Category: Insights

God’s Amazing Grace

I haven’t posted since October 3rd. A lot has been going on. On the following Monday, the water pump went out on my Toyota Solara. The good news is that I bought it new in 2006 and 120,000 miles later, this is the first time I have had any problem with my car. Fortunately, God has blessed my husband with the gift of repairing foreign cars. Due to a back injury, about 25 years ago, he had to quit his job as a mechanic. He continues to do maintenance and repair cars in the family, with the aid of a back brace.

Solaras come with a V6 or V4 engine. Mine is V6. With a bigger engine, there is less space to place things like water pumps. It took us four days to remove enough parts from the engine compartment to remove the timing belt and water pump. The thermostat was on the opposite side of the engine and more things had to be removed to get to it.

I quickly became the helper. After multiple trips back and forth to the basement, I quickly learned how to identify and find ratchets, wrenches, sockets, socket extensions, three different kinds of vice grips, screw drivers, a torque wrench, two types of magnets on sticks and a mirror on a stick, to name a few. Each day, I set up the air compressor, and learned about the different types of impact drills and ratchets.

Changing a water pump is like doing surgery. My husband would ask for different tools to do a specific job. I learned how to remove bolts and nuts in hard places that required an extension or a very small, ratchet that held in the palm of my hand to reach tight spaces. It took as long to replace the water pump and put all the parts back together again. Oh, and we had to remove the front right tire and place a jack and raise the car up high enough to wedge as steel beam underneath the car, since we obviously did not have a hydraulic jack to lift the car in the air.

Through a lot of prayer for God’s guidance for my husband repair the car without any injury, after eight days, the job was completed with only one minor skin abrasion on my husband’s arm.

On Oct 13th, we had a doctor’s appointment about an hour away from home. On the way back home, the right rear tire blew out. By God’s grace, we were able to turn around and drive a very short distance to our son’s home. Again, by God’s grace, our daughter-in-law was off work that day. They had the tools we needed to remove the tire from the car. Our son came home from work and assisted his dad in removing and putting on the spare tire. Again, by God’s grace, we called our local tire shop. They had the exact tires ( we need to replace both rear tires) we need in stock and told us if we came on over the could put the tires on immediately.

On the way home we stopped to get some lunch. This turned out be take out lunch because our car was leaking water with antifreeze in it, meaning something was wrong with either the water pump or thermostat. Again, by God’s grace, the man parked next to us, had a loose flannel shirt in his truck. He took off the hot radiator cap without any problem. The restaurant provide a gallon jug of water to fill the radiator. We were able to make it home.

We had lunch to allow the car to cool down. Again by God’s grace, my husband found the problem quickly. It was a rubber ring that had split in half, causing the leak from a pipe to the thermostat. Again, by God’s grace, a local auto store had the proper rubber ring. The next morning, he put on the rubber ring, added more water and antifreeze to the radiator and we went for a drive to check it out. Problem solved. No more problems.

The next day, we had to go to another doctor’s appointment about an hour away. Again no problems. God is good! Even though it took about 10 days for the car to be fully repaired, if we had taken it to a repair place for replacement of the water pump, timing belt and gaskets, it would have cost over $1000.00.

I will close with Ephesians 3:20-21 (NLT) “Now all glory to God, who is able, through His might power to work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”

Meditate on God’s Word, Scripture References

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Meditation on God’s Word is more just reading the Scriptures. The best definition that I found while searching the Internet came from Our Daily Bread Ministries – ” Biblical meditation is pondering the words of Scripture with a receptive heart, trusting the Holy Spirit to work in you through those words.“*
In their September devotion booklet for 9/29/20 “Eyes to See” goes on to say, “Christ’s parables work this way. Those who care enough to ponder them gain “eyes to see” their meaning…. and Paul told Timothy to “reflect” on his words so God would give him insight.” **

“”Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advise of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating it day and night.” (Psalm1:1-2, NLT)

“Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in Your instructions.” (Psalm 119:18, NLT)

“Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide. Yes, I have more insight than my teachers, for I am always thinking of Your laws.” (Psalm 119: 97-99 NLT)

“”His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people.”

He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets for the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to My teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables.

For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.

This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, “When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you’ll not comprehend, For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes- so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to Me and let me health them..

But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.””
(Matthew 13:10- 16)

“Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all of these things. “(2 Timothy 2:7)

*Used with permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries, from “What is Biblical Meditation?”, from their website (author unknown), ourdailybread.org

**Used with permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries, “Eyes to See”, written by Sheridan Voysey, September 2020, ourdailybread.org

How has God Blessed You?

What blessing has God bestowed upon you recently? I invite anyone to share your feedback comments. Below are some verses of encouragement for those faithful Christians who obey God’s commandments. How do we do that, by loving others, sharing our faith, and using our spiritual gifts as the Lord directs us.

“”Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the Word of God and put it to practice.”” Luke 11:28, NLT

“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all His commandments that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord, your God:
Your towns and your fields will be blessed.
Your children and your crops will be blessed.
The offspring of your hearts and flocks will be blessed.
Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be blessed.
Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed.” (Deuteronomy 28:1-6, NLT)

“”Bring all your tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord, “I will pour out a blessing so great you have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put Me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard then from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Then al nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”” (Malachi 4 10-12, NLT)

God’s Glory in Nature

In every season, God’s Glory is seen in nature. “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.”(Luke 12:27)

Whenever I walk my dogs in through the paths of our property, I usually have my phone in my back pocket. I never know when I might want to take picture of the scenery which may be a pictures of our creek that flows on one boundary, trees, or flowers. The flora changes with each season. Amazingly, the simple weeds, display some of the prettiest blooms. Below are some of the autumn blooms along my walking path (and some mushrooms, too).

