She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

~ Proverbs 31:26 (ESV)

Lori, may you day be filled with blessings and wonderful surprises. I wish I could celebrate with you in Florida.

I am grateful that the Lord saw it fit to have us meet this side of heaven. I am thankful for your friendship. I love your honesty; even if it hurts to hear the truth. Thank you for cheer-leading my photography and your support in ministry. You keep me sane in this insane world!!!! Happy Birthday, my sweet friend!!!!

My dear friend Debbie is hosting this upcoming Tuesday (August 3rd 2010) “In Other Words“. Debbie chose a quote by Sarah Young that resonated with me:

I hope to see you over at Debbie’s blog on Tuesday. I will ponder the quote over the next 24-hours and hope to share my own thoughts on Tuesday with you.

Have a blessed Sunday night…

Current Mood: Forgiven †

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
~ Psalm 92:1-4 (ESV)

I enjoy reading, I just wish I had more time to do so. My sweet friend Lori has a marvelous list on her review blog (click on the button above to take you there) . She picked 10 books from her vast array of books she has read over the past months. Some of the books I have already read and the rest are on my wish-list .

I am thankful for books (especially the Bible); I always learn something. I am also thankful for Lori’s review site, because I know that I can trust her judgment. If fiction or teaching books, Lori always gives a straight forward review. She will let you know if something bothers her about a book .

What are you thankful for this week? Head over to my friend Laurie’s site “Women Taking a Stand” to read more TT posts and leave your link.

Thank you for stopping by today. Remember: Reading is Fundamental.

Current Mood: Thankful

“The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.”
~ Psalm 28:7 (ESV)

This month we are meeting up at Laurie’s blog “Women taking a Stand” sharing our thankful hearts — hop on over to meet up with other thankful hearts …

I am sorry that I missed out last week on sharing my grateful heart with you all, but life has been a little crazy (again). Not that I am not thankful, I give Him thanks daily…

This week I want to give another shout-out to my sweet friend Lori. Our friendship truly has kept me sane for the past 3+ years. Too bad that we are 1,823 miles apart from each other. Sure, I have friends locally, but Lori is more than a friend; she is closer to my heart than my own sister. Not only do I share my deepest hurts with Lori; she also sets me straight (in love) when I am off the course with my thoughts and feelings. She indeed is my ‘Titus 2‘ woman (yeah she is much younger in age — but much wiser) — thank You Lord for placing her in my life…

The other day as I was shopping for some household items at Target, I picked up a package of ‘value socks’ for my beloved. When I got home, my sweetheart was beaming, because the last package of socks we picked up from a different store, where actually hurting his feet (long story which I might share on a later date). When I locked at the packing, I noticed something really neat – MADE IN USA. Do you know how rare this is to find clothing made in the US?  Very rare (another post for another day)! Target – I am thankful that you started carrying clothing made in this country – maybe other chains will follow you and thus bring jobs back to this country.

As many of you know I love photography. Yes, I said ‘love’…photography gives me a creative outlet. It helps me to capture the beauty God has placed around us and gives me relief from the day-to-day stress. Soon I will be asking for your help to create my first photo-book that I will be publishing through Blurb. I want to shout out a deep-down thanks to Jill from Crossway to send me the written permission to use ESV Scripture passages in my book. Jill – you rock and I am thankful for your help.

Last, but not least I am thankful for you, my dear readers. You have made the past 5 years of blogging fun, but challenging. You have helped me to grow, to reevaluate me being here. You have challenged me to step out of my comfort zone many times. Which in turn helped me to be real – honest about who I am…So thank you from the bottom of my heart…

Thank you for stopping by today. Remember: a thankful heart is a joyful heart…

Current Mood: Thankful & Blessed †

Not only did my sweet friend Lori from Lori’s Reflections create a new business logo, she also redesigned my website (click on the image to take you to my website). Lori, thank you from the bottom of my heart to work so hard over this past weekend to get my website up and running. BTW -  my beloved thinks my new website is groovy   .

Current Mood: Blessed †

Have you ever tried to convince an atheist that God exists? Or a postmodern thinker that Jesus is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life?” Not easy tasks. In fact, they’re impossible. We can’t do it.

Only God can give faith to a skeptic. Only God can reveal truth to a heart. The Bible says that no one can come to Jesus unless God draws them first (John 6:44). But He does draw. He does reveal the truth about Himself to individuals. He wants people to know Him. And He wants us to make the introductions.

I’ve never convinced an atheist there is a God, but I’ve seen God do it. My friend Victor was raised by a military father who taught him that God did not exist. That there is nothing after death. That life is about what you can get out of it for yourself. And he believed it all.

But then God began to put “doubt” in Victor’s mind. As a young man he began to sense there had to be a great power behind the wonderful complexities of the world. He began to investigate all kinds of spiritual things including Taoism, Buddhism, and other eastern religions.

Then Victor came to one of my Bible study classes. For three months he learned what the Bible says about God, faith, and salvation. He heard about Jesus. When our class was over Victor told me he believed in God. But he didn’t know what to think about Jesus.

