The Acronym for Today

F.R.O.G.

Fully - Isaiah 26:3
Rely - Proverbs 3:5-6
On   - Acts 4:12
God - Deuteronomy 32:3

First, fully means completely or entirely; to the further-est extent. There is no doubt or holding back for Isaiah says that God will keep me in perfect peace when my mind is resolutely or dutifully firm and unwaveringly on Him.
Second, rely is to depend on with full trust or confidence/be dependent on Him. Trust in the Lord all my heart.
Third, on who? Christ for there is no other name under heaven by which man must be saved. In Him I place my full confidence.
Fourth, God, the Name of the Lord. I will proclaim His Name and ascribe greatness to His name.

Summation: I will completely and entirely to the furthest extent depend on with full confidence in Jesus Christ. For there is no other name under heaven by which man must be saved. The name of the Lord I will proclaim and ascribe greatness to His Name forevermore.

My challenge to you is to ask yourself, who do you place your trust and confidence in man or in Christ alone?

My disclaimer: I know that each person's relationship with God is unique and one of a kind. I am sharing with you what I have learned from the study of God's Word so that you may know Jesus Christ and Him crucified. To be to God be the glory now and forever Amen.

The Suffiency of God's Grace

I am weak but He is strong!

2 Corinthians 12:7b-10
"Therefore, in order to keep me from being conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh .... Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in in weakness." ... For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I am writing this in between flights to Las Vegas. I have been given a thorn in my side much like the apostle Paul. As of Tuesday morning  this week, my allergies have caused my right to become blocked and I cannot hear out it yet there is a constant ringing. I am weak but He is strong. I was afraid to fly but I went to two doctors as to whether or not I could fly. By the grace of God, I can still hear out of my left, I have several medications on board, and though I am tired there is no pain in my right ear. His grace is sufficient and I will boast in the Lord. The joy of the Lord is my strength. It is my hope and prayer that my ear will eventually clear and my hearing fully restored. For God is my healer and I have faith in Him. It would be easy to complain and feel sorry for myself but that would not bring God glory nor accomplish anything.

I do not know when or how but I have to trust that God will make me well again until then I have to draw strength from His word.

My disclaimer: I know that each believer's relationship is unique and special to God. I share what God is showing me and what I learning to bring Him glory and not myself.

An Attitude of Gratitude

Looking for Things to be 

Thankful for in Everyday Life!

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (ESV)

This verse tells us that in whatever we do, in word or deed. This means when I drive to and fro, shopping, going to the doctor's, cleaning house or just about anything do it in the name of the Lord. It also refers to what I say to my family, the clerk at the store, or the telemarketer on the phone to speak as if Jesus were listening which He does. I am to give thanks to God the Father through Him. I do not always get this right but if I stop and think about it, it is a game changer.

An attitude of gratitude is what separates the believer from the unbeliever. It should also be what attracts others to Jesus. On my trip to see my father last month it was easy to see many things to be thankful for but it is when I returned to life at home that it seemed to be challenging to find things to give thanks to God. Now I try to focus on the little things that I can be grateful for and give thanks to God for His love endures forever.

 1 Thessalonians 5:18

In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (KJV)

  

I am thankful today for the Christian women in my life. I am thankful for the cancellation at a doctor's office so I could be seen. I appreciate it when the traffic lights are green. When someone tells me that they were thinking of me when I call makes me smile. God somehow made my time multiply and I was able to get much accomplished before my flight tomorrow. Getting to hold a child even for a little while brightens my day. My husbands calm and collective reasoning to help me work through my emotions to make a right decision. My loving young men who ask how I am doing and give me hugs. Most of all I am forever thankful for the sacrifice that Jesus made so that I may reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him in the next.

I challenge you today to look for the little things in you life that you can be thankful for and give thanks to God. Smile for Jesus died for you!

My disclaimer: I know that every believer's relationship to God is different and unique. You may not have the same experiences and that is okay. I am sharing because I want to bring Him the glory for what He is doing in me and impart to you what I have learned from His word.

Greater is Jesus in Me than he that is in the World!

1 John 4:4,

 "Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He (Jesus) who is in you is greater that he (Satan) who is in the world."

I take great comfort in this because I know no matter what comes my way I am okay for He is with me. He surrounds me with His amazing love through the prayers and encouraging words of my friends and family. There is nothing that can separate me from His love and He truly works all things out for my good, helping to shape my character to be more like Jesus everyday.

Looking at the verse above the reference for the "them" that we have overcome is the Antichrist which is the spirit that does not confess that Jesus is from God. By confessing Jesus is Lord , as a believer, I have overcome that spirit. I have victory in Jesus. With the passing of my father who I know has gone to be with Jesus, I take comfort in this. There is none like Jesus in all the earth. I know that one day I will see my father in heaven when I see Jesus. I am thankful for the time that I spent getting to know my father. 

God's got him now. I pray for comfort and peace for those of us who will mourn his passing but rejoice that he is with Jesus and no longer suffering. I take comfort in God's word.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

My disclaimer: I know that every believer's relationship to God is different and unique. You may not have the same experiences and that is okay. I am sharing because I want to bring Him the glory for what He is doing in me and impart to you what I have learned from His word.

