Our Daily Grace: Delightful

"Even with all our blindness, God looks at us and rejoices."

Julian of Norwich

The Lord delights in you.

Isaiah 62:4

In our blindness and confusion as frail human beings, we can get so messed up, so broken down. We can have big failures and little failures.  We can get angry, judgmental and selfish. We can cause everyone around us frustration. We can hit rock bottom over and over. But no matter what, God looks at us and rejoices! That means He is happy with us, delighted in us, just as we are. He is in love with us! He sees not any sins but only beauty and sweetness. This world may look at us and see a broken, messed up person; God looks at us and sees His beloved little innocent child.

A Thought: I have never been a failure to God, but only His delightful child!

Our Daily Grace: Shining Light

"You are a miracle worker for those around you. You have the power to heal, to love, to laugh, to forgive. You are created as a unique being with the ability to spread your light. Let it shine."

Aaron Murphy

"Your lives light up the world."

Matthew 5:14

There is a glorious light shining in us. It's the light of love, and truth, and beauty, and good. It's the light of God. We naturally shine with this light. We are carrying miracles of life, hope and healing to this world. Every bit of light and love that comes from us, every act of kindness no matter how small, is lighting up others' lives and changing the world. You have something special in you that makes this world a better place to be, and God is naturally shining out in rays of love through you every day. You make a difference just by being you.

A Thought: I bring miracles of light and love to those around me!

Our Daily Grace: Liked the Way You Are

"You've made this day special just by your being you. There's no person in the whole world like you, and I like you, just the way you are."

Fred Rogers

"Therefore, accept each other in the same way that Christ accepted you. He did this to bring glory to God."

Romans 15:7 (NOG)

You are special and adored, just as you are right now. If you never changed a thing about you, God would still call you perfect. Your heavenly Dad thinks you're beautiful, thinks you're wonderful, thinks you're awesome. Feel free to look in the mirror and say, "Hey, you are pretty special and I love you!"

A Thought: You are wonderful as you are; don't change a thing!

Our Daily Grace: Little and Weak

"It's okay to be weak."

Susannah St. John

"Turn all your troubles over to Him, because He cares for you and is watching over you."

1 Peter 5:7 (WE)

It's okay to be weak and need help. We're God's little children, and little children need lots of help. They need their parents to take care of them; they expect it. We can know that our heavenly Dad is always taking care of our needs. He knows we are little and needy, and He knows we can get scared, upset, confused and hurt. He understands. All our feelings are okay with Him. So we can tell Him all our worries, fears, troubles and cares. It's okay to be weak. God our Father is strong for us. He is carrying the weight of all our cares and concerns, so we don't have to try to carry them.

A Thought: I will tell my Father all my troubles - He will take care of me!

Our Daily Grace: Fortress

"Love is a fortress where everyone feels protected."

Francois du Toit

"He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me."

Psalm 62:7 (NLT)

We are safe in the fortress of His love, safe in the shelter of His care. We are not facing life alone. Even when we feel scared, or anxious, or troubled, we are always in the strongest fortress of all, God's loving presence.  A fortress is a place that is unaffected by any outside disturbance, and that is where we are right now. We are safe in our heavenly Papa's lap, protected and loved and secure no matter what storms blow outside. His loving arms are stronger than anything that comes our way.

A Thought: Papa holds me safely.

Our Daily Grace: Bedrock

"When you fall down to the bottom, you fall on solid ground, the Great Foundation, the bedrock of God."

Richard Rohr

"God is bedrock under my feet."

2 Samuel 22:2 (MSG)

Sometimes we can fear that we have failed too much and fallen too far to still have God with us. But no matter how far we fall, we never can fall out of His presence. He is the bedrock of our whole existence, the foundation of our whole lives. His loving presence holds us together at every moment. He is solid ground under us, the rock we can count on to always support us, strong and stable and secure. His love  and presence are solid and unfailing, even when we fail. Even when we hit rock bottom, God is still holding us up, so we are truly safe. We cannot fall away from God.

A Thought: When I fall, I simply land in His arms!

Our Daily Grace: His Eye on the Sparrow

"You have God's undivided attention!"

Francois du Toit

"You can buy two sparrows for only a copper coin, yet not even one sparrow falls from its nest without the knowledge of your Father. Aren't you worth much more to God than many sparrows? So don't worry. For your Father cares deeply about even the smallest detail of your life."

Matthew 10:29-31

God cares for every single creature in this world, down to the most common little sparrow.  We don't have to work to get His notice.  He is always watching, loving and caring for everything He made, especially humans! He knows more about us than we ourselves know, and He is concerned about every single detail in our lives. It is as the old song says: "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me."  He is crazy about us, His kids! We are always on His mind and in His heart. We cannot overestimate our value to Him!

A thought: I am never out of my Father's thoughts.

Our Daily Grace: The End of Judgment

"Noone can be judged again for what Jesus already died for. We have all been declared blamelessly innocent."

Mike Parsons

"In dying our death He cancelled the detailed record which testified against us. Every stain on our conscience, reminding of the sense of failure and guilt, was thus fully blotted out. In Him dying mankind's death, He defused every possible claim of accusation against the human race."

Colossians 2:14-15 

Christ took away all our sins on the cross. He also took away all the guilt, condemnation, shame and punishment that the law said we deserved. He died our death and we were completely cleansed. The verdict of the cross is that we are innocent, clean and righteous.  Any other judgment about us, whether from the law, society, other people or even ourselves, is completely cancelled. We are innocent!

A Thought: There is no judgment on me.

Our Daily Grace: God's Justice

"Our Father, may we come to know what Your justice really looks like. May we understand that You judge in righteousness and not in condemnation. May we realize that true justice is rooted in mercy and forgiveness."

David Adams

"But now He has reconciled you by His physical body through death to present you holy, without blemish, and blameless before Him."

Colossians 1:22

The world's way of justice is payment due for crimes committed. It is the way of retribution and punishment. But God's beautiful way of justice is forgiveness given for all sins. It is the way of restoration and reconciliation. God doesn't count our sins against us - that is forgiveness. He brings the whole world to Himself - that is reconciliation. And He presents all humanity before Him holy, blameless and without reproach - that is restoration! God's way of justice is not about punishing people for sins with death; it is about healing people from sin and death. And the amazing thing is that God performed these acts of justice, of "making everything all right" between us and Him, on the cross of Christ before we even believed it, knew about it, or were even born!

AThought: God's justice means that He restored me to Himself without my help.

Our Daily Grace: Rescue Mission

"He shared our darkness so He could bring us into the light."

David Adams

"He rescued us from the power of darkness, and re-established us in the kingdom of His beloved Son, that is, in the kingdom of light."

Colossians 1:13

It is like we were children of a king in a beautiful bright kingdom but were kidnapped while young, taken from the palace, and enslaved in a foreign land. We were told that we were nothing but filthy, worthless slaves, and we forgot our true parentage and began to think we were from that dark place. But our older brother the Prince came to the land of darkness and rescued us from captivity, and when we saw His face we could see the family resemblance and knew that we belonged with Him. He brought us back to the light kingdom and to the palace, our rightful home, and reintroduced us to our true Father. That's what Jesus did!

A Thought: I never belonged to the darkness; I always belonged to the light!

Our Daily Grace: Good Humanity

"Each of us as humans has been made in God's image. We are declared to be good - complete - as we should be. This is the assessed value given to us by God Himself."

Ryan Harbridge

"And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good."

Genesis 1:31

God called us very good when He created us.  The Hebrew word for good is 'tov,' which means good, lovely, complete, and as it should be. That is how God made us. No failure on our part can change our basic design or the value God gave us, which is 'very good.' Christ was not ashamed to take on human form, showing us there is nothing wrong with our humanity. Every single person on this planet has equally high value before God. Our human life is precious, beautiful,  and very good!

A Thought: I am good and complete before God, and just as I should be.

Our Daily Grace: His Deserving Children

"We all deserve to heal. We all deserve to be loved unconditionally. We all deserve the very best God has for us."

Gina Leake

"How precious is Your constant love, O God! All humanity takes refuge in the shadow of Your wings."

Psalm 36:7

The whole human race, all of us, are God's offspring, His own children.  We are like baby birds sheltered under their mother's wings. As God's children, we belong with Him, are cherished and sheltered by Him, and we deserve all the love and care He has to give us.  That is our birthright. We don't have to beg for Him to notice, accept, love or help us. We have all of His love, care and undivided attention right now. Everyone has equal value and deserves love, healing and help, and we can be sure our heavenly Dad is hugging, loving and helping us in every moment. We can also be sure that anytime we spread love and kindness, we bring God's healing love to those who need and deserve it!

A Thought: You deserve God's very best just by being yourself - His beloved child!

Our Daily Grace: Perfect Oneness

"There's nothing left for you to do to get close to God. You and God are one. There is no separation."

Dan Stone

"He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him."

1 Corinthians 6:17

We are living in union with Him. In union, there is no distance between the two. In union, we are perfectly united as one. In union, there is no barrier, no separation. Nothing is ever amiss or off-kilter. We and He are knit together as 'one heart' in unity, transparency, sharing, and real communion. We are bonded and melded together, human spirit and Divine Spirit. In that place of oneness there is constant peace, overflowing joy, and perfect love.  In that place we are face to face with God at all times, in an endless divine embrace. Nothing can ever alter this oneness we have with God!

A Thought: Deep down I am one with God and everything is perfect.

Our Daily Grace: Not Punishing

"Jesus punishes nobody!"

Richard Rohr

"He forgives all [our] sins...He does not punish us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our sins and wrongs."

