It is a "dark and dreary" day, but that's okay. I feel sunshine in my soul and that is due in
large part to your sweet, encouraging comments. I cannot adequately put into words what your love and friendship mean to me. You are the reason I blog and the reason I don’t want to stop. I just want to do it well.

When our Bible Study met for the final time last week, the co-leaders of our small group gave us all a book. It is “Hinds’ Feet on High Places” by Hannah Hurnard. Just between you and me, I was a little bit disappointed because I have this book and just recently read it. However, when I got home and had a chance to thumb through it I realized that it is also a devotional book. Tucked into every other page is a devotional related to that page of the book. I know the Lord put this book into my hands through the loving hands of my dear friends.

We are facing circumstances in our lives that can often qualify me to be called “Much – Afraid” (the timid little heroine of the allegory). Just when I think I have surrendered everything to the Lord and am walking by faith, the weight of the circumstances can render me helpless and “much afraid”. I had to confess to the Lord this morning, that although I have learned to trust Him and have experienced a great measure of His peace, there is a part of me that still hasn’t faced these circumstances head on. Rather I have somehow hoped and prayed He would just make them miraculously go away.

This morning I read in the introduction to this wonderful book”
“As Christians we know, in theory at least, that in the life of a child of God there
are no second causes, that even the most unjust and cruel things, as well as all
seemingly pointless and undeserved sufferings, have been permitted by God as
glorious opportunities for us to react to them in such a way that our Lord and
Savior is able to produce in us, little by little, His own lovely character.”…
“The lessons of accepting and triumphing over evil, of becoming acquainted with
grief, and pain, and, ultimately, of finding them transformed into something in-
comparably precious; of learning through constant glad surrender to know the
Lord of Love Himself in a new way and to experience unbroken union with Him-
these are the lessons of the allegory in this book.”

I confess that there is a part of me that clings fearfully to what I want to happen, rather than letting go and falling into the arms of a Loving Father. I cannot see the future and so there is that fear that comes from not knowing. When I have the faith to let go, to put absolute trust in Him, I find that promised peace that passes understanding flooding my heart. The first time it took me by surprise (Oh ye of little faith!). I just suddenly realized I wasn’t afraid any more. I want to stop wavering and stay in that place. I want to truly trust Him – no matter what the future holds. I want my whole heart to be His with nothing held back. I want that “pit in the stomach” that Heather talks about to be gone for good.

So I am taking this journey with Much-Afraid. I want to get to the High Places. I want to be all He has created me to be. I want my minutes, hours and days to be lived pleasing to Him. I want a heart that is fully surrendered.

Blessings,

I feel a bit as though I’m walking through the desert this morning. I’m not sure what it is, but my heart feels so heavy. I think it is discouragement, and I’m not even really sure why. I can’t even seem to think of anything to write about these days. My soul feels parched.

I contemplated writing a post about giving up blogging. I still struggle with the balance I long for in my life. I have written about it before so I won’t go over old ground. That is what is so discouraging. I’m not making any progress here. I began this thinking about it as a ministry of sorts – a place where perhaps the Lord could use my writing in some way. Instead I have gotten caught up in spending far too much time in front of the computer for reasons only someone just like me would understand.

I’m just not sure what to do. I am just “thinking out loud”. Forgive me for this “downer” of a post. My blog has become my “sounding board” – the place where I put “flesh” on my thoughts.

It has been a quiet week – nothing to really write about. My daughter is coming for a visit this afternoon. I always enjoy that. She is a delight.

Blessings,

"He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them." Psalm 147:4

We have a Father who cares for us with a love that cannot be measured. If He has given a name to each of the millions and millions of stars - just think how important you are to Him. "He knows you name. He sees each tear that falls, and He hears you when you call." He hears you as if you were His only child.

Blessings,

It is such a beautiful day, and I feel so thankful:

Thank You Lord for this beautiful spring. The wild flowers are just glorious this year. We have had good rains. The oppressivie heat hasn't come early this year, and it is so pleasant. I love it when I can have the windows wide open. The fresh breeze flows through the rooms, and we are serenaded by birds who seem full of joy. The pure notes of their bird songs lift my spirit.

