Today and Forever

en·dur·ing  

/enˈd(y)o͝oriNG/

Adjective Continuing or long-lasting.

Synonyms lasting - durable - permanent - abiding - stable

(Dictionary.com) 

Romans 5...
5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

*Sufferings---> troubles, distress, oppression, tribulation

What if good came from what feels the worst? Because there is a God who is a Redeemer. He loves to make beautiful that which is covered in a mess. He renews. He remakes. He restores and rebuilds.

*These produce perseverance. 

*Perseverance---> Think: endurance, patience

To endure can be to bear without resistance
or with patience.

Thank you God for the bad and the ugly. You never leave. You have sustained and moved me from one season and trial to the next. And God, I won't ever ask you to trade this messy process into a flawless one. For I am learning. I am growing in this. And as long as I'm with you, Jesus, I'm happy to carry on this road.

There is a synonym for enduring- it is abiding. May I be found abiding in you, Jesus. May I be found "about my Fathers business"...whether it looks good and pretty or scary and trying. May I go with you God, even when I don't see what lays ahead.

Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. -Psalm 139:16

I'm in this for life. I'm going with you.

Grace

Believe

May we never forget how truly present the Spirit of God is. He loves to engage with his kids, this loving Father of ours. And today I hear such a clear and absolute voice coming from within and all around me. I've been encouraged this evening to tune into what God is speaking. He is always right on. 

I am doing a new thing. Won't you allow this? I am trustable, reliable. 

I'm here.

 Active. 

Will you let go of agendas? And watch me move. 

Grace, I AM GOD. Do you trust me?

 Before anyone else... I AM God.

 Count on me. Go all in. You won't regret. 

I am Alpha.

 I am in the end. 

I am with you now. 

Go ahead now, do as I say...and I will make a way where you see impossibilities. 

I am Alpha. 

I know the way. 

Believe. If you believe...

^{John 7:37} On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice,“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”^[c] 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Please take a listen today.

Let's Believe,

Grace

Psalm 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

Matthew 7:11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

More tomorrow...

Grace

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,...

 through whom we have gained access by faith into 

this grace in which we now stand.

I heard a thought provoking quote today... 

"When we hide our weaknesses from others, we are also hiding God's grace." 

Hm...

Tonight as I walked into the house, I took a moment to look up at the night sky. 

...I do this from time to time. It helps me to re-gain perspective. It takes me out of my "own-little world," and renews the big picture... 

I am a small part. 

I am one of many. 

I could be called "insignificant." 

But I am not... 

Every time I look upward, I find that God whispers upon my heart. 

He knows me. He sees me. 

He counts me right with Him. 

He has a plan for my life. 

He reminds me that above the noise and distractions of this temporary earth, 

there are The Heavens. 

There is another realm... 

A realm beyond my physical eyesight's view.

 But I am not out of God's view or His witnesses' view.

 I am recognized. I am seen. I am heard. I am called and created with a purpose.  

I stand in grace. 

I haven't earned a position to be loved and noticed and given to in this capacity---

 by The Almighty God.

He has chosen to love me in all my hateful ways.

He chose me.

He chose to give me life.

To breathe into dead flesh and bring my spirit to thriving life.

 This is grace.

 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.

 This inheritance is kept in heaven for you...

I will lift my eyes up to you, O King...for I am sure that I need your help. And I do believe you will respond. I do believe you will extend your strength to me. I do believe you will send help. For God you are living and active... I know I make mistakes. But your grace is sufficient for me. And this life on earth is only the beginning. May I spend my time here sharing this hope found in you.

And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. -Romans 5:1-2

Grace

Getting to know you...

Have you ever had the experience of thinking you know someone, only to find that you don't really?...I mean-- have you ever been a part of a circle of friends and assumed you had so n' so all figured out, only to feel you've met a stranger the first time you actually spend time together- one on one.

 ...Have you ever thought you had a relationship with God because you run in circles of Godly, church peoples and regularly attend worship practices and bible study groups? Have you ever come into the presence of God only to find you had the wrong idea about Him for far too long? 

Have you come to find you've completely boxed in The Almighty God, who is way far too immense for any type of box or human container or mindset or moral code? Could it be that God is far more gentle then this voice inside your head, you've dubbed, "Jesus?" 

Or maybe you've encountered the Holy Spirit and had a revelation->" He's actually Holy!" And so... different. He is different; set apart from ANYONE you've ever seen or heard or known. 

Hey, I've found myself in this place...more than a couple times! I'm starting to realize and/or re-realize some that God is God and His character is beautiful in every way. 

His standards are grace-filled and outstanding. His love is indescribable and absolutely unearned. He's more gentle than a whisper, while stronger than demolition bulldozer. He's in tune with what's going on everywhere with everyone at anytime. He's not hard to contact. His gift of relationship is free free gratiz free!!! ...If you only you'll believe.

 He desires to talk, to listen, and to guide His children. He is God. He is who He is. He will be who He will be. He will never change. He is Love. He is Savior. He is Father. He is faithful even when I am faithless. And even with the best vocab, he is beyond human description. 

He is Holy. 

I believe God wants me taking risks because he's not about playing it safe, like ever. He is dangerous. He is wild. He is free. And again, He is faithful. 

Isaiah 41:10 "Do not be afraid, I am with you..."

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

God, grant me courage and help me trust you in my walk. I need you, Jesus. May I come to know you more in 2013. May I walk abiding in you. May I become humbly reliant and in love with you.

Yours,

 Grace

On The Road Again

My mom is an outstanding woman. She shines such light in her walk with God. She is a friend of God. She is an inspiration. Tonight I want to reflect on something she brought up in one of her latest blog posts... She talked about having a secret place with God. A meeting place to communicate with THE Almighty God...

Just thinking about that...

Prayer is incredible in that you can meet with God-anywhere. Anytime!

There is no sign up list or busy signal. God is available. God is the most attentive listener.

On this topic, I want to say, "Let's hear it for solo car rides!!" :) There's nothing like a lengthy car ride... To be seated with no distraction. You are obligated to stay focused anyway (for safety purposes, right?) And no one can ever hear what's said in that vehicle. It's so secret.

And that's all. I am thankful. 

Check out my mom's blog today! 

Grace

Progress!!!

CHECK!

I am celebrating baby steps! Today I accomplished two biggies on my list. :) 

And that is good.

It's okay to pace yourself. I am learning that I work most efficiently one step at a time. 

:) That's it today.

Grace