Life Update

Hello Everyone!

Wow it seems like forever since I last write a post for this blog. I may have forgotten how to do this. So much has happened since my last post titled Seasons of Change. As you probably noticed the header changed. I felt it was time to give the blog a new look that really represented me and what I stand for. So I hope you like what I came up with.

You are probably wondering if I'm going to start blogging regularly again and as much as I would like to that just isn't in the cards right now. However I do plan to start up again this fall. I have some really exciting changes for this blog and where God is taking it. So please be sure to check back.

Just a little update. While I have been gone I am still writing. I've been writing once a month for Daughters of the Deep and occassionly for my church blog. Outside of writing I have been very involved with my church volunteering at Anthem which is our new young adult college age ministry. I'm so excited to see what God has in store for my generation.

The big news is that I am writing a book. Yes you read that right. I AM WRITING A BOOK!!! God has been calling me to do this for a while now and I finally took the plunge. As of right now I don't have a date for when you will be able to read it but hopefully within the next year. I will say that this book is a very personal story of how I dealt with grief. I don't want to say too much just yet. So stay tuned for more updates on that.

As I am planning to return to full time blogging here again this fall I would like to know what you my readers would want to see more of. Do you want short devotions? Worship Wednesdays? Bible studies you can join in? Scripture writing challenges? Ways to pray God's Word? I want to hear from you.

Throughout the summer I am hoping to be more active on instagram and facebook. I will be joining in on Entrusted Bible study by Beth Moore with a very sweet friend of mine this summer and will be sharing what I learn from it on my social media throughout the summer.

Well I must end this post before it turns into a book. I pray for each and every one of you. Please let me know your thoughts and I look forward to returning this fall.

Blessings and Shalom,
Grace Mae <3 <3 <3

He is Risen Just Like He Said

Happy Easter! He is Risen! He is Alive!

 

I pray you all had a wonderful day yesterday and were blessed beyond measure.

As I have been reflecting in my quiet time during Holy Week I am reminded of the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for me. He didn't have to die yet He did because He loved me so much. I'm so thankful that He wants to know me. I choose to follow Him. I choose to love Him. I asked Him to come into my heart, forgive me of my sins so I can have eternal life. Because of what He did and has done and continues to do in my life I want to be one voice telling others about Him. 

If you don't know Him. Ask me I'd be glad to tell you all about Him. I promise you that it will be the best decision you will ever make. Following Him has changed my life and I'd be lost without Him. He is my Lord and Savior and lives in my heart. 

Easter is all about Jesus. My Savior is alive. He is risen just like He said. 

I'd like to leave you with this song as we continue to celebrate His Resurrection! 

Blessings and Shalom, 

Grace Mae <3 <3 <3 

Seasons of Change & Update

Change is a part of life and sometimes we don't understand it or like it but can't do anything to stop it. Seasons come and go. Things change as we get older. We go through hard times but even when we loose our way God is always there helping us get through. 

When I started this blog back in 2013 I had no idea what I was doing or where it would take me. I wouldn't trade the days, months, or years I spent on this for anything. God has blessed me so much over the last four years of blogging. 

What I am about to say isn't easy. Please know I have prayed hard and long over this. 

In the fall of 2015 I have felt God nudging me to pursue writing more in depth. I honestly laughed at the idea. Writing has never been something I enjoyed or that I was very good at but I said okay. I am willing to pursue this. Over the last year and a half I have gone through some of my worst times but God has always been faithful. He has opened many doors for me and has blessed me with two opportunities to write for Daughters of the Deep and my church CLA Blog. This has kept me busy and I have been finding myself stressing out over everything. Also God has been laying on my heart to write on a couple special projects of things He is teaching me. 

However, I haven't been able to work on them because blogging has taken most of my time. Please don't get me wrong. I love what I do. My passion in life is to encourage and help others grow in their faith and walk with Jesus. I just feel like I am overwhelmed and spending so much time making sure the blog and the other two blogs I write for has top quality stuff. 

So I wanted to let you all know I am taking a rest from blogging full time. I'm not sure how long I will be gone but I do know that it's not over. I enjoy this so much but need to take time to focus on God and my own needs. By quitting blogging full time I will be able to spend more time in the Word, in prayer and writing about what God is teaching me. 

Please know this isn't goodbye forever. I will occasionally write a post and update you all on what is going on hopefully once a month. Also my plan is to keep the social media updated more regularly as time allows. So please be sure you follow the blog facebook page and instagram account. 

Thank you again to all my readers and encouragers. I appreciate your faithfulness and support. Please keep in touch with me. I care about you all. This is just a change in the season and like in nature it's only temporary. Right now I am needing to go with what my heart is telling me and what God is telling me. I love each and every one of you. I want to leave you with this song. This song has blessed me and I just wanted to encourage you today. I look forward to coming back and sharing with you what God has been doing in my life while I'm gone. The love I have for this blog and part of my life will last longer than a lifetime. 

Blessings and Shalom,

Grace Mae <3 <3 <3 

Influence Knows No Season

Do you just have one of those phrases people use that just strikes you the wrong way? 

Recently someone told me that we weren't as close as we once were because we were in different seasons in our lives.  At the time, I agreed and we caught up on some superficial chit chat and went our separate ways.  The more I replayed the conversation over in my mind, the more I thought about being in "different seasons" and tried to figure out what season I was in and why that meant we weren't continuing to invest in each other. 

This encounter lead me to a couple realizations that pointed me to God's Word. 

First, we are always influencing the people around us whether we are aware of it or not.  I have only to look at the words and actions of my five year old son to see that he is influenced by me on a daily basis.  This influence know no season. 

Second, we get to choose how we want to use that influence.  Hebrews 10:24 says, "And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works."  As followers of Jesus Christ we are to point others to Him  We do this by truly caring about people and where they will spend eternity.  We show we care about our fellow sisters in Christ by pushing them to pursue holiness by bring obedient to the Word of God.

Third, our time of influence is limited to the days we have on earth.  Rather than excusing ourselves due to our current "season" of life, I believe we should be intentional with our impact by living out Ephesians 5: 15-16, "Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk- not as unwise people but as wise- making the most of the time, because the days are evil."  We must seek to invest ourselves in the lives of other, this requires effort and it is urgent for we do not know how many days we have left. 

So, I have determined that no matter what different seasons me and my dear sister may be in, it is not an excuse to neglect the powerful influence we can have on each another.  It just may mean that we have to work a little harder at it right now.  Now, I encourage each of  you to consider the people God has placed in your path and evaluate what kind of influence you are having in their lives.  Are you pointing them to Christ by how you live your life and what you say or are you neglecting the gift of influence you have been given?

Go forward and use to gift of influence you have been given sweet friends!
 
-Kristi

Meditation Mondays - Compassion that Broke Barriers

Hey Everyone! 

Today's post will be directed over to the blog our church started. I am so excited to be part of it and pray that it will encourage someone today. Let me know what you think. One of my passions has been writing and sharing what God is teaching me and doing for me in my life with others. In my article I talk about compassion and how Jesus showed compassion. 

Have a blessed day!!!!

Compassion that Broke Barriers

Blessings and Shalom, 

Grace Mae <3 <3 <3 

Meditation Mondays - Praying for Your Future Husband

Welcome back to the third week in our mini series of preparing ourselves for our future husband. Today I want to talk about one very important thing. Prayer! This is a key element to preparing ourselves for marriage. We need to already be praying for our future husband. I am going to share with you 10 ways you can pray for your future husband. I use these every day.

1. Pray for his relationship with God. 

2. Pray that God will bless him. 

3. Pray that he will be a spiritual leader for your family. 

4. Pray that he will love you deeply.

5. Pray that he will have a heart for your children together. 

6. Pray that he will make wise choices. 

7. Pray for his emotional, mental, and physical health.  

8. Pray that he will prosper at work. 

9. Pray for his power to resist sexual temptation and stay pure.

10. Pray that you will show him respect, grace and kindness. 

These are just a few of the many ways you could pray for him. I'd just like to take a minute right now and pray for you ladies that are reading this.

Father, I pray right now for each one of the sweet ladies reading this. I pray that as they are waiting for you to bring that special guy into their life that you would help them resist temptation. I pray that they will continue to grow in your knowledge and wisdom. Let their hearts remain pure and as they prepare for marriage someday that they will be praying for their future husband whether they have met him or not. In Jesus Name, Amen!

Be sure to check back next week as we wrap up this mini series ;)

Blessings and Shalom,
Grace Mae <3 <3 <3

Selfish Valentine

He walked through the door empty-handed. To say I was a little more than disappointed is an understatement. Didn't he know it was Valentine's Day? I thought that he would have at least given me a bouquet of flowers or a card.

The entire day I wasn't very pleasant. I went to work and purposefully asked people what they received, tempted to seek pity for anyone who asked me what my husband had given me. 

But I sensed God whispering to me: Did you give him anything? 

That made me even more irritated. Um, of course not, he was supposed to get me something. 

The more that I dwelt upon the question, though, the more I realized how selfish I have been to my husband. I expect and expect and expect without giving. And really, that's what we are meant to do--give. This doesn't apply to just marriage or romantic relationships. It applies to friendships and family relationships. If we all--especially Christians--stopped always expecting people to give to us and instead focused on giving to others, then we would be a much more effective witness to Christ and probably happier too! 

So instead of expecting that perfect gift, give. Give your time to someone, help pay for a stranger's groceries. Demonstrate the selfless love that God has shown us. 

In His love,

Kayla

Take Heed Lest You Fall - Part 2

With every page I read I wanted to read more. And no, it wasn’t the Bible. For some twisted reason, Fifty Shades of Gray was my new bedside reading.

My heart was lonely, and as much as my soul craved time spent with God, my flesh craved lust more.

I touched a little on this last week that when we aren’t satisfied with God, we will try to find something else to satisfy us, and that’s where I want the focus of this article to be: how can we say no to the things of this world so we can say yes to the things of God?

1. Start with your mind.

Almost all sin starts with our mind. It begins with one thought. So in order to become fully satisfied with Christ, our minds need to get rid of all the filth it gets bombarded with daily. Fill your mind with good things, pure things, joyful things (Phil. 4:8).

