Gateways to Joy

Can you imagine that?  Going to the abortion doctor to have your baby murdered, but it didn't die! Talk about mind-boggling! There's one thing we must all remember, and that is, "God is the author and finisher of life."  I don't care what we plan or what we do, if God the giver of our life is not ready for us to die, we are not going to die and it is as plain and simple as that. In mouthing those words I'm reminded of the story of Kristen.  I'm about to get off of the abortion story for a minute because I want to share very briefly the story of a girl who was 17 and fed up with her life. What did Kristen do in the midst of her pain?  Oh well, she only went and laid her body over some train tracks for a train to run over her. Did the train run over her?  It did indeed.  Was she killed?  Nope. God wasn't ready for her to die. I will put a link at the end of this post for you to get her book and find out more about her.  I love her ...

F or those of you who blog and wonder if your blog reaches the heart or touches a soul. I'm here to say, "yes," it does.  Do you wonder if God is doing something good with what you are writing, "He is." Let me remind you of what the Bible says, "So will My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing that what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." ~ Is. 55:11 If or when God lays something on your heart dear blogger— blog it.  Tell it. Tweet it.  Facebook it.  Youtube it. Proclaim it!  Even though you may never get one iota of a comment on what you typed out.  Share what He gives you anyway... all the time! And you simply find solace in knowing that you put it out there, out there in the monstrous www. This morning I decided to have my devotions by reading one of my favorite blogs, "Grace is for sinners."   First off, I love that name.  Have you eve...

I know, I know.  I've been hitting and missing for a while now.  I still have e-mails to get to, etc. So... what' going on with me? A lot.  First off, I'm still learning website {coding} and design.  I've come a very long way, but still have much to learn.  I can finally say that I'm successfully climbing  Mt. Photoshop and it's not as intimidating anymore! Whew!  I never thought I would be at a place where I could say that.  Sadly. I've come to discover that I wasn't loved unconditionally by many like I thought, and when I could no longer give them the time and attention they had become accustomed to they left.  I never realized how I had gotten use to certain people and they had gotten use to me.  I have family members, even, who have stopped talking to me because I have been "just that busy." My situation is not your situation and yours isn't mine.  We all come to a point in life where we must do what...

"W hen you're in a middle of a struggle . . . that's not who you are," says Holley Gerth . A friend of mine use to say to me often, "Your circumstances don't define who you are.  A lot of people find themselves in bad situations and they let that situation define them." I get it now. Girls our struggles are not our identity, it is merely our location at the moment .  And that goes for anything good or bad. "Where we are in life changes.  Who we are stays the same wherever we go."   Personally I was so glad to read Holley's words .  I know sometimes we can find ourselves in situations that seem to have a stronghold on us— in spite of this we must press on as best we can.  Even if we have to fall to our knees, lift our hands and say, "Help me Father."  Seasons do change. Today we are here.  Tomorrow or the next day . . . only God knows. Ladies, we don't have to be perfect, yet we are perfectly loved. xo, Ange...

M y mother is visiting for the weekend.  Like all mothers and grandmothers, she came with gifts.  Her gifts are the "life lessons" of gifts.  Her gifts don't fade or get old with time.  If received properly, in fact, my mom's gifts are a bit like fine wine: they get better with time. Usually I have to swish what she's given me around in my head a bit, savor it.  Pine.  It is only after much thought most often do I come to see the true treasures she continues to give me. Her gift to me today was a paper.  A paper that had been given to her at church.  She couldn't wait to share it with me.  After cleaning under children's bed, sweeping, washing, moving clothes from washing machine to dryer—I am now at a place where I can rest a minute. I remember the paper after seeing it resting on my pillow {I placed it there so I wouldn't forget to read it}. I start to read. Here are the words.  I hope you glean as much from th...

Many of you have inquired about injuries that Lars Gren and his wife Elisabeth Elliot Gren sustained in their car accident.  As of June 14, 2012: Lars is in Ma., staying with friends since he is not able to drive til Aug. per Valerie.  He fractured a c-2 in his neck and had surgery for a screw to be fused to the bone, and is not getting as well, as quickly as he'd liked. Lars and Valerie had to make the decision to put Elisabeth in a facility because Val could no longer care for her. Elisabeth's stay in the facility will be brief, as Val plans on taking her back to Ma, once she returns from the UK {Val is helping her daughter Elisabeth with her 4th baby}. For those of you who would like to send Elisabeth well wishes, I have her mailing address, just e-mail me and I will give it to you. Many have asked if you could download the picture of E.E & Val.  I'm afraid that you can't.  I really do appreciate you asking before taking the liberty to do s...

You know what?  We just never, ever know how God will use our life and our life story. Now adays many use blogs and blogging to get "discovered" but not so with author Ann Voskamp.  Like me Voskamp was a journaler from girlhood who did what she did, "journal." God used her journaling—her love for the scrawling of words to move souls. I hope this interview that World Magazine did with Ann Voskamp will do what it is supposed to do! Happy reading! The write way Author Ann Voskamp says reading, list making, and waiting on the Lord are integral to the creative process | Marvin Olasky               Last Nov. 19 WORLD ran excerpts of an interview with Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts , a wonderful book she wrote while homeschooling six children. She continues to live on an Ontario farm and blog at "A Holy Experience" ( aholyexperience.com ). Here's what she said specifically about her writing process. With all the...