..strength that sets the mountains

Goodness and Mercy have followed me all the days of my life....

"...O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:
Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power:
Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people." (Psalm 65:5-7)

NEVER failing mercy....

"By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
O God of our salvation,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas;

the one who by his strength established the mountains,
being girded with might;

who stills the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples," (Psalm 65:5-7 ESV)

This i recall to my mind, therefore
i have hope ! The Hope of all the ends of the earth :)

".. where rust does not destroy"

I was  walking and saw a rust line on a prominent house- Jimmy Stewart's historic house, on Vinegar Hill. First thing i thought of was how rust is a common, everyday occurrence but goes unnoticed a lot of the time since it is so ordinary.We get used to it but this certain day it stood out to me. It is hidden from our view in many cases but everything is rusting away slowly, day by day.

So what are we to do...when the daily grind slowly wears us out, discourages us or eats away at the foundation or structural beams of support in our lives.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matt 6:19-20).

We must keep enduring on this path to our treasure and realize that on a a daily basis there are factors that could destroy are hope and vision for the future and we must stay focused on those things that will not rust or fade away.

My,my, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue) Neil Young

My my, hey hey
Rock and roll is here to stay
It's better to burn out
Than to fade away
My my, hey hey.

Out of the blue
and into the black
They give you this,
but you pay for that
And once you're gone,
you can never come back
When you're out of the blue
and into the black.

The king is gone
but he's not forgotten
This is the story
of a Johnny Rotten
It's better to burn out
than it is to rust
The king is gone
but he's not forgotten.

Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye.
Hey hey, my my.

Trust in Jesus- Third Day

"Trust In Jesus"

One of these days we all will stand in judgment for
Every single word that we have spoken
One of these days we all will stand before the Lord
Give a reason for everything we've done
And what I've done is

Trust in Jesus
My great Deliverer
My strong Defender
The Son of God
I trust in Jesus
Blessed Redeemer
My Lord forever
The Holy One, the Holy One

What are you going to do when your time has come
And your life is done and there's nothing you can stand on
What will you have to say at the judgment throne
I already know the only thing that I can say I

There's nothing I can do on my own to find forgiveness
It's by His grace alone I trust in Jesus
Trust in Jesus

One of these days we all will stand in judgment for
Every single word that we have spoken
One of these days we all will stand before the Lord

Alta (little rust color)
Fresh snow. Blue skies. Life is good at the end of Little Cottonwood Canyon.
Photo: Joe Johnson


"Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Mark 13:30-32)

"the harbor of weather-beaten sails.."

You, You alone, can steer us over the bar between submerged rocks which lie ahead, and safely into the fair haven

Evening September 22- Charles Spurgeon

“When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.”
Psalm 61:2

Most of us know what it is to be overwhelmed in heart; feeling as empty as a dish which has been wiped and turned upside down; submerged and thrown on our beam ends like a vessel mastered by the storm. Discoveries of inward corruption will do this, if the Lord permits the great deep of our depravity to become troubled and cast up mire and dirt. Disappointments and heart-breaks will do this when billow after billow rolls over us, and we are like a broken shell hurled to and fro by the surf. Blessed be God, at such seasons we are not without an all-sufficient solace, our God is the harbor of weather-beaten sails, the hospice of forlorn pilgrims. Higher than we are is He, His mercy higher than our sins, His love higher than our thoughts. It is pitiful to see men putting their trust in something lower than themselves; but our confidence is fixed upon an exceeding high and glorious Lord. A Rock He is since He changes not, and a high Rock, because the tempests which overwhelm us roll far beneath at His feet; He is not disturbed by them, but rules them at His will. If we get under the shelter of this lofty Rock we may defy the hurricane; all is calm under the lee of that towering cliff. Alas! such is the confusion in which the troubled mind is often cast, that we need piloting to this divine shelter. Hence the prayer of the text. O Lord, our God, by Thy Holy Spirit, teach us the way of faith, lead us into Thy rest. The wind blows us out to sea, the helm answers not to our puny hand; Thou, Thou alone canst steer us over the bar between yon sunken rocks, safe into the fair haven. How dependent we are upon Thee-we need Thee to bring us to Thee. To be wisely directed and steered into safety and peace is Thy gift, and Thine alone. This night be pleased to deal well with Thy servants.

Oceans(where feet may fail)- Hillsong United
You call me out upon the waters

The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior
[x6]

I will call upon Your Name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine

You, You alone, can steer us over the bar between submerged rocks which lie ahead, and safely into the fair haven.

