Grace in place of Grace

Posted on December 27, 2011 by For Glory Sake!

“From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.” John 1:16 NIV

The Christian life can be described as a constant receiving of one evidence of God’s grace replacing another. The “fullness of His grace” is the Greek phrase “hcharin anti{G} charitos,” literally translated “grace in place of grace.” The Bible Knowledge Commentary paints a beautiful picture of waves hitting the shore. Continuously rolling one on top of another.

Evidence makes something plain – clear to see. It’s the proof. In this case, the idea that hourly, God is throwing on us His grace through the happenings around us is the evidence. We must open our eyes to see the proof, however. We must practice looking for it.

How can this possible be when I’m in the midst of chaos or disaster?? This chapter goes on to say:

“No one has ever seen God, but the One and only Son, who is Himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, (Jesus) has made God known.” John 1:18

Jesus brings the waves of grace. He makes all the difference. He reveals to us God’s unfailing love and faithfulness, even in chaos! Every situation that touches my life, Jesus is bringing blessing. Glory to God as I recognize His hands working on my behalf. 

ForGlorySake! -Anna

“I don’t understand what you’re doing Lord.
 Trust ME, you’re standing in MY waves of grace.
They’re washing over and over and over you…trust ME.
 So this is a walk by faith, not by sight…  
Yes child, RECEIVE MY blessings, wait for your eyes to clear, My grace is there.”
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Do You Hear What I Hear?

Posted on December 7, 2011 by For Glory Sake!

I love this Christmas song it reminds me what a blessing it is to hear beautiful Christmas music and all my loved ones voices in the house. It reminds me to be thankful that I can see the decorations and lights, and the happy clutter that family brings. It reminds me to be thankful for the greatest gift of all time, Jesus the Light of the world!

Said the night wind to the little lamb
Do you see what I see
Way up in the sky little lamb
Do you see what I see
A star, a star
Dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite
Said the little lamb to the shepard boy
Do you hear what I hear
Ringing through the sky shepard boy
Do you hear what I hear
A song, a song
High above the tree
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea
Said the shepard boy to the mighty king
Do you know what I know
In your palace wall mighty king
Do you know what I know
A child, a child
Shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Said the king to the people everywhere
Listen to what I say
Pray for peace people everywhere
Listen to what I say
The child, the child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light
The child, the child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light

 Have a truly Joyful Christmas, ForGlorySake! -Anna

-missing one
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Mothering a Prodigal

Posted on December 2, 2011 by For Glory Sake!

Prodigal– a wayward son who squanders his rich inheritance ending up destitute, but returns home and finds his father forgives him. Luke 15:11-32

I don’t know that anything has stabbed my heart as deeply as having one of my precious gifts from God reject the truth we taught them. It’s like a squandering of rich inheritance, that will only bring ruin. We noticed our son becoming darker, we tried and tried to reach him. Youth group, mentoring, counselors, time away with us… it just got harder and harder and took more and more from all of us.

Running from God can take more forms a verbal renouncement. Foolish actions speak louder than words and sometime bring just as much pain through consequences. There comes a point where pray is the only hope. Begging and pleading for their protection from themselves until a heart changes. I hope you haven’t been there.

While I wait on the process:
“A servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome (fighting and contending). Instead (she) must be kindly to everyone (even the teenager) and mild-tempered. (She) must be a skilled and suitable teacher, patient and forbearing and willing to suffer wrong. (She) must correct opponents with courtesy and gentleness, in the HOPE that God may grant that they will repent and come to know the Truth … that they may come to their senses and escape out of the snare of the devil, having been held by him,” 2 Timothy 2:24-26

These verses encourage me to keep the relationship. In other words, to love as only Jesus would, through the process. In the face of argumentative and quarrelsome words, being both courteous and gentle, never wavering from what I know to be true, in the face of wrong done to me, remaining patient, willing to suffer without resentment. And, remaining HOPEFUL that someday they will perceive the full knowledge of The Truth.

Jesus is the only One that can set a person free from a destructive life-style and way of thinking.  As a mom, I will love and hold strong, praying for mercy and grace to fall thick!

God, please encourage all mothers who are in the trenches with me. Give us strength. Help us look past what we see with our eyes. Help us to hold on to Your hope. Real Hope, that You are the One who changes hearts of stone to hearts of flesh. Bring them home, LORD.

ForGlorySake! – Anna

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Praying For My Men

Posted on November 30, 2011 by For Glory Sake!

