Inspiration – Page 2 – A Grateful Grace-full Life

God is Moving

I was a preteen when I learned about Holy Spirit through “The Jesus People” movement in California. Knowing Jesus and His precious Holy Spirit forever changed my life, and I am so grateful.

This week, I read a GiveHim15 post by Dutch Sheets and watched this Video. Seeing so many young people worshipping Him, brought it back in a fresh way, and I was drawn to pray with and for them. I encourage you to watch it all the way to the end, it is precious and powerful.

I am reminded of the goodness of God in reaching me and so many other youth back then, and I rejoice at seeing Him do it again in this season. I believe their lives are being changed forever too. That prodigals are coming home and back to the Lord. And that what these young people experienced will spread far and wide.

Believe, pray, live in expectation and abide in Him. Ask Him to reveal himself to you and your loved ones, and to people everywhere who need to know Him.

Know that He hears your prayers, that He loves them, and He loves us. He wants us to know Him more, and knowing Him will change our world.

“I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love [continue in His love with Me].”
‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭9 AMPC

“And now, little children, abide (live, remain permanently) in Him, so that when He is made visible, we may have and enjoy perfect confidence (boldness, assurance) and not be ashamed and shrink from Him at His coming.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭28‬ ‭AMPC‬‬

Hineni – part 1

I haven’t written in a while, but writing has been on my mind as I have recovered from a total knee replacement surgery. It’s been a journey of healing and during this time I have quite often thought about the word, Hineni.

Hineni (הִנֵּנִי) is a Hebrew word that most simply means: Here I am, Here am I, or Behold, I.

Biblically it is significant, so there’s a lot we can learn. To start things off, I will share this song that inspires me.

Hineni (Here Am I) by Marty Goetz

I look forward to studying and sharing more thoughts about Hineni with you soon.

Think about this: not only is Hineni spoken by a person to God, God has spoken it to people as well.

Oh how He loves you and me!

Heaven Came Down

I woke up earlier this week with this lovely hymn on my mind. I haven’t sung it for years and years, and yet I remember the words so well. That’s true of many of the precious hymns I sang as a child.

I felt compelled to hear it and learn about its history, and while searching I found this wonderful blog by a fellow believer. I haven’t been able to contact him, but I am sure he won’t mind me sharing this link to Barry’s Hymns, which he has been writing for many years. There are so many, and he shares his thoughts and the stories of each one. Here is what I found:

Heaven Came Down. These are words to the song:

(1) O what a wonderful, wonderful day-Day I will never forget; After I’d wandered in darkness away, Jesus my Savior I met. O what a tender, compassionate friend-He met the need of my heart; shadows dispelling, With joy I am telling, He made all the darkness depart!

Heaven came down and glory filled my soul, When at the cross the Savior made me whole; My sins were washed away, And my night was turned to day-Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!

(2) Born of the Spirit with life from above into God’s family divine, Justified fully through Calvary’s love, O what a standing is mine! And the transaction so quickly was made When as a sinner I came, Took of the offer Of grace He did proffer-He saved me, O praise His dear name!

Heaven came down and glory filled my soul, When at the cross the Savior made me whole; My sins were washed away And my night was turned to day-Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!

(3) Now I’ve a hope that will surely endure after the passing of time; I have a future in heaven for sure.There in those mansions sublime. And it’s because of that wonderful day When at the cross I believed; Riches eternal And blessings supernal From His precious hand I received.

Heaven came down and glory filled my soul, When at the cross the Savior made me whole; My sins were washed away And my night was turned to day-Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!

You can listen to it here.

This song also reminds me of the angel’s declaration, when He and Heaven came down:

“Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared in radiant splendor before them, lighting up the field with the blazing glory of God, and the shepherds were terrified! But the angel reassured them, saying, “Don’t be afraid, for I have come to bring you good news, the most joyous news the world has ever heard! And it is for everyone everywhere! For today in Bethlehem a rescuer was born for you. He is the Lord Yahweh, the Messiah. You will recognize him by this miraculous sign: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in the feeding trough!” Then all at once in the night sky, a vast number of glorious angels appeared, the very armies of heaven! And they all praised God, singing: “Glory to God in the highest realms of heaven! For there is peace and a good hope given to the sons of men.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬-‭14‬ ‭TPT‬‬

As I reflect on celebrating the birth of Jesus next week, I am keenly aware of His great love for all of us. My prayer for all of us is that He will reveal more of who He is and how very much each one of us are deeply loved by Him. That in knowing His love, it will be revealed through us and our world will be impacted.

