Girls To Grow

Nurturing moms in their walk with God

8 Outstanding Characteristics of God: A Study of Psalm 145, Part 2

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Welcome to the blog today! I hope this last week in January is going well for you.

Our girls are now back at college. I rode down to Florida with them on Saturday and flew home on Sunday. Their first day of classes was yesterday, and I’ve been praying for a smooth start to their semester. Meanwhile, it’s pretty quiet here at the house. There’s no one moving around upstairs or hanging out in the sunroom and I’m back to cooking for just two of us.

A couple of weeks ago I started a study in Psalm 145. We covered the first seven verses and talked about praising God with enthusiasm. Today we’re going to delve into verses eight through fourteen.

This is a great passage if you like to use Scripture to praise God during your prayer time. We’ll talk a little more about that at the end. But first, let’s delve into eight characteristics of God that we see in these verses. You can read Psalm 145:8-14 in your Bible if it’s handy, but I’ll also post the verses throughout the post.

Check out these eight characteristics of God from Psalm 145 that will lead us to praise Him for who He is.

The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. ~Verse 8

1.God is gracious.

He has chosen to love us and to extend His favor to us. We’ve done nothing to earn or deserve His grace, yet He gives it freely.

2. God is full of compassion.

I like the use of the word “full” here. God doesn’t just have a little compassion; He is filled with it.

3. God is slow to anger.

Can we just park here for a minute and give thanks for this? Surely we’ve given God many reasons to be angry with us. How often are we faithless or disobedient or self-dependent? Yet our God is patient and longsuffering.

4. God is merciful.

Again, we’re given a description of this characteristic. His mercy is great or abundant.

The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. ~Verse 9

5. God is good to all.

God is good. May we never doubt that simple truth. And He is good to all. We read several times in God’s Word that there is no respect of persons with God. His goodness extends to everyone.

All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. ~Verse 10

6. God is worthy of our praise.

He’s our Creator, Redeemer, Savior, and Lord.

They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. ~Verses 11-12

7. God is powerful.

He has done and continues to perform mighty works, acts that can only be attributed to an omnipotent God.

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. ~Verse 13

8. God is eternal.

Our God has no beginning and no ending. He is everlasting.

In the verses above, we read about our great and mighty God. And then we reach verse 14.

The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.

The majestic, amazing God who is all-powerful and has dominion over all condescends to reach down to support us and lift us up. He’s our sustainer when life is hard. He gives us strength to overcome the obstacles we face. He lifts us up and gives us peace and hope when we’re discouraged.

There’s such a rich treasure trove of knowledge about God in Psalm 145! Here’s a brief prayer of praise based on these verses.

Dear God, Thank you that you are characterized by grace. You show us favor and kindness in so many ways every day. I praise you for your heart of compassion that allows you to sympathize with our sufferings. You are slow to get angry with us and your mercy toward us is great.

You are good. All that you are and all that you do make you worthy of my praise. You are a powerful king who will reign over all forever and ever. Thank you that when I stumble, you are there to catch me. When grief or pain or despair cause me to bow down, you raise me up. You alone are worthy of my love, my praise, my adoration.

Let’s rejoice today that we serve a God worthy of all our praise!

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5 Fun Finds for January 2022

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Hello on this chilly Friday morning! We have the potential for freezing rain here later today, so the local schools transitioned to online learning and some businesses are closing early. Thankfully I had planned to stay inside today anyway! Our girls are here packing up since they head back to college tomorrow.

Five Fun Finds is a monthly feature I usually send out to email subscribers, but I thought I’d bring it over to the blog today. (Click here to subscribe to my email list and receive weekly updates and other content.) So here’s my list of five things I’m enjoying this January!

This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra charge to you. Thank you for supporting Girls to Grow through your purchases!

