A
Step in the Write
Direction
December
7, 2015
Update:
I’m celebrating tonight (Sunday) as my daughter and family arrived from Texas,
coming HOME! Asking for your prayers that God will lead my pastor son-in-law to
just the right ministry He has for him….I’ve been telling friends the last nine
months (nine months today) that I have peace, but that I hadn’t reached the joy
stage yet. I’m glad to report that I’ve
now reached that stage. At the beginning people were surprised at how much I
was doing. I don’t know if I felt I had
to keep busy, but I did—sorting, cleaning, getting rid of stuff. Then came
the hospital stay with pneumonia and the torn rotator cuff, followed by mold
removal, new flooring installed, and a new air conditioner. After that it seemed
there was a letdown, and some mornings I found it hard to get out of bed and
face the day.
But
this week, things took a sudden turn. Wednesday morning I woke up, and the first
thought that came to my mind was, “This is the day the Lord has made. Let us
rejoice and be glad in it.” I jumped up, rarin’ to go, and that has continued
all week. So I can say that mentally I’ve found joy again….Wish I could say the
same for physically as the pollution level has been high which really has
affected the COPD, but I’ll take the mental and spiritual joy over that any
time. I know most of it is due to all my friends’ prayers for me and, believe
me, I have felt them! Thank you all! Any of you who send prayer requests can be
sure I’m praying for you too.
Thought
for the Day:
GREAT
GRACE
His
grace is great enough to meet the great things,
The
crashing waves that overwhelm the soul,
The
roaring winds that leave us stunned and breathless,
The
sudden storms beyond our life's control.
His
grace is great enough to meet the small things,
The
little pin-prick troubles that annoy,
The
insect worries, buzzing and persistent,
The
squeaking wheels that grate upon our joy
Annie
Johnson Flint (from Wes Tracy’s “Manna Morsels” 12/2/15)
Laugh
for the Day:
A
wife texts her husband on a cold winter morning: “Windows frozen, won’t open.”
Husband texts back: “Gently pour some lukewarm water over it and gently tap
edges with a hammer.” Five minutes later wife texts back: “Computer really
messed up now.”
Song
for the Day
I
know that I failed You, Lord, time and again,
But
each time you always stayed true;
And
that’s why I kneel at the cross once again,
And
ask to draw Closer To You.
Lord,
I surrender all that I am,
For
whatever You’d have me do;
I’ve
faith in Your promise, I know that You’ll show
A
way to draw Closer To You.
Closer
To You, Lord, closer I pray,
Help
me draw closer to Your will today;
It
doesn’t matter what others may do,
I
want to draw Closer To You.
“Closer To You,” Dave Clark, © 1978
Emmanuel Music
Writer’s
Tips:
For this month I’m going to share some
Christmas devotions
The Designated Gift
Giver
For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life. (John 3:16)
Although my mother didn’t have much money for
Christmas shopping, she always seemed to know what gift to buy everyone—because
she listened carefully all year. Her gifts
ranged from a sewing box for my niece who made her
own clothes, to blank tapes for my songwriting nephew, and a piano bench for my
sister.
Through the years, I’ve tried to carry on her
tradition, and today I’ve taken on the enjoyable task of designated gift buyer
for our writers’ group. I’ll search for hours—in stores, in catalogs, and on the Internet—for just the right present for a
particular person. Sometimes I buy things as much as a year early when I find
the perfect gift. Then I wrap it in beautiful paper and give it to the only
person that gift will fit.
I am acquainted with another Gift Giver. At the
beginning of time, He looked ahead and saw millions of people who were in need
of a gift. He listened to their cries, and thought, “What can I give them?” Then
He said, "I know. I'll give the best Gift possible—My Son.” So He wrapped this
Gift in swaddling clothes and gave Him not to just one particular person, but to
the whole world. And the neatest thing about this Gift is that it fits
everyone—even me!
Lord,
at this Christmas season, may I remember the Gift and the Giver. Let me love as
You loved—and give as You gave.
(Taken
from my Advent book, Preparing Your Heart
for Christmas, now half price--$5.)
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