Affliction (quotes by Puritans)

"To know that nothing hurts the godly, is a matter of comfort; but to be assured that all things which fall out shall co-operate for their good, that their crosses shall be turned into blessings, that showers of affliction water the withering root of their grace and make it flourish more; this may fill their hearts with joy till they run over. " ~Thomas Watson

"God takes away the world, that the heart may cleave more to Him in sincerity."~Thomas Watson

"God sweetens outward pain with inward peace." ~Thomas Watson

"Labour to grow better under all your afflictions, lest your afflictions grow worse, lest God mingle them with more darkness, bitterness and terror." ~John Owen

"The secret formula of the saints: When I am in the cellar of affliction, I look for the Lord's choicest wines." ~Samuel Rutherford

"He that rides to be crowned, will not think much of a rainy day." ~John Trapp

"No wise man can expect that...God should diet us with a continual feast. It would neither suit with our health, nor the condition of this pilgrimage. Live, therefore, on your peace of conscience as your ordinary diet; when this is wanting, know that God appointeth you a fast for your health; and when you have a feast of high joys, feed on it and be thankful! But when they are taken from you, gape not after them as the disciples did after Christ at His ascension; but return thankfully to your ordinary diet of peace."~Richard Baxter

"The devil, if he cannot hinder us from duty, will hinder us in duty..." ~Thomas Watson

"The devil, if he cannot hinder us from duty, will hinder us in duty. When we come before the Lord, he is at our right hand to resist us (Zech. 3:1). Like when a man is going to write, and another stands at his elbow and jogs him, so that he cannot write evenly. Satan will set vain objects before the fancy to cause a diversion. The devil does not oppose formality but fervency. If he sees that we are setting ourselves in good earnest to seek God, he will be whispering things in our ears, so that we can scarcely attend to what we are doing." ~ Thomas Watson from the book The Godly Man’s Picture”  pgs. 162-163

"To know that nothing hurts the godly, is a matter of comfort..." ~Thomas Watson

"To know that nothing hurts the godly, is a matter of comfort; but to be assured that all things which fall out shall co-operate for their good, that their crosses shall be turned into blessings, that showers of affliction water the withering root of their grace and make it flourish more; this may fill their hearts with joy till they run over."

~Thomas Watson

Quotes from The Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson

I have been reading through The Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson at night right before I go to sleep. It is very edifying and convicting to read. I recommend this book to everyone.

I think we can all search our life and find something we need to repent from- we are all sinners. We need to repent and truly repent.
May you be strong and do right before God...It will not be easy, but it will be worth it in the end!
Grace, peace, and love to you all.
: -)

• Look upon sin in its nature, and it will appear very hateful. See how
  Scripture has penciled it out: it is a dishonoring of God (Rom. 2.25); a despising of God (I Sam. 2.30); a fretting of God (Ezek. 16.43); a wearying of God (Isa. 7.13); a breaking the heart of God, as a loving husband is with the unchaste conduct of his wife: ‘I am broken with their whorish heart’ (Ezek. 6.9). Sin, when acted to the height, is a crucifying Christ afresh and putting him to open shame (Heb. 6.6), that is, impudent sinners pierce Christ in his saints, and were he now upon earth they would crucify him again in his person.
  Affliction can take away life; sin takes away the soul (Luke 12:20).
  
  
  
  The very day a Christian turns from sin he must enjoin himself a perpetual fast. The eye must fast from impure glances. The ear must fast from hearing slanders. The tongue must fast from oaths. The hands must fast from bribes. The feet must fast from the path of the harlot. And the soul must fast from the love of wickedness. This turning from sin implies a notable change.
  
