Heartbroken For Our Troubled Nation

July 8, 2016 Gracie

Heartbroken For Our Troubled Nation

Pray for our police

Words can hardly describe my sadness after what happened tragically in Dallas Thursday night. My husband and I turned on the news, and like most of America, watched the horrific events unfold. Several Dallas law enforcement officers were ambushed, mowed down, and murdered after what is being described as a peaceful rally downtown. Bystanders and other officers were wounded and are now recovering in the hospital. These officers were simply doing their job and that was to protect the peaceful protestors and any onlookers.

My heart is breaking for these people, their families and loved ones, for Dallas, and for our country. I wept as we watched non-stop news coverage and heard replays of the kill shots. I am still weeping and shaken in my heart.

They showed video of one police officer standing by his police car. He pounded the car window with his fist, wiped tears from his eyes, and got down on his knees and prayed.

I can only imagine what he was going through.

Poignant Words in the Midst of Tragedy

I wanted to share a portion of an excellent Facebook post from Taya Kyle, wife of slain US Navy Seal, Chris Kyle.

My husband and I attended his memorial service three years ago. Taya, in the midst of her grief, was able to speak eloquently through her tears about her husband’s service to our country. Her words touched me deeply.

I believe that her Facebook post concerning Thursday’s mass murder in downtown Dallas is worth sharing.

From Taya Kyle, https://www.facebook.com/TayaKyleAmericanWife/posts/1104747409571383:0.

To anyone who has lost a loved one out of someone else’s hatred, my heart breaks for you. Today I am physically ill for the police officers in Dallas who lost their lives or were shot because of someone else’s hate. My heart is broken for you and your families. I mean that literally. I am physically ill over your loss and the devastation of life as you knew it.
To anyone who has fanned the fire of someone else’s hate, their blood is on your hands too. It is time for people to stand up for Godly values. It is time to start encouraging each other to rise above and find inner peace. It is time to remember it is a fallen world and our job is to find grace and strength in spite of our suffering.

Jesus Came to Save us All

Red, and yellow, black, and white – we are ALL precious in His sight, including the unborn.

The Monday morning quarterbacks will come out from everywhere to blame this problem on a particular group or race, even the guns, you name it. Furthermore, racial hatred (against blacks, whites, every skin color) is from man, not God.

Evil is everywhere. Please pray for your non-believing friends and family members to seek the Savior. Only God can provide salvation and saving grace to a person – no human-elected government, leader, or principality will ever come close to giving our nation and our world what it needs.

May our whole country pray for repentance and turn back to God.

A nation in need of our Savior

Our Exceptional God

Delight In God, Love Him More Than Everything

August 23, 2015 Gracie

Delight In God, Love Him Completely

How many Facebook followers do you have?

Ten, twenty, a hundred?

I know people whose friends list numbers in the thousands.

Thousands!

That’s a lot of friends 🙂

Did you know that, despite how large your friends list is on social media, there is One who loves you more than anyone.

He’s always there, loving you from the start, when you were just a baby in the womb.

Psalm 37:23 tells us that:

*²³The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way. – Psalm 37:23 NASB

He is the God of Second Chances

God is always ready to forgive, if you repent.

How many of your friends can you say that about? I suspect not many. God not only has the power to forgive, He provides the gift of eternal life to those He has chosen according to His will.

We deserve death, but Jesus paid our fine. That is the most sacrificial, beautiful expression of love that has ever existed in this world.

Please, if you haven’t put your total faith in Christ and repented of your sins, I urge you to do so. I also encourage you to start reading the Bible. The book of John is a great place to start. It’s also important to attend a solid, Bible-believing church in your area where you can hear the authentic gospel message of love, repentance, forgiveness, and salvation.

I watch the news sometimes and it’s so disturbing how evil this world has become. It’s getting worse every day. The abortion holocaust is just one example. I see the combative women holding up signs at rallies celebrating planned parenthood and I cringe for their lost souls.

There is still time for us to seek God’s forgiveness.

How long til you return, Lord? No one knows.

Time is running out, though. Jesus Christ will come again and, with all urgency, I say you don’t want to be left behind.

This song from Charles Billingsley is one I listen to a lot on my iPod. I hope you enjoy.

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Our Exceptional God

Thank You God

May 18, 2015 Gracie

Thank You God for Everything!

First and foremost, through this blog I want to give glory to God. He has blessed me in more ways than I can count and I am humbled by His mercy and kindness.

Thank you God!

Thank You God It is a privilege to write about my delight in God and my hope is that something I write will strike a chord in someone else. When you have good news, you want to share it, right?