Thank you for the Bible Study on prayer we just completed. Thank you for teaching me things about You I didn't know and for revealing Yourself in such a clear way. Thank you that You desire to hear my voice and that You have things You want to say to me.

Thank you for the precious women in my small group - for the bonds that have formed during this past year. Thank you that we were able to share openly the deep needs of our hearts and pray for each other. Thank you for the amazing answers to prayer we have seen over these weeks of praying together. Thank you for being all You have promised to be.

Thank you for being with my granddaughter and grandson at the Bible Quiz. Thank you for helping S. to remember the word she had hidden in her heart and place FIRST!!! Thank you for helping little J. as well. He was able to finish NINTH in his very first year of competition. Thank you that their team finished SECOND. Father most of all thank you that they know You as Lord of their lives and that they are willing to spend hours studying Your Word. What a blessing Father!

Thank you for this day. This one day that You have given me. Thank you that You have promised to order my steps, to protect and help me, and to be with me every moment. May I live it in a way that is pleasing to You Lord.

Iris is once again hosting Thankful Thursday. I am so blessed when I write my post and when I read the others that are there.


The Caterpillar

We went for our walk earlier this morning. I was crossing the road at the crest of one of the little hills when I looked down and spotted a little caterpillar crawling right down the middle of the road. I looked at him (or her - not sure how to tell which is which),and I thought about how his journey reminded me a bit of how I sometimes live my life.

There he was crawling along the hot, black pavement. If he continued on that path, his would be an endless journey of suffering, ending in much grief. He had placed himself at great risk of being flattened by hundreds of pounds of rolling metal and rubber. If he managed to avoid being run over, he then faced the great possiblity of being easily spotted by a bird and becoming breakfast. The great irony was, on either side of him was not only safety but all that he needed for a very abundant life. There was lush growth for the food he no doubt craved, there were dew drops glistening on the leaves and grass to relieve his parched little throat and trees to provide a place of rest and shelter. But there he was - crawling down the hot, dry, endless pavement.

I couldn't help but think of my own life. There have been seasons in my life when I somehow begin to travel down the wrong road. Perhaps it is the busyness of life we have been discussing in our posts lately, or perhaps I have for one reason or another distanced myself from the Lord. There I am "crawling" along the hot, dry pavement when all the while the Lord is standing just a breath away offering me all that I need. He has the living water my thirsty soul is longing for; He has the bread of life I desperately need; He stands offering direction and help and protection. All I need to do is go to Him.

On my way back home I looked for my little caterpillar friend in the road. I couldn't find him. I'm hoping he was wise enough to change direction and take all that was offered to him only a stone's throw away.

Blessings,

"Busyness in NOT a spiritual gift."
Lisa Harper


I love this quote because I think, as women, we can identify with it in a vey special way. There are so many things we can get involved in, so many things we're asked to get involved in, so many worthwhile things to do, so many volunteers needed at church in so many areas......... The challenge is knowing which of those things we're supposed to do and not feeling guilty when we say no.

I've already read a couple of posts that talk about this so well. We simply cannot be all things to all people. When I finally thought about my life as having different seasons, it became a lot easier to focus on the things I felt the Lord would have me do at that particular time of my life.

I was blessed to be able to stay at home with my children. I know that was my main ministry for many years. Now the nest is empty. I thought when I reached this season of my life I would have lots more time to do the things I felt I wanted to do and that God would have me do - but God had a different plan for this season of my life.

The diabetes my husband had been living with since he was nineteen finally began to take a terrible toll on his eyes about twenty years ago. After a series of operations he lost the vision in one eye and was unable to work any more. So I found myself facing "early retirement". It was an adjustment, to say the least, to have my husband home all the time. I will be honest and admit that I felt a bit cheated. This was supposed to be "my time" - my season to do the things I hadn't been able to do before. Now I had someone who wanted to do things with me - the person who treasures "alone time" and had waited with great anticipation for that day to arrive. Now I had someone else to consider all the time ....again.

The Lord and I had to work on this one for a long time before I finally just surrendered my big plans and accepted this new ministry God had given me. My husband isn't bed ridden or housebound. He can still drive. He still has things he enjoys doing, but it's different than when he used to go to work all day. We are together most of the time.

