I must apologize for being absent the past couple of days. No excuse – but getting right back on it tonight with seeing God’s grace in my life and logging here. I have 2 fabulous things to share today!
- A beautiful gift I received at my favorite Starbucks from a very special Barista! Work has been very busy the past couple of weeks and I hadn’t been able to stop in and I was greeted with, “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN??” I don’t know which is better, the coffee or the conversations I have with the staff that works at this very special Starbucks. I have been able to share in my favorite new findings in my blog with them along with what Jesus is doing in my life. SO – the where have you been was followed by…I have something I’ve been WAITING to give you and she presented me with this little book!
I was SO surprised that she had thought of me and gone out of her way to give me this beautiful little gift of encouraging thoughts and quotes! To top it off, she mentioned she had lost my card and wanted to program my number into her phone. She said, “I have 4 Jessica’s in my phone, so I am programing you as Jessica Jesus!” :o) Nothing means more that when she sees me, she thinks of Jesus! AMAZING!
- As you have seen in my last few posts – God’s really shaking out the lack of TRUST I have for him and bringing it to the surface for me to stare in the face and really work on! Brennan Manning had another FANTASTIC thought on trust this morning in my Reflections for Ragamuffins:
LEARNING TO TRUST THROUGH TRIALS:
The basic premise of biblical trust is that the God and Father of Jesus Christ wants us to live, to grow, to unfold, and experience fullness of life. Trust is an attitude acquired gradually through many crises and trials. Through the agonizing trial with his son Isaac, Abraham learned that God wants us to live and not to die, to grow and not to wither. He discovered that the God who called him to hope against hope is reliable. Perhaps this is the essence of trust: to be convinced of the reliability of God.
Trust is purified in the crucible of trial. From the depths of a purified heart, trust clings to the belief that whatever happens in our lives is designed to form Christ within us. Unwavering confidence in the love of God inspires trust to thank God for the spiritual darkness that envelops us, for the loss of income, for the arthritis that is so painful, to pray with Charles de Foucauld:
“Abba, I abandon myself into your hands. Do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you. I am ready for all. I accept all. Let only your will be done in me and all your people. I wish no more than this, O Lord. Into your hands I commend my spirit. I offer it to you with all the love of my heart, for I love you, Lord, and I give myself, surrender myself into your hands, without reserve, with boundless confidence, for you are my Father.”
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” ~Romans 4:18
I ABSOLUTLEY LOVE THAT PRAYER. I think the words are so bold and so beautiful. I actually read it over a few times to let it really soak in!
These thoughts really start a new week off on the RIGHT NOTE!! (That and the GRAMMY’S are on tonight :o)
Happy Fresh New Week to ALL of you!
Where have you seen God’s grace in your life today??