Thoughts of Grace

the Farmer’s new project; new lawn for summer enjoyment

Good Morning

Even when Life does not make sense,
God has not lost control of our lives.
He wants us to trust Him.
His presence is very near.

Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; Psalm 33:18

If you are considering giving up on live…
that is precisely what Satan would have you do:
Give up on God,
who seems to have lost control of your circumstances.
But God knows what He’s doing; Don’t leave HIs protection.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

Establish your foundation
not on fluctuation emotions
but on the authority
of the written Word of God.
It says Jesus promised
never to leave us.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, . . .Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:19-20

When your faith is severely shaken,
where do you go to find a new set of values and beliefs?
While searching for something more reliable in which to believe,
you will discover that there is no other name–
no other God–
to whom you can turn.

For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee. Isaiah 54:10

We are promised throughout scripture
that we are never left to fight our battles alone.
That is great news for all
who are weary and burdened
by the stresses of living.

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Romans 5:1

Christ remains wit us
to comfort and protect us when
we go through our fiery trials.
He never leaves .

Psa 125:2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.

from In the Arms of God, by James Dobson

Trust in the nearness of God . . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours. Leslie

Spring is on the way.

Good Morning

This morning I read again one of my favorite scriptures, Colossians 3:12-17.
What a beautiful check list for daily living.

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved,
bowels of mercies,
kindness,
humbleness of mind,
meekness,
longsuffering;
Forbearing one another,
and forgiving one another,
if any man have a quarrel against any:
even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
And above all these things put on charity,
which is the bond of perfectness.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
to the which also ye are called in one body;
and be ye thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;
teaching and admonishing one another
in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed,
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Follow Christ’s example. . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Perfect beautiful examples of yarn cakes.

Good Morning

Why standest thou afar off, O LORD?
why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? Psalm 10:1

God is “a very present help in trouble.”
But He permits trouble to pursue us,
as though He were indifferent to its overwhelming pressure,
that we may be brought to the end of ourselves,
and let to discover the treasure of darkness
the unmeasurable gains of tribulation.
We may be sure the He who permits the suffering is with us in it.
It may be that we shall see Him only when the trial is passing;
but we must dare to believe that He never leaves the crucible.
Our eyes are holden;
and we cannot behold Him whom our soul loveth.
It is dark–
the bandages blind us so that we cannot see
the form of our High Priest;
but He is there, deeply touched.
Let us not rely on feeling,
but on faith in His unswerving fidelity;
and though we see Him not,
let us talk to Him.
Directly we begin to speak to Jesus,
as being literally present,
though His presence is veiled,
there comes an answering voice
which shows that He is in the shadow,
keeping watch upon His own.
Your Father is as near
when you journey through the dark tunnel
as when under the open heaven!
~~ Daily Devotional Commentary.

Know God is very present. . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

I love my silly cat’s face.

Good Morning

Sorrow is better than laughter:
for by the sadness of the countenance
the heart is made better. Ecclesiastes 7:3

When sorrow comes under the power of Divine grace,
it works out a manifold ministry in our lives
Sorrow reveals unknown depths in the soul,
and unknown capabilities of experience and service…

Sorrow makes us go slower and more considerately,
and introspect our motives and dispositions.
It is sorrow that open up within us
the capacities of the heavenly life,
and it is sorrow that makes us willing to launch our capacities
on a boundless sea of service for God and our fellows.

God never uses anybody to a large degree,
until after He breaks that one all to pieces.
Joseph had more sorrow than all the other sons of Jacob,
and it let him out into a ministry of bread for all nations.
For this reason,
the Holy Spirit said of him.
“Joseph is a fruitful bough. .. by a well,
whose branches run over the wall” (Genesis 49:22).
It takes sorrow to widen the soul.~~The Heavenly Life.

Every person and every nation must take lessons
in God’s school of adversity.
“We can say, ‘Blessed is night, for it reveals to us the stars.’
In the same way we can say,
‘Blessed is sorrow , for it revels God’s comfort.’
The floods washed away home and mill,
all the poor man had in the world.
But as he stood on the scene of his loss,
after the water had subsided.,
broken-hearted and discouraged,
he saw something shining in the bank
which the waters had washed bare.
‘It looks like gold’, he said.
It was gold.
The flood which had beggared him made him rich.
So it is ofttimes in life.”~~H. C. Trumbull

Trust God with the sorrow in you life. . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Just a cozy ‘hairball’.

Ponderings on the lesson brought in the Thursday night meeting.

Deuteronomy 16:16-17 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.

Whenever we come together in the place God shall choose to worship Him, bring your offering of praise.

Psalms 70:4 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.

If you are burdened and heavy with trials and situations of life and seem to have no praise. Don’t draw back from God, come near with your offering of submission to His perfect will.

1Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: