In the meantime

Here's a new melody to  He Giveth More Grace.   May it cause you to rejoice in the One who is our strength and who gives grace for each new day!

If you haven’t already read this book, you need to!  It is super straightforward and simple, but it has dramatically affected my approach to prayer! And I am thankful. Basically, the author hones in on the advantages of using the Bible as the guide for prayers.  Prayer really doesn’t have to be super complicated, you know.  But we like to make it complicated, don’t we?  We have acrostics to remind us of different aspects of prayer; we have slips of paper with lists and charts to organize categories of prayer requests for each day of the week and/or month; and if nothing seems to really “work” for us, we scrap the suggested methods and just pray as we feel like praying.  None of these things are wrong, but when all is said and done, we usually end with a rather sporadic prayer life. Which is really a shame [after all, we're talking about ...

Have I mentioned how encouraging the book of Psalms has been to me lately? “Blessed be the LORD, because He has heard the voice of my supplication.  The LORD is my strength and my shield , my heart trusts in Him and I am helped;  Therefore my heart exults , and with my song I shall thank Him. / The LORD is their strength, and He is a saving defense to His anointed. / Save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance; Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.  (Psalm 28:6-9) “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. / Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.  (Psalm 27:13-14 ) “His work is honourable and glorious: and His righteousness endureth forever. / He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.  ( Psalm 111:3-4) “Make me to know Thy ways...

October 15 was Pregnancy and  Infant Loss Awareness Day.  I don’t really have much of anything eloquent or profound to say in light of it, as on one hand, dozens of emotions  are forever crowding my mind, making it hard to even know where to start. On the other hand, I feel empty and dried up, with no more emotions to be had…. Anyway, I do want to share something someone else has already said that is way better than anything I could ever say.  Here’s for you moms out there who know the pain and sorrow of losing a child: Be encouraged--it is only a temporary pain, even if it lasts a lifetime. We have a much greater hope and glory to look forward to!  “Every heart knows its own bitterness, and every heart has bitterness to know.  Sin must bring sorrow—tears are the inheritance of earth’s children;  but in the city to which we are going ‘God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,...

Ok, I've only been married just over 2 years now, so I definitely am not the one to be dishing out advice on marriage. Aaaaand I definitely do not have this marriage thing all figured out either.  But...I really do appreciate the point Melissa drives home in her article on  the inner workings of becoming one flesh. Hope you are encouraged as well!

This post originally started as a simple look at God’s mercy.  But I didn’t get too far before  coming across passages on the mercy seat...which is why this Describe Him post has morphed into a a closer look at God’s mercy, in light of the mercy seat.   What was it? Exodus 25 gives a good description of the physical piece of furniture in the Tabernacle called the mercy seat : - There were cherubims on either side of the seat. (vs. 18-19) - The cherubims’ wings covered the seat. (vs. 20) - The seat itself was located above the ark of the covenant. (vs. 21) - The testimony [of all God’s instructions] was beneath the seat (25:21-22, 30:6) - It was located in the most holy place. (26:34) From these descriptions, the mercy seat doesn’t sound all that scary.  It was simply a piece of furniture. One more crucial tidbit: The mercy seat was God’s meeting place. (Lev. 16:2,13, Num. 7:89.)  God spoke from the mercy seat.  For this reason...