Salvation: Day 2 of 30 Days of Thanksgiving

Today, I'm most thankful for Jesus Christ's love and the sure hope of eternal life (salvation)! God loves us more that we could ever imagine (John 3:16). Like most people, there's a lot going on in my life right now and it happens that I'm not feeling well today but this discomfort is temporary and it's comforting to know that in heaven there will be no more pain. Only joy and God's goodness. If you don't already know Christ as your personal savior I invite you to visit this great website or email me personally at lovejoypeas.gmail.com. There's nothing greater than being secure in God's love. May God bless you, dear readers.

Related posts:
http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/04/easter-good-news-how-to-become-born.html
http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/11/30-days-of-thanksgiving-happy-november.html 
http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/01/two-christian-living-haikus.html

Note: Full link for those who can't use embedded links: http://peacewithgod.jesus.net/

"Jesus Calling" Through the Stomach Flu

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

This week I've been battling the stomach flu, the worst migraine headache of my life, asthma problems and more health challenges. During the times I could read, the Holy Bible and Jesus Calling by Sarah Young have been a great comfort. When I was unable to anything but huddle in the dark, memorized scripture verses, prayer and communing with God helped enormously. No matter what happens on earth I believe I will spend eternity with the one true living God. Praise the Lord!

I checked out Jesus Calling from my local library and have been aiming to read enough entries per day so I can finish it before it's due back (we have a very generous renewal policy, as long as no one else has a hold on the book). This morning I read the entry for July 31st and it really spoke to me. Even when I had the flu, could hardly breathe and was all alone at home, I found it really comforting to remember that Jesus is "both in you and within you ... [and] with you at all times, encouraging and supportive."

For me personally, illness is a sign from God (or maybe Jesus calling to say) that I need to slow down, focus on Him and really trust in His provision. I'd rather be healthy! But God will work everything for my good (Romans 8:28), not in my temporal, human perspective, but in His all knowing, eternal perspective. As Sarah Young interprets Jesus' words, "My Peace is your continual experience. Slow down your pace of living for a time. Quiet your mind in My Presence. Then you will be able to hear Me bestowing the resurrection blessing: Peace be with you."

In my darkest hour, Jesus is my comfort. I'm very thankful to be on the healing side of the flu and able to share these thoughts with you... but regardless, I want my life to glorify Jesus. I fail miserably and regularly, yet He loves me as I am, is with me wherever I go and He loves you just as much as He loves me. Do you know Him as your Savior? If you're not sure I encourage you to visit this nondenominational site that has volunteers available 24/7 to help you ensure your eternal home. May God bless you and keep you!

Sources:
http://peacewithgod.jesus.net/
http://www.biblegateway.com/
Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

Related Posts:
http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/04/easter-good-news-how-to-become-born.html
http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2011/12/happy-birthday-jesus.html
http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/11/salvation-day-2-of-30-days-of.html
http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/search?q=salvation

Happy Thanksgiving!

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and

praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness

continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:4-5 NIV

Of all the things for which I'm thankful, God's amazing loving grace reins supreme.

If you don't already have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please check out this link to The Good News of Salvation by Billy Graham. 

Here is a haiku I wrote this morning:

Salvation from sin

Eternal life through Christ's blood

Praise be to the Lord!

May you have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving From Me & My Cat!

"We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers."
1 Thessalonians 1:2 (NIV)

May God bless you this Thanksgiving and always!  As I reflect on my blessings, I thank God for you and your kind encouragement, dear readers!

The photo above is of one of the card covers I made for our closest family members this year. I may not be a talented card maker but I enjoy making the cards and praying over the recipients as I design and write them.

Everything in our lives comes from God: life itself, family, friends, food, shelter, clothing, books, nature, art... He is the only reason anything exists and thanksgiving is a great time to heap praise upon our Lord.  God is great! Jesus is Lord of Thanksgiving and every day! Let everything within me praise Him!

Of all my blessings, eternal salvation is what I'm most thankful for and my husband is my best earthly blessing. While my life certainly has its challenges, I am abundantly blessed and deeply thankful. 

On a lighter note, my cute and funny Baby cat also has some Thanksgiving sentiments for you (in the photo below - for anyone who can't read the text it says "I'm thankful for this comfy spot & that I'm not a turkey! Happy Thanksgiving!).

She's definitely a cat who knows how to get comfortable and she's a wonderful blessing too. 

I pray that you have a blessing and love-filled Thanksgiving!

