It Ain't Always Easy!

I remember when I was a little girl and I got sick...I hated the taste of my medicine!!! 
There I was kicking and screaming, literally having to be pinned down to get me to drink it....
                                                 I fought what would make me well.

Here I am as an adult...knowing what will heal the wounds of my heart (grace and forgiveness) and fighting as hard as I can not to do it. 

They say hindsight is 20/20.  When I was little, all I cared about was how bad the medicine tasted; I did not understand that the healing it would bring would be worth the temporary discomfort of the bad taste.

Life ain't always easy...grace and forgiveness come with a decided effort...that is ALWAYS worth it!  :)


Lord, help us to extend grace, forgiveness and love.  Amen


Blessings ~ Karlee

My Favorite Blogs

Here are a couple of my favorite blogs:

http://www.aholyexperience.com/

http://www.greenbriargoods.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!!!

Hello World!

We are not here...
            ...to balance checkbooks
                             ...to accomplish lists of to-dos
                                            ...to develop earthly asset sheets
                                                            ...to climb the career ladder

We are here...to Glorify God! ....to love others!  ...to extend grace!  Hello world!!!

The Glory of God

The Glory of God amazes me!
                       It is contradictory to this world...
                                                              It is not loud...it does not shout, "Look at me! Look at me!"
                                                                                                                     It does not demand our attention...

                                                       It captivates us!!!!
  
                   A snow filled mountain peak
                                                                                     Dew on early morning grass
              Soft baby skin
                                                             Fields of wheat swaying in the late summer breeze
      The laughter of children
                                                                                                           Softly falling snow
                                       Waves rolling gently onto white sand

God is amazing, glorious and grace filled.  His Glory and blessings surround us...
                                                                                           ...take time to rest in the Glory of God!

Blessings ~ Karlee

Trust!!!

Today as I left to run errands, my two year-old son yelled,
                                                                "MOMMY! MOMMY!! DON'T LEAVE ME!!!"

He did not care where I was going...
                       He did not care what I was doing...
                                          He did not need to know details or what time I would be home....
                                                                                                HE JUST WANTED TO BE WITH ME!

He knows that as his Mommy:
                                 Wherever we go,
                                               I will take care of him,
                                                                            protect him,
                                                                                     and provide for his needs.

Our Heavenly Father promises us the same things...
                        IT IS TIME TO DROP WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW AND TRUST IN GOD!!!

Think about a young child with his or her mother...you can trust God with the same kind of trust...
                                                                                                      HE WON'T EVER LET YOU DOWN.

Blessings ~ Karlee

An Everlasting Love

Malachi 1:2  ~  "I have loved you," says the Lord.

Why have I spent my whole life trying to prove to Him that I am not worth loving,

                                                                                                 rather than excepting His great love for me?

                    It may be because people have hurt and failed me.
                                                                          It may be because I have failed myself.

The truth is, I spend my time trying to "prove" I am worthy to those around me,
                                                                 rather than drawing close to the One who will never let me down.

             Matthew 10:30 tells us of God's unfathomable love when it says...

                                                               "but the very hairs of our heads are all numbered."

As I shared this verse in a childrens' sermon...

  ...a dear friend sat in a pew and stroked the strands of hair she has left after chemotherapy. 

                                                                "Where is God then?"

He was right there:

              counting the hairs as they fell from her head,

                                 collecting the tears as they fell from her eyes,

                                                          whispering "I love you" to the depths of her soul.

Jeremiah 29:11 ~ "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."


Blessings ~ Karlee

Please visit the following website for a scholarship opportunity to the She Speaks Conference:
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/03/how-christians-create-art-she-speaks-scholarship/
She Speaks Conference website: http://shespeaksconference.com/