The Truth About Angels

Abide In Heaven

Matthew 28:2

The Armies of God

Are Holy

Mark 8:38

Proclaim Messages From God To People

 Luke 1:30

 The Annunciation

 Henry Ossawa Tanner

Obey God

"Bless the Lord, 

you His angels,

you mighty ones,

who do His commandments,

hearkening to the voice

of His word."

 Psalm 103:20

Will Accompany Christ At His Return

Matthew 16:27

Are Immortal

Luke 20:36

May Guard Your Way

Psalm 91:11

May Appear In A Dream

Matthew 1:20

Come To Earth For Special Tasks

Matthew 28:2

Serve Believers

Hebrews 1:7

Daniel In The Lion's Den

Briton Riviere

(1890)

Rescue God's People

Acts 12:11

Are Awesome To Behold

Luke 2:9

The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds

 Govert Flinck

 (1639)

Have Emotions

Luke 15:10

Are Used To Perform Miracles

Acts 15:19

Can Appear And Disappear Quickly

Acts 12:10

Protect Children

Matthew 18:10

 Guardian Angel And Children Crossing Bridge  

Lindberg Heilige Schutzengel

Worship God

Luke 2:13

Are Not To Be Worshipped

Colossians 2:18

Will Gather God's Elect

Matthew 24:31

"Believers look up, take courage.

Angels are nearer than you think."

-Reverend Billy Graham

Believers, look up - take courage. The angels are nearer than you think.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/billygraha384204.html

Believers, look up - take courage. The angels are nearer than you think.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/billygraha384204.html

In The Shelter Of Your Wings

"Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer.

From the ends of the earth will I cry to You,

when my heart is overwhelmed and fainting;

lead me to the rock that is higher than I

yes, a rock that is too high for me.

For You have been a shelter and a refuge

for me, a strong tower against the adversary.

I will dwell in Your tabernacle forever;

let me find refuge and trust in the 

shelter of Your wings.

Selah pause, and calmly think of that!

For You, O God, have heard my vows;

You have given me the heritage 

of those who fear, revere, and honor Your name.

May You prolong the true King's life

adding days upon days,

and may His years be to the last generation

of the world to come.

May He sit enthroned forever

before the face of God;

O ordain that loving-kindness and

faithfulness may watch over Him!

So will I sing praise to Your name, forever,

paying my vows day by day."

-Psalm 61

The Judean Mountains near Nataf, Israel

"Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears..."

"Sunrise, Sunset"

Bock/Harnick

from the Broadway musical,

"Fiddler on the Roof"

(1964)

 The Wedding Scene

from the movie,

"Fiddler On The Roof"

(1971)

 

"The Lord will keep you from all evil;

He will keep your life."

Psalm 121:7

In Favor With God

Simon Dewey

Great Spangled Butterfly rests on Butterfly Weed

“I tell of hearts and souls and dances...
Butterflies and second chances;
Desperate ones and dreamers bound,
Seeking life from barren ground,
Who suffer on in earthly fate
The bitter pain of agony hate,
Might but they stop and here forgive
Would break the bonds to breathe and live
And find that God in goodness brings
A chance for change, the hope of wings
To rest in Him, and self to die
And so become a butterfly.” 

-Karen Kingsbury

I'm Sure God Knew...

I'm sure God knew that we would need

A reassuring touch...

Little Girl and a Goat

Painting by Donald Zolan

When He made the friendly handclasp

That warms our hearts so much.

The Chase

Painting by William Ireland

I'm sure He knew that skies so blue

Would ofttime turn to gray;

He put the sunshine in a smile

To chase the clouds away.

Rain Shower
Illustration by Ruth Morehead

God knew, I'm sure, that you and I

Would need a helping hand,

Or a kind word, to let us know

Others care and understand. 

God must have known our hearts would need

A special kind of cheer;

I'm sure that's why He sent dear friends

To journey with us here. 

 "I'm Sure God Knew..."
Written by Kay Hoffman

Cat Napping
Painting by Donald Zolan

 

"And live in love, as Christ

loved us and handed Himself

over for us as a

sacrificial offering to God

for a fragrant aroma."

Ephesians 5:2

 

 

Little Girl In Her Garden

Painting by Brenda Burke

Reflections By The Sea

My God is my companion here

As I walk the sandy shore

Reflecting on His righteousness

Which will last forever more.

Walk With Me

Greg Olsen

I feel the cool and vibrant air

Caress my burning face,

And smell the salty ocean breeze,

Which draws me to this place.

Dawn at the Sea of Galilee

A gentle mist is rising, now,

And with it, lifts my heart-

From burdens that encompassed me,

I feel them all depart.

My mind is filled with quietness

For peace has been restored-

My heart has been renewed, again,

In the presence of the Lord.

Sunset over the Sea of Galilee

The sky grows orange, then golden-

An awesome thing to see.

As I watch it ever changing,

Then quickly fade away-

I bow my head in gratitude

And thank Him for this day.

"Reflections by the Sea"

Written by Anita G. Hamill

Michael Row The Boat Ashore

The Highwaymen

The Heroes of August: Remembering V-J Day

Omaha Beach Memorial Cemetery

Photograph by Kim Williams

August 2016 marks the 71st anniversary

of V-J Day (August 15, 1945) when the fighting

against the forces of the Empire

of Japan ended during WWII.

Look On Heroes With Pride

Please don't look upon my aging warriors with

disrespect and disdain.

They're our forgotten treasures, with backs now

bent and racked with pain.

