Become all you can be (in Jesus). by His Spirit!
Christmas story #8 Angels on the Tree
I wanted angels on the tree,
and actually prayed for this, you see……..
A friend of mine loaned me hers ……
12 lighted angels…..stem to stern
So I’d just sit and look at them,
Both Looking forward, and “remembering when”
I thought of angels, anouncing his birth,
And I thought about, how much we are worth.
That Jesus would come,for little ol’ me
and help me have angels……upon my tree.
by Laura Grace
Christmas story #8 Jesus is real. I testify!
One of my Life changing Scriptures is found in Jude 22 “And on some have compassion, making a distinction. 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.”
If someone comes to me with a problem they are going to get the word of God, Prayer and Jesus! The way I see it, if they don’t want him they aren’t ready for help. And if they won’t receive him I can’t help them either. Now you know. I am radical!
The bible says a generous person will prosper. Now I don’t care so much if it’s financially but I Know it makes our soul prosper. We don’t have to have money to be generous. We can give our time, our love, a cookie, or even a prayer.
I met a guy one time in a housing project, he asked me to pray for him during Christmas time. He was “having such bad thoughts” he said.
After we prayed, he brought me a painting he had painted and said to me “I have to give this to you!” It was a nice painting.
I said why? “Because”, he says, ‘I just know I will feel better if I do.”
He gave me this gift and as far as I know he was fine after that.
I don’t know why he was compelled to do that, but he was having murderous thoughts and it was scaring him. When He told me, it kind of scared me also.
I just said “LET”S PRAY!” I know who the counsellor is. His name is Jesus!
You don’t need a minister license to represent Jesus. All you need, is faith If you don’t have any start today praying on little things, and read your bible!
Oh I forgot to tell you why he asked me for prayer! Everywhere I go I talk about Jesus. I don’t even remember how it came up, but as people oten tell me, Nobody can be around you long without Jesus coming up! (Good!)
I either drive them crazy or they ask me questions OR they run away! Why would we not tell the reason we are okay in this world? If hearing about Jesus drives them crazy, they are not ready for him. Yet.
Jesus is still the answer! so get your brave shoes on and next time someone has a problem, offer to pray with them. And if you need help. Ask me for prayer! I will be happy to pray for you and I won’t judge you. Jesus is not some picture on the wall to me or someone I was ‘told about” He is REAL! And he loves you! and thank you those who pray when I ask (You know who you are!) and I love you very much.
With Love,
“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
We live in the knowledge age. Everyone wants to discuss what we should or should not be doing, and more importantly, what others should or should not be doing. Without a doubt it’s the most philisophical, debatable, and argumentive age we’ve ever seen.
When I’m taking a trip, i hope I will plan (how much it will cost) and is there air in my tires? Do I have all the necessities for my journey? What route will I take? Where am I going to stay along the way, and when I get there? We all know if we don’t plan, it’s likely we could end up by the side of the road, sleeping in the car (or something) and then there is the big question: “Why am I even taking this trip?”
Once we know that (and our passion for the trip is established) we might begin sharing with others what we are doing, where we are going, and why.
I’ve encountered so much advice along the way, and I know people are trying to be helpful. “Take water and tools” they may say “in case you break down.” “Pray first” Or maybe they’ll say “You can’t afford that trip.” (How do they know?) or maybe they will share their trip, what they did, and how it was a much better trip than you are taking!
It doesn’t matter, because if you only got one shot at your dream trip, would you let anyone take it from you? Would you let them waylay you, stop you, thwart you, or waste so much of your time you never even get there? I don’t think so!
Funny how we would take something like a “road trip” so seriously and not ponder where we are going for all eternity. (and who we will see when we get there!)
I”m sorry, I can’t allow you to take me off course! I have a dream about doing things God’s way, learning from Him, Following Him and having him say to me when I get there “Well done” “Enter in” “Glad to see you my son (daughter). He gave me the route, the plan, and he has helped me to count the cost. I don’t have time to argue about it or debate with you about whether my plan is good or bad (according to you). My Father from heaven has spoken, and I must be on my way.
Laura Grace John 4:34 “Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work”
How many times have you heard those words? Never surrender! “Don’t give up” “Hang on Baby ” or as they said in the 70’s “Hang in there! Things will get better!”
The truth is often they don’t (not just because we said they will) at least not in OUR timing. I have to remind myself at times Abraham waited a lot of years for that “one son” and he didn’t live to see the thousands of heirs he had (after his death) Or millions ……
In Genesis 22:17 The promise to him was his descendants would be more than the sands in the sea. That’s a lot of descendants! Then we have this keeper in Hebrews to think on:
“Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise” –Hebrews 10:35-36 NKJV
The Will of God? What is that? Well it depends. For you it may be patience, perseverance-or doing one more thing, waiting one more day, Or just doing what God says when you do not FEEL LIKE IT anymore. I can tell you the will of God is to NOT draw back toward death. When you feel like giving up FIGHT HARDER! Get Mad (at the devil) and say “BACK OFF satan I belong to Jesus Christ! HE WILL DEFEND ME! amen!!