Once I gave up my "rights" things got so much easier for me. I don't know what it is about doing things that makes me feel better. Somehow I feel more worthy if I know I've done something for the Lord. I suppose there is a "something" inside of us (of me anyway) that wants to feel I've done something to earn all God has so freely given me in Jesus. I decided that if God had allowed this in our lives then He wanted me to do what He had now given me to do. I've come to enjoy doing things with my husband and getting to share conversation and laughter instead of resenting the fact that I'm not doing the things I thought I would be doing. Oh - I still sometimes long for a bit of alone time, and God graciously works that out.

We've had some new health concerns recently that have made me realize how precious each day is. I am learning to take each day and try to live it as the Lord would have me (and I surely don't do that as consistently as I should). I have my Bible Study each wednesday, my husband and I work for the music librarian at church on wednesday afternoons, and we both sing in the choir. I have my piano lessons, and I now have this new interest - blogging! It's been difficult not to feel guilty that I don't do more. I just can't quite seem to get away from that "works mentality". However, I know this is where the Lord wants me right now. I am trying to use the gift He has given me in the place where He has put me. There is great contentment in that.

There will probably be other seasons of my life. I will just wait to see what the Lord has planned for me. For now I want so much to please Him by doing the ministry He has called me to well.

If you would like to participate or read other posts on this quote please go to Christine's blog - Fruit in Season. She has written a wonderful post on this quote.

Blessings,

It seems appropriate that today the skies are grey, and it is gently raining. Appropriate to the way I’ve been feeling. For the first time I saw the pictures of the young people who were murdered at Virginia Tech this past week. Somehow, putting faces to the statistics makes it all so much more real and tragic. They all look so young, so bright, and so full of potential.

I am thinking about the same things I thought about in the aftermath of the Columbine shootings. When someone does something like this, they take so much more than an individual life. Like ripples in water each of those lives touched so many others. Left behind to cope with the affects of a life cut short by a senseless act are broken-hearted families and friends. Who can know how their lives will be altered because this loved one is gone?

I am angry at the selfishness of it all. To satisfy some insanely imagined wrong the lives of so many are forever changed. I understand that such a mind is no longer functioning rationally, but the consequences of one insane decision just overwhelm me.

I think that to a much lesser degree it is true of all of us. We have in our power to make decisions for good or evil, and those decisions have far reaching affects. We truly never just hurt ourselves. Our actions inevitably affect those around us. We can’t have an attitude that says, “It’s my life. I can do what I choose. I’m not hurting anyone else.” It simply isn’t possible. Our lives are interconnected in such a way that my wrong choices will inevitably have consequences for the other people in my life. It is possible for them to “ripple out” and affect people I don’t even know.

Christ has called us to die to self. In doing so, I make choices that consider others first. And in the end, those choices are beneficial to me as well. A life lived centered on self is a very narrow life. It is an amazing truth that as we give our lives away we gain so much more than we could ever give. Jesus calls us to a life of abundance. His abundance is different than that of the world, but it is so much more rewarding. He offers us eternal life, freedom from the penalty and guilt of sin, hope, joy, peace, grace and blessings beyond anything we can imagine. The choice is ours to make.

Blessings,

This article is my submission to the blog challenge sponsered by the devotional blog team "Laced With Grace".

The challenge states, "Since our faith is based on grace, this challenge is to write a post answering this question,'How do you share the grace you receive from God on a day-to-day basis?"

I was shocked to discover, not too long ago, during a Bible Study, that I had somehow over the years limited my definition of grace to "unmerited favor". While I know that definition to be true, I had allowed myself to focus only on that facet of grace. I was forgetting that grace is also given to me to do those things I am incapable of doing in my own strength.

The first facet of grace is illustrated so beautifully in Ephesians 2:8; "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;" The second facet is found in II Corinthians 12:9; "And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you; for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me."

I find I need this "dual power" of grace in my day-to-day living. As I minister to my family, I do so freely - not because of anything they have done to earn it, but because I love them. There are times when that requires me to do things I feel I just don't have the strength or wisdom to handle. That is where the second part comes in. I go to Him to ask for help, and He gives me just what I need. In my weakness He comes with grace, and I am able to do the very thing I thought impossible.

