No Hope Left?

"No Hope Left?"

As part of a writing exercise, our BIG writer's group held a fun challenge this month. Using the phrase "no hope left" as the title for a devotion, each member had the opportunity to give their viewpoint on the meaning of hope. 


We invite you to visit our blogs and read our posts by clicking on the links below.

We hope you enjoy reading them, and that they will provide a blessing for you.

In God's love, your BIG Sisters.
 

Anita:

Scattering the Stones
No Hope Left

 

Salina:

Heart Reflected,

No Hope Left

 

 

Renee:
Encouragement of Faith
No Hope Left

 

 

Image © A Hunt

A Sudden Glory: A challenge

Today's post comes from Salina at Heart Reflected & Anita at Scattering the Stones

 

“You were created to make God recognizable to others

- to show others what God is like.”

Sharon Jaynes, A Sudden Glory, P. 9

Salina and I decided to set ourselves a challenge: To take a quote, and each write a 500 word devotion, using the above quote, from Sharon Jaynes new book - A Sudden Glory, as inspiration.

We both really enjoyed the challenge, and are looking to do more of these within our BIG writer's group.

We invite you to visit our blogs and read our posts. 
We hope you enjoy reading them, and that they will bless you.

Salina:

Heart Reflected,

Created to show God 

Anita:

Scattering the Stones
Created for His glory: My purpose

 

Sharon Jaynes highly recommended new book, is available now:

Book details:

A Sudden Glory – God’s Lavish Response & Your Ache For Something More. 
Sharon Jaynes, Multnomah Books, 2012 Colorado Springs, CO



Anita & Salina

Covered by grace

Today's post comes from Salina at Heart Reflected

'So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. 
There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.'

(Hebrews 4:16 NLT)

Do you spend a lot of time in the morning trying to pick out something to wear?

Every day we have a decision to make about the kind of clothing we are going to wear.
We shuffle through the different choices in our closets, and for those like me, arrive at an acceptable outfit fairly quickly. What we need to realize though is that we have an opportunity to clothe ourselves in something far greater than physical clothing; we also have the ability to wrap God's grace around us.

'May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.'

(Galatians 1:3 NLT)

Receiving God’s grace doesn't depend on us doing anything to get it. It doesn't require anything at all from us; simply asking for it is enough to receive it. His grace is big enough to cover each and every weakness we have, and it's capable of covering us from head to toe. May we keep this in mind as we decide each day how we are going to dress ourselves.

As we pull our shirt over our head, let's think about His grace covering our arms, our neck, our chest, our stomach. When we place each leg through the legs of our pants, let's feel His grace pouring down every inch of our bodies. Let us step into our shoes with the confidence that His grace will guide our feet with all the strength and stamina needed to carry us safely through the day.

'For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. 
He did this, not because we deserved it, 
but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—
to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.'

(2 Timothy 1:9 NLT)

When we talk about God's grace, we do so with the understanding that the grace He provides comes from Him and Him alone; His grace works through us. It doesn't rely on our own ability, but God's ability.  When we apply this to our lives it gives us the courage, the power, and the strength to endure anything the world throws at us.

Jesus' grace is sufficient

The Bible makes many references to Jesus' grace. In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, the Apostle Paul stated that in order to keep him from becoming too arrogant, a thorn of flesh (a messenger of Satan who continually tried to keep him down) was placed in his side. After asking Jesus three different times to remove the thorn, this is what Jesus said to him:

'He answered, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."'

Paul's reply was:

"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

(2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV)

Jesus' answer "My power is made perfect in weakness" simply blows me away. I know He's perfect, but to think that He might offer some of that perfectness to me through His power and grace is glorious news to me, especially when I'm at my lowest. It makes sense though because it is when I'm at my weakest that I need Him most.

Paul stated that He delighted in insults, hardships, and difficulties. To delight in something means that it gives you pleasure, it causes you happiness. Paul was happy when He was persecuted? It seems hard to believe, but think of the times when being at rock bottom caused you to hold that much harder onto Jesus’ hand.

'Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, 
who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope.'

(2 Thessalonians 2:16 NLT)

When I am weak, then I am strong.
When I am weak, then He is stronger.

God's amazing grace makes us whole; it is more than sufficient for us.

'But by the grace of God I am what I am: 
And his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain;
 but I labored more abundantly than they all: 
Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.'

(1 Corinthians 15:10)

Yet not I.

Please pray with me:

Father,
My life's goal is to use the gift You've given me to finish the job You've chosen for me, and that's to tell others the Good News about Your wonderful saving grace. (Acts 20:24)

Lord, I pray the grace You continually pour out on me will never be given in vain, for Your grace is what makes me who I am. Without it I could not function. I would be worthless, with nothing to look forward to or any reason to live.
Thank You for loving me so much that You believed I was worthy enough to not only receive Your grace, but also Your love, Your promise, and the sacrifice You made for me.

Thank You for the fact that Your grace is sufficient, that it gives me the strength and power I need  to get through the tough times, and brings wonderful hope for when I am stronger.

Thank You for Your Grace.
In Jesus' name I pray,
Amen

Salina

I want to be a lemon drizzle cake

Today's post comes from Salina at Heart Reflected

Have you ever found a recipe that you knew before making it, was going to be good?

I made the most delicious lemon cake last week; in fact it was so good I made it twice. The best part about the cake wasn't that it came from the United Kingdom; it was the lemon sugar glaze found on top and inside. When added to the top of the cake, the glaze drizzles down the sides and settles around the bottom in a magnificent sugar puddle. In order to get the glaze inside the cake though, you have to poke lots of holes on the surface and wait for the glaze to slowly seep in.

To properly enjoy a piece of cake this good, you must take your time and eat each bite as though it might be your last. Therefore, as I slowly savored each and every morsel, I was better able to appreciate the flavor of the cake, and how the sugar glaze mixed so deliciously with it. Before long, I was close to finishing the final bite. As I sat there contemplating a little bit of everything, I came to the measured realization that I wanted to live my life exactly like the lemon drizzle cake I was eating

May my life always be an open vessel for God

I want everything about myself to be an open vessel for God. I want Him to have daily access to my every thought, dream, and fear. I want to be so saturated with His Spirit that if you cut me open you would see that He had seeped into every single pore. 

'Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow.'

Psalm 25:4  NLT

As I walk along life's path, I plan to look ahead and see Him leading the way.  No matter what barrier might stand before me, I will step aside and allow Him to take care of it in His time, in His way.

So today Lord, I'm asking to see and feel You like never before; let me see Your glory shining down and surrounding me from head to foot.  As Your touch reaches out to embrace my soul, I lay my heart open before You. I want to experience it beating for You, as though it was the very first time.

'Honor the LORD for the glory of his name. Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.'

Psalm 29: 2 NLT

I want for no other, for Your splendor envelopes me and refuses to let go. I sense Your love and presence everywhere around me, the way the wind rustles the leaves on the trees, the way the clouds blend so seamlessly into the brilliant blue of the sky, and how my heart still skips a beat when my husband puts His arms around me to give me a hug.

I'm in awe of the grace You so freely and without reservation grant to me. If given a choice, I would choose You over and over again. I would follow You to the ends of the earth and step off knowing that no matter how far I fell, or how scary it might be, You will always be there to catch me.

'The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted!'

Psalm 18:46 NLT

How could I ever deny You praise, for You alone are worthy, not only of my praise, but of my total allegiance. How could I ever turn my back on You and walk away, for Your hand is the one I cling to when everything else seems to be so far out of reach.  How could I ever forget to thank You, for You are the giver of great gifts, the One who sustains me.

You have been there through every tear, all my pain, and every circumstance that's ever befallen me. You are the Way, the Truth, and my Life; no other god will ever come before You, no other god will ever receive Your praise. 

Father, I'm pledging my entire life to You; I don't want to hold anything back. You've given me all without ever asking for anything from me, so today I want to return my all to You. Thank You for the gift of love, for the gift of salvation, and for the gift of eternal life.