A Little Brown Dog’s 1st Hunting Season

The weather is still unseasonably warm here in West Michigan, but that doesn’t impact the dates for waterfowl season. Over the last few weeks Jackson began hunting with Jon for Canada Geese and Teal.

Last Friday Jon, Jackson and my brother-in-law Jim left for 9 days of hunting in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

A view from the dog door in the blind – 1st early morning.

So far it looks like they are having a good trip. Although, I guess Jackson was pretty tired from Friday and Saturday, and wasn’t too thrilled with the early morning wake up call. I understand they might do some grouse and woodcock hunting too.

Jackson is still young at 14 months, and he’s not perfect, but both his early days of training and training/experience with Jon’s are working.

At home it seems very quiet with just Oliver (the labrahound), myself and my husband. But I think it’s good for us too, to have a change of routine.

We celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary this weekend with a nice dinner. I took some time too, to look through old photos and to reflect on wonderful memories made over the years. I have much to be grateful for, and I am thankful for the goodness, kindness, and faithfulness of God that we have experienced.

Every Day I Will…

I WILL extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever [with grateful, affectionate praise]. Every day [with its new reasons] will I bless You [affectionately and gratefully praise You]; yes, I will praise Your name forever and ever.

Psalm 145:1-2 AMPC

It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not.
The Lord is my portion or share, says my living being (my inner self); therefore will I hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him.

Lamentations 3:22, 24 AMPC

Let these scriptures permeate your soul today, and give Him praise. HE IS LOVE, and oh how He loves YOU and me!

Faith’s Gift

I am sure you’ll be blessed by reading about Faith’s Gift. I am republishing it with permission of the author, who is a dear friend that I met while in Israel in 2019. Lori wrote a series of books that get right to the heart, I’m sure you’ll enjoy those, too. You can find them through https://wor dscroll.org/ or https://nationofwomenpublishing.com/.

Faith’s Gift

https://wordscroll.org/

The Holy Spirit, He Will

What should we expect as believers in Jesus Christ? Here is part of what He said. Set your faith, your expectation to believe what Jesus said the Holy Spirit will do. Take hold, and receive it! It’s for you, He is for you.

But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. [14] He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you. [15] Everything that the Father has is Mine. That is what I meant when I said that He [the Spirit] will take the things that are Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.

John 16:13-15 AMPC

Immersed in the Word, Worshipping Jesus, Reconnecting with Precious Friends

I am spending this week at Southwest Believer’s Convention. If you want to be encouraged, build your faith, and more, I invite you to join me either in person or online. It’s free and a great way to refresh your faith.

You can learn more at https://swbc.kcm.org/

God loves you, I love you, and Jesus is Lord!

UPDATE: A Little Brown Dog at 10 Months

Typical Boykin look, beautiful eyes so focused, and pink tongue poking out.

Happy to share that Jackson earned his Started Hunting Retriever title in May, at just under 10 months. The trainers from Southern Oak Kennel – Great Lakes brought him down to the Kankakee River HRC, and with some great handling by my son Jon, Jackson earned his pass for started. The weekend before that, we had Jackson home for the weekend, and he earned passes and ribbons 2 & 3 at the Great Lakes HRC event in Fenwick, Michigan. I’m so proud of how my “boys” did.

Jackson has been back at Southern Oak for the month of June — he did so well in the 1st 3 months that the trainer recommended 1 more month.

Jon will continue Jackson’s training the rest of the summer, preparing him for the fall bird/duck season. We may try some upland hunting too…. I purchased a 28 guage compact shotgun, and Jon is teaching me to shoot trap at the South Kent Gun Club.

During his time at SOK, Jackson has both grown and become a very curly boy – so cute! 🙂 I am looking forward to having him home in a couple of weeks and restarting our walks.

Today I am grateful for… good trainers for Jackson, for my son Jon who is so willing to teach me and do things with me, for a husband who has always encouraged me to do whatever is in my heart, for summer Friday’s off, and for a God who loves me completely and unconditionally.

What are you grateful for?

Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all. – William Faulkner

Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude.

Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ.
‭Philippians 4:6-7 TPT‬

Jerusalem Day Memories

I enjoyed watching the dancing and singing taking place today in Israel (on Facebook) in celebration of Yom Yerushalayim – Jersulsalem Day. I was reminded of my trip there 5 years ago. I was blessed to be in the old city on Jerusalem Day then, and I took this short video of some young men in their way to Ha Kotel – better known to us,as The Wailing Wall.

As I reflect on this tonight, my prayers as always with and for God’s people and His land. And I am grateful fhat:

‭Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.
Psalm 121:4 NLT

I am learning some Hebrew through a free class on Facebook, so let me practice a bit on you.

Yom Yerushalayim Sameach, which means Happy Jerusalem Day. And laila tov, which means good night.

I pray you will receive and take hold of these words from Psalm 3:

[But in the depths of my heart, I truly know that you, Yahweh, have become my Shield; You take me and surround me with yourself. Your glory covers me continually. You lift high my head. [4] I have cried out to you, Yahweh, from your holy presence. You send me a Father’s help. Pause in his presence [5] So now I’ll lie down and sleep like a baby— then I’ll awake in safety, for you surround me with your glory.

Update from the Little Brown Dog – Jackson’s 1st Ribbon.

At 9 1/2 months Jackson completed day 1 of the HRC (Hunting Retrievers Club) Started Hunt Test on May 11. Day 2 didn’t go as well when he couldn’t locate duck #2, No worries though, he will be in his next event this weekend, after another week of training. He is a happy pup who enjoys swimming and has a drive to hunt.

I am looking forward to the event, and to having him home in a few weeks. However, I am grateful for the training he has received. It has given him a good foundation and will help him be more obedient and in tune with the desires of his master.

Good training, it certainly applies to me/us too. I am so grateful for the training of the written Word of God and the teachers God has brought into my life. I need to reinforce it and keep learning every day.

‭2 Timothy 3 14-17 AMPC‬
But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers—why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother’s milk! There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word, we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

The Little Brown Dog at 6 Months

Jackson reached 6 months old on January 28, and wow, has he grown! He is long and sturdy, and at a bit over 30 lbs is getting to be quite a lap full! His fur has gone from wavy to downright curly, and his adult teeth have grown in.

Play is still a big part of his day, catching balls and playing with Oliver. But there is also more time spent now just hanging out and chewing on antlers.

He hasn’t attempted the basement steps yet — which is more than OK with me, but he is well able to jump up on furniture. As you can imagine, this is an opportunity for learning and discipline.

Jackson’s adult teeth have had a big impact on his toy selection. About a dozen toys that made it through Oliver have been thrown out, and even “extreme chewer” toys are no match for those teeth.

Jackson is soft-hearted and wants to please, but also a bit willful and stubborn. Next month, he will go to a trainer for obedience and bird hunting training. I feel a bit like I am sending him to military school, but I know it is for his good. An undisciplined dog can be a danger to itself and others. An obedient dog trusts his master, responds to his commands, is safer, and has a more enjoyable life.

This made me think of Hebrews 12. It says that God’s discipline isn’t always enjoyable, but it is evidence of His faithful love.

‭‭Hebrews 12:6-7 TPT‬‬
For the Lord’s training of your life is the evidence of his faithful love. And when he draws you to himself, it proves you are his delightful child.” Fully embrace God’s correction as part of your training, for he is doing what any loving father does for his children. For who has ever heard of a child who never had to be corrected?

Update from a Little Brown Dog – 12.10.2023

An update from Jackson.

My name is Brambleberry’s Andrew Jackson, but I go by Jackson, and by Jackie or Jack when my person Jon is training me.

