Never-Failing Mercy

"Because of the Lord’s great love for us, we are not consumed,

For his compassions never fail. They are new every morning;

Great is your faithfulness"

Every day I fail.  I try to get it all right.  Really I do.  But in spite of all my trying, I fail over and again, and again.  And on the days when I'm not trying so hard?  Well, I can't even bear to talk about those days. 

The above verses have been coming to mind a lot recently.  It seems like everywhere I turn there they are...reminding me...comforting me...and encouraging me to trust in His love, and compassion, and His faithfulness. 

Good grief.  He is right here with me, wanting to grow me, to strengthen me, to love me - - to use me.

I'm thinking if He is willing to give me fresh mercy - fresh compassion - every. single. day. of my failure-strewn life, then the very least I can do is grab His hand, dust off my knees, and forge ahead. again.

...and be unceasingly grateful for the privilege and opportunity to do so.

Some life gifts for which I am grateful this week...

sweet, uninterrupted time with Jesus

my new, easy-on-the-eyes Bible

katie's blog with consistent updates on the babies

my children's reports of answered prayers

fresh mercy (lamentations 3:22-23)

morning Bible study with new, and far-from-new, friends

the arrival of Ann's new book

owen's rollover

utter confidence that God is in control

the bittersweet missing of friends far away

the sweet comfort of friends nearby

strength for today

hope for tomorrow

For what are you thankful on this brand-new, shiny Monday?  I would love to hear how God has blessed your heart...

...and I hope your Monday is just full of happy!

Renee

(A Thousand Gifts #261-273)

Five Minute Friday: The Women

Oh Five-minute Fridays, how you challenge and liberate me so. 

Today's topic?  Women.  Hmmm.

I'm finding this little exercise rather intimidating this week for some reason, primarily because I like to talk a lot  and I'm not sure I can even begin to articulate the thoughts popping into my head when contemplating women, in only FIVE MINUTES.  It's easier - and harder - than you might think :) 

However, I'm nothing if not game, so here goes.

{Start}

I just got off the phone with Kari. 

Sometimes I'm shocked when talking with my sweet baby girl at how grown up she is.  When God gifted me with my daughters 20-some-odd years ago I didn't understand the magnitude of that gift.  I knew those sweet babies were precious, but oh the wonderfulness of having these dear women in my life.

Who knew that in some ways the adults would be even more fun, and dare I say - even more terrific  than the babies I couldn't get enough of?

These little girls have done me proud.  They are friends and wives and teachers and leaders who love Jesus with all their hearts and are routinely encouraging the other women in their lives.  I'm so grateful that God trusted me with them for a little while when tiny...but I'm even more grateful that we are able to share our lives together now.  Who knew that those sweet things could and would teach me so much?

{Stop}

Fun!  Feel free to link over with Lisa-Jo and give it a whirl.

Oh! - and have a simply swell Friday!
Renee

TMBS...Yaaay!!

I'm just going to warn you right now.  I'm feeling all listy these days & I'm not sure it is going to change anytime soon.  I don't know what has gotten into me lately but I can't seem to shake this good mood that I have going. 

So I press on.

Tuesday morning was the beginning of another Bible study at SBC.  Now I started to say "I can't even tell you how much I love Tuesday morning Bible studies," but then realized OH YES I CAN!   So I shall now share WHY I love me some Tuesday morning Bible study.

1.  I love-love the variety of the ladies attending.  I don't know what makes the morning-study so unique, but more so than in any other setting I find there to be a simply delightful mix of women.  It's different from study to study, but on Tuesday I met beautiful young women in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s...and I'm pretty near certain there is maybe one or three even older than that but I REFUSE to say in order to protect my they like me status... 

(Wouldn't it be AWFUL to get it wrong?!!  No way I'm risking that kind of terrible awful mistake.)

Anyhoo, there are mamas with babies and mamas who are grandmas, and everywhere in between.  There are women who are single (Hi, my name is Renee and I do not have a husband ;) and who are married.  There are women attending who I have loved nearly as long as I haven't... and some adorable ladies I met Tuesday.

Like I said VARIETY!

2.  There is something about waking up first thing in the middle of the week with the intention of putting on pants that button, running a brush through my hair, and hugging on some friends that makes me happy to see what happens next.

3.  There are snacks every. single. week.  All manner of yumminess that does not include the hard-boiled egg or steel-cut oats that I typically eat.  And I'm just going say it.  I am a lover of the random, pot-lucky snack item.  Snacks are good and good for ya.

4.  We share prayer requests, and I write them down, and then I pull that list during the week and pray for these women with their varied lives.  I love the sharing.  I love the praying.  I love the getting behind the smiles part of the sharing.  I can't even tell you how my heart broke when the lady sitting three chairs down from me quietly told us she would likely lose her husband within weeks. 

We never know what kind of pain the person sitting beside us might be experiencing...

5.  Coming together week, after week, after week knits our hearts together.  There is time in a three-month-ish period to watch God working in our lives.  Good stuff.

6.  I love the clean-slate feeling of that first morning as I open up my brand-new workbook and prepare to dive in!  I just know God is going to teach me something new.  He does that, ya know. 

7.  Did I mention the SNACKS??

I  humbly suggest you go find yourself a group of girls to open the Word of God with STAT.  You will not be sorry... and you will likely make yourself some new friends that you might never have met otherwise.

Make it a happy Thursday!
Renee