Step into His Grace

I am a mama who lost her mama. 

Nine years of cancer. 

The final stages. 

Brutal.

You say death with dignity?

Yes. 

My mama endured pain; with grace. 

She clung to her Jesus. 

Knowing He knew her name.

Knowing He would call her name when time. 

We; her children; grew strong. 

We cared for this mama of ours. 

We guided our dad as the memory thief silently crept in. 

We watched our mama as her systems shut down. 

We watched her stand in the Powerful name of Jesus, with arms lifted high at her grandchild's baptism. 

We cried out to God to call her home. 

We wept. 

For all that has been and never will be again. 

I am a mama who lost her son 7 months later. 

The irony. 

I begged for my mama to be called home. 

My beloved red head was called 
in the wee hours of a Sunday morning; 

while I slept. 

No warning. 

A life being lived. 

A future just beginning. 

My mamas heart hurts. 

It aches actually. 

Burns deep. 

The breathing. 

Each moment choosing. 

Turning from the darkness that seeks to consume. 

An abyss that calls. 

The enemy desires discouragement and fear. 

At every turn he longs for us to cave to the pressure. 

The light though. 

It shines. 

In the darkness. 

Just a small glimmer illuminates an immense area. 

As that glimmer grows the work of God ensues. 

The pain remains, yet held by the Almighty. 

A buffer. 

The price paid on Calvary carrying us through. 

The ways of the world harsh at times. 

Though for a purpose. 

One which we can not see.

Always moving forward. 

In hope. 

Clinging. 

Always hope. 

The way can get heavy. 

The path becomes dim. 

Hold on dear ones. 

Reach for the Light. 

Illuminate that darkness with the hope sent for all. 

Banish the fear. 

He came to overcome. 

He longs for time with us. 

He beckons. 

I rest. 

This weary journey gets me down. 

So I turn. 

To find rest. 

To remember the battle is not mine. 

He will overcome. 

One day soon. 

He will come again. 

His promises. 

Truth. 

His law.
Love. 

Our response. 

Obedience. 

In my weakness He is strong. 

In my surrender he reigns. 

Joy finds me; 

comforts me. 

Those inner places of longing and ache are held by the One who sees. 

Take courage my friends. 

We are held by a mighty God. 

Nothing has escaped his sight. 

He has not forgotten. 

He is there. 

Waiting. 

Longing. 

For you. 

For me. 

Step into his Grace. 

Hebrews 4:16

Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Conquer The Clutter

We clean up that farm boys room;

because it is a mess. 

Really. 

All the rooms are a mess. 

Clothes, papers. 

Clutter. 

Everywhere. 

My cluttered home has seeped into my soul. 

The clutter of grief and loss. 

Daily consuming. 

I fold a shirt. 

It belongs to  the son who has left this earth. 

I can feel the ache. 

It has threatened to spill over all day. 

The loss. 

Another in the community has lost too. 

Another accident. 

One so young with 3 children. 

And I just can't bear the pain. 

The grief she is feeling. 

The shock. 

The fog. 

The clutter in my soul is too much. 

Do you know this? 

When all weighs heavy. 

When the rush of the day and tyranny of the urgent creep in? 

It is then, when I fold that shirt. 

 That the trickle begins. 

I haven't taken time for the word today. 

I wanted to conquer the clutter in the house. 

Conquer the little girls room. 

The pretty room with not and inch of clean floor space. 

The upstairs hallway, rich in history, yet cluttered with "stuff".

The farm boys room that smells of something unidentifiable. 

Where the floor rises to meet you as walk in. 

I wanted to conquer, that clutter. 

While the other clutter grew deep in my soul. 

The pain. 

The burden of anothers loss. 

The ache of a friend as she aches for her friend. 

Buried deep in my soul. 

Until the weight spills over my cheeks. 

It is then that the words flutter to the front. 

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,

 for my power is made perfect in weakness."

I can tackle the clutter of this home, 

Only when the clutter of my soul is gone. 

The heavy soul clutter needs to go.

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you resTake my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

It is imperative to the journey here; 

this side of heaven. 

The ache, the pain, the grief;

that is here to stay. 

When grief upon grief is stacked. 

The soul becomes weighted down. 
Cluttered. 

We become blind to the truth. 
We buy into the lies. 
When the soul is cluttered. 

God longs to carry the burden of our souls. 
He waits to help de-clutter; if only we will let him. 

So today. 
I am beginning with the word. 
That Ancient, glorious truth. 
I am going to set my feet where Truth dwells. 
I am going to let God Abolish the lies. 

Jeremiah 31:3
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:
 "I have loved you with an everlasting love; 
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

We are so loved. 

Are you willing to lay down your burdens and let God conquer the soul clutter? 

David Crowder
Come As You are.

Come out of sadness From wherever you've been
Come broken hearted Let rescue begin
Come find your mercy Oh sinner come kneel
Earth has no sorrow 
That heaven can't heal
Earth has no sorrow
That heaven can't heal

Come, Sit At My Table

Come to my table and sit for a spell. 

Where generations have gathered. 

Stories and woes poured out.

Hot steaming cups of warmth in hand, as time passes.

Nourishment given. 



Come to the table where we share who we are.
Where we break bread and study the word.
Come, sit with me.
I long to hear the stories. 
 I long to walk a spell. 
Held captive by the road with which you have walked. 
Come to my table and sit for spell. 



Take a load of your feet. 
Lay down your burden, release your shame. 
You will never be the same. 

Matthew 11:29-30
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

There is plenty of room. 
Pull up a chair, slide over on the bench. 
Find nourishment and hope. 
As we gather at the farm house table. 
The door, always open. 



There is always time. 



Come, sit at my table and sit for a spell. 
Find rest for your soul, seek peace untold. 

Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--
and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--


Breathe in the richness of deep, quiet joy. 
While you come to my table and sit for a spell. 
You may come as a stranger but leave as a friend; 
changed from the moment you walk through that door. 

Galations 3:26
So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,