1 Thessalonians: Grace & Peace

Study of 1 Thessalonians

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:1

Grace: favor, disposed to, inclined, favorable towards, leaning towards to share benefitPeace: wholeness, i.e. when all essential parts are joined together; peace (God's gift of wholeness). "The tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is."
http://biblehub.com/interlinear/1_thessalonians/1-1.htm

Note where the grace and peace are generated — "from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ". For only true grace and pure peace can come from God. 

How does this specific greeting impact the recipient? A greeting reminding one of the grace and peace that God offers and supplies freely, will calm the turmoil of the physical life and the soul. 

Grace and Peace. 
FROM God OUR Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

May you receive God's gift of grace and peace today. 

Blessings Celebration Day!

This morning, I was thinking back over the past 16 years, and one thing that I LOVE is remembering the creativity of God in suppling each and every need and the fun surprises along the way. 

The details that God orchestrated to make sure everything was in place at just the exact moment it was needed. From places to stay, to Drs, to paying for medications, to the much needed fun adventures — including a ride in the Goodyear Blimp! (Yes, that REALLY happened!), to friends who came along side to support, encourage, and one very special friend who drove me to appointments whether in state or out of state. Just when I thought that God couldn't surprise me ..... He would! 

Only God could take a "grand stand" ticket and make it into a HOT PASS at a NASCAR race. (That was just awesome!) Only God could make a pharmacy pay for my medication. (YEP! And it was an EXPENSIVE one too.) Only God ......... 

so many cool and amazing gifts, adventures, and wonderful ways God each and every need.

I love taking time each year to reflect on God's amazing goodness. Each year, I continue to be overwhelmed the blessings that God has given me. I am a Princess of the King of kings, and I am blessed abundantly!

Thanks Living. Taking time to remember all that God has done. 

Thanks Living. Taking time to praise God for His goodness and blessings.

Today is the 16 Anniversary of my back injury. Today is not a day to focus on the pain, rather a day to focus on all the amazing and wonderful blessings God has given me over the past 16 years.

Please join me in my Blessings Celebration! Let's count our blessings... name them one by one!

Misplaced Trust

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 146. Here is what I learned.

Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no help. Psalm 146:3 (AMP)

Do not put your ·trust [confidence] in princes or other people, who cannot ·save you [give you victory]. Psalm 146:3 (EXB)

Do not put your trust in the rulers of this world—kings and princes. Do not expect any rescue from mortal men. Psalm 146:3 (VOICE)

Yesterday, I held an “Apartment Sale”. I spent the last 2 weeks preparing for the sale. Pricing the items, organizing the clothes, posting signs, etc. I was SURE I’d make “LOTS” of money to help me pay some bills. I mean, this was the perfect way to earn some money! But I only sold 2 things and the first person bought the items BEFORE the sale day, the other person bought a set of storage units, and she was at the sale to help me with the sale. 

So, actually, no one came to the sale. I was frustrated. I thought for sure this was a great way to get some money. But then this morning I read Psalm 146:3...... Do not put your trust in other people.... for there is no help! 

God is NOT limited to a 2 hour window of selling items. God is more creative than an “apartment sale” to supply my needs. I have to remember that God is wiser and has unlimited ways to care for me. 

Do not trust in other people...... for the supplier of my needs. I’m to trust in God ONLY! For only God knows my needs and can supply exactly what I need at the time needed. 

So, what a bout the “Apartment Sale”? I do believe that God would have me do what I can to sell the items. So, I’ll try a few more times. But even if I don’t sell anything else, I know that God can and will supply my needs, for my hope and trust is not in other people. 

To create a positive day, I need to make sure I don’t have misplaced trust—people cannot help me—God is the only true and honest source of help. 

God is so Creative!

One thing which I have enjoyed over the past 11 years, since my injury, is seeing all the creative and fun ways God uses to supply my various needs. This week, once again, God supplied in a very fun and creative way. 

