Sometimes a daily devotional strikes my soul to the very core because I think God knew I needed to read it that particular day. Has that every happened to you? I wanted to share Julie Clinton’s Everyday Graces with you today because too many times, I think we are so busy we forget to notice. Enjoy Julie’s message today. I know I did.

“From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.” John 1:16

Most of the time we refer to the gift of salvation as a gift of grace. But God’s grace also comes in tiny little packages marked “FREE GIFT” inside. Each day God presents gifts of His grace. Most of the time we take them for granted.

Take some time to appreciate some of these gifts:

• freedom to be real
• quiet moments
• walking
• a friend who listens
• a sunrise
• the brilliant colors of spring
• knowing you’re loved
• a child’s hug

Start looking at each of these as little dreams come true. God’s dream for us unfolds in thousands of little ways through everyday graces He places in our lives.

Too often we are just too busy to notice. Or, we are so eager to have the big dream come true we forget to watch for little things that are the dream coming true.

Most Christians can trust God for Heaven – Eternity with Him, but we can’t trust Him for everyday life.  Start seeing and living differently…it will turn your life around!

I wanted to share the following story. I don’t know who wrote it but I have read it more than once when a friend has emailed it to me. Thank you Kevin’s brother for sharing it with others. We could all learn a lesson from the Kevin’s in the world. Don’t you agree? If this story touched you like it has me, please click on the comments link after this entry and share this post with others who need to know Kevin.

I envy Kevin. My brother, Kevin, thinks God lives under his bed. At least that’s what I heard him say one night. He was praying aloud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, “Are you there, God?” he said. “Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed.”

I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin’s unique  perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something  else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in. He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size, (he’s 6 foot 2 inches), there are few ways in which he is an adult. He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.

I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?  He’s up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our Cocker Spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner and later to bed.The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child. He does not seem dissatisfied.

He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.  He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove  before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day’s laundry chores.

And Saturdays – oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That’s the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. “That one’s goin’ to Chi-car-go!”  Kevin shouts as he claps his hands. His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.

And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips. He doesn’t know what it means to be discontent. His life is simple. He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.

His hands are diligent. Kevin is never as happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it. He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax. He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure. He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.

Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God. Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to the Lord, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God—to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an “educated” person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.

In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my beliefs, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith. It is then I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions. It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap.

I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances—they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God’s care. Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God. And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I’ll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.

Kevin won’t be surprised at all!

In conversations with two different friends today, I was reminded of how big our God is and how we often forget that He is the One in control. Because I used to be the poster child for “control freaks,” I understand when I see others who struggle to completely trust God with all aspects of their lives.

It has been a journey of over 10 years–and I’m not there yet–but I have come to see life at age 58, as an adventure. His mercies are new just as the day dawns and brings hope. We can’t live without either…His mercies and hope.

In today’s rapidly changing world, many of us live in fear. Unemployment is high and so are gas prices. People have lost their homes. Families are relying on relatives and the kindness of churches and other non-profits to help put food on the table. Some don’t know when they will eat again. Life is uncertain.

Ben Franklin was once quoted as saying “but in the world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.”

I would add that there is one more thing of which we can be certain. Our God loves and has plans for each one of us. He will take care of us and will not abandon any of His sheep. Our future is in His hands.

He knows what He’s doing. Do you trust Him?

Have you ever blamed someone else for your mistakes or problems? I have. I wonder why we blame others. Is it to save face? Is it because we don’t want to take responsibility for our words and actions. As humans, I think we all have the tendency to blame someone else when things don’t go quite right.

Think about the first finger pointing in Genesis 3 when Adam blamed Eve and she blamed the serpent for tempting her to eat the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden. What happened next? God expelled them from the Garden of Eden, but only after He had prepared them some clothes. God was disappointed the two had disobeyed His instructions but He lovingly covered their naked bodies before He kicked them out.
I think when we blame others for our mistakes or shortcomings, we disappoint God. We don’t want to take the fall, especially when it might have severe consequences. When people try to hide the fact that they messed up by blame shifting, they only dig themselves a little deeper into an ugly situation. I’ve been there. There is nothing new under the sun when it comes to human nature. Buck passing has been going on since the beginning of time. Can you see how this problem has affected our country? I can. What can we do, as individuals, to end this problem? We can admit that we messed up and learn a lesson from our mistakes, instead of pointing a finger of blame like some little school child. If everyone just admitted his/her mistakes and confessed, “I messed up,” wouldn’t the world be a better place? If you agree, let me hear from you at carolaround@yahoo.com.

