…

Straighten up, Folks!!

I’m just sayin’!!!

Hey, Where Ya Going?

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Stop what you’re doing and…

Check out MY new blog Page…

Called “Siberian Craziness!”

See what I’ve been up to…

Hear what I have to say!!

Also, see more photos of me…

That the Mom put under the…

  “My Precious Little Girl” Page…

Yes, it IS all about Me!!

AHH OOOO!!

Please leave me comments!!  Woof!  Woof!!

Lest I forget…

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This song’s for me today….and maybe for you, too!

Listen to “Remind Me Who I Am” by Jason Gray

Here are the lyrics:

“When I lose my way, and I forget my name…
Remind me who I am
In the mirror all I see, is who I don’t wanna be…
Remind me who I am...
In the loneliest places, when I can’t remember what grace is…
Tell me once again who I am to You, who I am to You…
Tell me lest I forget who I am to You, that I belong to You
When my heart is like a stone, and I’m running far from home…
Remind me who I am
When I can’t receive Your love, afraid I’ll never be enough…
Remind me who I am
If I’m Your beloved, can You help me believe it…
Tell me once again who I am to You, who I am to You…
Tell me lest I forget who I am to You, that I belong to You
I’m the one you love, I’m the one you love…
That will be enough, I’m the one you love…
Tell me once again who I am to You, who I am to You...
Tell me lest I forget who I am to You, that I belong to You…
Tell me once again who I am to You, who I am to You…

Tell me lest I forget who I am to You, that I belong to You!”

How can we forget so easily????

Love Came Down…

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We love you!

Your birth was the greatest moment in our lives!

We wouldn’t have ever wanted to miss this experience in life!

We’re so happy!

We’re glad we never gave up…

That we had faith that God would give us a miracle!

Before you were born, after we’d set up your crib in our guest room, we’d say, “Hey, there’s a crib in there!”

We weren’t used to it.

It was just the two of us for so long.

But, we were ready!

Afterwards, when you had to stay in the hospital a while longer, we’d say, “Where is our baby?”

We’d see your empty crib…and long to have you finally come home!

Why did you come into this world so early?

I guess you saw us setting up your room and decided it was time.

At least we know you’re all right!

We saw your heartbeat at five weeks.  I had some surgery at 13 weeks and ultrasounds all along the way.

We found out you were a boy, and had a fetal echocardiogram at 20 weeks.  You’re fine!

This pregnancy was the best experience for us!

We worried and prayed and it was hard work, but it was all worth it in the end.

We’ve waited 10 years for you!  We prayed every night for Jesus to give us a precious baby.  We went to many doctors and hospital appointments, and you were worth every effort.

Our IVF egg retrieval procedure was on Valentine’s Day!  The nurses brought me a cupcake after dinner with a plastic Valentine heart on it…I still have it!

The transfer was done on Feb. 16th, and I had to lay on the table for three hours.

Then I had to rest for 13 days before a blood test was done,  and then wait for the results.  I took a lot of days off from work that year!  Grandma and Grandma were cautiously happy, as was everyone else who was waiting anxiously for the news with us.

We were told to call the Fertility Center at University Hospital to get the results of our pregnancy test.  But, there had been a fire, and the computers were down, so we couldn’t get the results ’til the next morning…it was very hard to wait.

When we got the news that the pregnancy test was positive, both Daddy & I cried…we were so thankful…it must have been the love connection with Valentine’s Day, we thought!  Ha!

At our big BBQ, before you were born, friends came from Wisconsin, and other friends from work,  & one friend said, “You’re fat & your feet are so swollen.”  Though everyone else thought I looked great…maybe he knew you were coming early.

I had tried to keep to the Diet Center diet as much as I could (since I had just lost 30 lbs. the year before).  But I gained 10 of those back because of the Pergonal fertility drug I had to take.

We decided on your name early, and called you that as soon as we knew you were a boy!

My water broke and you were born 9 weeks early, at 3 lbs.-4 oz., but perfect in every way!

