Grace and Reflections for a Women's Heart # 6

~ A Look Into Proverbs ~

" For the Lord giveth wisdom:
out of his mouth cometh
knowledge and understanding."
(Proverbs 2:6)

~~~***~~~

Proverbs contains the very wisdom of God
given to show us the value
of living prudently ~ or to be cautious

" As the refining pot for silver,
and the furnace for gold,

so is a man to his praise."
(Proverbs 27:21)

~~~***~~~

Being on the "top" many times brings with it praise.
It's easy to look for a pat on the back
in our accomplishments,
or a good word to our account.
BUT
Is praise easy to handle?
Do we find ourselves liking that attention
and forgetting Who the glory belongs to?

~~~***~~~

Praise can bring with it some unseen dangers:
*It may cause us to believe
we are better than we really are
Jeremiah 17:9&10 tells us that
"The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately wicked:
who can know it.
I the Lord search the heart,
I try the reins, even to give every man according to 
the fruit of his doings."
~
When we are in the flesh we cannot please God,
He knows our hearts.
"Our righteous God will try our hearts and reins."
(Psalm 7:9)

~~~***~~~

* It may lead us to think we deserve what we have  
We have nothing and can do nothing with out Christ.
John 15:4&5 tells us we are to
"Abide in me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
except it abide in the vine;
no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches;
he that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit,
for without me ye can do nothing."
~
For a believer, Christ alone  can provide the grace
and provision of our needs in life ~ thus ~
we are to remain faithful in our service
for the Lord, and to the study of the scriptures
in order to bear fruit..

* It may blind us to our own weaknesses
" Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth
take heed lest he fall."
(   Corinthians 10:12)
~
It is easy to become over confident and complacent,
which can bring us to a place of falling.
We may become confident in ourselves, 
or even complacent believing all is well ~ pride ~
and the pride of our heart can deceive us.
Therefore ~

~~~***~~~

* It may lead us to a place where we no longer
think we need the Lord
How easy it is to become so dependent on ourselves
and our own works that we forget
or even push God aside,
maybe even forgetting Him all together.
Satan would love for us to go through our days
forgetting to walk ever so close to our Saviors side,
whereby giving him a foot hold to devour us.
~
1 Peter tells us to
" Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary
the devil as a roaring lion,
walketh about seeking whom he may devour."

The spiritual truth behind Proverbs 27:21 
is not hard to spot.
Satan often attacks us at the point of our strength,
not always at the point of our weakness.
Should that surprise us?
After all, why should Satan attack only in the
point of our self-perceived weakness?
If you or I know we have a weakness,
that's the very area we will guard most carefully.
Such as ~ problems with anger ~ laziness ~
lust ~ gluttony ~ gossip ~

~~~***~~~ 

But it is not so with our strengths,
we tend to take them for granted.
After all ~ we think our strengths are not a problem for us ~
we think they are not temptations.
Watch Out!
There is danger ahead, should we take that area
of our life for granted, because that will be the one area
Satan is most likely to attack.
Why? Because that's the one area where we
are not watching for his attack!

~~~***~~~ 

Should someone compliment us ~ 
pat us on the back ~
praise our works saying well done ~
smile, say thank you, and give the glory to God.
May we not let it go to our head.
~
All we are, all we do and will ever be
is because of Christ.
We were created for Him, by Him and for His glory alone. 

~~~***~~~

Precious Heavenly Father,
To You be all glory!
May we not become so proud in ourselves
that we neglect You
in every area of our lives.
Shine brightly within our hearts
that we may glorify You.
In Your Holy name we pray these things.
Amen

To God be the Glory!
~ Debbie ~ 



I'm joining the party at
Roses of  Inspiration
http://theenchantingrose.blogspot.com

Stephanie's Tea Cup & Mug Exchange

Please join me in a cup of tea

as I share with you the beautiful

treasures I received through 

Stephanie's tea-cup and mug exchange over at

 http://theenchantingrose.blogspot.com  

"I can just imagine myself
sitting down at the head of the table
and pouring out the tea"
said Anne, shutting her eyes ecstatically.
"And asking Diana if she takes sugar!
I know she doesn't but of course
I'll ask her just as if I didn't know."
~ Lucy Maud Montgomery,
Anne of Green Gable
~
 Linda over at

http://mysewwhatblog.blogspot.com
gifted me with quite a collection of teas
and I would love to share them with you.
Do you take sugar? One lump or two?

