Monday's Writings....6/20/16

Good morning...

I hope and pray you had a blessed weekend- whether alone or with family and friends- I pray that you recognized God's beauty and love in the small things that surrounded you. I have asked the Lord to give me eyes to see all of the details of blessings that make up my day. Starting with the sunshine - even when we can't see it- it is still there. Just like God's love for us.   

God bless from
Corinne

The Devotional component in the Monday Writings of Women's Focus Ministries is titled, "All These Tears" and was written by Mary M. Wilkins.  She discusses the happenings of the past week. We have seen a lot of sorrow this past week and Mary opens up her heart and shares tenderly about grief, fathers, and finally, God's plan to heal our hearts in today's devotional "All These Tears." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Today's Devotional   

"All These Tears"
by
Mary M. Wilkins

I have spent the last few weeks feeling very emotional about everything. A little thing went wrong at work- I cried. Drove through a beautiful country scene- I cried. Thought about my distant family- I cried. Heard from my kids about their happy plans- I cried. My husband asked me if I was okay- I cried. When the massacre happened in Orlando- I was overwhelmed with sorrow for the families. I could so easily imagine myself in their shoes. I cry when I think about how difficult relationships are because people are very complicated, our feelings are so strong, and our perspectives are subjective.

Then Father's Day was upon us. I thought of all of us who have lost their dads to death. I thought of the men who have always hoped to be a father and that day has not come. 

"He was my best friend."

"I wouldn't have made it without him."

"He didn't say it very often- but I know he loved me."

"He worked long hours and never talked about what he would rather be doing."

"He gave us everything that he could give."

"He did the best he could."

These are some of the things I have heard people say about their dad. Their relationships weren't perfect- but they were valuable.   

Not all fathers are equipped to be what we need. Really, noone can be all that, all the time. But there is still a part inside of us- that wants to find the love and acceptance which our heart's desire from the person we called dad. 

One of the things I really admire is when a man takes the time to impart wisdom, patience, and understanding to others. It's even more impressive when I find out they didn't have a father growing up- but some man did take the time to care- even a little bit. I think to myself, how amazing that the kindness of one person affected this person's life so much that they are now caring for others. 

Father's Day can be full of so many emotions: gratefulness, loss, happiness, or regret. Whether you miss your own dad, regret not being a dad, or struggle to understand your dad- God cares about all of these emotions.

He heals the brokenhearted

And binds up their wounds 

[healing their pain and comforting their sorrow].

Psalm 147:3 AMP

No matter the source of our pain, self-inflicted sorrow, or burdensome mess God has a plan for us.

This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.

 Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

John 3:17-18 MSG

Dear Lord, I do not have to understand the why of everything- but please help me to accept Your unconditional love- in spite of who I am- and what I have done- please give me the strength to trust You and not let go. May Your love wash over us and make us whole. In Jesus name, amen.

The Afters perform "Broken Alleluia"

                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   Quotes of Christians   

   Past and Present   

“See God in every person, place, and thing, and all will be well in your world.”

Louise Hay 

Our local Catholic church has plans to bring their parishioners to services by bus; they plan to call it mass transit

Robert Tanner 

God's answers are wiser than our prayers.

Unknown 

The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me,' or 'Help me.'

Billy Graham 

"The light in the eyes of him whose heart is joyful, rejoices the heart of others..."
Proverbs 15:30

1344

"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell." 
C.S. Lewis

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   Today's Inspiring Graphic   

Do you have everything in their proper places?

We are all works in progress.

The more we succeed in putting God first

the more our stuff ends up falling into their proper place.

Talk to him all the time...He is a loving Father 

who loves to hear His child talk to Him. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bible Promises 

"The LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly" 

(Psalm 84:11).

"The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage" 

(Psalm 16:6).

"Surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him" (Ecclesiastes 8:12).

"Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings" 

(Isaiah 3:10).

"Verily there is a reward for the righteous" 

(Psalm 58:11).

"Thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield" (Psalm 5:12).

"Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people" 

(Psalm 3:8).

"He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour" (Proverbs 21:21).

"Blessings are upon the head of the just. The desire of the righteous shall be granted. The hope of the righteous shall be gladness" 

(Proverbs 10:6, 24, 28).

"To him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward. Righteousness tendeth to life. The righteous shall flourish as a branch. 

(Proverbs 11:18, 19, 28).

"His secret is with the righteous" 

(Proverbs 3:32).

"A good man obtaineth favour of the LORD" 

(Proverbs 12:2).

"The light of the righteous rejoiceth. To the righteous good shall be repaid" 

(Proverbs 13:9, 21).

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever" 

(Psalm 23:6).

"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" 

(Romans 8:32).

"All things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours" 

(1 Corinthians 3:21, 22).

"Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come" 

(1 Timothy 4:8).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prayers are lifted up daily for 

you by the Devotional Writers 

and the Monthly Writing Staff

of Women's Focus Ministries.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~