Thankful for Blessings

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind. – (Psalm 107:8, NIV)

Thank the Lord for His faithful love and for the amazing things He does for people. – (Psalm 107:8, ERV)

So lift your hands and thank God for His marvelous kindness and for all His miracles of mercy for those He loves. – (Psalm 107:8, TPT)

 

Whenever the verse of the day comes from the Psalms, I seldom read just the one in which the verse is found. The raw and real that reads like poetry, speak clearly to my heart. As I somehow found myself in Psalm 107, after having begun in 97, I discovered that the words written in verse eight, are repeated three more times in the same Psalm. Any time there is repetition in scripture, it is a clear indicator to pay attention and take note. I appreciate how each of the various translations unpack a slightly different aspect of the truth of God and why we ought to give Him thanks. Unfailing love, wonderful deeds for mankind, faithful love, amazing things for people, marvelous kindness, and miracles of mercy for those He loves, are the specific reasons to give thanks to the Lord, all found in one verse that is repeated three times in a single chapter. Personally, it would take little time to fill an entire page with examples of God’s faithful love and the amazing things that He does for people. I have been both the recipient and an observer, and am equally blessed in knowing the powerful love that fuels such wonderful deeds for humankind. May we ever give thanks to God, for He is faithful and loving and His willingness to extend His marvelous kindness and miracles of mercy to those He loves, never ends.

Yesterday marked the one-week countdown for Mom, before she moves into her next leg of her healing journey. There has been much prayer, preparation and discussion to reach this step of her path, so all encouragement is wonderful and welcome. As with anything new, there are concerns and hesitation; primarily due to change. The struggle comes when those on the outside begin to question decisions that were made with confident faith in Christ, and the determination and resolve begin to waver. For Mom and the immediate family, loving support and encouragement will be the most helpful as the new comes into fruition. Thank you in advance, for all who have been and continue to pray, for we anticipate amazing things in the coming weeks and months! God’s marvelous kindness and miracles of mercy have been present every step of the way so far, and we look forward with faith, to all of the blessings He has in store for Mom that are yet to come.

 

May we choose give thanks,

To You, Lord above;

For wonderful deeds,

You’ve done in Your love.

For kindness and grace,

We give You thanks too;

With all that we are,

We lift praise to You.

For great miracles,

That make Your heart known;

Thankfulness we bring,

For blessings You’ve shown.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithful love that extends kindness and mercy, goodness and grace, for all of our days. Thank You that Your love for us is greater than our hearts can even begin to comprehend. Forgive us for doubting Your care, concern or nearness when times are trying. Teach us to trust that You are present and moving on our behalf, even when we cannot see what You are doing. Show us how to love those around us through every season and struggle that we walk through. Let Your kindness be evident in us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for Your faithful love and incredible blessings, as You move in our lives and on our behalf. 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

Light in Darkness

Even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You. – (Psalm 139:12, NIV)

Even the darkness is not dark to You. The night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are the same. – (Psalm 139:12, ERV)

You can see in the dark, for it is not dark to Your eyes. For You the night is just as bright as the day. Darkness and light are the same to Your eyes. – (Psalm 139:12, VOICE)

 

There is such power in being reminded of the truth of God. It matters not what season we are in, be it one of joy or sorrow; God is present and He sees and knows our need. The people in my life are in a variety of spaces and seasons. For some, they are enjoying a time of blessing and peace, whereas others are in a space of struggle or sorrow or trial. Incredibly, the Lord is near for all, no matter the state we find ourselves in. He is faithful and kind, loving and full of grace. Peace is possible, even in the eye of the storm, and He light can illuminate the darkest of circumstances. May we ever seek the Lord and trust in His love to light the way.

For mom, the light that God is using to demonstrate His nearness, is the connection of her best friend in Wenatchee. She is so faithful to call and be intentional to contact mom, that every time mom mentions that she has spoken with June, her heart sounds lighter and more encouraged. I know there are others as well, she just happens to be the one that has been the most consistent and already had such a closely established friendship with mom.

 

Whatever season,

More poster-making fun for my classroom. ❤

We find ourselves in;

God will be present,

If we welcome Him.

Even our darkness,

Is not out of reach;

Of His loving light,

That provides peace.

So, turn to the Lord,

Whose love is complete;

In His perfect light,

We find safe retreat.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You see us the same, no matter what season we are in, and that darkness and light are the same to You. There is nothing nor any place too dark for You to see. Thank You that Your love illuminates dark spaces. Forgive us for forgetting that Your light dwells within us, even on our darkest days. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would seek You to strengthen and carry us through the storms. Show us how to love those around us, so that we may bring light and life to places that have become dark. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we love You and invest in our relationship with You, as that is what fuels our light within. Amen.

