Our Angels Deserve So Much Credit

I am so grateful that God constantly doles out His mercies for giving me daily content for my blog. On Thursday, he doled out His mercies to me as I was making my way to Austin to spend a few days with my children. I try to leave by 6 am to beat the Dallas traffic but the rain, all the way to Austin, slowed me down. Thank God it did. As I arrived in Waco, the flow of traffic going southbound was at a stand-still. Eventually, I turned my engine off and waited. I googled the issue and found “Southbound lanes closed on I-35 due to muti-vehicle accident. Traffic could be stalled up to an hour until vehicles are removed." I prayed “Lord please help those involved.” And, as I prayed that simple prayer, I realized, that the rain had helped me to NOT be in that pile up. Thank God for His tender mercies AND, thank God for my angels and the many times that I know, without a doubt, that angels were on duty for me. So why haven’t I given them more attention AND shown more appreciation to them for taking such good care of me?

As I start to write this blog, I remember the old song: “All night, all day, Angels watching over me, my Lord. All night, all day, Angels watching over me.” Wow! Appearances of angels in the Bible and even, today, we hear stories about the occurrence of angels in people’s lives. Why don’t we give them more attention, and for that matter, more gratitude for their presence in our lives? I have been reprimanded big-time as I write this blog. I am so sorry, my dear Guardian Angel. Now, I’m brought back to remembrance of those times when I know, without a shadow of doubt, my Guardian Angel was on duty for me.

It must have been my angel who came between the other car and mine when I was almost run into. I know it was my guardian angel keeping watch over me when I nearly drown at a young age. Or when an angel kept me from falling many times. And, the times that I did fall, my angel must have cushioned the fall because I have never had any broken body parts. I humbly ask for forgiveness for failing to express gratitude to my angels. Or when an angel, just recently, stood in the way of a semi-truck that almost, within inches, hit my children’s vehicle and RV.

I’ll never forget this story from my now 19-year-old grandson’s baby-sitter who fessed up about an angel showing up when she baby-sat Payton. She held the story in for so long. She shared: "When I was 11 years old, I was taking care of Payton who was only about one year old. I was feeding him goldfish crackers, when all of a sudden, he started choking. I patted him on his back, raised his hands in the air, but nothing seemed to help. He started turning blue. I was crying and so afraid, when all of a sudden someone burst into the room and stuck their finger into his throat and pulled out the cracker. Payton quickly recovered and was just fine.” She cried and cried as she told her Mom the story later that night. Her mom was with us the night she shared that story with us. She went on to share how sorry she had held that story in so long, but as she saw Payton serving God and being such an amazing servant that she knew God's hands were on him and just had to share the story.

I’m sharing this blog today, to voice my gratitude to my Guardian Angel and all other angels who have been assigned and on-duty for me far more than I can imagine, I’m sure. Their hands have been full as I’m not much of a sit-down-and-do-nothing kind-of-gal. Perhaps, I’m also writing this blog as a love-letter from God to remind YOU to give credit to where credit is due in your life, also. Maybe God is raising our spiritual antennas to recognize where thanksgiving and praise is due.

“For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:11).
”For it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning you to guard you carefully.’” (Luke 4:10)
”The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7)

Easter and the Hopes for Tomorrow

I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I do know WHO knows and as long as I maintain my "God perspective" on just about everything this life doles out, I know I will make it through every triumph and even what may look like a tragedy. How do I know that? It was because of what happened YESTERDAY! Christ rose from the dead. We celebrated His miraculous Comeback Story, and BECAUSE HE LIVES, each of our days can be filled with hope and expectancy.

