WE STAND IN HIS GRACE

Painting is by Edward C Tarbell


Romans 5:2 through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.


Grace is God’s unmerited favor, unconditional love, for us. We don't deserve it and we can do nothing to deserve it. It is given freely. We all know about God's grace when it comes to our salvation. But do you realize you experience grace on a daily basis. We stand in his Grace.

God's grace unfolds each morning with the rising of the Sun. The very breath you take is because of God's grace. His Grace is on you all the day long. Watch how he brings you through one trial after another. Time after time, his grace is amazing. You walk in his favor because you are his child. As undeserving as you are, he loves you and sheds his grace upon you every day of your life. As you go about your daily chores today, think of where you would be without his grace. If you woke up tomorrow morning and could not stand in his grace, if this life is all there would be---what a miserable, hopeless person, you and I would be.

God's grace is abundant, and it never runs out. The amount of God's grace is always greater than the depth of our sin. Paul tells us that grace multiplied where sin increased (Romans 5:20). We can be confident that it is always sufficient for us.

THE CHURCH OF OPRAH

Picture of Oprah and Eckhart Tolle, author of "The Secret".. according to Eckhart Tolle there is no such thing as Sin!

Oprah Winfrey on her show was praising and showcasing several New Age luminaries. But when a Christian woman in the audience asks Oprah, “What about Jesus?,” Oprah insists Jesus “can't possibly be the only way” to God.... And the sparks fly! Although raised Baptist, Oprah Winfrey's faith has undergone a significant transformation towards New Age spirituality. Oprah denies the Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ by teaching tens-of-millions of her viewers that there are many paths to God.

When you were born on this Earth, you were born into the family of man. To receive the inheritance of God, you must be born into the family of God. In other words, you need to be born again as a spirit man, into the spiritual realm of the Holy Spirit. Flesh and blood cannot inherit his Kingdom. There is a lot of "New Age" Ala Oprah, being taught that says, you are already a child of God just by virtue of being born into this world. The bible clearly tells you this is not true. There is only one way to become a child of God and that is through the blood of Jesus. Oprah denies this and tells her audience, there are many ways to God. I fear for those who follow this woman and hang on her every word. The day Oprah denied Jesus as Saviour is the day I stopped watching her.

Since, to a lot of people this is old news, I wasn't going to make a post about it. The other day I was talking to someone who watches Oprah all the time. I mentioned this and she hadn't heard about what Oprah said. So I though I would do it, in case others missed that show. Make no mistake, there are those who hang on her every word, buy what she tells them,,,especially books. This makes her a dangerous woman with a lot of influence on the young Mothers who watch her faithfully, every day. And through all this, she still insists she is a Christian and that may be the most dangerous statement of all for those who do not read their Bible.

HE IS A FRIEND IN THE NIGHT

Sometimes in our lives, we all have pain, of the heart, the mind, the soul and just don't have the strength to face life. Most people have been blessed with family and friends. They know when they are feeling weak, they can turn to a friend or a family member. But what if you are alone and there is no one you can turn to or ask for help?

I have good news for you! You do have someone and he is as close as your next heartbeat. Show him your weakness, tell him your deepest sorrow and lean on him. His name is Jesus and he loves you with a love that is unconditional. He can carry your burdens, you don't have to carry them alone. He will lead you through the valley of darkness you are in and help you find the mountain top.

He will be your friend in the night. I have talked to him many times when I thought all hope was gone. He has never let me down, not once. I may not have understood at the time but when I look back on all that has happened to me, I know that he was there. He does not always give us help in the way we expect and in the time limit we put on him but he is always on time.

He loves you and if you don't know him, it is never to late to learn of him. He is standing at the door of your heart. All you have to do is open that door. Ask him into your heart. I promise you, You will feel peace like you have never known. Do it now! We are not guaranteed tomorrow.

IT WON'T RAIN ALWAYS

Are you hurting tonight because God gave you a mountain? Are you trying to hang on to faith, but it just seems like when God answers one prayer, another trial of your faith is there? I don't know why some people get more than their share of sorrow, but I do know one thing. It won't rain always if you put your trust in him. One morning you will wake up and there will be Sunshine! It won't rain always, God's promises are true, just like the song says. This is for someone who is hurting tonight!

IT WON'T RAIN ALWAYS
(Gloria Gaither / Bill Gaither / Aaron Wilburn)

Sung here by Cynthia Clawson

Someone said that in each life
some rain is bound to fall
And each one sheds his share of tears
And trouble troubles us all

But the hurt can't hurt forever
And the tears are sure to dry
And it won't rain always
The clouds will soon be gone
The sun that they've been hiding
has been there all along

And it won't rain always
God's promises are true
The sun's gonna shine in His own good time
And He will see you through

WHAT IS REAL PEACE?

