Graced with Grace

  I wouldn't change anything From the laughter to the tears. Every little memory counts, Every little memory makes A year to remember.   Sledding with my sisters, Baking sweet aroma and enjoying every bite. Drawing with children Or snuggling a sleeping little one On my shoulder. Fellowship with friends around A crowded table. Learning, and reading, And drinking coffee to stay awake. Flowers of sunshine on sick days. A brothers wedding. More sunshine for a weary heart. The skies that radiate the glory of God And proclaim his promises and love From day to day. Friends to hold me tight when tears fall fast. Waiting on God's will. Learning to trust him more. Friends getting married. A sister's wedding too. Working hard out doors And getting dirty. Working along side my best friend. Courting the man of my dreams. Learning to be loved And to love and to live in grace.  A sweet friend and a waffle date. ...

    Time might erase some things, But it can’t erase everything. It can’t ever erase your smile from my heart Or the joy that once You brought into my life, The dance that you put in my steps And the twinkle you put in my eyes.   Time may erase some things, But it can’t erase the memory of you From my mind. I may grow old and grey, wrinkled and lame, Or I might die while still very young, But time won’t erase your face Etched into my heart.   Time may erase some things, But it can never erase The love that I had for you. And I know that I never loved you As well as I have learned to love another, But it was you who taught me More about love and to love more.   It was you who taught me What it looks like to fight and fight hard, To not give up, And to laugh when life brings pain. You taught me life is too short ...

    Snow covered earth, Trees sprinkled white. Gentle songs of Christmas Playing all day long. Sitting by the fire, Reading quietly. Winters stillness, Softest whispers of grace. Season to remember   The Messiah’s birth.

  *Note: This is another blog post that I wrote a while ago, but never posted. Yet I have found it encouraging in this particular season of my life, so I think now is a good time to share it.     Life can be quite the mystery sometimes. Walking in grace, also holds mysteries. Living in grace means being committed to trusting Christ in all of life circumstances, but sometimes life circumstances just don’t make sense. And sometimes life circumstances throw pain right in the face; cold water in the middle of winter. But in the end we, you and me, still cling to grace and still trust that our heavenly father knows it all and cares. We must look crazy to the world. To trust and to abide in his perfect peace even though life really isn’t so simple, so peaceful sometimes and life really hurts sometimes and life is just plain confusing or messy and mysterious. It seems crazy to be at peace in it all. It seems crazy, but he’s got it all and he knows it al...

I wrote this almost exactly two years ago, but never shared it. It seems fitting to post it now almost two years later from when it was pinned. I changed a few things from the original and added the last stanza tonight. But waiting sometimes feels so long. So she buried her head in her covers She wept on her bed late at night.   I wish and I hope….. but I stop myself there, No more wishing nor hoping! Aren’t we to enjoy the now? Aren’t I to love what I am given instead of always wishing?   But still my heart hopes and I cannot change that. But waiting sometimes feels so long, And the pain feels too strong and I feel so alone.   I can shut out the emotions, it works for a time. I turn out the light and it grows dark inside. Can anyone see me here, can anyone understand?   I’ve lived too long, but I’ve lived too short. My life is a contradiction, a dance, a song, A heart break, a mistake...

A dozen roses from my dear Beau!       Enjoying crocheting a blanket in what little spare time I have.

She said, "I can wash these hands And make them pure again." So she washed and washed and washed Her blood stained hands But nothing could remove the blood from them. She said, "We will wash and make these hands Cleans again." But it could not be done, The blood remained. We say, "We can wash And make ourselves clean again." We wash and scrub and try to clean Those blood stained hands, These blood stained filthy rags of ours, But nothing we do can wash us clean. We work hard and try to do good. We try to make wrongs right again, But nothing we do can make us pure within. Another's blood must be spilled for us. Pure blood, righteous blood, Must be shed for her, For you, for me. He can wash us with his Own shed blood, His pure and holy blood, And make us pure again. No amount of self cleaning Could cleanse her blood stained hands Unless they are washed In the holy blood of Jesus Christ, Because he could make her w...

  This summer was full of new adventures, new beginnings, joyous celebrations, dreams coming true, hard work, and long quiet days learning to rest in Jesus more. My sweet friend from North Carolina, whom I have known since infanthood, got married in May. I myself, started courting a kind, godly, tenderhearted, young gentleman at the end of May. I worked landscaping during the month of June. Then went home for the month of July to spend time with my family before my sister, Priscilla, married the man of her dreams at the beginning of August. I started my senior year of college, while my middle sister started her freshman year. I turned 24 at the end of last week, which was actually quite exciting, but only because my sweet beau made it a very special day to be remembered forever, otherwise, 24 isn’t too remarkable. ;) Busy as this summer has been, it has also been a very special season to me. Starting a courtship relationship with one of my best friends of the last two...

