A Greater Grace

 

"And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men.  And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.  And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.  And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.  And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.  Then the handmaidens came near and their children, and they bowed themselves.  And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.  And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.  And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself."

Genesis 33:1-9

Twenty years earlier Jacob, after deceiving his father Isaac into giving him his brother Esau’s blessing, fled to his mother's brother’s house to escape the anger of his brother.  Genesis 27:41 says that Esau hated Jacob and that after the days of mourning for his father were over he had plans to slay Jacob.  For twenty years Jacob worked and served his uncle Laban and God had prepared and blessed him during that time.  God was now calling Jacob to return to the land of his fathers but what would he be met with?  Did Esau’s anger still burn so strong that he wanted to slay Jacob? 

Have you ever so messed up or even allowed the busyness of “life” to put distance between you and God that you didn’t know how you could get back into God’s favor?  Or maybe you thought you had to come to Him with works and offerings.  Thinking you must deny or prove your devotion to Him in order to be accepted.  Oh dear heart, have you?  I have.  I’ve tried to appease God – so many times I have allowed the enemy to skew my view of God or have taken my finite knowledge and relational experience and applied it to my relationship with God.  If we were honest, I believe we all have.

Beloved, His LOVE and GRACE and MERCY and TENDERNESS and FORGIVENESS towards us is SO great and He desires for each of us to know it.

“…that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.” 

Ephesians 3:17-19

I know my own anxiousness and trepidation when coming before Him after times of separation.  What was Esau’s response?

He RAN!

Esau ran to meet Jacob!  He embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him and wept!   He didn't want the droves sent as an offering - he wanted only the restoration between himself and his brother.  Oh the grace!  I read that and heard the Spirit of God speak these grace words to me.

 “Theresa, why did you bring all of this to Me?  Sweet, precious, daughter, I do not require this of you.  You do not need to appease Me or buy back My love toward you.  I have already secured your place in My Son!  My love for you is everlasting.  My grace for you is in Jesus.  Daughter, I desire you to have a broken and contrite heart before Me (Psalm 51:17).  A heart that trusts and is wholly Mine – surrendered (Proverbs 3:5-6).   You are a chosen generation, chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world that you should show forth the praises of Me who has called you out of darkness and into my marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9, Ephesians 1:4).

 Why do I complicate something that is so simple – Come before Him with a broken and contrite spirit.  Confess my sins (1 John 1:9), trust in His forgiveness and faithfulness and show forth His praises (goodness). 

Father, I lift up each one that might read here today, Lord I pray that we might wholly surrendered to You and allow Your Holy Spirit to lead and guide us into all Truth.  Father I pray that we would no longer allow the enemy or our humanness to replace Your words spoken to us and over us.  May we be renewed in mind as we read and meditate on Your word and have complete trust and confidence in You.  Thank you for Your Son, Jesus and for the picture of grace you showed to me today in this story of Jacob and Esau.   May we give as we have been freely given,  In your name I pray, Amen.   

 

  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 

Isaiah 1:18

Be Still

 

Be Still My Soul ~ My memory hymn for the month of November.  The Lord keeps bringing me to this; Be still, my soul.  At our church we sing the following three verses so these will be the ones I will use for memory work.

 

 

Be Still, My Soul

 

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side;

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In every change He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heav'nly friend

Thro' thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

 

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake

To guide the future as He has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be Still, my soul: the waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

 

Be still, my soul: the hour is hast'ning on

When we shall be forever with the Lord,

When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,

All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Daybook

For Today...

Monday, October 27th, 2014

 

 

Outside my window...  it is dark... but there is still a bit of orange from the beautiful sunset this evening.

 

I am hearing... Christopher practicing piano.

 

 

I am thinking... about the fun date night that Scott and I had last night.  It was a themed date with many different activities and it was so much fun!  Perhaps I'll share in another post.  If you don't already, can I encourage you to date your husband?  It is such fun!  <3  Here is a picture taken before we left for our date.

 

 

 (windy day... blowing my skirt around)  ☺

 

  I am thankful...

• for my wonderful, hard-working, witty, easy natured and playful husband.
• Our successful shopping trip on Saturday.  We found clothing for everyone that coordinates for our up-coming family pictures.

 

 

 I am wearing... a new jean skirt and a mint green and white striped top.

 

 I am creating... Not a lot of crafting this week.  I am making a tied fleece Packers blanket for Andrew's birthday and we've been cleaning and getting our extra bedrooms ready for overnight guests.