I love You,

Salina

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Lemon drizzle cake recipe

photo credit - Salina Thomas Gibson

Healing, honeycomb words

Today's post comes from Salina at Heart Reflected & Anita at Scattering the Stones

Our hearts were made to love, to experience tenderness, hope and joy, and we react to these emotions by giving them away in trust that they will never return void, in faith that our hearts will never be broken.   

As we go through life, we come to an understanding that this belief, although lovely, is simply not possible. No matter how hard we try to avoid it, we end up learning how cruel the world really is, most of the time before we ever reach our teens.   

We learn that life is not fair, that pain has the potential to overwhelm us so much we feel as though drowning in it would be the best course of action. We’re exposed to the viciousness that comes from bitterness and envy, and we learn that negative words spoken in hate have ways of wounding us with just a single thrust of their sword.  

‘They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows.’

(Psalm 64:3 NIV)

Hurtful words leave behind nothing but devastating scars and enough memories to haunt us for a lifetime. They drag us down into the muck and mire, and cause us to wallow in it over and over again, until eventually we become so tired we give up and accept our fate.   

It doesn't have to be the end of our story though, for we have Someone willing to save us, a hero who wants to come to our rescue.   

'He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire.

He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.'

(Psalm 40:2 NLT)

He pulls us up out of the pit and extends hope to us. He gives us the ability to see we have a choice. A choice to listen to His voice instead of everyone else's, to understand that although life is painful, it is also filled with beautiful unexpected gifts.   

On our journey, growing in our understanding of God, we come to see Him as our shield. Who wants to mend our broken hearts and bodies. Who gives us purpose. Who takes away fear and turns it into godly fear.Who values our lives so much that He sent His son to die for us.  

‘ “Don’t be afraid” he said, “for you are very precious to God.

Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!”

As he spoke these words to me, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him,

“Please speak to me, my Lord, for you have strengthened me.’

(Daniel 10:18-20 NLT)

The more time we spend in His Word, the more we can gain a picture of God’s values. As God strengthened Daniel with words of love in his time of anxiety, He will also strengthen us. Gaping wounds of seeping pain are healed in His presence, into scars of beauty and truth.   

When words of pain have been spoken to us, our first emergency call should be to our heavenly Father, replacing words of darkness, with the living Word. When we struggle with words of pain, we need to test them alongside the truth of the Holy One.  

‘The ear tests the words it hears just as the mouth distinguishes between foods.’

(Job 12:11 NLT)

As we focus on our Creator, and re-learn who we really are in the sight of God, He blesses us with His filter; for when we hear damaging words said about us, He enables us to see the person differently from Jesus’ perspective, as He is our lamp in the darkness. (2 Sam 22:29-30 NLT)  

‘We have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view.

At the time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view.

How differently we know him now.

(2 Cor 5:16 NLT)

Throughout our spiritual battle with the enemy, we need to remember that words of death have already had their power removed, by the act of the cross. Instead of carrying words of harm in our heart, God has blessed us with words of light and everlasting love, as He will rescue us from the words that cut us at our deepest point (Job 5:15).   

The battle has already been won! As we throw off the shackles of harmful words and replace them with words of truth spoken by our Saviour, He calls us to speak words of life into other people’s lives.  

Let our words to one another be words of honeycomb, instead of poison.  

‘Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.’

(Prov 16:24 NIV)

Jesus is our rock and fortress - a place of safety (Ps 18:1-2). As Jesus took His last breath on the cross and proclaimed ‘It is finished!’ (Jn 19:13) the same can be said about the power of ugly words, for we are God’s children; precious and loved in His sight.   

God’s words are not empty (Deut 32:47) like the enemy’s are; they are full of life.  

‘The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life.’

(Prov. 15:4 NIV)

Please join us in prayer as we renounce every negative word spoken against us and leave them at the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our prayer for you is that you will allow Him to start building you back, stone by stone, brick by brick until we all come forth from the ruins a new creation.   

Lord, We come to You, friends and sisters in Christ and kneel at your throne of grace. 