Are you hoping that a change in circumstances will bring a change in your attitude? If so, you are in prison, and you need to learn a secret of traveling light. What you have in your Shepherd is greater than what you don’t have in life.

May I meddle for a moment? What is the one thing separating you from joy? How do you fill in this blank: “I will be happy when ________________”? When I am healed. When I am promoted. When I am married. When I am single. When I am rich. How would you finish that statement?

Now, with your answer firmly in mind, answer this. If your ship never comes in, if your dream never comes true, if the situation never changes, could you be happy? If not, then you are sleeping in the cold cell of discontent. You are in prison. And you need to know what you have in your Shepherd.

You have a God who hears you, the power of love behind you, the Holy Spirit within you, and all of heaven ahead of you. If you have the Shepherd, you have grace for every sin, direction for every turn, a candle for every corner, and an anchor for every storm. You have everything you need.

How would you fill in the blank? Respond to this post below.

(I am always amazed when God answers a prayer. Sometimes a prayer is answered after weeks, months and years of prayers. However, sometimes my prayers are answered so quickly, I am in awe of HIS power. Has God answered one of your prayers quickly? Share them by clicking on the comment link at the end of this post.)

By Margaret E. Taylor

“Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times? Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times but seventy times seven.’ ” Matthew 18:21–22 (NRSV)

Christians can be a topsy-turvy bunch. Sometimes we do things that the world has a hard time understanding. We do a lot of things others consider backward. When someone hurts us, we turn the other cheek, leaving ourselves vulnerable to even more hurt. We have to die to ourselves in order to live eternally. If someone needs our coat, we give him our shirt as well.

We are in this world but not of it—and Jesus gives us the strength to persist when we are backward in the world’s eyes.

Faith step: Do a backward thing today. Give more than you had planned to someone who needs it. Pay for a stranger’s groceries. Take the lead in something that frightens you just because you know God wants you to do it.

Jesus gives us the power to persist when we are seen as backward in the world’s eyes.

The New Year is upon us. Read the  following story, which recently appeared in Guideposts, and ask yourself, “What steps do I need to take to draw closer to God in 2012?”

By Evelyn Olsen, Grand Blanc, Michigan

A new year, for the majority of us, means setting goals or making resolutions. The top resolutions made each year include losing weight, paying off debt and saving more money.

The beginning of a new year is also a good time to seek the presence of our Heavenly Father and His guidance for our lives. I came across these ten questions, posed by writer Don Whitney, and thought I would share them with my readers as the New Year approaches.

1. What’s one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?
2. What’s the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?
3. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?
4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?
5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?
6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?
7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?
8. What’s the most important way you will, by God’s grace, try to make this year different from last year?
9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?
10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

If you choose one question a day for the next ten days and seriously seek the Lord in prayer to direct your steps in 2012, then share your replies by clicking on the comment link below. Happy New Year!

May you and yours be continually transformed by HIS love!

I am a practical mother and grandmother. Both of my sons and my five grandchildren receive clothes and books for birthdays and Christmas. I also buy one toy each for my grandchildren. Even the toys are practical. What do I mean by practical?

• I buy toys requiring no batteries. Instead, I purchase products to stimulate their creativity, like Legos and Lincoln Logs. Other items that end up in my shopping basket include watercolor paints, boxes of crayons and pads of paper. I have discovered that when the batteries die, the new toy loses its appeal while a fed imagination keeps a child engaged.
• I make memories with my grandchildren. With sidewalk chalk and a large jug of bubbles, you can entertain youngsters without breaking the bank. You don’t even need these if you use your ingenuity to create fun they will recall when they look back on their childhood. Two of my grandchildren were spending the day with me several years ago. I had made them lie down for a nap. As I worked at my computer, I heard a noise outside. Looking out my office window, I saw one of the city fire trucks arrive to drain a fire hydrant across the street. Of course, my grandchildren heard the noise too. Peeking out the bedroom window, they begged me to wade in the water gushing down the street. I relented and joined them. Holding hands, we walked barefooted through the flooded neighborhood. Grinning, my grandson said, “We’re making memories, aren’t we Nana?”
• Another way we make memories is by serving others. When my two oldest grandchildren were ages two and four, we started a tradition that has continued for five years. We bake cookies together and then deliver them to a local nursing home where the two enjoy sharing the baked goods with the residents. It not only puts a smile on the recipients’ faces but my grandchildren leave knowing, even at their young age, that they have made a difference.

With a society focused on the impracticality of having it all, I have found a way to remain practical. In 1Timothy 6:5-7, Paul writes, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” I plan to leave my loved ones a treasure chest full of memories not gold.

What legacy will you leave?