I’ve been enjoying Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Ormartian. Daily prayers for your husband, each one is full of scripture and covers all the bases in a beautiful way.

I’m learning specifically about affective prayer; being specific. She offers many topics. If the topic isn’t an area my husband struggles with, I ask God to bring to mind other men in my life that might need help (especially our sons).

“The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available.” James 5:15

Keeping notes in a journal about who I’m praying for helps me keep track. I want to remember and notice answers. I feel so pro-active. It’s like a secret I’m keeping with God, one that only He knows about. When all the guys are home in the evening, I’m quietly watching and smiling to myself. I see evidence of what I’ve been praying over… I just love it. God’s Spirit is at work in their hearts and they don’t even know.

In the midst of so many other struggles and unanswered prayers (especially my mom’s illness), its been a good project. I truly feel like I’m involved with God, actively doing something.

My goal in the new year is to keep up the practice and each month focus on a new area.

ForGlorySake! – Anna

“Praying For Your Husband” is on the menu bar at the top of this blog.
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T-Shirt Quilts

Posted on November 28, 2011 by For Glory Sake!

I have a ton of  old tee shirts. They hold memories from my 22 years of ballet. Every audition I took, camp I went to, companies I danced for, schools I taught in… not to mention some gifts and purchases from performances. Each one holds a special memory from a season in my life, I can’t just throw them out!

Then an idea hit me about using all those tee shirts for something practical. What about a blanket, kinda patchwork style? I had taken quilting courses as a young bride. It couldn’t be that hard. I’ve always enjoyed sewing, making clothes for myself and my children. This seemed like a really fun craft.

I set out cutting and creating a puzzle to stitch together. It took a long time! After getting the design worked out (harder than I thought), I searched for a backing. Should I use batting between layers? One I tried with and one I tried without. I like without much better! – as top stitching does not have to be a precise number of inches apart. 

The backing took some configuring and reworking. With batting, required a trim as with a traditional quilt. Without batting, was lots easier. Winner! I chose machine top-stitching (to secure them) for both covers as the backing material is soft and thick.

I’m loving my creation and others have shown interest in having one made! Wow, this would be a really fun business. Maybe I can help with those medical bills 🙂

ForGlorySake! -Anna

1st tee shirt quilts, my shirts
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Thanksgiving

Posted on November 21, 2011 by For Glory Sake!

On Thanksgiving of 2010, our family was separated once again because of a hospital stay out of state. It had already been a harrowing time of cancer surgery, followed by complications and more procedures. David was at death’s door with sepsis. No one knew what was next or how long this ordeal would last.

I remember the holiday finally arriving and bringing all the children to their grandparents near by. I stayed with them for almost 24 hours to celebrate. We were so thankful their dad was alive. How precious each hug and kiss! Too soon it was back at the hospital to be with my sweetie, so terribly sick. Then, it was time for the kids to go home – 300 miles away. I felt every inch. Never before had I wanted so badly to be in 2 places at once.

I suppose for as long as I live, I will remember those days we walked through. Especially the holidays because they were the hardest. It makes me appreciate even more that we’re together now. I’ve been asking each child where they were last year at such and such a time. We missed so much. It simply amazes me that God protected and brought them through. We are home now!

I don’t want to lose this perspective as the years go by. Togetherness is a longing God will ultimately fulfill in Heaven. Life brings us separations, but Jesus did something about it. He took away the sting of even death so that it doesn’t end at the grave. There will be a more GLORIOUS reunion than we’ve ever known, afterwards. No more sickness, no more pain, no more suffering, and NO MORE SEPARATION! Oh, What a amazing God we serve.

ForGlorySake! – Anna

excellent check up with Dr Guffin
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Fasting

Posted on November 16, 2011 by For Glory Sake!

Yesterday I finally fasted. Because I was praying day after day, over a particular thing, that remains -unresolved. I felt my mind becoming over-taxed, over burdened, to the point of distraction! It became nearly debilitating for me to do life and wrestle continually in prayer. 

This is the moment I know it’s time to fast. Somehow changing up this one factor quiets my soul. For me, this is where the battle line is drawn…

“We live in this world, but we don’t fight our battles with weapons of this world. Instead, we use God’s power that can destroy fortresses. We destroy arguments and every bit of pride that keeps anyone from knowing God. We capture peoples’s THOUGHTS and make them obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 

Fasting truly brings me peace of mind, heart and soul. The difference comes in a feeling of instant connection with God. When its time to eat, I’m reminded instead to pray. It’s a calmer prayer however. There’s rest in my head. A tranquil heart. He’s got this.