Related posts:
Hilarious St Patty Cats: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/03/hilarious-happy-st-patricks-day-cat.html
Funny Valentine Cats: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/02/happy-valentines-day-funny-cat-photos.html
Funny Easter Cats: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/03/funny-easter-cat-photos-happy-easter.html
St. Patty Pope Like Cat Pics: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/03/funny-st-patricks-day-photos-of-moose.html

Easter Good News & How to Become a Born Again Christian

Happiest Easter wishes dear friends! Christ is risen and eternal salvation is assured for those who believe in Him and follow Him as their Savior. As Billy Graham said, "God loves you! It makes no difference how deep in the mire of sin and transgression you have gone. He proved it by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for you on the cross. At this moment you can receive Christ into your heart. God will give you this supernatural love until you love the whole world. That is the solution to the international problems we face at this hour. It is the solution to your personal problems - to let Christ come in. When Christ comes in, love comes in and love shines forth."

How to become a born again Christian:
"The Bible says that when we put our faith in Christ, God pours his love into our hearts. God forgives our sins and gives us eternal life. You need to admit that you are a sinner and receive Him by faith as your Lord and Savior. You can begin a relationship with God by praying a simple prayer like this:

'O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. Forgive me. I want to turn from my sin. I receive Jesus Christ as my Savior; I confess Him as my Lord. From now on I want to follow Him. In Jesus' name, Amen."

If you prayed this prayer today heaven is rejoicing! If you comment below or email me I'll be glad to answer questions about your new Christian life. You can also visit www.billygraham.org/decision to sign up for a free weekly e-mail devotional, email help@bgea.org for help from Billy Graham's Evangelistic Association or call 1-877-247-2426 (toll free) Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to midnight or Saturday from 10:00 am to midnight for help, resources for New Christians or more information.

May God bless you this Easter and always!

Source: All quotes from the June 2011 edition of Decision magazine, page 5.

National Cathedral Photos and Good Friday Haiku

National Cathedral Exterior

"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." Romans 10:9-10 NIV

A blessed Good Friday to all those observing this holy day! Praise God for He is holy and yet so filled with love that He sent His Son to die in our place so we might live forever with Him!

I thought this would be an appropriate day to share my National Cathedral photos and I hope they bless you. If you're planning a visit, entrance to the National Cathedral is still currently free on Sundays but there is now an admissions charge for other days. You can also join their traditional worship services.

Good Friday Haiku

Jesus gave his life;

endured unspeakable pain

for your sins and mine

National Cathedral Interior Arches and Stained Glass

Even with the protective black netting the National Cathedral's stained glass window art is breathtakingly beautiful.

National Cathedral Good Friday Artistic Panels

 Today commemorates the day Jesus Christ was brutally beaten, mocked, and hung on a cross.

National Cathedral's Resurrected Christ Fresco

Praise God the story doesn't end there! Three days later, when we celebrate Easter, Jesus rose from the dead, conquering death and sin and making salvation a sure hope for those who trust in Him.

Prayer Engraved in National Cathedral Wall

The National Cathedral has many artistic and holy wonders to enjoy and this is just a taste of them. May God bless you and keep you, during this holy week and always!

Related posts:
Easter Good News & How to Become a Born Again Christian: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/04/easter-good-news-how-to-become-born.html
Funny Easter Moose the Cat Photos: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/03/funny-easter-cat-photos-happy-easter.html
Funny Easter Snickers the Cat Photos: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/04/funny-easter-cat-photos-featuring.html
My Hope America/The Cross Review: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/11/my-hope-america-with-billy-graham-cross.html

Source: www.biblegateway.com

Happy Birthday Jesus!

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

(Luke 2: 10-14, KJV)

Photo by naygyl from www.morguefile.com

"Grant us, Father, hearts of worship
At this time of Jesus’ birth;
We would see anew His glory
Shine throughout this sin-cursed earth." —D. De Haan on today's Our Daily Bread.

Today we celebrate Jesus Christ's birthday, His coming to earth in human form for the express purpose of saving our souls. Happy birthday dear Jesus!

We are all sinners in need of our Savior. Only by God's grace and Christ's sacrifice can we be saved. Let's praise God and worship Him today and every day. Let the joy of salvation flood through every cell of our beings. God loves us so much! Glory to God in the highest! Merry Christmas to you and may You know His peace and blessing.

My Year End Review & A Free Gift For You

It's the very last day of 2012 and I'm excited about what God might bring in 2013! Before I start celebrating the New Year, however, I like to reflect upon and review the current year. I call it my year end review process but you could call it a year end wrap up or reflection session or whatever you like.

I used to have a very long and complicated year end review process. It worked for me at the time but now I have a much simpler process that I thought I'd share in case it might help you. It's three easy steps. I come up with my Top 20 amazing blessings of the year, top 10 achievements of the year and top 5 areas I'd like to improve on for next year. I just brainstorm them into a Google document as I think of them towards the end of December and then today I will narrow them down to the designated number. During the brainstorming process I just type up everything I think of related to each category and don't worry about numbers - usually I end up with a lot more than the numbered categories. I also add to it when I think of it in between creating the document and actually selecting the final 20, 10 and 5 items.

