EASTER SUNDAY!

A sabbath that becomes serene as we meditate on the hope of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

PRAISES for the Hope Of Easter which is renewed each day in the life of a believer!

SATURDAY SMILE OR SNEER!

Not a Saturday smile. Rather a Saturday sneer that makes me smile. 

A perfect pose for a five-year-old who knows there's a human inside that bunny costume. Folded arms show he's not impressed!

His look said it all for me!

Happy Easter, JLK. May you soon understand the true meaning of Easter and allow that TRUTH to put a smile on your face! (John 11:25)

ABOUNDING ADORATION!

ADORE HIM! Revere. Cherish. Esteem. Exalt. Glorify. Honor.

Thanks to Lynn T, our Colorful Day assistant, for sharing these aspects of the many Names of God....all of which honor His hallowed name,

Such an appropriate week to share, a prayer which overflows with His many names, especially with those who attended the "Names of God" workshop at Colorful Day. Adoration Galore in '24.

BOLSTERING FAITH!

Life is full of challenges. Ups and DOWNS. Highs and LOWS, 

Life is full of difficulties. 

Struggles strengthen.

Some brought on by ourselves....others by loved ones.

All can be used to bolster one's faith.

Our reactions to these difficulties can also bolster the faith of others.

Respond today in His strength. Allow Him to bolster faith in your life for others to see. They might need a faith boost as well.

LEANING!

When my mind goes 1,000 directions at once, I know to lean into the Lord.

I have options.....Plan A., Plan B., Plan C., etc. Just in case.

God has only 1 plan. His! 

He knows the plan He has uniquely for each of us. 

His plans give a future and a hope!(Jeremiah 29:11)

This meditation Monday, "Lean in,  listen to the LORD of Hope." 

Follow His plan for your life today!

ANCHOR OF HOPE!

Stand firm!

Having trouble in this area?

When we flee to Him for refuge, "we find strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. (Hebrews 6:18)

Allow God's truth to become your anchor of HOPE!

Hope: "a sure and steadfast anchor for the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,"(Hebrews 6:19)

Jesus, our hope, anchor and high priest has entered there on our behalf! (Hebrews 6:20)

Our anchor of hope and security on this Palm Sunday.

WEEKEND WORDS OF WISDOM

Scotty Smith has such a way with words---even in a vocabulary of whining which sadly I understand well.

Remove whining Lord, Restore and reignite our JOY in you so we can stop whining and share truth with others even during difficult times this Palm Sunday weekend!.

CELEBRATE..........EASTER IS A-COMIN'

Easter will be here in a little over a week. It's celebrated by Jesus followers on March 31, this year.

For Christians, Easter is more a time of remembrance than bunnies, colored eggs and jelly beans. Easter is also a time of hope.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3)

"What kind of hope is that?" one might ask.

Hope is not wishful thinking. For believers in Jesus as Savior of our world hope is a confident expectation! It's hope for a future backed by the promises of Father God's Word and work for us.

Jesus, our living hope, resurrected from the dead,  

is cause for true celebration this Easter Season!

PI DAY!

Yesterday was Pi Day.

My mathematical chums always remind me of the 3.14...........string of numbers dealing with the relation of the circumference to its diameter.

For me, it's a reason to buy a pie on "on sale" to celebrate. 

But, this year I decided to look up 3:14 verses in Scripture. Here are a few of my faves.

In Exodus 3:14, God shares His name, I AM. 

John 3:14 reminds us that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, the Son of Man must be lifted up.

James 3:14 warns against a bitter, envious and lying heart.

For self: I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)

For self & others: Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives.

(Titus 3:14)

SCUPPERED!

Wordsmith Wednesday has me with lingo "from across the pond."

SCUPPERED!

In an on-line dictionary they offer the "English" definition.....as if the language of Britain isn't English. 

Those of us who speak "Southern" can relate.

I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. (Job:42:2)

I just scuppered my plans---I lost my typed entry and could not recover. So discouraging! 