I think about this often. My children are all grown now, with children of their own. I see God's grace in their lives with such clarity. I made so many mistakes as a mother. I can still agonize over them. Yet God, with great mercy and grace, has somehow taken my feeble efforts and done something I didn't deserve. My children don't hold my mistakes against me. We have a loving, strong relationship. When people ask me how we raised such wonderful children, my answer is always - "It is the grace of God you see in their lives." His unmerited favor. He has given me so much more than I could ever deserve.

We have faced some difficult health problems in the past couple of years. I have come face-to-face with my worst nightmare. It is something I thought I would never be able to bear. I felt buried beneath the weight of it. But God..... He came with a grace I cannot fathom and somehow made it bearable. Where I thought there would never be joy again - joy has come. When I thought I would never find a place of peace and rest - the peace that passes understanding slowly pervaded my spirit. When I felt crushed beneath the weight, I felt His arms of love drawing me close. Yes, His grace is sufficient. He has given me the strength to do the things I need to do.

"Amazing Grace" has come to be such a common expression these days. When we step back and truly get just a glimpse of the grace of God - then we realize how truly amazing it is.

Blessings,

I have just come from Iris' blog, Sting My Heart, where she is hosting Thankful Thursday. Her bubbly, thankful heart are such a blessing. I am so thankful she gives us this wonderful opportunity to give thanks to the Lord.

Today I am so thankful for prayer and for the way it draws us together and to the heart of the Father. There is such power in prayer. To know the Holy, Righteous Lord bends down to listen to my words is nothing short of miraculcous.

I am thankful for answered prayer in keeping our family safe as we all traveled to different places.

I am thankful we have a President who was able to offer real comfort to the family and friends (and to a grieving nation) of the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre as he quoted scripture and pointed us to the source of all comfort.

I am thankful that even when it seems as though evil has gotten the upper hand, there is a God in heaven who remains in control of all things. We can trust Him, because we know Him. He is all He says He is.

I am thankful to be a part of a group who has come together to help one of us. It is so exciting to see what we have been able to do for Heather and her family. We joined together in the kind of unity Jesus prayed for. We set aside any differences that could possibly divide us and united in love. I wonder what we could do if all of the churches who believe in the One True God set aside the things we have allowed to divide us and came together as one. I think we would see God move in a very powerful way. We saw it this week, and I am thankful.

Have a blessed day

“If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor,
how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered
a sacrifice?”
David Livingstone


I’ve struggled a bit with this question. Just when I thought I had my answer all figured out, I would begin to question it all over again. Surely it is an honor to be given a commission by the Heavenly King. I’m going to write my answer with the honest confession that I’m not sure it is the “right” answer.

I keep coming back to the idea that sacrifice is foundational to all that we believe. The first sacrifice was made in the Garden of Eden by God Himself when He killed an animal to provide a covering for Adam and Eve. From that point on, all through the pages of the Old Testament it was the sacrifice – the shedding of blood – that was the requirement for the covering of man’s sin. Then, in the New Testament, the Son of God came to be the sacrifice for all mankind.

In Romans 12 we are told to present our bodies “… a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God…” I think that’s the difference. When an earthly king gives a commission there is usually great recognition and reward as soon as the task is completed. The commission that comes from the Heavenly King is one that involves a dying to self. When we accept His commission we are giving our entire self – all that we are- into His hands for His use. There may be no immediate reward or recognition. We may have to lose much that is valuable in the eyes of the world. We are working toward something that has eternal value. Perhaps we will sacrifice the thing that we believe we desire most to do the thing He has called us to do. We set aside the present reward for the greater one that will some day come to us from the hand of the One we serve.

Psalms 51:17 says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.” I think the commission of the King will always involve a sacrifice – that dying to self that we may have abundant life.

Please go to Laurel's blog to read more writings on this quote.

Blessings,

It is a picture-perfect day here today. The sky is a brilliant blue and there isn’t a cloud to be seen. It is one of those days that just call to you to come outside and breathe in the fresh, fragrant air.

However, my heart feels so heavy, and I wonder how it can be such a beautiful day when there is so much sadness. Perhaps it is because God wants to remind me that He is here no matter what the circumstances. Even when my “inner view” is only of dark clouds and torrential rain, He is there; even when it seems that nothing is the way it should be, He is in control. I take hope from the day and lift my heart in prayer for Heather.

