What a Week!

Well, I’m not quite sure where to start, but I’ll start with this, what a LONG week! Although, it is not over yet, I’m pretty thankful that it is Friday. I continue to be amazed at the grace of God in and on my life. This week has been a big test of His grace and my faith. I have probably hurt people, frustrated people but hopefully I’ve also blessed some along the way too. The more I walk through these wonderful but challenging days, the more I see how much I really need Him, His Word and His grace. I talked about that the last time I wrote. Sorry for somewhat of a repeat, but I’m so in awe of Him that I think it’s worth repeating!

Long about Monday or Tuesday of this week I was already feeling a bit weary and things got more challenging as the week went on. I had to make some tough decisions and I tried with everything in me to make them well. But I am human after all, and alas, I have and will fail. I will let people down, I will let myself and God down too. But, it will not be intentionally. My desire is that in everything, I will please God and honor Him with my words and my deeds.

My Bible study group studied 1 and 2 Thessalonians over the last two weeks. Wow! What a lot of work that was, but how wonderful it was to dig deep into God’s Word and learn how to walk as a believer. We also learned a lot about why the world is as it is today, and what will happen to those who refuse to believe God’s Truth. It is not going to be pretty folks! In fact it makes me shiver to think about it all. It causes an urgency in my heart to tell others about Jesus. I pray that I will be found expectantly waiting and prepared for the coming return of our Lord.

I have MANY weaknesses. I’m sure some of you are saying, “Amen to that”! I admit boldly that it is true. But, I am also covered by the grace and mercy of our Lord. I’m so very thankful for that. In 2 Thessalonians, Paul was teaching the people about Jesus, and a few false teachers came along to try to copy and distort his teachings. In this process some people fell away from the truth. They began living contrary to the teachings of the Scriptures. However, when Paul confronted them, some of them realized the presence of sin in their lives and turned from it. They confessed their sin publically and turned away from their wrong actions. They were forgiven, saved and the Holy Spirit came upon them. Wow! What a lesson for us!!

Yes, I have made some tough decisions this week, and yes, I’ve probably hurt some with my words and actions, and yes, I’ve let God down, BUT if I go humbly to those I’ve hurt and if I go humbly to Him and confess my sin and turn from it, He will offer me His amazing grace! He will forgive me, pick me up, dust me off and give me yet another chance. This causes me to shake my head in astonishment. It also causes me to want to worship Him with everything in me. Worship Him in spirit and truth!

I will still have some hard work ahead of me, but I am not alone. God is always with me, and He keeps showing me that over and over as I attempt to walk in the way He has given me. He is so BIG! Bigger than any challenge I will face. Bigger than any mistake I will make. Bigger than my greatest weaknesses. He is so faithful. He is trustworthy. He is my strength and strong tower. After all of the heavy study in 1 and 2 Thessalonians this week, I also looked at two of my favorite verses that always remind me to keep my eyes on the Lord. Proverbs 3:5-6 says this, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” I find myself being more and more grateful for His Word, for His Love and for His amazing grace. I’ve used those two words together a lot lately, and I’m not just talking about the beautifully written hymn, but about what those two words mean in my life. He is SO gracious!

Are you thankful that His mercies are new every day? I sure am!

God bless you all and thanks for reading!

Amazed by Grace

            With every passing day, I am more and more amazed by God’s grace. In fact, I am completely overwhelmed by His grace! Recently, in my Bible study group, I mentioned this idea of being amazed by God’s grace and added, “I don’t know why I am surprised or amazed by it, but…”) and our group leader quickly made a very good point. She said, “I like that we are amazed by His grace, if we weren’t it might mean that we are not even noticing it anymore, or that we take it for granted.” Like I said, she made a good point.

            I have been through many things in my lifetime, and I have experienced God’s grace through it all, but lately, I have simply been blown away by it. I’m finding it difficult to put into words just how blown away I am! And you know me, I’m never lost for words! I thought I knew already just how much I need Him and just how weak and helpless I am apart from His power and grace, but, I have truly realized recently that I had no idea. Every day, I see His grace in new and exciting ways!

            In these past few weeks since the holidays, God has allowed me to walk in a very different role than I’ve ever walked in before. I’ve had pieces of this role, but never the “whole enchilada”, so to speak. God has entrusted me with some things that I would NEVER have imagined doing before. I often shake my head and laugh out loud when I think of the process I’m in right now. I am so under qualified, inadequate, untrained, too old, too bossy, too weak, and there are several other people who could probably do a much better job than me, but for some reason, God has allowed me to walk this adventure for right now. He has also surrounded me with such an incredible group of people. They have willingly added more to their plates, worked longer hours, stepped out of their boxes, and stayed faithful to God’s work. I’m not sure how long God will allow me to do this, maybe only a few more weeks, but for however long it is, I’m going to give 120% and I’m going to enjoy the ride, trusting His hand to lead me through it, all for His glory!

