One Thing

December 28, 2012 by 14 Comments

 

As another year comes to a close and talks of resolutions swirl around, my mind and heart considers what this upcoming year will hold.

I don’t typically make resolutions but do set some goals to work towards or try to spend time really enjoying the beauty that the ordinary day brings.

This year is no different.  Instead of setting myself up for failure with a list of resolutions that would likely be long forgotten about mid February, I’ve decided that one thing is needed.

Just one.

Becoming a woman of prayer.

While I pray daily and often, I want to be closer to the Lord more than ever.  I want to boldly speak for Him and of Him.  I want to know that everything I do, any direction I take and each path I explore is exactly where HE wants me to be.

E.M. Bounds said “Prayer that costs nothing gets nothing.” And that is not the kind of Christian I want to be.  I want to schooch in close to the Lord so that before one tear lands on my cheek, my heart is already whispering in prayer; before one thank you can be uttered, my heart is already praising HIM for His mercy and grace.

Speaking of Paul and Silas E.M. Bounds said “Their joy in Jesus was so profound that it expressed itself happily and sweetly in praise and prayer under extremely painful and depressing conditions.”

We’ve faced some hard times and will continue to do so I’m sure but in the end, I want MY JOY in Jesus to be expressed sweetly in praise and prayer.  I want my faith to be built on the foundation of prayer, I want my praise to be continual, no matter what.

One thing is all that I’m focusing on this year.  Just one. 

What are your goals for the New Year?  Do you have a list or will you focus on one or two things?

If you’ve written an article on your goals for the New Year, please feel free to share it below.  If you haven’t but would like to list out some of your goals, please do so and encourage all those who stop by and read this.

 

E.M. Bounds has several books about prayer; I encourage you to get them.  Here are a few of my favorite quotes from him:

Our ability to stay with God in our closet measures our ability to stay with God out of the closet. 

Hurried devotions make weak faith, feeble convictions and questionable piety.  To be little with God is to be little for God.  To cut short our praying makes our whole Christian character short, small, improvised and careless.

Persevering prayer always wins.

Prayer can do anything that God can do. Pity is that we do not believe this as we ought, and we do not put it to the test.

Prayer moves the hand that moves the world.

 

 

 

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Love Continues

December 23, 2012 by 2 Comments

Let Brotherly Love Continue – Hebrews 13:1

I love sisters and how God has blessed me with a real one that I adore and love to torment….I mean treasure.  I am also blessed with brothers that I adore and I know that I can call and ask anything of them and they will come to my rescue.  I’m also blessed with many, MANY brothers and sisters in Christ that simply amaze me as well!  Letting brotherly love continue is a way of life for them and I’m thankful to be surrounded by some of the greatest family around.

I was given the honor of doing a devotional for our Secret Sisters group at Christmas time.  Our theme was centered on Candy Canes.  Candy Canes are such sweet treats all by themselves, but maybe the following devotion will help you to remember just how easy it is to….

