grace

Gifts Multiplied

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

For those who have accepted

the beautiful gift of grace

 

our words should be gracious

 

For those who have accepted

the unmerited gift of mercy

 

our actions should be merciful

 

For those who have accepted

perfect love unconditional

 

our love should should come without strings

 

For those who have accepted

redemption from darkness impenetrable

 

our attitudes should reflect intense light

 

What precious gifts, these!

 

Who we are in Christ should be a gift

to those we come into contact with

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Whoever loves a pure heart and whoever speaks graciously has a king as his friend.

– Proverbs 22:11 (GW)

 

Pleasant words are like honey from a honeycomb— sweet to the spirit and healthy for the body.

-Proverbs 16:24 (GW)

 

Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!

– Luke 12:48 (MSG)

 

Each of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand Him better.

– Colossians 3:10 (CEV)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

I’m So Sorry

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

I’m sorry, friend,

that you’ve felt the heavy weight

of an evangelical’s judgment

 

I’m sorry that Jesus’ followers

have made you feel less-than

and turned their backs on you

 

They’ve treated you rudely,

they’ve elevated themselves

 

and all you wanted to do

was run away from them

 

I’m sorry, friend,

that you were not welcomed

by the ones who accept God’s grace as their own

 

I’m sorry that when you entered church

you were made to feel excluded

from their sickeningly righteous club

 

I’m just so sorry…

 

As a follower of Christ

as an evangelical

as a Christian

let me say a collective “Please forgive us”

 

It’s not the way it’s supposed to be

It’s not what God would want

 

He would have reached out to you

 

to YOU!

 

and would have had harsh words

for the piously off-putting

 

those who are religiously clean on the outside

but dead and rotting on the inside

 

There was a time

when I didn’t get it either

 

I didn’t “get” grace

 

I was saved by it

but I didn’t get it

 

I looked down my nose at Christians and non

without even realizing I was doing it

 

I thought I needed to set everyone straight

 

But then Jesus lovingly and straightforwardly

showed me

my self-righteous hypocrisy

 

Realizing my attitude

I started to change through His Spirit

 

and to put thoughts of condemnation for others

out of my mind

 

replacing them

with Holy Spirit led love

for each and every one

 

by

His

grace

 

Now

I don’t want to point out

and think about

all the flaws people have

 

I just want to point them to Jesus

the One who will welcome them

 

completely

lovingly

graciously

unconditionally

 

I believe that when you start to understand grace

you realize that everyone is in the same boat

 

all of us need it

and need to be lifted out of our mess

by a gracious God

 

Judgment of another person

shows hardness of heart

 

an arrogance

 

The one who is forgiven

and saved by grace freely given

 

has no room

to look down

on a single soul

 

but should stand solidly on Truth

hold tightly to our relational God

and extend the love and grace

extended to him

 

Grace –

It

is

all

God’s

 

given to us

and extended through us

 

– Susie Stewart

 

**I am thankful to say that I am part of a church where people are welcomed and treated with grace.  I have, though, experienced churches where this was not the case.  And I don’t like hearing about people who are not used to going to church being treated badly by those in the church.

 

Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

– Matthew 7:1-5 (MSG)

 

God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

– Ephesians 2:8,9 (NLT)

 

As He was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

They were trying to trap Him into saying something they could use against Him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with His finger. They kept demanding an answer, so He stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then He stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

1“No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

– John 8:3-11 (NLT)

 

You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You’re like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it’s all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you’re saints, but beneath the skin you’re total frauds.

– Matthew 23:27,28  (MSG)

 

 

Pride’s Barb

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

When it comes to pride

there are two sides

to the coin

 

One side

is arrogant

self-reliant

bold

 

The other side

is self-depricating

self-loathing

apathetic

 

BOTH are centered on SELF

 

And when it comes to God’s grace

freely given to all

 

Pride sets itself up

against it

 

You either think

you don’t need God

and rely on who you think you are

 

Or you see yourself

as a worthless failure

never able to approach Him

 

Both reject grace

 

missing the point of it

completely

 

and walk away

from God’s extended hand.

