Bless the Lord!

Psalms 103:1-5 KJV

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Praise God! He loves us and does so much for us even though we don't deserve it!

Sometimes it may not always feel like love because it doesn't happen the way we think it should, but it is love nonetheless.

He forgives all our sin. It isn't that He only forgives some of it or that He picks and chooses. He forgives all.

He heals all diseases. This is one that people might debate. We know people die from cancer or even the latest, the coronavirus; however, if that person is a child of God, then even in death, they are healed. They are pain free and healthy for eternity.

He redeems our lives from destruction. If we continue in a life of sin, it will lead to destruction whether here on earth or eternity in hell. He saves us from all of that!

He shows us loving kindness and mercy. Even though we don't deserve to be treated with mercy, He gives it anyway. He loves us beyond measure.

He blesses us with good things. Sometimes we may not initially see that gift as a good thing, but He always desires the best for us and knows what we need. Through something may be difficult doesn't mean it isn't good.

He renews our strength. There are times when we feel we can't go on, but He helps us. He sends comfort and encouragement through His Spirit and/or the people around us. We were not designed to live this life alone and with Him, we are never alone.

Never Too Many Flowers

In light of New York's disappointing decision to legalize abortion up to birth, I want to remind us of what Mother Teresa said once:

What I've Been Up To

You may have noticed that I've been gone for a couple of weeks. If you don't follow the Gracious Daughter of the King Facebook page, you probably have no idea what has been happening.

Gordon Carmichael holding Gordon Carmichael

First, I gave birth to our newest little one on September 24th! Gordon Carmichael was born at 1:48 pm at home. The birth went well, but he had difficulty nursing in the beginning so it was a rough couple of days.

Second, my father-in-law's health was declining (and had been for a while), so much time was spent helping him and my mother-in-law.

Thirdly, my mother-in-law ended up in the hospital herself for a couple of days. My husband spent that time with her.

Fourthly, I spoke at my local MOPS meeting. This was something new for me. Another woman and I spoke about meal planning-how we do it, how it is helpful to us, etc.

Fifthly, my father-in-law's health continued to decline and some hard decisions were made regarding his care. He went to be with his Lord and Savior on October 5th. Since we knew it was coming, we had already started planning his funeral and the visitation was held on the 6th and the funeral on the 7th. It was a rough few days for our family, but the funeral was a beautiful celebration of his life and testimony.

It will be difficult to transition to a new "normal", but we will in time. My first goal is to get back into schooling. Once we get back into that groove, I am going to try to add my writing back in. So, it may still be another week before I am back to writing and sharing consistently. I hope you bear with me during my absence.

Great Things He Hath Done

Mark 5:19 

Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

"Tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee". How often do we do this? We should always be ready to share what God has done and is doing for us.

What great things has he done for me?

Chad-I am still amazed at how God brought Chad and I together, how He kept us together when we were dating, and how He has drawn us closer to Him and one another through the years. Chad has helped me grow into a better woman, better wife, and better mother.

Our children-God blessed us beyond our imagination with our children! Considering Chad didn't want any children and I only wanted four or five, He not only blessed us with more, but changed our hearts to align with His in respect to desiring children and raising them for Him. People say they can't imagine life with many children. I say I can't imagine life without my children! They have helped me become a better person.

Provisions-God shows us His care for us by providing for all our needs! I have countless stories of how He provided for us when we thought there was no way. He has sent us clothes for the children when they were in need and we really didn't have money to buy new clothes. He has sent food when our shelves/refrigerator were getting bare. He flooded our bathroom 9 years ago so we could use the insurance money to add on so we had the space we needed without going further in debt. He has sent people into our lives to show us His love just when we needed to be reminded. He has always provided and I know He will continue to do so.

Friends-God has brought so many people into our lives in unusual ways that quickly became friends and who show us love and support in ways we couldn't have imagined. I remember praying for a couple of years for Him to send me a best friend and He was faithful and sent me a friend who is always there for me when I need her, who encourages me, and prays for me. Again, I can share countless stories of the friends He brought to us.

