The Battle Between Guilt And Grace

  
There’s a war between guilt and grace

And they’re fighting for a sacred space

But I’m living proof

Grace wins every time

No more lying down in death’s defeat

Now I’m rising up in victory

Singing hallelujah

Grace wins every time

Words can’t describe the way it feels

When mercy floods a thirsty soul

A broken side begins to heal

And grace returns what guilt has stole

Whoa! These lyrics are powerful! 

No more lying down in death’s defeat. Rise up in victory and sing Hallelujah because Grace Wins Every Time . ~ XXOO Michelle Bollom 

Grace Wins by Matthew West
“Grace Wins” Lyrics 
In my weakest moment I see you

Shaking your head in disgrace

I can read the disapointment

Written all over your face
Here comes those whispers in my ear

Saying who do you think you are

Looks like you’re on your own from here

Cause grace could never reach that far
But, in the shadow of that shame

Beat down by all the blame

I hear you call my name sayin it’s not over

And my heart starts to beat

So loud now, drowning out the doubt

I’m down but I’m not out
There’s a war between guilt and grace

And they’re fighting for a sacred space

But I’m living proof

Grace wins every time
No more lying down in death’s defeat

Now I’m rising up in victory

Singing hallelujah

Grace wins every time
Words can’t describe the way it feels

When mercy floods a thirsty soul

A broken side begins to heal

And grace returns what guilt has stole
And, in the shadow of that shame

Beat down by all the blame

I hear you call my name sayin it’s not over

And my heart starts to beat

So loud now, drowning out the doubt

I’m down but I’m not out
There’s a war between guilt and grace

And they’re fighting for a sacred space

But I’m living proof

Grace wins every time
No more lying down in death’s defeat

Now I’m rising up in victory

Singing hallelujah

Grace wins every time
For the prodigal son, grace wins

For the woman at the well, grace wins

For the blind man and the beggar, grace wins

For always and forever, grace wins

For the lost out on the street, grace wins

For the worst part of you and me, grace wins

For the thief on the cross, grace wins

For a world that is lost
There’s a war between guilt and grace

And they’re fighting for a sacred space

But I’m living proof

Grace wins every time
Yeah!

No more lying down in death’s defeat

Now I’m rising up in victory

Singing hallelujah

Grace wins every time
Every time

Yeah, I’m living proof grace wins every time

Conviction

  
How do you look pain in the eyes and ignore it?

Pretending not to see inner cries drowning

The victim in their skin

They breath out reasons

To end the beginning of a chapter unwritten 

Before knowing who they are, not to others, but to God

And they will never know unless we show them

How it feels to be loved unconditionally

Without judgment

Binding their wrongs

Diluting our image of them

As if we are perfect

But we’re not

So take the scales

Off the eyes 

And see them the way Christ does.
                          ~Bethany Anne 

   

Pouring Out Our Story

  
I am as full of words as the speediest writer pouring out his story!

I poured out my fasting story – all 40 days of downloads. Today is #40! 

I recently sent a version of my story and had it sent back to rework and edit for a feature spot on a dear friends blog. I know it needs to be done, it was just a rough cut. I just sort of poured out the story.  

When I have to edit all the submissions to this blog, from all the stories pouring out, the editing is the not so fun part.   

Even editing my own stuff is not fun.  

I was invited to do a recorded television spot for our local TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) on how TBN has impacted my life. The first take seemed effortless. God spoke through me and they cheered and then the retake…..

I am a swayer when I talk so they wanted a second go round. That retake did not feel as smooth.   
I know It is all up to God. They will send it on and will notify me if they decide to air it or use it. 

  I just poured out my story. 

All these recent things on pouring out our stories and words…. 
Words! 

Ugh! 

God is always dealing with me on my words.  
To speak up and use them or to shut up or choose fewer words.  

I love how the verse says, my heart is overflowing with a beautiful thought.   

That is usually how it starts. I have a beautiful thought and then I sometimes just get it out and am done, but most of the time we have to edit or do a retake. I love how God speaks to my heart through His word.
I am so so with poetry, but I am for sure full of words! 

We all have a beautiful story- our testimony. We may just have a beautiful thought, but God will weave the rest of it out for His Glory. 

Trust Him with it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly. You always can edit or a retake if you need to.  
Just begin by pouring out your story! 

This is the beautiful final verse in my fasting experience downloads and it couldn’t be more fitting. 

My heart is overflowing with a beautiful thought! I will write a lovely poem to the King, for I am as full of words as the speediest writer pouring out his story. You are the fairest of all;Your words are filled with grace;God himself is blessing you forever.  ~ Psalm 45:1-2 TLB 

                    

Be blessed everyone! 
Thank you for coming on this journey with me.  

                ~XXOO Michelle Bollom 

The Darling

  
Everyone seethes

The darling

Oh it seems

To be favor

It seems a

Sweet kiss

But the favor

Is fiendish

The worship

A leash

Keeping her

Sedated by

The applause

Sleepiness

Poppies before Oz

The cheap replica

For the presence

Of God

He loves the

Darling

He knows her heart

He longs to

Hold her

Keeping her

Set apart

They use

The darling

Prostituting 

Her charm

She knows

Her father

Will rescue

Her from harm

Tick~Tock

For such a

Time as this

Fear Not

Darling

It.Is.Finished.

❤️

~Krystal Lynne 

Rising Above The Daily Grind

  
“Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord don’t be dejected and sad for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” Nehemiah 8:10

Joy, where does it come from and how do we keep it on a daily basis? 

This is a question that has been on my mind over the past couple months. For those of you who live in Houston, TX and listen to KSBJ radio, that was the main theme throughout the holidays — Choose Joy!!! Listeners called in and shared their challenging circumstances and made a conscious decision to choose JOY! It was inspiring to hear them declare they would not let that situation steal their peace and happiness, and it was a great reminder that “joy” is a choice and many times we must choose it to feel it!

In the dictionary, joy is an emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying. 

 Now I don’t know about you, but keeping that feeling of joy is not always easy in the fast-paced, demanding world we live in today! Just turn on the TV, listen to the radio or drive in rush hour traffic and we will experience negative thoughts and feelings — it seems like everywhere we turn someone or something is trying to steal our joy. In times like that, we need to stop and remember what is truly important in life and who is in control!

Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” 

That scripture has helped me through many of life’s challenges and in spite of the inevitable struggles that we all face, we are not alone. Jesus has not abandoned us, and if we remember that the ultimate victory has already been won, we can find peace and joy in the midst of our trials. 

I found confirmation in Today’s Jesus Calling message, which says it so well . . . “Give up the illusion that you deserve a problem-free life. Part of you is still hungering for the resolution of all difficulties. This is a false hope! As I told my disciples, in the world you will have trouble. Link your hope not to problem solving in this life but to the promise of an eternity of problem-free life in heaven. Instead of seeking perfection in this fallen world, pour your energy into seeking Me: The Perfect One.

Although life often distracts us from our joyful state, if we stay focused on Jesus and believe that all things work together for good for those who love the Lord, as found in Romans 8:28, then we can use every situation to help us learn and grow.  

Graham Cooke, a great author and evangelist, says that every struggle we face is giving us an upgrade and taking us to a new level of trusting and building our faith!

My message is, don’t let life’s daily grind, get you down–just keep your eyes on Jesus and He will give you strength, comfort, peace and most of all joy as you journey through this thing called life here on earth! 
We will find our true stress-free, perfect life when we get to heaven at some unknown time in the future!!!

Here’s to joy,
Deb Hicks

Connect with Deb at www.bowlofsplendor.com

Yad Vashem

  
Yad Vashem is Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.

This leading picture above I captured as I exited the Yad Vashem in August of 2014 while visiting Israel. 

The view was specifically created to be a representation of Hope as people exit this very emotional memorial. 

I stood overlooking this view as I was still crying from visiting The Hall of Names containing Pages of Testimony commemorating the millions of Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust. 

  
As I looked up at this wall I became so overwhelmed with emotion I broke down crying.  

Yad Vashem was Established in 1953, Yad Vashem is located on the western slope of Mount Herzl on the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem, 804 meters (2,638 ft) above sea level and adjacent to the Jerusalem Forest. The memorial consists of a 180-dunam (18.0 ha; 44.5-acre) complex containing the Holocaust History Museum, memorial sites such as the Children’s Memorial and the Hall of Remembrance, The Museum of Holocaust Art, sculptures, outdoor commemorative sites such as the Valley of the Communities, a synagogue, a research institute with archives, a library, a publishing house, and an educational center named The International School/Institute for Holocaust Studies.

A core goal of Yad Vashem’s founders was to recognize gentiles who, at personal risk and without a financial or evangelistic motive, chose to save their Jewish brethren from the ongoing genocide during the Holocaust. Those recognized by Israel as Righteous Among the Nations are honored in a section of Yad Vashem known as the Garden of the Righteous Among the Nations.

