(G)Leaning on Grace

                                                        A cold and blustery day with snow still sitting on the ground from yesterdays “flurries”.  Not an ideal Sunday morning to wake up and get off to church, but we did it anyway. The warmth of our home was beckoning us to stay inside, but our hearts were pushing us onward to start off our week, and ultimately our year, with worship. The sermon this morning was about the power of routines. Making habits, good ones in particular, that will assist in living a life that glorifies God. It’s funny sometimes how God works. I mean, I know that most people take a bit of time as Christmas is over and we approach the New Year to ponder on what the past year has held and what the new one could be. We all look to see what we could do differently to have different outcomes or to improve some part of our e...

Yikes!  I knew it had been a while since I posted, but I didn’t realize it was over two years! So much has changed in the last couple of years, that I hope will help me be more diligent to keep up with this endeavor.  While the main purpose of this blog is to present Christ in an honest examination of life, I will be adding some new topics. Along with a what I hope to be a more frequent look into earnest Bible study, I will also be sharing new experiences in life, family, crafting and quilting as I continue on my journey as a grandmother and a blissfully retired woman.  Yes, you read that right, the last year brought major changes. First, our daughter and son-in-law blessed us with our first grandchild, Eli on Christmas Day 2016. We just celebrated his first birthday.  It all seams so surreal to think it has already been a year. Our little Punkin has grown, matured, changed in so many ways in the last twelve months. He has brought so much joy to our lives tha...

  Sitting here in my office, early on this Saturday morning, the day before Mother’s Day 2015, I have had an opportunity to reflect upon the many female influences in my life. This holiday, a day to honor the Mother’s in our world, brings about a barrage of feelings, some joyful and some filled with regret. For me this day is not just about the woman who gave birth to me, or raised me, but about every woman who has spoken into my life, who has had a hand in shaping the person I have become, or will, as life continues. If I were to be honest, I do not remember life with my mother, Sandra. I was not quite four years old when my parents split up and she left our home. My parents were young when they married and made some bad choices, however, the decision to be apart may have been a wise one given they were miserable together. I do remember knowing who she was when it was time for visits with her. I remember being happy to see her and excited when my older sisters and I spent ...

Do you love like Jesus? Do you think it is even possible? As I read through the scriptures, Jesus is consistently pointed out as the example to which we are to aspire. He is our ideal. Yet, when it comes to loving others we find it difficult. A real challenge to see past the surface images to the hurting hearts of people who just want to be loved.  The depth of character that God encompasses is also a great hurdle for most people. We are bombarded with slogans and mantra’s like “God is Love” that portray one aspect of who God is. Then, on the opposite spectrum end is the God of judgment that seems harsh and unbending in His punishment of sin. Those who take the time to study and learn about who God really is would come to realize that a God of justice is “just" because of His great love. It is because He cares, because He has our best interest at heart that He wants to see us do what is right and honorable. If there were no consequences, no justice, then the universe would ...

I recently read two eye-opening works written by author Andy Andrews. If you have never heard of him, I highly recommend seeking out his books, YouTube videos or going to an event where he is a presenter. I had the pleasure of seeing him in person at a Women of Faith event in Columbus, Ohio a few years ago. Since then, I have read most of his books and from time to time watch video clips on the internet and he always brings a smile to my face. The two books I read, or actually re-read, were The Traveler’s Gift and The Seven Decisions: Understanding the Keys to Personal Success. Now, before you say anything, the second one does sound like a self-help book. It is in a way. Actually both books contain the “seven decisions” but each approaches them in a different manner. The first weaves them into a fictional account of a “traveler” but uses real stories of historical figures to deliver and illustrate the messages. The second expounds on the “seven decisions” offering guidance for...

Ever wonder about the plan God has for each of us and how it all fits together? Doubting that He has a plan is not an option, but trying to dissect that plan, trying to figure out how each intricate little puzzle piece fits into the next, well, that is something that can drive me crazy! An amazing thing happened this week. As I was perusing my Facebook newsfeed one of those little strips of “People You May Know” popped up. I sometimes scroll through the film strip of individuals that this social networking program has somehow decided that I may know, or be interested in knowing, just to see if I do know any of them. Generally, it recommends people who may have common acquaintances. Sometimes there are many friends in common, but I still don’t know them, and at times there may only be one or two people we share friendships with. This week however, it was a bit different. It recommended a name that I had no “friends” in common with. A person who lives in Indiana and I live in Kentucky....

Not a day passes without a Facebook post, news story, grocery store discussion or workplace debate about the many opposing viewpoints on societal issues. Everyone has an opinion on which they staunchly stand proclaiming to anyone that will listen. Pro-life or pro-abortion, Obamacare or private insurance, gay rights or heterosexual marriages, tax increases or major spending cuts, open immigration or closed borders; all of these are consistently debated in this country by all. Each of these issues have multi-faceted extremely detailed arguments that each side can bring to the table. In my experience, when examining my own viewpoints on many of these issues, I find that my stance has changed with age, life experience and with an ever-growing relationship with God. Differentiations that I once thought trivial are now major players in my decision making process. By taking a hard look at my own choices, I try to understand why someone else feels the way they do on a given subject. While m...