 

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

 

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. – Matthew 5:16

In Quiet Wait, There is Rest

I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from Him. – (Psalm 62:1, NLT)

I must calm down and turn to God; only He can rescue me. – (Psalm 62:1, ERV)

Only in God do I find rest; my salvation comes from Him. – (Psalm 62:1, CEB)

 

When life gets hectic and the weight of the world seems to fall upon our shoulders, it is necessary to slow down and find rest in whatever form fuels our souls best. I love the creativity of God and how He provides places and ways for us to recharge as we seek spaces of rest and refreshment in Him. Once a week, during our collaboration period at school, staff members meet to discuss topics that will help improve the culture and climate of our school. Yesterday’s topic, was in part, self-care. Turning to God in trust is the first way that my weary soul finds rest, and that I can carry out “self-care“. Additionally, I am recharged when I spend quality time with the people whom I love. Though I have been fighting a sore throat and dragging this week, there was no hesitation in my decision to keep my plans to join my love, his son, and some great friends of ours at a hockey game last evening. The escape from my normal routine was filled with laughter, cheering and rest. There are few ways in which I would voluntarily sit for three hours, yet with a hockey game on the ice in front of me, no problem. Despite my reduction in sleep last night, (due to the late end of the game) I still bolted out of bed at the first sound of my alarm, and am fully coherent as I begin this new day. As a bonus, this is a short school week, with Friday being an in-service day for which I do not need to complete hours. He is good and rescues us from our weariness in ways that He knows we need most. May we ever wait quietly on God and turn to Him in trust, as He is our rescuer and our salvation.

 

I wait on the Lord, 

So steady and calm;

For I trust in Him,

To keep keeping on.

The Lord is my rest,

My strength when I’m weak;

My hope, salvation,

The answer I seek.

In quiet I’ll wait,

For my God alone;

As He’s where I find,

That my heart is known.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we wait quietly before You, we find You and know Your help, Your hope and Your rescue. Forgive us for attempting to gut things out in our weariness, rather than turning to You for rest. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would calm down and rest in Your presence, as You are our Provider of all that we need. Show us how to love those around us in a way that provides peace and hope and rest that points their hearts to You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we wait quietly before You, and give You praise for Your faithfulness throughout all our days. Amen.

 

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

 

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy. – Hebrews 4:16

 

 

Show the Love

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. – (1 John 3:18, NLT)

My children, our love should not be only words and talk. No, our love must be real. We must show our love by the things we do. – (1 John 3:18, ERV)

My little children, don’t just talk about love as an idea or theory. Make it your true way of life and live in the pattern of gracious love. – (1 John 3:18, VOICE)

 

God calls us to love with more than words. Though our words ought to be loving, our actions are what speak the loudest. If what we do is not motivated by love, it is evident to all, and our words will fall on deaf ears. However, when our actions are constantly seeking to serve others, and to put the needs of others before our own desires, people notice that there is something different driving us, and want to know what fuels our faithfulness. It is only through consistent action over time, that words begin to bear weight. In a relationship, the words “I love you” mean nothing, unless actions have shown the words to be true, over and over again. The same holds true in every other place in our lives where we interact with people. We are called to love. May we choose to love with our whole lives, rather than with words alone.

 

Oh Lord let our love,

Be made evident;

Not through words alone,

But acts of intent.

For things that we do,

Speak louder than words;

It is our actions,

The most clearly heard.

May our way of life,

All that we choose do;

Be done with great love,

So people see You.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You call us to love with our actions, rather than merely our words. Thank You, Jesus, that You do not just ask us to do this, but You modeled it for us. You touched the untouchable, loved the unlovable and over and over again, helped in tangible ways. Thank You that You also equip us to do the same. Forgive us for the times that our words and deeds are not aligned in love. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would walk out all of our days in the abundance of love that You shower upon us. Show us how to love those around us in ways that reach their hearts. May many come into a lasting relationship with You, as they see evidence of who You are and how You love through Your people placed in their lives who love them well. Be glorified O God, as we live out our days in the pattern of Your gracious love. Amen.

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

Answer me, O Lord, out of the goodness of Your love; in Your great mercy turn to me. – Psalm 69:16

Assurance of Hope

Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for, the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen. – (Hebrews 11:1, VOICE)

Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see. – (Hebrews 11:1, ERV)

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. – (Hebrews 11:1, NLT)

 

Faith fuels hope. It is the very gift that God places within us to be assured of that which we cannot see. The faith within us grants us the desire to dare to dream and the certainty to hold fast to the hope that is yet to come. God gives us hopes and dreams; faith from Him fuels them to fruition. May we have faith in He who gives us hope, and trust in that which we cannot see.

 

The fuel for hope,

comes from faith God gives;

our desire to dream,

and reason to live.

God gives us these things,

and asks us to trust;

in His faithfulness,

for His ways are just.

Let our hearts pursue,

that to which we’re called;

by faith, let us hope,

with grace, be enthralled.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we trust in You, You grant us the assurance of that which we hope for in You. Though we have not seen You, we know that You are, as You give us the faith to see with our hearts, what our eyes cannot yet consume. Forgive us for our lack of faith, as there is evidence of You and Your goodness all around us. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would hold fast to the hope that is found in You alone. Show us how to love others in such a way, that they too would come to find a forever faith in You. Be glorified O God, as we recognize the reality of the hope we have in You. Amen.

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

Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; …my hope is in You all day long. – Psalm 25:4-5