Church-God has blessed us with some great church families over the years. When we first moved to where we live, He led us to the church that would help us grow closer to Him and learn of His desires for us. The people we called family in that church many years ago are still family to us. Five years ago He called us out of that church and led us to another church that, again, has helped us draw even closer to Him. While it was a hard transition for us to leave the one church and find another, I can see His purpose through it all and now we have even more people to call family!

Plexus-I have to say that Plexus is a true blessing from Him! I have struggled with my health for years. As a mother, I almost always put the needs of my family above my own and all those years of neglect have taken their toll to a place where I couldn't ignore the issues anymore. I truly feel so much better and I know that although my body still has more healing to do, I am on the path to better health. The energy I receive from the Slim helps me not only function with my normal tasks, but allows me to be more active overall which is something I severely lacked. The BioCleanse is helping my body get rid of toxins that for too long were building up. The ProBio5 is helping my gut find a heal and find the balance needed to function properly. Ease has been reducing my inflammation throughout my entire body which helps me feel better and allows me to move more which in turn keeps me active. I am looking forward to how Plexus will continue to improve my health!

What about you? What great things has He done for you? I would love to hear you share what God has done! Please either share below on the blog post or even as a comment on Facebook if that is how you found this post.

Let us share God's goodness with others!

A No Can be a Blessing

Blessing Us Right Now

Difficulty Opens Our Eyes

Let the Father Choose

People often comment on our family size and wonder if we have always wanted a large family. The answer, no. My husband didn't want any children. I figured four or five would be nice. I'm so glad that the Father knows better than we and that we have decided to leave Him in control of our family size. Look at all the blessings we would have missed out on experiencing if we had chosen what we thought best. Not only is each of these children a blessing, but we experience blessings in seeing how God provides for us every day.

My Reason for Being Absent

The blog has been quite quiet lately and for good reason . . . a new member joined our family just over 2 weeks ago!

Bella was born Feb. 1st and she stole our hearts! She came over 2 weeks past her due date, but she was worth the wait.

As always, a new baby means a time of adjustment. My older girls have been such a blessing by taking care of all meals, doing the laundry, cleaning the house, taking care of the younger children and allowing me to take naps during the day to help me with the sleep I lose at night. It is such a joy to see that they are fully capable of running a home!

I am hoping to be able to spend more time writing posts. I have lots of ideas running through my head, but I have lacked the time to get pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard!).

I thank you for your patience as we try to find our new "normal"!

Blessed are the Persecuted

Matthew 5:10-12 KJV

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

These verses speak more to me today than they used to because persecution against Christians has increased so much over the last few years. In America, while it is rare to be killed for our faith, we do endure ridicule, harassment, emotional attacks and sometimes physical attacks for following Christ. However, we can take comfort in this verse. When we experience persecution due to following Christ and His ways, we will be rewarded with the kingdom of heaven! How great to experience eternal reward over the temporal rewards we may receive if we gave into the pressures of the world.

Blessed are the Merciful

Matthew 5:7 

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

If we desire mercy to be shown to us, then we must be willing to show mercy to others. There are many times in the Bible that this principle is shown. Christ tells the parable of the king who took account of his servants. When he saw one servant owed him lots, he was prepared to throw him in jail until the servant begged mercy. The king showed mercy, but then the servant wet out and denied mercy to someone else who owed him money. When the king found out, he had the first servant thrown in jail because of his lack of mercy to others (Matthew 18:23-34).

Christ even tells us this principle is the law in Matthew 7:12 and even the world considers it a good principle-"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Show mercy if you desire mercy shown to you!

They Shall be Filled

Matthew 5:6 KJV

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

What does it mean to hunger and thirst after righteousness? Well, what do you do when you are hungry and thirsty? You search for something to fill you. It is the same. You search the scriptures and you seek God's wisdom. When we seek God, we will find Him and be satisfied. Christ tells us He is the bread of life

John 6:48 KJV 

I am that bread of life.

and the living water.

John 4:10 KJV 

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Blessed are the Meek

Matthew 5:5 KJV 

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

While meek means being gentle and kind, it also means humble and unassuming. We must humble ourselves before God to receive His blessings. When we are humble, He can use us. Those who are meek in this world are often taken advantage of by those of the world, but here we are told that in the end, when we persevere, we will be rewarded with the inheritance of the world.