 

 

  I am enjoying... the beautiful weather we've been having lately but tomorrow it will change - temps will drop almost 20 degrees and be wet. 

 

 

I am wondering...  What to serve at a ladies birthday tea I am hosting next Monday.

 

 I am reading... through the Bible with my Good Morning Girls group.  I read Genesis 30 this morning.  I am finished the Ruth Bell Graham book but haven't started a new one yet.  I have a few in my stack but not sure which to start with.  We are finished up the Tanglewoods Secret book last week and started Star of Light.    So many good books... not enough time!  Argh.

 

 I am hoping (trusting God)... for the salvation of some very precious loved ones and for my older children to be led by God in all areas of their lives.

 

 In the learning room...  plugging away... nothing super exciting.  ☺

Last week Andrew made some potato stamps.  He had fun stamping an envelope to send to his friend Phoebie in Wyoming.

 

 

 

 Around the house... The leaves are officially off the trees and have been mown and mulched.  We still have our volley ball net up in hopes of a few more games before the snow arrives. 

Inside, as mentioned before, we are getting our two spare bedrooms ready for guests. 

 

 

  In the kitchen... For dinner tonight we had meatballs, baked potatoes, corn and pumpkin pie for dessert.  Mmm

 

 

I am (still) learning… to let go and let God.  It is best to be taught by Him.

 

 A Scripture to share...  "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word, be won by the conversation of the wives;"  1 Peter 3:1

 

 A few plans for this week:  We picked up my husbands new (to him) semi this morning and did some car schooling.  Christopher has Civil Air Patrol and I plan to spend a quiet evening at the coffee shop while he's there.  I have shopping to do and need to make Andrew's birthday present yet, Saturday he'll be turning 12!

 

 A peek into one of my days...

 

 

  This post is linked at The Simple Woman's blog.

Daybook

For Today...

Monday, October 20th, 2014

 

Outside my window...  it is still dark outside and will be for another half hour.  Both my husband and son have left for work.

I am hearing... nothing.  Andrew was up to say good-bye to his dad when he left but is back up in bed and it's quiet in the house again.

 

I am thinking... about what I read in Genesis 22 yesterday about Abraham not withholding Isaac his son from God and examining my life… are there areas that I am holding back in?

 I am thankful... for the time I had with my niece this week.  We picked her up on Wednesday and brought her home Friday morning.  We took a trip to Nelson's Farm.  It was a beautiful fall day full of fun!

 

 

 I am wearing... a jean skirt, cream colored knee-high socks, a green sweater and a cream floral scarf.

 I am creating... A monster hat for my nephew.  Similar to this one. 

 

 

I’m also still working on my Autumn Sunburst afghan.  This week there was a lot of tail tucking, my least favorite part of a granny square afghan.

 

 

  I am going... to have a shopping day with my daughter this week.  Yay!  We are trying to co-ordinate and buy outfits for our entire family for our upcoming family pictures.

 

I am wondering...  when we’ll have our first snow and hoping it holds off for a long, long time.  ☺

 I am reading... through the Bible with my Good Morning Girls group.  I read Genesis 23 this morning.  I am still reading through the Ruth Bell Graham book a little each night.  We are finishing up the Tanglewoods Secret book this week and will be starting Star of Light for our next read aloud.  I also got the book Do Hard Things for the older boys.

 I am hoping (trusting God)... for the salvation of some very precious loved ones and for my older children to be led by God in all areas of their lives.

 In the learning room...  We need to play catch-up a little this week since we took Thursday and Friday off to have my niece stay with us. 

 Around the house... Outside the leaves are almost off the trees except for one and a few stragglers on the others.  what a difference 3.5 weeks can make.

Inside… I’ve been working on a little fall cleaning.  I got the linens for the spare bedroom laundered and now I just need to finish freshening up the room. 

 

The two younger boys need new clothes for winter so we’ve been going through bins and making shopping lists.  We also need to purchase new winter coats and find the bins with hats, mittens and gloves.

 

  In the kitchen... I had planned to make a homemade chicken pot-pie last week but our menu got a bit mixed around so I’m hoping to make it this week.  My in-laws sent home two apple pies with us this week.  Unfortunately with growing boys they don’t last long. 

I am (still) learning… to let go and let God.  It is best to be taught by Him.

