I didn't know that I didn't know....

I was given a book today from a dear sweet woman whose heart is always focused on our Heavenly father.  In this book, I learned something that until I read it, I'm not sure I knew.  You see, I am still a pretty new believer.  I asked Jesus to enter my  heart and take over my life only 3 years ago and it seems like every day since then I learn something new..but this particular thing stopped me in my tracks and I feel like it should be written down so that I don't forget...
Grace!!  Tell me what grace is?  Explain it to me.  Use it in a sentense that would make it make sense.  Can you give me an example of God's Grace?
You could have asked me any of these questions and I would have given you the answer I have heard preached to me for 3 years but I wouldn't have understood it.  They would have just been words with no understanding on my part.  I want to summerize what I have read in a short piece of this book, but I fear I would miss something so I won't leave anything out. 
Grace is.....
Limitless.
Boundless.
Matchless.
All of God...Nothing of us!
Can Not Earn It...Do NOT deserve it.
Salvation..By Grace Alone.
Christian Living...By Grace Alone. 
All That I Am..All that I do. All that I have...All that I know..BECAUSE of God's Grace. 
We Deserve NOTHING..God gives us EVERYTHING. 
We have NO power...Go gives us HIS power. 
We have NO strength...God gives us HIS strength.
We are Weak...He is Strong. 
We are nothing..He is EVERYTHING. 
We are Needy...He is RICH!

It makes sense.  God forgives even though we don't deserve it.  God loves...even though some don't love him.  HE IS NOT SELFISH...AND WE VERY MUCH ARE!!

The book gives a great story that demonstrates grace in a human form...

There was a lady that was driving her little girl to a sports game and on the way there she realized they were going to be late.  The child in the back requested that she hurry and she obliged.  Soon she was being followed by blue lights asking her to pull over.  She immediately knew she was wrong...she knew she was speeding...and she told the police man "I am so sorry, I know I was speeding...I was wrong" and he replied "Maam this is a work zone, people could get hurt, I am not going to give you a ticket, so please be careful". 
This woman did not deserve to get off the hook her.  She did something wrong and should have been punished right? 
God doesn't look at our lives that way!  He lets us screw up...LOTS OF TIMES...and he will ALWAYS be there when you realize that you have and you want to beg him for forgiveness.  He let's you "Off the Hook" because he loves us...and we DO NOT deserve it!

God, Thank you for loving me today...thank you for being who you claim to be.  Thank you for your son and for his sacrifice.  I love you...and am so glad you love me back! Amen

I'm Human

I'm Human, you're Human...we are, we are Human!

I love that line even though I feel like it could be used for bad rather than good.  The immidiate thought that comes to my mind is "I think I will use it as an excuse to screw up today".  But just as quickly as that thought enters, I cover it with..."I think I will use this to help me remember that we are ALL sinners!!!".  I am not alone..I am not the only one.  In fact, I'll bet just right here in this very building there are at least 20 people doing things or saying things that are unpleasing to God...RIGHT NOW as I type this is happening...I just know it!  It's not that I like that we all fall short of the glory of our Father, but I do take comfort in the fact that He expects it.  He knows that no matter how hard we try to be perfect the truth is that there was only one Perfect person to ever walk this Earth and that will not change until that same person comes back.  He knows we are not perfect...we are not fooling GOD! 
Today God, let it be known that I love you, and that I spend every moment I can trying to show others through my actions and words how good you are to us even when we are not so good to you sometimes.  Thank you God for forgiving us and for never allowing our actions keep us from Heaven.  Thank you God for all that you have given to me and for making me feel like I am unstoppable!  It's in your precious name I pray...Amen.

Hallelujah (Glory be to God)

This blog was started initially to reach out to a few ladies in my life who didn't all live in the same place.  I was reading through one of my favorite chapters of the Bible and wanted to share it with them through Story Telling.  All of that's to say.  I made it through all by the last part and "life" got in the way.  I could finish it...but I won't.  I have decided to leave it hanging because it was for them....and since it has been so long..I think I will just let them read it and tell it in their own way. 
I have decided to go a different direction with this blog.  I think it would be better served by focusing on me and my thoughts and my walk with Christ as MY walk and my thoughts are the only thing I can control and speak for.  I am not writing these for people to read...I am writing them for me to release the thoughts in my mind and if it helps others...then that's great! 
Now that you have a good idea of my direction for this thing, how about I provide you with some random thoughts?

Have you ever had a song that you loved so much that it stopped you in your tracks every time you heard it?  It's funny, because most of the time I only like songs for the sound of them...not for the words, but lately the words have been becoming more and more important.  I have been feeling them and God has been showing me what they are supposed to mean in my life.  These songs are meant to "grab" you and make you think...and this song certainly does just that for me.  The name is Hallelujah and it’s by Heather Williams.  Heather’s story makes this song.  I don’t believe you can have the true affect without knowing her story.  Here is a version of it taken from www.iamthesource.org:

Born in Dearborn, Michigan, Heather Williams suffered intense verbal and physical abuse and was eventually given away to another family at the age of eleven. Other loving family members stepped in to help, but the damage had been done. At eighteen, Heather found herself homeless and needing drugs or alcohol to make it through the week. She also developed serious anger issues from abuse. In the midst of the hopelessness, God stepped back into her life and brought her help. Still eighteen, Heather gave her life back to God and met the man she would soon marry who was on a home missions trip in Michigan.  Heather moved to Florida with her husband Tim and began singing in churches throughout the United States - over a hundred concerts a year in fact. She found the thing that she not only loved, but was made to do. Things were good and record companies came calling. In the midst of success, Heather became pregnant with her first child - a son - Caedmen. The excitement of his birth had hardly worn off when tragedy hit. In less than 24 hours, baby Caed passed away from an enlarged heart with no warning. The doctors at the hospital had no explanation and Heather's work was shattered.  Again, she gave her life to God. He helped her pick up the pieces and return to ministry.

 I’ll stop there and continue with my point.  This woman has been through more than one trial in her life and she has overcome more than one trial in her life.  She has remained strong and has dedicated her life to showing others they can do the same.  MAN..I want that!  Here’s the lyrics to Hallelujah:


Jesus, please come*
Please come today
Hear me
Heal me
Be near me I pray

I have fallen so far
Flat on my face
I'm in need of your grace today
I stumble and fall
But in spite of it all
Your love always stays the same
Hallelujah

Jesus, please come
Please come today
Break me
Mold me
Use me I pray

But don't give up on me now
I'm so close to you now
I'm in need of your grace today
Wipe the dirt off my face
Hold me in your embrace
Your love always saves the day
Hallelujah

On my knees here I fall
In spite of it all
Hallelujah
And though it seems hard
I'm still trusting you Lord
Hallelujah

Can you feel these words and tremble with her pain?  Can you stand strong knowing that you can overcome anything with the help of our Lord Jesus Christ?  She reminds me that I can!  She writes “Jesus, Please come..today”.  She is begging Jesus to enter her heart and help her see the light at the end of all this darkness surrounding her.  She is praying and pleading saying even that she has “fallen so far, flat on her face”.  We should all want what this song portrays.  We should all want Jesus to come into our lives and mold us to be the person he wants us to be.  To be able to set down our own selfish desires and just believe in him!  And though it seems hard…I still trust in your Lord..HALLELUJAH (Glory be to God).

God, I want to thank you for constantly showing me that you are near me. I love you. Amen