A New Day Dawning

Having recently started working third shift, I soon found there was something that I longed for during each shift. No matter how tough the shift was or how easy it was, there was a moment in the shift that seems to fill me with peace and revive my weary human body. 

"What" you might wonder?

It is the promise of a new day. 

The beauty of each morning as the sun began to top the mountains or peek through the clouds. And you might say that not every day is the sun visible. How true that is, but even though it is hidden from eye, it is still there. As dawn breaks across the horizon, just the promise of a new day fills one with peace and revives deep down. 

So it is with our Christian life. New days dawn in our walk with Christ; some bright and cheery, others damp and dreary. And it is always easy to rejoice when the sun is bright, life is full of joys and blessings. But so often it is even harder to be happy when the skies are filled with clouds of disappointments, trials, hardships. As children of the King, we are reminded of the mercies that are new every day, whether they be something as little as a beautiful sunrise or  something as big as physical healing in the life of a loved one. Even when the day is drear, it is filled with the mercies of the Lord. Just by being alive is indication of His mercy extended toward you or me.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

So whether your day is bright or drear, the Lord has bestowed His mercies upon you. When the way is bright, thank Him for what He has done. And when the way is drear and hard, look for the small things that He has blessed you with.

Look for that new day! Wait patiently for it and dwell in the beauty that the Lord has bestowed in the bright and the drear.

Remember that there is a NEW DAY for all those that seek Him! It could happen any day!

PS. A "new" day has dawned in my life. I am now officially registered for the clinical aspect of Nursing. This has been a long awaited moment of mine, having studied 2.5 years of part-time gen ed studies in preparation for this moment. I am looking forward to seeing where God leads from here.

Finding Spiritual Whitespace - A Book Review

Several months ago, I came across an email invitation to be part of a book launch team. The name of the book was what really caught my attention - Finding Spiritual Whitespace: awakening your soul to rest. I accepted the invitation to be part of this exclusive group and embark on this journey of rest. 

To be honest, I really wasn't sure what to expect as I opened the book. Not even past the introduction, I was struck by the vulnerability that Bonnie Gray expressed. In allowing her vulnerable moments to be penned out and shared publicly, she expressed her need for rest and gently coaxed others on this journey with her. Each story gave yet another glimpse into a soul seeking rest, followed by thought-provoking questions that opened the reader to find rest. 

The more I spent time using her experiences as a guide to rest, I identified with questions that she penned. Bonnie Gray, also known as the Faith Barista took life experiences, creating "whitespaces" and applied them to a simple, yet complex concept known as rest. 

Bonnie is not asking us to do something extraordinary; no, not at all. Rather she is prompting us to do something that even our Lord and Savior, in all His perfectness, yet fleshly body, needed to do as He walked this earth - REST! 

"And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into

a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening had come,

he was there alone." Matt 14:23 KJV

If Christ as a Supreme Being needed to rest, how much more do we as sinful creatures, saved by grace, need to step apart and find rest?

I encourage you to join us on this journey of finding spiritual whitespace, seeking rest!

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The Beauty of Whitespace

Whitespace - a term I had heard only a few times before. What was it? 

This week I began a journey in learning of Spiritual Whitespace as I started reading a book by Bonnie Gray - the author of Faith Barista. 

So what is whitespace? Untouched, unmarked space, but not blank. It has beauty! A canvas longing for quiet, beauty, rest. We have been instructed to rest.

[Earnestly] remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (withdrawn from common employment and dedicated to God). Six days you shall labor and do all your work, But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, your daughter, your manservant, your maidservant, your domestic animals, or the sojourner within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it [set it apart for His purposes]. Exodus 20:8-11 AMP

Even God in all His holiness rested after He created the earth. He, who was all-knowing, all-powerful, Supreme, needed to rest. How much more do we as fallen creatures saved by grace need to rest? We even find Jesus, amidst His calling here on earth, stepping away from His task at hand and retreating to the mountains for some time alone. He, who came to earth as an individual to die for our sins when He himself was sinless, recognized the need to step back and find that spiritual whitespace - that place of beautiful rest.

