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10.30.2009
A Fun Day at the Farm!!
10.29.2009
Please Pray with Me
Please join me in praying for baby Stellan and his family. Today is Stellan's 1st birthday and he is spending it in the hospital with some heart issues he has had since before he was born. He is not doing well right now. Please pray for him, his mom, dad, and three siblings, and the doctors and nurses who are caring for him.
You can read his story here. Thank you so much for praying with me. May God be glorified!
"For where two or three are gathered together in My name,I am there in the midst of them."Matthew 18:20, NKJV
10.28.2009
10.27.2009
It's Bible Study Night!!!!
Tonight is Bible Study night and I'm pumped! I can't wait to get with my girls, drink some coffee, and dig into the Word. There's just nothing better!!!
I've done several "formal" Bible studies over the years, but I'll tell ya, I think this one (Lord, I Need Grace to Make it Today by Kay Arthur) is one of the best I've ever done. Before I started this study, I thought I had a pretty good grasp on the concept of grace, but I'm finding that what I did know was surface level; digging into the Word more has opened up a whole new side of grace for me.
Marvelous grace! Beautiful grace! Abounding grace!! Grace- it's AMAZING!
Let me share with you a few excerpts from the past weeks studies.
"Many times our witness for Jesus Christ lacks power because we don't allow the Law of God to convict sinners of their sin. We forget that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners." (Lord, I Need Grace to Make it Today, Kay Arthur, pg. 51.)
"Salvation is not merely salvation from hell and eternal condemnation. Hell and eternal condemnation are the consequences of sin. When one is saved, one is saved from the power of sin." (Lord, I Need Grace to Make it Today, Kay Arthur, pg. 51)
"Grace delivers us from sin's penalty and sin's reigning power." (Lord, I Need Grace to Make it Today, Kay Arthur, pg. 51)
"Grace frees man from religion and brings him into a relationship with God. Grace brings life, but it is also the means by which we are to live and to please our Father God. Grace is key to our relationship with God." (Lord, I Need Grace to Make it Today, Kay Arthur, pg. 63)
And one more...
"There is no pit too deep, no sin too great but that there is enough grace and more to rescue us and cover all our sins. Where sin did abound, grace did much more abound! That's what God said, and we must take Him at His Word." (Lord, I Need Grace to Make it Today, Kay Arthur, pg. 82)
Good, good stuff- wouldn't you agree? Want your own copy of Lord, I Need Grace to Make it Today by Kay Arthur? Keep your eyes on By His Grace, some exciting giveaways are in the very near future.
Here are a few pictures from Bible study night a few weeks ago.
Sharing memory verses at the door.
Are you involved in any Bible Studies right now? I love to hear how to Lord is speaking to your heart and to your group of ladies.
10.26.2009
Snackin' Issues
9:00 a.m.
Son- "Mom, can I have a snack?"
Me- "It's not time for a snack yet, you just ate breakfast."
9:15 a.m.
Son- "Mom, can I have a snack now?"
Me- "No. Remember you just asked me that question and I just gave you an answer?"
9: 30 a.m.
Son- "Mom, I'm really hungry. Can I have a snack now?"
Me- "Didn't I just answer that question?"
9:45 a.m.
Son- "Mom, I'm reeeaaallly, reeeaaallly hungry. Can I have a snack now?"
Me- Give him the "mom look."
10:00 a.m.
Son- "Mom, can I PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE have a snack now?"
Me- "Yes! Yes, you can! Because, now it IS time for snack."
Son- "Well, what can I have?"
Me- *Sigh*
Do you have snack issues at your house? Surely not! (smile) My kiddos love to eat and every time I turn around they are asking for something to snack on. Hubs says they are the "snackinest youngin's" he's ever seen. I would have to agree!
I recently read an article written by a friend that I do believe may have solved some snackin issues in this here house of mine. I've followed Amy's advice and prepared ALL my kiddos snacks, both morning and afternoon, for the next two weeks. Take a look.
We went to the store together and they helped me pick out some of their favorite snacks: apples with peanut butter, cheese sticks, fruit leathers, pickles, carrots with Ranch dressing, granola bars and a few other yummy things.
