Thoughts from July 28

                                         Uncertainty
Anxious thoughts creep in because the future in unknown.  An empty vacuum sucks up anything yet a body, mind, and spirit full of hope wastes no time living in fear.  Choosing to entertain peaceful images and putting into practice the love which comes from above, we attempt to move heaven with our powerlessness.
 July 28, 2010-Donna Schuller-For my dear friends Mary and Tom Olds


I took this photo outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem when we were there a few weeks ago.
I loved the way the soft sandy colors of the wall sat in sharp contrast to the green of the trees and the vivid pink of the flowers in the foreground.   Jerusalem is the land of our Lord and I am certain that he lived there while he was on earth.  I also know for certain that he continues to live in the hearts of all of us who chose to hold on to our hope that we find through Him.    
I am looking forward to posting my videos again soon!   
God is blessing you.  Donna

Everyday Life with Robert A. Schuller

Many of you have emailed me or written to me and asked "how can I see "Everyday Life"?   For those of you that do not get ALN  or Family Net I have posted the award winning pilot for this new dramatic television show for your viewing.    This pilot was shown for the first time last November.   
Everyday Life from Alin Bijan on Vimeo.

Happy Fourth of July in the USA!!

 I received this in an email and thought it was worth sharing.   It also brought to mind the freedom I experience through the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus.

In Galatians 5 verse 1 St. Paul tells us "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

As I reflect on what my freedom means to me I thank all of our service men and women who have protected me over the years (sometimes from only God knows what) and I also thank God for giving me freedom through Christ.


 (photo taken on the Sea of Galilee)
          

  Happy Independence Day!!              

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown , Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: freedom is never free! 

God is blessing you!