Worship Wednesday {Christmas Grace}

Wrapped safe within the arms of heaven 

In a peace that lasts forever
Sinking deep in mercy's sea

I'm wide awake, drawing close, stirred by grace
And all my heart is yours

All fear removed, I breathe you in, I lean into
Your love, oh, your love

Worship Wednesday {Christmas Hope}

There is One King who is our Hope.  

Worship Wednesday {Christmas Come}

Worship Wednesday {Christmas Peace}

At this time, in this generation, at this hour... 

we all need PEACE.

For The Love {Book Review}

Jen Hatmaker/ amazon.com

From the inside out is the view point Jen Hatmaker writes in her latest book For the Love.

Cheeky, snarky, funny and down to earth honest... about herself as well as the Word of God. Jen is a must read author  I suggest you add to your favorite authors list.

In her book, For the Love, Jen takes on life, love and living in a manner that is sometimes raw and personal, telling on herself as one who has lived and loved life from one of the best wife and mothers as well as one of the women who sometimes just doesn't get it right.  She is open, honest and writes like you are her best friend who is coming over for coffee real soon and you can't wait to talk all kinds of girl talk.  

Jen also gets in the readers business with deeply challenging theological insights into how to treat the least and the lost.  The marginalized. You will enjoy her chapter "On Calling and Haitian Moms".  Maybe you won't enjoy that chapter since it might get in your business. Especially if you think that being a Christian means you are supposed to be blessed with riches, health, wealth and prosperity here on earth.  

"If a sermon promises health and wealth to the faithful, it its' true, because that theology makes God an absolute monster who only bless rich westerners and despises Christians in Africa, India... everywhere else a sincere deliver remains poor.  If it isn't true for a poor single Christina mom in Haiti, it isn't true."

Jen not only challenges the reader to consider how our faith is to be cultivated and lived out at home, in the church and beyond, she also gives practical ways of living loved right where you are and loving those around you in a way that is genuine and honest and also fun.  

Recipes, family stories, thank you notes (so much fun to read!!) and everyday gospel that goes beyond the church walls.  These are the things you will read about in Jen Hatmaker's book For the Love.

***I ordered For the Love from amazon.com.  I have in no way been endorsed for this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.  Links are provided for copyright purposes. 

Pinteresting Things {Friday Favorites}

While spending time on Pintrest one day, I found a really great idea for displaying Scripture memory cards.  I had great intentions on making one myself, and I do still intend to do this... in my spare five minutes!!! 

I pinned this from Tatertots and Jello, but the original post was created over at Liz Marie's blog.

lizamarieblog.com

If I make my own, I will let you know. Until then, enjoy! and let me know if you decide to get crafty and make your DIY Wood and Wire Art Display!

OH!! and if you decide to make one for me... Thank you ahead of time!!! Blessings!

YEAST ROLLS and Family Time {Warm Hearted Wednesday}

Today I am linking up with my friends over at Ask God Today Ministries for Warm Hearted Wednesday... I hope you will stop by and meet our writing team... they are beautiful women of God!! 

Who doesn't love a BIG FAT YEAST ROLL????

 

 

 

Formerly posted as a LINK UP with The Loft @ Leah Adams blog.

Mike and I were on our way out to dinner a while back, when we invited the boys to go out with us.  

Photo via Google Images/O'Charley's Restaurant

Our schedules had gotten so varied and, in the past, we just didn't have the resources to do this often. 

So dinner out as a family was a treat!

As we squeezed The Boys in the back seat (Cameron-20, Matthew- 19, and Kyle-17) we were already talking about where to go...

 

O'Charley's it is!  As Matthew said,

"It's the yeast rolls, y'all!"

Off we go, conversation flowing, getting caught up on each other’s lives.  Cameron was in college, Matthew worked two jobs, and Kyle a senior in high school, you can imagine the random things that we talked about.  

These guys are so fun to be around. They are my favorite friends in the world. 

Dinner was good.  The company was great. We did, however, run into a problem with the check...you see, the server came and took Mike's debit card but didn't return...Mike gets up to go and look for her...comes back...didn't see her. 

Uh-oh...She seemed really nice and everything...

