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Subject: The Art of Living With Grace
Date: July 25, 2001
Related Article: Daughter of Grace
In a world where the rights of an individual are vital, the aspect of "undeserved favor" seems to be a misfit. Is it possible to grant to one who has wronged you "undeserved favor"? Ironically, it is grace that enables a family to function as unique individuals blend together. Please join us for a stimulating discussion on living with grace in a graceless society.
-How would you define 'grace'?
- Is grace a lost virtue in today’s society?
-How do we give grace?
-How can we properly receive grace?
-How can we find & practice the balance between 'toeing' the line & application of grace?
-What affect will giving grace generously affect our lives and those around us?
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blessing Hi Bernice, quiet room!
cwt hi Barb. that's ok. I've been waiting for this to happen.
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hope hi has the topic began yet
cwt hi. NO. Just waiting to see if anyone would come in...
aangel Type HERE hello all
cwt sorry, didn't mean the caps...
aangel while we are waiting, can you tell me how to get the daily devotionals everday
cwt glad to have you here. Let's open in a word of prayer...
cwt Dear Lord, thanks for those that have joined us today. We pray for all those away on holidays. Bless them. Encourage us today together Lord. Amen
aangel amen
cwt hi angel. You go to the website and sign up for the devotionals. They are super.
cwt they get emailed to you everyday.
aangel thanks...
cwt Do you come in often angel?
aangel this is amazing,,,,i was just speaking to someone this morning about God's grace
hope that's so cool
aangel not as much as i would like because usually during the day I am at work
aangel can't seem to catch anyone here too often at night
cwt ok....well glad to have you. So how would you define Grace?
aangel God's unmerited favor
hope great riches at Christ's expence
cwt I think it is an attitude that displays itself in our whole demenor...
hope yes
cwt that is true. Grace is part of who God is. We are dealing a little today witht he idea of how we are to apply grace to the lives of others..
hope we ourselves can be gracious
cwt so when we deal with others, how would you define grace..?
aangel allowing people the benefit of not being judged
cwt I think as we understand more of God's grace to us, we can be more gracious to others.
hope being courteous polite even when the other person is rude
cwt good point. Not easy to do...
aangel not holding grudges
hope good one angel
cwt what about something like "road rage"...is that a lack of grace or something else?
aangel always allowing others the benefit of being forgiven
aangel lack of grace
cwt yet we see this kind of thing all the time, what has caused grace to be almost a "lost" virtue?
cwt selfishness
aangel i think we as people forget that God has extended his grace toward us
cwt always concerned with our own personal "rights"....
aangel we begin to think more highly of ourselves than we should
aangel we become judgemental, therefor, critical, there grace is lost
cwt yes that is true. good point. Especially as Christians, we ought to be full of grace, even when the world isnt...
aangel amen
hope lack of forgiveness towards others
aangel i feel that as christians it is important that we are his image not his reflection
cwt we do blow it alot don't we. I blew it just the other day when I got frustrated with a company because they didn't know what they were doing. Very obvious. I walked out.
aangel grace is a big part of his image
cwt When I got home, I realized how little grace I displayed....
cwt how do you make the difference between "image" and reflection, angel?
aangel we leave somthing behind even after we are gone
aangel a reflection is soon forgotten
cwt interesting difference you make
hope I think that it a good point angel
aangel interesting difference he (the lord) has made in my life
hope we are being refind into Christ's image and our lives should indeed show that
aangel that is the image or the difference we should make in the lives of others
aangel christ is loving even when we are not
aangel faithful, even when we are not
cwt So if we have the image of Christ, our lives are full of Grace....I think reflection can be accurate too, tho. A mirror gives an accurate relfection. The Word is spoken of as a mirror
cwt "look into the Word...to see what manner of man you are.."
cwt How can we give or practise grace?
aangel always walk in forgiveness,,,,not picking up any offense
hope one way would to allow the Holy Spirit to be in charge of our lives
cwt yes. for sure. When we are unforgiving we not only carry offense, God can't reveal himself thorugh us.
hope That way God is in control and we are then reflecting his grace into other's lives
aangel amen
cwt through...sorry. typing bad today...
cwt good point, Grace comes from allowing the Holy Spirit to control us, instead of ourselves...
aangel amen
cwt so, what should we do if we have been "ungraceful" to someone?
hope we can't show grace to people with out God....true grace that is
aangel when we control ourselves,,,,we are out of control
hope ask forgiveness
cwt I like that angel. good point.
