Greetings Everyone,
Woohoo...and I have Happy News.
1. My sister in law has made amazing progress since yesterday.
She is still in the Neurological ICU and still has a feeding tube, and still has an infection, but she is lucid.
She sat in a chair for an hour today.
She turned down pain medication today.
And she wants the blinds left open so that she can see the sunshine outside.
This is an answer to prayer.
2. My daughters fever has broken and she is feeling better today.
She said that Little Man still has a cough and a stuffy nose, but that he seems happy.
And so far... my son in law has not caught the cold that his wife and child have.
This is an answer to prayer.
3. Hubby feels better today.
The cough is better & the diabetes is in control today.
We had our breakfast date today, ran some errands, and then made the long trip to go see his sister in the hospital (where as I mentioned, we found her tremendously improved).
Hubby's heart was lighter on the drive back home.
This too is an answer to prayer.
Let's just say we have been rejoicing and that the Ole Family Grapevine has been working overtime today.
Let me also say that OUR Family gives ALL the credit for these blessings to God Almighty.
We prayed in faith for healings.
He responded with a YES on all counts.
His answer isn't always YES...but today it was!
Sometimes He says NO, and when he does, we have to remember that His Grace Is Sufficient...just like PAUL.
2 Corinthians 12: 17-19 "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."
But today, His answer was YES.
Ephesians 3:20-21 " Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
We CHOOSE to BELIEVE in HIM.
Joshua 24:15 "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.
It does make me wonder what would happen if America would really claim 2 Chronicles 7:14
" If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
What would happen IF WE AS A NATION HUMBLED OURSELVES AND PRAYED?
I believe with all my heart that HE WOULD RESPOND WITH A YES!
...just a little something to ponder...
In Him,
Grace
The Reward for Surviving Rough Seas
We are all like sea shells tossed about in rough waters and being re-shaped in wondrous ways. But have you ever contemplated the notion that sea shells have to complete their journey through the rough waters before they get to rest on the shore? Yeah, we are ALL like sea shells and Heaven is The Great Shore.
Showing posts with label Scripture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scripture. Show all posts
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Micah 6: 8
Greetings Everybody,
Lets Start Off This Morning With a Favorite Verse of Mine:
Micah 6:8 " He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
This is such a lovely verse, and it is such a LIFESPAN verse too isn't it!
Act Justly
Love Mercy
Walk Humbly With Your God
What a Mission Statement!
-Corporate-Business Type Folks get all snazzed over really well written Vision and Mission Statements.
-They thrive on GOALS, OBJECTIVES and ACTION PLANS.
-And it is true that really well constructed Vision and Mission statements will put your company on the correct path, and that the Goals, Objectives and Action Plans will keep them there.
But GOD knew about all of this long before Mankind did.
He KNEW that we needed tightly written, focus-driven, action-laden words to guide us too.
So He gave us Micah 6:8.
There are lots of scriptures that tell Christians how we are supposed to live,
but I believe that this verse, even though it was written long before Jesus was born,
is one of the best Mision Statements EVER for Believers.
It combines the Law of the Old Testament (Act Justly),
with the Grace of the New Testament (Love Mercy),
and gives us a mandate to live in Harmony with God (Walk Humbly).
-The "Walk Humbly" has HUGE implications for Americans,
because we tend to view ourselves as autonomous, and self-made.
-Our ego's tend to be a tad inflated at times. and we tend to forget that we are to be in submission to God.
-This part of the verse calls us to remember in whose image we are made.
-And to live our lives in a way that we do not "shame the name" of God or Christ.
Just wanted to share my thoughts on this with you guys today.
May God, Bless and Keep Each of YOU as you
Act Justly
Love Mercy
And Walk Humbly With Your God
In Him,
Grace
Saturday, December 10, 2011
I Woke Up Smiling This Morning
Greetings,
Today has the mark of Wonder upon it, for I woke up SMILING.
At 4:30, my eyes fluttered open and I realized that I was fully rested and WANTING to get up.
No alarm clock.
Isn't that cool.
Don't you just love the mornings when you wake up on your own and you realize that you are just simply DONE with your sleep!
We live in an age of time management.
It seems that our lives are lived out in strictly-managed time-allocated chunks.
But today was a total violation of that norm.
I just simply woke up ready to be UP.
I did not have the desire to just snuggle back down in the covers.
I did not have something I woke up worried about.
I did not have a huge agenda-laden day that I woke up thinking about.
Rather, like a baby who is done with her nap, I simply woke up...smiling.
I LOVE this morning.
This Day Has HOPE and PROMISE and JOY written all over it.
Psalms 118:24 " This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Yeah THAT's how I feel about today.
Just finished my prayer journal, emptied my heart out to God...and was, as always filled back up in the process....and now here is sit.
