Grasp...

I want to grasp the will of God,
His good, acceptable, and perfect will.

Not just "fly" by in this life doing what I think, what others "think" I should do,
but be so in-tune with Him that I hear His voice leading me, guiding me.

Oh, the sweet joy of seeking Him.

Being transformed by the renewing of my mind.

Trusting in His unfailing love,

rejoicing in His salvation.

 

Singing to the Lord,

for He has been good to me.

 

I don't know how the story will end.

But what I do know is that He is here.

 

Leading me. Guiding me.

 

Into His...

Good, Acceptable, and Perfect will.

 

By His Grace,

Nicole Marie

Spilling words out onto the page.

No editing, no worrying if I have it just right or not.

Writing for five minutes with friends.
Kindred friends who are a sweet blessing. 

 

Letting the words flow across the screen, seeing the story that will unfold...

Sharing thoughts on the word Grasp, tonight.

Joining Lisa-Jo  and friends here:

Getting back to...

...penning words of encouragement that

occupy a little bit of space in that mail bag to...

in-turn, occupy the heart spaces of another.

These past few weeks have a been a wonderful reminder of how the words of

another can so greatly uplift, encourage, and put salve over our weary and torn hearts.

I have been so greatly blessed by the actions and words of others here on-line 

and in the paths I walk each day!

A kind act in the gift of a watermelon.

The handmade card in the mail.

The words scrolled across the twitter feed and straight into my heart.

I've decided...

I'm getting back to sending words of encouragement,

little notes dropped into the slot of our quaint post office,

to travel the miles and sometimes entire states to those I love.

It is something I used to do... all the time.

Without hesitation.

Full of love.

That is why I was so excited when Dayspring sent me a pack of their 

Redeemed All Occasion cards to review.

They are full of inspiration, encouragement, and they are cute!

This being my favorite one...

I've decided that I'm going to send these cards out to those 

who have encouraged me through this change,

and to those who may need encouraging.

These cards truly are...

salve for the heart and soul.

By His Grace,

Nicole Marie

* Disclosure: Dayspring provided me with a free pack of Redeemed All Occasion Cards. The opinions are solely mine, and I sure do love them!

Wide and full of Grace...

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-14 NIV 

...That is the verse she gave me tonight...
A verse aptly spoken, wide and full of the grace of God.
Grace that covered and flowed over my heart and soul.

Wide with promise and hope of what is to come.
Even when I can't see it, nor know what it will be, it is wide with promise.

To forget what is behind me,
reach forward to what lies ahead,
press on towards the goal.

The goal of Christ Jesus.

But, I must step.
I must act.
I must make a choice.

He's there right beside me.
And, He's there beside you too.

...with arms open wide.

I will keep on the journey.
I will trust He is there, working behind the scenes even when I can't "see" Him.

 Wide with Grace.
Wide with Promise.
Wide with Hope.

By His Grace and Hope,

Nicole Marie

Spilling words out onto the page.

No editing, no worrying if I have it just right or not.

Writing for five minutes with friends. 
Kindred friends who are a sweet blessing. 

 

Letting the words flow across the screen, seeing the story that will unfold...

Sharing thoughts on the word Wide, tonight.

Joining Lisa-Jo  and friends here:

Lesson from a watermelon...

There it sits...
green, football like, sitting on my front porch,
and I smile.

Just a few minutes before, that smile wasn't there but tears.
Tears that flow when stress hits, prayers go unanswered,
in the middle of trials and waiting on change.

She had a whim,
a thought,
and she acted on it.

Something so small,
an act so kind,
to change my focus...

To focus on the blessing of the moment.
To focus on the provision of the moment.
To focus on the truth that God has not forgotten me in this time.

A moment to take the focus off of all that has been weighing me down.
To open my eyes and see the small gifts HE would bring after that...

A card.
An email.
Friends reaching out.
An opportunity to create again.

When my thoughts go to the weight of the waiting and trials.
The reality that is now.

I just focus...

Focus on that green, football like watermelon,
now sitting on my counter.

And, I smile.

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5 NIV

What small, little gifts has He left you lately?


By His Grace and Hope,

Nicole Marie

Spilling words out onto the page.

No editing, no worrying if I have it just right or not.

Writing for five minutes with friends.

 

Letting the words flow across the screen, seeing the story that will unfold...

Sharing thoughts on the word Focus, tonight.

Joining Lisa-Jo  and friends here:

Change...

Spilling words out onto the page.

No editing, no worrying if I have it just right or not.

Writing for five minutes with friends.

And, go...

Change...

I am in the midst of change.
Smack-dab in the middle of the ocean, change.
The kind of change that requires "getting out of the boat."

I was here once before.
Frozen.
Scared.
Afraid to move.

But since that time,
God has placed circumstances,
people,
and learning into my life in such a way that...

Causes growth.

Growth to see that God is always with me.
He will never leave nor forsake.
That through this change,
He is there.

What's it going to take?

Getting out of the boat.
Walking with my eyes and heart focused on Christ.
Because,
you see...

