Kissing baby Jesus!

My granddaughter Ellie stood fascinated in front of the nativity.  She was busy rearranging each piece in a not so orderly way.

As she was playing with the nativity figures she told me that baby Jesus was crying.  I figured that would be very possible watching the way she manhandled him. 

I was wondering if he had broke his arm or leg or maybe neck.  Poor baby Jesus.   His nurturing mother was no where to be found either.  She was probably under the couch or somewhere hiding from Ellie's not so gentle embrace.  Could you blame her!  But Ellie meant well.  

You could see Ellie was enjoying her encounter with the baby Jesus.  She was playfully absorbed in the little manger and those  swaddling clothes.   I wondered what she thought of baby Jesus lying in such an uncommon and not so comfortable bed.  

I remember as a child I too loved playing with our nativity.   I would find it in it's usual place under our Christmas tree.  Probably put there away from sticky little fingers. 

The pieces tho would become chipped, broken and scarred over the years.  Because of our not so gentle ways, a few arms, legs and crowns had to be carefully reglued.  

I loved playing pretend with them.  I would lay under the tree imagining what it was like for Mary to have been chosen to be the mother of Jesus.  She was always beautiful and poised, bowing in adoration.  At least the one I played with under the tree was. 

In my little girl mind I would begin to picture the mom I would someday be.  Imagining I could be a mother like Mary, so beautiful, brave and courageous and always bowing.  Ok not the bowing part!  

I would hear my heart say that I too love the sweet baby in the manger.   I'm sure I didn't understand that this Christmas baby was our savior.   How could a baby be the savior of the world? 

Early on I would remember hearing the words and "she pondered these things in her heart."   Mary, she had much to ponder.   Over the years I would hear those words echoing in my heart.  It's in those moments where I regroup and listen to the stirrings of my soul.  I realized it's good to ponder sometimes! 

Those elegant, broken, chipped figures from the nativity taught me a lot.  They allowed me to imagine a story that would unfold through the pages of scripture. 

 Each Christmas we would read this familiar story over and over again.   Thankfully we never tired of It.  

As I pay attention to the simple truths, the simple words and simple thoughts of faith.   They remind me to be thankful for the simple memories, even the broken, chipped and imperfect ones. 

Memories of a baby who lovingly came wrapped in mercy and grace.  The miracle of Christmas right under the tree, beautifully wrapped for us in love, in swaddling clothes.  The hidden gift that doesn't stay hidden.  The miracle of his birth brings new hope. 

It comes in the impossibilities, in the broken places and in the pain.  When we welcome the broken, chipped and reglued, we welcome Him. 

Advent is about seeing those places and drawing us to them with eyes and hearts wide open.  Knowing he is coming.   He comes in the simple uncommon places through uncommon moments.  He shows up in places we never think to look.  

The morning that Ellie told me baby Jesus was crying, I asked her what we should do. She said we should kiss him. She held him close to her face and with gentle hands kissed baby Jesus. 

So did I!  

May we all kiss baby Jesus and welcome him into our uncommon moments and in the places we least expect him to be.  He is ready to do the impossible in our broken and imperfect lives.  

He invites us "as is!!"   We don't have to clean up first.  That's the miracle of grace and love.  The real miracle of Christmas! 

 I didn't tell Ellie, but He loves the gentle and even the not so gentle embrace of a child.  It's ok if the pieces get chipped and broken or crowns need regluing.  That's why He came.   

He came for us.  The broken, scarred, dirty, chipped, reglued people.  Humbly he came. Reminding us to give away what he gave so graciously. 

Whether you find your nativity pieces under the couch, under the tree, lying down, standing up, broken, chipped, dirty, scarred or reglued.  Whether the halos are tilted or missing.  Let it remind you that he came for you, as is.  You who are greatly loved, so you can love greatly! 

May we be ready for the unexpected with an expectant heart.  May we encounter the swaddled baby in new and fresh ways today with childlike faith.  

Welcome baby Jesus!  Here's a kiss! 

Right behind our eyes!

We all just want to be noticed!

