Graced with Grace

The four random facts post. Randomness #1: My sister just recently started her own blog. So if you enjoy poetry and excellent writing skills, I would recommend you hop on over and visit her blog here at Ruhamah and the Spikenard . ;) Randomness #2: Now this randomness will hopefully give you a little laugh. For a little background, I am a full-blooded North Carolina Southern girl living in Minnesota and do not remain silent about being from NC. So speaking to one of my coworkers, I randomly stated, "Its 1:11". My coworker, a bit confused (since I did say it literally out of nowhere), says, "What does that mean? Is that some kind of North Carolina slang or something?". Haha! No its simply the time. ;) Randomness #3: I love that God can use me in ministries that most people would consider ridiculous for me to even attempt. Several years ago I went on a medical missions trip to the Dominican Republic. Now for your information, I get nauseated really easily over...

  Taking me away To the cherry picking trees; To the red woods, please; To the roads that ramble; To the blackberry bramble.   Take me away To the forest to see Where I run wild and free. Take me to the mountains Where there’s natural drinking fountains.   Take me away Where the air is clear And the birds bring cheer; Where there’s red-roofed barns And rolling hills with farms.   Take me away To the land of Maples and Oaks Where the frog croaks And the creek meanders Where there’s geese and ganders.   Take me away From here!!!!

Her hands Wipe away tears, Clean dirty faces, Hold tiny fingers, Knead the bread.   Her arms Hold tight the crying, Rock to sleep the infant, Support a child, It becomes a bed.   Her breast Feeds the hungry, Nourishes her child, Brings life to the little one, A pillow for the weary.   Her heart Loves unconditionally, Serves willingly, Prays unceasingly, Perseveres courageously.   Her days are long Defending the weak, Encouraging the faint of heart, Speaking words of peace, Calming the stormy seas.   She toils Night and day. Blessings seem scarce, Fights ensue, Baby's awake all night And so is mother dear. Dinner not on time, Child scrapes his knee, Peanut butter in hair. This is a  mother’s life.   But she arises With each new day ...

She was feeling useless and down one day, Not sure of her worth or purpose on earth. Life was looking and feeling pretty grey. But God saw her in her despair And opened her eyes wide He saw fit that her life be spared. She lives this day because of the breath he provides That he breathes into her feeble lungs Its not yet time that she meet death, not time to die. Life is hers to live in him, until he takes it away But while she live, he still has a purpose, A perfect plan for each passing day. So she face another day with a smile on her face Knowing God can use a simple smile That tells of his unfailing grace. Troubles will come and troubles go, Confusion still stands. But Christ is her anchor, this she does know. The winds may blow Or the sun hide its face, But rain is needed to make flowers grow. And she, too, will grow when it rains But when the rainbow appears She remembers that God’s promise remains.

Some people may choose to forget Because memory causes pain. But I chose to remember, Even though I cry like the rain. I choose to remember that smile of yours Even though it makes me cry. I remember your laugh But it makes me ache inside. I remember the way you strummed your guitar And how it made me dance with joy. But I don’t dance when I remember. Instead my body shakes with sobs untold.   Why do I choose this road of memory, When memory is suffering And forgetfulness is bliss? I can’t explain a pain worth enduring Yet  I chose to remember and not forget. Days come and days go by. People ask how the brother did die And I tell them the how, but not the why? I remember. I did not forget. His story lives on. I choose to share. I will not forget. But lest you think it easy For me to tell his story once more. Remember, I chose to remember And not forget. And memory hurts.  

Hi Friends, So I just realized that many of my readers may not realize that I actually have a baking blog, too. Now this baking blog actually does not get used very much, but occasionally a story or recipe will make its way to publication, so if you're interested than you can check it out. Here is a link to my latest blog post over there telling a short little story of baking bread with children. http://hanasmessykitchen.blogspot.com/2015/06/bread-baking-and-child-joy.html  

  "Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:14 This was the Bible verse that I shared on my Facebook just a couple days ago.  I had been feeling a little discouraged one morning with a couple different things on my mind I was having to wait for. I decided to look up a couple different Bible verses about waiting on the Lord and found hope, comfort, and courage in these verses. My day then continues like the past several days. Besides a few babysitting jobs here and there or some other random event, my days were pretty slow and I was getting pretty itchy to find a job and have something to occupy my mind and time. I spent some time at a local coffee shop, composed a poem while staring out into the streets, then prepared to head home for another long day of WAITING, so to speak. I had applied at a few jobs already and was hoping to hear back from at least one of them, but was beginning to wonder...