How did it get to Oct???

Oh my sisters, sorry I have been so negligent on here... mercy me!! May to October?? Well, better late than never? So much has happened since May. I have been working a lot, my oldest daughter turned 21 (not months but YEARS!!!), my youngest turned 19 (also in years), and I'm sure there's more but for now, thats a lot for me. The dynamics have definitely changed in my life. When this (retired) homeschooling mom went back to working, things kind of got dropped, missed, overlooked, etc. It's amazing how UN Superwoman I am... seriously. Do you remember the commercial where the amazing woman on the screen struts to this tune, "I can bring home the bacon. Fry it up in a pan. And never, never let you forget you're a man cause I'm a woman, Enjoli." Um, well I practically forgot my husband was a man but that had nothing to do with the fact that I was a woman! Working retail, I sometimes get home after he's already in bed! Then he gets up and leaves before I'm awake. But we do have cell phones so we enjoy a virtual relationship daily! Haha! So UN Superwoman me has also failed to keep up with housework, reading, quilting, this blog, getting together with friends. Enter God's abundant grace, His grace is truly sufficient. Let me encourage you today that whatever you are facing in this crazy, sometimes break neck speed life, that God is a constant, faithful, sovereign Lord. He never leaves you nor forsakes you and He is a strength when you are weak (trust me I know about me being weak when He is strong!). Let's you and I rest in His grace, be saturated by it, be conduits of it. Take some time today to meditate on the instruments of His grace in your life. You will be amazed at His love for you. Bless you my sisters <3 Let's chat again soon <3

God Grew Tired of Us

God grew tired of us... Powerful documentary about the lost boys of Sudan. What horrors they endured at such a young age. They lost parents, siblings, extended family, friends, and endured it all together. What is miraculous is the attitudes of the 3 young men that were followed on their journey from a refugee camp to living in the United States.

I am grateful for community- those who love me and endure the good, the bad, and the ugly with me. Those who don't listen to other's opinions of me but know me for themselves and love me anyway. Those who I can laugh and cry with me. Those who really listen and really care- those that I listen to and care about.

On the other hand, I am also grateful for the bad and the ugly in life. Situations that hurt and the people who hurt me. Why you may ask? Frankly because those situations and people when viewed as coming from the sovereign hand of God produce perseverance and faith. They also give me perspective that I would not otherwise have. Appreciation for true friends and times of peace are greatly enhanced through enduring the bad and the ugly of life. Experiencing God and His great grace, mercy, and faithfulness deepens my relationship with Him in ways I could not have imagined.

Pursue Peace

"So let us then definitely aim for and eagerly pursue what makes for harmony (peace) and for mutual upholding (edification and development) of one another." Romans 14:19

pursue :

Greek: dioko - ensue, follow after, press toward.

Webster's 1828 Dictionary: To follow with a view to overtake; To endeavor to attain to; to strive to reach or gain.

peace:

Greek: eirene - peace, rest; incontrast with strife- denoting absence or end of strife.

Webster's 1828 Dictionary: To be at peace, to be reconciled; to live in harmony; To make peace, to reconcile, as parties at variance.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace and we are His... we are to pursue peace. Pursue it with a passion as if we were running a race yet we are behind the pack... pursue each person in front of you. As God shows you where peace needs to be made run to that person and make peace. Making peace does not mean keeping peace, it is an active pursuit of, a pressing toward reconciliation, the end of strife. That may mean asking for forgiveness, it may mean doing something kind or helpful, or difficult...it may mean laying down your pride to yield to another which means humility. Remember that Christ Himself willingly came and humbled Himself for us so we, through Him, can be humble.

Yet in order to be instruments of His peace, we must let His peace rest in us. He must be our source of peace.

Colossians 3:15 tells us, "And let the peace of God rest in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful."

God does not give peace as the world gives but a peace that surpasses all understanding. It is our privilege to be instruments of His peace.

Fruit of the Spirit

While perusing my old journals, I came across this excerpt from a newlsetter from by Dr. Paul Chappell, teaching pastor at Lancaster Baptist Church.

"Joy is love singing
Peace is love resting
Longsuffering is love enduring
Gentleness is love's true touch
Goodness is love's character
Faith is love's habit
Meekness is love's self-forgetfulness
Temperance is love holding the reins.

...Wise is he who continues learning to hear that still small voice of God and obeys His every impulse."

Names of Jesus, the Messiah

As I looked through an old journal I found a list I had made of the names for the Messiah, Jesus. I found them to be encouraging so I thought I would share them with you. What an awesome Savior I have!

Wonderful Counselor Isaiah 9:6
Mighty God Is. 9:6
Everlasting Father Is. 9:6
Prince of Peace Is. 9:6
Son of Man John 6:27
Bread of Life John 6:35
Light of the World John 8:12
Door of the Sheep John 10:7
Good Shepherd Ps 23:1; John 10:11
The Resurrection John 11:25
The Way John 14:6
The Truth John 14:6
The Life John 11:25, 14:6
The True Vine John 15:1
The Lamb of God Rev. 5:8
The Root Rev. 5:5, 22:16
The Offspring of David Rev. 22:16
The Bright and Morning Star Rev. 22:16
The Son of God John 20:31

Names of God

Have you ever done a study of the names of God? It's a pretty amazing study. Here are a few of the names of God found in scripture and what they mean. Hopefully this will be as much of a blessing to you as it is to me. What an awesome God!

Abba - Father Mark 14:36; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6
Adonai - Lord, Master Num. 14:17; Deut. 3:24; Ps. 30:8
Jehovah Jireh - Jehovah Will See to it Gen. 22:14
Elohim - God Supreme
El Roi - God the Almighty, the God Who Sees Gen 16:13
Jehovah - self existent, eternal Lord Ex. 6:3; Ps. 83:18; Isaiah 12:2, 26:4
Jehovah Nissi - The Lord is my Barrier Ex. 17:15
Jehovah Rapha - God Who Heals Ex. 15:26
Jehovah Shalom - The Lord is my Peace Judges 6:24
Jehovah Shammah - The Lord is There, He is with us Ez. 48:35
Jehovah Tsidkenu - the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23:6
El Elohe Israel - God, the God of Israel Gen. 33:20
Eloi - My God Mark 15:34
Jah - sacred name, the Lord, most vehement Ps. 68:4
El Shaddai - God Almighty Gen. 17:1
I AM Ex. 3:14
Alpha - the First Rev. 1:8,11, 22:6,13
Omega - the Finality