I remember when I was a little girl, the delight I felt when someone noticed my new swirly dress or my shiny new Mary Janes.  I would beam and swirl and twirl.  My heart was simple then and pure. 

I see my granddaughters swirling to be noticed now.  Beaming pure heaven from their little faces.  A sweet reminder of myself.  How we all desire to be seen, to be noticed,

to be accepted and loved.  

My dad was wonderful about noticing me.  He would tell me often that I was special.  His words would fill my heart and I thought I could do anything that I put my mind to.  I think I was blessed!  

He would tell me that Jesus had something special for my life.  At age 8, I remember wondering what that was.  What might Jesus want for me.  

I tell my sweet granddaughters that they are good at twirling and swirling. That Jesus has something special for them. Their eyes glow! 

As an adult being noticed by others continued to be important to me, I wondered if I mattered to those around me.  Whether it was for my abilities, a job well done or just a kind word or smile.  We all long for approval and affirmation.  

I would look for people to speak into my life.  I would yearn for words from others to encourage my soul.  But I would get stuck in the worry about what people thought of me.  

I think we put too much weight and thought where it is not necessary.  I would continue to wonder what Jesus wanted for me. 

I hoped that maybe I mattered.  I sometimes wondered if that was a normal thought.  I think I've been looking for that most of my life.  It was how I functioned. 

I know we all just want to be seen, to know that we matter to someone. 

My soul swells when I receive a smile from someone in that occasional moment when I am feeling lousy and distant.  I would breathe in words, I was noticed!  

Those moments capture my attention, and I feel good, and blessed and my heart enlarges.  I want to notice them back and smile genuinely.  

We've all been in places where we've stood unnoticed. We felt invisible.  Someone cuts in front of us in line or we walk into a room where we never felt more alone.  

You wonder to yourself what, am I invisible? Maybe feeling over looked for a specific job or opportunity.  Those hollow moments leave us absorbed in self pity. 

So begins the stumbling down that slick, icy slope and at the bottom finding our souls empty.  Guts and feelings dripping out like melted ice. 

Whispering to myself that I am once again "not enough."  Wondering if God even noticed me.  I would ponder the thought that I guess I'm a failure again.  

I think we listen to lies way too much.  We hear the damaging whispers that shout louder and louder that soon drowns out the truth. 

I've wasted too much time listening to those lies.

I do think that God takes our failures and the times we feel unnoticed and speaks over them. Maybe He even shouts above our failures because that's how love works. 

I know he redeems and in time gives those places meaning.  That's Gods heart of redemption.  His redeeming love.

But it doesn't happen right away. It takes time to listen in and grow.  I'm so glad He never stops listening to our hearts cry.  Even in the silence and the questions, He redeems. 

This is what I'm learning.  It's not how others make us feel that matters but rather how we make others feel.  

Noticing others in a new way might be a gift to someone.  But We receive the blessing.  Making others feel special. 

Noticing the broken, the unnoticed and the weary, the poor and sad.  I think that's what Jesus does through our eyes! 

You never know what that might do for someone's soul.  Maybe you will help enlarge someone's heart. Maybe Jesus will be seen. 

Help us Lord to be the ones who see, who notice!  Jesus wants us to tell the world that they matter to Him.  

My prayer is to see with new eyes!  Maybe it's through our eyes, God looks to see others.  Maybe that's where he resides, right behind our eyes!  

1 Samuel 12:16 

Now then, stand still and see this great thing The Lord is about to do before your eyes! 

1Thessalonians 1:4 

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you. 

Genesis 16:13

She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

Chasing sunsets!

I love to chase sunsets.  I realize it's not possible to chase sunsets really!!  But I have this desire to capture and enjoy sunsets especially with my camera.   I never tire of experiencing another sunset.

The sunsets that I most love are the ones that reflect over a lake. It's something about the sun light that casts a magnificent reflection on the water that sets my heart in motion.  My heart enlarges and i find a place in my spirit to worship God.  I want to lift my hands in praise!  Sometimes it's just a gaze.  But I'm always in awe!  Always in awe!

I often chase against the clock to get to a lake to capture the sun as it sets.  You can't be late.  You can't procrastinate.  You just have to be there and be ready if you want to experience a lake sunset.  