Let brotherly love continue

  • The Candy Cane looks like a staff:  Let it remind you to steady your sister.
    • More often than not, when I’m out with my sister, something happens and I will trip.  It could be the imaginary hump in the floor, a dip in the sidewalk or even a tiny rock.  There have been times that NOTHING was there to steady me and I hit the ground, looking up wondering what just happened.  (yes…we both laughed and I’ll wait till you are done laughing to continue.) There are those times that it happened and something was close by that I could steady myself with and boy was I thankful.  Sometimes, just being right there to provide a little security and steadiness is all it takes to help them through the day or even through the tears.  Love continues.
  • The Candy Cane looks like cane – Let your sister lean on you.
    • We are so independent and hate to have to lean on others, but sometimes we simply can’t make it without some extra help.  A cane, while such a simple thing is such a huge tool for strength.  Being able to lean on our sister can take a horrible situation and make it easier.  Through the trials of cancer, time of other horrid illness that seem to have no end and the pain of loss, being able to lean on others without worry is pure love. Love continues.
  • The Candy Cane looks like a hook – Hang a reminder of them in front of you.
    • If you know someone is going through a rough trial, hard time physically or even emotionally, set yourself some reminders.  Put sticky notes on your computer, in your Bible or devotional book to remind yourself to pray for them, send them a card or even a text or email.  Love continues.
    • Also – With the hook – don’t get hung up on the past.  Instead of letting your past define you, let it drive you.  You can’t change past decisions, past actions, past mistakes but you can determine that you’ll learn from them, grow from them and use your past to help define a better future for you and those that are close to you.  Love Continues.
  • The Candy Cane looks like a “J” – Be Jesus to them.
    • Matthew 5:16 says Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.  We need to live a life of love, joy, hope and goodness knowing that all the while we are a light for Him.  Others will see this light in their time of darkness and in the end, God is glorified. Don’t give a second thought to how bright you think your light for the Lord is, because even a teeny tiny flicker in the pitch black dark can been seen from a great distance.  Shine for Him! Show them the JOY of the Lord is your strength!  Love Continues.
  • A “pair” of Candy Canes looks like heart – Show great love to your sister.
    • Showing love is easy and the fact is, it will last a life time! Showing love doesn’t have to be done in some huge way, often the tiniest, purest acts of love are the greatest. Here are some easy ways to show some love.   Love Continues.

One last thought – Let Brotherly love continue…. It’s not a suggestion. 

We’d like to hear from you! If you have an article on this verse, please share it below in the comments so that others can easily find it and be encouraged.

Spreading Joy is as simple as sharing your thoughts on this verse, sharing the link to this article on twitter, facebook, linked in and google+. 

You Matter! 

Have fun Spreading JOY!

 

 

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I Love the Ocean

November 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment

My heart is pounding!

You’d think I had not been to the ocean in years, but actually, it’s only been a few months. I quickly head to the sandy shores of the Atlantic.   I’m giddy with delight!

No matter how many times I come here, my heart feels as if it’s the first time I’ve seen it in years.

I love the ocean.  I love the smell, I love the sound, I love the sights! I simply love it.

The sand feels so cool on my feet.  I must remove my shoes to get the full effects. I love walking thru the sand to the water.  I reach the edge of the shore, the gentle waves lap up against me, saying “hello my dear friend! Do you know I love having you near me?”  I sit in the sand, near the water but not so close as to get soaked.

I keep my feet at the edge, enjoying the cool water washing over my toes as I gaze out over the glorious ocean.  I look straight ahead. As far as I can see is water.  This mighty ocean is so peaceful, so calming as it rocks back and forth showing the world that God is in control of the waves.

The gentle rocking is luring me into its massiveness by it mighty power.  So gentle, yet so huge and powerful. It can lull the most troubled heart to sleep easily and, yet, wipe out entire cities by its force.  I love the vastness of it.  I look to the left and the waters are never ending…just like God’s love for me. I look to the right and the waters go on forever.

I love that.

I look ahead and imagine how deep the ocean must be.  No one can touch the bottom of the ocean.  I think how wonderful that is, because my sins are buried just that deep – as the deepest seas.  And, better than that, God forgets them!  He remembers them no more!

Amazing!

I look straight ahead and admire the utter vastness of the ocean and think of how big and mighty God truly is and yet – he takes the time to love me – little ole nobody – me.  God is bigger than this ocean, mightier than the wildest waves and wind and yet, for some reason, He draws me to Him. He calls me and  HE wants me to spend time with Him.  He can have anyone on the face of the earth, and he wants me.

I look at the sand and the wonderful treasures that are buried there. I see the normal ole seashells, plain,  like me. Millions of them are there.  Usually, I never pick them up unless they are shiny and beautiful.  I smile and wonder why God picks me up.

I’m not shiny and mercy, no where near beautiful.  Oh, I adore the cool seashells! I love when they are in whole pieces, but I rarely find them – and yet – I laugh to myself – when mom comes to the ocean, she comes back with oodles of cool shells that she found as gifts from the ocean. I smile and think to myself, she deserves those treasures from the ocean, she is truly a wonderful woman who deserves more than I can ever give her.

