... I am ever grateful to my Heavenly Father for graciously giving me a wonderful gift in my hubby --- Happy Father's Day to the grace of my life!Lord, I want to be just like You 'Cause he wants to be just like me I want to be a holy example For his innocent eyes to see Help me be a living Bible, Lord That my little boy can read I want to be just like You 'Cause he wants to be like me
So, it is okay for me to feel challenged and frustrated! Even Jesus noticed the huge harvest with very few workers to do the work. We are to pray, pray, pray --- that is what this verse is teaching me to do... then HE will send us harvest hands. It is an amazing, yet simple, promise which I am no doubt clinging to right now.When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. "What a huge harvest!" he said to his disciples. "How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!" ---Matthew 9:37-38 (The Message)
With that in mind... summer, we welcome you! Bring it on... for the Lord of the Harvest will send out workers into his harvest field.
Here I am. Lord, send me!
Many things about tomorrow I don't seem to understand; but I know WHO holds tomorrow and I know HE holds my hand! --- lyrics from Gospel Ballad by Ira F. Stanphill, 1950.~ School started to wrap up with concerts and track/field events...
I could have easily written the exact same thing as I pondered many things while on vacation... y'know, I just have all that extra time to think deep thoughts and discuss thought-provoking things with hubby while relaxing! ;-) I am constantly awed at my Heavenly Father's redemptive love for us --- how HE continues to mold my children into the masterpieces that HE has designed them to be, in spite of how limited my and hubby's abilities are to parent them! Thank you GOD --- for YOU are always good!!!I have seen a fresh revelation of Christ in the last week but not only through tracing His steps in the Holy Land. I’ve beheld it on the faces of His people. Many on the trip and my own beloved daughters, as different as they are, and as imperfect as they’d want me to tell you they are. They have each outdone their parents. Lord have mercy, what messes we were at their ages. Thank You, Lord, for full redemption. For Your willingness to change an entire lineage. Your grace is unfathomable. Continue to use it to set families free.
Grace Of My Life
I lie awake so often at night
With something to read or something to write
In the silence my mind is free
To think of the ways that God has blessed me
It's easy to see how He's been so kind
Any proof I might need is right here by my side
You are the grace of my life
So tender, so undeserved
Hard to believe you're my wife {husband :-)}
Even harder to put what I feel into words
If I need evidence God is good
Just looking at you is enough
You are the grace of my life
For you grace my life with your love
Love that is pure, so faithful and strong
You forgive me when I do you wrong
I've seen in you time after time
A picture on earth of love so divine
Oh, I am amazed for how can it be
That someone like you would love someone like me
You are the grace of my life
So tender, so undeserved
Hard to believe you're my wife {husband :-)}
Even harder to put what I feel into words
If I need evidence God is good
Just looking at you is enough
You are the grace of my life
For you grace my life with your love
Forget the former things;Originally, I made up my mind that God was using these verses to speak to me about another situation in my life. As the hours after the conference turned into days and weeks, it became increasingly clear to me that HE is speaking to me about something else! Duh... I can be so clueless sometimes!
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.
My prayer is that I can give my fear, worry and anxiety over to God --- that all I will feel about this "new thing" is excitement! The devotional ended with a prayer and here it is:What's more, God knew what He was getting when He called you, too—someone about your size, with your heart, your personality, your accent, your background, your talents, and even your flaws. God looked you over good and said, "Yep, she'll make a fine partner! Someone who recognizes the reality of that statement understands that they are not working for God but with God. There is a huge difference.
Fear, worry, and anxiety are symptoms of doubt. Doubt often means our focus is on self instead of God. When we trust God to do what we can't, it takes the burden off us and places it on Him. Then, as we look to God, we see reflected in His eyes great potential that only He can accomplish as we join Him.
Dear Lord, I don't always see the obvious — Your provision; but I trust it's there to empower and guide me beyond my imagination. I'm placing my fear aside today and saying "yes" to whatever You have for me. Lead the way with assurance and clarity. In Jesus' Name, Amen.That is my prayer too!