Since February of this year, I've lost 56 pounds through a diet program offered by my Chiropractor. Therefore, all the clothes that WERE in my closet were too big. I needed to buy smaller sizes. YEAH!

A local thrift store chain was having a 50% off sale, so I visited several of their stores in the area. WOW... the deals I found! 

I was able to buy: 5 cardigans, 6 dress shirts, 3 pair of dress pants, 2 pairs of jeans (green/black), 1 pair of shorts, 3 light jackets, 1 windbreaker, 1 fall jean jacket, 1 winter jean jacket (lined) and 1 winter coat (with removable liner). And the best part of it all—was the price! All this for UNDER $75.
When I see what I was able to buy—and that a new winter coat would have cost that much—WOW!!

Very thankful that God provided a SUPER SALE, so that I could buy some nice clothes and coats for the coming months. The sale was one way God used to supply my needs.

But God was NOT done supplying!

God had a VERY special
SURPRISE waiting for me! 

As I was sorting all the "new" clothes for either the laundry or cleaners, I went through all the pants pockets. And that is when I found the surprise God had waiting for me! In one of the pockets there was a $20 bill! 

I had to stop and realize all the DETAILS that God had to work out, so that He could give me that $20! 

• the person who donated the pants, had to leave the $20 in the pocket. 
• each person who inspected the pants at the thrift store, had to "miss" the $20. 
• not sure if anyone else tried on the pants, but if they did, God had to "keep their hands out of the pockets". 
• I had to pick that pair of pants to try on... and buy. 

Just thinking of ALL the details that God took care of to give me a surprise of $20 to help me buy 'new' clothes—once again shows His awesome care and love for me. 

When I think of all the creative and fun ways

that God supplies my needs,

it is VERY easy to CREATE a POSITIVE day!

Superabundantly!

I received a notice to stop by the apartment office to sign a new lease due to a change in a formula used to determine my disability rent reduction. I wasn't sure what that really meant. 

Today, on the way to my Chiropractic appointment, I stopped by the apartment office. The manager brought out the new lease....and my rent has been LOWERED! Yes, God has provided $5 per month due to the rent reduction. But that's not all! I also was given a CREDIT! So, God provided $50 plus the additional $5 per month for the next few months.

Once again God uses a VERY creative and unique way of providing! I've been on disability rent reduction for about 5 years now, and never has my rent decreased during that time...it usually increases each year. Never could I imagine my rent being reduced MID-LEASE! But God is not bound by disability rent formulas or time! He is ABLE to do EXCEEDINGLY ABOVE all we can ask or THINK!! 

"Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]." Ephesians 3:20 Amplified Bible

So, let's recap so far.....

• March 9th I bought the new MacBook (Screen Went Dark; March 11th).

God has provided money the following ways:

1. The money I had saved for a new Wacom Tablet.
2. The discount at the gas pump (God did it AGAIN!; March 22nd).
3. The gift from friends via the mail (Hugs!; March 27th).
4. Rent reduction and credit (today).

I wonder what God has planned
for the balance due on the MacBook! Stay tuned!!

I'm so thankful that God is so creative! It sure encourages me to continue creating positive days!

Hugs!

There were some tweets going around on Twitter the other morning, about giving and receiving hugs from friends. The tweets were encouraging people to go hug someone. I thought, well, "I'm single, who am I to hug and who will hug me?"

It didn't take me long to begin receiving HUGS—from God! First, God shared a hug through Max, my parakeet. Max was extra loving and silly throughout the morning. Max's antics made me laugh. 

But God wasn't done yet.

Then the mail arrived. I received an encouraging and kind note from some friends. That was a warm hug from God. 

But God still wasn't done! God had prompted those friends to send some money toward the new MacBook! Now that was a "BEAR HUG" from God! God continues to supply the money for the new computer....and He is supplying in creative and encouraging ways!

But God still wasn't done!

