Welcome
Welcome to my Blog.
If you look back at my older blog posts you will see that there is a common theme there - “Finding the Extraordinary Gifts of God on Ordinary Days.”
Between the time that I wrote those posts and the time that I am writing this one and the ones to follow, I have experienced some of the most profound grief I have ever known. The posts written during that period also share a common theme “Grief and Grace.”
There were many days then that I couldn’t see beyond my own tears. Some days I still can’t.
But through such loss, My Lord has shown me through his tender mercies that his grace is deeper than my grief.
And oh, so slowly, he has opened my heart again to experience joy. And has taught me that my heart can hold both joy and grief. A lesson I didn’t know before now.
He has also coaxed out of me during moments of the most excruciating pain, some of my best works of art. Creativity has given me a way to express my grief, give voice to my story, and see it transformed by God’s grace into something beautiful.
In my current blog posts, you will likely see more of the theme “Grief and Grace,” while yet another theme emerges: “Unwrapping the Gifts of Joy and Beauty through Creativity.”
Wherever you may find yourself in the grief process - I want you to know that God wants you to experience the same grace he has showered me with.
And in His timing, He wants to open up to you the gifts of joy and beauty even in the midst of your grief. I pray you will find comfort and hope in reading about my journey.
And I would be honored if you chose to allow me to come alongside you through the coaching process in your own journey, as together we explore what “Unwrapping the Gifts of Joy and Beauty through Creativity” looks like for you.
Things I Love
I love rainbows, the color pink,
roses of any color,
the feel of sunshine
on my upturned face
on a warm summer’s day,
or raindrops
gently kissing my cheeks
on a wet cloudy one.
The Promise
In the early evening of April 25, 1986, You and I stood as bride and groom in my home church of First English in New Orleans, Louisiana, and in front of God, my pastor, and some 250 family members and friends in attendance, we made a solemn vow to each other.
Surrendering to Grace
I don’t like to suffer. I never have. I never will. I am, however, intimately acquainted with pain. God, in His sovereignty, introduced the two of us long ago.
I felt the insidious grip of pain while growing up in an emotionally abusive home.
I felt it when my first husband wiped out our savings account, took the one car we owned and left me and our eighteen-month-old daughter for another woman.
The Power and Privilege of Words
I’ve been thinking a lot about words lately and the mystery of them.
Both the spoken word and the written word have always intrigued me. I still stand in awe of the way a young child learns to speak the language of his or her parents. The way that language just seems to be absorbed as if by osmosis, the way one wondrous day a word comes forth, and then another and another, finally to be followed by a sentence and before long a conversation.
The Day in Between
Today is the day that falls between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The day that falls in between despair and hope, between sin and redemption, between the crucifixion and the resurrection.The day when this "Jesus" who claimed to be The King of the Jews, The Messiah, now lay lifeless.
This is the day when the taste of victory still laid sweet on the tongues of those who hated and reviled Him.
When Winter Lingers
I am ready for Spring. I am ready to smell, taste, and witness Spring in her full regalia. Yet, traces of Winter still linger on, much like houseguests who has long overstayed their welcome. Peeking out of the window once again, will not make the tulips break through the stone cold ground any sooner. Nor will it cause the Robin to appear and break forth in song. The fruit trees are still dormant, and so, I feel, am I.
What Are You Waiting For?
Sometimes the Lord is whispering "Wait" to us. I’ve noticed that usually happens when we are trying to push ahead in our own timing. Other times He is waiting on us to "Step Forward" in faith, but we are lagging seriously behind claiming that we are "waiting" on Him.
But are we waiting on Him? Or are we waiting for the perfect time, the perfect place, the perfect circumstances? None of these will ever come. I know, because I have been guilty so many times of waiting for these same things! And they never came.
The Gift of Compassion
So often the gift of compassion is a two-edged sword-we feel motivated and called to act, but feel helpless and overwhelmed at the magnitude of suffering in the world.
For me, this means attempting to reconcile the reality of suffering in the world with the reality of my ability to do something about it. I have come to realize that while I cannot do everything, I can do something. So now I begin with asking myself - What CAN I do?
The Unwanted Gift
I never thought I'd say this - but having a chronic illness has turned out to be a gift - an unwanted gift ( like one of those white elephant gifts a friend gives you) that you really don't like and really don't want, but have to keep stashed away somewhere in the house, readily available to be brought out and displayed prominently for those times when your friend might drop by.
The Gift of Child's Play
In a child's world, each day is occupied with play. Their world is filled with possibility; a gift hidden within the gift of play. Each new day brings the opportunity to explore, imagine and create. Old clothes from a vintage storage trunk become Paris's latest fashions; teddy bears at tea become trusted confidantes; and make-believe butter, sugar and flour become the most delicious Italian Creme cake you've ever tasted.
Breathe…Just…Breathe
Life begins and ends with a breath. In between, there are literally millions of breaths that we will take. Most of them ordinary, most unconscious and unnoticed and the great majority of them unfortunately somewhat shallow.
God's Extraordinary Gifts on Ordinary Days
Most of us lead ordinary lives on ordinary days. But our God and His grace to us through His son Jesus Christ is in no way ordinary.
His abundant grace is lavished upon us each and every day in ways that are both apparent and hidden.