I sit beside the ocean for hours, soaking up every sound, every quiet clap of the waves, every gentle swoosh of the the water retreating back into its bed.  I love the deep and complete peace I feel as I sit there, beside the majestic ocean.   Knowing that as God controls the ocean, he truly controls everything in my life.

I look straight ahead,  a beautiful orange glow is emerging off of the horizon! I didn’t realize that God was giving me yet another gift! Another desire of my very own heart! The desire to see the full moon rise up out of the ocean, to light my night, to light my path,  to lead the way for me.  It creeps up, inch by inch, pouring more and more of its light right down upon me.  I smile and think “thank you Lord for the full moon” I have always loved how I feel closer to the Lord when it is shining down.  The full moon over the mighty ocean -  the greatest gift ever.

I love the glory of it all!  So majestic! The huge moon, watching my every step, lighting my way.  The ocean that is gentle, peaceful, yet strong enough to violently shatter the earth with its great waves.  I sit and dwell on His goodness. I soak up His greatness, His wonder, HIS love for me – thank you Father, that I can always visit the ocean in my minds eye.   Your grace is enough, and it truly does amaze me.  Your grace and love is sufficient and never ending – just like the ocean.

What do you see when you look at the Ocean?  Can you imagine how deep God’s love for you is?  Can you look out over the ocean and realize the power it takes to hold the water in place?

My Prayer for you when YOU look at the ocean!

When you see the perfect cute little treasures of the “neat” shells, may you remember that YOU are that special and that out of all the millions of “shells” that you stand out and God is waiting to pick you up and place you with his prized shells so that you may bless the heart of others every time someone looks at you.

When you feel the gentle waves lapping at your feet – may you be reminded of how tenderly God holds us in his hands – and how he comforts our hearts when we are troubled.

When you see the waves clapping – know that HE is coming for us one day.

When you see the waves crashing on the shore – remember that this is a tiny portion of how much power God holds and ALL THINGS ARE possible by him – for his children that HE adores.

When you see the never endingness of the ocean, may you be reminded of how HE loves us – truly deep down loves us. and that love is never ending.

When you gaze at the ocean and wonder how deep it is, may you be reminded that it is sooo deep that our deepest sins are buried there and even God himself can not get to them, nor can he remember them.

May you feel the love of the LORD sweep over you and on to your life as you gaze at the majestic ocean, that is nothing short of awesome!

Last Thought: Do you know that with all of the millions of “shells” that surround you, that God chooses YOU too!  He draws you.  He wants you to dwell with him.  Are you spending time with Him.  Are you being still beside the ocean and enjoying the view? *patting the sand* come…sit right here, next to me and let’s enjoy how awesome God is – together!

 

Do you have a special place that puts your heart right next to God’s?

Do you have an area that just makes you feel as close as you can possibly get to God?

Share with us in the comments below.  Better yet, if you’ve written about it, then share the link below so that others can easily find it and be encouraged.

Spreading Joy is as simple as posting on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In or Google + as well as pinning on Pinterest.

Thank you for your efforts in Spreading JOY! 

 

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Depression

November 4, 2012 by 4 Comments

Depression is fought daily by millions and when the winter months start creeping in, it typically gets worse for many.

The days are shorter, colder and many are forced to stay inside due to the extreme cold.

Depression often creeps in without the individual being aware of its sneaky attack.  For me, however, the warning signs are huge red flags and I recognize it immediately.

Charles Spurgeon puts it this way:

 Fits of depression come over the most of us. Usually cheerful as we may be, we must at intervals be cast down. The strong are not always vigorous, the wise not always ready, the brave not always courageous, and the joyous not always happy.

I’ve dealt with depression on and off like many people for years.  It’s tough to get past and many simply never do.

For me, it comes in waves and usually at the most inopportune time.  It sneaks up when I’m the busiest and I simply don’t have the time, or the energy to fight it.

