When we use the word “grace” to describe human interactions, it is often a lovely synonym for letting someone off the hook. When we apply grace to God’s character and actions, something else entirely comes into play. If it were possible to obtain a core sample of the heart of God, the analysis would come back as pure grace.
Dear Lord Jesus,
I turned over the calendar and it was official: countdown to Christmas. Before me whirled visions of shopping for the perfect gift at just the right price, addressing and sending out Christmas cards, shopping, decorating the house, rushing to programs and parties, shopping, baking and cooking special treats and, of course, shopping. Lord, give me the strength to keep up with all my blessings! But more than that: make this year different.
Christmas memories from my childhood are of cousins and sweet desserts, decorated trees and stockings, and the anticipation of opening gifts! What will I get this year? How many of those presents are for me?
It is early in December and already my calendar is filling up with Christmas activities, parties, and baking. I haven’t even started buying gifts yet. The hustle and bustle of the holidays can quickly become overwhelming for me. Where can a girl get some peace?
While reading the Christmas story, I was struck by God’s abundant provision for his people.
The story opens with Zechariah and Elizabeth who were older and had no children. But God had a plan. He opened Elizabeth’s womb, and she conceived a son. She was overjoyed! “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people (Luke 1:25).”
At the beginning of the year, I buy an appointment book to keep me organized. This is my attempt at time management, which I’ve never been adept at.
December ushers in the Christmas season. Everyone is wonderfully happy and selfless, or so the retail marketers and filmmakers would like us to believe. The commercials and movies show pictures of smiling people baking Christmas cookies and selecting the perfect gift. All the houses are elaborately decorated both inside and out. A mound of gifts waiting to be opened lies under a beautifully adorned Christmas tree as the problem-free family congregates.
Today, we conclude our look at Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s faith journey. Yesterday, we left off with our faith heroes out of the furnace and without a trace of the flames. What happens as a result is nothing short of a miracle in verse 28,
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I’m surprised when God allows me to go through a difficult trial. If I am trying my best to follow, love, and serve Him with my whole heart, why would He allow this struggle? One day, the realization came to me; well, why not me? If God allowed His Son to endure the cross, what makes me special enough to receive an exemption from struggles?
Yesterday, we read about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s faith. They told Nebuchadnezzar they were not afraid of his threats of throwing them into the fiery furnace if they chose to not bow down to the golden statue. With such a display of their faith, we might hope that God would rescue them from even being thrown in to begin with, but that is not what happened.
I will never forget the beautiful lesson that came when I asked God to release me from a seemingly hopeless situation. About 4 years into a “No” from God, I came across Daniel 3 in my ladies’ Bible study. In this story, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down and worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue.
Have you ever experienced a situation that appeared hopeless - where darkness closes in, and the way out seems hidden? It might be that your shoulders feel the weight, and intense emotion crushes your chest. Do these feelings sound familiar? In response to some pretty serious persecution, Daniel and his friends most likely would answer with a resounding yes.
Luna was “ours” for about a month.
We found her meowing just outside our door.
This wasn’t the first time we’d seen Luna. Sometimes she would lay around our porch. She had a collar, and we knew she had a family — just down the street.
Just this week, I saw a Facebook post that feeling thankful lowers your stress by 23%.
It sounded good, but I wanted to check it out.
What I found excited me.
We used to think we could get more done by multitasking, but the latest research shows this to be false. According to numerous studies, multitasking causes more errors than focusing on a single task.
I know this all too well.
I don’t have a singing voice. In fact, I am somewhat tone deaf. I can’t carry a tune in a bucket.
While that sometimes stops me from singing now, it did not stop the 5-year-old me.
As a child, I felt special every time I took a bath at my Granny’s house.
At that time, Granny only had one bathroom. The tub, sink and toilet were probably 30 years old. The water pressure wasn’t that great, but I didn’t care about any of those things.
When my son was around two, he thought he saw his daddy from behind. He started running toward the man, and when he rounded the corner, I saw a horrified look on my son’s face. The man was not his daddy – not at all what my son was expecting. The man looked very similar to my husband from behind, from his build to his bald head, but one glimpse of his face revealed the truth. I explained to the man that my son was a little surprised and upset because he was not who my son had expected him to be.
My friend was having trouble getting her 7-year-old daughter up and ready for school in the mornings. After repeatedly asking her daughter to do her morning routine, she decided she had enough. She asked her daughter to come to the bathroom to brush and style her hair, but she didn’t keep asking. Her daughter hadn’t come in to get her hair styled by the time my friend was finished in the bathroom. When the girl wanted her hair brushed, the mom calmly told her that she had missed her chance. She didn’t follow her mom’s instructions, so she would have to go to school with her hair as it was. Hair au naturel – the natural consequence.
Are these new verses to you? Not likely. Many of us have these verses memorized, and we even classify these as all-time favorites. These words are truth, but it is difficult for us to really live them out.