Psalm 103:3,10

God is not a punishing God. He does not punish or pay us back for our wrongs. He simply loves and forgives us, not matter what. Christ exemplified what God's response to sin is: on the cross, He asked His Father to forgive those who crucified Him. That is a vivid picture of God's heart towards the sinful. His great abundance of kindness and forgiveness draw us to feel safe in His presence, draw us to feel safe telling Him all our failures and troubles.  He will gently and tenderly help us.

A thought: I am forgiven of all my sins. 

Our Daily Grace: Everything Will Be Okay

"Love holds us, Love carries us, Love does all for us, Love will never fail us!"

Susannah St. John

"Relax, everything's going to be all right; rest, everything's coming together; open your hearts, love is on the way."

Jude 1:2

God carries us through every challenge we face. So we can be happy no matter what, for we will make it through, all is well and all will work out. Whether we rant and rave or whether we relax and trust, He will keep on carrying us along to the happy ending.  All feelings are allowed, every thought and feeling we have is valid and okay. We don't have to act, think or feel a certain way to be okay or make things okay; we are already okay right in this moment, and everything is okay because He is here embracing us and our circumstances and feelings in totality! He is the One responsible for our lives, so the good ending is assured.

A Thought: Nothing depends on us - everything depends on Him, and He never fails!

Our Daily Grace: Always God's Child

"Jesus came to show us who we are: God's children."

 Anne Cary

"We all come from Him. We are actually His children."

Acts 17:28

All people are God's offspring, His children. In the parable of the prodigal son, the two children of the father were always still sons, no matter what state they were in. And it's true for all of us. Sin may have tried to claim us, but the God who made us has always had the higher claim on us! No matter what sinful situations we have come to, we have always belonged to the Father - we have always been His children. Jesus came to remind this world that even if we killed Him, He was still our brother and God still called us His children.  You have never been orphaned or rejected or alone; you have always been God's child!

A Thought: I have always belonged in God's family and in God's arms!

Our Daily Grace: No Separation

"There is no distance or separation from God no matter what your choices in the past, present or future."

Kathleen Hovda

"He's not remote; He's near. We live and move in Him, can't get away from Him!"

Acts 17:27-28

We may have thought at times that we were far from God or that He was so distant from us. But Paul told the people of Athens who didn't even know about God yet that they actually lived in God all the time! He has never been separate from mankind. He is not staying far away until we believe, repent or pray to Him; He has always been near each one of us, so near that we are in Him at every moment of our lives. He has always been there. He has been with us through every pain and sorrow, held us through every challenge, uplifted us through every part of our journey. He cares so much about each of us that He has never left us alone and never will!

A Thought: There is never any distance between God and us!

Our Daily Grace: Redeemed

"You have never lost your value."

Ryan Harbridge

"You were redeemed from your empty way of life...with the precious blood of Christ."

1 Peter 1:18-19

We sometimes think we have little value, but  God sees something else when He looks at us - He sees someone good and precious and worth fighting for! Jesus showed us what we are worth to God - our value is equal to that of Christ, for He willingly gave His own life, shed His own blood, to set us free. When something loses its sense of value, and that sense of value is restored, it's been redeemed. That is what Christ did for us - He restored to us our sense of value, showed us we're worthy, valuable, good, worth saving. He regained for us what we had lost - the sense of our worth and goodness before God.  We have been redeemed!

A Thought: My value is equal to Christ.

Our Daily Grace: With Us

"Jesus has always been with us."

Kathleen Hovda

"He came to His own people."

John 1:11

All things - all creation, this whole world, all people - were made through Christ and by Christ and for Christ. This is His own creation, and we humans are His own people. There has never been a time when He hasn't been with us, when we haven't belonged to Him. We have always been cherished and claimed by Him as His very own!  We have never been separated from Him, distant, alone, or rejected. He has always been with us!

A Thought: I have never been apart from Him and I never will be.

Our Daily Grace: Dancing God

"We make God so happy that He jumps for joy!

Susannah St. John

"He will dance with joy over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17

The dear Holy Spirit of God celebrates over us. He dances and sings and leaps and twirls with joy that we are God's beloved children. He has pure delight and happiness about us. His joy is like dolphins leaping from the sunlit ocean or like children's playful laughter filling the air. His joyful presence in us is the constant reminder that we are loved, accepted, cherished and delighted in by God Himself!

A Thought: I'm twirling and swirling in God's dance of joy!

Our Daily Grace: He Sees the Best in Us

"He always looks upon the soul with gladness."

Julian of Norwich

"Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others."

1 Corinthians 13:7

God believes in us, He believes the very best about us, for He sees the very best in us. He sees the beloved, innocent and adorable children He made. When He looks on our inner person, it fills Him with joy! He is a safe place to be because He will always uplift us and see the good in us that He Himself put there when He made us in His good image!

A Thought: God thinks very highly of me.

Our Daily Grace: Our Beginning

"Man began in God."

Francois du Toit

"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you."

Jeremiah 1:5

We were known and loved from before our formation in our mother's womb.  God already knew us, loved us, and had a special and beautiful plan for our lives. None of us are accidents.  None of us really began with the decision of our earthly parents.  We began in the mind and heart of God and we have always been wanted, cherished, known and loved, since before we were ever born. This earth is not the beginning of our story. Our story began in the love of God, and He is our true Father from whom we come!

A thought: My origin is in the heart and mind of God, which means I am pretty special to Him.

Our Daily Grace: Our Value

 "Our performance is never a measure of our worth - His Love is the measure of our worth."

Susannah St. John

"You are precious in My sight, and honored, and I love you."

Isaiah 43:1

Our value is not determined by our performance. Our value is determined by His Love, and that Love is infinite, eternal and unconditional!  That means our worth and value is infinite, eternal and unconditional. Just as our own children are worth the world to us and we would do anything for them, so we are priceless and beyond valuable to Him, worth the whole cosmos times infinity! For the magnitude of our dignity and honor before Him is beyond infinite, beyond price, beyond understanding. You are His treasure, His whole world. You mean everything to Him!

A Thought: I have infinite worth to God.

Our Daily Grace: The Cross Shouts

"In Jesus, God our Father came to say: I would rather die than live without you!"

Rudi Louw

"By this we know and have come to understand the depth and essence of His precious love: that He willingly laid down His life for us because He loved us."

1 John 3:16

The cross of Christ forever stands as proof of God's love and our value to Him. The cross shouts for all eternity, "I came to My own and you, My very own children, are worth it! You are worth My very own Life. You are so special and beloved and accepted in My sight that I'd rather die than miss out on fellowship with you. I can't get you out of My heart, out of My thoughts, out of My existence! I am forever on your side, forever for you. You're My very own children, and I'd do anything for you! I will never leave you or forsake you, I will never turn you out in the cold, never forget you. You're everything to Me, and I will never let anything keep us from enjoying sweet communion together forever and always!"

A Thought: The cross proves God would do anything just to be with me!

Our Daily Grace: Christ Manifests His Life

"Christ will manifest His life in you without your help."

Susannah St. John

"You don't lack anything - you are fully qualified. You have every reason to expect the Lord Jesus Christ to be made visible through you."

1 Corinthians 1:7

Christ doesn't need our help to be Himself in us. Christ naturally acts like Himself, Christ naturally lives, manifests His true nature, loves others, overflows with kindness and goodness, flows with divine vibrancy, uplifts others - in and through us! He does it without our 'help' for that is what grace is all about. He does the living, so we can rest. Christ is manifesting His life through us right now!

A Thought: Christ is visible in me.

Our Daily Grace: God's Escalator

"The kingdom of heaven is an ascending escalator. It's on a foundation of grace...not on human performance or effort. And the amazing thing about this ascending escalator is even if you fail or make a mistake or sin, as you fall down on an ascending escalator...when you get up, to your amazement the escalator hasn't stopped - it's kept going, and you look around you and you're still going up!"

Rob Rufus

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death."

Romans 8:2

The kingdom of heaven is an ascending escalator!  Even when we fail He is still bringing us up, up, up!  His Life trumps all our sin, self-effort, struggle and falling.  All those things are just shadows of the old creation, which is death.  But we've been placed into the new creation, which is Life.  And Life trumps death every time!  We are carried up and away by His LIFE!   We are sustained and uplifted by the power of an indestructible life, by the power of the resurrection life of Christ Himself within us through His Spirit.  So up we go!  

A Thought: With God, I have nowhere to go but up!

Our Daily Grace: His Way of Tenderness

"Tenderness is what happens to you when you know you are deeply and sincerely liked by someone."

Brennan Manning

"You should be like one big happy family, full of sympathy toward each other, loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds."

1 Peter 3:8

God asks that we be tender-hearted and understanding towards each other, because this is the way Christ lives with us within the very family circle of the Trinity.  He not only loves us, He likes us.  He likes having us around, so we can be ourselves with Him.  He truly accepts us and enjoys us, and we can share our deepest thoughts, troubles and fears with Him. He is so genuine, soft-hearted and understanding, and in His tender acceptance and friendship we can treat ourselves with tenderness, can truly accept and befriend ourselves.

A Thought: God likes me so I can like myself.

Our Daily Grace: Love Everlasting

"Out of His love I came forth; through His love I am who I am."

Brennan Manning

"I have loved you with an everlasting love."

Jeremiah 31:3

God is everlasting.  He has always been and always will be. And His love is everlasting.  It always has been and it always will be.  That means that as long as God has been God, He has been loving us.  Before we were created, He already knew us, chose us to be His very own, loved us, and saw every single moment of our existence.  As long as forever - that's how long God has been loving you!  We came forth and were created out of the love of God. His love makes us who we are. And who we are is God's beloved!

A thought: Before this world began, God was already loving me.

Our Daily Grace: Free Life

"It was for FREEDOM. Not so we'd worship Him. Not so we'd obey Him. Not even so we'd love Him. For freedom. That alone was the purpose of Him freeing us: just so we would be free. That's what real Love looks like."