1. Adidas Women’s Essentials Fleece Sweatshirt. If you’re looking for a classic sweatshirt, then this one is for you. It’s warm and so soft on the inside. I would say it runs true-to-size; I got the Medium and it fits a little loosely, but that’s how I like this type of top to fit. If you’re between sizes, you could probably size down. I ordered the Halo Blush/White, which is currently on sale, but as you know with Amazon, the price could change at any moment.

2. The Piano Guys rendition of Grow as We Go on YouTube. This is such a sweet daddy/daughter duet – tugs on the ol’ heartstrings!

3. Gorilla Grip Easy Pour Spout Mixing Bowls, Set of 2, Red. When we moved recently, I tried to replace some of my kitchen basics. This set of mixing bowls is reasonably priced and they’re sturdy and easy to clean. And a bonus find – if you find yourself in need of new measuring spoons, this Set of 6 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons are great quality.

4. Air Fryer Chicken Wings (super crispy). I bought my husband an air fryer for Christmas, and we’ve been trying different kinds of food in it. These wings are one of my favorites so far.

5. Barefoot Dreams Heathered Throw Blanket. We keep a few throw blankets scattered around the family room, and I have claimed this one as mine. 🙂 I picked it up at Nordstrom Rack (which is the site I linked to) because I’d heard how great these were and knew that the sale price was a good one. They no longer have the color I bought – Cream/Dove – but they do have it in other colors. It’s on Amazon also, but as soft and warm as the blanket is, I personally wouldn’t pay that price for it.

I’ll be driving down to Florida with our girls tomorrow, and then saying goodbye to them and flying back home on Sunday. As my mother says, life is a series of happy hellos and sad goodbyes. It’s been such a joy having them home for these five weeks and our house will be way too quiet without them here!

I hope you stay warm and dry wherever you are today and are able to enjoy your weekend!

5 Helpful Steps to Parenting Your Teenager Well

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Happy Wednesday! I hope you’re having a good week. We’ve got chilly morning temps, but nice bright sunshine today!

January’s not typically my favorite month. I feel like it drags by some years, but not in 2022. I think it’s because our girls are still home from college on break. By the time they head down to Florida this weekend, there’ll only be a week left in the month. Time does fly, as they say!

I’m taking a break from our Bible study in Psalm 145 today for a quick post about parenting teenagers. I have less than a year left now as the mom of a teenager! Looking back, I can say it’s been the most challenging period of parenting so far, but also the most rewarding. Like other stages of parenting, I had some preconceived notions that didn’t prove to be true. And that’s not only on the bad side but also the good!

As I see other parents currently raising teenagers, I have much empathy. Once you’ve walked that road, especially with more than one child and her unique personality, you understand the struggles (and the joys :)) that come with the territory.

Here are five basic steps that I hope are helpful for all of us as we seek to parent teenagers well.

Check out these five things we can do to parent our teenagers well.

1. It starts with prayer.

Parenting children of any age can be challenging. But as we seek to train these almost-adults, we see more than ever our need for God’s wisdom and direction. So we claim the promise in James 1:5 and ask God to give us the wisdom we need.

God has given us the responsibility of training our children, but only He can change their hearts. We can pray that God will keep their hearts tender, open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

2. Be aware.

I’m reminded here of the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31. In verse 27, it says, “She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.” I read this as she knows what’s going on with her family members. She’s involved in their lives and making sure their needs – physical, emotional, spiritual – are being met.

Now your teens may or may not be super communicative about what’s happening with them! Offer to take them out to eat with their friends or invite their friends over to your house. At church or school activities, watch how they’re interacting with other kids and adults. Notice if they seem to be struggling or hurting in some way.

3. Act on what you observe.

If you see an area where your teen needs help, be willing to address it with them. And here’s where I would throw in that timing is everything. In the car on the way to school in the morning is probably not the best time to have a heavy conversation. You know your teen and can figure out a time when they’re more open to talking and listening. And don’t go into the conversation like a bulldozer! Be gentle but direct.