It is something the Lord has been impressing on my heart these past months as we have studied prayer. Prayer isn’t the last resort or the least thing I can do. So often I have had the attitude that if I can’t actually do something I will “just” pray. I like to have things under control. I want to be doing something to make the situation better and “just” praying doesn’t seem like enough.

How very foolish of me. As we have studied prayer, the things I have really known all along have been taking root in my heart. Prayer is the most powerful thing we can do. We tap into the miraculous resources of the One Who is all-knowing, all-wise, all-powerful. We cry out to Him and He inclines (Ps. 40:1) to listen to our heart-cry. He bends down!! It just astounds me. He is waiting for me to come to Him with my deepest needs, and when I do He bends down, He listens, He draws me in, and He answers my prayers. It is miraculous.

I imagine us – sisters of the heart – praying together for one of us who is in desperate need of a miracle. I imagine the Father listening to the heart-cry of His daughters. He is bending down; He is listening; He is drawing us into His great arms of love, and He will answer our prayers. In His way; in His time; according to His will – He will do His very best for His precious child Heather.

Oswald Chambers says, “What happens when saints pray is that the power of the almighty is brought to bear on the one for whom they are praying.”
And
“How God works in answer to prayer is a mystery that logic cannot penetrate, but that He does work in answer to prayer is gloriously true.”

There is something else we can to for Heather – as we are able. Boomama, with her sweet, loving heart, has made it possible for us to help with the expenses of the trip to the Mayo Clinic. You will find all the information on her blog.

Blessings,

We are home, and the first thing I want to say is thank you for your prayers. We weren't in the door ten minutes last night before the storm broke. We were so thankful to be snug inside our home while the thunder rolled, the lightning flashed and the wind lashed the rain against our windows. Thank You Lord!!

We had a great time with our grandchildren. The time went by so quickly. My husband played and rode bikes with our grandson the whole time. He really enjoyed having Papa all to himself. I got to spend time with the girls. L. is the middle child of five - so I think it was nice for her to get to be "oldest" for a few days. She was a great help - even giving directions to Papa when we took them into town to do a bit of shopping and eating out. She really knows her way around, and I (being directionally challenged) was very impressed.

I had such fun taking care of my three year old granddaughter. I got to dress her and comb her hair. She talks a "blue streak", and I love just listening to her. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with them.

No news yet from the two oldest grandchildren who are in Oklahoma for the Bible Quiz. I'll be sure and post the results as soon as I know anything.

I'm now going to try to read some of your posts between doing a bit of laundry and getting ready for church this evening. My saturdays go so quickly. We have to be at church by 4:15 for choir so the day just seems to fly by.

Thank you so much again for praying for us. God hears and answers prayer.

Blessings,

"Ancient words, ever true
Changing me and Changing you.
We have come with open hearts.
O let the ancient words impart."
Lynn DeShazo

It is a Book that was written over a period of 1,500 years. It has about 40 different authors. Yet it is one complete book with no contradiction. It is an ancient book spanning vastly different times yet always relevant to the people who read its powerful words. It's words and truths have always been life-changing. They continue to do that to this day.

The Bible is God's word to us. It is Spirit-breathed. If we come to its pages with open hearts, we hear the voice of the Author, and we are changed. It brings light to a heart darkened by sin and separation from the Father. It gives instruction to those who believe in Him. It gives comfort in sorrow and hope when all seems lost.

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
It is indeed alive and active. I have come to its pages in time of deepest need and found there just exactly what my broken heart needed. I can come to the same passage at a different time and have it speak to my heart in a whole new way. Its truths pierce my heart when I am wandering down a path that leads to destruction. It teaches me things that enable me to grow in wisdom and knowledge.

I love the written word. I am so thankful the ancient men were obedient to the call of the Spirit and faithfully recorded the words He spoke to them. Their voices echo down through the ages - and we are so blessed.

For more insights on this quote please visit Loni.

Blessings,

We did the usual Monday morning errands this morning and have just finished lunch. Now I need to try to do a bit of catching up. Last week was so busy – too many things got let go. I’m behind on just about everything – including doing any writing or reading of posts. I’m going to try to get lots done in the next couple of days because we go to Houston bright and early Thursday morning to do a bit of baby sitting.

