underserving

Walter Astrada - photojournalist

this thought has surfaced my mind here and there the last few weeks...how we are undeserving, completely. We don't deserve to have a great husband, sweet baby, great parents, family, good friends, a roof over our heads, abundant food, etc, etc...the only reason we have it is by God's grace.

Today in my daily parenting email, some very relevant words:

Deut. 6:10-12: When the Lord your God brings you into... a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery (NIV).

- It is so easy to take credit for the good things we acquire. But, we must not forget (or let our children forget) that all of our material possessions are blessings that God, in His grace, allowed us to have.

- Despite what our culture may tell us, we have not earned our material blessings. There are others in less fortunate parts of the world who are far more deserving.

- Others have worked harder for less, yet still humbly accept the blessings God gives them as more than they deserve. (bolding mine)

- Humble yourself and thank God for the blessings He gives you.

(Parenting By Design, Chris & Michelle Groff)

man, oh man, how often i forget to humbly thank Him for what I, we, have.

Edify one another...with cake?

"valleys" continue to be on my mind, especially when I see a friend or loved one in a valley. They definitely are inevitable, valleys come.

As I think of friends in valleys, they surface my thoughts constantly throughout the day, I pray for them and then I try to act. Maybe a phone call, text, email or cake.

One friend said sometime ago how much she loves my apple cake and guess what? I bought apples on the weekend. Why? They were on sale, February is Apple Month.

The Valley came. Apple cake is in the oven.

As I was mixing the cake this morning, the scripture came to mind "edify one another", a piece of a verse in Romans. I also like this verse from 1 Thessalonians 5:11: Therefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another, even as also ye do. (NKJV)

This time, I Edify with cake, and pray that those in the valley can know Jesus is with them, "walking" (Psalm 23:4) with them through the valley.

As Dr. Charles Stanley put it:

- The deeper the valley, the greater the work God will be able to do through it.

- We learn more in a valley experience than we do on the mountain top.

- In hard times, we are far more likely to discover how to rely on God than when things are going well.

- The most significant seasons of spiritual growth

in your life have probably corresponded with the

hardest circumstances you have experienced.