Coming up with my blessings list is a lot easier since I started tracking answers to prayer. God is so amazing! In 2012 alone, He answered at least 11 pages of my prayers (and probably more, because I don't write down everything and don't hear back from everyone who asks me to pray for him or her)! God has brought loved ones to salvation, healed sick friends, provided safe travel, relieved depression and far more. 

If you're wondering why I have the numbers the way they are, it's just my own personal logic. For years I've done a top 10 accomplishments list, but, as a Christian, I think it's more important to focus on God's work than my own so I wanted to have at least double praise for His accomplishments than my own. And, while I certainly have more than 5 areas that need improvement, keeping it at half of my accomplishments helps me stay positive about the changes I want to make. It works for me. If you try it, please let me know how it works for you.

My free gift to you is a blank copy of my 2012 Year End Review Google Document (the full link is also below for your reference)

May God bless you, keep you and inspire you to greater love, joy and peace!

Links:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AiikM6A7Ok-NdEpvNTBKUGZ2WWNSeFJWVFZYWHlSUVE
www.biblegateway.com

Music and Pleasant Sounds: Day 20 of 30 Days of Thanksgiving

Image by taliesin

 

“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” Psalm 95:1-2 NIV

Today I'm focusing on being thankful for music and the beautiful sounds of our world. Music can be used to comfort, energize, uplift, inspire each other and worship God. 

It can be easy to focus on the unpleasantness  around us but life is better when we focus on the good and that includes sound. I encourage you to take a minute today to appreciate the positive sounds in  your life. Here are a few that I've noticed this morning: my husband's voice, hearing the words "I love you", purring cats, beautiful music, a light breeze blowing leaves around, birds singing and calling to one another, laughter, children playing happily together and my brother's voice. I'm sure that the list will grow throughout the day and I'm thankful for each of these blessings of sound. May God bless you!

What are your favorite sounds? 

Prayer for Freedom From Limiting Beliefs

Dear Heavenly Father, 

Thank you for the sound mind you've given us through our salvation in your precious Son, Jesus Christ. Please help us to see the world, our family and ourselves through Your truthful eyes. Help us to see our situations from Your loving point of view. Please remove any limiting beliefs that hold us back from doing Your will and living our best lives for Your glory. Reveal the enemy's lies and show us Your will. Help us to remember what freedom we have in Your love, embrace the truth and love You and others more each day.
In Jesus' precious name, amen.

The prayer above was written by me and inspired by the July 4, 2012 In Touch magazine devotional (the magazine is free and my only connection with the ministry is as a subscriber and donor) as well as a number of other readings and recordings I've enjoyed in the last few months. There is freedom in recognizing the truth. May God bless you with that freedom today.

My Hope America with Billy Graham / The Cross Review

First of all, I should state that I love Billy Graham. I think of him as my father in Christ because it was at one of his talks that I received Jesus as my personal Savior and Lord. I'd read the Bible, gone to church and a lot of people thought I was a Christian, including myself, but it wasn't until that day Reverend Graham spoke to me (and a whole crowd of eager teens) that I truly repented, started a personal relationship with Jesus and experienced the joy of salvation and peace of God.

That said, I totally enjoyed watching My Hope America with Billy Graham / The Cross and highly recommend it. I hadn't heard of Lecrae or the beautiful female singer who were also featured on the video but both of their stories brought tears to my eyes. The message was completely unlike one of Reverend Graham's revival talks in format but the heart of it was the same. If you're curious about the difference Christ can make in someone's life, definitely watch the program.

If you didn't get a chance to watch My Hope America with Billy Graham on Billy Graham's 95th birthday (November 7, 2013, when it first aired) it's airing through November 10, 2013 and also available online. You can see the broadcast schedule or view the program online at http://watchbillygraham.com/. Only God knows for sure, but this may Be Reverend Graham's last major undertaking and I think it's a must see.

For more information on how to become a Christian or to chat online with trained Christian counselors 24/7 visit http://peacewithgod.jesus.net/. 

May God bless Billy Graham, his family and all of their ministries and may He bless you too!

Related posts:
http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2011/12/happy-birthday-jesus.html
http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/04/easter-good-news-how-to-become-born.html
http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/07/anti-depression-prayers.html

Disclaimer:
This post is my personal opinion and I wasn't paid or asked to write it. My only affiliations with any of the people or organizations mentioned herein are as stated above and a donor/fan.