Tag Archive: grace

Something New Has Begun

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Advent is the season of waiting expectantly and preparing our hearts for the arrival of Baby Jesus. We reflect on the miraculous conception, the birth in lowest of conditions, and the fulfillment of the prophecy…

…the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). Isaiah 7:14 (NLT)

We rejoice on Christmas morning—Christ is born!

And then…Christmas is over. Or at least that’s how it feels. We put the Christmas decorations away and go back to our busy lives as usual.

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Peace That Comes Only from God

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Sometimes God stops us in our tracks…for our own good.

I was recently on my knees in prayer…over a situation I have no control.

A situation that was getting the best of me.

I didn’t know what to pray anymore, and I’d moved to just trying to prepare myself for whatever might happen.

While I talked with God, something changed in how I was praying.

“I know what you’re doing here God, and…”

Immediately, I felt God ask me…

Do you know what I’m doing?”

My breath caught sharply, and I thought of the book of Job when God gets fed up with Job and challenges him with a lot of questions.

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God’s Gift of Grace

MP900440274[1]Imagine giving a gift and having it refused.

Maybe it’s happened to you like it’s happened to me.

It was a small gift—nothing major, but something I thought would be enjoyed. The response I received was No thank you; I don’t have anything for you.

My gift was refused because it couldn’t be earned or reciprocated. And it hurt.

I wonder if that’s how God feels when we refuse His gift of grace.

Grace…God’s free and unmerited favor toward sinful humanity (NLT Study Bible, Tyndale)

God’s love and forgiveness wrapped up in His gift of grace.

It can’t be earned and can never be reciprocated.

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OH WOW!

With dish in hand he stands in front of the cupboard. In a toddler voice he says, “M and M . . . M and M.”

As the magical bag appears his eyes open wide, and through a smile that covers his face he exclaims, “OH WOW!

My daughter blames me. It’s okay. We blame my Gram for my love of chocolate. I’ve decided it’s a Gram’s job. 🙂

Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 

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One of Those Days

It’s been one of those days.

Who am I trying to fool? It’s been one of those weeks!

I can’t really explain it. Nothing big. No major disruptions. Just the blahs. Lack of focus.

I’ve let little annoyances become pervasive distractions. My productivity is down. My organization is gone. My normally upbeat cheerful self is less than upbeat and cheerful.

Can you relate?

I wish I knew what caused days like this. I wish I knew when that switch was going to get flipped so I could avoid it.

Then my wishes turn into TRUTHS. 

For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. 

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faster than anyone

He’s in a competitive phase lately — my son. Everything is “faster” and “stronger” and “better”.

And he’s the fastest and the best.

We remind him to be humble.

But the other day, during one of his “I’m faster than so-and-so monologues” he said thoughtfully, “mommy, no one is faster than God”.

Oh son. How right you are.

God can always catch up to us, no matter how far away we run. When we’re searching for Him, He’s there like a finger-snap. When we run down the beach toward him, He meets us way before we get halfway.

God is the fastest.

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Love Letters from God

It’s thrilling to get a love letter . . . to know that someone took the time to write down words of love just for you.

I was privileged to speak at a Women’s Retreat earlier this month where we focused on the gift of God’s love. We let His words of grace and mercy wash over us.

One of my favorite stories from the weekend was shared by Pastor Adrian Rogers on his radio broadcast, Love Worth Finding. This is my rendition since I wasn’t able to write it word for word while driving:

One day while her car was getting worked on at the dealership, Ann needed to borrow her husband’s new car to run some errands.

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Healing for Mom Guilt

For years I had the same dream several times a week. I lived in a nice house where life was full and happy. There was only one problem . . . there was always a pet, usually a dog, living in the basement. That in itself was not a problem, I love critters, the problem was that I continually forgot to feed her and let her out.

My neglect always led to feelings of guilt and fear of what I was going to find when I went downstairs to check on her. Finally, tired of waking up feeling like a failure before my day even started, I prayed and pondered – what was this dream trying to tell me.

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