Tag Archives: FL

Mar28

God’s Gifts Of Spring!

Posted on March 28, 2013 by sagescenery

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Winter Snow Melts…

Spring Flowers Bloom…

New Life…

A New Song!

Born Again…

All Creation brings Glory to God…

“God in His kindness gave each of us different gifts…”

Romans 12:6 GWT

“He has given me a new song to sing,

a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see what He has done and be amazed.

They will put their trust in the LORD.”

Psalm 40:3 NIV

“Every good and perfect gift is from above…”

James 1:17 NIV

“For God’s gifts

and His call can never be withdrawn.”

Romans 11:29 NLT

“It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts.

He alone decides which gift each person should have.”

1 Corinthians 12:11 NLT

“Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!”

2 Corinthians 9:15 KJV

“…the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 6:23 KJV

“For by grace you have been saved through faith.

And this is not your own doing;

it is the gift of God…”

Ephesians 2:8 KJV

“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit…”

1 Corinthians 14:1

“As each one has received a special gift,

employ it in serving one another,

as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

1 Peter 4:10 ESV

“Therefore if any man be in Christ,

he is a new creature:

old things are passed away;

behold, all things are become new.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV

“Jesus answered him,

‘Truly, truly, I say to you,

unless one is born again

he cannot see the kingdom of God.’”

John 3:3 ESV

“And He who was seated on the throne said,

‘Behold, I am making all things new.’

Also He said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’”

Revelation 21:5 ESV

The Gift of Salvation is Free…

The Motive for the Gift is…

Nothing more than the…

Grace of the Giver!

Grace is a gift…

All Life is a gift…

Including Eternal Life…

Receive God’s Gift by Faith…

And Be His!

Mar14

Illuminating Blogger’s Award!

Posted on March 14, 2013 by sagescenery

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Thank you!

I’ve been nominated by http://seasonsgirl.wordpress.com/ for the Illuminating Blogger’s Award! It’s my first nomination…and I’m so excited and honored! Seasonsgirl’s blog has been an inspiration to me since I started my blog in July last year. Her posts are kind, gentle, and lovely…she honors God in all that she does! I feel warm and fuzzy…welcomed and loved…when I read her posts…you’ll love her blog, too!

So thank you Seasonsgirl for reading, liking, and commenting on my posts…and for the nomination for the Illuminating Blogger’s Award! I know we’d be great friends…if we ever meet in person…you could teach me all about your awesome life on a ranch!

I love all your photos, your life, your pets, and your animals!!

So now the rules for the Illuminating Blogger Award…

The Rules:

Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you (see above)

Say a few words of gratitude on your blog and follow the link (see above)

Share a few words about yourself and pass on the award to 5 other bloggers

About Me!

Christian, Wife, Mother, Minister, Teacher, Drama Team Director, owner of a Crazy Siberian and a California King Snake…Italian from NJ living in FL with lots to say…who loves to serve the Lord with JOY, write-write-write, and take beautiful photos of God’s awesome scenery!!

Anything I do is a ministry to Jesus, so I pray you’re blessed by my blog…whether it’s a Scripture, my favorite contemporary Christian music, a kid’s Bible object lesson, teaching a life lesson, my photographs, or something humorous to get the outrageous JOY out of life that God meant for us to have!

I love sharing it all!!

Five Worthy Nominations For The Illuminating Blogger’s Award:

1. I love author Bella Grace’s blog, http://walkingonwaterwithgrace.org/ Founder of Walking On Water Ministries, Walking On Water, or WOW…a ministry built on faith, hope, trust, and more importantly LOVE.

She loves the Lord, she’s my sister in the Lord…I feel loved when I read her posts, and also when she comments on mine!

2. I love OverwhelmedByJoy, http://overwhelmedbyjoy.wordpress.com/about/ She’s a wife, mother, friend, and more…also a patient, who makes a conscious decision to choose joy, even though permanently disabled. She’s a caretaker for her mother. She chooses joy because this is the best option. Because the other option. . . is not an option.

She’s so inspirational, wise, and caring…I love her blog!

3. I love Adam J. Holland’s blog, http://unorthodoxepicure.com/ because he’s so opinionated, and makes me laugh, laugh, laugh every day…by making me think about everyday things in a funny way!

He doesn’t consider himself to be any quirkier than the next guy, but his family, friends and fellow bloggers disagree. He’s a chef, so his recipes are awesome! Check it out!