I love that when I get up in the morning, I know the sun will set that day.  It is a promise that he's been faithful again today.   And I know that when I go to bed the sun will again rise the next morning.  That's a promise.  

I sense His presence in the sunsets. The Lord of Lords reached out his mighty hand and directed the sky to light up the evening for our enjoyment.  

He calls my name in those moments and reminds me that he is holding my world in his hands. 

I see his creativity as a gift.  He proves his majestiy every morning and every night. He reminds me that this display is for our viewing pleasure.   

I learn to trust again as my spirit says he must really love me.  He must really love us.

 He established a work of art with just the touch of his hand.  He paints a canvas of love and grace and then invites us to a front row seat. The best seat in the house. 

 So when I'm challenged to ask God where he is.  And when my doubts take over and my thoughts play havoc with my mind.  I gaze into his workmanship.  I chase another sunset!  He promises and sends his comforter to minister to the brokenness in me. 

From our glorious God to his blessed children, thank you for a beautiful and creative reminder that you are worthy of our praise.  And you allowed me to be worthy of another sunset. 

His word expresses it better than I. 

Psalm 19:1 

 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.

Psalm 50:1

The Lord, the Mighty One, is God, and he has spoken; he has summoned all humanity from where the sun rises to where it sets.




Psalm 65:8

Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sunrises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy. 

Psalm 84:11

For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.

Psalm 104:19

You made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to set. 

Amen!!

My sweets!!!

Some of my summer pics !

Choose the blessing !!

When I was just a little girl, I wanted to have a big family.  Kind of like the one I grew up in.   I adored babies.  I would follow around anyone who had a baby.   I babysat often in my early teens.   I had several moms on a regular basis ask me to watch their children.  I rarely said no.

Even as a young child I knew I would probably have a large family.  I couldn't get enough of babies and all their perfection of sweetness.

For me motherhood came naturally.  I remember when I held my firstborn for the first time, I was in awe of this gift I was just given.  I couldn't wait to watch her learn and grow. 

As it turns out I did have a fairly large family. 4 children spread out over 13 years.  Some would say that's big.  I'm not sure that it is, but nonetheless we decided to join the 4 and no more club!  That would become our new mantra! 

 I look back now and I can say. I'm so glad that I had 4.  Was it easy?  No, not for one minute. Raising children is not a picnic. They require every ounce of every minute of every hour of every day of your time, energy, strength, brain power, reasoning skills.  It will take sacrifice, wisdom and selflessness and lots of love. 

There will never be enough of you to go around.   You will feel spread thin and overwhelmed many times.  You will be challenged and broken and spend lots of moments in worry and fear. You will cry, feel stretched and discouraged many days.  You will wonder at your own strength and abilities to do what's needed.  You will probably second guess your decisions.  

But as I think back to those early days of raising my family. I can say I'm glad I chose to make the sacrifice.  I'm glad too that I chose to stay home with them.  A choice I was blessed to have.  Sadly, not everyone has the luxury of that choice.   Again not an easy job and not always a popular decision.

 We chose to be a little less rich and a little more poor.  But the blessings still were evident more than I even knew. God always showed himself faithful when I least deserved it.  I would often miss the blessings.  But He in his patient ways would remind me that He stood in the gap when i was not my best.  I would learn eventually not to measure my own abilities or lack thereof by others standards.  It was so easy to do. 

 My perspective would often get lost in my struggle to keep everything tidy and in order.   I would find it easy to hide behind the wall of discouragement and focus on what I didn't have instead of on what I had.  

 Again Gods gentle reminders would come in a variety of ways.  I would hear his whisper "be grateful."  "Don't miss the blessing!"   God would continually nudge my heart and pour His spirit into my parched soul.   His gentle guidance would instill in me a greater desire to grow in my faith.  

I would often get caught up in being right and correct over all else.   But eventually my stubborn heart would see that it was about doing love and being love.  Love would win over every time.  My four would teach me and bless me again and again.  

 I'm still learning and struggling.   It's in the struggle where we grow muscle and strength and courage.  Maybe it's there where we learn to live and love differently. That's the beauty of family love. It's not in getting it right but in choosing to see the blessing.  

Romans 8:39

         

Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

,
   

Romans 15:4

 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

Proverbs 16:9

We can make our plans,

    but the Lord determines our steps.

A Harbor View!

Watching the waters ripple against the rocky shore, I breathe in hope. My soul reaches out and I feel my faith grow. Something about the effortless waters gleam that shines a light into my heart.

I watch the sea gulls swoop down the rocky shores looking for a new meal. I say thank you Jesus for the beauty around me. I feel blessed today that I didn't miss the simple or the profound moments. It takes a slowing down, moving from hurry to calm.  Life moves at such a fast pace.  It's in the learning to not hurry that helps me to reevaluate my days. 

  I quiet down and listen to the rhythms of the splashing blue waters.  I notice the peaceful harbor view and it steals my mind and directs me to the one who brings peace.  The peace that passeth all understanding will remain in your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Those words stir in my heart and mind.  He comes in gentle waves, like a safe harbor.  My hearts desire is a deeper intimacy with him.

Everyday brings new opportunities for God to move in new ways.   It's not an easy evaluation.  I long for my own way most of the time.  God speaks softly reminding me that He's leading the way.  His word gently reminds me that He's in control of all the starts and stops of our lives.  I need a daily reminder that He's my safe harbor!  

Today I read this scripture.

Psalm 16:11 - You make known to me the path of life; you fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Nehemiah 9:19 - Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness.  By day the pillar of cloud did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take.

Jeremiah 6:16 - This is what the Lord says: Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths,  ask where the good way is and walk in it and you will find rest for your souls.


I see His hand today as I continue on this path.  The path is often through wilderness moments.   I can trust that it's in those places that He shines a steady light so I can see my way.   He is the peaceful harbor of our souls.  

Walk by the lake!

Pics from Kenosha Harbor!  

Reflections from a feathered nest!

We were sitting in a packed gymnasium waiting for the music to begin.  I realized I'd been here before but the names and faces were different.   It was an emotional moment as we anticipated the  procession of graduates.  My head turns to watch our son enter the room amongst streams of blue caps and gowns.  The tears I try to hold back begin to

stream down my cheek anyway.    My heart is filled with an emotion that revisits me.  

When did my youngest of 4 grow up?  Did I blink too many times?   My mind begins to reminisce as I peer into my feathered nest.   I realize the inevitable, my nest is now empty.

It seemed like yesterday that I began to feather my nest.   Over the years I would watch it grow and expand.  I would do my best to be a good mom, but failed more than I care to admit.  

I realized even on the best days my nest was imperfect.   It would often splinter and occasionally burst of struggle and conflict.   I often questioned my parenting skills and worried at times about my poor judgments.  

I found it easy to compare my nest to others.   I wrestled with doubt, fear and wonder at my abilities to raise 1 child let alone 4.   I made my share of parenting mistakes.   But our nest by God's grace withstood the strong winds that blew.

This day I am struck by the emotion, that my job is finished.   I am turning the page of yet another chapter in my life.    I am reminded that we raise our kids to fly, but my heart says otherwise.   

We watch them grow, change and begin to feather their own nests, it echoes what we began many years ago.   Though I still struggle to make sense of it all, I grasp that herein lies the blessing.

Somehow I would understand it wasn't about challenging success in our children or about the trophies, awards and rewards of a specific academic lesson or degree. 

 I would slowly learn it was much greater than any education could offer.  It was in my imperfect way, helping them to find the deep love and grace of God for themselves.   Searching for meaning and hope when it seemed far away.  It was in the struggle of their own brokenness and trials that they would learn to lean on His sufficiency.  

 Today as I watch my youngest reach for his diploma I see the reflection of my feathered nest in him.  I quietly take in the blessing of a holy moment.    

My youngest leaves the nest just like his  siblings with an enormous heart and love for Jesus.   It is nothing I can take credit for, but by God's grace.

As I peer back into my feathered nest, I realize that He was always there, for the difficult moments and painful places, standing in the gap.  Today I see that he had covered our imperfect with His perfection.  