A Chance of a Lifetime

While on my morning walk with my dogs recently, I noticed some caterpillars in a bush besides our creek. After several days, I realized they were eating the leaves on this bush. Several days later the caterpillars where gone. I saw several chyrsalises (cocoons). About ten days later, I experienced the chance of a lifetime. I witnessed a female tiger swallowtail butterfly that had only recently emerged from her chrysalis. Her wings were sill moist. She was trying to dry them, so she could make her first flight. These butterflies spend most of their lives as caterpillars and unfortunately only live one to two weeks as butterflies.

The transformation of this caterpillar into a butterfly reminded me of the Bible verse, Romans 12:2. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by a renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (NKJV). When I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, I was transformed with a new life.

caterpillars on the bush
The green chrysalis between the flower and the leaves
the butterfly after just emerging from the chrysalis

Mercy, Compassion, Grace, Humility, Justly

I have been a Sunday school teacher for elementary school-aged kids and in the past I taught many years for Girls in Action (GAs). One thing that I have learned is that you have to teach these kids on their own level.

Words such as mercy, compassion, grace, and humility are very common words in found in memory verses. When teaching the memory verse, I try to explain the definition of the words so the kids will understand what they are memorizing.

Mercy- compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.

Compassion – Sympathetic pity or concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others and shows kindness, caring, and willingness to help others.

Grace- A gift from God, given through Jesus Christ, enabling power and spiritual healing offered though mercy and the love of Jesus. It is a free gift. It can’t be earned.

God’s Mercy – God not punishing us as our sins deserve, deliverance from judgement.

God’s Grace – God’s blessing us despite the fact that we don’t deserve it. Extending kindness to the unworthy.

Humility – Modest, without and excess of pride. Appreciate others. If someone does something better than you do, compliment them for their work. Being humble is the opposite of pride.

Justly – Acting morally good.

God oppresses the proud, but shows favor with the humble..

Micah 6:8 says, “The Lord asks us to do three things, act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with the Lord.”

Psalm 36

Another Psalm from King David. His message is as pertinent today as it was in his lifetime.

“Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all. In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked that really are. Everything they say is crooked and deceitful. They refuse to act wisely or do good. They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots. Their actions are never good. They make no attempt to turn from evil.

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains; Your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.

You feed them from the abundance of Your own house; letting them drink from Your river of delights. For You are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.

Pour out Your unfailing love on those who love You; give justice to those with honest hearts. Don’t let the proud trample me or the wicked push me around. Look! Those who do evil have fallen! They are throw down, never to rise again.”

(Translation this chapter is from the New Living Translation)

Excerpts Psalm 34, Part I

The book of Psalms is full of inspiration. Many of these books were written by King David. Many of his psalms are pertinent to us today, especially in these times of uncertainty. There is so much in the news, and we don’t know what is true or untrue. But God is true. We don’t know the outcome, but God does and He is in control. I pray that the following Scripture will comfort you and give you peace.

King David writes in Psalm 34, “I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak His praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Com let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt His name together.

I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation, prayed and the Lord listened; He saved me from all my troubles. For the angel o the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear Him.

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!. Fear the Lord, you, His godly people, for those who fear Him will have all they need. Even the strong, young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.” (vv. 1-10) NLT

Christian Unity

Christian bothers and sisters, need to come together in unity, in the body of Christ. We are all in this together Christians and non-Christians. We need to be a positive witness to others. Currently in the state of the world, our words are speaking louder than our actions (rather than our actions speak louder than our words). James 1:22 – “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” NJKV. James 1:26 “If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.” (NLT)

If you are a Christian and are bashing others and instead of lifting them up, shame on you! We need to uplift others, not tear the down. We need to pray, pray hard for those who have lost love ones, those who are fighting for their lives, those who have lost their jobs, the medical personnel, our President and his staff, the list goes on an on.

Remember Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (ESV)

“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm agains all the strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but agains even rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against the mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places……Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be present in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Ephesians 6:10-12, 18 (NLT)

Safety Tips during Coronavirus Social Distancing

If you have to go somewhere for any reason, remember the coronavirus can live on hard surfaces for a week according to infectious disease physicians. 

Should you need to go to a restroom, use a tissue to turn the door knob. Use an elbow to cut on and off the light switch. Wash your hands at least 20 seconds. Use a tissue or paper towel to open the door to leave the restroom. For an extra measure after leaving the restroom, use hand sanitizer. 

If you are at a doctor’s office, bring your own pen to sign in (who knows how many people have touched that pen at the office!). Avoid touching the counters. at the appointment desk. In the waiting room, if possible sit away from other people. 

If you are in a restaurant, sanitize your hands after reading the menu (again, who knows how many people have held that menu). 

At the grocery store, use the wipes provide at many places to sanitize the buggy handle. I have started wearing gloves at the store, especially when selecting items and checking out. 

Think about your mail and packages. Who knows how many people handle these items. Wash your hands/sanitize after opening your mail, bringing in your groceries. 

When at the gas station, use a glove to handle the gas pumps and touch screens, and always sanitize after taking off your gloves.

This may sound a little paranoid, but I think these tips are small things we can to to be safer.

Psalms 56:3 “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.” NLT