Simply Gathering Grace - Page 4 of 4 -

IN THE LORD’S BOSOM

September 25, 2015 By Mikki Jo 12 Comments

The road was winding and dusty, my heart was beating faster. I was about to drive down the narrow road that my Daddy used to walk down when he was a child living at the end of the “holler”, up a little creek, in the shelter of an Eastern Kentucky mountain.

My eyes couldn’t take it all in fast enough. I felt the tears stinging my eyes as I blinked them back, I didn’t want to miss a single moment. I felt I had finally come full circle. I was finally here, where my heart had desired to be since I was a child. The place where I’d heard my Daddy and Grandparents speak of all my life, their old Kentucky home. I never understood my longing for this place, until my feet stood in the lush green clover on the bank of Frozen Creek in Knott County.

My heart was content. I was home. I knew that this is where I was supposed to be. God had indeed marked this date in time for me to be standing exactly where I stood. I looked at the mountains surrounding me, I felt a security that I’d never experienced before. I explained to my Dad how I felt and he said, “Yes honey, I know that feeling. Like you’re cradled in the Lord’s bosom.” And yes, that’s exactly how I felt.

I’d never been here before, but yet I felt like I had left something here, and I had this day came back to reclaim it. These emotions came from the deep bond I have with my Dad, and my family roots that remain deep in the heart of these mountains.

Many years ago, my Grandparents took the great Ship Mary and Ann from England to the Jamestown River to escape religious persecution. Years later a young man was born. A brave warrior, a man of honor who helped to attain my freedom during the Revolutionary War. He met a young dark haired woman, kind and patient and strong. They fell in love, had their own children, and eventually made their home in these beloved mountains.

The more I have learned of my family and their past, the more I have learned about myself and who I am. And I am thankful for the sacrifices made. I can never repay the debt that I owe to those that went before me. But I have walked in the shadow of their precious footsteps, down a dusty winding road, that lovingly led me back home. Truly, home is where the heart is.

SLEEPY SUMMERTIME

September 24, 2015 By Mikki Jo 2 Comments

The leaves are painted a bright yellow

As Autumn bursts in with a cheery hello

Tomorrow a new day shall soon dawn

Soft and fresh like a newborn fawn

The sun sets low upon the fields of green

Only glimpses of it can now be seen

Summer whispers goodbye for now

I’ll see you soon and he takes a bow

Sleepy summertime go to bed

It’s time to rest your weary head

The sun has set the day is done

A brand new season has just begun

I lay me down for some needed rest

Thank you Lord for I am blessed

When Trusting God Isn’t Enough

September 22, 2015 By Mikki Jo 15 Comments

I was running down the hill with my arms spread wide, the tall grass brushing softly against my arms. I looked toward the sky with my eyes squinted, enjoying the warmth of the sun on my face. I didn’t have a care in the world, my little nine year old self was savoring the sweet smell of Autumn. At least I was, until I took one wrong step.

I fell to the ground in a heap, cradling my foot. I had stepped on a nail and it was buried pretty darn deep. My Daddy came running and I knew he was there to help me. My head rolled back, my mouth wide open, my eyes tightly closed so I couldn’t see, I was screaming like a wild child. I trusted him, I knew he was going to take care of me.

My Daddy grabbed the nail and yanked it out of my foot! I was angry that he pulled the nail out, because boy did it hurt! I don’t know what I expected him to do. I knew he could handle the situation. He just didn’t do it the way I wanted him to. But what did I know, I was only a kid. And we both knew I couldn’t walk around with that nail hanging out of my foot like it was a piece of jewelry.

When we pray and seek God, do we really believe He knows best? I told my sister the other day, “I trust God to take care of it, I’m just scared He won’t take care of it the way I want Him to.” Today I said to myself, “Self, who do you think you are!” Of course the Lord knows better than I do how to take care of a situation. He is working things out even as I write this. But do I fully trust Him? Yes I do. Do I think He’ll answer my prayers the way I want Him to? I don’t know. This is where I fall apart, where I need grace. But I do know He is faithful!

1 Corinthians 1:9 NIV God, who has called you into fellowship with His son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

I’m learning to believe that He really does know best. Today let’s confess our areas of weakness and failure to Christ, and rest in His promises. Let’s give Him those areas where we need His grace to cover our failures. He is faithful, His grace is sufficient. He loves us.

Ephesians 1:7 NIV In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

Let’s believe God together!

God Could Have

September 21, 2015 By Mikki Jo 4 Comments

God could have painted all of it

in simple black and white

Or tucked away the warmth

of the sun shining bright

He could have made flowers with

no bloom or no scent

But He wanted us to know

they were heaven sent

He could have left the trees

in the state of winter

But instead he gave them leaves

to shade us from the weather

He could have made the sky

as dark as miner’s coal

But instead he made it blue

with hues of pink and gold

As you look all around

at our majestic view

You can hear Him whisper

I did this just for you

Becoming A Misfit In A Cookie Cutter World

September 21, 2015 By Mikki Jo 7 Comments

My Grandpa’s hands were calloused and aged. With his pocket knife he casually whittled away at a small chunk of wood. It was nothing special when he began, but now it had come to life. It had ears, a nose, and a mouth. It was a horse, complete with mane and tail.

