May | 2016 | Thoughts of Grace

Come Unto Me

Come unto me,
all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you,
and learn of me;
for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30

ishepmages

Come unto me
with all your weaknesses: physical, emotional, and spiritual.
Rest in the comfort of My presence,
remembering that nothing is impossible with me.

Pry your mind away from your prolems
so you can focus your attention on Me.
Recall that I am able to do immeasurably more
than all you ask or imagine.
Instead of trying to direct Me to do this and that,
seek to attune yourself to what I am already doing.

When anxiety attempts to wedge its way into your thoughts,
remind yourself that I am your Shepherd.
The botton line is that I am taking care of you;
therefore, you needn’t be afraid of anything.
Rather than trying to maintain control over your life,
abandon yourself to my will.
Though this may feel frightening–even danagerous–
the safest place to be is in My will.
Sarah Young

Ephesians 3:20-21
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

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on May 31, 2016 at 11:03 am Leave a Comment
Tags: Come unto Me, Ephesians 3:20-21, Matthew 11:28-30

Sunshine and Shadows

Ecclesiastes 3:11
He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:

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cone flowers in the sunshine

20160524_203428 cone flowers in the shadows

HE IS WITH ME STILL
Though I walk in ways unknown,
I am never left alone;
For the Lord will not forsake me while I do His will;
But whatever may betide,
He is walking by my side,
And by this I know He loves me still.

Refrain:
He is with me still,
He is with me still;
In the sunshine or the shadow,
He is with me still.

When the raging storm winds blow,
And the clouds are hanging low,
When the waves are beating on me, and the night is chill;
Then His presence in the storm
Quiets all my soul’s alarm,
And I know that He is with me still.

’Mid the busy cares of life,
In the battle’s raging strife,
When around my soul are gathered all the hosts of ill;
Then a voice so sweet and clear
Whispers words of love and cheer,
And I know that He is with me still.
Charles W. Naylor

Published in:

Today's thought

on May 30, 2016 at 10:14 am Leave a Comment
Tags: Charles W. Naylor, Ecclesiastes 3:11, He is with me still, sunshine and shadows

Sing to Him!

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Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well, sing to it! (Num 21:17)

This was a strange song and a strange well. They had been traveling over the desert’s barren sands, no water was in sight and they were famishing with thirst. Then God spake to Moses and said:

“Gather the people together, and I will give them water,” and this is how it came.

They gathered in circles on the sands. They took their staves and dug deep down into the burning earth and as they dug, they sang,

“Spring up, O well, sing ye unto it,” and lo, there came a gurgling sound, a rush of water and a flowing stream which filled the well and ran along the ground.

When they dug this well in the desert, they touched the stream that was running beneath, and reached the flowing tides that had long been out of sight.

How beautiful the picture given, telling us of the river of blessing that flows all through our lives, and we have only to reach by faith and praise to find our wants supplied in the most barren desert.

How did they reach the waters of this well? It was by praise. They sang upon the sand their song of faith, while with their staff of promise they dug the well.

Our praise will still open fountains in the desert, when murmuring will only bring us judgment, and even prayer may fail to reach the fountains of blessing.

There is nothing that pleases the Lord so much as praise. There is no test of faith so true as the grace of thanksgiving. Are you praising God enough? Are you thanking Him for your actual blessings that are more than can be numbered, and are you daring to praise Him even for those trials which are but blessings in disguise? Have you learned to praise Him in advance for the things that have not yet come?
—Selected

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on May 28, 2016 at 10:47 am Leave a Comment
Tags: Num 21:17, Sing to Him!

Five Minute Friday – Cheer

Joining with Kate at Heading Home.

For five minutes of free writing.
“This is meant to be a free write, which means:
no editing, no over-thinking,
no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation.
Just write.”

This week’s prompt –Cheer

Today I’m cheering my first born son’s first born son, Alex.

2012,nov29, Alex & Leslie My Alex and I.

Alex graduates next Tuesday from High School!

For some people studying is easy and learning a breeze,

Alex had to work hard. and it wasn’t easy.

Volleyball, now that came as second nature.

Beauty like ballet in action.

But teachers don’t grade on how well you play ball.

In fact, how well you study determines whether or not you play.

Alex had a struggle.

Alex overcame.

Alex graduates.

We will all cheer.

And probably shed some tears,

Coz, it doesn’t seem like he should be old enough to graduate yet.

2009 boys n joker Alex is in the middle.

He should still be young enough to tell a school secretary,
“I don’t have a grandma” when she told him I would be picking him up from school.
She said, “you know your daddy’s mom.”
He replied with much relief, ” Oh you mean my Grannie!”

GO! ALEX! GO!

