Just had to share…

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Jes

Things I love about my sister…

I don’t have to explain to you where I’ve been and what I’ve been through.

The way we get the exact same red spots on our noses when we cry.

The way you love your children.

The way you get mad when I have suffered an injustice.

When you laugh at my goofy antics.

Your heart.

Your creativeness.

The way you open your home to me.

Your thoughtfulness.

The way you include me so much in my nephews lives… referring to me as “Aunt Donna”.

Your ability to cheer me up.

The secrets that only we know.

The times you have taken care of me when I physically couldn’t.

 Childhood memories that only we remember.

 

Truth be told.

So….it has come to my attention that I am not the best “blogger”.  There.  I said it.  It’s true.  I know it.  You know it.  Now let’s move on…

Everything RED…

So I haven’t posted anything in a really long time.  I have had stuff that I wanted to blog about, but have been so busy that I kept putting it off.  Until today…

Today I was too moved to not start somewhere.  And my blog seemed a good place to at least get my thoughts out and at least let the people who check my blog know whats on my mind:

The fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa and around the world.

I have heard people talking about this subject a lot more in the last few months: friends, pastors, and my church.  But I never let it really sink in, I chose to not let it sink in completely.  As hard as that is to admit, I didn’t really want to hear it.  But for some reason or another today I sat down and watched an interview with Bono.  And I am sitting here watching and listening to facts about this epidemic and video of women and children in Africa, and I am weeping.  Not just because its sad, but because I am ashamed I did not until this point, let this information affect me in any sort of way.  Its kinda like when you see a problem, but you just say to yourself, “Someone else will come along and fix it” or “What can I really do?”.

And then I think this is what Jesus is all about!  Diving in and helping others!  And Jesus teaches me I can make a difference!  Everyone can!  There are a million ways to help here.  One thing is as simple as praying!  

Another really easy thing to do is shop here.  This campaign, RED.  Tons of businesses are joining up with this project,  Gap, Motorola, American Express, Apple, and Converse.  And lots more are jumping in.  And when you buy products from this company that have the RED logo, (product)red, a portion of the proceeds go to help fight HIV/AIDS.  For example, money towards the medicines to help treat those with the disease.  

Another way to help out is find out if your church is getting involved with this cause.  If so, ask where you can be of service.  If not, suggest it to your church.  

Here is my prayer,

Heavenly Father, Lord thank you for all the blessings you continually give. Thank you for your love and grace.  Thank you for your son, Jesus.  Thank you for forgiveness.  Thank you for the word, for it never changes.  It is faithful, just like you.  Thank you for helping me to let the truth about the fight against HIV/AIDs really hit me today.  Lord, I pray that everyday I take the steps to get more knowledgeable about this fight, and about exactly what you would have me do.  And Father I pray that for all the ones reading this, that you would touch there heart as well and help them to see where they can be used.  Lord I pray that we would not let this be something we just leave for the next person to “deal” with.  I pray that you would give us strength and hope and the will to help out.   And I pray for all those who are directly affected by HIV/AIDs.  Father, please fill them with your love.  Lord, please touch there hearts, minds, and bodies with your healing.  And please fill them with hope, the kind of hope that only you bring.  All these things I pray in Jesus name, Amen.

 

Thanks…

In the spirit of the holidays upon us, I would like to share just a glimpse of some of the things I am thankful for:

My family and friends…My church, pastors, the diversity of people with so much love at my church, and all the people who have divine appointments with our church in the future…Rainy Sundays…Laughter…My Wednesday night family{you know who you are}, thank you for being you and allowing me to share in your lives…Trials and hardships…Honesty…my old church, where God called me into light…Forgiveness…Sunny spring days…Love…My health…My freedom in Christ…Words of kindness…Music…Prayer…Smiles…The Bible…Grace…Salvation

These are just a few things in my life that I can be thankful for and appreciate.

Thank you my Lord and Savior Jesus, for allowing and showing me the beauty in everyone and everything you have created.

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever. ~Psalm 30:11-12

Suicide of the Heart

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless–it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.” ~C.S. Lewis

 

This quote was shared by my pastor at church tonight…Wow, it made me shiver. Who among us has not had their heart broken or bruised. Not only in romantic relationships, but in friendships, family relationships, and any other kind of relationships we may have in our lives. And afterwards, in the heat of the emotions vowed never to let it happen again. Or allowed our minds to believe it would be easier to keep our hearts and feelings locked away from others. That’s dangerous territory, right?

I think C.S. Lewis is dead on the money with this quote. Think about it… yeah, when you care about others and put yourself out there, chances are you are gonna get hurt every now and then. But thankfully we have this amazing Father there waiting to heal our hearts and love us. On the other hand, if we keep our hearts from others and let our emotions grow cold, our hearts become callous. Our hearts become callous not only to others, but to God.

And I believe that is important to go through the times of hurt and sorrow. I think sometimes God uses these times to show us things we may not have seen otherwise. 2 Corinthians 7:10 “For God can use sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek salvation. We will never regret that kind of sorrow.”

However, God never lets us go through hardships alone. He never leaves us, He is faithful. And when we hurt, He hurts with us. John 11:33-36 “When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, he was moved with indignation and was deeply troubled. ‘Where have you put him?’ he asked them. They told him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, ‘See how much he loved him.’”

Our greatest commandment is to love God and to love others… it would be very hard to do with your heart in a “coffin”.

 

 

The Refreshing Rain

So, let me explain a little bit behind what my blog name means to me, Its Raining Grace.

When I think of grace, I think of raindrops falling. All around, and down upon me. It’s not the kind of rain shower that you rush to get out of. It’s the kind of rain that you linger in, letting each drop hit you. And as each raindrop touches you, you are awakened and refreshed. Grace, for me, is that awakening and refreshing rain-shower in my soul.

Grace is one of most precious and undeserved gifts I have ever received. It is not a tangible object, but I can definitely feel it. Without it, I am lost.

“God saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”
Titus 3:5-7

Thanks for the rain.

Amazing Grace
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The world shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun refuse to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Shall be forever mine.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.

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