Jesus Calling: A Powerful Thought for Today

While the new devotional book that I’m writing now is different from author Sarah Young’s devotional Jesus Calling : Enjoying Peace in His Presence, read the entry below and think about your present concerns. And as you do, I hope you’ll be lifted up into high places with Him.

Make it a great day!

God bless you!

Nanci

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WHEN YOU ARE PLAGUED by a persistent problem—one that goes on and on—view it as a rich opportunity. An ongoing problem is like a tutor who is always by your side. The learning possibilities are limited  only to your willingness to be teachable. In faith, thank Me for your problem. Ask me to open your eyes and your heart to all that I am accomplishing through this difficulty. Once you have become grateful for a problem, it loses its power to drag you down. On the contrary, your thankful attitude will lift you up into heavenly places with Me. From this perspective, your difficulty can be seen as a slight, temporary distress that is producing for you a transcendent Glory never to crease! – Isaiah 30:20-21, 2 Corinthians 4:17 (AMP)

 – Sarah Young, Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence, December 18 entry.

 

LOOKING for the LIGHT: Encouragement for today!

Hi!
I hope this brings a little encouragement your way today. Life is hard so it’s best to trust God with all the details of your life.

Please see the tab on my blog labeled “Relationship with God” for more information on how to have a relationship with God as well. It’s not about being religious — and a bunch of dos and don’ts.

Make it a great day!

God Bless You!
Nanci

Author Talk + Book Signing

~ More today on my book Fresh Hope … Cleveland.

Couldn’t you use a little fresh hope today?

Today I’m sharing some news with you.

Make it a great day!

God Bless You!

Nanci

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NEWS … News …NEWS

Save the date Wednesday, June 11.

JUNE 11, 2014

Author Talk + Book Signing 

North Royalton Public Library  ~ 7 pm.

5071 Wallings Road ▪ North Royalton, Ohio 44133

~ To Register Call: 440-237-3800

Come learn more as I share the entire Fresh Hope … Cleveland process from how I came to write the book, information on the title and subtitle, the book’s major themes, what’s in Fresh Hope, and what I’m writing now. Book signing to follow. Summer/Spring Book Special ~ books will be $10 including tax. Cash or checks only. A portion of the proceeds with go to the library.

QUESTION: Does anyone know of any organization that would benefit from FREE copies of my book? ~ Thank You!

More Wisdom ~

More WISDOM for today! I think this picture says it all.

Have a good evening!

God Bless You!

Nanci

 

 

 

More Wisdom ~ The Secret to Happiness

Great advice today~ read it and make any necessary changes in your life if you aren’t already living this way! Something from my facebook page just for you. I love this story and you will too! More WISDOM just like you’ll find in my book Fresh Hope … Cleveland!

Have a Happy Easter ~ He is Risen!

God Bless You!

Nanci

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The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady (pictured below), moved to a nursing home today. Even though she is legally blind, she is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move to the nursing home necessary.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. “I love it,” she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy. “Mrs. Jones, you haven’t seen the room …. just wait.” “That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” she replied. “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged, it’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.

Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away, just for this time in my life.” She went on to explain, “Old age is like a bank account, you withdraw from what you’ve put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories. Thank you for your part in filling my memory bank. I am still depositing.”

And with a smile, she said: “Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred: Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries.

3. Live simply.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less.

6. I’ll add a little more: Trust God.

Highlights ~ Four Years of Blogging!

Yes, that’s right! It’s been four solid years that I have been bringing you news of my book Fresh Hope … Cleveland along with many new resources plus some fun little fufu things too!

Hi! Come on in and visit for a while. I’ll put on the tea kettle and we can just chat away! Here are a few of the highlights from the 13 months. I’ve marked them if you want to read the entire blog post. Ready?

Only 29 Days Until Spring! Hurray!

Have a great day tomorrow!

God Bless You!

Nanci

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 Highlights ~ Here we go!

1. Get your taxes done for free https://nancigravill.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/

2. Inspiration https://nancigravill.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/as-you-tip-toe-into-2013/

3. Enjoy a Good Laugh! https://nancigravill.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/

4. Gratitude https://nancigravill.wordpress.com/2013/01/08/

5. The Wonder Drug https://nancigravill.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/

6. Brown Rice + Veggies with Ginger Sauce https://nancigravill.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/

7. Mental Health https://nancigravill.wordpress.com/2013/05/21/

8. Drug Muggers https://nancigravill.wordpress.com/2013/06/04/

9. Headaches https://nancigravill.wordpress.com/2013/09/24/

10. The 5 LOVE Languages https://nancigravill.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/

Love is More Than Just a Feeling ~ Part 4

~ Come on out of the cold and enjoy a cup of java. Then discover a very important resource for your life. I’ve talked about this in my book Fresh Hope … Cleveland.  Hope you get all your Christmas shopping done.  Here’s more about that important resource for your life!

God Bless You! ~ Nanci

Welcome to Part 4 of the series — Love Is More Than Just a Feeling.