Many people try to hide it, especially Christians.  Such a stigma comes with it because we Christians are supposed to always be joyful…hmm? There is and can be joy through depression, but we are not always “happy.”

My depression includes lots of sleeping when 6 to 7 hours is usually more than enough, my “gumption” to do anything simply disappears and all that my heart dreams of doing usually comes to a screeching halt.  To sum it up, when my depression hits – I simply don’t care.  I know many others feel that way too.

So, what is a happy little joy spreader supposed to do when this happens?  Just let it run its course?

NOPE…not at all.

Here is what I do to help push past this.  But this is a process and the process is different for everyone.  I don’t want anyone to think this will help everyone, I’m just sharing my heart and hoping others who struggle with this will do the same so that the many people who read this can be encouraged through this struggle.

  • More Sleep – I do allow myself more sleep, as that is something that I can’t avoid.  I’ll decide to stay up all night watching things I’ve DVR’d and then wake up, not even realizing I’ve fallen asleep.
  • PUSH ON – Seriously.  I force myself to do some of the things I need to do and allow the others to wait until the next day or when I can get to it. I’m a list maker and rely on them to at least be somewhat productive.  Then, as I look at the things that I have crossed off, I can see that the day wasn’t a total waste.
  • Ask for Prayer – You should have a handful of friends that won’t “discuss” your issues with others but will simply pray for you.
  • Gratitude – Being thankful for what I do have, what IS going on and remembering just how blessed I am.  DAILY!
  • Start and End the day in Praise and Prayer – Seems simple, but when depression hits many of us, this is usually the first thing we stop doing.  We just don’t “want” to and give in to it.  Praise and Prayer are the best weapons against this, USE them.  (yes…I KNOW it’s a struggle)
  • Give Myself a Break – When the waves of depression hit, I don’t know how long it will tag along with me, but I also don’t let guilt make it worse.  Cut yourself some slack.  If you are doing a few things each day, pressing through, then you are doing well.
  • Remember…This WILL pass – It will pass.  No clue when, but I remind myself it will pass.
  • FOCUS on Others – this is difficult during times of depression but again, it’s possible.  I choose to make a difference for others daily anyway, but during these difficult times I will step it up.
  • Do Things I LOVE – I love being outdoors, I love reading, I love joy riding, I love looking through scrapbooks.  I make myself enjoy the things I love.  YES…make myself.

 

This is not an all inclusive list by any means.  I’m hoping those that struggle with it as well as those that don’t will leave some helpful, encouraging comments below.

Many ask about Medication – use it if necessary.  When my Dad died in 2003, I was in the deepest depression ever.  I took medication to help get through it.  I literally don’t remember much of the 2 years that followed his death due to depression.  I do know that when I started “pouring” myself into being a blessing to others, I started coming out of it.

Winter is coming; depression will worsen for many as the darkness engulfs their heart.  I challenge you to do a few things here.  This article will be emailed to over 300 people once it’s published and countless others will see it on Twitter and Facebook.

ENCOURAGE someone who is struggling by:

  1. Leave an encouraging comment to uplift, inspire and bring a smile to the discouraged heart
  2. Share some of your story here.  You never know who will relate to it.
  3. Don’t argue, judge or assume the worst about others who are dealing with this daily.
  4. If you’ve written an article on this topic, leave the link below in the comments, so others can easily find it and be encouraged.
  5. Never underestimate the power of being nice!

 

Here are some articles that may encourage you in this matter:

Peering into the Darkness

Where is Goodness and Joy

Joy Thieves

Taming the Madness

 

From my Friend Geoff ( @soulsupply ) – Defeating Depression http://www.soulsupply.com/defeating_depression

 

Thank you for your efforts in Spreading JOY and making a difference!

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Voice of Truth

October 8, 2012 by 3 Comments

Voices are everywhere, bombarding us about everything.