 

This need not be

 

Grace draws in

those who would humble themselves

 

before God’s divine,

sacrificial love

 

Grace is free

but you must lay down your pride

and accept it

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].

– Hebrews 4:16 (AMP)

 

Now God has us where He wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all His idea, and all His work. All we do is trust Him enough to let Him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join Him in the work He does, the good work He has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

– Ephesians 2:7-10 (MSG)

 

And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.

– Romans 11:6 (NLT)

 

And He gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

– James 4:6 (NLT)

 

Photo by Arik Stewart

Flexibility

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

We who have Light

dwelling in us

 

of all people

 

we should be the most flexible

 

Pliable

bendable

unhardened

 

toward God

and people

 

For when we follow our Savior

He takes us places

 

where stiff cannot dwell

 

The free-flowing Spirit of God

needs to breathe through us

 

And this requires flexibility

 

to things unknown

to changes in schedule

to people unreached

 

Flexibility is a Spirit of God walk

in an uncertain world

 

It is love

when unexpected

 

It is Yes

when No is probable

 

It is the joy of the Lord

encompassing

all relationships

and circumstances

 

Live unbreakably pliable

 

– Susie Stewart

 

And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.”

– James 4:13-15 (MSG)

 

As a prisoner of the Lord, I urge you: Live a life that is worthy of the calling He has graciously extended to you. Be humble. Be gentle. Be patient. Tolerate one another in an atmosphere thick with love. Make every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit has already created, with peace binding you together.

– Ephesians 4:1-3 (VOICE)

 

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow Me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed Him.

– Mark 1:16-18 (NLT)

 

Photo by Andy Stewart

 

 

Haven

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

I desire, Lord,
for our home
to be a haven

For Your sweet love
humor
peace
grace
joy
and forgiveness
to fill its walls

I stand in defiance
with You, Lord,
against enemies
who would seek to destroy
to corrupt
to sever

And I know this is Your desire, God,
for it is Your Spirit
that bonds
the lives within these walls
together

Imperfect humans
clinging to our perfect King

serving
one another
in love

Our home haven
is also
a battleground
and worth fighting for
these precious ones
and
these sacred loves

on my knees

– Susie Stewart

 

And the Spirit makes it possible to submit humbly to one another out of respect for the Anointed.
– Ephesians 5:21 (VOICE)

 

If anyone fails to provide for his relatives, and especially for those of his own family, he has disowned the faith [by failing to accompany it with fruits] and is worse than an unbeliever [who performs his obligation in these matters].
– 1 Timothy 5:8 (AMP)

 

“And I will be for you as a father, and you will be for Me as sons and daughters,” Says the Lord Almighty!
– 2 Corinthians 16:8 (VOICE)

 

Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.
– Colossians 3:12-16 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Grace

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

God, Your grace

it is so far-reaching

 

It touches all that I have done wrong

and all that I will do wrong

 

It covers all of life

and breath

 

All is grace

 

For even my faith

is because of Your grace

 

And thankfully

it can’t be nullified

 

Even on my less than stellar days

Even when I fall on my face

 

Grace is still grace

 

If it weren’t,

it would be dependent on me

 

And it isn’t

 

Grace is not a teamwork thing

with me and You, God

 

It’s all You

 

Let me never think that Your grace

is earned by me

 

For Your grace is a gift,

never earned

 

Only gratefully received by me

 

– Susie Stewart

 

* These thoughts came from my friend Nicole Rowell in a study on Ephesians.  I just re-worded a bit.  Nicole, thank you for your insight into God’s Word and His amazing grace!

 

But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

– Ephesians 2:4-10 (NLT)

 

And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.

– Romans 11:6 (NLT)

 

For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift].

– John 1:16 (AMP)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Consequences

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

You are wading,

trudging,

struggling,

in consequences

 

The consequences of your choices

 

And you know that you’ve found freedom

in the confession

 

But the consequences…

 

The result

of your choices

 

they are heavy

and far-reaching

and inevitable

 

and you must wade through

 

the heavy murkiness

that tugs at you

even as you are enveloped in God’s forgiving grace

 

Be strong in Him

keep taking responsibility for the pain caused

and accept that consequences are real

 

We all must face them

 

Except when it comes to our Savior

 

He took our consequences

 

All the consequence of our sin

weighed heaven and earth-sized on His shoulders

and He trudged through the murky waters

until there was

one

last breath

 

and He had drown

in our consequences

 

Thank You, dear Lord.

 

Dear friend, when you find yourself

knee-deep in consequences

 

stop and thank the Lord

 

that He will not leave you stuck in sin,

that He gives grace to the humble,

that He died for you

and

that He truly brings freedom

 

And know that because of HIM

you will not drown in your consequences

– Susie Stewart

 

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

– Isaiah 43:2 (NLT)

 

And He gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

– James 4:6 (NLT)

 

If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].

– 1 John 1:9 (AMP)

 

But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.

– Romans 6:22,23 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Grief & Grace

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

But in thinking about love and grief we must be careful not to confuse either with that sentimentality which is part of cheap grace.  The kind of loving grief I’m talking about involves acceptance of the precariousness of life and that we will all die, but our wholeness is found in the quality rather than the quantity of our living.  Real love, between man and woman, friend and friend, parent and child, is exemplified for us in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ who offered us and still offers us the wholeness of that costly grace which gives us the courage for healthy grief.

We live in a time where costly grace is what makes life bearable; more than bearable – joyful and creative, so that even our grief is part of our partnership in co-creation with God.

– Madeleine L’Engle

 

For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.

– Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NLT)

 

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

– Psalm 24:18 (NLT)

 

God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

– Matthew 5:4 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Gracious

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Divine Graciousness

is what I desire

 

A gracious attitude

of the heart

 

showing

in the most difficult

of circumstances

 

showing

with the most difficult

of people

 

showing

so that the world knows

it’s not me

 

But YOU

 

for You are gracious

humble of heart

slow to anger

abounding in love

 

Gracious to those

who don’t deserve it

 

Grace personified to me

showing through to them

 

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Let your speech at all times be gracious and pleasant, seasoned with salt, so that you will know how to answer each one [who questions you].

– Colossians 4:6 (AMP)

 

A Christian must always be kind, gracious, and wise in order to conquer evil by good.

– John of Kronstadt

 

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!

– Isaiah 30:18 (NIV)

 

But the Eternal One was gracious and compassionate toward them. He was good and turned His face to them because of the covenant He had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Eternal, true to His promise, had protected them and remained near them until now.

– 2 Kings 13:23 (VOICE)

 

And you know, when you’ve experienced grace and you feel like you’ve been forgiven, you’re a lot more forgiving of other people. You’re a lot more gracious to others.

– Rick Warren

 

Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for He is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.

– Joel 2:13 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

OJ & Life

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

A glass of orange juice

knocked over the breakfast table

all over me

 

Sticky liquid splattered

my beginning of the day

outfit

 

Server youth, red-faced  and apologizing

brings another orange juice

 

We take some of  breakfast with us

a great oblong cinnamon toast cracker

ready to eat

 

Falls to the ground

and shatters into pieces all broken

 

We head for a change of clothes

and

a fresh start

 

Wouldn’t you know it

thumb burns

on hot flat iron

 

It was a rough start

to the day

 

And some days are like that

 

And some days

start

with more

than an orange juice in your lap

 

Some days bring a splattering

of hopes and dreams

 

And some days

start

with more

than cinnamon toast all over the floor

 

Some days bring a shattering

of what you thought

your future would be

 

And some days

start

with more

than a burned thumb all painful

 

Some days bring a burn intense

red hot

to your tender heart

 

But whatever the intensity

whatever the circumstance

whatever the heartache

 

God’s grace will carry you

His strength will hold you

His love will envelope you

 

Each day has the potential

for trials

large and small

 

Let His grace be everything

for you

– Susie Stewart

 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

– 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

 

Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].

– Hebrews 4:16 (AMP)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart