Discipline Brings Delight

Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire. – (Proverbs 29:17, NIV)

Discipline your children; you’ll be glad you did – they’ll turn out delightful to live with. – (Proverbs 29:17, MSG)

Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind and will make our heart glad. – (Proverbs 29:17, NLT)

 

Discipline is such an interesting word, as it can carry such a vast array of experiences for people. For some, discipline equals correction and redirection done in love, much the way God intended, yet for others, that is not at all the case. For me, as a parent, it has been a necessity to correct and redirect to lead my boys in the direction that they are meant to go, in love with much patience. Now that they are eighteen, they do indeed (and always have) bring me delight and make my heart glad. It is an interesting road to navigate with discipline for a young puppy. We are in uncharted territory, and learning as we go. Puppy teeth are sharp, and the desire to chew is strong within them. This morning brought demand for creative “discipline”, as my feet and clothing cannot withstand the ongoing puppy attacks. After countless firm “No” responses, physical removal from the space by my feet, and then offering things that are appropriate to chew any time he comes near my toes, I had to figure something out. I went to the kitchen, grabbed the cayenne pepper, and sprinkled some on the top of each sock and rubbed it in. Innocently, I went and sat down. As expected, Thor pounced at my feet. He paused, sniffed, licked a sock and the zoomed around the room, not quite sure what to do with himself. Needless to say, he hasn’t come after my feet again since. He also settled back down and was able to lay beside me so that I could focus and do this. 😊 For the preservation of both my feet and my clothing, discipline is required. Thor is a delight already in how much he loves people, and being trained will bring a lifetime of gladness and peace of mind. I wonder if that is how God sees us? In the same way we take delight in our children (or fur babies) following the direction that we have given, I imagine He too, delights in our obedience to His leading. May we seek the Lord with open hearts, ready to hear and obey, so that we may bring delight as we walk in His way.

 

May we learn with grace,

To guide well in love;

Correct, redirect,

Like God up above.

Let love lead the way,

As we teach with grace;

What is right and good,

For those that we raise.

Help us also heed,

What You’re teaching us;

So that You delight,

As we choose kindness.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You ask us to lead in love in the same way that You lead us. Thank You that You correct, redirect, and show us what is good and what You have for us, any time we are willing to seek You and listen. Forgive us for the times that we have either ignored or resented Your discipline. Teach us to trust You more, as You correct and redirect so that we can be the very best version of ourselves. Show us how to discipline well, all those whom we are called to lead in love. May many come into lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we heed Your discipline for us and seek to discipline in love, those whom You have given us charge over. Amen.

 

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

 

The Lord is kind to His followers as a father is to his children. – Psalm 103:13

Countless Expressions of Love

Many, Lord my God, are the wonders You have done, the things You planned for us. None can compare with You; were I to speak and tell of Your deeds, they would be too many to declare. – (Psalm 40:5, NIV)

Lord my God, You have done many amazing things! You have made great plans for us – too many to list. I could talk on and on about them, because there are too many to count. – (Psalm 40:5, ERV)

O Lord, our God, no one can compare with You. Such wonderful works and miracles are all found with You! And You think of us all the time with Your countless expressions of love – far exceeding our expectations! – (Psalm 40:5, TPT)

 

After spending yesterday afternoon with my boys and dear friend, who is an incredible photographer, as she captured fantastic photos of each of my blessings for their senior pictures, I find the above verse from Psalm 40 incredibly fitting this morning as I reflect. These boys are two of the most incredible gifts that I have ever received, and the works and miracles that have taken place from their premature entry into the world up to now, more than seventeen years later, account for countless wonders that have shown me God’s love, over and over again. Creative and kind, tenderhearted and wise beyond their years, to witness their lives unfold as they navigate near adulthood floods my heart with gratitude and awe. Each time I catch a glimpse of either of my children, I am reminded of the goodness of God. May we remember with gratitude, the wonderful works and miracles found in God, and the countless expressions of love that He shows us each new day that we are granted.

The boys and I were delighted to catch mom on our drive home, as she and my sister’s family were a few minutes away from dinner, so the timing seemed to work well. Mom loved hearing about her grandsons’ senior photoshoot, and we were thrilled to hear the excitement in her voice about her new-found capacity to stand at the island in the kitchen and lend a hand with dinner preparation. For each of us, we sat in a space of gratitude for the works that God is doing.

 

The wonderful works,

Of God’s mighty hands;

Too many to count,

For His love is grand.

A love that exceeds,

All depth that we feel;

Grace, strength and goodness,

His blessings reveal.

In awe and wonder,

May we give God praise;

One beyond compare,

His love, all our days.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the wonders You have done for us and planned for us. Thank You that the work of Your hands on our behalf is limitless. Forgive us for even a moment of taking Your goodness and blessings for granted. Teach us to appreciate every single blessing; for You know our hearts and bless us individually. Show us how to love those around us in ways that make Your heart for them known. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for the countless wonders and blessings You have granted in our lives, and for how perfectly, You love. Amen.