  • Look this way, dress that way…
  • Be this size or else you won’t fit into the “norm”…
  • Work at home mom’s keep their children from…..
  • Stay at home mom’s keep their children from…
  • You can’t pray this way in this place
  • If you want to be a success then…
  • If you are as good as you say you are then…
  • You can’t do it…
  • You can do it….

 

So many things, so much to do and so much to juggle.

I understand.  I get it.

I have a family, I work a full time job, I run a Non Profit, I volunteer with various ministries and I faithfully attend church, along with a whole host of other things I do, people I hear and voices that are always telling me… “over here…listen to me…”

In reality, I need to focus on the ONE Voice.  The Voice of truth.  God’s voice, for in the end if I am to hear that precious voice say “Well Done….” then I need to focus my attention on His voice each day.

At the beginning of each day, start your day asking God to help you focus on Him and what He would have you to do.  When your day ends, thank Him for having done so.

When doubt and discouragement creep in as they often do through all the voices that come at us each day, remember the Voice of Truth that tells you that

“Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Or the Voice of Truth that tells us

“Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

We need to forget about living up to society standards and live up to Christ’s expectations.

We need to stop listening to what Hollywood says is acceptable and hear what Christ says is right, pure and just.

We need to stop listening to those voices that won’t matter when Heaven is our reward, that never cared for us and start focusing on the One who always cares for us, the One who always loves us and the ONE who died for us.

When you Call on the Lord, make no mistake…HE will answer!  You may or may not like his answer.  Will you listen to the voice of truth even when you don’t agree or even when you don’t understand?  Will you trust the voice of truth to give you courage to step out and do what only HE can enable you to do?  Will you listen when He answers? 

Will you listen to the Voice of Truth, or will you let doubt, fear and discouragement drown out His precious voice?

The Voice of Truth… what is HE telling you?

 

Inspire/Encourage others by sharing your story here about truth.  

Spreading Joy is as simple as posting on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In or Google + as well as pinning on Pinterest.

Do you have an article on this topic? I invite you to leave it below in the comment sections so others can easily find MORE encouragement and thank you for doing so!

 

 

 

 

 

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Psalm 46

September 24, 2012 by 4 Comments

Psalm 46

One Sunday morning not long ago, I was doing some daily Bible reading. Ps 46 was in the que. As I was reading it, the song Peace Be Still came to mind and I decided that I should memorize this passage in an effort to learn more Bible verses.

Being able to quote this passage from memory has served me more than I would have imagined. Here are my thoughts on this amazing passage of comfort:

Vs. 1-3 – God is our refugee and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. Thought the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

Daily, everyone of us can stand to hear a reminder that God is our strength. He is with us in trouble. We face trouble on daily basis.  More often than we want to admit, we are weakened and are driven to our knees.  If we would only grab ahold of this verse and cling to its Holy Promise! During the moments in my life when the mountains seem to be falling into the sea, I have been able to pull comfort from these verses. Praise the Lord for being my strength and help in trouble.

Vs. 5 – God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

 This verse reminds me that God Will help and wants to help.  That I do not have to go through my journey alone and scared.  God, the creator of the universe, the Master of the seas, the One that the winds obey his very voice, is in the midst of MY journey.  How amazing is that?

Vs 10a – Be still, and know that I am God…

Worry has a way of grabbing ahold of us and not letting go. We drag our worries around with us, fretting about tomorrow. We wonder what are we going to do, we waste precious time that we could be making a difference for Heaven on worry. That is what satan wants from us. He wants to distract us, so that we forget about this verse. We need to remember to be still and KNOW that God will take care of us, he wants to take care of us and will continue to take care of us. Instead of looking around at the raging storms and taking our eyes off of our Lord, we need to remain focused on him. We need to fix our eyes our heavenly Father and run to Him. We need to crawl right up into his lap and just be still, knowing that He is in control, that He wants to bless us, guide and direct us. Knowing that He is God!

