This Weekend~April 19

Take Note

Previous Weekends

Wholehearted Living: A Story from the Pavement

On some Thursdays, there are Because of Grace Wholehearted Living Stories:

Jennifer Dukes Lee at Monday’s Boston Marathon  http://jenniferdukeslee.com/where-was-god-in-boston/

A  stirring perspective from the Boston Marathon by Jennifer Dukes Lee:

I stood shivering and bouncing among 8,000 runners that cool May morning when the gun shot off.

My dad stood at the starting line, pumping his fists in the air. And he would be there again, with my mom and sister, at mile four, and again at mile seven. I remember how proud they were for me, even though I scooted along at the back at the pack.

Bob, a pastor-friend, told me a few days before the race to pay attention while I was running because the half-marathon was more than a race. It was an opportunity to see God. 

And so I saw… Click here to read the rest of Jennifer’s story

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More Wholehearted Living Stories

Pray for Boston

Usually, there is a post involving a mid-week question of the week.

Right now, the only question I have is “Why?”

Perhaps it is better to focus on the good: Boston: Stories of compassion in the wake of tragedy

A word from The Sponsor~April 14~Grace

the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you… ~1 Peter 1:10

Grace turns veers alters changes transforms rotations revolves, rotates twists spins circles twirls rolls your life around

 

This Weekend~April 12~Be a D.E.A.R.

Today is D.E.A.R. Day — Drop Everything And Read Day–a day designed to remind folks of all ages to make reading a priority.

Grab a book and a big chair or a Kindle and a comfy cushion and get ready to read, preferable with someone or to someone!

Although I am not a librarian, here are a few suggestions:

So Few of Me by Peter Reynolds~Leo’s list of things to do keeps growing, until one day he wishes, “If only there were two of me.” As he gets his wish, life becomes more complicated, not less complicated.

The Dot by Peter Reynolds–A teacher first uses wit, then subtle yet clever encouragement to inspire her student Vahti to go beyond her insecurities and become, in the words of a younger boy who “can’t” draw either, “a really great artist.”

Sky Color by Peter Reynolds. Marisol loves to paint. So when her teacher asks her to help make a mural for the school library, she can’t wait to begin! But how can Marisol make a sky without blue paint?

Author Peter H. Reynolds offers a gentle, playful reminder that if we keep our hearts open and look beyond the expected, creative inspiration will come.

and that is also a timely reminder for this weekend!

What are you going to read this weekend?

Happy D.E.A.R. Day!

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Previous Weekend Activities

Mid-week Question~April 10~Did you know?

Note to myself (these posts are part of my internal dialogue…)

Did you know? Would you remember…

and it is beyond ok to use it.

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Additional Questions

Seconds of Awareness

The link will have to suffice because I can’t get the video to embed.

http://www.soometa.com/stories/4249

What you share with the world is what it keeps of you…

lyric from the song “Give a little love”

Monday Words for the Soul~April 7~Life is Beautiful

Today’s Word for the Soul is actually a Song for the Soul!{Thank you Garrett, for sharing the link!}

From: http://www.blissandfolly.com/
 

A word from The Sponsor~April 7~firm grips

As the new month begins, best to be reminded of the plain truth

Isaiah 41:10-13

Additional references to Isaiah here,  and here , and here 

A couple of this blog’s most consistent supporters had birthdays this week…Happy Birthday!!!

Additional words from The Sponsor

This Weekend~April 5~See and Say

This weekend, the first weekend of the month, click on the picture below …
and prepare to smile!

Movie Link

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Previous Weekends

Midweek Question of the Week~April 3~Demand vs Demanding

Everything that was lost was regained and more…by the One who never demanded, but invited.

Perhaps there is a difference between demanding and demand.

So [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength,²⁰ Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places]…Ephesians 1:19-20

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Previous questions

April Gratitude Nudges

From Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience

Monday Words for the Soul~April 1~No Foolin’!

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance. ~ 1 Peter 1:3-4a

This is really the only expectation that is healthy for us~~~No foolin’!

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More Words for the Soul

A word from The Sponsor~March 31~Keeping Promises

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
~ Psalm 31

He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. ~ 1 Peter 2:24

We’ve been fetched. We’ve been invited to go where we are not qualified to go, and we’ve gone inside on credentials that aren’t even our own.  So, this is grace. ~Jennifer Dukes Lee

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ~John 15:13

Jesus was heckled and pursued by hypocritical men who would not rest until they killed Him, primarily because He challenged their self-satisfying life and traditions. Jesus laid down His life because He had no other greater way to show His great love for me.
~Jody Neufeld

You’re my place of quiet retreat; I wait for your Word to renew me. ~Psalm 119:114

Here I am all these thousands of years later, a child of God with a covenant relationship with my LORD because He kept His promises
~Jody Neufeld

When you are tired and wondering why He came, please remember…

 We are no longer prodigals…
Because of Grace

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More words from The Sponsor

Pink Moon Picture Source

This Weekend~Good Friday Because of Grace

Toward the end of Passion Week and remembering what was, this weekend, please pause, Take in the Sacred and Significant moments of this weekend and Look Up

Angel Picture in Bryant Park, NY by Helen Teague

Passion Week, (from 2011):
And my trusted friend reminded me. “It is Passion Week”, he said. The last holiday spent together in my “what was” of memories was Easter of last year. Maybe last Easter was the last holiday before your diagnosis. Or before your loss. Or before your pain. In the time of “what was.”