The lights on the Christmas Tree are twinkling behind me, and the house is so still and quiet...and my coffee is so perfect this morning...and I am deeply, honestly, simply content.
This Peace is of God!
Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
It is deep and it is precious and it is wonderful.
Regardless of what this day may bring, I want to cling to this sense of well-being.
My Heavenly Father has wrapped me in his warm embrace and is holding me safe and secure this morning.
I Am Thankful For This Peace.
In Him,
Grace
Today has the mark of Wonder upon it, for I woke up SMILING.
At 4:30, my eyes fluttered open and I realized that I was fully rested and WANTING to get up.
No alarm clock.
Isn't that cool.
Don't you just love the mornings when you wake up on your own and you realize that you are just simply DONE with your sleep!
We live in an age of time management.
It seems that our lives are lived out in strictly-managed time-allocated chunks.
But today was a total violation of that norm.
I just simply woke up ready to be UP.
I did not have the desire to just snuggle back down in the covers.
I did not have something I woke up worried about.
I did not have a huge agenda-laden day that I woke up thinking about.
Rather, like a baby who is done with her nap, I simply woke up...smiling.
I LOVE this morning.
This Day Has HOPE and PROMISE and JOY written all over it.
Psalms 118:24 " This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Yeah THAT's how I feel about today.
Just finished my prayer journal, emptied my heart out to God...and was, as always filled back up in the process....and now here is sit.
The lights on the Christmas Tree are twinkling behind me, and the house is so still and quiet...and my coffee is so perfect this morning...and I am deeply, honestly, simply content.
This Peace is of God!
Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
It is deep and it is precious and it is wonderful.
Regardless of what this day may bring, I want to cling to this sense of well-being.
My Heavenly Father has wrapped me in his warm embrace and is holding me safe and secure this morning.
I Am Thankful For This Peace.
In Him,
Grace
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Resting In HIS Palm
Greetings Everybody,
This morning I want to talk about Bone-Deep Security and to do so, I am going to apply the "It's Ok Baby, Grandmaw's Got You Now" Analogy.
When I Hold My Grandson, It Never Occurs To Him That I Might Drop Him...And It SHOULDN'T.
He can be QUITE upset and wailing to beat the band...but when I pick him up and cuddle him and place my lips next to his little ear and whisper "It's Ok Baby, Grandmaw's Got You Now"...his life gets better. He knows that help is on the way. He knows that somebody who is in control has come to his aid.
As grown ups, we know that this doesn't mean that he will never get uncomfortable again...there will be dirty diapers to be changed...after every bottle there will be pressure in his tummy until he burps...there will be sniffles, and coughs, and cuts and scrapes...and all the trials that come with human life.
But when he has needs...His Family Tends to them... all of us do that...and WILL do that FOR LIFE!
It's that way us and God... and it's that way with us and The Church as well.
Just as HE tends to US, We Are to Tend after Each Other.
We are HIS CHILDREN...FOR LIFE!
Matthew 19:14 "Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of
heaven belongs to such as these."
We were designed to ride in the palm of His Hand.
And God Almighty does not drop HIS CHILDREN.
He will supply all of our NEEDS...not all of our WANTS, but all of our NEEDS.
Phillipians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
He created us, loves us and knows the most amazing details about us.
Matthew 10:30 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered."
He does let us experience troubles...and He is there to help...but He does NOT take away our ability to feel discomfort or to feel pain.
Sometimes there is great SEARING Pain.
But HE does not leave us.
It is WE who leave HIM.
We leave Him when we doubt him.
We leave Him when we fail to Submit to His Will.
We leave Him when we fail to Seek His Will.
We leave Him when we get so full of our own autonomy and Free Will that we fail to remember that He supplied our blessings and that we did NOTHING of our own accord.
We fight against Him, and Wiggle, and Squirm our way out of His Protection and in the process get ourselves in all sorts of troubles...and THEN we claim that God let us down.
Hogwash!
Life got awful for us, because instead of resting in His Palm, we fought God and scurried out of His Loving Protection.
And in THAT process we get emotionally & spiritually and sometimes physically damaged.
Let's just take THIS little Bullet out of the Chamber too...Yeah, Bad Stuff DOES Happen to Good People.
In fact...MOST of the really GOOD people that I have known, had have quite a few difficulties.
Amazing HUH?
How do you think that they got to be so good?
Difficulties make us stronger.
The Most SHALLOW and SELF-CENTERED People I Know have had the Fewest Life Difficulties.
And just like wee children, they never crawl out of the egocentric phase of life...and they think that the world is all about THEM.
Troubles are often called Burdens.
Burdens have Weight associated with them.
Weight lifters know that increasing the load of weight you work with makes you stronger.
So Yeah...Bad Things Happen to Good People...and somehow when you have gone through hard times...you are strong enough to help somebody else who might be going through the same thing.
THIS is the POWER of The CHURCH FAMILY!!!
We are ALL at various times either being nurtured by others or being the nurturer OF Others...by the Grace of God.
Today I invite you to Ride In His Palm with me.
Take my hand and let's just sit in the palm of His hand together for a little while today...and as scripture says...
Psalms 46:10 "He says, “Be still, and know that I am God..."
Today I challenge you to please just sit and contemplate your own life and it's blessings.
Think about how you have arrived at this point in your life.
Ask Yourself this question : "Who Do I Submit To?"
And if the first answer that pops into your head is not Jesus Christ or God Almighty... then I suspect there are some significant troubles in your life.
I suspect that you see alot of discord and alot of inhumanity and alot of greed and that there is a lack of peace within your spirit.
Today, I ask you to set down your pride, your zeal, your causes...and Submit Yourself To The Lord.
Enter HIS PALM...
And prepare for the Ride of Your Life.
In Him,
AMEN
This morning I want to talk about Bone-Deep Security and to do so, I am going to apply the "It's Ok Baby, Grandmaw's Got You Now" Analogy.
When I Hold My Grandson, It Never Occurs To Him That I Might Drop Him...And It SHOULDN'T.
He can be QUITE upset and wailing to beat the band...but when I pick him up and cuddle him and place my lips next to his little ear and whisper "It's Ok Baby, Grandmaw's Got You Now"...his life gets better. He knows that help is on the way. He knows that somebody who is in control has come to his aid.
As grown ups, we know that this doesn't mean that he will never get uncomfortable again...there will be dirty diapers to be changed...after every bottle there will be pressure in his tummy until he burps...there will be sniffles, and coughs, and cuts and scrapes...and all the trials that come with human life.
But when he has needs...His Family Tends to them... all of us do that...and WILL do that FOR LIFE!
It's that way us and God... and it's that way with us and The Church as well.
Just as HE tends to US, We Are to Tend after Each Other.
We are HIS CHILDREN...FOR LIFE!
Matthew 19:14 "Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of
heaven belongs to such as these."
We were designed to ride in the palm of His Hand.
And God Almighty does not drop HIS CHILDREN.
He will supply all of our NEEDS...not all of our WANTS, but all of our NEEDS.
Phillipians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
He created us, loves us and knows the most amazing details about us.
Matthew 10:30 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered."
He does let us experience troubles...and He is there to help...but He does NOT take away our ability to feel discomfort or to feel pain.
Sometimes there is great SEARING Pain.
But HE does not leave us.
It is WE who leave HIM.
We leave Him when we doubt him.
We leave Him when we fail to Submit to His Will.
We leave Him when we fail to Seek His Will.
We leave Him when we get so full of our own autonomy and Free Will that we fail to remember that He supplied our blessings and that we did NOTHING of our own accord.
We fight against Him, and Wiggle, and Squirm our way out of His Protection and in the process get ourselves in all sorts of troubles...and THEN we claim that God let us down.
Hogwash!
Life got awful for us, because instead of resting in His Palm, we fought God and scurried out of His Loving Protection.
And in THAT process we get emotionally & spiritually and sometimes physically damaged.
Let's just take THIS little Bullet out of the Chamber too...Yeah, Bad Stuff DOES Happen to Good People.
In fact...MOST of the really GOOD people that I have known, had have quite a few difficulties.
Amazing HUH?
How do you think that they got to be so good?
Difficulties make us stronger.
The Most SHALLOW and SELF-CENTERED People I Know have had the Fewest Life Difficulties.
And just like wee children, they never crawl out of the egocentric phase of life...and they think that the world is all about THEM.
Troubles are often called Burdens.
Burdens have Weight associated with them.
Weight lifters know that increasing the load of weight you work with makes you stronger.
So Yeah...Bad Things Happen to Good People...and somehow when you have gone through hard times...you are strong enough to help somebody else who might be going through the same thing.
THIS is the POWER of The CHURCH FAMILY!!!
We are ALL at various times either being nurtured by others or being the nurturer OF Others...by the Grace of God.
Today I invite you to Ride In His Palm with me.
Take my hand and let's just sit in the palm of His hand together for a little while today...and as scripture says...
Psalms 46:10 "He says, “Be still, and know that I am God..."
Today I challenge you to please just sit and contemplate your own life and it's blessings.
Think about how you have arrived at this point in your life.
Ask Yourself this question : "Who Do I Submit To?"
And if the first answer that pops into your head is not Jesus Christ or God Almighty... then I suspect there are some significant troubles in your life.
I suspect that you see alot of discord and alot of inhumanity and alot of greed and that there is a lack of peace within your spirit.
Today, I ask you to set down your pride, your zeal, your causes...and Submit Yourself To The Lord.
Enter HIS PALM...
