Thank God I'm a country...bear

Click the happy bear for something on the light side!

Brought to you by Smiling Bear ofMountains To Prairies Bed and Breakfast,wishing you a safe and HAPPY Memorial Day Weekend...
and reminding you to pray that God will keep Americathe land of the free and the home of the brave.Thank Him, too, for the brave lives givenand being given for our freedom—lest we forget—



Visit the BIBLE VERSE of the Day; In Touch Daily by Charles Stanley;Today's Reading in My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers

Lesson of the Mountain Hemlock

The image above is in the public domain,the work of the Forest Service of the US Dept of Agriculture.
Why is it that the mountain hemlocks can attain such stateliness in spite of fierce winter gales and crushing snows? If you look at one of them closely you will see that it has foliage almost as delicate as a fir, its dark needles being as dainty as fairy feathers. Yet if you try to break a twig or a bough you will learn that therein lies the strength and the tenacious power of the hemlock. It will bend and yield but it will not break. Winds may whip and toss it this way and that, but they cannot break it—nor can elements, however fierce, pull its roots out of the ground. For months it may have its graceful form held down by a mighty weight of snow, but when the warm breath of summer winds and the melting influence of summer's sun relieve it of its burden it straightens up as proud and as noble as it was before.
Beautiful, wonderful hemlock of the mountains—what a lesson you bring to us! Though we may be storm-tossed and bent by the winds of sorrow, we need not be crushed and broken if our souls are anchored to the Rock of Ages.-Unknown Author
Other Photos of Mountain Hemlock can be viewed by searching the internet.
Listen to1) Rock of Ages2) Rock of Ages
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,Let me hide myself in Thee;Let the water and the blood,From Thy wounded side which flowed,Be of sin the double cure;Save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labor of my handsCan fulfill Thy law's demands;Could my zeal no respite know,Could my tears forever flow,All for sin could not atone;Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,Simply to the cross I cling;Naked, come to Thee for dress;Helpless look to Thee for grace;Foul, I to the fountain fly;Wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath,When mine eyes shall close in death,When I soar to worlds unknown,See Thee on Thy judgment throne,Rock of Ages, cleft for me,Let me hide myself in Thee.-Augustus M. Toplady 1776

Visit the BIBLE VERSE of the Day; In Touch Daily by Charles Stanley;Today's Reading in My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers

The Bright and Morning Star

Nothing But The Blood

(click link)

What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh...precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon, this I see,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

For my cleansing this my plea,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh...precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

Naught of good that I have done,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh...precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

This is all my righteousness,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh...precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Now by this I’ll overcome—

Nothing but the blood of Jesus,

Now by this I’ll reach my home—

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh...precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Glory! Glory! This I sing—

Nothing but the blood of Jesus,

All my praise for this I bring—

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh...precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

-Robert Lowry 1876

I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you

these things in the churches.

I am the root and the offspring of David,

and the bright and morning star.

-Revelation 22:16

Visit the BIBLE VERSE of the Day; In Touch Daily by Charles Stanley;Today's Reading in My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers

Give your life to God while there's still time

Now, this is a perculating mouthful of truth!...
Tamara Lowe's Motivational Rap(click the link)

Visit the BIBLE VERSE of the Day; In Touch Daily by Charles Stanley;Today's Reading in My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers

Soupless Potluck!

Sunday evening at Loretta's

our Bible Study group gathered,

the last get-together until fall.

We ended the season of fellowshipping with a

POTLUCK(click potluck)
Click HERE to seethe first post about this group.


Visit the BIBLE VERSE of the Day; In Touch Daily by Charles Stanley;Today's Reading in My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers

Messages for the Morning Watch

Click to read Messages for the Morning WatchWhen there, click on a page and it will turn.
This daily devotional teaches sound scriptural truths, such asthat there is only one kind of obedience: instant.
"In the selfsame day, as God had said unto him."-Genesis 17:23
That is the day to follow the example of Abraham,the selfsame day as God gives instruction.Procrastination robs God,and robs others and ourselves of God's blessing.
How do we receive God's instruction?
We cannot go through life strong and fresh on constant express trains with ten minutes for lunch: we must have quiet hours, secret places of the Most High, times of waiting upon the Lord, when we renew our strength and learn to mount up on wings as eagles, and then come back to run and not be weary, and to walk and not faint.
The best thing about this stillness is, that it gives God a chance to work. "He that is entered into His rest hath ceased from his own works, even as God did from His; and when we cease from our thoughts, God's thoughts come into us; when we get still from our restless activity, "God worketh in us, both to will and to do of His good pleasure," and we have but to work it out. -unknown author
And so, God's instruction is for you if you are willing to...
..."work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."-Philippians 2:12 KJV
..."being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."-Philippians 1:6
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."-2 Corinthians 9:8
"And we know that God causes all thingsto work together for good to those who love God,to those who are called according to His purpose."-Romans 8:28
"All the works of God are redemptive."-Pastor Edward Wood
Click here to read Romans 8:26-39...words of encouragement to keep our confidence in Christ,the solid Rock on whom alone we stand.

