Book Review: Unstuffed~Decluttering Your Home, Mind & Soul by Ruth Soukup

2 Corinthians 2:9(NIV)

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Praise for Unstuffed

"As women, we have the tendency to overstuff our lives, our schedules, and our homes with things that really aren't beneficial. And our souls suffer because of our unwillingness to let go. Ruth Soukup tackles this issue head-on and gives practical steps to be purposeful with the stuff we let in our sacred spaces. You'll be thankful you chose this book!" -Lysa TerKeurst, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Best Yes

"A warm, easy-to-follow guide that offers actionable steps to creating a calm, prayerful, stress-free life." -Simple Grace Magazine

Author's Description

Great tool to help identify areas of our
lives where clutter congregates!

STUFF. It's everywhere. Lurking in corners and closets, spilling onto counters and coffee tables, creating havoc everywhere we look. And it's not just the physical clutter that weighs us down. Oh no, it is the stress of overbooked schedules, and the weight of life that sometimes feels oppressive and totally out of whack.

New York Times bestselling author Ruth Soukup feels your pain--she has been there too. Through personal stories, Biblical truth, and practical action plans, she will inspire and empower each of us to finally declutter not just our home, but our mind and soul as well. Unstuffed is real, honest, and gets right down to the question we are all facing--how can we take back our lives from the stuff that is weighing us down?

In this book, together we will:

• Create a comprehensive vision for our homes, and make instant changes to improve its overall function.

• Discover that more closet space is not the solution, and instead learn how to set strict limits for the stuff we bring in

• Overcome the frustration of dealing with our kids' influx of stuff and implement practical solutions for keeping the chaos at bay.

• Recognize the pitfalls of an overstuffed schedule BEFORE it gets out of hand, and instead learn to combat the culture of busy that keeps us running from one thing to the next.

• Finally conquer that mountain of paperwork that threatens to tumble down around us at any moment.

• Let go of the guilt that gets attached to gifts and instead learn to separate our loved ones from their stuff.

• Begin to cultivate our real friendships while eliminating the toxic relationships that weigh us down.

Personal Review:

Unstuffed~Decluttering Your Home, Mind, & Soul by Ruth Soukup is a well written book that addresses physical clutter, mental traps, and spiritual truths. This is a great read that is descriptively “stuffed” full of practical advice and tangible application!

Unstuffed is not only a great tool to have in your arsenal of weapons to help fight the clutter monster, but it’s also a transparently thoughtful work that serves to assist the reader on a deeper level by uncovering potential issues in our minds and hearts that may be hindering our ability to live “clutter free” lives. The author begins the book by acknowledging her own love for material things and our western culture's propensity to collect and hoard too much stuff. This genuine spirit of authenticity is felt throughout the reading of this book, as Soukup tears down walls of shame, embarrassment and guilt that often accompany the accumulation of unnecessary and unwanted stuff.

Not only does the author give a systematic plan of attack to take back our homes and win the war against the perpetual cycle of things piling up in them, but she also helps us to reformat our thinking to prevent a returning problem in our homes. In addition, the book could also double as a "practical parenting guide", as it covers many great strategies for raising well balanced children and modeling a healthy lifestyle as it relates to our belongings and spirituality. 

Ruth Soukup does a great job of communicating the chaotic feel that our high tech world has created with the constant influx of information and little to no margin in our schedules. She reveals that her desire to be constantly busy is a struggle she has to guard against to maintain a peace of mind and a less scheduled home. I love the "Red Flag" section where she gives a list of "warning signs" to help the reader identify if they are in trouble. 

Finally, and most importantly, Ruth ends with the source of all freedom as she identifies our need to allow the gift of Christ as the ultimate answer to all of our needs. She candidly shares of some desperate times in her life and the grace that she has come to know as she walked through this period of darkness. Her conviction to lean on the Lord and remain in a prayerful state are refreshing and extremely encouraging. This is an excellent read!!

Thank you to Zondervan Publishing for this review copy of Unstuffed by Ruth Soukup. I was not required to write a favorable review, only to read the work in it's entirety and give an honest opinion of it's contents. 

Book Review: For The Love by Jen Hatmaker

This book will lighten your load and give
fresh meaning to the word, grace! 

