Everywhere I Go I See You!

I have been so fortunate to capture so many beautiful places in photos here in the USA as well as around the world. Here are a few more beautiful places where I spent time with my camera, alone with God. Each place displays the results of God's handiwork. You can see His attention to detail in even the smallest things. My friends, ... You were uniquely made by God! You are no accident. God wants a real relationship with you. Doesn't that make you want to know more about Him?
Have a great Monday!
NikonSniper Steve

Jesus IS Alive, HE Has Risen

Thanking God For Protecting Our Daughter

Monday morning, January 28, 2013, I received a call from our daughter, Tara, from the emergency room of a hospital at her military base. She had been in a car accident earlier that morning. After hearing what had happened it was clear that God had placed his arms around her and protected her and her unborn baby boy through this accident on the highway. Tara is very bruised up now but was able to escape this vehicle on her own through the rear driver side door.
God saw to it that Tara was being followed on the highway that morning by doctors and nurses who were the first to arrive at the vehicle. What a God! Tara has essentially, by God's grace, mercy and protection, walked away from this potentially devastating incident with minor injuries.
Tara is herself an Army combat field medic and was taken to the nearby military hospital. We are thanking God as a family! I altered the story from the Tennessean newspaper below. See if you can guess where I changed it a bit.

 

Clarksville woman injured in one-vehicle crash on I-24

 

OAK GROVE, KY. — The Kentucky State Police investigated a single-vehicle, injury collision that occurred on I-24, at approximately the 92 mile-marker, on Monday at 7:54 a.m.

The preliminary investigation revealed that Tara Baird, 26 of Clarksville was operating a 2007 Ford Focus westbound on I-24 when it appears that the vehicle hydroplaned. Baird lost control, (this is when God Himself took control, wrapping her in His mighty to save arms) and the vehicle exited the right shoulder of the roadway. It struck an embankment and overturned several times. The vehicle came to rest upright off the roadway.

Baird was transported via ambulance to the Blanchfield Army Community Hospital for treatment. She was wearing a seatbelt. There were no passengers.

Trooper Luis Palmer investigated the collision. The Oak Grove Police Department and Oak Grove EMS assisted at the scene.

Resurrection Chapel

The Greatness Of Our God

After a long period of unemployment, God is blowing me away with His goodness and blessing to us! YOU MY GOD ARE GREATER STILL! Trust Him! Run to Him! Weep at His feet! Bring your sorrow and pain to Christ. Only Jesus can do for you what the world cannot. You may think I'm a nut, but I am telling you there is hope in Christ! I am forever in His hands. And I love it! I hope you have an awesome weekend. NikonSniper Steve

Prayers for Hurricane Sandy Victims

Lord, we pray for your abundant provision and protection for the people of our Eastern Coastline who have endured the harsh setback of Hurricane Sandy. O Lord, we pray that you will be quick to save and pull some from the destruction. We pray that you will be their strength in this time of need. Lord we ask that we might be used to assist in the hour of their need. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Just Letting It All Sink In To My Soul

God's Gift Is In His Son

His Promise Is True! ALWAYS!

Are you feeling the pressure this world is heeping on you? Call upon the Lord! This is my prayer for you today!

Many of you know I am unemployed right now. And I DO feel the heat! This song is a great reminder to me that God isn't late. He hasn't forgotten me. He's right on time and speeding to deliver exactly what I need. He may be using this period in life to make me a more compassionate person ... but either way He is right on time in achieving His purpose in me. It's humiliating being without employment. This is the first time I have been able to identify with others who have experienced the pain.

I will go anywhere and do anything for the Lord. Here I am! Lord, What would you have me do in this world?

