My Place of Grace

Bless the Lord, Oh my soul: and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name! ~ Psalm 103:1 With You by my side Lord, May I face this day, With courage, compassion, and humility. Serving others in Your name. Reflecting Your love in each exchange. Remembering You are God, And I am called, To spread Your Hope, In this hurting world. Thank You for the gift of life Lord, Help me live it... For Your glory, Forever Amen

Don't know where I'm headed; But this I know for sure, Where I'm headed, Isn’t where I was, Because I'm not there anymore. My feet will move me forward, Along this walk of faith. My eyes fixed on my Lord, With every step I take. And when I get discouraged, And things aren’t going right, I remember words that Jesus spoke, To keep me in the light. For as long as I am breathing, each day here is brand new, it's another of God's promises, that holds out tried and true.

It amazes me, The elaborate care and intricacy With which our God has designed His whole creation. His imagination exceeds all expectation. The depth of His creativity can’t be measured Even by the deepest sea. The picture that our eyes drink in Is only the surface Of workings unseen. A tiny glimpse Into the majestic Revealings of our Maker. My prayer today As we go along our way Is to rekindle that childlike wonder Before the weight of the world pulled us under. May we look with fresh eyes Amazed and surprised At the artistic expression of our Father. Amen

In Your presence Lord, Is the fullness of light Love in my heart. Peace for my mind. Joy for my spirit. A desire to be kind. Strength to be patient With all who I meet, And a longing within Just to sit at your feet, Ti soak in Your wisdom, knowledge, and power, So thankful thru life You have been my strong tower The place I can run When I am afraid And share unashamed The mistakes I have made Let me remember You are always there. You will never leave. Lore, thanks for Your care. Amen.

I don't have all the answers. I don't always do things right. But I have a God who walks beside me, every day and night. He understands my weakness. For He faced the same things too. So I know I'm never left alone In what I'm going through. Thank You God for caring When I wake and when I sleep, In my comings and my goings, I am Yours for keeps.

I thank You Lord, for colors Splashed amidst the grey I thank You for the detail In all that You create. I thank You for the breath of life That sustains me on my way To love and serve In deed and word All those I meet today. Amen

Almost stepped on this as I was walking. It's part of a roof shingle just laying in my path, probably torn off during the rough winter. A reminder to me that God's heart is ever near, bringing care and comfort in those times we feel most torn apart. Thank You God! God is our refuge and our strength, an ever present help in times of struggle. ~ Psalm 46:1

So on our walk yesterday, my son said "I can't wait to see what kind of heart you'll find on this walk" though I didn't spy one in nature, I did  see this one in a window of a store, being held by a hand, with the caption "frame-ology"in it. That got me thinking. Our hearts are very much like a framed picture that holds all that we are inside of it. And if we have given our hearts to God, He holds it. Our heart holds a picture that only God Himself can see clearly, and everything inside the picture eventually radiates outward. Have you ever stopped to think about your heart picture and what it might look like to God and others? Hmmm...Just a thought to ponder on this day.

We are strong We are courageous We are planted. We are rooted firmly in Christ. We are children Of the most high God. He gives us this victorious life. We belong to Him. We are survivors. We fight... To stand To live To shine. The way The truth The light In troubled times. We persevere Through trials With God right by our side. He creates in us resilience. He redeems Restores Resides. We are His joy. He wants our heart. To make it look like His. He won’t come uninvited. We have to let Him in.  He offers rest. Supplies our needs. Hears our prayers. Oversees. All glory, praise, and honor To our King God the Father, Son, and Spirit Blessed Trinity In Him and only Him can we live free.

I looked around and what did I see? A heart shaped knot hole etched in this tree. A reminder that God is at work in my heart, Closing the gap of sin, and filling it in with Him.

Each morning I ask God to fill me with His strength for the day, and on my walk He put this little heart, made of bark from a tree, in my way. It reminded me of my morning prayer and that I need to stay connected to God for my strength to face this life. Otherwise, like this small frail piece of bark, separated from its big strong towering tree, I'd get stepped on, broken, and blown away at the first sign of adversity.

