Out of the Darkness, Words of my heart, Texas Artist Laurie Pace

So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows. Like the blind we grope along the wall feeling our way like people without eyes.  At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead

Isaiah 59: 9-10

It is so easy to get lost in yourself.  It is so easy to have situations define you. It is so easy to have darkness overtake you.  Even the strongest face trials and temptations. And the weak struggle through each day seeking the strength to even rise from their bed.

Each of us suffers and each of us are vulnerable to be pulled into the darkness of life.  That is why it is important to have a support group of friends or family that can shine a flashlight right back at you... or appear in your bedroom to throw open the drapes in the morning.   You are not alone.

Make that call to someone today that you know needs light in their lives.  Many friends are good at hiding the darkness...but you can make a difference so try.

Words of my heart, Laurie

A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

A Journey with Others, Words of my Heart by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”  Acts 14:17

He was pecking his way through the snow and ice to the seed. Such a beauty in this winter wonderland.  He trusted the Father to provide... and my loving husband did his job of filling the feeder before we left for Christmas at our daughters home. Driving back the next day filled us with such joy... and both of us smiling seeing the red cardinals gathered at the feeder.  

It is time to gather in the new year with other believers that can support you in your journey.  We lift each other up in prayer and provide for each other nourishment from both the Bible as well as from our experiences and our kitchens.  

Words of my heart, Laurie
A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Walk along the shore, Words of my heart, Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.  Proverbs 6:5

There is nothing like a walk along the shoreline at the lake and visiting our white ducks. We hear them jabbering every day and watch them from the dam, but walking on the waters edge makes it clear they are trusting.

How close do you walk with God? How trusting are you to relax in His presence and share your needs and concerns?

Words of my Heart, Laurie

A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Lapis Blue Skies the doorway to heaven, Words of my Heart, Texas Artist Laurie Pace

 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank. Exodus 24: 9-11

The best part of fall and winter is the intense blue of the sky after a cold front moves through. This is the sky this morning... and the few leaves left on my maple after the storms last weekend.  When I gaze up to the 'lapis' blue sky I feel I am at God's door and nothing stands between us... 

The intensity of color and clarity make it totally clear to this artists that this is the door to heaven. No color in any tube can match this beauty.

Words of my heart, Laurie 

A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

The Passion Vine, Words of my Heart by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound;

decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled.

Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity

    to come on the nation invading us.

 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,

 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,  I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Habakkuk 3:16-18

We have a beautiful passion vine that took off in all directions across our chain link fence.  The fence is NOT my favorite part of our home and for the past three years I have lobbied to take it down or replace it with the black iron fence. Meanwhile this purple blooming passion vine planted to celebrate the life of Ben Pace... has taken off winding its way through every part of the fence and profusely blooming.  

The caterpillars are suppose to arrive and much all the leaves gone and then they turn into butterflies and fly off into the new world. It did not happen. The freezes will slowly remove the blooms and eventually this vine will die back for the winter. Maybe next year it will bear blooms again that will attract some caterpillars.   We were hoping to watch a full flock of young butterflies fly off from our back fence. Meanwhile we continue to rejoice in the Lord and all He provides.

Words of my heart, Laurie
A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

How do we turn so corrupt? Words of my Heart by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

I had planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine?

Jeremiah 2:21

Life tends to weather us all as we journey through making each day. Some 'weathering' is self inflicted and others are the result of those around us we allow in our lives.  The beat down we often experience is not part of God's plan for us, but it seems to be where we force ourselves to be.

He wants each of us to be sound and safe and connected to Him, to ourselves and to our family and friends.  How did we ever get to be so badly beaten and abused in our lifetime where we turn from Him in shame, and continue our self destructing ways?

Words of my heart, Laurie

A Texas Artist, Laurie Pace

Hear my Prayer, my Joy is in you. Words of my Heart by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Hear my prayer O Lord...my joy is in you.

But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation. Psalm 69:13

Joy Truck Escape Ramps for Humans...aka GOD, Words of my Heart by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Up the mountain we climbed... up ... up... up.  There were these strange little mini roads off to the side of the freeway in many spots as we climbed up and down. Terry said they were called  "Truck Escape Ramps".  