For The Love~Fighting For Grace In A World Of Impossible Standards by Jen Hatmaker

Best-selling author, Jen Hatmaker is convinced life can be lovely and fun and courageous and kind. She knows how the squeeze of this life can make us competitive and judgmental; how we can lose love for others and then for ourselves. She reveals how to:

Break free of guilt and shame by dismantling the unattainable Pinterest life.
Learn to engage our culture's controversial issues with a           grace-first approach.
Identify the tools you already have to develop real-life, all-in know-my-junk-but-love-me-anyway friendships.
Escape our impossible standards for parenting and marriage by accepting the standard of "mostly good."

In this raucous ride to freedom for modern women, Jen Hatmaker bares the refreshing wisdom, wry humor, no-nonsense faith, liberating insight, and fearless honesty that have made her beloved by women worldwide.

My Personal Review:

For The Love~FIGHTING for GRACE in a World of Impossible Standards by Jen Hatmaker is a wonderfully burden breaking book filled with sound truths about grace. 
For The Love by Jen Hatmaker takes a relaxed and transparent look at the elements of grace and the pressure we put on ourselves to live it out in a "perfect" way every day. This book gently reminds the reader that the focus of grace filled living should center around the love we share and reveal to one another through kindness practiced in our everyday living; It is more about resembling Christ through a relationship with Him rather than trying harder to be better within our own strength. 

Reading the book,  For The Love by Jen Hatmaker is similar to the feeling one gets from a cool breeze on a hot summer day! With each turn of the page, I could feel the air becoming lighter...crisper...easier to breathe. Jen's candor and honest transparency throughout her writing is so refreshing to me that I can hardly put her work down. Instead of  rushing through and trying to read faster, I found myself reading slower, so as to savor every word. Well done!

Jen Hatmaker will bring a smile to your face!

After digesting this most recent work from Jen Hatmaker, the reader will undoubtedly search their own heart for issues that have been hidden and not dealt with due to the fear of being judged by a harsh world. Jen brings to light that releasing these concerns to the Lord will break chains and set you free to demonstrate the goodness of God wherever you are planted. The humor in this book is plentiful. Is she a comedian in addition to her writing career? I literally could not stop laughing during many parts of this book. Her unstoppable ability to bring liberation to a soul bound in guilt, fear, and insecurity is a priceless gift.

I think what I love most about this author's work is the way her "spicy" personality comes across in her masterpieces. She describes "spicy people" as those who "love obnoxious humor, sarcasm, and the tendency to be very, very loud." She goes on to explain that spicy folks have "enormous feelings, which makes us a passionate, emotional bunch. Our permanent default setting is exclamation marks. We don't really 'do gentle.' We don't actually know what that means." 

For The Love brings out this free spirited sense of abandon and translates to the reader in a comedic way. However, don't mistake Jen's fun spirited delivery with a watered down message, because her case for Christ and her consistent message that we need to reach out to a hurting world in truth and love are vehemently clear. Her insistence that God should not be our "American God Narrative", 'filtered through a middle class, white, advantage denominational lens' sets the stage for one of the most profound statements in the entire book, which is: "Theology is either true everywhere or it isn't true anywhere." Powerful, thought provoking, and true! 

For the Love  by Jen Hatmaker is a treat to read! It will be released on August 18, 2015. This book definitely has the potential to set a warm heart on fire...a captive soul free... a confused mind straight...and perhaps even change a grumpy countenance to a bright and happy one.  

Thank you to Thomas Nelson a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc for this complimentary review copy of For The Love by Jen Hatmaker provided through NetGalley. I received this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions within this review are my own.

Book Review: Vanishing Grace by Philip Yancey

Thought provoking and challenging!

“Why does the church stir up such negative feelings?” Philip Yancey has been asking this all his life as a journalist. His perennial question is more relevant now than ever: in a twenty-year span starting in the mid-nineties, research shows that favorable opinions of Christianity have plummeted drastically—and opinions of Evangelicals have taken even deeper dives.

The end of the politics-oriented Evangelicalism that was so dominant in the second half of the 20th century is a strong example that we are living in a post-Christian culture.

Yet while the opinions about Christianity are dropping, interest in spirituality is rising. Why the disconnect? Why are so many asking, “What’s so good about the “Good News?”

Yancey’s writing has focused on the search for honest faith that makes a difference for a world in pain. In his landmark book What’s So Amazing about Grace he issued a call for Christians to be as grace-filled in their behavior as they are in declaring their beliefs.

