My Place of Grace

Unknowingly, I dropped a crumb of a chip on the ground. A few minutes later I looked to find this team of ants taking the spoils back to their nest. I watched them work for a long time. these little creatures pulled and nudged this large feast with all they had. This display of strength and perseverance reminded me that God is our provider and in Christ nothing is ever wasted. Like the ants we need to keep our eyes on the prize(Jesus, eternal life) and never give up. Things may look impossible but with God's help and perspective we can make it through.

As this bird surveys it's surroundings from atop the roof on which it's perched; we too must sometimes step back and look at our situation from a distance. It's then we are able to see the grander picture of what is going on. Taking the time to do this reminds us that God has a plan for our lives and our present circumstances are often times a tool used to achieve the means to the end. Take notice the cloud to the right in this picture...it's almost as if God Himself is giving the thumbs up. Looking through the lens of a camera can capture more than the eye can see at first glance, in the same way looking at our circumstances through the lens of God's plan can reveal the deeper meanings and help us through those seemingly impossible situations...All things are possible with God. It's for us to trust and believe.

I've heard in prayers, asking for God's presence to fill this place. I've heard, "Lord give us your presence", or just a simple "God be with us". I got to thinking about these requests in the light of Psalm 139. I have come to the conclusion that God has been, and is always, with us everywhere, all the time. He doesn't go away and come back at our request. He is ever- present. We are the ones who wander off. We stray to places of worry, busyness, stress, careers, recreation, children, dysfunction, depression etc... that we miss the point. We cry out for God's presence but really we should be asking God to help us put aside all those things that hinder us from resting in His presence. He has known us since before we were even born, He formed us with His special touch. He set a plan for our lives before we took our first breath. He thinks about us all the time. He is there and will never leave. What do we have to fear? Why do we allow worry? Let...

Jesus, you are my rock, the foundation on which I am built. Unmovable, unshakable, steady, secure. Helping me to endure. Jesus, you are my fortress which around me stands. Strong, sturdy, impenetrable, reinforced. Shielding me from evils course. Jesus, you are my defender, who fights for me. Unwavering, protecting, confident, sure. My fearless warrior through the war. Jesus, you are my comfort, who eases my hurt. Encouraging, loving, soothing, healing. Gently held in you're hand, concealing. Jesus, you are my joy, who makes my heart sing. Blessing, revealing, surprising, giving. My whole reason for living! Jesus, you are my strength, which never fails. Faithful, trusting, patient, true. In you there is nothing I can't do. Jesus, you are my peace in the midst of life's storms. Encompassing, calming, trustworthy, present. On my voyage through the unpleasant. Jesus, you are my redeemer over sin and death. Victorious, persevering, uncrushable, triumphant! Overthrowing the impos...

This morning as I prayed, God revealed this little snail on the ground at mt feet. I picked it up. it was securely encased in it's shell at the time and I placed it in the palm of my hand. For a long time it stayed safely hidden in its shell, but after a while of being very still, it started to venture out. I thought a moment about this, and a picture formed in my mind. We are very much like this little snail. We all tend to hide ourselves away when the world around us becomes too scary, big, and ominous. It is only when we feel safe and secure that we can begin to advance. The only place we can truly feel this kind of security in when we are resting in Gods hands. There we are safe, there we are protected, and there we can explore the world around us without apprehension. As with the snail, things will come along and scare us back into our shell, but when we stay in the protective shelter of God hands we don't feel the need to stay inside our shell for long. The other interest...

"This is what the LORD says—he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun , whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams." - Isaiah 44:2-4( NIV ) Have you ever gone through a dry season in your life or in your ministry? Listen to Gods words through the prophet Isaiah... "Do not be afraid"...could it be in those dry times in our lives that it is fear that is our drying agent, leaving us cracked and thirsting for that life giving water? Fear can cause all progress to stop. It paralyzes, limits growth, creates doubt, holds us back, and sucks us dry from the joy and prosperity that God has planned for us. The antidote for fear is faith. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Faith is being sure of what we ...

Spirit of God, wash over me Cleansing my mind of impurity Fill up the cracks, revealing my leaks Wash away all the obstacles keeping me weak. Rush over my soul with waves of Your power Strengthen my faith hour by hour. Renew my heart with Your life giving rain Quenching my thirst, removing my pain. Plant me by a stream where Your waters flow. As continuous nourishment to help me grow. "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."... Psalm 1:1-3

"It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands. How great are your works, O LORD, how profound your thoughts!" Psalm 92:1-5 Walking through the forest this morning, I noticed the sun emerging from it's sleep. It crept through the forest trees, creating such perfect clarity. It's light shown and danced with glimmers of hope for the coming day. I thought about God and His perfect plan for creation. God has provided all we need for each day. It's right there within our reach. but so often we are stuck in our own dark forest, and we can't see anything clearly. It is only when we look to God for our direction that we become aware of the light He gives. He sends those glimpses of light through His word, others, and nature....

Yesterday,on my walk, I saw a huge tree fallen in the woods. It looked perfectly healthy, but the roots had rotted away, causing it to fall. God spoke to me, calling to mind all that has transpired throughout my life...He reminded me that what I am doing right now is building strong roots in Him, so I am able to withstand the winds and storms and opposition that arises through my life. Abiding in Him gives my roots nourishment. Trusting Him moment by moment makes my roots grow deep, obedience spreads them wide, and faith strengthens them, resisting decay. God's love is the water that causes them to grow, remain healthy, and bear fruit. Like trees, we all need to build a good root system in order to grow into who God meant us to be. And like a tree, this is a life long process, but without good, strong, healthy roots to draw our strength from each day, we will eventually fall, succumbing to the force of life's storm's. With a good root system in place, we will be able to wea...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart Lean not on your own understanding. When we try to go it on our own We're in for a bumpy landing. Faith in God requires action Stepping out, so fear steps back Relying on God to move us forward Any way else, our courage will lack. If we find ourselves looking inward Dwelling on our own efficiency The only answer is acknowledging God Submitting to His sufficiency. Then we can rest in God's provision Faithful, He meets all our needs. Never will we have to worry When we walk the way our Father leads. Let us then take heart, and not grow weary With our hope in Christ, we're not alone Each step we take, we lay up treasure For the day our Father calls us home. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. ...Proverbs 3:5-6 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in...

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7 Waiting on the Lord Pondering His word Delighting in His way Praying through the day Humbled by what He has to say. Resting in His hands He eases life's demands Comforting my pain Peace and joy exclaimed Shining sunbeams through the rain. Showered by His grace Puts a smile on my face Praise to Him I sing My heart to Him I bring Giving to Him thanks in everything. I have a tendency to lose perspective of what is important in my life, getting caught up in doing things, an endless string of activity fills my days. All the "things I do" seem important, worthwhile and more often than not, provide a need for someone. My goal is to serve God, this is why I live. But some times in the serving, I get carried away. I find myself stressed out, my eyes lose focus on why I'm doing what I'm doing, and I...

One week ago today I had surgery on my shoulder. The operation went well. I had never had surgery before, so I have to admit I was a bit nervous. I was knocked out by the anesthesia so quickly I didn't know or feel a thing! Piece of cake! This next 6 week phase, after the surgery is the challenging part. My whole life changed in the moment that I was fixed by the surgeon. I woke up with this huge sling holding my arm still(my right arm, and I'm right handed)I was given strict instructions on what I can and cannot do, and they scheduled me for a regimen of physical therapy to begin the very next day. For the past week, I haven't written much, but have been doing a lot of thinking about what God is trying to show me through this experience. This morning something hit me. A parallel between surgery and salvation! Here's how it goes. My shoulder was broken,hurt, and in need of surgery in order to save and restore it back to use. We are much like my shoulder. Before we met w...

Psalm 139 is of my very favorite Chapters in God's Word. This Psalm tells us some very important things about God's character and how He feels about each one of His children. In verses 1-4 tells us God knows us, intimately everything from the inside out. Verses 5-12 tells of Gods protection over us, He hems us in, goes behind and before us, He is with us always, shining His light, guiding our way. Verses 13-18 shows that God made us and values us, we are His creation made in His image formed by His hand and He not only made us, He planned out our whole lives for us before we were even born. We know He values us because His thoughts of us outnumber the grains of sand on every beach everywhere on this earth...imagine how many thoughts that is. Consider that...Valuable things are always given great thought and consideration. Verses 19-22 tell us that God who loves us so much deserves recognition and first place in our lives. He is our all in All and we shall stand up for Him at a...

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." John 13:34 We all face difficult relationships, even the best of relationships can be strained. God calls us to love, but let's face it, that can be very challenging especially when we don't agree with someone. So how do we love one another when we are feeling angry, hurt, betrayed, or mistreated? Our natural reaction is to withdraw, lash out, get even, and prove ourselves right at all cost. So how do we love well? Let's look at this command, God tell us to love one another, but the next few words give us the reason/ formula for succeeding in it. When we understand our fallen human nature, we know it is impossible to love all people. When we add God to the equation the impossible becomes possible. "As I have loved you" Have you ever thought about that statement? How many times have we disappointed, hurt, betrayed, lied, ignored, and sinned against God? Yet ...

Have storms and discouragement been plaguing your life? Your thoughts? I think we can all relate to the apostle Paul and the story of the thorn in his side, given to keep him humble and leaning on God's strength. (2 Corinthians 12: 1-10) We can also relate to the life of David, who loved God so much but found himself in all kinds of trouble and trials before God lifted Him up to his prosperous position. (1 &2 Samuel and Psalms) And Elijah who believed God to win a battle but then turned around and doubted Him when he heard that Jezebel wanted to have him killed .(1 Kings 19) It seems in some things we can easily trust God will handle the storms in our lives and in others, we get in our heads that this next storm must be too big and we withdraw from Him. I can almost hear God asking as He did Elijah" What are you doing here?"(after he ran for His life, from fear and discouragement.) That's the question we need to ask ourselves ..."What are we doing here?...

"So if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed." John 8:36 The other day I was visiting and spending time in our local women's prison. Once a week, a fellow volunteer and I go and hold a Bible study with the ladies. We pray and then hand out song books. We always like to sing. Every week we ask the ladies to pick a song, and every week they pick a Song called "Jesus Signed My Pardon", I had never heard the song before I started going to the prison but the words are so meaningful and it has become the theme song of this group. I thought I'd like to share the word's with you: Jesus Signed My Pardon I was in sin's prison, oh, so dark and cold Like a lost sheep wandering from God's eternal fold; Then the door swung open, and He spoke to me "I have signed your pardon, now you may go free." Chorus: Jesus signed my pardon, this I surely know Took my place at Calvary, now I won't have to go; All my life I'll give to Him - He gave H...

Walking hand in hand with God is my hearts cry. I want to be so completely immersed in Him. I want to feel his presence next to me, as I do walking with a friend. I want His guidance and direction in all things. I want to hear everything He has to say to me, learn all his ways, grow to become just like Him in character. With every task I do, hurdle I leap, trial I go through, and trail I blaze, I want to do it in a way that points to Him. Psalm 119:27 Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders. I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be a Christian. It's not just a statement. Being a Christian is a lifestyle, it means being set apart and setting Jesus Christ apart as Lord and savior over my life. It means I follow Christ, walking in His footsteps. (I have this image in my mind of child walking behind a parent, trying to step in each footprint their parent has made.) Being a Christian is an active living daily choice I make to ...

See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. -Isaiah 48:10 We go through refining seasons in our lives. Times when God really puts us through the fire to rid us of impurities that take away from our being the person that He has purposed us to be. We need to go through these times as painful as they may be, because it's in these times when we are tested and proved. I write this because I am currently being put through the fire, looking at my situation in this way brings me hope and assurance that God has something important for me to learn through it. He is also using my testing as a means to witness to others as a source of encouragement and proof of His great power and grace when we choose to stand in our faith in Him. Don't get me wrong, though God gives me His grace to get through this time of fire and testing it HURTS! There is pain involved in this process, but as I continue to look to God, He is faithfully revealing His p...

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. 2 Corinthians 12:9 It is very easy to get caught up and overwhelmed with all life throws at us, but the battle in our own minds is probably the most brutal of all battles many of us may ever face. It's fierce and merciless at times. How we think about our circumstances can be far more damaging than the circumstance itself. When we go into this battle armed with the God's truth, understanding God has a purpose already planned out for us to achieve the goal of bringing His kingdom full circle, our battle becomes an honor to fight. Knowing that our response to each circumstance we face can be a testimony to God's Power and every choice we make in it will either bring God glory or defame Him really shines new light on the battle. With the eternal mind set, it is no lon...

'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' Jeremiah 33:3 Sometimes the answers we seek are only as far away as the call. God is always waiting for our call and the best part is, He is always home to pick up. In this age of technology, it is so automatic for us to pick up our cell phones or shoot e-mails and text messages to our friends. We search for answers to our problems and look for direction from friends,counselors, books, television, and Google; but how often do we call on God? How often do we use His resources? God is the source of all life, who better to run to first? He knows ALL the answers we seek before we even ask. He watches our futile efforts at trying to solve our life's problems on our own, and He waits. God waits for us to pick up that direct connect and contact Him. So what are we waiting for? The answers we are looking for are wrapped up in Him. The only way to unwrap them is to call and get to know Hi...