 I know now, my nest is not empty, it just looks different.  It spills over with more than enough.  

More than enough to see 

the blessings of an imperfect nest ! 

 

Psalm 84:3Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God!

Psalm 104:12The birds nest beside the streams and sing among the branches of the trees.

My grace place!

It was a holy walk.  My new grace walk.  God's grace, I see it in another unexpected way.

I enjoy taking walks by the lake.  It's beside the still waters, I experience grace.  I begin to pray as I bury my feet on the sandy beach.   As I watch

the water gleam along the shore, it smiles in shades of blue.  My soul thrives again.  As the blue skies above me swirl like a painted canvas, so the water reflects and shines back it's majesty.  And I wonder at this masterpiece of Gods.

 I hear Him whisper into my heart, "let my streams of living water flow through you." This becomes my holy ground.  I tread on a sacred path.  A walk by the lake, my grace place.  My new mantra.  He leads me besides still waters and restores my soul.


My heart opens into those hidden places and I allow God to move in and disturb my thoughts.  I need new perspective.  But I don't always want to change, my stubborn heart says not today. I've been there before.  A paralyzed mindset will propel me down a wasted path.

He says let me water those seeds of faith that I've planted.  Let me have your open heart.  I complain that I don't see his footprints and I question His silence.  In that quiet moment my memory is triggered of a pastor's prayer "let us hear the soft sounds of sandaled feet". As those words echo in my holy place, I'm changed.   I remind God that I am enough for Him.  Then He reminds me that He's enough for me..  

 I realize my offerings are small.  But He joyfully takes my humble gifts and multiplies them.  I remember that He fed 5,000 with a little boys lunch of 5 loaves and 2 fish.  Have I ever offered God my lunch?  I am in awe of His power and grace.  

What is your grace place?  Where do you experience His presence?  

John 7:38

Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from within him. 

Isaiah 32:2

Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a parched land.

    

Psalm 66:6

He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot— Come, let us rejoice in him.

Psalm 77:19

Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.

Psalm 23:2

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. 

Psalm 29:3

The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.

The color of grace

I don't always understand what God is doing!   But I'm so glad that He shows Himself to us when we least deserve it.  Grace flows into our lives in unexpected ways.   

Beautiful Jayden and Brooklyn were born with a rare genetic disorder called Sanfilippo Syndrome.  It is so rare that there has been no cure or treatment.  They were given this diagnosis 5 years ago and it significantly shortens their lives.   It is in this place I have sought after the grace of God.   Constantly looking for beautiful hues of grace or occasionally clinging to the shadows of gray.   

 God has allowed me to witness His grace through visuals of brilliant hues of color.  Sometimes, it's in my granddaughter Brooklyn's eyes that sparkle like water dancing on the ocean shore, it's there I see grace.   I see the color of grace when I watch her playing pretend, when she sings twinkle twinkle little star.   Then when she wants to sing it again and again.  When she's not feeling her best Gods grace shines even brighter!  Gods love deepens me and we share the grace place.  She reminds me to look deeper and allows my faith to be stretched.  It's in that moment I'm overwhelmed by His sufficiency.  

I see His grace breaking through the surface of my heart when I share moments with Jayden.  He offers me an adoring smile and then takes my soul to that grace place where his laughter consumes the space we share.   Grace is God's to give and for us to receive.  Jayden is my gentle reminder that God has so much more grace to give then we can ever  imagine.  

It's often though,  I see grace in the shadows and shades of gray.  Our lives are often spent in the shadows of his grace.   The shade or shadow has been my hiding place, a place of shelter.   Sometimes it portrayed as dark and gray,  but maybe it's in the shadows where he often calls us to be, to land.  The grace place, where we find protection from the heavy storms.  It's in the shadow of the almighty where we experience peace and where we find rest.   It's the wonder of this place that renders me speechless .  

I'm blessed and even overwhelmed when I abide in the grace of God whether its in the  shadow or hues of color.  I see the hand of a majestic God reaching down directing our steps allowing us to see His grace in new ways.   Thank you Jesus for showing me.  Thank you Brooklyn and Jayden for being a reminder of the color of grace in our lives.   