I'm done with looking at the waves.
I'm done with sitting in the boat, looking out over the ocean...

It's time for a change and I'm stepping out.

Let's go God.
Things are happening, and they are good!

I know you got this.
I know you got me!

I can't wait to see what you have in store for me!

---Stop---

By His Grace and Hope,

Nicole Marie

Letting the words flow across the screen, seeing the story that will unfold...

Sharing thoughts on the word Stretch, tonight.

Joining Lisa-Jo  and friends here:

Stretch...{Five Minute Friday}

I breathe deep, look into the reflection of my mothers eyes, as tears fall.

And I just know...

this moment is good.

BUT,

there is something more.

Something that I will have to wait for.

This place, this now, is going to stretch me.

Stretch me in ways I don't even know yet.

Stretch me in the hard...

Stretch me in the good...

Stretch me in the waiting and the living...

And I'm both scared and excited.

I stretch...

 ...for the dreams that lie in my heart.

...in this place that God has me.

...and still yearn for that something more.

Something that I know is there...

But as those tears fall,

going to have to wait for a little while longer.

STOP

By His Grace and Hope,

Nicole Marie

Letting the words flow across the screen, seeing the story that will unfold...

Sharing thoughts on the word Stretch, tonight.

Joining Lisa-Jo  and friends here:

Beauty and connect...at the heart of every girl

Slowing my mind and allowing my soul to breathe in this wee early morning.

So early, my head earns for rest upon the soft, gray pillow now supporting my back.
Dreams only a thought in my mind.

Instead,

Words are spilling out onto the page.

No editing, no worrying if I have it just right or not.

And, go...

At the heart of every girl, no matter the age,

is the deep desire to feel, connect.

To know:

She is wanted.

She is loved.

She is beautiful.

Beautiful is what she wants to feel, drink deeply of.

The beauty that only comes from deep with in.

The beauty of being wanted.

The beauty of being loved for who she is, all of her.

All of her past, her present, and all of what the future holds.

Where is the connect?

For the beauty that seems so far away...

The beauty hidden...
the beauty masked in the pains of life, trials fought...

 For the beauty that comes from deep with in.

Deep within the heart...

Might it begin here,
found within the pages of a legacy.
Pages that breathe truth.

Let the king be enthralled by your beauty...

Psalm 45:11a NIV 

STOP

What are some of your favorite verses on beauty?

By His Grace and Hope,

Nicole Marie 

Sharing my thoughts on the word connect, and realizing, tonight...

the words searched me out.

Joining Lisa-Jo  and friends here:

Sitting here in this...

Clearing my head, for five minutes of free writing

 without worrying about getting it right.

This week's prompt chosen by Lisa-Jo: Here

And, go...

Sitting here in this coffee shop and wondering, do I share the raw truths of my heart today?

Do I let them go, here in this space?

Hoping that someone may find Hope and Grace in them, through them.

So here I go...

If love never fails, why is it so hard?

How do couples, two people, get past the past hurts, fears, and percieved societal rules

to actually be free to love one another.

And if they aren't in that place yet.

How do they get free enough from their own selfish self to truly learn about and

grow with another to see if it's worth pursing?

How do you get past the hard? 

The own ideas each of you have brought to this place, 

to learn the true heart of the other?

What would happen if you didn't listen to,

forgot all of society rules,

expectations,

 and movie magic?

And instead came real, 

stayed real, 

and were honest.

Not quitting when it got tough or confusing but pushing through to the heart.
 

To dare to take a risk, a leap, to fly.

Sitting here in this coffee shop, a blessed friend, encourages me...

share those words,

wait for those words,

that is what God wants.

That is what you want.

...Wait for God's best she says...

STOP.

By His Grace and for His Glory,

Nicole Marie

The God Who Sees...

You're the God who sees...

every broken dream,

tear that falls,

heart that breaks.

You're the God who sees...

every way-ward turn,

every mistake,

the path we take.

You're the God who sees...

the pain,

confusion,

longing.

You're the God who sees...

the prayers of our heart,

true longings and desires,

the forgiveness we seek. 

You're the God who sees...

me step out in faith,

trusting again,

as scared as I may be.

You're the God...

who never fails,

never leaves,

always answers. 

This post was written a month or so ago.  I have held it dear until now.

May you be encouraged no matter what you are facing today that...

God Sees You

and

He Loves You Deeply.

Counting Gifts...that God's Love...
 Never Fails.

Never Leaves.

Always Answers.

By His Grace and Hope,

Nicole Marie

Beyond the tattered...

Setting my timer, clearing my head, for five minutes of free writing

 without worrying about getting it right.

This week's prompt chosen by Lisa-Jo: Beyond

And, go...

Beyond the tattered, worn cover are markings of pens long since ran out.

Markings that give life to this well-beaten and worn Bible.

Markings that once guided the thoughts and prayers of family close.

But to me...they are more than markings.

more than words, 

more than lines on a page.

It goes beyond that.

They are a legacy.

Legacy of the faith of a grandpa I knew

and a grandma I will one day meet in heaven.