  Being the southern gal that I am, I have a deep appreciation for the southern culture. And that appreciation and love has only grown over the years especially through the past four years when I moved up North for college and have been able to recognize and take notice of things I may not have noticed if I had not been able to have the experience of a different culture to compare my southern culture to. There are some things about the south that are just stereo types, what everyone not from the south imagines it to be like. Such as, grandmas and grandpas rocking on the rockers on the front porch. Ok, so that actually isn’t necessarily a stereo type because that is actually real. There are particular houses way out in the country that I enjoy passing because there will often be some elderly folks sitting outside in chairs or rockers waving to every car that drives by. But more recently I was attending a small church fellowship event in which I didn’t know many o...

I might be obsessed with the sky. But seriously, I love the creativity God shows in the beauty and originality of a sunset. No two sunsets are alike, yet they are all so vibrantly beautiful.  Behold the glory of the Lord!

    I've pleaded for strength, I've pleaded for grace, For mercy, For hope, I've pleaded for your will to be done, Yet for courage too. I've pleaded for healing, And for peace in this storm.   But when I run out of words, And run out of pleas, And the pain is still there, I come to you in tears. Its all I have left. Please, Lord, hear my tears!

When I am home at last, yet still have plenty of things on my brain to distract me and discourage me, it could be easy to miss the little gifts in life this week and next. Friday's blessing was a fun day of shopping with sisters and mom, great deals and wonderful finds at thrift stores, my first hamburger from Cook Out ( Yeah, I know! I have lived in North Carolina this long and never experienced their hamburger, but in my defense I was too busy enjoying their milkshakes instead), and a free sugar cookie from Harris Teeter because I am definitely still a kid. And lets not forget the very sticky sweaty woods-tramping we sisters did together in which we tried our best to get lost, but considering we have roamed these woods for so long, it was really near impossible to get lost ( though at one point we thought we had accomplished it). Friday is now here and its wonderful to have a little sister like mine to keep sunshine in my life. She has the art of making sunshine wherever ...

  "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." James 1:17     Another year of school is coming to a close and it has certainly not lacked in its mountains and the valleys.   There have been challenges  And adventures And ice cream And chocolate And papers to write And books to read And dishes to wash.      There has also been Hope and disappointment, Repenting and forgiving , Heart wrenching sadness and overwhelming joy, New friends and old friends, Giving up and persevering, Dancing in the rain and weeping in the rain, Trusting and waiting, Learning and failing, And always grace new every morning.        

    To write about A rose, It seems too cliché. A rose! We admire them Every day! We sing our song of A rose, And we liken our love to A rose. Her beauty? Yes! As the beauty of  A rose. Awe, the rose! We sing for the love of A rose.   But what about the Daisy? Does the lovely pure Daisy Get any such praise As that one remarkable Rose? Oh, for the love of a Daisy! Sing its song, too! Don't forget that while The Rose May get most of the wonder, There is still the simple Yet lovely little Daisy Shining brightly in the field Waiting to be picked By you.   So don't forget to pick the Daisies, too.  

  I said a kind word One day And I saw the light That it brought, The smile on his face, The joy in his eyes. I said a kind word One day And it seemed To change a life, Give life.   I tend to be a joker, a teaser. I love to laugh and I love to make others laugh, I can be really sarcastic and sassy. But when it comes to speaking affirmation, speaking an encouraging word, giving a compliment or saying a kind word to a friend, somehow the words always get stuck in my throat and a joke comes out instead. Or sometimes I can manage a nice word, but then just so the person knows I am not really that nice, I cover it up with a joke or a sassy comment. But a few weeks ago I gave a genuine encouraging compliment to a friend and was surprised by how much joy that brought my friend not to mention how much joy it brought to myself to see his joy. When I joke with my friends, I don’t really seem to be changing a life, but when I gave that one ge...

I am excited to share with you today, the poetry works of my dear roommate, Amanda Sarna! Enjoy!   Bitter chill in frosted air Could one kill if unaware. Driving frost escapes the hand; Distance placed between command. Crystal flakes are here, Breaking noise of care.              Ever present is the knife, Fickle bones to cut with ice. Growing winds elicit fear; Given verdict: death draws near.   Fervent shield of white Errant acts rewrites.   Heeding not torrential cold, Insists the walk toward death foretold.       Jaded soul, now hedged in rime, Justice laced, no acts resign?             Image cut and sold             Heralds grace untold! Amanda Sarna is a sophomore at Bethlehem College in Seminary, hoping to...

Sometimes life reminds me I have no control, No control over anything, Over these frail circumstances,   Life's confusion, These momentary afflictions, These heart wrenching, Heart stabbing pains. I want to do something, I want to change it, To fix it, To make it all better, But I can’t. These are the moments when I realize just how small, How weak,   How broken, How insignificant I am. I can’t do anything, Yet Christ is my everything. So on my knees I cry to him, The healer of souls, The forgiver of sins, The giver of grace, Of love unmeasured. He makes us whole. Christ is my all And he has control, So I petition him On bended knees, With an aching heart. And he hears my cries And he knows our needs. He is sovereign, This promise I hold dear.