Ahhhh...Spring! God places beauty all around us. It is for us to train our eyes to see. Like these, big, bold, blooms exploding with color, On this magnificent Magnolia tree.💕

Slippery, slinky, snake. Slithering through the grasses, Soaking up the warm sunshine. Moving slower than molasses. Savoring every moment, Til an intruder catches its eye, Then quick as a wink, Away the snake slinks, As the intruder shrieks, oh my! 😮🐍

  Peeling and cutting potatoes for dinner, I discovered the heart! It reminded me that my heart was a lot like an uncooked potato when I first came into God's hands. He took me as I was and started peeling away all the dirt, hard skin, and rotten parts from my heart, He cleaned me up and continues to soften me in His pot of love.  "And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart." ~God in Ezekiel 36:26

Finishing my salad at dinner tonight, I looked down to see this little heart shaped  piece of lettuce stuck to a crouton in the bottom of my bowl. This reminded me that God is present in even the most simple, mundane, monotonously necessary, tasks of life. I may not always see Gods hand in things right away, but I can be sure it’s there, working things out for the good of those who love Him. He will reveal himself in his perfect timing. I pray not to take precious moments for granted, to always be looking and listening for Him. I pray I am always in tune to notice all the ways He tries to get my attention. 💚 And we know that in all things God works for the good  of those who love him, who   have been called  according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Went to sit by some water today. A favorite place to be. Needed to get away from the crazy we are living in these days. Needed to get alone with my Maker. No radio news or TV. Just the gentle sound of water, running in methodic melody. Needed to connect with the One who knows the longings of my heart. The One who sees my struggles and my wrestlings. The One who gives me comfort when sorrow swells my soul, who quietly sits next to me, and whispers as a gentle breeze...I’m here. He is the Rock on which I stand, and live, and move, and breathe. So thankful for my God who brings me peace.❤️ Final Exhortations ~ Philippians 4:4-9 4  Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!   5  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.   6  Do not be anxious about anything,  but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.   7  And the peace of God,  which transcends all unders...

Being in the Easter season, this is one of the most amazing hearts I’ve ever found. It’s a small piece of bark flaking off of a giant tree, Illuminated by the sun, Placed perfectly in eye shot for me to see. Oh, how this reminds me that Jesus is the light of the world That upon a tree He died for me. He took my sin, My shame to death, He rose again so that I can come, Unashamed, To the throne of grace, Freely given by God the Father, A gift and invitation to an abundant life lived fully for Him. Lord, Your sacrifice was so great It came at such an excruciatingly huge cost. Please let me always remember your work on that cross, Living grateful that you have set me free, With a heart alive for you, Placed where you want me to be. Just as you placed this heart, Perfectly positioned, In this tree.❤️ Amen

My Granddaughter and I spotted this little heart sticker stuck to the macadam at the park. She immediately wanted it to stick to her, so I peeled it off the ground and put it on her arm. But it had lost its stickiness and it fell off. I thought about this in respect to God’s love for us. Sometimes we may feel unlovable or too messed up, but His love never lets go, never fails, never gives up, never wavers, and never ever loses its stickiness for us! The very essence and character of God is love. So, we may stumble and fall and lose our way, but my friends, we are never too far gone that God’s love can’t reach or won’t stick to us. Gods love for us is everlasting and here to stay. This is great news! Romans 8:31-39   New Living Translation (NLT) Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love 31  What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?   32  Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us al...

Yesterday we remembered the death of our Lord. Last night the sky opened before me. Rays of light bursting thru the dark clouds Shining brightly over a land suffering A whisper of hope A transformation is taking place I think of the disciples of Jesus We know He rose They did not. They were grief stricken At this twist in the plot Their Lord was gone How could they go on Fear set in They hid Numb Not sure what to do All the while Jesus Was preparing To exit The tomb Defeating death Conquering sin Sunday is coming friends... Jesus wins! All for us So we can be With God for all eternity. ❤️

Beautiful blooms burst forth, Announcing Springs arrival. Sky high to ground low, Colors emerge deliberate,slow. Winters grey, falls away Cold replaced by suns warm rays. Beckoning fragrant blossoms From their sleepy state. Evidence of God’s majesty, On display for all to see. His amazing creativity A gift to you and me! ❤️ These words were written a year before the COVID-19 pandemic, now one year later the whole world has changed in a matter of a couple months. It is reassuring that God never changes, that He can be counted on. We can be confident of this. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. ~ Hebrews 13:8