And prepare for the Ride of Your Life.
In Him,
AMEN
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
A Stand Alone Blog in a SEA of Blogdom
Greetings,
Admittedly I am new to the blogging world...but I find that it is addictive. It seems that God has given me so many words, and so many thoughts, and that the more I write the more I WANT to write. This blog is not written under the umbrella of a collection of other writers...it's just me pegging away...and writing as I feel the Lord Leads Me to Write.
This is indeed A Stand Alone Blog in a SEA of Blogdom.
If it is God's will that this blog catches on and that it blesses others, then to HIM be the Glory.
And if He Wills that it really never catch on, then HIS WILL BE DONE.
Meanwhile, I find that I am called more and more to this computer to write.
To wit...
When my daughter was a child, there was a phrase in vogue called "A Gratitude Attitude"
...and I really LIKE that phrase.
Mostly I like it because I think that it is an attitude that when sown properly is also "Harvestable".
(Is that a word?..."Harvestable"???)
Well if it's not, it should be.
Perhaps the term "Harvestable" was coined here on the Grace Under Pressure blog?
Not certain, but am willing to pretend that it was. lol
OK...New Term just entered into the G.U.P. Lexicon of Spiffy Words with Spiritual Applications
fyi...G.U.P.= Grace Under Pressure
Harvestable:
The ultimate outcome of a Faith-Based Way Of Thinking and Living
If I find that this definition is not sufficient, it can always be amended.
But for now, yeah, I think it works!
Anyway...
We all know that if a crop is Harvestable, it serves a purpose for mankind in some fashion.
And in this case, when Gratitude is the crop that has been planted, the "Harvestable" crop that will serve mankind is a soul easing sense that we do nothing on our own accord, but that God in control and by His grace we live and breathe.
Americans tend to try to sow Autonomy instead of Submission to His Will...and then are shocked when we harvest Frustration.
We tend to sow Busy-ness in hopes of harvesting Personal Value and then we are surprised when the crop turns out to be a strong hybrid bunch of thistles called Failed Marriages, Floundering Children, and Disintegrating Families.
We need to sow some Quiet Reflection & Prayer in order to harvest Spiritual Discernment.
We need to sow some Scripture Reading in order to harvest an Strong Moral Compass.
We need to sow some Deep Discussions with our loved ones and friends if we want Spiritual Edification.
And yes, we need to sow a big ole crop of Holy Gratitude & Bone-deep Humility if we are to ever to find antidotes to our Arrogant Pride of Self-Reliance & our Pernicious Sense of Entitlement.
This is not just my opinion ya know...
The Bible speaks to us about the crops we need to sow and the ones we should avoid.
Galatians 6:7 " Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows."
Hosea 10:12 " Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you."
We have been told about the two very different types of "Harvestable" crops.
The first crop is called The Acts of the Flesh... which leads to Hell.
The second is called The Fruit of the Spirit... which leads to Heaven.
Galatians 5:19-22 " 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
By God's Grace, we find comfort knowing that when we Sow the Fruit of the Spirit & Follow HIS Word, His gift to us...our Harvest...is a Heavenly Home.
And if that doesn't cause a person to have a Gratitude Attitude I don't know what will :)
In Him,
Grace
Admittedly I am new to the blogging world...but I find that it is addictive. It seems that God has given me so many words, and so many thoughts, and that the more I write the more I WANT to write. This blog is not written under the umbrella of a collection of other writers...it's just me pegging away...and writing as I feel the Lord Leads Me to Write.
This is indeed A Stand Alone Blog in a SEA of Blogdom.
If it is God's will that this blog catches on and that it blesses others, then to HIM be the Glory.
And if He Wills that it really never catch on, then HIS WILL BE DONE.
Meanwhile, I find that I am called more and more to this computer to write.
To wit...
When my daughter was a child, there was a phrase in vogue called "A Gratitude Attitude"
...and I really LIKE that phrase.
Mostly I like it because I think that it is an attitude that when sown properly is also "Harvestable".
(Is that a word?..."Harvestable"???)
Well if it's not, it should be.
Perhaps the term "Harvestable" was coined here on the Grace Under Pressure blog?
Not certain, but am willing to pretend that it was. lol
OK...New Term just entered into the G.U.P. Lexicon of Spiffy Words with Spiritual Applications
fyi...G.U.P.= Grace Under Pressure
Harvestable:
The ultimate outcome of a Faith-Based Way Of Thinking and Living
If I find that this definition is not sufficient, it can always be amended.
But for now, yeah, I think it works!
Anyway...
We all know that if a crop is Harvestable, it serves a purpose for mankind in some fashion.
And in this case, when Gratitude is the crop that has been planted, the "Harvestable" crop that will serve mankind is a soul easing sense that we do nothing on our own accord, but that God in control and by His grace we live and breathe.
