Empowered By Grace

There's a lot of talk about grace these days and I believe that we can learn more about it in our head, but until it sinks into our heart, we remain unaffected by it.

In our heads we think, "I know it's only because of Christ's death that we are forgiven and called His child." It's our hearts that have to catch on. It's our hearts that keep us trying to perform by being good enough, measuring up to some unspoken standard of perfection, praying enough or praying the right prayers. Until we experience His grace in our heart of hearts to heal the hurts that have wounded our emotional being, we remain really affected and changed or empowered by His grace.

Grace is like a new country, a new language and a whole new world. It's like a kid in a candy store who gets to have everything. It's like a new dress and high heels. It feels like a million dollars.

Grace is seeing the storm clouds but remaining calm and continuing my walk.
Grace is knowing there is nothing wrong with me when I look in the mirror.
Grace is knowing He's got my back!

Grace is freedom! Freedom to be transparent, to be real, to be me, to say what I think and to say what I feel. I can't control the other person's reactions, but the greatest gift I can give is myself, to God and to myself. To God and to my own self be true!

Grace rolls the stone away. You know, the stone that protects our heart also keeps us locked up inside. Grace let's us out. Grace allows us to forgive ourselves.

Grace is freedom to not be perfect. It's permission to be human and to make mistakes.

Grace is amazing! Who'd have thought?

Powerful Prayer for Loved Ones

I mentioned my prayer yesterday from Ephesians 1 and thought it might help others.

I like to keep special verses in a spiral like this. They are the ones that I most need to meditate over or use to pray. I have these particular verses in the spiral already, but this is in The Voice Version. I can't say enough for The Voice. It just screams in English that I understand.

There are five phrases or sentences which I find are great to pray over anyone, whether a son or daughter, spouse or someone that is on your heart.

1. Give them (her) (him) minds ready to receive wisdom and revelation so they will truly know you.
2. Open the eyes of their hearts and let the light of your truth flood in.
3. Shine your light on the hope You are calling them to embrace.
4. Reveal to them the glorious riches You are preparing as their inheritance.
5. Let them see the full extent of Your power that is at work in those of us who believe....and may it be done according to Your might and power. (That's the same power that raised Christ from the dead.)

While you are at it, pray that for me as well. I need a lot of this.

Thanking Him for YOU!

The past couple days I have been praying four very powerful verses from Ephesians. They are verses 16-20.

This morning when I pulled out my spiral, the very first words struck me. I haven't stopped thanking Him for you.

For you. Yes. You. Thank God for my husband, my sons, my daughters, my grandsons, my granddaughters, my brothers, my sisters, my friends and my readers, who are included as my friends! Yes. I am so thankful to share my life with you.

You are my community. You are a blessing to me. I hope to somehow also be a blessing to you.

Sometimes I express more easily with my pen than with my spoken words, but I hope you know how important you are to me and how much I LOVE YOU! Yes, You!

Just When I Thought

...life might be getting easier....someone turned the heat up!

The past several days have been an emotional ordeal for me, but I have been able to regroup and process today and have come to a higher level of peace.

We all have our stories. Stories of being left alone, being vulnerable and victimized. I have quite a few. The most difficult part of this inspection contingency on the condo is that it brings up the frustrations that it is always me that has to give in. It's always me that has to pay up or give up my cookies! It's always me who has to figure things out with me, myself and I.

The sad part is that when we get in one of these emotional time warps, we can't seem to find the One who can give us peace, at least I can't. It feels like I'm just not able to reach up out of my distress. It feels like even He has abandoned me. Again.

I had two things happen today which brought me peace and warmed up my whole body. (I'm beginning to wonder if my inability to ever get warm is spiritual.) I was so cold this morning that I really didn't want to get naked to take a shower because I freeze when I get out. (There's no heat in our bathroom.)  While I was in the nice warm shower, I recognized His voice imparting, "He didn't get mad at me. He got mad with me!" I laughed. You'd think I'd be more eager to take my showers, because He seems to so often minister to me there. He, my father. He, my husband. He, my heavenly Father. All three apply. It brought comfort and soothed my soul.

Then, as I was texting one of the girls, my counsel to her ministered to myself. I love that. It brought another level of peace.  Oh, how He loves us and continually moves around us to protect us! (See Empowered Mothers at:  http://profitableprose.blogspot.com/2013/05/empowered-mothers.html

Maybe Tomorrow Will Be Better...

I can always hope!

It's hard to believe that less than 48 hours ago, my days were peaceful and I was amazed at how they felt like they were actually getting easier.

HA! Too bad I thought that!

I'm tired. Exhausted actually. The stress of dealing with promises made, yet undelivered and paperwork not written as we had agreed on mother's condo, concern for my children and grand children's welfare, business decisions, financial stress and working long hours......I'm going to bed and escape into my book. I pray I will stay awake long enough to finish it. There's only about 80 pages left.