" I Have Conquered Death! "

I woke one morning after a acute illness that my wife, daughter, and I had experienced on the last day of a week's beautiful vacation. We were able to find refuge in a hotel an hour into our trip home. We slept from 2 pm to 8 am the next morning, without eating anything but a few crackers.

Honestly- my first thought or impression when i awakened was

 "I have conquered Death".

I then thought how do people with terminal illness press on in life when they feel so bad.

Dying may be easier since Christ has conquered death.

Today i was reading the  August 31st devotional in Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon.

August 31st Morning

I realize that year after year  we "Wait  in Hope for His Arm".

"My righteousness draws near,
my salvation has gone out,
and my arms will judge the peoples;
the coast-lands hope for me, and for my arm they wait.
6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
and look at the earth beneath;
for the heavens vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment,
and they who dwell in it will die in like manner;
but my salvation will be forever,
and my righteousness will never be dismayed." (Is 51: 5-6)

That year after year we will have times in our lives that " drive us to the Father." And that God alone and His care is the only hope we have to breakthrough.

So how do we show the world that our God is " worth 10,000 worlds to us when we feel hopeless or feel bad?

 How do i get the strength for  "feats of faith and valiant exploits? "

We..... "cast ourselves on God alone" who supports the sky and arch of the heavens without anything visible to our eye!

Some other help on how to process and go forward:

Revelation 21:4

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

1 Corinthians 15:55
55 “O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?

John 3:16
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

As i look over the notes on this page of 7 yrs--
 many things have happened, great things as well as trials, and each year I realize that I
" simply must entirely entrust myself on the providence and care of God my Father,

Breakthrough - Michele Tumes

Love, love will make the distance
It's song riding through the moors
Of all that's lost

Hope, the flag that leads the mission
Flying over rain and foe
To rescue me from harm

I see my love, see my love
With might to save
Scale the walls of yesterday
Break through
Be my joy, be my joy
Charge this path and
Storm the tower of my heart
For only You can break through
To me

Love, the banquet for the famished
It's song rising through these halls
To fill my heart

Hope the banner in my anguish
Writing words of faith
Erasing thoughts of a darkened soul

I see my love, see my love
With might to save
Scale the walls of yesterday
Break through
See my joy, see my joy
Charge this path and
Storm the tower of my heart
For only You can break through

Let the choir sing
Listen to the angels

Fill the chapel
Singing adulation
Let the bells ring

John 11:25
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,

Old and New alike...

Very busy week, few trials in between. Missing all the family time we had the few weeks prior. Trying to set mind to see fresh hope in all areas.

Took some time to walk. Surely i could stir my mind and sight to see things from a new perspective.

Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV)

Prayer for Spiritual Strength

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth is named,16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

I saw vines growing together on a tree. One mature and one new- growing the same upward fashion. Not random or without direction but by created internal means.

Saw two sized grape-like looking vines- same detail but one large and one small in diameter.

Ferns or different sizes

Seedling pine (close look) and large pine

Spiders of all sizes weave similar webs- not random

fawns learn naturally and by similar means as the older deer

Thistles and flowers together (little random but real life)

1. 2 size climbing vines 

2. 2 sizes of grape vines 

3. 2 sizes of ferns

4. Large pine and in front - (look close sapling pine )

5. Flowers with thistles

God has created a cycle of life And it is certainly not random.

Climbing vines obey nature's laws and climb toward the sun both young and old .

The new plants ferns vines and trees grow like those before.

Very young spiders spin a similar web as the old

Spotted fawns learn from older deer

Each generation learns from those that come before and those that follow.

Ecclesiastes 1:8-10 (NIV)

8 All things are wearisome,
    more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
    nor the ear its fill of hearing.
9 What has been will be again,
    what has been done will be done again;
    there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which one can say,
    “Look! This is something new”?
It was here already, long ago;
    it was here before our time.

Unfailing God

Though my eyes may fail meI will follow after YouThough You promise seems forsakenI'll remember the world's in Your handsYou'll find me singing

You are unfailing GodYour love's unendingAnd Your word is eternalFirm in the heavens its stands

Though sorrow's my conditionAnd pain holds back no blowThough this be my darkest hourYour lamp is leading me homeYou'll find me singing

Eyes can't see but I feel You nearI know You're working through my tearsI trust You Lord I trust You for You never walk away

Psalm 52:8-9 (NIV)

8 But I am like an olive tree
    flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love
    for ever and ever.
9 For what you have done I will always praise you
    in the presence of your faithful people.
And I will hope in your name,
    for your name is good.

unusual weather-- prayer requests, orders chaos

I reviewed the weather forecast on July 5 for a special family gathering we were having on July 26-27. The  forecast was storms and rain. Panic .. and prayer..

