Spiritual formation, Day 24: Grace Imparted

I was having one of those weeks that felt devoid of grace.

I couldn't seem to get anything done--no projects, not even the normal day-to-day stuff. One of my dearest friends had to put her precious dog to sleep, and my heart ached. My friends from high school celebrated our 30th reunion, and I couldn't go. And then the kitchen sink started leaking.

Ever feel like your entire life needs a vitamin supplement?

To be honest, I was tired and cranky.

But then Jack came home from an extended out-of-town business trip. Preston came home for Fall Break. The sun shone brightly. The leaves turned awesome shades of red and gold. I made a new friend at church. Jack and I went for a long walk. I made pumpkin bread and two batches of cookies for Preston to take back to college with him. So many good things to enjoy.

Just look at that blue sky!

And I was reminded: there is no life devoid of grace. Even when I'm feeling tired and lethargic, the world is still full of God's goodness. Even when I don't have eyes to see, God still has goodness aplenty. He pours grace into my life day after day.

Do you have a story of God's grace to share? I'd love to hear it! This linky party is dedicated to celebrate the gifts, large and small, that God gives to us. (Click here if you'd like to read more about it.)

Grace Imparted

As I've written these posts on spiritual formation, I've joked with myself that I could have called this series "How to Fail at Blogging" or "31 Days of How to Kill Your Blog."

After all, just because I want to talk about spiritual formation doesn't mean that anyone wants to listen to it. I know this. I've always known that my posts about faith don't generate as much traffic as my posts about homemaking or decorating. Still, I felt called to write this series, so I forged ahead.

Until last week, when I was just about ready to give up. I was just about to tweet something like "Anyone else wish they hadn't done a 31-day series?" when I received a letter.

A reader wrote to say "I've been following your blog for awhile now, and am especially blessed by your 31 Days of Spiritual Formation." She went on to explain that she's going through a really tough time right now, and these posts have been very helpful to her.

Whoa! Did God know that I needed a bit of encouragement right then?

Of course he did. Just as he always knows what we need, and he always provides. It's his grace imparted to us.

My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

I'm glad that this series on Spiritual Formation is punctuated each week by a time to stop and celebrate God's gifts. Do you have a story to share? Big or small, every good gift comes from his hand. I'd love to hear about it!

Spiritual Formation, Day 10: Grace Imparted

I noticed a fire truck parked in my neighborhood the other day. No sign of fire, no smell of smoke; just the truck. Then I saw two firefighters walking around holding brushes and cans of red paint.

They were painting the hydrants.

It's been a long time since there was a fire in this neighborhood. But the firefighters diligently painted each hydrant, making sure the giant spigots would be easy to spot if ever they're needed.

It occurred to me this is what we do when we stop to celebrate God's grace. We all know God's grace is there, of course. But if there haven't been any fires in our lives lately, we can forget where our strength comes from. I'm grateful for the chance to pause here each Monday and remember that everything is a gift from God's hand--His grace imparted to us.

Do you have a story of God's grace to share? I'd love to hear it! This linky party is dedicated to celebrate the gifts, large and small, that God gives to us. (Click here if you'd like to read more about it.)

31 Days of Spiritual Formation: Grace Imparted

I'm joining a host of bloggers taking the "31 Days" challenge in the month of October. Today is Day 3, and my topic is Spiritual Formation.

But today is Monday, so it's the day for my weekly link party, Grace Imparted. So is it "cheating" for me to devote today's post to the Grace Imparted party rather than writing about spiritual formation?

No, I don't think it's cheating. In fact, a day dedicated to God's grace is not at all off-topic for a series on Spiritual Formation. Instead, grace is the very heart of the matter when it comes to spiritual formation.

As I said on Day 1 of this series, Christian spiritual formation is probably best thought of as spiritual TRANSformation. Our desire is to become like Christ. Read again II Corinthians 3:18:

"And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit."