aangel be reconciled with whom we have shown no grace through repentence
cwt Isn't there a balance tho between expectations (like having a good company - toeing the line) and grace...? How do you find that?
hope I don't think that God wants us to be a door mat
cwt like I could have been more gracious to the company that I walked out on...but shouldn't they have known their business?
aangel in the word of God,,,,,,he teaches us through his word how to be fully balanced
cwt I don't think so...
cwt Jesus sure said some things that didn't seem gracious ...like "you den of thieves" White washed graves...
aangel if we are trully led by the spirit of
hope If a company is not purforming at par then they should be call to that. But it should be done in a way that is pleaseing to God
aangel God, i feel he will never allow us to be doormats
aangel amen
cwt yes. I agree angel...but we can think that as Christians we are never to protest when something is wrong...
hope I don't agree with that
aangel no.....going back to his image
cwt That anyone can take us for a ride....
hope look at what Jesus did in the temple
aangel Jesus always spoke aganist what was wrong
hope He cleared it out and over turned tables
cwt So how did Jesus practise grace in those situations? Or did He?
hope He call what was wrong, wrong and took action against it. But He extented forgiveness
cwt I think grace isn't a mushy thing. It is firm as well. Jesus was firm in pointing out that something was wrong...and he was in complete control when he did so...
cwt He didn't "pull any punches" as it were...or tip toe around the mulberry bush...
aangel amen
aangel amen
aangel too often as christians we do that
cwt But we seem to have difficulty with showing soft grace too tho....
aangel excuse me, how do i tell someone how to join us in here
cwt They just click on Chat from the main page and sign in...
cwt Can she get in?
aangel how does she get to the main page
aangel i just pulled up christian women chat
cwt She can go to ChristianWomentoday.com...click on Chat on the left side list
cwt have you ever been to our website?
aangel no
aangel hang on a minute
aangel trying to get her in
cwt it is really great. all kinds of articles. Yep. Will do--hanging on...
aangel ok i am back
aangel sorry
cwt sorry, I'm not sure how else to tell her. We have several links, but I don't know them all. I usually come in from the main page...
aangel ok....
cwt Will she join us?
aangel thanks for your patience
aangel i think so
cwt not a problem...
aangel give her a minute
aangel thanks hope for holding on too
hope no problem
cwt is this the friend that you were talking about grace to?
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cwt grace sure affects us in lots of ways. Even when dealing with our kids
hope Hi Paulette
cwt Hiya Paulette. We were just talking about grace..
aangel there she is
cwt Glad you got in ok....bit tricky the first time.
aangel especially when dealing with out kids
hope I think I need to pray for more grace in dealing with my children
aangel i was just about to say that hope
cwt yeah. me too. so easy to think that I've got it all together....and then have my kids remind me of how ungracious I really am...
hope My 5 year old is very much like me so she knows all the buttons to push
cwt How do you think dealing with more grace for our children will affect them and us?
aangel i know that ....my 11 year old pushes the buttons for me
cwt I don't know...sometimes I think all three of my kids know which button to push....!
cwt LOL
hope It would help me remain more calm when dealing with them
aangel it will help to mature us spirtually
cwt more patience
PAULETTE Type HEREHELLO EVERYONE
hope better example to the kids
cwt Isn't that how God shows more grace than anything...patience. Keep trying. encouragement...
aangel amen
hope yes
aangel hello paulette
aangel i am aangel
aangel your sister
cwt hi ya paulette. If you take off your caps lock it will be easier to read....
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cwt opps. we lost her...
cwt hm. that's strange...
aangel ok.....hold on
hope the good old boot monster
cwt yes. he gets busy some days...!
hope one day I had reboot my computer
cwt I think on certain chat rooms you press different buttons to send
cwt here doing that can boot you out...
aangel she is coming back
cwt that's ok.
aangel i know the one place i need to show more grace is with my children
cwt ok...care to share?
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cwt hi love. welcome. glad to have you
hope hi love
aangel hi love
love hi - it's great to be here
cwt We are just finishing up a chat on grace....
cwt we started late, so we'll keep on here for a bit...
aangel good topic
love what a wonderful topic - Thank God for his Grace
aangel amen
cwt angel was just going to share a bit on grace and her kids...
love His unmerited favor
cwt go for it angel...
aangel yes,
hope none of us would be here today without God's grace
aangel i think because we love our children so much
cwt that is right.
aangel grace is so hard because we have so many natural expections
love tis true
hope that's so true
aangel expectations...sorry
cwt you mean, like put too much pressure on our kids to be perfect ...
aangel yes,,,exactly
cwt so how can we apply more grace to that idea?