THE SEA OF GALILEE

We will hear what God the lord will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people, to his faithful saints; those who turn to Him in their hearts." Psalm 85:8

There once was a king who offered a prize for all the artists who lived under his kingship. The prize would go to the artist who could paint the best picture reflecting "real peace". Many artists participated in this contest.

The king looked at all of the paintings when the artists were finished, but there was only two that he really liked and he had to choose between the two.

The first painting was that of a calm lake, with towering mountains on all sides. Trees and flowers were in full bloom. Overhead the blue sky glistened with fluffy white clouds and birds glided through the air. All who looked upon this picture thought that this was the best depiction of "real peace".

The second picture had mountains also, but they were rugged and desolate. Above was a stormy sky of black clouds from which rain fell and lightning danced. Down the side of one of the mountains tumbled a foaming waterfall. This painting surely did not reflect peace at all. But when the king looked closer at this painting, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing out of a crack in a rock. In the bush a mother robin had built a nest. And there in the midst of the rush of the turbulent water below sat the mother bird on her nest of delicate eggs.

Which painting do you think won the king's prize? The king chose the second picture. When asked by his court why he chose this painting, the king replied:

"Because," the king said, "peace does not mean that a place will be without noise, trouble, or uncertainty. Peace means that you can be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart."

Isaiah 26:3 says, "Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth Thee."

The only real peace we have Dear Lord is in you.

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO PRAY?

The painting is by Nicolaes Maes

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." [Luke 11:1]

If you are a Christian already, does the peak of your prayer life consist of nodding in agreement when the Preacher prays, while your mind wanders off in all directions?" You can do better than that. A lot of people who call themselves Christian do not know God as a living, personal God. They need to learn how to make that connection with him and to do that, you have to know Jesus. As you learn about Jesus, you come to know God for they are one and the same. I know there are poeple who were raised in the church, and yet they do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. No wonder they don't know how to pray! They don't know him.

The woman in the picture is giving thanks to God for her food. That is prayer in it's simplest form. Jesus gave us a perfect example of how to pray when he gave us the scriptures we know as the Lord's Prayer in Luke 11:2. Now, he was not giving us a prayer to memorize and recite. It was to serve as an example of how to pray.

In Psalm 100 it says: Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and praise his name. That's where you start. Thank him for the blessings he has given you. Praise him and give him all the glory for the good things in your life. Prayer is not about what you need. God knows what you need. Prayer is about spending time with him. Get to know the one who made you and loves you.

Prayer is not just words alone. It is the offering of our heart, mind, imagination and our whole self to God. Even if you just sit in silence, God is with you. He hears your silent prayer.

Let his peace surround you as you sit quietly. Let the hurry and worry of your life fall away from you. God loves you and cares for you. He is here with you now – and always. Speak to him slowly and thoughtfully.

Lord in heaven, please listen to all those who are praying to you now. Those who are sad and crying, those who have lost friends and family, those who are alone and frightened. Help them to remember, that you are there and you are listening. Amen

DON'T LOOK TO THE HILLS FOR HELP

Psalm 121:1, "I will lift up my eyes to the hills - from whence comes my help?"

I think so many people get confused by this scripture because they fail to read the next verse. The psalmist goes on to say in the next verse, "My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth." There is the answer. Don't look to the things the Lord has made like the hills, trees, moon or sun for your help. Help does not come from these things - it comes only from Our Father Who made them.

People today are used to immediate gratification. But the bible says we are to wait on the Lord. When we ask him for help, we must learn to wait for the answer and in God's own time we will receive. It is only when we lean on our own understanding and try to control the situation that we get off track.

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart. Take courage; yea, wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14).

You will receive the help you need if you learn to wait for God's answer to your problem.
You do not know in what form your help will come. But you do not need to know. Just take the next step. Your help will come from the Lord in his own time.

"The Sun"s gonna shine in his own good time, and he will see you through." to quote that beautiful song by Cynthia Clawson.

WORDS MATTER

Proverbs 25:11 says, "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

"Whoever said "Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me," must have been deaf. Words can hurt. Relentless teasing can be devastating to a child. Harsh words from a husband and wife to one another, can hurt. Verbal abuse is, about Power and Control. When we feel we are losing an argument, we will resort to verbal abuse or name calling. Some abusers have such a low self-esteem that to make themselves feel better they need to Control a person or thing. They will do anything to make themselves feel better. So they use words they know will hurt.

But there is another side to this story. As destructive as words can be, they can also build someone up and restore their self esteem. Tell someone thank you for being there for you in a time of trial. Tell a friend how you admire him for the way he handled a difficult situation. Don't forget to tell a person who works for you, the boy who cuts your grass, the girl who cuts your hair, the grocery store clerk, how you appreciate the good job they do. Even babysitters like to hear they did a good job. Tell people you love, how thankful you are to have them in your life. Tell them you are grateful for the way they always have your back. Tell your husband or wife, what a blessing they are to you. Use words wisely, they can hurt or heal. What you say and the way you say it, does matter. Strive to be a builder, not a destroyer.

Respect, love, gratitude, and admiration expressed with honesty are words that can heal.

THE BUTTERFLY

Once upon a time in a land far far away.

There was a wonderful old man who loved everything. Animals, spiders,
insects.

One day while walking through the woods the nice old man found a cocoon.

Feeling lonely he decided to take the cocoon home to watch its beautiful
transformation from a funny little cocoon to a beautiful butterfly.

He gently placed the cocoon on his kitchen table, and watched over it
for days.

Suddenly on the seventh day the cocoon started to move It moved
Frantically! The old man felt sorry for the little butterfly inside the
cocoon. He watched it struggle and struggle and struggle!

Finally the old man feeling so sorry for the cocooned butterfly rushed
to its aide with a surgical scalpel and gently slit the cocoon so the
butterfly could emerge.

Just one slice was all it took, and the butterfly broke free from its
cocoon only to wilt over in a completely motionless state.

The old man did not know what to think. Had he accidentally killed the
little butterfly? No, it's still moving a little bit.! Maybe it's sick!

Who the heck would know? He was dumbfounded, and quite perplexed! What
should I do, he said. Well he felt so sorry for the little creature that
he decided the best thing he could do for the butterfly was to place it
gently back into its cocoon.

He did so, and placed a drop of honey on it to seal the cocoon, leaving
the butterfly to nestle in its natural state.

Well the next day he noticed that the cocoon was moving again. Wow, he
said! It moved and moved and struggled and struggled. Finally the
butterfly broke free from its cocoon and stretched its wings out far and
wide. Big time yawn! Its beautiful wings were filled with wonderful
colors! It looked around and took off! It was flying! Its so beautiful!
The old man was jumping with joy! Wow!

Go Baby, Go! And that wonderful butterfly did that just that, it flew
and flew till it was almost out of the old mans sight. What a joy, he
exclaimed! But then he started to think. What did I do wrong by trying
to help that beautiful little butterfly out at first?

The old man went into town. Found the library, and read every book he
could on butterflies and cocoons.

Finally the answer appeared. The butterfly has to struggle and struggle
while inside the cocoon. That's how it gets its strength.

That's just what they are designed to overcome in order to be strong and
beautiful.

Well needless to say the old man was shocked, saddened, and somewhat
relieved now he knows the reason why they do what they do. It was only
his perception that made it appear that the butterfly was having a hard
time. Well from then on the old man knew that loving something sometimes
means to pray for it and cheer it on!

He realized that God was wonderful, and that sometimes appearances
aren't what they seem to be. That we all are beautiful butterflies, even
though we have our apparent struggles in life...

Author Unknown

CELEBRATING IN THE MIDST OF DEFEAT

A friend of mine tried very hard to fit in with the family she married into but no matter how hard she tried, she was always on the outside looking in. She had been alone most of her life and the idea of a family seemed like the most wonderful thing in the world. One day one of the Sons told her, she was not family. She was just their brother's wife. It stung her and she walked away in defeat. She didn't know God then and for many years she felt unwanted whenever she visited his family with him. Although her husband loved her, she still wanted to be loved by his family.

Then she got saved and found this verse. It dawned on her that the Lord was her strength and he loved her. She could take the high road and walk on those high places. She did not have to let this defeat her. In the midst of her deep Winter of sorrow, she couldn't see any victory ahead. But with God's help, and through his strength, she has learned how to celebrate in the midst of defeat. She has learned to trust, and she has gained a much bigger family, the family of God.

Habakkuk 3: 17-19 A prophet's prayer


[17] Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

[18] Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

[19] The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon high places.


Lord, My prayer for today...Give me the trust to celebrate in the midst of defeat and have confidence, like that of a sure-footed mountain deer. It is easy to celebrate and trust in the good times but when I feel defeated and nothing seems to be going right, that is when I need more than ever to trust. Help me to understand that even though I feel defeated, I can still walk on high places because you are my strength. Amen

THERE'S A PROMISE COMING DOWN THAT DUSTY ROAD

Sometimes it seems like life is just all uphill. Your funds are low, debts high. It is hard to smile and be happy when faced with economic difficulties. That is the time when you need to rest in the Lord. You have heard the expresson, "Let go and let God"? It is not quitting to turn things over to him. You never know just how close you are to victory. When you think there is no way things can work out. That is when God loves to work.

HOPE

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. (Is 40:31

Hope is such a marvelous thing.
It bends, it twists, it sometimes hides,
but rarely does it break.

It sustains us when nothing else can.
It gives us reason to continue and courage to move ahead,
when we tell ourselves we'd rather give in.

Hope puts a smile on our face
when the heart cannot manage.