But people inside and outside the church are still thirsty for grace. What the church lacked in its heyday is now exactly what it needs to recover to thrive. Grace can bring together Christianity and our post-Christian culture, inviting outsiders as well as insiders to take a deep second look at why our faith matters and about what could reignite its appeal to future generations.

How can Christians offer grace in a way that is compelling to a jaded society? And how can they make a difference in a world that cries out in need?

Yancey aims this book at Christian readers, showing  them how Christians have lost respect, influence, and reputation in a newly post-Christian culture. “Why do they hate us so much?” mystified Americans ask about the rest of the world.  A similar question applies to evangelicals in America.

Yancey explores what may have contributed to hostility toward Evangelicals, especially in their mixing of faith and politics instead of embracing more grace-filled ways of presenting the gospel.  He offers illuminating stories of how faith can be expressed in ways that disarm even the most cynical critics.  Then he explores what is Good News and what is worth preserving in a culture that thinks it has rejected Christian faith.

My Review

Vanishing Grace by Philip Yancey is a thought provoking work that dives deep into the heart of grace and questions whether Christians are accurately communicating the message of the cross to a hungry and hurting world.  As with his previous work:  What’s So Amazing About Grace  published in 1997, the reader should be prepared to have their toes stepped on…ouch!! 

Vanishing Grace by Philip Yancey takes a purposeful look at the way the gospel is being presented in churches today.  After reading this book, I have a greater awareness and appreciation for how I communicate the message of Christ.  Philip Yancey presents the idea that a large percentage of churches in America have steered away from grace and veered toward a harsh and often judgmental presentation of the gospel.  The question submitted is one for careful consideration.  Has the church, as a whole, whether purposefully or inadvertently, turned our pews into more of an arena of arrogance and condemnation rather than a place of acceptance and healing?  This question forms the foundation for the entire book.  Yancey does a magnificent job of exploring the possibility that far too many churches are missing the one thing that matters most to effectively share the love of Christ.  That “one thing” is simple the word- grace.  

Vanishing Grace challenges the reader (especially the Christian reader) to consider the possibility that we have in many cases handled the message of Christ with an extreme amount of forceful theology and too little mercy and grace.  Yancey identifies that there are a large number of people he labels “post Christians” (those who have at one time chosen Christianity and then chosen to leave it) in the population that have had a negative experience with the church setting due to an environment of critical perfectionism and useless pious attitudes. 

Philip Yancey does not leave the reader with hopelessness, however.  He does a phenomenal job of drafting ideas for how to live out grace in a more effective manner.  He throws down the challenge that we MUST press on in the fight against injustice.  He references early Christian movements that were paramount in ending human atrocities, such as the Roman time period when gladiatorial games and infanticide were rampant and including recent campaigns against abuses of slavery and sexual trafficking. 

Vanishing Grace cautions that the Christian should choose battles wisely.  He writes, “The more Christians focus on tangential issues, the less we will be heard on matters of true moral significance.”  He asserts that we should keep priorities of the Bible as our focus.  He encourages that a Christian should fight our battles carefully and with an abundance of grace.  Yancey reminds us that the terms “illegal and immoral” are not the same and that our morality cannot be forced on a society.  He warns Christians to keep church and state separate.

This is a very deeply moving book and requires time to fully absorb each of the ideas and challenges that Yancey proposes.  It is not a quick read, as it engages a level of pondering that will bathe you in reflection.  Vanishing Grace will encourage you to be a “grace dispenser” through that of a “pilgrim, activist, or artist” as identified by your calling to Christ.

Thank you to Zondervan Publishing for this Review Copy of Vanishing Grace by Philip Yancey through the BookLook Bloggers program.  I was not required to write a favorable review of this work.  The opinions within the review are strictly my own.

My Dog Lucy

Psalm 119:85(MSG)
The arrogant godless try to throw me off track, ignorant as they are of God and His ways.

It doesn't take much to throw me off track these days.  I don't know if it's my age or what.  I mean let's be candid, I am pushing 50 years on this planet....that's 350 years for a dog!  Holy smokes!  That's half a century!! Perhaps another contributing factor could be the extraordinarily large amount of information that is available to me at the swipe of a screen. I suppose it could be a combination of both, but it's definitely a constant battle for me to stay on task and I don't think it's got anything to do with the "arrogant godless" this time.  


