Mama Said

Mama said there would be days like this. She was right. The good thing is that God has the final word on days when disappointment fills our eyes to very brim and crowds our mouth with hateful words. S instead of sinking under the weight of our sadness, we ask Him to come and He promises He will. 

"Lord, sometimes it would be real easy to get bitter, because we get up every day and people let us down;  because we hoped for plan A and somehow, we didn't even get plan B, but ended up with plan F because somebody said something, did one thing or a whole lot of things, and we can't shake it for

anything. And You get it.  You get real close and you whisper, "I’ll give you the best of care if you’ll only get to know and trust Me.  Call Me and I’ll answer.  I will be at your side in bad times. Don’t insist on getting even.  That’s not for you to do. I’ll do the judging, says God. I’ll take care of it...I will take care of you."
 [Psalm 91:14, Rom 12:19, Ps. 55:22]


When we let go of bitterness, God leads us out of our wilderness.  When we let go of a root of bitterness, we let our lives grow better fruit. When we let go, we save the high cost of anger, the deep expense of bitterness, the robbery of our lives.  Bitterness sentences us to a prison and letting go lets us free. 

So we pray: 'Lord, let us open our hands and let go and love big and bury axes and resurrect to wide open living. And let us feel how You love us like the best Father, gently kissing all our hidden pain with an everlasting grace. In the name of the One who loved us enough to let go of everything so we could.' Amen"    Ann Voscamp

I Heart Family

Counting Gifts

We are visiting with family this week in North Carolina. I am counting gifts this week. Though my list was on hiatus, the gratitude remains.
77.  Family recipes in my mother's own handwriting.
78.  Recounting memories with my sister. She usually has some detail lost to me.
79. Grace and cousin, Haddon, making the most delicious melt in your mouth pancakes. Lemon juice in the pancake mix? Who knew? Haddon, that's who. Yummilicious!
80. Mimi sharing her Ella with Grace.
81. Pliable hearts in the hand of a God who helps mend wounds between us.
82. Oceans of fun. Literally. We are going to the OCEAN tomorrow. I am not sure who is more thrilled  - Grace or her water loving Mama. =) Happy! Happy! Happy!
83. Time to just be.
84. Friends who love me enough to miss me. I love them right back.
85. Juicy peaches. It's not summer without a juicy peach staining your cheek sweet.
86. Butterfinger trifle - a new something sweet. Looks like it's even low cal. BONUS!
87. Breaking bread and sharing the Word with new found brothers and sisters in Christ.
88. Reminders that He's got the whole world in His hand...little, bitty babies and the mamas and papas that grieve for them. The only peace is that Jesus is right there with them and they will wake in His arms and there forever remain.
89. There is no shame in Jesus, but there is a safe shelter from the storms and tumult of this life. "Shame is a bully and grace is a shield. You are safe here. No shame. No fear. No hiding. It's always safe for the suffering here."  Ann Voscamp
90.  Words from the heart and pen of Ann Voscamp. I am undone over and over and over again.
91.  Singing dulcimer in Need To Breathe's "Multiplied".