Hope puts our feet on the path
when our eyes cannot see it.

Hope moves us to act
when our souls are confused of the direction.

Hope is a wonderful thing,
something to be cherished and nurtured,
and something that will refresh us in return.

And it can be found in each of us,
and it can bring light into the darkest of places.
NEVER LOSE HOPE!

~~ Author Unknown ~~

HIS SHEEP KNOW HIS VOICE

Phillip Keller, once a shepherd himself, in his book A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, relates:
The strange thing about sheep is that because of their very makeup, it is almost impossible for them to be made to lie down, unless four requirements are met.
First, due to their timidity, they must be free from all fear. Next, because of their sociability, they must be free from friction with others of their kind.

Third, they must be free from flies or parasites if they are to relax. Lastly, they will not lie down unless free from hunger. And it is only the shepherd who can provide release from all anxieties.


When we will learn to listen only to his voice and look to him for our needs. He will provide if we trust him as sheep trust their Shepherd. It is when we stray too far from the fold and go looking for greener pastures that we get lost. But the shepherd is never far away and when one goes missing, he will leave the others in a safe place and go looking for that one. If you get lost, it is okay to yell for help from your shepherd. He will hear you, come get you and bring you home. He knows your needs, he knows the desires of your heart. If you will worship and trust him, lay your anxieties on him, he will lead you beside still waters and restore your soul. That's a promise.

GET A BIGGER, BETTER LADDER

"Get a bigger, better ladder!" That is what I overhead one friend tell another when she said she was afraid to paint the trim around her ceiling because of her rickety old ladder. I thought how that applies to other areas of our life as well. We overlook the obvious thing to do. If in life, we can't reach our goals, we shouldn't give up, we just need a bigger, better ladder.


In my walk with God, I sometimes think I can't be the person he wants me to be but then I remember that I am not perfect, Jesus is. He is my ladder, and he will help me make it to the top. All I have to do is trust him, and mirror my life after him. I couldn't make it on my own but with him as my ladder, I can. One day I am going to have to stand on the top rung of that ladder to finish off this journey and even though, every time I climb up another rung, I start shaking and sweating. I won't give up. I have always been a little afraid of heights, but I don't think I will be afraid when I get to the top of this ladder. I am standing on the shoulders of Jesus!

I am a little afraid of falling as I climb up though...Have you ever fallen?...It is the scariest feeling and it takes forever to hit the floor or ground. You can't imagine how many thoughts can run through your head in that short space of time? Many times when I though I was falling off my spiritual ladder, I have had all those destructive thoughts we tell ourselves. "I can't make it, I"m not good enough or strong enough. God doesn't really care or he wouldn't let me suffer", but if I reach out and grab the ladder I feel steady again.

I did fall through a hole in my floor once and broke my foot but after a lot of crying and feeling sorrow for myself, I got up somehow and made it to my bed, where I lay until Billy came home from work. I got up as soon as I could, first on crutches, then with a cane and before you know it, I was back to full physical health. I do the same if it is my spiritual health. When I fall off, I climb back up again. I know where the ladder is. It is as near as my heartbeat. I just have to reach out and take hold once again.


Do you need a bigger, better ladder?

MY LAUNCH DAY...things that matter to me

I am a Christian. I just love saying that and it is the thing that since 1980 has clearly defined who I am. I try to stay healthy in mind and body to the best of my ability but I often slip. I won't watch movies with violence, nudity or coarse language in them. I try to dress in a modest manner and I do not use profanity..well unless you count the times when Billy makes me so mad!!!... A spouse does know the buttons to push don't they? I am always contrite and deeply disturbed and ashamed after I let off steam, just to know that I can still go back to that place so easily after all these years bothers me a great deal. You would think I'd know better by now.

I'm not saying, what I eat, what I wear or what I watch, should apply to anyone else. It is my journey and we all have to walk our own walk, the best way we know how. You are welcome in my home and I'll feed you,,, : ) even if I don't agree with you. We all come into this world unsaved, until somewhere down the road we come to a fork. I'll love you anyway, if you chose another road from the one I chose. But in secret, I may shed a tear or two for you and pray for you. If we don't believe with all our hearts that we are right in our choice, then faith means nothing.


I am a plain speaker and one who barely knows an adjective from a pronoun. If you are looking for good grammar, this may not be the blog you should be reading. My take on the English language will drive you crazy. I am from the South and we speak Southernese here. I'll try to keep most of the drawl to myself and the whadugits (what did you get) just don't translate to type anyway, so you should be safe there.


So, welcome to my blog about my spiritual journey. I feel like Senator Clinton when she said, "I have finally found my voice". I had no idea I could find anything to write about when I just recently started blogging and this is my third. Please check out the others. They are clean and tidy, I promise. I really wanted to do a blog like this from the beginning but things didn't feel right. Maybe God thought I needed to practice first. LOL