Dee2rites Blog

Tag: personal experinces

  • What is humility?

    When I was in school, I had a friend who was very popular. He was extremely good looking, athletic and very smart. All the girls wanted to date him and all the guys wanted to be him. And yes, he loved the Lord. He was in church every Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday night. He was a leader in both school and church.
    Too many people with all that going for them tend to be arrogant and snobbish, even some Christians. But not my friend. He was a genuinely nice person who treated everyone with respect. He would seek out people no one else paid any attention to and eat lunch with them. He always had time to help anyone needing help but never boasted about what he had done. He never bragged about his good grades or successes on the athletic field. Any honors given to him, he graciously accepted always giving credit to others for helping him. He exemplified humility.
    We all probably know or have known someone whose life demonstrated humility. But have you ever considered the humility of God?  Philippians 2:8 tells is that Jesus, although he was God, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on the cross. I’ve read and heard that many times, but the reality of God being humble never really sunk into my consciousness.
    “Who is like the Lord our God, Who has his seat on high
    “Who humbles Himself to regard the heavens and the earth.”     (Psalm 113:5,6 The Amplified  Bible)
    God humbles Himself. He is God – He does not have to pay any attention to man or the affairs of man. He is far above all. Yet he chooses to reach out to man.  Just as a parent kneels down to pick up their child, the Creator of heaven and earth kneels down to us so that we may reach up to Him.
    “For though the Lord is high, yet has He respect to the lowly [bringing them into fellowship with Him].” (Psalm 138:6a The Amplified Bible)
    God is God. He never changes. There is no weakness in Him, there is no deficiency in His nature. He could withhold Himself from us because we are so unworthy, yet He has respect for us and brings us into fellowship with Him.
    “To Him Who [earnestly] remembers us in our low estate and imprinted us [on his heart], for His mercy and loving-kindness endure for ever;
    “O give thanks to the God of Heaven, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure for ever!”     (Psalm 136:23, 26 The Amplified Bible)

    Peace and blessings
    Dee

  • WHY I’M NOT TOTALLY GREY – PART 2

    Last week on my post “Why I’m Not Bald and Totally Grey” I talked about praying for my children. It occurred to me that maybe I should share some of the scriptures I used in praying for them, and that I continue to pray for them and for my grandchildren. There are too many to list all in one post so here are some of the ones I used most frequently. I didn’t pray every scripture I knew every day; I just allowed God to lead me and prayed according to the need of that day.

    Both of my children came to know the Lord and made Jesus their Savior at an early age, but until they did, I prayed for their salvation.

    “They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.’” (Acts 16:31, New International Version)

    Then, I prayed for their obedience to God, and this one is highlighted in all my Bibles. “And all your [spiritual] children shall be disciples [taught by the Lord and obedient to His will], and great shall be the peace and undisturbed composure of your children.” (Isaiah 54:13, The Amplified Bible)

    “It is written in [the book of] the Prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God [have Him in person for their Teacher].’ Everyone who has listened to and learned from the Father comes to Me-” (John 6:45, The Amplified Bible)

    I prayed this over them every day, calling them by name, praying that they would be obedient to the Lord and taught by the Holy Spirit. I continue to pray this for my children and grandchildren still today, that they will be obedient to God.

    Next I prayed for their protection, that God would send His angels to watch over them as He’s promised in His Word. And again, this is one I continue to pray for them.

    “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10, New International Version)

    “For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. (Psalm 91:11, The Amplified Bible)

    The most powerful thing we can do for our children is to pray for them. Cover them daily with our prayers, asking God’s protection over them – spirit, soul and body. God’s written Word is His perfect will. When we pray His Word, we are praying in His will. This is how we lay hold of His promises, but it has to be in faith. If we don’t believe His Word true, or that He will keep His Word for us, then it’s to no avail.

    The Book of James says, “Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who weavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:6, the Amplified Bible)

    There are times when we have to believe the Word more than we believe what we see. Our children may not always act saved, they may not always act like “disciples, taught of the Lord” but that is when we exercise our muscle of faith, and believe God’s Word is true no matter what. I know one young man who was delivered from drugs, all because his mother and father refused to give up. They continued praying and believing God. Today he’s a minister of the gospel.

    Beloved, God loves you and He loves your children. What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you.

