Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day is not a holiday in my country but you’d think it was.

We have Thanksgiving assemblies in our schools.

Students bring in can goods to present to local charities and organizations.

There’re potluck lunches at schools and many businesses

Lunch vendors have special Thanksgiving lunches.

Restaurants have Thanksgiving dinner specials.

Churches have Thanksgiving services…

And we celebrate with our neighbors to the North.

Because it’s always a great thing to give thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, especially my friends in America!

I’m thankful that you stop by.

Your presence adds joy to my day.

Trusting Him,

 ~Bernadine~

In His Presence

Recently I was away from home and wanted to spend a few minutes in God’s word. However there were too many distractions. No matter how much I tried I kept getting distracted and even a little frustrated because I wanted to get my daily bread which I can only get from reading the word of God. Finally I discovered a quiet spot and with my Bible and notebook settled down to spend some quiet time in the word of God.


As I read I found myself in one of my favorite books. (I can’t seem to close my Bible without stopping in and gleaning some wisdom form the book of Psalm.) For some reason this day just a portion of a verse stood out to me.


A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! Psalm 84:10

I'm over at Laced With Grace today. I'd love for you to stop by and read the rest of my post In His Presence

























Trusting Him,



~Bernadine~




Trusting Him, ~Bernadine~

Sometimes

Have you ever felt this way?


Sometimes I enter your house Lord
And it’s not where I want to be
I don’t feel like lifting my hands
Or singing praises to your name

I don’t want to hear the preacher
Preach a message about God’s grace
I want the service to be over
So I can be on my way

But as I sit in the sanctuary
And I begin to meditate
I think about all you’ve done
And how you saved me by your grace



Image by photobucket



And as I think about you Lord

The tears begin to slowly fall
As the iciness within my heart
Begin to melt from your son’s warmth


So I slip my hand to heaven
And begin to praise your holy name
Because Lord I do realize
This you do require of me



You want me to praise you
When I feel like and when I don’t
To deny the natural man
And tune in to only you

As I tune into your frequency
You begin to speak to me
You let me know that you are pleased
With my sacrificial praise

By the time I leave the service
My attitude is totally changed
And I wonder within myself
Why didn’t I want to praise God’s name?


Trusting Him,
~Bernadine~

The Only Real Peace

Have you ever lost something, maybe a key, an earring, your hand bag? You search high and low for it but to no avail? You begin to get frustrated and angry because you really need this item. Finally, after wrecking your house in search of the lost item, you give up.

Afterwards you sit hopelessly looking at the shambles that you made and there in the most obvious place is the item you're looking for. At this time you're unable to even appreciate finding the item because you're too busy looking at the mess that you made while looking for it. The sad fact is the item was not really lost. It was there all along. You simply didn't look in the right place to begin with.

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." John 4:13-15

Unfortunately, this is the way it is with life sometimes. The woman at the well was the perfect example. She wanted so much to find happiness, to find love and acceptance. She tried to find it in the arms of men, marrying and separating when they didn't live up to her expectations. Finally, she gave up on marriage after five times, but she still felt empty inside. All of her searching had gotten her nowhere. She was ostracized, hated, and looked down upon because she was searching for something to fill the empty spaces in her life.

The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming.
When he comes, he will explain everything to us." Then Jesus declared,
"I who speak to you am he." John 4:25-26 (NIV)

Sad isn't it? Often times in our search for happiness, we end up being wounded. Sometimes our wounds are so deep that what we are searching for may be right in front of us and we may not recognize it because we are searching in the wrong places. 

Read the rest of this article in the latest issue Sanctified Together.  The entire issue was based around the theme "peace" and has some beautiful, inspiring articles

Trusting Him,
 ~Bernadine~

This article was previously posted at Laced With Grace

Keep Going Until You Reach the End

“Baby, don’t give up! Keep going, until you reach the end.” My mother always encouraged me with these words when I wanted to give up on a project. She never wanted me to quit and that became a part of my makeup in every which way. I try to finish what I start. I hate loose ends which is why I try not to even start books or movies late at night because 2 or 3 am I am still awake bleary eyed because something inside me just wants to keep going...

Today I’ll be doing a guest post at Sharing Life with Lisa, a dear friend whose blog I visit often. Her genuine warmth and love for Christ makes you feel right at home. I hope you’ll stop by and read the rest of my post.

Trusting Him,
~Bernadine~