4. I love this new blog I just found…or maybe Kimmy found me! http://kimmyg01.wordpress.com/ Her blog includes spiritual topics that interest me…women’s ministry, Christianity, Christian living, and inspirational poetry…I’m lovin’ it!

5. I love http://becomingcliche.wordpress.com/about/ because she talks about teaching topics that interest me! She has a snake…and…ya gotta love her writing!!

She said, “Since my “About Me’ portion is getting more hits than my actual blog, I may as well not waste an opportunity. I am a snake-keeping, thrift-store loving mother of three. I work as an educator in a zoo and do a bit of free-lance writing. My pet peeves include wet clothing buried in the hamper and little popcorn kernels that get stuck in my teeth. Most days, I have the attention span of a gnat!” Check out her blog…you’ll have fun!!

I love all my blogging friends! Thanks so much for making this a joyful journey for me!! God Bless!!

Mar13

This is Just Duckie!!

Posted on March 13, 2013 by sagescenery

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The sun setting on the pond on the golf course…

The warm breeze blowing on the water…

Causes moving ripples of light and color…

And shadow reflections and mirrors…

He almost doesn’t look real…

But he is!

“…It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth…

Salvation is found in no one else,

for there is no other name under heaven

given to mankind

by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:10-12 ESV

Don’t let anything distract you…

From seeing that Jesus is real, too!

Mar13

You Know You’ve Embraced The Florida Lifestyle, When…

Posted on March 13, 2013 by sagescenery

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This is your “cloudy” day!

This is your lunch guest!

This is your backyard!

(With ~~a pool~~ an “expensive hole-in-the-ground!”)

Where a live alligator has visited you on your lanai after the hurricane…

Before the lanai screen could be replaced!

This is you, everyday…

Not just on your day off!

You expect your year-round weather to be “not so hot,” “hot,” “very hot,” and “intensely hot”…

Another baby boomer, who just retired, has just moved in next door to you…

And you know their grandchildren have already embraced the FL lifestyle, too!

Your ~~sailboat~~ “dock ornament” is taller than your house…

You look forward to March…

So you can see your favorite NY team!

Play the FL favorite during Spring Training!

You enjoy being with so many New Yorkers, again!

And you wait for Joe Girardi to smile!

“Cause his team WON!!!

And you truly believe Jesus is a Yankee fan!

Mar7

The Sower And The Seed…

Posted on March 7, 2013 by sagescenery

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The Parable of the Sower

Luke 8:1-14 NIV

“After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another,

proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God…

The Twelve were with Him…

While a large crowd was gathering

and people were coming to Jesus from town after town,

He told this parable:

^‘A farmer went out to sow his seed.

As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path;

it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up.

Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.

Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.

Still other seed fell on good soil

It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.’

When He said this, He called out, ‘Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.’

His disciples asked him what this parable meant.

He said, ‘The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you,

but to others I speak in parables,

so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see;
though hearing, they may not understand.^‘

This is the meaning of the parable:

‘The seed is the word of God.

Those along the path are the ones who hear,

and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts,

so that they may not believe and be saved.

Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it,

but they have no root.

They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.

The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear,

but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures,

and they do not mature.

But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart,

who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.'”

The summary…

A sower dropped seed on the path, on rocky ground, and among thorns, and the seed was lost;

but when seed fell on good earth, it grew, yielding thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.

Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit,

while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes

so that it will be even more fruitful.”

John 15:1-2 NIV

“I am the vine; you are the branches.

If a man remains in Me and I in him,

he will bear much fruit;

apart from Me you can do nothing.

If anyone does not remain in Me,

he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers;

such branches are picked up,

thrown into the fire and burned.”

John 15:5-6 NIV

“Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit,

so you can identify people by their actions.”

Matthew 7:20 NLT

Our goal is to persevere, grow, reach maturity, and produce more fruit!

The person who thoughtfully hears the gospel,

understands its implications,

and then consistently grows and matures,

bears much fruit as a result!

This parable must encourage us to desire and depend on Jesus to plant us in good soil,

where we can persevere through adversity to maturity and fruitfulness,

Anything else is unacceptable!

“But their minds were made dull,

for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read.

It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.

Even to this day when Moses is read,

a veil covers their hearts.

But whenever anyone turns to the Lord,

the veil is taken away.”