You were so tiny, all of your five little tooth-pick sized fingers fit inside Daddy’s wedding band!

We were expecting a miracle & got one!  Amen!

Daddy, Mommy, & Baby makes three!  Yipee!

We didn’t know you were coming so soon, so Daddy had to go back and forth from the hospital to home to get everything we needed.

He’ll be a great Daddy…

We sent out announcements, “He’s here and he’s all ours!!

When I came home, you had to stay in the neonatal ward for about 6 more weeks.  Everyone called and brought presents .  Daddy, or friends and family, took me every day to see you at the hospital, since I wasn’t allowed to drive for a while.

You were so precious…you tried to open your eyes when you heard our voices.  You could hold onto our fingers, and  you loved for us to touch your “toesies.”   Dad and I called the hospital about you every day.

Then, one day, the neonatal nurses (who are real angels!), let me take you out of the incubator to fed you through a tube, and then change your diaper.  We bought you a wind-up musical  toy that played “Lullaby,” and also put a picture of us in your incubator.  You loved to be rocked and patted.  Dad said he went to see you one night after work, and you turned over to look at him!  You were born with a lot of dark hair and looked like my Dad & my cousin Tommy.

We have a lot of photos of your birth, so we can look back and remember how ecstatic we were at that moment of your birth.

We cried…

I don’t think we believed we would ever really have you until that exact moment!

People who saw you as a preemie, later told us you looked like an alien…Thank God they didn’t tell us that at the time!  Ha!

We thought you were beautiful.

Love came down…

And embraced our lives…

The moment God gave us this miracle, this gift, this answer to our prayers of 10 years.

A healthy, happy baby…

We pray every day for Jesus to keep you healthy and  happy…and close to His heart.

We love you so much.

And did from the very moment of your conception.

We pray you’ll always loves us and God.

We’ll try to be the best parents for you,  and always tell you how very loved you are!

The peaceful, calm feeling you created in me will last forever!

We love you!  Mom and Dad

Do you think God felt this way about the birth of His Son?

I think He did!

Isaiah 9:6 NIV   “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given…”

Song Lyrics For The Church…

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Listen to “Jesus, Friend Of Sinners” by Casting Crowns

It teaches the Church a powerful message…

Here are the lyrics…

“Jesus, Friend of sinners…

We have strayed so far away…
We cut down people in your name…

But the sword was never ours to swing…

Jesus, Friend of sinners the truth’s become so hard to see…
The world is on their way to You…

But they’re tripping over me…
Always looking around, but never looking up…

I’m so double minded…
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided…

Oh, Jesus, Friend of sinners…
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers…
Let our hearts be led by mercy…
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors…
Oh, Jesus, Friend of sinners break our hearts for what breaks yours…

Jesus, Friend of sinners the one who’s writing in the sand…
Make the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands…
Help us to remember we are all the least of thieves…
Let the memory of Your mercy bring your people to their knees…

Nobody knows what we’re for, only what we’re against…

When we judge the wounded…
What if we put down our signs, crossed over the lines…

And love like You did…
Oh, Jesus, Friend of sinners …
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers…
Let our hearts be led by mercy…
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh, Jesus, Friend of sinners break our hearts for what breaks yours…

You love every lost cause; you reach for the outcast…
For the leper and the lame; they’re the reason that You came…
Lord, I was that lost cause…

And I was the outcast…

But you died for sinners just like me…

A grateful leper at Your feet…

‘Cause You are good, You are good…

And Your love endures forever…
You are good, You are good…

And Your love endures forever…
Oh, Jesus, Friend of sinners…
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers…
Let our hearts be led by mercy…
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors…
Oh, Jesus, Friend of sinners break our hearts for what breaks Yours…

And I was the lost cause and I was the outcast…

You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet…”

Amen and Amen!!

