He Left All This for Me

I saw the beauty of Heaven. I heard the angels sing their rapturous songs, ascribing praise, honor, and glory to Jesus.

 I could then realize something of the wondrous love of the Son of God. He left all the glory, all the honor which He had in Heaven, and was so interested for our salvation that He patiently and meekly bore every indignity and slight which man could heap upon Him.

Heaven page 17, E G White

Early Childhood Training

Respect for God, the Bible, our elders, the United States and the U.S. flag were paramount in my training.

 I was taught proper respect and handling of the Bible and the Church Hymnal. No literature could be placed on top of the Holy Bible; and only the Bible could be placed on top of religious literature.

The Ten Commandments were taught early and my parents required me to be quiet and respectful in church, and to keep my feet off the church pew.

 All this seemed to be the norm for the families of my childhood Lutheran church congregation.

The Cost of our REDEMPTION

Never can the cost of our redemption be realized until the redeemed shall stand with the Redeemer before the throne of God. Then as the glories of the eternal home burst upon our enraptured senses we shall remember that Jesus left all this for us…. 

Heaven, 17, Ellen G White

Vacation Bible School

In the 1960's my church had Vacation Bible School during two weeks in June, from nine a.m. until noon. All the children would enter the sanctuary by two's singing “Onward Christian Soldiers” while following the Christian and American flags. In the sanctuary we would sing, pray and listen to a sermonette and a mission story. Then in our classrooms we would work on crafts and listen to Bible stories.

Psalm 91 - Thoughts - Safety

Those who live in the shelter of God's power will say, "God is my fortress and refuge, in God we trust."

God will protect you from the terrorists' snare, and from deadly disease. You will not fear the terror by night, nor the arrow that flies by day; nor for the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the plague. A thousand will fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you!

If you make God your refuge then no harm will happen to you. For God will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

God says, "Because they love Me, I will rescue them and protect them, for they acknowledge Me. I will be with them in trouble, and deliver them and honor them."

Based on Psalm 91- Found in the Old Testament of the Holy Scriptures

In the Beginning

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God, and all things were created through Him and nothing was made without Him. For in Him all things were created, in Heaven and earth, visible and invisible; whether thrones, dominions, principalities or authorities - all things were created through Him and by Him.

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Scoffers deliberately ignore this fact: that by the Word of God the heavens existed long ago. Since earliest times men have seen God's creation and have known of His existence and great eternal power. So they will have no excuse for saying, "there is no God".

See these Bible texts: John 1:1-3/ Colossians 1:16/ Hebrews 11:3/ Psalms 33:6-9/ Acts 17:30-31/ Hebrews 1:2

Making You Wise

So ever since we first heard about you we have kept on praying asking God to help you understand what He wants you to do; asking Him to make you wise about spiritual things.

 Colossians chapter 1, verse 9 [Living Bible translation)
found in the New Testament of Holy Scripture

Special Message

Trust Jesus. Believe that He forgives your sins, as He promised to do. Be thankful and happy that He has received you as His child. By E G White

Perfect Peace

God will keep you in perfect peace, when your mind is focused on God, because you trust in God.” Isaiah 26:3

Father of Mercy

“Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforts us in our trials.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (New Testament)


“Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not worry, for I am your God. I will strengthen you - yes! I will help you - yes! I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.”
  Isaiah 41:10 (Old Testament)

Never a prayer is offered...

Never a prayer is offered, however faltering;
never a tear is shed, however secret;
never a sincere desire after God is cherished, however feeble,
but the Spirit of God goes forth to meet it. 

  Christ’s Object Lessons 208-209, Ellen G White

God's Ten Commandments

God's Ten Commandments in the Old Testament of Holy Scripture

1. You will have no other gods before Me. Exodus 20:3

2. You will not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth, or that is in the water under the earth. You will not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; and showing mercy unto thousands that love Me and keep My Commandments. Exodus 20:4-6

3. You will not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain. Exodus 20:7

4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you may work, and do all your work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, daughter, manservant, maidservant, thy animals, nor the stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8-11

5. Honor your father and mother, that your days be long upon the land which the Lord thy God gives to you. Exodus 20:12

6. You will not murder. Exodus 20:13

7. You will not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14

8. You will not steal. Exodus 20:15

9. You will not lie about a neighbor. Exodus 20:16

10. You will not covet your neighbor’s house, wife, servants, animals, or anything that is your neighbor’s. Exodus 20:17


God's Ten Commandments in the New Testament of Holy Scripture

1. You will worship the Lord your God. and Him only will you serve. Matthew 4:10

2. Little children, keep yourselves from idols... 1 John 5:21
...abstain from idols... Acts 15:20
Do not be idolaters... 1 Cor. 10:7

3. That the Name of God and His doctrine be not blasphemed. 1 Timothy 6:1

4. For He spoke in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all His works. There remains therefore a rest [‘keeping of a Sabbath’ margin] to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works as God did from His. Hebrews 4:4, 9, 10

5. Honor thy father and thy mother. Matthew 19:19

6. Thou shalt not murder. Matt 19:18

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Matthew 19:18

8. Thou shalt not steal. Romans 13:9

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Romans 13:9

10.Thou shalt not covet. Romans 7:7

Never Abandoned

Christ will never abandon those for whom He has died [He died for everyone].

 We may leave Him and be overwhelmed with temptation, but Christ can never turn from one for whom He has paid the ransom of His own life.

