Grace Freely Bestowed

"Grace : Favor, kindness, mercy, etc.," Webster's Dictionary

"..to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ( Jesus) In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished on us ." Ephesians 1:6-8

I was moved by a blog-post from Cora* on grace and thought to quote some of it but decided you could read it for yourself in it's entirety.You'll be blessed and encouraged.I hope you're able to appreciate the grace freely given to us if we know Him as our personal Savior!

Our Days Are Like Grass

Daphne in bloom, bees abounding. Our front garden is much in need of weeding after all the rain.

"As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes, when the wind has passed over it , it is no more; and its place acknowledges it no longer, but the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children who keep His covenant.." Psalm 103: 15-18

~Daphne, blooming in our front yard.~ " He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:10 - 12

~Little birdbath surrounded by Lady's Mantle, rhododendrons, and ferns.~

I hope your Sunday is glorious, and you have time to reflect on your many blessings no matter what your circumstance and life situation today...you have each day as a gift, and each day CAN be a new day and beginning ! Seek wisdom where it can be found, in Him. "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. " Isaiah 40:8

DUCK ! The Sky Is Falling !

~~~"DUCK !!!! The sky is falling, the sky is falling !" Oh dear, the ducks are ducking. What can the matter be ? Ducks...what is the matter ? "We heard a rumor, quack, quack ! Henny Penny said the economy has collapsed, there will be a global meltdown, crime is up...jobs are lost, the election spells disaster...war and rumors of war..QUACK ! And the sky is falling !" I guess I'd better check things out.~~~Hmmmm, well, there are some storm clouds looming on the horizon, but the sky seems to hanging in up there. " Let us be of good cheer, remembering that the misfortunes hardest to bear are those which will never happen." James Russell Lowell ~ I think I will see where this Henny Penny is and what is going on .~~~

~~~" Quack, quack. Thanks for taking care of us. Let us know when we have to duck....we'll be under the bird feeder cleaning up all the seed the birds drop."~ "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more worthy than they ?" Matthew 6:26 ~~~Annabelle, have you seen a Henny Penny around ? " Cluck,squawk ! You mean that feather flapping hen that runs around like a chicken with her head cut off ? The one screaming about the sky falling ? The one who yelled we would all be ruined and starving and homeless ?" Yes, I think that is the one. " I don't know where she is, and good riddance to her, causing all us hens so much stress we almost didn't lay our eggs today. We did enjoy our morning feed though, and after a nap we laid a few eggs for you." Oh, thanks...I guess I'll gather up the day's eggs. "~"For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat , or what you shall drink, " Matthew 6:25

~~~Wow, you all did a fine job of laying eggs today. Thank-you! " Do not be anxious then, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink ?'or 'With what shall we clothe ourselves?' Matthew 25:31

~~~Doves, have you seen a hen called Henny Penny around here ? " You mean that little biddy that shouted 'the sky is falling and your baby will starve, and the ..." , yeah, I mean that one ! "Yup, coo, coo....but we don't have time to talk, coo, coo...our baby is waiting for her meal...coo, coo.....thank-you for our daily seed. Cooo......."~ " Fear can keep us up all night long, but faith makes one fine pillow." Philip Guiloy ~~~Ahh, your little one is growing quickly. She is a pretty dove, and soon will be on her own !~ "Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of it's joy." Leo Buscaglia ~~~Valkyrie, have you seen a frantic little hen called Henny Penny ? " You mean the one screaming the sky is falling and the world is coming to an end and it is all a big conspiracy and...?" Yes, that's the one. " She ran off toward the neighbors'....you know, the ones with the really big dogs....the dogs that ate our ducks a few years ago...and by the way, could you give me some more alfalfa ? I am feeling like a mid-afternoon snack, that alfalfa is really good. Baaaaa.." Oh dear. I think the little hen is in for a more immediate crisis. I can't be traipsing all over the place today, I have cooking and cleaning and spinning and laundry to do. The little clucker will have to fend for herself. ~~~Candy Cat ! Have you seen... " Meow. I saw the little Henny Penny. The dogs next door invited her over to their place to tell the world about impending doom. They said something about CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, sending their newsmen to interview her. She's clucking and squawking up a feather storm right now. I think...purrr........meow, I will have a cat nap. " Candy Cat , aren't you worried ? "Meow. I have cat food in my bowl, a warm place to nap, and YOU to take care of me. I am not going to worry today...purr..........." "For peace of mind, resign as general manager of the world." Author Unknown ~~~Well, the sky is in the heavens, I have paid the bills this month, I have food for awhile and a place to sleep....and all anyone really has is today. Thank-you God for Your many blessings.~~ "Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden." Corrie Ten Boom

~~~"And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life's span?...Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of it's own." Matthew 6 34 ~~~ ~~~"Every evening I turn my worries over to God. He's going to be up all night anyway." Mary C. Crowley

Reflecting at Cedar Pond

~The weather yesterday was untypical of our area. We should be getting damp and cool weather. Today we are supposed to have record highs for Washington. I think I will take my morning coffee pond side , watch the ducks, listen to the birds and reflect on my many blessings.

Here is my chair overlooking our pond.~The ducks know that when I sit down in this chair with a cup of coffee, I might also have snacks to toss into the water. "If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck,looks like a duck, it must be a duck." "If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, we have at least the possibility that we have a small aquatic bird of the family anatidae on our hands." Don Adams 

The ducks preen and clean themselves after a swim in the pond.

~With this warm weather we still have frogs and snakes around the pond. This little frog is sunning himself in a flower pot of lobelia. He stayed put here for hours.

~When I take the time to JUST SIT A SPELL, something I rarely seem to do, why then the world seems to gain a little perspective. My best places to think are pond side or watching my sheep and chickens. I read and write or just think when I take the time to sit. For the last year and a half, peace has been important, not the peace that comes from tranquilizers,or vain pursuits. Peace that comes from meditating on God and His mercies. His blessings, His ways..which are most surely NOT our ways.....

~"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy, And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." James 4:17,18~