 When Linda's gift arrived I squealed
with delight in the Post Office!
You see ~ Linda gave the most beautiful
tea-cup to Stephanie some time ago
and I fell in love with it!
It is a tea-cup like I have never seen before,
elegant in it's beauty.
If you were to turn the cup up-side down
it would look like a gown to be worn in a ballroom
with pleats running through it, gorgeous.
I told my dear Stephanie,
 should it disappear from her home
 she wouldn't have to look far
as it could be found in my china cabinet.
I have been fearful of having "sticky fingers"
when I sip tea in that elegant tea-cup. :)

~~**~~

After reading Linda's name on the corner of the box
with delight ~
I made my way home quite anxious to open it,
 and trying very hard NOT to speed.

 Each gift was wrapped so beautifully
in brown tissue with paper lace ribbon.
Some of you may know
I like love lace!

~~**~~

                 Linda was just as gracious with her gift giving
in this tea-cup exchange as she was with Stephanie.
Isn't this a gorgeous tea cup! 
Look at that tiny rose colored flower ~
I just LOVE it! 

Linda seemed to know exactly
what my taste is in decorating ~ primitive.
Each one of the lovely items she graced me with
has found a special place in my country home
and I think of her every time I look upon them.
Linda is a beautiful lady whom I have been blessed
to come to know through our blogs.
Linda ~ Thank you for each gift that
you so graciously showered me with.
I was deeply touched and felt quite spoiled! 

~~**~~

   I had the privilege of sending a tea-cup
to Janet over at
http://rosemary-thyme.blogspot.com
She too is a lovely lady with 
the most beautiful blog.
Please stop in and visit these dear ladies.

~~**~~

Stephanie ~ What a sweet and tender heart you have!
Thank you for the beauty in your
tea-cup and mug exchanges.
As your mother, I know of the hard work
you put into making these exchanges beautiful and meaningful
for us ladies to enjoy.
The beauty of your heart radiates through out
this exchange, and many are richly blessed.
May the Lord bless you, as you have blessed others.
I love you!

 Joy to you!

~ Debbie ~ 

I am joining the link up party at

The Enchanting Rose

Please join us!

Grace and Reflections for a Women's Heart # 5

~ A Look Into Proverbs ~

"For the lord giveth wisdom:
out of his mouth cometh
 knowledge and understanding."
(Proverbs 2:6)

~~~***~~~

Proverbs contains the very wisdom of God
given to show us the value
of living prudently ~ or to be cautious.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart,
and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him,
and he shall direct thy paths."
(Proverbs 3:5-6)

~~~***~~~

These two verses are among the most
beloved in the Bible.
I know for myself these were verses I
memorized and hid in my heart
very early in my faith.
One of the first Bible verse magnets
I ever purchased said
"Trust in the Lord" 
I didn't know at the time, being a new believer and all,
that there was more to these two verses.
I soon learned the whole of those verses
and have cherished them for 32 years now
as a believer in Christ.

~~~***~~~

Shortly after I purchased and hung
that magnet on my fridge
the Lord used it in a mighty way.
My husband and I, with our two daughters
were in the process of moving to Canada,
and for me ~ that was huge!
Stephanie, our youngest was about two months old,
and Dawn our oldest was just finishing kindergarten.
My mother was beside herself
with us moving such a distance
and making it hard to see the children grow up.
As a NEW believer, I too had some concerns.
I trusted my husband with his leading,
yet ~ there were times I felt so uncertain.
My heart-strings were pulled in many directions.
But it was that simple magnet
that I looked at daily on the fridge
"Trust in the Lord"
that saw me through.

~~~***~~~

I can remember going into the kitchen
on numerous occasions
to read those comforting words
"Trust in the Lord"
just to get through those long dreary days
filled with many a tear I might add,
as I packed up our home
preparing for the move.

In order for God to direct one's path,
a person must be doing whatever
he or she already knows to be right.
I knew that I was to trust my husband
as the head of our home,
even though my heart longed to stay close to my family.
I needed to do right in order for God to direct.
~
Psalm 37: 5 is also a comforting verse.
"Commit thy way unto the Lord;
trust also in him,
and he shall bring it to pass."
~
Obedience activates God's promises.
To depend on our own understanding
of truth and life means to disregard God's will.
God's Word tells us to trust in the Lord,
to lay ourselves completely on Him
for full support. We are not to lean
for support on our own understanding.
In all our ways we are to know God intimately,
and He will take the path of our life.
~
As a new believer and making such
a drastic move in my life,
I was able to go down the path
where God was leading
claiming those four promising words,
Trust in the Lord.

~~~***~~~

 If we will know God in every area of our life,
He will take personal responsibility
to make our way smooth and straight.
The paths we are taking sometimes
seem so hard don't they?
The road is rough and bumpy, filled with potholes
and obstacles, sharp curves and sometimes
it would appear we have hit a dead end,
or maybe, a road block.
Lord teach us to trust You wholeheartedly
no matter what the path before us may look like.
~
May we as women, grace our lives
in the purity found in the Word of God.

~~~***~~~

Our Precious Heavenly Father.
What a comfort we have in the promises
found in Your word.
May we look to You for our guidance
and direction
trusting You to take the path of our life, and
leaning completely on Your understanding. 
To You be all glory!
Amen

Grace and Peace be yours
in Abundance!
~ Debbie ~

I'm joining the party at
~ Roses of Inspiration ~

Blessed Thankfulness

Something wonderful was taking place

while I was away caring

for my dear parents.

I received a gift of the most special

kind of love poured out through YOU, my dear friends!

That gift was the gift of sweet prayer

lifted up to God on behalf of

myself and my parents.

I felt God's hand in mine

as He reassured me that we were not alone,

that He never leaves us

and will be with us always.

I knew God's loving presence

was right there with us 

every moment of every day.

My heart is rich and full of gratitude

for so many things.

For Stephanie my wonderful daughter

who graciously stepped in for me as a guest 

while I was away from the computer.

She has such a willing heart

to be used of the Lord

here in our beautiful community of blogging.

She didn't know it at the time,

but her post was meant for ME.

God knew that I was in need of a reminder

to keep a song in my heart.

No matter what God dishes out onto our plates,

there will be joy found in our hearts

as we sing our way through.

Stephanie ~ thank you for having 

such a sweet and tender spirit.

I love you!

~~**~~

I cannot forget you, my dear and sweet friends!

Thank you for your prayers, love and concern.

Words are not enough to express how

my heart rejoices.

Through your relationship with God,

you have given of yourselves 

so that others would be blessed.

On behalf of my parents, thank you!

Through Stephanie and her guest post

I had some lovely new ladies visit

and even follow along.

I want to thank you and welcome you

to my little corner of the world.

{ I hope to visit you real soon}

It is my humble prayer that you ~ and all

who seek to have their hearts refreshed

through the Scriptures found here at ~

She Graces Her Home In God's Beauty

will find all that you may be seeking.

God speaks to our hearts individually

through His Word,

I am just His instrument desiring to be used

as He guides me along the path

He has set before me.

I look forward to walking God's path

with you, as you follow along.

~~**~~

May we rejoice in the goodness

of the greatest Gift ~ Giver of all

and in the gifts of friendship

we've been given.

" Every good and perfect gift is from above."

James 1:17

~~**~~

Our Precious Heavenly Father ~

You are so good to us!

Thank you for the love of friends

and for their care and concern

for what is happening in the lives of others.

May we always be mindful

of the needs around us,

and fall on our knees before Your throne of grace

giving praise and glory to You.

Amen

Joy to You!

~ Debbie ~ 

The Enchanting Rose - Guest Post

Hello, sweet readers of

She Graces Her Home In God's Beauty!

I am Stephanie and I blog over at

The Enchanting Rose.

I am quite honored to be a guest here at my mother's blog

and I feel very privileged to be with all of you today.

In case you did not realize it. . .Debbie is my mom
{for which I thank the Lord because she is the best}.

She is currently taking care of her parents and her days have been rather full

so she asked if I could fill in for her today - I hope you don't mind :)

As I thought about what I would share 

I kept thinking about how my mom speaks to the heart - she has such a gift for writing.

Well, I decided to follow in her beautiful footsteps and share my quiet time with you. 

I hope the words and photos refresh your soul and bless your heart.

I think we should start things off right by enjoying a hot beverage.

Please, let me pour you a cup of tea. . .

Would you like a delicate lemon bar to go along with your tea?

Now, simply relax, be still, and enjoy, my dear ladies. . .

In the midst of many duties and distractions 

it is rather difficult to find quiet time and rest,

but we must let the peace of God rule in our hearts.

Slow me down, Lord!

Ease the pounding in my heart by the quieting of my mind!

Steady my hurried pace with a vision of the eternal reach of time!

Give me, amidst the confusion of my day,

the calmness of the everlasting hills.

Break the tension of my nerves and muscles

with the soothing music of the singing streams.

Help me know the magical, restorative power of Thy touch.

Teach me the art of taking minute vacations,

slowing down to look at a flower, to chat with a friend, to pat a dog.

Remind me each day of the hare and the tortoise,

so that I may know that the race is not always to the swift,

there is more in life than increasing speed.

Let me look upward into the branches of the towering oak,

And know that it grew great because it grew slowly and well.

Slow me down, Lord! 

Inspire me to send my roots deep into the soil of life's enduring values.

Amen.

- Author Unknown -

My precious mom loves to sing.

Ever since I was a young girl my mom would sing
when she was working in the home, driving in the car, walking down the sidewalk.

She often woke me up in the mornings with a new song and

she has always had a habit of creating her own songs. . .

some good and some. . .well, you get the idea :)

{You know I love you, mom}

To me, singing praises unto the Lord is quite beautiful and honoring.

It's also a perfect thing to do while enjoying a quiet and relaxing moment in the day.

We don't have to verbally sing, but our hearts can sing and praise our Heavenly Father.

A song can put a smile upon our faces, a skip in our step,

and bring joy to our weary souls.

. . . Sing A Song . . .

When you are tired and weary,

With the daily cares of life,

And you feel need of something

To help you win the strife.

Just sing a song!

When loved ones have left you - lonely

You wander, sad and distressed,

When heaven to you seems distant,

Don't feel, my Friend, depressed,

But sing a song!

When the peace of God is upon you,

The joy of salvation is real;

Let the world know of your blessings,

Their thrill be glad to reveal.

O sing a song!

Perchance, when you meet someone,

Someone in need of God's love,

Point him to Jesus, the Saviour,

Point him to heaven above.

And sing a song!

When you behold God's creation

And you feel to adore the Most High,

O praise Him in exaltation,

Our Maker who lives in the sky.

Praise Him in song!

Then when at last we will meet Him,

When the Lord shall gather His own,

We will sing in sweet adoration

With million's around the great throne.

Heaven's sweet song!

- Ethel Davis -

My dear friends, may we sing while we work and while we rest,

when we are happy and when we are sad,

let us sing in the morning and at night.

