The Astonishing Way God Gifted Us With Grace

As we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it reminds us how God gifted us with grace.

And how God gives us amazing grace—His love and mercy and favor underserved by us, yet freely given to us through Christ.

Because grace came in the form of a baby in Bethlehem. Grace grew into a man who spoke about God’s Kingdom and performed miracles. 

And Grace died on Calvary’s cross, rose from the dead, and now sits at the right hand of the Father. 

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (ESV)

“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:16 (ESV)

And grace changes who we are. It changes our eternal destiny.

Also, grace changes how the Lord sees us—under grace, no longer condemned by the enemy or sin.

I’m not sinless but saved, not perfect but forgiven, not rejected but chosen, and not unloved but cherished. This identity in Christ comes through grace, amazing grace.

G – God paid the price: God Gifted Us

God extended amazing grace to us at such a high price, His Son.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)

“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” 2 Timothy 1:9 (NIV)

R – Redemption is free

How God Set Eternity in Our Hearts: 10 Scriptures

As Easter approaches, we remember the crucifixtion of Jesus on the cross and celebrate the risen Savior. So it’s a good time to consider how God set eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Before I met Jesus as Savior and Lord at sixteen, eternity wasn’t something I thought about. But salvation scriptures show us how God set eternity in our hearts from the beginning.

But as I understood God’s story in sending Jesus, His Son, to die for me, eternity became a vital part of my God-story.

Because according to the Bible, the gospel message is the foundation of these main essentials:

Jesus. The Savior who loves us and takes away the sins of the world.

Salvation. Eternal life provided through the bloodshed of Jesus.

Eternity. Spiritual life after this physical life in either heaven or hell.

So let’s look at a list of scriptures from the Bible that show us our need for salvation, the gift of eternal life, and how this gift shows us how God set eternity in our hearts from the beginning.

God Set Eternity in Us

(1.) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:16-17 (ESV)

(2.) “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 (ESV)

(3.) “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 (ESV)

Do We Realize the Sheer Magnitude of Prayer?

Do we really understand the sheer magnitude of prayer?

Many times we underestimate the power of prayer. And what praying accomplishes in our lives, hearts, and in the heavenly realm. 

Because believing in prayer is not the same as fully understanding what it can do. And believing is not the same as actually spending time in prayer. 

Whether it’s unprecedented days in the world or my world, I desire to spend more time with God in prayer—to anchor myself to Him. 

Even though our recent journey of my husband’s heart attack gave us a glimpse of how prayer can change things, I need the magnitude of prayer every day.

So let’s look at 7 reminders for our hearts of the sheer magnitude of P-R-A-Y-E-R.

Sheer Magnitude of Prayer

P – Proclaims the Lord’s glory and praise.

Proclaiming the Lord’s glory and praise is not just for times of corporate worship. In fact, prayer is a form of individual worship. And it’s never all about us like a kid with a wish-list of wants and give-me’s. 

Praising the Lord and glorifying His holy name is a great way to start prayer. And even pray praising Him throughout the day.

“My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day.” Psalm 71:8 (ESV)

Valentine: What Love Is and What Love Is Not

There’s a special valentine invitation unlike any we’ve ever received. But first, we must understand what love is and what love is not.

When you think of Valentine’s Day, what memories come to mind? 

Perhaps, Will you be mine? invites in grade school, college, and adulthood.

Maybe a special someone entered your life, you received a marriage proposal, or your spouse went over the top to celebrate your love.

Even a sweet childhood memory may still captivate us. Or, memories surrounding this love-holiday uncover feelings of emptiness or a lack of love. 

But the most lavish, epic, and monumental Valentine’s Day to ever take place in history, celebrates the best kind of love—God’s love.

This is Love

So let’s look at what love is and what love is not.

The Bible contains some of the most powerful and beautiful words ever penned on love. 

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (ESV)

What Love is Not

God’s Word helps us wrap our heads around this kind of love through compare and contrast from 1 Corinthians 13.

Love is not: envious, boastful, proud, dishonoring to others, self-seeking, easily angered, keeping a record of wrongs, and delighting in evil.

Ouch! I don’t know about you, but I’ve been guilty of most at some point in my life.

Yet, God’s special love remains our only hope for overcoming these unloving attributes. And when we truly live the crucified life,—Jesus living in and through us—the Spirit wins over our flesh more and more often.