As I write this, we are learning of new advances in finding a cure for this disease.   We praise God that He continues to show Himself in the lives of these children.  Please pray as we seek Him in funding a new advancement in Gene therapy.    A cure for this disease.     

 Psalm 91:1 
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 

2 Timothy 1:9

He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time

James 4:6

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.

My Easter Pics

What is she doing here?

I remember hearing those words....."What is she doing here?"

 I was in the 7th grade and those words were directed at me.  My friend had asked me and another friend to come help her be a teachers aid during our lunch.  As our teacher approached us he had an unhappy look on his face.  That's when those words spilled out of his mouth "what is she doing here" and my heart sank.  I knew in that moment I wasn't accepted.  I was rejected.  

That was a hard moment for a shy, awkward 7th grader.  I was a typical 12 year old girl looking for acceptance.

 I would rehearse those words over and over.  I would hear them echoing in the hallways of my heart for many years. They would adhere like glue to my soul ....!   I couldn't remove those words, they would linger in my mind.  They would hang dangling like moss on a tree.   Chanting "you aren't enough!"   "What are you doing here?"

 Negative words can have a crippling affect on us.   What a reminder that words do make a difference.   They give us value or take it away.  They do tremendous damage and can leave us feeling insignificant.

 There are many moments I wish I could put in reverse, the words I've used.  There are really no second chances once the words have tumbled out, it's done.  I'm still learning, but I want to use words that will bring healing, that will encourage, that will uplift, that will inspire and give life.  That's what God's word does in our lives and in our hearts.

He resurrects the pain, but then covers it with a gentle healing balm.  He uses those negative places in our lives to grow us deeper into the heart of God.  We can only grow from the place of hurt and pain when we allow God to use it for His glory.

He is purposeful in our lives when we allow Him to freely search our souls.   I know now what I'm doing here.  God has purpose and intention.  I'm thankful today for those words, although painful then, they are a wonderful reminder to me of the mighty hand of God in my life.

The desire I have today is to use words differently, to build, to restore, to refresh, to bring value, hope and inspiration.  Words.....are powerful.   My prayer is that God would continue to use my words to glorify Himself through blogging and the searching of my soul.   Praise God for  "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."  The abundance of words!  They are sweeter than honey in a honey comb!

Psalm 19:4
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
    be pleasing in your sight,
    Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 119:103   

How sweet are your words to my tastes sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Proverbs 16:24 

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

The table of grace!

Sometimes I find God calling me to the table of Grace.  There is something in me that is always looking for the grace place.  When I was a little girl, my family would eat dinner together every evening around the 5:00 hour.  This was in the 60's and I would imagine most families in my neighborhood were clamoring around their dinner table as well.   We would often say our memorized prayer all together as a family.  "God is great God is good let us thank him for this food.  Amen."  It became a common prayer, that quite honestly lost most of it's meaning I suppose.  But I learned at a young age that the table was the place of grace.  That table of grace would eventually take on new meaning.   Somehow grace became more than just a short prayer that we prayed before dinner.  The table of grace is where I long to dine at now.  This table may be messy and often kind of sticky, but a welcome place.   It occasionally becomes complicated and cluttered.  As my faith  grows my table of grace grows as well.  It's in the heart that I notice grace changing me.  I long to sit and linger there to savor every moment.   It looks different now than it did in the 60's.  But I love this table.  I know it is often hard to understand this grace place.   Sometimes we understand it through painful moments.  Moments that God allows in our lives for His purposes.  Our hearts break at times at this table,  It breaks for those things that make no sense from a simple understanding.  Thankfully God uses this place to teach us, to change us and allows us to grow, so that we can offer this grace to others.  He serves us a banquet of grace.   We can be assured that there will be more served where there's more grace required and it's always enough.  It's at this table we're all equal.   We can all come to the table with what and who we are.   All of our tables look different and are uniquely designed to serve us right where we are.  I leave full, but long for more grace filled appointments, more cups of grace.  I know there will be many more!  Praise God, for His grace table is sufficient.  More grace please!

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

     2 Corinthians 4:15

All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Romans 5:2

through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.