Americans tend to try to sow Autonomy instead of Submission to His Will...and then are shocked when we harvest Frustration.
We tend to sow Busy-ness in hopes of harvesting Personal Value and then we are surprised when the crop turns out to be a strong hybrid bunch of thistles called Failed Marriages, Floundering Children, and Disintegrating Families.
We need to sow some Quiet Reflection & Prayer in order to harvest Spiritual Discernment.
We need to sow some Scripture Reading in order to harvest an Strong Moral Compass.
We need to sow some Deep Discussions with our loved ones and friends if we want Spiritual Edification.
And yes, we need to sow a big ole crop of Holy Gratitude & Bone-deep Humility if we are to ever to find antidotes to our Arrogant Pride of Self-Reliance & our Pernicious Sense of Entitlement.
This is not just my opinion ya know...
The Bible speaks to us about the crops we need to sow and the ones we should avoid.
Galatians 6:7 " Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows."
Hosea 10:12 " Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you."
We have been told about the two very different types of "Harvestable" crops.
The first crop is called The Acts of the Flesh... which leads to Hell.
The second is called The Fruit of the Spirit... which leads to Heaven.
Galatians 5:19-22 " 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
By God's Grace, we find comfort knowing that when we Sow the Fruit of the Spirit & Follow HIS Word, His gift to us...our Harvest...is a Heavenly Home.
And if that doesn't cause a person to have a Gratitude Attitude I don't know what will :)
In Him,
Grace
Monday, November 28, 2011
"The I'm So Sick 7 Dwarfs"
Greetings,
Today I am not at work...I am here at home...sick.
Some hostile airborne intruder has crawled up my nose, into my ears, down my throat, and into my lungs. And yes even my stomach is reacting to this assault...not violently...just causing frequent trips to the "little room".
Not very pleasant imagery to be sure.
And frankly, I don't feel very pleasant!
However, while I am sitting here with all of "The I'm So Sick 7 Dwarfs" (ahem...say hello to Drippy, Stuffy, Sneezy, Snuffly, Hacky, Greeny & Achy, who are all present and accounted for), I am using one the perks of being in a profession with available "sick days".
This day at home will not cause me to lose wages.
This day at home will not cause me to be unable to buy food or pay bills.
And the reason I even HAVE the blessing of "sick days" is that God gave my parents the ability & the will to pay for my college education...and that God gave me the ability & the will to complete that education...and that God lead me to this teaching profession, where sick days & insurance are part of the benefits package.
There were so many factors that lead up to today...and those factors seen in hindsight are blessings.
James 1:17
"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."
So I sit here in the comfort of my own home (...and I might add that if one is really sick, there is likely a complete and total abandonment of any polite manners due to all of the sneezing & coughing & spitting into tissues)...FEELING and LOOKING kinda gross lol.
But focusing on yourself is a great way to feel even worse...and I have learned to count my blessings when feeling icky.
Sooo....
I am thankful that I HAVE a home to sit here in...that I have the tissues to use ( for there have been plenty of times when I did NOT have them and used toilet paper instead of tissues).
I am thankful for the warm quilts and for the central heating in my home.
I am thankful that there is food here for me to eat and fresh clean water for me to drink.
I am thankful for the asthma medications that are already in the house...because as this reaction leaves my head it will inevitably go south to my lungs...and the already significant asthma symptoms that I have will be further compromised...but I have some things to help ward off trouble.
I am thankful that I have a nebulizer and the medicine to use in it. The plan is to preemptively use my nebulizer throughout the day.
I am thankful that I am not sick on a holiday weekend now and that if I need to get to my doctor he will be in his office and can see me as soon as I can drive over there...if I need him.
Even though I don't feel very good body-wise...I am in great shape spirit-wise...For I have everything I need.
Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
In Him,
Grace
Today I am not at work...I am here at home...sick.
Some hostile airborne intruder has crawled up my nose, into my ears, down my throat, and into my lungs. And yes even my stomach is reacting to this assault...not violently...just causing frequent trips to the "little room".
Not very pleasant imagery to be sure.
And frankly, I don't feel very pleasant!
However, while I am sitting here with all of "The I'm So Sick 7 Dwarfs" (ahem...say hello to Drippy, Stuffy, Sneezy, Snuffly, Hacky, Greeny & Achy, who are all present and accounted for), I am using one the perks of being in a profession with available "sick days".
This day at home will not cause me to lose wages.
This day at home will not cause me to be unable to buy food or pay bills.
And the reason I even HAVE the blessing of "sick days" is that God gave my parents the ability & the will to pay for my college education...and that God gave me the ability & the will to complete that education...and that God lead me to this teaching profession, where sick days & insurance are part of the benefits package.
There were so many factors that lead up to today...and those factors seen in hindsight are blessings.