2. Memorize Scripture.

Part of filling our minds with good things is memorizing Scripture. Truth. See, the devil has a way of convincing us that lies are truth and that real truth is outdated. In order to fight the battle on lust, gluttony, gossip, lying, or (enter your sin of choice here), Scripture is our primary weapon.

3. Pray.

One of the biggest reasons I kept falling victim to sexual sin is because I wasn’t in constant communion with God. I treated Him as a genie almost, asking Him what I wanted and then leaving Him alone until I was in desperate need. But prayer is something that we should hold in high importance. Prayer is instant access to the One who holds our hearts in His hands. Why wouldn’t we pray to Him!

If you are struggling with dissatisfaction, take heart: God is more than enough to satisfy you, and He wants to prove that to you. He loves you with an everlasting love, and no man or book or thing can ever compare.

In His love, 

Kayla 

 

LOVE is the key to success

Have you ever thought about why we are called to love? 

Why does our Heavenly Father demand us to love people we do not even know? 

These questions have come to pass in my mind plenty of times. There are many options that we have in this world about love and what it should look like.

LOVE is the key to success

My name is Crystal Lee and I have been writing for small groups at my local church, new letters for various local women’s groups and teaching devotional at a local women’s rehabilitation facility. I decided to step out on faith and become a guest writer for One Girl One Life One God; it has been an honor to have met Grace Mae. I am grateful for the opportunity to share a little bit of my experiences with the world. It is definitely not a coincidence that we have crossed path on the subject of Love. As a single mother of two children one being a teenager and freshman in High School, and my younger one who is in Elementary and may be ready for College next week, love has been long lasting subject in my household.

Why do I have to love the ugliness in others, you may ask yourself?

            When my children decide to act of character and bicker over petty stuff. I have to redirect them to the understanding neither how annoying nor how ugly they may be to each other; they will need to love each other. The relevance to regrouping and bringing my children back to the word is because we should take the time out to lay the foundation of God’s word back into our children’s lives.

“Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old,

He will not depart from it.” ~ Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)

Love has many meanings in the word of God. We need to take hold of the Agape type love which doesn’t come easy for some of us. For me it is a daily battle to choose the spirit woman to raise up verse the fleshly woman. In this life we have many distractions that draw us away from the light of the Savior. The modern, fast pace world where we want immediate answers to all of our situations and questions tends to draws us away at times from crying out to the Lord for answers. Our children disobey, our Husbands are disconnected, the work place environment is dull and overwhelming all at once, the bills are due, the family is hungry, you are a soccer mom, you volunteer at the local church, you have laundry piling up, etc. ; all sound familiar to some of us? What does this have to do with love? We engage in all these activities for the sake of a loved one.

Agape (Ancient Greek ἀγάπη, agápē) is "love:

The highest form of love, charity; the love of God for man and of man for God.

"Not to be confused with philia – brotherly love –agape embraces a universal, unconditional love that transcends, that serves regardless of circumstances.

I tried something different, starting my day with quite time in the word of God.  Asking Him daily to allow me to see people in the light of His love and how I could show love to those around me.  My challenge to you today is to step in faith and show some love. Love to me looks like feeding the homeless, going over to the that one sister in church who is totally your opposite and telling her how beautiful she is (we all have one of those), praying for those who spitefully use you, pray for your husband instead of complaining, pay it forward, find a women’s group in your area and pour your love into someone who is hurting, volunteer at a group home and pour love into some children, pray for that one person who gets under your skin (don’t tell me you never had that someone), etc.

Be blessed and thank you Grace Mae for the opportunity to be part of the ministry.  

I love you all.

~ CrysLee

Meditation Mondays - 5 Reasons Why I Wear a Purity Ring

You know just because you are single doesn't mean you can't be thinking about your future husband and life. Every girl myself included dreams about getting married and probably have your pinterest boards filled with ideas. I know for a fact that I have struggled with being single especially the last couple years. Most of my friends are either in a relationship, engaged or married and I'm over here just trying to figure out what I am going to do this week. I wouldn't say that I am fake but as I see my friends finding love and happiness I tend to put up a front on how content and happy I am being single while congratulating all my friends. Don't get me wrong. I really am happy for them. It's just I'm a little bit jealous that it isn't me. For the longest time I would worry and question why it isn't me. Then it hit me right smack in the face. Even though that special guy hasn't come into my life I should be preparing myself for him. Over the next few weeks in February I will be talking about what it means to stay pure and how to prepare yourself for your future husband. 

Today I would just like to talk about my standards of what staying pure means to me. If you know me personally you would probably notice a ring on my left hand. It stands for purity but to me it's much more than just a purity ring. It represents my promise not only to God but to my future husband. It was my choice and decision to wear it. I wanted to show other young girls that it's okay and nothing to be ashamed of to wear a purity ring if you truly believe in it. 

Here are a few reasons why I choose to wear a purity ring. 

1. It's a reminder of my promise to God, myself, and my future husband. Commitments are very hard to keep in the eye of temptation because we are only human and have wants and desires. My ring helps remind me everyday of my promise and why I choose to save myself for my future husband. My body is a temple of Christ and with Christ at the center of my life, His strength I can come against temptations. I want to be modest and save m y body for my future husband. It reminds me that my life is not my own but of God and I am here on earth to serve Him and make His name known. 

2. I serve a big God and this is a symbol of my faith. God is big and powerful. My ring is a symbol of the BIG God I serve. My faith is probably the most important thing in my life. The ring help signifies what I believe and a constant action of my faith. Without God I wouldn't be who I am today. God sent His son to die for my sins and raised to life on the third day so that I may have eternal life with Him forever if I ask Him to be the center of my life. 

3. It represents my respect for my future husband. Guys need to hear that they are respected and when I meet my future husband I want to tell him that I respect him. I want him to know that I kept myself pure for him. I want my future husband to know that I didn't give my body away before I met him. I want him to know that I overcame temptation. This ring is a reminder that I chose to love and honor him. I want him to know that I thought of him, our future, and life together when I made my decision when faced with temptations. 

4. My purity ring will attract the right kind of guys. Most guy that see my ring think I'm married or engaged but the right kind of guys will know that many young Christian women wear a purity ring. I want the kind of guy that will look beyond the initial attraction to get to know me as a person and my heart. My prayer is that the right kind of guy will respect my decision to remain pure until marriage. I want to get to know my future husband as a friend not just as an attraction. I want the guy to see my heart and soul. I want him to get to know me for me not just because of how I look. 

5. It's a conversation starter. Many people think it's a promise ring or that I am engaged or married. I get to tell them about why I believe what I believe and shows people that I'm not afraid to be scoffed at. Some people when I tell them my story applauds me for my choice while other think it's too extreme or that I'm crazy. Some disagree with me saying people don't do that anymore or that it doesn't matter. I have had people tell me just wait until you fall in love. All your standards and values will go out the window. You'll change your mind. Well you know what? Truth is it's my commitment, my life, my choice and that's really all that matters. 

So I challenge you today if you are single to examine your heart and think about what I just wrote about. If you wear a purity ring and would like to share your story I'd love to hear from you. You can either message me, email me, or just leave a comment on this post. 

Blessings and Shalom, 

Grace Mae <3 <3 <3 

Take Heed Lest You Fall

I love fairy tales. Just those two words send my mind into a world of awe and wonder. The way Beast looks at Belle, the way Eric swoons over Ariel. As little girls—and even as grown women—these stories awaken the God-given desire in us to be loved and pursued and wanted. Unfortunately, those same desires can be turned against us and cause us to become prime targets for Satan’s most effective tactic: dissatisfaction. Let’s face it: when we are satisfied in our relationship with God, we don’t go looking anywhere else. It is when we are in want that things get messy and ugly and can turn sinful.  

Fast forward two years ago, when I became a married woman. When my marriage wasn’t turning out to become the “fairy tale” I had imagined, and my husband wasn’t being the “prince” I wanted, I turned to something else to try to fulfill my unmet expectations and desires. I turned to Fifty Shades of Grey. 

One of the biggest reasons I believe I fell victim is because I told myself I was okay. I told myself that I would never struggle with any type of sexual sin whether it was premarital sex, masturbation, unfaithfulness, lust. Clearly the verse “Take heed lest ye fall” never seemed to apply to me. And that’s one of the biggest lies Satan tells us: I’ll be okay.” Over the next few weeks I’m going to specifically talk about Fifty Shades and its damaging effects, especially as Christians, but I’m also going to address sexual sin as a whole and why this is such a struggle for so many people. 

But today, I want to talk about why. Why did I become so engrossed in this particular novel? Why this book? I wholeheartedly believe one of the biggest reasons I turned to Fifty Shades is because I always thought that I wouldn’t struggle with it. And that is the point I want to drive home. 

The moment you let you guard down, that is when you are most susceptible. When Jesus went to prayed in the garden and came back to find the disciples asleep, he said, “What, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:40-41). Don’t ever for a second think that you are somehow invincible from a particular sin. That, my friend, is when you will stumble and fall. 

So watch and pray. Pray that God would show you any unconfessed sin, and ask Him to show you any areas of your life that you aren’t guarding. He is faithful. And He is good. 

In His love, 

Kayla 

 

Things We Lost in the Fire

(Our view from the cabin)

Do you ever wonder why God brings people into our lives, or why things happen to us, or feel so defeated? My boyfriend and I have been together for almost 4 years. We had a very tumultuous 7 months that I thought we could never possibly bounce back from. I was broken, he was depleted from all of the nonsensical arguing, and thing just seemed to be getting worse and worse. I prayed for some relief, except all I got in return was more heart break. I would lay in bed at night and cry and plead with God to make it all go away, to make things go back to the way they were. After awhile, it worked; except things didn't go back to he way they were…our relationship got better. New, per-say.  

Let’s skip all the heart wrenching crap that I once felt would be my demise, and fast forward to this beautiful little gift that God has taught me…forgiveness. 

