repentance and forgiveness

luke 24: 46-47 records the risen Jesus telling His still shocked apostles they are to proclaim repentance AND forgiveness. notice that Jesus said "repentance" first. this is so simple, and so difficult at the same time. we, as believers, must remember to repent before seeking forgiveness. this is hard enough for believers. yet how difficult this must be for unbelievers to grasp, especially those who revel in their sin, often not even realizing they are sinning. repent? from what? this is where the Way we believers live our lives must be clearly different from the way those who do not believe live their lives. evidence must be evident ...

finally, i think got some tight, steady telephoto shots of the sliders (turtles) that bask on the fallen, dead tree. they are so wary. i had to scoot on my rear a foot at a time, moving the camera/tripod ahead of me ...

Spring morning at Black Creek

i was sitting on the front porch a few minutes ago, drinking a cup of fresh fair trade coffee, just seeing.
i could see black creek 100 yards away. i could see almost fully bloomed dogwoods. i could see the wind in the movement of the branches. i could see new growth on the sweet gums and oaks.
i could hear the calls of at least 10 different bird species. two good little dogs were at my feet, hoping for another taste of coffee.
i thought to myself, what else could a man want other than You, Jesus. what peace came with that thought. how could a man be blessed more than me? my bride at work. two strong, hard-working sons and a strong, hard-working son-in-law. a daughter that no dad can match. a granddaughter whose smile and reach for her pappy bring a smile just at the thought. a daughter-in-law who is expecting our second grandchild.
but He is first. without Him, all these good things become just things, for all good comes from Him.
thank you, Father.