Growing in Grace -- To Offer Grace

May God break my heart so fully that the whole world falls in.    
                                                                             ~Mother Teresa 

There it stood. Not in a flower bed, but in the middle of a dirt pile. Straight and tall with all its golden sunshine splendor. Bringing beauty to the ugly. Growing in the midst of nothing but dirt.

Until, of course, you remember God used the dirt to create man. Man who could walk with Him in the cool of the day. Man who was made in the likeness of God Himself. Man given the choice of right or wrong.  

Sometimes I feel like the lone tulip in a dirt pile. Oh, not beautiful in the physical sense. But beautiful through the blood of the Sacrificial Lamb. Beautiful because of grace. Beauty claimed daily in my walk of faith.

But still, the dirt. In the midst of standing I see those who live and work and play. Those who haven't chosen, although not choosing is really choosing the wrong. I see them out my window delivering packages. I see them at the grandboys' games. They pack my groceries and lean out their window to hand me drinks in foam cups. They fill my prescriptions and put gas in my car. Men and women packed in the dirt of life. People who need grace.

I look around me and see the evilness of Satan. See him stepping on dirt, surrounding me in a victory dance of sorts. But I stand straight and tall with all my SONshine beauty. Growing in the midst of nothing but dirt.  

I was first planted as Pamela, but replanted as Daughter of the Son. Sent to a world longing to flower but trapped in the dirt.  "I find myself standing where I always hoped I might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting my praise" (Romans 5:2). 

I'm alone, but seeing the vision of a garden of tulips. Tulips ready and willing to find their own plot of dirt.  Tulips standing in all their SONshine beauty. 

There are many tulips to plant and not enough planters. Pray to the owner of the tulip gardens that He will send workmen to gather his harvest.  (Paraphrase of Luke 1:10).

 

5 Steps to Know God More Deeply

The man who would truly know God must give time to Him. -A. W. Tozer

Rain, ground-soaking, refreshing rain.

I walked outside for a few minutes, just to watch and breathe deeply of the freshness. As I watched, I was reminded of a verse I read recently:

Let my teaching fall on you like rain;
Let my speech settle like dew.
Let my words fall like rain on tender grass,
Like gentle showers on young plants (Deut. 32:2).

While watching the ground soak up the rain, my thoughts gravitated to the desire of soul-soaking rain. I want to study His attributes more so I am daily learning more about my Heavenly Father, His holiness and the holiness He requires of us (not to be confused with man's definition).

My heart is ready to soak up the rain of God's teaching. I'm passionate about my desire to know more of God. The problem with passion is that sometimes it's all over the place. Being intentional focuses me, creating more of a tunnel vision, reducing distractions that prevent me from getting more accomplished. 

Here are my five steps to living an intentional life of knowing God more deeply.

1. Open Your Heart

Daily open your heart to God, asking to learn more of His attributes and, through them live more like Him. A Christian's main purpose is to know God. It is God who birthed this goal in us. This is a prayer God loves to answer.

2. Take Action
Ask yourself, "What one action can I take today to further my purpose of knowing God?" Without neglecting the Bible -- the best source to know God more -- are you reading Christian Living books, biographies of spiritual giants, or connecting with a mentor? 

3. Use your Bible
It's good to use devotional material, but it doesn't take the place of digging in the Word. Does your devotional mention a particular verse? Find it in your Bible. Does your devotional book include suggested verses to read? Read them. If you are studying the omnipresence of God, search for verses like, "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3).

4. Write it down.

There's joy in looking back over what God teaches us. Write down verses and quotes, and journal about the ways you've seen God's omnipresence in your life. Ask yourself how you can personally apply what God is teaching you.

5. Daily Evaluations
Look back over your day. Did you pursue your purpose? Do you know God more deeply today than you did yesterday? On those days when life takes over, replace the frustration with praise God for who He is, while reviewing His attributes.  

The deepening of your desire will only be achieved if we are intentional and faithful to pursue it. As God's gentle showers fall, my heart is watching, breathing deeply of the freshness, renewing my passion to know God more fully. I've turned my umbrella over, put on my galoshes, and I'm heading out to dance in the rain.

