Grace

January 10th, 2013 dsisler

I have a house filled with joy. Yes, when our granddaughter Joy is in the house, it is definitely filled with joy. On the days when I can’t contain the excitement and wonder of how God has taken this earthly vessel and used it for His glory, it is filled with joy. But what I’m speaking of are the plaques, the pictures, the trinkets all around my home that have the word “joy” on them.

 

With a new granddaughter arriving at any moment, I thought it would be nice to begin incorporating her name into my décor. Her middle name is Grace, so I figured it would be easy to find. Boy was I wrong!

 

I visited two local Christian book stores and Hobby Lobby so far. I believe there were about a dozen items that had the word “grace” on them. And most of them were in relation to the song, “Amazing Grace.” Really?

 

To say the least, I was amazed (no pun intended) that grace didn’t flow off the walls and shelves of these stores. Because if Christianity is about anything, it’s about grace.

 

So my next solution was to make something. So I searched Pinterest for ideas using the key word “grace.” Nothing…again. I guess my creative spirit is really going to have to kick into gear.

 

But this really got me thinking about grace. Why wasn’t it as popular as joy, faith, or hope? Why aren’t our homes filled with reminders of this wonderful gift?

 

So today, let’s look at grace through God’s eyes. Let’s see what He has to say about it and how it impacts our lives. And through this process, I pray that I’ll be able to create some worthy images of grace to use in my home.

 

We find several references in the New Testament to people who were filled with God’s grace. Of course, there was Jesus. Luke 2:40 tells us of God’s grace being upon him. The apostles had a good dose of grace as they worked for the Lord in Acts 4:33. And Acts 6:8 (NIV) tells us of Stephen who was “full of God’s grace.”

 

But what is grace? How does grace change us? What does grace look like in our lives?

 

Grace is God’s unmerited favor upon us. When we least deserve it, He offers it freely. You’ve probably seen this acronym before.

 

God’s

Riches

At

Christ’s

Expense

 

That’s grace. It’s God’s free gift to mankind. Ephesians 1:7 (NIV) says it this way. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.”

 

But I found that grace can show up in other areas of our life besides our salvation.

 

We can use grace for spiritual growth. 2 Peter 3:18 (NIV) tells us to “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” So how do we do this?

 

In Romans 12:6-8 (NIV), Paul makes the statement, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith…” Our gifts are given to us to meet the needs of those around us according to grace.

 

2 Corinthians 8:7 (NIV) says, “But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” We are called to give graciously. Grace-filled giving…giving as Jesus gave (2 Corinthians 8:9).

 

In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul reminds us that God’s grace is all we need. It is sufficient. It is enough. That through God’s grace we are made strong.

 

Paul encouraged Timothy to “be strong in the grace that is Jesus Christ.” (2 Timothy 2:1 – NIV). And we see in Hebrews 13:9 speaks of our hearts being strengthened by grace.

 

Colossians 4:6 reminds us that our conversations should be filled with grace.

 

We gain eternal encouragement and good hope through grace (2 Thessalonians 2:16)

 

Grace is available to us during our time of need according to Hebrews 4:16.

 

It is no wonder that many of the letter writers in the New Testament open and close their letters with the mention of grace. It is a powerful gift for the Christian and one that we need to be reminded of.

 

I suspect when we look at the many facets of grace, we can indeed see the glorious riches God lavished upon us. Perhaps it is bigger than we once thought. Perhaps more that we need to learn about grace.

 

What I do know is that as we study God’s Word, He will enlighten our hearts and our minds to new and exciting concepts. Grace is just one element. Just think of all He has in store for us to learn.

 

I have to say that I did find one item to use in my home that held the word grace. It is a small ball and it says, “Grace. ‘Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.’ Romans 3:24”

 

This will sit quite nicely next to a similar ball I have with “Joy” inscribed on it. And if that is the only thing I have with my precious granddaughters name on it, at least it is something that tells the story of grace. God’s grace. Grace that is greater than all my sin.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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The Tire

January 9th, 2013 dsisler

My 2004 Ford Escape has 170,000 miles on it. It has been a great traveling companion and I will be sad on the day we part ways.