    Peace and blessings.
    Dee

  • WHY I’M NOT BALD AND TOTALLY GREY


    “Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.” Proverbs 22:6 (New Living Testament)

    Many years ago when my son was in high school, one of my neighbors shocked me when she asked how I managed so well to have a teen-age son who never got into trouble. She went on to say I always seemed so calm with my kids and not worried about anything. She wanted to know why, what was my secret?

    The surprise was not her thinking I had good kids. My husband and I thank God every day that they gave us few problems. But I knew all too well that we were NOT perfect parents. I lost my temper and yelled and screamed as much as any mother. I made impossible demands on them and had to repent daily. Too often I was anything but calm.

    After I had picked my jaw up off the floor, I tried to give her the best answer I could – “I don’t know. It’s not me.” That was the truth. It was not me. It was God and His faithfulness. I shared with her that I prayed for my children daily and then left them in God’s hands. My husband and I took them to church and taught them at home. That was the best we knew to do.

    It’s never easy being a parent, and being the parent of teen-agers is especially challenging. It was hard in the late 80’s when my son was in high school and it was harder in the 90’s when my daughter was in high school. The challenges and temptations that face our children today are even greater. But God does not change. He is faithful and His word is true. We can rely on Him to guide us through every situation. There were days when it didn’t look so good for one or the other of my children. Those were the days when I had to just trust God that His Word would not fail and that His promises to bring my child back would come to pass. I had to believe the Word more than I believed what I saw.

    Jesus said, “And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don’t worry about what to say in your defense, for the Holy Spirit will teach you what needs to be said even as you are standing there.” Luke 12: 11, 12 (New Living Translation)

    Most of us here in the United States will never be brought to trial for the gospel, or be called to account before authorities. Sometimes the one judging us is an angry teen-ager. Maybe the one we need an answer for is a defiant child.

    My daughter Rachael thanked me a couple of years ago for something I’d forgotten had even happened until she reminded me. One Friday night she’d made plans to go with some friends to a party. When she came out of her bedroom to leave, I took one look at her and told her to go change clothes. She had on a skirt she’d borrowed from a friend that was so short no way could she sit down without exposing her backside. She pitched a fit, said there was nothing wrong with way she was dressed. I stood my ground and gave her the option of changing clothes or staying home. She continued to argue so I told her she was grounded. She stayed home and pouted the rest of the week-end.

    When my daughter and I were talking about this, she told me that she remembered telling me she hated me that night but how sorry she was now. She thanked me for not giving in because now she understood why I was concerned and that I was acting out of love for her.

    WOW! That’s the best gift any mother could ever have.

    Yes, God is faithful to His word. His Word is true. When we obey our part, He will do what He has promised. My job was to train them up. God’s job was and is to keep them on the right path. God is no respecter of persons, what He’s done for me He will do for anyone.

    “Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth” Isaiah 43:5, 6 (New International Version)

    It doesn’t matter where your child is, pray over them and put them into God’s hands. Remember God loves them even more than you do. Trust Him to bring them back if they’re gone astray. Trust Him to save them if they’re lost. God is faithful and what He has promised, He will do.


    Peace and blessings.
    Dee

  • HOW IS YOUR LIGHT?


    “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
    Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand and it gives light to all who are in the house.”     (Matt. 5:14, 15, NKJV)


    This is Jesus’ instruction to us who profess to believe in Him. As I have gone through life, I’ve met people I knew were Christian before they ever said one word about God, church or what they believed. Their character and way of conducting themselves or their business told the world who they were. Sadly, I’ve known others who professed loud and long they were Christian, some even boasting about their positions in their church. But after being around them in day to day business, I wondered. The first group of individuals were indeed lights set on a hill offering light to the world. The second group, no real light emanated from them.


    Jesus went on saying, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16, NKJV) The Amplified Version says “…that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds…”
    We are instructed to be light not only to show others, but to cause them to glorify our Father in heaven. Those who say they are Christian but don’t act like Christ, bring dishonor to God. How can we be a witness to the world and lead them to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ when we act like sinners ourselves? There is a reason that some nonbelievers complain about hypocrites in the church – too often it’s true.  Some even reject Christ because they were mistreated by someone who  professed to be a Christian.


    The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 5:8-10 “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.”


    “…finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.”  How do we do that? The answer starts in Matt. 5:17. Jesus goes from talking about us being the light of the world to the law. Yes, I know we are no longer under the law, we are under grace. However, Jesus said He did not do away with the law, but He fulfilled it. The rest of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7 deals with how we are to live. He teaches us how we can be the light of the world. The old saying goes “actions speak louder than words” and we know that to be true. When we live as He instructs us to live, our actions will speak in a way that glorifies our Father and our words will be heard more clearly when we do speak of the things of God.


