God about it, or someone else. Ministers like TD Jakes talk about their
Grief and Pain (no, you are not stupid).
God about it, or someone else. Ministers like TD Jakes talk about their
Become all you can be (in Jesus). by His Spirit!
Relationships! Introduction: By Laura Grace Should I give up, shut up, put up my dukes?
Relationships are one of the hardest things we will ever contend with in this life. Frankly Not a subject I have wanted to contend with OR address. Even in my book Grace to Grow, I talked about it being hard. but I didn’t say a whole lot about it. That’s because it’s not cut and dry. Every relationship is different. There are variations (Within) and while we all know there are basic principles in the word of God how do we know Which Principle to apply?
I’m going to address hard truths, talk about real situations, and share with you what God
has taught me thus far about relationships……..
What about giving up? Did I fail that person? How do I know? How do I get closure when they won’t talk to me anymore?
How do I love them- yet avoid the drama? AS we begin……Let’s Ponder Matthew in chapter 5 where Jesus said “Blessed are the peacemakers” …….(Matthew 5:9) and
explore how we make peace (in various ways) as we are BECOMING children of God.
Yes, I said becoming. (You’re being formed and shaped here, into his image!) Amen
“Father please, be with me as I do this series and I know you will be. Allow me to share from your heart to theirs “what works” and what does not work! For you already know! and you know all the persons out there who wonder about how you said make peace but yet you said at times there will be no peace in certain relationships…..
Give us understanding we pray (Father) In Jesus’ name. and we thank you for it too.
I ask you Father help us to undertand your word better, and how to apply it in everyday life! IN Jesus’ name! -amen
The story of the dog lady and the big injustice…….by Laura Grace (this is important) and you will see God in this and humility and repentance ….and
a lot of other things…..
A few years ago we had trouble with the dog lady. someone complained our dogs were barking, I tried to get them to stop but they kept on barking so …..soon I was threatened with a ticket. I was frustrated, upset …….
I remember asking how long is too much barking she said 5 min. we had to buy bark collars, expensive, keep them loaded with batteries (more expense) They ran out quick too.
I Kept the dogs in a lot, scolded them, tried to train them never to bark. Kids teased them, they barked more when that happened.
More threats of tickets………
I got mad at the dog lady, yelled at her, complained about the whole dog thing in the newspaper. I was fit to be fried. thought it was so unfair………
Other dogs got to bark. It was daytime! the kids were teasing them!
couldn’t anyone see the injustice I thought?
but she was just doing her job. and, she was.
3 or 4 years has gone by, the main barker (Happy) has passed away now. I didnt think about it anymore didn’t think I held a grudge or anything. today I prayed for JOY and said to God I will do whatever you say, whatever you say. I just need my JOY back! Anyway so God says to me “flowers, the dog lady” so I went and said which ones. bought flowers, wrote a card….
Went to town hall……I said “where’s the dog lady?” “in there” I went into the police area. “where is the dog lady?” I said. ‘right there (she was behind me) I held out the flowers “these are for you” I said…….”For me? why?” she said all amazed “Well i was mad at you for coming after me about my dogs and well…..I’m sorry. you were just doing your job I said. “tears” flowed, me, crying, her the other lady standing there….hugs………..tears….her saying Yeah people are mad at me all the time I’m just doing my job, she said More hugs…I went away.
I left there and felt like 100 pounds of weight left me. And I had JOY Once again. thanks God! YOU ARE so good! and so smart! and so much wiser than I am! and a great therapist!
Praise the Lord! Laura Grace
Hi! I’m Laura! Good Morning to you! You know, I come from a long line of “accomplishers” behind the scenes. One of My Grandma’s made thousands of cookies, thousands of meals, and made people laugh thousands of times, with her contagious laughter. She, along with my other grandma, did not have face book to share pics of their grandkids, meals, or Joyful times.
I remember scraping up change, to afford the developing of film, and sending my best pics to my grandma’s (and Mom) desperately trying to share (the moments of our lives) so I truly do appreciate social media, it keeps us in the loop!
I was thinking today, about the thousands of times my mom made meals for us, and even after I grew up, how I couldn’t wait to go have some of her home cooking. OH the excitement of sitting down, being handed a plateful of love, and then the BIG question, would you like cake? “I made oatmeal cookies, want one?”
Oh, the every day love, of remarkable women, who do every day tasks, just because someone loves for them to do it!
I’ve got my own list of accomplishments, Great spaghetti maker, Lasagna, and other certain things I consider to be “my specialty.” I know over 120 songs on guitar, self taught, plus the songs I’ve written! I spent 20 years writing in Journals, trying to keep a record of life, what God was saying to my heart, how I felt about it, all kinds of things…….
And now, this year, marks my 4th year of authoring books, a new area, I ventured into, as the Spirit of God urges me on……..
Hey, I know there are many who appreciate me, they tell me so, every day! I’m not famous and I’m GLAD! Today, on memorial day, I am remembering the people who matter to me right now, (who are still alive!) along with those who have gone before me. I am remembering every day people, who simply cherish life, their loved ones, and do those thousands of tasks, every day, without fail, getting no recognition for it, and the simple reward of knowing “THEY LOVED” Enough to do it!
God sees you doing that ………..you know? He really does! And he writes it all down!
Happy Memorial day! with love, Laura Grace
Proverbs 27:6 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend”
God really put this message on my heart this morning! Have you ever been wounded by a friend? Now, there are two kinds of wounds. Careless critics wound us or hurt us in a bad way, its not productive. Faithful friends wound us as they plant a seed into the soil of open hearts, ready to receive from God. However if we do not receive the minister as a vessel chosen of God (for that time) it will be easy to be misunderstood, therefore we have to have ready hearts, which are open to correction, for this process to work.