This Easter weekend was filled with many personal triumphs:
1) After a delay from the hailstorm which resulted in a new roof before closing on the home I was buying, we finally closed on Good Friday. It was a GOOD, Good Friday. Oh, yes, my God perspective, gives God the credit. "Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father...." James 1:17

2) 2) To some seeing my girl belting and singing out "Hosanna" in her church's Easter production on Saturday and Sunday, could be just be an ordinary occasion, but I know that girl was miraculously healed from cystic fibrosis as a baby, and now those lungs have great capacity to declare "By His stripes, I was healed". I Peter 2:24. Oh, yes, my God perspective, gives God the credit. This was the first song she wrote, sang and produced. It talks about God's Brand New Life! This new life was for her and you and me today! http://staciwallace.com/brand-new-life/

3) Yesterday, it was an early morning drive for me to Austin to meet up with my boys at church. Big brother, Barrett, did a great job seeing after the boys, then Nana took over. It was a beautiful Easter service with Ryan and Shawntel's dearest friends, Pastor Ryan and Dana Malouff, at their gorgeous church building that was miraculously given to them and their congregation, after having had services for three years in a school. "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones." Luke 16:10. Oh, yes, their/our God perspective gives God the credit.

4) Remembering 5 years ago, that Ryan and Shawntel were at the Boston Marathon -- Ryan ran the marathon and Shawntel was in the grandstands. Ryan just passed the Finish Line, when the bomb went off directly across the street from Shawntel. They were both supernaturally protected. Today, he'll run that marathon again, and once again, I am afforded the peace and protection of my kids that comes with my God perspective. "For He will give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways." Psalm 91:11

I loved Pastor Ryan Malouff's words in his Easter message: "Jesus said He would be back, but the disciples didn't believe Him. They forgot that He had never lied to them, so why would this be a lie?" If Jesus said it, it will be. Hebrews 10:23 says "Let us continue to hold firmly to the hope that we confess without wavering, for the One who made the promise is faithful." It's time to stop listening to the voices that say "You can't" and it's time to tell those voices to be silent. Oh, yes, our God perspective causes us to look at each day as miraculous, because the Risen Lord keeps His promises.

A New Appreciation of Christopher Columbus

Day 107 of Photo Inspirations -- A New Appreciation for Christopher Columbus
Interesting that my devotion for today was about the disciples travelling on rough seas and they were so afraid....then came Jesus walking on the water and said, "It is I; be not afraid".

We're having such a great time aboard this beautiful ship -- the Regal Princess. So much to see and do.  This is the first time in my cruising experience where they had to re-route us because of rough seas and weather.  We were supposed to have arrived in Nova Scotia Canada tomorrow but because of the expected weather issues we had to go ahead and start Easterly-North-Easterly to avoid the low pressure system.   So instead of the 3-feet of snow we were going to encounter in Nova Scotia, we're headed to Portugal where it is year-round 70s weather.  So, there weren't too many disappointed.  But, it means we'll be an extra 3 days at sea.  From there, we head to Ireland.  I'm really looking forward to the exciting places we're headed to.

The Captain just gave us an update.  We passed Bermuda last night.  There is nothing but sea ahead of us now for several days and we have 950 miles to go until we get to Portugal.   Now there is a high pressure system that is causing the South Easterly system which is causing the rough seas.  Thanks be to God -- we're all staying healthy, even though the rough seas made us feel like we were about to tip out of our beds last night, and with my walking on the treadmill -- instead of swinging my arms, I'm holding onto the rails of the treadmill so I won't fall off.  LOL!   My routine is to go to the Fitness Center each morning and do my usual walks/jogs on the treadmill. It's too windy to walk up on deck.
So, back to my appreciation for Christopher Columbus.  I can't even imagine what it must have been like to step out in such faith and in such a small sailing vessel to venture across the seas and oceans to America.

And I can't imagine what it was like for Jesus' disciples when they came upon those rough waters and then saw Jesus coming to them walking on water saying:  "Be not afraid".  I believe those are His words to us.  No matter the circmstances we're facing.   Those circumstances and challenges are no match for Him Who is our Water Walker and He says to us "Be not afraid!"  Those words are good enough for me!  Why should we worry or fear?

And this was the scripture in my journal for this day!  I think it says it all!  "For He shall give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways..."  Psalms 91:11.