Do you see it? This business of transformation is God's work in us. We participate in the process, to be sure, and that's what we'll be exploring together this month. But the transforming work is done by God. It is a gift from His hand--His grace imparted to us.

This linky party is dedicated to celebrate the gifts, large and small, that God gives to us. (Click here if you'd like to read more about it.) Do you have a story to share? I'd love to hear about it. We can celebrate God's goodness together.

P.S. The winner of Emily Freeman's book Grace for the Good Girl (chosen via the random number generator at Random.org) is Vivienne of The V Spot! Vivienne, I need your mailing address, and I'll send your book out pronto!

Grace Imparted

I've been out of town for the past several days, attending a Renovare' Board meeting and a conference on spiritual formation. It was a week full of blessings, but there's one in particular I want to tell you about.

Our Board received a designated donation that allowed us to benefit from the services of a wonderful consultant. She spent two days with us, and we were all impressed by her knowledge and expertise, as well as by her ability to articulate her thoughts and to educate us. To be honest, I was amazed by her. She's a faithful Christian and an incredibly gifted woman, and it was a pleasure to learn from her.

On Friday morning, though, we weren't in a meeting. We were walking across a college campus, enjoying the beautiful blue sky and sunshine. All was peaceful and lovely until my foot happened upon a hole in the sidewalk. I twisted my ankle and fell--down, down, down--hitting my right knee, then my shoulder, and finally my face. I was wearing a dress at the time. Of course.

I should hasten to tell you that I'm fine. I was scratched and scraped, but thankfully suffered no sprains or breaks or major cuts. What's remarkable about that scene is not that I fell--truth be told, I'm rather clumsy, so I'm no stranger to falling. But almost before I hit the ground, our amazingly talented consultant was down on her hands and knees beside me. As quickly as other people were saying "Are you okay?" she had pulled out tissues and hand sanitizer. She carefully wiped off my scrapes and scratches and covered my skinned knee with--you can see it in the photo--a Hello Kitty band-aid.

I don't think I would have been surprised if this impressive, high-powered businesswoman had whipped out her smartphone and called for help. But I was surprised when she so humbly and lovingly cared for me right where I was, even when that required her dropping to her knees. Her kindness was a gift from God--His grace imparted to me.

Now, do you have any stories to tell of how God has imparted grace in your life? Will you share the story of a gift you've received from God's hand? It can be large or small--I'd love to hear about it! Click here to read all about this linky party celebrating God's gifts to us. Help yourself to a button and help me spread the word.

Grace Imparted: A review and a giveaway

I have always been a good girl.

To be honest, I never even considered not being a good girl. I was born into a good family. We went to church at least three times a week. Bad behavior was not tolerated, not for a minute--not at home, not at school, not at church. So I was the quintessential good girl. I wasn't a pretty girl. I was a smart girl and a very good girl. I was the one who made all A's, who was a trusted babysitter and club treasurer and youth group member. I never skipped class, I never blew off a test, I never was tardy.

I went to college and continued right along the same path. I was smart and I was good. I never skipped class, I never blew off a test, I never was tardy. By the beginning of my senior year I was engaged to a good boy. I got married right after graduation and began my adult life of being a good woman.

And I tried to live a good life

and tried harder

and tried harder still.

And finally all I had was the trying hard. The "good life" I had always wanted had eluded me. I was blessed in many ways, but I was never able to enjoy those blessings. When things went wrong, I just tried harder to make them work. Finally, I was exhausted. I went through a crisis in my marriage and a deep depression.

After years of mightily striving to please God, to please my parents, to please my husband, to please my bosses, to please my children, to please my friends, to please everyone around me, I finally realized that I was not good enough.

You see, that's the problem of being a good girl. Being a good girl seems smart. It seems wise. More than anything else, it seems safe. But being a good girl comes with an unrelenting problem: the good girl can never be good enough.

My friend Emily Freeman has written a book about this very thing. You might have seen it. It's called Grace for the Good Girl. From her own personal experience and from working with hundreds of girls over the years, Emily has a deep understanding of what it's like to work under the heavy burden of trying to be good enough. Her book unpacks the myths of the try-hard life. She explores the various ways those myths can develop in our lives. She exposes them for the enslaving traps they really are. And she points to the only way to freedom: through Jesus Christ.

When I first discovered how deeply enslaved I was by my own good-girl myths, I desperately wanted to escape them. But even with the myths exposed, the journey from the good girl's slavery to true freedom in Christ can be long and arduous. Old habits die hard. Patterns developed early in life aren't easy to alter. But Emily's book is a good and reliable guide for the trip. Like a compass that always points North, Emily's book points steadfastly to the polestar of the Spirit. Rather than pretending that the trip will be easy, Emily offers hope that the journey is worth making and assurance that freedom is attainable.

How I wish I'd had this book a few years ago. But at least I have it now. And if I start to slip back into those old ways, I'll have a roadmap for the way out.

If you're like me, you need this book. I urge you to obtain a copy. In fact, I'm giving a copy away. Emily's publisher, Revell (a division of Baker Publishing Corporation), has kindly provided a copy for me to give away to a reader. Simply leave a comment to enter the giveaway.

God is using Emily's book to impart grace. If you don't win a copy of it, you can find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble online, or at your favorite bookstore. You'll be so glad you read it.

Now, do you have any stories to tell of how God has imparted grace in your life? Will you share the story of a gift you've received from God's hand? It can be large or small--I'd love to hear about it! Click here to read all about this new linky party celebrating God's gifts to us. Help yourself to a button and help me spread the word.

Grace Imparted 8

This weekend people all across the United States paused to remember the events of September 11, 2001. We were brought to our knees as we thought again about that day, and we particularly remember the heroism displayed by the many folks who gave their lives to save others.

image courtesy of www.seabythecity.com

Perhaps most telling is the fact that everyone seems to remember what he or she was doing when news of the tragedy broke. The events of that day were so significant that the moment is forever seared in our memories. People refer to 9/11 as "the day the world stopped turning."

Of course, the world did not stop turning, and that fact is what brings me most comfort. I remember that day in September particularly because dear friends of ours had a baby on September 9. They had wanted a child for a long time, and September 9 brought the blessing of a healthy, beautiful little girl. And guess what day they brought her home from the hospital? September 11.

I can remember someone's saying "How awful to bring your baby home on a terrible day like this. The joy of that moment will forever be tainted by the horrible events of this day."

I think, though, that the opposite was true. September 11, 2001 was a terrible day, much like December 7, 1941, forever immortalized as "a day that will live in infamy." But for some of us, it's the day that a wonderful little baby came home from the hospital. Her presence in the world was like a signal that, even though evil people with terrible plans were at work in the world, much good was still present. God is still at work, and His good overcomes evil, even on a day like that one.

That little baby? She's a beautiful girl who is now 10 years old, a wonderful girl who has never ceased to delight everyone with whom she comes in contact. And her name? Grace. Happy birthday, sweet Grace. You are a gift from God.

What about you? Will you share the story of a gift you've received from God's hand? It can be large or small--I'd love to hear about it! Click here to read all about this new linky party celebrating God's gifts to us. Help yourself to a button and help me spread the word.

Grace Imparted 6

You always know it's coming.

From the time you first take a child to school, you know that one day you'll really have to take him to school. If all goes according to plan, you know that some day he'll want to go to college. God willing, he'll have that opportunity, and you'll be happy for him.

But you still have to take him.

And so we took Preston to college on Friday. It was a lovely day, all in all. The weather was fairly mild by North Carolina standards. We moved all his stuff into his room and then we all went to downtown Chapel Hill, ate lunch at a cool pizza place, and did a little shopping. Then we drove around the campus and Preston pointed out several UNC landmarks to us. Finally, though, it was time to leave him at his dorm.

