"The Lord Is Gracious"

I'm currently reading a book and at the end of each chapter there are a few questions and bible scriptures to work through. "What Happens When Women Walk In Faith" by Lysa TerKuerst. One of the questions in the last chapter I read on Saturday which I think was the second chapter in the book was to find out what the origin of your name meant, where it come from and what it meant. Then go a step farther and find a scripture that fits the meaning of your name.

Well I did and I have and I wanted to share it with you. "Joan" It is of Hebrew origin, and its meaning is "the Lord is gracious". Medieval feminine version of John. I was named after my dad in my first name but my middle name came from my great grandfather- John -(who I never knew and neither did my dad) this was also suppose to be a part of my dads name but it got left off the birth certificate, so my dad has no middle name. I also share the meaning of my name with my granddaughter Johanna. Makes a Gram kinda thrilled that we can share this together, just me and her.

Next I went to the scriptures too try and find a scripture that fits. I did.
Psalms 145 8-9
The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

and
Psalm 86:15
But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

and
Psalm 103:8
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

WOW, what does your name mean and can your find scriptures that support the meaning of your name.

"The Lord Is Gracious" most definitely to me.
Joan

The First Saturday in a Long, Long Time...

Today has been a wonderful day, matter fact all days are wonderful and a gift from God. Psalms 118:24 says "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." I don't know about you but sometimes I have to look harder at some days than others to rejoice and be glad in them. But today I have not had much at all on my plate. Usually most Saturdays are filled with C.A.R.E Ministry activities at church, getting the internet radio programs ready to be loaded for the next week, washing clothes, cooking something for Alan and I to eat, and many other things that need to be addressed.

But today we had no C.A.R.E. ministry activities due to a Father/Son Breakfast at church. Although I love cooking and serving for church functions I was not involved in it this morning. They had plenty of help without me so I purposely stayed away so the ladies that were involved could do their own things and their own cooking and serving. (I hear it was all wonderful) We all must be given opportunities to serve the Lord in our way, and if we are always the ones doing everything at church, or home we never give others a chance to serve. Actually WE are robbing them when we do this.

On the home front I have had a few things to do around the house but nothing major. I really am trying to slow down, or reprioritize what I do and take care of Joan so I can be used more of the Lord, and take more time for my family. So often they get short changed only because I am exhausted from other tasks. And the Lord has been convicting me of being to busy doing things for Him, that I am not taking time for HIM or my family.(Ouch) He's still working on me how about You?

Joan

The Bible

I have been trying to spend more time in Gods word, reading it studying it , learning it, applying it, and memorizing it this year. My,my, how it is filled with riches untold anywhere else. I am leaning things, and reading things that I did not know was in there. In turn I am learning so much more about God, and the history of the events that have already taken place, about the attributes of God, about God's love and wrath, about how I am to live and love, and about the things to come. The list actually could go on and on. Sadly, I am learning more about myself, and I echo what Job said about himself in Job 42:6 "Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

There is just something about learning things on your on. You never forget those things or those lessons learned. Church is wonderful and every believer ought to go to a Bible Believing Church(God Commands it), Sunday School is great, Bible Studies are good, but they all have their place. Their is nothing like digging out Gods word for yourself. I'm not talking about just reading from cover to cover, although if that is how you read more power to you. I am talking about reading, studying, referencing, praying, meditating on a book,or a passage, or a scripture and then applying it to your life.

Why did I wait so many years before I really got in Gods word on a daily basis.(I am ashamed and have asked God to forgive me, but I regret wasting so much time, those days, years I can't relive). So I encourage you learn form my mistake, get in God's word to you "The Bible" and start studying it, learning, applying it, memorizing it. It will forever change who you are and make you more like Christ. Beloved, find some form of Bible Study that works for you and dig out what God is saying. After all we have more tools,resources accessible than any other time in history.

After all it is Gods love letter to us.
Joan

Still Pondering Nahum

I still have the book of Nahum on my mind and I am trying to wrap my mind around it. I have read it daily for a couple of days but today I focused in on Chapter 1 versus 1-8. I must admit that I am still having to go to others to see what they are saying about this book. It is a book of history, a book of warnings, a book of God's love, a book of God's wrath, and more. All this is displayed in this little book of 3 chapters.

What I have been reminded of in Chapter 1 versus 1-8 are:
God is a jealous God
God will take vengeance on His Adversaries
God is slow to Anger
God is great in Power
God is behind the weather (storms,clouds,oceans,earthquakes,droughts,floods,etc.)
God is BIG
God is Good
God knows those that trust in HIM
God is a stronghold in a day of Trouble
God's wrath is reserved for His Enemies

The verse that stood out to me today, other than the things listed above was verse 6.

Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger?his fury is poured out like fire,and the rocks are thrown down by him.

Who do I think I am and why would I ever turn away from God and not turn daily to Him. If I am not going forward with God daily, I am actually going backwards. I should be getting closer to HIM each and everyday and I should never be at a stand still.

Lord, help me to draw closer to you every day as I read and study your word and learn more about you.
Joan

Nahum 1:7

Yesterday being the 1st of the month I posted my memory verse in the sidebar. Alan was preaching last week in a revival and a lady sang the special music for the night, and she quoted this verse. Instantly I knew it was a verse worth memorizing so I made it my memory verse yesterday.

Yesterday I began studying the book of Nahum to see what was before and after my memory verse. Interesting, and I had to go to others to begin to understand this book. I went to http://www.preceptaustin.org/ to see what others said. If you have not ever gone to this site it is a wonderful website with all kind of commentaries listed, and you can do all kind of searches in lots of ways.

One I enjoy reading after is Ray Steadman, among others. My interest yesterday was to see what the entire book which is only 3 chapters is about. This is what I found out. Nahums's name means "comfort" and he is describing one attribute of God. "His Anger" to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The events in Nahum took place approximately 100 years after Jonah's adventures and they were again turning from God.

I wanted to share what Ray Steadman said "To those who think that God is only a God of love and never of wrath, let them learn from Nahum that a God who is never angry is a God who cannot love. Did you ever think of that? God's wrath comes from his love. It is because God loves that he is angry; because of love that wrath must blaze forth. You can prove that to yourself. What moves you to anger? Isn't it almost always when something or someone you love is threatened or injured? It may be yourself. We all love ourselves. What makes us angry? Somebody injures us and because we love ourselves, we get mad at them. Or someone injures our child and our wrath blazes forth. And if you cannot get angry when you hear or see injury and injustice, it is proof that you are not capable of love, for the one who cannot be angry is the one who cannot love. If you can read stories of atrocities and oppression and the awful traffic in body-destroying and soul-destroying drugs and narcotics among young people and never be moved to burning anger, then I tell you there is something wrong with you. You are incapable of love. If God cannot smite, if he cannot destroy in vengeance, then he has no capacity for love."

Something to think about God's love and God's wrath, and I am still studying on the book of Nahum.

It's All about HIM
Joan

Happy Birthday Nikki

27 years ago today, God blest Alan and I with one of the two most precious gifts outside of salvation possible. After 9 months and 3 weeks of waiting we were finally going to get to meet our child face to face, we had no idea whether it was a boy or a girl. At 20 years of age what did either one of us know about being parents beside nothing, but even in our lost state God allowed you "Nikki" into our lives. But, God used you to begin to speak to my heart about how I was living in front of you and what I was teaching you. I did not want you to go the path I was beginning to follow. I knew enough about God to know that my way of life was not what I wanted for you. God saved Alan(God saved me at a latter date) when you were 11 months old, and we got in church, and the rest is history.

Nikki,
such a precious baby you were with a mind all your own.
such an independent little girl, toddling around.
such a big help with your little brother, and oh how proud of him you were(always best friends)
such a little girl with ideas and thoughts of your own.
such a wonderful young lady you were becoming as a teenager.
such a support and help for me and our home while I was incapacitated
such a radiant bride on your wedding day.
such a wonderful lady you have become.
such a sweet and caring mother you are
such a pleasure to see God in your life.

Happy Birthday, Nikki.
I Love You
Mom

Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone

Clayton spent the night with Gram and Poppa last night so Mom and Dad could do all the wedding things necessary for Chad's brother that took place today. So Mr. Clayton could be at all the festivities and in the pictures I took him to the wedding right at wedding time. We walked into the church and Nikki was playing the Prelude for the wedding and she was playing "Amazing Grace My Chains are Gone". Although Chris Tomlin does it well, I like to hear her play and sing it much better. But today she was only playing it. That is one of my favorite songs, and I go to You Tube and listen to it and watch a video of it quiet often and think about what the song writer is saying. I have not been able to get the song off my mind since she was playing it at that wedding.

Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone

How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm 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
My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace

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

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine

I am thankful, oh so thankful as tears run down my face that my chains of sin are gone, and I can't help but hear this song and think of our sweet, darling granddaughter "Johanna" and know one day her chains that have her little body bound will be set free and that they will have no power over her.

Unending Love, Amazing Grace
Joan