A friend called, she was in the area and wanted to drop off some groceries! And you know what? When she brought the groceries by... she gave me a hug! That was a double hug!

God loves me, and that includes sending hugs!

Receiving hugs from God creates a very positive day!

God did it AGAIN!

Once again, God provided in a VERY creative way! I love it when God does things out of the ordinary to supply my needs. It's so cool!!

Today, I needed to buy gas for the car. I normally buy it at a gas station near my chiropractor. But when I left his office tonight, I was so excited with my weigh-in results (see below), that I drove the opposite direction from the gas station. I soon realized my mistake, but figured I'd just stop at another gas station I pass on the way home.

I stopped at the station, got out and scanned my gas credit card. Then there was a question on the screen: "Do you want the $1.64 g/ discount?"

I stood there trying to figure out what it was asking, then looked at the price of the gas: $4.399 per gallon! YES, I want the discount. I pressed "yes" then this message appeared: "Car wash is not available, but you will still get your discount." So, I paid only $2.759 per gallon!

My car took 9.775 gallons to fill the tank. So, God provided at total of $16.03 today!! How cool is that???

If you read my last post about my computer dying, I mentioned in the last paragraph, that God could supply the money all at once or little by little. Today, God provided $16.03! I'm not sure what I like best...that God provided the money or the way He provided the money.

________________________

Oh, and now about my weigh-in results. On Feb 6, 2012 I posted: "Changing to Improve" about a new diet plan my chiropractor is offering. As of today (March 22nd) end of week 6, I'm down a TOTAL of 14 pounds and I've also lost inches and fat and gained lean muscle mass. I'm so excited that this program is working for me. I still have more weight to lose, but I'm heading the right direction.

Creating a positive day is taking notice of when God provides for my needs—especially taking notice of His very creative ways!

God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good!

46 Cents

It's 6:30 am, and I'm doing laundry. It's a great time to do laundry, since most of the people are either going to work, or still sleeping. The loads are in the washers right now. 

After getting the washers going, I usually check the dryers before I head back to the apartment. If the doors are shut, it can cause moisture to build up; therefore, I open the dryers to that they can dry out, before I need them. 

This morning

as I opened one dryer door,

I found a surprise!

There were coins in the dryer...46 cents to be exact. Now, we don't use coins to run our machines anymore, so the coins must have fallen out of someone's laundry. Since it was in plain site, the person who removed the clothes would have seen the money.. but left it anyway. Perhaps to them 46¢ isn't much. 

What is 46¢? It was one quarter, a dime, a nickel and 6 pennies. Perhaps not much. However, this morning it was a GREAT reminder that God can provide in MANY ways! He can take care of bills all at once, or 46¢ at a time!

I think that God had fun "planting" that surprise for me this morning. He knew that I needed a reminder that He knows what is happening and that He is in full control! He hasn't forgotten me. He hasn't been ignoring me. Rather, He's been planning a surprise!

46¢—no, it won't pay a bill, or even pay for a load of laundry. However, it was EXACTLY what God knew would get my attention and was the EXACT amount to show me that God will provide in His way, in His time. 

Creating a positive day isn't about the amount of money you have. Rather it's knowing that God knows exactly what you need, and will supply those needs in His time, in His way. The only thing I have to do is be a good steward of what He gives me and trust Him to take care of the rest.

Relying fully on God

is the most positive experience

I can imagine!

Update to "Responsibilty or lack of faith" post

On August 19th, I posted a blog about being responsible with my money and then trusting God to supply the rest. Here is an update to that post.

For the past few years, someone has been sending me "air conditioner" money each summer. It helps pay the increased electricity costs during the summer months when I have to use the air conditioner. This year due to various circumstances in that person's life, I wasn't expecting it. However, last night I learned that the "check is in the mail!". It should arrive just in time to pay part of this months electricity bill! God continues to supply in His way and in His time.

When praising God, it's easy to create a positive day!