Do Not Be Dismayed

 Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 NIV

"Behold, I am coming soon!"

 "Behold, I am coming soon!  My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.  Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches.  I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!"  And let him who hears say, "Come!"  Whoever is thirsty, let him come, and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

Revelations 22:12-17 NIV

Steep Hills

No hill is too steep where God walks with me.

"The Lord said to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness."

2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV

Blowing Rock - the mysteries of God

 

Can you fathom the mysteries of God?
Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?
They are higher than the heavens--what can you do?
They are deeper than the depths of the grave--
what can you know?
Their measure is longer than the earth
and wider than the sea.

Job 11:7-9

Moving Mountains

 

Truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there," and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Matthew 17:20 NRSV

The Power of Solitude

 

Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Luke 5:16 NIV

Bringing Out the Best

 

You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored?  It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

Matthew 5:13 NRSV

Thought for the Day:  I can use my faith to bring out the best in others. (Upper Room, July)

Shifting Shadows

 

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17 NIV

Beyond the Galaxies

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?

Psalm 8:3-4 NRSV

"Peace I Leave with You"

 "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in  my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

John 14:26-27 NIV

"Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled"

 

"Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You believe in God, believe also in me.  My Father's House has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going."

John 14:1-4 NIV

The Greatest Discovery

 

"The greatest discovery we will ever make is to know the love of God, which was fully demonstrated by His Son's sacrifice on the cross for us.  This is the power that transforms man's myth into Christ's truth.  Jesus did not die on the cross for people's sin so that we would believe in Heaven--but that we would believe in HIM.  Heaven does not save souls...it collects them."

Billy Graham -"The Heaven Answer Book"

Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.  My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

John 14:23 NIV

He Calms the Storm

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, 

and he brought them out of their distress.
He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed.
They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind.

Psalms 107:28-31

A Boy Fishing

 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.  They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  "Come, follow me." Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people."  At once they left their nets and followed him.

Matthew 4:18-22

Anchor of Hope - The Storm

 

When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete.  Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island.  The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.  As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, so the men hoisted it aboard.  Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to  hold it together.  Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along.  We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard.  On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands.  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. 

After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said, "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared ourselves this damage and loss.  But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.  Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul.  You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.'  So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.  Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island."

Acts 27:13-26

Fontana Lake and Dam

 Jesus replied, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, Go, throw yourself into the sea, ad it will be done."

Matthew 21:21

Unfailing Love

"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,"  says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

Isaiah 54:10

Table Rock Mountain

 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:2

Grandfather Mountain - Wisdom and Understanding

 

My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,
preserve sound judgement and discretion;
they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.
Then you will go on your way in safety,
and your foot will not stumble.
When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
for the Lord will be at your side
and will keep your foot from being snared.

Proverbs 3:19-26

Chestoa View Trail

 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know hat makes them stumble.

Proverbs 4:18-19

Because He Lives All Fear is Gone

 

God sent His son, they call Him Jesus
He came to Love, heal and forgive
He Lived and died to buy my pardon
An empty grave is there to prove my savior lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And Life is worth the living, just because he lives...

Lyrics by Bill Gaither & Gloria Gaither

The High Country - "Joy Comes in the Morning"

 Sing praise to the Lord,
you saints of His,
And give thanks at the
remembrance of His holy name.

For HIs anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.

Psalm 30:4-5

The upper north region of North Carolina is called "The High Country" because of the Blue Ridge Mountain range.  There are a many old trucks left abandon and empty old farms. They become entangled with vines and shrubbery and are part of the landscape.

Blue Ridge Mountains - "He founded the Earth"

 

The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
by understanding He established the heavens;
By His knowledge the depths were broken up;
And clouds drop down the dew.

Proverbs 3:19

Joy In The Present

 

Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?"  For it is not wise to ask such questions.

Ecclesiastes 7:10 NIV 

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."  

Psalms 118:24 NRSV 

A Tether of Love

Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd, I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father."

John 10:14-15 NRSV

Thought for the Day:  Even when I choose my own way, God still loves me.
The Upper Room - July 1

For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams

 

Annabel Lee

by Edgar Allan Poe

It was many and many a year ago,

In a kingdom by the sea,

That a maiden there lived whom you may know

By the name of Annabel Lee;

And this  maiden she lived with no other thought

Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,

In this kingdom by the sea,

But we loved with a love that was more than love--

I and my Annabel Lee--

With a love that the winged seraphs of Heaven

Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,

In this kingdom by the sea,

A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling

My beautiful Annabel Lee;

So that her highborn kinsmen came

And bore her away from me,

To shut her up in a sepulchre

In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in Heaven,

Went envying her and me--

Yes!--that was the reason (as all men know,

In this kingdom by the sea)

That the wind came out of the cloud by night,

Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love

Of those who were older than we--

Of many far wiser than we--

And neither the angels in Heaven above

Nor the demons down under the sea

Can ever dissever my soul from the soul

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee'

And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side

Of my darling--my darling--my life and my bride.

In her sepulchre there by the sea--

In her tomb by the sounding sea.

Dedicated to my daughter

Crystal Michelle Fallin

June 19, 1984 - August 18, 2019