LACED WITH GRACE...What is shaking our world?

Today you can find me over at LACED WITH GRACE where I have shared a devo entitled "What is shaking our world?" with the readers.

Yesterday,we had a earthquake that registered 4.4 on the Richter scale. When we felt our floor and walls shake, it made me wonder what is shaking our world?

CLICK HERE to read this post over at LWG!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...our rear guard

I have been driving kids to school now for years. Not much has changed. You pull up in the drop off line, and quickly your kids jump out of the vehicle, and you carefully pull away.

This is my final year to drop kids off at school, and today was like all of the other days. I pull up, my daughter gets her backpack out of the backseat, I look in the rear view mirror to see if the traffic is clear, we say our quick goodbyes and I love yous, and off she goes. But something was different today.

I noticed a van pulled over to the side of the road. Out from the backseat emerged a tall girl, who stood at the side of the car as if waiting for something or someone. It only took a few moments for not one, but two more slightly smaller and younger girls to tumble out of the van. As the younger girls scurried onto the crosswalk, I noticed what the first girl did. She walked behind the two younger girls, keeping her hand upon their backpacks as if to steer them. Obviously, being the older and more responsible sibling, she felt the need to be the rear guard.

What a perfect picture of how God also protects us...

"But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard." Isaiah 52:12

Just as the older girl kept her hand on her younger sisters as they crossed the walkway, God's hand remains on us at all times. Not just in the crosswalk of life, but when the enemy lurks at our door, and when we encounter things we just simply do not understand.

God's hand not only guides us, but He protects our rear and enables us to be victorious. Today, I am thankful that He guides and protects me as I cross the streets of life.

What are you grateful for? Today I am hosting THANKFUL THURSDAY and would love to hear your grateful heart. Please link up with us below. Iris will be hosting TT next week for the month of November, see you there next week!

A PIECE OF MY HEART...Memory lane

How good is your memory?

The older I get, the more forgetful I become. But it seems to be the little things that I can't remember. Names, dates, where I put my glasses. Memories such as things in my childhood are still clear as day.

I can still remember playing on the playground in elementary school, and the first time I went to a school dance. I remember the first boy I had a crush on and I can remember the one Christmas that I got a mood ring.

Memories are made up of all the little things we do all throughout our life. Some are good, some are bad, some are disappointing, sad and some make us smile.

Just think of all of the memories that people all throughout the Bible must have made for themselves. I think of David, as a child stepping up to slay the giant...what memories he must have had! I am sure the adrenaline that built up in him as he drew back that sling must have been a lasting memory for him. I can only imagine the memories that Jonah must have had of the time he spent in that whales stomach! No doubt, something he never wanted to relive again.

We shouldn't underestimate the power of our memory. Every time we hear the gospel preached, it goes down in our memory. This is why it is important to bring our children to the House of the Lord, even at a young age, they may not grasp the entire message, but God's Word is being sunk into their mind, spirit and heart. Same is true for God's adult children.

That Word that we hear will be stored up in our memory bank and when the time is right, God will bring it back to our remembrance and He will begin to work in our heart, convict us of our wrong doing and urge us to turn to Him for salvation.

John 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."

Of all memories that you will have, remembering the day of your salvation is one of the most treasured. May the memories of your walk with God be a sweet aroma to Him. And to you.

THANKFUL THURSDAY...what is perfect?

Just once I would like to have a perfect day. Whatever that is. Perhaps the sun shining, no traffic jams, enough money in the bank, the children cleaning their rooms without being told, the house cleaned and dinner on the table before I arrive home from work. Such pleasant thoughts.

What comes to your mind when you think of perfect? Some of the same things, or perhaps a perfect job, or a perfect spouse? Do you envision all the hassles and inconveniences melting away? Samuel talks about God making his way perfect but somehow I don't think he was talking about the cleanliness of his home or the stability of his finances...

"God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect." 2 Samuel 22:33

God's view of "perfect" is different than my view. Perfect doesn't always come in a nice, clean, organized package. In fact, God's "perfect" way may actually be what I consider hard and painful. After all, if everything was silk and lace in our life, how often would we reach out and cling to God's strong arms? Often times, it is in the difficulties that God forms us, thus perfecting us along the way, as we trust Him and lean upon His understanding, not ours.

I don't always understand why bad things happen to good people or why good people have bad days. I can't always see the path that I have chosen clearly, but in hindsight, I can look back over my day, my life and see that God has been pulling me and leading me in a very different direction, all so that He can make my way "perfect".

