MY GRACE, MORE FREEDOM!

FREEDOM to FLY!!!

FREEDOM: 

• the state of not being a slave or prisoner
• the state of not being negatively affected by something unpleasant or by what someone does or doesn't do
• the feeling of being light-hearted and at ease
• the ability to move and act quickly
• the ability to be above things of this world
• the ability to fully enjoy the Grace of God!

Doesn't just the definition of freedom sound good? That's where we are going!!!
This is what I was told in my text book about the freedom I can expect as I receive MORE GRACE.

• I will gain a greater appreciation for God's gifts to me
• I will become less focused on me and more focused on God my Father, Jesus my Savior and Holy Spirit
• I will be free to live beyond the limitations of my human efforts
• I will be quicker to forgive myself and be a greater blessing to God
• I will spend less time and energy being critical of and concerned about others choices
• I will be quicker to forgive others
• I will become more tolerant and less judgmental
• I will be a greater blessing to my family 

Well, needless to say, this caught my attention, hook, line and sinker! I knew I was in the right school of learning! This is the person "GRACE" that I want to become! How about you???

THE GOOD NEWS IS: As I continue this journey I am truly experiencing MORE FREEDOM in my life!!! It is a wonderful place to be!!! It is such a relief to receive MORE GRACE! Such FREEDOM! 

Let me encourage you to stay the course! Continue your journey! And.......together, with God, we will finish well!!!

Enjoy Your Journey,

Blessings,

Joan<3
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MY GRACE VERSUS MY PERSONALITY!!!

I absolutely love the study of personalities! I spent many years learning how uniquely we are all made. How we all have strengths and weaknesses. And how to have a personality transformed more into the image of Christ. Because of this knowledge, as I began pursuing MORE GRACE, I asked myself and Holy Spirit, “are there weaknesses in my personality that could hinder my journey into MORE GRACE”? And thus began my study into this, learning to transform my weakness into strengths for this journey!

I shared with you in my last post that being a perfectionist can be a hindrance. Keeping me from fully enjoying my GRACE PARTIES! 

Another personality weakness, is my very deep and analytical mind. The Bible says in 

James 4:6b 

God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, 

But gives grace (continually) to the lowly, 

(to those who are humble enough to receive it). 

MORE GRACE is given to those who have a humble attitude. Humble in the dictionary also means SIMPLE. The GRACE of God is meant to be simply received not denied and nullified, not debated, dissected and analyzed to death!

Keep things simple is my new attitude, one of simply receiving and enjoying the GRACE of God!

There is another personality weakness I would like to share with you which can hinder my receiving MORE GRACE. That is, I tend to become overwhelmed easily! 

At every new level of learning, the devil comes to distract me with many concerns and interests! He comes now because He does not want me to receive MORE GRACE, more importantly, he does not want me to give MORE GRACE! 

If I allow him to overwhelm me I will become upset in thoughts and feelings, distressed, depressed and oppressed. My focus will be divided with many concerns. I will become paralyzed and my journey end into MORE GRACE. BUT GOD……….

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, at this level of learning, Holy Spirit is making me more aware of my weaknesses and the devils tactics! Awareness is the first step to making progress on our journey!

Shaking the devil off and telling him where to go is my new attitude!

And staying focus on my pursuit into MORE GRACE for me and mine!!!

What about you? Are there things about your personality that can hinder your journey into MORE GRACE? Ask Holy Spirit and He will show you! A very good resource is the book, Transforming Your Temperament by Tim LaHaye. :)

Enjoy Your Journey!

Blessings,
Joan <3

MY GRACE "PARTY" !!!

Yes, GRACE is the undeserved favor and blessings of God. And yes, GRACE is God's divine enablement within me! 

But, at this amazing level, the expanded definition is the pleasure and joy God has for me!  

It's my GRACE Party! And you are invited too! :)

To illustrate this expanded definition I want to tell you a story!

Once upon a time there was a young girl. She was very close to her father and wanted to please him. Her father raised her in love and protection. He taught her right from wrong.

One day she did something very wrong. She was convicted and went to her father and confessed. She cried and told her father she was so sorry. He forgave her and held her in his arms.

That night, early in the evening, he came in her room and told her to get up and dress in her best. He was going to take her to a really nice restaurant. She was thinking, "WOW, how can my father do this for me, the horrible person that I am"? 

They arrived and everything was so beautiful. It was a party atmosphere which her father had planned for her. Yet, she could not join in the party. She could not receive the pleasure and joy He had for her now!

Her father had provided for her a GRACE PARTY. He was giving her something she did not deserve. Offering to her unmerited favor. Yet, she could not let herself fully enjoy it! She could not receive the pleasure and joy He had for her now! 

This young girl reminds me of me. One of my personality weaknesses carried to an extreme is I am a perfectionist. Perhaps that is a weakness of yours too. After a failure we tend to stay mad at our self far too long!