"Do you want us to come up to your room with you?" I asked Preston. "Sure," he said. We were thinking that we might get to meet his roommate, who was scheduled to arrive later than Preston. So Jack parked the car and we all trooped up the concrete stairs to the boxy little room. Still no roommate. Preston looked a little disappointed, and I hated the thought of just leaving him there by himself.

But then a wonderful thing happened. A door in the hallway opened and out stepped a couple of really nice guys. They introduced themselves. Then another door opened, and another. All the guys in the suite came out to the hallway to meet one another.

"Hey, you guys want a cookie?" Preston asked them.

"What kind?" one of them queried.

"Chocolate chip," answered Preston. "She made them," he said, pointing to me.

Just like that, the ice was broken. There they were, brand new to UNC, but already they were together, sharing cookies and stories and life. And I knew it was going to be okay.

Thank you, God, for the privilege of having a son like Preston. Thank you for giving him the opportunity to go to college. And thank you for prompting me to make those cookies.

What about you? Will you share the story of a gift you've received from God's hand? It can be large or small--I'd love to hear about it! Click here to read all about this new linky party celebrating God's gifts to us. Help yourself to a button and help me spread the word.

Grace Imparted 5

The job of being a mom changes over the years.

Somehow I found it the job of being mother to babies and preschoolers to have lots of built-in reassurances. It was as if well-child check-ups were really "well-mother" check-ups for me. As long as my fellows were up to date on their immunizations, as long as their ear infections had been treated promptly, as long as their teeth came in on time and they were on the charts for height and weight, I got a checked off as a "Good Mom."

Does anyone know what I mean?

But as my boys got older, the well-child check-ups were fewer and and farther between. At the same time, there were more and more other influences in their lives. They came to know and love good teachers, good coaches, and good friends, just as they should. Sometimes it stung a little to realize that there was less room in their lives for me.

This past week, though, I got a chance to spend some time all alone with my oldest son, Will. Will is 20 years old. He'll be a junior at Duke University. He just got home from doing an internship with our congressman. I'm really proud of him, but I don't get to spend much time with him these days.

So I asked him out to lunch.

Literally. On Friday, Will and I had lunch together. For the cost of a couple of sandwiches, I got to spend two and half hours all alone with my firstborn son. We talked about big things, about little things, about the past, the present, and the future. It was the best lunch I've had in a long, long time.

And I was reminded once again that

Children are a heritage from the Lord;

the fruit of the womb is a reward (Psalm 127:3).

What a gift--pure grace, poured out into my life. Thank you, Lord.

What about you? Will you share the story of a gift you've received from God's hand? It can be large or small--I'd love to hear about it! Click here to read all about this new linky party celebrating God's gifts to us. Help yourself to a button and help me spread the word.

Grace Imparted 4

Last week I took a photo of my youngest son's room. His bedroom, that is. Notice there is no bed. There's no room for a bed!

But then I took Lee to IKEA, and he and I chose the Brimnes bed. We loaded up the three boxes and hauled them home.

Lee (aka LegoLee329) is an amazing LEGO builder. As you know, LEGO is a Danish company. All assembly instructions are pictorial--no language barrier. IKEA furniture features pictorial instructions, too. No language barrier, but for a wordy girl such as I, no language help, either! I'm not sure how well I would have done trying to assemble the bed on my own. But I didn't do it on my own--Lee and I did it together. He was awesome at following the directions, and we actually had a good time building it. Seriously--a mom and a 14-year-old boy had fun assembling a piece of furniture.

The next morning, I sneaked in and took this photo while Lee slept. Same windows as in the photo above--but now instead of clutter, there's a sturdy bed holding a boy who's earned his rest.

I thank God for the chance to build memories along with furniture. And I'm so thankful for my LegoLee! What grace God imparts to us through our children!

