Used by God

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Sound like anyone you know? The death of Billy Graham is prominent news this week. Ninety-nine years old they say. But God prepared him to preach from the time of conception which would have probably been in February 1918. So, he actually was alive 100 years. 

The verse I quoted was written for the Prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 1:5 KJV) Psalms 139:14 makes a similar statement about King David. God even had plans for Samuel before he was born (I Samuel 1:11, 26-28). Each came to know the Lord and His plan at different times in their lives. 

Samuel was a child when He heard God's call. King David was probably a teen. Jeremiah said he was too young, but he was old enough for God. He stood before the people of a crumbling nation to preach, warning them and calling them to repentance. Billy Graham was near his seventeenth birthday when he came to know the Lord. He was a mighty man of God in our day. There have been others, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, and Billy Sunday to name a few. 

Does God have a plan for you? You don't have to be famous to be used of God. Remember the story of the little slave girl in II Kings 5:3? She was responsible for Naaman's journey to the prophet who told him to wash and be healed of his leprosy. And what about the boy with five loaves and two fishes (John 6:9-12)? We don't know their names, but they were used by God in a mighty way. There are no mistakes. You are important to God.  You too, have a special call on your life. Have you answered?

Hey Kids:

Do you know God has a special plan for you? Look up some of the verses above and see what children were able to do as part of God's plan. 

I have four grandchildren. One is a talented singer. Another is quite the athlete. The one pictured above is a budding artist. The youngest is still developing her talents, but she is a linguist for sure. They don't know yet how God will use them, but they are strengthening those talents. God will put those talents to use in His timing. 

What is your special talent?
How are you working at perfecting that talent?
Has God already shown you His plan? 

Let us know what special gifts God is calling you to use.

Blessings,

Gail

Spring Cleaning

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:

wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalms 51:7KJV

I’m not sure if the groundhog was right or wrong this year, because around here it depended on what time he decided to get up. At daylight it was a little overcast but in another hour the sun was shining bright. At any rate the daffodils and yellow bells are blooming and the robins are searching  the lawns for worms. It puts me in the mood to do a little spring cleaning.

Speaking of spring cleaning, I need to dust off my heart and do a little cleaning on the inside as well. Jesus washed the feet of His disciples to show them how to serve others but also to remind us we pick up a lot of dirt walking through this world. Using a little soap goes a long way in housecleaning. The Psalmist asked God to wash him so he would be whiter than snow.

I’d like to extend a little help with our spring spiritual cleaning by offering you a little S.O.A.P.

S.O.A.P.

I'm not sure where this idea originated but there are several internet sites that give the details.

• Scripture: Read a chapter of God’s Word. I suggest beginning a book.

What verse stands out to you?

Write the verse at the top of the first page of your journal.  

• Observation: What is your observation about this verse?

What surprised you?

What was new to you?

What questions do you have?

• Application: How can you apply your observation to your life?
• Prayer: How is God leading you to live out this verse?

Heavenly Father, please help each of us search Your Word and apply it to our lives this year that we might live holy and acceptable lives before you. In the name of Your Son, Jesus we pray. Amen.

Hey Kids:

Have you ever seen anyone make soap? Do you know what the cleansing agent is in soap?

I understand the Israelites did not know that they had soap, but the priest had the makings of soap every time they dumped the ashes from the sacrifices.

To make soap, you need a fat and a source of lye.

When water is poured through ashes, the water leaches out the lye from the ashes.

When this water is added to a fat source, it will saponify, turning  into a soft soap that will harden in a few hours.

The priest washed themselves of the ashes after dumping them. The fat from the sacrifice was already in the ash. The priest were to keep themselves clean. They were washing with soap without even realizing it.

God often does things that help us keep our lives clean without us thinking about it.

Can you remember a time when you avoided a situation that might have been disastrous for your health or your testimony? Could this have been a time God was keeping you clean?

II Peter 3:18 tells us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Using S.O.A.P. in your spiritual life will be a great help to you. Why not join your family in spring cleaning.

