This week, Nina is hosting “In ‘Other’ Words” at her site, Waiting for Grace. She has chosen a quote from “What I Learned from God While Quilting” by Ruth McHaney Danner & Cristine Bolley.

“Throughout the history of God’s people as given to us in the Bible, we see that life is a test. We have before us the option to trust God “no matter what,” or to walk away from Him. To walk away from God is to leave the fragments of our dreams in pieces on the floor, but to trust Him is to let God pick up the pieces and make us whole again. When we choose to let Him make us whole again, he will make our lives more beautiful than before.”

 

This quote reminded me immediately of the song by Crystal Lewis “Beauty for Ashes”.

He gives beauty for ashes
Strength for fear
Gladness for mourning
Peace for despair

When sorrow seems to surround you
When suffering hangs heavy o’er your head
Know that tomorrow brings
Wholeness and healing
God knows your need
Just believe what He said

He gives beauty for ashes
Strength for fear
Gladness for mourning
Peace for despair

When what you’ve done keeps you from moving on
When fear wants to make itself at home in your heart
Know that forgiveness brings
Wholeness and healing
God knows your need
Just believe what He said

He gives beauty for ashes
Strength for fear
Gladness for mourning
Peace for despair

I once was lost but God has found me
Though I was bound I’ve been set free
I’ve been made righteous in His sight
A display of His splendor all can see

He gives beauty for ashes
Strength for fear
Gladness for mourning
Peace for despair

The song and the quote speak of the redemptive power of Jesus in our lives and the hope that the cross of Christ offers. 

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Yes, we can be guaranteed suffering here on earth, but we have the promises of God’s word.  We must cling to these promises and daily follow him wherever he leads – rejoicing in the hope that does not disappoint!

For more thoughts on this quote head on over to Waiting for Grace.

This week, Michelle is hosting “In ‘Other’ Words” at her site, Because I Love You. She has chosen a quote from “A Glimpse of Grace” by Mary Forsythe (with Beth Clark).

“No matter how many good friends I had, there were aspects of my life I needed to deal with alone – heart issues and attitudes that could not be wrestled with in a Bible study…They had to be confronted by the Holy Spirit in the privacy of my own soul.”

I must be honest. I struggled with this quote.  I agree with it but, I think I just would have re-worded it.  When we are in community with other believers, there is accountability and it is the “faithful wounds of a friend” that lead us to the confrontation by the Holy Spirit in the privacy of our souls. 

It is the “Nathan” (2 Samuel 12) in our lives who opens our eyes to our sinful self.  Conviction brings clarity. Clarity leads to confession.  Usually, it is someone pointing out the issue in our lives before we go deal with it in private.  The pointing out can come from a sermon we hear that convicts us or in a more direct fashion, a “wound of a friend”.  It depends on how blind we have become to our condition and how direct the Holy Spirit will have to be in getting us back on the right path.

In the privacy of our souls, we can then pray the prayer of David:

Psalm 51 

1 Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight-
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart-
These, O God, You will not despise.

Create in me a clean heart – Amen!

Such an appropriate quote for the Holy week.  Thanks Michelle! For more thoughts on this week’s quote, head on over to  Because I Love You.

 

This week, Lori is hosting “In ‘Other’ Words” at her site, All You Have To Give. She has chosen a quote by Edith Schaeffer.

“We leave something incomplete everyday, whether it’s an area of housework, school, work, friendship, ministry ~ because we are finite.”

~ from The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer~

After reading this quote, I wanted to add a tag line that said, “and that’s just fine!”  It reminds me of a magnet I have on my refrigerator that says: We plan, God Laughs!  It’s fine to have some goals for the day, a to do list or five 🙂  just be prepared to relinquish your list to the Master of Your Agenda.  He has a way of rearranging lists and agendas to fit his plans!  

There are so many examples of this in scripture, but one of my favorites is in the book of Acts chapter 8…

Philip and the Ethiopian
26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road-the desert road-that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 29The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

31″How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before the shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
33In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”

34The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

Philip was flexible.  He was open and obedient and the result was life altering for the eunuch and I am sure for Philip as well. 

Because we are finite, we do not see the whole picture nor how we fit into that picture. Because we are finite, we have a tendency to gravitate towards consistency and predictability.  Because we are finite, a wrench thrown into our plans could cause an oscar nomination temper tantrum performance like none other.

The next time a wrench is thrown into my plans, I am going to stop myself from having a temper tantrum and say “Fine Lord, you have thrown this wrench into my plans use this wrench for your glory today.  Help me to be obedient and open to you and your will for me today.  Open my eyes to see what you see, my ears to listen to what you hear and my mouth to speak your truth.

For more In Other Words posts, head on over to Lori’s.

 

This week, Heather is hosting “In ‘Other’ Words” at her site, Mommy Monk. She has chosen the following quote by Hellen Keller: 

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”

There have been so many times in my own spiritual walk that this quote described me perfectly.  It all happens when we take our eyes off our Savior.  If you are lacking vision in your own life or know of someone who is lacking it in their own life, I challenge you to pray the following scripture for yourself or for someone needing some vision…

Ephesians 1:15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

So this is what I would pray starting at verse 17:

Lord Jesus Christ, my glorious Father, please give me the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that I may know you better. I pray also that the eyes of my heart may be enlightened in order that I may know the hope to which you have called me, the riches of your glorious inheritance in the saints (me included), and your incomparable great power for me as a believer. Amen.

Ask God to open the eyes of your heart today and then continue to focus on Jesus.

For more In Other Words posts, head on over to Mommy Monk.

 

 

This week, Heather is hosting “In ‘Other’ Words” at her site, Titus 2 Woman. She has chosen a quote by Jeremiah Olson:

“Momma prayed, momma cried, momma laid awake at night.
She would fight my battles while I slept away
Cause momma knew life is hard
without somebody on your side
I don’t know how, but there is power in the way,
The way my momma prayed.”

Words and music by Jeremiah Olson of 40milesNorth

The words of this song remind me of the story of Samuel and Hannah in the Old Testament.  Hannah is Samuel’s mother and through the faithful, fervent prayers of Hannah, the Lord answers her prayer and her closed womb is opened and she bears a son – Samuel.  Hannah made a vow to God that if He would provide a son, she would give him to the Lord’s service and she did just that.

Hannah continued to pray for the boy and saw him once a year when they would come to offer the yearly sacrifice. Could you imagine!  You know this woman prayed for her boy every minute of the day and her prayers were answered.

1 Samuel 3:19 Thus Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fail.

Wow, what a testimony of sacrifice, dedication and faithfulness. I see that in my own parents as well.  There were so many times that I would walk by their bedroom and there they were on their knees praying.  They prayed for each and everyone of us kids and we knew it. 

Now, that is not to say that we were all angelic little prophets – far from it!  We were brats! But, today all eight of us kids can say that it was through the faithful prayers of our parents that we all know Jesus. 

My parents were not ashamed to pray with their bedroom door open so that we could see them.  They were bold in their prayers and they wanted to instill in each of us the importance of prayer.  We are a pretty close knit family and that is one of the things I so appreciate – we pray for each other. Here’s a picture of my mom and dad:

So, pray for your kids. Let them see you praying for them and pray with them. 

For more In Other Words, head on over to Titus 2 Woman.