Grounded in God's Grace

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It’s all grace. Yet, is it? We want grace. We ask for it. Pray for it. We know we need it. But it’s hard, at times, if we are overwhelmed, a bit stressed, feeling out of sorts, to access that grace we know is available to us. For times like that, I offer you a Grace Card. I’ll explain.

I have a few prayers, some Scripture, saints, quotes and other tidbits I turn to when I’m feeling in need of a pick-me-up. They are reminders for me that “All will be well,” as Julian of Norwich says. But they are all over the place. Underlined in books, on post it notes, in my prayer journal or in that place in my brain I put the things I don’t want to forget. Ask me how well the last one is working for me!

[tweet "Make a Grace Card to keep your reminders of hope in one place. By @notlukewarm316"]

I made a Grace Card to put all of these things in one place. In March and April I taught an online course about grace and talked about what could go on your grace card. If you want to listen to the series or access the handouts, leave a comment and I’ll send you the link and password. Download and print your own Grace Card and fill it in with prayers and quotes that give you hope.

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Here are a few things to know about grace:

• It is an undeserved gift or help freely and lovingly provided by God, but above all the utterly basic gift of being saved in Christ through faith, a grace that God wishes to give all human beings
• It brings us new birth and gift of the Holy Spirit
• Grace makes us a new creation
• It transforms human nature

This quote on grace from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is one that helps me remember that God gives me the grace to move forward, “We know certainly that our God calls us to a holy life. We know that he gives us every grace, every abundant grace; and though we are so weak of ourselves, this grace is able to carry us through every obstacle and difficulty.”

I hope you make a “grace card” for yourself.

Copyright 2020 Deanna Bartalini