"Look! How good and how pleasant it is...

...for brothers to dwell in unity!"-Psalms 133:1

     Wow! I am so amazed and in awe of how much Jehovah loves his servants and showers us with knowledge and wisdom.  He is certainly preparing us for the Great Tribulation by instructing us and warning us of what to expect.  I am determined to make a thorough self-examination of my worship to Him looking for defects and weaknesses that I can correct with His help and guidance.  This weekend was the very anticipated District Convention and it exceeded my expectations.  I have been fed an exquisite spiritual meal and want to go back again and again!

     Thankfully, with the help of a tiny Mp3 flash player, I was able to record almost the entire Convention on audio.  Therefore, at my leisure I will be returning for more tasty tidbits.  Technology can be such a blessing!

     Unfortunately, I am unable to share every morsel with you my readers nor any of the secret recipes you will just have to attend for yourselves.  However, I can and  will share a few of  my experiences and of course some pictures I took of some of my friends before and at the event. Bon Appetit!

     The convention for myself and others began on Thursday morning.  Every year we all have an opportunity to volunteer if our circumstances allow by helping get the facility ready.  For some this means setting up the stage and the sound system, for others it means  sweeping and cleaning the facility including all the bathrooms and main auditorium.  This opportunity is also available during the event and immediately after the event on Sunday afternoon.  I am happy to report that my circumstances allowed me to willingly and joyfully serve my brothers and sisters by taking part of this wonderful and enjoyable volunteer work.  Jesus himself said 'There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.'-Acts 20:35.  If your own circumstances permit you to participate by all means please do.  Here is a few pictures I took as you can see there is no age limit as long as you have the desire and ability.

Additionally, the convention allows ample opportunity to visit with friends from other congregations especially during lunch break.  I really enjoy having lunch out on the lawn it reminds me of the promise of the paradise earth.  All of us are instructed to bring a small cooler with food for our family, I am pleased to find that our dear brothers are always willing to share with those who for whatever reason didn't pack a lunch.  This year the weather cooperated with us and we had a great time visiting with one another.  See for your self.

 

Every year we have some who publicly dedicate their lives to Jehovah by water baptism.  They have been taught Jehovah's standards and His purpose for mankind by having a personal  Bible study with one of Jehovah's Witnesses.  They exercise faith in the ransom sacrifice of our dear lord Jesus Christ by repenting of their sins and by participating in the preaching of God's Kingdom.  I am thrilled that we had more than forty get baptised this year, one from our very own congregation.  He was so happy and his mother was overwelmed with joy, all of us were, especially our heavenly Father Jehovah.  I was able to take pictures of this happy and memorable event. 
"Welcome to the worldwide brotherhood !"

Jehovah is inviting all people to his earthly organization, he desires all to draw close to Him while He can yet be found.   When we accept his invitation He continues to  help us remain close to Him by providing timely reminders and a wealth of instruction for he is our Grand Instructor! and Provider of Escape!  May we listen, obey, and be blessed!

"Look! This Is Our God"

One more week left in the campaign work and I will be attending the Convention here in Amarillo.  I am so excited! and eager to visit with my friends, some who have travelled along way.  I pray that you join us to learn how you too can draw close to God.  Today I am going to post an excerpt from one of my favorite books published by Jehovah's Witnesses and available to download at http://www.jw.org/ entitled Draw Close To Jehovah.  I'm doing this to give you just a taste of what you can expect to learn about our heavenly Father Jehovah at the Convention. 
     "...Have you ever seen a small child point out his father to his friends and then say with innocent joy and pride, "That's my daddy"?  God's worshipers have every reason to feel similarly about Jehovah.  The Bible foretells a time when faithful people will exclaim: "Look! This is our God".  (Isaiah 25:8,9)  The more insight you gain into Jehovah's qualities, the more you will feel that you have the best Father imaginable.
     This Father is not cold, aloof, or distant--despite what austere religionists and philosophers have taught.  We could hardly feel drawn to a cold God, and the Bible does not portray our heavenly Father that way.  On the contrary, it calls him "the happy God".  (1 Timothy 1: 11)  He has feelings both strong and tender.  He is "hurt at his heart" when his intelligent creatures violate the guidelines that he provides for their well-being.  (Genesis 6:6; Psalm 78:41)  But when we act wisely according to his Word, we make his "heart rejoice."-Proverbs 27:11. 
     Our Father wants us to be close to him.  His Word encourages us to "grope for him and really find him, although, in fact, he is not far off for each one of us."  (Acts 17:27)  How though is it possible for mere humans to draw close to the Sovereign Lord of the universe?..." (pp.15)
     Hope you enjoyed this excerpt  and that it inspired you to gain more "...knowledge of the only true God..."  (John 17:3), and to attend the "Remain Close to Jehovah!" District Convention near you to learn how to "Draw close to God..." -James 4:8.