4. Make sure your motive for what you say and do is love for your teenager.

Whether directing or correcting your teen, make sure it doesn’t become about you or your reputation or what other people think. It should be about your teenager and their heart.

One of the many great things about my dad was that I never doubted that he was acting out of love for me. I knew that he only wanted what he truly believed was in my best interest. Even if I didn’t agree with him, I never doubted his motive.

5. Find a way to have fun with them.

It’s easier to have those hard conversations with our teens when we’re in the habit of taking time to just enjoy being with them. Figure out what they like to do and do it together. Shoot jump shots in the driveway, shop at their favorite store, go fishing, watch a movie, try rock climbing or some activity neither of you has done before. You’ll make some great memories and build trust in your relationship.

If you’ve guided your children through the teen years I’d love to hear any advice you have for other parents. I’m certainly excited about this next stage of parenting young adults – I’m sure I have a lot to learn!

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5 Ways to Be Consistent in Bible Reading and Prayer

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It’s Friday, my friends! We’re actually looking forward to a long weekend since my husband’s off work on Monday. That equals more time for house projects to get done 😉

There’s likely been a time in our Christian lives when we set a goal or expressed a desire to be consistent in reading our Bible or in our prayer life. Maybe it was at the start of a new year or season or perhaps we were challenged by a pastor to develop those spiritual practices.

It can be easy to begin those habits, but sometimes hard to maintain them. Let’s look at five tips that can help us be consistent when it comes to spending time in God’s Word and in prayer.

This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra charge to you. Thank you for supporting Girls to Grow through your purchases!

Check out these five tips that can help us be consistent in spending time in God's Word and prayer.

1. Use a devotional book or reading plan.

There could be times when you just want to sit down with your Bible and choose a place to start reading. But I find that it’s most helpful to have a plan of some sort.

That could be a devotional book. I’m currently working through Betty Henderson’s book Selah – Studying God’s Songbook which is a study in Psalms. Alternatively, you could use a reading plan like Annie F. Down’s Read the Gospels Every Month. Or use your own study, where you’re digging into a specific passage or studying a certain Bible character. Knowing what you’re going to be doing before you start can help you follow through.

2. Track it on an app or with some other method.

A lot of people use habit trackers. It could be an app or just a piece of paper or a chart you create to check off each day that you read your Bible and/or spend time in prayer. I would call this inner accountability and it’s a good motivator for some personality types.

3. Have a set time and place.

I had to choose my place when we moved into our new house. I keep the basket with my Bible and my journal nearby. And for me, it has to happen first thing in the morning. Otherwise, my day gets started and I’m highly unlikely to go back to it.

4. Find an accountability partner.

Maybe tracking progress by yourself isn’t enough. You might need outer accountability. Ask your spouse, an older child, or a friend to check in with you once a week and ask if you’re keeping up with your Bible reading.

5. Tie it to a habit you already have.

James Clear talks about this strategy in his book Atomic Habits (which I highly recommend). Here’s an example. Last year one of my daughters told me that she wasn’t going to check Instagram in the morning until she’d had her devotions. Checking Instagram was something she already did every morning. Not allowing herself to do that until she read her Bible would help her establish the habit.

Maybe you have a cup of coffee every morning. Could you have your devotions while you drink your coffee? Think about something you do each day and figure out how to connect your Bible reading and/or prayer time to that activity.

Why do we even care to be consistent with these practices? Becase we know that spending time in God’s Word and in prayer will help us to grow in our faith and become more like Christ.

What helps you stay consistent in these areas? Let us know!

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Enthusiastic Praise: A Study of Psalm 145, Part 1

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Hello, friends! How’s your week going? In a quick personal recap of 2022 so far, I met four of the five weekly goals I set for myself last week. I didn’t make the 10,000 steps for three out of the seven days. However, I’m off to a better start this week – I’ve already done two days! I’m enjoying learning my way around our new neighborhood as I walk outside.