This is what the LORD says—The whole message was broken down into seven points and they are:
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
who drew out the chariots and horses,
the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.
The wild animals honor me,
the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the desert
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
the people I formed for myself
that they may proclaim my praise.
Forget about what's happened; don't keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. Don't you see it? There it is! I'm making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands.I love it! God is up to something new... am I ready? Are you? We need to be alert, be present; don't be caught up with what's behind us or what's in the future. Be in the moment. Take it in; be alert!
HOPE & HELP
As tears slipped down the little girl’s face for the 3rd time that day, I sighed as I sat down beside her. I didn’t mind if she cried when she got hit in the head by a football, but this time, she was crying for no reason.
I was volunteering at Ignition Sports Camp: a low-cost and fun day camp. As I sat with this girl, I remembered why my church ran this camp. We ran the camp to help. To help! This girl, along with many of the other boys and girls had probably been through more hardships in the past year than I had all my life. And they were seven. I was twelve.
Later that day, as I signed out kids, I received many “Thank Yous.” I smiled at parents and told them it was our pleasure. As I did this, I wondered why no one had ever decided to run a camp for only $25 a week before. Why are families like the ones coming to our camp not being helped? Why is it all being left to “someone else”?
I realized how much being a part of Ignition and my church had changed me. My eyes were opened to all the things that before I had overlooked. We all know about poverty in Africa and the war in Afghanistan, but what we don’t realize is that there are big needs right here in our own communities and cities. My church often does things in our community on Sunday mornings instead of having a service. Collecting food for the food bank is one example. Did you know the local food bank in Pickering serves around 600 different families a month? Imagine how much food is needed! A lot. Visiting the elderly at the local retirement home is another example. Or serving hot chocolate at the Santa Claus Parade.
Those are big things, which someone with limited resources (like me!) couldn’t do alone. But then you don’t necessarily have to put together a sports camp to make a difference in someone’s life. Small things can make a huge difference in someone’s life as well. Buying a coffee and bagel for that guy near the highway exit who always seems to be there, asking for spare change. Bringing cookies to our firefighters, cooking dinner for a family with a lot going on right now, or simply picking up someone’s dropped groceries in the parking lot are all examples of random acts of kindness. People appreciate the fact that you just went out of your way to help them. And it’s actually fun! I love the feeling of knowing that I just caused a smile in someone’s day. Don’t you?
Human beings may all be different, but we all share one feeling: the need to feel loved. Many of us feel loved every day. Others hit problem after problem without anyone to help them, and they suddenly feel that, even though they share this world with almost 7 billion other people, they are alone. I think back to that person who I helped pick up groceries in the parking lot. I will never know what else could’ve been going on in their life that day. If their life was as I just described, that they feel alone, then now, in a small way, I had just made them feel loved, and not so alone after all. I can’t help but think, if I had just simply walked by, they would’ve thought that I don’t care either, and that nobody cares. By helping them, I just gave them hope. Hope that someone does care! And we all need our daily dose of hope. Think about your life without hope. No hope for anything. Your life would feel pretty empty.
As you’re listening to me, you might be thinking, “this girl thinks she has everything right,” but really, I don’t. Everyone has one of those days, those days where every little thing gets on your nerves. I know I’ve had plenty of those days. On those days, it’s super hard for me to reach out and help the people around me, because I’m thinking, “Why should I help them? My day’s going awful, they could help me!” I know on days like that, I’ve spoken harshly to my brother, rolled my eyes at a kid who need help again or simply gave someone a dirty look. But sometimes, helping someone or even just smiling at someone who looks sad is just what I need to lift my own spirits. It helps to take a step back and think about what other people go through and suddenly my problems seem tiny in comparison.
Small random acts of kindness as well as taking part in big worthwhile causes can both make a positive difference in someone’s life. So next time you think about rushing out the door without holding it for the person behind you, or telling yourself “I have no time” when someone asks you if you’d like to volunteer at the food bank, think twice. Think about what kind of an impact you could make with your decision to help. I know I will. Thank you for listening.