Let Them Be Little

A few days ago, I heard a beautiful song that I can’t stop thinking about.

Not because it’s a symphonic masterpiece or anything, but because the heart-tugging lyrics are a reminder that children are a blessing from God.

The song, “Let Them Be Little” is an extraordinary and timely cover song duet featuring two amazingly talented vocalists – who also happen to be husband and wife.

Originally recorded by country artist, Billy Dean, in 2004, I love this newer version as well.

In fact, I’ve featured the beautiful harmonies of Caleb and Kelsey before. You can find that music review here.

Let this song be a reminder that children are a gift from God.

In Matthew 19, parents (or guardians) of several little children were brought to Jesus for His blessing . . . and He did bless them.

Hold your children tight!

Tell them you love them daily

Teach them that they have value in your eyes and,

in the eyes of God.

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Our Exceptional God

God Makes A Way

Have you ever heard the expression, “God finds a way”?

The truth is – if it’s in His will, God makes a way.

I remember after our tragic family accident in 1997 (you can read about it here), our lives were completely turned upside down.

While grieving and still recovering from the tragedy days before, there were also many difficult decisions that we had to make, constant phone calls with friends and family, plus my husband wanted to attend the out-of-state funeral.

When my husband left, we needed someone to stay with me since I couldn’t walk at the time. Thankfully, in His gracious way, God prompted one of our cousins to volunteer to do just that.

My left leg was in a heavy knee-to-ankle boot for about three months. There was no way I could drive to work like that.

At the time, I was working at a Fort Worth TV station – which wasn’t even close to where my husband’s job was located. After not being able to work for a few weeks, I was starting to worry about being let go from my job.

After much prayer, God’s grace shone His brilliant light on us once again.

A co-worker at the TV station unexpectedly offered to pick me up half-way every morning.

As only God can do, the arrangement worked out perfectly and my co-worker and I forged a bond and then a close friendship that is now just as strong as ever.

We had so many wonderful faith-filled conversations on those drives.

I am forever grateful for experiences like that which affirm God’s grace and compassion.

God makes a way right when it seemed like there was no way.

When faced with seemingly impossible situations – we need to remember that, nothing is impossible for God.

Our Sovereign Lord, if it is in His will, is the God of our impossibles.

Brandon Heath God Made A Way

Recently, I was checking out new Christmas music and came across a song that I couldn’t wait to share.

Just in time for the Christmas season, Dove Award winner, Brandon Heath, released a new song duet with the incredibly talented Tasha Layton.

Here is “God Made A Way.”

I hope this song blesses you as much as it does me.

“God Made a Way” debuted on YouTube on November 22nd of this year. As of this writing, it has garnered over 3000 views on the social media platform.

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If Only . . .

November 29, 2022 Gracie

If Only I Was in Charge

Have you ever thought to yourself,

If only this would have happened

If only that didn’t happen

We don’t like not being in control, do we?

In some cases, it can boil down to our own pridefulness.

Here are some wise words from Pastor Vernon McGee:

Let me remind you that this is God’s universe, and He is doing things His way. You may think you have a better way, but you don’t have a universe to rule. – Dr. J. Vernon McGee, pastor, Bible teacher, theologian.¹

Ouch, right?

It’s easy to fall into the trap of “if only’s.”

God is a God of love, but He is not some kind of cosmic genie whose purpose here is to make everything easier for us.

Not even close!

God’s redemptive plan is to bring repentant sinners to salvation through Jesus Christ.

We look at the world today . . . increasing crime rates, violence, and blatant perversion aimed at children.

Please God, make it stop!

None of us deserve God’s patience, but He is merciful.

There is still time to help reach lost sinners for Him.

Think about it.

Their destiny is tragic.

That means that people we both know who are lukewarm, apathetic, or complete deniers of God will end up in Hell if they don’t repent and believe.

If only I was in charge, I would instantly make the whole world understand how desperate the times are now in which we are living.

But I’m not in charge.

God’s ways are not ours, and we should be thankful for His sovereignty.

“If Only” Does Nothing

Are we in the “last days”?

In the verse below, the Apostle Paul spoke to earlier believers of the last day signs.

See how these words also reveal to modern day Christians (you and me) about what we can expect.

We shouldn’t be surprised, but prepared.

2 Timothy 3:1-7 states,

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, ⁴treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these. ⁶For among them are those who slip into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, ⁷always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. – 2 Timothy 3:1-7, (NASB).²

How much longer will God put up with this wicked world?

God is working out His divine providence in His timing and His ways are perfect.

We won’t hear about it in the secular headlines, but people are being saved and coming to Christ in a very dark world.

His divine timetable remains a mystery.

I love this verse below:

The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient towards you, not willing for anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9, (NASB).³

“… He is patient with you . . .”

Have you thought about how beautiful and comforting those words are?

Trust Him.

Some day this will all make sense.

When Your “if only’s” Become “that is why”

Did you know that the opposite of “if only,” is “that is why”?

Here’s the good news:

On that glorious day when we see our eternity firsthand, our “if only’s” will become “so that is why.”

Father God, thank You for who You are.

Thank You for Your mercy and compassionate love

for a world full of broken people.

Help us to see those opportunities to reach others for Christ

in our time remaining

and to recognize that this life is not about us,

but about bringing glory and honor to You.

There is still time.

May our “if only’s” cease to cloud our judgments.

May we remember always

that You love us,

and that is why

You sent us Your Son –

to save us from ourselves.

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¹J. Vernon McGee quotation, courtesy of azquotes.com.

Our Exceptional God

Happy Thanksgiving 2022

November 22, 2022 Gracie

Thanksgiving 2022 is here and that means the holiday season is in full swing!