Oh my heart. This is an imprint of my Granddaughter’s hand in a clay heart, from a project we started but never finished. Today, I decided to finish it, as I am missing both of my grand-babies so very much in this time of isolation. I wanted to paint it to reflect the way I see her, a big bold beautiful bundle of color. A light in my life, a joy to all who know her. The joy she brings to my heart is immense. This whole idea got me thinking of God, and how much greater His love is for us. How He leaves His own imprint on our hearts at the moment of our creation, and never leaves us unfinished, but keeps working His color and character into us according to how HE sees us. I am thankful for God’s view of us. And when we isolate from Him, He truly misses us too. Thankfully He is completely immune from COVID-19. We never need to fear coming to Him! ❤️ And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ...

The sun is shining, And I am trying, To soak in every blessed ray. It's warmth, A gift to be remembered To carry us through stormy days. Thank You God for Your provision, Daily giving all we need. Sustaining, guiding, As we're abiding in the perfect way You lead....Amen

Alive. Awake. Alert. Enthusiastic... I came across this heart stone the other day, I wasn’t sure the message God was to convey, until I heard this song, “Alive. Awake. Alert. Enthusiastic”, that I’d never heard before, by a pastor who was preaching about the importance of knowing Jesus and  being ready for His coming back again. He gave 3 tips on how to be ready 1. To abide in Jesus 2. To endure trials and persevere by holding on to Jesus 3. To point people to Jesus’s saving power so they too can come to know Him and find eternal life through Him. I truly believe God began showing me these hearts so many years ago, to keep me looking, keep me ready...alive, awake, alert, enthusiastic, and of course to share with others what He shows me. I pray to continue to always seek Jesus in this way. Here’s a link to the song if you would like to listen, it’s really cute!: https://youtu.be/Ndg0037eyW8

Just sitting here By waters edge Struggling a bit. Some days... Grief floods with force Bursting thru the barriers Carefully set up In my mind. I don’t understand Why things sometimes happen as they do But I rest here, Present in this place, Abiding in my Lord Seeking His face. He is here In the grief Next to me Catching my tears In His hands. When the waters slow I dry my eyes Get back up And continue On my way. And in the wind I hear Him whisper... My child It will be ok.

This was tonight’s sky. A literal picture of light overtaking the darkness. We are living through some dark times, take heart... the light is coming. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:5

God sees the big picture He knows the full plan His foundation’s secure A firm place we can stand Though we may stumble The outcome is sure... God holds the victory Over all of life’s storms. He is faithful and true Offers mercy and grace Gives us the courage To face each new day...

A heart reflection... Yesterday, something I was waiting a long time for came, but NOT as I was expecting, or hoped for, or wanted! I felt sad, disappointed, deceived, even angry. As I was walking last night, trying to process this perceived loss, I spotted this heart. I had walked by this tree many times before, not noticing it, but last night my eyes were drawn to it. My Jesus, reminding me of His presence, and also how easily misunderstandings and disappointments can go horribly wrong, if I can’t let go of my own disappointments and look at them thru the lens of Gods love for me and His creation. A perfect example of this,  is His entrance into this world, and His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, where crowds gathered to welcome Him shouting: Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord – the King of Israel! Only a king would be greeted this way (2 Kings 9:13), and the people wanted Jesus to be their king. Most of the people did not understand what kind...

Went for a little walk between raindrops, Eyes wide open Ready to see All of the treasures God’s laid before me On this adventure of discovery. Beautiful flowers Vibrantly colored A birds nest waiting for tenants to come Petals of pink creating a carpet Rolled out for me to walk thru...or run! An interesting remnant dried up from last year A wonderful mystery So thankful to God for all His creation Especially thankful He shares it with me.❤️

I found this wonderful surprise in my church mailbox this morning! God is just so amazing and creative, how He orchestrates things to bless us, show us His love, and teach us His Word. I am so thankful for this, and for the dear person who thought of me. Today’s sermon was on the 6th Beatitude from Matthew 5:8 - God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. This is our hope, our joy, and our promise as Christ followers. That we will one day see God face to face(no filters). But in the mean time, God reveals Himself to us in other ways everyday! It is for us to perceive it. One of those ways for me, is thru hearts. Lord, create in me a clean pure heart, and renew a right spirit within me, restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and keep me seeking Your heart until the day I get to meet you face to face! Amen ❤️❤️❤️