Don't know what's next yet.

DST!

Saturday as I reset clocks in anticipation for The "Spring Forward" for DST on my calendar, I accidentally turned on the bedside table alarm!

ARG!--It went off, not only on a "sleep in a bit later day" but an hour earlier.

But God in His love and mercy sets a time for everything and everyone. And today, I needed more sleep.....or so I thought.

Actually, I needed more zeal to do His will. (Romans 12:11) 

More of Thee less of me......regardless of the time of day.

REST IN PEACE!

One month ago today, on the morning of February 10, 2024, Henry Thomas Blackaby (born April 15, 1935) came to the end of his life on earth and began experiencing God face-to-face. He was predeceased by his wife Marilynn and survived by by five sons, all of whom are pastors and one daughter who was a missionary to Germany.

Blackaby's landmark devotional book, Experiencing God, has been the devotional book that I and several friends have been using this year and his words have encouraged each of us. In it he encourages his readers to remember God's promises are YES & Amen and to walk their talk! 

May one's actions back up words.

Another quote that inspires us all is  "Look to see where God is at work and join Him.” 

 & thanks for words of peace you have shared for Christians everywhere who desire to live a God'centered life!

Rest in Peace, Henry Blackaby & thanks for gody words lived out by you and your family>

SPRING IS COMING!

Officially, the spring season will begin March 19. But.....signs are already popping up in gardens and field's everywhere! White dogwoods filling fields in Hernando, MS. Budding heritage snowball bushes in yards of many friends. An unfamiliar magnolia bush. A saucer magnolia, according to my horticulturist neighbor. It looked like a tree with two different color blooms to me.

How could I have missed this visual springtime treat at GAC for so many years!?

May the Lord give me eyes to see. May I lift my head and open my eyes to see the beauty He has created without losing focus of the the Creator, by whom all things were created through Him and for Him. (Colossians !;16)

CONFIDENT HOPE!

I love my wearable gift from a faithful prayer warrior who knows "HOPE" is "My One Word" for 2024.

HOPE is much more than wishful thinking. HOPE comes from a confident expectation in the words of  the God we worship. When God speaks of HOPE, whether as a noun or a verb, He stands by His word!

According to Henry Blackaby, "We can have confident HOPE in everything God has provided." (Experiencing God, p. 193)

HOPE for today! Bright HOPE for tomorrow.

Put on HOPE today! 

Wear it with a confident smile on your face and in your heart! 

THINK ON THESE THINGS!

A step beyond thinking..........to glean understanding!

Consider. Contemplate. Muse. Ponder. Reflect. Ruminate.

Ah-h-h, MEDITATE! Keep your mind full of God's Word!

Yesterday's March 4 Experiencing God devotional had me in a meditative mode...

• Words you speak can be a good gauge of what's in your heart.
• Mind needs exercise just as your physical body does.
• To keep thoughts pure, contemplate noble truths that stretch your  mind.
• Expose mind to truths of God's Word.
• Choose to concentrate on the truths of God.

....A convicting mode

"The things you allow your mind to dwell on will be revealed in the way you live."(p.64)

HIDING PLACE

Hide me O Lord. May I and others (Nancy E., Sandra F., Terry T, Katya B., Reardons) find refuge under your wings as we are covered with your pinions. (Psalm 91:4)

As we start our day with You, cuppa in hand and Bible open on lap, may we call to You in this time of trouble.

Thou art a believer's refuge, strength, comfort, fortress, protector, shield, buckler and dwelling place. Today may all in need hide and abide in the shadow of the Almighty, our Most High God! (Psalm 32:7)

PRACTICING THY PRESENCE TO PRACTICE THE PAUSE!

A "pause" that refreshes my soul and pleases the Lord.

His pace becomes my pace.

Put

All

Under

Savior's

Ebullience

If actions don't please God, keep pausing until they delight Him! 

Practice Thy Presence to Practice the Pause.....or Practice the Pause to Practice Thy Presence!