ByGrace

Wes and I have been attending Spiritual Leadership Conference in Lancaster, CA, this week. In my absence, I'm re-posting some past entries. I hope this one will be a blessing to you, as you remember that God knows your name . . .  From April 28, 2010: I recently read the story of an elderly nurse standing behind the window of the newborn nursery where she worked. Outside the window were three young fathers nervously peering through the glass to identify their newborn babies. With the babies all wrapped up in their soft blankets, it was hard to tell which baby belonged to which father. The nurse put on her glasses and began to examine the tiny bracelet on each baby's arm, then looking at the bracelet on each father's arm, carefully matching each baby's name to its father's name. As she positively identified each baby, she opened the door and gave each father his baby and watched his face light up with delight. As she turned away to her o...

Believe God's word and power more than you believe your own feelings and experiences . Your Rock is Christ , and it is not the Rock which ebbs and flows , but your sea .   --Samuel Rutherford-- Remember that your feelings are not trustworthy. They will come and go.  God's Word stands sure!  Build your life on the Solid Rock of Jesus!    photo credit: lapidim via photopin cc

  Christmas Credo Let us keep Christmas softly ~ Apart from crowds and noise and vain display; Let us hang garlands fresh of prayer and praise, All love-entwined, in glad array, In the deep chambers of the heart, where He, The Holy Child alone may see And gladdened be. Let us in silence wait Before His altars 'til we see the Face Of the Most High ~ That we may worship truly in the secret place. He will give peace and joy; and as we sing Our carols, let us give ourselves an offering Of love to Him, our Saviour-King. Then let us seek the lonely and the sad, And make them glad  That Christ is born this day, That He in yielded lives holds sway. So shall we keep the Day of Days all softly and know well His coming to our hearts anew to dwell: Our glorious Lord, Emanuel, Emanuel! ~~ Lillian Imhof Robinson ~~ Day 24 Scripture: " And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said...

I loved this poem when I first read it, because it echoes a belief that I hold dearer the older I get: the joys of life - the jewels, if you will - are the little, everyday things that make up each day, if we will just see them. Take time to see life's jewels this Christmas! Jewels The jewels of life are not rare stones To be cherished and hidden away; They are not the diamonds deep in the earth, For which men labor each day, They're the little things we seldom note, That we carelessly pass by . . . The song of the birds that herald the dawn, The stars in the midnight sky. They're the fragments of a robin's egg That we find in the emerald grass, The crystal of the dewdrops That vanish when morn is past; They're the silver of the moonbeams, Too fragile for hand to hold,  Yet all of these jewels are there to see,  If we only pause to behold. They're the perfume of the flowers That rises like incense above, The tender kiss of a little chi...

Some Pieces of Wood Some pieces of wood our Master held, And His form was of a child. My Lord! Some pieces of wood our Master held, And His hands with slivers filled. My God! Some pieces of wood our Master held, With arms nailed firm and fast. My King! A Child! A Man! A Crucified King! It all began at Bethlehem when angels came to sing. My Lord! My God! My Living King! Some pieces of wood did hold! Ole Winter Day 11 Scripture: "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Micah 5:2 photo credit: 50 Prime via photopin cc

I found this old Christmas hymn in the American Annual of Christmas Literature and Art ,Volume 36, published in 1966.   On A Day On a day, when men were counted, God became the Son of Man; That his name, in ev'ry census  Should be entered was his plan. God, the Lord of all Creation, Humbly takes a creature's place; He whose form no man has witnessed, Has to-day a human face. On a night, while silent shepherds Watched their flocks upon the plain, Came a message with its summons Brought by song of angel train: Lo, in Bethlehem's little village Has arrived the Shepherd King, And each shepherd to his Master Must his sheep as offering bring. When there shone the star of David In the spangled eastern sky; Kings arrived to pay their homage To the Chrst, the Lord most high. Yet not all, for lo there soundeth Through the streets a fearful cry, For a king who will not worship Has decreed that Christ must die. Yet it'...

"Spend your time in nothing which you know must be repented of; in nothing on which you might not pray for the blessing of God; in nothing which you could not review with a quiet conscience on your dying bed; in nothing which you might not safely and properly be found doing if death should surprise you in the act." ~ Richard Baxter Photo Source: http://flic.kr/ps/21CUr3

A couple of years ago, our older son, Samuel, prepared a presentation for his senior speech recital at West Coast Baptist College as a requirement for his minor in Speech. He based his presentation on the life of President John F. Kennedy and his untimely death. It is based in historical fact, but Samuel gave it a spiritual application. Today, on the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's assassination, Wes and I want to share Samuel's recital with you. He researched, wrote, and performed it himself. I hope you'll enjoy it, but more importantly, that you will consider the matter of your soul's eternal security The direct link , for those who may not be able to view it here.

God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him. Warren Wiersbe Photo C redit

  photo credit: Eddi van W. via photopin cc   A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble.     ~~ Charles Spurgeon ~~

Have you ever had a dream that you were witnessing to someone, and you turned to a familiar passage of Scripture, only to find it missing from your Bible? No matter how much you searched for it, it just wasn't there? No? Maybe I'm the only one who has had a dream like that, but maybe in real life, you've wondered where to find a certain Scripture for a specific problem, but you couldn't remember where to find it. Yes, there are concordances to look up key words, but it would be nice if you just had your own topical reference so you could look up Scripture passages that mean the most to you and the issues you face in daily life. I reviewed the book What Do I Know about My God? by Mardi Collier several weeks ago. I am convinced this is the best book I've ever read on making God and His Word real in your life. Mrs. Collier writes about getting to know God better through writing out Scripture verses that have to do with His character and attributes. Begin...

