A Lesson from Savvy Grace

The following blog post is written by my 13 year old daughter. She actually used this lesson for her Sunday School class.  I thought it was too good not to share. God Bless You!



Throughout the book of Psalm we are told to give thanks to God.

Psalm 136:1

"Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever."

Psalm 118:21

"I will give thanks, for you have answered me you have become my salvation."

 

Psalm 28:7

 "The Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusts in him and I will give thanks to him in song."

What are you thankful for ?

Even though it's not Thanksgiving  we should give thanks everyday and today is a great time to start!
Some people withhold praise and thanks to God when he has blessed them. Some people only praise and thank God when they want something from him.  Sometimes we don't realize how blessed we are to have something till its gone. Sometimes we don't understand our parents or relatives  until they go out of town or move and you realize how they helped you so much.  Sometimes we fail to thank God for the simple things He has blessed us with.  For example, we realize how much help it was to have a dishwasher when it breaks, you realize how much help it was to have it.

Sometimes instead of thanking God for who he made us to be we complain about how "Oh I hate my hair or I have a funny nose or I'm fat or I don't look like a model." Whoever said you had to be like that? Why try to change the beautiful creation God has made you! Just be thankful that you have a body that is healthy and nothing is really wrong with you. It's just how you see your self. It doesn't matter if your nose is weird or hair is frizzy or your a bit overweight--because you should just be thankful you are alive! Psalm 139:14 I praise you because  I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Even when life isn't perfect, even if your day doesn't turn out right--
still thank God for every minute you have with your friends and family and just enjoy life!

A Prayer for Life

Dear Lord,

Thank you for this day. Thank you for this fragile moment and every millisecond you've given me.

Help me realize that this day may hold surprises--unplanned events.

Let me know that your plans and your ways are perfect--even when I fail to understand.

Allow me to feel secure in you. Give me the reassurance that your hand is in mine as we
dance this Life waltz, together.

Just for today help me to forgive and-- please forgive me.  Let me take advantage of every opportunity to show kindness and love to others.  Use my voice, my hands and my feet.

Please DON'T let me live my life as a checklist. As I go from one activity to the next, help me to SEE, FEEL and EXPERIENCE the treasure of TODAY.

Let me always remember that I find my passion and purpose by talking to YOU first. You know what today holds, what's best for me...that is enough!

Help me prioritize, Your WILL first. What you want me to do today is more important than anything else on my agenda.

Let me be a carrier of your message for Your glory and Your namesake.

In Jesus Name I pray.

Amen.---J. Lyn Jones

Turn Your Eyes...

Hi Friend,

I just came back from a much needed family vacation last Sunday.  It's amazing when I'm on vacation how things look different.  Suddenly, the road I've driven down one thousand times seems smoother. All at once I notice birds flying in formation. The orange blossoms smell sweeter.  An awareness of God's creation fills my mind, cleaning out cobwebs of mundane life.  Even the rain clouds look better. 

A lot of life is perspective. Have you ever noticed that if you get focused on worrying about something, that it starts to consume you?  I've had days that the sun is shining, but there's a dark cloud of anxiety and gloom over my heart.  I've had days that I wanted to hide under the covers of my bed and not come out.  Depression? Oppression? Maybe.  Whatever the reason, sometimes we just don't want to face LIFE! It is times like these that we have to remember, this life won't last forever.  It is at these moments we need to focus our attention on JESUS.

As the old song, by Helen Lemmel says...

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of this world will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

When we allow Jesus to be the focus of our life, our perspective changes. He lifts our minds and emotions to a higher place.  The miracles that He does for us each day, giving us breath, life, love, friends, and a new day, is enough. Everyday will not feel or look like a vacation day.  However, if you're going through a trial of your faith, turn your eyes upon Jesus, cast your burden on Him and let Him bring the sunshine back into your life. Love & Blessings--j.lyn jones

Unfailing Love

There's a song that I memorized when I was about 12 years old called Unfailing Love by Evie Tourquist.  It goes something like this...

Unfailing love flows from His heart and heals my soul,

In spite of who I am He came and made me whole,

I almost can't believe it's so, unfailing love, and yet I know,

He gave His life, to give to me, unfailing love. 

If the highest mountain turn to ashes,

If the mighty river should run dry,

Should sun and moon be darkened,

I still will trust in Him, He's watching from above,

I'm trusting in His love.



Psalm 143:8 "Let the MORNING bring me the WORD of your UNFAILING LOVE."

What is unfailing love?  Unfailing means, inexhaustible, never running out. So God's love is a love that never runs out and never stops.  God's love is a love that keeps on loving us, even at our worst moments. 

The Bible tells us that God's mercies are new every morning.  Every morning there is enough love from Him to get us through the day.  You are loved.  What an awesome thought to think that the Creator of all heaven and nature has an endless supply of love that never runs out.

I think back to a time when I was hospitalized for 5 days.  The nights, when I was by myself, seemed so long. It seemed like morning would never come.  I wonder if that was what David was thinking of when he talked about the morning bringing the word of God's unfailing love.  The morning brings hope.  Sometimes the "night" in your life can feel so long.  Don't forget morning is on the way.  Don't forget that God loves you.  As Phil Vischer states, "God doesn't love me for what I can do for him, he just loves me, when I've done nothing at all."

This week rest in the knowledge of God's unfailing love. -- j.lyn jones