Still moving forward

 

Each new day is a gift! We can either wallow in self-pity, or be thankful to God for his many blessings in our life. It’s been eight months now since my dear husband went to be with his Maker and while I still miss him every single day, I am not as distraught as I was at first.

Jesus has been my strength, seeing me through every step of my journey. He is filling my life with his love, peace and strength. I still have times of tears, but I also have times of thankfulness and joy for the 43 years of marriage we had.

I am going through things, doing some rearranging and making forward progress in this new life I’m living. I ask Jesus for help and he gives it. I am excited about an indoor project I am working on and while doing this have found some real treasures in artwork done by my husband. I’ve come across other things too and my love for him continues to grow even though he’s no longer here. God blessed me by answering my prayer as a young girl when I prayed for Him to send me someone who loved me and someone for me to love as well.

On the 8th of next month is the anniversary of our marriage, it would have been our 44th.  I still plan to fix a nice dinner, as I always did, to celebrate the love and our life that God blessed us with.  I am thankful.

I am also thankful for this time in my life of drawing closer to Jesus. He brought me to where I am, he knows all that I am going through and he knows what he as in store for me.

MKJV ~ Jer 29:11 ~ For I know the purposes which I am purposing for you, says Jehovah; purposes of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

I want to rest daily in God’s tender loving care, to grow in his grace.

May you do the same.

FlowerLady Lorraine

This is the worst thing

 

that I’ve ever been through. If it wasn’t for God, I would be a total basket case. As it is, I have my moments where I feel ~ what is the use of doing anything anymore. My love who I shared everything with is gone, G O N E. There is not much joy here by myself.

I do thank God though, all day long for my tears, for my blessings, and for drawing me closer to Him. He has brought me to where I am today. He knows every facet of my life. He loves me dearly as He does all of us. This is where I am meant to be, at this moment in my life. God is working in me, strengthening my faith in Him. I am grateful, and wish to be full of grace.

This morning I worked on cutting back jasmine that is in the front hedgerow. It was about 3’ higher than the 6’ wire fencing that we have there. I then cut it all up smaller which filled 3 bags for the county to pick up and turn into mulch, which is then free to residents.

I’ve more jasmine on the west end and that will be another day’s project. I talked to God all morning as things are on my heart, and only He can sort it all out and heal my broken heart.

When I came in later, I thought I’ve got to get a grip here, God be thou my strength. The living room was a wreck, the kitchen needed cleaning up, I had cried several times and then I remembered a verse that was just what I needed, and what I need to remember daily. I just looked it up in my E-sword program and here it is.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 

Colossians 3:23

Here’s another:

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Col 3:17

I am reading the book ‘1000 Gifts ~ A Dare to LIVE FULLY Right Where You are’ by Ann Voskamp. This is about finding joy in our every day lives, in ordinary things. Being thankful for everything, as God works all things out for each of us. Being thankful is trusting God.

Here is an excerpt: “Everything is eucharisteo. Because eucharisteo is how Jesus, at the Last Supper, showed us to transfigure all things – take the pain that is given, give thanks for it, and transform it into a joy that fulfills all emptiness.”

Eucharisteo means 

to be grateful, feel thankful

give thanks

the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. Job 1:21

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;  Ephesians 5:20

With that I will close this post.

Thank you all once again for your prayers. They are lifting me up to where I want to be, and that is trusting in Jesus more fully as I live each day.

FlowerLady Lorraine

Growing in Grace

Every day is a new day, given to me and any of us by God. What we do with it, how we think or things we do, are what make or break us. We can bemoan our fate and sink into a dark hole, and that is so easy to do, or we can get up and do something or think something positive and it will change our outlook. We can be thankful to God even through our trials.

I admit, I am sometimes afraid, I worry, I get discouraged, I’m not perfect. Any good thing I have is because of God and His love and grace.

Below are a couple of excerpts from the book:

“Captured by Grace” by David Jeremiah.

“God’s grace is always present. In every situation we can rely on Him to provide strength and courage. He will never give us all that we want, but He will always give us all that we need.

There is enough grace in God’s heart to meet and cope with all the sorrows, heartaches, difficulties, temptations, testings, and trials of human existence, and more added to that. God’s salvation is an oversize salvation.  It is equal to every emergency, for it flows from the heart of an infinite God freely bestowed and righteously given through the all-sufficient sacrifice of our Lord on the Cross. Salvation is all of grace. Trust God’s grace. It is superabounding grace.”

***

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.  ~ Isa 40:31

Jesus said “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” ~ John 14:27

When you feel down and discouraged and feel that life just isn’t worth living, call out to God. He will hear you. We are very precious to Him.

FlowerLady Lorraine