Mother’s Day Can Be Tough

Motherhood can be so tough sometimes. We constantly feel like we will ever measure up. We don’t have enough time to do all the things we should do, all the things we want to do, all the things we must do. We make mistakes. We carry guilt. We live with regrets.

We compare our lives with the next mom, and we believe we should be better, or we believe we are better; either way it leaves us feeling empty and so much less than. We want more. We want less. We strive to be better, different or just simply unique in this life in which we long to succeed.

Then, Mother’s Day rolls around. All the cards, all the words, all the commercials, the candy, the gifts. Do we deserve all that? Do we want all that? Do even we need all that? For one day out of the year we should be treated like a queen; yet, too often the ashes of our past and our pain cloud the skyline of love and generosity.

Too often, those who have experienced the loss of those tender heartbeats, those tiny hands and feet and those little coos, they are burdened with more tears, more grief, more torn and shattered dreams. Many times, those who have never heard, have yet to see and may never embrace, will see those precious notes of laughter like liquid gold captured in such fleeting moments, be wisped away like sand through their fingertips. They are left on these days feeling so much lower, so broken and bruised, tattered and marred.

Where is the hope? Where is the life? Where is the new birth that is promised with the dawn? Will it ever come? Was it ever meant to be? Is it ever for me? Is it ever for you?

Some will never take comfort in a Higher being. Some will never seek out the faith I have found, but I stand here as a living testimony to His grace, His power, and His promises come true. The ashes will be turned to beauty. The mourning will be turned to gladness and joy. The despair will be turned to praise like the morning sun. One that envelopes and consumes your very being and soul.

How does it come? I do not know. How does it transpire? I cannot comprehend. When does He bring it to pass? I cannot tell. The only answer I have is to confirm the Why? Because He loves you. He loves me, and through that love, all things are possible. ❤

Happy Mother’s Day!

5/14/2017

A Wood In Progress

When wood is raw and freshly cut, it is still rough and splinter-prone. If you rub your hand across it, you may pull away filled with a little pain from a piece of wood merging with your tender fingers. It is hard to grasp and difficult to display, but it can be used for very practical things, such as saw horses, firewood and boarding up holes or drafty windows.

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To be a bit more useful, a woodsman will begin to sand that raw wood. (Sanding, Planing and Scraping are all methods of smoothing wood. Each depends on the type of wood and the desired results from the smoothing. For simplicity, I will only refer to sanding.) The first sandpaper applied is very coarse, and it will shave away much of the roughness and splinted wood.  As the plank become smoother, more refined pieces of sandpaper are used to cause more and more fine-tuned sanding. Once, the piece is smoothed to the creator’s liking, he or she will run his hands over the fine, smooth piece of wood.

In the final stages of refining, the carpenter might even smooth the wood with cloths or apply a varnish, fiberglass or stain to finish the handiwork. He may create shelves, cabinets, tables, chairs, or even doors and window frames. In the end, a beautiful work of art is presented for daily use or display.

This is how our Heavenly Father prepares us as well. When we are first saved, our approach to Christianity, life and even each other can be so rough that, if we aren’t careful, we might leave “splinters” in the lives of those around us. God has to smooth out those rough places. He has to apply pressure, allow challenges and even trials to come to “sand away” those splintery spots. In the end, He creates a beautiful work of art within our lives that might be used by His might hand to bring impact into the lives of someone else.Sometimes, the method might seem strenuous, tedious and even unrelenting, but just trust, He will finish what He has started. Never give up through the process, and when He is finished, know you will never be the same. It will be worth it!

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The Beauty of Audrey

For this second day of the quotes challenge, I cannot avoid deferring to Audrey Hepburn for a few words of wisdom. She was beautiful both inside and out…

Day 2 – 3 Quotes:

I was nominated by Joanna Lynn at Dipping Into the Heart for the 3 Quotes, 3 Days challenge. Stop by and check out her site. Her story is inspirational. I accepted the challenge because it sounds like fun, and I enjoy sharing others’ blogs for you to see. 🙂 For the challenge, I am to nominate three people a day to the challenge and a quote (or three) a day. Here are my nominees:

Day 2 Nominees:

Camelia’s Cottage
Scribbled by M
JonahzSong

These are amazing blogs written by amazing people. Stop by and check out their blogs.