When we got home I divided the snacks and placed them into Ziploc bags. Each bag contains two snacks for each kiddo. I labeled the bags by the day of the week and by the time of the day the snacks were to be eaten. For example, Tuesday morning, Tuesday afternoon, and so on and so forth. I also went ahead and put the peanut butter in the bags with the apples and the Ranch in the bags for the carrots because who can eat apples without peanut butter and carrots without Ranch? Not my kiddos! Then I placed those bags into two baskets, a refrigerator basket and a cabinet basket and put the baskets in their rightful spots.
I made a menu for the next two weeks that lists what they have waiting for them to devour at snack time. This menu lets my kiddos know where they need to look for their snack, in the fridge or in the cabinet.
Now, when it's time for snack we have a plan in place and all parties involved are happy and well feed. What do you do for snack time? Any special, yummy snacks you and your family love to devour together? Do share!!!
Labels:
Family Life
10.23.2009
In Our Father's Eyes
Join me today over At the Well...In Pursuit of Titus 2.
10.22.2009
The Story Behind the Song
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise,as some count slackness,but is longsuffering toward us,not willing that any should perishbut that all should come to repentance."2 Peter 3:9, NKJV
A few Christmas' ago I asked for a devotional type book on hymns. I wanted something that would tell me about the author who penned the hymn and the story behind his/her writing it. My mom came through for me and found Then Sings My Soul by Robert J. Morgan. This book contains 300 of the world's greatest hymn stories. From "Rock of Ages" to "Amazing Grace" to "O How I love Jesus," these beautiful old hymns are given new life as one reads their story.
I was reminded of a magnificent hymn this week when I visited a friend's blog and just had to read more about it.
"Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" was written by Robert Robinson in 1758. Robert's father died when he was young, and his mother, unable to control him, sent him to London to learn barbering. What he learned instead was drinking and gang-life. When he was 17, he and his friends reportedly visited a fortune-teller. Relaxed by alcohol, they laughed as she tried to tell their futures. But something about the encounter bothered Robert, and that evening he suggested to his buddies they attend the evangelistic meeting being held by George Whitefield.
Whitefield was one of history's greatest preachers, with a voice that was part foghorn and part violin. That night he preached from Matthew 3:7: "But when He saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to His baptism, He said to them, 'Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?' " Bursting into tears, Whitefield exclaimed, "Oh, my hearers! The wrath to come! The wrath to come!"
Robert immediately sobered up and sensed Whitefield was preaching directly to him. The preacher's words haunted him for nearly three years, until December 10, 1755, when he gave his heart to Christ.
Robert soon entered the ministry, and three years later at age 23, while serving Calvinist Methodist Chapel in Norfolk, England, he wrote a hymn for his sermon on Pentecost Sunday. It was a prayer that the Holy Spirit flood into our hearts with His streams of mercy, enabling us to sing God's praises and remain faithful to Him. "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing," has been a favorite of the church since that day.
Robinson continued working for the Lord until 1790, when he was invited to Birmingham, England, to preach for Dr. Joseph Priestly, a noted Unitarian. There, on the morning of June 8, he (Robinson) was found dead at age 54, having passed away quietly during the night. (story taken from Then Sings My Soul by Robert J. Morgan, page 109.)
Listen to the beautiful words of Robert Robinson's "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing."
10.21.2009
Word Filled Wednesday
He is the LORD.
Powerful.
Mighty.
King of Kings.
Ruler of all things.
Creator of the Universe.
The LORD God Almighty.
For more WFW, visit Christy at Critty Joy.
10.20.2009
Grace and Peace
"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 1:2, NKJV
Paul very often pairs the concept of grace and peace together in his writings. Why? Because as a former persecutor of the church and an opposer of all things Godly- as one who considered himself to be the chiefest of sinners and as one whose heart, mind, and soul raged within him keeping him from any kind of peaceful life- Paul understood full well that once a person received and accepted God's grace, he/she would also be filled with God's peace, a peace that passes all understanding.
Peace comes from the Greek word eirene which means exemption from the rage and havoc of war; peace between individuals; security, safety, prosperity (Thayer Dictionary).
Again, Paul understood fully that this grace, this undeserved favor, this undeserved love and acceptance which had been lavished upon him, leading to a life that dispelled the raging war within his being came only from God through His Son, Jesus Christ. Nothing Paul had ever done, nothing he could ever do would make him deserving of God's favor. God had been gracious to Paul by calling him to Himself and granting him salvation.
