The Hand

       The girl was walking through the field and her heart was heavy. She felt so alone and the sun seemed to have disappeared behind a cloud with no intention of coming back. Her shoulders stooped because in her hands was the largest of rocks. It was bound in ropes of fear, anxiety and doubt. The girl's steps grew slow and soon she was simply standing there with tears running down her face. Suddenly He was standing next to her with a sad look in His eyes. She looked at Him and suddenly the weight in her hand seemed so much heavier, and she said, "Why aren't you helping me with this? You promised to hold my hand on this journey and yet, here I am with this giant rock."
        He smiled a sad smile and replied, "I promised to hold your hand and be with you through the thick and thin, but you can't hold my hand when you are holding onto that load. You have to give it to me so that your hands will be free to hold mine."
        The girl looked down at the boulder in her hands, it was garish and unsightly and oh so heavy. Could she do it? she wondered. Could she really simply just hand it over? He reached out his hands and waited. She pulled back slightly, suddenly feeling protective of the heavy mess in her hands.  He said, "Will you give it to me? Will you let me hold your hand?"
        Hesitantly the girl took a step forward and moved toward handing Him the rock. A though flashed across her mind, would she really be able to simply let go of this burden that had been weighing her down for so long? Then, she just let it go. And suddenly, she realized that the boulder was gone. She looked up and He smiled at her, in his hands was the tiniest of pebbles.  As she watched the pebble continued to shrink to nothing more than a speck of dust and then it was gone.
        The girl felt a smile form on her lips and a laugh began to bubble within her. He threw back his head and laughed with her. A joyous, full, laugh. He looked into her eyes and said, "When you give your giants to me, they becoming nothing. You see, I have it under control. What seems impossible to you is easily handled when you let Me have it."
      The girl looked down at her hands and relished the delicious freedom that was there. Then, she reached out and slipped her hand into His.
   
"Close your eyes, Clear your heart, Let it go." ~Uknown

Home

        I'm excited about this weekend because of many things. First of all, it's a four day weekend for me and the sun is shining, secondly my husband and I get to go home and spend some time with my family and the third thing that is making my heart smile today is that this weekend is the anniversary of when the love of my life asked me to be his forever. But, it's the second thing that I wanted to talk about...Home.
        I love it when we get the chance to go home. My parents have always told me that no matter what, I can always come home and that is something special. My Dad and Mom have a house that is a true home. It's a place where life happens and where you are loved. It's a place that smells like fresh baked bread and cookies. It's a noisy place because I still have little sisters running around and it's a treasure trove of memories.
        As I have been thinking about homes, I realized that since I've moved and gotten married my in-laws house has also become a home to me. Spending time with my husband and his family is one of my favorite things to do on a weekend. To know that I am welcome there to be just who I am puts a smile in my heart.
        I am so truly blessed to be surrounded by love and a place called home. And all of this has led me to have a desire in my heart. I want to create a home with my husband. A place where people feel free to just stop by and be themselves. A place where love happens and life happens. A place where friends gather and memories are made. I want my house to be a place where people know that they can come to when they need a fix of home. I have been blessed, let me share it with you.


"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned." ~Maya Angelou

Joshua 24:15b
"But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”  

Summer Love

      Today I woke up a little before the alarm clock and listened as a bird softly sang outside my window. School is done and Summer break is upon me. There are oh so many adventures just waiting to be had, Laughs to be shared, Memories to make and Dreams to dream. I have a whole list of things that I want to do this summer. I want to perfect my sewing skills and make myself a dress. I want to get back to playing the piano. I want to ride my bike and splash through a few puddles. I want to read a lot of books and I want to watch the fireflies dance with the love of my life by my side. But most importantly, this summer, I want to rediscover the love that God has for me. I realize that I have not always allowed myself to accept that unconditional love, to simply rest in His grace. And so, my goal is learn how to let go and simply be. To live and to laugh and love and to be loved. My prayer is that you too can learn to rest in His love today. Know that the Father's heart is for you and that He desires for you to be all that you can be. He won't let you go, sit back and allow yourself to be wrapped in the arms of the One who will never fail you. Have a great day!