We’re starting something a little different on the blog today. I’m going to do a three-part Bible study in Psalm 145. This is one of my favorite Psalms and I love what we can learn about God from it. There are 21 verses, so we’ll tackle seven of them each Wednesday for the next three weeks.

It’s a little different format from what I usually do, but I hope it’s an encouragement to all of us! I’ll ask a few questions each time that you can answer on your own. Those will be in bold lettering.

If you have your Bible close by, feel free to read Psalm 145:1-7 before you continue reading the post. If not, I’ve written out each verse before the discussion.

Let's dive into the first seven verses of Psalm 145 and look at how we can praise God.

Verse 1: I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

I looked up the word “extol” and it means to praise highly or enthusiastically. This makes me think of when I’ve had a great meal at a new restaurant. I’m likely to tell friends and maybe even strangers about how delicious the food was and the fabulous service.

Do we praise God like that? Do we eagerly tell others how He’s blessed us? Are we sharing how we’ve seen Him work out a particular problem in our lives?

The second half of the verse talks about blessing God’s name. God’s name is used very carelessly these days, but I hope we make a point to reverence it. And one reason is that praising His name is something we’ll do forever and ever. Very little of what we do here on earth will continue to be done in Heaven, but we’ll still be praising God a million years from now!

Verse 2: Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

How often should we praise the Lord? According to this verse, every day.

Why do you think it’s important to praise the Lord daily?

Something we do every day will affect our lives. It helps us keep our focus on praising God.

What are some practical ways that can we bless the Lord?

I would say through prayer, with music, or by taking time to write out our praise of God. What would you add?

Verse 3: Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

Our God deserves our praise because He is great. We will never be able to fully understand His greatness. It’s displayed in His works, both what we experience today and what we read about in His Word. God’s characteristics also remind us that He is great.

Verse 4: One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

What is our responsibility toward our children in regards to praising God?

We set an example by how we live, by praising God in front of our children. Tell them about how He has worked in your life. Yes, tell them about past experiences, but also current ones. Praise Him for answered prayer this week. Use stories, songs, and even writings to pass our faith along to the next generations

Let’s look at a couple of other passages related to this principle.

Psalm 78:2-7

“I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:“

We’re to show the generation after us the praises of the Lord and His strength. Our obligation is to share with them the wonderful works He’s done.

“Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;” ~Deuteronomy 4:9

Rehearsing with our children what God has done keeps it fresh in our own minds. It keeps us looking for opportunities to see God work.

Let’s look at verses 5-7 as a whole.

Verses 5-7: I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.

List five things about God from these verses that we can speak or sing about.

According to Ellicott’s commentary, “abundantly utter” means to pour forth in a stream. Barnes’ Notes says it’s to gush out or flow like a fountain. Is that how we talk about God’s goodness or, as Matthew Poole calls them, God’s never-to-be forgotten blessings? Does it come flowing out of us? That’s something for us to desire for our lives, a constant stream of praise to our God!

As we go through our day today, let’s make it a point to find ways to praise God enthusiastically!

Please feel free to share your answers to any of the questions above in the comment box below!

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5 Simple Ways to Start 2022 Well

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Welcome to Girls to Grow today! Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a long-time reader, I appreciate you starting off your year here!

Do you like new beginnings and fresh starts? I think many of us do. There’s something exciting about leaving behind what was and looking ahead to different possibilities. The new year is always a good time to evaluate habits and patterns that might be dragging us down and look for ways to make our lives better.

With the next twelve months stretching out in front of us, we want to make decisions today that will benefit us for the whole year. Here are five simple ways we can get off to a good start.

This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra charge to you. Thank you for supporting Girls to Grow through your purchases!

Check out these five easy tips for getting the new year off to a good start.

