Wrestle or Nestle?

I heard a news commentator asking a minister the hard question that is on many people's minds. How could God let these tragedies happen? He answered that every generation since the beginning of time has had to deal with that question.

At some point in our Christian walk, we will come up against a situation that will cause us to WRESTLE with our image of God. Then, by His grace, He will reveal even more of His love to us, and we will finally surrender our "right" to understand everything, and simply NESTLE in His strong arms.

John Newton, who wrote the much-loved hymn "Amazing Grace", also wrote  "Though Troubles Assail Us".

No strength of our own

And no goodness we claim

Yet since we have known

Of the Savior's great name

In this our strong tower

For safety we hide

The Lord is our power

The Lord will provide

Sweeter Than Honey

photo credit
How sweet are Your words to my taste,

sweeter than honey to my mouth.

Psalm 119:103

Have you noticed how God often brings someone along who says just the right thing to cheer your heart? I find that I often stumble upon someone's blog post that was meant just for me for that day. Thank you to all of you who visit me and share yourselves and your encouraging words.

Assured Welcome

When we were kids in Alpharetta, Georgia, in the 1950's, we would sit on grandpa's porch on hot Sunday afternoons. Sooner or later, another car full of relatives would drive up, and Grandpa would jump up out of his springy porch chair and throw open the screen door and yell at the top of his lungs, "Get out! and come set a spell." Then he would run to the extra refrigerator in the garage for one of his home-grown watermelons to slice for the young-uns, while grandma passed around her sweet iced tea.
I like to think about how we were always welcome at grandma and grandpa's, just as we are welcomed into our Heavenly Father's presence. God offers us a special invitation:

For He says, In the time of favor (of an assured welcome) I have listened to and heeded your call, and I have helped you on the day of deliverance (the day of salvation). Behold, now is truly the time for a gracious welcome and acceptance [of you from God]; behold, now is the day of salvation!
2 Corinthians 6:2 Amplified

The Wheelbarrow

When I was growing up, Daddy would spend Saturdays working in the yard. We kids would pick up twigs and leaves and put them in a wheelbarrow and take them to the brush heap at the back of the lot. Then he would put us in the wheelbarrow and push it back up the steep hill. Tired and sweaty as he was, I remember him chuckling as he would run up the hill with us bouncing in the wheelbarrow.

The next spring, we planted tomato plants in the rich soil where we had put all the decaying leaves. When summer arrived we had plenty of tomatoes, and enough to give away.

I see a picture of Father God in this story. Every day He carries us and He does it with great delight. Our Father makes something beautiful even out of the brush heap of our mistakes and wrong turns. When God has brought us through a time of grief, a trial, or a failure, then He uses us to encourage someone else. What was a compost heap, becomes a fruitful garden.

Clean Slate

When I taught school in the seventies, we still used the chalk board. Near the end of the day, one child would be given the privilege of erasing the board and then taking the erasers just outside to dust them against a tree.

The kids thought this was a great treat until one day, one of my helpers came back with a frown. "What's wrong?" I asked him. He said, "Johnny from the other second grade class was dusting erasers, too. He said in his class it is a punishment for the child who has misbehaved that day."

I guess it is all in how you look at it!

Anyway, one thing I tried to do as a teacher, was to reassure the child who had misbehaved that day, that all was forgiven and we would start over fresh the next day.

I thank God that He is like that with me.

Here is the staggering thing—that in all which will one day belong to Him [Jesus], we have been promised a share.
Ephesians 1:11 

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God is over all

1. 

1. So amid the conflict whether great or small
2. Do not be discouraged, God is over all. 
3. Count your many blessings, angels will attend.
4. Help and comfort give you to your journey's end.
6. Johnson Oatman
7. The many tragic events of this past month around the world, can cause our heads to spin. As I was walking this morning, this phrase from "Count Your Blessings" stuck with me:         God is over all.

A Garden of the Lord

Oh, to have one's soul under heavenly cultivation, no wilderness, but a garden of the Lord, walled around by grace, planted by instruction, visited by love, weeded by heavenly discipline, and guarded by divine power. One's soul thus favored is prepared to yield fruit to the glory of God.
Spurgeon

Lighthouse in the Storm

I see your tears.

I listen to your prayers.
Whatever situation you are in,
Whisper My Name.
When your strength is gone,
I will lift you up in my strong arms.
I am your high tower,
Your lighthouse in the storm.
by Karen Rice

Georgia - July Memory

Present day view of skyline of midtown Atlanta from Piedmont Park.

Piedmont Park in 1968-Our choir and orchestra from Georgia State U put on a patriotic program. I still remember feeling goosebumps when we sang "America"  because the music was so beautiful in that outdoor setting on a summer evening.

Our father's God to, Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright
With freedom's holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King!

Ocean of God's Love

There is an ocean of God's love available.

May God grant us never to doubt that victorious love 

whatever the circumstances.

Corrie ten Boom

The Sea is His

Grandkids at the beach

For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 

 In his hand are the deep places of the earth: 

the strength of the hills is his also. 

The sea is his, and he made it: 

and his hands formed the dry land.

Psalm 95:3-5
The nature scenes are so incredible in this worship video.

Unshaken

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;

even at night my heart instructs me.

I keep my eyes always on the Lord.

With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Psalm 16:7-8

Kaedyn visited me last week and added a Bible verse to the wall in our "prayer room". They will start back to school in July, so our summer times together will be short! Her favorite activities are playing the piano, and squirting the hose at her big sisters and hearing them squeal.

Words That Heal

Reckless words pierce like a sword,

but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 12:18 NIV

My grandkids love to participate in team sports. They have had many coaches who always found something to praise and ways to encourage. It's a beautiful thing to see the kids gain confidence, learn cooperation, and blossom over the season. 

I often wish that I could take back unkind words I've said over my lifetime. I want to speak words that will bring encouragement and life. One of my mentors said, "Start by working on a friendly HELLO, and then stop to really listen."