We have arrived here together to give You all the pain we have ever experienced at the hands of another.   

As we lie in Your green pastures, we also lay down at your feet every single burden, fear, and hurt we've ever tried to carry on our own. We lay down all the instances that have ever made us feel inferior, ashamed, humiliated, unwanted, unneeded, unloved, abandoned, forsaken, and used. We leave it here at Your throne of grace and walk away knowing we never have to revisit it again.   

We praise you for your faithfulness and everlasting love. The joy of your Holy presence gives us strength through the storms. Please help us to focus on you as we walk the path laid out before us, never alone, with you by our side.   

Daily we come before you, and thank you for your blessings and for sharing our burdens. We ask for your wisdom and discernment to test what we hear, may the lies and hurtful words we experience, be replaced fully with Your light and truth.   

 In Jesus’ name   

Amen     

Mercy Me - The Hurt and the Healer from their cd The Hurt and the Healer 2012

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Thank you for reading our devotion, we hope it has blessed you today. Both of us have experienced hurtful, and healing honeycomb words, if you need a friend to listen/pray with you, please feel free to contact us through our websites.
Salina & Anita

Love heals your heart

Today's post comes from Salina at State of the Heart

Psalm 147:3 “He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.” NIV

In the words of Third Day; 'you may feel like your life is shattered with no way to be fixed again, but at a time you least expect it, love heals your heart.'

The longer I live here on earth, the more convinced I am of how much God truly loves me. If that were not so He wouldn't feel the need to constantly place so many new and unexpected gifts along my path. One of the biggest gifts He has given me is the ability to give and receive love.

For humans, love is much more than just a basic need; in fact, our need for love is so strong we’re willing to do almost anything to achieve and maintain it.

Everyone needs to know how much they’re loved; even the Bible says that love is one of three things that will not only endure, but is also the greatest of them. (1 Corinthians 13:13).

There have been many instances in my life when I had to rely on love to carry me through a hard time. Pain, hurt, and rejection are impossible to hide from and even harder to understand, but with love we are able to find an escape; a reprieve from those feelings.

When a painful event occurs that tries to disrupt our love, we might feel as though our hearts have been broken into so many pieces they might never be put back together. When this happens, we need to choose not to believe the lies our enemy puts in our minds; instead we need to turn to the truth found only in God’s unending and enduring Word and love.

God’s love is different from the everyday love we are exposed to. His kind of love never asks for anything in return. It’s compassionate, merciful, and unconditional. He loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). We truly are blessed when God’s mercy covers us, even if we feel as though we don’t deserve it.

I recently found myself looking back and reflecting on all the instances in my life where I was deeply hurt. Some of the pain was caused by normal life occurrences, the rest were inflicted through human influence. All of the pain produced lasting scars and at the same time left me feeling as though I might never recover.

I know the future will hold more pain for me, but it gives me great courage to know I have God in my life to rely on, to help me through whatever may come. I also know I could never survive without my husband, family and best friends. They rescue me over and over again, and are currently helping me put all those broken pieces of my heart back into place. In short, they are the very glue that holds my heart together and I thank God for them daily.

For those of you who feel as though you can’t go on, believe me when I say there is a way through it. It may be hard to see for all of your pain, but if you trust in the Lord and wait on His timing, you will be delivered. There is no better safety net than knowing if you fall it will be straight into His loving arms. His arms are big enough to cover every hurt in your life, they are strong enough to hold you for as long as you need to be held, and they are loving enough to wipe away every tear you've ever cried.

Please pray with me:

Dear Lord;

Our hearts are so tender and easily broken, and sometimes we just don't know how to react in situations that hurt us. The easiest, safest way is to hide from all the pain and withdraw into our shell, but when we do that we have the tendency to miss out on so many lovely treasures.

I praise You for allowing me the time to work through all the hurts in my life, and for always being there by my side, even if at times I wasn't able to see it. Father, I can’t imagine what it would be like to not have You or the support system You provide for me daily. I pray that if there’s anyone out there reading this who feels trapped, alone, or is dealing with a broken heart Your words will give them hope and healing.

