Our family went to the Oregon Coast for the weekend, staying in one place at one time, learning more about each other, laughing, eating homemade favorites, focusing on fun. Blue skies, calm waters, and just enough wind for hang gliders launching from a hilltop above framed our first day. It was breathtaking, all of it . . . the sea, sand, and sport . . . an unusual day to have together. But. A storm came in that evening . . . high winds . . . and side-ways rain. So. We enjoyed storm watching, drinking coffee, and eating homemade french toast.
Consider.
Come together, driven and sustained by the power of grace.
Learning to Kickstart the day together through the power of Christ's grace,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)
The thing is . . . the strength of our relationships is dependent upon how we manage the good and the stormy times together . . . in every space of life.Sharing life together is when we celebrate a rite of passage or something that has been accomplished and completed, when we draw close with understanding when a mistake is made, when we stand as disappointment, disease, death, and darkness invades our space, when we trust God, believing He has the best and highest purpose and plan. Sharing life together is transforming. We really do need each other.
Consider.
It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. (Philippians 1:7, NIV).The Apostle Paul communicated to the early church the importance of being connected to one another through sharing in the power of God's grace. In our humanness, we rely on circumstances to direct our relationships. But. When we focus on the power of grace in Christ as the central point of relationship, we respond to one another differently, no longer in bondage to what someone has or has not done, breaking free of strongholds, developing healthy and whole relationships that make us better. This kind of a relationship comes from a bond that can only be described as God-driven and God-sustained.
Come together, driven and sustained by the power of grace.
Learning to Kickstart the day together through the power of Christ's grace,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)