I have nothing to add…

Except to pray that we the Church listen…

Dear Family, Why I Write…

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In an Italian family it’s a way of talking without being constantly interrupted!  Ha!

These photos were taken at my Mom’s 90th Birthday Celebration!!

I miss her now that she’s celebrating all her days in Heaven with Jesus…

I love my BIG, crazy Italian Family…

Everyone should have one…

Adopt one if necessary!

Me, Mom, and my Sister…

My Son, my younger Brother, and his Wife…

My Husband and my Cousin’s Husband (who’s from Oklahoma, and he says we say, “SAAAAAUCE!”)

Everyone’s talking and taking photos of each other…at the same time!

Family photo, but my older Brother couldn’t make the trip to FL 😦

My Mom and her precious Grandson!

Family photo with my dear Cousin (My super prayer partner!)

Our family’s really close, we all grew up going to church together…

My Mom loved to talk!!!!

Ha!

Everyone does in our family!

We miss you, Mommy!

I Eat Meat!

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Nothing against vegetarians!!

I’m talking about spiritually…

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,

So that by it you may grow up in your salvation.”  I Peter 2:2  NIV

Milk is for baby Christians…

Grow up…

Eat meat!

“For when…you ought to be teachers,

You have need that one teach you again…;

And…have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”  KJV

Crave strong meat, not just milk…

Pick up your Bible!

God’s Holy Word…

God’s instructions on how to live a victorious Christian life…

An abundant life!

Open it and devour it!

The Bible teaches us to Believe…

Feed your Belief!

We’re told to increase our Faith…

Feed your Faith, so it will grow!

Start with the book of John in the New Testament to learn about the Word made flesh…

Jesus!

Pray for understanding as you read…

Let the Holy Spirit talk to you…

I’m attending a DVD/Bible study right now by Robert Morris, based on his book The God I Never Knew.

He says, “To many people the Holy Spirit is mysterious, confounding—even controversial.”

As the senior pastor of Gateway Church in Dallas, Texas, Robert Morris reveals a common-sense approach to the Holy Spirit.

He explains, “The Holy Spirit doesn’t need to be feared and isn’t a weird element of the trinity…

The Holy Spirit is a person who thinks, feels and has desires, and is present to help each person live the Christian life.

Perhaps its time for you to meet the God you’ve had misconceptions about…

The one you’ve feared..

Or the one you never knew!”

I’ve never been more excited about a Bible study message before!!

I believe it should be shouted from the roof tops!!

I love learning more and more about the Holy Spirit…

And how He operates in our lives…

You can also read these Christian books:

John Bevere:  The Bait Of Satan.

This is my all-time favorite Christian book…it’s about how we should not take offense at everything that happens in our lives!

Because that’s what the enemy uses to try to defeat us…

It’s the bait he uses!

To hook us!

A must read for every Christian, for sure!!

His other books are great, too!  Heart Ablaze, Relentless, Extraordinary, and more…

Pastor Reza Soffa:  Blessings In The Light Of Our Redemption, and more…

Joseph Prince:  Destined To Reign, Unmerited Favor, and more..

T.D. Jakes: Reposition Yourself, Woman Thou Art Loosed, and more…

Reinhard Bonnke:  Evangelism By Fire, Taking Action, and more…

Joyce Meyer:  Battlefield Of The Mind, Never Give Up! and more…

Joel Osteen:  Your Best Life Now, Every Day A Friday, Become A Better You, and more…

Rick Warren:  The Purpose Driven Life, The Purpose Driven Church,

Max Lucado:

He is my all-time favorite Christian writer…I could read his books forever, since…

Because of his God-given gift of writing, I can picture in my mind everything he’s saying!  His writing is awesome!

Read his other books, also…Facing your Giants, It’s Not About Me, He Choose The Nails, Cure For The Common Life, and more…

Also read anything by Billy Graham, Charles Stanley, Tony Dungy, John Eldredge, Tim LaHaye, Beth Moore,  Stormie Omartian, Lee Strobel,  Philip Yancey, Bill Hybels.  There are so many anointed Christian writers, pastors, and speakers!

