Grace and Peace to each of you. Right NOW! In the name of Jesus, just as I speak these words to my own heart, I speak, them to you. I like this explanation of Grace from Bible Questions Answered | GotQuestions.org



Grace is closely related to God’s benevolence, love, and mercy. Grace can be variously defined as “God’s favor toward the unworthy” or “God’s benevolence on the undeserving.” In His grace, God is willing to forgive us and bless us abundantly, in spite of the fact that we don’t deserve to be treated so well or dealt with so generously.

In our own human life, we are taught as children to feed ourselves. To dress ourselves. Put on our shoes, on the right foot. As grown-ups, we teach with words and by example. We indulge our own expectations that we must “be right” because…after all we are …? What? Who? In our lives we often encounter our brokenness as blurred imagery. This imperfection introduces doubt and fear into our minds thusly our lives. Mercy opens the door for a divine encounter. Humanity is targeted to meet Divinity. This is not an external event that came and went, but an internal ongoing eternal transformative process, characterized by renewed thinking. This often means a complete change in the appearance or character of something or someone.

Lent begins February 22, 2023. Are you still giving up, depriving yourself of what you gave up last year or the year before? Why not set an internal transformative intention for Lent this year? Will you Be Transformed by the renewal of your mind? What don’t you know? How will you Know that you Know if you don’t Know what you don’t know?  The Living Bible says it like this “For we live by believing and not by seeing.” On Ash Wednesday what death will the cross on your forehead represent? What must die so Christ can live…In You? What is inside that you are Dying to keep?

12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 1 Cor. 13:12 NRSV 

God the Father keeps promises much better than we do.

LOVYAMUCHLY, Pr. Orinda