"The combination of heavy trucks and highway downgrades has long presented potentially dangerous conditions for truck drivers, other drivers on the road, and occupants of roadside property. The problem of runaway trucks generally results from brake failures which can arise for many different reasons. The inability of drivers to control vehicle speeds on downgrades is not only hazardous but it can also have costly consequences."

The joy in this is we have the same thing provided by God... when we cannot control our lives and things are hazardous... we always have Him.  When there is 'failure' in our lives... we always have Him.

O Lord, our Lord,

    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens. Psalm 8:1

Words of my Heart, Laurie

A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

The Dark, Words of my Heart by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Lightening and thunder have awakened us nightly with the storms moving through Texas.  We welcome the rain after the year of drought and wish it would stay.  

When I spoke with Stacey this morning she shared a story about Lady L from last night's storms.  The thunder was beginning to role and the lights at their house flickered.  The tenacious three year old ran to her mom...."Jesus protect me from the dark?"
Stacey reassured her and that seemed to do the trick. 




With the next bolt of lightening and again flickering of lights, Lady L looked up at her mom and said, "Jesus protects Jordan from the dark too."


Jordan is her buddy across the street. In her innocent mind Jesus protects us all and she accepts it without question. Can you?


Words of my heart, Laurie
A Texas Artist Laurie Pace


Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4




If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
   even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.  Psalm 139:11-13

Daily Bread, Words of my Heart by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

He provides exactly what we need each day. He provides our daily bread.  We struggle with nutrition and weight, and we keep missing the picture. Do you eat to live or live to eat?

The emptiness inside of you cannot be filled with ice cream and cookies, OR with margaritas or a cold beer.

The stress inside of you cannot be quieted with candy bars or wine coolers.

Get more basic.  Return to Him to fill the emptiness and allow Him to handle the stress. 

Live to serve. 

Live to praise. 

Live to share His glory. 

Why not start today?

Words of my heart, Laurie

A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

"Give us each day our daily bread." Luke 11:3

STOP BY and check out the new blog, "His Morning Glories" inspired by God's creation and moved to share with you.  Sign up to receive it by email.  Beautiful glories from God.

The Pit... Words of my Heart by A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Pit of your Stomach

They say the 'pit of your stomach' is where fear or nervousness strikes first.

Fear seems to be the thing that holds us back from enjoying our life or trying new things. Fear keeps some of us on the run.

Terry has always said fear controls nations. Fear controls people in masses. 

Post Game Mayhem Kentucky

Let's face it, fear controls individuals daily. We empower others to control us through fear. Authority and fear tend to run hand in hand. Mob scenes breed fear and frantic actions.

Someone once said, "Wars are fueled through peoples' fears and are ended through peoples' understanding." I have also heard that fear will eventually turn to anger and from anger will come a need to make things right.  

Think about this... fear knots up that pit of your stomach, but does not extreme happiness and joy hit the same area but triggered by a positive emotion?

If that is true, can we not use love instead of anger? Can we not use our faith and God to stay in sync with reality?   

Breathing is always recommended, slow steady inhaling and exhaling, but try it with a vision in front of you.  Think of a broken dying tree, decaying and ready to fall over. (Feel that pit in your stomach just from my description? Eyebrows knitted?) 

SUDDENLY there are tiny leaf buds beginning to unfurl from the knotted dark branches and as the leaves open and unfurl the tree begins to straighten in the wind. A full green canopy erupts around the tree and immediately birds are flying between the branches singing. 

It's not Walt Disney... it's God at work.  He takes the worst and brings out the best.  He does it with all of us each day.  For me my days were filled with worry and baseline fears about deadlines, extended family problems, finances... you name it.  But this Lenten season has opened my heart in new ways of seeing life each day. I accept there will be darkness ahead. I accept there will be negative things happening. I accept that God is there to keep me balanced. If I keep Him centered in me, fear cannot take over.

Words of my heart, Laurie

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

2 Timothy 1:7

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

In the Silence is God, Words of my Heart by A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

In the Silence


Deep night... the sound of crickets and frogs outside the window.
Outside the drapes the brilliance of the stars lights up the forest where we live.

To feel His Greatness is to simple walk out under the starry skies and know He has put every star in the sky.  It is here you can see the presence of God and find perfect peace.   


When I am spiritually disconnected I immediately go outside.  Day or night.
It is in nature that all the pulling and stress are dispelled from my mind and body. An inner peace begins to warm through me as I breathe in slowly and expel out the tension inside. I have invited that tension to be part of my journey this day and it is up to me to let go of it. 


Being outside puts me in a direct connection with God. It is outside I feel His peace washing over me. 


How do you recharge your life when you are running low?  Take the time to find ways to bring that peace into your life every single day. As you speak and act you will reflect and share that peace with others.


Words of my Heart, Laurie


"Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to prayer from this place." 2 Chronicles 6:40

Pure Being Surrounds You, Words of my Heart, By A Texas Artist Laurie

Pure Being

You are not alone. You are never alone.

Can you hold this in your mind and feel the true comfort of it?  It comes with the ray of sunshine falling on your face, or the cool of evening passing over your shoulders. It comes with the song of birds and the rush of winds through the trees.

It comes in music, books and in touch...the touch of a feather or the touch of water.  His assurance surrounds you when you take the time to listen and feel His presence.

God's loving presence surrounds all of us. When you are so busy you tend to miss it. So draw a slow deep breath and close your eyes... can you hear him? Can you feel His love?  As you release your breath, let go of your sorrows and your worries. Feel His arms wrapped around you holding you close.


You are not alone. You are never alone.

Words of my heart, Laurie

"Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me."  John 16:32

Renovation, Words of my Heart by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Renovation

I was browsing through Amazon and came across the title of a book called Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard. The reviews were very strong for the book and there were 65 of them.  Seems like it was written to help you through exactly what it says...renovation of your heart as you find what is truly in line with where you should be with God.

Our home today.

Terry and I have had our fill of renovating houses. We did it for awhile flipping a few houses and making some money ahead, but then we lost on the last one because of the drop in the housing market. It was a pretty hard hit for us.  It came just as we were thinking of retiring but with the plunge in the economy we consulted a higher power, called our CPA and took the loss to try and keep the loss from being even worse.

Definition for renovation:

Web definitions:

the act of improving by renewing and restoring; "they are pursuing a general program of renovation to the entire property";... wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Breakfast Room at our Lake House

Taking that last contemporary home and doing all that work that was a huge journey. It was a home designed and built by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright.  We really tried to renew and restore it to what is was in 1959 and put a lot of hard labor and dollars into.   We went two months without gas and had to rewire the entire house.



Thankfully living there was a joy and a time in our lives we will celebrate and remember, but the selling was a total demolition of our retirement plans. Yet, was it part of His Plan?

How often do we have to renovate 'ourselves' to get where we are renewed and restored?  I found this one blog by Rick Warren called  Renovation Begins with Demolition. It is a short but solid read.

During this time of Lent, you may have to go through a type of demolition of who you are and how you think and then slowly begin your renovation with the Carpenter, the Son of God.  He will help you rebuild so you will be renewed and restored.

Words of my heart, Laurie

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."  Hebrews 4:12 



Post Note: Our CPA held us to two years and not renovations at our lake house... I have exactly two weeks left to hit that two year mark...but for some reason it is no longer important. When you are at home in yourself, the things around you are not as urgent to change.  Peace in the heart brings a smile. So did golden yellow paint in the kitchen. see picture above.

Forgiveness, Words of my Heart by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Forgiveness

The sharp pain of betrayal and the hidden hurt weigh heavily on heart,

Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy from the start.

 Peter asks, “Lord how often shall my Brother sin and I forgive?”

Jesus answers Peter, “Seven times seventy” or as long as you shall live.

When you pray to the Father while holding things against some one,

You must forgive him first, before the Father forgives what you have done.

“Do not judge, least you be judged, do not condemn and you’ll not be condemned.

Forgive and you will be forgiven"; all the anger will dissipate from where it stemmed.

If the hurt and pain stay inside your heart, it will harden day by day

You simply must let go of all that pain for it to go away.

Just as you forgive all those that wronged you and hurt you through the years,

May God grant you grace in their eyes, for their forgiveness of you to appear.

Release anyone who has injured you in the past and stop the slander and the pain,

Show mercy through the eyes of grace so your prayer is not in vain.