2 Corinthians 3:14-16

Amen!

Mar6

Some Days, Life Is A Walk In The Park!

Posted on March 6, 2013 by sagescenery

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Like Today!!

Lunch with my husband and two other couples…

A walk in the park…

Along the Peace River…

Cool, crisp, sun-shiny day…

It doesnt get better than this!!

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said,

‘I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness,

but will have the light of life.’”

John 8:12 NIV

“Teach me thy way, O Lord;

I will walk in thy truth…”

Psalm 86:11 KJV

“…Walk as children of light.”

Ephesians 5:8 ESV

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV

“Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light to my path.”

Psalm 119:105 ESV

“Whoever says he abides in Him

ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.”

1 John 2:6 ESV

“He has told you, O man, what is good;

and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice,

and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?”

Micah 6:8 ESV

“If we live by the Spirit,

let us also walk by the Spirit.”

Galatians 5:25 ESV

“…who walk not according to the flesh

but according to the Spirit.”

Romans 8:4 ESV

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge Him,

and He will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

“Let your eyes look straight ahead,

fix your gaze directly before you.”

Proverbs 4:25 NIV

“Calling to those who pass by,

who are going straight on their way.”

Proverbs 9:15

“…a man of understanding keeps a straight course.”

Proverbs 15:21 NIV

“For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came

and testified to your truth,

as indeed you are walking in the truth.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

3 John 1:3-4 ESV

“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar,

praise and extol and honor the King of heaven,

for all His works are right

and His ways are just;

and those who walk in pride He is able to humble.”

Daniel 4:37 ESV

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord,

urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling

to which you have been called,

with all humility and gentleness, with patience,

bearing with one another in love.”

Ephesians 4:1-2 ESV

“And, as shoes for your feet,

having put on the readiness given

by the gospel of peace.”

Ephesians 6:15 ESV

“Observe the commands of the LORD your God,

walking in His ways and revering Him.”

Deuteronomy 8:6 NIV

“Yes, LORD, walking in the way of Your laws,

we wait for You;

Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.”

Isaiah 26:8 NIV

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old,

the LORD appeared to him and said,

‘I am God Almighty;

walk before Me faithfully and be blameless.'”

Genesis 17:1 NIV

“…Then Peter got down out of the boat,

walked on the water

and came toward Jesus.”

Matthew 14:29 NIV

Yes, walk straight into His arms…Amen!

Feb24

Bloom Where You’re Planted!

Posted on February 24, 2013 by sagescenery

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We’re all different, but we’re all beautiful!

“The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
…they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.”

Isaiah 35:1-2 NIV

“…Who knows but that you were brought to the kingdom for a time like this?”

Esther 4:14 ISV

“But in fact God has placed the parts in the body,

every one of them, just as He wanted them to be.”

1 Corinthians 12:18 NIV

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in Him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV

“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.”

Psalm 1:3 NIV

“I know that the Lord is great,
that our Lord is greater than all gods.
The Lord does whatever pleases Him,
in the heavens and on the earth,
in the seas and all their depths.”

Psalm 135:5-6 NIV

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,

they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;

planted in the house of the Lord,

they will flourish in the courts of our God.

They will still bear fruit in old age,

they will stay fresh and green,

proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright;

He is my Rock…'”

Psalm 92:12-15 NIV

“Nevertheless,

each person should live as a believer

in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them,

just as God has called them…”

1 Corinthians 7:17 NIV

“There are different kinds of gifts,

but the same Spirit distributes them.

There are different kinds of service,

but the same Lord.

There are different kinds of working,

but in all of them and in everyone

it is the same God at work.”

1 Corinthians 12:4 NIV

“All these are the work of one and the same Spirit,

and He distributes them to each one,

just as He determines.”

1 Corinthians 12:11 NIV

“Just as a body, though one,

has many parts,

but all its many parts form one body,

so it is with Christ.

For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body

—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—

and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”

1 Corinthians 12: 12-14 NIV

“Now you are the body of Christ,

and each one of you is a part of it.”

1 Corinthians 12: 27 NIV

“And over all these virtues put on love,

which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,

since as members of one body you were called to peace.

And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach

and admonish one another with all wisdom,

and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs

with gratitude in your hearts to God.”

Colossians 3:14-16 NIV

We’re all needed in the Kingdom!

So…Bloom!