Today nothing extraordinary happened, the situation has not changed yet, but I am destroying strongholds and taking down any prideful arguments. I am confident in Him as I capture my own thoughts and make them obey. He is working where I can’t see and that is simply glorious! 

“Lord, help me to remember to not wait so long next time. Fasting brings such peace: “Only in returning to Me, resting in Me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.”  Isaiah 30:15.

ForGlorySake! -Anna

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My Hope Jar

Posted on November 13, 2011 by For Glory Sake!

A Hope Jar is something I dreamed up when a close friend was struggling with her husband. I thought if she could see where God was moving and the prayers being answered hope would return for their marriage. I gave her a jar with a verse from Romans 4:18 about Abraham,  “who against all hope, in hope, believed”

The idea was to add a penny to the jar for ANYTHING positive she saw. Any kind word, good deed, or blessing regarding her relationship. Then, whenever frustrations and irritations came, she could shake her jar and hear the coins jingle. She would be reminded that the Lord heard her prayers and was working.

it helped her some but it really helped me. I used the idea on our teenagers at the time. A couple of them were driving me crazy. The more irritated I became the more critical. I made 2 jars and began asking God daily to show me their positive traits. Bit by bit my eyes opened to small things I’d been missing. I started to listen more and ask better questions. I could really see where He was moving on their lives… add a penny.  Before I knew it the jar was half full. No more worries that it wouldn’t fill up! My Hope was renewed.

I had just learned a secret about waiting on the Lord, (Romans 4:21) “and having been fully assured that what HE had promised, HE is also able to do! We are promised that God will finish what HE has started and that includes our kids too.

We will always have difficult people in your lives; someone hard that is being hard to love. Maybe a Hope Jar will help. As you pray for a new perspective, throw a penny in every time you see God moving. You may be surprised how it fills up.

 LORD, give us eyes to see and a  hope beyond reason like Abraham’s.

ForGlorySake! -Anna


ForGlorySake! -Anna

He is the One who gives life to the dead, creating something out of nothing
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So What About Success?

Posted on November 7, 2011 by For Glory Sake!

Remember when I was praying for success? I also prayed that God would show me just what that is. Since then, I’ve learned it isn’t. It doesn’t mean I will get yes’s to every prayer! But I did notice something amazing…

Searching for God to do something, I began to look for even the smallest signs of accomplishment in my kids. This in turn, brought about praise for good deeds recognized,  which had a chain reaction through the whole family! Everyone had a better attitude.

Funny, that the biggest difference might be in me. My attitude toward all the folks I live with. Mom’s are supposed to be your number one fan, right? In searching for every stride toward godly character I realized my own demeanor brightened… and attitudes are catching.

So all in all, I’ve learned that success is when we strive for God’s will in both character and actions. And that to succeed is having someone take notice and cheer. Achievement requires our will; an active participation. We all want to do better when there’s a positive reward.

Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11

I encourage you to pray for your family specifically, with boldness and determination. Whatever God puts on your heart, search it out. He will use it to change them and possibly change you. Come join me and watch God do His amazing work.

ForGlorySake! -Anna

Keep laughing
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Reconstruction ahead

Posted on November 2, 2011 by For Glory Sake!

Every time I pull out of my neighborhood I am confronted with major road work. The mess has been tremendous, only sometimes I see improvement. It’s interesting to watch as they straighten out a particularly sharp and dangerous curve. Just when I think they’re close to finishing, another huge pile of dirt is created. Over the last few weeks piles come and gone. For a while now, I’ve wondered if they really know what they’re doing.

It reminds me of a CD a youth leader gave me about teens being in a “reconstruction” phase of  life. What looks like total chaos and a mess of habits is their way of reevaluating and rebuilding on their own foundation. It may look like everything is being thrown out; complete destruction, but Parents should not despair. This is a good thing, each child needs to make faith their very own.

My, my, what prophetic words. I have seen this same reconstructive phase show up in our house with 2 of our teens already. The talk however, left out what a painful experience this can be. All my words of wisdom and efforts being weighed… some tossed aside? Why can’t these kids just trust what we’ve taught them? 

Like the road with a dangerous curve, I see little progress being made. Mercy, will this ever be made into something beautiful? I wonder, but Paul said:

“And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you WILL continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.” (Philippians 1:6 AMP)

How I pray that You are working, Lord, within the chaos. That somehow You will use all this mess for good.  I know You never quit a project, so I’m trusting because I’ve seen You do miraculous work in my own life!

ForGlorySake! – Anna

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