".....His way is in whirlwind and storm,
and the clouds are the dust of his feet." Nahum 1:3

unusual weather pattern blamed for heat wave

Some excerpts that peaked my interest since on 7/5  prayer request that the weather would be 

"Normally U.S. weather systems move west to east. The western Atlantic high pressure system behind the hot dry weather started moving east to west last week.."

“It’s definitely unusual and going the wrong way,” Gottschalck said Thursday. “This is pretty rare.”

The unusual movement wasn’t seen in computer models until four or five days in advance, which is relatively late for these models, so meteorologists were surprised, he said.

Gottschalck said there’s no evidence pointing at man-made climate change, but this is likely just natural chaos in the atmosphere. He couldn’t say how often these backward weather flows occur, but they are less frequent than once a year.

The article prompted me to look up Job 38 and 42 recalling that Job was rightly set in his place by The Lord.
also God does hear prayer requests and orders the chaos..

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it? 

“Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain
and a way for the thunderbolt,
 to bring rain on a land where no man is,"

“Has the rain a father,
or who has begotten the drops of dew?

“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
that a flood of waters may cover you?
Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go
and say to you, ‘Here we are’?

Job 38: 4-5, 25-26, 28, 34-35

When i checked the weather forecast on 7/19 it improved to sunshine , less humid and hot weather. 
Amazing, chaos thought by scientists....  order and answer to prayer by God? 

So will continue to pray for beautiful weather for the weekend of July 25-27 but will also need to be content with the days ahead knowing i know very little.

"Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me." Job 38:1-3

"Then Job answered the Lord and said:
 “I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, "

Job 42: 1-3

when the enemy comes like a flood

 I went to relax in the family room and realized a pipe was leaking by the fallen ceiling panel. It has happened multiple times over the years. I generally have a better attitude and a sense of hope than i did this time. :(
The LOCATION of the leak on this pipe is in an area that is NOT CONVENIENT, and takes much WORK to fix. The pipe would push up so i could not work on it as i would have liked, so after 2 hours, and 3 "sharkbite" pipe joint joining ATTEMPTS I gave up for the night since it was still leaking and i was anxious and angry.

Morning devotions i was reading an article by Billy Graham from 1956 and it was straight shooting and when i saw the picture of him with his finger pointed, i felt like this was a WORD for me "

The Mystery of lawlessness and the Tide of Evil

"Have you ever wondered about the tumultuous tide of evil in the world? How it overwhelms society, how it engulfs nations, how it infiltrates all races, how it devastates the individual, how it ruins the family and destroys the home?

"The mystery of lawlessness is the power unseen, unknown except by its effects, that is ever working in the world for evil. It is working against the law and will of God, corrupting what has been well done and well begun, causing misery in the natural world and in all that people do. We try to trace evil back to its origin, and we soon see that there is indeed a mysterious element to it." (Bily Graham)
It ended with a hopeful scripture and encouragement!
" When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him."

"Great is the mystery of lawlessness. However, there is another mystery that is even greater. It is called in the Bible “the mystery of godliness”—the secret, unseen, unmeasured power that lies in the inspiration, guidance and comfort of the Holy Spirit, who is within all those who have trusted Jesus Christ as Savior."


So TODAY I decided to try again, met a very CALM shopper at the hardware store and asked him for advice. I wish i was calm. He told me he would "sweat it" in, solder it using a torch. I have caught the floor on fire a few times and didn't want to take this ROAD but i did with his ADVICE-- and it worked!

Many times God is working on our heart attitudes to help us change to serve others. It is not convenient at times to grow, and the location of the problem is not always easy to resolve and takes work and Many Attempts. Direction comes from theWord, and others willing to take the time to give Advice along the Road. The Holy Spirit is our strength against the tide of evil and helps us to refuse to alllow evil to devastate me, ruin my family, or destroy my home.

as long as you are glorified

"Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings
Yet not welcome any pain
Shall I thank You for days of sunshine
Yet grumble in days of rain
Shall I love You in times of plenty
Then leave You in days of drought
Shall I trust when I reap a harvest
But when winter winds blow, then doubt

Oh let Your will be done in me
In Your love I will abide
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As You are glorified" 

So quiet my restless heart
Quiet my restless heart
Quiet my restless heart in you"

(Verse from song by Mark Altrogge)

"So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." Isaiah 59:19