What Love is 

1 Corinthians 13 clarifies the wonderful qualities of God’s extravagant love.

Love is: patient, kind, rejoicing with the truth, protective, trusting, hopeful, persevering, and unfailing.

God News: An Extraordinary Love Story

I’m not going to say, I have good news and bad news, since that’s not true. But I am going to share good news and God news. 

And this particular news piece features an extraordinary love story.

Love is one of those loose and hard to define terms we overuse and misuse. Instead of like, we use love for everything from possessions and food to our favorite sports teams and celebrities.

We love ice-cream, brands, songs, books, and our favorite movies.

God News

Honestly, I use love to describe my affections for cinnamon rolls, pasta, Chai tea lattes, boots, the Hallmark Channel, and sunsets. 

And that’s only a few of my loves.

Still, we struggle to understand love—a feeling or an emotion? 

In life’s hard moments, we may lose the loving feeling. For me, abandonment extinguished the emotion. Like when my dad vanished from my life for a few years.

Furthermore, culture woos us with a shallow love from people, things, and false ideas and religions. 

Sometimes love fades when hearts break. My heart broke after friendships dissolved and family members died including a baby in utero. I lost hope in love.

Am I Lovable?

Then, there’s this: For a portion of my life, I wondered, Am I lovable?

Inside chatter tried to convince me otherwise. Internal voices mocked true love. Only the lovely, the best, the deserving—basically, the cream of the crop—meet the standards. 

I assumed love only thrived in shiny things and people.

Ever wondered if you are lovable? Or, maybe like me, you’ve questioned what it takes for others to consider you someone worth loving. 

How do we secure love without prerequisites? A kissing-tear-wiping-make-it-better-kind-of-love. 

There’s good news and God news. Although less outwardly frilly, a timeless love exists that’s unfailing and undying.

Jesus Christ, God’s Son, came to earth and died for us on Calvary’s cross. Why? Because…

God loves us, this we know, for the Bible tells us so.

It’s good, good news! 

A Bible Verse When Life Shakes Us Up

Has life tried to shake you up? What if there’s a Bible verse containing the perfect antidote to help us?

Friend, there is.

Because life sure gives us plenty of things that shake us.

Maybe we lose a job. This has happened to me.

Or a dear loved one passes away. Yes, my dad, grandparents, a baby I miscarried, and a few friends are all in heaven with Jesus.

Perhaps our child turns wayward and it turns our world upside down.

Also, broken relationships or a hurting marriage rob our inner joy and peace.

Finally, a troubling medical diagnosis or crisis happens to us or a loved one. You know my hand’s raised on this one with my husband’s journey since his heart attack last November. I’m just thankful he’s still with us even though by all medical standards he should have never made it. Glory to God!

Each of these and others can leave us shaking in our boots or whatever our choice of footwear. Because they leave us shaking on the inside, too.

A Bible Verse

Yet, in twenty short words, a Bible verse in God’s Word shows us how to overcome in the shaken-up department. And it offers a two-fold plan to keep us stable and grounded.

“I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” Psalm 16:8 (ESV)

With a closer look at the words of David, inspired by God, this Bible verse gives us the how-to for transforming from our shaken-mentality to God’s I-will-not-be-shaken mindset.

12 Comforting Truths During Mike’s Hospital Stay

Journaling is therapy for me. And during certain seasons of life, it’s a lifeline to draw me closer to the Lord in the same stroke of the pen. So it made sense to journal and meditate on God’s comforting truths during Mike’s hospital stay.

As most of you know, Mike was in the hospital for 6 weeks, most of which he spent in ICU.

I describe it as hard, scary, exhausting, emotional, grueling, mentally challenging, prayerful, and more.

So, conveying my thoughts on paper became a lifeline for me once again.

Let’s look at 12 of these comforting truths.

Hospital Stay

(1.) When life’s disappointments attempt to become my unwelcome friend, I remember Jesus calls me friend (John 15:15). If I visualize Christ as my best friend, it comforts me that I am never alone, always have someone to talk to, and have a shoulder to lean on. Thank you, Jesus!

(2.) I must cling to the only sure hope in the darkness. Jesus. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” John 1:5 ESV.

