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!