Decreasing...so God can Increase

If my thoughts revolve around myself...then I know nothing of Calvary love...If I cannot in honest happiness take the second place (or twentieth)...then I know nothing of Calvary love. ~Amy Carmichael


Self-promotion or self-denial...in Leslie's words, "we can easily become preoccupied with drawing attention toward ourselves instead of humbly pointing people to Jesus Christ."

As RB's musical talent became more and more apparent, his mother's mantra was, "Keep your talent dedicated to the Lord." I find even in my writing, I need to remember these words. While my mission statement expresses, "My ultimate goal is to inspire positive change in family, colleagues and readers through verbal and nonverbal development of Christ-honoring media," I need to keep every word dedicated to God. 

Questions to ask ourselves:

1. Am I doing this for God's glory or for my own applause?

2. When people observe this part of my life, are they drawn closer to Jesus, or are they merely impressed with me?

God blessed us with our talents. Charles Spurgeon said, "There is no beauty in any of us but what our Lord has worked in us." When we take the credit, we are counterfeiting what is His. The Psalmist said, You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from you (Psalm 16:2). When we get out of the way and acknowledge God's goodness, it is God who shines through us.

Oh, I want to let Him shine!

Chapter Five: Incorruptable Beauty

When we seek to know everything about everyone, to find out every detail about the ups and downs of people's lives, and hear all about the nitty-gritty of every little saga they go through, we quickly become the "busybody" warned against in 1 Peter 4:15. ~Leslie Ludy

Chapter Five is Incorruptible Beauty: Exchanging Drama and Gossip for a quiet spirit. 

Questions to ask yourself:

1. Is your life built around Jesus or around the latest gossip?
2. Do you pass on gossip through prayer requests?
3. Does the drama on social media eat away at your energy? 
4. Does meddling in other people affairs make your heart happy?
5. Are you eager to stir up controversy on Facebook? 
6. Do you post hurtful articles or status updates pointed to specific       people or groups of people?

I was convicted when I read this question of Leslie's. Are we showcasing the incorruptible beauty of a Christ-consumed heart, or are we too busy gossiping with our girlfriends? I am a peace lover. I back away from conflict as fast as I can. But I admit to a bit of enjoyment of hearing other's conflicts -- a fascination of the pettiness of others. I'm asking God for a Christ-consumed heart.

There are real-life adventures where we can use our time and energy and find fulfillment:

1.Training your children in the ways of God
2. Ministering to the needs of our husbands
3. Rescuing orphans
4. Feeding the hungry 
5. Opening your home to foster-care children
6. Practicing hospitality
7. Sharing the Gospel

Learning and putting this verse into practice will go a long way in helping us become a set-apart woman. Let's release the drama and live in peace. Like a bee to nectar, others will be drawn to our quiet and peaceful lives. 

 

Chapter Three: Fragrant Love

Discussion Questions:

Today, read John 12:1-8

In chapter three of The Set-apart Woman, the author talks about true set-apartness and uses Mary of Bethany as an example. 

True set-apartness causes us to joyfully lay everything we have and everything we are at His feet without hesitation, simply because He is worthy.

Mary was extravagant in her worship, pouring expensive oil over Jesus' feet. No one suggested it; she didn't see someone else do it, but this act of worship came from her soul, out of a love for Jesus. And I love this next part: The house was filled with the fragrance (verse 3). 

Judas, however, was totally miffed. In his betrayal mind, Jesus wasn't worthy of such expense or praise. I've been meditating on that thought since last evening and asking myself these questions: Which attitude do I have in regards to worship? Do I give my very best praise and worship like Mary, fragrance shared with all I meet? Or does my worship stink in its half-heartedness? Do I hold back in fear of what other Judas' may say.

What about you? What can you do today to show the extravagance of your love for Jesus, of your proclamation of His worthiness? Have you held back, fearful of what others will say?

Listen to CeCe Winan Alabaster Box 

The Set-apart Woman: Journaling Prompt 1

The Set-apart Woman: The Sacred Call to Come Away

The Secret to Set-Apartness: Clinging to the Cross

The Set-Apart Woman: Journaling Prompt One

In preparation for the beginning of our book discussion tomorrow, read Matthew 15:8. In your journal, rewrite the verse as a prayer of confession. Feel free to write your prayer in the comments or keep it private. There's no right or wrong way to participate in this discussion.

- See more at: http://www.thebeautyinhisgrip.com/#sthash.PB1k46Ny.dpuf

Printable 5 x 7 Verse

This is the theme verse for the book, The Set-apart Woman, we will be studying beginning April 13th. Read about it at God's Invitation to Sacred Living. 

