The Daily Psalms ESV application update 1.1 was just approved by Apple and is available at the iTunes Store.
Matching the image and quote adds quite a bit to the meaning of the selected verse. The geese flying against the beautiful sunset conveys the natural beauty of this world and God’s majesty. It should remind us of his protection as a shield. It should also remind us to walk uprightly.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 19 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ASV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
In this beautiful photograph you can see the effect of the sunlight as it lights up the sky. Beautiful shapes and colors emerge, where before there was nothing but blackness.
We need God’s light to guide us, and we also need His truth. The Psalmist asks that they guide him to God’s dwelling. We cannot get there except that God guides us.
Where do God’s light and truth come from? They come from God’s Word, the Bible. As we grow in faith, by reading the Bible, God’s light and truth become more clear. As we fellowship with other believers and hear the preaching of God’s Word, our relationship to God continues to grow.
This journey leads us to the alter of God, and “exceeding joy.” Imagine the end of a long, hard trip. It felt good to arrive at the destination, and be welcomed by friends and family. Now imagine being welcomed by God as you approach His alter.
Darkness and lies give no guidance. They give no comfort. Only God’s light and truth can ever satisfy, and when we realize this, joy will come, and our response is to praise God.
Dear Lord, Please forgive me for hiding in darkness and lies. Let your light and truth lead me now, that I may approach your alter with joy and praise. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 43 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Until I started looking through the Navy archives, I didn’t realize that burials at sea are routinely done to honor shipmates’ final requests. This image is unique in that a son has the opportunity to honor his own father, as he carries on a proud military tradition. You can see both pain and pride in this sailor’s face.
You may not be able to see it at the bottom of the picture, but the sailor is holding a flag. It is a symbol of the sacrifice and love of country, presented to the family. Passing this heritage from father to son is an act of valor, made up of simple, every day prayers and actions.
Psalm 39:12 came to mind as I thought about this moment in the sailors life. We are sojourner’s moving though life, walking with our God. We pray for peace during the tough times, but have cause to smile as we ponder God’s grace and mercy toward us.
Dear Lord, Hear my prayer, and give ear to my cry. Hold not your peace at my tears! I need your mercy and forgiveness every day so that I may smile again. Amen.
Psalm 39:12 “Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers. 13 Look away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more!”
Image info: PACIFIC OCEAN (June 9, 2009) Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Noel Myers holds a photo of his father, Edmond McKinley Myers Jr., and a flag moments after a burial at sea ceremony aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Commanding Officer Capt. K.J. Norton presented the Flag to Myers. Ronald Reagan is underway on a routine deployment to the western Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Oliver Cole/Released)
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 39 and the accompanying image taken from the Navy Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
For whatever reason we don’t seem to take notice of problems until they become a crisis. Government seems to be especially bad about this, and the news media knows that crisis headlines sell.
Will Rogers makes a great observation with this quote. In fact, sometimes it seems that the government prohibits putting out the fire and then proceeds to throw gasoline on it – remember the subprime mortgage disaster?
The image in this iPhone screenshot comes from Rogers’ movie “An Unwilling Hero.” I love that hat!
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
I’ve been so sick on occasion that I didn’t feel like doing anything. I didn’t even want to sit up and read because my eyes were sore. Sickness, grief, depression and other afflictions can get us down to where it feels like our soul clings to the dust, and our soul melts from heaviness, as the Psalmist says in Psalm 119:25. We feel like a desert wasteland, as shown in the image. Nothing is growing, nothing is green.
It’s amazing what a little medication can do for the body. A friend can come alongside to share the grief, or offer an encouraging word to help lift the heaviness of our heart. Rain in the desert can bring out beautiful blossoms and colors.
The Psalmist also asks for God’s help. “Quicken me” he says, “Make me understand the way of Your precepts” he prays. Once we start thinking about it we can begin to meditate on his wondrous works and offer the Lord praise for his grace and kindness toward us.
The passage continues: “Remove from me the way of lying, and grant me thy law graciously.” God’s word or law is our help and comfort.
Dear Lord, when our body is sick or our soul is heavy, please help us to turn to your word. Let it revive us, strengthen us and comfort us. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 119 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes KJV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Today’s quote from Charles Spurgeon captures the hopes and prayers of christian parents everywhere. “Is there a Church in this house?” If there was one gift to leave with a son or daughter, it would be a strong vibrant faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. Just like the goose in the picture watches over its goslings, so the parents watch over the spiritual welfare of their children.
Have you strayed from the faith? You’ve probably seen the heartbreak in your parents eyes. Perhaps they’ve pleaded with you to return. Is it pride that keeps you away? Are your sins unforgivable? Is the pain too deep? Did the church’s practices turn you away?
There are so many stories in the Bible of redemption and returning to God. The Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11 is one that most of us are familiar with. In verse 17 it says that the son “came to himself,” and made a decision to return back to his father and confess his sin. All the time that the son was away, the father was watching for his return.
Is there a Church in this house? This special covenant family is not without aid from God. Prayers are not in vain! The Holy Spirit works in hearts with powerful effect, building, restoring and redeeming.
Dear Lord, Let there be a Church in my house. I need Your help to be a godly parent, son or daughter. Let Jesus be in my heart and let the Holy Spirit work in my life and in my family. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
There are so many great opportunities in government employment these days. With the great pay and benefits, who wants to work in the private sector any more. In fact, government employment is so good, why have a private sector at all?
Recently I learned that there were over 80 jobs available in the Federal Government as tanning salon inspectors. What could be more exciting than examining the books and customers at tanning salons across the country?
If you love to read, you can get a job as a regulator in the EPA. The new EPA regulations required for monitoring green house gasses (GHG) requires lengthy reports from small businesses across the fruited plain. Even if a small business doesn’t need to monitor their GHG emissions, they still need to submit a lengthy report explaining why not. Not only do they need an army of report readers, they need an army of new inspectors to visit every business that has a gas powered engine or storage tank of fluid that might belch out dangerous gasses.
If you love animals you could become a member of the elite bovine flatulation research team. Your mission is to put a cork in the emission of deadly gasses into the atmosphere. Applicants must be vegan, and are required to wear protective clothing, hard hat, hearing protection, respirator and face shield.
If you love to dream, then OSHA is the place for you. Dreaming up new ways people can hurt themselves with common everyday items and then writing new business regulations can be exciting. Oil workers are now safer in their white coveralls that must be changed when soiled by a drop of oil. Day care centers now deploy haz-mat teams in the changing areas to better handle toxic waste.
Applying for a government job is easy. Just sign up at your local unemployment offices. The 12 language 200 page application form is designed to prepare you for your new career as a government employee.
Image Info At the time of his death in 1935, Will Rogers was a major box office draw, second only to a very young Shirley Temple. Movies were only one of the reasons for Will Rogers’ popularity. He was a daily syndicated columnist, radio commentator, humorist and political mover and shaker. If you look closely at the images, you will faintly see the words: “The most beloved man of the masses.” Will Rogers was a great man, an inspiring personality, and is worth remembering even today.
The image was taken directly from pictures at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.
Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
Maybe it’s just a “guy thing,” but have you ever witnessed a sporting event where the winner shouts in triumph, waving fists in the air? Game winning touchdowns are one example that comes to mind.
Meanwhile, the defensive players shake their heads in disbelief and pitifully walk off the field, heads down and shoulders slouched. This is about the best I can do with Psalm 41 for a cultural analogy.
In ancient days, if your enemy was shouting in triumph over you, it was because you were dead! The battle was lost, it was over. At least in football, you live to play another day.
What about integrity? Can I stand before God and man with a clear conscience? Did I play a fair game? Are my business dealings honest? Can I praise the Lord, no matter what happens? This is what God desires.
I don’t think that God promises that I will “triumph” in everything according to my desires. I won’t win every game, or make millions on every business deal. But I can say that God’s purposes will be accomplished and that God will triumph.
Through it all have I walked in integrity, and can I praise God in all things? Do I depend on the Lord and look to Him, as the baby seal in the picture depends on it’s mother?
Dear Lord, Many times I have fallen short, and have not walked in integrity. I look to you for help and strength, and I praise you in all things. I especially thank you that Jesus walked in integrity, and can offer forgiveness and salvation, which I now accept. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 41 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Have you ever wondered why fancy restaurants are so dimly lit? For me, at least, it has to be so that I won’t be embarrassed by food stains down the front of my shirt. When leaving the restaurant, however, and walking out into the light, the problem becomes visible.
It’s interesting that the Psalmist, in this passage from Psalm 27, mentions light and salvation. When God’s light is shined on our lives, we notice the stains of sin, and recognize the need for salvation. The light makes us embarrassed, ashamed and fearful – we want to know how to remove the stains. The light is so brilliant, just like in this picture of the sun and clouds, that nothing can be hidden.
Thanks be to God, that he has provided a savior – Jesus. In many placed the scriptures speak of washing and cleansing. When Jesus cleanses us, we don’t have to fear any more. He also defends our life from attacks of the devil. We are safe with Jesus. We are clean.