My minister friend, Diamond Kelley, used to write me letters that sometimes wounded me, as the words of Truth (from the Holy Spirit) went in.
I remember this one time, he was talking about Hell fire, in response to my being all upset (about something) and he basically told me I was allowing the fire of hell, to be stirred up inside of me, and really I was being like those who told Jesus, “Should we call down fire on them?” I remember it hurt, because It was not my desire to be this way, therefore I thought, I was not this way! I started to argue and defend myself and he said, “You asked me to tell you the truth, do you want me to stop ministering to you?”
“No!” I said, emphatically. I knew I needed correction, but my Flesh was upset!
So, I will tell you this, one time I read this passage, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” and I did ponder it, and prayed to receive (from any friend) God sends to speak into my life. I prayed I would not miss it, or cast away any correction from him!
Therefore I have benefited, from many faithful wounds, where new plans of God (for my growing) have went into the soil of my heart. God’s way is always gently, and in a Spirit of Love. He is not into us being fire and brimstone preachers.
We live in a world where many are easily offended, touchy, feelings oriented, and always concerned that someone is upsetting them, infringing on their rights, speaking words that just make them crazy (apparently) because oh my goodness sakes, if I don’t want to hear this, you had better shut up, Christian, or “off with your tongue!”
It’s sad, because ultimately they are saying God should just get out of their face, we don’t want your wisdom, and the attitude is: “Get out of my life, God, unless you make me feel good about myself!” And guess what, He will (stay away from you) and now you are left with yourself, and your lack of wisdom, as honestly, His wounds (which cause our growing)
are only for our benefit, and never for our harm. With Love and prayers, Laura Grace
PS: Are you a friend who will risk making someone feel wounded? Or will you just say what they want to hear, compromising, as Aaron Did, when Moses left him in charge? Our flesh will never want correction, ever. It will always hurt. That’s the truth (my friends).
2Co 12:7 — “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”
Now, here we have, the famous passage about the thorn in the flesh. It clearly says messenger, I’m not sure how that could be interpreted another way.
And, what does buffet mean? I believe this passage was brought to mind and heart, just recently. “Father in the name of Jesus, help us to understand your word, and what it means to us personally, in Jesus’ name we pray, amen.”
If person is questioning you all the time, to the point it’s ridiculous, saying you are full of it, telling you how stupid you are, calling you names, saying things that are not true (about you) It’s not necessarily persecution. Oh I realize, that’s the first thing we think, but in this case Paul did not even resist (this messenger, who was under the influence of the evil one) But pleaded with God, to take it away from him! Why? AND this is one case where God said “No” to his request. hmm …..”It turns out for your Good,” He basically said.
So this is also a passage about all things working for Good (Romans 8) or the fiery trial that refines you (book of James) So, you see how it all ties together now ? AND It’s clear God is not doing it (messenger of satan, not God!) so ……….
I was considering telling you what to think (about this passage) but will leave you to the Holy Spirit, and your own conclusions with him today. Suffering, NOT FROM GOD but he does and can “turn it out for good” in our lives, Amen?
So do we ALWAYS Resist the devil? (as it says in James) OR do we need to ask God by his Spirit WHICH passage applies at which time? HMM ………
-Laura Grace
This is my Mom. Happy Mother’s day Mom!
You know, I did not expect my books to be wildly popular, although I do expect God’s favor to be upon them. When I set out on the path of Growing in the Lord, I had no idea what fate would await me. I had no idea how much correction would come. I look back at how I was then, versus how I am now, and I am both amazed and staggered at the same time …………
When I finally had worn myself out trying to convince everyone they should think like me and accept Jesus, whom I claimed to know so well, I was so broken, so tired, so weary of trying to “run the race” as they call it, and I had no idea really what that statement even meant! I knew so many scriptures, yet I really knew nothing at all, except that Christ had saved me from myself. I knew I didn’t deserve his love, I knew I was constantly messing up, and I so desperately wanted to “be someone good” in Him.
I had so many role models through the years, people I thought were the ideal Christian. I found them to be imperfect, got shocked, tried to find some other perfect person, somewhere to be my role model. I tried to make church my family, because Mine wasn’t perfect. I learned the word of God, and found the more I applied it in my life, the more judgmental I became, of those who did not apply it, the way I did.
When I went to church all the time, I judged people who didn’t go. If they were having a hard time, I thought if they just went to church like I did, their lives would be better. When I tithed, people who had financial struggles, I thought you should tithe that would make your life better. I could see when someone else was a know-it-all, but I could not see I was that way myself.
I was so busy believing to become what God wanted, striving so hard to please God, trying so hard to become all He wanted me to be……………
I wish I could tell you God gave me a big “A” For effort, but he did not. Oh He loved me through it all, no doubt about that! God Is Patient and kind to me, no doubt about that either. Just, we don’t know HOW patient and kind he is, until we really get more revelation about how we really look, through his Eyes, and in the Mirror of his word …
and honestly? I don’t think anyone but The Holy Spirit can really teach us, what we need to know. Others can be examples to us……..They can share their own experiences with Jesus, and from them we can get clues…….
It’s God that has to show us……..Take this word (Of mine) Eat it, chew on it, and apply it TO YOU …….Allow me to CHANGE YOU ……….
Trust me when I say, His WORD will Humble you………(if you allow it) it will change you it will transform you………..When his love enters your Heart more and more…….
WOW ……When we see what a wretch we have been, THEN we can begin, again.
And you will know……but for the Grace of God –What a wretches we can be……….And then (and only Then) We can honestly say ………”I am throwing down my crown at your feet Father” …..for I know I never would have been anything, without you…….”
-Laura Grace, Author, Grace to Grow, Grace to the Rescue, Grace to Grow, the Study Guide. available on Amazon.