Thoughts of Grace

I am grateful

“O Come All Ye Faithful”
Mrs/ Field’s Chocolate chip walnut nibbles, 13 to the dozen
Clothes on sale
Email coupons

Candles

Memorable Moment
Referring again to dusted off dressmaking skills,
the sigh of expelled breath when the garment fit – the first time,
(only a little deeper seam at the top of princess seams to smooth the neckline) but all the important parts fit!
Panic moment – when I realized I cut part of the garment one length and the rest shorter.
The client wanted it longer than shown in the picture on the envelope. I had to finish it shorter than planned.
Out come – perfect length.
Thankful to the Master Tailor.

Thanking someone
The cashier at Barnes & Nobel
After looking for my coupon and not finding it,
I made my holiday purchase.
In the car checking my email again, I found the coupon.
I walked back in hesitatingly but feeling it wouldn’t hurt to ask.
Same cashier. I explained I found my coupon
and could an adjustment be made.
And even in Christmas buying rush, she adjusted my total.
Hey $4.oo is $4.00!

1st steps
What’s walking for if you can’t shop along the way.
So my walking was at Sunrise Mall with a couple stops for shopping.
#whatever it takes

Meditation
One morning I was thinking about meeting God before I started my day. Sometimes I rush into my day and it is much later before I slow down.
I thought how God probably waits every morning
to welcome me as his daughter to prepare me for my day.
What does welcome mean?

W – Waiting with great anticipatiom
E – Excited to know you are coming
L – Long for time to chat and share, tears and strenghts
C – Comforted by your love
O – Overwhelmed with encouragement
M – Mindful of your grace
E – Every morning, new for my receiving and renewing

Come let us reason together, saith the Lord.
Isaiah 1:18

Oh, the gifts I miss by being busy.
Take time to be welcomed.
Selah

#30dayhappinesschallenge
#memorablemoments
#thankingsomeone
#firststepthehardest
#Selahpauseandconsider

I am grateful

America is STILL “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”
lunch in the park
storms at night so that the daytime is dry and has that just washed smell
an opportunity to dust off my dressmaking skills –
WOOT!! WOOT!! Not as rusty as I thought. (Happy dance whatever that looks like!)
COFFEE – hot and black

Memorable moment –

Yesterday the Farmer pruned the grapevines.
I was remembering when about 45 years ago Brothe Peter Diel
invited the Farmer over for a grapevine pruning lesson.

Thanking someone (thing?)
This must sound a little odd or maybe not.
Facebook Friends
Without this media I would not be as connected with cousins, nieces and nephews,
brothers (through their wives), children and grandchildren, extended family and REAL Friends.
I would think about them and remember old times
but with some – our paths rarely crossed
and with others paths crossed only occasionally.
I love reading about what they are doing and what they are interested in,
and seeing how fast their little ones are growing.
Yes, I admit I spend time checking on my friends –
but you know, now they are checking on me, too!

1st step
OK, everyone sit down!
I have already walked today at 12:30pm.
the last couple minutes had me huffing and a puffing.

Truth

Meditation
Another devotional reading from 3/2010

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
to all who call upon Him in truth. Psalm 145:18

It is always possible to be thankful for
what is given rather than to complain about what is not given.
One or the other becomes a habit of life.

Many women have told me that my husband’s advice,
which I once quoted in a book,
has been an eye-opener to them.
He said that a wife, if she is very generous,
may allow that her hauband lives up to perhaps 80% of her expectations.
There is always the other 20% that she would like to change,
and she may chip away at it for the whole of their married life
with out reducing it by very much.
She may, on the other hand, simply decide to enjoy the 80%
and both of them will be happy.
It is a down-to-earth illustration of a principle.

Accept, positively and actively, what is given.
Let thanksgiving be the habit ofyour life.

Such acceptance is not possible without
a deep and abiding belief in the Sovereign love of God.
Either He is in charge, or He is not.
Either He loves us, or He does not.
If He is in charge and loves us,
then whatever is given us is subject to His control
and is meant untimately for our joy.
Elisabeth Elliot

Selah

#30dayhappinesschallenge
#memorablemoments
#thankingsomeone
#firststepthehardest
#Selahpauseandconsider

I am grateful for

end of the season Chysanthemums
(transplanted from Grandma Crain’s garden)
catalogs in the mail
We serve a ‘living God’ subject of last night’s BST lesson
a well-running sewing machine

a waiting fire pit

Memorable moment:
?Again? a score of 5 points after 6 hands of “May I” (a rummy type card game) is blown when I was left with 160 points in my hand at the end of the 7th and final hand of the game.

Thanking someone:
Today Kathy T.
who is nonna to the light of her life
she is a fun game player (“May I? I just need more cards.)
she is a caring loving mom to her children
she is a person who enjoys life
she is a true Christian
and I am blessed to say – my friend.

1st step didn’t happen yesterday.
But LOOK I get another opportunity today.

Meditation
March, 2010 – a life changing event occurred.
I read this devotion during that unsettling time and gained strength.

He had made everything beautiful in its time.Ecclesiastes 3:11

Sunrise, noon, sunset, midnight.
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
January, May, September,
Winter, spring, summer, autumn.
Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas.
These are the punctuation marks of time,
and what a marvelous mercy that God divided light from darkness
“and the evening and the morning were the first day”. . .

“For everything its season
and for every activity under heaven its time,” wrote Qpholeth,
the preacher of the book of Ecclestiastes.
For birth, death, planting and uprooting,
killing and healing, pulling down and building up,
weeping and laughing, mourning and dancing,
scattering stones and gathering them,
embracing and refraining, seeking and losing,
keeping and throwing away, tearing and mending.
There are times for silence and speech,
for love and hate, for war and peace.

For the Christian, time is transfigured as we see it
held in love of God, created by and for Jesus Christ,
to whom belongs the primacy over all created things and
who existed before everything and holds everything together.
Elisabeth Elloit
Selah

#30dayhappinesschallenge
#memorablemoments
#thankingsomeone
#firststepthehardest
#Selahpauseandconsider

I am grateful for:

Little bits of sunshine on a fall foggy day
My car
Sufficient social security – we never planned on needing it so much
A good neighbor, who gracious shares and watches out for us
Poinsettias

Memorable Moment
Watching happy young men put the hall back to normal.

Thanking someone:
Today our good neighbor, ‘Uncle’ Bob.
What he has is ready to be shared
Always ready to help
A happy man who loves God
He is thankful
His theme ‘Endure all things”,
He does this with grace.

1st step: I will do thissssss!

Meditation: one of my favaorite poems
Laid on the altar, oh my Lord Divine
Accept my gift this day for Jesus’ sake
I have no jewels to adorn thine shrine
Nor any world-famed sacrifices to make.
Yet here I bring within my trembling hand
This will of mine-a thing that seemth small
But thou alone, O Lord, canst understand
How, when I yield thee this, I yield Thee all
Hidden therein, Thy searaching eye can see
Struggles of passion, visions of delight
All that I have and am, and fain would be
Fond hope, deep love, and longing infinite
It hath been wet with tears and dimmed with sighs
Clenched in my grasp till beauty it hath none
Now from Thy footstool, where it vanquished lies
The prayer ascendeth “May Thy will be done.”
Take it, O Father, ere my courage fail
And merge it so in Thine own will, that e’en
If in some desperate hour my cries prevail
And thou give back my will, it may have been
So changed, so purified, so fair have grown
So one with Thee, so filled with peace divine
I may not know it, feel it as mine own
But gaining back my will,
May find it Thine.
Author Unknown

#30dayhappinesschallenge
#memorablemoments
#thankingsomeone
#firststepthehardest
#Selahpauseandconsider

I am grateful for
an early Christmas present – fantastically soft fleece sheets! ooooooo, ahhhhhhh
thanks to Aaron, Alyce, Alex, Adam, and Anthony
a good nites rest, leftovers for lunch, project – 3 quilts done and 6 bears 1/4 done for Quilt’m by Sunshine Designs, and the ability and love of sewing

Memorable moment – It doesn’t matter how she feels – a welcoming smile and hug is what I receive when I visit my friend Karla, in a care home facility. We visit, sing a hymn, read a devotion/scripture and pray together. A little bit of peace in a chaotic world.

1st step – determined one more day.
This is really the hardest part of this challenge
and it’s probably the best part of the challenge, but it hurts.