Dear Lord, Your light has shown me my sin. I need your salvation. Please wash away my sin, through your son Jesus, and defend me so that I don’t need to be afraid any more. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 27 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NASB iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
It constantly amazes me that the Psalmist can capture our deepest emotions in words across the ages. “Out of the depths” describes so many situations in my life – financial problems, relationship issues, dangerous situations, etc. “Lord, hear my voice!”
But, I also know that God is a holy God. I don’t want to approach Him when I am ashamed of the sin in my life. It takes faith to believe that “there is forgiveness with You,” as the Psalmist says. We know that forgiveness before God comes from the work of Jesus on the cross.
It’s hard to have faith from the depths, but God hasn’t left us alone. The Holy Spirit can help us and comfort us – he can even give us the faith we need. The image on the left is from a deep canyon filled with broken rocks. Let’s ask the Lord to help lift us up and set things right.
Dear Lord, out of the depths I call upon you! Give me the faith to believe you have provided forgiveness through Christ. Help me through these difficult situations. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 130 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NASB iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
I saw an interesting quote the other day:
Nietzsche is dead. – God
Of course Nietzsche is the 19th century philosopher who famously proclaimed that “God is dead.” His life was a sad life, and those who embraced his philosophy left hope behind. Those who lose hope will be “overwhelmed by dread,” as the Psalmist says.
If I ever saw an arrogant look, it is Mr. Seal in the picture! Nose in the air, looking down on everyone else as less than himself. He believes his ideas are superior, but in fact, he is a fool.
Sometimes I am a fool, when I become proud and feel superior to others around me. As the song says: “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.” A former pastor would remind me: “But for the grace of God, go I.”
It is God’s grace that saves us from corruption. Grace leaves no room for pride, because it is God’s work, not mine.
Dear Lord, If I have said in my heart: “There is no God,” help me to lay aside these foolish thoughts and turn to you with my whole heart. I need your saving grace, and I need Christ as my Savior. Amen.
If you were blessed by Psalm 14 and the image of Mr. Seal, look below for an extra treat. The Sons of Korah have put Psalm 14 to music. Listen to the sample and get your own copy at the iTunes store.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 14 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NIV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
The Sons of Korah have put Psalm 14 to music. Listen to a sample below and purchase your own copy at the iTunes store by clicking on the button.
| Psalm 14a – Rain Album |  |
Our form of government is truly amazing. Power peacefully changes hands as often as every four years. Votes and not machine guns determine the outcome of elections. If you don’t approve of who is in office, there’s always the next election.
The image is from one of Rogers’ silent movies called Jubilo from February 1920. Rogers plays a lazy roving hobo who encounters a rancher’s pretty daughter and reforms, slowly, painfully, but completely.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
When I was working on my masters degree at the University of Illinois I built instrumentation for their Aeronomy program. We made rocket payloads that would gather data from the upper atmosphere which would allow us to look at the nature of energetic particles that stream down the earth’s magnetic fields.
I love science and I remember the thrill of looking at data from a rocket launch. Before my eyes was a glimpse of a tiny piece of God’s creation in motion. Scientists would puzzle over the interpretation of the data and debate its meaning.
In Spurgeon’s wonderful way, he describes God’s control and care of the heavenly bodies. Men of science spend a lifetime trying to explain how the sun operates. Each new scientific discovery brings more questions, yet God cares for it all, and places each planet in its place.
Not only does God care for the planets and their vast scale of operation, he also cares for each of us individually. The God who “feeds the burning furnace of the sun” has power enough to supply us with the daily strength we need!
I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
President Reagan, Will Rogers Shared Common Gifts, Careers
By Joe Carter
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Ronald Reagan was a 24-year-old aspiring actor when Will Rogers was Hollywood’s towering star. While the two icons were never personally acquainted, their lives spiraled similarly.
In 1941, six years following Rogers’ death, an unsigned memorandum at Warner Brother Pictures in California read: “Why not try to test Ronald Reagan for the part of Will Rogers? He is droll homely humorous and an all around good actor.” That memo prefaces the definitive 1993 Ben Yagoda book now sold by the University of Oklahoma Press entitled: “Will Rogers: A Biography.” Yagoda opined: “Ronald Reagan didn’t get to play Will Rogers in the movie biography (Will Rogers Jr., got the part) but who with his “well” ’s and shrugs, his just-folks bonhomie, managed a pretty impressive Rogers impersonation in the White House.”