My Service to My Country

My Years in the United States Air Force

After high school, I went to Air Force Basic Training in San Antonio, Texas, in the summer of 1984. Following basic training, I went to Colorado for Air Force Technical school. I was training to be a munitions system specialist. I would go on to handle, store, inspect, and deliver Aircraft munitions. After training I went back to Bergstrom AFB and served 2 years there in the Air Force Reserve.

I made an attempt at living at home and commuting to University of Texas. I majored in electrical engineering, big mistake. I had trouble with the physics class. I joined the Air Force ROTC which only made it harder because I had to take 15 to 18 hours a semester. I had too much fun in the ROTC. I especially enjoyed going to football games. Gradually, my grades started to reflect this and I had to drop out. I made the decision to go full time active duty.

In 1986 after going active duty, I went to Tyndall AFB in Pensacola, Florida. This would be my first active duty assignment. I was a bit a of a recluse there and I met my first husband while stationed in Florida in 1987. In August of 1988, I received orders to go to Korea for a remote tour. In February of 1989, I flew home to get married and returned to Korea to finish my tour and change my follow on assignment. My husband returned to Florida and received his orders for Morbach Air Base, Germany. I distinctly remember putting in for a joint assignment knowing that God would answer this request. God indeed answered because I later received my orders to Hahn Air Base. By September 1989, I was in Germany. I found out that I was pregnant in October 1990. We were in Germany  until his death in December 1990. I took a hardship assignment back to Bergstrom AFB.  My son was born in July 1991. I would be there until the base closed in 1992. As of July 15, 1992, I was honorably discharged from the military. God was with me every step of the way. He was my comfort and mainstay.

It was times like this that I look back and see one set of footprints in the sand and know that Jesus carried me through. If it was not for my faith in Jesus, I am not sure how I would of managed through that time in my life. I am now blessed with a handsome young man that my son has become. I am grateful for the places and experiences that I went through as well  as for all the people I met along the way. I leave you with this verse because God never wastes a hurt.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

My disclaimer: I know that every believer's relationship to God is different and unique. You may not have the same experiences and that is okay. I am sharing because I want to bring Him the glory for what He is doing in me and impart to you what I have learned from His word.

Prayer Can Be Brief

Our Brief Prayers Can Be Powerful

James 5:16b

The prayer of a righteous person has 

great power as it is working.

Jesus prayed a brief prayer on the cross Luke23:34. There are a number of examples of brief prayer Jabez, 1 Chronicles 4:10; Hezekiah, when sick, Isaiah 38:2-3; and Stephen, Acts 7:60.  A righteous person is one who is in right standing with God. One receives this right standing with God when one belies in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His death and resurrection.

Eccelesiates 5:2 reads, "Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few." I do believe the Rebecca St. James has a song about let my words be few.

Jesus spoke against the scribes and their pretense to make long prayers in Mark 12:38-40. When He taught the disciples to pray He told them not to heap up empty words for God knows what you need before you ask Him Matthew 6:7-8. Be specific in one's prayers .

I learned a long time back that if I keep this acronym in mind it helps me to focus. ACTS for Adoration- Praising God for who He is, Confess- agree with God that what I did was wrong and seek His forgiveness, Thanksgiving-what I am thankful to God for, and Supplication- asking God for my needs and the needs of others. Turning a psalm into prayer is a great way to pray. Psalm 100 is short only 5 verses. It is great for praising God.

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
²     Serve the Lord with gladness!
    Come into his presence with singing!

³ Know that the Lord, he is God!
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

⁵ For the Lord is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations.

My prayer: Dear Father in heaven, Your are great and worthy to be praised. I confess that I have sinned against You and I ask for Your forgiveness. I thank You for Your steadfast love and that You are faithful to all generations. Thank You for my home and family that You have blessed me with. I ask that You would be with my father as his time draws near and I trust him into Your care. Comfort my family at this time. May those who read this be encouraged and grow closer to You. Your will be done. Amen.

 

Grace: There is No Sweeter Word

Without It We Would All Be Lost

The acronym for today is GRACE. I have two for this one. One came from my pastor at Faith Lutheran and the other comes from Celebrate Recovery. Let's look at them respectively.

God's    

Riches  

At         

Christ's  

Expense

You see grace is receiving that which we did not deserve. Through Christ's death and resurrection we have received God's unmerited favor. It is like a man going before a judge and having his fees paid for without asking for help.

God's gift

We are justified by His grace as a gift. (Romans 3:24)

Received by our faith

 For by grace you have been saved through faith. (Ephesians 2:8a) 

 Accepted by God's Love

God loved us while we were still sinning. (Romans 5:8)

Christ paid the price

 In Hm we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace (Ephesians 1:7)

Everlasting gift

And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

Grace is so amazing in that there is nothing we can do to add to or take away from it. It is a gift freely given. Christ paid a debt we could not pay and died a death we deserved. It is so simple but yet so many have a hard time accepting it. 

Christ continues to make a difference in my life and I desire for others to know what I know about Jesus. I encourage you to spend time this Easter contemplating on what He did for you. On March 28th here in the Austin area you are invited to see the Easter Passion Play at Manor High School click on the link, Easter Triumph Passion Play.

Here is something that I think that you will enjoy Acappella Singing of Amazing Grace.

My disclaimer: I know that every believer's relationship to God is different and unique. You may not have the same experiences and that is okay. I am sharing because I want to bring Him the glory for what He is doing in me and impart to you what I have learned from His word.