Psalm 27:13-14
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

I pray He lifts and encourages you and that you will trust in the Lord Jesus! Listen to these words and surrender your burdens to the Lord.
God bless you.
nikonsniper steve

Always
by Kristian Stanfill

My foes are many, they rise against me
But I will hold my ground
I will not fear the war, I will not fear the storm
My help is on the way, my help is on the way

Oh, my God, He will not delay
My refuge and strength always
I will not fear, His promise is true
My God will come through always, always

Troubles surround me, chaos abounding
My soul will rest in You
I will not fear the war, I will not fear the storm
My help is on the way, my help is on the way

Oh, my God, He will not delay
My refuge and strength always
I will not fear, His promise is true
My God will come through always, always

I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord
I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord
I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord
I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord
From You Lord, from You Lord

Oh, my God, He will not delay
My refuge and strength always
I will not fear, His promise is true
My God will come through always, always

Oh, my God, He will not delay
My refuge and strength always, always

Jesus Loves You SO MUCH!

Our God Is An Awesome God

This is a photo of me taken by my wife about 5 years ago on top of a hill in our town. The sky was on fire at sundown that evening. To me the photo has always been about praise for our heavenly Father. Life hasn't dealt me straight Aces. I have had to learn to keep on praising Him when the chips are down. This photo has been a good reminder for me to keep looking to Him for guidance in good and bad times.

That's My King Too! Do You Know Him?

Memorizing 33 Verses In 10 Weeks

33 Memory Verse Challenge Tools
Version A - 16 minutes
I have combined the verses into a 16 minute audio version with a bit of space to think between the verses so that I can listen to them while I am working on other things at my computer. The program I used forced me to put some form of video or photos in the background so there is no significance to the photos. I really intend to just listen to the audio while working on other things in the foreground.



33 Memory Verse Challenge Tools
Version B - 60 minutes
I have combined the verses into a 60 minute version with a relaxing audio background. You can mute the audio if it is too relaxing and it puts you to sleep while you are trying to memorize the words. Verses pop up about every two slides. Just image that the audio is eggs frying up for breakfast if that helps you wake up. Either one of these options can be made full screen.

Here are the 33 verses:
1 John 5:11-12, 2 Timothy 2:2, Ezra 7:10, John 16:24, Genesis 1:27, Isaiah 59:2, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, 1 John 1:9, Hebrews 9:27, John 5:24, Proverbs 3:5-6, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 14:6, Matthew 6:33, 1 Peter 3:18, Romans 10:9, Philippians 4:13, Revelation 3:20, Galatians 2:20, Psalm 119:9,11, Joshua 1:8, Jeremiah 33:3, John 13:34-35, Hebrews 10:24-25, Acts 1:8, 2 Corinthians 9:7, John 14:21, 1 John 5:13, Psalm 122:1, Ephesians 2:10, and Mark 5:19.

The Lord will inded bless us for spending time memorizing His word.
NikonSniper Steve

Prayers For The People Of Japan

Lord, we pray for your abundant provision and protection for the people of Japan. O Lord, be swift to save and pull some from the rubble. Be their strength in this time of need, we pray. Lord we ask that we might be used to assist in the hour of their need. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Mass Gospel E-Mailings

Well, … tonight I received yet another interesting gospel message mass e-mailing.

Don’t you just love email sent to you from friends and relatives with titles that are something like this:
Fwd: Fwd: Fwd: Fwd: Fwd: Fwd: Jesus Loves YOU!!!

C’mon … seriously? You think this is a form of communication? Christians that never even say hello to me forward these mails all day long. I notice that most of the people they send them to already believe exactly what they do.

I am in no way angry about receiving these mails however, I just believe there is a better way to communicate that Jesus loves you.

As for people I have known for years that I never see or hear anything from other than their forwarded emails, ... I guess I would rather that they simply wrote: Hey, Steve! Are you still as fat as you used to be? Burp! See ya!

Perhaps they think I am not getting enough junk mail on my own so I need copies of theirs too. Or perhaps, they simply think I am not receiving the real “quality” of junk mail they get.

Well, … If an email tells me that you need to read it to the very end of the last part at the very very bottom of the last page of the 14 page document so that I see that I have to forward this to everybody I know or I am somehow totally ashamed of the gospel and that I must not really believe in Jesus after all cause if I did I would surely know that I have to forward a mail written by someone who I never met to people I probably won’t meet. Ever!