Legacy of faith gone before me

and faith I want to continue. 

A legacy I hope to one day pass down.

Beyond the tattered, worn cover are...

STOP.

By His Grace and Hope,

Nicole Marie

Words...

I hear Him in you.

Friends who speak truth and love covered in grace.

 Words of grace that flow from their hearts to mine. 

Words from our Father that speak ever so softly, ever so gently.

Words that are truth and remind me,
"He is who He says He is."

They are words that show God's answers are bigger than my prayers,

bigger than the dreams in my heart,

bigger than the biggest hurts of late.

Words that correct, heal, and speak love all at the same time. 

Words from a Father in Heaven who loves me too much not to speak.

Quietly, slipping back into this community of sharing words, sharing friendships, and sharing the Hope of God.

It has been way too long. 

How I have missed this community.

By His Grace and Hope,

Nicole Marie

Bowed...

Bowed in adoration, in humbleness.

Bowed low that He may raise me up.

Bowed low, not empty, but filled with Him.

Bowed low that I might stand on the heights.

Bowed low that I might leap and fly.

Seeing the world through His eyes with my head bowed low.

Only when bowed down do I see the perspective through Christ's eyes.

Just like the wheat head that is truly full is bowed low.

What will you give Christ today?

Counting the gift of Christ filling me up each day as I seek him and put my trust in Him.

Thankful for His gifts.

By His Grace,

Cole

The Intersection of Opportunity

I am standing at the intersection of opportunity and I am frozen.

Is it fear? Yes, I'll be honest and swallow that one.

My heart is pounding out beats along this road and I am searching.

Prayers are going up,

I have what I need.

The rest is up to me.

I desire this opportunity, 

want it completely.

But, I don't know which road to take.

I am frozen in the blessing of opportunities and fear is threatening to steal it.

I know God is with me wherever I go, 

then why is this choice so hard?

There is much I want to do.

To see.

All are the right choice.

Which do I take beats loud my heart.

Fear can no longer be a companion on this road, 

no longer a back seat driver on this journey to opportunity.

No, it must go!

The lights I know will soon turn and flash green to go.

I know when it does,

HE will be there with me.

Can't HE just paint the answer in the sky?

No, not this time.

It must be a leap.

A leaf of faith.

So I find myself standing at the intersection of opportunity.

What intersections are you standing at right now?

Joining at The Gypsy Mama and friends for Five Minute Friday.
Writing for 5 minutes without edits.

By His Grace,

Cole

{Perspective} Five Minute Friday

Hello Friends!

It has been so long since I have stepped into this space that

 I am still figuring out this new Blogger. 

Many changes have happened, are happening, could be happening soon.

I want to share all with you, but some I need to keep near to my heart.

I've been taking mobile pictures and thought of sharing with you a collage of daily life these past few months, but what my heart is truly desiring are words.

Words of life.

Words that bring hope.

 Words that give you a glimpse of our Heavenly Father.

So, for today, We are going to join The Gypsy Mama and others for last week's Five Minute Friday prompt. Writing without edits for 5 minutes.

This week's word...

Perspective

---

His love never fails and He never leaves me.

I try to make sense of it, 

wanting to know how this moment, this gift given will turn out. 

But this...

I cannot.

So, I give thanks for today.

This moment.

This gift.

I can only take risks, step out in faith, hope.

Knowing, trusting, in whatever HIS plan may be.

For this moment.

For this time.

 I desire to be filled with HIM, HIM above.

Take it day-by-day I'm told.

Enjoy each day for what it is.

It has been long since I have let this heart of mine go to this place.

This place of goodness in the gift.

When I can't see what is to come,

in my heart,

I remember the perspective that is...

His Love never fails and He never leaves me.

By His Grace,

Cole

{You go nowhere by accident...}

Hello dear friends.

It has been a while, long while, since I have hopped on here.

I have not forgotten you.

I have thought about you often.

Many things have happened since our last chat. 

It is a season of change around here in many ways.

{God is good and He provides.}

I'll be back soon.

Until then...

Please enjoy the above.

It is something my Pastor says every Sunday and it is more real now than ever to me.

Blessings!

By His Grace,

Cole

Ache...{Five Minute Friday}

Limping up the front porch I look back.

I look back at this crazy, wild journey of blessings and heartache.

And it takes all my strength to lift the tight, sore muscles of my legs up one more step.

Retraining my body for God’s glory not the approval of others.

Leaning into His grace and strength that can only carry a body miles on end

through the Kansas winds that push back.

The growth of sleeping muscles coming back to life colliding head-on

with dreams deferred.

Not my strength.

Not my will.

But His in me.

His Word will not return empty.

His Word is as alive as the breathes you take right now…

His Word…

I can do all things through Christ Jesus He who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

By His Grace,

Cole

It's been a few weeks of no rest but so blessed.

A busy season of State Assessments, meetings, Sub-state basketball, and teaching the kiddos God has entrusted to me. 

I've missed you...

How have you been?

We're joining: The Gypsy Mama and Beki's: Finger Print Friday today.