In 1990, Oklahoma’s Will Rogers Memorial Commission awarded its first “Will Rogers Communicator Award” to the former President. The late Jim Rogers, Will Rogers’ son, presented the plaque designed by Paul Lefebvre of Oklahoma City. During the private exchange in Beverly Hills, Reagan told Jim Rogers: “Will Rogers always was my hero.” I was present and heard the warm exchange. Ronald Reagan’s retirement home was near the sprawling Will Rogers Historical Park with its glamorous polo field at Pacific Palisades, California. Before he was stricken ten years ago by Alzheimer ’s disease, the former President often would casually attend polo matches at the park cheering the horsemen.
Like Will Rogers, Ronald Reagan rode. Both were proud to be called a “cowboy.” There was a quarter century difference in their ages. Will Rogers was born on an Oklahoma ranch in 1879 and Reagan was born in Illinois in 1911. At age 55, Will Rogers was killed in a 1935 air crash in Alaska. Ronald Reagan died at 93.
Intensely interested in politics, both boasted careers in radio, movies and public speaking. Will Rogers became a major newspaper columnist, author and stage actor.
Both men scored in cinema. Reagan debuted in “Love in on the Air” in 1937. Will Rogers, beginning in 1918, starred in 71 features. Neither actor won an Oscar.
Both were actively outspoken in collective bargaining for actors’ wages and working conditions. Rogers was more behind the scenes. Reagan in 1947 was elected president of the Screen Actors Guild.
Reagan was a Democrat who switched parties in 1962. Will Rogers said: “I’m not a member of any organized party, I’m a Democrat.” Will Rogers was playfully nominated by Life Magazine in 1928 as a prank candidate for President of the United States and declared “if elected I’ll resign.” “Another big reason I should be nominated is I am not a Democrat,” Will Rogers wrote. “Another bigger reason why I should be nominated is I am not a Republican. I am just progressive enough to suit the dissatisfied. And lazy enough to be a Stand Patter.”
Ronald Reagan was more earnest in politics. After supporting Eisenhower and Nixon for president as a Democrat, he became a Republican who twice won the governorship of California and the American presidency.
(Note: Joe Carter is a Will Rogers biographer and former director of the Will Rogers Memorial Commission of Claremore, Oklahoma.)
Click for original post: President Reagan, Will Rogers Shared Common Gifts, Careers
We don’t have to look far back into history to find oppression of innocent people. The holocaust during WWII certainly comes to mind along with many other cases of the brutal treatment of people whose only crime was being born in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Bible specifically records the oppression of …
In this wonderfully uplifting Psalm, we find our two themes of praise and remembrance again. It seems that when I get focused on myself and my problems, that I forget to praise God and remember his blessings. We also find in verse 8 the remarkable thought that God is a forgiving God, though he punished …
Will RogersWhen you get used to something, it’s kind of hard to give it up. Can you remember the day your were born? One minute you are nice and warm, perfectly content and at peace. All of a sudden you are painfully squeezed through an opening so small it’s a wonder anyone could survive. Next …
The Psalmist must have found great comfort in God’s house. He delighted being there among others who were offering their praises up to the Lord. The passion of the Psalmist for God’s house and presence is truly amazing. His flesh cries out for the living God! He desires a place near the alter. He wants …
Will RogersHave you noticed that Congress seems to live in the land of “good intentions?” Some call it an “alternate universe.” It’s a place of love, happiness and prosperity. How many times have you heard our legislators proudly proclaim that their legislation will bring world peace, end poverty, end hunger, end unemployment, put a chicken …
Timeless Will Rogers Humor & Wisdom Brought to you by Systems of Merritt, Inc. Get your daily dose of common sense, humor, encouragement and inspiration. Share Will Rogers quotes and images with your friends. . Will Rogers Daily Quotes iPhone App More than 365 unique Will Rogers quotes and images! -Click button to buy at Apple …
There is hardly any place in Scripture that conveys such passion and exuberance for God as Psalm 103. Words can hardly describe the praise we would give to the Lord from our inmost being, from the depths of our soul. Even Mr. Billy Goat seems to be quite excited in the picture, as if he …
Will RogersI suppose you could say that interest in taxes is on everybody’s mind these days. These topics dominate the political talk shows and dinner parties, and for good reason. Nobody knows what in the world the lame ducks are going to do about taxes. Businesses don’t know what their tax liability is going to …
As you read the Psalms, it becomes clear that God defends and protects the poor. Psalm 14 indicates that restoration and better days are ahead. In fact, if you are responsible for oppressing the poor, God takes note of it, and is not pleased. Poor in terms of possessions is not the only thing that …
Will RogersYou’ve heard the expression: “He was spending money like a drunken sailor.” As I’ve watched congress over the past few years, I don’t think a drunken sailor can even outspend a seemingly sober Congressman. Both seem to lack any common sense whatsoever when it comes to money, and the Congressman’s recklessness is worse – because …
