Tag Archives: grace

Feb16

365 Moments If Gratitude – Thankful For WBGL

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After all the talk of transition with our local Christian station(s), today was the first day as an official part of the WBGL listening family.

Although I have heard the music and message on air from WBGL before, somehow it seems more “my” station since the switch.  As I listened to the radio all day today, God touched me so many times – through the music as well as the spoken words.

More tears today. These tears, however, were not negative in any way, shape or form.  They were simply as a result of God’s love and grace. So many things that got said today were spot-on…pertinent for exactly such a time as this.

I am grateful for the on air voices who spoke from their heart and allowed God’s grace and love to flow through the airways. Thank you WBGL. It’s an honor to walk through life with you! You are also so very loved.

Feb13

365 Moments Of Gratitude – Thankful For Peace

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I’m thankful for peace in and through a variety of situations. Today, I am thankful for the ability to smile and remain at peace when I walked up to the “patient registration” counter to pre-register – only to be told that my appointment wasn’t today, it was tomorrow instead. Evidently they rescheduled it (I had the paper they sent me with the “right” date/time in hand) and forgot to tell me! That said, I just smiled, thanked him, and called the doctor’s office directly. Yes, there had been a mis-communication. I seem to have a knack at being on the receiving end of those. But, truth be told, I’m not complaining. I am not actually looking forward to tomorrow’s appointment, as much as I AM looking forward to it getting over with.

All in all, though, I really am grateful to God – as, I am learning peace in such a special way through all of this. That, and thankful that He is helping me see the need for grace in so many areas, and in so many places.

Feb10

365 Moments Of Gratitude – Thankful For The Helmet Of Salvation

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You know what? I am thankful for a God that loves us enough to equip us with such amazing armor and weapons to be able to not only face, but also defeat the enemy! Today’s church service was entitled: SWAT: The Helmet Of Salvation.

Feb6

365 Moments Of Gratitude: Thankful That God Never Gives Up

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I’m still so very much a work in progress. But, I’m thankful to be His work in progress. Thanking God today for never giving up on me…and for helping me love like He loves, and for never ever seeing anyone as a lost cause.

I recently had a conversation with someone. They were talking about a “friend” who they literally see as a lost cause – even to God. I was very quick to note that NO ONE is truly a lost cause.

I’m grateful beyond words to a God who does not ever give up on ANYONE – not you, not me, and not that person you cannot begin to offer grace to because…Yes, even them. God loves each and every one of us – His precious creations.

Thank you, God, for not ever giving up on us!

Jan28

365 Moments Of Gratitude: Thankful For New Friendships

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I am honored to walk through life with friends. What I really like is when God opens up doors, and allows for new friendships to emerge. Something amazing happens when people open up and share – strengths and vulnerabilities. Opening up, and allowing friendship to happen – priceless.

You may be like I am – or at least WAS – and think you are okay walking through life alone, or with very few people by your side. And, while that may work for a season, it will not ever work long term. As I have mentioned time and time again, we were created as community people – to do life together. We weren’t meant to walk through life alone.

I am grateful for friendship – that beautiful relationship that grows and turns a friend into family. I am grateful to God every single day for my family – those especially that I am connected to by blood, but on a different level, those family connected through friendship and the body of Christ.

It is nothing short of amazing to see how God can connect people and provide grace, love, hope, support, encouragement, and so many other things as people link arms and do life together.

Jan27

365 Moments Of Gratitude – Thankful To Have A Story To Tell

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Today at church, our pastor spoke about having a story. Each and every one of us have a story to tell. It is ours, and ours alone. The good, the bad, the beautiful and even the ugly make up who we are and the life we live. Our past, present and future comprise our story. It is this story that people will see whatever we are a witness of.

As Christians, God gives us a story. He doesn’t erase the “bad” parts and keep only the good. No! Instead, He redeems us, and allows every part of our story to share grace, hope and peace with others. The things in my life – the ups and downs, the peaceful moments and struggles alike, will be a living testimony of who Jesus is – through us.

Something I have said before, and that was mentioned today is that we are very well the only Jesus some people will ever see. As I was explaining to my husband, there are many people who do not know Jesus. They don’t attend church, and the Bible is nothing more than “just another book” in their eyes. To that person, I (as a Christian example) may very well be the only church, the only Jesus, and the only witness of who He is that they may ever know.

I want my life to be a witness of who He truly is. The life change and personal transformation I have experienced – and continue to experience every day – is something I want every living breathing human being to come to know. When people experience even a fraction of the love He has for us, life change happens.

I want to live my life in such a way that my story – my experiences in life that brought me from where I was to where I am today – speaks for itself. It is my desire that my story share the same amount of peace, grace, hope and love that was shared in such a real way with me. If anything I have been through in the course of my life (good or bad) can be used to share Him with another human being – to share grace, peace, hope and love — it will have a purpose greater than I could imagine.

I am one person, with one story – and it is with that story that I want to share gratitude and thanks to God for giving me. It’s my story. I am the only one with this story. I am thankful for my story – for all of it – for it is what has made me who I am.

Nov14

Beyond A Diagnosis

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****I want to share this part of me with the world. This is something I have not ever shared openly – online or in person. However, the more and more I figure out how to accept myself as a child of the Most High God, I realize that this is something attached to a stigma, but not who I am. I am more. To those of you who know me in real life, and will find these things out for the first time, please understand I have had many reasons for keeping this to myself. Not many people – until today – know what I am about to share. It’s not a secret, nor is it anything I am ashamed of. My story is something I pray God can and will use to share His love and hope with the world. If you have ANY questions, please do not hesitate to ask. It is my desire that my transparency show you His love is real, and hope truly is real. I’m honored to walk through life with each of you. Please feel free to post below or to send me a message via my “contact me” page.****

The idea that I am worthy of grace simply because I’m alive seems sometimes foreign to me. Yet it’s what I’m coming to understand more and more each day. Inside me is a kid who was hurting, a teen who questioned too much, a young adult who explored and got lost, and ultimately a human being in need of grace and forgiveness.

My life has had good times, and bad times, and really bad times. The value of my life, to others and to God, never made sense to me. I wasn’t suicidal, but I also didn’t care if I lived or died.

One day, I realized the need for tangible help. I visited a psychiatrist and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I did not like – nor want – this diagnosis. And yet, there it was. I learned to cling to it. It explained why things were how they were. It became who I was. I was told I would need medications forever. My life would never again be med-free. It quickly consumed me, and became what I saw when I looked at myself.

But, it wasn’t me. It was a diagnosis. A shoe size. A hair color. A condition. But not me.

I finally came to realize that no diagnosis would define me. It may be a part of who I am, but it is not all I am. God’s grace and love defines me more than a disorder ever will.

With the help of people who let me know I mattered, I was able to see hope – one day (or hour) at a time. And today, when it sometimes feels like my heart is breaking into a thousand little pieces, I listen to the message and words of hope and I truly know that my life matters. God’s grace is sufficient to reach even me.

To anyone else who is hurting – please know that there IS hope. Don’t ever give up. Don’t ever accept a lie and be labeled something you are not. You are important, and you matter. You are not a past. You are not a reputation. You are not a diagnosis.

You ARE a child of God.