 

In preparation for the arrival of my newest grandchild, I asked my husband Mason to check the car over to make sure everything was okay. The fluids, the tires. You know, the things that need to be in working order, especially when I’m in a hurry.

 

One of my tires has been losing air slowly over the past month or so and on occasion Mason has had to fill it. He thought he would buy some tire sealant to stop the leaking. So he purchased a bottle of the stuff and was ready to finish the car prep job.

 

The process for the sealant is to let all the air out of the tire, remove the object that caused the problem (air leaking), add the sealant, fill the tire with air, and then drive. Sounds easy enough doesn’t it?

 

After reading the directions, my husband figured there had to be something causing the tired to deflate, you know, the thing that was to be removed from the tire. So he decided he should probably take the car to have the tire repaired properly.

 

It took 15 minutes, it cost $10, and I have a lifetime guarantee on the repair. My tire is now in good shape.

 

Isn’t this the way we are with our spiritual lives at times. We know there is an issue. We look for a quick fix. But in the long run, the only thing that will make it right is doing the right thing. Mending our soul the right way.

 

Satan is out to get us. He is firing some flaming arrows directly at us. Paul mentions such actions in Ephesians 6:16 (NIV) and how we are to protect ourselves. “In addition to all this (using the armor of God for our spiritual journey), take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

 

The flaming arrows the evil one points directly at us can be lethal. If we are not prepared we will be in trouble. And if we have been hit by a flaming arrow, we must allow full healing of the wound. A quick fix will not work. A job done half way will not work. We must take it to the One who is the greatest Repairman of all time. God.

 

When we bring our brokenness to God, He is able to make the repair. Completely. Satisfactorily.

 

King David knew of this brokenness and what God’s role was to be in the healing process. In Psalm 51:17 (NIV), David said, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” When we give our brokenness to God, our wounded spirits, He will accept that sacrifice and repair the damage.

 

David also knew restoration. Psalm 23:3 (NIV) tells us, “He (God) restores my soul.” Complete restoration. Complete healing. Complete mending.

 

You see, when we give our wounds, large or small, to God, He promises to do the fixing. There is no reason for us to believe we can do it on our own or that we can fix it ourselves. We can’t. It’s not possible.

 

So I ask you today, what wounds do you need to give to God for repair? What brokenness have you held on for far too long? Why not let the great Repairman fix your heart the right way? He’s the expert at it. And with the mending of our souls comes a lifetime guarantee…no, an eternal guarantee.

 

Please don’t go another day with the wounds you carry. God’s arms are out stretched and waiting to take care of it for you. You just need to give it to Him.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Another “Most Wonderful Time of the Year”

January 8th, 2013 dsisler

I find that I look forward to the weeks of the year when women’s Bible study starts up. In the fall, it’s the week after Labor Day. In the spring, it’s the second week of the New Year. This is that week.

 

Tonight I will begin leading a group of faithful women who truly want to learn about God through His Word. Women who desire a deeper relationship with Him and who willingly remove themselves from the equation so that God may be seen by others through them.

 

Tomorrow morning, I will gather our women’s Bible study leaders and lead them in devotions and prayer time. It has become a special time that has drawn us closer to one another and to God.

 

Yes, it is one of my favorite times of the year. I find that three important elements are fueled by gathering with sisters in Christ to study Scripture.

 

In Acts chapter 2, we find the fellowship of believers devoting themselves to four things. “To the apostles teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer” (Acts 2:42 – NIV).

 

You see, I gain insight into God’s message by studying the apostles teaching. I gain encouragement by being in fellowship with fellow believers. I gain a closer relationship with God through prayer. These three elements are found in women’s Bible study.

 

For me, getting back into a schedule of studying God’s Word, fellowshipping with Christian friends, and praying corporately puts me back on track. It balances my life. It focuses my attention on God instead of myself.