  
  
  A man may restrain the acts of sin, yet not turn from sin a right manner. Acts of sin may be restrained out of fear or design, but a true penitent turns from sin out of a religious principle, namely, love to God. Even if sin did not bear such bitter fruit, if death did not grow on this tree, a gracious soul would forsake it out of love to God. This is the most kindly turning from sin. When things are frozen and congealed, the best way to separate them is by fire. When men and their sins are congealed together, the best way to separate them is by the fire of love. Three men, asking one another what made them leave sin: one says, I think of the joys of heaven; another, I think of the torments of hell; but the third, I think of the love of God, and that makes me forsake it. How shall I offend the God of love?
  
  
  
  Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.
  If prayer does not make a man leave sin, sin will make him leave prayer.
  As the plough, when it breaks up the ground, fits it for the seed, so when the heart is broken up by repentance, it is fitted for remission, but it does not merit it. God will not save us without repentance, nor yet for it. Repentance is a qualification, not a cause. I grant repenting tears are precious. They are, as Gregory said, the fat of the sacrifice; as Basil said, the medicine of the soul; and as Bernard, the wine of angels. But yet, tears are not satisfactory for sin. We drop sin with our tears, therefore they cannot satisfy. Augustine said well: I have read of Peter’s tears, but no man ever read of Peter’s satisfaction. Christ’s blood only can merit pardon. We please God by repentance but we do not satisfy him by it. To trust to our repentance is to make it a savior. Though repentance helps to purge out the filth of sin, yet it is Christ’s blood that washes away the guilt of sin. Therefore do not idolize repentance.  Do not rest upon this, that your heart has been wounded for sin, but rather that your Savior is been wounded for sin. When you have wept, say with him: Lord Jesus, wash my tears in thy blood.
  
  
  (Copied from http://jamesmirror.com/ )

August 14th, 2013 (Life, Photography, and Lord's Day Quote)

I can't believe how fast this summer is going by!!

Almost September people!

General things are going on- school, house cleaning, outside farm work, cooking, photography, etc.

Photography is going awesome and am learning so many new things! It is so exciting! :) I am thinking about starting to shoot in RAW soon and looking forward to working with that! Progress- ohh yeahh!

I am also going to start up my sewing again. A skill I want to learn more of because it is so beneficial. You can also do so much at home to make money if you learn to sew.

I have made a good amount of food recently...that I really should have taken pictures of and posted on my food blog, but never did, so maybe next time!

But if you are wanting to see some of my recent photography, I'll share some from my most recent session- to see more, go to my 'Sunny Meadow' Photography Facebook Page.

A friend of mine is wanting me to take family session/ children portraits in the second week of September. So, hopefully by that time I will be shooting in RAW and editing will look better!

Here are the pictures I took recently of this beautiful girl! :)
(I told you all about doing her session on my 'July 22nd' blog post here. )

And, lastly, picture wise, here is what I had for supper... It was delicious!!!! :D

Alright, everyone have a blessed Lord's Day! Thanks again for stopping by, my friends!

"We love God’s day. We do not only keep a sabbath, but love a sabbath. ‘If thou call the sabbath a delight’ (Isaiah 58:13). The sabbath is that which keeps up the face of religion amongst us; this day must be consecrated as glorious to the Lord. The house of God is the palace of the great King, on the sabbath God shows Himself there through the lattice. If we love God we prize His day above all other days. All the week would be dark if it were not for this day; on this day manna falls double. Now, if ever, heaven gate stands open, and God comes down in a golden shower. This blessed day the Sun of righteousness rises upon the soul. How does a gracious heart prize that day which was made on purpose to enjoy God in!" ~Thomas Watson

"Knowledge of the grounds of religion much enriches the mind..." (Thomas Watson)

"Knowledge of the grounds of religion much enriches the mind. It is a lamp to our feet; it directs us in the whole course of Christianity, as the eye directs the body. Knowledge of fundamentals is the golden key that opens the chief mysteries of religion; it gives us a whole system and body of divinity, exactly drawn in all its lineaments and lively colours; it helps us to understand many of those difficult things which occur in the reading of the word; it helps to untie many Scripture knots." ~ Thomas Watson, 'A Body of Divinity'