How about you? Will you share the story of a gift you've received from God's hand? It can be large or small--I'd love to hear about it! Click here to read all about this new linky party celebrating God's gifts to us. Help yourself to a button and help me spread the word.

Grace Imparted 3

This was Preston with his older brother on his very first day of school:

This was Preston on his last day of school:

And a couple of weeks ago, Preston went to Chapel Hill for new student orientation at the University of North Carolina. I would join him later for some parent programs, but for awhile, he was there alone. He kept me updated via text message.

Imagine my surprise when I received this text from Preston:

I just met Carla from Country Diary of a Southern Lady.

Can you imagine? At freshman orientation for a huge state university, one of my dear blogging friends recognized Preston and introduced herself and her daughter Catie, who was also on campus for freshman orientation. I got to meet Carla and Catie later, and they are just as lovely in person as you'd expect from Carla's blog.

A real-life connection first formed in the blogosphere. Isn't that a blessing? A gift from God--grace imparted to me. I am thankful.

What about you? Would you share the story of a gift you've received from God's hand? It can be large or small--I'd love to hear about it! You can click here to read all about this new linky party celebrating God's gifts to us. And please help yourself to a button and help me spread the word.

Grace Imparted

Today I want to share with you a story sent to me by a lovely woman named Karen. Karen is from Alabama, and though she doesn't have a blog of her own, she wanted to share the story of how she's experienced God's grace this spring. Here's Karen:

I serve as the City Clerk in the City of Pleasant Grove, Alabama. On the evening of April 27, 2011, our city was devastated by a EF-4 tornado. City facilites were unharmed, but 10 people lost their lives and approximately 1,000 homes were heavily damaged, with the majority of those totally gone. We had 3500 homes in the city, so we lost nearly a third of the homes.

A path a half mile wide looked like an airport landing strip when viewed from aerial photos.

I live just outside the city limits and had debris falling from the sky into my yard. A bank statement from an address in the city of Tuscaloosa, which is 60 miles away from my home, landed in my yard. I told my family, "This is a bad sign." I had a gut feeling it was going to be bad. Feeling compelled to be at City Hall, I told my husband I had to get to Pleasant Grove and do what I could to help. Getting there was difficult; fallen trees blocked the roads leading to the city. At last I made contact with a police officer. I told him I worked at City Hall and asked if he could take me there and he said, "Jump in." On the way there he told me things were really bad.

Our firefighters was busy treating the injured and it was like a scene from a war. Triage was taking place before my eyes. I saw doors that were propped against a handrail and realized they had been used to bring injured people to the Fire Department. Our fire trucks could not make it into most areas because of all the fallen trees, so many of the injured had been brought to the Fire Department in the beds of pick-up trucks. Several neighboring cities sent in their fire and rescue personnel and everyone was working together to help the injured and get them on their way to hospitals. Finally all injured had been transported and the next day began the search and recovery stage. When I did get to ride in one of the police cars the next day and see the damage it made me sick and broke my heart to see all the devastation. Pictures don't do it justice, but it is not something you really want to see.

I have to say I have really been touched by the tornado victims when they tell us what they experienced. All of them have said the same thing: that the houses they lost were just material and they are thankful to God that they and their family made it out alive. One resident told us that a friend asked her, "Why would God let that happen?" And she told her friend, "God did not make the storm happen. God had his hand covering us and protecting us that evening." She is so right. Over and over we have heard how amazing it is that only ten lives were lost. It is because of God's grace there weren't more.

I have been in awe of the volunteers and churches that have come to our aid, helping in any way they can. God wants us to help each other in times of need. The city is in the clean-up process. Some residents have moved away; others have decided to stay and start all over again. We have over thirty building permits for new homes so far and with time and with God's help we will again be the strong and tightly-knit community that we were before the storm. God's grace was present and still is in Pleasant Grove, and everyone knows it. I have been blessed to hear the testimonies from the storm victims and am blessed to work in a city that is quick to say that they know God loves and cares for them.

