A True Fast

The bread that you store up belongs to the hungry, the coat that lies in your chest belongs to the naked; the gold that you have hidden in the ground belongs to the poor.  -Saint Basil (329-379)  

 

Is this not the fast that I choose to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide your face from your own kin?  Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.  -Isaiah 58:3

February 8, 2008October 7, 2008 by ryanmthurman Categories: children, justice, Lent, Photography, Scritpure 1 Comment

The Lord is My Shepherd

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. – Thomas Merton

The Lord is my Shepherd Who guides me-Psalm 23

January 18, 2008January 18, 2008 by ryanmthurman Categories: Art Photography, Church, Encouragement, Jesus, Photography, Psalms, Quotations, Scritpure Leave a comment

Our Fathers

Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best;
but God disciplines us for our good,
that we may share in his holiness—Hebrews 12:10 

Because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.. –Proverbs 3:12

 “Blessed is the man whom God corrects;
       so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. 
For he wounds, but he also binds up;
       he injures, but his hands also heal.—Job 5:17-18

January 17, 2008January 17, 2008 by ryanmthurman Categories: Art Photography, children, devotion, Life, love, People, Photography, Scritpure 1 Comment

Let All Things Their Creator Bless

Praise the Lord, all you nations!
Extol him, all you peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!—Psalm 117

Let all things their creator bless,
and worship him in humbleness,
O praise him, Alleluia!
Praise God the Father, praise the Son,
and praise the Spirit, Three in One:
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
-from All Creatures of Our God and King-words written by Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)

January 11, 2008January 11, 2008 by ryanmthurman Categories: Art Photography, Christianity, Life, Photography, Psalms, Quotations, Scritpure, songs, spiritual Leave a comment

Jesus Spent Much Time Healing The Sick

He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
His understanding has no limit.
The Lord sustains the humble
but casts the wicked to the ground.–Psalms 147: 3-6 

Our Lord Jesus spent much time in healing sick people, and in the natural course of events it happened that the last thing He did with His kind hands was to heal a bad cut.  (I wonder how they could have the heart to bind His hands after that.)  In this, as in everything, He left us an example that we should follow in His steps. -Amy Carmichael

January 10, 2008January 10, 2008 by ryanmthurman Categories: Christianity, Encouragement, Healing, Inspiration, Life, love, Missions, People, Photography, Quotations, Scritpure, suffering Leave a comment

By His Wounds We Are Healed

But He was pierced for our transgressions.He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishmentthat brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.—Isaiah 53:5  

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered
Was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression,
But Yours the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior,
It is I who deserve Your place;
Look on me with Your favor,
Promise to me Your grace.
-from O Sacred Head, Now Wounded, written by Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153)

January 9, 2008October 13, 2008 by ryanmthurman Categories: Art Photography, Canaan in the Desert, Christianity, Church, Encouragement, Healing, Jesus, Life, love, Photography, Religion, Scritpure, songs, spiritual, suffering, Thoughts Leave a comment

What To Fill Your Minds With

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.—Philippians 4:8-9

Love is born of an earnest consideration of the object loved—Thomas Aquinas

January 8, 2008January 8, 2008 by ryanmthurman Categories: Christianity, Church, Encouragement, Life, Photography, Quotations, Religion, Scritpure, spiritual, Thoughts, Uncategorized Leave a comment

Many Hearts Will Be Revealed

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
      you now dismiss your servant in peace.
 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
    which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
      and for glory to your people Israel.”

Then Simeon said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

January 4, 2008January 4, 2008 by ryanmthurman Categories: Art Photography, Jesus, Life, People, Photography, Scritpure, Thoughts Leave a comment

Righteousness And Peace Will Kiss

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the sky…
righteousness will go before him,
and will make a path for his steps.  –Psalm 85:10-11,13

December 26, 2007December 26, 2007 by ryanmthurman Categories: Art Photography, Encouragement, Life, love, People, Photography, Scritpure Leave a comment