His Sandals

njstevenson 0310 (64a)
Originally uploaded by ebbystouch

We launched the Ebby's Touch Camera Club on Sunday and we captured some amazing images, you can view the entire gallery at http://flickr.com/photos/ebbystouch and register for the online network at http://ebbystouch.ning.com.

I don't image that Jesus' sandals looked like this but I can image him walking dusty roads in open toe, open back shoes of his day and time. Foot washing was an act of humility and was done by a servant, so why was Jesus washing the feet of the disciples?

There is a lot of history behind the washing of feet as it was done in the bible days and some churches today still do what we call "foot washing" but would you do it?
Jesus being the Lord of Lords, The King of Kings, The Holy One and The Messiah who had performed signs, wonders and miracles could have insisted that the disciples wash his feet but he didn't. Just as he was born in a lowly place he lived his life and carried out his short ministry on earth in a state of humility which is a world apart from much of the pompNfare we see in the church today.
When we really look at the model and example set before us by Jesus, are we walking in his sandals? Just another Tiney Thought~

A Bible-LESS day at Church?!

I just downloaded a few bible apps onto my iPhone, I was wondering will the day come where people will not carry the traditional paper bibles we are so accustomed to? Already the market is inundated with paper books. Self publishing has become popular and everyone is an author these days but what about the changing face of media as we know? Devices like Kindle have changed the face of reading, but curling up with a good paper book and an drink are just relaxing. Would it be as relaxing to have that same drink and my electronic device in hand? If you’re like me you have a bible here and a bible there. One bible for the car, one in the family room, one in your office and on and on and on. When I consider that in some countries having a Holy Bible is a crime and people lose their life over it it makes me more appreciative. I am blessed to be able to have multiple bibles in my home and the word of God hidden in my heart –I’m definitely for decreasing my load. I do plan to use my electronic bible heavily; very heavily. Yes, it displays well and has large print and several translations with a searchable database. I love it already!

We have entered a time where many people no longer carry paper bibles to church; the text for the day is often printed on bulletins, flashed on large monitors or just listened to. “You don’t need a bible” has a lot of appeal. But if I don’t have a means of reading the word on my own away from the Sunday worship how will I become skilled and learned in God’s word? I won’t. Does not having the printed word in front of you make you more susceptible to passive listening? 

What if your church had a bibleless week, no bibles allowed. You’d find out how much of God’s word is committed to your head from rote memory and how much is committed to heart in practical application.  I’m thanking God for allowing me to have a bible-a paper bible and my iPhone apps.  Above all I am thankful for writing the word on the tables of my heart-the best place for the Word is the tables of our hearts.

Are bibles as we know them going away? Just another Tiney Thought

The Marriage: Twittistry.org Integration

I do believe God is calling for us to simplify our lives so we can spend more quality time with him; I’m determined to do just that. Across the various social networks, blogs and face to face settings many who want more of Jesus are feeling the need to slow down, take a deep breath and tweek a few things to devote more time to strengthening their relationship with Jesus.
I'm excited to announce that our Twittistry.org blog is being integrated with this blog—I know it’s not conventional but that’s how it is when you’re unboxed. iHeart Jesus and feel him tugging at my heartstring for me to embrace my next level...I'm on my way.
Traditionally you just wouldn’t have a blog that’s unniched but when you really think about it it is niched and the niche is Jesus. So our http://www.twittistry.blogspot.com/  is officially retired as of this post and all twittistry.org post will be highlighted here. Rest Peacefully http://www.twittistry.blogspot.com/.

I’m still working on my Twittistry writing project so stay tuned.

OH for those who are not familiar with twittisty, it’s where we highlight a tweet from the CalledWoman or GAPMin Twitter feeds. You can find tweets from either feed on the side bar and we'd love for you to come connect with us there.

Did Jesus Just Say Blah, Blah, Blah?

Tweet From @gapmin: Aren't you glad Jesus doesn't present your prayer request to the Father in the form of blah, blah blah?
I confess I’m guilty of entering the Blah Zone—my husband and I were talking and as I told him about family matters I came to a point in the conversation where I said “and blah blah”…he responded what, just two blahs? Two blahs is more than enough don’t you think? But I realized he was right, what happened to the third blah? Usually we hear blah, blah, blah.

Blah is pompous or pretentious talk or writing---a filler. It made me think of the Lord and how he never enters the blah zone. When we share something with him we’ll never hear him say “blah, blah, blah”. Don’t you just love that Jesus never enters the blah zone, I do.
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Grace x2

There are two sets of doors leading out of my office building, one is automatic and the other opens by hand-it’s the old fashioned “push me” door type. To exit the building you go through one set of doors and then through a foyer to another set of doors before landing outside under the awning.

