Category: Missions

I am thankful….my brother made it home safe. Again. God’s mercies are everlasting to everlasting.

I am thankful for “mail surprises”….a delight to my weary heart!

I am thankful when problems arise in my life—or the lives of my family—God is my refuge. He is my strength and portion.

I am thankful for the WORD and the life and strength it brings me EVERY TIME I OPEN IT!

I am thankful for morning devotions with Aimee. For scriptures shared, a few tears, waterproof mascara, and traveling mercy. I am thankful for books small enough to fit into a purse that offer encouragement 🙂 I am thankful for you. Friends that take time out of their day to visit—to encourage—to love and fellowship with one another. —

I am thankful for peace that surpasses all our limited understanding of such. I don’t have to understand HOW—I just receive. Thank you Lord. For every blessing in my life.

I feel like this one is a jumble…but He is blessed by our thankful hearts…no matter how jumbled up it may seem to us!

For more thankful hearts…visit Iris —my dear friend who keeps us all going on thankfully—regardless of our circumstances —we persevere toward the goal–for the mark of the high calling of Jesus Christ. God bless you in your weekend—and as you finish out this week.

e I am thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ. He has filled my life with more blessings than I have time or space to write.

e I am thankful for my husband, my daughters and their families! For all my family! God is good!! AND especially thankful for time with my mother and sister!

e I am thankful for my church family —- where fellowship abounds and godly relationships are formed. AND especially thankful for sweet sisters-in-Christ at other churches—that allow me to be a part of them! (Sneads First Assembly YEAH!–Sister Janice–you are so precious!–and my home church—that will always be called home—Carmel Assembly of God!)

e I am thankful for the new friendships formed in Blogville. Sweet new friends discovered here ….I started typing names and realized I would take up the whole page! I am so blessed to have found this “village” of encouragement and love! Girls…if I told you I am praying…I am praying. For you!

Every Thursday, I when start reading all the Thankful Thursday posts. I soon realize how many things I should have listed! I soon forget the problems at hand. I am encouraged by every life that I get to peek into. When someone shares what the Lord is doing in their life or what He has done in times past, it renews my faith. My walk with Him is steadied. I have new strength! From some difficult experiences in my life, the Lord has shown me His great love and I have been strengthened in tough times.

The Lord wants us to encourage one another continually. IThessalonians 5:11-18 “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

More encouragement and thankfulness than you can imagine is found over at Iris’ place—“Sting my Heart“. Take some time over the Memorial Holiday and read all the Thankful Thursday posts. Remember all that He has done for you in times past. You are loved dear one. You were worth dying for blessed child. He loves you more than anything. Focus on Him. Count your blessings. They will outnumber your problems. Mention your blessings to someone. Whether it is a found sock that was missing…or a broken washing machine that is fixed…it is worth praising God for! He cares about every.single.detail of your life. Tell Him thank you! Tell us about it!

Every life is a story. A book written by you. Lived by you. Determined by you. What is yours about?

Mine has been a roller coaster ride! Up—down—twists—-upside down! But thankfully, years ago….I found Someone to ride that roller coaster of life.

As a rule, I DO NOT LIKE roller coasters. I have only been on two in my life. Promised myself there would not be a third. It’s just not my thing. It wouldn’t be featured in my book. Too many sharp curves. Too many steep hills and then…..doooowwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnnn you go…..and it is so fast it takes your breath away and you scream!

Sometimes life is that way. You are thrown a curve, the hill you were going up seems to disappear and suddenly…..the bottom falls out from under you. What do you do?

Glad you asked….

Call on the name of the Lord. Psalm 145:18-19 says “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.”

Verse 14 of the same chapter says “The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.”

When you fall…it is not the end. The enemy wants you to think that. He wants you to believe you are so covered with the filth of this world (sin), that you could never approach the throne of God again…that’s what he wants you to think. If you believe it then your book title would be “I Believed a Lie”. Not a very good title. Doesn’t sound like one I’d want to read.