Go ahead…read them!

And go where you can (to church, Bible studies, conferences, conventions, camps, etc.) to…

Learn…

To Dig Deep!!

To find that morsel of meat in the Word to nourish your spirit…

Something that tastes so good to your spiritual taste buds…

Take notes…

Read the Scriptures again at home…

Pray…

Pray for your pastor, your speaker, your Bible teacher…

That God will fill them with wisdom and understanding…

To teach you God’s Word with a fresh anointing each time you hear them speak…

A baby must be fed…

A mature Christian needs to find what sustains the spirit-man…

Listen to God when He speaks…

Listen to worship music that lifts up your soul…

And praises your God!

Put contemporary Christian tunes on your iPod…

Download them onto your computer…

Play them when you’re walking your dog…

Or driving in your car…

Keep a prayer constantly on your lips…

And a song in your heart…

Some of my favorite contemporary Christian artists are:

Casting Crowns, tobymac, Francesca Battistelli, Laura Story, Skillet, Newsboys, Mandisa, Jamie Grace, Britt Nicole, Steven Curtis Chapman, Anthem Lights, MercyMe, Eddie James, and so many, many more…

Are you hungry, yet?

Hungry for more of the Lord?

Hungry for meat?

Sit down to a bountiful feast with the Lord…

When you’re blessed with meat, be grateful to God…

Because He is the only One who satisfies us with a full meal!

John 3:16

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The words of this verse occur in Jerusalem,

With Jesus talking with Nicodemus, a member of the ruling council, or Sanhedrin.

He comes to talk with Jesus in the dark of night.

He calls Jesus, Rabbi,

Since Jesus’ miracles have convinced Nicodemus that Jesus is sent from God.

In reply, Jesus answered,

“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God…

Unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

Flesh gives birth to flesh,

But the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”   John 3:5, 6

John 3:16

Builds upon Jesus’ lesson to Nicodemus:

That belief in Jesus is necessary for eternal life.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son,

That whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  NIV

For God…

Creator of the Universe, Gracious Heavenly Father…

So loved…

With an everlasting LOVE!  Amen!

The world…

Everyone, You included!

Right here, right Now!

No matter what your situation…

How you look…

How you feel…

What you think about yourself…

Or what others say about you…

That He gave…

That which was needed to save us!

Freely without expecting anything in return!

His one and only Son…

Would you be able to do that…I wouldn’t!

I couldn’t!

That whoever…

Even the folks we think aren’t deserving of it!

Believes in Him…

Please, don’t add anything to this!

Not for yourself, and not for anyone else, either!

Nothing else is necessary…

Not even, “How much of the Bible do you know and have memorized?”

Only simple Faith…

And belief in Jesus!

Shall not perish…

Die and go to Hell!

But have eternal life…

With Jesus forever in Heaven!

No wonder people hold up signs, wear crazy rainbow wigs, and try to get on camera at Golf Tournaments, and such!!

It’s a great message!

It’s God’s message for You!

You Wanna Piece A Me?

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Well get in line!

Lots of people, places, and things are ahead of you!

Everyone wants a piece of me…

My life is like a gigantic puzzle!

And I don’t like my puzzle pieces to overlap!!

But, after all these years, I’ve figured it out…

Let God have the biggest piece!

I gotta fit Him in first…

Then, the other things in life become the small things…

And He’ll take care of those!!

Amen!

So, no matter what…

Lord, I promise…

Hey!   All of you, come on, say and promise this with me…

Even if I’m working…

Even if I get married..

Even if I have kids…

Even if I stay single…

Even if I need to go back to school…

Even if I have health issues..

Even if I have grandkids…

Whatever life brings…

I need to give God the biggest piece of my life!

Isn’t it obvious that I especially need Him in these times?

And He wants all of you…

All the time…

All, or nothing…

Face it!

God never just wants a piece of you!!