As I was leaving the office today I was in step with another woman, we arrived at the exit at the same time. She went to the automatic doors while I walked toward the other doors but the automatic door did not open for her—I pushed my door open and begin to walk through it. She stopped for a minute looking puzzled; I’m sure she was wondering why the door didn’t open for her. She didn’t realize that the automatic doors are locked at a certain time each day and the only way to exit is to push.

As we walked through the foyer to the second set of doors she walked over to the automatic doors and guess what? Yes that’s right, they didn’t open. Again, she stopped and looked puzzled. Like those office doors sometimes God’s blessings are open and flowing, they are in season and he’s pouring them out; we can go in and out of the blessings with little to no effort—it’s called grace. All we have to do is approach the throne and it’s done—the doors open and we walk through them exiting adversity, situations, circumstances and stuff. BUT at other times the only way we are going to EXIT is to PUSH; it’s important that we know which mode God is in.

There are many believers waiting for God’s grace to slide back the automatic doors and let them exit what they are going through. News Alert: The sliding doors are locked! The push doors are your way of escape/exit. PUSH your way out of where you are by standing on the word, praying and trusting God to do what HE SAID he would do. I know I say it a lot but here I go..."It may not be easy but it is necessary".

No matter how long we stay at the sliding doors of grace after God has locked them they won’t open and the only alternative we have is to PUSH.  We often make the mistake of thinking that if we have to PUSH God is not walking with us. The Apostle Paul understood that the ability and strength to PUSH is God's grace overflowing in our lives.

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
 
Life will offer us opportunities to exit, sometimes we will effortlessly walk through automatic sliding doors and at other times he will equip us with the strength and ability needed to PUSH our way out....either way his grace is sufficient. ~Just another Tiney Thought.
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Doodle with Me:)

Find more photos like this on ET

God is not limited in his ability to speak to us in different ways and I favor photography. For me, images speak without saying a word. If you enjoy photography and other creative outlets consider joining us on the Ebby's Touch Network at www.ebbystouch.ning.com. You can also check out my doodles at www.njclicks.blogspot.com , that's where iDoodle with my cellphone. It's a photo journal.    I pray he empowers us to see beyond the norm and to embrace the things that cannot be seen with our natural eyes. Thats where faith lies--beyond what we can see with our natural eyes.

IPhone Pardons Whoring?

Stop it---an IPhone application that was supposedly started before this whole Tiger-cheating thing started, an application that allows cheating spouses to store data (text, emails etc) on a separate server and set an automatic delete date so they won’t get caught. Are you serious? Many Christians that are in the SMH (shaking my head) mode have forgotten that God’s chosen people were dubbed cheaters long before Tiger Woods was exposed and they didn’t have an iPhone app to cover their tracks. Ironically, nothing’s changed. Christians everywhere are ‘cheating’ naturally and spiritually.

I know, I know. You’re probably thinking it’s different because the Israelites went whoring after other gods, right? Isn’t lust, of any kind another god or an idol? Tiger’s passion was lust but many have ungodly passions for other things and they go whoring to get it.

Read it:: Exodus 34:15-16, Leviticus 17:7, 20:5-6, Numbers 15:39, Deuteronomy 31:16, Judges 2:17, Judges 8:27-33, 1Chronicles 5:25, 2 Chronicles 21:13, Psalms 73:27, Psalms 106:39, Ezekiel 6:9, 23:30, Hosea 4:12, Hosea 9:1

The word whoring is not mentioned in the KJV New Testament, so are we to assume that there is no whoring taking place under the new covenant—SMH (John 8). We know “whoring” has a sexual implication of fornication/adultery but one of its other meanings is simply to be unfaithful to God. I’m certain there is a group somewhere claiming that they have always been faithful to God and have never detoured from his righteousness and I’d love to meet them; well, I’d like to observe from a distance anyway.

The Tiger Woods drama continues to unfold and Christians and non-believers alike are engrossed with the cheating Tiger…. Some are praying, some are gossiping AND some are praying and gossiping! What a great opportunity for us to examine ourselves for the cheater in us. I heard that gasp—sorry but for those that Love God allowing him to examine us and adjust our cheat-o-meter in life is a must. Iphone apps will not be able to erase the thing that stands between us and God. Cheaters never win. They didn’t then and they won’t now, the only way to erase the data from our pursuit of other gods is to repent and allow God to remove our whoring as far from us as the east is from the west. Toss it in to the sea of forgetfulness Jesus…..~Just another Tiney Thought.