Tag Archive | comfort

He Giveth More Grace

Mar10

I posted this last year and I am thankful for God’s grace which sustains me day by day. This week (March 10, 2018) I have tried to get back on the elliptical trainer in hopes that it would help me have more energy and to be able to do more. The first day went well. Today, not so much. I just couldn’t catch my breath. I will not be discouraged, however.

I am sharing this with you because the Lord impressed upon my heart that someone needs encouragement tonight. Don’t give up. Don’t give in to doubt. He knows and is willing and able to carry you through this trying time with grace and peace that only He can give.  For more encouragement, look to the Apostle Paul and see the trials and tribulations (including a “thorn in the flesh; which he asked the Lord three times to remove.) with grace and mercy. Paul and Saul even sang through it. Sometimes, our sufferings are meant to teach us how to comfort others.

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforted us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. II Corinthians 1:3-4 and following verses too.

 

He Giveth More Grace by Annie Johnson Flint is one of my theme songs. The other is Ron Hamiltons Rejoice in the Lord.

 

Today, a friend posted in her blog, Chronically Content about Chronic Illness Flares.

Her post hit home. My friends and family know that I also struggle with chronic illness. I have an inner-ear disorder called Bilateral Menieres which affects my balance, causes constant ringing in the ears, motion sickness and most notably, vertigo.  And then there are Migraines with Aura. Either of these “thorns in the flesh” as the Apostle Paul called his illness, can knock me out of doing daily tasks and driving.

My friend, Lisa, wrote about dirty dishes in the sink, laundry in the hampers and not being able to do anything on bad days. Like Lisa, I am sorry to say is the same here.

We both have three wonderful things in common.

  • A loving husband who understands and helps around the house. My hubby is especially good at doing the laundry (I fold), running the vacuum cleaner and buying dinner and bringing it home.
  • Timberlake Baptist Church, friends and family who pray for us, offer rides to the doctor and give encouragement.
  • Love of the Lord who is with us each minute; step by step, day by day.

 

As I read her post, the Lord prompted me to write this comment:

Lisa, I know just what you mean. As I was reading this, the words to He Giveth More Grace by Annie Johnson Flint came to mind. Especially this verse.

“When we have exhausted our store of endurance;
when our strength has failed, ere the day is half done.
When we’ve reached the end of our hoarded resources;
our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.”

She wrote these words out of physical pain. I came across this article about her and her testimony.http://www.homecomingmagazine.com/article/he-giveth-more-grace/

 

To hear He Giveth More Grace, click below.

Gaither Music/ He Giveth More Grace

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His Eye is on the Sparrow

Jan14

“Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows”
Matthew 10:31

Only A Little Sparrow

Author unknown

I’m only a little sparrow,
A bird of low degree;
My life is of little value,
But the dear Lord cares for me.

I know there are many sparrows –
All over the world they are found;
But our Heavenly Father knoweth
When one of us falls to the ground.

Tho’ small, we are not forgotten;
Tho’ weak, we are never afraid;
For we know that the dear Lord keepeth
The life of the creatures He made.

I just fold my wings at nightfall,
Wherever I happen to be;
For the Father is always watching,
And no harm can happen to me.

I am only a little sparrow,
A bird of low degree;
But I know that the Father loves me;
Doest thou know His love for thee?

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“Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?”

Luke 12:6

No one sings His Eye is on the Sparrow like Ethel Waters! Whenever I think of this old song, I hear her voice. Even though I have heard wonderful soloists with their own rendition and I this is one of my favorite solos. When she sings this song at the Billy Graham Crusade in 1975, she sings from her heart. Cold, hardened, timid, fearful and arrogant hearts are softened as the Holy Spirit speaks through her. Souls turn to the Lord when they understand that He loves, He cares, He provides for a sinner like me.

“His eye is on the sparrow and I know He cares for me.”

His Eye is on the Sparrow

The Watch (Part 4) Preview Chapter for Hope Beyond The Sunset By Katherine Hinchee Purdy

May18

The Watch
Preview chapter from Hope Beyond The Sunset
By Kathreine Hinchee Purdy
(Isabel’s Story Book 2)

 

 

Isabel waited until every student had left and softly walked to the teacher who sat at the desk, fingering the watch around her neck with a far-away look on her face.

