(G)Leaning on Grace

I recently read two eye-opening works written by author Andy Andrews. If you have never heard of him, I highly recommend seeking out his books, YouTube videos or going to an event where he is a presenter. I had the pleasure of seeing him in person at a Women of Faith event in Columbus, Ohio a few years ago. Since then, I have read most of his books and from time to time watch video clips on the internet and he always brings a smile to my face. The two books I read, or actually re-read, were The Traveler’s Gift and The Seven Decisions: Understanding the Keys to Personal Success. Now, before you say anything, the second one does sound like a self-help book. It is in a way. Actually both books contain the “seven decisions” but each approaches them in a different manner. The first weaves them into a fictional account of a “traveler” but uses real stories of historical figures to deliver and illustrate the messages. The second expounds on the “seven decisions” offering guidance for...

Ever wonder about the plan God has for each of us and how it all fits together? Doubting that He has a plan is not an option, but trying to dissect that plan, trying to figure out how each intricate little puzzle piece fits into the next, well, that is something that can drive me crazy! An amazing thing happened this week. As I was perusing my Facebook newsfeed one of those little strips of “People You May Know” popped up. I sometimes scroll through the film strip of individuals that this social networking program has somehow decided that I may know, or be interested in knowing, just to see if I do know any of them. Generally, it recommends people who may have common acquaintances. Sometimes there are many friends in common, but I still don’t know them, and at times there may only be one or two people we share friendships with. This week however, it was a bit different. It recommended a name that I had no “friends” in common with. A person who lives in Indiana and I live in Kentucky....

Not a day passes without a Facebook post, news story, grocery store discussion or workplace debate about the many opposing viewpoints on societal issues. Everyone has an opinion on which they staunchly stand proclaiming to anyone that will listen. Pro-life or pro-abortion, Obamacare or private insurance, gay rights or heterosexual marriages, tax increases or major spending cuts, open immigration or closed borders; all of these are consistently debated in this country by all. Each of these issues have multi-faceted extremely detailed arguments that each side can bring to the table. In my experience, when examining my own viewpoints on many of these issues, I find that my stance has changed with age, life experience and with an ever-growing relationship with God. Differentiations that I once thought trivial are now major players in my decision making process. By taking a hard look at my own choices, I try to understand why someone else feels the way they do on a given subject. While m...

My husband posted this on his Facebook page. I found it enlightening! Once Upon A Pew Once upon a pew I sat And heard the preacher ask, "We need someone to teach a class, Now who will take this task?" Then God sat down beside me there And said, "Son, that's for you." Now Bill would be the man to call, There's nothing he won't do . I'd rather hear the lesson taught From here upon my pew." Once upon a pew I sat And heard the preacher ask, "We need someone to lead the songs, Now who will take this task?" Then God sat down beside me there And said, "Son, that's for you." "But Lord, to sing before a crowd Is one thing I can't do. Now Brother King will do the job, There's nothing he won't do I'd rather hear the music played From here upon my pew." Once upon a pew I sat And heard the preacher ask, "I need someone to keep the door, Now who will ta...

13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people,  14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.  15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.  16 For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.      2  Chronicles 7:13-16 A call to prayer has been given throughout the land. A call to pray for another Great Awakening, a Christian uprising in the land of the free. The days of christians sitting by, keeping our mouths shut and following the social norms of political correctness need to be over. Passive attitudes when the standards of christian belief are being trampled on in the name of equality need to be stirred and ignited...

As I was sitting at my desk this morning reading and having my time with the LORD, He brought a friend to my mind. This friend has shared some struggles that he has had in his life confident that I would faithfully lift him in prayer. We talked about shame, guilt, discouragement and rejection. He has been wondering, because of the difficulty in this season of life, if he is experiencing a trial of sanctification or, because of his struggles with doubt, if indeed he is even saved at all. He has read many books containing testimonials about freedom and forgiveness looking to discover their secrets and desperately longing to experience the same thing.  During our original discussion I reminded him that justification, being saved, occurred when he chose Christ as his savior and invited Him into his life. That sanctification is a process not an instantaneous event.  It is an ongoing journey, a transformation toward becoming more like Jesus. Now, I knew my friend was aware of the definitio...

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. Acts 5:29 ESV This morning, as I spend some time with God, I am continuing the quest to determine the reason behind the fears that plaque my journey toward writing. As I read this mornings daily reading assignment in Acts, this verse really stood out to me. It’s as if God highlighted it, made it jump right off the page and into my heart.  Despite being imprisoned, beaten and warned not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus, the disciples did what they knew was right.  Peter’s response speaks volumes beyond mere words. Think about the responses of the powerful in our day. Has much changed in the way we humans respond to the world around us?  In the U.S. we may not be beaten in public or imprisoned, but our freedom to speak is being infringed upon. If we do not hold politically correct views we are considered to be intolerant and closed minded. This points out a primary integral component of a true relationship ...

What a wonderful day I have had today doing techie stuff like learning a new software and hooking up a new monitor in my home office. Lost in my thoughts its been a time of reflection, investigation and just little bit of pure laziness. After half the day had flown by as I was intensely focusing on this new work setup, I was still wondering why this new monitor/ HDTV was so grainy at 1080p. I finally decided to change the HDMI port that my computer was connected to. Certain I had read the instructions correctly I figured it sure wouldn’t hurt to try. Wouldn’t you know it, all of the sudden the screen looks so much clearer with striking color depth. The edges of the flowers on the computer wallpaper were now sharp and precise. It was like putting a new pair of reading glasses and for the first time being able to discern the text without squinting or extending my arm to full reach. Considering this much improved view, I realized I was given new vision for a dream that God had put in ...

Writing. Why does something that I have loved to do most of my life often incite procrastination? Just thinking about putting words to paper, or screen in this case, excites me. Thoughts of all that I could bring about with the flurry of my fingers racing across a keyboard, my mind whirling faster than my hands can go, also puts a twinge of fear in my heart. As long as I can remember I have used journals, writing letters, making notes or even doodles to process my thoughts and feelings. As a child, I can remember keeping a small notebook handy to jot down things that made me mad, hut my feelings or brought happiness to my life. Scribing my musings helped me organize my thoughts and find some kind of peace in the midst of chaos or to remember the delight of a good day. Of course, when I was quite young, the issues at hand were generally not life altering, but to my delicate young heart, they were important.  Through my teenage years I had several journals. I was not alw...