I have been deeply moved, in the last few months, to invest significantly in the lives of those God has blessed me to know. Sometimes, this has meant that I should give a little extra time and a sympathetic ear to someone with a real burden (as opposed to a habitual whiner). At times, it has meant that I should quiet my tongue and overlook a grievance, then serve that same person with some act of kindness. And a few times, it meant that I should write a check for more than I ever expected to write.

In every instance, I was moved to do it with excellence. In my spirit, I heard God say, “If you’re going to allow me to love people through you, then allow me to love them lavishly.”

WOW … I had never thought of it that way before!

When God calls on us to bless someone, we should do it with excellence! Because whatever we do “in His great name,” should never make Him look ‘cheap’.

Keeping it real,

For more encouragement, visit the blogs in these carnivals …

• This new insight about how to love others by investing boldly is what I’m grateful for this GratiTuesday … head over to Heavenly Home Maker to see what others are grateful for this week.
• This new attitude is what I’m tackling for Tackle it Tuesday … head over to 5MinutesForMom to see what everyone else is up to this week.
• For more encouraging insight visit What Are You Learning? hosted by Chats With And Old Lady.

When you have HOLY fear, you will fear NOTHING but God.
When you have UNHOLY fear, you will fear EVERYTHING but God.

Unholy fear makes people want to run away from God in anger and resentment, but holy fear draws you closer to God in love, appreciation, and gratitude.

~ Dr. Michael Youssef in his series What’s Life Like Down Under?

In these messages on the book of Ecclesiastes, Dr. Youssef explains how King Solomon ponders the benefits of everything under the sun, then concludes that nothing is as beneficial as a right relationship with the One True God who lives ‘above the sun’.

You can subscribe to Dr. Youssef’s Leading the Way podcast via iTunes or get them on line at www.leadingtheway.org . I often listen to his sermons on my iPod while I walk … now if I could only figure out how to make notes while I do that!

Keeping it real,

I am very pleased to list this post in the following blog carnivals …

• Thankful Thursday @ Grace Alone (guest hosted this week by Lori’s Reflections)
  
• What Are You Learning? @ Chats With And Old Lady

For more encouragement, visit some of the other blogs in these carnivals, and consider participating by submitting a post of your own!

In the Model Prayer, aka the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us the importance of being a forgiving person when He spoke this line:

“And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors,” (Mat 6:12).

I use the Model Prayer almost every morning as a guide to my prayer time, and I typically say it this way … “Forgive me where I’ve offended You, Lord, the same way I forgive those who offend me.” And then I always add … “And help me, Father, to be abundantly forgiving and merciful, so I can receive an abundance of forgiveness and mercy from You.”

Jesus taught us to practice ‘pardon’ in our personal lives. He did not intend us to twist this into ‘commuting’ so that we can extract a little punishment then stop when we are satisfied that ‘they’ have paid for their actions.

How important is it for us to have a forgiving attitude?

Enormously important! Our own forgiveness hangs in the balance. It leaves me wondering how we will stand before Holy God, if we are holding the ‘Sinner’s Prayer’ in one hand and an unforgiving spirit in the other.

The truest and surest proof that your life has really been forgiven by Christ, is that you want to extend the forgiveness you have experienced to other people. True Christ followers are forgiving people … increasingly so as the love of Christ penetrates our heart more and more deeply and more and more genuinely.

Keeping it real,

I am very pleased to list this post in the following blog carnivals …

• GratiTuesday @ Heavenly Home Maker
• Thankful Thursday @ Grace Alone (guest hosted this week by Lori’s Reflections)
  
• What Are You Learning? @ Chats With And Old Lady

For more encouragement, visit some of the other blogs in these carnivals and maybe even participate by writing a post about something for which YOU are thankful.

