The joy of God is experienced as I love, trust, and obey God–no matter the circumstances.
From John 15:11: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him.”
Bill Bright Quote
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Monthly Archives: August 2020
Praise and Glory
From Psalm 86:12: “I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.”
Singing blessings to the Lord
Sovereign God from heaven
Filled with all praise and glory
Grace-filled salvation beckons
True author of Creation
God of love with healing touch
Destined for praise and glory
Always faithful in the clutch
From morning into the night
His mercy and compassion
Eternal praise and glory
Guiding, leading with passion
Always hearing our voices
Observing our helplessness
Love-inspired praise and glory
His goodness and righteousness
Confessing to our Father
Proclaiming His perfect power
Sharing His praise and glory
His faithful love never sours
Seeking God in our distress
Cast each idol in the fire
Grace-filling praise and glory
Holy Spirit never tires
From Galatians 5:22-24: “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
Leon Morris Quote
You can drift into sin, but not into righteousness.
From Romans 5:18: “Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all.”
Cookies, Books, and Coffee (Haiku Series #93)
Ain’t Fun
Bag of Oreos
Milk missing in the ice box—
Now singing the blues!
Say What?
I’ve read some good books
Me as well . . . a plethora—
Never read that one
Oh No!
Need to hurry home
Checking out at the market—
Forgetting coffee!
Mark Twain Quote
I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.
From John 14:1: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.”
Monday Memories: Grandpa’s Doughnuts
Grandpa snuck away from Grandma one morning. She was busy with her quilting, and he felt an urge to satisfy his sweet tooth.
Just down the street, a little doughnut shop waited with the hottest coffee and the most treasured, sweet creations ever made. Without Grandma nearby to fuss at him, he could enjoy coffee, doughnuts, and some conversation with whomever dropped by the shop.
He orders the usual: coffee with his two favorite doughnuts. Boston-cream and maple-covered long john, each looks mouth-watering and delicious.
Behind him, the shop’s door opens, and two little children bust in with giggles and way too much energy.
“Grandpa, Grandpa!” His grandchildren, Ben and Lydia, just happen to discover where Grandpa is hiding out.
A moment later, Grandpa is enjoying coffee, spending time with two very special children, and sharing his doughnuts.
There will be another time for enjoying doughnuts, but loving Lydia and Ben . . . Precious!
This short story was originally published in May, 2019. Two of my youngest grandchildren are really Ben and Lydia (now 3 and 2 years old, respectively). I look forward to spoiling them with a sweet treat.
Charles Swindoll Quote
Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com
Our trials are not superficial or irrelevant. They are vehicles of grace that God uses to bring us growth.
From Jeremiah 33:3: “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
Spiritual Messengers
From the words of Scottish evangelist and Christian teacher, Oswald Chambers: “We are not turned into spiritual mediums, but into spiritual messengers; the message must be part of ourselves.”
Our time here on this earth
Limited and finite
Humble servants of God
Carry on the good fight
Called to spread the Good News
Find one person at a time
Urged to evangelize
Sharing God’s paradigm
Giving us strength in faith
Our Lord standing with us
Invite all to listen
Proclaim His truth, a plus
As our God’s messengers
Hearts broken by our flaws
Baptized by Holy Spirit
Drafted into His cause
From 2 Timothy 4:2: “Proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching.”
Charles Stanley Quote
God wants us to remain steadfast in the face of affliction and temptation. It’s important to remember that faith doesn’t rescue us from all this but will get us through it.
From Hebrews 11:39-40: “Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.”
Headlines Share Goodness
Comet Neowise visible in nighttime sky
Brightness adds wonder with this fly by
Book lover yearns for a single, big library room
Books scattered throughout a house consumed
War veteran’s birthday reaches milestone of five score
Celebrating with drive-by parade, lasting love adores
David Lee Roth allows his artwork to do all the talking
Van Halen singer creates vibrant drawings, all rocking
Backyard farming brings garden-variety experiment
Mix of triumphs and failures sparks life’s merriment
Michigan man creates million dollar treasure quest
Buried jewelry, precious metals, antiques—no jest!
Teachers making investment in beneficial skills
Determined to make remote learning fit the bill
Old hardware stockpile offers newest treasures
Ghosts of hardware past make lasting pleasures
Hosting backyard movies invites welcome distraction
Adding drive-in movies as summer’s main attraction
Family should earn a doctorate for raising four boys
Each becomes a surgeon, filled with talented poise
Pandemic increases customer demand for reading material
Shoppers buying books and paperbacks along with cereal
Probe, rover, and drone plan to scrutinize planet Mars
Called Hope, Perseverance, Ingenuity—heavenly stars
Big Sky Buckeye 