Here's the real deal. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that we are living in a world that is too busy.  Good grief, the things I can do now that weren't provided even a mere ten years ago is mind boggling!  I can check e-mails while I'm brushing my teeth.  It's not uncommon for me to look at the weather radar while I'm cooking dinner.  I frequently find myself reviewing all of the latest news events as I'm sitting in the car line waiting to pick my daughter up from school.  Oh yes, and there's Twitter, Facebook, Google+, blogs, etc....etc. Great. Or is it? 

I'm not sure what the answer is there, but I am sure of one thing.  When I do derail and inadvertently switch tracks, I usually end up falling behind on what I had intended to accomplish.  When that happens, my stress level goes way up. When my stress and anxiety go up....my "God ways" and certainly my God awareness go down.  Uh-oh... 

Did you know looking into a loving dog's eyes will increase
 endorphin (neurotransmitters that decrease stress)
 release in your body?  This is Lucy...in case
you don't have one of these at home and need
a little stress reduction today.
  

This is a picture of my dog, Lucy.  She is a beautiful cockapoo who brings so much joy into our home.  I am a firm believer in the stress relieving capabilities of a friendly pet. No surprise there, as they are one of God's biggest blessings to us humans!  You may not agree with that, but this is my blog, so I get to freely voice my opinions :).  Anyway, as awesome as she is, if I multiply that times infinity, my answer will still not compare to the stress relief that I find at the foot of the cross as I look into the eyes of my Savior.  He is certainly the biggest stress reducer of them all.  I hope you'll agree with that one!



Lord,
Thank you that I am created to be known by You.  I am so grateful that I don't have to hide from You.  You know when I sit and when I rise.  You discern my thoughts from afar.  You know, Oh God, a word before it is even on my tongue.  What freedom to know Your loving eyes are upon me.  What comfort to acknowledge that we don't have to live under the burden of stress or fear because of Your sacrifice.  (Psalm 139)
  
Oh...and thank You for these beautiful creatures that you have given us to enjoy.

In Christ's Name,
Amen 

Book Review: Motherless by Erin Healy

2 Corinthians 12:9(MSG)  

My grace is enough;  it's all you need.  My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

                          Motherless by Erin Healy

A whispering voice at the back of my mind reminds me that I’ve been this way for some time. Dead, that is.

Motherless by Erin Healy
A five star graceful mystery!

The dead have a very broad view of the living, of actions performed out of sight, of thoughts believed to be private. I would know. Losing both parents is a trial no child should endure, and Marina and Dylan have endured enough. They deserve the one thing I could never give them: a mother’s love.

A mother’s love, and the truth.

My children have believed a lie about me for years and years. After all this time I can still feel their hurt in my heart. But the tether holding me to them is frayed from years of neglect . . . and I have to find a way to make my confession before it snaps.

But when the truth comes out, what other beasts will I unleash?

“Why do we lie to the children?” someone asked me once.

“To protect them,” I answered.

How terrible it is that they need protection from me.

My Personal Review

Motherless by Erin Healy is the suspense filled mystery of the year!  This book will engage the reader from start to finish as the interlocking characters twist their way through the pages.

Motherless by Erin Healy has earned the title "top favorite fiction read of the year" award on my list! This novel to be released  November 11, 2014 will have the reader shaking their head with intrigue as they forge ahead in rapid page turning succession (or swiping for those E-readers out there:).  As with her previous books, it is difficult to put Motherless down once you get started.

Now, before I continue, I must confess that I am admittedly an Erin Healy enthusiast.  I jumped aboard the "fan" wagon with her publication of the books:  Afloat and Stranger Things and I somewhat obsessively watch for her new releases to snatch them up. Why? Because Erin not only entertains the reader with her creative mind, but she also manages to simultaneously bring awareness to a culturally relevant subject matter.  The themes within her books are usually hot topic buttons that our society has tried to gently brush under the rug or items that we feel somewhat uncomfortable talking about.  

Motherless by Erin Healy manages to present the subject of mental illness through the life of one of the main characters with a respectful authenticity that is very believable.  The obstacles that an individual suffering with a mental health illness have placed before them are infinite and immense.  The responsibility that a family dealing with an afflicted loved one must bear is communicated throughout the book with inventiveness and truth.  The layers of guilt, shame and regret for past mistakes in the handling of the afflicted individuals behavior are also scrolled throughout the character's hearts and minds.   