STOP

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on May 27, 2016 at 1:07 pm Comments (3)
Tags: Alex, cheer, Five Minute Friday, high school graduation

Guided Steps

nov23 010

Psalm 37:23-24
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD:
and he delighteth in his way.
Though he fall,
he shall not be utterly cast down:
for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

You may be trying to go faster than He is moving. Wait till He comes up and then the way will no longer lie in darkness. He has left footprints for us to follow.

Make no footprints of thine own!

Not so in haste, my heart!
Have faith in God and wait:
Although He linger long
He never comes too late.

Until He cometh, rest
Nor grudge the hours that roll,
The feet that wait for God
Are soonest at the goal

Are soonest at the goal
That is not gained by speed
Then hold thee still, my heart
For I shall wait His lead.
Bayard Taylor

Published in:

Today's thought

on May 26, 2016 at 11:35 am Leave a Comment
Tags: footprints, guided steps, Psalm 37:23-24, Wait on God

Yarn Along – Flowers Hot Pad

Yarn Along
~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading and I love sharing my projects and current reads here.~
This is how Lisa begins her blog, Small Things, on Wednesdays.

Many of the wonderful items, knitted or crocheted,
I see get added to my someday list.
Books and authors, new to me, peak my interest.

So . . . as I’m trying to get back into yarny things.
I’m working on WIP’s.

Hot pad, Flowers Dishcloth, I started in June, 2015

June 26, Twete

Front finished.
May, flowers a

Back in progress.
May, flowers2

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All done!

Ravelry link

Reading the third and last book, ‘The Heirloom’ in the Allcott Legacy series
Listening to the 1st book, ‘Leah’s Choice’ in the Pleasant Valley series.

Joining Ginny.

Published in:

Yarn Along

on May 26, 2016 at 10:33 am Comments (4)
Tags: flowers dishcloth, Yarn Along

The Secret Place

images.foldedhandsjpg

Psalm 91:1
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

There are times in every man’s life when he wants no comrade on the road with him. It is in secret that we learn the secret of the Lord

It was in the errie solitude of Bethel , and in the gray dawn by the ford Jabbok that Jacob was granted visions of God.

It was when he was alone in the silent desert that Moses was shown the burning bush, and received the Divine commission.

It was when Joshua walked unattended under the stars by the wall of Jericho that the Captian of the Lord’s host stood before him.

It was when Isaiah was alone in the Temple that a live coal touched his lips.

It was when Mary was alone that the angel brought to her the message of the Lord.

It was when Elisha was plowing his lonely furrow that the prophet’s mantle fell upon his shoulders.

Noah built and voyaged alone. His neighbors laughed at his strangeness and perished.

Abraham wandered and worshiped alone; Sodomites smiled at the simple sheherd, followed the fashion and fed the flames.

Daniel dined and prayed alone.

Jesus lived and died alone.

Paul ‘minding himself to go afoot’. Acts 20:13

It is good to be “minded . . .to go afoot” sometimes;
when even our nearest and dearest go by another road.
For when we are alone we have a better chance of One joining us,
and making our hearts burn while He talks with us by the way
Madame Guyon,edited

Luke 24:32
And they said one to another,
Did not our heart burn within us,
while he talked with us by the way,
and while he opened to us the scriptures?

Published in:

on May 25, 2016 at 1:00 pm Comments (1)
Tags: Luke 24:32, Psalm 91:1, The Secret Place

Finish Thy Work

labor

Luke 22:41-43
And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast,
and kneeled down,
and prayed,
Saying, Father, if thou be willing,
remove this cup from me:
nevertheless not my will,
but thine,
be done.
And there appeared an angel unto him
from heaven,
strengthening him.

There is a story of a woman who had had many sorrows;
parents, husband, children, wealth, all were gone.
In her great grief she prayed for death
but death would not come.
She would not take up any of her wonted work for Christ.

One night she had a dream,
she thought she had gone to heaven.
She saw her husband and ran to him with eager joy,
expecting a glad welcome.
but, strange to say,
no answering joy shone on his face–
only surprise and displeasure.
“How did you come here?” he asked,
“They did not say that you were to be sent for today,
I did not expect you for a long time yet.”
With a bitter cry she turned from him to seek her parents.
But instead of the tender love
for which her heart was longing
she met from them only the same amazement
and the same surprised questions.
“I’ll go to my Saviooor,” she cried,
“He will welcome me if no one else does.”
When she saw Christ,
there was infinite love in His look,
but His words throbbed with sorrow as He said;
“Child, child, who is doing your work down there?”

At last she understood;
she had no right yet to be in heaven;
her work was not finished;
she had fled away from her duty.

This is one of the dangers of sorrow;
that in our grief for those who are gone
we lose our interest in those who are living,
and slacken our zeal in the work which is allotted to us.
However great our bereavements
we may not drop our tasks
until the Master calls us away.
J. R. Miller

Finish thy work, then go in peace,
Life’s battle fought and won;
Hear from the throne the Master’s voice,
“Well done! Well done!”

