Hanging By Grace

Sometimes I feel like I am completely off my rocker, like I am hanging only by grace.

Sometimes I pray absolutely outlandish things. Like recently I've been praying and been trying to start link up to Brag about God.  And maybe to other people this doesn't seem so far fetched. But I am fairly new to the blogging world and am still have a lot to learn. ...

But then I remember two things:
God desires His name to be famous more than I do.
 
And I remember the time I prayed for a bus, a school bus to be given to my church. For some reason I thought that would be helpful for the church. (My wild imagination at work.) Not long after I started praying, someone went to the Pastor and said they had a school bus they wanted to donate to the church. God said yes to my crazy thought, even when the church didn't even need it. Perhaps He said yes then, 10 years ago to remind me now, that He delights in creatively thinking through how to make Him known, and then going for it, trusitng Him for it, hanging only by grace.

God delights in my "throwing bread on many waters" since I don't know what will succeed (Eccl. 11:1-6). He tells us to:
1 Chron. 16:24 "Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples."
 
Psalm 9:11 "...proclaim among the nations what he has done."

Psalm 71:15-18 "My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone. Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come."
 
Isaiah 12:4 "make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted."

So, it is ok to fail in trying to do the very thing God delights in. I think God delights in us using creativity in planning, dreaming and trying ways to make Him known.

Will you join me on this journey of throwing bread on water by linking up for Brag on God Friday? You can link up anything that brags about God's character; stories, what He's teaching you about Himself, something from His Word, what you saw through creation that gave you a glimpse of Him, the sky is the limit (ha ha... since the heavens declare the glory of God.)

"This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD. Jer. 9:23-24

I have been bungee jumping, but sure didn't
look like this. I was clinging to the rope and
screaming. This is Austin's courageous sister, Heather.

In light of hanging by grace here are some markings toward A Thousand Gifts:
#30 Opportunities to step out and try new things.
#31 Being able to declare His glory among the nations through the internet
#32 Having eyes to see how God is revealing Himself
#33 Having godly ladies like Ann share her wisdom in her blog
#34 Being able to communicate with my husband as he is in the middle east
#35 My friend Janie bringing my family dinner (and having enough for left overs)
#36 Sweet Hannah for watching the kids so I could get some stuff done.
#37 Airplanes and pilots that allow us to cross oceans to share the Gospel
#38 New Hope Publishers for sending me some great books to read
#39 My kids all sleeping right now.
#40 My generous mom, who renewed our membership to the zoo
#41 All the different colored birds at the zoo that cause little red-headed Uriah's face to light up.
#42 The flowers growing in the backyard for the boys to pick them and give to me
#43 Our ministry house, that I am daily in awe of how God provided it for us.
#44 My step dad who fixed our plumbing
#45 My dad's encouragement in blogging.

I'm linked up with...
God's Perfect Promises, Spiritual Sundays,

Top Photo Credit Fun Munch