Yes, we all get tempted to give up. Don’t let those ministers fool you! They can’t say it or we’d lose confidence IN THEM. Ministers of God cannot afford to show how scared they are or how frail they feel (very often) Or they would not be the rock or pillar of strength we need them to be. Somebody has to stand up like Moses and say “SEE TODAY HOW GOD DELIVERS THEE!” Someone has to say:
“Things are going to be just fine God is with us” We Have to! (Why?) Because that’s what being a light truly means…..We can’t give up! We must fight! THERE HAS been Times I felt I could not go on anymore. One of my prayers at those times was this:
“I can hardly go on Father I am overhwlemed right now. “I feel like giving up” and then I would say “but If all I have left is the strength to tell you with my mouth “I trust in you” That’s what I will do. I tell you Father I trust in you and satan I tell you GOD IS With Me”
Right now do what you can! Give it all you’ve got! Don’t give up!
Abraham Didn’t! He did not waiver he trusted God! And that’s all he had to do to secure the promise. -Never Give up Never surrender. It’s not over!
-Laura Grace
Who I am: Am I a Mutt?
Hi, Laura Grace here. I wish I could make this page “come alive to you” as I share what’s on my heart today. You know, I was raised Lutheran, studied the catechism to be confirmed (meaning I understood God’s word well enough to partake of the cup and the bread) but you know what? I didn’t know the Lord even after all that. I knew scriptures, but I did not know God. Oh, they are one in the same you say?
Who brings the word alive? Who causes it to become Living water to your soul? Jesus, that’s who! And how can we do that if we never let him in? “Okay Lord, I believe in you,” Many say, as they go on their way. Yes, THEIR WAY. And that’s what I did, for a long, long time. I went to a little Pentecostal church one day because I was feeling empty inside. They sang praises to Jesus, and clapped their hands. “PRAISE THE LORD!” I heard them shout. oh wow, I was amazed by this! What a sight to see!
Alas, I found out they didn’t think I was saved, because they prayed I would speak in tongues, but it didn’t happen when they thought it should. Want to know why? I wasn’t even SAVED YET! Which leads to the next portion of my mutt story, I DO BELIEVE we must be Born Again to SEE the kingdom of GOD TO SEE IT TO LIVE IN IT AND TO WALK IN IT. Maybe some get Born again without realizing it? I mean, don’t babies get born sometimes at home? Or did anyone tell them “Hey by the way did you know you were actually born? You didn’t just arrive here from a stork some magical day?”
See, there are so many things we experience, but never understand. God wants us to understand what has happened to us! He wants us to know where we are at with him, where we stand, and what he thinks about it all. He’s our Father! And yes, he wants you to know! But so long as we treat him as this distant unapproachable scary God (as in MT Sinai and a mountain burning with Smoke) we will never experience the new Zion, angels rejoicing, celebration experience He so desires for us. For a Christian, words like “Born Again” should not scare us. We should love and want to understand the WHOLE bible, should we not?
Hey, I understand many are not comfortable with speaking in tongues, jumping around dancing, or worshipping with their hands lifted high in Praise to Jesus. I do. But I want to tell you, opening my mind and heart to my other brothers and sisters in Christ and their experiences, has surely enriched my life beyond my wildest imagination. I believe, like the Baptists, that being Born Again is important. I do believe we should consider and ask God about the bread and the cup and not be careless about it. I think we should be Spirit Filled too.
We THE BRETHREN (the ones that we are asked to Love) Must learn to at least try and like each other! (And move on to Love from there?) seriously! And do I ever go up to my dog and say “why aren’t you a doberman?” Why aren’t you a poodle? What’s wrong with you?” We are all just (gentile dogs) saved by Grace. Unless you are a Jew (the first people God went to) and you know why He did that? I beleive it’s because of Abraham! But that’s another story……..
I think we should open our hearts to consider Mark 16, and the idea of casting out demons, laying hands on the sick, and believing for them to recover. I think there should be order in the service and we should sing all kinds of hymns, and spiritual songs. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to bring myself to label myself with a certain denomination ever again. I have to face what Jesus has made me,
“I’m a mutt.” And I know He loves me, just as I am. If I can love my dog (who is also a mutt) how much MORE Does God rejoice when I come running to him, my face full of Joy, so happy to be His! Yep I’m a mutt. And I’m okay with it. Yes that’s me, a gentile dog, saved by his grace…..and I am so thankful! -Laura Grace
PS There is more to this story (born again, Spirit Filled, testimonies, ) in My book Grace to The Rescue. Available on Kindle (Amazon) and soon to be re-released.
Mark 7: 25 For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
28 And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”
29 Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”
30 And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed. Hey wait a minute! didn’t he “cast out the demon?” No in this case –her faith caused the deliverance! hmm……”Don’t put God in a box” ….
How do you handle hurt and pain? Lash back? Teach them a lesson? Give them a “what for?”
There are times (not often) in my life it just all adds up. The person you spent hours of time helping Listening, taking them somewhere, anywhere so they could feel better. You layed aside your plans for them, then they write you off and forget you because of the 101th time you didn’t show up, or say what they wanted you to say.
There’s the people who take and take and skip away to the next blessing, or those who ask you to turn yourself inside out to be there for them, but won’t bend an inch to be there for you because hey, they have standards! Yes I’ve seen many blessings in my life but let’s face it, in some areas, we may never seem to reap what we sowed. We sow blessing, they sow hate. We sow love, they see it as weakness, and walk all over the place and stomp on our hearts. Sometimes the love we sow feels like it’s running through a seive, and we watch it go down the drain never to be seen ……again……..
Some people we love and pray for are just obvlious, for years and years and years, that the only outlet they have left us is praying to our heavenly Father on their behalf. They scorn us, make fun of us, have a good time taking out on US their anger and frustration at God (whom they have never known, nor tried to know). and that’s okay because hey we christians are SUPPOSED TO LOVE It’s our Job! Right?
How well I remember the times I was reminded (if I dared to step out of line) that I was a christian (supposed to love) and they well they……were just unaccountable, ignorant, hurting more than me supposedly. There are those who assume if we are kind to them in the face of their rage or anger, that we just must LIKE being the way we are.
No. We go home and cry, salty tears that run to our lips like the bitter vinegar Jesus drank on the cross. We cry until it feels like our guts will explode. And we do it because we are in a battle not to hate them back. We are going to win because Jesus is on our side. but let me tell you something: I UNDERSTAND The battle to love. I truly do…
I don’t know why sometimes we are compelled to keep loving people who hurt us all the time. Maybe their heart cry is “Father please don’t give up on me’ so we show up and we don’t give up. I don’t know…..Maybe they are praying for God’s love……
and you were just the vessel to show up and do it. Maybe they weren’t grateful or kind. That’s up to God to deal with, not you. Only don’t let them destroy you ….beat you ? yes maybe. Take your soul? NO WAY No how! ….Do not let it happen.
I trust God to show me when to give up on someone, and when not to. when to try and again, and when to stop. it’s not based on my feelings or my personal comfort…….I can tell you that. It’s not based on some doctrine that says I have to take abuse or punishment. BUT THERE ARE TIMES We hurt because someone doesn’t have the sense to see they are hurting us. They have not yet come to their senses. they are captive to the evil one…..
Therefore, It’s a personal Journey.
I”ve never seen anger heal anyone. I’ve never seen a butt chewing change a person. What changes people is love (if they can RECEIVE IT!!!) …….
IF THEY CAN RECEIVE IT…..
So see maybe if they can’t ……stop trying so hard….and let it go….let them go…..
Until they can receive it…..
and yes your heart will break, as you watch them go…..
and pray when it’s all over, you are still able to love…..it’s the only way
-Laura Grace-
Reasons to Go on: And reasons you matter………
1. What you do in life DOES have a ripple effect. Just like a stone is tossed in the water and causes ripples, so your decisions effect the lives of others. You have no idea how many people may be thinking “If they can do it so can I”……..
2. Your children, your spouse, your family, and yes even your friends are watching you. You have to ask yourself, are they going to gain encouragement and hope by watching my life? Or are they going to have more reasons to give up, because of me?
3. We cannot underestimate the power of overcoming and the message it brings. People who carry on are like the sun. We feel the rays of their hope, and it inspires us! We can do the same.
I want you to think of three people right now, who have overcome difficult obstacles. if they lost their job, they started over again. If they had setbacks, they faced it bravely. Life dealt them a bad hand, they smiled and went forward anyway, over and over again…..
Did they inspire you? I’m betting they did! Did you tell them that? Probaby not, in most cases. We all have a tendency to forget to thank the people that inspire us daily. So i want to say THANK YOU each and every one of you who had a hard blow and you did not give up!
You kept on walking, going, loving, smiling, and trying to be a blessing every where you go! THANK YOU!! PS I am watching you! with love, Laura Grace 
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