As I began reading the first few chapters of the book, I quickly found myself (for my older readers out there) thinking of the movie, Ghost with Patrick Swayze.  The way in which the main character, Garrett is able to see the earthly happenings of his family and minimally convey his presence, despite their inability to make the connection is quite similar to the 1990 film.  As the book proceeds, there is a similarity to Charles Dickens' novella A Christmas Story released in 1893, wherein Ebenezer Scrooge finds himself reviewing his life with ghosts from the past.  In this classic, of course, Scrooge takes a tally of all of the negative choices he has made while he inhabited the earth and applies them upon his awakening.

Do not be confused by my comparisons, however, this is not a rewrite of a tried and true Christmas time classic.  This book is written for today's readers swirling through a wild current of mental health issues as lived out in the lives of several of the family members. Motherless by Erin Healy will take the reader on a compelling, rousing, and soul stirring journey.  The message of hope and the constant undercurrent that God's grace and mercy really are enough to cover our inequities is an undeniable communication throughout the book.  This work is a mysterious and complicated thriller that you won't want to miss!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc for this review copy of Motherless by Erin Healy.  The thoughts expressed within this review are strictly my own. I was not required to give a favorable review of this work;  I was only required to read the book in it's entirety and render a transparent opinion.

Following His Light Into 2013

Psalm 119:58(MSG)
I beg you from the bottom of my heart:  smile, be gracious to me just as You promised.

The word "grace" is repeatedly being brought to my mind lately.  How timely that here it is again as I approach a New Year.  While my daughter and I sat together curled up by the fire reading the Word of God a few mornings ago , she softly said, " I hate that Christmas is over."  I thought about this and remembered back to when I was a little girl.  It was sort of a sad time, as the excitement and electricity of the season came to an end.  But, as the years have gone by and I have been blessed to be a part of many cherished Christmas celebrations, I have come to the realization that the week after Christmas is just as awe inspiring for me as the week before.  You might be wondering how that can be?  Simply because of a word that keeps creeping into my heart.  The word grace.

Taking time during this week after our Savior's birth and using it to recount all of the favor that He has poured over my family for the past year, gives me an overwhelming sense of who He is!  Reviewing all of the times when the Lord met our needs and gave us abundantly more than I could have even known to ask for or imagined, provides a confidence that comes only from Him.  It saturates me in His peace, and yet at the same time, allows a power to well up within me to face another year of security in Him.  He is very clear in His Word that He will take care of me!  He promises to sustain us and to walk us through even the greatest of trials!

Our family has some pretty big challenges that we are facing in the coming year.  I don't have any idea what you might be facing this year, but I do know the One you can face it with!  He is big.  You can count on Him to see you through the very toughest of circumstances.  His Word will give you clear instructions for how we can face every single day.  He will protect you and allow you to walk in places that you only thought you could crawl!  Now that is truly inspiring.  My prayer for my family and for you this year, comes directly from today's verse.  I pray that the Lord will smile upon us and be gracious to us, just as He promised that He would. 

I will be reading from the NKJV Bible this year.  I have chosen:  Jesus Calling Devotional Bible published by Thomas Nelson.  Feel free to join me in reading this translation or the one of your choice.  His Word is life changing!  I know that to be true.

Lord,
As always, You give us a new and fresh hope.  Thank you for Your words that brings us peace, confidence, and power to anticipate a New Year of wonderful blessings.  Show us our gifts and help us to use them to bring You glory in 2013.
In Your Name,
Amen
   

Grace! Grace!

Psalm 119:55(MSG)
I meditate on your name all night, God, treasuring your revelation, O God.

Rest in His grace.

Grace!  Grace!  Amazing grace....truly how sweet the sound.  On the heals of the music post from yesterday, these words are drawing me into the old treasured hymn, Amazing Grace.  The word, grace, is on my mind today, as I am reading the new book by Max Lucado entitled:  GRACE.  (A book review  will be coming soon.  I have to finish the book first, of course.)

Reading this verse today and meditating on all that is embodied in the mighty name of God, I am humbled to be called a child of the King!  He is so great that admittedly there are times when I feel extremely unworthy to call upon Him in my smallness and continued failings.  But, then, I am drawn back to that five letter word, G-R-A-C-E.  

I have heard this word described many ways throughout the years, but reading Max's words yesterday, encompassed everything that I believe the word grace means!  If you are struggling today with your humanness and perhaps being too hard on yourself...then pause a minute and meditate on the name of Jesus.  Or maybe you are thinking that if you could just get everything in your life straightened out and polished up, then you would make a decision to come to Christ....in your best Sunday clothes...all perfectly put together.  Guess what?  You don't need to do that.  You just need to come to Him...like you are...right now.  Still don't believe me?  Read the following passage from Max's book about Grace.  Let his words sink deeply in and bathe you in the loving arms of Christ.