    Father, I pray that I may become blameless and harmless, a child of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom I can shine as a light in the world. In Jesus Name, Amen. (Phil 2:15)

    Peace and blessings.
    Dee

  • Our Time to Live

    “Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

    All the stages of my life were spread out before you,
    The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.” (Psalm 139:16 The Message Bible)

    I love history. I love reading about what life was like centuries ago and wonder what I would have been had I lived in another time and place. I imagine myself on a sailing ship crossing the ocean from my ancestors’ home in Wales to the new country. It’s easy to romanticize another time and place, forgetting the hardship they endured then. God put me here and now for a reason.

    Today’s society has its own hardships. There are cures and treatments for diseases that once killed people, but medical care is expensive and without insurance, it is out of reach for too many people. Our food is safer than ever but the grocery shelves are lined with junk foods to temp us and we destroy our bodies by eating the wrong kinds of foods. One hundred years ago more households had live-in help than in-door bathrooms with running water. Today Americans consider bathrooms and proper plumbing a necessity, not the luxury it still is in parts of the world today.

    God knew what our lives would be like even before we were born. He knew the generation we would be part of. He knew what would be required of us to live in this age. Our lives were planned by God before we were born and He equipped us for this time. He planned for us to be here, now, for a divine purpose and part of His plan.

    Teach me Your way, Father. Let my life fulfill Your purpose. In Jesus Name, Amen.

    Peace and blessings.
    Dee

  • NEWS OF THE DAY

    It seems like that every time you hear the news on television or the radio, or see a newspaper or business magazine, all they talk about is how bad the economy is and how many people are losing their jobs. “We’re in a recession” says one. “We’re in a depression” says another. “We’ve got inflation and prices are going up.” “This company is laying of 100’s of people.” “This company is closing.”  It’s no wonder people are so worried and fearful – all they’re being fed is bad news.


    All this bad news is making people sick. It’s adding stress upon stress and stress contributes to heart disease, arthritis, migraines, stomach disorders and weight gain just to list a few. Stress over financial problems can contribute to marital problems that lead to divorce. Well, here is the good news for today.


    “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4, NIV)


    God is not short on supply and there is no economic crisis in heaven. He uses gold for pavement, remember? God is the source of creativity. He created the heavens and the earth and everything in it. He is wisdom. If you are a child of God, His spirit is in you and will give you the creativity, the wisdom you need for any situation. Not only that, He also promises to meet our material needs if only we will trust Him and put Him first in our lives.


    “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
    Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
    Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
    “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
    Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
    So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
    For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
    But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
    Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”     (Matthew 6: 25-34, NIV)


    These are the words of Jesus. You are more important to Him than the birds. You are more important to Him than the grass or the flowers. He’s promised to take care of you. When the talking heads on TV start preaching doom and gloom and spreading their bad news, you can replace the thoughts of fear with God’s Word and His promises to provide. Jesus didn’t say He would take care of you “If the economy is good” or “as long as you have a job”. No, the only condition to His promises is that you trust Him and seek Him first.


    Psalms 112 describes the person who trusts God and delights in His Word. Verses 7-8 says: “He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure, he will have no fear…”


    Lord God, today I will serve you first and I put my trust in You. Thank you for promising to provide all my needs. Amen


    Peace and blessings
    Dee

  • You Can Do It

    Have you ever felt what was being asked of you was just too much? The responsibility put upon you is more than you think you can bear. People are demanding so much of you that you feel you have nothing left to give. You ask yourself “What am I doing here? Is this what God called me to? Why doesn’t He help me?”


    Here’s the good news: God does not intend us to be alone. He’s given us first his Son Jesus to die for us and then sent the Holy Spirit to dwell inside us. He’s given us his written word, the Bible to guide us. He’s given us brothers and sisters to help and encourage.


    God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt to the Promised Land. It took them 40 years to make an eleven day trip. Over and over again God would show Himself as their deliverer only to have them doubt again and again; questioning Moses and his ability to get them to the Promised Land. Their constant complaining and demanding wore Moses out to the point he despaired of his own life.


