Gateways to Joy

I am very happy to have had the opportunity to  review Amy Bayliss' book, 'Pursuit of Proverbs 31.'   I've never met Amy personally, but I have known of her for quite sometime, and I have corresponded with her via e-mail on several  occasions.  Amy and I are both southern girls so I automatically feel a kindered spirit with, but not only are we southern girls, we are "heavenly" southern girls thus my bond to her. When I first began blogging, Amy Bayliss' blog , Sarah Mae, Like A Warm Cup of Coffee, and the women that I met on the Christian Women Affiliate forum were my life lines to me. These places is where I found my much needed sanity, understanding and camaraderie. I had been hurt by people in my church and those that I were close to so I swore off intimate relationships.  Needless to say God was doing a work with me and my heart online.  I would end up opening my heart in a new and very different way. It was through Amy and CWA th...

I'm sure many of you are familiar with this writing by A poor Methodist woman, eighteenth century. I found it in Elisabeth Elliot's book 'Gateway to Joy: reflections that draw us nearer to God.' There are several writings that I read that I wanted to share.  Things that slow us down to see the beauty in life.  This sums up how I feel at times when washing dishes by candlelight.  I do that sometimes to quite my soul and see the beauty around me, even though at times there is chaos around me like now for instances. Kids are quarreling... need I say more.  So I still away.  Yes.  I get still and fly faraway in my mind. This is what I read: "I do not know when I have had happier times in my soul, than when I have been sitting at work, with nothing before me but a candle and a white cloth, and hearing no sound but that of my own breath, with God in my soul and heaven in my eye...  I rejoice in being exactly what I am, a creature c...

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...