May we strive for meekness instead of the rewards of this world. May gentleness and kindness be our goals. May we remain humble and unassuming so God can use us.

Pure in Heart

Matthew 5:8

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Do you ever wonder why some people see God's hand at work in this world and others don't? I think it all has to do with the heart. If the heart is full of pride, anger, and/or bitterness, it is going to miss seeing God because they will be blinded by what is in the heart. It is only when we have open hearts that God can speak to us and show us His power and might.

Is your heart open to see God? Is it full of sin so that it blocks all God has done for you or is doing? Open your heart today. Repent and allow God to clean it and make it pure.

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me

They Shall be Comforted

Matthew 5:4 KJV

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

To truly know the need for comfort, one must know what true mourning is. When we mourn over the state of our sin and realize how terrible we are, only then can we receive God's comfort/forgiveness.

I mourn over my sin. I mourn over the lost time to truly serve God. I mourn over the lost opportunities to do His will. However, I know that God forgives me and gives me hope to do better. I know He can and will use my mistakes for His honor and glory. I take comfort in knowing I am forgive and can still be useful in God's hands.

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

Matthew 5:3 KJV  

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

When I think of being poor in spirit, I think of someone who doesn't think too highly of themselves. They are not prideful; therefore, they are open to receive the Holy Spirit. They are not filled with themselves, so the Holy Spirit can fill them and they become a child of God-a part of the kingdom of heaven.

I pray that I never get so prideful that there isn't room for the Holly Spirit. As a human and a child of sin, pride is something with which we all struggle. May we strive to be poor in spirit so we can be rich with the Holy Spirit.

Blessings

It has been a long time since I've heard this song, but another blogger shared it  recently and I was reminded of the truth in it. I know many people who also need to be reminded of God's mercies in disguise.

Think on These Things

Philippians 4:4-8 KJV 

4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

So often I allow myself to be burdened with what isn't going well in my life. I focus on what has gone wrong, is going wrong, or even what may go wrong. How wrong is that?!

I am to rejoice always-even when things go "wrong". I need to take everything to God in prayer and leave it at His feet. But most importantly, I need to focus on the good.

I need to focus on how much God has blessed me, how much He loves me, and how much He has always taken care of me. I need to think on truth and not lies. I need to think on what is pure instead of letting my mind wander into those dark waters.

Lately, I have been focusing on the wrong things. Join me today in focusing on the good, the true, the lovely.

• I am thankful for beautiful weather.
• I am thankful that two of my girls got deer during youth hunt.
• I am thankful for friends who even though it may be weeks between seeing each other, we know we are praying for each other everyday and that when we do get a chance to get together, it will be blessed.
• I am thankful for the ability to home school. It might not always be easy, but I love being with my children and seeing them grow not only in knowledge, but also in the Lord.
• I am thankful for my blog and my followers. I have always had a desire to write and this gives me an opportunity to do so and if I can help or encourage someone else along the way--what an added blessing!

Please share a few things you are thankful for today!

Blessed are the Persecuted

Matthew 5:10-11 KJV

 10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Most of us do not feel blessed when we are being attacked. In fact, we usually get angry and upset and may even retaliate. However, this scripture says we are "blessed".

The footnote for this passage in my Bible caught my attention, "Persecution was synonymous with discipleship in the first three centuries of the Christian faith." (From the The KJV Study Bible, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission)

Do we really understand the true cost of discipleship today? Would we still be willing to call ourselves followers if this was still true?

I think we are seeing a glimpse of it as this nation has been attacking Christianity for a while and continue to attack more often and more harshly. While for most in the US, our lives aren't in danger, we are being attacked in our pocket books and freedoms. What I have seen in this is strengthening those who are true followers of Christ. True disciples are standing firm. I often hear, "I must be doing something right if I'm being attacked." Satan isn't  going to waste his time attacking a false follower of Christ. He is going to go after the testimony of Christ's disciples.

When you are attacked for your faith in Christ, remember, you are blessed. Rejoice! You are among good company.

Blessings in Disguise