Meditation from Sunday AM Message
Matthew 2:10-11
When they saw the star, they were thrilled with ecstatic joy. 11 And on going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then opening their treasure bags, they presented to Him gifts-gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Micah 6:6-8
With what shall I come before the Lord dnd bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old?
Will the Lord be delighted with thousands of rams or with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God?
Selah

#30dayhappinesschallenge
#memorablemoments
#thankingsomeone
#firststepthehardest
#Selahpauseandconsider

My Memorable Moment comes first:
Sunday, the day of the Christmas play at church.
I was asked to be in charge of the food served
after the play,mainly finger foods and desserts.

Historically, we have the greatest number of visitors at this event.
I talked with others who had been in charge of the food planning and very carefully made my plans and asked families of the congregation to bring finger food, desserts, fruit, veggie trays, sandwiches and pizza. Each on asked were willing to help. I reminded each on that we usually have many visitors and to please be generous in the amount they planned on bringing.
5:00 came. The play starts at 5:30.
All most all the food had arrived.
the question began raising it’s worrisome head –
“Did I plan for enough food?”
5:45 – head count – 280+ – 100 people more than planned for!
Wise heads conferred.
Gleaners were sent out.
More pizza, Subway sandwiches, macaroni and potato salad and layered chip dip arrived.
“Lord, We have done what we could.”

We ran out of chips – didn’t think to ask the gleaners to get some.

There were leftovers!
part of a German chocolate cake, a vanilla cake, a part of a dutch apple pie, a few cinnamon rolls, some veggie tray veggies, one and half chicken/cranberry sandwiches, 3 tangerines and a small amount of sliced ham.
Praise God from who all blessing flow.

I am grateful for god’s provision, willing workers, generous food prepare-rs, happy dishwashers, and an awesome clean-up crew.

Today I am especially thankful for the many who came to me and asked “what can I do?” and the even more whom I asked for help and received willing hands, feet and smiles.

1st step: On my feet moving almost continually from 4:00-8:30.
I don’t know how many steps.
Sometimes my heart rate increased.
I’m counting this.

Meditation for 5 minutes:
Thinking on this scripture Romans 15:1-3 Amplified
We who are strong [in our convictions and of robust faith] ought to bear with the failings and the frailties and tender scruples of the weak; [we ought to help carry the doubts and qualms of others] and not just please ourselves. 2 Let each one of us make it a practice to please (make happy) his neighbor for his good and for true welfare, to edify him [to strengthen him and build him up spiritually], 3 For Christ did not please Himself [gave no thought to His own interests]; but as it is written The reproaches and abusers of those who reproached and abused you fell on Me.
Christ is our perfect example. Selah

I am grateful for:
lunch with an out-of-town friend
chocolate chip bread pudding from Lido’s
my favorite fall tree (I don’t know the name)

tolerable pain while walking
sunsets at the beach

Memorable Moment
In the dark two cats walked the entire 15 minutes with me.
Then they waited over two hours at the door of the all for me to quit piecing fabric and go home.
They gave up.
When Buster saw me driving home, he followed, beat me to the door.
As soon as I sat down, Buster took his rightful place on my lap.

Thanking someone:
Today my thanks go to Edith Tolbert, my sister-in-law.
She is a firm Christian.
She loves and lives for God.
You can depend on her.
We have worked on my projects together.
Her main desire is to do what is most benefical for the project to succeed.
I can count on her to pray for me.
Many times she has shared an encouraging scripture, just when I needed it.
Thank you, Aunt Edith.

Steps:
Hopefully I will walk before dark -but better in the dark than not at all.

Meditation
Romans 15:13
May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing
[through the experience of your faith]
that by the power of the Holy Spirit
you will abound and overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. Amplified

Grovel not in things below,
among earthly cares, pleasures, anxieties, toils,
if thou wouldst have a good strong hope on high.
Lift up thy cares with thy heart to God,
if thou wouldst hope in Him.
Then see what in thee is most displeasing to God.
This it is which holdeth thy hope down.
Strike firmly, repeatedly,
n the might of God,
until it give way.
Thy hope will soar at once with thy thanks to God who delivered thee.
E. B. Pusey

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
–Romans 15:13 KJV

#30dayhappinesschallenge
#memorablemoments
#thankingsomeone
#firststepthehardest
#Selahpauseandconsider