How are you? I am well. Happy belated Easter. He is risen He is risen indeed! I had an interesting time at my parents. We went to the Catholic Church for the Easter celebration. I was raised in the Catholic Church, and about 12 years ago, my husband and I switched to the Foursquare church. So, it was interesting how the service went. I am grateful that the Lord has been gracious to me, and I feel blessed to know Him so intimately. In the past I didn't feel that way. And I am grateful my children and I talk about Him almost as much as anything else in life. That wasn't my experience growing up. We have been living life, and sharing the Lord with each other, as a normal way of life, since we had our children 8 years ago. I am not ashamed to talk about the Lord with those that don't know Him. And I am grateful also to have the opportunity to Homeschool. Today, a massage client said how confident my 8 year old daughter seemed. What a blessing. So with that, I wish I could say all is easy. But the Lord is good, and He will meet my and your needs as He sees fit. The awesome devotional Streams in the Desert is a wonderful reminder of seeking our Lord in our daily trials. Blessings to you today. I pray grace on you and your family. Jeri

From Marsha Burns
April 11, 2007:
Watch carefully the demands on your time and energy. Discern those
things that are truly your burden to bear. Refuse to go beyond the
boundaries of your own responsibility. There will be opportunities
for others to draw you into their trouble and their concerns. Unless
you are truly moved by My Spirit to do something, your only
obligation is to pray and release them to Me, says the Lord. And, the
enemy will do his best to make you feel guilty for not doing more. Do
not yield to this accusation even for a moment.
Psalms 55:22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. 

Grace for the Journey- March

The Lost Art of Grace

Gone are the days of front yard chats.  No longer do we have the time to establish fellowship with our friends and family. Where has all the grace gone?

Last month, I defined grace as “freely given , unmerited favor and love of God.”  But check out this other definition of grace…. “A favor rendered by one who need not do so” That “one” is you and me.  We all expect grace from others, however we find it easy to shirk our responsibility to show grace to others. How much grace should we expect from others and from ourselves? What can we do to make a difference in ourselves and our families’ lives?

When I was younger, I didn’t hear phrases such as “I am too busy”, “I forgot”, or “No, I can’t because…” Today, these words are regularly heard in conversations, meetings, and email, society’s favorite way to communicate. With children, a family, and many activities to manage, grace has become a lost art. It was common courtesy not long ago to RSVP for functions. Nowadays, with the convenience of Internet, it’s much simpler to write a last minute email or choose to forget altogether.

Often struggles in life stem from not taking a good look at our own fall from grace. From the fullness of his grace we have received one blessing after another John 1:16. We are blessed to know Christ as our Lord and Savior. How do we show our family and friends this grace of the Lord? Do we call or visit friends or family when we know they are struggling or do we send a quick email? Do we RSVP for functions or do we feign forgetfulness or send an email apology?

 Christ calls us to fellowship. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. 1 John 1:7. It takes time and energy to create fellowship and Christ calls us to make this a priority. We expect grace and kindness from others. But when we give grace, we are honoring the Lord who calls us to this.

Our children are being raised in a grace-depleted society. One of our many duties is to incorporate grace in our lives daily, so they can receive it. But better yet so they can learn to give grace to others. This is how they will know we are Christians…by our love and by our grace. How can you show grace today?  Blessings, Jeri