    “I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. If you treat me like this, please kill me here and now – if I have found favor in Your sight – and do not let me see my wretchedness!” (Numbers 11:14-15, NKJV)


    Did God let Moses die or relieve him from his assignment? No. God’s response was to have Moses appoint 70 elders of the people to assist him. God anointed them with the same spirit He had put upon Moses. God called Moses to lead the people and He provided him with the help he needed to accomplish the task.


    Elijah was a great prophet of God who defeated a wicked king and his heathen priests. He prayed and a drought came in the land. He prayed again and it rained. But even he became overloaded. He cried that “I’m the only one serving you God.” God assured him that there were yet seven thousand in the land who had not worshiped Baal. Then God sent Elisha to him to be his servant and when God took Elijah up to heaven, his mantel fell on Elijah. (Read 1 Kings 19 and 20, 2 Kings 2:1-18.)


    God promised to never leave us alone. We have his Spirit within us, we have His Written Word, and we have one another to bear one another’s burdens. We are exhorted to “pray for one another” (James 5:16).


    God never gives us a task without also equipping us for that task. When we start feeling overburdened it is usually because we’re trying to do it all on our own and God never intended for it to be that way. We only have to ask and God will show us the tools, people and abilities He’s given us.


    “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”     (Philippians 4:13, NKJV)

    Peace and blessings.

    Dee

  • DO YOU GET IT?

    Have you ever tried to share something you were excited about with a close friend or family member only to be disappointed or even hurt by their response? We all have at one time or another. There could be a number of reasons they reacted the way they did, mostly nothing to do with you. But however innocent they may be, it still hurts.


    I experienced this recently with my husband. He didn’t intend to be insensitive, but it still stung. Until I thought about it and realized “He just didn’t get it.” He was clueless that what I was telling him was as important to me as it was.


    How do we handle these situations? Walk around with our hurt feelings hanging out, pouting like a child? Of course not. Pretend it didn’t happen? Not a good option either. Let the tears fall if need be, but be quick to forgive. Then you can let it go and your joy in the Lord and enthusiasm will stay with you.


    In the Old Testament, when the Ark of the Covenant was brought up to the City of David, the Bible says David danced before the Lord because he was so overcome with joy. (Read 2 Samuel 6) In his enthusiasm he worshiped the Lord in total abandon, dancing and leaping. There were trumpets and music, singing and shouts of praise. But Michal, David’s wife, the daughter of King Saul, looked out her window at the spectacle and the Bible says “she despised him in her heart.” She just didn’t get it.


    The last evening before Jesus was to be put on trial and crucified, after the last Passover meal with his disciples, He went to the Mount of Olives to pray as He frequently did. The disciples went with Him and He asked them to pray with Him, but as He was praying in agony, they fell asleep. He woke them, saying “Pray that you may not fall into temptation.” Again He withdrew a short distance from them, praying in deep agony until His sweat became like drops of blood. And again He turned to His disciples only to find them all asleep. They just didn’t get it. Only a few hours before Peter had sworn he’d never leave or betray his Teacher and then a few hours later he swore he’d never known the Man. Peter just didn’t get it.


    The story doesn’t end there for Peter. After Jesus was resurrected, He asked him, “Peter, do you love me?” and Peter replied “Lord, You know I love you,” then  Jesus told him, “Feed My sheep.” Three times this happened, exactly the number of time Peter had denied Jesus.  At last, Peter got it.


    What is God telling us today that we’re not getting? Is there something exciting He’s trying to show us and we’re too absorbed in our own thing to get? Is there someone He’s put in our life to minister to that we’re too busy to notice?


    As we move into 2009, let us be open to people and things around us that may need our encouragement, a kind word or a helping hand. And let us always be listening for God’s voice as He speaks to our hearts.


    Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
    for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did”    . Psalms 95:6-9 (New International Version)


    Peace and blessing,
    Dee

  • Let Us Sing to the Lord

    January 2. The holidays are over. Some of us have today off work for an extended holiday week-end, but on the whole life goes back to normal. We go back to work and we happily go back to our normal routine.

    If you are one of the thousands who suffer from post-holiday blues then the normal routine may not be so happy at the moment. Part of the feeling may come from unrealistic expectations that were not realized. Or perhaps someone was missing from your Christmas celebration that had been a part of you in the past; I still miss my parents on holidays and Mother’s been with the Lord for 7 years now. Or it could be after such a busy and happy period that now we feel a let-down. It’s time to take down the beautiful Christmas decorations we worked so hard on and the house looks a little glum. Whatever the cause, the feelings are there and need to be dealt with.

