Updated on January 23, 2017
Review of Embrace Grace (& a Giveaway!)
These groups are changing lives, spreading hope, and saving countless in both body and soul! I encourage you to get involved in any and every way you possibly can, if the Lord lays it on your heart to do so. No matter who you are or what your circumstances are, there are ways you can make a difference for a pregnant girl looking for answers. Here are some ways you can help Embrace Grace:
- Start an Embrace Grace at their local church so young women with unplanned pregnancies have a support group. (Follow this link to do so.)
- Partner with the national organization through prayer and support at www.EmbraceGrace.com
- Download and print our brave girl letter (http://egrace.co/brave) and mail to address below for us to place inside a Love in a Box.
You can mail your Brave Girl letter to:
Embrace Grace, Inc.
Attn: Love in a Box
700 W. Bedford Euless Rd., Ste. G
Hurst, TX 76053
Here’s my letter, about to be sent off to an overwhelmed heart!
Now you have an opportunity to enter this great giveaway! You could win the two items above (the necklace and journal)!! Isn’t that exciting?
Just CLICK THIS LINK and fill in your information for a chance to win!
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on January 20, 2017
Sunday Scripture: 1/22/17
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on January 20, 2017
Recommendation Saturday: Take A Moment
A Beautiful Illustration of God’s Creation from worshiphousemedia on GodTube.
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on January 19, 2017
Carissa’s Corner: Finding A Light In All The Chaos
It’s so hard being faced with all the temptations of this world!
It seems like all people care about is money or how cool you are, or how you look. All these things are worthless to God. He doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor. It doesn’t matter to Him how you look!
God looks at your heart!
You shouldn’t worry about what other people think of you. And you should never feel unloved. Because you are loved by the Creator of love.
If you have Jesus, you have all you will ever need.
Just close your eyes, take a breath, and trust God to bring you through the journey.
“You are loved more than you will ever know by someone who died to know you.” (Romans 5:8)
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on January 16, 2017
The Voice of a Friend
There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. – Proverbs 18:24
I spoke with a friend today. Dialed the number, listened as it rang. Let me tell you, my face just lit up as I heard her answer!
What had been a dreary day became a joy. Just at the sound of the voice of a friend.
Sometimes we’re meant to be God with skin on to our fellow travelers in this world, it’s as simple as that.
As the day wore on and the joy lingered, I of course talked to God about it. The Holy Spirit promptly brought some scriptures to mind.
See, some days friends aren’t available at the same time that we are. Sometimes you need that voice, but you’re alone.
But God…..
So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. – Romans 5:11
We have a friend who is always there right beside us (or if you’re like me, sometimes you’re in His lap?). He’s there. Day and night. Through pain and joy. And he longs, oh how He longs, for us to share it all with Him. Every single minute detail. He wants to weep when we weep and rejoice when we rejoice.
I know this because He wept when His friends were grieving the death of Lazarus. Remember, He knew full well that He would raise Him from the dead in just a few minutes. But He wept, leaving us an example of both His love and His character.
I know this because He shared the joy of His resurrection with the women in the garden. Remember, it was all part of the plan. But He rejoiced just the same, and even instructed them to spread the good news.
Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
Always. He’s with us always.
The next time you really just need to hear the voice of a friend, reach out to Him in prayer. Open up His love letter to you and read His sacred words.
It’ll be just what you need. I promise.
Sweet Jesus, thank You for the voice of earthly friends. Thank you for precious company and for people who get us. Thank You, Lord, even more for Your voice, constant and steady in our ear. Your love astounds us. In Your Name, Amen…
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on January 15, 2017
How to Savor a Life: Overcoming? Me??
|
Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. – Romans 12:21 |
Conquer = to overcome or take control of a person or place
Seems to me that this would be the greatest desire of evil. To conquer. In reality, that’s probably the only, most single-minded focus of evil. Conquer in every way, every human being. Bring them under the control of the enemy.
Maybe that’s why the devil is often so successful… because his minions are focused and have only one shared goal. We, on the other hand, tend to try to be a bit distracted. We have multiple goals and we love to keep one foot toward heaven and the other in the world.
But I digress.
It’s a scary thought, being conquered. There are so many things out there that are gaping jaws, threatening to swallow up our hope.