So once things were slowly getting better, we decided we needed some alone time away from out friends, our town, and from work (and an over load of school work for me). We decided on this little cabin in the middle of no where in the Poconos. This tiny little one bedroom cabin that we have been renting every winter since 2014 is like a second home to us. We felt safe there.  It was just him and I and our little wiener dog. We did absolutely nothing but watch TV, eat a bunch of delicious crappy food, and just lounge around.  

One night, we were playing Uno by the fire, and asks me, “How do we get rid of all of these bad feelings and thoughts we have be carrying for so long?”. I looked up at him, and looked over at the fire crackling and said, “We burn them.” He laughed as asked me what I meant. I explained to him that we would write down all of the bad feelings and thoughts we had been carrying for so long and throw them into the fire; they would be scorched and gone forever. I ripped two pieces of paper out of my journal (I take that thing EVERYWHERE), and we began to write. Of course I came up with 10, and he only came up with 4.  I still don't know if its because I'm sappy, or if its just because men totally stink at stating their feelings. Probably the latter.  

We tore each individual feeling or thought off into its own strip, and crumbled it up. One by one we threw them in the fire and watched them disappear. I’m super nosey, so I asked him what was on his list.  

Here’s what he wrote… 
1.Regrets  
2.Childish Games  
3.2016  
4.Pride.  
I was honestly impressed, since he has never been the type to talk about things of this nature, so I was happy for him that he was letting these things go. 

Me on the other hand, my list was a tad bit more….eye opening. My list consisted of… 
1.Shame  
2.Anger 
3.Spitefulness  
4.Physical Pain  
5.Fear  
6.Anger  
7.Nasty Attitude  
8.Lies  
9.Life Stressors  
10.2016. 

A few weeks later we were at dinner and I randomly asked him if he felt better about things. And he told me that the felt as if we had started a brand new relationship and that he couldn't be happier. I told him I felt the same. We just needed to remember that we loved each other, and that all of the nonsense needed to be put aside so we could work on our differences. Whats the point of loving someone so whole heartedly, if you cant take the time to listen, and care for, and be there for them? 

Be kind. Love yourself, love others. It will be your lamp and light; you will find your way.

Meditation Mondays - Accountability Partners

Whenever I start a new devotional or Bible study I have found recently that having an accountability partner has blessed me a lot. Some people don't know exactly what that is so I thought that I would explain it here and give you a few helpful tips on finding one or how to be one. It is so easy for us to get caught up with the busyness of life. We all have good intentions of starting a devotional or Bible study but sometimes we don't follow through. Things distract us and we mean well but sometimes we just get off track. Accountability partner is someone who helps to keep you focus and on track. They check on you to see how your quiet time is going but most of all they pray for you. 

Here are a few questions that will help you when deciding who would be a good choice as an accountability partner. 

1. Does this person share the same faith as you?

If the person doesn't share the same faith as you then probably they aren't the right choice to help you keep accountable. You need someone that shares the same values as you and your love for God. Just like the Bible talks about not being unequally yoked in a relationship it is the same when you are looking for an accountability partner as well. 

2. Do you feel comfortable with this person?

Next, being comfortable around them is another big issue. If you feel like you can't be yourself and real with them then they are probably the right choice. You need to feel like you can be honest with them and open. If you aren't comfortable with them it could cause you to not be completely honest with them and make you not want to tell them if you miss a day of devotions or quiet time. Make sure you are comfortable with the person. 

3. How often do you communicate with this person? 

I feel this is another key point. If you don't already communicate with the person chances are you won't communicate with them during your quiet time devotions as your accountability partner. The thing I always remember when choosing a person to help me is I need to already be communicating with them as least 3-4 times a week. It's very important! Being an accountability partner they need to check in on you at least 3-4 times a week if not more. It doesn't have to be long but even a simple text saying how's your quiet time going is acceptable. 

 

These questions are important! I hope this helps explain to you and help you understand more about accountability partners. I will be praying for you all as you think and pray about whether an accountability partner is right for you or if you want to be one. If you have any more questions feel free to comment or message me. I'll be happy to answer anymore of your questions. 

Blessings and Shalom,

Grace Mae <3 <3 <3 

Meditation Mondays - Worship Music

If you have been following my blog for some time now you will know that mucus is a big part of my life. Today I wanted to talk about Worship Music and how it can help with your quiet time. Ever since I could remember I would love listening to christian music. It wasn't until more recently as I got older that worship music became a big thing for me. 

There's something about getting into worship and prayer that makes me feel so refreshed and alive. I love just crying out to Him through song and just worshiping His Holy name. 

I encourage you to make a playlist of worship music and listen to it before and during your quiet time. I promise you that it will change your life. It did mine. I invested in buying spotify. I listen to enough music each month to justify paying. I have many different playlists on there but my most used one is called Quiet Time. Today I will name just a few of my favorites that are on my playlist for you. These are ones I listen to everyday. I love them!!

QUIET TIME PLAYLIST

Holy Spirit - Francesca Battistelli

Stand in Awe - Phil Wickham 

Let It Be Jesus - Christy Nockels

Refine Me - Travis Cottrell 

Jesus - Chris Tomlin

Nothing More - Aaron Shust

Overwhelm Me - The Village Church 

O Come to the Altar - Elevation Worship 

Faithful - Chris Tomlin

Satisfy - Aaron Shust

O Praise the Name (Anastasia) - Hillsong Worship

Glorify You Alone - Gateway Worship 

The Cause of Christ - Kari Jobe 

Do you have a favorite worship song? Let me know in the comments below. 