Thank you to Karen for sharing her story! Now how about you? How have you seen God's grace at work in your life? Share it with us! You can read this post about Grace Imparted. We're looking to celebrate together the goodness of God.

Grace Imparted

"Time to go to the orthodontist."

Almost never have those words provoked eagerness among my children. But this week, Lee was ready to go. He even posed for this silly photo before we left:

Why the excitement? Because this visit was THE visit. And here's a pic I snapped in the car right after we left the office:

What I hadn't expected was that I would get teary-eyed as we bade farewell to Dr. Gilbert and his staff. But when Dr. Gilbert said, "Lee, it's been great. I feel like I watched you grow up," the tears welled up.

Dr. Gilbert's office has been a regular part of our life since 2002, back when Will was in sixth grade. Will's now a junior at Duke. Then Preston was Dr. Gilbert's patient, and now Preston will be a freshman at Carolina. Lee was the last, and he's been a patient of Dr. Gilbert's for six years. Dr. Gilbert and his staff have seen us through the rough up-and-down ride of middle school for three boys--boys who now all have great smiles. As I reflected on all those office visits, with Dr. Gilbert and his staff so kind and patient every single time, I realized how great a gift it's been to know our orthodontist and benefit from his expert and compassionate care. And that brought tears to my eyes!

What about you? Have received a gift from God's generous hand? Tell us about it! We'd love to hear about the grace imparted to you.

Remember, it doesn't have to be a "big" story. Maybe you've taken a photo of something that stirs your imagination. Perhaps you've received a special gift. Or maybe you've received a very ordinary gift, but you've been touched with the understanding that it's from the hand of God. Maybe you've been working on a project and everything has fallen neatly into place. Perhaps you finally finished something that's taken you a long time to accomplish. Or maybe you've just been given the eyes to see something that's been true for a long time. Whatever the grace imparted to you, I'd like to know about it.

If you'd like to join the party, please link to your specific post, not to your blog's home page. And please include a link back to this party, so that others might find their way here. I look forward to reading your stories of Grace Imparted!

**I'm linking to Encouraging Words Wednesday at Walking in His Grace

A new linky party: Grace Imparted

I was privileged to attend a spiritual retreat last week, a time of teaching and reflection that was like water for thirsty souls. As we spent time enjoying the beauty of our surroundings and time devoted to prayer and fellowship, one of the speakers reminded us that everything--every good thing that we see, enjoy, and benefit from--is a gift from God. Everything comes to us as grace from God.

We use the word "grace" a lot, and when asked to define it, we usually say something like "Grace is unmerited favor." And while that definition is true, I think maybe it's not quite enough to reduce our idea of grace to a four-word definition.

I think we should talk about grace. I think we should share our awe and our wonder. So I'm asking you to join me in talking about it.

Starting next Monday, I'll host a new linky party called Grace Imparted. I want to hear about any grace you've received. Perhaps you've been moved by a special message from God. Maybe you've taken a photo of something that stirs your imagination. Perhaps you've received a special gift. Or maybe you've received a very ordinary gift, but you've been touched with the understanding that it's from the hand of God. Maybe you've been working on a project and everything has fallen neatly into place. Perhaps you finally finished something that's taken you a long time to accomplish. Or maybe you've just been given the eyes to see something that's been true for a long time. Whatever the grace imparted to you, I'd like to know about it.

Will you join me? Will you share with all of us your stories of the grace, large or small, you've been given? I hope so!

I'd love for you to take this button and help me spread the word. The party will begin next Monday, July 18, at 6:00 A.M. I'll keep the linky active for several days, so that you'll have ample time to join. Whether there are three or thirty of us, we'll share our stories of grace and celebrate the fact "every good and perfect is from above" (James 1:17).

**I'm joining Amanda for Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now**