Sometimes with all the busyness of everyday life, we forget to thank the One who knew us before we were born. I want to do that now.

Thank you God for Your love and grace – for loving me (and us) so much that You gave Your only Son to die on the cross to pay the price for my (and all) of our sins. We are wretched humanity and we deserve absolutely nothing, but in Your infinite love, You provide the way for us to receive Your salvation and spend our eternity with You.

Salvation

A Life Turned Around

Thank You God for my life. I remember eighteen years ago wondering what the purpose of my life was. I praise You for letting me find the answer and that is, to come to know You and to make Your name known. A horrible life-changing accident years ago could have taken my life, but You chose to spare me and give me a second chance. My life has completely turned around. I’m not the same person I once was. I am a new creation and I understand the responsibility and the joy of what that means now.

The Bible

It’s All True

Thank You God for Your Word – the Bible. You cared so much about humanity that You inspired the gospel writers to write down Your message of love, salvation, and forgiveness for all of us to read until the end of time.

It saddens me that some, even some Christians, doubt the inerrancy of Scripture or try to soften the message to appease a very dark world. People can’t have it both ways. They shouldn’t say they believe in the Bible and then turn around and say “well, only some of it is true.” ALL of it is true. If someone has doubts temporarily, it’s okay, but they need to actively research it and they will come to know the truth as well. I did. No one has an excuse when the information is so readily available to those who seek to understand how everything falls into place in the Bible. I provide some resources in this website for you.

Thank you God for my husband. He is a man of God and was the one who helped lead me to Christ. He is also the one who saved my life years ago in our family accident. Out of all the places my future husband could have moved for a job, he ended up moving to the same apartment complex.

I know that was You, God.

God’s Timing Is Better Than Mine

Some of us are a little resistant when it comes to finding the right guy for us. It took several bad dates for me to realize what I was looking for in a husband – and he lived right next door to me! Bill is my rock and I will never stop thanking God for him.

Thank you God for the wonderful people You have put in my life through the years. I treasure those relationships, each and every one. I love and pray for my friends who are Christians. For those who aren’t, I love and pray for them as well. I pray that my life will reflect the joy that I feel of knowing You personally and knowing that You love me back. There’s no rejection in Christ Jesus. None. While some people we come across in life will reject us, even spread lies or try to hurt us, we as Christians have the knowledge that Jesus will never abandon those of us who seek Him.

Beautiful creation

Thank you God for the beautiful creation that You designed just for us. Every sunrise and sunset is a priceless masterpiece. It is a privilege to live here and experience it, but I never forget the Artist behind the painting.

Thank you God for my health. It’s not perfect and there have been scares. As emotional as that can be, I know there’s a purpose in it no matter what happens in the future. My body will wear with age, but my soul knows that one day, I will spend eternity with You. There will be no pain, no rejection, no sadness, no hurts, no aging – all will be perfect because that is what You have promised us who accept Your grace.

a passion for writing about God

To God Be The Glory

Thank you God for my passion for writing about You. When my television career ended so many years ago, I felt my love for writing would end along with it. I look back on the journey and realize there’s no easy path. But I’m here now and grateful for the rocky path it took me to get here – not at the time, but I get it now 😉 Your timing is always right.

Thank you God for my enthusiasm for Christian music. It truly blesses my life. I like to listen to a lot of different artists, but the most respect I have is for those musicians who dedicate their lives to glorifying God through their talents. As my iPod list continues to grow, I discover more and more artists who inspire me through their words to trust in You.

Thank you God for Your many blessings on my life, both seen and unseen. Many times I think to myself “I know that was You, God.” but there are the too-numerous-to-count blessings that I don’t see right now. I know that You have protected me from many things and I look forward to knowing someday what those were.

Thank you God for our church. We attend a Bible-believing, God-honoring church and we’re grateful to God that we are able to attend.

Thank you God for the tragedies, the losses, the difficult times in my life. This is hard to write, but it is important. We were never, as Christians, promised that our belief in God would lead to an easy and prosperous life. Far from it. In fact, life seems to get harder at times.

Praying

Seeking God’s Peace

When the job losses come, or the surgery date approaches, or you lose a precious child in your family – the questions nag away at you. Why, God? Why me? Did I do something wrong? How long, God?

Don’t stop praying. He hears us. Seek the peace that only He can give us.

Don’t stop trusting Him, even through the pain. The non-believers want you to give up on God. They want a “quick fix” to problems and when you don’t get one for your suffering, they swoop in like vultures to tell you that God doesn’t really care about you.

He does.

He does care.