Just then the manager of the restaurant comes by to tell us that our card had been lost and they were looking frantically everywhere.  Our server, who seemed missing, was actually out back digging in the trash to try and find it!  

The manager apologized profusely and stated his embarrassment over the matter and tells us that our dinner was on the house.  Well, great, but what do we do? 

It was Friday night.  The place was busy.  Our server was pleasant and took great care of us during our meal and we had planned on giving a tip with our debit card.  We told the manager that we would wait a bit to see if it was found.  Meanwhile, we all looked in our wallets for any change, dollar bills, whatever we could find. 

There was no way we were going to leave knowing that our server would not get paid for serving our table.  Let’s face it. Servers live off of tips.

As we waited, we noticed that other servers and managers-maybe even the bartender!- were walking by looking...down, under tables, noticing little details...looking for our lost card.  One young server stopped by to state that all the other employees were looking too. 

Our server, well, she was still out in the trash looking...bless her heart.  She didn't want to face us and was quite upset.

Cameron, having been a server at a local restaurant, then told us how difficult guests can be...over the slightest thing...and the worst patrons?  The church crowd!  Sad.

If we claim to be Christ Followers and dare to leave a mark on our world, let it be His  fingerprints we leave behind.

photo Google Search./Images

We told the manager to let our server know we were not upset...after all...why should we be?  Why would we want to make her night -busy and chaotic that a restaurant can be on a Friday night-miserable or cause her the stress or insecurity that mean-spirited words can leave? Our only concern was did we have enough cash on us to leave her a good tip for all her trouble?

 

In the end, our card was found. The card had dropped beside another table, the other guests turned it in and our card was returned. We were able to grace the server with words of appreciation, money for her service. We left full, blessed and thankful. 

Love and Grace are the fingerprints of Christ.

Join the LINK UP TODAY!!! click on the Ask God Today icon and join the conversation!

 

Worship Wednesday {Christmas King}

I heard this song recently... where have I been?

Our King Has Come!! What a Wonder He is!

Curious Faith

 Available on Amazon.    

                                                                  

“What feels like drowning at age nineteen so often can’t even compare to the ways we gasp for air later in life.” #CuriousFaith

I want to invite you into a story.  The story of a life where you are encouraged to ask questions, to stop and gaze, marvel, wonder, be inspired. A story that is tragic, beautiful, agonizing and wondrous all at the same time, yet in different seasons. 

Logan Wolfram has written her story in a charming and challenging way that causes the reader to embrace her down to earth wit and sarcasm and good friend personality. Life is messy and she doesn’t mind telling her part of it.

But then, Logan takes the reader past the realities of life to the supernatural limitless power of the Holy and stands there in awe of the One who is ultimately after only one thing in us.  Our heart for Him.

Logan’s story resonates in my own heart.  The seeking and searching out more of God than what had been taught from childhood, the bravery to move past the voices of friends and family into an unknown place that lacked familiarity in traditional spiritual practices. Logan has allowed herself to ask questions of God from a place of curiosity that longed for real, life-giving relationship with God in the real living out of life begging the question of God, “Is there more of you?”

“People take offense and think that the shift in your own walk with God is a commentary of their faith in Him….some even worried that we were walking away from God altogether.” #CuriousFaith

www.loganwolfram.com

Logan, her husband and two sons have been courageous enough to seek more of God in their lives, finding in the heartache of the loss of infants, the wrestling of two young boys, the presence of life long friends, missing the presence of great friends who passed too young, clinging to God and His purposes even when it did not make sense to do so.  They have found God in the faces of the least and the lost near and far that have needed to know that Grace reaches long and wide to meet us right where we are.

Logan’s story is not my story or yours exactly.  We all have our own story.  Maybe you will see yourself there…or maybe God will reveal Himself to you in a different way.  Together we can celebrate His ways, while curious to us, can be trusted. 

The question is, however, will we seek our own God story with a faith that is curious enough to step out and live in the love of the One who loves us most? Even if danger is all around us, will we trust God for the journey? 

A Must Read!!

*I was given a pre-release copy of Curious Faith as a member of Logan's Launch team for her new book.  I have in no way been endorsed for this book review.  

The thoughts and opinions are my own.  Links to Logan Wolframs website and Amazon.com have been provided for copyright purposes.