Present yourself to the King!

“See how the lilies of the field grow.

They do not labor or spin.”

Matthew 6:28 NIV

Take a stand!

Be confident!

“Yet I tell you that not even Solomon

in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.”

Matthew 6:29 NIV

Don’t remain silent!

It’s your time!

Live loud for Christ!

Persevere!

Obedience always brings blessing!

God is working through His people!

He will accomplish His purpose!

Let Him use you!

Stay faithful!

And…Bloom!!

“Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime;

it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds.

He gives showers of rain to men,

and plants of the field to everyone.”

Zechariah 10:1 NIV

Feb18

“Orange” You Glad You Know Jesus!?

Posted on February 18, 2013 by sagescenery

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Sorry! Couldn’t resist this title!

Kids,

Click below for a crazy worship song we do in our Kids Church about…

The Fruit Of The Spirit!

Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

“…for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true…”

Ephesians 5: 9 ESV

LOVE

“Love the Lord your God

with all your heart

and with all your soul

and with all your strength.”

Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV

JOY

“May the God of hope

fill you with all joy and peace

as you trust in Him,

so that you may overflow

with hope

by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13 NIV

PEACE

“You will keep in perfect peace

those whose minds are steadfast,

because they trust in You.”

Isaiah 26:3

PATIENCE

“And so after waiting patiently,

Abraham received what was promised.”

Hebrews 6:15 NIV

KINDNESS

“But love your enemies,

do good to them,

and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.

Then your reward will be great,

and you will be children of the Most High,

because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”

Luke 6:35 NIV

GOODNESS

“Our people must learn

to devote themselves to doing what is good,

in order to provide for urgent needs

and not live unproductive lives.”

Titus 3:14 NIV

FAITHFULNESS

“For we live by faith,

not by sight.”

2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV

GENTLENESS

“Take My yoke upon you

and learn from Me,

for I am gentle and humble in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.”

Matthew 11:29 NIV

SELF-CONTROL

“For we do not have

a high priest who is unable

to empathize with our weaknesses,

but we have One

who has been tempted in every way,

just as we are—

yet He did not sin.”

Hebrews 4:15 NIV

Know Jesus!

Bear Fruit!

Walk in the Fruit of the Spirit…

Display the Fruit of the Spirit to others!

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…

It’s not easy all the time!

But produce good fruit!

Not rotten fruit!

Dried up fruit…

Useless fruit…

Or no fruit at all!

Be a juicy piece of fruit!

Big and flavorful!

Yum!

Feb18

Don’t Fall For The Counterfeit!!

Posted on February 18, 2013 by sagescenery

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Beautiful statues!

“When anyone hears the message about the kingdom

and does not understand it,

the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.

This is the seed sown along the path.”

Matthew 13:19 NIV

But nothing like the real thing!

“Jesus turned and said to Peter,

‘Get behind me, Satan!

You are a stumbling block to me;

you do not have in mind the things of God,

but the things of men.'”

Matthew 16:23 NIV

“And no wonder,

for Satan himself masquerades

as an angel of light.”

2 Corinthians 11:14 NIV

“Submit yourselves, then,

to God.

Resist the devil,

and he will flee from you.”

James 4:7 NIV

“The God of peace

will soon crush Satan under your feet.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”

Romans 16:20 NIV

“So the great dragon was cast out,

that serpent of old,

called the Devil and Satan,

who deceives the whole world;

he was cast to the earth,

and his angels were cast out with him”

Revelation 12:9 KJV

“Prove all things, hold fast that which is good”

1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV

“Satan, who is the god of this world,

has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe.

They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News.

They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ,

who is the exact likeness of God.”

2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV

Hold Fast!!

Don’t fall for the counterfeit…

from the father of lies!!

Jan19

Lunch Will Be Served On Our Front Lawn! Hope You Love Fish!!

Posted on January 19, 2013 by sagescenery

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“Hey! Is this where the party is???”

“Oh yeah! Lunch is served!!”

“We’re big birds! We want more!!”

“Oh, they’re so greedy!!”

“Who me? What do you mean???”

“I’m ready for my close-up!!”

“Did you have to invite these two guys???”

“Watch it!”

“Humph!”

“Okay, lunch was delicious! Let’s be friends!

See you tomorrow…

Same time, same place!!”

Thank you, God, for Your fine-feathered friends to delight us!!