 

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. – 1 Chronicles 16:34

Faithfulness to the Skies

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies. – (Psalm 36:5, NIV)

Lord, your faithful love reaches to the sky. Your faithfulness is as high as the clouds. – (Psalm 36:5, ERV)

Your steadfast love, O Lord, is as great as all the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. – (Psalm 36:5, TLB)

 

I love that every day is new, and each morning is a fresh reminder of God’s goodness and faithfulness and love. It is particularly clear from my vantage point, as the view from mom’s kitchen table is spectacular. Each day as I rise before the sun, God’s handiwork greets me as He paints the sky new every morning. No two sunrises look the same. The cloud patterns and the colors shift and change, mix and blend, reminding me that He is creative and innovative, able to take on new challenges in new ways.

Last night, mom only woke one time during the night! For those who have been following our story daily, this means that both of us slept more last night, than we like did over the previous two nights combined. (Thank you for those of you who have been praying!) Furthermore, yesterday was full of things to be celebrated! During physical therapy in the morning, mom walked nearly half the length of her hallway with her walker, unassisted! Once she grew a bit fatigued, she rested for a moment or two, and then the physical therapist, Nick, had me assist/spot mom with her walking. It was exhilarating to participate directly with her, and gain the nod of approval to at last work with mom on our own on walking. Because we now have clearance to practice walking, we gave it another go in the evening as we were winding down. Mom is overjoyed and completely motivated, as she is ready to demonstrate her new-found confidence for my husband and boys when they arrive later this morning. The appointment with mom’s physiatrist went well, as she is the one who oversees and coordinates all post-stroke care. She was pleased with mom’s progress thus far, and will see her again in early August. We had a wonderful visit with mom’s next-door neighbors before dinner, and made the most of our evening, prior to calling it a night fairly early, after our previous two nights of not nearly enough sleep. Mom and I shared an early breakfast to watch the sunrise (photo below), and appreciated God’s handiwork together. Each of us sat in awe, as we gazed upon His glory in gratitude. May we ever remember the faithfulness and goodness of God, and just how far-reaching His love is for us all.

 

The Lord is faithful,

Beyond what we see;

His grace unending,

He loves tangibly.

Be it a sunrise,

At the break of day;

Or loving guidance,

As He points the way.

No matter what comes,

The Lord, He is near;

He will remain close,

Help us persevere.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are good and kind and loving. Thank You that Your faithfulness never ends. Thank You for sleep and restoration when we need it the most. Forgive us for our frustration when we cannot do anything to control our circumstances. Continue to teach us to hand all to You. Show us how to love well all those around us, as You empower us to walk faithfully and lovingly alongside them, encouraging and building up as they move forward. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we give You praise for Your steadfast love and faithfulness that reaches to the heavens and is painted across the sky each morning. Amen.

 

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

 

Out of His fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. – John 1:16

Evidence Eliminates Excuse

From the beginning, creation in its magnificence enlightens us to His nature. Creation itself makes His undying power and divine identity clear, even though they are invisible; and it voids the excuses and ignorant claims of these people. – (Romans 1:20, VOICE)

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. – (Romans 1:20, NLT)

 

The evidence of God’s existence is everywhere. We need not look far to stand in awe and wonder at the power of His mighty hands, as our eyes take in the display set before us by the Divine. No great cosmic accident could cause the mountains to rise and the seas to know just how far to come ashore. Though there may be commonalities in genetic coding, there is no one on the planet that can convince me that my children evolved from apes. Only a loving, powerful and creative God would give such attention to all things. Though I have only seen but a small portion of the planet, the parts that I have seen continue to leave me awestruck at the glory of God as He gave. Beyond that, when I look in the eyes of those whom He has placed in my life to love, His power is proven again and again, both by how He moves, and through the grace and goodness He grants to us and through us. May we never stop being aware of everything that He has made, and stand in awe at the mighty works of His hands.

 

Since the world began,

God’s hand has been clear;

His fingerprints seen,

Through sky and earth near.

In all things He’s made,

We see the unseen;

Eternal power,

What His divine means.

No one has excuse,

For not knowing God;

All around us He’s seen,

Let us stand in awe.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the evidence of You that is all around us. Thank You for all that You have created for us. Forgive us for not slowing down to recognize the work of Your hands in all things. Teach us how to see the world through Your eyes, so that we would have Your heart for people and treat well, the gift of our surroundings that You have made. Show us how to love those around us so that we can be further evidence of Your hand and heart in the world. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we stand in awe of all that You have made, and seek to see it all through Your eyes. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. – 1 Peter 2:19