Take a few moments out of your day 

and be still, be quiet, be at peace. . .

and sing a sweet song.

I want to thank my mom for allowing me to share a post on her lovely blog.

I also want to thank each one of you for joining me today.

I hope you were richly blessed and encouraged.

Stephanie - The Enchanting Rose

Love and hugs to you!

* * * * * * * * * *

I appreciate my daughter and her willingness to fill in for me
while I am away caring for me parents.
My dear Stephanie. . .I don't know what I would do without her.
Joy to you, my friends!

My All - Sufficient Shepherd

Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I do not lack anything.

He satisfies my needs. That is the place to which God wants to bring us.

He wants us to be independently dependent upon Him,

to need Him alone. There are really only two options in life.

If the Lord is my Shepherd, then I shall not want;

but if I am in want, then it is obvious that the Lord is not my Shepherd.

~ David H. Roper ~

(Psalm 23:1)

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want."

~ I have all that I need ~

~~~***~~~

I'm naturally an early riser

but there are times when the Lord awakens

me during the wee early hours of the morning.

How about you?

Does He wake you and then softly and gently

lead you to a quiet place so he can show you

great things that He has for you in the Scriptures?

Those times do not happen every day,

but when they happen I know it will be a special

time with my Lord.

It is as if He is verbally ~ in a gentle voice ~ saying to me,

come... I have something wonderful for you.

Without fail, He does.

I walk away from those times feeling as if I had been on holy ground.

~~~***~~~

I love my quiet time with the Lord in the mornings,

but these special times seem to happen

when there is something going on in my life

and God knows I need that little extra care and time with  Him.

What I would like to share with you is one of those times.

~

A few days after I returned home from my time away

my father was hospitalized with internal bleeding

and some heart issues.

Why couldn't this have happened when I was with them

just a few days earlier was my question to God?

Being a care-giver comes natural for me

and I longed to be with my parents.

Not that I could do anything, 

but my presence would be there with them.

 I struggled as to whether I should get right
back on a plane and go to them,

but God in His infinite wisdom and goodness

showed me through His Word that

 HE IS ALL-SUFFICIENT

 for every need in this situation.

The needs of my dad the needs of  my mother and my needs as well.

~~~***~~~

When the Lord is our Shepherd, 

He takes responsibility for our lives.

He becomes personally involved with His sheep,

and He cares and provides as needed

for each individually.

He is wholly committed to the welfare

of His flock and to meeting all their needs. 

This was what the Lord wanted me to see

through His Scriptures early that morning.

"Fret not thyself, Debbie, I'm in total control

of this whole situation"

were the tender words of my Shepherd.

I was concerned for my dad while he was in the hospital.

You see, my dad was struck with polio when he was 2 years old

and his one good hip doesn't do well on those hospital beds.

With his pacemaker and heart problems he does not take pain meds

therefore causing him great discomfort.

Two days had gone by and the Dr. still had not

done the test to see why he was bleeding.

Why, I questioned God?

According to my dad he hardly ever saw a nurse.

Why, was another question I asked?

By this time they had given my dad 4 units of blood

and still no answers.

Dad was weak tired and down in spirit.

 And then my mother ~ all alone.

For me to just hop on a plane and fly out

was not possible for a few days,

now my spirit was down.

~~~***~~~

 Can you see why my Shepherd woke me early?
I was in need of a quiet place
so I could be all alone with my Shepherd. 
He woke me at the right time
and drew me to Himself

so He could lift my spirit by showing Himself

to me through His Word
and drawing me ever so close to His side.

Psalm 23 brought comfort and peace to my heart.

It  assured me that my Shepherd will meet

my needs as well as my parents needs.

 He will cause us to lie down in green pastures.

There we will find complete peacefulness and rest.

He will lead us beside still waters.

A place of sustenance rest and refreshment.

He will restore our souls and lead us in the paths of righteousness.
God knows what He is doing with us.