People rushing about, schedules and to-do lists, Christmas rehearsals at church, a Thanksgiving meal to plan – it’s getting really busy.

Are you ready?

In all of our rushing around though, I wanted to take a few moments to reflect with gratitude where our “thanks” should truly lie – for the One Who created us and gave us His Son.

I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonders.
I will rejoice and be jubilant in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. – Psalm 9:1-2, (NASB).¹

For some who are away from their families this year, Thanksgiving 2022 can feel like a time of heartache.

If you’re currently going through a difficult time in your life, it can help to have some additional perspective.

God says to give thanks in everything. That doesn’t mean you need to give thanks FOR everything. You don’t need to give thanks FOR that bad day. Or FOR that bad relationship. Or being passed over at work. Financial hardship. Whatever it is – you are not to give thanks FOR the difficulties, but rather IN the difficulties. That is a very important distinction, and one I think we often miss. Giving thanks IN everything shows a heart of faith that God is bigger than the difficulties and that He can use them, if you approach Him with the right heart and spirit, for your good and His glory. – Tony Evans, Christian pastor.²

God never changes and neither does His love. It can help to remember the times He has walked with you through the struggles in your past.

Always, keep the faith, don’t give up and keep looking up for He is with you.

From our home to yours,

we’d like to wish you and your loved ones a very

Happy Thanksgiving 2022.

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²Dr. Tony Evans quotation, “Give thanks IN, not FOR, is your secret to victory.” [online post]. n.d. Web. Accessed November 18, 2022. https://go.tonyevans.org/blog/giving-thanks-in-not-for-is-your-secret-to-victory

Our Exceptional God

Mustard Seed Of Faith

November 14, 2022 Gracie

A Mustard Seed of Faith

Here’s a little bit of trivia 🙂

Can you guess the answer to this question:

How big is a mustard seed?

Mustard Seeds¹

Or, should I say, how “small” is a mustard seed?

If you guessed a millimeter – you’d be right.

Think of what one millimeter would look like.

Now that is tiny!

This small unassuming little seed, about the size of a single grain of sand, becomes a plant that can grow up to 30 feet tall or more!

Bangladeshi mustard plants²

So much more so our faith.

From one tiny mustard seed of faith, with the urging of the Holy Spirit, to a full declaration of our beliefs, our eagerness to spread the truth of God’s Word starts growing into something beautiful – that is, we start becoming more like Christ.

Our Faith Should Dictate Our Actions

Belief in God gives Him glory. Bearing fruit gives Him glory.

The whole world is watching.

If we act contrary to what we say we believe, it’s a terrible witness and that includes on social media, in the workplace, and more.

People should be able to look at your life and say, “You know, your life is different. You affect people differently than others. You have a certain attitude that’s different. Your behavior is different. Your influence is different. Your effect on things is different. There’s a product to your life that’s unlike any other life.” That’s fruit. – Pastor John MacArthur, Pastor and Bible teacher from Grace To You.³

Trust in God like your life depends on it . . . and it does, for all eternity.

Louis Gander’s latest poem, “One Wee Mustard Seed,” captures this beautifully.

One Wee Mustard Seed 9-22-22

Did God not create all the stars in the sky –

and put them in motion, Did they not comply?

Did God not create all the things of this earth,

from evenings to mornings, to growing from birth?

Are we so perplexed when we see Jesus still

the winds and the rains and the seas – all at will?

So why do we question what God can accomplish?

Oh, where is our seed of wee faith in His wish?

Disciples and others, now off from the shore,

could not seem to handle the tempest’s loud roar.

Would stiff winds and violent waves now condemn

as faith dissipated and fear overtook them?

We’ve faith in our keys that our cars will all start,

and faith in our chairs that they won’t fall apart.

Yet we can’t trust God to grant one little need?

Lord, grant me the faith of one wee mustard seed.

http://www.ganderpoems.org/⁴

A Mustard Seed Of Faith As It Matures

Spiritual growth is a matter of glorifying God. We will grow when our lives are filled with praise. We will grow when our lives are filled with fruit and fruitfulness. And we will grow when our lives are characterized by trusting God. Now as we live this way, focusing on His glory, we are changed from one level of glory to the next, moving toward the very image of Christ. – Pastor John MacArthur, Pastor and Bible teacher from Grace To You.⁵

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¹ “Mustard Seeds” photo by David Turner novalis, February 23, 2005, Edited by Consequencefree to replace the coin with an SI measurement reference. 24 February, 2005, via Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. Released under the GNU Free Documentation License. Accessed and retrieved November 2, 2022.

² “Bangladeshi mustard seeds” photo by Nafiur Rahman, own work. 8 January, 2021, via Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. Released under thexxxx Free Documentation License. Accessed and retrieved November 1, 2022.

³John MacArthur quotation, courtesy of GTY.org/library/sermons-library. “Trust, Praise, and Bearing Fruit.” para. 38, n.d. Web. Accessed 27 October, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/1388/trust-praise-and-bearing-fruit

⁴Poetry courtesy of Louis Gander, ©2022 Louis Gander ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, “One Wee Mustard Seed.” [online post]. From Gander Story Poems, n.d. Web. Accessed October 27, 2022. https://www.ganderpoems.org/2022/10/one-wee-mustard-seed-9-22-22.html

⁵John MacArthur quotation, courtesy of GTY.org/library/sermons-library. “Trust, Praise, and Bearing Fruit.” para. 75, n.d. Web. Accessed 27 October, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/1388/trust-praise-and-bearing-fruit

Our Exceptional God

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