pray for our troops...

pray for our troops. I will not forget those who made it possible for me to live in a land of freedom.

Brave men and women have sacrificed it all in the name of Country. On this day, I will pray for every soldier who has ever served. I will pray for the troops here and abroad that God protects them and keeps them safe. I will pray for the families of those soldiers who try so hard to be brave and carry on while their loved ones are in harms way.

So, for today I will pray for our troops. I will ask God to bless and protect each one of them. I will praise God for the freedoms and liberties I am allowed - including praising Him. I will pray and I will be grateful.

remember the power of grace...

remember the power of grace. We all desire a soft touch when dealing with our own faults and short-comings. The grace of God is majestic and comforting and we are grateful for it.

But do we take it for granted? If we're being honest, the answer is "yes". We know we sin and we know we continue to sin because we say, "God will forgive me." God does forgive, but He also knows the truth of our hearts. He knows if and when we are truly repentant and willing to submit, rather than blowing Him off. I don't think we can stand face to face with Jesus and not feel the weight of our sin. In His awesome presence, I think we will feel it more deeply and sharply than anything imaginable. The realization of how much we have ignored Him, pushed Him to the side, put our selfish interests before Him - it will hit us with a bang. And when we fall to our knees under this weight and confess it to Him with a true heart, we have the honor and privilege of experiencing the glory, majesty and power of His grace to forgive us. Why put that off until judgement day? Don't ignore sin, don't take for granted that you will be forgiven - Take that weight, feel it, confess it and experience the power of His grace that will change your life.

So for today, I will remember the power of His grace. I will stop taking Him for granted and I will open my heart and ego to the truth that I NEED forgiveness now - I need redemption now - I need His grace to change my life now.

be thankful...

be thankful....

I have been blessed in so many ways - more ways than I can count. Sometimes, when I'm tired or frustrated or just feeling blah, I forget that. I think we all do. Some days it just slips our minds.

So for today, I will count my blessings, realize how valuable they are, and be thankful.