Matt Pandel

"It was for freedom that Christ set us free."

Galatians 5:1

God is not a God who puts restraint and pressure on us. He is a God who takes away restrictions and burdens. His way is not that of human performance systems, where you have to behave to earn acceptance or else get rejected. His way is the way of grace and freedom. We are truly free to do anything and know we are still loved, accepted and in perfect friendship with God.  He wants nothing from us. He just wants to see us live freely, knowing we are loved.

A thought: Christ wants me to enjoy being free!

Our Daily Grace: Enveloped in the Perfect Son

"You are as perfect right now as you ever have been or ever will be. Why? Because you are enveloped into the ONE Who IS perfection. No labor. No effort. Just being."

Matt Pandel

"For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, by which we draw near to God."

Hebrews 7:19

What hope did we imperfect humans ever have of perfectly keeping the law? None, really!  But God gave us a better hope - the perfect Christ.  He perfectly united Himself to our humanity and perfectly fulfilled the law for us.  There is no need to struggle and strive; we can simply BE right where we are - in Him! We are wrapped in His perfection, and that is enough. 

A thought: I am perfect before God because I am in the Perfection of His Perfect Son!

Our Daily Grace: The Overcomer

"You will not be overcome."

Julian of Norwich

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; when you pass through the streams, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not harm you."

Isaiah 43:2

Whatever we face, we have the Overcomer inside us and we will make it through!  The floods won't wash us away, the fires won't burn us.  The troubles in this world are many, but He has already overcome this world!  It is not up to us to overcome, be strong, act fearlessly, or even remain calm and faithful.  He is the One taking care of it all. He is right here with us, whether we feel His presence or not. It's up to Him to get us through, and so the victory is assured..in fact, in Him it's already won! 

A thought: No problem can defeat me because no problem can defeat Jesus who is in me.

Our Daily Grace: Belonging

"In Your Presence I've finally found where I belong."

Cory Asbury

"Don't be afraid, because I have saved you. I have called you by name, and you are Mine."

Isaiah 43:1

We have a home, a place of belonging and safety, and it's in God. He tells us we are safe in His arms.  He calls us by our name, knows us and loves us individually! He stands before us looking with love into our eyes, saying, "You are Mine!" Evil and fear, alienation and abandonment have no claim on us, because God claims us as His own - we are family! He is our Father, Protector and Friend.  We are in His presence, right where we belong. He is the home and family we've always wanted.

A thought: I hear Him say my name and tell me I belong!

Our Daily Grace: He Will Complete His Work of Grace

"Love wins."

Rob Bell

"I am confident that the Creator, who has begun such a great work among you, will not stop in mid-design but will keep perfecting you until the day Jesus the Anointed, our Liberating King, returns to redeem the world."

Philippians 1:6

God's grace is a wholeness, a beauty, a force of love that brings life out of death and hope out of despair.  God has already transformed the worst thing that this world could do - killing God's only Son - and turned it into the best thing this world could know - the reconciliation of the world to God!  Is there anything else that grace wouldn't do, couldn't do?  No!  Grace is sweeping across our world, our lives, our hearts, continually turning evil to good, curse to blessing, failure to victory, sadness to joy, and death to life! This beautiful work doesn't depend on our efforts - that is why it is called grace.  And He who started this work of grace will complete it.  All wrongs will be made right, all wounds will be healed, all incompleteness will be made whole. Nothing can stop the amazing power of God's love called Grace!

A thought: His love will conquer all evil.

Our Daily Grace: Accepting, Not Judging

"Instead of judging yourself, why not accept yourself? That's what God does."

Anne Cary

"God did not send His Son into the world to judge and condemn the world, but to be its Savior and rescue it!"

John 3:17

God sent Jesus not to judge and condemn and punish, but to love and rescue and save. Jesus came in solidarity with the human race, becoming one of us, accepting us, taking on our troubles and failures and freeing us from them. He does not judge us as worthy of condemnation and punishment but affirms us as worthy of love and help.   He wraps His arms around us in unconditional love and frees us from the traps of sin. If Jesus doesn't judge or condemn us but instead accepts and loves us, we can do the same with others, and especially, with ourselves.

A thought: I do not judge or condemn myself; I love and accept myself.

Our Daily Grace: Unoffendable

"Our problems, mistakes, doubts and weaknesses do not offend God; instead, they stir up His compassion."

Susannah St. John

"You are always and dearly loved by God! So robe yourself in the virtues of God, since you have been divinely chosen to be holy. Be merciful as you endeavor to understand others, and be compassionate, showing kindness to all. Be gentle and humble, unoffendable in your patience with others..Tolerate the weaknesses of others, forgiving one another in the same way you have been graciously forgiven by Jesus Christ...Love is supreme and must flow through each of these virtues."

Colossians 3:12-14

God asks us to robe ourselves in His own virtues.  And what are those virtues of God?  They are being merciful, understanding, compassionate, kind, gentle, humble, unoffendable, patient, tolerant, forgiving, and loving! What a wonderful God we have, who is compassionate and gentle, tolerant and unoffendable!  A small person is petty and takes offense quickly, demanding punishment and payment for every little infraction.  But a big person is magnanimous, not ever offended, understanding, forgiving even big errors.  God is not a small person; He is the Biggest Person of all, the most big-hearted, kind, loving, magnanimous, patient, gentle, and tolerant of all.  He is unoffendable!  We cannot offend Him.  Instead our mistakes simply bring forth His compassion for us in all our troubles. He is always on our side, always forgiving and understanding, always a friend, always helping us. We could not have a kinder, sweeter, nicer, gentler, friendlier God!

A thought: God will never be offended by me.

Our Daily Grace: A Safe Place

"If a man or woman were there under the wide waters, if he could see God as God is continually with man, he would be safe in soul and body - and would have more consolation and strength than all this world can tell."

Julian of Norwich

"For You have been a strong-place for those who could not help themselves and for those in need because of much trouble. You have been a safe place from the storm."

Isaiah 25:4

In the worst moments and darkest times, it can feel as if you are being torn apart, as if you are being tossed by great waves in a storm. But deep in the depths of it all, God is there. He is continually holding us up, taking care of us, and working to bring us to see that, to see from His perspective, to see that we are held in His peace. Though the wind and waves swirl about us on the surface, deep down in the depths of our soul it is quiet and calm.  We are continuously held there by God. If we could take one look into His face, we would know that everything is all right and we would relax, feeling so secure.  That is ultimate reality.  Not the storm and the waves, but the stillness and the peace and the presence of God. We are safe.

A thought: He is my safe place.

Ou Daily Grace: Perfect

"Just remember, everything is perfect."

Source Unknown

"I'll see to it that everything works out for the best."

Isaiah 54:17

In the swirling winds of this life, God is unruffled.  He isn't surprised by anything that has happened.  He isn't caught off guard without any idea of how to proceed.  In the center of it all, He is there in infinite peace, love and strength!  He is calm.  He is stable. He has everything under control.  His perfect and loving plan is going forward, and nothing can stop it.  He is infusing every moment with grace, holding us securely in His love, working through every situation to bring good, bringing everything to its perfect conclusion. He will make sure everything works our for the very best. Somehow, everything is perfect.

A thought: Every moment is filled with God.

Our Daily Grace: He Helps All Who Fall

"God, unlike us, holds no grudges when we fail to obey. His only desire is to help us."

Catherine Marshall

"The Eternal sustains all who stumble on their way.  For those who are broken down, God is near. He raises them up in hope."

Psalm 145:14

Every single one of us fails.  We all make mistakes, have regrets, and wish we could do certain things over again in a better way.  And God sustains us. He sustains all who stumble and fall, all of us!  When we fall or are broken, He is right there, close to us, loving us, uplifting our spirits, giving us hope.  Our failures aren't obstacles or problems to God.  They are simply another moment when He supports us and loves us. 

A thought: My failure isn't a problem to God.

Our Daily Grace: God Cannot Be Lost

"Although we lose our faith, God never loses us in our loss of faith. God is not in the realm of what we gain or lose."

James Finley

"God remains! He is the strength of my heart; He is mine forever!"

Psalm 73:26

There is a bond of love we have with God that He has established and put within us, God in the depths of our soul.  Even though we may lose faith, we can't lose God.  He is unlosable because He sustains Himself within us.  From our point of view our faith wavers, our experience of God wavers, our sense of God's presence wavers, but the eternal reality is that God in us never wavers.  He is with us even when we lose faith, lose feeling, lose hope, 'lose God.'  This means we never lose God, even when we feel we've lost Him!

A thought: I will never lose God.

Our Daily Grace: His Loving Devotion

"I have a God who loves me more than anything."

Whitney Sparks

"Give thanks to the Lord of Hosts, for the Lord is good; His loving devotion endures forever."

Jeremiah 33:11

He will always be devoted to us, like parents are devoted to their sweet little child. Our heavenly Dad's delight, devotion, commitment to us and loving care for us will last beyond all time, forevermore. He will always be good to us, always be there for us, always be supportive to us. We make His heart turn somersaults when He looks at us, because He just can't get over us. He truly adores us! He is really and truly 'hopelessly devoted' to us, His dear kids!

A thought: I'm adorable to God.

Our Daily Grace: Nevertheless

"Nevertheless He is always with us and we are always with Him."

Anne Cary

"But look at this: You are still holding my right hand; You have been all along. Even though I was angry and hard-hearted, You gave me good advice; when it's all over, You will receive me into Your glory."

Psalm 73: 23-24

He is such a faithful Friend! He is a 'nevertheless' kind of God.  Sometimes we fail, don't pray, don't think about spiritual things, are selfish, run from God, rant and rave against God, are doubtful and sullen.  Nevertheless we are still with God, in His presence.  He is still holding our hand, still with us, as He has been all along!  This life with God isn't dependent on how well we act, think or even believe because God is holding on to us.  And He won't let go!

A thought: I am continually with God.

Our Daily Grace: The Spirit Intercedes

"If we can't pray, it's okay. God knows the deepest longings of our heart, and His Spirit prays for us the prayers we don't even say."

Susannah St. John

"Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves.. and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good."

Romans 8:26

There are times when we feel too exhausted, anxious, frustrated or troubled to even put our thoughts together into prayer. But it doesn't matter because in those moments, the Holy Spirit keeps us connected with God and prays for us and through us. He knows just what we need and understands all our deepest feelings and longings, and He prays the perfect prayer for us. And we can be sure His prayer is answered!

A thought: The dear Holy Spirit prays for me.

Our Daily Grace: Kingdom of Grace

We are living in the kingdom of God where grace rules."

Steve McVey

"God's kingdom consists of God's approval and peace, as well as the joy that the Holy Spirit gives."

Romans 14:17

We live in God's kingdom.  Through Jesus' finished work, this heavenly kingdom has already begun here on earth, even in the midst of all the struggles and troubles here.  We are walking around in God's kingdom, and He is reigning and bringing more and more love and beauty to the world as more and more see that He approves of us, He is at peace with us, and He is happy with us!  And it is all a gift of grace freely given through Jesus' work!

A thought: The grace of God - with His freely given approval, peace, and joy - reigns in my life.

Our Daily Grace: Prayer

"Our Lord is the ground from whom our prayer grows and in His love and grace He Himself gives us our prayers."

Julian of Norwich

"I will provide for their needs before they ask. I will help them while they are still asking for help."

Isaiah 65:24

Prayer begins and ends in the heart of God. He knows what we need before we ask, He draws us to come to Him, He prays through us and for us, and He is already working on the situation before we even finish praying! It's such a relief to know the whole process of prayer is by grace. He is the One who has moved us to pray and formed the words of the prayer in us in the first place - and of course He will answer the very prayer He put in our hearts. In fact, the answer began before the prayer ever did!

A thought: Prayer is all by grace.

Our Daily Grace: Happy God

"Yes, our God is the happy God! And His message is a message of supreme gladness. He is the Source of all true bliss and happiness; to be near Him is to be near to an atomic bomb of joy!'

Benjamin Dunn

"According to the glorious good news of the happy God, which was committed to my trust.."

1 Timothy 1:11

The good news, the gospel, is not about a God who is grumpy, demanding, or out to punish and destroy us.  Instead, it's the message of a happy God!  This God loves to laugh and have fun and is the source of all true happiness. This God doesn't blame or punish us for our mistakes but instead heals them with His love.  This God has only plans to bring good to us, never harm.  This God always looks at us with a sparkle in His eyes and a smile on His face. This God already did it all to make sure everything works out for the ultimate happy ending for us. It's such good news to find out we have a happy God!

A thought: I have a happy God who is happy with me right now!

Our Daily Grace: Beautiful World

"Lovely flowers are the smiles of God's goodness."

William Wilberforce

"The whole earth is filled with awe at Your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, You call forth songs of joy."

Psalm 65:8

This world is filled to the brim with God's wonders, beauty and presence.  From sunrises over the ocean to gentle springtime rain, all of creation is filled with the love song of God.  Every one of His wonders is a way that He spreads His happiness and goodness, a way that His smile breaks through this physical creation.  Every day He lovingly places so many things in our path to bring us joy, from playful kittens to fresh breezes to a baby's laughter. There are so many ways He breaks into this world to bring sunshine to our lives!

A thought: Beautiful things in creation are the 'I love you' of God.

Our Daily Grace: God's Wonders

"Every human being has a spark of genius...an interest, talent, or passion, something at which he or she excels or can excel."

Stephen Spahn

"I thank You because I am awesomely made, wonderfully; You works are wonders - I know this very well."

Psalm 139:14

You are a wonder, a marvel, an awesome creation of the infinitely Creative God!  There are treasures of creativity inside you, marvels that you contain, passions at which you can excel.  You have a special spark of His divine creativity in you, a spark of genius, a beauty that is unique to you and that only you can share.  You are special, one of a kind. Just by being yourself, you bring something lovely to this world, something that makes this world brighter and more beautiful! Feel free to share your giftings and wonder-full-ness, because the world needs what you have to share!

A thought: There is something marvelous inside me that will brighten this world!

Our Daily Grace: God Our Mother

"The mother feeds her child with her milk, but our beloved Mother Jesus feeds us with Himself."

Julian of Norwich

"I will comfort you like a mother comforting her child."

Isaiah 66:13

Just as God is our True Father, He is our True Mother.  What a beautiful image this brings to mind!  Like the most perfect mother, He is tenderly caring for us, gently holding us, wrapping us warmly in His love, protecting and nurturing us.  He is looking at us with adoration and delight and smiling at us, hoping to see us smile back at Him.  He is speaking softly to us, comforting and soothing us, and nourishing us with His own life. We are His little bundles of joy - we bring such joy to Him, like a newborn brings to a proud mother.  We mean the whole world to Him!  We are always little babies held so gently in the motherly arms of God, snuggled close to His heart!

A thought: He is a Mother to me!

Our Daily Grace: With Us

"When you can't look on the bright side, I will sit with you in the dark."

Francois Lange (sketches in stillness)

"I will be with you always, even to the end of the world."

Matthew 28:20

When it is so dark in our lives, so lonely and difficult, He will be there.  Sometimes He is the only One who can help us, but it's so wonderful to know that He is the One who truly can and will help us.  He will answer every prayer.  He will sit with us through every dark night.  He will comfort and strengthen us in every trouble.. He will bring the bright morning to us.  We will never be alone!

A thought: He will be with me.

Our Daily Grace: A Whole Person

 "Living in the love of God through Jesus Christ is the life of a whole person."

Malcolm Smith

"And you did not receive the 'spirit of religious duty,' leading you back into the fear of never being good enough.  But you have received the 'Spirit of full acceptance,' enfolding you into the family of God. And you will never feel orphaned, for as He rises up within us, our spirits join Him in saying the words of tender affection, 'Beloved Father!' For the Holy Spirit makes God's fatherhood real to us as He whispers into our innermost being, 'You are God's beloved child!'"

Romans 8:15-16

In all our brokenness, He comes with His love and tenderly holds  us.  He enfolds us and says we belong in His own family. He accepts us as we are and asks nothing of us. He simply wants to be with us and love on us. He is the unconditional love we have been longing for all our lives. He loves us just as we are, and we find we are not really broken at all.  His love sees the beauty underneath our messiness. He sees the inner innocence in us, the purity of a being a little child before Him. There is nothing inherently wrong with us. Everything is all right with us.  We are whole! 

A thought: I am not messed up or damaged; I am whole.

Our Daily Grace: Oasis of Peace

"The inner part of us...is totally at peace there, resting in love."

Julian of Norwich

"He offers a resting place for me in His luxurious love. His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss. That's where He restores and revives my life."

Psalm 23:2-3

The deepest part of us, our spirit, is always at rest in God.  But if we don't consciously experience that in the midst of chaos in our lives, God works to bring us back to that inner place of peace. He turns our eyes to look at Him and just be in His Peace through His Spirit. In the Spirit, all is at peace and all is at rest.  All is quiet. God is taking care of everything. We have an oasis, and it's in God, in His loving arms.

A thought: He brings me back to peace.

Our Daily Grace: We Are in Christ

"There is a peace beyond words in knowing that nothing can take us out of Him. In Him is total acceptance and righteousness.  What a wonderful place to be!"

Elaine

"Christ has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are standing before Him with nothing left against you - nothing that He could even chide you for."

Colossians 1:22

We are in Christ.  We are standing in God's presence, cleansed, accepted, righteous and complete.  Every sin is washed away by Jesus' blood.  Every accusation against us is stilled.  We are full of resurrection life. We are in His presence - beautiful, fresh and new, like a pure innocent child, looking with wonder into the face of the Father.  This is the reality Christ has brought us into by His death and resurrection.  He has brought us there and keeps us there.  We are whole and saved and home  - in Christ!

A thought: Nothing can take me out of Him!

Our Daily Grace: Before He Made the World

"I saw that God never started to love mankind. For just as mankind shall be in endless bliss fulfilling the joy of God as regards His works, just so the same mankind has been, in the foresight of God, known and loved from without beginning in His rightful intention."

Julian of Norwich

"God knew them before He made the world."

Romans 8:20

God never began to love us. God has always loved us, from before there ever was a world. He foreknew us, 'knew us before,' which carries the meaning in Hebrew of love, affection and relationship. In other words, God 'foreloved' us before the world began. We have always been known, and we have always been loved, from before time's beginning.  And we will always be known, and we will always be loved, beyond time's ending.

A thought: I have always been known and loved by God.

Our Daily Grace: Christ Naturally Lives in Us

"Jesus in us naturally lives His life unto God.  He only lives His life unto God. We don't have to try to live for God. We don't have to try to live the life. He lives it in us...His only desire is to do the will of the Father. He lives in you and me and He will do it."

Dan Stone

"My old identity has been co-crucified with Christ and no longer lives.  And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives His life through me - we live in union as one!  My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that He gave Himself for me, dispensing His life into mine!"

Galatians 2:20

Our old 'strive on my own' selves died with Christ on the cross; our new 'living with Christ' selves were raised with Christ and operate in a new way - Christ lives through us. We're not having to struggle alone; we are one with Christ and He's taken the burden of living onto Himself so we can relax. So whatever it is we are facing today, Jesus is handling it.  He is the One with the strength, He is the One with the wisdom, He is the One with the love, and He is living that out through us. He is even believing through us! We are not trying and struggling, we are just living and Christ is naturally living through us.  We are simply being ourselves.  It's so easy to be ourselves, It's so natural to just be.  Christ is doing the living in us, so we can rest.

A thought: Only Christ can live the Christian life, and He is living it through me right now.

Our Daily Grace: Know He Loves You

"The greatest thing that God is concerned about is if you know that He loves you."

Bertie Brits

"I've never quit loving you and never will.  Expect love, love, and more love."

Jeremiah 31:3

The most important thing parents want for their children is for them to know that the parents love them without condition or end.  God as the Perfect Dad wants the same thing.  There is just one thing on His mind: He wants us all to simply know He loves us and will never stop loving us.  That is the bedrock of our lives.  We live in the love of God!

A thought: God is all about love.

Our Daily Grace: Gentle and Kind

"Jesus never condemns you, never crushes you, and never points out your faults!"

Rob Rufus

"Be humble and gentle in every way. Be patient with each other and lovingly accept each other."

Ephesians 4:2

He asks us to be gentle and kind with each other because that is the way He is with us.  He does not condemn us - He accepts us.  He does not crush us - He is gentle toward us. He does not point out our faults - He is patient with us.  He really is the perfect friend, the one we have always longed for - humble, accessible, and good!

A thought: He is always gentle, accepting and kind.

Our Daily Grace: The Ultimate Father

"Everything that is has its being through the love of God. God made it, He loves it, and He keeps it."

Julian of Norwich

"There is only one God. He remains the ultimate Father of the universe. We are because He is. He continues to hover over all; He infuses all, and indwells everyone."

Ephesians 4:6

He is the ultimate Father of us all, our beloved Dad who delights in and supports all His created children and tenderly cares for each one. We are all one big human family with the best Dad of all! He is not a distant Father but is intimately involved in our lives. He is in, with, around and over all.  He is here with all of us, present within us, feeling our joys and sorrows, speaking words of hope and comfort, loving and carrying us through all our lives.  He holds all creation in His hand and holds us all up by His love.  We are never far from God!

A thought: My heavenly Dad is always there for me.

Our Daily Grace: Set Right Once and For All

"In our ugliest moment, God says we are beautiful. In our worst failure, God says we are holy.  In our deepest brokenness, God says we are whole.  That is grace."

Susannah St. John

"In His Son, Jesus, He personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all."

Romans 8:3-4

Though we have been made in God's good image, and God never stopped seeing our good inner core, our outer behavior has not always been aligned with that inner image, and every one of us has failed at times.  The good news is that God has already taken care of all our failures at the cross.  Christ took every possible thing that went wrong with humanity and took it away at the cross.  He took away the sin of the world.  In place of all that we'd done wrong, He brought all that He did right.  In place of our brokenness, He brought wholeness.  So we may see our mistakes and ugly moments but God only sees beauty and wholeness. Whatever you feel has been wrong with you has already been set right once for all by Christ.  That is grace!

A thought:  God only sees goodness in me.

Our Daily Grace: God Says

"Can you see yourself the way God already does? Can you open your eyes and look into the eyes that have been adoring you since the eternity before you were born? There's nothing you can do to screw this up.  It would be easier for you to escape your own shadow than to change the way God views you!"

Wes 

"Live overwhelmed by God's opinion of you."

Philippians 4:8

God has only lovely, pure, true thoughts about us. Our Loving Dad says that we are His beloved children, always in His care.  He says we are His good little ones, clean and pure as the angels.  He says we are perfect just as we are.  He says we are whole and holy and always in His presence.  He says we are upheld and cared for at every moment.  He says we are His delight and joy.  That is God's opinion of us, the opinion that matters, because it is the one that is TRUE.

A thought: I am perfect and beautiful to God.

Our Daily Grace: God the Father is Just Like Jesus

"Any idea that we could have had of God that is unlike Jesus would not be true about God."

Francois du Toit

"He is the exact likeness of the unseen God, the visible representation of the invisible. We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen."

Colossians 1:15

We may have heard that God is distant, demanding, or angry.  Yet we can know what He is truly like by simply looking at Jesus, God made manifest in a human body.  God acts just like Jesus! And Jesus sat down with the poor and the sinners and ate with them.  He took little children in His arms and blessed them.  He had compassion on the hurting and healed the sick.  He said He came to find the lost, give rest to the weary, and light the way for those in the darkness.  He never harmed a single soul but went about doing good. When people killed Him, He simply asked that they be forgiven, then reversed their murder and came out of the tomb with His arms open wide in love. That is what God is like.  He is obviously not distant, demanding or angry.  He is understanding, accepting, warm, friendly, kind, gentle, loving and forgiving.  Jesus puts a face on God, and it's a loving face!  

A thought: Jesus shows what God is really like - Unconditional Love!

Our Daily Grace: Love Has Found Us

"We don't have to make sure our life is clear of sin to find God. God has found us, regardless of our situation, regardless of our condition."

Mike Yaconelli

"But God, with the unfathomable richness of His love and mercy focused on us, united us with the Anointed One and infused our lifeless souls with life - even though we were buried under mountains of sin - and saved us by His grace."

Ephesians 2:4-5

The Gospel of Grace is not about us finding God but about God finding us.  When we couldn't do anything to help or heal ourselves, God stepped into time and did everything needed to help and heal us.  He did all this without our help, all by Himself.  Jesus did all the work, bringing us from death into life. The Gospel of Grace tells us that no matter where we find ourselves, no matter what mess we get ourselves into, God has found us and accepts us, has loved us and heals us.  Jesus is God's yes to us, a commitment to be with us no matter what, to be good to us no matter what.

A thought: His love has found me no matter where I am.

Our Daily Grace: Failures to Blessings

"Grace doesn't just forgive our failures, doesn't just accept us in our failures.  Grace blesses us in our failures, turns our failures into assets!"

Susannah St. John

"So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together for good, for we are His lovers who have been called to fulfill His designed purpose."

Romans 8:28

If He could bring us from death to life single-handedly when we were stuck in our sins, there is no mess He won't get us out of. He allows our failures and struggles because He knows He will bring something wonderful out of them in the end.  He will turn every failure into something good.  He will somehow bring every loss into gain.  He will raise us up from every fall to a better place than we were in before we fell.  His grace is a wholeness that infuses every moment and works it into something beautiful in the end.

A thought: Grace transforms every mistake into blessing.

Our Daily Grace: A Beautiful Future

"God plans to do you good from this day forward and you aren't big enough to stop Him."

Steve McVey

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Eternal, "plans for peace, not evil, to give you a future and hope - never forget that."

Jeremiah 29:11

No matter, what, we can know a good future is coming for us.  God is giving us a future filled with hope.  All our dearest hopes and dreams of peace, happiness, joy and togetherness will be fulfilled.  We will be in God's presence forever.  We will be with our loved ones and will be filled with God's joy and peace. We will have everything we have longed for and see all our best dreams come true.  It will be beyond our wildest imaginings!  It will be the ultimate happy ending.  And there is nothing we could do to mess up this plan or thwart God - it's all about His grace.  His goodness is carrying us to the best happy ending of all. Our future is only filled with JOY!

A thought: Grace means heaven is guaranteed!

Our Daily Grace: This Special Day

"Every day is a gift from God."

Billy Graham

"This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalm 118:24

Everyday moments, small and beautiful, are what life is all about.  They are meant to be enjoyed, savored, and treasured.  We have NOW and there's something to love and be grateful for and treasure in every NOW! This day is a gift from God.  It's priceless.  There's something beautiful to discover and enjoy in this day. It's a love letter from God to us, a way that He breaks into our world to send us beauty and joy.  Every sunrise, every birdsong, every baby's laugh, every happy moment is a love gift from God. Let's love this day and celebrate life this day!

A thought: Every day is a blessing from God.

Our Daily Grace: Imperfectly Perfect Life

"Nothing more needs to come."

Susannah St. John

"You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need."

Philippians 4:19

We don't have to wait till everything is 'perfect' or as we think it 'should' be to be happy and really start living.  We can live NOW, be happy NOW.  All we need we already have in God.  All we need we already have in what God has provided in this moment.  Right now is beautiful, precious, wonderful and special.  Right now is life, as a gift from God.  Nothing more needs to come for us to enjoy life and be happy.  We have Him, we have life, we have so much to be thankful for.  In this imperfection there is a perfect moment to celebrate. So really, everything is already perfect and as it should be, right now!

A thought: My life doesn't have to be 'perfect' for me to be happy!

Our Daily Grace: Loved Right Now

"Living in the awareness of our belovedness is the axis around which the Christian life revolves."

Brennan Manning

"He threw His arms around him, lavished attention on him, guarding him as the apple of His eye."

Deuteronomy 32:10

He is lavishing His love on us right now, embracing us with tenderness and care. We can be aware of God's love for us, right here, right now.  We can let ourselves feel and know that love beyond comprehension.  We can say, "I open my heart and let myself be loved.  It's safe to be loved, safe to be real, to be me.  I am loved, all parts of me, just as I am.  I can enjoy the experience of love!" That is what the Christian life is all about - simply letting yourself be loved by God.

A thought: Let God love you.

Our Daily Grace: God's Kingdom Now

"Our life in God is a life of love and friendship.  It's a life of joy and peace.  It's a life of approval and blessing."

Anne Cary

"God's kingdom consists of God's approval and peace, as well as the joy that the Holy Spirit gives."

Romans 14:17

We are in His kingdom of love. We are living every moment in the wonder of God's presence.  That presence is joy in the midst of sorrow, peace in the midst of turmoil, life in the midst of despair.  We are walking around in the atmosphere of God, supported by His approval, His love, and His strength.  Every moment is sacred, and every day is blessed. And only good awaits us.  In this kingdom, love reigns and only love is to come!

A thought: The best place to be is His presence, and that's where I am at all times!

Our Daily Grace: His Pride and Joy

"We're His dear little children.  God knows that kids fall down sometimes and scrape their knees, get dirty and make messes.  And He adores us in every one of those moments!"

Anne Cary

"Let these children alone. Don't get between them and Me. These children are the kingdom's pride and joy."

Luke 18:16

When a toddler is crawling, then standing, then falling, over and over again, the parent doesn't complain that the baby keeps falling down all the time and just can't do anything well.  No!  The parent says with pride, "Look at my wonderful little child who is learning to walk!"  We, too, are little children in God's eyes. We fall down many times, yet it's all part of life, and often those times are when we grow and learn of God's closeness and love.  God is looking on us with pride and joy, too, saying, "Look at My wonderful child who is learning to live!" 

A thought: God is always proud of me, His little child.

Our Daily Grace: Joy, Our Natural State

"Happiness is our natural state. Happiness is the natural state of little children, to whom the kingdom belongs....To acquire happiness you don't have to do anything, because happiness cannot be acquired. Does anybody know why? Because we have it already."

Anthony de Mello

"Honor and majesty surround Him; strength and joy fill His dwelling."

1 Chronicles 16:27

Strength and joy fills God's dwelling, and we are that dwelling place of God.  His own strength and joy are filling us at all times.  This is our natural state, to be joyful and full of God's happiness, to be uplifted and full of God's strength.  This is our normal way of being, as God's little ones.  He wants us to run and play like a child, full of wonder, without a care in the world, enjoying all the beauties of life and all the joys found in His presence within us at all times!

A thought: I am happy like a child.

Our Daily Grace: Infinite Supply

"We have an infinite supply.  Because we're in union with Jesus, because He is in us (Someone Infinite), we have an infinite supply.  It never gives out, burns out, runs out, or wears out.  Jesus has infinite love, strength, endurance, patience, kindness, courage, hope and joy.  We live in infinite supply.  Satan isn't just defeated.  He is dwarfed.  He becomes a speck, totally overwhelmed by the Infinite One and His Infinite Power and Love and Wisdom.  We have an infinite supply!"

Malcolm Smith

"You are wonderful, Lord, and You deserve all praise, because You are much greater than anyone can understand."

Psalm 145:3

With such a big God dwelling inside, living in us and through us, every problem is just an opportunity to see Him demonstrate His power and grace.  Every lie Satan throws our way is just another opportunity for Him to trump all lies with truth and make us aware of our freedom.  We need not fear anything, since we have the Infinite One who has already defeated all evil within us!  Won't He surely show that victory?  Won't He surely live for us and triumph?  Won't He surely be our peace?  Won't He surely keep us?  He surely will..

A thought: The Infinite One lives in me.

Our Daily Grace: Permission to Fail

"Everybody fails.  We are only human. We are allowed to make mistakes sometimes. God still thinks we're adorable even in the midst of our messes. And so we can give ourselves a break and be gentle with ourselves when we fail. "

Susannah St. John

"For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust."

Psalm 103;14

God has compassion on us.  He knows that we are just mortals with weak bodies and minds.  He knows that we are frail, often confused, and sometimes troubled.  He knows we will fail and it's okay.  We don't have to be perfect to be loved or be 'alright' with God.  We're His adorable kids, no matter what.  So we can give ourselves permission to fail, knowing that no failure will change our bond with God.  He understands.  He knows how it feels to be human and live in this challenging world. 

A thought: It's okay to fail.

Our Daily Grace: Heavenly Beginnings

"Man began in God. You are the greatest idea that God has ever had!"

Francois du Toit

"My dear children, you come from God and belong to God."

1 John 4:4

We aren't simply earthly creatures.  We came from God Himself, first imagined in His perfect wisdom and adored by His loving heart.  We weren't an accident or mistake.  We were beautifully planned, loved and delighted in before we even appeared on this earth at all!  You began in the heart of God.  You are so precious, delightful and special to God, your very source and origin! You don't belong to this world but to God Himself, who thought of you and made you in His very own image.  You bear the family likeness of God Himself! You are priceless to God, His treasured and dear child.  Nothing could change that. 

A thought: My beginning was in heaven, not on earth.

Our Daily Grace: One Spirit, Perfect Harmony

"In your deepest personhood, your desires are not in conflict with God's will. Your deepest being always wants to do your Father's will, just as Jesus wanted to do His Father's will."

Dan Stone

"In our union with Him we are one spirit with the Lord."

1 Corinthians 6:17

Deep down our spirit is one with Christ's spirit;  They are in such a union that they are simply called ONE.  Deep in that inner holy place, we move in perfect harmony with Christ.  We want what He wants.  We love what He loves.  We choose what He chooses.  The deepest part of us is good because the deepest, holiest, most sacred and beautiful part of us is truly Christ, and we are one with Him there in that quiet place of rest.  We are not struggling to be better, trying to get rid of bad thoughts, or needing to turn from rebellion.  We are ONE, in perfect unity with Him.  All we want deep down is to know His love and to be a lover.  Can you see that in yourself?  Deep down, don't you want to love and be kind?  Yes, you do.  That is the real you, flowing forth from perfect oneness with Christ who IS pure Love! The deepest part of you is made of God's own Spirit of Love, so how could you be anything other than loving, too?

A thought: Deep down I am in perfect harmony with Love.

Our Daily Grace: No Pressure

"Knowing that God does not expect anything from us is the only way not to despair."

Watchman Nee

"The written law kills, but the Spirit gives life."

2 Corinthians 3:6

Trying (and failing) to measure up to religious rules (law) can leave us feeling we are never good enough, never acceptable before God.  God doesn't want us to be burdened by rules and obligations that we can't ever meet perfectly.  He wants us to rest from self-effort and be refreshed.  He wants us to know we are acceptable to Him just as we are and that He puts no pressure on us to perform.  Jesus has taken us out from under the realm of the law and has put us in the realm of the Spirit.  The Spirit strengthens and animates us from within. The Spirit reminds us we are God's dear children, loved and accepted and complete.  The Spirit flows freely like a stream and carries us along effortlessly, filling us with joy and peace.  Nothing is expected of us, for the Spirit lives and moves in us and takes care of it all, so that we can rest!

A thought: He will do it all. 

Our Daily Grace: Freedom from Rules

"I need do nothing for God: that is deliverance from law."

Watchman Nee

"Christ defines your faith.  He is your freedom from anything the law could never free you from!  Find your firm footing in this freedom.  Do not let religion trip you up again and harness you to a system of rules and obligations!

Galatians 5:1

Christ took us out from under the bondage of religious rules (law).  We are living in the new way of the Spirit, with the very life of Christ animating us from within and filling us with His love!  This is a love relationship, with no coercion, force, pressure, manipulation, guilting or shame.  If you never change or improve, you are still just as loved and just as ONE with Christ as you are right now! You owe God nothing - His love and grace and salvation are free, with no strings attached.  He asks nothing of you, demands nothing from you. You are truly free to just relax and BE in His arms!

A thought: God makes no demands on me.

Our Daily Grace: Already There

"We are all we were ever meant to be: one with the One who is Life."

Dan Stone

"We are united with the One who is genuine, united with His Son Yeshua the Messiah.  He is the genuine God and eternal life."

1 John 5:20

We are united with Christ.  We are one spirit.  Nothing more needs to be done.  Nothing more needs to be achieved.  Nothing more needs to come.  In the secret place of eternity, all is complete, all is perfect, all is well.  This is what we were meant to have, what we were meant to be - in perfect union with the One who is pure Life, Love and Light! We may not always feel it, we may not always act like it, we may not always know it, but we are always ONE!

A thought: I am at my destination - I am one with God!

Our Daily Grace: Good Creation

"Heaven and earth and the whole of creation are ample and generous, beautiful and good."

Julian of Norwich

"Everything God created is good."

1 Timothy 4;4 (MSG)

God doesn't make bad things.  All that God makes is good.  His goodness fills creation and makes and blesses every created thing.  We are ample and generous, beautiful and good for we are good creations of God.  We have dignity and worth and beauty just by being made by such a beautiful and good Creator!  His goodness infuses us, makes us who we are, holds us in existence, and blesses our lives!

A thought: I am a good person, made by a Good God.

Our Daily Grace: Aligned with God

 "In your deepest personhood, your desires are not in conflict with God's will. Your deepest being always wants to do your Father's will, just as Jesus wanted to do His Father's will."

Dan Stone

"Your spirit wants to do what is right."

Matthew 26:41

It's such a comfort to know that the deepest part of our self is not opposed to God or against God.  This deep down part is spirit, and in our spirit we are willing and choosing to follow God, wanting to do what is right.  We don't always follow through since our body or flesh is weak. Yet Jesus' words bring such comfort in knowing our spirit is aligned with God our Father.  Our spirit is in agreement with Him.  Our spirit wants what God wants and loves what God loves.  The deepest part of us is good and agrees with God, not sin.  Love is natural to us, not sin!  

A thought: I love God's ways.

Our Daily Grace: Infinite, Unfailing Love

"There is nothing you can do that would cause God to love you any more or any less than He does right now."

Steve McVey

"Oh love me - and right now! - hold me tight! Just the way You promised."

Psalm 119:76

He already loves us to the maximum, infinite amount, with His whole infinite being, and nothing can change that! When our foot is slipping, His unfailing love grabs onto us and pulls us up.  When we cry tears of hopelessness, His unfailing love holds us and gives us hope again.  When we feel so alone, He unfailing love stays with us as our Dearest Friend.  No matter what, He will be there for us. No matter what, He will love us.  There is nothing we can do to turn Him away and nothing that can happen to change His stance toward us.  He simply loves us.  And even if all others leave us, His love will never fail us, never give up on us, never let us go!

A thought: He cannot love me more; He cannot love me less.

Our Daily Grace: The Inmost Self

"There is noone in our deepest being, our inner man, that wants to sin."

Dan Stone

"I delight in the law of God in my inmost self."

Romans 7:22

Yes, we have failed.  Yes, at times we have been openly rebellious, angry, stubborn and prideful.  Yet deep down not all of our being is going along with these actions.  Deep down we really do want to follow God, be a good person, and be kind.  The deepest part of us, the inner man or inmost self, is truly good, as it is made in God's image of goodness and love.  So even in the midst of our failures, it's comforting to know those failures are not the deepest thing about us.  The deepest part of us, our true and inmost self, does love and follow God and does want to do right and resist wrong.  We are good deep down, and that gives us a sense of dignity and self-worth that is beautiful!

A thought: Deep down I want to follow God and love others.

Our Daily Grace: Sins are Forgotten

"Confession is agreeing with God about your sins.  He has blotted them out and forgotten them and so should we. I confess that I am a saint of the Living God, no more a sinner."

Marcus Chewning

"I, even, I, am the One Who takes away your sins because of Who I am.  And I will not remember your sins."

Isaiah 43:25

Jesus, the Lamb of God, took away the sins of the world.  According to God, our sins are gone because Christ took them away ad blotted them out on the cross.  They went down with Him into the grave and they didn't come up!  Confession is just agreeing with God.  We can agree with God that our sins are gone, our sins have been wiped out by Christ, and we are not sinners but saints!  God promised to remember our sins no more, so we can do the same.  We can forget our sins and start enjoying living in a loving and intimate relationship with God.

A thought: God forgot my sin so I can, too.

Our Daily Grace: Just As We Are

"Grace tells us that we are accepted by God just as we are...God loves you unconditionally, as you are and not as you should be, because nobody is as they should be."

Brennan Manning

"How precious is Your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of Your wings."

Psalm 36:7

We can all be selfish at times, and judgmental, irritable, and doubtful.  None of us is as we 'should' be.  It's wonderful to know that we don't have to be as we 'should' be in order for God to love us.  His love is for all humans, no matter what.  He loves us right now, warts and all, just as we are.  And even if we have no plans to change, make no effort, and never do improve a bit, He still loves us with the same infinite intensity and delight as always.  We don't have to be 'good' to be loved by God.  He loves us not for any goodness but just for who we are as precious, interesting persons that He created. In this moment, just as we are, we are embraced, we are delighted in, we are loved!

A thought: God loves me the same whether I act lovely or horrible!

Our Daily Grace: Unchangeable Union

 "Our union with God does not fluctuate."

Dan Stone

"In the thick of these things our triumph remains beyond dispute. His love has placed us above the reach of any onslaught."

Romans 8:37

Our union with God can't be threatened. Its in a safe place beyond the threat of damage - it's in the heart of God! Our life is hidden with Christ in God.  We are face to face with God in the place of quiet rest, in the heart of eternity, right now!

A thought: I am always in God.

Our Daily Grace: Accepted and Approved

"Because of Christ we're justified: made right with God! If you're justified by God, you're totally righteous and accepted, acceptable in His sight. You are as acceptable in the sight of God as Jesus Christ!" 

Bob George

"Clearly, through one person's disobedience humanity became sinful, and through one person's obedience humanity will receive God's approval."

Romans 5:19

Sin brought brokenness and death to the world.  But Christ's obedience brought wholeness and life to the world!  He is our representative and He brought us with Him through death into resurrection life. His death took away everything that was wrong about us and His resurrection revealed what is right about us.  Christ is our inner life, our strength, our holiness, and now we can see and live out of that.  We are accepted and we are acceptable.  We are right and we are righteous.  We are as acceptable to God as Jesus is, because Jesus is our very Life!

A thought: I don't have to try to live up to a standard; I am already accepted and approved by God!

Our Daily Grace: Christ instead of Adam

 "God found us in Christ before He lost us in Adam!"

Francois du Toit

"There is but one Lord, Jesus Christ through Whom all things came and through Whom we live."

1 Corinthians 8:6

The beginning of the human story was not Adam; it was Christ.  We were made through Him and we exist through Him.  He is the source and origin of our human life.  So our connection with Adam and his sin is strong, but our connection with Christ and His purity is stronger!  The deepest thing about us is not sin; the deepest thing about us is Christ, is righteousness, is Love.  No matter what terrible results came from Adam's fall - such as corruption, confusion, pain and death - there is a prior claim on us, by Christ!  And so Christ's death and resurrection trump all the effects of sin and draw us all into life and freedom and grace!   Hallelujah, we were in Christ before we were ever in Adam, so Christ's work cancels out Adam's in every way for us!

A thought: Christ has more claim on me than Adam ever did!

Our Daily Grace: God Loves a Party

"He turns water into wine because He doesn't want the party to end.  That's the kind of Jesus we have. He wants to keep us in the spirit of rejoicing and celebration."

Tony Campolo

"The Lord Almighty will prepare a banquet for all the nations of the world - a banquet of the richest food and the finest wine. Here He will suddenly remove the cloud of sorrow that has been hanging over all the nations.  The Sovereign Lord will destroy death forever!  He will wipe away the tears from everyone's eyes and take away the disgrace His people have suffered throughout the world. The Lord Himself has spoken."

Isaiah 25:6-8

The kingdom of heaven is an absolute party!  It's filled with joy, laughter, music and fun, and God is right in the center of it all.  He is a God who loves having a good time, loves seeing everyone happy and having fun.  He is light-hearted, full of laughs and smiles, the perfect host at the perfect party.  This party is for all people.  Those who feel excluded are always included here.  Those who are sad will have God wipe away their tears.  Those who are disgraced will find themselves graced. Even death itself is trumped by life here, trumped by the Life of the Party!  He wants us to celebrate, because He already has everything taken care of through Christ; it's time to relax and enjoy the party of God!

A thought: God's love and laughter will heal us all!

Our Daily Grace: Unending, Unlimited Love

"God loves you beyond worthiness and unworthiness, beyond fidelity and infidelity...He loves you in the morning sun and the evening rain...He loves you without caution, regret, boundary, limit or breaking point."

Brennan Manning

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness."

Jeremiah 31:3

God's love for us is like an infinite wellspring of tenderness and care, bubbling forth continually, never to run dry. We are inside the circle of His love at all times and can never get out, because this circle is infinite!  There is no way we can ever end this everlasting love.  No matter what we do or don't do, God only has one way towards us, and that way is love.  Even when we did our worst to God by killing His own Son, He still reached out to us with open arms of love.  He has proved to us that His love will never fail us!

A thought: His love for me is the most certain thing in the universe!

Our Daily Grace: Blessing

"May you have peace. May you know you are loved. May you never feel alone. May you know you are always cared for. May you have everything you need. May your feel guided every step of the way."

Jane Lee Logan (princesssassypants.com)

"The Lord will bless you and watch over you. The Lord will smile on you and be kind to you. The Lord will look on you with favor and give you peace."

Numbers 6:24-26

Long ago, God gave a special blessing to be spoken over His people.  These beautiful words epitomize who God is, full of love, kindness, protection and peace.  God still speaks a blessing over humanity, and we can bask in that blessing and pass it along, even to people who don't act in a very loving or kind way. He blesses us all!

A thought: God blesses me every day.  

Our Daily Grace: Victors, Not Losers

"Grace means that God is on our side and we are victors regardless of how well we have played the game."

Donald McCullough

"Through what He experienced, my Righteous One, my Servant, will make many righteous ones, as He Himself carries the burden of their sins. Therefore I'll reward Him extravagantly - the best of everything, the highest honors - because He looked death in the face and didn't flinch, because He embraced the company of the lowest. He took on His own shoulders the sin of the many, He took up the cause of all the black sheep."

Isaiah 53:11-12

We have all had failures and done wrong.  But Jesus took up our cause.  He bore our sins on His shoulders and carried them away, taking all the consequences for our sin, the shame, guilt and punishment that resulted from it.  So even if we may see ourselves as losers, one of the lowest, or black sheep, Jesus has made us truly righteous and innocent.  Failure, guilt, and punishment are gone and righteousness, grace and life are here!  All because of the beautiful self-sacrificing love of the innocent Jesus.  He truly deserves all the honor and praise!

A thought: Because of Jesus, even if I act like a loser, I cannot lose.

Our Daily Grace: Beloved Little Child

"The more we set our minds on how great His love is for us, the stronger we'll become!"

Bill Gillham

"Our hearts are made strong by God's loving-favor."

Hebrews 13:9

We may look at ourselves and see inadequacies and flaws; God only sees His beloved child.  Let's love on that beloved little child today that only wants tenderness and acceptance. Let's give ourselves love and think kind thoughts toward ourselves.  Let's bask in the love God has for us and just know He holds us in a warm embrace right at this moment.  Let's drink in His kindness and His joy over us, His dear ones, and feel our hearts grow strong.  Let's hear Him say, "I love you just as you are. Just as you are is perfect. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now than here with you." Let's rest in Papa's lap and let ourselves be loved!

A thought: I can feel good about being me, because that's who God loves.

Our Daily Grace: No Wrath in God

"God is the goodness that cannot be angry...There can be no wrath in God."

Julian of Norwich

"I swear an oath not to be angry with you or punish you."

Isaiah 54:9

Sometimes we can be afraid of God, fearful that He is angry with us or will punish us for our failures.  But how beautiful to find out that God promises not to be angry with us, promises not to punish us.  Jesus shows us the true face of God, and it's a gentle, kind, caring and understanding face.  A face filled not with anger but with compassion for those who have lost their way. A face so warm, tender and loving that little children were easily drawn to Him without fear. He is not wrath, He is love. He is not punishment, He is salvation. Jesus shows us He is a safe God that we need never be afraid of!