  Prophets & Kings, page 176, Ellen G White

Are the Deceased Dead or Alive?

Here is the question: Do the dead come back to give us counsel?

God's Word says: "As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away: so he that goes down to the grave shall come up no more. He will return no more to his house, neither will his place know him anymore." Job 7:9-10. After studying this subject with a certain woman, she exclaimed: "Then who is it that appears in my bedroom and talks to me, if it is not my dead husband?"

Here is the dilemma. If what we have read from the Bible is true, and it is, then who gives the messages in the darkened room? Who is masquerading in the disguise of those loved and lost? Who is so perfectly impersonating the voice and appearance of a loved one taken by death?

God tells us who these powers are! The Bible identifies these powers or beings, that parade as the dead, as fallen angels who were cast out of Heaven with Satan. See Revelation 12:9-10. Keep in mind that angels are not the spirits of the dead. Angels existed long before this world was created and before a person ever died. Job 38:7.

I realize that it may be difficult to grasp the idea that evil angels can actually work miracles. But this fact is the key to understanding the psychic phenomena with which we are bombarded today. Remember: the supernatural, the miraculous, does not necessarily come from God! When that fact is fully established in your mind, you are safe guarded from many deceptions.

"For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles." Revelation 16:14. "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." 2 Corinthians 11:13-14.

Now we see that it is possible for a fallen angel to be disguised as a dead loved one. According to the Bible these spirits, which come to us and claim to be loved ones taken by death are not dead people, they are not living people, and they are not people at all! They are fallen angels masquerading in the form of loved ones!

Friend, your Bible makes it very clear that humanity's only hope of living again is the first Resurrection, not at death or in death. Loved ones torn from us by death will be reunited with us again on Resurrection morning.

"Behold, I show you a mystery...in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.... For the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.... This mortal must put on immortality." 1 Corinthians 15:51-55.

“For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ will rise first: then we which are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so will we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18.

Fun Stories

While strolling through the woods I heard a strange sound; it sounded like someone walking in the underbrush!  Worried, since I couldn’t see anyone, I walked a little faster, but the strange sound went faster too! Worried, I stopped walking and the sound stopped too! This spooked me so I walked even faster. The sound stayed with me! Looking around the area, I saw nothing - man nor beast. This continued for about 10 minutes. Finally I walked in the pasture to see better what was following me, and saw nothing! - but could still hear the sound! Reaching into my deep jacket pocket I found the “culprit!” It was the water bottle! With every step it was going, “galoosch, galoosch, galoosch.”

Then, at a restaurant, I looked out the window when the waitress started screaming to the buss boy, "Bill, someone has left a note on your windshield! They must have wrecked your car!" The manager called the police, then Bill ran through the parking lot, found the note and ran back in. He opened the note, it said, "if you would like to sell your car, call this number." Bill's car wasn't damaged at all, because no one had run into it - they just wanted to buy it!

There was no one in the gas station when I stopped to buy more water. Waiting by the cash register I was surprised when a large, hairy head with dark, beady eyes popped out from beneath the counter! To my surprise it was an Airedale Terrier! What a day!

The Black Hills

Awhile back Andy and I took a much needed mini-vacation to the Black Hills in southwestern South Dakota. We saw some lovely mountain homes in the Black Hills, and it would be nice to retire there someday. It wasn't tourist season yet so many attractions were closed, but we came for the peace and quiet. But we did see Mount Rushmore!

We heard about a vegan restaurant in Rapid City called “Veggies,” and ate dinner there - good food.

Andy selected a wonderful place to stay about 10 miles northwest of Rapid City. It was called Elk Creek Resort, we were the only guests (as it wasn’t tourist season yet) it was great! The place has camping, primitive cabins, and also 2 triplexes, and 2 four-plexes. We had a end unit of a triplex, very nice. It was situated half-way up a mountain with a commanding view, and at the foot of the Petrified Forest. So quiet and peaceful; it was great getting close to nature and God.

On April 30 we took a short drive south of Rapid to Hermosa, SD then up in the hills a few miles to a health resort called Black Hills Health & Education Center. We were given a tour - they have nice facilities, two doctors on staff also. They help people with diabetes, heart problems, etc. The campus is between some mountains on 400+ acres; a beautiful, clear stream runs through the middle of it. The only sounds we heard were birds and the stream! We saw 22 deer that day!

Would be nice to have mini-vacations all through the year, but that seems impossible. So much stress.

Angels & the Gentle Ones

God smiles upon the humble and gentle ones who follow closely in the footsteps of the Master. Angels are attracted to them, and love to linger about their path. They may be passed by as unworthy of notice by those who claim exalted attainments and who delight in making prominent their good works, but Heavenly angels bend lovingly over them and are as a wall of fire round about them.

The Sanctified Life, p 13, E G White

Sanctification - Failing to See

When persons claim that they are sanctified, they give sufficient evidence that they are far from being holy. They fail to see their own weakness and destitution. They look upon themselves as reflecting the image of Christ, because they have no true knowledge of Him. The greater the distance between them and their Savior, the more righteous they appear in their own eyes.

...By holding Him we become changed into His divine likeness. And when this work is wrought in us, we shall claim no righteousness of our own, but shall exalt Jesus Christ, while we hand our helpless souls upon His merits.

The Sanctified Life, p 8, E G White