love so how do we change?
aangel we are always trying to keep them from making the mistakes we made
cwt yes. that is true.
hope or we have seen others make
aangel which sometimes cuts off their childhood
cwt I think grace allows them some growing room - letting them discover their own wings in some respects but still protect them
love amen
cwt allowing room for mistakes that really won't harm them longterm...
aangel yes,,,,i guess i am just not sure where to draw the line
hope I think that sometimes we hold on to our children totight
cwt maybe that is where God works in us too. He allows us to grow, and make mistakes while we do that.
aangel i am guilty of that
hope so am I angel
cwt I think you have to look at age and maturity. God does that too. Maybe he has more grace for the new saved, than for us who ought to know better...I don't know...
love the only answer is constant communication with God about our children
hope so true love
love taking the advice of the Holy Spirit
love Each child individually
cwt yes. prayer is really imprortant. So is influence of other Christians.
aangel i do communicate daily...i guess mine is more learning to trust the lord with their lives
cwt yes. letting go is a hard one. How old are your kids angel?
aangel 7,11, 13
aangel all girls
hope yes, influence of other Christians is important for kids, esp. my ver social 5 year old
cwt I can see that you are in the process of trusting -- those teen years. Kids have to start making their own choices...
love Also talking with our kids is very important
cwt mine are 4, 8 , 10
hope mine are 53 and 9 months
love mine are 13 and 6 wks
aangel hope,,,you really have your hands full too
hope that's 5 and 3
cwt yes communication. We were talking the other day about being a hero to your kids. I think that involves lots of grace too. Accepting who they are, and where they are at...
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aangel true
aangel hi scoobie
love that is the only way to know what they have seen from other chirstians and being
cwt HI ya scoobie. We are just talking about Grace in our lives...and applying that to our children. welcome
Scoobie Type HEREHi there everyone
love able to kinda guide it in the right direction
love hi scoobie
hope hi scoobie
aangel you know, being a part of a good church home i feel is so very important too to the development
cwt there is that influence concept again...
aangel and growth of our children
cwt for all of us that is important...
aangel it is just so hard now it seems to find somewhere that fits the needs of the whole family
hope my husband and I were just talking about that for our 5 year old.
cwt usually a large church is better in that regard...
hope how we can instruct her about God and his ways but she accepts it easier from others
aangel amen
cwt yes. My 10 year old is like that.
aangel they always seem to accept it easier from others
cwt We are sending him to a private school because of that very issue.
aangel i would love to send mine to private schools for that reason but the money is just not available
cwt I think we can apply grace to that. It is hard to accept sometimes that someone else can have more influence on our kids than ourselves...our pride gets in the way
hope we can't afford private school so we were talking how else we can surround her with people that will be a good influence in her live
Scoobie My 10 year old has such a heart for others and God... and I agree about the private school. We are sending him to an Episcopal school, and they start the school day w/ the Lords' Prayer. Thank God!
cwt yes. We've struggled with the private school thing. But we are trusting the Lord to meet the budget. Thus far it is amazing how he has done so...but we have had to change some things
aangel so what do you suggest for those of us who can't afford private schools
Scoobie Prayer. It will happen, and God will provide, but keep your ears and your heart open to any suggestions He has.
cwt There are some great resources out there. One is by "Heritage builders". It is a super devotional book, but you won't feel like you re having devotions. Passing on values to your kids
cwt By focus on the Family, I believe. At least they have it.
love yes. Home time does more that you think
cwt Remember that God doesn't stop his work at the door of a public school. He is there just as well as everywhere else.
aangel i listen to focus on the family
hope a couple of years ago I was involved in Bible Study Fellowship.....
Scoobie I couldn't afford private school either, but God put a part-time job opportunity in my path. So, we can now afford it.
hope The evening class has a class for school age kids and the day class has a preshcool program.
cwt I think kids pick up the reality of your Christian life. They may or may not choose God no matter where you send them.
aangel we always have family prayer before we start our day,,,,and usually one day a week we do bibles study with the kids too
Scoobie I also believe we need christians in public school. What other better way to influence non-believers.
hope Great biblical teaching
cwt It has been said that quantity time happens much before you get that few moments of impact quality time. Spend lots of time with your kids...
aangel amen scoobie
love that is wonderful aangel -
love amen cwt
Scoobie We start every family trip w/ a prayer. My son and I.... Husband isn't there yet.
cwt yes. I think so too scoobie. Inall, you have to try and figure out what is best for your own personal family and kids...
love yes
aangel amen..cwt
hope yes, cwt
love I understand scoobie - Husbands not there yet either
cwt So we even have to practise grace when dealing with a philisophical subject like how to school your kids...