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend. We certainly did. We sang with our church choir Friday night, Saturday night and the early service on Sunday morning. It was just glorious. I think that’s the best word to describe it. You would think it would get a bit boring singing the same songs, watching the same drama and hearing the same sermon. All I can say is we were both disappointed we couldn’t stay for the late service on Sunday. Our church was filled to overflowing; the music was amazing; the drama was so touching and the sermon truly uplifting. Jesus was there – just as He was in every place where there were two or more gathered together in His name. The prayer of our hearts is that lives were changed and souls saved in each of those places.

On Friday I had to make a quick run to see my sweet Physician’s Assistant (who really takes care of most of my health care and is just brilliant as far as I’m concerned). My right ear had been giving me trouble off and on for a week or so, but it had gotten to the point where it was totally blocked. I mean – I was as deaf as a post in that ear. I felt like I had my head stuck in a barrel. I called her in the morning, and she told me to come on in at 1:15; that in and of itself is nothing short of miraculous. She is so busy (she works at the V.A. where I have my health care coverage through my husband’s disability), but she made the time for me. She flushed out both my ears (and I’ll spare you the description of the amount of wax that came out), and it was like a miracle. I could hear again!! I was so grateful. Singing with one ear plugged up is not pleasant. I can hear myself far too clearly!

After church on Sunday, we met our daughter for lunch. After lunch we headed out to my Mom and Dad’s for the family gathering. Their little house was bursting at the seams (and the kids and grandkids from Houston weren’t even there). Our granddaughters had their Easter egg hunt in the back yard (despite the very chilly – make that cold – weather). Then we ate until we were stuffed. My Mom is amazing. She still dyed Easter eggs, baked Italian Easter cookies and Easter bread and prepared the meal. I just treasure every one of these family gatherings. Each one is so precious.

My Dad surprised me with a special little gift. I decided to give up sweets for the six weeks leading up to Easter. Anyone who knows me will understand that that wasn’t easy for me to do. I’m the girl who would rather have chocolate than a healthy piece of fruit any day of the week. I didn’t really tell many people about it, but I had to tell my Mom and Dad because every time we visit she bakes!! When we arrived at my parents’ house yesterday, my mother took me aside and told me my Dad was so proud of me for keeping my commitment he bought me a present. It was a SOLID DARK CHOCOLATE EASTER BUNNY! I can only say that is my idea of a perfect Easter present.

It has been a blessed season for me. I love this time of year and this particular celebration is so special. The one think that really spoke to me during our Easter service came during the dramatization of the crucifixion (and it was so well done – so real). It was difficult to sing without crying when they hung Jesus on the cross, but the moment that truly pierced my heart was when the mob ran in from all directions shouting insults and cursing the One who was giving His life for them and enduring suffering we cannot even begin to fathom. Somehow I saw myself in that crowd – when I am disobedient and rebellious, when I put so many other things before my relationship to Him, when I become complacent and disinterested. I tremble to think that had I lived at that time I might have been one of them. I certainly don’t want to be one of them now. I want to embrace all that He has for me and live my life in a way that demonstrates how very much I love Him and how grateful I am for all He has done for me.

Blessings,

WISHING YOU A BLESSED AND JOYOUS EASTER !

I am very late posting this. It has been a busy day - a busy week really - but I wanted to do this. All week long I've had this song running through my mind. It somehow captures the way I feel during this very special season.

MY TRIBUTE by Andrae Crouch

How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me"
Things so undeserved, yet You give to prove Your love for me.
The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude;
All that I am and ever hope to be - I owe it all to Thee.

To God be the glory
To God be the glory
To God be the glory for the things He has done.
With His blood He has saved me,
With His pow'r He has raised me,
To God be the glory for the things He has done.

Just let me live my life - let it be pleasing Lord to Thee; And should I gain any praise, let it go to Calvary.

With His blood He has saved me,
With His pow'r He has raised me,
To God be the glory for the things He has done.

Thank you Lord Jesus for the priceless gift you have given me.

For more thankful hearts go to Sting My Heart.