Time passed. Victor watched his wife grow in her new relationship with Jesus while he struggled with the idea of faith. But God continued to woo him. God slowly unveiled truth about life, eternity – and Jesus – to Victor.

Two years later Victor came back to Bible study. This time his hunger to know God was obvious. Victor devoured truth. And he met Jesus. God took Victor from atheist to skeptic to believer. And I got to have a front row seat!

God has allowed me to witness similar miracles dozens of times. I spent several years teaching the Bible to adults who’ve never studied the Bible before. Everyone’s story is different. Each person’s journey with God is unique. But God’s truth about Himself, life, and eternity is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And He has revealed this truth in the Bible.

I used the experience God gave me to develop a Bible study for spiritual skeptics and new Christians. This study provides biblical, historical, and scientific evidence to support creation; the reliability of the Bible; and the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. “God’s Truth Revealed” is a straightforward journey through the Bible to help participants understand the importance of knowing God, not just knowing about Him. Each chapter also includes the real-life story of an individual like Victor who became a Christian as an adult.

Do you know someone that God is wooing? If someone in your life is asking questions about faith or God that is evidence that God is actively working! Ask God how you can join Him in what He’s up to. There isn’t anything more exciting.

Kathy Howard

You can find Kathy at Kathy Howard. You can purchase Kathy’s book “God’s Truth Revealed” at Amazon and Christian Books.

Current Mood: Blessed †

Oh my, you have to check out the new design Lori from Lori’s Reflections came up with for Laced with Grace. Please visit Lori’s ‘New Beginnings‘ post to find out more about the redesigned team blog and how you can enter the contest.

I am so giddy about the new design that I even created a new button for it (please do not hotlink the image):

Thank you for stopping by today…Now hop on over to Laced with Grace to celebrate with us…

Current Mood: Happy

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” ~ Psalm 28:7 (ESV)

As I had mentioned yesterday in my post “Fear of Change” God has been working on my heart — I don’t seem to mind changes as much as I used to…One thing I know for sure though, just like David pointed out in the above Psalm “The Lord is my strength…”.

In going with my theme for this year, the changes that happening currently in my life, I face fearlessly (most days). We are having changes again at my work, but this time I am thrilled!!!! We are getting a wonderful, knowledgeable supervisor in our region. I am really excited to work with her; she has taught me so much when I went through training 2 1/2 years ago. Also God answered my prayer for help with my work-load. We were able to hire another person who has worked previously for the company and knows all the ins-and-outs. The best part – she is a believer (God you are marvelous!!!!!)…

The second change that is happening I am thankful for this week has to do with LWG. My sweet friend Lori from Lori’s Reflections redesigned out devotional blog. The launch is on March 1st!!! I am so excited about the new design. Lori did an awesome job. I hope that you will take some time next week to explore our redesigned team blog. There will also be a drawing of a neat little price. But you have to stop by to find out what…Lori, thank you from the bottom of my heart to make the change happen — it was time after 3 1/2 years …

One other change that I am making (something I wanted to do for a long time), I will have on the first of every month a guest blogger at “Grace Alone…”. This upcoming Monday, Kathy Howard will stop by to introduce her new book “God’s Truth Revealed“. I am excited about the opportunity to have Kathy share her ministry with my readers.

So, what are you thankful for this week? Please do share with us by leaving your link below.

Thank you for stopping by today. Remember: Even thought life can change, God never changes!!!

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Current Mood: Blessed † & Thankful

Click on the above button to join in on Marsha’s 14-week series on 1 Corinthians 13:4-7…

This week Marsha is challenging us to share our thoughts on kindness. “Love is patient and kind…~ 1 Corinthians 13:4 (ESV - emphasis mine). I really had to think about the questions Marsha was posting about kindness. At a first glance I have to answer all questions with “Yes”. I do believe that I am kind, respectful. I am kind in my home, I have a heart for the less fortunate …

But than it hit me this morning as I was driving. Am I really kind to all? Kind to the ones that are unkind to me? You know what Scripture passages came to mind? In Luke 6 Jesus talks about loving the enemy…

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” ~ Luke 6:27-28 (ESV)

Ouch!!! Do I do good to those who hate me? Sometimes. Do I bless who curse me? Hm…I don’t remember that I ever did. Do I pray for those who abuse me? Rarely…That is something the Lord has to work out in me. This certainly does not come natural to me — yes, I am a work in progress.

Lord of Heaven and Earth. Thank You for showing me that I am not “all that”. Yes, it is easy to be kind to people who are kind back. It is easy to love family and friends and show them kindness. I even show kindness to people I have never met…But You asking more — loving on my enemies. Lord to do that, I need Your help. Please let Your light shine through me. In the precious name of Jesus ~ Amen.

Current Mood: Okay

I have to say that I do enjoy the title “Lifelong Learner”; even if it means to step out of my comfort zone. I know that I have Someone I can trust with my journey and can gather strength if need be.

So, check out Debbie’s blog and the interview today

Thank you for stopping by today…I leave you with a wonderful Scripture passage out of Psalms:

“But I will sing of your strength;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
and a refuge in the day of my distress.” ~ Psalm 59:16 (ESV)

Current Mood: Blessed †