Monday, March 30, 2015

In the quiet

As I sit here this morning, in my quiet time with the Lord, I feel such a peace.  Percy’s sleeping in a chair next to me, the three amigos are cuddled up on the floor surrounding my chair, I can feel the warmth from the gas heater at my back, the rain is gently falling outside, Brant’s dozing in the other room or on his cell phone – I haven’t a care in the world, at least for the moment.  No doubt about it, I am blessed!

Friday, March 20, 2015

A memory of His grace


"When we acknowledge that our hearts are deceitful and our lives are full of weakness, stubbornness, ingratitude and foolishness we discover to our surprise that in Christ none of these can separate us from the love of God.  In those moments Jesus becomes more precious to us." (John Newton)

        I recently had a conversation with a dear friend regarding addictions and was sharing how I had once be addicted to cigarettes and how God had literally delivered me from it.  I had struggled with it for years and tried numerous “cures”, including prayer, but nothing had ever taken the cravings away. 

I recalled how I had heard a Christian speaker talk about people who quit smoking – and how some people quit just by their own will power, their own internal fortitude – something I found myself to be lacking in.  But at the same time when I realized I couldn't it opened the door so that He could.  Something in me changed and I was no longer bound by the shame I felt in being addicted.

I came to a point where I knew He could (and would) deliver me.  He used the prayers of another but I know it was only the means through which He worked.  I was surprised at how easy it was to let it go and I have been free for about twenty years now.

The quote from Newton just resonated with me of how amazing the love of God is and how dependent we are upon it and how dependable it is towards us and that we rest in His righteousness, not our own.