Blessings and Shalom, 

Grace Mae <3 <3 <3

Meditation Mondays: Deeper Word of the Year

Every year I know people that choose a word. I personally never really have but this year I decided that I wanted to choose a word for the year. Today I would like to share it with you.

My word for 2017 is deeper. Over the last year I have come to realize He is all I need and this year I want to dig deeper. 

I want to grow deeper in love with God. 

I want to go deeper in my relationship with Christ. 

I want to go deeper in studying His Word. 

D- stands for depending only on Him

E - stands for He is enough for me

E - stands for He empowers me

P - stands for my prayer life of seeking Him

E - stands for He is my everything and more

R - stands for my relationship with Him 

Throughout the year I want to incorporate my word of the year in my everyday life. What word did you pick for the year? How will you incorporate it into your life this year? Let me know in the comments below. 

Blessings and Shalom,

Grace Mae <3 <3 <3 

A Year in Review

Can you believe that 2016 is almost over? I know I can't. Did the year just start? Now we are almost done. This year for me has been the most crazy one yet. So much has happened. The good, the bad and the ugly. LOL :D 

As I have been reflecting over life and the blog this year I'd just like to write about a few highlights and events that stuck out to me. 

January started off great. I had said that it was the New Year, New Beginnings, New Me. Well that all went out the window when my grandma passed away on the 17th. 

February through March I was pretty much a hot mess. I was really grieving the loss of my grandma very hard. There were times when I just wanted to stay home and not wanting to be social. 

March came and I got to go to Winter Jam with some amazing friends, my mom and my sisters. It was an amazing concert. It really helped me bringing me back to reality. Listening and worshiping God with others were amazing. 

April came and we celebrated Easter. That's y favorite holiday after Christmas of course. It's a time to reflect just what Jesus did for us by dying on the cross. 

May was a very busy month for me. It consisted of helping with my parents business as well as working a homeschool convention booth. 

June was my birthday month and I turned 21!! I feel so old. I wanted to go to Chocolate World so that is what my parents and I did. It was so much fun. We also celebrated father's day and one of my sisters birthday. My dad's cousin got married so we had a wedding to attend which is always so much fun. I also took a job at the local pool working in the office. 

July was a super crazy month. It started off with working a ten day craft show dressed in 19th century clothing which was extremely hot! Once I got back we had a small family get together to celebrate my birthday as well as celebrate my cousins upcoming wedding. In between working at the pool before we took a trip to Wisconsin to the big EAA Air Adventure. It was very hot but so much fun. Had a great time with my parents. Lots of memories and lots of pictures. 

August consisted of a lot of fun exciting things. We celebrated my other sisters birthday. I worked at the pool before we took another trip to Missouri for two weeks. It was a crazy two weeks let me tell you. First off we got to see my sisters and go to church and lunch with them. The 24th we celebrated Dad's birthday by going out to eat Mexican. That Friday and Saturday that week I got to go to the homeschool music fest and see friends we haven't seen in three years. They had a dance on Saturday night that lasted until midnight. Barely getting any sleep that night we were up early Sunday morning to drive over an hour to church. I wouldn't have missed that for anything. My sweet sister Amber got engaged to the love of her life. I was so excited to be there when Hayden popped the question after church. If that wasn't excitement enough Monday night my best friend Jordyn who I never met in person came and surprised me with a visit. It was the best three days ever. All this excitement almost killed me. LOL :D 

September was another busy month. We celebrated Mom's birthday and my best friend Jordyn's birthday. Then we took a trip to Washington D.C. for the Value Voter's Summit with Family Research Council. We met lots of people and heard lots of wonderful speakers. I highly recommend going if you have the chance. Later that month we went to Uprise which was another Christian concert. I swear I could spend all my time at concerts. I think the rest off the month settled down some. 

October we went to a wedding in Indiana and then mostly stayed home just going about everyday stuff. 

November picked back up again. The beginning of the month we took another trip to Missouri for a Women's conference. It's was awesome. The conference was put on by Jennifer Rothchild. Then the 13th I got to go to church with my sisters and hung out with them. We went to a Rend Collective, Zach Williams, Urban Rescue concert. I got to spend the night with them and hung out that Monday. It was just what I needed. There's something about spending time with people that think and believe the same as you and that encourages you to be real and yourself. Then we had thanksgiving at my aunts house which was nice. Hanging out with family just eating and playing games. Big news was I joined the writers of Daughters of the Deep. Be sure to check out that community blog. There I write for them once a month. 

December started off with working the huge Christmas Gift Craft show. I have helped work a booth there for three years now. It's always nice seeing returning customers as well as vendors. The rest of the month I was working my butt off knitting Christmas gifts. December was a busy month here for my blog as well. You've probably noticed that I posted everyday up until Christmas. This year for Christmas I was sick with the flu. I've recovered from that now except I have a cold now. 

That my friends is a short year in review. I have big plans for the blog next year. Be sure to check back New Years Day for my post about what all is in store for the blog next year. Also make sure you follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook to keep up with all the latest news. 

Until next year! May God Bless you today and always. 

Blessings and Shalom,

Grace Mae <3 <3 <3 

Guest Post- The Gift of Nearness by Tabitha Deller

As a mom of four boys (ranging in age from 9 to 15), there are certain things from their baby days that have never faded from my mind and have etched an indelible memory that I will forever hold dear in my heart. One such memory can be traced back to their quiet, dimly lit, Noah’s ark themed nursery. When they were just infants and toddlers sleeping in a crib, knowing I was near was all the comfort they needed. I didn’t have to be in the crib with them (although if I could have pulled that off, they probably would not have objected), just being beside them normally calmed the anxiety they felt and relaxed them for a more peaceful rest. They wanted me near.

 

Near — where they could lift their weary head and peek through the rungs of their crib to see me there sitting in the rocking chair beside them.

 

Near — where they could hear my voice as I prayed over them, read for them, or sung a quiet song to them.

 

Near — where they could reach their tiny hand out through the wooden slats as an invitation to hold it and provide yet another layer of security to their little hearts. They could literally feel me close by.

 

I also watched this attribute of God illustrated on occasion at the park or when they were learning to walk. Whether they were coming down the slide or taking wobbly, unsure steps in my direction, the one thing that gave them confidence and comfort to move forward was my nearness. Knowing I was near, there to wrap them up in my open arms at the bottom of the slide or at the end of their brief and unsteady jaunt, was all they needed. 

 

Nearness is a precious gift we give those we love, and it has the power to change a heart.

 

When a friend is sad, lonely, or grieving, nearness is a gift we can give them that speaks far more than the words we say in our feeble attempt to comfort them. Nearness is the gift we can give that elderly neighbor or grandparent that lacks the ability to draw near to others because of physical limitations. Nearness invades the empty space of loneliness and fills it with joy. Furrowed brows and melancholy stares are transformed into grateful smiles and softened eyes. This outer expression of the inner joy that moved into that troubled heart reminds us of the power that simply being near can hold. The gift of nearness is a gift that keeps on giving as it produces not only joy, but hope, security, and love. When we receive those things, we live those things, and then we are able to give those things to others.

 

Nearness is a precious gift our Heavenly Father gives us, and it has the power to change our lives.

 

He loves us so much that He chose to leave His majestic, holy, perfect throne in Heaven and draw near to us by becoming one of us. He gave us the gift of nearness in the form of a baby, Jesus, His only son. That gift moved into the lonely space sin had created by separating us from Him. We don't deserve His nearness, but He graciously draws near to us every day…as we draw near to Him. I jokingly commented earlier about how my boys would not have objected to my crawling into their crib with them to physically lie down beside them. That silly scenario provides and perfect picture for what God did for us. He is not only near, He is also with us. Wow. He is Emmanuel, God with us. His nearness not only calms us, it redeems, restores, and reconciles us. He drew near to save us. He longs to be with us, and He is waiting to see how we will respond. 

 

James 4:8a says, “Come near to God and He will come near to you.”

 

We have a part to play in receiving this gift of nearness.

 

Psalm 145:118a says, “The Lord is near to all who call on Him…”

 

We must want it. Desire it. Call on Him. Pray. Seek.

 

When my boys were lying in that crib, perhaps afraid of the dark, lonely, or not wanting to rest, they longed for my presence in that nursery with them. We may have had a terrible day full of tantrums and turmoil, and I may have been physically exhausted myself, but this momma’s heart also longed to be with them, to comfort them, to give them the gift of my nearness. I wanted to be there when those weary eyes opened to catch a glimpse and see that I was still there. I wanted them to hear my voice singing and praying over them. I wanted to hold their tiny hand when they reached out for mine.

 

Perhaps you may be going through a difficult and lonely time, or a time of stress that is hindering your ability to rest. Your Father’s heart longs to give you the gift of His nearness. He hears your cry for help and sees your attempt to draw near to Him.

 

Psalm 16:8 says, “I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me.” 

 

He is right there. He is near. He will always be there to remind you of the power of His Presence. When you peek through the problems, listen for His still, small voice, or reach out to Him, you will see, hear, and feel His Presence.

 

He wants you to see Him, in all of His glory and in the amazing things He is doing in, through, and all around you.

 

He wants you to hear Him — hear His Voice and His Word above the lies of the enemy and the loud voices of the world that attempt to drown out His Words of Life.

 

He wants you to feel Him — experience His peace producing presence that causes the weight of the world to fall off as you rest in Him.

 

So, declare that you are going to receive His gift of nearness this Christmas and throughout the year. Draw near to Him. Call on Him in prayer, and then watch and be amazed…He will draw near to you and answer that prayer in ways you never imagined.

God With Us - Day 9

Just my thoughts from day 9. I love this verse so much. 

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1:14

When I read this I get to see the beautiful picture of God's character. What stick out to me was the words hesed and emeth. We see the steadfast love of God as well as the integrity of who He is. God came down in human form to dwell with us and gave us grace and faithfulness we can't comprehend. All things were made through him and without him nothing was made. I want to be close to God. I want Him to be the center of my life because it's all about Him and not about me.