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and today as I share my grateful heart with you, I reflect on all of the ups, the downs, the joys, and the disappointments of my life...each one having a plan and purpose as ordained by God, so that His way can be perfected in me.

What are you grateful for today? We would love to have you join us this week for THANKFUL THURSDAY, please link up below.

THANKFUL THURSDAY...we are chosen

A few years ago when my husband and I walked the halls of the Louvre Museum in Paris, our breath was taken away as we took in the beauty of amazing works of art. Artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci, with each stroke, created masterpieces.

There are alot of people who have an eye for art, and there is none like the Master of all Masterpieces, God can spot a masterpiece even before the first stroke of paint is applied. Unfortunately, few of us comprehend that we have value far greater than any masterpiece that can be housed at such great art museums like the Louvre where the famous Mona Lisa resides. Most of us instead see our value more like one that could be found at the corner garage sale, marked down for a quick sale. Most of us see ourselves as something just ordinary and not worth much.

I guess, most of us, at some point in our lives have experienced some sense of feeling thrown away like a rummage sale special, either by divorce, a friends rejection, criticism from others or even rebellion of a teen child. No matter who we are or what social position we hold in society, we all long to hear the words, "I love you" and feel like we have value.  Such words are like drops of water on our love starved souls. There is no monetary value that can be placed upon such a feeling.

One of the greatest values that I have stumbled across is found in the book of Isaiah...

"I have chosen you and have not rejected you." Isaiah 41:9

We have been chosen?

Absolutely! Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am ever so grateful that heavenly treasures are never thrown away. We are not garage sale throw aways....we are God's treasured masterpieces.

What are you grateful for today? Please join us this week by linking up your TT post below.

None

Is there a good samaritan in the house?

Every day I drive by an intersection where someone is begging for help. Alittle money, a cup of coffee to stay warm or a small bag from McDonald's would all be helpful to these that stand on the corner, seemingly in need.

Often times, as I drive by, I try to look in the faces of these that are considered beggars. I wonder about their story. How is it that they have come to stand on this corner, being in such dire need? Was life so tough that they found themselves in an impossible situation or did they make choices that brought them to this corner?

No matter what their story is, we hold the power in our hand to either help or drive by. I have to admit, most days I just drive by, not just those on the corner of the street but I drive by those I rub shoulders with day in and day out.

Face it, we are surrounded by the poor and needy. Not just those who have little food, but the wealthy executive who seems to have things together but inside has a impoverished soul. So many needs represent themselves daily to us, we may feel overwhelmed, like there is no difference we can make. After all, who can feed an entire community or house all those who are homeless and have nowhere to go?

Proverbs 31:8 "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute."

Helping those in need does not require us to do for them what they can do for themselves. We cannot live their lives for them. We cannot make their choices. But what helping the needy requires is that we show them that we care.

Whether it be the homeless on the corner or the one at the office that feels hopeless...the best way we can help them is to genuinely care about them and care about what they are in need of.

My question to you today is: "Is there a good Samaritan in the house?"

Would the REAL good Samaritan please stand up.

THANKFUL THURSDAY...the REAL issue

Many of you probably sat down and watched the Presidential debate tonight. I asked my husband who he thought won, he didn't really have an answer to that question. I don't know if there are really any winners of debates, after all election time only means that candidates try their best to identify what our problems are and then they try to convince us that they hold the key to the solution.

Debates can't really identify how good candidates can solve problems, debates only determine who can talk the smoothest. Truth be told, most candidates don't really know what the real issues are or even how to resolve them.

Only One Person can do that. God has already identified what the real issue is. And He has also given us the solution.

The issue? Mankind is lost. The solution? Accepting God's love and forgiveness

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so WHOSOEVER believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." -John 3:16

There's no debate about it...God desires for ALL to come to know Him and that my friend is the REAL issue at hand. Let's pray for our politicians. For our country. And for the lost.

May God surely BLESS the good ole USA!

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am glad that you joined us. I will be hosting TT this month and I am looking forward to hearing what is on your grateful heart! Join us by linking up below.

LACED WITH GRACE...The central core of our being

Today you can find me over at LACED WITH GRACE, where I have shared a devo with the readers entitled, "The Central Core of our Being"...

***

HAVE YOU EVER SLICED AN APPLE?
One of the greatest things about apple slices is that no matter how you slice it, the apple core always remains. No matter if you cut it in half or in fourths, you cannot get around the core. Just as the core is what keeps the apple intact, we also have a core that keeps us intact. Our heart is the central core of our being, or at least it should be....

CLICK THE LINK to read this entire post!