1. Pray and ask for God’s guidance.

Prayer is the best way to start any new venture! Ask God to make His path for you clear and plain in 2022. (You may want to check out this list of ten things to pray for when you’re seeking God’s guidance.)

2. Submit to what God may have for us.

We don’t know what God has in store for us this year. However, we can begin with an attitude of humility, willing to accept whatever lies ahead.

3. Make plans, but hold them loosely.

I’m a planner and enjoy laying out trips and celebrations and even just weekly lists of things to accomplish. But I need to remember that God is ultimately in control. His way is best for us. When a change in plans occurs that’s out of our control, we need to trust that He is at work. He is an all-wise God who loves His children.

4. Prioritize people and relationships over productivity.

Hello, me. Checking off that to-do list is a great motivator. But sitting down and focusing when my husband or one of our daughters wants to talk is much more important than finishing my project.

5. Set yourself up for success by establishing helpful routines or habits.

If you haven’t read Atomic Habits by James Clear, I highly recommend it. He shares many practical strategies for establishing good habits. In whatever area we want to see growth or success this year, we need to have a plan in order for it to happen.

I’ve marked the new year in lots of ways in the past. I’ve chosen a word of the year or written out goals for various areas of my life. The last couple of years I’ve done Gretchen Rubin’s lists, like “21 in ’21,” making a list of 21 things I wanted to accomplish in 2021.

This year I’m keeping it very simple. I have five goals I want to accomplish each week.

1. Read one book a week.

2. Take 3 pictures a week using the 1 Second Everyday app.

3. Post once on the blog and send one subscriber email per week. (I hope to do more, but definitely want to be consistent with this part.)

4. Walk 10,000 steps 3 times a week.

5. Write out a prayer weekly. I need to work on my prayer life. Taking time to write out a prayer is helpful for me. It causes me to really focus on what I want to communicate to God.

Have you set any goals for 2022? Are you working on any new habits? I’d love to hear more about it! I hope 2022 is a year of rich blessings and spiritual growth for all of us!

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The 10 Best Books I Read in 2021

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Some of the links in this post are Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra charge to you. Thank you for supporting Girls to Grow through your purchases!

Happy 2022!! I hope you’re enjoying the weekend as we start off a new year. We were with friends till about 10:30 last night, then came home to ring in the New Year. We’re spending January 1st getting things done around the new house.

In last week’s subscriber email, I shared the top ten blog posts on Girls to Grow in 2021. (You can sign up here if you’d like to be on the list to receive those emails.) I’m just going to take one more quick look back at last year through the lens of the books I read.

2021 was the first year I kept a list of all the books I read. I think I’d tracked the number of books before but never the actual titles. I read 49 books – almost made it to an average of one per week!

Over the last six weeks or so, I missed reading. With moving and all the projects that needed to be done, along with our girls coming home from college and celebrating Christmas, I didn’t make the time. However, I finished my last book while we were on vacation this week and it ended up being in my top 10!

So here are the ten best books I read in 2021. The list is a mix of fiction and non-fiction and goes in order of how I read them throughout the year.

The ten best books I read in 2021

1. Fast. Feast. Repeat. by Gin Stephens. I was curious about intermittent fasting and this book got me started on that eating plan this year.

2. The Cul-de-Sac War by Melissa Ferguson. This is a cute modern-day fiction romance. I actually just gave it to my 19-year-old daughter for Christmas as my girls like actual copies of books they enjoy rather than just e-reader versions.

3. The President Will See You Now: My Stories and Lessons from Ronald Reagan’s Final Years by Peggy Grande. I’m a big Ronald Reagan fan and I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It’s written by the woman who was his executive assistant after he left the White House and is very poignant and moving.

4. Unscripted by Davis Bunn. I’ve read many of Bunn’s books and this was a good one.

5. Chasing Shadows by Lynn Austin. Nikki encouraged me to read Lynn Austin’s books a while ago and I’ve read several. This one that released this past summer was a favorite.