I’m just as guilty as the next person about worry, about discouragement, about distractions.  Having hid these verses in my heart, where I can grab them at a moments notice has proven beneficial so many times. Speaking with my best friend on the phone who is afraid for her prodigal daughter. Consoling my daughter when she feels like she can’t keep fighting gastroparesis. Re-assuring my son that God will provide the necessary funding for college as well as direction. When my own heart is aching, with the desire to give big and do more for others, but the finances simply will not allow it, with the need to see my son, with various heartaches and breaks – I too, claim these promises from the Lord.

Have you hidden these words in your heart? Can you grab them when you need them? You know the storms are coming, you know the battle will rage? What other passages do you need to hide in your heart?

Spreading Joy is as simple as posting on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In or Google + as well as pinning on Pinterest.

Do you have an article on this topic? I invite you to leave it below in the comment sections so others can easily find MORE encouragement and thank you for doing so!

Thank you for your efforts in Spreading JOY

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Prayer for Today

September 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Father,

For today, help your child that is struggling to feel deep peace and happiness even though their mind is filled with thoughts of uncertainty.

For today, bring unspeakable joy in the midst of the storm so that we are reminded that YOU, alone are God and are worthy to be praised.

For today help us to know you are there, holding and comforting us, walking beside us each step of the way, even though our hearts are fearful, worried and unsure.

For today, help us to know that what you have waiting is all that we truly need to get through this day.

Even though we can’t see the rainbow for the rain, for today – help us to trust you, your unfailing love, your never ending grace, mercy and desire for us to be blessed beyond measure.

For today, help us to know that you delight in our delight and that we can be completely free of pain and hurt while we trust you to direct us as you heal our broken hearts.

For today, help us to see what a beautiful soul we are and that our love is a gift to others.

Help us to see that for today and always YOU are all we need.

In Jesus Precious HOLY Name, Amen!

This is my prayer for you today and always!

 

HUGS wrapped in prayer

 

Spreading Joy is as simple as posting on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In or Google + as well as pinning on Pinterest.

Do you have an article on this topic? I invite you to leave it below in the comment sections so others can easily find MORE encouragement and thank you for doing so!

Thank you for your efforts in Spreading JOY

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Shine for HIM

July 30, 2012 by 4 Comments

We are reflecting God’s amazing light and HE has equipped us to shine so brightly that it can be seen, even in the darkest night.

Nations may rise and fall but our light will last forever.

We can and will forever impact hearts and with Social Media that impact can extend further than our minds can even imagine.

We can reach the world for the Lord without even leaving our home.

We need to realize that we are always reflecting God if we are a Christian.  We need to use our talents for the Lord. We need to help others grow and mature with their knowledge of the Lord.  We need to encourage others to keep taking one step at a time…for the LORD.

People will think things of the Lord, based on what they see and think of us.  May they always see great things about Christ in me.

When I feel grumpy – shine

When I feel sad – shine

When I feel hopeless – shine

When I feel lost – shine

When I feel like God doesn’t hear – shine

When I feel alone – Shine

When I feel defeated – shine

Regardless of how I “feel” – those emotions will pass, but the light I give off will last.

While I want to reflect God’s love, greatness and mercy, I also want to be authentically me.  When things are rough, admit it and tell others that I’m relying on the Lord’s strength to carry me through.  When I’m grumpy, own it and apologize if I’ve hurt someone in the process.

I am responsible for the light I give. 

Reminder:  

We are a reflection of God’s light.  We do not need to fear the darkness as God will turn it into light.

Psalm 18:28 You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.

Matthew 5:14
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

 

Father, help us to remember that we are a light, regardless of our feelings or how dark our world may be.  Help us to remember that even if we flicker a tiny bit, that we will help to rid the darkness of its power. May we always shine for you, in Jesus name we ask…Amen

 

Spreading Joy is as simple as posting on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In or Google + as well as pinning on Pinterest.

Do you have an article on this topic? I invite you to leave it below in the comment sections so others can easily find MORE encouragement and thank you for doing so!

Thank you for your efforts in Spreading JOY

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Gift of God’s Grace

July 23, 2012 by 5 Comments

I love the Grace of God.

