You are kind to the unthankful, And to the evil too. That is a powerful statement, But I’m glad it’s true. How long I lived ungrateful, Finding pleasure in the evil of filth. I was completely unashamed, And ignored the accompanying guilt. Yet You were kind in Your mercy To warn me of my path Being so wicked and evil That I would deserve Your wrath. In love, to save my soul You experienced great loss When Your only Son Stretched out His arms on the cross. Thank you, Luke 6:35, For pointing out His grace. Had it not been for His kindness, I would not be in a better place. Thank You, Jesus, for telling us More about our Father God above. The Judge who waits to justify Is so filled with love.
10.23.2021 Saturday Written by Gail Brookshire Inspiration: Luke 5-7
A God who loves me,
Despite how I can be.
Who gave me wisdom
To help me see.
Who sent instruction
To rescue me.
To save me from lies
That only deceive.
A God who loves me,
Despite my lack.
He’s willing to give
So I can give back.
He knows my nature,
And still He gives.
He tasted of death
So that I could live.
A God who loves me,
And lets me love Him back.
How grateful I am
For that fact.
7.10.2020 Friday
Written by Gail Brookshire Inspiration: Proverbs 10 of my Proverbs Journal
God, I have been enjoying the bible reading plan You have been walking me through. I’m sorry to be so late getting them on, but with Your help we’ll get them on little by little.
No rush. Just convalescing with You, and following Your lead in sharing with others. YouVersion(a bible app You have blessed me with)
is doing a plan called 40 Days of Lent.
Day 31 of 47 for Lent Plan – “Parable: Two Men Who Prayed”
Reading: Luke 18:9-14 KJV
Further Study
Some of the listeners were confident in what? – Themselves, and in their own righteousness.
Whose heart condition was God pleased with – the Pharisee or the tax collector? – God was pleased with the tax collector who was so humbled that he could only keep crying to God for forgiveness. His heart was fixed on God, not bragging about himself.
What happens to those who exalt themselves and those who humble themselves? – Pride goeth before a fall, according to God’s word. He says He is angered by the proud, but He draws nigh to those with a broken and contrite spirit. He sent His Son forth to save us, but through humility, not pride.
Reflect
Worship: Write down one attribute of God and worship Him for who He is. – Humble. Lord, thank You for showing us such humility in how You ordered the coming of Jesus at the time of His birth, how He lived His life, how He conducted His ministry (and His own behavior despite being the Son of God, and because He IS the Son of God), how His death occurred, and even once He was resurrected. You are a proud Father and lead by example.
Prayer: Pray for your extended family members.
Remembrance: Think of a time when you were overwhelmed by your humanity. Write about that. – At the altar when I was so sorry that Jesus would be losing someone He died for because I knew I was so sinful. I cried to You that I knew I didn’t deserve heaven and understood, but that it seemed so unfair to Jesus after what He went through and did, and that it didn’t seem right to have someone who is burning in hell that’s burning for desire of You. You surprised me when I instantly heard a voice say to me, “Honey, he’ll never have you.” (He being Satan.) I looked up and saw Mrs. Passetti, Mrs. Cagle, and several of the ladies from church with their hands on me while they were praying. I didn’t even really know them other than they were Anthoni’s teachers when he was little. I didn’t know they were beside me either.
Self-Examination: Do you find yourself relying on your own works and good deeds or upon the grace and mercy of God? – I pray I am always relying on You, God, but I confess that in my efforts to obey, to sacrifice out of honor and pleasure for You that sometimes I am too focused on my behavior and my works. Thank You for Your mercy.
A Kind Act
Tell someone close to you what you appreciate about them. – Anthoni was up this early, so I sent him a message. 🙂
God, I have been enjoying the bible reading plan You have been walking me through. I’m sorry to be so late getting them on, but with Your help we’ll get them on little by little. No rush. Just convalescing with You, and following Your lead in sharing with others. YouVersion (a bible app You have blessed me with) is doing a plan called 40 Days of Lent.
Day 32 of 47 for Lent Plan – “Parable: Unforgiving Debtor”
Reading: Matthew 18:21-35 KJV
Further Study
How did the king respond to the debtor who fell before him begging for mercy? – He had compassion on him, loosed him (let him free of his obligation to pay back) from the debt owed. He wiped away the debt altogether. (Showed him mercy.
How would you expect the man to react after such mercy? How did he react? – You would think He would be grateful/thankful. So much that he should have given the same mercy to the one who owed him a debt, but he did not. Instead, he through him into prison till the debt was paid.