            God has shown Himself and His grace in HUGE ways in these last weeks. Every time I turn around, there it is again, His grace. Amazing, truly amazing! Again, it just overwhelms me and renders me speechless. He has displayed His power in ways that I would have never dreamed or imagined. But His Word tells us that He’ll do that. We just need to be watching for it. I think sometimes we get so busy and distracted that we miss His incredible and constant Presence in our daily lives. At least that describes me a lot of the time. But in these last weeks, I have discovered that I am in no way able to do anything well in my own strength. I MUST have His power, grace, mercy and strength and I cannot do it alone! I also need all of those wonderful people that I mentioned before. They have encouraged me so deeply by remaining committed and faithful. Some have gone way above and beyond. (You know who you are! J)

            God is teaching me so much. I’m sure I’ve frustrated people, and I’m sure I’ve made huge blunders that I’m not even aware of, but I pray that my weak efforts bless the Lord and draw others to Him. I’m serving in the area of my passion – worship, and I’m learning so many lessons that I thought I already had learned. God is teaching me to love others more deeply and to appreciate them so much more than I ever have. He’s teaching me that I am not a one person show and that it takes an army to fill the shoes of our former worship pastor (boy have I learned to really appreciate that man, his family and all they did for our church!). I am SO humbled by all of this, so extremely humbled. I have learned that I need my Lord in every area of my life, but especially in the area of grace. I blow it everyday and I need His grace regularly and consistently. He is so good and so patient with me, as others have been too. I also see that the church needs every person serving faithfully - all hands on deck! (and feet, eyes, and arms too!)

            As I close, I am reminded of a couple of my favorite verses. One was given to me the first time I ever did a solo in public, by that same worship pastor friend that I mentioned earlier. It is 2 Corinthians 12:9, and it says, “…My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” Truly I am weak, but He is strong! The other verse is Ephesians 3:20, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…” He is showing Himself to me in ways and in places that I never would have expected. He is doing “immeasurably more” than I could ever ask or dream! Am I amazed? Yes I am, and just like my Bible study leader said, I think that is a good thing. I pray that I will continue to be amazed. I pray that my heart will be thankful and that I will be drawn to worship Him more, for He is worthy of our praise!

How about you? Has God done anything lately that you are amazed by and thankful for? Have you seen His grace in your life like never before? If so, I’d love to hear about it! God bless and thanks for reading!

Holy Bible, New International Version, 1984 (NIV1984)

Shrinky Dinks

            Does anyone remember those little toys that you “created”, put in the oven and magically, they transformed before your eyes? When they were put under extreme heat, they would shrink to a couple times smaller than their original size. Heat sometimes has that effect on things. It can shrink things, melt things, bake things and warm things. Heat can have either a positive or negative effect.

            In life, it can be the same way. Challenges, disappointments, and life issues can really pour on the heat. The question is how we will respond that heat. Will we shrink back or grow stronger? Heat can transform us into something beautiful or something weak and useless. In this New Year, I hope that I will be found stronger and more Christ-like, in every circumstance. I do not want to shrink back. I want to love more, serve more and bring glory to Jesus Christ in all I do. I no longer want to cling to my old habits, but want to start fresh, covered in the grace and forgiveness of Christ. I pray for a teachable spirit, and a usable life and I pray that I will seek God every moment, listening and obeying His voice.

            I had a great start to the New Year, I spent New Year’s eve with family and friends, and then was blessed to be a part of an incredible worship service this morning. What a wonderful way to spend the first day of a New Year, worshiping our Lord with my church family! Our pastor reminded us this morning that we should live out the things written in 1 Peter 4, and I believe this is the only way to withstand whatever heat life will pour on me this year. He helped us to better understand what it looks like to walk as a believer of Jesus Christ. He explained that we should put on the full armor of God, to live by His Word and seek His will, to brace ourselves for what is coming, to live knowing that Christ could come at any time, to pray without ceasing and most importantly, to love well. As we begin this New Year, may we not shrink back, but rather may we pursue God with everything in us. I don’t want to shrink like those little toys. I want to move forward in boldness and the power of Jesus. I’m so thankful for those who have gone before us to help show us the way to walk through this life with courage and trust in the Lord. Not as shrinky dinks, but as brave warriors dressed in the full armor of God!

Happy New Year to you all!

“But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.” Hebrews 10:39

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version