Tag: grace of God

Expect The Unexpected

Expect The Unexpected: Guaranteed

If there’s one thing we can count on in life, it’s to expect the unexpected.

One day all is well, you wake up the next morning, and life takes an unexpected turn.

Here in our neck of the woods, it’s severe weather season again.

Fall is upon us and as the temperatures start to “fall”, (couldn’t resist!) the weather can be unstable.

I’ve never been a big fan of thunderstorms and Texas is one of the states that gets big ones.

Expect the unexpected

Lightning?

I can remember when I was younger how my dad and I would stand on our back porch during a storm.

He would hold my hand as we watched the lightning storms roll in across Pensacola Bay.

A great memory for me, but now I’d rather stay inside away from the windows.

Several days ago in North Texas, we had a huge lightning storm.

I was already counting in my head: “One, one thousand; two, one thousand . . . ”

How many miles away is it?

It wasn’t too long before we heard another very loud crack of lightning – louder than the rest.

My husband and I stopped what we were doing and ran outside to our garage to check the attic for flames.

There had already been news reports of homes catching fire about 15 minutes from us.

The lightning struck close alright.

We were spared, but our next door neighbor didn’t fare so well.

That huge “bolt out of the blue” fried their electronics. 

Thankfully, no one was hurt, but what a scare.

Expect the Unexpected, But We’re Not Alone in Life’s Storms

Life will throw us curveballs – guaranteed.

We have to expect the unexpected. Sometimes it’s good news, and sometimes it’s bad.

By the grace of God, in those moments of fear, disappointment, and frustration we can trust that God will walk through it with us, whatever “it” is.

So many Bible pages serve as reminders that God is with us, even during times of trouble.

At times like that, battered and beaten by the storms of life, many turn to the Psalms and read the experiences of men and women of God who have gone through exactly the same struggles and the same pressures. Somehow this speaks to their need, gets hold of their hearts, helps them to know that at least they are not alone in this struggle, that others have had it before them. – Ray C. Stedman, Christian pastor.1

One of my favorites is Psalm 23 which I’ve committed to memory.

“The Lord is my Shepherd . . . “

All this to say that we can expect the unexpected, but we can also expect the most unimaginable wonderful and beautiful gift of God’s grace in our future.

We have a Savior and, one day, we will meet Him face-to -face!

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1 Source Credit, Article by Ray C. Stedman (Christian pastor and author – 1917-1992).  “The Pressure Of Problems.” Courtesy of raystedman.org. para.5. Web. Accessed 2nd November, 2025. Retrieved from: Obtaining God’s Help

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Don’t miss glimpses of Heaven all around you

Glimpses of Heaven – Don’t Miss Them!

beauty of Gods creationWhen was the last time you noticed the beauty of God’s creation right in front of you – a foretaste of Heaven on earth?

Creation is a gift from God.

Our lives are so busy and yet, if we’re not careful, we can miss it all.

The beauty we see around us is a reminder of what Heaven has in store for believers, only much much better.

How Would You Describe Heaven?

Here are some thoughts about Heaven from two friends of mine:

“I think Heaven is a wonderful place where I don’t have to worry about sinning anymore” – James, 8 years old.

“Heaven is better than anything we know here on earth. It’s like going to Hawaii and everything’s free” – Emma, 7 years old.

Yes, dear ones, you are right!

But there’s so much more.

My Description of Heaven – A Fraction of What It Will Be

Praying at the top of a mountainI’ve personally visited picturesque, snow-capped, mountains in Wyoming and Colorado. 

I’ve been to the top of one of those mountains and couldn’t help but say prayers in that gorgeous setting.

How could you not?

It’s hard to imagine that there’s a more magnificent place than those beautiful mountains to praise and worship the Heavenly Father, but Heaven is.

I would never get tired of it.

I’ve snorkeled in Hawaii, the Bahamas, and Panama City Beach.

Heaven isIt’s hard to imagine there’s a more serene and breath-taking place than those beaches, but Heaven is.

I have questions about the sad events that have happened in my life. Is there a place where my every question will be answered?

Yes, in Heaven.

I’ve experienced the heartache of losing some of my brothers and sisters in Christ. I miss them and want to see them again.

I will, in Heaven.

It’s inconceivable to me why anyone would not want Heaven for their future.

Randy Alcorn’s Heaven – a Great Book

Randy Alcorn's Heaven bookOne of the most encouraging books I’ve ever read is Randy Alcorn’s book, “Heaven.” I first heard about his book after listening to his interview on the John Ankerberg show.

I was totally mesmerized and couldn’t wait to buy it.

The most important thing to remember is that Mr. Alcorn uses Scripture throughout. He’s not claiming that he visited Heaven or had some kind of vision, which would be suspect.

He presents a hopeful and thought-provoking picture for us of what our eternal lives could be with Jesus Christ.

The book, “Heaven”, stirs my imagination and gives me great hope in the beauty, freedoms, and fun that Heaven has to offer to believers in Jesus Christ.

Heaven will be, in one word, magnificent!

There are so many gold nuggets in Mr. Alcorn’s book that I even took notes to refer to later. I don’t say that about many of the books I’ve read. His book paints a beautiful and hopeful picture for us of what our eternal future could be like – a future away from this very dark and compromising world that we live in now.

From Titus 2:11-13:

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. –

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles

In The Presence of Our Savior

I always knew from reading Scripture that Heaven is a place prepared for believers, in the presence of our Savior. I didn’t fully think about that before. Looking back, it’s like when you read a Bible verse that really sticks with you and then later, you take a Bible study and the study materials bring out the richness of the verse that you’ve never realized before. Your love and understanding of that verse then increases tenfold.

I like to use the example of Stephen in Acts 7:55-56. Before he was killed, Stephen uttered in his dying moments that he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 

Encouraging verse right? But, if you really think deeper about that word picture, Jesus was standing.

Not sitting, but standing to welcome Stephen into the Kingdom.

Talk about an honorary welcome from the One who paid the price for all of our sins.

Heaven is a Real Place

Heaven is a real placeIf anyone tells you otherwise, please consider the source. That person having doubts needs our prayers and the working of the Holy Spirit in his or her heart. 

The blessed fact is, Heaven is very real and attainable for all of us who put our faith in the one, true, and living God. Are we bearing the fruits of the Spirit?

How do we know Heaven is real? Because Jesus spoke about the Kingdom in the Bible. (See Matthew 7:21-22 as one example). Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. God does not lie.

As Christians, we must pray for strength and courage in the trying times ahead. Our ultimate relief from sin and its strongholds will be in Heaven. Praise God for that.

Heaven Will Take Your Breath Away

Heaven will be anything BUT boring.

Why is it that some people think anything that is eternally good, will be boring?

That’s a lie from Satan, says Mr. Alcorn:

Satan need not convince us that Heaven doesn’t exist. He need only convince us that Heaven is a place of boring, unearthly existence. If we believe that lie, we’ll be robbed of our joy and anticipation, we’ll set our minds on this life and not the next, and we won’t be motivated to share our faith.    From Randy Alcorn’s, “Heaven”. Tyndale House Publishers. 2004.

Randy Alcorn’s “Heaven” is a long book, but it’s worth spending the time to read it. I hope you enjoy it.

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