What did the lord do to the man he showed mercy to? – When his lord heard what he did to the one who owed him a debt. not showing mercy as he was shown mercy by his lord, the lord rebuked him and gave him to the tormentors until his own debt was paid to his lord.
What was the point of this parable? – To remind us to show others the same mercy that Christ has shown us.
Reflect
Worship: Write down one attribute of God and worship Him for who He is. – Merciful. Thank You, Jesus, for being merciful unto me a sinner, unto my son, my family, my friends, to everyone! Thank You! PRAISE YOUR HOLY NAME!
Prayer: Pray for your closest friends.
Remembrance: Think of a time someone forgave you something. Write about how you felt? – Lord, there are so many things I have been forgiven for, shown mercy by so many, and cannot begin to count your mercies unto me. Humbled! How else can one feel when truly forgiven of something so sinful when the one you wronged is the one forgiving?
Self-Examination: Do you have an easy time forgiving people? Why or why not? – I don’t know that I can say it’s always easy, but I pray I always do because You have shown mercy to us, and we never know when we are forgiving someone who is exactly where we once were, doing what we once did, or God forbid where we would have been had it not been for the loving intervention of Christ! ❤
A Kind Act
Leave a kind note on someone’s car. – This one will be a challenge, Lord, during this COVID -19 time, especially with sheltering in place (Stay at Home) and no contact with one another or surfaces. You lead, I’ll follow! ❤ I love You, Lord! ❤ I love You, Jesus! ❤ I love You, Holy Spirit! ❤ ❤
The gift of forgetting.
Only You could provide such mercy.
Such grace.
Such love.
Only You could understand
The kindness of that gift.
Only You could understand the contents
And the package
Holding on
Until that sweet release of “NO MORE.”
Thank You for the many gifts
You save me from,
Release me from,
Protect me from,
Including myself,
Especially myself.
Thank You for renewing my mind…
Daily.
Thank You for hiding You
In my heart.
No matter what comes or goes,
I have given myself to You forever!
I’m Yours!
You lift my weary hands
That they might praise Your name.
My self condemning tongue
Is Yours to tame.
The love, the care, the unending mercy
All glorify who You are.
Your long suffering grace
Is never too far.
The sacrifice of giving Your Son.
The plan to set us free.
The giving of His life on the cross
To allow ours to be.
The reconciliation wrought for us.
The restoration plan.
The salvation of a world
On the shoulders of one Man.
Worthy of praise
And unconditional trust.
I love You, Father!
I love You, Jesus!
11.24.19 Sunday
Written by Gail Brookshire Inspiration: my Sea adult coloring book
“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” – Titus 3:3-7 KJV
I am so sad to say that the first part so describes how I use to live, be, believe, and think like. Why You thought I was worth the effort, I have no idea, but I am so grateful that Your kindness and Your love appeared, and that Your mercy saved me, that the Holy Ghost has renewed me abundantly through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Thank You for making me justified by Your grace! Thank You for making me a part of Your family! ❤ I am a child of the King! 🙂 Forever and eternally! I have the hope of eternal life! ❤
My Day 30 of the Christmas 31 Day Scripture Writing Plan. (I won’t have notes for each day. I am doing whatever You allow, Lord. Whatever You give! It’s all about You!)
Lord, thank You for the blessed chat You gave me today with a friend. I am always praying for You to allow me to bless him in what ever way You allow, as You have taught me to do that with anyone You bring across my path. Many times You use him to shower blessings my way… blessings of encouragement, wisdom, knowledge…
and compassion.
I can have such a hard time forgiving myself of things long ago… some are my fault… some are not. Things I thought that I already had forgiven myself for. Things I thought I had already given to You. Your topic for us today was showing compassionto ourselves, regardless of what we have done. Your Only Son put His life on the cross that we might be reconciled with You, that we may be forgiven of all sins… past, present, and future!
Talk about Compassion!
I heard You telling me to look up the word compassion…
using Webster’s definition and the Concordance.
– sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it
(Webster’s)
– originally brotherly love, to show mercy as if we are all one family in God
(concordance)
On the way home, I went into a restroom and had my hands in my head in weary exhaustion. While my eyes were closed I clearly heard a strong female voice say,
“Everyone needs compassion.”
I raised my head in awe that You had made Yourself present… even in a ladies public bathroom (but in a private stall). The voice continued singing…
“Everyone needs forgiveness.“
I knew You were giving me a direct message. The first instruction being to listen for as many word clues to find the song online when at home.