Download Here

Delighting in the Holy

Remember that it is not hasty reading, but serious meditation on holy and heavenly truths, that makes them prove sweet and profitable to the soul. It is not the mere touching of the flower by the bee that gathers honey, but her abiding for a time on the flower that draws out the sweet. It is not he that reads most, but he that meditates most, that will prove to be the choicest, sweetest, wisest and strongest Christian. Thomas Brooks

I was away for a week. Only one week. Seven days. But when my littlest grandboy saw me, he jumped into my arms, hugged my neck, giving me an exuberant kiss on my cheek. Did I feel loved? Yes! Did I think Camron was delighted to see me? Yes! His sweet boy arms and excited “Mamaw” made my day!

So often God speaks to me through His favorite people – the little ones – the ones Jesus rebuked His disciples for sending away. The ones He gathered to Him and prayed blessings over. The ones who listened as He told story after story. 

God spoke, and I was left with the question, How excited are you to see me? Sometimes when I listen to the words of Scripture, I have to bring my wandering mind back. Sometimes I am blessed by the words I hear. But excited? Hug-your-neck kind of excited? 

It was in those moments I heard the promise of Ezekiel 37:5, I will breathe into your dead bodies and you will come to life. Don’t you just love how God speaks through Scriptures we have memorized as a child? Every promise comes with a condition. God can’t breathe new life into me if I’m not there to accept it.

So there I’ll be each day, Bible open or audio cued – waiting excitedly to hug on God, as I meditate on the holy and heavenly truths.  

The Shelter of Sanctuary

Houses, like gardens, need our watchful eye, sunshine and nurturing. The houses where we live don’t thrive on neglect. Living abundantly requires loving energy. – Alexandra Stoddard

A collection of photographs on a grand piano in my sister's home, a Waterford bowl on my mother's dining room table, pink depression glass sugar bowls and trays in my bathroom, a zebra rug on the marble floor in my daughter Melanie's music room -- arrangements that show the love of homemaking through three generations. 

Alexandra Stoddard, one of my favorite authors, wrote, "I want my home to be a sanctuary.” I echo her words.  Our home should be a happy retreat, filled with color -- cheerful and pretty -- so it welcomes our family back from school and work each day, and makes them reluctant to leave.

Here are five ways to make your home a sanctuary:

1. Light candles. This is the best way to give your home an atmosphere of warmth with soft lighting and subtle fragrance. I use a lot of timer candles -- love that they come on automatically at six and shut off at midnight. I've found though, that I love to light a candle, too. Use warm scents like Apple Crisp, Cinnamon, Clove or Vanilla. 

2. Prepare a "you" spot. There should be some place in your home that someone says, "That is so you." Teapots for tea lovers or books for readers. Right now I'm loving all the accent reading chairs and one day...

3. Add music. Music gives an inviting mood. Let it play quietly throughout the day. 

4. Sprinkle photographs. A grouping of framed photographs bring a feeling of love to a home. These don't need to be formal; simply a picture from your dating days or a grandchild's first day of school.

5. Make memories. Is there a cookie jar filled with homemade cookies? Do you sing around the piano? Do you gather in the living room to read or prop up in bed to write in your journals? My memories of home include making taffy, churning homemade ice cream and playing Scrabble. 

These nesting ideas will turn your house into a home. But don't forget--of greatest importance is your attitude.  If you love your home, your family will most likely, too. And if you are cheerful during the day, twenty years from now your children probably won't remember the walls needed a coat of paint or that the bookshelves would have enjoyed more frequent dusting -- the warm thoughts of home will fill their hearts with joy.

Linked To:

Friendship Friday
Heart-Filled Fridays
Grace at Home
The Friday Five
Thought Provoking Thursday
Whole Hearted Wednesday
Homemaking Wednesday
Word Filled Wednesday
Hope in Every Season Homemaking Party
Thrive at Home

Sheltering on Roller Skates

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. Leo Buscaglia

I remember Melanie helping Emily learn to roller skate. Melanie was a pro by the time Emily was three and and asking for roller skates. She could fly around the blacktopped campus, yet slowing down long enough to help her sister, holding hands to steady her and pulling her up when she fell. Now it's Melanie's Ethan slowing down long enough to help his brother Camron skate, holding hands to steady him and pulling him up when he falls.

