GRACE … God's undeserving love

Why do I mention I'm addicted to grace?

It's been my life …. and I don't see anything changing these days or in the near future!

Me, you ~ all of us are ALL undeserving of God's love! Yet, (oh I love that word …)
He ~ God loves me, you ~ all of us unconditionally ANYWAYS and
only on days that end in 'Y'.  KWIM?!!!
Doesn't that (GRACE) make you smile and get giddy?
(Given something I know I don't deserve.)
YES! YeS! YES.

Care to share some of your grace stories??? Oh how I would love to hear them …. it's what spurs us on to run that race called life!

The undeserving depend on grace. (oh, that's me!) While the entitled are offended by it. The undeserving respond to God in an unrestrained way because they understand His grace.

Care to share how you respond to God? Through nature, music, your family? _______.
I find it endless … because we understand His grace.

Matthew 5:43-48
"Jesus said, “You have heard the law that says, 'Love you neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. In that way you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Matt. 5:43-48

All because of Christ,
Michelle

Anthem: the days are long but the years are short!!

Back to back … yesterday & TODAY!! I know who would've thunk it!

Such a crazy busy time of the year ~ end of school. It's exciting, fun & exhausting. And
planning summer … Oh, the places we will go!!

The days seem to be excessively long. I was so tired today I sat at a traffic light and actually closed my eyes. (So NOT me!)

Thinking about the year, didn't  I just buy school supplies, uniforms and a new lunch box?
And tomorrow, is her last full day of school.  Ode to Pre-K4 … and off to Kindergarten.

Did I mention, my heart lives ~ thrives ~ dwells within her 5 year old body?

What's next? New adventures, new sights, new clothes … not to mention she's discovered and loves her swim goggles! Bottoms up.

Well, the years are short, very short and I don't want to miss a second of them.

Making memories ….

and by the way, I've upped my bubble blowing expertise and compete with the best O' the best.
Let's blow bubbles some day!

Love, Michelle

2017 … I know, it's the end O' May!!

Well ….
blogging didn't exactly happen in 2017 as I intended. So … here I am! Last week of school, and it's craZy accelerated busy and so so so so so much fun!!
Summer is "planned," but we always have time for YOU … wanna go for coffee or let's go swimming!!

My heart is here … really here! And I've thought, prayed, thought some more … and truly hope I can do this more regularly. WHAT do you want to hear & see? WHO do you want to visit, or talk with (because sometimes, coffee chat with a friend is cheaper than a therapist!)?? WHERE do you want to go ~ shopping (not me!),  an exciting adventure (we need one! by the end O' July), the library (oh, yes please!!)?  and HOW … how are we going to do this thing called DAILYNESS ~ it's life, real life … God intended YOU to seek Him, search for Him & enjoy Him TODAY, do the next best/right thing, enjoy it, smile and __________.      Fill in the blank in the comments.
Truly, my heart is living in a 5 year old …. details to follow

All because of Christ,
Michelle

2016 … what a year!! WOW that went FAST

Dearest Blogville, I am not dead …. although there are days I have to take my pulse, shake myself that this LIFE is NOT a dream and I am still alive.  So so so sooooooo very much has occurred and I couldn't possibly do a recap with any justice to it.
Our word for the year: MOMENTS! and that's exactly what we did … created MOMENTS.
www.myoneword.org
All of us are 5!! She's 5 and we are 55. Fun to be had and had we did!! Many family changes and we do the next best thing …

My prayer and hope is that I will blog on a regular consistent basis in the new year 2017. Anticipating 3 - 4 posts a week.  I've missed it … want to document life week by week as I've done this year in photos.

Blessings for the closing of 16 and new horizons into 2017!!

All because of Christ,
Michelle

WHAT A YEAR …

Hello blogworld!! NO, I haven't forgotten YOU, YOU've always been in my brain & deeper in my heart. So …. I need education as to how to amp up and update my blog.  The name, the vision, the reason etc.  And this last year has been a deep recovery year for me personally! With that in mind, my heart's desire is to write and talk and even unpack food addiction (living it out & recovery), going from Grandma to mamo (pronounced Ma Moo ~ as the sound a cow would make!) … and living in SW FL commonly referred to as paradise.  How to begin & start … where and how do I access my photos? Do I change servers …. HELP!!! All of you, anyone out there ADVISE needed!! With that … my hope is to start up AGAIN, either August or September.  In the meantime, my heart is over full with the gratitude that God graces me with DAILY!! As in dailyness … so addicted to His grace and wanting to do LIFE with all of you.

Until I get the education I need … radio silence will continue ~ but never over & out!!

Christianity is not an ACTION but a RE-action ...

Imagine if each time you had the urge to text, tweet, email, log onto Facebook, or phone a friend to share some heartfelt need, you stopped and prayed instead.

Really prayed, trusting God to answer.  Q: what would YOU trust God for if NOTHING was off limits? Begin with prayer ... Yes!! I'm serious.

That’s faith.

Asking and believing in the same breath, then waiting and trusting in the next, knowing God responds to his children individually. He not only listens to us, He loves us. He not only loves us, He knows what is best for us.

Ephesians 3:17-20 (NIV) "so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,"

Therefore, joy - peace & patience shouldn't be lacking in any of us ... yet, it does. Why?
1. He loves us (YOU) far more than we know!!
2. His love is so big that it takes "power" to even grasp it!!
            (pray to comprehend this one ...)
3. He's able to do far more than we can imagine!! And I have a HUGE imagination.

But how can we be certain God knows what’s best? And how do we trust him when the life we’re living now doesn’t fit anybody’s definition of good, let alone best?  and what if it's kinda ugly for the rest of the world?

CHRISTIANITY is NOT an action; it's a RE-action!!

Righteousness is NOT the reward of right living; it's the GIFT that results in right living!
Living in the abundance of God, so then I ask myself  'Do I have issues with God's love for me? I must if I'm not grateful, if I'm joyLESS (hate that!) or uncomfortable and in search of peace .. oh, and my patience ~ where O where might thy be some days?

I John 4:19 (NIV) "We love because He first loved us."  There is NOTHING - NO THING - nothing I can do to earn or be more because He first loved us (YOU).

But how do I do this is the logical Q from all of YOU?
1. We've got to stay committed to meditation ~ thinking deeply on God's word ~ DEEPLY!!
2. Avoiding Bible reading won't make God love you less; but it will make you love God less. Would you avoid a beloved friend, would you avoid a brainiac that had all the answers for your life ~ NO! So, why avoid God ~ Jesus & the Holy Spirit???

Psalm 32:10 (NIV) "Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in Him."

RE-acting to that unfailing love, RE-acting to God's word, RE-acting ....

The Gardenia Bush!!

With the ultimate in fragrant flowers, a gardenia bush is one of South Florida's most beloved plants...though it can be a challenge to grow.  Yet, it grows exceptionally well in my yard.  The aroma is captivating and pulls you closer to the bush. 

2 Corinthians 2:15 "For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." 

Aroma ~ what does that bring into your mind?  Sweet, sour, home, perfume, too much, intoxicatingly pleasing, .... 

This bush is strong and sturdy. It requires sun and water for growth ... don't we all? And it has its pest too ... don't we all? And still it's a beauty to be admired! YOU are beautiful ... whisper that to yourself! 

What captured my attention is that the bush does NOT bloom all at once. It has the blooms, but they are orchestrated to bloom sparingly. Then once it blooms, there's the white beauty of the flower & that aroma!! It stays for about 8 days, then slowly loses it's 'spark' ... and then another blossom pops open ... diverting your attention to it. 

To that I am reminded of:

2 Corinthians 3:18 "And we who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 

Glory, aroma, His beloveds ... that's what we are and in the example of the Gardenia Bush we are His beauties too.