I said “Papaw, how did you carve that into a horse?” He kept shaving slivers of wood here and there, making it smooth as a river rock. “Well, I just whittle away everything that ain’t a horse,” He said. He explained how when he started whittling on a piece he knew what it would become before he even began to form it.

Little by little I watched as the small piece of wood turned into something totally unique. With each sliver that was shaved away it became a new creation. It was no longer just a small chunk of wood. It had been transformed.

That’s exactly what Jesus does with us. Jesus also knew us and who we were before He even formed us. Jeremiah 1:5 Isn’t that amazing! When we put ourselves into the loving capable hands of Jesus, we become a new creation. He transforms us and we become who He intended us to be. We won’t fit in in this world and we don’t want to, simply because we are not of this world. John 17:16 (NIV) They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Not fitting in isn’t misfortune, it’s transformation.

The Holy Spirit will gently lead us and open the eyes of our heart if we only listen. Sometimes it can be painful letting go of certain things in our lives. We need to let go of everything that keeps us from being like Jesus. We need to cleanse our heart of things that are unlike Him, and the things that keep us from becoming who He created us to be.

We just need to whittle away everything that ain’t Jesus, and when we do we will be a new creation!

Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. (NIV)

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Is My Garment Machine Washable

September 19, 2015 By Mikki Jo 4 Comments

The entire thing was coming apart at the seams! I flipped the tag over and read, HAND WASH COLD. LAY FLAT TO DRY. Hmm, I neglected to read the care instructions. My favorite blouse was battered in the washing machine and then tossed into a gymnastic event in the dryer. No wonder it was a hot mess.

I was disappointed as I tossed my lovely blouse in the trash bin. I’ll follow the care instructions next time.

The disappointment was fleeting. I’d had a lifetime of serious disappointments, devastation and hardship. Haven’t we all? Isaiah 61:3 tells us The Lord gives us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and clothes us in a garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness.

It can be hard to praise God when we’re in the middle of turmoil but that’s when we need to wear the garment of praise the most because He dwells among the praises of His people. Begin to praise Him because He pardons our sins. Because He is a promise-keeper. Because He is worthy!

When we receive His mercy and grace, our heart overflows with praise!

What happens when we praise God? In the book of Joshua 6:1-21 The walls of Jericho came crashing down! In the book of Acts 16:25-26 Prison doors shook open and chains fell loose for Paul and Silas! Miracles happen when we praise God!

If our garment of praise had a care instruction tag I wonder what it would say?

Psalm 34:1 Praise Him continually

Psalm 92:1 Sing praises to His name

Psalm 100:4 Enter His courts with praise

Psalm 138:1 Praise Him with my whole heart

I want to wear the garment of praise, don’t you!

It’s Your Choice

September 16, 2015 By Mikki Jo Leave a Comment

I have a confession to make. I have always over analyzed everything that I set out to do. I over think every nook and cranny of the matter and only make it harder on myself.

I want to wait until I’m ready and things will be near perfect, therefore I procrastinate.

Then I worry…

…and worry

…and worry some more.

My first post and I was still seeking God for the answers.

While in Tennessee on vacation with my husband and sister and brother in law, I was in awe of God’s creation that surrounded us. Every day at the cabin captured a brand new day of awesomeness! We sat on the big porch that almost touched the clouds with our big mugs of coffee and rocked the day away in our big rocking chairs. We had a big time, as my Grandma used to say.

We watched as three bears ambled up the drive where the sun rays were trickling softly through the branches of the stately oaks. A Momma bear, and two baby bears. The baby bears were lazily following behind and Momma bear would glance over her shoulder every little bit to make sure they were tagging along.

The huge spider web at the end of the porch was so intricately woven. There were holes here and there where the spider’s victims had fought to free themselves so as not to become supper. One morning we looked and she had fixed the holes and done some major overhaul while we slept, it looked like a brand new spider home.

A sweet butterfly landed on my hand and then once on my shoulder on two different occasions.

I considered all of creation and was softly reminded of a specific scripture. Psalm 150:6 NIV Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

The mountains sing and the trees clap their hands.

All of creation naturally praises the Lord.

The birds each have their own song to sing praises to God. Psalm 148:7-14

The trees dance with the wind at the sound of His voice. The color of Autumn brings Him glory. Springtime bursts forth in praise with new life.

A single spider declares God’s glory in his intricate little web. All of creation is miraculous. All of creation declares His glory in it’s own way.

Psalm 19:1 (NIV) The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

The Lord’s creation naturally brings Him glory and praises Him. But for us it’s a choice. Today I’ve decided to not overthink anything, not stress and not procrastinate. Instead, I will enjoy the beauty around me and choose to praise the Lord.

Psalm 150:6 NIV Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.