As Jesus ask His Father for forgiveness for those that accused and crucified Him too,

He prayed on the cross as he died, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

L Pace March 11, 2012

I sit here in reflection... that often we cannot forgive ourselves for things in our past. Stop condemning yourself and embrace the goodness that has been in you since conception. You are made in God's image. God is good and so are you.


Make a conscious choice to forgive yourself today. Then think of people that you might have hurt or injured and ask for their forgiveness.  Then think of those that have hurt you and look to them through the same gentle eyes that Jesus saw Peter, through the eyes of grace.


Life is a learning experience and often situations arise that are tough, but each offers a time for you to learn and grow both in Spirit and in life.


Words of the heart, Laurie


"Forgive, act, and render to all whose hearts you know, according to all their ways." 1 Kings 8:39

Surrender, Words of my Heart by A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Surrender

sur·ren·der  (s-rndr)

v. sur·ren·dered, sur·ren·der·ing, sur·ren·ders

v.tr.

1. To relinquish possession or control of to another because of demand or compulsion.

2. To give up in favor of another.

3. To give up or give back (something that has been granted): surrender a contractual right.

4. To give up or abandon: surrender all hope.

5. To give over or resign (oneself) to something, as to an emotion: surrendered himself to grief.

6. Law To restore (an estate, for example), especially to give up (a lease) before expiration of the term.

When you say the word it sounds almost romantic or it sounds like wartime. Quite a contrast in thought. How can giving up be a positive thing? How can abandoning something be a good thing? How can relinquishing control make things work?

How do you surrender to God? Can you give up your heart with out your body and soul? Yielding one with out the others is impossible. We cannot separate ourselves.  To relinquish power to Him has to be totally all of you all of the time. Not part of your some of the time. 


When I was reading and studying on this I read the story of a man and a woman getting married and the man saying, "Sweetheart, I want to marry you, but I can only give you half of my heart."  She looks at him and asks, "Why only half?"  He replies," The other half is for my old girlfriends, whom I still visit through out the week."  What woman in her right mind would marry him?  

God does not fail you or ever stop loving you and He certainly loves you with all of His heart, grace, love and joy.  Yet most people who claim to love Him have other loves in their life. Could be a job, a hobby, could be anything that draws you away from spending time with Him and surrendering your all to Him. What are you holding back?


In this season of Lent it is time to reflect the word surrender and instead of giving up things for Lent, give yourself up to God.  You are not 'whole' until you do. You are living half-heartedly.


Words of my heart, Laurie

Job 11: 13-19 


"Surrender your heart to God, turn to him in prayer, and give up your sins--even those you do in secret.  Then you won't be ashamed; you will be confident and fearless. Your troubles will go away like water beneath a bridge, and your darkest night will be brighter than noon. You will rest safe and secure, filled with hope and emptied of worry. You will sleep without fear and be greatly respected."

Who Will Betray You? Words of my heart by A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Who will betray you?


I was praying over this after the church service on Sunday.  Pastor Jack had us write down on cards someone that had betrayed us in our early life.  On the back of the card we had to write how we felt.  My feeling was "vulnerable".


Who would betray you in life?  Many times a family member will break a trusted relationship and cross boundaries.  Most of the time it is a close friend. 


I found this on the interent  The 48 Laws of Power:

"Never put too Much Trust in Friends, Learn how to use Enemies

Be wary of friends-they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy.  They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove.  In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies.  If you have no enemies, find a way to make them."

I definitely do not agree with the 48 Laws of Power as being something for my life...but was intrigued by the writer's point that your enemies can be trusted more than your friends or even your family. I would rather turn to God, He is the highest power. 

Betrayal in a relationship often leaves you feeling taken advantage of, deceived, humiliated or cheated. Often it comes unannounced and the surprise leaves you in great pain.  It can be difficult to regain ground and find the light that comes from such life experiences.  Some betrayals are planned out, others evolve from situations that just happen. Betrayals can often change the course of history as can your response to them. The destruction remains behind no matter what. The impact of the pain can often take years to work through.  Learning to release and forgive is often difficult.

That takes me back again to the prayer from yesterday, 

"Thank you, God, for everything you gave me, and thank you more for everything you took." 

Judas took thirty silver coins and betrayed Jesus. We all face betrayal in our lives. How did Jesus handle it?  How do you respond to betrayal?


