Lessons

Lessons from Wednesday Night Bible Study (I Samuel 1):
* listen to hear a word from the Lord
* prayer is powerful
* give the gifts back to God
* sometimes our following God can be misunderstood
* release our concerns into God's care and trust Him

Day Six - Gifts from God:
1.  porch swings outside the Department of Education
2.  an encouraging scripture on peace texted by Joyce to Victor
3.  the kind parking attendant who allowed us to bring him back the $5.00 cash
4.  an ATM in the same building as Victor's interview
5.  a cafeteria in that same building with a salad bar and a Chik-fil-a
6.  Andrew's "good luck" text
7.  Sarah's "thinking of you" call
8.  a cleaned-out Suburban thanks to Margaret and Ben
9.  Willis picking up Ben from school
10.  Mrs. Wolfe calling to warn us about the weather

With gratitude,
Sally

Beware!

"The whole human race was created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."

(from today's devotion in My Utmost for His Highest)

That means us.  

We were created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Isn't that wonderful?

That's why He works all things together for good - the terrific and the terrible -

it's for His glory.

When God is glorified, we are drawn to Him.

When God is glorified, we see Him for Who He Is.

God is Love.

When God is glorified, we know He is Love,  we know He loves us.

Then we enjoy Him now, in this moment, and forever.

So this is our purpose, the reason we were created:

to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

The devotion ends with a warning:

"Beware lest you forget God's purpose for your life."

I needed to hear this warning today.

Because sometimes, often, I forget.

Day Five - Gifts from God:

1.  Jane leaving a message that the church she visited Sunday opened the service with the theme song from "Cheers"

2.  Being a part of a church family where everyone does know my name and I do belong

3.  So many friends staying after Bible study to hear Victor practice his presentation

4.  avocados and roma tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette dressing

5.  celebrating dear Kay's birthday with a table full of friends and family

6.  neighbors and friends who celebrate life together

7.  our encouraging, joyful pastor

8.  suddenly Benjamin is taller than I am

9.  Victor's race car cookies and ribbon

10.  Sarah helping Victor with his powerpoint presentation

With gratitude,

Sally

New Every Morning

Lord, Your mercies are new every morning.

Day Four - Gifts from God:
1.  family members of friends that two of our children were named for both came to the restaurant today
2.  a computer expert friend from church generously helping Victor with his presentation
3.  folks asking about Daddy
4.  the dogwood leaves just beginning to turn
5.  Margaret's first voice lesson
6.  our home phone works now - thanks to a new battery - so simple!
7.  a little bit of rain
8.  reading inspiring words on the computer
9.  a woman encouraging others and choosing joy even as she is painfully dying
10.  colorful sneakers

With gratitude,
Sally

To Live Again

Yesterday I asked the Lord to revive me.  Please.

"Revive" means:
1.  to come or bring back to life or consciousness; resuscitate
2.  to come or bring back to a healthy, vigorous, or flourishing condition after a decline
3.  to come or bring back into use or attention
4.  to become or make valid, effective, or operative again
5.  to come or bring to mind again
6.  to produce or exhibit again after an interval

and it comes from:
re-, again + vivere, to live

Don't you just love those meanings?

The great thing is this:  I asked Him to revive me and He already is!

Jesus said (in Matthew 21:22) "And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

Thank you, Lord.

Day Three - Gifts from God:
1.  the coffee grinder Mema gave me
2.  freshly ground coffee first thing in the morning
3.  a good, long hug from my husband
4.  JV's calmness
5.  recalling benefits while we walk
6.  money for groceries
7.  remembering to ask the Lord
8.  pretty butterflies all around
9.  sunlight on breeze-blown green leaves
10.  Monday morning

With gratitude,
Sally

You Will Revive Me

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me."
                                   (Psalm 138:7)

Lord, I'm counting on it.

Day Two - Gifts from God:
1.  a computer
2.  good leftovers to share
3.  listening on the radio to our church service
4.  David doing Moments with the Children
5.  an empty laundry basket
6.  the feel of my Bible
7.  reading of someone else meditating on The Upper Room every morning
8.  God holding on to me when I am slipping
9.  cool air
10.  rereading a book that inspired me as a girl

Please revive me, dear Lord.

With gratitude,
Sallly

100 Consecutive Days

These one hundred days of thanksgiving will lead right up to Christmas,
the true day of giving.

I smile because I now know that giving thanks is a gift itself.

When I give thanks to God I receive the greatest gift of all -
the gift of abundant life in the present moment.

Of course, y'all know by now that we have to start over at Day One because of my Margaret.

She insists that these one hundred days must be consecutive.

I suppose I really don't want to miss another day of the gifts from God.

And, anyway, she just came downstairs and saw me writing here
and hugged me and said she was proud of me.  So, here we go again. . .

Day One - Gifts from God:
1.  pretty, dear, funny Margaret who believes in me
2.  a cool morning walk with the girls ( remember, Little Darlin' and Sweetie Pie)
3.  talking with the Lord and not minding if people think I'm talking to myself (or the girls)
4.  a phone call from the state board of education yesterday after we prayed
5.  "totally benign"!!!
6.  Victor sharing his Christmas verse with Robyn and praying with her on the phone
7.  the Upper Room on the day of Kailey's surgery focusing on "someone facing a sudden medical need"
8.  God's promise repeated:  "Do not be afraid, for I am with you."
9.  a slow Saturday morning with nothing on the schedule
10.  the butterflies and bumblebees are back

Thank you, God, that truly You are with us in the most intimate and ordinary and remarkable ways.

With gratitude,
Sally

Very Dear

I Thessalonians 2:8

"Having so fond an affection for you,
we were well-pleased to impart to you
not only the gospel
but also our lives,
because you had become very dear to us."

As I write here,
I hope to impart to you
the gospel - God's good news -
and my life - graced by God -
because you have become very dear to me
and God has given me so fond an affection for you.

God loves you dearly.
Remember that.
Realize that.

Gifts from God:
21.  September
22.  sauteed mushrooms and sweet onions
23.  giving bits of bacon to my girls (Little Darlin' and Sweetie Pie)
24.  a sweet boy, now a fine young man
25.  Victor's retirement check; so many years of meaningful work
26.  grace filled work for us (God's idea)
27.  angels and flowers for every table
28.  a daughter treating her mother to lunch and encouraging us so
29.  the release of Emily's book, Grace for the Good Girl
30.  finding a sweet note from JV on my secretary this morning

With gratitude,
Sally