(3.) Lord, place the cross and the blood of Jesus between me and the enemy, and between me and difficult circumstances. There’s nothing Your redemptive blood doesn’t cover. And there’s nothing it can’t redeem. 

This prayer has changed my life and perspective.

Prayers and Promises

(4.) I’m so thankful for the power of prayer: mountains still move, seas still part, manna still rains from heaven, and because God can raise the dead, ashes turn to beauty again. 

And oh how we experienced so many miracles and provision during Mike’s hospital stay.

How Hope Makes Us Hallelujah Strong

Do life’s hurts, heartaches, and injustices leave you feeling hopeless? Me too. But there’s something I want you to know. You are never far from hope. And hope makes us Hallelujah strong. How?

In tragedy, it is there. During dark moments, it covers with light. Hope soars above despair.

Life brings disappointment. Hard places can dissolve every ounce of faith. 

But in an uncertain world, there is an undeniable hope, an unshakable anchor for your soul.

And the Bible tells us authentic hope is found in the God of hope. 

So let’s look at ways hope makes us Hallelujah strong. These are moments Hallelujah rises up in our souls.

Life’s Drive-Thru Window Lacks Hope – Hallelujah Strong

Just as we often end up with the wrong order or a problem with our order at a drive-thru window, the world offers us hope that fizzles and fades away.

The only choices on the menu offer false promises. High hopes placed in people, programs, possessions, money, goals, careers, or religion. None of these serve us well.

People fail us. Programs unravel. Possessions leave us hollow. Money never satisfies. Unreached goals magnify our weaknesses. Aspiring careers crash. And religion commands our tireless effort.

God’s Word offers a hope established before drive-thru windows…before the world even existed.

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31 ESV). The NIV states it, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.”

The only hope worth waiting on comes straight from the ample, fully-stocked windows of heaven. No drive-thru service needed. This is a real and lasting hope found in the true Hope-Giver. Hallelujah!

Hope in True Love Makes us Hallelujah Strong

“He loves me, he loves me not.”

God Promises His Goodness to Us

What if we went into a new year trusting that God promises His goodness to us? Then whatever happens, our hope lies in God’s goodness alone.

Because we never know what tomorrow holds, even after we’ve planned. None of us knew what last year would bring. So there’s not a sure-fire way to know what will transpire this year.

As most of you know, starting in November 2025, our world turned upside down when my husband Mike had a massive heart attack. But this I know, God promises His goodness to us—some way, somehow—every year.

And the Bible says God crowns our year with goodness.

Crowns. I imagine the three kings of Orient in a Christmas play. My mind’s eye pictures inauguration ceremonies of royal monarchs. Perhaps we envision crowning moments of beauty pageants. Or, iconic Disney princesses displayed in crowns that dazzle.

I even think of paper crowns from Burger King. And plastic versions adorned with jewels…the finishing touch to a little girl’s costume.

God Promises His Goodness

God Deserves the Glory: Mike’s Home

God deserves the glory. All of it. And always.

I’m sharing wonderful news and updates about Mike since the last time I posted. 

Mike continued to do so well after open-heart surgery to place the LVAD heart pump, he soon moved to the step-down cardiac floor. 

Praise the Lord! He finally moved out of ICU after nearly 5 weeks.

Over the last week and a half, they have removed chest tubes, staples, and stitches. And we’re thankful his kidneys remarkably improved so much that they removed the dialysis line from his neck.

This is another praise how he avoided dialysis. Especially since the possibility of dialysis followed him on this journey after his heart attack when the kidneys first took a hit. 

Oh, but there’s more, so much more the Lord has done. And God deserves the glory.

Our family’s grateful Mike’s recovery has made leaps and bounds. So, to our excitement and joy, Mike went home this week. Yay!

But before discharge we completed a 4-hour education on the heart pump care including dressing changes and equipment details. And we discovered what’s considered emergent when we need to call the clinic. 

Now, the journey for recovery continues with family caregiving, home and outpatient therapy, and traveling to clinic appointments 4 hours away. These will be once a week for at least 2 weeks and maybe for the first month. Then traveling to the clinic once a month until it spreads out a little more. 

But we couldn’t be happier to be home. We give God all the glory for:

Outpouring His love and mercy on us daily 

Whether life is going along without a hitch or the days and nights turn hard and weary. God continues to pour His love and mercy over us every single day. God deserves the glory.