Blessings and Shalom,

Grace Mae <3 <3 <3 

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Guest Post: Christmas Memories by Lisa Alioth

My earliest memories of Christmas celebrations took place on Long Island, the place of my birth and where I grew up from the late 60’s through the early 90’s.  And I’m going to say it just as generations before me have said it. It really was a simpler time than it is today. It was a time where kids heard the word “no” more than “yes.” At least that’s how it was for us. From a very early age, my siblings and I were of the mindset that money did not “grow on trees,” because that was something we heard expressed from my mother on a weekly basis. Money was tight in our home. We did not get everything we wanted, and yet, I don’t remember ever feeling that we went without. However, at Christmas time, it was different. I don’t how my parents did it. My parents raised 7 kids on a teacher’s salary and still somehow managed to make Christmas the most magical time of year for us. 

 

Every year it was the same. We would wait for the Christmas catalogues to arrive, circle the items we wanted most, make our lists and write our letters to Santa. Rigging up the lights, decorating the house, putting up the tree, hanging the stockings…yep, all of that took place weeks before Christmas. Baking pies and cookies you only made that one time of year, buying and wrapping gifts for loved ones and friends, singing in holiday concerts at school, (yes, they called it that back then) attending Christmas Eve service, spending time with family . . . all continue to be beautiful memories for me.  

 

I remember how my sisters and brothers and I would sneak down the stairsat ungodly hours to catch a glimpse of what Santa left us.  We were never disappointed at the sight.

 

Colorful lights twinkled on the tree in the darkened living room, and the gifts I knew my mother sacrificed much for were expertly arranged under and around the tree. My dad would take out his movie camera, and then the fun would begin. It really was a magical sight for a kid with a big imagination.  I don’t know what it is about Christmas trees. I love their simple beauty. My sister Debbie caught me just standing there in the dark looking at our tree one Christmas Day. She put her arm around me and started to sing “Oh, Christmas Tree.” I think she was making fun of me, but it made me laugh.  To this day, it has become our tradition to stand in front of the Christmas tree with arms linked together and sway to that tune.

 

Christmastime has always been my favorite time of year.  I love it.  I love everything about it. I confess proudly that I don’t mind hearing Christmas music being played on the radio before Thanksgiving is over or that the malls are decorated with lights and Christmas trees at the end of October. Don’t get me started on Black Friday deals. I enjoy picking out gifts that will bring smiles on faces receiving them. It’s not surprising that in our home, during this time of year, the Hallmark channel is the only channel that works on our TV. And crazy enough, I even love it when I feel slightly stressed that I won’t get everything done in time before the big day arrives, because I know it is going to be ok. The baking and decorating, the shopping and wrapping and giving and serving; somehow it all gets done. Christmas is coming! Christmas is coming! I feel just as excited about it now as I did when I was a kid. 

 

And of course, I know that Christmas is so much more than any of these other things that bring me joy for the season.  In the midst of the chaos, preparations, and traditions I can’t bring myself to lose sight of the fact that it’s the time of year when everyone just seems a little kinder, a little more generous, a little more loving.  It’s in the atmosphere…this peace on earth and good will toward man.  I can’t lose sight of the fact that this beautiful feeling I have during this time of year is special because of the whole reason Christmas came to be. Yet, it’s more than a feeling for me. It’s a truth that I hang onto not just on Christmas Day. It’s a truth that touches my heart and never fails to bring tears to my eyes every time I hear it or read it from the book of Luke.

 

It’s THE story! It’s the story of God’s plan. It’s the story of a baby in a manger, born of a virgin…a gift of Hope from a loving God to all mankind. A gift of hope! Now that is something to celebrate! On Christmas, I celebrate THIS…the birth of God’s son, Jesus. I cannot forget this, because I desperately need the hope that knowing Jesus brings me… not just at Christmas, but all year round.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

God with Us - Day 1

This is part of my Advent study I am doing this year. I posted a little about it over on Instagram and Facebook. I don't plan to share everyday but I will share when something sticks out to me. I wanted to post it here as well in case some of you don't follow by other social media. Monday was the first day of advent for me. Here are my thoughts. 

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."” Genesis‬ ‭3:15‬ ‭

This scripture got me thinking that it was the first time God uttered the promise of the Savior. It reminds me that is and Satan are enemies. It talks about how the first sin of Eve affected us. God said that between her and Satan and her offspring and Satan there would be hate. Jesus was a descendant and offspring of her. So when Jesus died on the cross for us the devil made him suffer great injury and pain. To me that sounds like the devil hurt His foot. Jesus however wins in the end and won the fight against Satan. In other words He hurt the devil's head. God had a plan from the beginning that Jesus would come into the world. I am so grateful that God's love met us even in our sin and that His compassion didn't let the story end there. His redemption covers all!!! As we start preparing for the Christmas season lets not loose sight of the main focus which is Jesus. He is the light of the World! 

Check back in with the blog as I may share more on the Advent study I am doing. 

Blessings and Shalom, 

Grace Mae <3 <3 <3