After the Western Wall, Yad Vashem is the second most-visited Israeli tourist site. Its curators charge no fee for admission and welcome approximately one million visitors a year. – Wikipedia 

Join me in a moment of silence now and to pray for all the victims and their families as we remember the lost on this #HolocaustMemorialDay
           ~XXOO Michelle Bollom 

Alive

  
The Word is breathing

It comes alive as it ignites the heart

To beat against winds of the world

Trying to bring us down with them,

But greater is He who lives in us

Than he who is in the world,

Therefore, I cannot be shaken;

I will stand as lost nations fall into the sea-

The sea holding frail bodies that disconnect

From life, into death their souls dive deep,

But those who lock hands with God

Their soul begins

Colliding with a love so real

It heals a wound

From infection, allowing its door to open

Without knowing the outcome; trusting Him

Who called us out of darkness, into His marvelous light

That encompasses a tired, lost soul from taking life from itself,

He takes the soul, reigniting its heart to bloom before ashes,

To live before death, forgetting its purpose, and choosing life

To embrace in every moment, circumstance, and season.

                   ~Bethany Anne 

 

Legacy

  
What are you leaving behind?  What is your legacy? 
I follow this great blog with great photos and quotes.  This is one of my favorites! Enjoy! ~XXOO Michelle Bollom 
Share your thoughts with me in the comments-
Nature Photograph with Quote: “The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy.” – Kalu Ndukwe Kalu Image Info: Title: Blanket Flowers Photographer: Melissa Fague Genre: Nature Photography If you would like to download any of our previous nature or landscape […]

https://pipafineart.wordpress.com/2016/01/21/quote-of-the-day-on-nature-photo-25/

He Will Not Despise

  

Have you ever felt inadequate of God’s full attention, for his love, forgiveness, and direction? 

Have you ever asked, “What can I do to get out of this dark place, how will he ever be able to forgive me?”  

If there was a call for eligible participants entering into a contest titled, “Failed Too Many Times To Count,” I could run to be the first in line.

For much of my life, I felt like an unworthy soul. 
I desperately wanted to find the heart of God, to be called by him.
I just didn’t know how to find the relationship I was looking for, nor did I know how to get there. Many years, I thought it was about achieving what I could do. At one point, that wasn’t enough, so my focus was performance being the way. Everytime, doubt would come and I would question if I was even loveable or forgivable.

 Discouraged, I would get frustrated and stop trying for some time. Then I would find myself needing more, so I would try again. It was years of the woven woes. My heart never seemed to be at a place to hear God’s call. And the enemy made me feel certain I would fail, at that too, if it were a requirement.

After some time to heal, and mourn my own losses God called me up. Little did I know, he would call me towards his heart. He wanted to free me of my guilt and shame. 

-NO MORE wasted years – He wanted my heart.

“You mean you want a relationship, with me, Lord?” Well, what is that exactly? You of anyone, already knows that I’m not the best at relationship, or at the least, do it well enough for you.”

Have you ever read about David’s life in the bible? He loved God with everything in him, yet he failed with the deepest wounds engraved upon his heart. They left him in the darkest emptiness. He wanted so badly to live out the heart he had for God. But his own shame and guilt was overpowering. His mourning for his sin was authentic and real. David learned God would not despise a contrite heart.
I’ve found, my own sin, doing that to me.

On one hand, it had robbed me of a life rich and full, in my God. On the other, It has brought my heart to be humbled, not only for myself, but also for others. It was never about what I couldn’t do. It was about who I could become in Christ, strengthened by the King. 

I’ve discovered that being a failure leaves little room for rising above. To be able to get up and walk again, leaving darkness behind, means understanding the light that exists in completeness. In that fullness we find our heart, God’s heart and the example to pass on to others.

Mark 12:30 NIV
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  

This blessed me today, and I hope it blesses you too, my friend. 

Continue to join me Tuesdays. I’d love to hear about your journey, where you discovered rising above, where you felt inadequate, or any prayers you may need to forge ahead. One thing I have learned is that when we can connect, being authentic and real, truth and learning become apparent. It has been one of the biggest blessings – other people’s testimonies. I learned I was never alone.

May we journey together as God calls us into his season.  
Baring His Redemptive Beauty,
Tiffany Thomas 

Come connect with Tiffany on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Redemptive-Beauty-481119318742822/

Restoring Hope (even now)

   
 
I loved this blog! I know you will enjoy.  

Every year is a year of Restoration!

               ~XXOO Michelle Bollom 

I firmly believe this is a year of restoration… I may not understand everything (and probably won’t) but Papa is a restoring God. Those hopes that have been differed in my own life and yours have been heard. Those sleepless nights where it seems everyone else is having their desires met have not gone unnoticed. […]

https://gottaworship2005.wordpress.com/2016/01/19/restoring-hope-even-now/