Blessings,

"At the heart of the story stands the cross of Christ where evil did its worst
and met its match."
John Wenham


It is that special time of year when eyes are turned toward the cross and our hearts are overflowing with emotion. Throughout this week, those of us who have experienced the forgiveness and the hope and the gift of eternal life Jesus so selflessly provided are drawn to Him with a gratitude that we find difficult to fully express. It is a gift beyond the ability of mere words to describe.

This week’s quote gets us to the essence of the story – the cross of Christ. It is here that Jesus finished the work of redemption and where the enemy was defeated for all time.

I have an image in my mind of the shadow of the cross falling across the work of creation. Even before the Lord spoke one word of creation He knew that man would fall. He knew there would be a need for sacrifice, and He turned to His beloved Son. Was He willing to become for fallen man the sacrificial Lamb? With a love that cannot be measured the Son said that He was. And so the story began.

Across every page of scripture the shadow of the cross falls – for without it there is no hope for us. God had a plan for our redemption, and it began before the foundation of the world. Knowing that plan, the enemy began his war to destroy that plan. He did his best to stop it.

Everything in the Old Testament led up to the cross. Everything the enemy did was an effort to prevent the Son from going to the cross. We see Him hanging there, and our hearts ache with sorrow. The enemy saw Him hanging there and tried his best to get Him to come down. If he had succeeded in stopping the death of Christ, He would have had the victory. Surely he used every bit of power at his disposal. It was to no avail. He had indeed met his match and more.

Halleluiah! Sin and death were defeated. With His death and resurrection Jesus won the victory – for all of us, for all time.

You will find more inspiring posts on this quote at Sting My Heart.


Blessings,

Before we get to what I was wondering about, a little grandmotherly bragging is in order. My 15 year old granddaughter came in first in their regional Bible Quiz held in Houston last weekend. Her brother, my twelve year old grandson, came in third. He, by the way, is the youngest one competing. That qualifies both of them to go to the National Competition in Oklahoma next week. We are so proud of them. They study one whole book of the Bible (this year it is Romans) and must be prepared to answer questions, recite passages from memory, and have a general knowledge about everything and anything in the entire book. It is an amazing competition to watch. They have to be quick with their answers, because the first one to pop up out of his or her chair gets to answer the question. They have studied hard. It blesses me to think about the wonderful things they are storing up in their hearts. So…YEAH !!!! They did a super job.

Now, to my “wondering”. We bought “The Nativity Story” DVD a week or so ago. I loved it. I think Mary touched my heart in a very profound way. It got me to thinking about the other women in scripture and wondering, if I could step back into the pages of the Bible, which woman I would choose to be.

I love Esther’s story, but I don’t think I’d want to be Queen – as tempting as it seems. Ruth is another woman whose story I deeply admire. I don’t think I’d want to be Sarah or Rebecca or Rachel – and definitely not Leah. Lot’s wife is a definite no. Then there are Mary and Martha. I almost decided on that Mary. She had the wisdom to choose to sit at Jesus’ feet. However, I think I would like to try living in the skin of Mary – the mother of Jesus. Certainly not because I feel as though I am anything like her – quite the opposite. It is because she is so much what I long to be.

I love her quiet grace – her instant submission to the will of God. Could she, in that moment, have had any idea what would be required of her? Perhaps not, but she was willing no matter what the cost.

One of the things that touched me so profoundly while watching the story was the way Mary was able to bear with such grace the disapproval and judgement of everyone around her – even those she loved most dearly. How I long to be that way. To be obedient no matter what the cost. To speak and act in the way God would direct even if it means being misjudged. I am far too concerned with what people think of me. I cannot imagine being so misunderstood and bearing it with such grace. The Bible doesn’t mention it, but surely she was the object of much ridicule and gossip.

She carried the precious secret deep inside her heart. She rejoiced, and she praised God even though her future husband doubted her story. Certainly she was highly favored by God, but just as surely she was called to live a life of great sacrifice. I look at her submission and obedience and know that that is what I want in my life as well. Could she possibly have understood all the things that took place in the life of her beloved Son? Surely she was waiting for Him to take His place as Messiah. Instead she watched Him die a criminal’s death. I love her story. She teaches me so many things.

So…if you could step back into the pages of scripture – who would you choose to be? I was just wondering.

Blessings,