6. Empty Besting by Kristi Huss. I’ve read several books on the empty nest and I really liked this author’s perspective.

7. The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W Tozer. This one was so good I read it twice in 2021. The chapters are short but offer so much insight into God’s character.

8. The One You’re With by Lauren K. Denton. Here’s a fiction story where the main characters are an older married couple! Loved that I could relate to their season of life.

9. Lady Jayne Disappears by Joanna Davidson Politano. I just discovered this author a couple of months ago and highly recommend her books. I think I’ve read all but one now. This is the one I just finished and it was excellent. Each story has a bit of romance and a bit of mystery. They’re all set at specific periods in history.

10. The Next Right Thing Guided Journal by Emily P. Freeman. If you enjoy journaling or would like to give it a try, this is a great book to use. The prompts are very thought-provoking. I completed the journal for 2021, and just ordered a new one for 2022.

What’s the best book you read last year? I’m always looking for new books to read!

I plan to be back to regular blogging next week. I loved what another blogging friend shared this morning – let’s hold loosely to our plans and tightly to Christ in 2022. Here’s to a great year ahead for all of us!

Merry Christmas 2021!!

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Happy almost Christmas-Eve Eve!! I hope you’re well and able to take some time during the next couple of days to really enjoy the season and celebrate the birth of our Savior.

I don’t normally take this much time off from posting on the blog, but it’s been a whirlwind of a month! We closed on our new home on Monday, December 6th. Since it’s only a ten-minute drive between our old house and the new one, my husband and I made a number of trips moving boxes and smaller items ourselves. Movers came and moved our big furniture on the 8th. We got everything out and the old house cleaned on Saturday the 13th. Sunday we met the new owners and handed them the keys.

It was actually a fairly emotional transition for me. We lived in that house for 14 years. It’s where our youngest started kindergarten and graduated from high school. So many memories were made there and it will forever be the place we remember as our daughters’ childhood home. I put a picture and post on Instagram; you can find it here if you’d like to read more.

Since then it’s just been a matter of trying to get settled into our new home. The main living areas are mostly put together. My husband has been the best, hanging light fixtures and ceiling fans and pictures on the walls! Then our girls got home from college last Thursday night. It’s been wonderful to have them home and settling into their own rooms.

Thankfully I had almost all my Christmas shopping done before the move. I took the afternoon and evening just before the girls arrived to wrap everything. Our only decoration this year is the Christmas tree, but it’s nice to have that plugged in out in the sunroom.

We’re traveling for a few days around Christmas, so I doubt I’ll be writing much before New Years. However, I look forward to being back at the beginning of the year with new posts here at Girls to Grow.

Before I sign off, I wanted to leave you with a thought my husband shared with our Sunday School class last weekend. It’s from Luke 2:10-11

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.“

The good news, the gospel, is for all people. Yet it says “for unto you is born…” It’s personal. The good news is for you. The truth is that Jesus, the Son of God, was born to be your Savior, to take the punishment for your sins, that you might spend forever in heaven with Him. That’s the joy of Christmas! God loved you so much He sent His Son as a gift – yes, to the world, but for you.

Thanks for making it through my life update and being patient with this little blogging break of mine! From our home to yours, I wish you a very Merry Christmas!! May the love of friends and family and the good news of Jesus’ birth bring you joy and peace this Christmas season!

Emmanuel, God With Us Then and Now

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Happy December!! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are entering this new month with joy and anticipation as we look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus.

Today is our older daughter’s 21st birthday! I won’t even go into all that stuff about “Where does the time go?” and “How did we get here?” but it’s definitely all true. I feel very blessed to have had a front-row seat to watch her grow and mature into the amazing young woman that she is. I’m excited to see all that God has for her future!

While our girls were home from college for Thanksgiving break, our younger daughter was playing some Christmas songs on the piano. One of them was “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” It got me thinking about the name of Jesus, Emmanuel, as it’s given in Matthew 1:23.

“ Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.“

God with us. He took on the form of the human beings He’d created and came to live among us. And all for us, so that He could save us, redeem us from our sin, and have us live with Him in Heaven for ever.

While Jesus is no longer here on earth, we know from the Bible that God is with us. It seems like such a simple truth, yet how profound. Yesterday I had to do something that was outside of my comfort zone. I reminded myself several times throughout the day that God was going to be with me in it.

Let’s look at five Scripture verses that talk about God being with us.

1. “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” ~Joshua 1:9

Launching out into something new? God is there. Changing locations or jobs? God is with you. He will give you strength and courage so you don’t need to be afraid.

2. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” ~Isaiah 41:10

I love that this verse doesn’t say that He will be with us, but that He is. That’s present tense and it means right now. And, just like in the verse above, because His presence is with us, we don’t need to be afraid.

What kind of things might make us afraid? My husband’s been traveling a bit lately which means nights at home alone, so that can be kind of scary. But there are a lot deeper things than that. An uncertain future. A lack of money to pay bills. A sick loved one. Losing our own health.

Those are all real fears, but God is with us in each and every one. He says He will help. He doesn’t want us to be afraid.

3. “…and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” ~Matthew 28:20b

God is with us always. There’s no expiration date on His presence in our lives.

4. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” ~Psalm 23:4

God is with us at our lowest points, even in the valley of the shadow of death. Not only is He with us, but He brings comfort.

5. “The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” ~Zephaniah 3:17

That God would rejoice and sing over me is almost beyond my understanding. How much He loves us!

As we enter this Christmas season, let’s thank God for sending His Son to come and live with us. And then let’s also praise Him that He is with us today. He gives us strength, courage, and comfort so that we don’t have to be afraid.

[Just a quick note. We’re scheduled to move into our new home next week, so I may miss publishing a blog post or two during the transition. We’re not going far – just into a different neighborhood a few miles away – but there’s still lots of packing and then unpacking happening! Thanks for understanding.]

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14 Things We Can Thank God for This Thanksgiving

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Happy Thanksgiving Eve!! If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, I hope your preparations are in full swing. I’m cooking my turkey today and also putting together a couple of the casseroles to store in the fridge so they’re ready to slide into the oven tomorrow. I’ve got one daughter making the pumpkin pie and the other daughter making an apple pie, so desserts are covered!

This week I’ve been reading through some Psalms that describe who God is and what He does for us. Yesterday I was in Psalm 34. I wrote down a list of all the things that particular chapter tells me about God.

As we slow down and focus on gratitude during this season, I came up with fourteen things we can thank God for from this passage. I’ve included the specific verse along with the blessing in case you want to go through and read it for yourself.

Psalm 34 gives us a list of 14 things that we can be grateful our God does for us.

1.He hears us. [Verse 4]

2. He delivers us from all our fears. [Verse 4]

3. He saves us out of all our troubles. [Verse 6]

4. His angel encamps around us. [Verse 7]

5. He blesses us as we trust Him. [Verse 8]

6. He will supply our needs as we fear Him. [Verse 9]

7. When we seek Him, we won’t lack any good thing. [Verse 10]

8. His eyes are on us. [Verse 15]

9. His ears are open to our cries. [Verse 15]

10. He’s near when our heart is broken. [Verse 18]

11. He saves us when we have a humble spirit. [Verse 18]

12. He delivers us from affliction. [Verse 19]

13. He redeems His servants’ souls. [Verse 22]

14. We won’t be desolate if we trust in Him. [Verse 22]

I hope that each of us will take some time alone with God tomorrow to thank Him not only for our many blessings but also for how faithful He’s been to us, in the good times and the hard ones.

Now before I get to that turkey, I wanted to say how thankful I am for you, my blog readers!! It’s truly a blessing that you take time to read here on a regular basis! I’m so grateful for your support and wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving!

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