Published in:

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on May 24, 2016 at 1:25 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: finish thy work, great grief, Luke 22:41-43, not my will

Ten on Tuesday – Yummy Desserts

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10 Favorite Desserts.

Strawberry shortcake, made with sweet bisquits hot from the oven, ice cream and strawberries (cut night before add sugar to make lots of juice) and whipped cream. Sometimes I fix this for breakfast.

straw

Chocolate cake/white icing with sprinkles and ‘bonilla ice cream,
chocolate syrup drizzled on top. I smush a fork full of ice cream and cake together then eat it.

P1030589

Marie Callendar’s peach pie

pie

Pumpkin squares – pumpkin pie canned, evaporated milk, eggs mixed well, covered with yellow cake mix, butter and nuts,
always at Thanksgiving

Chocolate chip cookies – Margaret has tweeked the recipe so they are perfect

Alyce’s bread pudding with warm rum sauce – no rum used, I forgot the ingredients for topping, brown sugar, butter and ?

Three Twins ‘mocha difference

ice

Tahoe Joe’s chocolate skier’s cake – the whipped cream is to die for, I usually don’t care for whipped cream, this is my exception.

Sour cream peach scones with fresh sliced peaches and mock devonshire cream on top

scone ready to cut into wedges

Last but not least – Cherry cobbler

Desserts are not listed in order of FAVORITE.

Joining with Carole.

Published in:

Ten on tuesday

on May 24, 2016 at 12:05 pm Comments (3)
Tags: cherry, chocolate, desserts, peach, strawberry, Ten on Tuesday

Heart ‘Housekeeping’

Sunday evening message was on cleaning your ‘heart house’.
Sometimes we overlook dusty corners.
Sometimes we forget to pick up all the trash.
Sometimes we get lazy and think ‘I’ll get around to it later.’

In 2 Chronicles 29:5, 18
King Hezekiah said,
“Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves,
and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers,
and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.”

Then they (the priests) went in to Hezekiah the king, and said,
We have cleansed all the house of the Lord,
and the altar of burnt offering,
with all the vessels thereof,
and the shewbread table,
with all the vessels thereof.

A cleaning had to be done before
the people could worship God acceptably.

A Devotional by Stacey Edwards

“There are different levels of cleaning the home. There’s the kind of cleaning you do on a regular basis: wash the dishes, do the laundry, make the beds, reewash the laundry that sat in the machine over night. Then there’s the quick cleaning you do for unexpected company. (This is when you shove toys into closets, light a candle, and close all the bedroom doors!)

During a certain time of year, however, cleaning takes on a whole new meaning. There’s no specific date on the calendar for this chore, you just wake up one morning and you it’s spring cleaning time. It’s time to begin to deal with all those tasks that you’ve been ignoring for too long.

During this deep cleaning, ceiling fans are finally dusted, curtains are taken down and washed, the windows are opened to allow the breeze to blow through your home. Closets get reorganized and furniture gets rearranged. Long neglected tasks are completed, and the entire home seems fresh and new.

When it comes to our spiritual lives, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day kind of cleaning. We do just what is necessary for the immediate maintenance of our faith. If we aren’t careful, however, we let some tasks go undone. Dust bunnines begin to accumulate. We need a spiritual spring cleaning.”

Today we need to be willing to ask God to search our hearts

Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart:
try me, and know my thoughts:
And see if there be any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting..

Published in:

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on May 23, 2016 at 3:14 pm Comments (1)
Tags: 2 Chronicles 29:5, Heart 'Housekeeping', Psalm 139:23-24

Five Minute Friday – Expect

Joining with Kate at Heading Home

For five minutes of free writing.
“This is meant to be a free write, which means:
no editing, no over-thinking,
no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation.
Just write.”

This week’s prompt –Expect

expect
• a : to consider probable or certain
• b : to consider reasonable, due, or necessary
• c : to consider bound in duty or obligated

expectation
• : a belief that something will happen or is likely to happen

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
Psalm 62:5

Where do i get my hope?
On whom do I set my affection?
On whom do I lean?

The LORD GOD who says:
I will never leave thee or forsake thee
I will send you a comforter
I AM the Lord God, I change not

These are the stones of my foundation.
As I learned to trust God for my every day needs.
He wrote these promises on the fleshly tables
of my heart with His own finger.

These promises are so apart of me –
the words and I are one.

No one can take them from me.
I can’t even sandblast them from my heart.
The words are set as if in stone.

For many times I have cried to My Father with full expectation
I would receive an answer.
He has never failed to answer.
Always as I have longed for, desired or in my wisdom considered best
No
Has His answer failed?
No
Has His answer damaged my expectation, my hope or my confidence in Him?

