My Place of Grace

 Morning thoughts on this last day of 2023, wishing all a happy safe New Years Eve and so much of Gods blessings in the year to come… I don’t know the number of my days I do know I am here now Alive, breathing, thinking, moving, Heart beating Soul feeling Heavy and light All at the same time. This year is ending A new one beginning Goodbyes and hellos A look behind  While moving forward. Rarely is anything  As what it seems I can only see glimpses Into others lives Understanding this, I resolve to be kind. I wish to make my days count For the Lord has been gracious His gift of life precious I don’t want to waste it. My prayer for all Stepping into this day Is embracing God’s present Of life in His presence  And sharing the joy that this brings With all those around us To touch them with His love And enter into this worlds sufferings As God’s ambassadors Carrying hope, light, and peace Bringing glory to God’s Holy Name Amen

 My morning ponderings from my tangled mind... An acronym for JOY I really like is:  Jesus Over You. I sat for a very long time trying to untangle this ball of string.  I kept running into knots and kinks and it became extremely frustrating.  I had to set the mess aside and think on this awhile.  Sitting next to me was a stone I had painted,  So I set it on the pile.  Then a picture flashed across my mind...  This is a perfect metaphor for life. Life is messy.  God knew it.  He sent His Son, as Savior, to undo it.  Undo the mess,  Undo the knots,  Undo the kinks,  Clean the spots,  Assure us that He’s in control,  He will unravel us, Then make us whole.  And thru it all  Despite the mess,   JOY covers us in each trial and test.  It is by this JOY that we persevere When tangles make life so unclear And we can’t understand  And it doesn’t appear That we’ve made any progress at all. But...

 Wrote this with great  gratitude in my heart for all the strong beautiful flowers in my garden of life, who have sown love, care, time, and wisdom into my journey over the years. You are deeply valued and loved by God, our Creator, and by me. Thank you for being part of my garden. ❤️ The Flower She is here. Powerful, An unfurling flower. Quietly growing. Intentional. She is a survivor. Through captivity Dirt and dark She pushes onward, Upward Towards the light. A worthy, formidable Opponent in the fight For life. She is courageous, Staring fear in the face. Then moving forward anyway, Into the ever changing unknown Come what may. She stays. Committed. She is a warrior. Brave. Strong. Her mind trained and ready For battle, Doesn’t matter how long. A visionary, By understanding Each breath Is a gift, Bringing with it hope Possibility Of what is yet to be. She is confident The outcome will be beautiful, As she has heard stories of Other seeds gone before her On this journey...

 Be a pebble Thrown Into the water Still Creating ripples Far & wide Beyond Even our will Impact is The beginning Of much greater things We cannot know or see Just how far The reach We may feel small And maybe so… But… We carry far more power Than we think