Hope This morning Lord, I’ll linger, just a little longer... I’ll marvel at the miracle of life The ever unfolding mystery The hope in You, the eyes can’t see And yet, it’s here, surrounding me. It’s in the very air I breathe In the blooming flowers and budding trees In the eyes of every precious child In folks sharing care, and being kind In the sacrifice of Jesus Christ In the humble prayers I speak. You have set hope in my heart It gets watered by Your Word And as it grows, Rooted deep in You, It can’t help but emerge. Hope reaches for the light It spreads to all who see Hope’s happiest when shared With all humanity. Thank you Lord, My hope’s in You, An anchor for my soul It’s the fuel that keeps my fire burning And keeps my heart yearning For more of You. Amen

He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes  my soul. Psalm 23:2 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30 Recently, I found myself drawn to sit along this creek bank. The sound of the water gently flowing over the rocks was soothing. Let’s face it, life in this world wearies us!! These familiar verses give us a picture of the security we find in God. He invites us, leads us, and refreshes the soul of all those who come to Him. In Him we will find rest, and just as this creek flows, a continuous flow of His strength carries us on. ❤️ All is Grace, Mary

I came across this song that I wrote several years ago, I was thankful for the reminder, as it’s still my hearts prayer and desire today, but sometimes I lose sight amidst the chaos. I hope these words bless your heart today❤️ Jesus Be Enough For Me Out of my deepest insecurities, I've tried to fill the void in me by clinging on to people and things... Only then to realize, they can never fully satisfy that empty, sometimes lonely inside space... Because Jesus is the only One who can ever fully over run and satisfy that deep and needy place. Oh, that Jesus be enough for me, amidst all life's joys and sufferings, is my heart's prayer and desire, from now into eternity...Lord Jesus, be enough for me. When the world is crumbling at my feet, And my heart feels broke and incomplete... It is Jesus who will set me free... The healer of this restless me. Oh, that Jesus be enough for me, amidst all life's joys and sufferings, is my heart's prayer and desire, from ...

Spotted this rough heart shaped knot hole, hidden behind some branches, high up on a tree, while on a walk yesterday. It reminds me how God tells us to guard our hearts because everything we do, flows from it. We need to be careful the things we let in, because what we let in will eventually come out. Our hearts(both the physical and spiritual) are a precious gift from our Lord. Protect it as the valuable life giving treasure it is. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” ~Proverbs 4:23

Moments Each moment of time gets woven together, As a thread in the fabric of life. Some threads are dark, Some threads are light, Some threads are broken, Some sparkle bright, But regardless the color, The texture, or strength, God designed us unique, And for that I give thanks. I pray, not to waste, Any moment that’s given, Each is a gift From our Father in Heaven. And when our moments are finished, The final weaving complete, May God hold up with pride.... His masterpiece. Amen

Survivor A tiny bulb Planted deep Below the ground Quietly Begins her process Breaking free From darkness and captivity With determination Day by day She perseveres She climbs her way Pushing upwards Towards the light Holding hope She’ll soon arrive Now here she stands Majestically A miracle For all to see. ❤️ Just wanted you to see her!

Praying today, for all affected and left trying to figure out what to do and how to live, amidst the shut down of schools, daycares, jobs. Lord, help us be kind, sensitive, generous, and patient. Help us individually and as a nation, and world, to love well. Amen Though today, The sky seems grey. And all are scrambling with what to do, Amidst the threat of a virus, That has thrown the world a loop. One thing I know, And this is sure, This too shall pass, We will endure. Our God is good. In Him we’re strong, He gives us courage, To carry on. Keep going friends, With eyes on Him, He is our Rock, When the worlds a-spin. Hold on tight He will see us thru, These days of grey, To clear skies of blue.