Pour Your love out on them and help them to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Use me to help them in any way You see fit.

In Your name I pray, Amen

I'd love to offer you the option of having someone to talk to without judgment or fear.  Please feel free to contact me through my blog link.  You are loved.

Love Heals Your Heart, Third Day, from the album Wherever You Are, 2005, lyrics by Brad Avery

You are beautiful

This week's post comes from Salina at State of the Heart

Luke 16:15 "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight." (NIV)

We all like looking at pretty things; it’s hard to pass by a row of beautiful flowers without stopping to admire them, there’s nothing like seeing the look a groom gives his blushing bride, and sometimes that actor or actress on television or in a magazine draws our eyes for a second glance, but when it comes to true beauty where do we draw the line? Most of us probably struggle with self-worth, but whether the problem stems from worrying about our appearance, weight, or just overall negative thoughts we have about ourselves, it all combines to form an affliction that affects some women as badly as if they had a life threatening disease.

It’s true that the world has a preconceived notion of what it means to be beautiful, but as women when we believe we’re unable to live up to that notion, for some reason we feel like we're a failure. When we get to this point it's easy to allow someone else to tell us how we should look or how we’re supposed to feel. Before long, we start to believe the lies told about us, even if they come from our own subconscious. Listen to what Sharon Jaynes says in her book I’m Not Good Enough (& other lies women tell themselves) "The way you think about yourself will eventually become the way you see yourself, whether it’s true or false. If you tell yourself negative, distorted statements about yourself, you will act in negative, destructive ways."

I can guess what’s going through your mind right now. You’re sitting there thinking of sentences that start with "what if." What if I was prettier, funnier, slimmer, smarter, shorter, taller, or richer; this list could go on and on, but beloved God never intended for you to be perfect. In Luke 16:15 Jesus Himself said to us "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight." (NIV). When we choose to believe that beauty is only seen on the outside, we need to realize that these thoughts are nothing but hideous, ugly, revolting, and despicable in the eyes of God. He loves you and He wants you to give yourself a break. You are beautiful, you are smart, and you are strong.

You can be anything you want to be, but please don’t look at yourself through the eyes of men. God says He knows your heart, and you can believe He knows your value too. Sweetheart, hold your head high and put your trust in His truth. Learn to believe you’re beautiful just the way you are.

Please pray with me:

Father;
There are so many women out there who believe they fail to live up to what the world sets as a standard for being beautiful. My heart simply aches for them and I wish I could let them know otherwise.  Lord, I pray that You use me to help them look to You, their Maker and Designer, to remove these negative thoughts. Help them discover their true beauty and begin to love themselves as You love them. Encircle them in Your arms and allow them feel the comfort that only comes from You. 
In Your holy and precious name, Amen

I’m Not Good Enough..and Other Lies Women Tell Themselves – Sharon Jaynes pg 58-59 Harvest House Publishers Eugene, Oregon. 2009

Love Casts Out Fear

This week's post comes from Salina at State of the Heart

Psalm 29:11
"The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace." NKJV

Fear has the tendency to sweep in, curl around inside your body, and burrow deep into your mind. It takes over all normal thought processes and leaves you with a feeling so strong it can only be described as panic. This attack continues until you reach a point where you're sure your heart is going to explode, your legs might fall out from under you, and breathing no longer becomes quite so automatic.

King David was in the midst of these feelings when he wrote Psalm 55." My heart beats violently within me; the horrors of death overcome me. Fear and panic overpower me; terror overwhelms me. I say, "I wish I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and settle in a safe place! Look, I will escape to a distant place; I will stay in the wilderness. I will hurry off to a place that is safe from the strong wind and the gale." (55:3-8).

There are times when I understand exactly how David felt. I too would like to run away from my fears; I'd like to run so fast and so far that eventually I would outrun everything that troubles me. I've reached a point in my life though where I know fear can take such a hold of the body that if left unchecked it will carve away at your soul as though it was a cancerous growth. The more you try to run from it, the stronger that hold becomes, until eventually it will eat through every living cell in your body.

