GraceLaced Monday: Right Thing at the Right Time

*Note: If you decide to shop for this exact book, it's best to have the ISBN number. I had some trouble finding this precise version by doing just a title search on Amazon. If someone needs the ISBN, leave me a comment on this post and I'll get it to you!

Also, this particular book is actually a DVD based study. I'm not doing that portion of it. Just means that you'd not be filling out a page at the beginning of each chapter. So far, I'm learning so much even without the video portion - just letting you know it "works" even without that element.
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My last GracedLaced Monday post was about relearning how to hear God.

This one will be, too.

Talk about grace: Mrs. M and I are embarking on a new Bible study, which we prayerfully chose. Oh my, was it ever God's leading that we settled upon Discerning the Voice of God, by Priscilla Shirer.

Even since I wrote a week ago on hearing Him, my desperation and need to hear Him has increased - not because I am spiritual, but because I simply cannot be a loving mother/person, or a wise woman without becoming more truly attuned to His voice moment by moment. I cannot.

I've done 4 days of this six-week study. This is what I needed. God had me prepared just a bit by having me make efforts at clearing my mind (with the goal of listening for Him) for just 5-10 minutes during my devotions in the days before we chose and began this Bible study.

And yesterday's lesson included the challenge to do just that; which I did, even though it was very hard mentally (oh, the racing, distracted, truly very busy mind of moms!), and in spite of a 4.5 year old dark-of-the-morning visitor, I did sit still, and I did try to clear my head. I had to start over many times. I listened.

Blessedly, and most faintly, I heard. It was a little instruction for my day. A bit odd to my mind, but grace for the moment to trust and obey.

And guess what? In the smallest way, within an hour, God gave me confirmation that I did understand correctly what He'd said to me.

Oh, the hope, the breath of fresh hope He delivered to me!

Many days are long and hard lately and I'm so stumped and utterly sinful and frankly confused about how to walk in different parts of my calling, which brings me back around to some of my beginning thoughts: I cannot not go any longer without at least starting the process of learning to hear His wonderful voice again....


Though the day ahead may prove to be demanding, confusing, and filled with more reminders of my frailty, Jesus has handed me this grace, this reviving, life-preserving rescue line: He.is.speaking.

He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.

The sovereign Lord has opened my ears...

Isaiah 50:4-5

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And, because I could not resist, and because these made me smile and might make you do the same...

It's a leaf-face, of course. MK made this. She used rubber cement to glue tiny rocks and string bits to the leaf (hence the dark discoloring of parts of the leaf!). But it made me so happy to see her creating, and in her classic style: tiny, detailed, whimsical. She made 3 or 4 of them.

I don't know which is more cute, the chubby knees or the hilarious, mismatched, beat up shoes?! This is one ambitious, determined toddler though. Found shoes: check! Put shoes on: check! Headed out the back door in a diaper: check!

How or why she was down to a diaper only, I cannot say. I think an older sibling may have been involved. There were stickers all on her face and back and she was sporting that stylin' green terry Christmas bib. So.Funny.