Most everything’s closed down It is a quiet day. The President has issued, This day for us to pray. Seems perhaps we need, To take particular heed, As this pandemic grows warp speed. Time to push the reset, On our busy lives. Gods begging our attention, Before our very eyes! Really, all we have to do, Is turn ourselves towards Him. Ask for His forgiveness, And allow Him to come in. Drop the pride that keeps us, Locked up inside our heads, Humble ourselves before our God Worship Him instead. God is,oh so, patient Full of mercy and lavish grace. He stands, ready and waiting, For us to come, and seek His face. I know some may be skeptical And maybe not believe But God is always on our side It is satan who deceives. God is our Creator. We are His masterpiece. He looks at His Creation, With love upon His face. Wether you believe or not, Will never change His love for us, Love is who He is. Love is what He does. Let us turn to Him today, With sincerity a...

Took a walk around my neighborhood today and saw this heart crushed into the macadam on the street. I stopped, stooped low and pulled out my camera to record this crushed stone heart. God immediately brought to mind the happenings of my day and how even in the crush of life,  He is still there, still loving, still listening, and still holding us. God is in the crush. Thank you God! 2 Corinthians 1:3-5   New International Version (NIV) Praise to the God of All Comfort 3  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,   4  who comforts us  in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.   5  For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ,  so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

Went walking thru a pine tree forest today and noticed so many pine cones had fallen off the trees,  and scattered all over the ground. So I gathered some up and made a pretty pine cone heart. A reminder to me that God can gather all the broken pieces of our heart and put them back together again...never quite the same way, maybe not even how we expect...but beautiful and together, held by His great love. 💜 Lord, thank you for your faithfulness You never leave us where we are. When we find ourselves unraveled, You mend our broken heart. With Your golden threads of love, You sew it back in place Connecting us with Yours, Lord. By Your mercy and Your grace. Amen

What are the chances? A heart shaped clump of moss! Moss can survive, grow and thrive in the dampest darkest areas you can imagine. God reminded me that our heart can also survive, grow, and thrive under the darkest of conditions when it is rooted in the rich soil of His love, His Word, and His promise.

Jesus is my Rock. When waves and torrents swarm, My Rock becomes my anchor, He grounds me through the storm. Though it rages all around me, shaken I'll not be... In faith I'll hold my anchor... as He holds on to me.❤️ Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Psalm 62:2 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.... Hebrews 6:19a

The Coffee Stain This coffee stain appeared on the table, As they very often do, But before I went to wipe it up, I wanted to take a picture for you. Most of you know my relationship with God, And the hearts He sends my way. Well, this one’s message caught me, For this heart's a messy stain. Something considered ugly, That we desperately try to clean or hide, Shows up heart big on my table, Right before my eyes. This is no coincidence, For God is well aware... That we can't hide or clean ourselves, Without His redemptive care. I can wipe the coffee stain Never to be seen again... But only God can clean our hearts, Of the messy stain of sin. Thanks God, for this reminder, Thru this, stain of coffee, heart. And the invitation of restoration, To give us a new start. Amen❤️ “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”~ Is...

Lord, let me love Like You love me, With ears that listen, Eyes that see, Hands that serve, A voice to speak, And legs that stand up for the weak, Lord, let me love, Like You love me, With arms that carry, Tears to weep, Shoulders strong on which to lean. Faithful care to those in need. Lord, let me love, Like You love me. With kindness, Patience, Humility. Bearing witness In Your name, Of Your great love, To this world today. Amen ❤️ 1 John 4:7-12   New International Version (NIV) God’s Love and Ours 7  Dear friends, let us love one another,  for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God  and knows God.   8  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.   9  This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son  into the world that we might live through him.   10  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us  and sent his Son as an ...

Yesterday I spotted this heart embedded in the still hard ground, and got to see glimpses of new life and growth emerging, it made my heart happy, but at the same time reminded me of the painful pushing through. Perhaps because of lent, or maybe because of learning about courage this year, it struck me that pain and struggle always seem to accompany life, growth, joy, and freedom. These bulbs had to leave their dark warm place and push thru the cold hard ground towards the light, in order to become the beautiful flowers they are made to be... Babies have to leave the only place they’ve ever known(their comfort zone) and push thru the birth canal so they can be free to grow to become who God made them to be....there are so many examples all throughout life, of this painful pushing through...Then I thought of Jesus. Oh, the pain and torture he suffered, endured and bore for me, for us, for all humanity, so that we could live, grow, thrive, fully alive in Him...set free. Thank You...