His Sacrifice Still Is.

There is beauty in His sacrifice. You may say you do not understand it and to that I reply, “Good for you!” Because if understanding distances you from the Beauty of Passion Week and His unselfishness and in any way allows you to maintain controlled manageability, I would not want that for you

It is Good Friday…Because of Grace

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Other Weekend Activities

Midweek Question of the Week~March 27~Authentic Lack

The question Jesus asked so long ago is also a question for us…

And a quote from a gratitude post on We Love Gratitude:

We and life are spectacularly complex.  Often we do not get our way, which I hate, hate, hate.  But in my saner moments I remember that if we did, usually we would shortchange ourselves.  Sometimes circumstances conspire to remind us or even let us glimpse how thin the membrane is between here and there, between birth and the grave, between the human and the divine.  In wonder at the occasional direct experience of this, we say, Thank You. ~ Anne Lamont, Help Thanks Wow: The Three Essential Prayers

Jesus’ question to His apostles follows His prediction that Peter would betray Him. I wonder, are my similar betrayals of Christ born out of a feeling of lack or emptiness? Might I instead (re)turn to thanks and gratitude ?

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Previous questions

Monday Words for the Soul~March 25~Social Synapse

If you take a group of people and look at those who live longer and do better and are healthier, you’re going to find that these are the ones that
*1.) engage in positive relationships,
2.) volunteer
3.) that have pets that they touch and hug,
4.) and who have people around them who support them.
They’ll also be the people who have
5.) a positive social role, because that need to contribute never goes away.
I think that one of the biggest problems with aging is that people’s roles are removed, which is essentially the kiss of death.
~Louis Cozolino in this post Life on the Edge of the Social Synapse

*(I added the numbers because the order of numbers comforts me)

Louis Cozolino is a psychologist and psychology professor at Pepperdine University. His 2006 book, The Neuroscience of Human Relationships, focuses on how attachment relationships work to shape the human brain.

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More Monday Words for the Soul

A word from The Sponsor~March 24~one week and a new Jerusalem minute

Psalm 121:5 on Pinterest

What a difference a week makes. As we were driving to church on this surprisingly cold morning in March, I spoke with my daughter about the pendulum changes of the past week. I had finished two big projects, received two new writing projects, learned about tablet computers, had a dear friend stay with us and welcomed a client to our town. Circumstances are much more favorable this week than last.

Jesus also experienced pendulum changes as well. Palm Sunday commemorates His triumphal entry to Jerusalem, with large crowds happily welcoming Him and children heralding His visit with palm branches.

“The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” ‘Hosanna in the highest!’” ~Matthew 21:9

We often speak of things changing in a “New York minute.” In a Jerusalem minute, circumstances for Jesus would change markedly and tragically in the next week as one of His chosen disciples would betray Him, sell Him out, and help in His arrest and fake trial. The crowds would turn on Him. Within a week He would endure the ultimate betrayal from men.

But not from God.
The Lord will guard you; He is by your side to protect you. Psalm 121:5

Circumstances would again change in a “New Jerusalem minute.” During the next week, there would be another cataclysmic shift and those circumstances would change the course of all our lives…Because of His grace. The Eternal Grace

The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. … The LORD will keep you from all harm— …he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Amen Psalm 121:5-8

Source:
http://jenniferclaar.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/bird-3.jpg

Please remember, when the road of circumstance changes for you and me, that our Eternal Voice of Grace never leaves or abandons.
…And our Lifeguard walks on water.

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More words from The Sponsor

This Weekend~Hug an Engineer

When Engineers Own Dogs…

http://pogpog.com/v/what-happens-when-engineers-own-dogs/

Midweek Question~March 20~Vernal Equinox

On this day of equals-equal day/equal night,

an equinox of a question…

You know these enemies? They’re bigger than you. But I’m not going to give you the whole land in the first year. You’re going to take it over a little bit at a time — one battle at a time. You’re growing stronger. When you’re strong enough to handle it all, you’ll get it all. ~Exodus 23:29-30

 

How do you know that spring is coming? I would love it if you Shared your comments…~~~

Other questions to ponder