#flourishwithgrace
If Jesus surrendered His life for our sins, we must learn to give ourselves grace. We read in Rom 3:23-24; “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus”.

This past weekend Deborah and I, along with our friend Judy spoke at a United Methodists Woman’s Refresh and Renew conference. Our theme for the day was “Healthy Mind + Health Spirit + Healthy Body = Flourish”. Our scriptures came from Psalm 1:1-3 and Psalm 92:12-15. I encourage you to read them. This morning as I was preparing to write to you, I knew that I wanted to talk about our redemption story that was written through Hosea and Gomer. I was surprised to receive a God wink, as you will find the word “flourish” tucked in this passage titled, “Repentance to Bring Blessing”; Hosea 14: 4-7 “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon, he will send down his roots; his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like and olive tree, Men will dwell again in his shade. He will flourish like the grain. He will blossom like a vine, and his fame will be like the wind from Lebanon”.
Since my Dad’s passing, I have been blessed to witness someone close to me ask Jesus into their heart and become a believer for the very first time. This person doesn’t realize the importance this has been to my family after experiencing great sadness. A true testament to my Dad’s legacy being lived out. The beauty is that although there is death, there is also new life.
The story of Hosea and Gomer which starts in chapter 1 when God speaks to Hosea and tells him to marry a prostitute named Gomer and then the births of their three children and the significant meaning that came with their names. Then in chapter 2 comparing Israel’s punishment and restoration and ending in chapter 3, Hosea’s reconciliation with his wife Gomer after she leaves him and their three children to go back to prostitution. This reflects our redemption story. We read in Hosea 3: 1-2 “The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves he Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes – So I bought here for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and lethek of barley””.
As in both new believers in Christ and seasoned believers, if our roots are planted in God’s word, daily take up our cross and receive His grace that is so freely given we too can flourish like the grain or a blossom on a vine. It is then our job to share God’s love and unending grace with others. So, I leave you with the question; Are you daily living out your redemption story through your love, your actions, and your words? Go and flourish with grace today.

Worship with us; Reckless Love by: Cory Asbury