Solomon in Ecclesiastes tells us that if someone falls when he's alone, he's in real trouble. Two people are better than one...If one person falls, the other can reach out and help (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). 

I think the easiest way for Christian women to fall is in the area of discouragement. Our lives are filled to the brim of expectations -- from ourselves and others. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and to look at ladies who appear to be able to "do it all." Add to that the pressure of perfection, and we often fall under the load.

How beautiful to have a Christian friend who understands. I have a couple friends whom I can text for prayer when I'm down -- When the house needs cleaned, laundry is piled up, hours of writing calling and a migraine is starting. Other times I need to focus and a few words of encouragement or a listening ear refuels my I-can-do-it determination.


Here are a few ways to pull up a discouraged friend:

1. Pray. Stop what you are doing and pray immediately. 
2. Listen. Sometimes we just need someone to hear our heart.
3. Deliver a Starbucks. Just go to the door, hand it over and leave.
4. Text a prayer. RB has a friend who responds with a written prayer, and he treasures them. 
5. Give verbal praise.  In our discouragement we tend to focus on what we perceive to be failures. We need to be reminded of the ways we are succeeding. 
6. Give chocolate -- Dark. Smooth. Chocolate! 

Pulling your friend from discouragement doesn't require a grandiose gift or action. It doesn't even have to talk a lot of time. It's just the knowledge that someone cares. That makes the biggest difference. John Holmes said, "There's no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting others up." And we all need the exercise.

 Linking to:

Soli Deo Gloria

Wise Woman

Thriving Thursday

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Rx: Laughter

I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.                                                                                     ~Woody Allen

Blue lights. Bright blue lights. LED bright blue lights.  RB loves them, and unfortunately Emily chose a man a lot like her pops. I used to have the winning vote. Now we are deadlocked, and I find them sneaking up on me. I figure if I can keep them relegated to Christmas it's pretty close to a win.

When I saw the electronic pillar candle set with its twelve colors (and remote!), I knew this was what I needed to feed RB's blue light addiction. I was excited the day they arrived, and put them in my lantern, turned them to blue and waited until RB walked through the door.

He's a man who notices. A new dress, a small decorating change, new candle scent--he notices. So I wasn't surprised he saw the candles immediately and crowed with Jonathon over the blue lights. I waited an hour and turned the candles to pink -- with my nifty remote. 

All evening I changed them from color to color. He blamed me for changing them and Emily and I blamed him. We had him wondering...and maybe he still is, since I never admitted to him I was doing the changes. (Although he'll know now when he proofs this post!) It was fun, and still makes me belly laugh when I think of it.  [Proofreader's note: "You got me good, Baby! Payback is on my agenda!"]

Solomon, to whom God gave great wisdom, said that laughter is good for our health. Life is sometimes oppressive. Yet when we can laugh in spite of it all, it relaxes our body and dispels tension.

One day after we lost our Sarah, I asked RB what would happen if I started screaming and couldn't stop. He just looked at me and said, "They have places for people who do that." I laughed--really laughed, and it felt good! Was he grieving, too? Of course. It didn't lessen the pain in our hearts, but it did give us a momentary break in the heaviness. 

If you are struggling today, find something to laugh about and feel the medicine take hold of your body. It won't solve your problems, but it will jostle things around in your heart, allowing a moment to remember God's goodness.  

It seemed like a dream, too good to be true,

when God returned Zion’s exiles.

We laughed, we sang,

we couldn’t believe our good fortune.

We were the talk of the nations—

“God was wonderful to them!”

God was wonderful to us;

we are one happy people.

Psalm 126:3

Linked to:

Thriving Thursday

Faith Filled Friday

Immeasurably More

You are never too old to set another goal or dream another dream.                                                                                         ~C. S. Lewis

I don't know when the dream started. Maybe the first day RB went to work 50 minutes from home after we had both worked on the same campus many years. Or from the day RB realized engaging with students was more fulfilling than sitting in multiple meetings for hours on end. Or maybe God planted the dream in our hearts together. 

However it started, we both held the dream -- RB of being a full time professor, me of being connected in our work again, and both of us dreaming of writing projects we wanted to tackle together. 

