This week was a tough! I couldn’t pick just one post! There were two posts that really were wonderful and I felt I MUST share them with you!
Kathleen at The Joyful Servant shared her post “Will Your Marriage Suffer During the Holidays?”
I loved all of the tips she shared and hope to implement some of them over the next 2 weeks! Thanks sis for the great ideas! 🙂
Trisha from Intoxicated on Life shared her post “Our Christmas Plans: 12 Devotionals Leading Up to Christmas”
I loved her idea of wrapping up presents for the kiddos to open each night based on their daily devotional. Thank you for the great ideas for bringing home the meaning of Christmas to the kiddos!
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This last week my husband, kiddos and myself were heading somewhere, all together in his truck. This is something that doesn’t happen often, so I’m sure why I can’t remember where we were headed? LOL!
As he was driving, I noticed a tree that had the center snapped off, yet the side branches continued to grow and flourish. The center was broken, jagged, ugly and forever scarred. Yet the tree continued to live and flourish, growing in spite of the ugly, broken, and scarred portion.
I immediately pictured myself as that very tree.
Through stubbornness and bad choices I’ve made, I have parts of me that are ugly, broken and forever scarred.
By God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness and love; I am living and growing.
I am beautiful. My ugly, broken and forever scars, make up this Princess, this daughter of a King.
I continue to have new branches and blossoms, thanks to God alone. He’s not finished with me yet. When He is, He’ll call me Home.
Until then my beauty is made perfect, with my ugly, brokenness and forever scars BECAUSE of HIS mercy, GRACE, forgiveness and STUBBORN LOVE!
I went back to find that tree to take a picture to show you, but I couldn’t find it! 🙁
So I found one similar? Maybe you can see what I saw?
Maybe “that tree” was just a picture for me! 🙂
That tree is ME!! I have been thinking the last couple days how much I messed up my life, yet by God’s grace He has been transforming me into His image. I hope my children can all see this. Maybe they can’t since they are at the ages that they see my faults and failings…when they get older and raising their own families, they will begin to see what God does in our lives a little more. Thanks for linking up over at WholeHearted Home last month. I got swept away by the fun and anticipation of Christmas. Thanks for linking up….I hope you linked up today.
Oh I am praying that someday mine will see the same things! Thank you for stoppin by, I did link up today 😉 Blessings!
God is amazing how He brings beauty out of ugly! That’s what He did with the cross! This post blesses me! Thank you for sharing so beautifully! Love & prayers, in Jesus, Cynthia
Amen! Beauty from the cross! Love it! Thank you for sharing and stoppin by! Blessings!
Nice post.
Ty 🙂 Blessings!
I love that word, “Because.” Just thinking that I can be God’s child BECAUSE of His grace, mercy and forgiveness overwhelms me. I’m unworthy, yet that didn’t stop Him. Your tree must have been grown just for you!
Yes, the “connector” word as I call it “because” without it none of us would be anywhere! I’m beginning to believe that tree was grown just for me! LOL! I can’t believe I couldn’t find it again!
Thank you so much for sharing my post Misty… I feel so honored 🙂 I loved your post and the broken tree. Reminds me of how God prunes us. it is amazing the visuals he shares with us as well. Bless you girl!
Your post was wonderful 🙂 There is definitely one thing from your list that I KNOW that I am using this year for hubby 😉 The visuals get me every time! I think it’s why I love photography so much! 🙂 Blessings girly!
Thanks for featuring my posy Misty. Hope you and your family are having a joyful Christmas season!
It truly was a blessing to me! 🙂 We started it today 🙂 My peanut loved the new big girl Bible we got her 🙂 Thank you for the inspiration! 🙂 Blessings!
Thanks for hosting this link up again!
By the way, I am reading “Let me be a woman” by Elizabeth Elliot right now. It is wonderful, and I thought of you as I was reading it. Have you read it? If not, I think you would love it!
Absolutely, I love hosting! 🙂 I have never heard of that book, I will have to check it out! 🙂 Blessings!
This is so great!!! God DOES make beauty for ashes. I am a real example of that as well!
Oh yes He does! I too have been recreated from ashes! 🙂 Blessings sis!
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
Love ya sis!
Thanks so much Misty for another linky party!! Hope your Christmas season is going well.
Oh I love hosting link ups! 🙂 Thank you for stoppin by to link up 😉 Blessings!