I received a comment on one of my posts last week, from a blogging friend who had recently lost a loved one, and she expressed her concern about where her friend would spend eternity. She explained the situation and asked if I had a word of comfort for her. Her story beautifully pictured the heart of one who earnestly believes the truth of Scripture and knows that God is not only a God of love, but also a God of righteousness and justice. My heart was tender toward her, and I wanted so much to answer her with something that would give her hope, yet stay true to God’s Word. I was at a loss for what to say, so I did the only thing I knew to do … I approached the throne and asked for wisdom. God’s answer blessed me tremendously, because it exposed His tenderhearted love toward us. I’m posting the conversation here, because another friend read it and suggested that others might be blessed by how God revealed Himself in response to Charlotte’s heart cry.

Oh, Tammie … a dear, dear family friend of mine died this week and we had talked about eternity, since she had cancer, and I so desperately wanted her to accept Christ, but to my horror she didn’t accept him with me, so i don’t know what her final thoughts were. She died from something other than that dreaded disease………but not knowing where she is now is troubling me. God knew her heart, and I pray that it was a repentant one and that I can let it go and let God … if you have any comforting words on that I would certainly love to hear them!

Charlotte, I totally understand your concern. It is a hard truth to live with when someone we love passes away without leaving us any indication that they have made things right with the Lord. Especially knowing what we know … that they will stand before the judgment of a Holy God with their sins exposed and without the covering of Jesus’ sacrifice. It breaks my heart to think of it. So I’ve been praying about how to speak peace into your troubled heart, and this is what the Lord showed me …

In Mark 5:22-42, we are given the account of Jairus (father of a very sick young girl) coming to Jesus and begging for His healing touch. Jesus agreed to go with him, but before they reached the girl, messengers intercepted them and told the father that his daughter was dead. To the messengers, it seemed that the father’s efforts were in vain … just as it seems that your efforts on behalf of your dear friend were in vain, Charlotte. But just as Jairus was faithful to bring the healing power of Jesus to his daughter, you were faithful to bring the healing power of Jesus to your friend. And I think that the same comforting words Jesus spoke to Jairus in his moment of sorrow can offer you comfort today … He said, “Don’t be afraid, just have faith.” Why do I say this to you, Charlotte? Because look what happened next … Jesus visited the girl, personally, He touched her, and He brought her back from the dead … THEN she rose to walk with her hand in His!

Jesus is a ‘personal’ Savior, and He knows the heart of all men. He knew and understood the heart of your dear friend even better than she understood herself. Scripture tells us that He is longsuffering toward us, and that He does not want any of us to die without repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Wouldn’t it be just like Him to come to her personally and give her yet another opportunity before she passed from this life to the next? Perhaps this time, in the quietness of her heart, she allowed Him to heal her … and she rose to walk with her hand in His!

I’m also using this for my GratiTuesday post this week (even though I’m a bit early), because I am SO grateful that God is longsuffering and merciful toward us and our loved ones … always looking for a repentant heart … not wanting ANY of us to suffer the torments of Hell.

Want to know why others are thankful? Head over to Heavenly Homemakers and visit other GratiTuesday participants.

Keeping it real,

1. I’m her Mom and I deserve respect. Even if she doesn’t agree with me, she can be respectful in the way she speaks to me. I’m much more open to her opinion when she respectfully disagrees. We are usually able to create a compromise which makes us both happy when we talk things over in this manner.
2. We will perform what we practice. A young, but wise, choir director once chastised us for glossing over a particularly difficult portion of our Christmas cantata when we practiced. He said, “If we do it that way during the practice, we’ll do it that way during the performance.” The same principle applies to respectful communication. We’re not always going to agree with other people, but if we practice respectful communication at home, we’ll be more successful communicators outside the home. This will translate to some pretty awesome business and ministry skills later in life.

My daughter’s personality is the mirror’s reflection of my own actions and attitudes. That reflection is sometimes painful, as I see my faults and weaknesses mimicked in her. We all have areas that take a little extra effort to get right. I know I do, and sometimes God has to say to me, “Try that again.” That’s when I have an opportunity to practice what I preach. It’s also an opportunity to better myself as I strive to become the person He desires me to be.

Keeping it real,