I love the fact that HE looks for us!  He wants to spend time with us.  Not just hear our prayers, but he longs to just spend time together.

Isn’t that an amazing thought?

The King of Kings and LORD of Lords wants to spend time with us?

We wake in the morning and God sees us in our sleepy slumber and thinks, “THERE she/he is…. I HOPE they spend some time with me today!”  or maybe it is something like “I hope we can sit and remember the wonderful things that made him/her smile yesterday! What a smile it will bring again today!”

OR maybe it will be, “I can’t wait until she/he sings today! I know it’s never on key, but it’s pure joy to my heart!”

But I wonder how often God may think “ Well, at least they talk to me in prayer, they think they need so many things…I wish they would just trust me more.”

Are we guilty of that?

Are we guilty of using and abusing the grace that God so freely gives us?  We know His grace will reach farther than our minds can even imagine.

Do we use HIS grace as a get out of jail free card?  Saying “well, I know that isn’t right but God will forgive me.”

It’s true, HE will – but intentionally trampling all over the gift of God’s grace is not a way of keeping the sweet fellowship that we all need, not to mention the horrible image of God that we are reflecting.

Imagine how your heart would sink if your children did that day in and day out.  Imagine how your heart would feel if your child was known as the child that took advantage of your good graces.  It’s not a feeling I want to endure.

God thinks we are so amazing and so precious that He sent His only Son to die for us.  His grace is a blood bought gift that I treasure from the King of Glory.

I HOPE that you treasure it as well.

Majesty gives us grace.

Royalty paid our debt

 

The King of Kings loves us more than we can ever know. 

Yes, we can come as we are, but think about bringing your best after we are part of HIS family.

Yes, HE calls us friend, but gladly show the respect that Royalty deserves.

Yes, we are his child and He will always adore us, but let’s love and ADORE our Father!

God’s Grace….don’t take it for granted. 

 

1 Timothy 1:14
And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:1
Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 1:9
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men

Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

1 Corinthians 1:3
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

selah–wonderful merciful savior

 

A place called grace

 

Spreading Joy is as simple as posting on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In or Google + as well as pinning on Pinterest.

Do you have an article on this topic? I invite you to leave it below in the comment sections so others can easily find MORE encouragement and thank you for doing so!

Thank you for your efforts in Spreading JOY

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Turn to HIM

July 16, 2012 by 4 Comments

 

Lord,

We turn to you Lord for the hope of tomorrow when today seems to drown us in despair.

We turn to you Lord when yesterday is gripping our hearts, hindering us from seeing your hand today.

We turn to you Lord when everything is going wrong and nothing will dry the tears.

We turn to you Lord we’ve prayed a million prayers for our child to draw near.

We turn to you Lord when we can’t even lift our head or utter a word.

We turn to you Lord to make us aware of the daily blessings you surround us with.

We turn to you Lord to thank you for the strength you give us daily

We turn to you Lord to praise you for the glorious gift of the Cross

We turn to you Lord to sing praises when the darkness ends

We turn to you Lord to thank you for the protection that just sheltered us from harm

We turn to you Lord to give thanks for the loved one that has returned to you

We turn to you Lord to show our heart of gratitude for the good that keeps us renewed, for the bad that strengthens our faith and the millions of things in between that remind us to keep praising and adoring you.

 

Father, may we stay so close to your side that all we have to do is turn to you and whisper a faint cry for help or whisper praises through the tears of joy you bring.  May our hearts never get so wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of life that we go a single day unaware of the gifts that you’ve poured out on us. May we praise you daily and spend time in the Word while loving and adoring you. May we always be aware of you, by our side, in Jesus precious name Amen.

 

What are you turning to HIM for?

The bad only?  The good only?


Faithfully turn to HIM in everything!

 

Spreading Joy is as simple as posting on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In or Google + as well as pinning on Pinterest.

Do you have an article on this topic? I invite you to leave it below in the comment sections so others can easily find MORE encouragement and thank you for doing so!

Thank you for your efforts in Spreading JOY

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