Visit the BIBLE VERSE of the Day; In Touch Daily by Charles Stanley;Today's Reading in My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers

Aloha, Snow!

He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,'and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.'-Job 37:6
Aloha, Snow!Click this link for the latest Black Hills snow scenes!

Visit the BIBLE VERSE of the Day; In Touch Daily by Charles Stanley;Today's Reading in My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers

Quote Collage ♡ Happy Mother's Day!

♡ "The sweetest sounds to mortals given...are heard in Mother, Home, and Heaven."-William Goldsmith Brown ♡ "All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother."-Abraham Lincoln ♡ "A mother is a person who seeing there are only 4 pieces of pie for 5 people, promptly announces she never did care for pie."-Tenneva Jordan ♡ "A mother understands what a child does not say."-Jewish proverb ♡ "Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother."-Lin Yutang ♡ "A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary."-Dorothy Canfield Fisher ♡ "If the whole world were put into one scale, and my mother in the other, the whole world would kick the beam."-Henry Bickersteth ♡ Happy Mother's Day! ♡


Visit the BIBLE VERSE of the Day; In Touch Daily by Charles Stanley;Today's Reading in My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers

Best Friends

Smile, exercise, eat healthy foods, rest well, spend time with your friends,especially your best friend.
Smile even when no-one else is looking,but smile most commonly and extraordinarily for your best friend.Exercise in the outdoors, enjoyed very much by your best friend.Eat a sensible, balanced diet of veggies and fruit,also some fish and some bread, like your best friend.Rest well in the knowledge that you are loved and cared forby your best friend.
Your best friend authored a book over a long period of time.The key topic is about friendship.In the book, this is what is said about your friendship with your best friend...
Greater love hath no man than this,that a man lay down his life for his friends.Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.-John 15:13-14 KJV



Visit the BIBLE VERSE of the Day; In Touch Daily by Charles Stanley;Today's Reading in My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers

Fellowship - Use Hospitality

That which we have seen and heard

declare we unto you,

that ye also may have fellowship with us:

and truly our fellowship is with the Father,

and with his Son Jesus Christ.

-1 John 1:3 KJV

For where two or three are gathered together in my name,

there am I in the midst of them.

-Matthew 18:20 KJV

Use hospitality one to another ...

-1 Peter 4:9 KJV

A dear widow in our church shares her log home

for a nourishing soup and Bible Study gathering

(here where her family was raised years ago)

... we gather every other Sunday evening.

And because of her generous hospitality

to this day, here, children still play ...

prayers are prayed in commonality ...

lives are strengthened to meet coming days.

What a tremendous blessing she does not hoard,

offering this gift ... a place of fellowshipping

wrapped in the robust beauty of the great outdoors

... in which God is, to this day, creating.

Of course, we probably all realize that the first picture above represents the time that Jesus had been invited to Martha's house for fellowship around mealtime, and she, busy with preparations, became annoyed and complained to Jesus that her sister Mary would not help her in the kitchen. Jesus lovingly encouraged Martha to see it His way, that Mary was right where He wanted her...sitting there at His feet and listening intently to His every word.
Perhaps Martha would prepare a simpler meal next time, and she may even ask her guests to bring part of the meal. What do you think?...the origins of potluck?
Our Sunday evening fellowship begins at 5:00 p.m., otherwise known as mealtime. For approximately an hour, we delve into a delicious meal of soup, bread and dessert, all brought by volunteers from the group who prepared the food in advance, at their convenience. The hostess provides spread for the bread, utensils, coffee and miscellaneous other niceties. The children are served by their Mom and/or Grandma or other handy person...then everyone else is served, usually by the person who brought the food, or in some cases we help ourselves. Then we all sit down with one another and enthusiastically engage in the agreeable tradition known as visiting and eating.
After the meal, the children jump into their own activities in another room, while the adults gather in the living room for Bible Study and prayer. Bible Study may be led by, again, a volunteer for the evening or for a series of evenings. It is all very amiable. The presence of Jesus is indeed in the midst, and no one is left out.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,

we have fellowship one with another,

and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son

cleanseth us from all sin.

-1 John 1:7 KJV

Visit the BIBLE VERSE of the Day; In Touch Daily by Charles Stanley;Today's Reading in My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers