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Compromise Hill's Chocolate Lab Breeders, 7488 Compromise Hill Rd, Gloucester, VA (2025)

08/21/2025

Thursday morning from Critter Cove! :-)

I greet you in Christ Jesus. You are loved!

I know that my Redeemer lives.
Job 19:25

The essence of Job’s comfort lies in the little word “my”—“my Redeemer”—and in the fact that the Redeemer lives. Oh, to get hold of a living Christ. We must get a share in Him before we can enjoy Him. What is gold to me while it is still in the mine? It is gold in my possession that will satisfy my necessities by purchasing the things I need. So a Redeemer who does not redeem me, an avenger who will never stand up for my blood, what benefit is there in that?

Do not rest content until by faith you can say, “Yes, I cast myself upon my living Lord; and He is mine.” You may hold Him with a feeble hand and half think it presumption to say, “He lives as my Redeemer.” But remember, if you have faith even as a grain of mustard seed, that little faith entitles you to say it.

But there is also another word here, which expresses Job’s strong confidence: “I know.” To say, “I hope so, I trust so” is comfortable, and there are thousands in the fold of Jesus who hardly ever get much further. But to reach the essence of consolation you must say, “I know.” Ifs, buts, and maybes are sure destroyers of peace and comfort. Doubts are dreary things in times of sorrow. Like wasps they sting the soul! If I have any suspicion that Christ is not mine, then there is vinegar mingled with the gall of death. But if I know that Jesus lives for me, then darkness is not dark: Even the night is light about me.

Surely if Job, in those ages before the coming of Christ, could say, “I know,” we should not speak less positively. God forbid that our positiveness should be presumption. Let us make sure that our evidences are right, in case we build upon an ungrounded hope; and then let us not be satisfied with the mere foundation, for it is from the upstairs rooms that we get the panoramic views. A living Redeemer, truly mine, is unspeakable joy.

Charles Spurgeon

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https://youtu.be/6QvX4CwSmwY?si=XNTjqtORlASZVuDp

Have a Tremendous Thursday! :-)

Are you saved?

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

08/20/2025

Wednesday morning from Critter Cove! :-)

I greet you in Christ Jesus. You are loved!

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20)

The last chapter of Matthew is a window that opens onto the sunrise glory of the risen Christ. Through it you can see at least three massive peaks in the mountain range of Christ’s character: the peak of his power; the peak of his kindness; and the peak of his purposefulness.

All authority is his — the right and the power to do his will. And he uses this power to pursue his unwavering purpose to make disciples from all the nations. And in the process he is personally kind to us, promising to be with us to the end.

We all know in our hearts that if the risen Christ is going to satisfy our desire to admire greatness, that is the way he has to be. Great in power. Great in kindness. Great in purposefulness.

People who are too weak to accomplish their purposes can’t satisfy our desire to admire greatness. We admire people even less who have no purpose in life. And still less those whose purposes are merely selfish and unkind.

What we long to see and know is a Person whose power is unlimited, whose kindness is tender, and whose purpose is single and unflinching.

Novelists and poets and movie-makers and TV writers now and then create a shadow of this Person. But they can no more fill our longing to worship than this month’s National Geographic can satisfy my longing for the Grand Canyon.
We must have the real thing. We must see the Original of all power and kindness and purposefulness. We must see and worship the risen Christ.

John Piper

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Have a Wonderful Wednesday! :-)

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5

08/19/2025

Tuesday morning from Critter Cove! :-)

I greet you in Christ Jesus. You are loved.

Thoughts as we approach Father’s Day.

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6)

In 1974, when I was 12 years old, a song called Cat's in the Cradle by Harry Chapin was released. It was a song about a father who was always too busy to spend time with his son.

“There were planes to catch and bills to pay. He learned to walk while I was away. And he was talking fore I knew it, and as he grew. He’d say, ‘I’m gonna be like you, Dad, you know I’m gonna be like you.”

Then Chapin sings the famous chorus:
“And the Cats in the cradle and the silver spoon, little boy blue and the man in the moon. “When you coming home, dad?” “I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then, you know we’ll have a good time then.”

Then he continues to tell the story of the child as he got older:
“My son turned ten just the other day. He said, thanks for the ball, dad, come on let’s play. Can you teach me to throw, I said, ‘not today, I got a lot to do,’ he said, that’s okay.”
This tragic song tells the story of a father who never delivers on his promises to spend time with his son.

Eventually, the son grows up and the roles are reversed. It is no longer the son who wants to spend time with his father, but it is the father who wants to spend time with his son. It starts when his son is at college. The father asks his son, “When you coming home, son?” The son replies, “I don’t know when. But we’ll get together then, Dad, you know we’ll have a good time then.” Then the father retires and at this stage in life his son has a wife and children. The father calls his son and his son tells him he is again busy, and then Chapin writes the sobering words that the father exclaims, “As I hung up the phone, it occurred to me. He’d grown up just like me. My boy was just like me.”

The father described in Chapin’s song failed. It’s a song that teaches not what to do, but what not to do in a father’s role.

The son in this song also failed. Not as a child, that's all on dad, but when he became an adult. He was a poor example to his own Son on how to love your father.

Regret. Opportunity lost.

A wise son makes his father proud (Proverbs 15:20).

The biblical call for a father is to develop a rich relationship with one’s children where Christ is at the center. Children must be taught their need for a Savior (John 3:16) and their need to live under His Lordship (Luke 9:23-24). For a father to teach his children the ways of the Lord he must be present. Many things will demand a father’s attention. Fathers tend to have lots on their plates from work to household tasks, to enjoying hobbies, to spending time with their friends. But one thing that cannot be neglected is a father’s responsibility to spend purposeful time with his children and his own parents.

Fathers, with children still under your roof, take this to heart. The time is ticking and soon your children will very likely be out from under your roof and your parents departed. You don’t want to have regrets. Spend time with your children and their grandparents. Develop rich relationships with them. Teach your children the ways of the Lord. As you do this, by God’s grace, when they are old their God-honoring relationship with you will be one of their greatest treasures and will fill your heart with profound joy. As you show them what it means to follow Jesus, they will follow in your steps.

Byrd and Brickley

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Have a Terrific Tuesday! :-)

Are you saved?

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:11

08/16/2025

Saturday morning from Critter Cove! :-)

I greet you in Christ Jesus. You are loved!

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalm 34:8

Rosalie Armstrong was born August 16th, 1922 in Kosciusko Mississippi. She became a woman who walked out her faith throughout her life.

She was my mother. The woman God gave me to point me toward Him.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13

My mother did her best to see that I, and my siblings, walked in His will and His way. All six of us are followers of Jesus.

My mom passed away on Pentecost Sunday 2014, but her influence still resonates in our family today. There are 80+ children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren. And that seed of salvation has been planted or is being planted in every single one of them.

That is a legacy.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:5-8

We are a family of Jesus Christ followers. Why? Because Mom Byrd lived out this passage.

This act of obedience by Mom Byrd has resulted in her family coming to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. And will continue through many generations to come.

I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 2 Timothy 1:5

Our acts of obedience or disobedience will also continue from generation upon generation.

So, your response to the Father not only impacts your salvation, but influences the salvation choices of your children.

Let me finish with this, the Bible says every good and perfect gift is from God above. My first grandchild was born on this day, August 16th.

That is a perfect gift.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Psalm 34:8

"The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”

Tim Byrd

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Have a Sensational Saturday! :-)

Are you saved?

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5

08/15/2025

Friday morning from Critter Cove! :-)

I greet you in Christ Jesus. You are loved!

You, O Lord, have made me glad by your work.
Psalm 92:4

Do you believe that your sins are forgiven and that Christ has made a full atonement for them? Then what a joyful Christian you ought to be! How you should live above the common trials and troubles of the world! Since sin is forgiven, can it matter what happens to you now? Luther said, “Smite, Lord, smite, for my sin is forgiven; if You have forgiven me, smite as hard as You will.” And in a similar spirit you may say, “Send sickness, poverty, losses, crosses, persecution, what You will. You have forgiven me, and my soul is glad.”

Christian, if you are thus saved, while you are glad, be grateful and loving. Cling to that cross that took your sin away; serve Him who served you. “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1) Do not let your zeal evaporate in some little exuberant song. Show your love in meaningful ways. Love the brethren of Him who loved you. If there is a poor tried believer, weep with him, and bear his cross for the sake of Him who wept for you and carried your sins.

Since you are forgiven freely for Christ’s sake, go and tell others the joyful news of pardoning mercy. Do not be contented with this unspeakable blessing for yourself alone, but publish widely the story of the cross. Holy gladness and holy boldness will make you a good preacher, and all the world will be a pulpit for you to preach in. Cheerful holiness is the most forcible of sermons, but the Lord must give it to you. Seek it this morning before you go into the world. When it is the Lord’s work in which we rejoice, we need not be afraid of being too glad.

Charles Spurgeon

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Have a Fantastic Friday! :-)

Are you saved?

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

08/14/2025

Thursday morning from Critter Cove! :-)

I greet you in Christ Jesus. You are loved!

Nathan the prophet comes to David after his adultery and murder and says, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.” (2 Samuel 12:13–14)

This is outrageous. Uriah is dead. Bathsheba is r***d. The baby will die. And Nathan says, “The Lord has put away your sin.”

Just like that? David committed adultery. He ordered murder. He lied. He “despised the word of the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:9). He scorned God. And the Lord simply “put away [his] sin”?!
What kind of a righteous Judge is God? You don’t just pass over r**e and murder and lying. Righteous judges don’t do that.

This was one of Paul’s greatest theological problems — very different from the ones people struggle with today: how can God forgive sin and still be righteous? Here is what Paul said in Romans 3:25–26:

God put [Christ] forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

In other words, the outrage that we feel when God seems to simply pass over David’s sin would be good outrage if God were simply sweeping David’s sin under the rug. He is not.

God sees, from the time of David, down the centuries to the death of his Son, Jesus Christ, who would die in David’s place, so that David’s faith in God’s mercy and God’s future redeeming work unites David with Christ. And in God’s all-knowing mind, David’s sins are counted as Christ’s sins and Christ’s righteousness is counted as his righteousness, and God justly passes over David’s sin for Christ’s sake.

The death of the Son of God is outrageous enough, and the glory of God that it upholds is great enough, that God is vindicated in passing over David’s adultery and murder and lying. And ours.

And so God maintains his perfect righteousness and justice while at the same time showing mercy to those who have faith in Jesus, no matter how many or how monstrous their sins. This is unspeakably good news.

John Piper

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Have a Tremendous Thursday! :-)

Are you saved?

“For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” Romans 9:15

08/13/2025

Wednesday morning from Critter Cove! :-)

I greet you in Christ Jesus. You are loved!

Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. (Colossians 3:2)

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (Isaiah 26:3)

There is a mystery, an aura, about the living God that is designed to force us to trust Him, even when we cannot figure Him out (which is most of the time). Why? Because He is inexplicable. He is unfathomable. He is infinite.

The mystery is purposeful, because His overall plan is profound. And let’s not forget that His plan is not designed to make us comfortable; it’s designed to make us more like Christ, to conform to His will. Nor is it intended to make human sense. In fact, more often than not, God’s will is downright humanly illogical. There, I’ve said it.
In this life, we have “focus” choices. We can focus on ourselves, we can focus on our circumstances, we can focus on other people, or we can focus on God. When you think biblically (which is another way of saying theologically), you focus first on God. Regardless of what you want, regardless of the circumstances you’re under (what are you doing under there anyway?), regardless of what others say or think, regardless of how you feel, God and God alone is working out His great plan. And in the final tally, it will be fabulous!

God is working His will in us. He is shaping us into the image of Christ, which means His Son’s discipline, His endurance, His faithfulness, His purity, His attitude, His whole philosophy of life. God’s goal is to make us like His dear Son. And that is a lifetime task . . . our lifetime, that is.

It’s a completely new way to look at God’s will. Meaning? Do you know what I would suggest we do? Spend less time analyzing God and more time obeying Him. You say, “What are the practical ramifications of that?” That means this: When you follow His will and find yourself in a situation you cannot explain, don’t even try. If you do, you’ll use human wisdom, and you’ll just mess things up. Call it like it is. It’s another of His mysterious surprises. Practice using words like “I don’t know.” “I don’t understand.” “This is beyond me.” “It doesn’t make sense to me . . . but that’s okay. God knows.”

Charles Swindoll

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Have a Wonderful Wednesday! :-)

Are you a follower of Jesus Christ?

We love Him because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

08/11/2025

Monday morning from Critter Cove! :-)

I greet you in Christ Jesus. You are loved!

Oh, that I were as in the months of old.
Job 29:2

Many Christians are able to view the past with pleasure but regard the present with dissatisfaction. They look back upon the days that they have spent in communing with the Lord as being the sweetest and the best they have ever known; but as to the present, it is as if they were smothered by a heavy blanket of gloom and dreariness. Once they lived near Jesus, but now they feel that they have wandered from Him, and they say, “Oh, that I were as in the months of old.” They complain that they have lost their evidences, or that they no longer have peace of mind, or that they have no enjoyment in the means of grace, or that their conscience is hardened, or that they are no longer as zealous for God’s glory as they once were.

The causes of this mournful state of things are many. It may arise through a comparative neglect of prayer, for a neglected closet is the beginning of all spiritual decline. Or it may be the result of idolatry. The heart has been occupied with something else, more than with God; the affections have been set on the things of earth instead of the things of heaven. A jealous God will not be content with a divided heart; He must be loved first and best. He will withdraw the sunshine of His presence from a cold, wandering heart. Or the cause may be found in self-confidence and self-righteousness. Pride is busy in the heart, and self is exalted instead of lying low at the foot of the cross.

Christian, if you are not now as you “were . . . in the months of old,” do not be content to simply wish for a return of your former happiness, but go at once to seek your Master and tell Him your sad state. Ask His grace and strength to enable you to walk more closely with Him; humble yourself before Him, and He will lift you up and allow you once more to enjoy the light of His countenance. Do not sit down to sigh and lament; while the beloved Physician lives there is hope; there is a certainty of recovery even for the worst cases.

Charles Spurgeon

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Have a Marvelous Monday! :-)

Are you saved?

“Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.””
‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭29‬

08/10/2025

Sunday morning from Critter Cove! :-)

I greet you in Christ Jesus. You are loved!

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Psalm 51:1

David knew that there were guilty who would not be forgiven. And there were guilty who by some mysterious work of redemption would not be counted as guilty, but would be forgiven. Psalm 51 is his way of laying hold on that mystery of mercy.

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” We know more of the mystery of this redemption than David did. We know Christ. But we lay hold of the mercy in the same way he did.

The decisive thing he does is turn, helpless, to the mercy and love of God. Today that means turning, helpless, to Christ, whose blood secures all the mercy we need.

John Piper

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Have a Worship-filled Sunday! :-)

Are you saved?

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

08/08/2025

Friday morning from Critter Cove! :-)

I greet you in Christ Jesus. You are loved!

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. James 5:16

This is our confidence: Anything we pray for that aligns with the Father’s plan will be granted (John 14:13-14). And the more time we spend with Him, the more we’ll come to understand His will and how to pray in accordance with it.

Remember, prayer doesn’t change God’s mind, but that doesn’t mean it’s unnecessary. In fact, it does something essential—namely, transforming the believer’s heart. Some requests are granted immediately, simply because our Father is good and He loves to give His children gifts. Other requests may require time or certain divine preparations before they can be fulfilled. We, meanwhile, must simply persevere in prayer.

Whatever the Lord’s response or timing, we trust that He has only the very best in store for His children. That means we might not receive exactly what we’re asking for, but something even better. Such is God’s great pleasure, for He alone perfectly knows each heart’s desire and wishes to fulfill it.

Our most powerful tool for shaping the world and the lives around us is always available. Prayer lets us witness God’s hand in any situation. And as we learn to give Him our attention and time in conversation, we will find there’s no limit to what He can achieve in our heart and circumstances.

Charles Stanley

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Have a Fantastic Friday! :-)

Are you saved?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

08/07/2025

Thursday morning from Critter Cove! :-)

I greet you in Christ Jesus. You are loved!

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

God made humans in his image so that the world would be filled with reflectors of God. Images of God. Seven billion statues of God. So that nobody would miss the point of creation.

Nobody (unless they are stone blind) could miss the point of humanity, namely, God — knowing, loving, showing God. The angels cry in Isaiah 6:3, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” It is full of billions of human image-bearers. Glorious ruins.

But not only humans. Also nature! Why such a breathtaking world for us to live in? Why such a vast universe?

I once read that there are more stars in the universe than there are words and sounds that all humans of all time have ever spoken. Why are there so many? So large? So bright? At such unimaginable distances? The Bible is crystal clear about this: “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1).

If someone asks, “If earth is the only inhabited planet and man the only rational inhabitant among the stars, why such a large and empty universe?” The answer is: It’s not about us. It’s about God. And it’s an understatement. He is more glorious. Greater in power. Greater in scope. Greater brightness. Than all the galaxies combined. One wise man said, the universe is like a peanut that God carries around in his pocket.

God created us to know him and love him and show him. And then he gave us a hint of what he is like: the universe.

John Piper

* Please Share. You sharing this might make an eternal difference.

Have a Tremendous Thursday! :-)

Are you saved.

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. Proverbs 26:4

08/05/2025

Tuesday morning from Critter Cove! :-)

I greet you in Christ Jesus. You are loved!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights. James 1:17

Recently, I had the great pleasure of presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a room filled with people.

There was amazing music that was so uplifting. An unbelievably talented young lady that quoted John 3:16 in any language you asked her to... Arabic, German, French, Spanish, Swahili, Chinese, Japanese.

And, on top of all that, there was a guy who painted a picture in the likeness of Jesus Christ, in the span of one song. And it is so good.

God was glorified in so many ways.

I was blessed in so many ways.

Why was this such a blessing to me and others?

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. Romans 8:14

Our Heavenly Father gave this gift to us.

Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; Matthew 13-16

And as followers of Jesus Christ we can see and hear, and find joy in being loved on by our Heavenly Father.

1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.

Matthew 25:34 ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

What is your promised inheritance? Are you a follower of Jesus Christ?

It's is insufficient to just know Him. Even the demons believe that, and shudder! James 2:19

Jesus said, "Come, follow Me."

You have a decision to make about Jesus. EVERYONE does.

What are you going to do with Jesus?

You are free to choose.
You are not free not to choose.
You are not free to choose the consequences of your choices.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

Choose life.

Tim Byrd

* Please Share. You sharing this might make an eternal difference.

Have a Terrific Tuesday! :-)

Are you saved?

Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5

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