photo credit: paul bica via photopin cc God's mercy is so great  that you may sooner drain the sea of its water, or deprive the sun of its light, or make space too narrow, than diminish the great mercy of God . ~~ Charles Spurgeon ~~

photo credit: origamidon via photopin cc Recently, as I was organizing my sewing/guest room , I found quite a bit of stuff that I knew I needed to get rid of, but the agonizing thing for me was that I had paid so much for all of it. I just couldn't throw it away, but I didn't want to try to sell it all either. Then I remembered this verse in Proverbs: Proverbs 11:24,25 "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself." It's one of the paradoxes of Scripture - give and it shall be given you; he that watereth shall be watered also himself; whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. These verses are an encouragement to more readily let things go. Donate them to a thrift store or give them to someone who needs or wants them. Be generous; be liberal. You'll find being a blessing d...

  photo credit: Hamed Saber via photopin cc Blessed is she whose daily tasks are of love, for her willing hands and happy heart transform duty into joyous service to all her family and God. Blessed is she who opens the door to welcome both stranger and friends, for gracious hospitality is a test of brotherly love. Blessed is she who mends stockings and toys and broken hearts, for her understanding is a balm to her husband and children. Blessed is she whom children love, for the love of a child is of greater value than fortune or fame. Blessed is she who dusts away doubt and fear and sweeps away the cobwebs of confusion, for her faith will triumph over all adversity. Blessed is she who serves laughter and smiles with every meal, for her cheerfulness is an aid to mental and physical digestion. Blessed is she who introduces Jesus Christ to her children, for godly sons and daughters shall be her reward. Blessed is she who preserves ...

Photo by srsphoto Proverbs 11:17 "The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh." We've flown quite often in the past 10 years or so, especially since we moved to Canada and our children have gone away to college. It's the fastest way to get where I want to be! We all sit on the plane as we wait to back away from the gate, listening (or not!) to the flight attendants' instructions concerning emergencies. One thing they always mention is, in case of loss of oxygen in the plane, to put on your own oxygen mask first, and then help any children around you with theirs. If you're not breathing, there's not much chance you'll be able to help anyone else! And so it is with our everyday lives. If we're not taking care of ourselves, we can't take care of our families and minister to those around us. I do happen to believe that many people seek to take care of their own needs first, including many ...

Wes is preaching in a Missions Conference out of town this week, and I went with him, so I'm reposting an entry I enjoyed from my first December Daily series in 2008. We'll be back on Wednesday, Lord willing! Time for Tea Art Print Buy at AllPosters.com He who kills time injures eternity . Take time to think - it is the source of power . Take time to play - it is the secret of perpetual youth . Take time to read - it is the fountain of wisdom . Take time to pray - it is the greatest power on earth. Take time to love and be loved- it is a God-given privilege . Take time to be friendly - it is the road to happiness . Take time to laugh - it is the music of the soul. Take time to give - it is too short a day to be selfish . Take time to work - it is the price of success . Unknown

The Seamstress or, Young Woman Working Have you ever picked up a new interest and in your zeal for your new hobby spent hours of time learning about it? I remember learning to play the piano. We didn't have a piano when I started taking lessons, but my teacher told my parents I would find a way to learn if I were truly interested in it. And I did! I began lessons in September, determined to learn, and my parents bought me a restored player piano with the player mechanism removed for Christmas that year. I've continued to play to this day, and the piano is still a passion of mine. Proverbs 18:1 has always intrigued me, but I never could quite grasp its meaning. As I was reading this verse one morning, I looked up and saw a commentary on Proverbs belonging to my husband, so I grabbed it and looked up that verse to see what the author, Charles Bridges, had to say about it. Here's the verse: Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and ...

Gathering Flowers by Lynn This is the poem from which Elisabeth Elliot devised her famous "do the next thing" advice. I thought you might enjoy it, since we've been talking about time management. I haven't been able to find an author's name for this; the closest I've found is that this poem was quoted to Elisabeth by her mother. Do The Next Thing At an old English parsonage down by the sea,   there came in the twilight a message to me.   Its quaint Saxon legend deeply engraven that, as it seems to me, teaching from heaven.   And all through the hours the quiet words ring,   like a low inspiration, 'Do the next thing.' Many a questioning, many a fear,   many a doubt hath its quieting here.   Moment by moment, let down from heaven,   time, opportunity, guidance are given.   Fear not tomorrow, child of the King,   trust that with Jesus, Do the next thing. Do it immediately...

I found a book recently that caught my attention, The Country Life Book of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother . I've always had an interest in Britain's royal family, and I've especially admired the Queen Mother (who is now deceased) because of her charm, warmth, and dignity, so this book sparked my interest right away. As I was reading about her early life, the author was relating information about the Queen Mother's own mother, pictured on the right in 1923, who was apparently quite an amazing woman. She used to tell her children, "Life is for living and working at. If you find anything or anybody a bore, the fault is in yourself." What a lesson to us in these days! The Queen Mother was born in 1900, 113 years ago, yet her mother's words are still applicable today. If I find life boring, or the people around me boring, it's not their fault; it is mine! Are you bored today? Get up and live! Work at finding interesting things to do....

'Sunrise' by Sean MacEntee "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;" Titus 2:13 I read this poem this morning in my devotions, and it resonated in my heart. Are you looking for the return of Jesus? Just a-wearying for you, Jesus, Lord, beloved and true; Wishing for you, wondering when You'll be coming back again, Under all I say and do, Just a-wearying for you. Some glad day, all watching past, You will come for me at last; Then I'll see you, hear your voice, Be with you, with you rejoice; How the sweet hope thrills me through, Sets me a-wearying for you. Excerpted from Streams in the Desert March 27