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All that God creates flourishes and multiplies. Growth is God's idea and He is your source of grace for all your heart encounters each day. Experience God's unfailing love as you grow in sixty-four life-giving themes. God is able to make all grace abound to you so that you can thrive in every good work.
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Growing in Grace Devotional Journal
© 2015 Laura Harris Smith
ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-4996-2 (hardcover)
ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-5035-7 (e-book)
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Scripture marked NIV is from Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture marked NLT is from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All Rights Reserved. Scripture marked ESV are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Scripture marked NASB is from Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture marked NKJV is from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture marked KJV is from the King James Version of the Bible in the Public Domain. Scripture marked WEB is from the World English Bible in the Public Domain. Scripture marked GW is from GOD’S WORD®, © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group. Scripture marked YLT is from Young’s Literal Translation of the Bible in the Public Domain. Scripture marked BBE is from the Bible in Basic English in the Public Domain. Scripture marked VOICE is from The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The VoiceTM translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society. All rights reserved. Scripture marked NIVUK is from the Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture marked NCV is from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture marked NET is from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. www.netbible.com. All rights reserved. Scripture marked RSV is from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture marked MSG is from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of Nav-Press Publishing Group. Scripture marked ISV is from The Holy Bible: International Standard Version. Release 2.0, Build 2014.07.18. Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. All rights reserved internationally. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC. Scripture marked HCSB is from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. Scripture marked WEY is from the Weymouth New Testament in the Public Domain.
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Affirmation
Boldness
Charity
Commitment
Consecration
Contentment
Courtesy
Creativity
Deliverance
Dependence
Discernment
Discipline
Discretion
Enduranace
Excellence
Faith
Fearlessness
Flexibility
Forgiveness
Friendship
Generosity
Gentleness
Gratitude
Health
Honor
Hope
Humility
Identity
Influence
Intimacy
Joy
Kindness
Leadership
Love
Loyalty
Maturity
Mercy
Nutrition
Obedience
Patience
Peace
Perseverence
Persistence
Prayer
Quietness
Relaxation
Restraint
Selflessness
Self-worth
Stewardship
Submission
Tact
Teamwork
Trust
Truth
Understanding
Uniqueness
Unity
Virtue
Wisdom
Worship
“X”
Yearning
Zeal
About the Author
Rhyme Schemes
What do you see when you look around at God’s creation? I see growth. Everything made with human hands decays, but all that God makes flourishes and multiplies. Growth is God’s idea! The Scriptures encourage us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18 ESV). That’s what this devotional journal is designed to do for you.
Each topic has been prayerfully chosen to address the myriad of maladies your heart encounters on a regular basis, and the poems are their medicine. I’m not aware of another book like this, and I trust these devotional poems will be both thought provoking and entertaining.
As a poet of hundreds of poems, I am genuinely proud of this inspirational collection, from A to Z. Some were written during very dark nights of the soul for me, and rereading them makes me want to reassure the woman writing them that not only will she make it through, but that the words she is tearfully scribbling will one day bless thousands of people. What a testament of God’s redemption! Remember God’s unfailing love as you grow in creativity, joy, persistence, virtue, and much more—recording your journey on these beautiful pages.
If this content inspires your own writing, please see the About the Author page at the back of the journal. I offer online writing classes where poetry is one of the many writing genres covered. At the back I’ve also included the rhyme schemes of each poem so that you can begin your own poetic education.
As you turn each of the following pages, my prayer for you is that you receive daily from His fullness, “grace upon grace” (John 1:16 ESV).
Enjoy!
Laura Harris Smith
It really is so simple
It’s not a new ideal
The people that I love deserve to know just how I feel!
My words that cheer do matter
My pep talks are first aid
They give support to boost the sick, the sad and underpaid
But what if I withhold them?
What if I never share?
Will anyone else be to blame if folks think I don’t care?
My friends await my praises
They crave my accolades
They need to know I’m here for them; they need to know I’ve prayed
My family is my ministry
Affirming them is key
For if I don’t they maybe won’t know how to champion me
God, give me words to wow them
Please let me be Your voice
I might just be the last small cheer before their next big choice
This saying is faithful, and concerning these things
I desire that you affirm confidently.
TITUS 3:8 WEB
Who do you need to be affirming more, and what is one way you can start this week?
My thoughts have been so scattered; my mind has been so tossed
And in the wind’s opinion, my nerve is easily lost
I want to be more bold, God; I want the lion’s roar
I want to find the bravery that ends this inner war
I fix my eyes on You, Lord; I trust You, come what may
And once the winds are listening, You’ll tell me what to say
The righteous are as bold as a lion.
PROVERBS 28:1 NIV
Would others describe you as bold? Why or why not?
While in another city once
with Christmas just in view
I met a man with cup in hand
whose coat was torn in two
He needed help; he needed hope
He needed food and drink
And as I gave him all I had
it gave me pause to think
I told this man of Someone past
Who’d helped me one time too
Who gave to me all that He had
to make my life brand new
He held my hand and as I spoke
His eyes filled up with tears
He acted like the hug I gave
had been his first in years