One of *THOSE* bible verses

So I've discovered one of THOSE bible verses - the ones that make you go, 'Oh, so THAT'S what is has actually meant all this time!'

You might not agree with me. That's ok. Unless you're God, I don't care.

And I know that you're not God.

So I'm good.

Ok. The verse is one you probably know.

"For it is by Grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works so that no man can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Now, previously I thought that this verse was saying that we can't save ourselves, we are only saved by grace. Which, it is, but there's more. I had a good look at this a couple of weeks ago and noticed something - the punctuation.

Firstly, thats a good thing because it means that Uni has actually helped me in some way.
Secondly, see those hyphen's, or M-dashes? (Hehe, thats a technical term. :D)

Yeah, I see them Grace. Your point?

Well, whilst previously I'd thought that the saving part is not of ourselves (which its not btw's) now I see that its the faith part that is not of ourselves. See?

For it is by Grace you have been saved, through faith -  and this (faith) is not of yourselves, it is a gift of God - 

Faith is not our effort to really, truly, with all of our might believe - its a gift from God. When people says, 'have faith!' you already have it. When those bible verses say, 'Faith can move the mountains" - yeah, it can, but you only need the faith of a mustard seed and guess what? You've been given it.

Enough with the eyes-squeezing-shut-chanting-the-prayer thing. Faith is your gift, not your job.

How much more amazing is that verse now?

:)

Quick Quote

"Satan looks at our questions and says, 'Answer those with logic.' But God says, 'No, answer them with faith.'" 

Jenny B Jones, Save The Date 

(Great book btw.) 

I would like doors that just open, please.

Doors. They open and shut.
Sometimes I'd like one that just opens. 

I'm sure you know the feeling. You have this 'thing' that you really really want. Its not a bad thing - not even necessarily a material thing. But God keeps saying stuff like, "Wait," and, "I'll open the doors." 

Ever wonder why God can be so slow at opening those doors? Or why sometimes he seems to forget and walk straight past them? 

This is what I mean about a door that doesn't close. I would like that one that just stays open, 24/7, and will let me sail through and collect the prize at the other end. But doors don't work like that. Sometimes they close. Sometimes they slam in your face. Sometimes they don't even open and you end up walking into the hard, splintery wood. 

                                            (What an 'door' feels like when approaching.)

                (What can happen when you get within two meters of the handle. Um, thanks.)


So why God? Why not make life really simple and leave all the doors wide open? 

Well, its not because he hates a cross-breeze, or that pesky flies just bother him. Funnily enough, he has a reason. (When does he not, right?) 

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you - plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."  
Ephesians 3:20

"The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him" 
Lamentations 3:25

"Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long" 
Galatians 6:9

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:5,6

I could go on. And on. But are you seeing the pattern?

Trust. Wait. Have faith. God has this. 
Its hard. I should know! But really, he is in control. Its crazy to think, that him being all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all purposeful could actually handle our whirlwind lives...but I don't know. I think he might be able to handle it. ;)

Doors will shut. But its not because someone forgot to stick the door jam in and the wind blew it closed. God doesn't snap his fingers in frustration when things don't work out the way we planned and complain about having to start all over again. If a door shuts, guess who pushed it?

Yep. Need I mention names? 

He will open the doors that are meant to open. But, because he is a loving and caring father, he will shut the doors that could potentially harm us. 

So even when it seems to be taking ages, and it feels like maybe God's got a bit too much on his plate to be handling this one right, know that he loves his children, and he has a plan and a purpose for each of their lives. 

Trust me. In this life, you will come across plenty of open doors. Courtesy of our heavenly dad. 

Thanks God. 


Have a great week!

Love Gracie

My best friend is a painter.

Ok. So are the elephants at the zoo. Who cares?
Well, unlike most people who paint on paper, my best friend paints the sky. Like, not pictures of the sky. He actually paints the sky. Changes the sky's colour, makes the clouds fluffy, sometimes even has these awesome light illusions that look like they're spilling from somewhere in the heavens.
Those elephants? Yeah, they can't do that. Don't believe me? I have evidence!

Beautiful huh? You can't really see it in the picture, but the clouds were really really pink. Like God had been eating fairy floss and dropped some. :)

Is you're best friend a painter?

Sometimes I forget.

I had a bit of a humbling experience this morning.
I realised that I'd forgotten to be thankful.
You know when you get in a rut, everything's wrong with the world, no-one could have it worse than you, blah blah blah - I was there this morning. (For a little while.) But then, something caught my eye, and I realised once again how much I have to be thankful for. How much I am blessed. And how easily I forget this. There are certain things unfolding in my life that I never imagined could happen, yet sometimes all I see is the black cloud floating over my head.
The one I put there myself.
So I challenge you today to look around and truly see how blessed you are. Not just the fact that you live in a house and have food to eat. But the things in your life that not everybody experiences - things that you, and just you, have been personally blessed with.
They're there, trust me. Sometimes we just forget.