NO!

stop

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Also expecting a good harvest from our berry vines.

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Definitions, Scripture and pictures added before/after writing.

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on May 21, 2016 at 5:59 pm Comments (4)
Tags: expect, Five Minute Friday, Psalm 62:5

Today’s thought – Go the Distance

a_woman_climbing_a_mountain Keep walking.

Our walk with God is a walk by faith.
When we begin our walk,
we don’t know how many days the walk it will be.
We don’t know the terrain,
how many mountains,
how many valleys,
how many deserts or
how many swamps.
We don’t know what the weather will be;
Sun, rain, sleet or snow.
We don’t know who will walk with us;
who will start and stay the whole course,
who will start and give up and start again,
who will start and quit or
who will never start despite our many prayers.
We are promised
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me,
for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
I will never leave you ar forsake you.
I am the Lord your God, I change not.
Ask and ye shall receive.
Seek and ye shall find.
Knock and it shall be opened unto you.
Cast your burdens upon the Lord, for he careth for you.
He knoweth the way that I take:
when he hath tried me,
I shall come forth as gold.
I will prepare a place for you.

Place it all on a balance
on one side my fears, my wearines, my humanity;
on the other side all God’s promises.
See how light and vain I am.
See how strong God is.
Cast me off the scale
and place my grain of mustard seed faith
with my prayer, ‘Help thou my unbelief’
on the scale instead
and watch all things balance out for God’s glory.

Go the distance,
endure until the end,
fight a good fight,
cleave to the Lord,
lean not to your own understanding,
keep the faith.
Go the distance.

Distance
An Acrostic Poem

Days, weeks, months, years, the hours, the minutes, the seconds and the miles
I n between where we are, where we were and where we hope to be
S ometimes the distance is short and sometimes the distance is long
T ime spans all distances, moving us closer together and further apart, all at the same time
A s we traverse life’s ever winding highway, family and friends are found and lost along the way
N ot knowing when we’ll meet again, we hold them in our hearts, shrinking the distance as we
C atch the memories shared and use them to propel us forward, pressing on in our journey, inching
E ver closer to eternity, with every step, every breath and every moment in this crazy, beautiful life.

by: Michelle McCarty

Isaiah 40:28-31
Hast thou not known?
hast thou not heard,
that the everlasting God, the LORD,
the Creator of the ends of the earth,
fainteth not, neither is weary?
there is no searching of his understanding.
He giveth power to the faint;
and to them that have no might
he increaseth strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
and the young men shall utterly fall:
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run,
and not be weary;
and they shall walk,
and not faint.

Published in:

on May 20, 2016 at 7:39 pm Comments (1)
Tags: Go the distance, Isaiah 40:28-31

. . . Before he had done speaking

20160517_110824 We can rest on the promise that God hears our prayers
as easily as this kitty rests on this pillow.

And it came to pass, before he had done speaking…and he said,
Blessed be Jehovah…who hath not forsaken his lovingkindness and his truth” Genesis 24:15, 27

Every right prayer is answered
before the prayer itself is finished–
before we have “done speaking.”
This is because God has pledged His Word
to us that whatsoever we ask in Christ’s name
(that is, in oneness with Christ and His will)
and in faith,
shall be done.

As God’s Word cannot fail,
whenever we meet those simple conditions in prayer,
the answer to our prayer has been granted
and completed in Heaven as we pray,
even though its showing forth on earth
may not occur until long afterward.

So it is well to close every prayer
with praise to God for the answer
that He has already granted;
He who never forsakes His loving-kindness and His truth.
–Messages for the Morning Watch

Daniel 9:20-23
20 And whiles I was speaking, and praying,
and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel,
and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God
for the holy mountain of my God;
21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel,
whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning,
being caused to fly swiftly,
touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said,
O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth,
and I am come to shew thee;
for thou art greatly beloved:
therefore understand the matter,
and consider the vision.

Daniel 10:12
Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel:
for from the first day
that thou didst set thine heart to understand,
and to chasten thyself before thy God,
thy words were heard,
and I am come for thy words.

Published in:

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on May 19, 2016 at 11:32 am Leave a Comment
Tags: . . . Before he had done speaking, 27, Daniel 10:12, Daniel 9:20-23, Genesis 24:15

Yarn Along – Time for a Happy Dance

Yarn Along
~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading and I love sharing my projects and current reads here.~
This is how Lisa begins her blog, Small Things, on Wednesdays.

Many of the wonderful items, knitted or crocheted,
I see get added to my someday list.
Books and authors, new to me, peak my interest.

My happy dance begins with a finished project!

20160517_133552

Started in May, 2015,
Worked on diligently, until decrease.
I struggled with wrapping my head
around where to stop the row and
putting everything in time out for about 4 months.

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