The Seventh Time...

      Hello everyone!  Thank-you for dropping by and welcome back to my world of green.  I have so much going on a around here.  As you may already be aware of I am campaigning for God for the next few weeks until the day of the convention.  I love participating in this never to be repeated work that will be accomplished all over the world and all to the glory of God Jehovah who deserves all our praise and worship. Campaigning is going door to door giving all our neighbors the beautiful invite to be our special guest to the annual Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses.  We do this every year and enjoy so many blessings.  During this time we are not focused on leaving magazines or books just the special invite.  So far I have left more than fifty and expect to personally invite more than a hundred by the end of the campaign.  With Jehovah's help I hope to meet some special people who are friendly and who desire to have a personal relationship with God this of course includes you as well.
     The other important project I am involved with is planning and hosting a baby shower for a very special niece.  I enjoy doing this because I'm a creative person and decorating allows my creative juices to flow freely.  I will be posting pictures of my creation after the shower, so some time next week expect to see the finished results. She is expecting a boy in July and the theme is a combination of rubber balls and animals.  I can't wait to shower her with love!

Dear Neighbor...

please prayfully consider attending this years summer Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses near you.  Be our welcomed guest and experience true brotherly love of followers of Christ.

God's Word tells us:  "Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you." (James 4:8)  Appropriately, then, Jehovah's Witnesses have selected " Remain Close to Jehovah!" as the theme for their annual three-day conventions that will be held worldwide during 2010/2011.

Among the highlights of this convention will be an audio dramatization of a Bible account on Saturday afternoon and a full-costume Bible drama on Sunday afteroon.

Additionally, these are some of the questions that will be answered on the convention program:

Who is Jehovah, and how are his qualities revealed in creation and in the Bible?

How does God endeavor to draw close to you?

Why should you desire to draw close to God?

How can your family be strengthened by drawing close to Jehovah?

How will being close to God help you to cope with everyday problems? 

Make plans now to attend.  To find the location nearest you, contact the local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses or visit the Web site www.jw.org for the list of convention locations in the United States.

"Your knowledge God...

...is wonderous, fear inspiring; Of this my soul is very well aware."(Sing to Jehovah p.110; Ps. 139:14) 
     Everyday I'm reminded of God and His love for me.  This morning while sitting out on my porch I saw the beauty of His knowledge and I wanted to share it with you.

     Kirby has been in our family for close to 11 years.  We found him abandoned on a secluded country road.  Why someone would do that to him I will never know but I thank God we found him because their loss was certainly a blessing for us.  Kirby is a well mannered laid back kind of guy, he was that way when he came to us definitely out of puppy hood.  For that reason I estimate that Kirby is around 12-13 years old.  If you have ever owned a Lab, you know how it feels when they look at you with their big soft brown eyes it really pulls on your heart strings. 

     R.C. Cola, one of our many cats, is also a gentle soul.  Whenever I'm upset she'll come up to me and gently tap me with her paw.  As if to say 'Don't cry it will be alright' what a beautiful reminder of God's love for me.  Her coat is as white as snow and her eyes are blue but sometimes appear pink like her little paws.  She is also up in age 13-14 years.  My husbands son brought her home when he was 10 and now he's 24.  We have been blessed with more of Gods beautiful creatures and I'll introduce them to you in time, until then may you enjoy the beauty of Gods knowledge around you:)

The greatest and first...

Jesus answered:" the first is, 'Hear, O Isreal, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah, and you must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart, and with your whole soul, and with your whole mind and with your whole strength.' (Mark 12:29,30)

heart:  feelings, desires, in most thoughts, fervently desire to please Him.

soul:  our whole being; the life we possess; our assets and our means to serve and praise Him.
            
mind:  devotion not blind; have come to know Jehovah's qualities, standards and His purposes.

strength:  with all our vital force, a life time of service.