Gracie

Moses

I'm not sure if I've got all of the details of this story right, but bare with me. The lesson learnt is still the same. :)

Moses. Everyone who's been to Sunday school will know the story of this guy - Born, put in the river, grows up with a princess as a mother. An Israelite growing up with the Egyptians, that's who Moses was. But what I want to write about today is Moses "all grown up." Let me set the scene.
Moses is an Israelites, but he lives with the Egyptians. Now, surprisingly enough, the Egyptians actually accepted him and didn't try to kill him every time he stepped out of his door, so Moses was in a pretty good place. I would think, anyway. He was a person of God yet didn't get treated like all of God's other people did. The thing is, God gave Moses a passion - a passion to set his (God's) people free. I mean, you'd have to be passionate about something to wander around the desert for 40 years. Moses was a passionate young man; fiery, strong, pumped up with God and the belief that says "God and I can do anything!" Which is a great thing to be pumped up with.
But Moses had a little problem. He was so passionate that he jumped over the line of God's time and rushed into his. In other words, he moved way too fast.

Here's what Moses, in all his good intentions, did. He killed an Egyptian. One of his 'own' people.
Bad move buddy.

Now, apart from having to leave civilisation so that he could stay alive, God took Moses out of Egypt and into the desert for a different reason. Kind of like God boot-camp.
Moses had the most important thing. Passion, and lots of it. He would keep going, keep fighting, keep believing no matter what the circumstances. But Moses lacked the ability to listen and hear God - to wait for his 'go.' So God took him out into the desert. A time of learning; a time where God taught Moses to not just listen, but to hear. 


I think that there's a parallel here between Moses and ourselves. God has given us all passions - is there something inside of you that just burns, that makes you want to strike out and kill the enemy holding you back? Being passionate is a good start - its a must have. But so often we run ahead of God's timing, move too fast, get too excited. You know the feeling? You go for it - and then fall flat on your bum.
Not saying God doesn't pick us up - he does. But maybe you are in a 'desert' time, a moment of just you and God. Maybe God has taken you away and is teaching you how to hear, preparing you for a time when all of that passion, all of that excitement is going to be used for his purpose and glory.
We can stand at the base of the mountain and push, but it won't move until God's hands come up behind ours and give our strength power. So, like me, maybe we need to slow down, come away with God and learn to hear, wait, and move only when God says 'go.'

Moses didn't do a whole lot by killing that Egyptian. But when God said "go", that mountain moved.
 So come away with God.

Love Gracie

Living in the moment

See the title of this post? I am absolutely AWEFUL at doing this.
Living in the moment. It sounds like some motovational quote, I know. But hang in here with me.

Ever since I was little I've a had a.......um....tradition. Every birthday, after the presents have been opened, cakes been eaten, and I'm snuggled up in my bed, I cry.

Now don't get me wrong, I have wonderful birthdays. And I live in a very happy home. But, every year without fail, I shed a few tears. Yes, this could be due to the fact that I'm practically a walking fountain and could probably talk myself into tears over anything, but it also has something to do with the title of this post.

I can remember being a ten year old girl, crying in to my pillow because I'd "never be nine again."

Guys, I have always been aweful at living in the moment. I resist change with all of my being, and if time could be paused I'd probably still be a six year old girl. I find it really really hard to leave behind a year full of memories, moments, smiles and special times. I guess its called letting go. Which translates for me as, "prying my fingers loose one by one until its gone forever." So while birthdays are exciting and fun, they're also a little sad. Because it means I'm growing up. And I'm not sure if I want to do that just yet.

But here's another thing I struggle with. Racing forward into the future. Its like I'm standing on one of those wobbaly things at the playground and just can't get the right balance. One minute Im crying over another year gone, and the next I'm wishing time would hurry up already.

I know what you're thinking. I am one mixed up person.

But I'm trying. Trying to stop holding onto the past, and stop racing for the future. Trying to live in the moment, and not miss what I've got right now because my minds thinking up a life for the 25 year old me. Trying to simply enjoy eacfh day for what it is. Because guys, God's got the next 10 years. Gosh, he's got the next 100. And really, if I think about, I don't want to stay forever a little girl. Because little girls miss out on A LOT of life.

So here's my 10 cents worth. Don't live in the past and don't spend your days in the future. Reality is that the past is probably not as wonderful as you remember it to be, and the future will probably be way different than what you're busy dreaming up. Live in the right now, with people who are also living in the right now, and a God who is busy blessing you in the right now.

This moment has a lot to offer you. Learn to live in it. :)

Love Gracie