Let me leave you the rules of the challenge:

  1. Three quotes for three days.
  2. Three nominees each day (no repetition).
  3. Thank the person who nominated you.
  4. Inform the nominees.

 

Thank you to Joanna for nominating me for this challenge. It has stretched me to really consider my quote “favorites,” as well as, be reminded of how to do these challenges! 😉

Travel to Another Land

We went to a place recently that I’d like to share with you. It almost seems like a far away land, one of which I’ve read in a book of fairyland or heard of in a dream. It is so beautiful, I long for these days when I return to the routines of mundane.

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When I stand at the top of this mountain, I feel like I can fly. I feel as if I’ve been snatched away from this earthly home, from the care and the concerns, from the responsibilities and burdens of this life. I feel as if no harm, no evil, no danger can come my way.

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It is a place of beauty, a place of tranquility, a place of senrene peace. My heart longs for it when I am away. My soul yearns for its return.

It makes me wonder if this is a tiny glimpse into what heaven must be like…

Will you join me?

Mood on the Mountains

I love to sit and watch the sunset, the sunrise, or anything else on the mountains. The range is so mesmerizing to me. I thought I’d share today…

Max Patch, NC







Cosby, TN


All of these pics, except the first, were taken from the same location  within one week of time. It is amazing to me the moods the mountains can bring. I hope you’ve enjoyed this little rendition. 

Sky Blue

The sky is so hard to describe in mere words; thus, I’d like to “paint” a picture of sorts… 

  
  
When the Son seems to be hiding from view, will you still seek Him?

   

  
When all is bright, cheery and beautiful, will you still remember Who He is?
  

    
When the hustle and bustle of your world is rising above your head, and you can’t see anything beyond the demand of today, will you still search for  more?

When the storms roll in, and the seas rage the shores of your life, where does your faith stand? When the winds seem to overpower your resolve and the clouds block your view of Him, will praise still be upon your lips?  
   

 Will the promise of hope be found implanted in your heart, never to be shattered by pain, loneliness or fear?
   
For the dawn of day shall shine again! Stand your ground. Hold on, my love, your salvation is here.  

 Simply rest in His peace. Trust in His sovereignty, and bask in His glory. It will shine like a star in the sky.    

 
Daily prompt: Sky

What Makes You Tick?

I wanted to do a little different post today. I’d like to hear from those of you out there who frequent The Grizzle Grist Mill, as well as, those of you who might be dropping by for the first time today…
 

This photo not only sums up one of my favorite places, but it always turns my thoughts towards my Savior as well. For He is Living Water. ❤️ John 7:37-38

 
 I was scrolling through my iPhone pictures this morning, and because I probably tend to be a photo hoarder, I have way too many pictures stored there! However, even when I clear the storage down to just a few (100 😳), there are a handful of photos that I like to keep in there. It made me wonder if there might be others “out there” who do the same thing? Are there some things that you keep close just because they seem to be a part of you? Is there a photo or a possession you have that just seems to sum up who you are and what you’re about?

For the sake of online safety, I don’t post any present day photos of my guys, but my little family is a great big part of me!

 

What makes you tick? Will you kindly share one or two of them with us today? 😊

 

I love this man with all my heart! ❤️

 
 

My childhood home will always be a part of me.

 

The Dance At Sunset

     

   


   

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

   

Chasing Sunsets

Since its late in the day today, and I failed to post this morning, I thought I’d just share with you a little of what we did this past week while on Spring Break. Hope you enjoy.
We chased a few sunsets…  

my son took this beautiful pic!

 

    
  

JGrizz took this gorgeous shot, too!

  
  

my husband captured this breathtaking scene!

 

Rushing Waters

   

Is anyone thirsty?

 

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'” John 7:37

“…but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14