A thought: He will never be angry with me!

Our Daily Grace: Shame vs. Love

"Shame: 'There's something in the core of who I am that is worthless.' Love: 'There's something in the core of who I am that is priceless.'"

Rich Villodas

"The proof of God's amazing love is this: that it was while we were sinners that Christ died for us."

Romans 5:8

Sometimes there can be a voice of shame in our head, telling us we are worthless.  Yet Love tells a different story.  To love someone is to place value on them, to see them as precious. God, who is Love, tells us we are not worthless but are in fact priceless!  What is our worth?  Christ says our worth is equal to His own life! He would really rather die than have to be without us. And He didn't die for us once we improved ourselves; He saw worth in us, gave His life to bring us home to God, even while we were in our failures and messes. You are just as valuable as Christ and you are loved just as much as Christ. That is your value. The voice of shame is just a lie.  The voice of Love is God's truth about you!  

A thought: I am of ultimate value to God!

Our Daily Grace: Dear Holy Spirit

 "The Holy Spirit will guide you into the depths of God's wisdom and love."

David Adams

"Because You've always stood up for me, I'm free to run and play."

Psalm 63:7

The wonderful Holy Spirit is in us not to point out our sin but to point out our righteousness.  He is there not to demand something of us but to give something to us - all the depths of God's love for us.  He is there not to accuse us, but to defend us against the accusing voices of shame and guilt. He is so strong and powerful against any foe, deflecting all lies and building us up in the truth of our belovedness, value, and security in God!  Because He is protecting us, encouraging us, pouring out God's love on us, we are free to live like a child in the summertime, running barefoot in the fresh green grass without a care in the world!

A thought: I am free like a child!

Our Daily Grace: Always In God

"God is closer to us than our own soul...for our soul sits in God in true rest, and our soul stands in God in true strength, and our soul is naturally rooted in God in endless love."

Julian of Norwich

"I'm in the very presence of God - oh, how refreshing it is!"

Psalm 73:28

Wherever we are, we are enveloped lovingly in God.  No matter what we face, we are resting safely in God. No matter what we do, we are anchored strongly in God.  We are living in the presence of God at all times. He is like a great tree that shades us with His sheltering branches. He is like the very atmosphere we exist in, like an endless sea of love we are swimming in. This sheltering presence, this living atmosphere, this sea of God's Being, is pure Love, delighting in us, tenderly caring for us, always on our side, always our friend. How wonderful it is to be IN God at all times!

A thought: His presence refreshes me at all times, even when I cannot feel this.

Our Daily Grace: Always in His Grace

"My dear darling, I am glad that you have come to Me in all your woe. I have always been with you, and now you see me loving, and we are made one in bliss."

Julian of Norwich

"We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that He has already thrown open His door to us.  We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand - out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise."

Romans 5:1-2

Julian of Norwich struggled with feelings of shame and guilt for sins she saw in herself.  She went through all sorts of rituals of confession and repentance, trying to make up for her sin and find a sense of being okay with God again.  Yet when she turned to God, she found Jesus telling her that He had been with her the whole time, loving her, accepting her.  When we turn to God, we find He is already turned toward us and in fact, He never turned away from us at all.   We don't need to do any rituals or jump through any hoops to get back on God's good side when we fail.  We are always on His good side! He is always for us, loving us, friends with us, open toward us, and our connection with Him is always intact, no matter what we do.  We never go out of His presence or out of His grace!

A thought: My relationship with God is always intact.

Our Daily Grace: A Friend Inside of Us

"Jesus came to give us the courage to trust and allow our inherent union with God."

Richard Rohr

"Now I stroll at leisure with God in the sunlit fields of life."

Psalm 56:13

He has always been with us, always been the Friend inside us, even when we didn't realize it.  Jesus came as Emmanuel, God With Us.  He proved that God was always for us and that nothing would stop Him from being our Friend.  Humanity killed Jesus, but He just came out of the grave with His arms open wide in love, acceptance and forgiveness!  His Spirit is in our hearts as a constant Companion, sharing every moment with us, reminding us that we belong with God and will never be alone.  It's so good to relax, knowing He is in us, loving us, being our friend, walking with us through this life!

A thought: God walks with me.

Our Daily Grace: What's Right With Us

"I will focus on what God declares is right with me, and that my life is hid in Christ! He and me united as one...how amazing is that!"

Lydia Grewell

"The secret of your life is your union with Christ in God."

Colossians 3:3

Instead of thinking about what we believe to be 'wrong' with ourselves, we can be still and retreat deep within our spirit to where we are one with Christ, tucked away in God the Father.  In that safe place we can hear the words He tells us, reminding us what is right with us - that we are righteous, holy, beloved, blessed, held, victorious, safe, that we are His dear children always in union with Him!  This is the secret: we are one with God, right with Him and perfectly loved, no matter what - right now and forever!

A thought: I will focus on what God says about me.

Our Daily Grace: Run Like a Child

"Play and run like a child! Your Father's heart is set on you and on the purpose of thrilling you with His love."

June Melanson

"He stood me up on a wide open field - I stood there saved - surprised to be loved!"

Psalm 18:19

He loves surprising us with His love at every turn, thrilling our hearts with His great affection for us.  We are in the wide open fields of God's grace and love, free to run and laugh and play like a carefree child! The experience of such love and acceptance and security gives the feeling of being a child once again, for we are always dear little innocent children in His presence. This is God's heart for all people, His dream and desire, that we would run free and dance and feel like exuberant children in the sunshine of His perfect love! 

A thought: I'm dancing with God in fields of grace!

Our Daily Grace: Open-Hearted

"He revealed a beautiful and delicious place, ample enough for all humanity to rest in peace and love - in His sacred heart."

Julian of Norwich

"Our hearts are wide open to you and we speak freely, holding nothing back from you...for we carry you in our hearts with great love.."

2 Corinthians 6:11-12

Just as Paul told the believers that his heart was wide open to them, God's heart is always wide open to us. His great heart is full of compassion, tenderness, loving care and understanding.   He has great affection for us, is always open and friendly and welcoming.  In fact, His heart is so big and spacious that it holds all humanity within it, wrapped in love and grace! Even if we close ourselves off from God in confusion or anger, He is ALWAYS open-hearted towards us. We do not need to change His mind about us; He already adores us and is ready to do anything to help us!  What a great heart that holds us all so tenderly!

A thought: He carries me in His heart.

Our Daily Grace: Christ Is Joyful In Us

 "Nothing can take away our joy in Christ!"

Anne Cary

"Your hearts will rejoice, and noone will take your joy from you."

John 16:22

He is our joy.  In Him we have an untouchable, permanent joy that can't be removed, no matter what the circumstance.  Our joy is a person, Christ, who is in us and for us, always happy with us and always filled with rejoicing in God's total victory over this world. He is the author of joy, and He is so light-hearted, full of smiles and laughter in us!

A thought: I have the joy of Christ bubbling up inside me!

Our Daily Grace: Take Heart

"You will not be overcome."

Julian of Norwich

"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

We are in Him, we are His responsibility. Whatever we face in this world of trouble, He is taking care of it. In fact, He has already overcome it.  He will cause us to see and experience that victory. He is here, the One who conquered everything, even death.  He is infusing us and our situation with all His life, strength, peace and victory.  We will not be overcome.

A thought: He has already won this battle for me.

Our Daily Grace: Every Tear

"Hear His word spoken to your heart: "Shalom, be at peace, I understand."

Brennan Manning

"You have seen me tossing and turning through the night. You have collected all my tears and preserved them in Your bottle!  You have recorded every one in Your book.

Psalm 56:8

Our dear brother Jesus has lived on this Earth.  He knows how challenging it can be to make it through each day.  He understands all our troubles, worries and sorrows.  Every tear we cry is precious to Him, every single hurt we feel is hurting Him, too.  We are not alone in our difficulties and griefs. He is here.  He feels it all right along with us.  And He is wrapping us in His arms of peace, comfort and love right now.

A thought: He understands.

Our Daily Grace: God of Help, Not Hurt

"God isn't punishing and hurting us; God is helping and healing us."

Susannah St. John 

"He does not willingly bring suffering or grief to anyone."

Lamentations 3:33

Our dear Father God is only good to us and only does good things. He is never punishing, causing bad circumstances or bringing pain. He is not the cause of suffering; He is the remedy for it. He is right there suffering with us, taking the pain onto Himself and transforming it to good, carrying us through, delivering us from evil and bringing ultimate victory over it. He only wants to help!

A thought: God will never hurt me.

Our Daily Grace: Treasured in Christ

"God chose you when He planned creation."

Barry Adams

"God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and His Spirit has made you holy."

1 Peter 1:2

God chose us to be His very own long ago, before the universe even existed!  He already had us in His heart and in His mind as the beloved children He adored.  He already knew us long ago in Christ. Rather than hoping to find God, we can truly say we've always been with Him in Christ from before time began. God has always been holding on to us and we have always been included in the love and joy of God!

A thought: God wants me, God chooses me, God treasures me.

Our Daily Grace: Safe in the Almighty

"I'm safe, safe inside Your love."

Steve Archer

"His huge outstretched arms protect you; under them you're perfectly safe."

Psalm 91:4

We are not vulnerable.  We are not in danger.  We are not at the mercy of every wind and storm that comes.  We are SAFE.  We are in the shelter of the Almighty, in the safest place of all. It's not that anything could happen to us.  It's that nothing could happen to us without going through His hands first. So it isn't coming to me, it's coming to God. And if it comes to God, He's going to handle it, and in fact He already has. We are safe!

A thought: I am safely resting in the strongest arms of all.