Peace

After the grief waves, come peace........................

A sweet peace that is impossible to put into words.

It is like having your heart wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket fresh from the dryer.

Storms still crash around, troubles lay unsolved, children still demand attention and patience....

But within is a peace that passes all understanding.......

  Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
 Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Clinging

That's how I feel right now.

"Be not afraid, only believe"  the LORD said in Mark 5:36

Grief swirls around me along with many other emotions.

Many things are happening in the lives of others around me.

I feel overwhelmed.

So I cling..........

To the only ONE who can hold me through it all

Christ Jesus

Songs in the Night

Psalms 42:8
Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime,
and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life

During a recent illness,
I had the blessed experience of God ministering to my heart in the night.
Parts of two different songs came to my heart throughout a difficult night:

"My God is a righteous God,
My God is a holy God,
My God is a faithful God,
He will surely stand by me."

"He's my shoulder to lean on
when I am down,
the Rock where He leads me
when I'm overwhelmed,
the place that He hides me
under His wing,
He's not just my song,
He's the reason I sing,
I have been blessed."

Christ Jesus is so tender, especially during times of sorrow or sickness.
And after getting me through difficult nights, each morning He promises four gifts.
I just need to accept them. 

Strength- 
Psalms 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

Grace-
Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Mercy-
Lamentations 3:22-23 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Joy-
Psalms 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

I find myself struggling to receive the last one, JOY, some days.
Christ Jesus knows this
and had a dear friend give me some blocks for Christmas that spell JOY!

Yes, in the night his song shall be with me
And He commands his lovingkindness in the day time.

I love you, Christ Jesus, thank You for leaving heaven for me,
For dying on the cross for me, for raising from the dead for me,
And thank You, Jesus that someday soon You are coming back for me.
Emmanuel, God with us, my Rock, my Deliverer, my Strength, my Comforter
Thank You for being my God

Thanksgiving Chair

What a powerful video! How often I forget.......In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Please watch and then go sit in your own thanksgiving chair.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6znqpPaYzM4

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Sun Shining on Your Soul

Little Snurr came into my room late last night.
He couldn't sleep.  He had a lot on his mind. So we prayed, me silently and him out loud.
How precious it is to listen to a child pray when they are pouring out their heart for others.
A cherished young girl we know is in the hospital, doctors are battling bacterial meningitis to try to save her life.  Each morning this son asks me if she has lived through another night.

So last night, once again he asked God to help her live another night, to lower the pressure in her brain and to keep it down.  He prayed for a man who he overheard saying that today was the anniversary of the day his son died by suicide. He prayed for his grandma who has throat issues so she could eat and swallow chicken again.  He prayed for uncles and cousins to be saved.  He prayed his little heart out. 

After a long pause, my 7yr old said, "Mom, I feel such peace inside."  After more silence he said it was fading a little.  We talked about being in the presence of God is like being in a throne room before God.  And how it is a special place.  I told him how just like we feel sunshine on our skin and it warms us, being in God's presence is like having the sun shine on our soul.  When we step in the shade we still feel warm for a little while then in fades.  It is like that when we step back from being very close to God's presence in prayer. 

Our talk turned to other things, especially the man whose son died.  Snurr went on to explain to me how when someone dies a part of your love for them has to die or you will do crazy things like want to die to be with them or try to crawl in their coffin.  He reassured me that part of your love that was spiritual will keep loving them then.  I can't remember all he said but through his conversation I could tell God has been working on his heart, accepting that his own father's death has a purpose for good and that a part of healing is not staying so attached to him that you want to die, but that you want to live.

Thank you, Lord, for speaking to my son's heart in a way only he would understand.
And thank you for letting us come before your throne and hearing our prayers.  Thank you for sunshine in our soul, for your peace that passeth all understanding.

I stood, a mendicant of God

(A mendicant is a beggar.)

I stood, a mendicant of God,

before His royal throne

and begged Him for one priceless gift,

which I could call my own.

I took the gift from out His hand,

but as I would depart

I cried, 'But Lord, this is a thorn

and it has pierced my heart.

This is a strange and hurtful gift

 which Thou hast given me.'

He said, 'My child, I give good gifts.

 I gave My best to thee.'

 

I took it home.

And though at first

the cruel thorn hurt sore,

as long years passed

I learned at last to love it

more and more.

I learned He never gives a thorn

without this added grace:

He takes the thorn

to pin aside the veil

which hides His face.

 

~Anonymous