And He said to them, [[a]As for you] come away by yourselves to a deserted place, and rest a while—for many were [continually] coming and going, and they had not even leisure enough to eat. Mark 6:31 AMP.

I encourage you to find your place of rest - your spiritual whitespace. A place where you can lay aside the daily weight and find God, as He waits for you. As He desires for you to rest in Him.

I have just began my journey through this book. Join us as we take this journey of finding Spiritual Whitespace.


The beauty of whitespace!

Here Am I, Send Me

Today on Jewels of Jesus, the emphasis is placed on the call that we have as Christians. I am sharing some of my personal story and the call that I recieved to serve in Nicaragua.

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But the Greatest of These is Love!

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned , and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 

4 Charity suffereth long , and is kind ; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself , is not puffed up , 

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly , seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked , thinketh no evil; 

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

8 Charity never faileth : but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail ; whether there be tongues, they shall cease ; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away . 

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 

10 But when that which is perfect is come , then that which is in part shall be done away . 

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly ; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known . 

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 KJV



Blessings to you as you love as Jesus does!

Would We Truly Long for Heaven?

Would We Truly Long for Heaven?

(click for a sound clip)

Would we truly long for heaven 

If this life was perfect here,
If we had no pain or heartache,
If we never shed a tear? 

If we had no disappointments,
And our dreams would all come true,
Could we keep that heav'nly vision
And that deep eternal view?

Would we truly long for Heaven
If we never gave a sigh,
If the old were always taken,
And the young would never die?

If we had no cherished loved ones
Waiting at the eastern gate,
Would we truly long for Heaven
And reunion that awaits?

Would we truly long for Heaven
At the ending of the road,
If our backs were never bleeding
From the burden of the load?

If the sun was always shining,
If we never felt a gale,
Would we long for Heaven’s Harbour
To be safe within the veil?

Would we truly long for Heaven
And the bliss of yonder shore,
If we had no loved ones tugging
On the line at Heaven’s door?

If our precious family circle
Never was broken here below,
Would we truly long for Heaven
Where our loved ones we shall know?

Yes, dear Savior, we are longing
To be safe on Heaven’s shore,
And these trials only make us
Long for Heaven more and more.

And we see that Thou art using
Every trial of each day
As a tug from Heaven’s anchor
Just to pull us Heaven’s way. 
--Elizabeth Drudge

This song really struck a chord this weekend as I listen to the Buffalo Valley Men's Octet at Wilkes-Barre Mennonite Church Sunday morning. If my life was perfect, what would I have to look forward too? If no one ever died, who would I miss? 

Then I thought, do I truly long for heaven with each passing day? Does each day find me longing for the day when I will see my Savior's face? Scriptures reveal the day is fast approaching - 

"18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye 

have heard that antichrist shall come, even 

now are there many antichrists; whereby we 

know that it is the last time.(1 John 2:18)

Many false teachers are in our presence, attempting to teach "new" doctrine and doing away with "old" doctrine. But God's Word is unchanging! He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

My challenge to you is to truly long for heaven. Stay strong in the True faith of God as we are in the last days. Heaven awaits for those who have remained faithful to the calling of God on their lives. some final Scripture for you -

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary

 the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, 

seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8)

5And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (Revelations 21:5-7)

The joy that awaits us truly outweighs the pleasure and luxury of this world!

Truly longing for heaven!

Just As I Am

Just as I am, without one plea, 

But that Thy blood was shed for me, 

And that Thou bidst me come to Thee, 

O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not 

To rid my soul of one dark blot,

 To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, 

O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about 

With many a conflict, many a doubt, 

Fightings and fears within, without, 

O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind; 

Sight, riches, healing of the mind,

Yea, all I need in Thee to find, 

O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,

Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;

Because Thy promise I believe,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown 

Hath broken every barrier down;

Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone, 

O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, of that free love 

The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove, 

Here for a season, then above, 

O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

~Written by Charlotte Elliott