Updated on May 1, 2015
Sunday Scripture: 5/3/15
In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.
– 1 Timothy 2:8
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on May 2, 2015
Recommendation Saturday: Summer’s Coming
And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do. – 1 Timothy 2:9-10
Sisters and Brothers, let us not use the sweltering heat of summer as an excuse to obey God’s guidelines for our clothing. I don’t get to the beach, but I sure do overheat easily.
It’s worth any time or effort it takes to assure myself that I am adequately covered. It matters.
How will you use your beauty?
We are best when we are community.
I would love to share in some of that community right here from my website.
You can join in, too!
Share a post from your own blog and then simply click on the “Add your link” button below and enter your blog information.
Then, please grab my Recommendation Saturday button below, and place it on your website or post, so that others can find their way to our little Saturday community! You can also Tweet your participation with the hashtag #recommendsat so that we can all find each other on Twitter!
You may also join in by leaving a comment.
The most important part of our community is spreading our hope and love to others by visiting some of the other inspirational sites linked up and leaving comments there.
Heart Hugs, Shelly <3
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on April 29, 2015
Are You Aware of the Difference You Make?
“Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ” (Philippians 1:12-13).
Please don’t get me wrong. I don’t believe that God has caused this to happen to you. Or to me. To any of us. I don’t believe He placed Paul under arrest, either.
But oh, what God can do with the worst of circumstances will astound, every time.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
What has happened to us, what was meant for harm, has actually served to advance the gospel.
Let that sink in for a minute.
How huge is that?
I hope you’ll join me and my family
over at Rest Ministries to finish this post.
They’re simply amazing. <3
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on April 28, 2015
What a Child of God is Made Of…
But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. – 1 Peter 2:9
You’ve all heard the poem about what we’re made of, right?
Sugar and spice and all things nice
that’s what little girls are made of….
Snakes and snails and puppy dog tails
that’s what little boys are made of….
Personally, that poem always made me want to be the boy, but I digress. 😉
I was thinking today about what a child of God is made of…
Mercy and Grace
Hope and Love
All good gifts sent from above
that’s what a child of God is made of….
Don’t scoff at what you’re made of… you may feel weak and worn, but you are made of sterner stuff.
Mercy isn’t just something that is granted by those who are meek. Mercy is what steels your backbone when racing forward to lash out would feel so much more satisfying, at least in the moment. It’s what reminds you where you came from, what tempers your fire.
Grace isn’t only favor unmerited. Grace is what literally carries you through to the next day when you’re wilted and worn clear through. It’s what recharges your battery, what strengthens your resolve.
Hope isn’t simply a word that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy. Hope is confidence personified. It brings the dawn, and the joy with it. It anchors our souls, keeps us tethered and able.
Love isn’t something that we fall into, and it certainly isn’t mealy-mouthed or doormat-ish. Love speaks loudly when confidence has failed. Love follows the right path, proves itself solid at each and ever sharp turn.
Mercy. Grace. Hope. Love. They’re what kept Jesus on that cross. And here you thought it was nails….
Stand in your own today, precious child of God. You are made of eternal things.
Dear Lord, continue to remind us. Continue to provide to overflowing, all that we are and all that we need. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on April 24, 2015
Sunday Scripture: 4/26/15
So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him. Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, for she thought,
“If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”
Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.”
And the woman was healed at that moment.
– Matthew 9:19-22
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on April 24, 2015
Recommendation Saturday: Ransomed
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give His life a ransom for many.
– Mark 10:45
God is bigger.
Let’s remind each other of this, ok?
Let’s surround each other with that kind of love.
We’ve been ransomed.
We are best when we are community.
I would love to share in some of that community right here from my website.
You can join in, too!
Share a post from your own blog and then simply click on the “Add your link” button below and enter your blog information.
Then, please grab my Recommendation Saturday button below, and place it on your website or post, so that others can find their way to our little Saturday community! You can also Tweet your participation with the hashtag #recommendsat so that we can all find each other on Twitter!
You may also join in by leaving a comment.
The most important part of our community is spreading our hope and love to others by visiting some of the other inspirational sites linked up and leaving comments there.
Heart Hugs, Shelly <3
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If you have been helped by this post and think it could be helpful to someone you know, please share this post on the social network of your choice for me.
All you have to do is click one of the buttons below.
May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on April 23, 2015
On Birthday Gifts
Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! – 2 Corinthians 9:15
My angel girl turned 12 yesterday. It still boggles my mind. We had a wonderful day and it all revolved around her… probably why it was wonderful.
Last night as we sat down to a supper she had chosen, I said, “So is this a pretty good 12th birthday supper?”
“Oh, Yes!”, she exclaimed.
“Well,” I countered, “at least better than your first-ever birthday supper!”
Grinning from ear to ear, she said, “Oh who cares what I had to eat, I was just a baby! I got the best gift ever on my first-ever birthday!!”
“Really?” I said.
“I got a mommy!!”
That girl still knows how to blow me away. The only thing I could think of the rest of the night was that I am a gift.
I. Am. A. Gift.
I thought you might like to hear it, too. Because it’s true of all of us. No matter if you’re a mommy or a sister or a friend or … well, you fill in the blank. It all applies.