“Miss Meredith,” Isabel said softly as she touched the teacher’s arm. “I’m sorry about your friend. He sounds wonderful.”

“He was,” Miss Meredith reached for a hankie tucked into her sleeve and dabbed her eyes. “How did you know?”

“Your watch – you don’t just wear it to tell time. You trace the design with your fingers when you think no one is watching. I do the same thing with Mama’s hankie.” Isabel pulled an embroidered handkerchief from her handbag. “When Mama died, I kept this because it smelled like her. It’s one of the few things we saved when the house caught on fire a few weeks after Mama died. Sometimes I hold it to my face and remember Mama.”

The teacher nodded and touched Isabel’s arm. “Your Mama would have been very proud of you.”

“I hope so,” Isabel said softly. “Sometimes I wonder if she would be sad that Papa gave us away.”

“It must have been very difficult for your Papa to find homes for all nine of you. I understand it is only temporary,” Miss Meredith said gently. “He was brave to make the wise decision to put your future before the comfort of having all of you under one roof.”

“If Papa could have gotten married, we could have stayed together. I hope he finds someone soon,” Isabel said as she picked up her school books and turned toward the door. Just as she reached the doorway, she turned to face her teacher again.”

“Miss Meredith,”

“Yes, Isabel?”

“Do you think you will ever get married?”

 

Isabel’s Birthday Surprise Part 3

Oct25
Isabel’s Birthday Surprise
Part III

“This is the best day we have had in a long time. Thank
you so much for making my birthday special,” Isabel said as
her birthday cake was presented after supper. Not only were
there gifts for Isabel, but also there were trinkets for each of the
children, including the babies, who were happy just playing
with the paper and boxes.

“This is just like Christmas,” Jimmy said. He jumped up
and down with excitement. “Except without the Christmas tree
and the snow.” Everyone joined him in laughter.
Before she had time to blow out the candles, a car horn
sounded outside. “Who could that be,” Jim said as he answered
the front door.

“Only your best friend in the world,” said a cheerful voice
from the foyer.
“Sally Anne!” Isabel ran to greet her friend and found that
she was not alone. She had brought her parents, a new baby
brother, Cookie, and Arlene Mason.
“Arlene, this is a surprise,” Isabel said as she tried to hide
her shock. “Thank you for coming.”
“You are welcome, Isabel,” Arlene said. “I came to apologize
for being so mean to you before. I hope you will forgive me.”
Isabel sensed that she really meant it. “Of course, Arlene,”
she said. She hugged her new friend. “This is the best birthday
ever. Come inside everyone, and have some cake and ice cream
before the boys eat it all.”

“Isabel,” Mrs. Albright said, “we have something for you
from your mother. She wanted you to have this. She made the
arrangements months ago, before the twins were born. I hope
you like it.” Mrs. Albright handed Isabel a large, handsomely
wrapped gift box that was tied with a large, satin bow.

Isabel’s hands trembled as she pulled the ribbon and opened
the box. Inside the tissue paper lay a beautiful drop-waist dress,
just as Isabel had seen in the windows at the stores in Roanoke.

“How did you know?” Isabel said. She choked back her tears.
“Your mama asked me to buy the fabric and pattern for her
several months ago. She did some sewing for me to pay for it,
even though I offered to pay the cost myself. She wanted to make
it for you, but she fell ill. So I had my dressmaker make it for
you. I knew Lizzie would want you to have it for your birthday.
No one in the school will have this fabric…it came all the way
from New York.”

“Oh, thank you, Mrs. Albright!” She ran to her benefactress
with a tearful hug. “This is the most beautiful dress I have ever
owned. Mama would be so happy if she could see it.”
“Well, keep looking, and you will discover a few more
surprises from Sally Anne, Mr. Albright, and me.”

Isabel lifted the dress and underneath found beautiful
gifts to match the dress. “Oh, look at this beautiful shawl. It
goes perfectly.” Isabel examined the lace wrap. “There is also a
handbag and a headband. Thank you so much. You were too
generous.”

“There are also some under things,” Sally Anne said, “but
you don’t want to show those.” Her announcement brought
laughter and good-natured teasing from the Greene boys.

“This isn’t much, Isabel,” Arlene said. She held out a small,
white box. “I saw it in the store, and it reminded me of you. I
hope you like it.”
Isabel opened the box and found a small pin with daffodils
hand painted on it.
“Oh, Arlene,” Isabel said. “It is lovely. How did you know
I like daffodils?”

“Well,” Arlene said, “I saw you pick one at your mama’s
funeral and put it into your Bible. I thought the flower must
remind you of her.”
“It does,” Isabel said with tears in her eyes, “and now they
will remind me of you too. Thank you for remembering.”

“We miss you, Isabel,” Arlene said.
“I miss you too,” Isabel said. She realized she had even missed
Arlene Mason.

“OK,” Aunt Jenny said with a box camera in hand.
“Isabel, I want to get a photograph of you with your little friends
so you can remember this day. Then we will take photographs
of everyone before it gets too dark.”

So Isabel stood with her friends for the moment to be
captured on film and cherished forever.

“It will be Alright, Child”

Apr19

The Vision of a Mother’s Heart
From Chapter 40

     Scenes of the night before flashed before Isabel in vivid colors.
At times events moved quickly, and the times when Isabel needed
to move quickly, she seemed to be stuck in quicksand, unable
to move at all. She reached out to pick up her crying brother to
carry him away from the burning house, but she could not reach
him, and the flames inched nearer the child until she could smell
the smoke and hear his hoarse cough. She cried out for help,
but her voice was uncooperative. She screamed, but there was
no sound. Finally, in urgency, she cried out to the Lord for help.
She felt a hand gently stroke her hair.

“It will be alright,
child,” a voice whispered in her ear.

“When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not oveflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned: neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
 For I am the LORD God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior…”
Isaiah 43:2-3a  KJV

www.youtube.com/watch

Bath time for Skippy or How do you wash a big cat?

Feb21

Poor Skippy wasn’t feeling well Saturday. The end result was that we had to give him a bath for the first time in almost a year. How does one give a 18lb Maine Coon a bath?

When he was a kitten, we washed him in the bathroom sink – and then the kitchen sink (with my protests of course!) And now at two years old, he is too large for our new smaller kitchen sink. (“Yay!”)

John had it all planned out. He put a bath tub mat down (our very slippery tub has only been used once before.) Then he added the little Rubbermaid stool from child care days, donned a pair of shorts and got into the tub with Skip. He sat on the stool and held Skippy close while he trimmed his claws. (A “Must” we learned the hard way).

Next, John held Skip in a standing position. To our surprise, he didn’t protest! I controlled the sprayer (well, with some help from John. We discovered the “hose” attached can be quite noisy if pulled at an angle. Cats do not like noise. Avoid this pitfall by pulling straight up; making sure to hold the hose to keep it from banging against the side of the tub.)

Kitty shampoo came next – lots of shampoo. We lathered him well, making sure to get every inch of that long hair clean. From the back of his ears (never try to wash a cats face unless just using a damp wash cloth) to the tip of his luxurious tail.

Rinse. (No time for conditioner this time.)

He surprised us. No fuss – no muss!  I believe I heard a sigh relief as we turned off the water and reached for the towel. Not sure if it was Skippy or us.

And then came the dreaded part – Drying that luxurious coat! If it were me, I probably would have dried him on a thick, fluffy towel and allow him to dry naturally in front of the fireplace. However, since most of the heat from our gas logs escape through the chimney, we had to get out Skip’s least favorite item in the world. The dreaded hairdryer! He doesn’t mind if we use it on our own hair, but if we aim it at him or Ruby, he goes into attack mode. Not us – the noisy monster blowing warm heat on him. (Silly cat – the warm air feels good!)

The solution we came up with when he was a kitten is a black coated dog cage. You know the one – the training cage. We discovered that we can dry him better than in a closed in kitty carrier. Don’t even think about trying to hold him with the dryer aimed at a him!

Unhappy, wet cat

Not happy!

Little Miss Alice giving her new “big brother” support. She stayed with him the entire time.

Skip took a swipe at that that loud, hot air monster!

Through it all, a new friendship was formed. Little Miss Alice had stayed near to keep her big brother/friend company. Isn’t it wonderful to know that you don’t have to endure hardship alone?