“Let mercy fall on me. The kindness of a Savior.”
Oh You tugged at my heart. I heard my younger self in those words… a scared… broken little girl who has long needed mercy. How cruel was I to be withholding that mercy. And by withholding it, also withholding the kindness of a Savior. A kindness that He has shown to me time and time again… even now in this stall. I knew I was to find this song.
“So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
And fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
And now I surrender”
Again I kept hearing her voice… my younger self… pleading for me to accept her as she is… with all her fears and failures… and fill her life again. She is willing to give her life to follow everything she believes in… which is YOU! She’s ready to surrender it all to You. Aren’t I? I thought it was the other way around.
As it kept playing, I eventually recognized this as a praise and worship song from church that I’ve sung a thousand times over… Mighty to Save. Yet You were renewing it for me! Praise Your Holy name for Christian businesses that pipe in Christian music through their overhead speakers. Praise You for Cook Out! Bless them Lord! And praise You for Mighty to Save!
As I was looking for a lyric version to share, the first one showed the song comes from the inspiration of Zephaniah 3:17!!
One of my favorite verses in the bible!!! ❤
While the version was horribly recorded, You used it to remind me of Your loving compassion in a verse that You won my heart with in such a mighty way that it was my verse in my greeting cards for a whole year or more.
“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 AKJV
The thought that someone would rejoice over me!! With joy!
Resting in His love! That I would be someone’s love!
And that He would find joy in singing over me!
I know that has to be You!
You’re the only one I could believe in that with!
And You ARE mighty to save!
The mountains You have moved to save me!
From my world! From myself! From hell!
I love You, my Author of Salvation!
Only You could write that story! And I’m glad it’s mine!
I believe! And I receive! You! Your compassion!
And Your love! Forever! ❤
Your precious love abides. Your Spirit lives inside.
Your presence pleases me. Your comfort eases me.
Your guiding light leads. My obedience heeds.
Your word instructs. My discipline trusts.
Your hymn lifts my voice. I praise by choice.
Your encouragement cheers. Your tenderness endears.
Your mercy secures. Your grace assures.
Your salvation saves. My humility behaves.
Your insight inspires. My rebellion retires.
What a long journey of mercy
You have walked me through.
What a long journey of grace
to have been blessed with You.
So many memories flood in,
I am overwhelmed with words.
You have seen me through
so many misery and hurts.
Yet nothing on my journeying
has compared to learning of You,
and Your wondrous love
shown in everything You do.
Those memories are Yours and mine.
Those treasures are all ours.
You have poured out Your blessings.
I’ve loved bathing in the showers.
Christmas Countdown: Mercy is such a GIFT: Only a loving God could create such a loving gift as mercy, and only His mercy could endure forever. Through His mercy we are given a chance to be better people, to be more thoughtful, more caring, and more grateful that we have not gotten exactly what we deserve. Thank you, Jesus, for the mercy you have given me in your loving salvation. I love you. ❤
He’s gentle and kind,
loving and understanding.
He’s never too scornful,
nor too demanding.
He understands the pain
I feel when I’m hurt.
He knows that I’m human
and am made from dirt.
He knows I’m a sinner
and do the evil things,
but He knows I’m a believer
in all that He brings.
——
He doesn’t expect miracles
when I’m down on myself.
He doesn’t disown me
when I know I need help.
He doesn’t defriend me
when I abuse His love for me.
He doesn’t try to push me
when I’m too scared to see.
Instead, He is there
to show me He cares
and that my heartache and pain
are my feelings He shares.
—–
He gives me His word
and provides it with blood
to say that it’s as worthy
as it was of the flood.
He hears me in prayer
and accepts my apology,
doesn’t betray me
or says He forgot me,
takes my hand and
leads me to light,
holds me and comforts me
to help me through the night.
—–
And when I am scared
or feeling alone,
He doesn’t abandon me
to face it on my own.
Instead, He is there
to say, “I’m here,”
to comfort my soul
and dry my tear.
He won’t be ashamed
or laugh at my fear.
He’ll erase all the clouds
and make everything clear.
He won’t be angered
to see me in doubt.
He won’t deny me
or throw me out.
Instead, He’ll always love me
and lead me by the hand
because He’s waiting to take me home
and tell me why He understands.
3-26-91 Written by Gail Brookshire
(by the grace of God)
gaillovesgod 