linked post- mud :)

"Because even mud is beautiful."


...she couldn't have said it better...read here...
Amen sister!


Finding joy in who we are and He created us to be...

a self portrait of sorts :)

¹³ For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Galatians 5:13 (New King James Version)

Journeying...

Just when you think you know the plan...things change.  This seems to be the theme for us for the past 4 years.  It has been in spurts, ups and downs, highs and lows, plateauing in between.  Through it all though, I know God is leading.

I do have to say though, the past couple months have brought with them much change and I've struggled.  I've struggled with my faith, not with my love for the Lord but learning who He is, who I am in Him and well,...what am I supposed to be doing, thinking, saying?  A sweet friend said these words to me in conversation, "growing pains."  Yes, this is what they are...

Journeying with Him...He is good all the time :)

Zephaniah 3:17 (New King James Version)

¹⁷ The LORD your God in your midst,
      The Mighty One, will save;
      He will rejoice over you with gladness,
      He will quiet you with His love,
      He will rejoice over you with singing.” 
    
What a precious gift...

Mom :)

Thankful, honored, humbled at the gift to be called this precious name...Mom.

Ephesians 1:5 (New King James Version)

 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

with a smile...pop art!

Oh, how good the Lord is...little bits and pieces, coming together and a hope, a glimmer...the excitement of what He has put in each of us.... :)

we shall see...

 “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” - Romans 3:23-24

seeing is believing (by His grace)...

New Year's Day I sat with my Bible in hand, reading His Word and had an unmistakable peace.  I wanted to dive into His Word, to make changes in our life that would be honoring to our precious LORD.  For this to be a year of changes, growth, learning and drawing nearer to Him.

Well, as with most New Year's resolutions (though I would definitely not categorize this desire as a NY's resolution-just a comparison being that it was New Year's day), life takes over and those "great changes" start to move to the back burner.

So this great journey I was to embark on, grabbing the bull by the horns so to speak, TV turned off, cloth diapers in hand, garden started, canning in process, crafting and journaling a daily habit, sewing, drawing, schooling and planning flowing, nature journals overflowing, organizing, de-cluttering, streamlining the home and daily duties and most importantly, diving into His Word-learning, searching, growing, being fully immersed in Him (can you imagine it, being completely submerged in His love, in His truth, in HIM?!)  Oh, it is breath-taking at the thought!

Well...as I'm writing this, these were my heart's desires and I was going to say that not, if any, progress had been made in these areas, but the truth is...there has been.  And the next only truth, it has been God who has lead these paths, not my own doing (isn't He wonderful!)  I have not made a conscious effort to put these desires into practice; one, due to lack of motivation; two, due to lack of organization and three, due to my perfectionist tendencies which usually result in null attempts (yep, sad but true.)  So what has the Lord done?  He has set these things into motion by circumstance, forcing me with His gentle hand to move into these directions.  Again, I say it:  He is wonderful!  (I'm not going to lie, not sure if I'm using the correct punctuation-have mercy on me :) )

So there you go, sometimes (a lot of times!) we have to step outside of ourselves, out of our boxes and look, that we can see what He's doing.  We can be blown away by His mighty work in the smallest of things.  The fact that He loves us, sinful and all is miracle enough.  And to think of the mighty blessings He has for us; us, an undeserving, selfish, filth covered people...saved only by the cross with grace.  Whoo-takes your breath away, humbling isn't it?

Yes, I am journeying with Him, seeking His (not my own, which I'm continuously laying at His feet) will...oh, He is good always and forever :)

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” -Hebrews 1:3

amazed...quiet

Without words, amazed by His hand upon lives, in and through them...we are only to obey...

This young woman's testimony leaves me speechless, with tears, humbled and amazed...asking for you to pray for her and her sweet ones and the journey the Lord has her on...

Praying all is well, I've been quiet for a while, resting in His care, sometimes clinging (always clinging!) Resting in the assurance of His goodness and mighty works and plans He has...and that I shall trust and obey, for I am here to serve Him, with joy and love.  In His strength and not my own.

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” - Ephesians 1:7

Isaiah...

Resting in His care....a sweet post from a dear friend with an amazing testimony...

Praying you are resting in His care,

where we are...

We feed, we open our home, we pray, we rejoice, we love, we share His Word...

...all from where He has placed us...remote or urban, foreign or domestic, neighbor or stranger...

we love as He has called us to, not in our own way, but His way,

not in our own strength, but His strength,

not in our own heart, but HIS heart...

...humbled and not worthy, but chosen, to be used (and loved) by the Creator, our precious and mighty Savior...

“[Praise to the LORD] LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.” - Isaiah 25:1

me-- with an explanation

explanation:  It has been weighing on my heart to make sure this post does not come across the wrong way.  Sometimes when we read something, especially be it in an email or blog post etc., something can be misunderstood not knowing the meaning behind the words.  This was my feeling behind this post, replying that God saved me.  The Lord saved me by His grace so that I now have the promise of a life with Him and His Holy Spirit now on this earth.  He saved me not from my family but from myself.  I am truly blessed and humbled that even though I did not grow up in a Christian home, I grew up in a loving home that had the hand of God all over it.  I can look back now and see His love notes to me all through the years of my youth, be it through Bible books in the doctor's office, book read to me at night, Christian friends He placed in my path and most importantly the love that was (and is) given to me by my family all of those years with an abundance of forgiveness to the selfish and ungrateful person I was.  


Our God is good forever and His mercies are new every morning...
In His love, 
Bree



Who I am in a nut shell...(what I posted on Bloom)...

I am mama to 4 precious sons and wife to an amazing man. I didn’t grow up in a Christian home and by the grace of our Heavenly Father, HE saved me. I have been a Christian for 10 years now, later baptized on Father’s Day of 2002, where I wept, chocking it up to pregnancy hormones, but now knowing it was my spirit that wept for the joy of coming to Him. He is good! So here I am, living daily, only by His grace and His strength, trying to learn who He created me to be, learning to live with forgiveness and healing of the past and to love the Lord with my whole heart, that I might show that same love to the precious family He has blessed me with. God is so good, all the time! ....
~Bree

Bloom (in) courage...starts today!

bloom (in) courage ...sweet ones, won't you join me here?  Through His beautiful ways, I was able to purchase Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts and funny enough, wanting to retreat to a little nook and read the entire book in one sitting, I found myself only being able to catch enough minutes here and there to read through chapter one.  Well, as it should be no surprise, this evening, catching up on a few blogs I came upon Bloom at (in)courage (a book club started by Angie Smith and her friend Jess and now beautiful new addition to (in)courage) and realize the new book they've chosen is Ann's wonderful book!  And tonight is the first night they've posted their video with Ann in it (and will be through the study!) and they're on chapter 1!  We should never be surprised by His timing :)


Praying you'll be able to check out Bloom at (in)courage, and follow along with the study.  So many times I find myself serving in different areas and somehow it seems to close the doors to Bible studies or women's groups.  This in itself is a season of my life, and I praise the Lord for it!  So with that, I thank Him for allowing this opportunity to arise :)


May His face shine upon you, may you rest in His care, find joy in His presence and an everlasting love in His Word.  For sisters, He is good ALWAYS!  AMEN, AMEN!

“Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.” - Proverbs 21:21

reading...

...in her most amazing and humble words, she writes this here...

"We don't see the material world for what it is meant to be:  as the the means to communion with God."

"...communion with God..."  

Life pulls at us from every direction: children, marriage, church, school, home, work, friends, ministry, finances, meals, family, our own desires, our own insecurities and struggles...the list goes on.

But He gives us a glimpse when we can slow down just for a minute and reminds us,
...it is only about Him.


He isn't another space on the calendar, another check box on the to-do-list, another Bible study or Sunday School class...this isn't the only place we should meet Him.

He is our everyday. Our every moment.  Our fill.  Our Hope.  Our home.  He makes us complete.

We search and search for "our purpose", our calling, our destiny to fulfill...and it sits in front of us, He sits before us, resides in us,
...we are to love and be loved by our Creator...to commune with God...

Humbling, isn't it?

Praying for you, may you be encouraged in His word, find love in His care, and be encouraged in the knowledge that you have been created with purpose and utmost love, He hears your heart and rejoices and weeps with you.  You are His, created to love and be loved by Him...

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. Genesis 1:31