John 13: 2-5 "The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him."


Jesus already knew Judas had betrayed him. He still washed Judas' feet in a humble act of service.  Despite the pain of betrayal, we cannot allow discouragement to keep us from life.  Pain and anger slow our world down and create a pool of misery that we tend to linger in.  God is ready to TAKE it from us.  Are you ready to give it up?   


The last thing Jack had us do was write down the feeling we had giving it up to God... allow Him to 'take' the situation.  I wrote down 'strength'. 


Biblegateway has a remarkable commentary on Jesus' view of loving your enemies. Click here to read it.  Grace comes from forgiveness....how open is your heart to His Grace and are you ready to receive it?  Are you ready to see life through the eyes of grace?


Words of my heart, Laurie




“I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I
say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times.” Jn 13:21-33, 36-38

Celebrating Life Words of the Heart by A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Celebrating Life

Do you have your list ready???

What is on your list to celebrate life?

Can you make a list of twenty things to do that you actually want to do?

It could be something as simple as sitting outside as the sun rises sipping a warm cup of tea or coffee.

 It might be curling up on the couch by a sunny window and immersing yourself in a good book.

Or it might be spending two hours at your favorite book store, including a cup of coffee or hot tea.

It might be holding a baby and smelling that sweet baby smell.






It could be painting with friends... and getting away from your every day life.

Or spending some time with someone you love paddling around the lake on a beautiful sunny day.



What are twenty things that bring you joy that you can celebrate life?  Make it easy. Keep it simple.  God graces us with so many choices in life, make the best of them and choose wisely.

Words of my Heart,
Laurie


“Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.” Proverbs 14:22 NIV

Healing Words of my Heart by A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Healing

Injuries of the flesh take time to heal. When our youngest son was in a near fatal car accident, it took over a year to get him back on course....and even then there was fall out from the accident that affected his life for the next ten years.

Injuries of that magnitude leave a vulnerable place in our lives. All health challenges create that same vulnerability.

Often we cannot be healed in this lifetime and we must have faith in God to walk through our lives beside us with these illnesses or injuries.  Through our faith and His abiding strength we can make the best of each day.

Believe you are perfect just as you are at this moment in time. True healing begins from the inside out and that would be from your heart.

New growth comes from within. Allow your faith to sprout forth and share the bloom with your family and friends.

Words of my Heart,  Laurie

"Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." and instantly the woman was made well. " Matthew 9:22

Thoughts from the Road Trip on Sunday by A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Thoughts from the Road

We made a short/long trip to see the kids yesterday...there and back. Five hours total driving time.  One of those love hate things of being on the road, but knowing it is rare for the family to gather in one place.

It helped that our son-on-law Larry was whipping up some healthy chicken chili. It was the thought that kept us coming... that and playing with Lady L.

As we left Mount Vernon, Terry had on a variety of political talk shows.  That alone is a retreat into prayers or other thoughts for me. Everything gets hashed and bashed on the TV and I truly did not want to hear it for two and 1/2 hours in the car yesterday morning. But I did.

The saving part was as we hit the edge of Dallas crossing Lake Ray Hubbard the George Bush Turnpike was open.  Taking that cuts off about 30 minutes in driving time. THAT was a nice surprise.

We enjoyed our visit, good food, good conversation, many hugs, and not near enough time as we headed home by four...but with this return trip we had the Giants/Packer Game. It lasted the entire trip home. Those Giants really cleaned up.

How do men do this? Trying to follow that auction type gibberish almost drove me crazy. AND he could drive at the same time and change stations on his steering wheel.  Truly men must learn these things from an early age. There is not a radio or tv that they cannot figure out and work without a look or a blink.

God is truly good and patient.  He must feel very much the same way about us and our constant gibberish every day. We stay motivating in the direction we are heading. The few times we turn our attention to Him... we still have not slowed down to breath and prepare for conversation.  I think we have too many computers, too much TV and too much noise in our lives. We have TOO TOO much. We can control and conquer all the electronics but we cannot let go and live our lives with joy.  Maybe it is time for a challenge of less when it comes to electronics...of all sorts. Time to be set free.

Words of my heart, Laurie

" To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."" John 8:31-32