Photography

One Unexpected Morning

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). John 20:15-16 ESV

Mary Magdalene had not come to the tomb of Jesus because she thought that Jesus was alive, but to show respect for the dead. But then the most unexpected thing in all of history happened. Jesus came to meet her! And Mary’s story is the story of everyone who has ever put their faith in Jesus Christ. We all have this one thing in common. He has come unexpectedly. Just like Mary, this Easter. you may be wondering where Jesus went in your life. Or, maybe like the disciples, you are hiding out behind locked doors. But when Jesus comes, everything changes, not just because of our faith, but because of His grace. The most wonderful news of the universe is standing right in front of us. Jesus is alive and is calling our name. How will you answer Him? The most important step of faith anyone could ever take is to fall at His feet, just as Mary did, and simply believe. Though we may not have been expecting Him, He has been expecting us and He is waiting for you today!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe that you have risen from the grave, just as You said. I ask that you forgive my sins and I thank you for all you have done and thank you for your gift of eternal life!

A Florida Winter Wonderland

/ pastorpete51 / 10 Comments

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: Ecclesiates 3:1 ESV

While I do enjoy seeing the amazing photography of Gary Fultz displaying the beauty of the frozen Winter wonderland where he lives, You should check out his latest post: Winter Wonder Wander However; I with my back against the wall and tired of hanging my head in shame over our own special brand of winter here in Florida, I thought I would share a few snap shots of my own.

God has made everything as well as every place with its own special personality. Those that move to the Sunshine State, thinking Disney, Spring Break and fishing aren’t completely wrong, but the unique features of living here are only appreciated after a few years. Here are just a few of my January favorites. A couple of Sand Hill Cranes hanging out in my friend’s yard, and a juvenile Blue Heron watching the Ibis’s chowing down on my left over chips. Then on on day trip to walk the causeway out to Howard Beach there is a look back over the Inter Coastal Waterway to the mainland, some afternoon clouds kissing the tops of palm trees and the newly painted life guard station. The last two are a wind surfer, just hoping for a bit more wind and a Black Bellied Plover, just hanging out with his buddies. Oh yes, the featured image is the unlikely duo of a Snowy Egret with a Small Blue Heron, tip-toeing across the top of a hedge, and the one at the bottom of the page is a sunset at a local beach. Each of these shots, tells a story and carries with it just a trace of the glory of the Great Creator. So, I tip my hat to you who love shushing through snow drifts, or hiking mountain trails in mid- January. Just don’t forget that God has also created beauty in warmer climes. The wonder of His creation, needs an entire universe to tell just the first chapter of the story of His glory!

Going for a Walk

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By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. Hebrews 11:5 ESV

I love going for walks, whether at the park, along the beach or around our neighborhood. It is my way of not only getting fresh air, but also finding a place to think and talk things out with God. The Bible says that Enoch walked with God. Now we aren’t given the details but maybe his last day on earth went a little like this. He put on his robe and sandals, kissed his wife goodbye and said, “I’m headed out for a walk.” It was just like every other day, except that this time Enoch never came home.

Though Enoch’s disappearance certainly must have seemed strange, what is interesting to me is that no one wondered where he went. People who knew Enoch recognized that he walked so closely with God that if He were missing, then God must have taken Him. The Bible doesn’t explain exactly how this occurred, but it tells us that God was pleased with him and that he did not see death. Did you get that part? “He did not see death!” Now strange or not, the testimony Enoch left for us is both a challenge and a promise. Today Enoch’s life challenges us to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, and yet it also includes the promise that if we do that, God will walk with us and His promise is that He will take us on a path that goes on forever, and that for forever, He will walk with us!