Sometimes we feel conquered by our finances (or lack thereof). Grief threatens to conquer us. Addictions conquer us. We can easily slip under when we’re faced with unrelenting physical pain. And we could go on and on. Divorce, betrayal, difficult challenges, job loss, depression, anxiety….
It all leaves us floundering to keep our heads above water.
But God…
First, He told us how not to be conquered.
Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. – Romans 12:21
Do good. Make it a point each day to think outside yourself. Tiny steps still get you where you’re going. Maybe today it’s all you can manage just to smile at the grocery clerk. Tomorrow you might manage to slip a card in the mail for someone who is homebound. Making the drive in to work so you can pay the family’s bills, wiping your toddler’s nose for the fiftieth time today, giving your favorite person a long hug. These are doing good. If you just can’t muster enough energy or hope to do any of these, can you pray? Will you take it upon yourself to pray for another when you kneel before the throne? Never underestimate the power of that!
Evil can’t win as long as we’re spreading this kind of love and kindness. The devil loses a little more ground each time we reach outside of our own misery to brighten someone’s day.
I hear you, Dear One. You’re saying, “Shelly, I can’t even scrape myself off the floor today. This week, I’m the one needing the hug and the card and the reassurance. How do you expect me to be all geared up doing good?”
Leaving no stone unturned, of course, God also tells us how.
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. – Philippians 4:13
And it’s all because….
| But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. – Romans 8:37 |
If today you are feeling a bit conquered, please remember the promise.
In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. – 1 Peter 5:10
And know that you are prayed for.
Dear God, please lend Your strength to all who are reading this today. I pray that You would help them to conquer evil. Keep their hope alive. Build their faith. We love You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on January 12, 2017
Sunday Scripture: 1/15/17
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on January 12, 2017
Recommendation Saturday: Breathe On Us
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on January 12, 2017
Whose Blog Is This, Anyway?
Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. – Psalm 37:5
Sunday morning, in Bible class, we were reading the account of Moses striking the rock for water to come forth. It was the first time, when God had instructed him to strike the rock in front of the elders.
While they were still resting at that place, an enemy army came against them. Moses promised to stand with the “rod of God” in hand during the battle.
| And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” – Exodus 17:9 |
I have to admit, when we got to that one phrase, I missed out on a few minutes of class discussion, due to being caught up contemplating the amount of surrender and humility that Moses showed when he referred to this powerful staff as having nothing whatsoever to do with him.
The man had stood up to Pharaoh. He had convinced the Israelites to run for freedom. Moses held the staff and struck the Red Sea when God parted it to provide dry land for a crossing. He was about to hold his arms up for so long, holding this very rod during battle, that his peers had to hold his arms up for him.
Did Moses play a role? Only in that he surrendered himself as an instrument of the true and living God. But who among us can say that if we held that much power in our hands, if people looked to us for every communication with the Lord, if our participation was a required thing… how many of us would refer to the rod as anything but ours?
Moses recognized that all power, glory and honor belongs to the Lord. He spoke and acted in such a way as to remind others.
Do I?
In this space here, this haven and refuge of mine (and I hope yours, as well), do I recognize what Moses did?
Instead of referring to this as “my blog” or “my writing” or “my books”, I want to remember that they belong to God. All glory and honor goes directly to Him. I could do nothing, not one single thing, without Christ. And that includes this.
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. – Colossians 3:17
Dear Lord, please forgive me for the times that I claim this, Your work, as my own. I dedicate each word that is typed in this space to You, the only King. May it bring You glory and honor which are due You. Thank You for choosing me as an instrument. May I remain humble and surrendered. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on January 2, 2017
But My Story Isn’t Shiny…
Sometimes it feels like we should keep silent… those of us whose stories aren’t flowery and full of rainbows. Those of us who needed Jesus with a desperation that most will never know. Those of us whose struggles don’t magically disappear with the wave of a magic wand and a whisper of the mysterious word, “Belief”.
The world wants to hear of miracles. There are even churches full of people who tell us that unless our story has a happy ending, it isn’t worth telling.
May I encourage you with the truth today?
I sure hope to see you over at Bestie Barb’s Place. Come on over!
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