This new person, "GRACE", whom I am becoming, is learning how not to miss out on her GRACE PARTIES! After her mistakes she hears Holy Spirit saying," repent, relax and enjoy your GRACE PARTIES and let God give you the pleasure and joy He has for you today and forever"!

What about you? Can you let yourself enjoy your GRACE PARTIES? Will you let yourself enjoy God's GRACE after you get in trouble and after your repent? At your GRACE PARTIES do you sit in the corner sad and depressed with condemnation and self-pity? Or, do you let yourself fully enjoy your GRACE PARTY?

I WANT TO FULLY ENJOY MY GRACE PARTIES!!! I WANT TO FULLY ENJOY THE PLEASURE AND JOY GOD FOR FOR ME TO THE FULLEST!!! 

Thank you Heavenly Father! Thank you Jesus! Thank you for Your Mercy and Grace! 

Look at what the Bible says, 

Psalms 103: 8-12 Message Bible

God is sheer mercy and grace;

    not easily angered, he’s rich in love.

He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold,

    nor hold grudges forever.

He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve,

    nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.

As high as heaven is over the earth,

    so strong is his love to those who fear him.

And as far as sunrise is from sunset,

    he has separated us from our sins.

As far as the east is from the west,

He has removed our sins from us.

Let's receive MORE GRACE so we can join in the party today and everyday!

Let's enjoy the pleasure and joy God has for us to the fullest!!!

Enjoy Your Journey!

Blessings,

Joan <3 

MY GRACE, STICKING WITH HOW I STARTED!

Acts 13:43 Message Bible

Stick with how you started,
this living in and by God's Grace!

There have been many levels of God's GRACE in my lifetime, on both sides of the coin, which I spoke of in my last post. That is, in the undeserved favor and blessings of God and in His divine ability within me. His GRACE truly has been amazing through out my lifetime!

As you know, in September of last year I began to ask God for MORE GRACE. In this last third of my life I have vowed to be a greater blessing to my immediate family. I want to see prayers answered to a greater degree in their lives. I want to see them know God better and be set free to follow His perfect will in their life. I want to see their weaknesses turned into strengths. I want to see them delivered from pits of destruction. I want to see them made whole in Christ. I want to give them MORE GRACE in the meantime!!!

Along with my Bible, the book assigned to me by Holy Spirit is The Grace Awakening; Believing in Grace is One Thing. Living It Is Another; written by Charles R. Swindoll. After reading this book, I decided my name should be changed to "GRACE"!

Let's talk about this person "GRACE". At this new level, "GRACE" looks back and see many things and many accomplishments. To name a few:

• She founded a ministry called, King's Daughter's Ministries.
• She has traveled to many places.
• She has even written a book.

Yet, "GRACE" knows, apart from God she can do nothing!

• How did she get there? GRACE!
• How did that happen? GRACE!
• What made it possible? GRACE!
• How did she do it? GRACE!

Her only claim to fame is in the undeserved favor and blessings of God and... His supernatural ability within!

In her heart she knows, apart from God nothing is possible, apart from God she can do nothing! But.....with God all things are possible!!!

This is the attitude the Bible says in James 4:6 which God gives MORE GRACE to. GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST! "GRACE" is in the right position to receive MORE GRACE!!! 

I am looking forward to our continued journey into MORE GRACE!

Stick with how you started,this living in and by God's Grace and ..........

Enjoy Your Journey!

Blessings,

Joan <3

MY GRACE: THE COIN OF GRACE

Another level of my school of GRACE was called THE COIN OF GRACE. At this particular time in my life I received the revelation of GRACE having two sides like a coin. One side, which I have spoken of in my last post is: GOD'S GRACE being the limitless, surpassing blessings of His free gift, His unmerited favor in His kindness and goodness of heart toward me in Christ Jesus. Eph.2:7 This GRACE transformed me from a pitiful defeated christian with a very poor self-image, into a King's Daughter all glorious, praising and glorifying The Lord! Glory to God in the Highest!

I discovered there is a flip side to GOD'S GRACE. James 4:6(a) says God gives me MORE and MORE GRACE, that is the power of the Holy Spirit, to meet my evil tendencies fully! This GRACE is the ministry of Holy Spirit in me! This GRACE is divine enablement! This GRACE is the power of Holy Spirit in my life enabling me to do whatever God instructs me to do! (and you!) It has nothing to do with our natural abilities but the supernatural abilities of God with us and in us!

This GRACE flows from the heart of God to save you and I and also enables us to live holy lives and accomplish the will of God! I have exercised this GRACE all of my life since this revelation. GOD'S GRACE is truly amazing. He makes the weak strong! I, no longer am distressed over my weaknesses, I am happy about them! Because in my weaknesses His strength has been and is made known to me and those looking at me! Glory to God in the Highest!!!

Join with me and exercise this GRACE in a greater way today! Repeat after me, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens and empowers me!!!

Enjoy Your Journey!
Blessings,
Joan