 

So if you are in need to some direction in your spiritual life, why not seek out a group of believers that you can be with on a weekly basis. It might be a small group, or a Bible study, or even a Sunday School class. Whatever it is, it must be something that you’ll enjoy and that you will continue to be devoted to.

 

It’s a great time for a new beginning. Why not make it a great beginning in this way? I’m certain you will find complete satisfaction and fulfillment in doing so.

 

I can’t wait for tonight!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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My Failures

January 7th, 2013 dsisler

I have accomplished so much in the past 12 months. I write an inspirational blog every day. I moved my blog to a beautiful new website. I have an e-published book.

 

But, I have had a difficult beginning to the New Year. I was feeling sorry for myself. Yes, I write an inspirational blog every day, but I rarely hear from others, so I have no idea if I am making a difference in this world. Yes, I have a beautiful new website, but I lost all of my followers from the original blog site. Only one person followed my move. Yes, I have an e-published book, but I’ve only sold six copies of the book.

 

And to make matters worse, someone who I have mixed emotions about has a published book and I was told about it…again. So add jealousy into the mix and I found myself in a pretty bad way a week ago.

 

I felt like a failure.

 

I picked up two books to read. One was “Made to Crave” by Lysa TerKeurst. If you have read any of my blogs, you know this is a book that has made a huge impact on my life. I certainly needed an attitude makeover and I knew this book would help with that.

 

The other book I chose to read was a book I’ve had for two years. It is “In the Blink of an Eye” by Michael Waltrip. Michael is my favorite NASCAR driver and I bought this book before going to the Daytona 500 in 2011. I took it to the race track each time we went in hopes of getting an autograph. I never saw him. So the book was placed on my shelf upon my return to Colorado.

 

Until last week.

 

According to Michael, he started 463 NASCAR Cup races before he went to victory lane. I couldn’t even begin to tell you how many laps he made around the great race tracks of our country before winning a race. But it is a lot. Thousands.

 

Suddenly, my year’s failures didn’t seem nearly as large. Michael Waltrip had inspired me. Surely I could keep going without all the baggage that I had picked up along the way.

 

And here’s the crazy part. When I started writing my blog a year ago on January 30th, I hadn’t set any goals. I just wanted to write. I didn’t care if people read my blog. I just wanted to write about God. So I have been successful at it. I have written about God every day for nearly 365 days.

 

My first blog post was a reflection on fear. I conquered the fear of writing and offered my words to the world. I have been successful at that as well.

 

I have grown closer to God and have deepened my relationship with Him throughout this year. I have been successful in that regard.

 

So you see I am not a failure. At least not by God’s standards. I offered Him my writing when I started my blog. And He has honored my gift with some great insight into His world. God has opened my eyes to concepts and ideas that I had never thought of before. God has been in the middle of my blog from the beginning. That makes me and my blog successful.

 

This is the final paragraph of my first blog post.

 

“I’ve conquered this fear of blogging. You may not agree with me. You may not like my style of writing. You may never return for “Day 2” of this blog. But I know that whatever tomorrow holds, my God will be with me. And because of that truth, I have nothing to fear.”

 

From the beginning I wasn’t sure who would read my blog, but I did know that God would be following my blog and that He would be with me each day. And He has been.

 

So I will continue to hold onto Moses’ words to Joshua and believe He is doing the same for me, because God has made this promise to believers throughout Scripture. “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8 – NIV)

 

My fear is gone. My discouragement is diminished. My feelings of inadequacy have vanished. I am facing this New Year with a new resolve. To write about God every day and not worry about being successful by the worlds standards.

 

What have you resolved to do?

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Building a Doll House: Open House – Chapter 14

January 6th, 2013 dsisler

NOTE: If you missed Chapters 1-13 of Building a Doll House, you can find it in the column under “blog archive” to the right.

I knew from the beginning of creating this doll house that I wanted to share our experience with others. And as I told friends and family what we were doing, they all wanted to see it. So I decided that I would have an open house for the doll house.