I was born on July 28 and will be 5 months old at the end of this month. I came to live with my family on October 18. I am growing fast, at 20 lbs now.

Favorite person: I am loyal to all 3 of my people for different reasons.

Favorite place: any room in the house with my people in it. If Cindy and Jon or gone, I like to lay on the rug by the back slider, ready to greet them when they come back.

Favorite toy: anything I can chew on or chase, but particularly deer antlers, they are the BEST!

Favorite activites: playing with or laying by my big (130 lb Labrahound) brother Oliver, training with Jon and taking walks.

So far I have learned to respond to sit, shake, to wait by my food until they either say or motion to go ahead, and that potty is always outside.

I am working to learn bird hunting commands, like hold, hunt ’em up and bring it. I hear them say I am a bit stubborn, so they are teaching me to come when I am called.

It seems like something special must be happening soon. Yesterday, Cindy spent hours baking cookies and listening to music, I could tell one was her favorite because she was singing along. I wonder what’s next!

From Cindy: This is such a special time of year, when we take the time to celebrate the birth of our Savior. My favorite song is Oh Holy Night. It reminds me that it’s when everything changed, it’s when…

God (who is love) so loved the world (every person) that He gave His only (dearly loved son) so that we might be saved. Through accepting Jesus, we are redeemed and reconciled to God, adopted into His family as His dearly loved children. Joy to the world, indeed!

Oh how He loves you and me!

Raising a Little Brown Dog (LBD)

You may wonder where I’ve been lately, why I haven’t been writing… It’s because of a certain Boykin Spaniel who has been taking up a lot of my free time.

His official name is Brambleberry’s Andrew Jackson, but we call him Jackson. He was born on July 28 and joined our family in early October, just 2 days after we met and were approved by his breeder. He has a dark brown soft and wavy coat and beautiful eyes. He will be trained as a bird dog as well as being our family dog.

We have enjoyed Jackson’s sweet and saucy personality from the start. He’s smart and a tad stubborn, but also wants to please, and is very food driven.

However the realities of his needs sure have changed our every day life! It’s like having a toddler in the house! Potty training, regular exercise, keeping him interested in toys and play — and out of trouble. If not sleeping or in his kennel, someone must always have eyes on Jackson. For example, one time he got the TV remote and almost ordered a new channel!

I was grateful when he started being able to make it through the night. Those 3 am potty breaks were no fun.

He is growing fast and already learning basic commands. As of Tuesday, he will be 4 months old and is 19 pounds, about 1/2 way to his adult weight. That’s all I have time for now, but I will share more of our LBD adventures again soon.

If you can’t get the toy out of the Bo’s, get in with it.

Early morning, “big dog” is sleeping, but I must play!

Of course, I can’t close without reminding you of the Father and His love. He sees you and cares for you, oh so very much. Read the book of John. Oh, how He loves you and me!

Choosing Peace

Sharing some thoughts about His peace with you has been on my heart for a few weeks, particularly with all that’s going on in the world thesse days.

If you are feeling anxious, fearful or stressed, I hope you will be encouraged by this good, good news!

You get to choose: No Jesus — No peace, OR, Know Jesus, Know Peace!

How do I/we choose peace?

The 1st step is to ask Jesus to come into your heart, to be your savior and Lord.

The next step is to get to know Him through His Word — and to choose to trust and believe that He is who He says He is, and that His Word is truth.

Then when a fearful or anxious thought comes, you fight that thought with truth the truth. You remind yourself of who He is and that you are His.

Next, read and personalize scriptures, speaking and applying them to yourself. Here are some examples:

Isaiah 9:6, says that Jesus is The Prince of Peace.

John 14:27 TPT says, I leave the gift of peace with you—my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts—instead, be courageous!

Philippians 4:6 TPT says, Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life,

1 Peter 5:7 TPT says, Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you.

One of my favorite scriptures is found in Isaiah 48. It reminds me of who He is, and that is teaching me and leading me.

This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow.
Isaiah 48:17 NLT

My prayer for you is found in Romans 15:13 TPT, It says, Now may God, the fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope!

Be encouraged dear one. Oh how He loves you and me!