Blessings,

Gail

A New Day Full of Grace

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. II Peter 3:18 KJV

There it was, the sky peeping blue through the pink of dawning clouds. The sky as old as creation, yet new every morning. A new day full of grace for my family and my community from my Savior. And what is grace? Grace is an undeserved gift. It is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). God’s grace is the sacrifice of His only Son. His desire is that we grow in grace and in knowledge.

As a teacher, I learned about Bloom’s taxonomy. It is a hierarchy of learning. At the bottom is knowledge or remembering. You know, read, study, memorize, but it doesn’t have to be boring when we restate them as searching, discovering, remembering. It’s like a treasure map. Once we are able to recall facts we can comprehend and gain understanding. We can ask questions. Why do we need a Savior? Why did God send His Son? Why are we so loved? When we understand, we can apply that knowledge. First we apply that understanding for our own salvation. Then, we can show love to those who may seem unlovable. Grace toward others is the application of the knowledge of God’s love.

Father, help me to gain knowledge of You through Your word, hiding it in my heart, that I might recall it to give grace to those around me. Lord, those seem like big words. Please, just let me be the hands and feet of Jesus today. Amen

Hey Kids:

The season of love is upon us. Red and pink hearts are everywhere, but what is love?

Love is a gift, most likely an undeserved gift.

The greatest gift is God’s only Son sent to die for our sins, a gift none of us has ever deserved.

If you have repented of your sins and asked for forgiveness,
you understand you have received an undeserved gift. We often call it grace.

There are so many around us who do not know of God’s grace, the gift of His Son.

They feel hopeless and helpless.

We hold their hope.

Jesus commanded us to go into all the world and preach the gospel.
Part of reaching others is meeting their needs so they are able to hear the gospel.
We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Make a list of people you know in need. Here’s a start.

• A kid at school who needs a friend.
• Elderly in the neighborhood or at nursing homes.

What can you do?

• Sit with the lonely kid at lunch.
• Make Valentines for nursing homes or hospitals.
• Weed a garden or plant flowers.
• Take a covered dish to someone who’s sick.

Acts of kindness open doors for the presentation of the gospel.
Be sure to enlist the help of your parents.
Remember, God gave them to you to help you grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord.

Grow in Grace

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. II Peter 3:18

Did the groundhog see his shadow in your area? Just to make sure we got an accurate assessment, my kids pretended to be groundhogs. We ran outside in our shirt sleeves to look for shadows. At first it seemed we would not see it, but as we started in from the cold, the sun came out and splashed shadows everywhere across the playground. We all gave a shout because here in SC we love the news of more snow. 

This week, I want to share Groundhog Day in Amazing Grace Acres, by Kristi Butler and illustrated by my friend Samantha Bell, published by Guardian Angel Publishing,Inc. Gracie the groundhog has been chosen to predict the weather this year. Her brother, Grover, is jealous. He tries to find a way to trick Gracie and steal the show for himself. Groundhog Day in Amazing Grace Acres not only explains the traditions of Groundhog Day but also addresses issues children as well as adults face each day - jealousy, anger, repentance, and forgiveness. 

Around here, we're looking forward to six more weeks of winter. Think I'll hunker down with the groundhogs a few more weeks. 

Hey Kids:

What's the groundhog's prediction for your area? 

Groundhog Day is half-way through winter. This year spring officially begins March 20. Is the bad weather almost over? 

Here's some ways to have fun checking the accuracy of your area groundhog.

• Mark the calendar with a warm sun or a cold snowflake or a blustery wind.
• Keep a journal, noting the highs and lows for each day.
• Note the day you begin to see flowers push up through the winter mud. Draw them on your calendar or in your journal.
• Make a graph of the cod days and the warm days. Cold could be blue and warm could be yellow.

What can we do with the information? 

• Count the days of cold weather.
• Now count the days of warm weather.
• Which one has the most?
• Add the days together.
• Now you can make a fraction    Cold Days/Total        Warm Days/Total
• Divide the Total into the Cold Days and then divide the Total into the Warm Days. Now you have a percentage. 
• What percent of the days were cold? Warm?

Can the groundhog really predict the weather? What's your conclusion?
I'd love to hear how your charting and journaling is progressing. 

Please check back in six weeks with your complete findings and I'll share mine as well.

Blessings,

Gail