Laced With Grace

Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” ~ Luke 24:45-49 (ESV)

I have always admired missionaries; short-term and long-term. Laced with Grace team-members Angie, Kathy, and Laurie went on short-term mission trips this year. Marsha’s daughter and her family are long-term missionaries in Africa. I have a close friend who served many years in Taiwan…Oh what adventures to share the Good News of God’s redemption through Christ Jesus with the ones who do not know Him.

As I was reading about the adventures of my friends I thought about my own mission. What is my mission field? Where does God want me to go? Maybe it is not far away like Kenya, Honduras, or Taiwan. Maybe my mission is just around the corner; in my own backyard.

When Jesus appeared to His disciples in Jerusalem, He first offered peace to them (Luke 24:36). After He explained again that He had to suffer in order to free every soul from sin, He commissioned His disciples to proclaim the Good News to all nations. What encourages me though is that Christ said to “begin in Jerusalem.”

Yes, my heart longs to go on a mission trip (maybe the Far East). Right now I admire and support my missionary friends, but I will share the Good News in this place where I live. My mission is my next door neighbor, my struggling co-worker, the clerk at my local grocery store, my hurting friend in town. And maybe one day God will see it fit to send me across the ocean.

“I’ll be a carrier of love and compassion – I’ll be the carrier of light to the world. I’ll be a carrier of hope and salvation – I will go shine Your light to the world. I will go shine Your light to the world” ~ Jared Anderson

Lord of Heaven and Earth, You give us all a mission field; some are near and some are far. Lord, help us to be a light to the world. May we carry Your hope to the ones that are hurting, physically or emotionally. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

Photo & Content Copyright © Iris Nelson

“Mom!”

I knew I heard my daughter calling me but the lazy dream I was enjoying wasn’t letting me go.

“MOM” I heard her desperate voice this time and sprang straight up in bed. My heart was pounding from 20 cc’s of adrenalin flooding my chest. It was pitch black in my bedroom. The clock radio glared 4:30 a.m.

“What is it?” I whispered frantic, stumbling from bed toward the light switch.

“Mom, there is something in my bedroom.”

Well, this sassy feline pushed her way through two dog doors to get in the laundry room. She then walked pass my old Dalmatian who was asleep in the office. She slipped by my bedroom and my small yippy dog who sleeps on the bed, (of course). Sheesh! So much for guard dogs!

Then this Queen of the Cats sauntered across the entire expanse of our living, dining, and family room down the hall to where my daughter was fast asleep in her pink princess bed. Side note -My daughter would be mortified if she knew I was telling you as a twelve-year-old she still has a princess bed.-

As I ran down the hall with my daughter, looking for the nighttime intruder, I asked my child, “Were you scared when the cat jumped on you?”

She said, “No, not really.”

I was relieved by her answer but didn’t really have time to think about the implication until later. I found myself coaxing the mangy beast from under the bed and tossing her out the front door. My daughter was all grins, tickled by the surprise visitor. I didn’t find the cat antics quite so humorous.

What I did discover from this nocturnal adventure was evidence of my daughters faith. She prays.

A few days following our pre-dawn drama I asked my daughter why she wasn’t afraid of things that go bump in the night. She said to me, “Mom, I pray at night when I’m scared.”

Aaah, Music to a mother’s ears.

I taught my child to pray when she was frightened at night.

As believers we know there is a spiritual world where we face an enemy we cannot see. Learning what to pray when we are frightened is key to overcoming our fears and living triumphant lives. This is what Jesus wants for us. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT) For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

When I was a child I wish I had learned how to pray in the still darkness of the night. Today, I know how to pray. I can defeat the enemy. Things that go bump in the night no longer leave me sleepless and worried.

In the wee hours of the morning when fears assault, I lean upon God’s word and His truth. Psalm 91, also know as the 911 prayer, gives me peace. Read it. It is powerful.

I also cling to 1 John 4:4 (King James Version) Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Then pray:

Lord God, I approach your throne with Jesus at my side. It is by his blood that I bind the enemy of fear. I ask you Lord to dispatch angels with swords drawn to stand at each doorway in my home. I ask you Lord for a hedge of protection to surround us. Lord, I KNOW greater are You who live in me than he that lives in the world. By the Redeeming blood of Jesus I ask these things, Amen.

Have a blessed and powerful day (and night) in the name of Jesus.

Be blessed, Lynn
Find me daily at

I originally shared this story about two years ago. I hope you find it inspires you again this week. Hugs, Lynn

¹³ For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

¹⁷ How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
¹⁸ If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.  Psalm 139:13-18 (NKJV)

The other evening I was scanning the channels on our TV to see if there was anything interesting to watch.   I suddenly stopped scanning when a show caught my eye.  I heard part of a conversation of two young ladies.  One of the young ladies told the other that for her birthday she was going to buy her breast implants because – “ It will make her feel better about herself and bring her more confidence.”   The other girl squealed in total excitement, “My life will be so much better!”

How sad is that?  To think that changing one’s appearance in hope that it will make one feel better as well as her life will be much better!   It’s so disturbing to think that thousands of young ladies might have heard this conversation and wonder if they changed something about themselves that it will make their life better.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong about changing your appearance especially if one is overweight and needs to lose a few pounds or more.  We all know that being overweight is hard on our bodies and not healthy.   What disturbed me was that they believe changing oneself on the outside would make life better for them.  I don’t fault these young ladies at all – let’s face it – we see these messages all the time on TV, movies, magazines etc….   If you are skinny enough, cute enough, tall enough, and rich enough, etc… you will be popular and successful in life.  They do not understand that one can change everything external about them but if they do not make the right changes within themselves it will all be totally superficial!

How heartrending that they do not realize that God made them and loves them just the way He created them.  Too many people think that if they change the outside it is what they need when actually it’s the inside – their heart – that needs to be changed – to be right with the Lord!

³ Don’t put your confidence in powerful people;
there is no help for you there.
⁴ When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,
and all their plans die with them.
⁵ But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.   Psalm 146:3-5 (NLT)

Dear Lord may we as mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts and friends teach our young girls the meaning of true beauty and true happiness.  May we set an example for all young ladies we come in contact with each day.  May we not be so obsessed about our “outside” shell that we too send the wrong message to our young ladies.  May we be examples of true beauty – life in Christ.  In Jesus precious name, amen.