Scoobie Teach your children to rely on got. Forgive people.
hope we can't forget that God is in control and he has our chilren's best interst at heart
cwt That's right.
love YES!!!! - Scoobie
aangel it is all a matter of trusting the lord
love Teach them to be self sustaining with God as their source
cwt As is all of life, is it not? So easy to forget that God is really in control of all things...
aangel i pray daily that the lord will grant me the things that i need to let my children go out of my hands and into his hands
Scoobie Love, does it make it hard on you - your husband? Not for me, I just wish he were there, and could influence and be spiritual leader.
cwt yes. Seek God first...
hope great prayer angel
cwt amen, angel.
cwt Great chatting girls. I'm going to close this part in prayer...but please feel free to keep chatting....
love It use to - But I see Him there (By Faith) and it makes it exciting waiting for the manifestation
aangel cwt, before you pray
Scoobie Wow, I'll have to start thinking that way. I sometimes see him as a "Sunday" Christian.
love For God promised that as you do right (paraphrased) your whole household will be saved
cwt "Dear Lord, thankyou for your Grace. How great and awesome you are. We pray that your Holy Spirit will teach us more about applying grace to everyone we meet, in our homes and work...and to our children & mates. Amen
cwt Angel? Did you want to say something?
love God is not a man that He should lie - If He said it then it shall come to pass
aangel just for you to pray for my family and us finding a church home to meet all our needs
cwt Let's do that...and pray for the husband's here too.
aangel amen
cwt Father, we pray for Angel. Help her find a church home for her. I know you have a good plan. Show her, Lord.
cwt All feel free to join in prayer...
cwt we pray for the husbands that do not know you yet. Help these ladies show grace to them, and love with your love...
love Thank you Father that it is done - for you said if we believe what we pray when we pray we shall have it
aangel thank you lord that every need on this line is met
love We therefore thank you in advance - In Jesus' Name
aangel whether it is saving a husband or finding a church home
cwt yes Lord. Thank you that you care for all the details in our lives.
Scoobie Thank you Lord, for your Holy Spirit, you left to guide our hearts
cwt yes Lord. Praise you.
aangel thank you lord for your faithfulness
aangel create in us oh God a clean heart
cwt Help us to be more sensitive to your Spirit Lord. To follow you closely in our thoughts and attitudes...
hope Lord we just pray for the ladies on the site today. We thank you that we can be an encouragement to each other
Scoobie Lord, help us in all our troubles, and let us not forget that the trials you bring us, only bring us closer to you.
cwt yes Lord.
hope amen, Lord
aangel thank you lord that all is well
cwt In our trials you teach us patience and to trust you. Thank you for this time, and bless each one as only you can. Amen.
aangel and for all the good praise reports that will come from this prayer
Scoobie Lord, give us hope in times of trouble.
aangel amen
love Thank you for your grace Father and help us to show your Love and Grace to others
cwt You are our hope. Thank you Lord.
cwt amen, and amen.
aangel thans everyone
hope amen
aangel thanks everyone
Scoobie You are our creator and our Salvation - ONLY you can meet our needs
cwt Well, ladies. Thank you for staying for this chat. So glad to have you. Blessings to all...
aangel Blessings to you also
aangel great chat
Scoobie Bless all the ladies on this site, that you may make them shine in the lives of others.
love In the meantime (while we are waiting for manifestation) remain faithful where you are - God Bless
aangel amen
cwt I've got to run...but feel free to stay chatting.
Scoobie yes, I needed that, love.
hope I've got to go. My babie's bottom needs changing. Can't stand the smell any more but didn't want to leave the chat. It was too good
cwt Lol!
aangel God bless hope
Scoobie Signing out too--have a great day.
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love God Bless cwt & hope
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aangel love are you still there
love Scoobie - may I suggest the book "The Power of a Praying wife to you"
love It is by Stomie Omartian
aangel great book
love Yes aangel I' m still here
Scoobie Thanks, love - I'll check it out.
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aangel i read it
aangel i guess we can leave now too
love Well angel it's just me & you
love ok - check you later
aangel i really enjoyed that
love me too
aangel this is what
aangel i want to do
aangel have our own
aangel with different topics
love me too
love let's work on that
aangel ok
aangel we have to work on alot of things
love I know
love But I am already in motion
aangel i feel this is definitly the hour for us
aangel cu
love YES!!
love cu
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