My Place of Grace

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 atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11  Dear friends,  since Go

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

Don’t let anyone steal your sparkle Don’t let anyone snuff your flame Don’t let anyone dull your color Don’t settle for being the same. You were made to shine You were made unique There is no one else in this whole wide world, That can be who God made YOU to be. For such a time as this, You were placed where you are today, A part of a bigger plan, A part God chose YOU to play. So shine your light! Shine it bright! Be a beacon to the lost and broken. A hope, when it’s dark as night. Just be YOU Please don’t hide Remember you were made to shine!! No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.~ Matthew 5:15-16 If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die