My Place of Grace

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...