Children of the Depression, they had few pleasures

when they were boys,

Never complaining or grumbling, because they

didn't have any toys.

They too were very young once, full of mischief

and full of play

Just as most young children are, on this very

peaceful day.

Many left school at 16, their families needed

help to survive,

They stopped being children and went to work,

at jobs from nine to five.

Then one December day, their lives would take

another disturbing turn.

They would go to war, from which many of

them would never return.

They didn't shirk their duty, protest or run away

to some foreign land;

They rushed instead, to volunteer, to give their

country a much-needed hand.

They landed on Normandy beach, midst thousands

of shells and enemy landmines.

Young boys' bodies torn apart by enemy fire, for

America, this had to be the worst of times.

Some were proud Marines at bloody Guadalcanal,

where we lost many a brave boy.

Or, with the Navy during the battle of the Pacific,

that brought the Japanese no joy.

They fought on strange islands called Tarawa,

Eniwetok, and Saipan to name a few,

Repelling screaming Japanese suicide charges,

experiencing fears that boys never knew.

They were on board the Enola Gay

that dropped the big bomb that fateful day.

That shortened the war and sent our boys home,

home safely from the frightening foray.

They left close friends behind, in graves, far

away from their homes and family.

So many brothers, sons and beloved fathers who

gave their lives so willingly.

Under thousands of white crosses they lie, in

lines so very straight and true.

Boys who sacrificed their lives, to make the

world safer for me and you.

At war's end, they returned home, to work the

farms and factories once more

To make this country so great and powerful, that

we would never again have to go to war.

If you want to see them smile again, with bodies

ramrod straight and full of pride

Just parade Old Glory by, recite the national 

anthem or blow "Taps" at a friend's graveside.

So, when you see old heroes who gave so

much and suffered so much pain

Look upon them with pride, for we may never

see their like pass by this way again.

Written by Carlo Piccolo

General Eisenhower with American troops

during the D-Day Invasion

June 6, 1944

On August 7, 1942

 United States Marines landed on

Guadalcanal, one of the southern Solomon Islands

in the South Pacific to battle Japanese forces

occupying the island. 

This post is dedicated to the
boys who became the gallant men of
this greatest generation, the

heroes of the United States Armed Forces,
  many of whom are now gone from

this earth. 

To those who are still with us,

thank you for your service to America

and for my freedom!

August Ramblings

Often your tasks will be many,
And more than you think you can do.
Often the road will be rugged
And the hills insurmountable, too.

But always remember, the hills ahead
Are never as steep as they seem,
And with Faith in your heart start upward
And climb 'Til you reach your dream.

For nothing in life that is worthy
Is never too hard to achieve
If you have the courage to try it
And you have the Faith to believe.

For Faith is a force that is greater
Than knowledge or power or skill
And many defeats turn to triumph
If you trust in God's wisdom and will.

 -Helen Steiner Rice

Hand-crafted bridge on a walking trail
through the New Jersey Pine Barrens

"The moon is at her full, and riding high,
Floods the calm fields with light.
The airs that hover in the summer sky
Are all asleep to-night."
-  William C. Bryant

The full moon in August is called the Sturgeon Moon.   

American Indian tribes in the Great Lakes region and upstate New York

believed these fish could be caught in abundance during this full moon.

Quotes of the Month

"Video games are a waste of time for men

with nothing else to do."

-Ray Bradbury

“The library is always an adventure!” 

-Ray Bradbury

One of my favorite Ray Bradbury classics!

Due to the madness of 

this technology-distracted age,

a word to the wise is sufficient.

Take time to read every day!

Portrait of Sophy Gray

Charles Edward Perugini

Good books are friendly things to own.
If you are busy they will wait.
They will not call you on the phone
Or wake you if the hour is late.
They stand together row by row,
Upon the low shelf or the high.
But if you’re lonesome this you know:
You have a friend or two nearby.
The fellowship of books is real.
They’re never noisy when you’re still.
They won’t disturb you at your meal.
They’ll comfort you when you are ill.
The lonesome hours they’ll always share.
When slighted they will not complain.
And though for them you’ve ceased to care
Your constant friends they’ll still remain.
Good books your faults will never see
Or tell about them round the town.
If you would have their company
You merely have to take them down.
They’ll help you pass the time away,
They’ll counsel give if that you need.
He has true friends for night and day
Who has a few good books to read.

-By Edgar Guest

The Library In The Old Manse...

I could easily live in this room!

But now back to August.

This month seems to be swiftly passing by.

Summer's warm stillness 

will soon give way to Autumn's chillness.

(Never said I was a poet!)

Meanwhile down the shore...

 Sunrise Over The Sea

Ocean City, New Jersey

Ah! what pleasant visions haunt me
As I gaze upon the sea!
All the old romantic legends,
All my dreams, come back to me.

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

.

"I scream, you scream,

we all scream

for ice cream!"

Delicious frozen custard with rainbow jimmies 
from Kohr Bros.
Ocean City New Jersey



Walk off those extra calories while
strolling up and down the Boardwalk
and enjoy the rest of your summer!

Carousel Dreams

"Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
Go to sleep my little baby...

...When you wake, you'll have cake,
And all the pretty little horses..."

The Carousel

Bettie Felder

 

Black and bay, dapple and grey,
Coach and six little horses,
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
Go to sleep my little baby.
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
Go to sleep my little baby,
When you wake, you'll have cake,
And all the pretty little horses. 
 "All The Pretty Horses"
Traditional American Lullaby

 

“And the seasons they go 'round and 'round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game.” 
"The Circle Game"
-Joni Mitchell