These little lambs in the picture are pretty cute! You can almost imagine them speaking and giving thanks and praise to God.
This image fits wonderfully with Psalm 100 – we are the sheep of his pasture. The imagery of the Psalms is amazing and wonderful. Through it, God expresses His love for us with many different word pictures. Because God is our creator, and he cares for our needs, we should give him our praise and thanksgiving, freely and with enthusiasm.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 100 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.

Watching various posts, tweets and other social media messages, I see quite a few motivational quotes. They come in the form of “follow your dreams,” “strive to be the best,” “never give up,” “achieve your goals,” “be a winner” and so on.
These pieces of advice can be helpful, but take quite a bit of energy and determination. I have to ask myself, “Do I put as much energy into seeking the Lord as I do other things?”
The Psalmist speaks of rejoicing and praise coming from those who seek Him. The Psalmist also says that God takes thought for the poor and needy.
I admit, it’s easy to quit seeking God and pour my energy into something else. But I need to learn to love His salvation and praise the Lord more and more.
Dear Lord, Please honor my feeble attempts to seek you, and take thought for me. Give me strength and determination to seek you, rejoice and be glad in you, and love your salvation. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 40 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.

Click on image above!
FREE? You heard it right!
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The “catch” is simply that you post an honest review of the iPhone app you want to receive.
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Sign up now and browse the apps you want to own. Tell your friends about this web page and offer so they can also take advantage of this great opportunity to get free iPhone apps. New apps are being introduced every day, so check back with Truevoo often!
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When Systems of Merritt, Inc. releases new products or updates existing products, a limited number of copies will be released through Truevoo. If you’re quick, you can snag one for free!
Affliction is a relative thing. For some believers it means giving up their lives under severe persecutions. For others, they may loose all their possessions or be thrown in jail. For me, it may be a more trivial affliction, such as a temporary financial problem, relationship difficulty, or health problem.
Whether the affliction is great or small, whether the faith is little or great, God grants “sufficient grace” to carry us through. The result is we find new strength to endure, and a growing faith.
One thing to realize is that this growing strength isn’t like lifting weights, it’s not the result of our own work. Our sin-stained efforts are only effective because of the work of the Holy Spirit in us. It makes grace all the more precious and gives us more reason to praise God for his mercy.
I am always drawn to he cross of Christ as an example. Here was the most extreme affliction of physical suffering a human could be subjected to. In addition to the physical affliction, Christ bore my sins as well. If Jesus did that for me, then he understands my afflictions, and can bring me aid.
Dear Lord, When I am afflicted, help me to understand that you provide sufficient grace to help increase my strength. No matter the circumstance, there is always reason to praise you. 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.

Have you left the church? Do you find problems with the pastor or certain people there? From this quote you might ask, “how can Christ delight in the church, and how is it beautiful?” Those people are unfriendly, hypocrites… and the list goes on!
I have to learn every day, with God’s help, that I must be humble before both God and others. My tendency is toward pride, that I am better than others, and I would naturally find some fault in them to prove the point.
If I can for a minute put aside my pride, then the church becomes a place where sinners, saved by grace, meet together to worship God. Mr. X, across the aisle hurt my feelings last week, yet I see him singing hymns and worshipping God. I need to put aside my feelings and sing along.
It’s time to return to the nest as Spurgeon says, it’s time to hasten home. As the two birds in the picture are gathered upon their nest in the picture, we need to gather together for worship.
Dear Lord, help me to hasten home to your church. Help me to overcome my pride, that I might worship together in the congregation with your people. Help me to make your church a thing of beauty. Amen.
Charles H. Spurgeon, 1834-1892, was the foremost preacher of the 19th century. His many sermons, devotions, and books bring a unique, inspiring, and spiritual significance to biblical truth. What is most surprising is that Spurgeon had no formal theological training. Even so, he became widely recognized for his insight and prowess in biblical teaching.
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.

The image shows Will Rogers doing one his trademark rope tricks – the big crinoline. Rogers plays out the lasso into a huge loop, not only encircling his horse, but the entire baseball team as well.
The quote: “Things in our country run in spite of government. Not by the aid of it.” still rings true today. In many cases the unintended consequences of legislation make the problem worse, not better.
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.

It’s a struggle, isn’t it – loving righteousness? As the hymn says, I am “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love.” Yet the Psalmist indicates there is great reward.
When I am caught in sin, my tendency is to draw away from God and from his chastening. Have you noticed it with your kids. When the little ones are corrected, they push away when you try to hug them. The correction was for their good, and you do it because you love them, but their instinct is to push away.
In Romans 7 Paul talks about this war within us, the war between our desire to obey the law, and the law of sin and death in our members. Who will deliver us from this struggle? Paul gives us the answer in Ro 7:25: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
I think my sea otter friend in the picture is reminding me of a passage in “The Valley of Vision” that always helps me put things in perspective. It says: “My trials have been fewer than my sins, and when I have kissed the rod it has fallen from thy hands.”
Dear Lord, help me to love righteousness, and when I am chastened let me kiss the rod of correction – don’t let me pull away – let me fall into your arms of love. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 45 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.

Sons of Korah
Psalms

Those of you that follow this blog know how special the Psalms are and the blessing they can have on your life. Recently, the Sons of Korah held a concert at our church here in Upland, Indiana. They have put the Psalms to music, which adds a new dimension to the impact they can have on your life. Below are links and samples of cuts from the Rain album.
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Who knows what our economic condition is these days – Depression, recession, economic malaise? Whatever it is, a committee has been formed to investigate it. I’m sure their report will tell us what we already know, and will be issued when it is politically convenient.
Are you as amazed as I am that Rogers saw the same problems in 1933 as we face today? Not only is congress holding back relief, as Rogers says, but they caused the financial crisis to begin with!
Perhaps the relief we need is from politicians that care more about themselves than the country.
The picture is from Rogers’ 1921 silent movie, An Unwilling Hero. He plays Whistling Dick, a hobo who loves everything but work. He travels south to New Orleans for the winter and is befriended by Nadine, the daughter of a plantation owner. Dick finds out about a robbery plan and warns Nadine’s father. Out of gratitude he is offered work on the plantation, which inspires him to leave at his earliest convenience.
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.