James 1:17
"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."
So I sit here in the comfort of my own home (...and I might add that if one is really sick, there is likely a complete and total abandonment of any polite manners due to all of the sneezing & coughing & spitting into tissues)...FEELING and LOOKING kinda gross lol.
But focusing on yourself is a great way to feel even worse...and I have learned to count my blessings when feeling icky.
Sooo....
I am thankful that I HAVE a home to sit here in...that I have the tissues to use ( for there have been plenty of times when I did NOT have them and used toilet paper instead of tissues).
I am thankful for the warm quilts and for the central heating in my home.
I am thankful that there is food here for me to eat and fresh clean water for me to drink.
I am thankful for the asthma medications that are already in the house...because as this reaction leaves my head it will inevitably go south to my lungs...and the already significant asthma symptoms that I have will be further compromised...but I have some things to help ward off trouble.
I am thankful that I have a nebulizer and the medicine to use in it. The plan is to preemptively use my nebulizer throughout the day.
I am thankful that I am not sick on a holiday weekend now and that if I need to get to my doctor he will be in his office and can see me as soon as I can drive over there...if I need him.
Even though I don't feel very good body-wise...I am in great shape spirit-wise...For I have everything I need.
Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
In Him,
Grace
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Contentment
Greetings,
The apostle Paul said
"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4: 11-13
Humans crave contentment.
We enjoy having Enough.
Enough money, enough food, enough family, health, friends, clothing, education...the list grows and grows.
Yet sometimes Enough is not ENOUGH!
Sometimes, like computers, we re-quire a ReBoot...a Shut down...a Psalms 46:10 "BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD" time.
It may be harsh, but ultimately it is in our best interest.
I am convinced that we must all endure Spiritual Hunger sometimes, in order to draw closer to God. This is when we DEFRAGMENT. The times of Spiritual Hunger are when we clean ourselves. This is when we get rid of the things that slow us down so that we can "RUN THE GOOD RACE".
I Corinithians 9:24-27 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
I am convinced that going through hard times draws us closer to God.
Nobody ASKS for those hard times, and we hate them while they are with us.
But when we SUBMIT to His Will we are transported above the pain somehow and into the reality that we are immortal beings who are residing in an alien land.
We are transplants on a hostile planet.
Our real home is with God.
And regardless of the pain, suffering, and lack of food, family, friends, job, health or anything else...WE, like The Apostle Paul, somehow learn to be content in whatever state we are in.
Perhaps the secret is twofold:
1. Submitting to HIS Will
2. Finding Blessings even when they mask themselves as Troubles.
As we draw close to Thanksgiving...perhaps its worth mentioning that contentment is not about the amount of food on the table, but in the sharing of whatever we DO have with those we love.
Contentment is a precious thing.
May you seek it and find it in HIM today.
In HIM,
Grace
The apostle Paul said
"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4: 11-13
Humans crave contentment.
We enjoy having Enough.
Enough money, enough food, enough family, health, friends, clothing, education...the list grows and grows.
Yet sometimes Enough is not ENOUGH!
Sometimes, like computers, we re-quire a ReBoot...a Shut down...a Psalms 46:10 "BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD" time.
It may be harsh, but ultimately it is in our best interest.
I am convinced that we must all endure Spiritual Hunger sometimes, in order to draw closer to God. This is when we DEFRAGMENT. The times of Spiritual Hunger are when we clean ourselves. This is when we get rid of the things that slow us down so that we can "RUN THE GOOD RACE".
I Corinithians 9:24-27 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
I am convinced that going through hard times draws us closer to God.
Nobody ASKS for those hard times, and we hate them while they are with us.
But when we SUBMIT to His Will we are transported above the pain somehow and into the reality that we are immortal beings who are residing in an alien land.
We are transplants on a hostile planet.
Our real home is with God.
And regardless of the pain, suffering, and lack of food, family, friends, job, health or anything else...WE, like The Apostle Paul, somehow learn to be content in whatever state we are in.
Perhaps the secret is twofold:
1. Submitting to HIS Will
2. Finding Blessings even when they mask themselves as Troubles.
As we draw close to Thanksgiving...perhaps its worth mentioning that contentment is not about the amount of food on the table, but in the sharing of whatever we DO have with those we love.
Contentment is a precious thing.
May you seek it and find it in HIM today.
In HIM,
Grace
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Life Tapestry
Greetings,
Figurative language can be so very expressive and create such imagery.
It aids us as we seek to get others to understand our perspectives.
The following is clearly figurative language:
I believe that each of us is weaving a tapestry that represents our own life.
The threads we select come in various shades and thicknesses and blends.
The Fruits of the Spirit that we experience in this life somehow weave themselves into each tapestry.
These are the beautiful glossy threads in rich hues and tones.