I can’t explain why fear leaves us feeling so powerless, but I guess it's one of the negative consequences of allowing fear into our lives; we start out believing we have the ability to control what happens to us, but in actuality we don't. There is only one way to control our fears. When David continued writing his Psalms, I believe that by chapter fifty six, verse eleven he discovered the way to alleviate this pain and fear. He wrote, "In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Psalm 56:11)

I keep replaying that verse in my head and every time I come to the part that says "what can man do to me" I picture whatever problem I’m facing at the time and read it as "I will not be afraid. What can ____________do to me?" From personal experience I know how paralyzingly fear can be, but God has the cure to remove it. I don't have to fear anyone or anything, there is nothing too big for God to handle, there is nothing He doesn't understand, and He will continue to grant me all the strength and peace I need to get through each and every problem I face. I’m so thankful to have "the peace of God that surpasses all understanding to guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)

Please pray with me:
Dear Lord;
We all experience fear at different times in our lives, but You tell us do not fear for You will bless us with peace, the kind of peace that surpasses our understanding. We may not know what the future holds, but we do know that whatever may come You will be there to give us the strength to get through it, and the ability to face it without fear.
Amen 

Erased and Forgiven

This week's post comes from Salina at State of the Heart

Acts 3:19

“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” NASB

A little boy was standing in the aisle of a card store looking over a vast array of cards. He had been walking up and down the aisle for quite a few minutes and had attracted the attention of the store clerk working at the register. He watched as the boy would pick up one card, look at it, and then put it back on the shelf. Thinking he might be able to help, the clerk walked over to him and asked what he needed. "Was it a birthday card for his mom, or a sympathy card for a neighbor, or maybe he needed a get well card for a good friend?" Shaking his head no after each card mentioned, the little boy scrunched up his nose and with a very serious expression on his face asked the clerk if they happened to have anything that looked like a blank report card?

Have you ever felt like that, too scared to go home and show that report card to your parents? I'm sure most of us have had that happen to us, if not over a bad report card, I'm sure there was something else you dreaded going home to confess. Now that we are all grown up we no longer worry about going home to face the music, but there are still times in our lives when we would love to have a blank card. Maybe the time you inadvertently said something hurtful to a friend, or the day you repeated a bit of gossip you heard on the way to work, or it sure would have come in handy last week when you had that big fight with your husband.

Can you think back to all of the other occasions where you would have liked a do over, a way to completely wipe the slate clean and start over? The list would be long and hard to keep track of wouldn't it? As Christians we sometimes get complacent in our lives and then before we know it we feel like we are stuck in a rut with no way out. We might even think do overs are only meant for new Christians, that somehow being mature in Christ keeps us from asking for help. I know that may sound crazy, but do you sometimes feel like you've used up all your second chances? I'm not talking about just the big things; I'm referring to those "little things” that you mess up on every day, the things that are different for each one of us, but equally important. What makes us think we can’t ask for more? Do you think God is keeping a running tab on all our mistakes and then after so many says "nope, you used your last blank card yesterday." I assure you that He doesn't work that way. Remember in Luke 17:4 Jesus said, “If a person wrongs you seven times a day and returns to you seven times saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” He wouldn't have told His disciples this unless it was something He wanted them to follow, something He follows Himself.

Forgiveness is the platform we base our entire Christian life on. Jesus sacrificed Himself in order to provide forgiveness for each of us. He loves you sister, not because of who you think you are, but because of who He knows you are. Run freely to the cross today with the knowledge that He will be there waiting to forgive you once again.

Please pray with me:

Lord;

Why is it so hard for us to realize we are only as far away from You as we allow? Help us to see that we can't continue to judge ourselves by how long we've been a Christian, or by the things we do for You. Your grace is much bigger than anything we can comprehend, but yet it continues to cover us with an all-forgiving hand. Thank You for giving us the opportunity for blank cards and the ability for second chances.

Amen