    I did a little research on the subject and found a few suggestions that seem to be universal. Some of them are not only sound psychologically, but have a spiritual foundation as well.

    The most frequent suggestions I found all involved getting out of the house and doing something. Bundle up and take a walk. Go visit a friend you haven’t seen in a while or if that’s not possible send them a letter or email and tell them how much they’ve meant in your life. Plant a tree or volunteer at a shelter. Be active and get your mind off yourself.

    Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interests, but also each for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4 (Amp. Version)

    “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” I Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

    When you’re active, you mind is on what you are doing. And when you’re involved in someone else, you can’t feel sorry for yourself.

    Some other suggestions focused on looking forward. Update your resume and job search. Plan a vacation for next summer.  Come up with one big thing you want to do in the next year.

    ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

    God tells us to look forward, not to always be looking back. Paul said “forgetting the past, I press forward” (my paraphrase).

    And of course, count your blessings. Everyone has something to be thankful for but too often we just overlook the good in our life because we’re so focused on the negative. Sometimes the hardest thing to do when we’re depressed is to rejoice and give thanks, but as believers in Jesus Christ, we are commanded to give thanks even in the hard times.

    ‘Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (Amp. Version

    Then Psalms 95 tells us:

    O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation

    Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

    For the LORD is a great God And a great King above all gods,

    In whose hand are the depths of the earth, The peaks of the mountains are His also

    The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land.

    Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.” Psalm 95:1-6 (NASB)

    When we trust God in Whom there is no shadow of turning, we can face the New Year and overcome all our feelings of despair. He knows our days and He controls our future. Thanks be unto God.

    Peace and blessing to one and all.

    Dee


  • The Gift of Grace

    Dee opening her gifts
    Dee opening her gifts

    Last Sunday was my birthday. On the preceding Friday night, the family gathered to have my birthday party. We had pizza and cake, the usual birthday fare. Then they let me open my gifts. My 9 – almost 10-year old grandson Christopher proudly handed me a gift bag which contained his gift to me. I reached in a pulled out a book. I thanked him with a hug and started to put the bag aside to open the next gift. “Wait, there’s more, Mom,” my son told me. Surely enough, there were two more parts in the gift bag – two Christmas ornaments that Christopher had picked out for me by himself. I’d almost set aside the most cherished part of my gift.

    Growing up in a Baptist church, I thought I had learned all there was about grace. After all it was preached regularly.

    “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:8

    “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” Romans 3:24

    We receive our salvation through God’s grace. A favorite line used in teaching grace is “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense”. This is true but it doesn’t end there. Too often evangelicals tend to overlook the rest of the gifts God has for us in our “gift bag” called grace. But there is more. So very much more.

    “That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:7

    “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

    “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you.”1 Peter 5:10

    These are just a few of the promises that are ours as part of our gift of grace. There is one in particular that I’m clinging to these days. One has become my prayer almost hourly.

    “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

    Paul was talking about the thorn in the flesh he dealt with in his life. I too am learning to how to deal with a thorn in the flesh. It’s not a physical thorn (and Paul’s may not have been either) but it is a difficult situation. I’m having a hard time adjusting to my new job. It’s been a rough adjustment the past few months. I left a job that I’d enjoyed most of the time, and where I had considerable responsibilities and some authority. Then I was home, job hunting, and spending the better part of my days working on my writing pursuits. Now I have a job that I’m very thankful for, but it is very different from anything I’ve ever done before. I struggle every day. Not to mention the fact that I have almost no time for my writing.

    Last week I was asking the Lord if I’d gotten it wrong and had taken a job too quickly or taken the wrong job. But the answer was clear. “My grace is sufficient”. God gives us grace to handle the hard things we face every day. He gives us grace to do what we don’t feel equipped to handle.

    I’m also having to learn humility and am beginning to understand the connection between humility and grace. The greater part of my struggle with my new job is not the level of difficulty in learning a new job, but with the level of authority I have. Or I should say don’t have. I am learning how to be humble and take direction instead of giving direction. It’s a tough lesson but one God makes clear I am to learn.

    “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” James 4:6

    When I try to do it all in my own ability, I struggle and become frustrated. But when I submit to God, and allow his grace to flow through me, I can do all things.

    “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 and “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me,” Philippians 4:13

    Amen.

    Peace and Blessings to you all.