He does love you and He loves me.

Thank you God!

Our Exceptional God

You’ve Said the Sinner’s Prayer. Are You Saved?

February 11, 2015 Gracie

Did the Sinner’s Prayer save me?

Have you said the Sinner’s Prayer and you’re wondering if you’re saved? Please allow me to give you some steps in the right direction.

First of all, know that while the intention to say a sinner’s prayer is good, the prayer itself is not what saves you. It’s an oft-repeated prayer, but unfortunately in some circles, it’s held up as a sort of badge of honor, a guarantee of eternal life. It’s not a guarantee.

You can’t have salvation without repentance. One without the other does not add up. God knows the heart and He knows who authentically believes and who is giving lip service.

So, please be careful with this and don’t be fooled into thinking that saying a prescribed set of words is all that’s necessary. That can lead to a false sense of security without the substance to back it up. Too many people have experienced a false conversion.

Anyone can simply repeat the words to ask “Jesus into their hearts” and not actually believe in what the Bible says. It’s the same as certain celebrities wearing crosses around their necks for example and yet, their very public actions do not reflect transformed lives.

That may sound harsh, but it’s true. It is God who saves, not simply a recommended prayer. A transformed life reflects a person’s life-changing faith, commitment, obedience (bearing fruit), and godly character.

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. – Galatians 5:22-24.

Child of God God will bless you if you sincerely guard your heart (with the help of the Holy Spirit) towards Him. Praise God if it was a certain friend or family member who planted the seed and led you to the authentic saving grace that comes only through Christ Jesus.

Expect some resistance though if you have friends or family who aren’t believers.

Remember, dear friend, that the Bible says in Matthew 5 –

¹¹ “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

– Matthew 5:11-12, ESV

There’s No Free Ride

Christianity is not a free ride. Your life won’t suddenly get better and all of your problems won’t go away. In addition, a newfound faith doesn’t lead to a bigger bank account (despite the false teachings of prosperity preachers).

Life will continue to be hard, but you will be rich in so many other ways. You’ll have the knowledge that our perfect God has chosen you to be a part of His holy family.

Salvation is attainable through Jesus Christ alone.

Your commitment serves as your conscious affirmation that you believe in the saving grace of Jesus Christ and recognize His atonement for your sins.

The Sinner's Prayer Here are some commitments to take to heart:

– Find a Bible-believing and teaching church. It can be non-denominational, but they must preach the authentic gospel of Jesus Christ. Not a watered-down version of it that some false teachers think is the only way to help a church grow. Start your search for a bible-believing church by talking with other believers. You can also check each potential church’s website for their mission statement. Unfortunately, the teaching may not line up with the mission statement, so a visit is necessary. If a church is teaching that every religion is basically the same and every cult leads to God, stay clear.

– Buy your own personal copy of the Bible. Until you do, churches have them in the pews so you can follow along with the Biblical preaching. Recommended versions are the English Standard Version Bible, the King James, and the New American Standard Bible.

– Read your Bible. You’ll find that, once you become a Christian, your thirst for Biblical knowledge will increase ten-fold. Have a good commentary to go along with your reading. As a new Christian, you’ll need one and, if you’re a long-time Christian, you’ll still need one. Some are free and online, while some are found for a price, i.e. the John MacArthur Bible Commentary.

– Pray for God’s continued guidance, strength and comfort in your life. He hears every prayer you pray. Speak to God from your heart, not prescribed prayers.

– Learn to memorize Scripture. The verses are the actual inspired words from God the Father. If you can have some of these treasures tucked away in your heart, they’ll come to mind more easily when you’re stressed or going through a difficult trial.

– Read Randy Alcorn’s book, Heaven. It will give you a wonderful perspective, based on an interpretation of Scripture, of what Heaven could be like. It’s a hopeful and thought-provoking work for those who mistakenly believe Heaven is boring. Quite the contrary, Heaven is full of unspeakable joy.

– You may want to consider listening daily to a sermon from OnePlace Ministries on your cell phone or iPad. This website has links to great teaching from wonderful pastors such as Alistair Begg, John MacArthur, and others. It will enrich your life, I promise.

– Check out the website gotquestions.org. You’ll find many answers there to your questions about God and the Christian faith.

– Start listening to Christian music. It will soothe your soul. If you enjoy hymns, there are so many choices. If you like more contemporary, you can find the music of Beckah Shae, High Road III, TobyMac, and others to your liking. Scan through some Christian songs on youtube. You’ll see what I mean.

Through Him, You Become A New Creation

You are God's new creation

God bless you!

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Our Exceptional God