Grace Leads to Joy!

Well, I couldn't even catch the tail end of the month of October I feel like it just blew by! ( It really did with  a storm that sported 30+ mile winds during my tomato sauce cooking time- that started right when I was settling down to write this post-such is life) 

I so longed to share my heart over these 31 days and I am glad to have shared at least a few with you. although I was not able to maintain the writing part for 31 days, believe me these were 31 days of graceful becoming. Every single day grace was in the fore front and it carried and continues to carry me.

there was the day of no napping from my little guy in which grace poured out of me-not as easily as I want to extend it but growth was definitely experienced. 

or the long days spent working on a project for the girls ministry at church when Sam was at his grandma's house and all I wanted to do was nap. ( another grace moment within- oh what a blessing my sweet mother in law is! she has taken Sam at least once a week for the last few weeks and Giselle and I have been able to spend time alone...(sigh)...)  Grace took over those days in person through my friend and mentor who supports and prays for me and is not afraid to get in the trenches with me. 

how sweet to share the Grace of God through the Philippians bible study with the gals from work, those days have truly refreshed my soul! 

Oh my sweet husband how he extends grace to me everyday! a constant reminder of what it means to serve like Jesus! I pump in the mornings before Giselle wakes up ( i must insert another grace moment here for my champion sleeping beauty sleeps 12 hours everyday! ) so, my dear Josh makes sure that all of the supplies I need are cleaned and sterilized for the morning. wow! 

I know what your thinking...why is she up right now! actually I'm not so sure myself! 

one thing I am sure of: His grace is enough! 

I get to go back to work this Sunday, but I'm not ready.

I was expecting a longer time off-but God's timing is not mine thankfully because His is better!

I sound positive but at moments today I struggled. I wanted to question and stew but I decided to sing instead. The only way this happened was because of what I have been learning and living this month his grace enough! 

One trend I do see is that we were never created to experience grace on our own! 

We were created for relationship not only with our creator but also with our friends and family! Oh my what a beautiful community of friends has The Lord blessed me with! I love the way we can do community these days even when we are not close to each other! I have even participated in a cyber book club with dear Marie from baking chic! I have met new friends on Instagram by coming together to help others ( i am so excited about sharing more on this soon)! Truly the closer we draw to him the closer He draws to us just as he promised-and out of that the closer he brings to us those

we are meant to strive on this journey with! 

Many blessings and may the Lord's grace suprise you and overwhelm you as it has me! 

a glimpse into my life...

picture courtesy of Samuel Benjamin Photography

another graceful becoming reminder!

Grace brings peace

This graceful becoming is painful, challenging, irritating, and downright intimidating. After all, who wants to see that old self that constantly strives to take over again and burden with lies. It is in this struggle though that His grace is enough. Although, little voices clamor for my attention there is one a still small voice that states, " my grace is enough..."

"My Grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become." 2 Cor. 12:7-10

What peace! Now I don't need to strive, I don't need to try harder, I don't need to look harder! I just need to rest in His word; that my strength comes directly from him and my limitations are merely a reminder to trust that his  grace is enough! A reminder that Grace is changing me without changing my individuality it is a graceful becoming more like Christ!

Grace Extended

But He gives us more and more grace (power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it). [Prov. 3:34.] (James 4:6 AMP)

Now I know I was not able to post for two days but  I have meditated on the topic of Grace. I pondered  on this graceful becoming  journey that I've been called on. 

As a gift that was given to me freely enriching my life, I want to freely give it. 

I have discovered that the best place to practice and the one we most overlook is our family.

My prayer for today is Lord make us extenders of Grace just as have extended grace to us. 

Gracefully Daisy

Traveling Grace

It's 12:03 am October 4th and I am just now writing my post for the third!! So I ask you for some grace...

It has been a day of travel for our wee little family! We are tucked in and 3 out of 4 are asleep. I thought about grace during this trip especially because fall is in the air! I love fall and it always brings me back to grace which leads me to discovering joy in the journey! Fall has always felt to as a gift from The Lord directly to my heart which he created to find such pleasure in it. 

My family brings me so much joy as we daily practice the discipline of extending grace, now some days are easier than others. most of the time traveling in a cramped car for long hours is a difficult grace extending day. I am so grateful for the beautiful day (meltdowns included) of travel we laughed, we praised, we sang, & prayed! 

Gracefully daisy

Grace is sufficient today

Today wow what a day! but at the end of the day grace is more than enough!

2nd Corinthians 12:9

New International Version (NIV)

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Singing this song today, "your grace is sufficient for me..." By Shane and Shane 

http://youtu.be/kQ1jCPV_s_4

31 days of Graceful Becoming

31 one days...rigth at this moment it seems like a long time... 

I am very excited to join a community of ladies who for 31 days will be writing about a topic in the month of October. I will be sharing with you some thoughts on grace. I have been drawn to grace these last few months. To learn more about it, fill my thoughts with it, embrace it, and live it out  is my desire. My thoughts and experiences will be catalogued here. I invite you to join me in my journey of Graceful Becoming. I discovered a definition of grace recently and it has left me hungry for more. I will be unpacking this defenition throughout the month. So I leave you with it ponder it, take it, and try it out...

" Grace, particularly that which causes joy, pleasure, gratification, favor acceptance for a kindness granted or desired, a benefit, thanks, gratitude. The absolutely free expression of the loving kindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and benevolence of the Giver; unearned, unmerited favor; it changes the individual to a new creature with out destroying his individuality."

(Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament)

~gracefully daisy

check out more inspiration here: http://www.thenester.com/2013/09/welcome-to-31-days-2013.html

so I made these s'more bars...

funny story- so I found this amazing recipes on this blog and I decided to make them! easy right?! well, not so fast. I got to the add the flour part and I was out  of flour! so I reached for the only one I had whole wheat flour. that works so I keep going and when I'm about to put the bars in the oven...realize I never folded the marshmallows into the batter with the chocolate chips...oh well in they went and let me tell you that the end result was pretty good! I can't wait to try the real ones! 
so go and check out the recipe!

Gracefully Daisy

hourglass

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart. ~Celia Thaxter

summer is coming to end there is a crispness in the air that marks it so. This summer my heart overflows with gratefulness. I have been blessed beyond my imagination. in the next few weeks I will be sharing some of the gifts I have received from The Lord.

this calling of raising children has so many joys, lessons, heart checks, and adventures...but it truly  goes by fast. Lord, help me to make the most of it.

 There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

ecclesiastes 3:1

Gracefully Daisy

Dreaming...

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
    you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
    Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
    I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
    you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
    how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
    all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
    before I’d even lived one day.  

Psalm 139:13-16

Our little family is growing and in this season of our lives

we are dreaming big! we are dreaming about the beautiful

days ahead getting to know each other, to marvel once more 

at how a new baby is gifted to us to love, of sweet summer days

exploring with not just one but two little ones!

So much change for this big brother! 

He is so excited about baby and talks to her all the time! 

He is the only one picking names, we are still trying to make a list! 

He is also growing up too fast! He is potty trained and in a big boy bed! 

Time really escapes through our fingers like water. 

My prayer for him is: 

"May Sami love the Lord his God, with all his heart, 

with all his soul, and strength." Deut 6:5

This pregnancy has been bathed with love from the very beginning!

Thank God for my wonderful husband who tenderly loves, blesses, 

holds, and cares for us. 

As a woman I have discovered so much while being pregnant.

At times when I want to be negative about the way I look or feel 

friends are so amazing at reminding me how beautiful I am. 

This still feels a little weird for me to type but they are simply

looking at me through eyes of love. The same eyes the Lord 

sees us all through. Love. His love for us let's him look at the beauty

he has placed within us. 

We are excited to bring you home little one! The Lord is good  to us

and so he gives us you. I pray that as you develop and grow you become 

stronger, that you can sense how much we love you, that you can hear

our voices sweetly loving you and longing for your arrival! 

We are preparing our hearts and our home for you! We love you and cherish you so...

Gracefully Daisy

all pictures were taken by the beautifully talented Catherine Marrs

Vizcaya: An Enchanting Afternoon With My Love

How do I love thee? 

Let me count the ways.

 I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach,

 when feeling out of sight For the ends of being and ideal grace.

 I love thee to the level of every day's Most quiet need,

 by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for right.

 I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.

 I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

 I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints.

 I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life; 

and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death. 

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

What a sweet enchanting afternoon we spent together last year on our 

romantic get away to Florida. This was last October and oh my times flies! 

I can't believe I am just now posting this! it has been in drafts for over 6 months! Better late than never!

Gracefully Daisy

Surrender

"Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
but I'm giving in to something heavenly"

 - Sanctus Real 

Picture taken by Rosalyn 

Over the last year the Lord has truly been doing something inside of me that

at times has been hard to understand. Like so many of us the thoughts in my

head swirl, spin, pound and crash. 

It's amazing though that life doesn't stop because we feel inadequate, unwilling, 

unchanging, and simply lost. But even more amazing what doesn't end thankfully are his mercies-they are new every morning. Lamentations 3: 22-24

 How much change can one go through without breaking?

How many seasons of life can happen all at once?

How do you know that you are truly you in the midst of all this change? 

How can you function when you are tired, worn out, and frustrated?

So many questions yet the sun sets and rises and you do too. 

Can you survive, teach, model, and learn all at once? You must because there are 

two sweet, big brown eyes who are watching and absorbing your life. 

Thankfully the one who created your inner most being is also with you

modeling true love.

And then when you feel like Spring will never come, spring comes forcefully

and beautifully opening into hope. Just when you feel like you are at

a breaking point-if one more thing happens, spills, drops, or is expected of you...

then he tenderly reminds you to surrender. 

Sweet surrender envelopes and lifts you are no longer living by your strength 

but lifted into his strength which is bigger than life. 

The molding waves continue to crash but the fog lifts and your identity established is:

You are loved with an everlasting love...

You know peace because after surrender comes peace

you can stand the next thing because you are now 

standing on higher ground.

Relationships are sweet and you do everything with purpose and hope. Life still

sends hurts, your heart longs, missess and sheds tears. Yet with nightfall comes 

peace and restoration. Tomorrow will come again and when you find yourself 

trying to reclaim those burdens- you surrender; because after surrender comes peace.

This draws you into something heavenly...

SANCTUS REAL from Retrospec Films on Vimeo.

Gracefully Daisy