From His Fullness...

Sometimes, in my weakness I realize the benefit...simply, I desperately need the LORD!! 

And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, 
and we have seen his glory, 
glory as of the only Son from the Father, 
full of grace and truth. 

(John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'")

For from his fullness we have all received, 
grace upon grace. 
John 1:14-16

I have always enjoyed the Christmas season, but this year, if I may be honest, I have been especially challenged by the daily reminder of my physical, emotional, and spiritual frailty.  
This passage says, "The word became flesh, and dwelt among us,...".  

A favorite Christmas hymn's lyrics say, 
"Emmanuel, ... his name is called, Emmanuel.
God with us, revealed in us, 
His name is called Emmanuel."

Another hymn's lyrics are...
"Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, 
Jesus, our Immanuel." 
"...Mild he lays his glory by, 
born that we no more may die, 
born to raise us from the earth, 
born to give us second birth.

Come, Desire of nations, come,
fix in us Thy humble home;
rise, the woman's conqu'ring Seed,
bruise in us the serpent' head. 
Adam's likeness now efface, 
stamp Thine image in its place;
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.

Hark, the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!" 

Words: Charles Wesley (1739)

“Fullness of Grace in man’s human frailty
This is the wonder of Jesus
Laying aside His power and glory
Humbly He entered our world
Chose the path of meanest worth
Scandal of a virgin birth
Born in a stable cold and rejected
Here lies the hope of the world

Fullness of Grace the love of the Father
Shown in the face of Jesus
Stooping to bear the weight of humanity
Walking the Calvary road
Christ the holy Innocent
Took our sin and punishment
Fullness of God despised and rejected
Crushed for the sins of the world

Fullness of hope in Christ we had longed for
Promise of God in Jesus
Through His obedience we are forgiven
Opening the floodgates of heaven
All our hopes and dreams we bring
Gladly as an offering
Fullness of life and joy unspeakable
God’s gift in love to the world”

Words:  Getty and Townend
Copyright © Thank You Music, 2004

Salvation Belongs to the LORD!

" If you dwell on your own feelings about things rather than dwelling on the faithfulness, the love, and the mercy of God, then you're likely to have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
Our feelings are very fleeting and ephemeral, aren't they?
We can't depend on them for five minutes at a time.
But dwelling on the love, faithfulness, and mercy of God is always safe."
Elisabeth Elliot ~

Jonah's Prayer Chapter 2-

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish,
2 saying,

“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,
    and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
    and you heard my voice.
3 For you cast me into the deep,
    into the heart of the seas,
    and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves and your billows
    passed over me.
4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away
    from your sight;
yet I shall again look
    upon your holy temple.’
5 The waters closed in over me to take my life;
    the deep surrounded me;
weeds were wrapped about my head
6     at the roots of the mountains.
I went down to the land
    whose bars closed upon me forever;
yet you brought up my life from the pit,
    O Lord my God.
7 When my life was fainting away,
    I remembered the Lord,
and my prayer came to you,
    into your holy temple.
8 Those who pay regard to vain idols
    forsake their hope of steadfast love.
9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving
    will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
    Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

Yes, the LORD has a mysterious, sometimes humorous, way of resolving conflict for some individuals, so please don't put Him in a box, and expect Him to only do things man's way!!

He is God, and He can do as He pleases!!

The Eternal vs The Temporary

Let Your work appear to Your servants and Your majesty to their children.

Psalm 90:16

“My children each year ask me the same question. After thinking about it, I decided I'd give them my real answer:

What do I want for Christmas? 
I want you. 
I want you to keep coming around, I want you to bring your kids around, I want you to ask me questions, ask my advice, tell me your problems, ask for my opinion, ask for my help. 
I want you to come over and rant about your problems, rant about life, whatever.  Tell me about your job, your worries, your spouse, your kids, your fur babies. I want you to continue sharing your life with me. Come over and laugh with me, or laugh at me, I don't care. Hearing you laugh is music to me.

I spent the better part of my life raising you the best way I knew how, and I'm not bragging, but I did a pretty darn good job. Now, give me time to sit back and admire my work, I'm pretty proud of it.

Raid my refrigerator, help yourself, I really don't mind. 
In fact, I wouldn't want it any other way.

I want you to spend your money making a better life for you and your family, I have the things I need. I want to see you happy and healthy. When you ask me what I want for Christmas, I say "nothing" because you've already been giving me my gift all year. I want you.

If you feel the same way, feel free to copy and paste... I did!”

Author Unknown

This was shared by my friend on FB. 
Though I cannot agree to accept any credit for anything good that has resulted in the hearts and lives of my children, I understand God has used me as a tool to shape them and lead them to Him for His praise, not mine, and for His glory! 
My friend has the biggest heart of love and devotion for her family: her husband, children, grandchildren, parents, and extended family. I admire her soo very much.  I have witnessed the selfless cost of her sacrifice to them, especially when they have taxed her, and made little effort to express love, honor, and gratitude  back.  I pray and ask the LORD to sustain her, to bless and reward her and her husband for giving of themselves first to HIM, because they know His love for them required the greatest sacrifice, but also as role models to the Body, and as godly parents/grandparents to their children and grandchildren. 