 A favorite quote...  an entry from Ruth Bell Grahm's journal in which she shares her fears and inadequacies in brining up her family as she should.  At the end of the entry, which included the words to a hymn she writes,

"There it is.  All that I am not, He is;  all that I am and should not be, He forgives and covers.  But this remains:  I am not big enough for the job ahead of me.  Not big enough, or strong enough, or wise enough, or loving enough or selfless enough, or anything enough."

It captured my attention because I've been there before... and on my own and in my own strength I will never be enough - but in Christ I am.  <3

 A few plans for this week:  piano lessons, errands, library trip, Civil Air Patrol, Cyber Patriots and a shopping trip with my daughter.

 A peek into one of my days...

 

{working on the roof of the fort}

 

{Painting pumpkins}

 

 

This post is linked at The Simple Woman's blog.

Sunday afternoon

What a glorious Sunday!  I had a quiet morning at home.  I spent some time reading and studying my Bible and by the time the family came home from church they were greeted with the smell of chicken taco's in the crockpot.

Scott and the boys went right out to work on the fort with Andrew at the back of the property and I took a little walk with some four legged friends.  Football is on the agenda for tonight for the guys, I'll probably curl up in my room with a book and warm cuppa tea.

 

 

 

Psalms on Sunday

 

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
 Let us come before him with thanksgiving
    and extol him with music and song.

For the Lord is the great God,
    the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth,
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.

The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture.

 

Psalm 95:1-7a

Making Your Home a Haven, Week 2 - Music

 

It's week two of the Making Your Home a Haven challenge.  Hosted by Courtney at Women Living Well. 

 

Have you been lighting your candle?  We have - the boys are taking turns each morning lighting the candle and praying for peace in our home before we begin family worship time.  We've read Romans 12:9-21 a few times over the last week. 

 

My Holiday Spice Yankee Candle is just about  burned through and before weeks end I'll need to get another.  ☺  I'm not sure if I'll get the same scent or look for a new one. 

 

 

Over the last few months I've purchased a few new cd's and I've been playing those throughout the day.  In years past (and still) I've enjoyed listening to George Winston but I recently found Paul Cardall and downloaded a selection of his music as well as some Fernado Ortega from Amazon and onto my cloud storage.  I can play it through an app from either my computer or my iPhone which is nice because because its mobile and I can listen to it whenever and wherever I want.  :)

 

 I also have two cd's that I purchased from the Revive Our Hearts ministry with Nancy Leigh DeMoss that I love!  The first is a cd collection of Hymns.  The cd title is Be Still.  The second is Hidden in My Heart:  A Lullaby Journey Through Scripture.   Don't let the lullaby part fool you.  These are beautiful Scriptural truths set to music that are soothing to any age.

 

This summer I watched a talk by Michelle Duggar.  She opened by having everyone sing (a capella) a beautiful hymn titled A Christian Hymn.  I am not sure where this hymn originated but over the summer I've taken it as my own and have sung it to the Lord and a prayer for my family and home.

 

 

A Christian Home

(sung to Be Still My Soul)

 

O give us homes built firm upon the Savior,

Where Christ is head and counselour and guide;

Where every child is taught His love and favor

And give his heart to Christ, the crucified:

How sweet to know that , tho' his footsteps waver,

His faithful Lord is walking by his side!

 

O give us homes with godly fathers, mothers,

Who always place their home and trust in Him;

Whose tender patience turmoil never bothers,

Whose calm and courage trouble cannot dim;

A home where each finds joy in serving others,

And love still shines tho' days be dark and grim.

 

O give us homes where Christ is Lord and Master,

The Bible read, the precious hymns still sung;

Where prayer comes first in peace or in disaster,

And praise is natural speech to every tongue;

Where mountains move before a faith that's vaster,

And Christ sufficient is for old and young.

 

O Lord, our God, our homes are Thine forever!

We trust to Thee their problems, toil and care;

Their bonds of love no enemy can sever

If Thou art always Lord and Master there:

Be Thou the center of our least endeavor

Be Thou our guest, our hearts and homes to share.

 

 

Isn't it lovely?!  May God bless you this week as you work towards building a haven for your family.

 

Making Your Home a Haven - Week 1 was the #1 read post at the So Much at Home Link up!  How fun and welcome to all the new readers who came through the link-up.  I hope you'll stop by again, leave a comment so I can return the visit.  Please click below to visit and read the posts submitted to this week's link-up. 

  

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Marriage Monday, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Coffee and Conversation, So Much at Home, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Hearts for Home Thursdays, Growing in Grace Link-up,  Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Simple Meals Friday, Making Your Home a Haven,  Thank you to each of the lovely ladies listed above for hosting.