April 2018 – denisebalog…Grace filled devotionals.

Good morning. I am glad you have decided to listen with me. I pray you and I, learn to hear and know the voice of The Lord, in a much clearer way. As we take this journey together I say Speak Lord, we your servants are listening.

Welcome to my friend Laurette Laster! She is new to our WordPress neighborhood. I pray you are blessed by what she has to share with us in her new Blog. Oh yea, she is also an awesome photographer! Welcome Laurette!!

Through All Seasons

I am glad you have decided to listen with me. My prayer is that you and I become closer and closer to our Lord Jesus, each day. I pray you and I learn to hear and know the voice of The Lord, in a much clearer way. As we take this journey together I say Speak Lord, we your servants are listening.

thank you for listening with me. laurette

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Clothing Woven with Gold

“The royal daughter is all glorious…

Her clothing is woven with gold.” Psalm 45:13 NKJV

https:visionartstudios.photography

Spring Forth

“…the earth brings forth its bud,

As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth…”

Isaiah 61:11 NKJV

Work and Purpose – Vision Direction – Part 3 of 3

“I will direct their work in truth.” Isaiah 61:8 NKJV

Photography.

How could I have forgotten four years of photography vocational training taken in high school?

Heck, before everyone was carrying cell phones, taking pictures, and the now famous“selfie” my friends would cringe when out from my pocket the camera would come to capture a moment in time.

“Therefore in their land they shall possess double;

Everlasting joy shall be theirs.” Isaiah 61:7 NKJV

His Word is Truth, His Promises true.

Eighteen years from our “spirit of heaviness” the loss of not a building, but a lifetime collection of memories and the empty space as a daily reminder, suddenly the “oil of joy” washed over us with new life and purpose.

I share my heart and story of restoration to encourage and give you hope in your areas of loss and ashes.

“For as the earth brings forth its bud,

“As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth,

So the Lord God….” Isaiah 61:11 NKJV

Will “give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3 NKJV

Blessings,

Denise

You are welcome to take a look around and see more at my website:

http://www.visionartstudios.photography

Oil of Joy – Restoration – Part 2 of 3

“The oil of joy for mourning,

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…” Isaiah 61:3 NKJV

Eighteen years after fire

Consuming the Tac Barn, temporarily storing our lifetime of family memories, my family and I began to reclaim the overgrown horse pen.

Working side by side, we bonded with the land and appreciation for the opportunity to do so.

Never realizing we were moving in a new path of restoration.

Through no will or action on our own, a friend asked if we would be interested in a little building she used as a small office. Yes, we were interested, but with a son heading to college, purchasing was not in the plans.

Friends moved the little building with excitement and joy of helping.

Grace, pure Grace. No purchase required.

Completely gifted, and in God’s beauty of Restoration, it fit PERFECTLY on the fire marred cement slap where the original Tac barn once stood.

Did God have a plan for this new building?

Friends came to help establish God’s plan.

While we were cleaning up and marveling in what was happening before our eyes, a “Vision” was beginning to be birth in my heart.

Tomorrow’s post – Work and Purpose – Vision Direction – 3 of 3

Beauty for Ashes – Part 1 of 3

“To give them beauty for ashes…”Isaiah 61:3 NKJV

Precious lifetime treasures temporarily stored between leather saddles and horse gear gone.

Fire consumed it all; ashes.

That was in 1999. One year after our very premature son was born. (1# 12 oz.). We were just beginning to get on our feet again.

We never expected to be hit in the stomach with another punch.

“And they shall rebuild the old ruins,

They shall raise up the former desolations…” Isaiah 61:4 NKJV

Eighteen years later, my son and I began to clean up and clear out the old horse pen area.

Little did we know, we would see God’s restoration begin to unfold before our eyes.

Tomorrow ‘s post– Oil of Joy – Restoration – 2 of 3

Denise

Abram’s Gate

“Now when Abram heard that his brother (his nephew Lot) was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. Genesis 14:14 NKJV

Sorting through pictures along our travel route in the Upper Galilee area this past January,

One of our stops was at Tel Dan where the oldest known Gate in the world is located; over 4000 years old. The “Gate” is where the people met to conduct business. (Kinda like your local restaurant or feed store in a small town. Lol)

Thinking on Abram’s Gate, I was surprised by the changes made to the site. So I thought I would share the progression of the site made from my first trip in 2011 to 2018.

February 2011

These would have been the same high walls seen by the men Moses sent to “spy out the land” Numbers 13:2 NKJV

These stone wall are TALL! No wonder the 10 spies said,

“…we were like grasshoppers in our own sight…” Numbers 13:33 NKJV

Pictures captured in 2011 by a small pocket size Nikon CoolPix worn on a lanyard around my neck. Nice little camera and it takes great pictures.

March 2014

Just think, Abraham would have walked and seen this same mountain.

Pictures captured in 2014 by a step up to a Nikon Coolpix P510.

I love this red camera! With all the zooming in and out all day, it ate up at 2 plus batteries keeping it charged daily! (Took over 3000 pictures on this trip) Very easy to use and light for travel.

January 2018 Journey

2018 pictures captured from the bus. Time didn’t allow for us to walk up. As most of our pilgrims had already walked the path over the past years, a stop to view from the bus worked. These were taken through the window on the bus with a 50 to 200 mm.

Pictures captured in 2018 by “Yes, I can’t believe I’m going to carry this camera all the way to Israel and back” Nikon D5300 DSLR with several extra lens. Crazy, I know! Love my traveling buddy D5300. Faithful, stood up to changing lens on a hard trip and in cold, wet weather travel. Captured over 3000 plus images.

Hope you enjoy the journey over the years.

Blessings,

Denise