His rod and staff will comfort us.
Your Spirit, O Christ, is my consolation.
He will prepare a table for us.
We can partake of the communion service
which is a feast of thanksgiving
for His love and care for us.

Goodness and mercy will follow us

all the days of our lives, and we will dwell

in the house of the Lord forever.
We live surrounded by God's presence
and He attends to us with care and concern
because we belong to Him.
We shall dwell in the presence (in the care of)
the Lord forever.
What an assurance!

~~~***~~~

I knew that the hand of God had gathered His lambs ~ my parents

and would carry them in His bosom. (Isaiah 40:11)

I didn't need to rush to the airport

for our Shepherd had everything under control.

~

Jesus our Good Shepherd sacrificed His life

for His sheep. His sacrificial death on the cross

is proof of  His love and commitment to us.

He sees and provides for our real needs

as only He can see them.

Our Precious Heavenly Father.
We love You ~ because You first loved us.

Draw us close to Thy side

causing us to depend upon You

for our every need.

May we not depend upon ourselves

but on You, and You alone.
In Christ's name
Amen.

God bless you

~ Debbie ~ 

As of today my dad is still in the hospital with issues that the doctors are looking
at very carefully. Until he is stabilized a couple of procedures will have to wait.
Many of you sweet and dear friends have gone before the Lord
in prayer for our family and I want to express
my heart felt gratitude.
Thank you!

Grace and Reflections for a Women's Heart #4

~ A Look into Proverbs ~

"For the Lord giveth wisdom:

out of his mouth cometh knowledge 

and understanding."

(Proverbs 2:6)

~~~***~~~

Proverbs contains the very wisdom of God,
given to show us the value
of living prudently ~ or to be cautious. 

 

"Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil;
but to the counselors of peace is joy."
(Proverbs 12:20)

~~~***~~~

Are you a peacemaker?
It is the mark of a child of God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers:
for they shall be called the children of God."
(Matthew 5:9)
Those who make peace show themselves
to be sons of God.
~
A peacemaker is someone who is actively
working to reconcile men to God
and to one another.
He (or she) is a "minister of reconciliation"
who has been given the "message of reconciliation."
(2 Corinthians 5:18-21)
 Since Jesus no longer walks this earth in the flesh,
His people are His ambassadors,
speaking and acting on His behalf for those
who do not know Him.
We as Believers are His head ~ the mind of Christ ~
His hands ~ the works of Christ ~
and the heart of Christ ~ the love of Christ ~
to those who need Him.
And our message is this:
be reconciled to God!

~~~***~~~ 

A "peacemaker" is not simply someone
who tries to stop the feuding between others,
but is a believer that has experienced
the peace of God, and who brings that peace to others.
Being a peacemaker should begin in our very own homes.
With our closest and most intimate relationships ~
our husbands ~ children ~ parents ~ grandparents ~
sisters ~ brothers ~ Aunts ~ Uncles ~
Then to our extended family ~ our close friends ~
church family ~ co-workers ~ class-mates ~ neighbors
And only then will peacemaking move out to more
remote relationships ~ in our own towns ~ Cities ~
State ~ Nation ~ and across the world.

 
But we all know that peacemaking is not easy,
in fact it can be difficult at times.
We may find it easier to just walk away
from a problem and not get involved at all.
Every tiny step we take in being a peacemaker
receives God's blessings.
~
Each of us can do something towards being that peacemaker,
here are just a few ideas.
~
Make a phone call
Write a letter or send a card
Make a meal or put a basket together
Meet a need with material blessings
Put your hands to work for others
Go and see a friend in pain
Listen to the cries to the wounded in heart
Lift your eyes up to see the world as God sees it
Preach the Gospel of peace
Pray one for another
~
How are you getting involved in the world?
Are you an ambassador for Christ?
Are you His instrument of peace 
so that others may see that you are a child of God? 


Grace & Peace be yours
in Abundance!
~ Debbie ~