Paul's embracing of God's grace opened the doors to a life of peace with the Almighty God. Read what he says in Titus 2.
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing
us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and
godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the
glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to
redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His
own possession, zealous for good deeds."
Titus 2:11-14, NASB
Grace and peace. You can't have one without the other.
Grace and peace. Grace given by God. Peace made possible through the shed blood of Christ on the cross.
Grace and peace. Both undeserved by fallen mankind; but both abundantly lavished upon fallen mankind because God desired relationship with the people He created.
Grace and peace. Acceptance by God. Secure in His hands.
Grace and peace. Beautiful. Abundant. Undeserved. Freeing.
Precious one, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Rest in His grace and peace this day.
10.19.2009
Today Lord, I Rejoice!
My beloved is radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand. - "
His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven. - Head over all things. -
His cheeks are like beds of spices, mounds of sweet-smelling herbs. -
(Ps. 104:34; Song. 2:3; Ps. 89:6; Song, 5:10; Matt. 13:46; Rev. 1:5; Song. 5:11; Eph. 1:22; Col. 1:18; Song. 5:13; Mark 7:24; Song. 5:13; John 7:46; Song 5:15; Ps. 31:16; Ps. 4:6-
May Your grace not be in vain. May all my meditations be pleasing and delightful to Your ears. May I be a reflection of the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Father, there is NONE who compares to You. YOU are Lord over all. YOU are the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Ruler of the universe, Creator of all. The radiance of Your glory can penetrate through the very darkest of hearts.
YOU are strength;
YOU are might;
YOU are beauty;
YOU are light.
YOU are righteous;
YOU are holy;
YOU are just; and,
YOU are the Giver of abundant life.
May Your face shine upon me this day. May my thoughts be Your thoughts and may my hands love as Your hands love. May my heart be filled with compassion and mercy. May my words be spoken with kindness and may they be pleasing to You. May my life today, precious Lord, be a sweet offering to You.
In Jesus Name, Amen and Amen.
10.18.2009
By His Grace Family
Hello dear friends! I am so glad you are here. I am a thirty something year old wife and momma who is seeking to serve the Lord in all that I do. My husband and I have been married for 10 years and have been blessed with three beautiful children.
Although I was saved at the age of seven and felt God’s call into full-time service for Him around age thirteen, I spent many years “wandering aimlessly through the wilderness”. After my many years of roaming, God got a hold of my heart and the two of us have been inseparable since.
The Holy Spirit has placed within my heart a burning passion to study and teach His Word. My desire is to share God’s unconditional love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness with ladies of all ages. God has opened the doors for me to share my story through teaching and writing Bible studies and devotionals for women to use as tools to help them grow in their relationships with the Lord.
God continues to daily stretch me and mold me into the woman He created me to be before the foundation of the world. I'm so excited to be able to share with you what He has done for me. I pray it will be a blessing to you and help you in your walk with the Lord. Much love!
My Man
The Mighty Warrior
The Wee Princess
Wee Princess is the baby of the family. She was our unexpected blessing. I can't imagine what life would be like without her. She has brought much joy and laughter into our home. She is very inquisitive, enjoys plundering through the kitchen cabinets, and tries her best to keep up with her older sister and brother. Wee Princess is very much a people person. I believe God has BIG plans for this little angel.
Daily I am amazed at all the Lord has done in our family. He has brought us far and we can't wait to see where He will take us next.
Labels:
Family Life
10.17.2009
Argh! Happy Birthday! Argh!
A new bike. Please take care of this one! This is the third bike you've had in 2 years. :o)
Bella enjoyed your party, too.
Happy, happy birthday to you!!!!
Labels:
Family Life
10.15.2009
In His Word Bible Study
I first felt God's tug on my heart to serve Him in full time ministry when I was in jr. high school. Not really knowing or understanding what that would look like, I went about my days doing what most 12, 13, and 14 year old girls do- worry about their hair, talk on the phone, and pass notes during Science class.
But now, in this very moment in time, God, in His infinite wisdom, knowing this was the exact time for His vision to be fleshed out, has opened the doors and In His Word Bible Study has been born.
Excitement just doesn't seem to be a big enough word to portray how I'm feeling right about now. I am truly humbled, beyond blessed, absolutely amazed, completely dumbfounded, and totally siked to be used by the Lord in this way. I am trusting in my God who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that I can ask or think, according to the power that works within me, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ to all generations forever and ever. Amen and Amen! (Ephesians 3:20-21, NASB)
If you happen to be in the local area and would like to join us, "Come on, sister! We'd LOVE to have you!!!"
