Friday, July 18, 2014

"Oh, weary dreary, my life is so uncheery"  Is a familiar phrase to all pilgrims progress part II fans. I forget the mans name, but all he would see was the muck and the flees, the molehills and the straw. For this man was a muck raker.
      I have been recently reading through this book and thought I would bring out a lesson from the muck raker. If you remember, there was an angel waiting to place a crown of life on the poor mans head, yet he would not heed it. he did not believe that the voice was for him.
      this reminded me of something. often times I have heard people make the comment "oh, but that is not for our times". I wonder, what do they think the Bible is, a history book with rules for nations past? No, I think not. The Bible is indeed a history book, but with lessons and rules for nations present. The angels of God are waiting with crowns of life, Christ Himself would like to put one atop each of our heads. Yet though the way to the celestial city is made plain, they say "oh, but that is not for our times".
      I thought of something else that is a bit more obvious when you read the story. That muck raker did not see beautiful things, not because there where none, but because he looked for the molehills and the flees. By beholding we become changed. although He would not begin to look like a flee, yet his mind would become as small and worthless as a flees brain from constant association with them. There are many good and beautiful things all around us, yet, if we continue looking for the muck, that is hat we will find and that is what we will become like.
      May God deliver me from the Muck raker's plight.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014


You Are My Wholeness
In You, I find forgiveness.
Yes, in You I find release.
It's a wonder You take
all the blunders I make
and so graciously offer me peace.
In You, I find true friendship.
Yes, Your love is so free of demands.
Though I must hurt You so,
You keep letting me go
to discover the person I am.
And like a father, You long to protect me,
yet You know I must learn on my own.
Well, I've made my own choice
to follow Your voice
guiding me on to my home.
You, You are my wholeness.
You are my completeness.
My soul, my weary soul
can rest in the depths of Your love.
-Author Unknown 



      A dark night, a full moon. Who could resist this perfect picture taking opportunity? I surely couldn't, so after returning from a friends house it was straight to the camera and not straight to bed, for me. I love taking pictures and although I don't have the best equipment to take the kinds of pictures I like taking, they usually turn out O.K.
       This full moon was not an ordinary moon. Oh no, it was supposed to be some sort of super moon. I guess the way it works is that last night the moon was supposed to have appeared larger and closer to the earth for some odd reason, don't ask me why. So even though it appears the same in pictures, I felt I just had to get a picture of it. Why? I don't know. Probably just because it was unusual and I had never taken a picture of the moon before.
          Anyway, as I was sitting there staring up at the moon through the view finder, I thought of something. If those scientist new about the moon coming to the earth, if they knew why and when and how, how come they don't know about the other soon coming? I came to the conclusion that what you study is what you find. Those scientist know a lot about the moon, they study and read about it, they watch it and know its patterns of travel. I also drew another comparison between the scientist and us. They acted like they new, they spread the news, they where excited about it. We know about Christ second coming, we read our Bibles, we hear about it from the pulpit, Ellen white has written much about it. Yet, even though The Second Coming is much greater then the appearance of the moon, Do we act like we know, do we spread the news to every kindred nation tongue and people, are we excited about it?
         Today let us learn a lesson from the scientist and the moon.
 “Morning Already?” I asked myself sleepily as I hopped out of bed and into my quick, ten minute shower. Even though we got beck late the night before from a long day of canvassing I new it would not do to sleep in, for one decides quickly, in this work, that both showers, and devotions are essential parts of everyday life.
     Hopping out of the shower, I grabbed my devotional material and headed out to find a quiet place to read and pray. Sorry to say, I don't remember what I studied that morning, But I do remember what I prayed. “Dear Father in Heaven, As I go out today to do your work, Please help me to have a love for the people.” This I prayed because some days I would find myself upset that people where not buying books, not because I thought they needed them, but because I needed them to buy them. This state of things I was determined to change!
      After a hurry flurry morning of breakfast, worship, stalking our bags, and all the other things that go into a canvassing program morning, we where finally in the van and on our way. I don't remember who picked me as a prayer partner, But I do remember telling them to pray that I would have a love for the people that day.
       First drop off—A trailer park.  Trailer parks are usually Ok, so I started out with a will. I began getting a little bit confused as person after person rejected me. What was I doing wrong, why was I not getting any books out?
       Second drop of – A street of houses. I was determined to get a book out here. As I walked from house to house I started getting agitated. All these people needed Christ SO badly! There attitudes where unchristlike, they had TV's playing, or music blaring. I could just see the pain and hurt, the need, in their eyes.
       All this was really getting to me as I was dropped of at my first string of businesses ever. I was scared stiff, but as everybody was having good success at their businesses, I decided that I would probably do as well. But at my first business I was kicked out, the second one everybody laughed at me, and the third one everybody sat stony faced as I said my canvass and then, not so politely, asked me to leave the premisses.
       This was to much for me! I sat down on a nearby bench and burst into tears. As I sat there, I forced myself to ask the question “Why am I crying? Is it because I am discouraged? Is it because they where unkind to me?” But I honestly could answer “no” to both of those questions. As I sat there I began to pray, and as I prayed I realized why I was so upset. It was the people. All of those millions of people. People who needed Christ. I had what they needed, and I could give it to them for a reasonable price. Yet they could not see, and they would not take it. 
       A little prayer, it only took a moment and not much thought. Yet it changed my whole perspective on canvassing. As I was reading in Pilgrims progress part 2 recently, I came upon a phrase that is repeat over and over “Ye have not, Because Ye ask not”. As I thought about this it brought to mind many things that I wished for, that I wanted, yet was I asking for them? Willingness in all situations, a song always in my heart, and a smile always on my lips. Always knowing what Christ would do in a situation, Going to Indiana camp in the fall. Being able to keep up with my school work during the year, and many, many more. All these things I probably have mentioned in prayer at least once, but what about persistent earnest prayer? A little thing, a little prayer, yet it could mean so much. It could change your whole life!