In this series I’ve been talking about something we all want and look for – for our lives. Yes, it’s love. The sense that we matter and have a purpose — that we feel accepted and cared for in life is what everyone wants and needs. But we look for it sometimes as the song goes, in all the wrong places. We can look for it in relationships, career, money, prestige, fame, education, or through adventure or doing good to others. But the plain fact is, these things don’t bring satisfaction and many of them are dead ends in themselves. There is only one lasting type of love that can nurture us and make us whole: God. God is love. There are numerous versions of the Bible. However, The Message Bible on many occasions sums up things best of all.

Read This Out Loud

Chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Colossians 3:12 -14 ~ The Message

Love is More Than Just a Feeling ~ Part 1

~ More resources to help you just like in my book Fresh Hope … Cleveland.

This is Part I of my new series. I hope you’ll come by each week and learn why Love is More Than Just a Feeling.

God Bless You!

Nanci

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November, I was told the other day, is National Adoption Month. Nothing can replace the LOVE and care of a family.

LOVE at It’s Best

Adoptive families embrace the concept around which this whole series revolves. It’s all about the bigger picture of something — something so much larger than ourselves. It’s all about LOVE.

To take tiny people into your home that you don’t even know, spend time and money to give them a good home and provide for them when they can’t repay you is indeed LOVE. To nurture someone and give of yourself –is LOVE at it’s very best. To be quite honest, raising children is a selfless act no matter if they are biologically your own or adopted. But if you adopt a child, that’s even more special. I heard a story about a family that adopted a young boy. One day he and his sister got into a little spat. The sister shouted at her brother, you were adopted! He told her, well, mom and dad had to take you when you came. But I was picked out special!

Why Are Families Important?

Families make us who we are by nurturing, encouraging, and directing us. They also help mold our personality and character. A family is the place too where memories are made and each one of us experiences holiday traditions with food, decorations, music, and perhaps your funny Aunt Clara. Remember she’s the one who always bakes ten pies at Christmas or Thanksgiving, brings her cute little Schnauzer, drives a VW bug – and she’s attractive but still not married! That sounds like somebody I know!

A family is the place where you’re supposed to be accepted and loved in spite of everything. A family will never perfect but certainly for those who adopt, the objective is to provide a loving home environment. The adoptive family as well as the adoptee are placed within the family unit after evaluation and a home study. Both the family and the child(ren) are carefully placed to make sure it’s a good fit. It can be a satisfying relationship for both the family and a well-deserving child that needs a home – because they both need each other. But the glue that cements the entire relationship together is LOVE.

There was a great article in USA Today (September 12, 2013). It indicated that adoption numbers were rising for kids in foster care. A great quote from the article shared this, “It’s important to work on family success, not just child placement, expert says.”

Forever Home Adoptions ~ new adoption agency

If you are thinking about adoption, I know of a new agency that would love to answer any questions you may have. Contact them via Facebook at Forever Home Adoptions or at http://Foreverhomeadoptions.com.

“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I could only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” I Corinthians 13: 1-3 ~ New Living Translation

Love is More Than Just a Feeling ~ Introduction

~ More resources just like the kind you’ll find in my book Fresh Hope … Cleveland: Resources to Help You Navigate through Unsettled Times.

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How can a simple concept like LOVE can be so power and helpful for your life?

In this new series “Love is More than Just a Feeling,” I will explore all sorts of things related to LOVE. Why? Because LOVE is more than just a feeling. It’s a way of behaving and a way of looking at others that are the same or much different that you are. But it’s also a powerful way to live your life every day.

LOVE is one of the nutrients you need in life for a peaceful soul. In this new series, LOVE is More Than Just a Feeling, learn about:

• LOVE and Care for Children ~ National Adoption Month (next week)
• Aspects of LOVE: forgiveness, trust, truth, and blessing others
• Learn more about LOVE and it’s healing properties
• Read the LOVING words of a son after his father’s death (Nov. 26)
• Enjoy readings about LOVE from the Message Bible
• Learn the types of LOVE (from Greek language): Agape, Phila, Eros
• Find LOVE that fills and satisfies
• Believe/Receive CHRISTmas LOVE and what that means for you today
• Discover your LOVE Language + the LOVE language of those you love
• Explore: LOVE is about everything that you are
• Take the LOVE challenge
• More!

I hope you come by and visit each post in the series because you just may find out there’s more to LOVE than you thought — Love is More Than Just a Feeling!

Make it a great day!

God Bless You!

Nanci

Billy Graham’s 95th Birthday Message ~ Nov 7 & 8

Billy Graham’s 95th Birthday Message

My Hope with Billy Graham A special program is being televised in a few days entitled MY HOPE.  Billy Graham will be celebrating his 95th birthday in November and is celebrating in a special way by giving what is most likely a final message which he has been preparing for some time.  He hopes that Christians will invite non-believers into their home as they view the program and then share their own salvation message with them. The program will be televised as follows: November 7th @ 8:00pm Trinity Broadcast Network November 7th @ 10:00pm Fox Cable News November 8th @ 7:00pm Channel 5 For more info, Google: Billy Graham message