Graceful ~

Meaning of the name Anne: grace; graceful; gracious

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Have you ever met me?

Graceful, I am not.

This fact has been a joke in my family since I was young.

It's not something I dwell on for the most part.

After all, it's just a word.

Right?

The past few days have rudely reminded me of the lack of gracefulness that I tend towards.

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A reminder like falling down the porch steps with a basket full of clean laundry in my arms, heading towards the clothes line. (I admit, I laid on the driveway and whimpered like a wounded puppy.  Pathetic. )

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Or trying to finagle an umbrella in the rain.  And wind.  Especially the wind part.  And should I mention that I carry a vibrant green umbrella?  Hard to miss the girl walking down the street with that! All the while struggling to keep it upright and not have it blow away while her hands are full of other paraphernalia.  Awkward moments.

And people ask me why I usually just run through the rain and skip the umbrella.  Really?  They obviously have never seen me try to use one.  One day I'll end up like Mary Poppins and be carried away by it.  Only mine will be bright green.  You'll be able to see me coming!

But there's more to the story than that. Perhaps we are quick to forget that there is a drastic difference between graceful and grace.

And this grace business?

It changed my life.

{Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me...}

That "wretch" the song was referring to, is me. 

I am the wretch, made beautiful only by the amazing grace that God has extended to me.  He chose me, not because of anything I have done, but because of the plan He had for my life.  A plan that He knew before the very foundation of the world.  Wow.

Grace was extended to me, a sinner, and allows me to have a personal relationship with God through His Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ. 

This Grace has promised me an eternity in Heaven, instead of the hell that I otherwise deserved. 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9

I love that my name means grace; a constant reminder of God's love for me and the beauty of His plan for my life. 

{I once was lost, but now am found.
'Twas blind, but now I see.}

"There is sunshine in my soul today..."

The last few days I have been feeling a little blue. Haven’t quite been able to put my finger on why, but just not my usual self.  I love how God knows my heart and despite myself He reaches into my life bringing little moments that help cheer me up.

• An unexpected hour at home before my husband leaves for class.
• A long walk with new shoes that don’t hurt my feet.
• Making a friend when you weren’t trying to.
• Somebody making you laugh when you really feel like crying. 
• Leftovers from Mom so I don’t have a cook. 
• Planning a date night to look forward to.
• Most importantly the reminder that: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

 These little things have been droplets of sunshine to my soul lately.

What has been your Sunshine this week?

PS - Lisa Leonard is having another adorable giveaway today right HERE!

Melting. . .

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I love the sound of melting snow.

The steady flow of water running through the downspouts.  Drips and splashes leaving a pinging sound as they hit the metal and fall to the ground. 

The temperature hit 40 degrees today; warmth we haven't felt since around November.

We left the heat on and opened up all the windows.  Silly, I know, but oh the smell of that glorious fresh air!

I stood by the window and let the sun beat on my face and just listened to the water.  It's a sound that always fills me with hope. Hope that spring really is coming soon and that any day I might see a Crocus trying to push its way up through the dirt.  I couldn't help but smile as I stood and listened. 

And then I thanked God, Creator of all, for the sunshine and the sound of Hope in the air.

Cooling Down

Like a piece of shade in the desert, is the refreshing taste of something cold on a hot day.  In the midst of the summer heat and humidity, this icy glass of Strawberry Lemonade made my taste buds stand up and dance!

How do you cool down after a hot day in the sun?

In Every Moment

Today my dearly beloved husband met me at Starbucks for our first taste of Fall by enjoying their Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Ahh, seasonal bliss. Tantalizing to the taste buds and invigorating as it warms your hands and your insides.  Oh course I also had to enjoy a Pumpkin Cream Cheese muffin while I was there, seeing as those are also only around this time of year and are usually gobbled up by early-morning-coffee-goers who can’t fathom a day beginning without their high dose of sugar and jolt of caffeine.

We sat outside, the low 70-something breeze blowing around us, the sky overcast, trying to ignore the spits of rain we felt. It was lovely just being together, even if it did feel like Seattle. Having a break in the middle of a work day simply to sit at a café and be together was wonderful, relaxing, and a breath of fresh air. Just being together is the best. The A.B.S.O.L.U.T.E. B.E.S.T.

It’s the small moments that sometimes bring the most joy. I sat there and silently thanked God for the blessing of those small moments and the amazing husband that I get to share them with.  The everyday life is ten-times better because we're together.  What a gift.

I returned to work, and had an email waiting for me. A friend of mine was just diagnosed with breast cancer; her surgery is this afternoon. It was so fast, so unexpected….”Not her, Lord!” were the first words I wanted to utter. But my God is not only a God of small moments, He is the God of big moments too. It hurt to read the words on that page, but I was reminded that God was greater than all this.

Where are words in the midst of pain? How to you reply to an email like that, or even find the right words to pray for them? But God knows.

I crept away to an empty room to pray. Prayed for the surgeon, prayed for my friend, and prayed for her husband. These people don’t profess an active faith in the Lord, so maybe God will use this to draw them to Himself. I am praying that He will. I am praying He will guide the hands of the surgeon and grant them knowledge in how to best deal with this situation, and that He will grant strength to this couple. This couple who loves each other more deeply than most, and that would never leave each other no matter what. I prayed that they would come to know the Great Physician and the true Healer, and that though this He would be glorified…and that she would be healed.

God is there, in the sunshine and the shadow, in the quiet blissful moments, and the moments of pain and tears. How I praise Him for His faithfulness and the hand that guides me and He who walks beside me each step of the way.

Running through yesterday into tomorrow
Don’t let it just drift away
Forget about tying the hands of time
Give every minute to the One who gave us today
-- Joy Williams