Thursday, July 10, 2014


                                                     A Mothers Love
I walked out of my front door, camera in hand, hoping to get some great wildlife pictures that day. I love taking pictures, and I love Nature. So it stands to reason that my favorite kind of photography would be nature photography:)
         Around where we live we have things like, squirrels, chipmunks, deer, bunches of bugs, flowers, frogs, snakes, and many other things. The stuff is there to get a good picture of, it just depends on if you can find it! And today I was determined to find something worthwhile.
         I was praying as I walked around the dirt road, Picture walks often double as prayer walks for me, and vise versa. As I walked, I noticed that everything seemed to be quiet that day, nothing was stirring, all was still. now that was great for a prayer walk, but not so great for a picture walk! I believe in praying for the little things as well as big things, so as I walked I prayed that the Lord might help me find something to take a picture of and a lesson from it too.
       Just as I had finished my little prayer, I came upon a nest of four little killdeer eggs (pictured at the top of the page). I have always found bird eggs to be beautiful and interesting, so I bent down to examine them closer and take some pictures. As I snapped the pictures, I heard a swoosh of wings, then a volley of cries from the mother who had landed not far away.  looking up, I saw one of the most pathetic, and heroic sites in nature. The mother bird began to come slowly toward me, Dragging one wing, falling over every little bit for affect. I new what she was up to, having read about this often, but decided to see how far she would go in her attempt to draw me away.
      As I walked back and forth, snapping Pictures, I thought about this mothers love. she had no way of knowing that I would not hurt either her, or her little ones. She was willing to lay down her life for her 'children'. That got me thinking about another parent. our father in heaven was willing to come down to earth and die for his children!! "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not parish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16) we've heard that verse so many times, I hear you say. But how many times have you really stopped to think of the import of that verse. Christ was willing to die for all of us. And if it was our sins that killed him, must that mean that every time we go against God that we kill Him anew? I don't know about you, But I sure have learned a lot from that Killdeer.


This, I was reminded of in an experience I had this summer.
          I had always wanted to go canvasing. Actually I had been begging to do it ever since I was a little girl of nine. yet my parents always said "when you are just a little older". As a young child it was difficult for me to resign myself to that, yet since I had been taught from a young age to take my troubles to my friend Jesus, I quickly began asking God daily to make it possible for me to go on a summer canvassing program.
      In the spring of 2014, it looked like my prayers would be answered. A family Friend asked if I would like to come to a program out in Kentucky. I was delighted, yet troubles with this program started early. First, they had to make sure that they had room for me. then they said I could only come part of the time since I had to be 14. Next was that I had to find rides. I found a ride there, and a ride back. The only problem was, that the ride back came a week later then I needed it. So then We had to figure out a place for me to stay. We thought of one place, but the people there where not getting back with us. It was one day, only ONE DAY, until I was leaving. Truly there seemed to be no way! Yet God did make a way! the afternoon before I was to leave, I got a phone call saying that a place to stay until my ride came had been all worked out!!!!!!
   I love the way God plans these things! though that experience was hard on me, God did make a way, and strengthened my faith through this experience. I could have cried, I could have despaired of ever getting there. but, because I surrendered my will to Christ, He was able to Make it a wonderful Faith Building experience for me.  I Just Love how God makes His Ways!!!

Kaitlin :)