I have always thought, "There is no greater calling for a woman than to be a wife and mother", but now I understand the greater good in any calling is the response of the heart to desire God's glory and purpose in the call, so that whoever, ...spouses, offspring, family, and/or friends may come to know and follow Jesus.  

My mom has always told me, "I came to know the LORD because we [she and her sister, my dear aunt] spent our summers with our grandparents, and they lead us to Him." 
Her grandparents gave of themselves sacrificially:  time, love (in costly measure), and spiritual guidance. 
My deepest hearts longing has always been to do the same.

Time is vital to bonding, strengthening, and grounding relationships that are more valuable than trinkets. 
Souls are eternal;  trinkets are temporary. 
Because my mom came to the LORD at a young age, she desired to lead us to the LORD, and I could not be more thankful for her investment in my life. 

Oh, LORD, how I pray this multi-generational, spiritual legacy will continue for many more generations of Grays to come. 

Counsel for Contentment

If we wished to gain contentment, we might try such rules as these:
1.  Allow thyself to complain of nothing, not even the weather. 
2. Never picture thyself to thyself under any circumstances in which thou art not. 
3. Never compare thine own lot with that of another. 
4. Never allow thyself to dwell on the wish that this or that had been, or were, otherwise than it was, or is. God Almighty loves thee better and more wisely than thou dost thyself. 
5. Never dwell on the morrow. Remember that it is God's, not thine. The heaviest part of sorrow often is to look forward to it. "The Lord will provide."
Edward Bouverie Pusey

Daily Strength for Daily Needs

May 23, page 144


Ohh FATHER, I am guilty!! 
Please forgive me and help me long for a heart to receive from your holy, righteous hand, so that I do not demand, expect, and/or desire from another that which will never satisfy my deepest soul needs. 
My heart has been influenced by this grave world, and though I'm thankful Scripture has shaped my heart, I still linger for thinking what is best and most.  
May I long for You, my greatest gain, the ultimate Satisfier and Sustainer. 
May I learn to better recognize and run from the sin of idolatry that bears its fruit by murmuring and complaining, manipulating, and manifesting the sin of SELF! 

May I never be satisfied with less than YOU, my greatest treasure.


"Lord, deliver us from our sad, sweet, stinking selves."
L.E. Maxwell, principal of Elisabeth Elliot

Bless Us All

Life is full of sweet surprises, everyday's a gift
The sun comes up and I can feel it lift my spirit
It fills me up with laughter, it fills me up with song
I look into the eyes of love and know that I belong

Bless us all, who gather here (Yes, LORD!! )
The loving family I hold dear
No place on Earth, compares with home
And every path will bring me back from where I roam

Bless us all, that as we live
We always comfort and forgive
We have so much that we can share
With those in need we see around us everywhere

Let us always love each other
Lead us toward the light
Let us hear the voice of reason
Singing in the night

Let us run from anger
And catch us when we fall
Teach us in our dreams and please, yes, please
Bless us one and all

Bless us all with playful years
With noisy games and joyous tears
We reach for you, and we stand tall
And in our prayers and dreams we ask you bless us all
We reach for you, and we stand tall
And in our prayers and dreams we ask you bless us all

Words (and music) by Paul Williams

The Muppet Christmas Carol

Bless Us All- Words (and music) by Paul Williams

The Rock That is Higher Than I

Hear my cry, O God;  attend unto my prayer. 
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed:
lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 
For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. 
I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever:  
I will trust in the covert of thy wings.
Selah.
For thou, O God, hast heard my vows:  
thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name. 
Thou wilt prolong the king's life: 
and his years as many generations. 
He shall abide before God for ever:  
O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him. 
So will I sing praises unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform you vows. 
Psalm 61

Much of the enJOYment I have experienced with blogging has been about combining my interest in journaling with capturing photographic gifts and family memories

I gain JOY in the experiences and JOY in the re-living of those memories.  Old photos can easily stir me to tears just for realizing how fleeting our time together has been.  I will never, ever want it to end! 

Looking back to read and see memories captured is a regifting of some of God's sweetest and greatest blessings to me.  
Why wouldn't I want to linger and marvel in them?

Some posts remind me of grievous hurts and losses, but there is growth and gratitude to gain for seeing and knowing, even if through tears, that God loves me and has not, nor will He ever abandon me through my trials. 

This year has flown by, and yet looking back I sense I have captured very little to show the magnitude and weight of change I've experienced.  I am still processing. 
I'm thankful to have friends and family who have shared photos;  what a blessed gift. 
They know me.  Such a gift is love!! 

For whatever reason, I am having problems with Blogger on my iPad, and I am unable to transfer photos to my posts, but hopefully soon I'll get this problem resolved. 

Meanwhile, I hope simply these words will give you a glimpse of what means the world to me...
Faith, God's Word, and Family

Don’t Fret!

Commit your way to the Lord; 

trust in him, and he will act.

He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,

and your justice as the noonday.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,

over the man who carries out evil devices!

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!

Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

For the evildoers shall be cut off,

but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. 

Psalm 37:5-9

My Mother Dear made and gave me this pillow back in 2012 after she learned she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Still five years later I am personally aware of how prone to worry I am, while I process and scheme a way to overcome a similar path. 

Oh, to follow in Mom's shoes with the courage and grace, strength and victorious outlook she had...

She was and still is the Champion of champions.  

I pray I will not falter in my faith during this season in my life.