Will RogersAccording to this Will Rogers quote, folks were concerned about the honest and fair counting of votes back in 1930. We’ve seen our share of vote fraud and suspicious recounts in recent years. It is well known that dead people regularly vote in Chicago, and in many places when votes are tallied, more votes than voters are found. For some reason, in recounts, more votes seem to mysteriously turn up only for one candidate.
Honest folks are offended to think that there are organizations and people that purposely try to throw an election toward their candidate. It’s as unfair as putting grease on the bathroom doorknob.
There is an unintended effect of voter fraud. It tends to energize the opposition. The tactics only work when an election is close and an energized opposition can overwhelm the unfair efforts.
Most folks believe in fair elections, and even though the fraudsters might win a few, in the end, truth will prevail and triumph.
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.
Will Rogers
Below is one of the daily quotes that was emailed from the Will Rogers iPhone Daily Quote application. The dateline on each quote comes directly from Will Rogers Daily Telegrams so that it can be looked up if desired. This also guarantees that each quote is authentic and can be validated.
Image information is also included with many of the images, so the user can distinguish between scenes from Rogers’ movies and real life. The image notes also include the names of famous people Rogers is pictured with.
What about the quote itself? Not much has changed since 1932.
______________________________________________
Check out this cool iPhone app,
now available in the App Store! |
Will Rogers Daily Quotes
 |
Learn more at:
Apple iTunes Store |
Will Rogers™ is a trademark of
The Rogers Company.
www.WillRogers.com
Materials provided by
The Will Rogers Memorial Museums. |
____Will Rogers Daily Quote Below____ |
It costs ten times more to govern us than it used to, and we are not governed one-tenth as good.
SANTA MONICA, Cal., March 27, 1932
Image info: Alaska trip, 1935 |
The concept of eternity is something that we just can’t comprehend as time-bound human beings. Whether the most ignorant or brilliant, everyone must ponder what happened before the ages began and what will happen after the ages to come.
Are the mountains pictured in the image eternal? As unchangeable as the mountains might seem, we can’t bring ourselves to say they are eternal.
The passage from Psalm 90 works with that thought – “before the mountains were brought forth” and continues with “or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world.” When we consider eternity we should take great comfort that “from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 90 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.
Forgiveness is in short supply in this world. It seems to be easier for some people to forgive than others. When someone spreads lies about you among friends or in the press, can you forgive them? Prominent politicians experience this regularly. What would I do in that case?
There is something deeply spiritual about being wronged or slandered. Likewise forgiveness is a spiritual experience. Can we respond with kindness borne of genuine forgiveness? Without God’s help it is impossible since it is contrary to our nature. The good news is that God understands our situation.
But it gets complicated. What about unforgiveness in families and among relatives. What about within churches or at work? My spouse hurt me deeply, and I just can’t forgive the wrong.
Whenever I think God doesn’t understand my situation, I am drawn to the cross for answers and comfort. The crucifixion was the single most unjust act in all of history. An innocent (and sinless) man was killed because of the malice and hatred of his enemies. On the cross Jesus uttered the words: “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
God understands forgiveness! God can help us with forgiveness because Jesus lived it to his dying breath. As Spurgeon says, by returning kindness for evil you “heap coals of fire on the head of your foe.” Not only does forgiveness affect you, it affects others.
Dear Lord, When someone wrongs me, help me learn to forgive. Help me to be godlike, so that people may say: “He has been with Jesus.” 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.

Systems of Merritt, Inc. has added some great new features to its line of iPhone applications.

The help and tips options give the user lots of information on how to use the program. The splash screen option simply shows the splash screen.
Staying in touch with customers is important to Systems of Merritt, and the contact Frank option allows the user to easily compose and send an email directly to the developer.
The information section has some additional useful options. If you want to know were the images came from touch the credit option. The share option is a great way to share the quote and image to a friend. If you enjoy the application, please use the rate this app option so that others will know. The option takes you to the iTunes store where you can add your ratings and comments to the app page.
Finally, there is a products option that will list all of the Systems of Merritt products. If you enjoy this product, you might also enjoy on of our other fine products.
Are there some more features you would really like to see? Let us know with a quick note from the email the developer option. We love to hear from our users!
“Before the first of the stars began to shine!” We were on God’s mind in eternity past, when the covenant was formed, and Jesus expressed his love for each of us (his elect) as he became party to it. Can we even begin to comprehend ages so vast, or love so deep?
Words and images are simply inadequate in describing concepts such as everlasting and eternity. Spurgeon’s imagery, however is beautifully stated and wonderful to ponder. The background image is from a NASA photograph of deep space, to give further perspective to the long ages of eternity.
But how can I know if I am one of God’s elect? Because of God’s love for his people, he will surely communicate his love and salvation to us. There are several ways He communicates. God has provided his Word to us, the Bible, to communicate the gospel message to us personally. Pastors and christian friends share God’s word with us, and finally God’s Holy Spirit actively works in our lives. We are not alone!
If you are unsure of God’s grace and salvation in your life, pray for His help, and look for His answer. Complete assurance of salvation may not come all at once, but it will grow over time.
Dear Lord, Grant me a deeper understanding of your eternal love. Speak to me through your Word, christian friends and by your Holy Spirit, that I may know your salvation and be counted among your elect. 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.