We thought our dream would be years away, but God just has perfect timing and gave us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). Most of you know that we'll be empty nesters at the end of this year. Quite an adjustment for this momma whose greatest joy is all wrapped up in motherhood. Having RB work from home will help in that adjustment. 

Don't you love it when all of sudden in the middle of whirlwind living, God drops a "Peace Be Still" moment? We are grateful and excited about our new ventures. God has promised if we commit our work to Him, our plans will succeed (Proverbs 16:3). God lives in the center of all our dreams.  I look forward to what He has for our future.

Our computer bags are ready; we can work from anywhere in the world or stay home when RB is teaching onsite. It won't matter, as long as we are together, doing what we love. We go confidently in the direction of our dreams to live the life we've imagined (Henry D. Thoreau).

Dressed for Battle

Beware of lazily giving up. Instead, put up a glorious fight and you will find yourself empowered with His strength. ~Oswald Chambers

Blogging is such an honor. I'm so often blessed just thinking about God calling me to this place. It's completely out of my comfort zone -- this laying my heart out for all to view.

There are so many bloggers I admire. It's easy to pick out the ones who blog with authenticity. And there are more than you realize. It would be impossible to mention them all, but Jennifer from Finding Heaven: Opening to Jesus, Finding Grace and host of the Soli Deo Gloria, wrote a post that spoke to me today. It's a short post and well worth reading. 

I suspect I'm not the only one who fights the enemy daily. Fighting the constant reminders of the times I've failed. This is how Jennifer wrote it, Doubt upon doubt, drop by drop, until I am awashed in a sea of unbelief and self-criticism. I know it's the devil reminding me of yesterday's failures and failures of years gone by. He wins when he can get me to relive the failures and keep me from living victorious.

Jen's urging of putting on the armor of God really will defeat the devil. God's Word promises, Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm (Ephesians 6:13-16).

The belt of truth
    The breastplate of righteousness
          Speedy shoes to tell the Good News of the Gospel
               The shield of faith
                    The helmet of salvation
                          The sword of the spirit

Satan fights when we are weary. He fights when life brings extra joys. He fights in the middle of the ordinary. I remember once years ago when the Enemy just wouldn't let up. I was weary of the battle. I started each day mentally putting on God's armor. It was amazing what happened. Satan could not penetrate the armor! 

Reading the truth
      Brandishing the sword by quoting Scripture 
          Praising God for my salvation
               Telling others about my God and the peace He gives
                    Claiming victory in faith
                          Doing all I can to be obedient to God

Dress in God's armor. March through your day and claim the victory! 

Linked to

Spiritual Sundays

The Garden Shelter

There’s a garden where Jesus is waiting,
There’s a place that is wondrously fair;

For it glows with the light of His presence,

’Tis that beautiful garden of prayer. ~Eleanor Schroll

The garden is snow covered. If there were roses, they would be wearing ice beads, not dew. But one thing I know, the voice I hear is the voice of my Lord. The voice of assurance.  The voice of love. The voice of grace. 

Often we come to the place of prayer and one-by-one hand over our requests.  A friend who lost a husband, a home torn apart by divorce, a mother burdened by a prodigal child, and a friend devastated by the diagnosis of cancer. Missionaries traveling through dangerous territories and friends hurt by church politics. Surgeries needed and the insurance company refusing to pay. Children facing daily bullying and teenagers giving away their purity.

God planned it, inspiring Paul to instruct us to "bring our requests unto God (Philippians 4:6). He wants to hear our petitions of physical, spiritual and financial needs. He already knows what we need, but there is fellowship in verbalization.

Quite frankly, some days I grow weary of asking. I'm tired of all the

needs clogging my heart. It is during those times I come to the garden alone. Alone with empty hands. With no desire but to spend time with my Lord. 

God made the seasons and is as comfortable in a snow-covered garden as He is in the warmth of a summer's heat. He walks with me! He talks with me! And to this battle-weary girl, God speaks words of affirmation, "You are mine." 

What grace is wrapped in those three words! The joy of belonging. The tears, always close in these moments with God, overflow. They mix, not with weary tears, tears from heartache or heartbreak. No, as I feel a tear drip on my arm, I see God's tears -- tears of joy in our friendship, and it is then I understand. God loves it when I come to the garden just to be with Him. And my heart sings,

And He walks with me and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own.
And the joy we share, as we tarry there,

None other has ever known. (Merle Haggard)