Max Lucado from his book titled: GRACE, writes, "Grace is God as heart surgeon, cracking open your chest, removing your heart--poisoned as it is with pride and pain--and replacing it with his own.  Rather than tell you to change, he creates the change.  Do you clean up so he can accept you?  No, he accepts you and begins cleaning you up.  His dream isn't just to get you into heaven but to get heaven into you.  What a difference this makes!"  (Italics my own.)

Lord,
You are a God with infinite knowledge and wisdom!  We praise Your holy name today and thank you for your amazing grace.  May it wash completely over each of us as we approach Your throne of forgiveness.
In Your precious Son's name,
Amen





 

F.R.O.G.



The bracelets that we were given to each child.

Psalm 119:29(MSG)

Barricade the road that goes Nowhere;  grace me with Your clear revelation.

F.R.O.G.  Fully Reliant On God!  That was the theme at church on Wednesday night (February 29~Leap Day) in our elementary area.  We played leap frog, had frog racing contests (they were plastic frogs...if you were worried), and jumped up and down during worship with praises to the Lord!



There was so much electric energy it was almost palpable and most certainly contagious.  Following all of the activities, the children had the opportunity to spend a little quiet time in prayer with the God of Heaven and Earth!  Pretty amazing.

I appreciate this type of simple reminder that I need to always be completely trusting in my Savior, Jesus Christ!  The fact is that we "grown ups" tend to make things a little complicated sometimes.  I enjoy those people who clearly present the revelation of Christ in their life just by the way in which they live.  The Lord said it best when He said:

Matthew 19:14 (NLT)
But Jesus said, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children."

There really IS a road that leads nowhere!  I don't want to be on it!!  The "leap of faith" to an abundant life is graciously provided for us.  All we have to do is "jump" on board!!    

Romans 10:9(NLT)
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

God,
Thank you for the fun I had Wednesday night.  Thank you for the leaders in my church who provide an avenue to You and the Word of God.  Bless each of Your children with protection and the knowledge of Christ. Grow within us the faith to continually walk with You!
In the joyful name of Christ,
Amen

The Rescuer

Psalm 136:11(MSG)
And rescued Israel from Egypt's oppression, His love never quits.

As I was walking along the beach this summer, I came across this area of roped off sand.  It said, "Please do not remove...Sea Turtle Nest".  I learned that the island is  a conservation island and thus their mission is to rescue and protect wildlife.  Apparently, the sea turtles will bury their eggs in shallow nests along the soft area of sand close to the dunes.  If left unprotected, predators will come along and dig them up.  Often times people will unknowingly shove their umbrella poles down into the middle of the nest and damage or kill the eggs as well.  Sounds like they definitely need this protective rescuing action from a caring community!

Do you ever feel like you need ropes around your life?  I sure do!  And the Israelites sure did.  God provides that yellow tape.  He is my mighty rescuer!  Our God  is full of mercy and grace and He pours it into our lives everyday.  I am so thankful for His love that never quits!

Thanking God for His constant love and never ending mercy in my life today.

The Wedding Walk

Psalm 139:3(NIV)
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

I had the privilege to attend a wedding this afternoon.  What a perfect day for such a great event!  The sun is shining and there is a gentle breeze blowing.  Awe....
As the father of the groom spoke, his words resonated with my heart.  He said that marriage is like a garden.  The seeds of love, gentleness, patience, respect, and joy need to be planted and nurtured.  However, the weeds that try to grow up throughout the garden need to be removed to prevent the desired plants from being choked out and killed.  The weeds, he went on to say, are pride, selfish ambition, and anger. 

How true these words are, not only in a marriage relationship, but in any relationship we enter into.  The Lord is familiar with all of our ways.  He knows our strengths and our weaknesses, and that if left on our own, we could not sow these seeds of good works.  He sent His Son as a gift to pay that complete price for our sinfulness and to leave His Spirit here as a counselor to guide us into all truth.   We need only to accept His gift!

Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV) says,  "For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing;  it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." 

Lord,
Help me to walk in the manner that reflects your love and wisdom.
Amen

God's Grace

Proverbs 4:9 (MSG)
She'll garland your life with grace, she'll festoon your days with beauty."

Ok...there's a new word..."festoon".  I confess, I don't know what that means?