One of the prayers of David recorded in Psalm 86:15-17 tells us that David knew and believed that the Lord was compassionate…a God that would not turn His back on us when we fall…

“But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant your strength to your servant and save the son of your maidservant. Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.”

Don’t be mislead by anyone. God is ready to hear your repentant prayer. He is waiting for you to be honest with Him. He will help you up, wipe you off, dry your tears and hold you close. The title of your story can now be “I’ve Been Made Clean!”

Spend time with Him. In His Word you will find the peace that you need. At His feet you will find rest and healing. For mind, body and spirit.

. . . “Following Him”. . .that would be my choice for a title.

The above post came from the archives of “Renewed Day by Day”. It was one of several I have written for our youth group blog.

Did I say weeds?? Yes I did. You see, on Saturday, Jeff helped me build 3 flower beds. This was my “Mother’s Day” gift. This was all I wanted.

Working in my flower garden has always been wonderful therapy. And I need me some therapy. It’s true. You sweat…which gets out impurities in your body…and you (me) can spend countless hours on your knees weeding, not only unwanted growth from the garden, but unwanted growth from our lives. Unwanted growth. I have a lot of it. AND I NEED TO BE WEEDED!

So, as I was getting an area “grass and weed free” and Jeff was off getting fill dirt for the raised flower bed, I began to talk to the Lord about my current ailment. It’s all about the heart. What my heart is feeling. Or not feeling. What my heart is longing for. And what His purpose is for my life. I began to see some areas that needed attention. As I lay my heart open before Him, He began to pull out the “unwanted growth”.

Then He plants fresh seed. New growth. But it must be watered, tended and fertilized. So that is exactly what we did on Saturday. Then we watered. And I prayed. Now, you may think that is silly. But girls, I have ALWAYS prayed over my flowers, and my little plants and shrubs. I love it when I see the growth take root and flourish! HE loves it when He sees us take root and blossom for Him!

I also did some container planting for my entrance and the patio. I will show you pictures of them later this week. This one picture is from last year’s container planting. I planted, prayed, watered and then one morning as I left the house, my plants at the door seemed to smile with gratitude! I smile with that same gratitude at the wonders and blessings that I see all around me—thankful that my Father “knows what things I have need of before I even ask”. And He sends.

Have a blessed week! Take care of the weeds…before they take over the beauty of the garden in your life!

to say “enter me”…..remember the give-away???

Congratulations….Twinkle MOM!!!! Yeah! Give her a big round of applause ya’ll! She won!

Comments closed.

Joanne over at “Blessed”, and the winner of the big Laced With Grace giveaway is having a give-away of her own. A new blog design for some “blessed” participant!

So, whatcha waitin’ for? Get on over there and enter for cryin’ out loud!
I did! (I have a friend I am going to pass it to if I win! Cuz….Miss Amy from Split Decisionz has already fixed my blog to be just gorgeous! Well, that is my opinion!)

That’s enough Nana! No more sugar for you!

I know you wish you were with us!

That little monster, I mean sweet fellow has some good sugar!

But he is mighty stingy!

Well, I will save some for you when he comes back for a visit. In the meantime, I have a house to clean…see behind me? And here I am still in jammies!

So, I clean, you come and sit at the table, drink some coffee, eat some cake…I know we have some.

Have a blessed Friday….I will be at work. Yuk. This kind of weather makes me want to be outside!

I did have a treat this week. A ride in my friend’s yellow mustang convertible! Wow! It blew the frustrations from my morning and I came back in a much better mood! Hey, Jeff, that’s what you can get me for Mother’s Day! Somebody tell him!

Don’t forget the give-away! Read about it here!

Quick announcement—mainly because I have two very important guests today! Rylan and Zackary—possibly April and Cy as well! We have much playing to do. But if you stop by, I will clear a spot for you to sit, I will put us on some hot water for a cup of tea, it may be raining, so we’ll open the blinds and watch the rain, share our hearts, and listen to little boy-chatter! I am over at the Cafe today. The Internet Cafe!