Laurie's Everyday Notions

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,  the Pharisees got together.   One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:     “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied:  “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’   This is the first and greatest commandment.   And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’   All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”   Matthew 22:34-40

Yesterday I wrote about being full of grace but somehow, in less then 24 hours, I needed to be reminded of my aspiration to be grace filled.  Thank you, Lord, for humbling me as you remind me that my words need to be backed with action. The definition of the grace, this grace that I want to be so filled with, is kind, forgiving, merciful,  and lenient. This grace that has been given to me by Savior was not given as a reward, a payment for jobs well done. This grace was given freely, a gift. Grace is given even when it is undeserved. This same grace that was given so freely to me needs to be freely given by me to others. "For by  grace  you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."  Ephesians 2:8-9 My morning began grace-less when my husband accidentally hit the snooze button instead of the off button before he jumped into the shower.  While he was in the s...

Yesterday, as I was searching for a free photo editing site, I stumbled across  http://www.befunky.com/ . I changed this photo: To this: Free, fast and easy

Ok, so I can't figure out how to make this bigger. Tonight I wanted to make some word art so after a quick google search I found "Wordle" and this is what I made. :) Click on the word art and it will take you to the full size version and the neat site where you can make your own word art.

Last week my heart was breaking so much for so many. I walked through the hospital and saw fear and sadness on the faces of strangers. A look that I often wore not long ago in those same hospital hallways. My heart breaks for the young man who lost his father. I cried for my friend whose mother, after years of remission, is struck again with cancer. I think of the children in my favorite city devastated by flood waters. I think of the families left homeless in a city engulfed with flames. My heart aches. I feel powerless........ Yet, I know this: the same God that comforted and guided me during those weeks in the hospital will comfort and guide those who seek Him. The same God that gave me hope as I sat by my daughter's hospital bedside can give everyone hope. I am powerless but thankfully my God is not.  I do know that God uses EVERYTHING for GOOD. Sometimes it's hard to see the big picture. We may never see the good that came from the hard. But we can have faith that ...