If you'd like to keep up with what In His Word Bible Study is doing, you can join our Facebook group or just simply keep your eyes on By His Grace Ministry for updates and special event listings.
If you feel God tugging at your heart strings, calling you to do something bigger than yourself and you'd like to "talk it through" with someone or if you'd like to hear how we developed our team and got started with In His Word Bible Study, you can contact me HERE. I'd love to chat with you, pray with you, and help you out in anyway that I can.
Be blessed today dear sister. And, do that thang God has called you to!!!!
10.13.2009
Priceless!
Bucket of worms- $3.00
Fishing license- $15.00
Fishing pole- $25.00
A day fishing with dad...PRICELESS!
Sketch pad- $12.99
Paint and paintbrushes- $18.00
Wooden easel- $20.00
A day painting with dad...PRICELESS!
Labels:
Family Life
10.09.2009
Mama said There'll be Days Like This
Mama said there'll be days like this,
There'll be days like this my Mama said.
Oh, boy was she right!!! *sigh*
Labels:
Family Life
10.07.2009
I Love Me Some Words!
I LOVE words! I love nouns and pronouns, verbs and adverbs, prepositional phrases and the like; oh, I am especially fond of adjectives. Adjectives add to any text such a rich description of the subject at hand. Makes my heart beat a little faster just thinking about...words! Sweet mercy...I love me some words!!!
I recently started reading through the book of Ephesians in my morning times with the Lord and the beautiful words penned by the apostle Paul to the church of Ephesus are enough to make my heart not only beat a little faster, but near 'bout leap out of my chest. Listen to a few of the words one will read on the pages of this great book...
"by the will of God..."
"Grace to you..."
"peace from God..."
"in Christ..."
"He chose us..."
"hope of His calling..."
"riches of the glory of His inheritance..."
"the fullness of Him who fills all in all..."
Be still my heart! Beautiful! How absolutely beautiful are these words!?! And, these phrases are just a few from chapter 1. Geesh! I can only imagine what other magnificent words will be unearthed as I continue on through the entire book? Glory!!!
As I began reading through chapter 1 of Ephesians, I couldn't get past the first half of the very first verse.
"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,"Ephesians 1:1a, NASB
Oh, the hope contained within these few words that fills my sin-sickened heart! Now, think through this thing with me; I want you to grab a hold of that hope too.
Paul. Who was Paul? He was once the man named Saul.
As Saul, he was...
a killer of God's chosen people.
a hater of all believers.
a destroyer of the church.
an opposer of the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Yes, he WAS all those things. But, now!?! Now, he is Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.
Now, he is...
a lover of Christ and all things in Him.
a preacher to the lost.
a messenger of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
a defender of the Faith.
a builder of the Church.
Paul, whose life was once burdened with sin, is now covered by the magnificent, abundant grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and is chosen to be an apostle, a messenger, one who would lay the foundation of the church. Why? Because, it was God's will, God's choice, God's providential sovereignty to save this offender of the Gospel and make him into one of the greatest apologists of the faith that has ever lived.
Do you see the hope here? God knew WHAT Saul was; God knew WHO he was. Yet, He saw past all the junk and saw the heart of the man Paul and knew exactly what He could make Saul into. It was God's will that the grace and salvation freely given through the mighty work of Christ on the cross be granted to the man Saul. God had a plan. And, His plan was for Paul to be an apostle, a messenger of His saving grace.
Those few words fill my heart with much hope. Paul called himself the chiefest of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15), yet he recognized that he was a sinner who was saved by the grace of God. I would have to rank myself right up there with Paul when it comes to being the chiefest of sinners. However reading his story, knowing what he was and seeing what God made him, fills my heart with hope.
If God can use parasites to make pearls and if God can use a sinner such as Paul to be one of the founding leaders of His church, then God can use me and equip me to fulfill the calling He has placed on my life because that's His sovereign will. And, He can use you too!!
That, my friends, is a good word and I LOVE it!
10.04.2009
Exemplify Online- October '09 Issue
Exemplify Online October issue is hot off the presses. Grab yourself a good cup o' joe, pull up a chair, and enjoy!