 

I love to entertain, so this was an easy party to host. And of course, Joy had to be part of it. So together we threw an open house that was well-attended.

 

The doll house was placed on the dining room table and all the furniture was set. My home was prepared and food filled the kitchen for guests to enjoy. We then waited for guests to arrive.

 

And they did. For the entire afternoon, we had guests come and go. Others stayed the entire time visiting. It was a joyous occasion. And Joy was the perfect hostess. She was honored to show our guests each room of the house.

 

I enjoyed telling the story of building the house. The choices we made. The verses of Scripture under the wall paper, flooring and shingles. I even created a PowerPoint presentation of the process for everyone to see. Here is a glimpse into the rooms of the house with the Scripture reference that is written there.

 

The kitchen (Proverbs 31:15).

The dining room (John 21:12a).

The living room (Titus 2:4-5).

The parent’s bedroom (Matthew 11:28).

The boy’s bedroom (Psalm 4:8).

The nursery (Psalm 62:5).

The little girl’s bedroom (Psalm 127:2b).

The bathroom (Ezekiel 36:25a).

The foundation (Psalm 127:1a).

The floors (Jeremiah 29:11-14).

The porch (Deuteronomy 6:7).

The roof (Psalm 45:15).

 

This was a day of celebration. And we celebrated with those we cared about the most. Family and friends.

 

Jesus is building a place not so different than the doll house. Except that is God’s house. And there are many rooms, mansions or dwelling places, depending on the version you read.

We find reference to it in John 14. Just before this passage, Jesus told the disciples that He would be leaving them and also that Peter would deny Him three times. Jesus knew they needed encouragement. So here are the words He spoke.

 

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:1-4 – NIV)

 

So what do we know about this place, this house that Jesus is preparing for us?

 

It has taken a long time to finish. Jesus left the disciples behind nearly 2,000 years ago. Each generation from that point on has been waiting and longing for Jesus’ return. What joy it will be when we see Jesus face to face!

 

It will be beautiful. We see a glimpse of this place, also from John, in the Book of Revelation. The description found in Revelation 21 tells of a city made of pure gold, precious stones, and with streets of gold. There is a river with trees lining its banks. Of course, these are human terms. Concepts that we can understand. But from what we can comprehend, heaven will be beautiful!

 

God and Jesus will be there. Also from Revelation we read phrases like, “It shone with the glory of God.” (Revelation 21:11a – NIV) “The Lord God Almighty and the Lam are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” (Revelation 21:22b-23 – NIV) “The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city and his servants will serve him.” (Revelation 22:3b – NIV)

 

He wants to share His house with all those He loves. His family. His friends. Jesus told His disciples in John 14 that they knew the way to this place. Jesus was and is the Way. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we have the “map” to this great treasure. We have the entire New Testament to point us in the right direction. We have instructions on how to get on the right path when we’ve taken a wrong turn. Jesus doesn’t want anyone to be lost forever. He wants you to enjoy His house!

 

Jesus has invited us to join Him for the open house. Jesus invites us to come. There are more passages that reference this idea than I have time to mention, but here are a few. Matthew 11:28; Matthew 16:24-25; Matthew 19:21; Luke 5:32; Luke 6:47-49; Luke 9:23; Luke 14:15-24; John 6:35; and John 14:6.

 

There is one more invitation I’d like to mention from Revelation. Come is the repeated word. “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and however wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” (Revelation 22:17 – NIV)

 

The preparations are nearing completion. The invitations have been sent. The way is clear. Now it’s up to you accept. Come.

 

Are you weary? Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Are you lost? Jesus is the Way. Come.

 

Come.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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  • "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19

  • I am a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. I lived in the beautiful state of Colorado for 20 years where I found great inspiration for my novels and devotional writings. Currently living in Jacksonville, Florida.

  • I am passionate about helping women find their way to Jesus through Bible study, teaching, speaking, inspirational writing and creative Bible journaling.

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    In September 2012 I went to SE Asia on a service trip. For more information, check out preachitclearly.blogspot.com.

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