So … here’s how I usually handle it. Delete! End of story. I do exactly what they say I better not do. In fact, I admit I live to do exactly the opposite of what people tell me I have to do in these mails. Man is rebellious … and uh, so am I!

When did telling someone about the good news of the saving gospel message become something that is forwarded from somebody else? Go ye into all the world and forward email?

Folks, let me tell you something. I believe in Christ. I think you should too. In fact, I believe it is the most important decision you could ever make. Sorry, I have no buts to add. Jesus is coming again. I believe the Bible and I believe that we are close to Christ’s return. Maybe not. But either way, I am not ashamed of Christ and I still won’t forward your email.

Again, I am not in any way trying to offend anyone who reads this blog. I am not trying to offend you even if you do not believe in Jesus at all. In fact I have many close friends that don't believe in Him. I cannot convince you that what I just said is fact. Convincing you of this truth is the job of the Holy Spirit. I can only report and tell you what I have discovered in MY life only. Folks, our job is to tell others what our experience has been. They need to search on their own in order to find Christ. There is no special bonus for you when someone believes in Him. Only God can make a seed grow. It has nothing to do with us. Our job is to simply tell our story. Doesn't that take the pressure off?

The real issue I have here is this: Why should you believe me … if all I do is forward a message to you that someone else wrote? Someone writes a cleverly worded little “diddy” and says, “If you love Jesus, you better send this here message I wrote to everyone you know”. Folks, don’t ya think it would be better to copy the Gospel of John into an email and send that instead of a poem you wrote? John knew Jesus and spoke to Him audibly ... and saw the miracles ... and saw the death and resurrection ... and refused to deny that He rose all the way to his persecuted grave! So, I might add … that the poem you wrote (though nice) doesn’t have the power to convince anyone as much as Scripture itself. So please chill on the “you better send this” guilt trips. It isn't productive!

The fact is … those who do not believe in Christ won’t care what you might know … until they know that you do care for them ... regardless of what they believe. Blasting mass emails does not necessarily communicate that you really care in any way. I don’t expect someone I have only vaguely known to be impacted by the story of someone who knows someone who wrote a poem to someone that another someone thought would be good in an email about Jesus.

Folks, I know God can use absolutely anything that someone is willing to do for His kingdom. However, the Bible says (Matthew 28:19, 20) to go and preach of the good news of Christ. Jesus died, rose and lives today offering you payment for your sin. Will you accept His payment? See Acts 4:12 and John 14:6.

I believe this is a very different message than what we see in many forwarded so-called gospel mails. I also know that some people are housebound and have little to no way to reach the outside world with the saving message of Jesus. I would just appeal to them not to make the reader somehow ashamed of Christ (Romans 1:16) if they don't forward their email. Can we agree that when something truly good is written ... there is a very good chance the reader or some readers will forward it anyway? I just think that constant email blasts make readers immune to the message of good news.

Jesus changes lives today! I want you to know that Jesus has done that for me. I don’t want to tell you about what He did for someone else because I can’t speak with personal authority on another man’s experience with Christ. I am telling you Jesus did it for ME. I won’t bore you with my junk mail. I only wish I could communicate my sincere heart and concern for you a whole lot better than this website writing. I guess I wish I could sit by a fire with all of you one at a time and tell you how he has changed and is changing my life today. I would want to hear your story too because hundreds of you have also seen Christ change your lives. And some of you are still searching for something real and just need to be heard without judgement or being blasted with instant remedy.

I pray that God will move in all of your hearts to accept His free payment of sin offered through His Son, Jesus. May God reveal to you what I can’t. May God cause you to seek Jesus. If you even wonder if Jesus is really there, earnestly pray this, “Jesus if you are really there, help me to find you.” Keep praying that … and let Him show you.

As for the thing I am supposed to forward to you. DELETE.
God bless you all.
NikonSniper Steve