But The Works of the Flesh also show up in our tapestries.
These are the knotted threads and the sections of our tapestry where the pattern seems flawed or the colors are just all wrong.
What if your Life Tapestry were to be unfurled before God when you die one day.
And What IF God inspects it to review every thought, word and action of your life
And What IF, just before God pronounces your LIFE tapestry unsuitable...what if just before He does that, Jesus declares "This worker is one is my apprentices! Her life may have been less than perfect, but I gave MY life on Calvary, to be able to buy her pardon today."
Perhaps this isn't quite as figurative as first imagined.
Galatians 5: 19-25 "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law. And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof. If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk.
He is the Master Weaver.
And He changes lives.
Regardless of the shape your tapestry is in, He can make it beautiful again.
He makes all things beautiful in HIS time...and HIS time is bigger than we can grasp.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.".
Jesus please help me choose my threads today!
In Him,
Grace
Figurative language can be so very expressive and create such imagery.
It aids us as we seek to get others to understand our perspectives.
The following is clearly figurative language:
I believe that each of us is weaving a tapestry that represents our own life.
The threads we select come in various shades and thicknesses and blends.
The Fruits of the Spirit that we experience in this life somehow weave themselves into each tapestry.
These are the beautiful glossy threads in rich hues and tones.
But The Works of the Flesh also show up in our tapestries.
These are the knotted threads and the sections of our tapestry where the pattern seems flawed or the colors are just all wrong.
What if your Life Tapestry were to be unfurled before God when you die one day.
And What IF God inspects it to review every thought, word and action of your life
And What IF, just before God pronounces your LIFE tapestry unsuitable...what if just before He does that, Jesus declares "This worker is one is my apprentices! Her life may have been less than perfect, but I gave MY life on Calvary, to be able to buy her pardon today."
Perhaps this isn't quite as figurative as first imagined.
Galatians 5: 19-25 "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law. And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof. If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk.
He is the Master Weaver.
And He changes lives.
Regardless of the shape your tapestry is in, He can make it beautiful again.
He makes all things beautiful in HIS time...and HIS time is bigger than we can grasp.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.".
Jesus please help me choose my threads today!
In Him,
Grace
Sunday, October 30, 2011
I Will Carry The Thought-Kernal of this Weekend...
Greetings,
Let me set the scene for you:
Its 6:43 a.m. on a Sunday Morning as I type this sentence. It is the Lords' Day. And I am sitting in the dark in a hotel room, sipping freshly brewed coffee by the light of my computer screen (which has been dimmed to a meager 10% of its usual brightness). The room is equipped with blackout drapes and so no natural light will invade the velvety darkness in here. I had been working on my prayer journal for a while and but have now moved on to writing in this blog. My husband snores quite softly in the background, creating a cozy & comforting backdrop for thoughts of safety and blessing and hope.
And I am keenly aware that God Is HERE.
He is in the room with me...with us. He has kept us safe all weekend long. And I am overwhelmed when I consider His abundant blessings and protection. He has provided beautiful scenery all around us and we have enjoyed looking at His handiwork this weekend. And today, as we begin the drive homeward, we plan to stop somewhere scenic along the way and break the unleavened bread and drink the grape juice. We Will Take Communion in the middle of HIS landscape...and HE will be there with us.
Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
God is Good!
Today, Lord Willing, we will travel back home.
And tomorrow, Lord Willing, we will return to the treadmill.
We will earn our daily bread and we will get tired doing so.
But I will carry the thought-kernal of this weekend in my memory-pocket like a little gemstone that I have secreted away. I will retrieve it from that pocket and take it out, and watch it shine on days when I need to gain perspective on life's difficulties.
And the memories of this weekend will be a blessing for the days ahead.
I thank God for the husband to travel with and the ability to do so.
It is an amazing thing to ride in the palm of HIS hand.
In Him,
Grace
Let me set the scene for you:
Its 6:43 a.m. on a Sunday Morning as I type this sentence. It is the Lords' Day. And I am sitting in the dark in a hotel room, sipping freshly brewed coffee by the light of my computer screen (which has been dimmed to a meager 10% of its usual brightness). The room is equipped with blackout drapes and so no natural light will invade the velvety darkness in here. I had been working on my prayer journal for a while and but have now moved on to writing in this blog. My husband snores quite softly in the background, creating a cozy & comforting backdrop for thoughts of safety and blessing and hope.
And I am keenly aware that God Is HERE.
He is in the room with me...with us. He has kept us safe all weekend long. And I am overwhelmed when I consider His abundant blessings and protection. He has provided beautiful scenery all around us and we have enjoyed looking at His handiwork this weekend. And today, as we begin the drive homeward, we plan to stop somewhere scenic along the way and break the unleavened bread and drink the grape juice. We Will Take Communion in the middle of HIS landscape...and HE will be there with us.
Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
God is Good!
Today, Lord Willing, we will travel back home.
And tomorrow, Lord Willing, we will return to the treadmill.
We will earn our daily bread and we will get tired doing so.
But I will carry the thought-kernal of this weekend in my memory-pocket like a little gemstone that I have secreted away. I will retrieve it from that pocket and take it out, and watch it shine on days when I need to gain perspective on life's difficulties.
And the memories of this weekend will be a blessing for the days ahead.
I thank God for the husband to travel with and the ability to do so.
It is an amazing thing to ride in the palm of HIS hand.
In Him,
Grace
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Friends
Greetings Everybody,
Got something on my heart today.
Do you remember these song lyrics by Michael W. Smith?
"Friends are friends forever if The Lord's the LORD of them."
There is wisdom in those words, real wisdom.
I recently visited with a friend whom I haven't spent time with in a long while.
We met and talked for many hours.
We are both Christians, and because we are, we have common bonds that connect us.
We play by the same rules.
We live by the same standards.
We understand each other.
We laughed and cried and hugged and shared and were keenly aware that despite the time of absence from each other, the friendship is still very much alive.
Her path has been difficult in recent years.
Have you noticed that some folks seem to get the "gentle scenic drive" in life, while others get a life path that is more like a "slippery mountain road with dangerous curves and sheer-cliff edges"?
Interestingly enough, she doesn't ask "Why Me?"
It does not matter to my friend that some people don't seem to have struggles (while her life is so difficult), because she knows that she has access to Strength and Power beyond her own comprehension.
God is her strong right hand.
I can not tell you why some folks get the easy path and some folks get the hard one.
But I can tell you that when Christians endure hardship, and in so doing, turn to God's Strong Right Hand for their strength,... they grow.
Their faith gets stronger.
They sink deeper spiritual roots.
They begin to personify The Fruits of the Spirit.
They increase in wisdom and stature in The Lord.
And they become equipped to help other people.
If mountains are created by deep earth pressure pushing techtonic plates around...
If diamonds are created by intense heat...
Then we can see that in nature, pressure and intensity can create great beauty and value.
It's the same in the life of a Christian.
I have known many Christians who have endured great spiritual pressure and intensity.
And those who turned completely to God seemed to gain a beautiful and valuable patina on their souls.
They became wise.
They became gentle.
They drew closer to God and in the process were transformed.
My friend is already spiritually beautiful and spiritually valuable.
And I for one, can't wait to see how God will use her "spiritually spit-shined self"
in His Kingdom and to His Glory!
In Him,
Grace
Got something on my heart today.
Do you remember these song lyrics by Michael W. Smith?
"Friends are friends forever if The Lord's the LORD of them."
There is wisdom in those words, real wisdom.
I recently visited with a friend whom I haven't spent time with in a long while.
We met and talked for many hours.
We are both Christians, and because we are, we have common bonds that connect us.
We play by the same rules.
We live by the same standards.
We understand each other.
We laughed and cried and hugged and shared and were keenly aware that despite the time of absence from each other, the friendship is still very much alive.
Her path has been difficult in recent years.
Have you noticed that some folks seem to get the "gentle scenic drive" in life, while others get a life path that is more like a "slippery mountain road with dangerous curves and sheer-cliff edges"?
Interestingly enough, she doesn't ask "Why Me?"
It does not matter to my friend that some people don't seem to have struggles (while her life is so difficult), because she knows that she has access to Strength and Power beyond her own comprehension.
God is her strong right hand.
Psalm 118:16-17
New International Version (NIV)
16 The LORD’s right hand is lifted high;
the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!”
17 I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the LORD has done.
Psalm 118:16-17
New International Version (NIV)
16 The LORD’s right hand is lifted high;
the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!”
17 I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the LORD has done.
I can not tell you why some folks get the easy path and some folks get the hard one.
But I can tell you that when Christians endure hardship, and in so doing, turn to God's Strong Right Hand for their strength,... they grow.
Their faith gets stronger.
They sink deeper spiritual roots.
They begin to personify The Fruits of the Spirit.
They increase in wisdom and stature in The Lord.
And they become equipped to help other people.
If mountains are created by deep earth pressure pushing techtonic plates around...
If diamonds are created by intense heat...
Then we can see that in nature, pressure and intensity can create great beauty and value.
It's the same in the life of a Christian.
I have known many Christians who have endured great spiritual pressure and intensity.
And those who turned completely to God seemed to gain a beautiful and valuable patina on their souls.
They became wise.
They became gentle.
They drew closer to God and in the process were transformed.
My friend is already spiritually beautiful and spiritually valuable.
And I for one, can't wait to see how God will use her "spiritually spit-shined self"
in His Kingdom and to His Glory!
In Him,
Grace
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