To start with, you are a gift to me. Right here on this blog, you bless me each day. So if you’re having a hard time seeing what a gift you are, just start right there and ask God to take over the telling.
Thank you. For being a gift. <3
Heavenly Father, thank You for the beautiful gift of my child who thinks of me as the present. Please remind each beautiful soul reading this of their worth and importance. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on April 22, 2015
Life, According to Herman… Shell Maintenance 101
Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” – John 6:35
Tally Ho, everyone! Please allow me to introduce myself. I am the rare and elusive pink felt snail. My name is Herman, and I have recently come to dwell with one Shelly Hendricks and her lovely family. As soon as I started reading Shelly’s blog, I knew I had insights to share.
This is my first foray into writing, so please indulge me as I share a few necessary snail facts.
I’m certain you know that snails have shells. We are born with them. The first thing we do following hatching from our eggs is to consume said egg, thereby adding to our calcium and helping to make our shell stronger. As we grow, our shell grows with us. It is a very important part of the snail identity, providing protection from predators, overall health, and a humble home.
There are a myriad of problems that can arise for a snail who does not take care of himself properly. The biggest cause of damage or irregularities in snail shells is a drastic change in diet and water quality. It’s very important that we keep up with proper nutrition!
From living with Shelly, I have seen that it is not only snails who have to be concerned with such things. Your bodies can be terribly fragile, and without a shell, you are vulnerable to all kinds of predatory attacks that can wreak havoc on your protection… your home.
And so in closing, our lesson for today is that we need to maintain our shells. We do this through regular reading of the Word, through constant prayer and thanksgiving, through drawing constantly from the pure fountain.
All else will leave us hungering and thirsting. The proof will show on our shells.
It’s been lovely to meet each of you today. I pray God will give me more snail wisdom to share with you. Until then… onward.
Dear God, thank You for offering Your Word, Your Spirit and Your Son. Guide us to settle for no less. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on April 21, 2015
Did Jesus Really Come to Change the World?
“For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” – Luke 19:10
The other day I was watching a popular mini-series that came out depicting scripture. Supposedly. It was entertaining, I suppose. And it got a lot of parts right. But as typically happens when those involved in Hollywood and the New Age Christianity movement get their hands on the Word, there were subtle and disturbing differences between what was on screen and the Truth.
The one thing that stuck with me was a phrase that the actor portraying Jesus spoke. When someone asked what they were going to do if he joined Jesus, the actor replied, “Change the world.”
Woah. That stopped me in my tracks. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? It’s deceptively non-threatening sounding. Some would even claim it is true. I am not one of those.
If Jesus changed the world at all, it was through His people and the lives changed through salvation, and then those they go on to love according to His example. He is still changing the world in that way, it’s true. But Jesus did not change the world.
This lie is one that would strip hope from ones such as we… ones who live in constant pain and disability. Ones who cling to Hope and walk by Faith. If we spend all of our time and energy trying to figure out why the world is such an awful place that doesn’t hold only good things for us as children of God, we have missed the entire point.
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
There are those who would truly love for us to believe that this world belongs to us. That there is no longer an enemy or a battle to be waged. While there is no doubt that God has won, has overcome each and every obstacle that this world can throw at us and use to sap our faith, there is also no doubt who is still the ruler of this realm.
Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. – 2 Corinthians 4:4
These same folks would love for us to be distracted fighting the troubles of this world and our earthly bodies.
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. – Ephesians 6:12
Oh, yeah, and most of all if anything goes wrong here in our lives on earth, they would love for us to lay the blame at God’s feet.
Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen. – Galatians 1:4-5
See, that’s the truth, Dear Ones. Jesus came to rescue us from this world. He came to reconcile us to God, to adopt us into His family. He came to change me and you. He came to change the state of our relationship with God. He came to change our prospects for eternity. He came to offer relationship and eternal life and mercy and grace and all things good.
What He did not come to do is to change the world. The world goes on as it always has. It remains broken. It remains antagonistic. It remains enthralled with the wrong prince. The world is bent on our destruction. Still.
For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. – Hebrews 13:14-15
Please don’t let your hope be slowly leached away by believing the rubbish this world throws at us. Especially the rubbish cloaked as God’s word. The only way we will achieve victory over this still-evil world is by holding tight to the truth, most especially in the times in our lives when it is hardest to do so.
For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. – 1 John 5:4
The truth… the beautiful truth… is that no one can change the world. Well, except Adam and Eve. They did it. Christ fixed their mistake, but not by changing the world. Just by wooing us back in the most selfless of ways. Just by longing for us more than He longed for His own life or diety. In light of that, what difference do the conditions of this world make?
And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. – 1 Corinthians 15:19
We are not to be pitied. Cling to an eternal perspective. Cling to a higher purpose. I’m clinging with you.
Dear Lord, thank You for aiming higher than simply hitting the “reset” button. Thank You for the unimaginable opportunity to be Your sons and daughters. Oh, how we long for Your presence. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
Updated on April 17, 2015
Sunday Scripture: 4/19/15
Photo by Sweetie187 
The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.
God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
The sun rises at one end of the heavens
and follows its course to the other end.
Nothing can hide from its heat.
– Psalm 19:1-6
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
