all is grace

It’s just about February and I’m pretty sure I still keep writing 2013 on everything. Can I still give January and the New Year some credit? January has been crazy for me, but it's given me the much needed opportunity to think a lot. I didn’t specifically have any New Year’s resolutions but while home to Michigan at the beginning of the month, Dani and I made a deal to read a book per month this year… look at us two getting crazy. Haha. But seriously, it was a pact I was more than willing and even needing to make considering I hadn’t actually finished an entire book in who knows how long. It was starting to bother me.

Our first pick: One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. This book is literally changing me—and changing my view of everything, because everything, all is grace.

Ann’s book is the inspiration behind my most recent living room Pinterest project, a very visible reminder for me and all those who come in and out of my house to fully live by always thanking God so that we may be able to see grace in all and experience joy that can only come through knowing Jesus:

Charis. Grace.
Eucharisteo. Thanksgiving.
Chara. Joy.


Grace, thanksgiving, joy. Eucharisteo.

“He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God” (Psalm 50:23 NIV).

Our salvation and joy comes through thanking Jesus for what he has done on the cross. I’m not going to get into a ton of detail here but I will leave you with some of Dani’s and my favorite portions of One Thousand Gifts. Just read the book… or start making a list of 1,000 things, even the simple little things, that you are thankful for.


"Our fall was, has always been, and always will be, that we aren’t satisfied in God and what He gives. We hunger for something more, something other."

"How Jesus took the bread and gave thanks… and then the miracle of Jesus enduring the cross for the joy set before him. How Jesus stood outside Lazarus’s tomb, the tears streaming down his face, and He looked up and prayed, 'Father, I thank you that you have heard me...' (John 11:41 NIV). And then the miracle of a dead man rising! Thanksgiving raises the dead. The empty, stiff cadaver surging, the veins full of blood, the alveoli of the lungs filling with oxygen, the coronary arteries full of the whoosh of thrumming life."

"Joy and pain, they are but two arteries of the one heart that pumps through all those who don’t numb themselves to really living."

"Every step I take forward in my life is a loss of something in my life and I live in the waiting: How and of what will I be emptied today?"

"It is suffering that has the realest possibility to bear down and deliver grace."

"I keep on counting blessings to keep on remembering to keep on walking out into the unknown."

"Grace is alive, living waters. If I dam up the grace, hold the blessings tight, joy within dies… waters that have no life."

"Like a cycle of water in continuous movement, grace is meant to fall, a rain… again, ,again, again"




“O my soul, thou art capable of enjoying God, woe to thee if thou art contented with anything less than God.” --Francis de Sales

--Megan

Blessed to be His Grand-daughters

To read more about our grandpa click this link --> Grandpa Morton

What follows is a piece that we wrote and read at Grandpa’s funeral on Wednesday, April 17, 2013…

“Grandpa, where do we even begin? We have so many fond and hilarious memories with you, which always included you holding out your hand so we could kiss it like you were a princess or something. We all lost countless games of checkers and Skipbo to you – yes, we admit, you are the King of Checkers! One vivid memory we have of you is how you would have us all pile onto the toboggan and pull us behind the four-wheeler through the snow. Whether we lost boots, mittens, or a cousin along the way, it always seemed like you left us behind just a little bit longer than you had to while we were hollering at you to stop! And when we set up haunted houses in your basement, which was a frequent occurrence, you even pretended to be scared of the grape eyeballs and the spaghetti brains that we forced you to put your fingers in.

We are ever so grateful that Grandpa has consistently been a solid rock in our family and has always encouraged us and supported our educations. Even during our last visits with him, Grandpa told us girls that we were beautiful and that he loved us. It is certain that he has had a great impact on our lives, and we wouldn’t be who we are without his influence.

Just an hour or two before Grandpa passed away, Megan was reading a devotional before bed and was touched by these words that were about to become so relevant:

‘At the end of your life-path is an entrance to heaven. Only I know when you will reach that destination, but I am preparing you for it each step of the way. The absolute certainty of your heavenly home gives you peace and joy to help you along your journey. You know that you will reach your home in my perfect timing: not one moment too soon or too late.’
As Hebrews 6:19 says, ‘We have this hope as anchor for the soul, firm and secure.’ Grandpa, we look forward to seeing you again one glorious day in the presence of our Lord, and can’t wait to have the honor of once again giving you a kiss on the hand.

You will forever hold a special place in our hearts as a man that cherished each one of us, brought constant laughter to our lives, and set a beautiful example of what it looks like to love the Lord. We love you!”

Complete in Christ

Changing it up

My recent state of continual change in circumstances has made me think that maybe “change” can almost be considered my consistent way of life. I’ve started to wonder if instead of being one of those people who is afraid of change, I’m afraid of no change—of being stuck in a rut somewhere and feeling inactive. I’ve thought that if you’re willing to constantly be changed and challenged by the grace of God, then change is a good thing. Right? I want to always be open to the idea of being transformed, renewed and through that, strengthened by God’s love.

But personally, lately sometimes I wonder if my antsy-ness and restlessness—my yearning for knowing what’s coming next and for being anxious about where God is leading me now… maybe it’s not okay. I’ve been in this state of never-ending shake-ups in my life for the past I don’t know, 5 years. Always moving around, leaving home for months on end, going through nursing school, moving away, having different friends coming and going in and out of my life. I’ve started to wonder if I should take it easy on the whole “trying to constantly make big decisions and do something life changing” as much as possible attitude. THAT is a struggle for me. I’ve always been the type of person to feel a need for activity. I thrive under a little pressure and stress. Basically, the more I have going on and the more I can accomplish in a day, the better I tend to feel about my life in general. (Dad, I get this from you!) I want to be engaged in change so it feels like I’m getting somewhere or making progress. I don’t think I even realized that this is something I really really struggle with until recently. But maybe God is changing me and allowing me to realize that’s not how it has to be:

Learn to live from your true Center in Me. I reside in the deepest depths of your being, in eternal union with your spirit. It is at this deep level that My Peace reigns continually. You will not find lasting peace in the world around you, in circumstances, or in human relationships. The external world is always in flux—under the curse of death and decay. But there is a gold mine of Peace deep within you, waiting to be tapped. Take time to delve into the riches of My residing Presence. I want you to live increasingly from your real Center, where My Love has an eternal grip on you. I am Christ in you, the hope of Glory.--Jesus Calling

I heard something from one of my favorites, Joyce Meyer, the other day. She said, “the devil hates progress and any determination of it.” So wait… where does that leave me? I need to be doing something. Making progress. Getting things done. Naturally, I started thinking about all the things I need to start doing: how I could improve some of my relationships, things I should be doing to serve in my city, how to be a better nurse.

I’d been struggling over what exactly I wanted to say on this subject. Then it hit me at church this morning: It’s not the change in circumstances or actions I need to be concerned about. It’s letting God change my heart that’s important.

My circumstances don’t matter. Being busy, building relationships, serving in the community… those things are all important and God continually leads me in those areas. But it’s even more important to not let those things be a distraction to the changes He’s trying to make inside of me. Without His presence and influence, my work is meaningless.

So, it’s my hope and prayer this week that we can all take a step back and focus on what God is trying to do inside of us, rather than being caught up in all the exciting external circumstances. If we slow down, listen to God in every moment, and be open to the little things He’s working to change in our hearts, life will fall into place exactly as He already planned it.


Megan