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Marching Into The New

~ Elizabeth W. Marshall ~ 2 Comments

The thing about a Prayer Labyrinth is the intentional nature of the walk.

You move station to station.

You walk slowly and thoughtfully. As it was designed. For prayer. Haltingly. Moving with purpose.

Trust me I tried to almost run it once.

And while we do not have a Prayer Labyrinth where I live, there are principles to that slow prayerful walk that we can apply.

The Prayer Labyrinth – Montreat

Walking, waiting, breathing, heart beating, approaching the labyrinth of prayer.

Soul searching, silence healing, the Spirit meeting me inside the labyrinth of prayer.

Tall trees sheltering, suns rays sweltering above the labyrinth of prayer.

Benches beaconing, God is welcoming me, to walk out the labyrinth of prayer.

Hearts desires, longings laid at the cross, remaining in the labyrinth of prayer.

Hurt, pain, transgressions tossed into the pond, lying within the labyrinth of prayer

Running down mountain, breathing, heart leaping, grateful to the labyrinth of prayer.

Summer solace has been sought, and again I will seek peace, at the labyrinth of prayer.

—–wynnegraceappears

I cannot live within a Prayer Labyrinth but I can choose to walk more slowly.

Be be more present in the moment.

Place my heart squarely in the middle of the life I am living.

Clean out the corners and cobwebs, making the path clear and uncluttered.

And seek God at every twist and turn of this life journey.

Counting Gifts as a Lenten discipline with Ann Voskamp and others:

* An unexpectanted visit from oldest man/child.

*Having that first born sleep under my roof and precious conversation where he shared glimpses into his future with a momma who wanted to know

*waking up to songbirds

*the Patient One proclaiming that the azaleas have buds so Spring is here (and I cautioned the whole lion and March paradox)

*the sun is out

*lunch plans with my boy

*Joyfully and expectantly praying over springbreak travels for college age children

And in an effort to declutter and Spring clean, moving out stuff from here to there today. Making room for the new, the fresh, the renewed.

2 Corinthians 5:17 —Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!

Ecclesiastes 3:11—He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men…….

The Myth of The Half Empty Glass

~ Elizabeth W. Marshall ~ 6 Comments

The birds come to the feeder and I already have a spirit check. They are red-winged black birds. Black birds. I want bright colored songbirds. Rejecting the what is and the what I have. I fall away from a spirit of gratitude quickly, too quickly.

Why isn’t the song of my heart, Lord thank you for black birds. No, I want to special order the birds at my feeder. I want to customize the feeder to satisfy myself. The self.

Why is the Joy meter of my life the size of the laundry and whether or not the dogs or racoons got in the trash. And now, the color of the feeder birds.

That void which is just that, a void ,screams like a spoiled child look at me and pay attention to me robbing the focus from the plenty, the blessing, the abundance. How can a void, which is nothing draw attention to itself. Why does the concept of the missing play tug of war with the heart when the heart is full beyond measure.

A moment ago in the teaching at Women In The Word there is conviction and confession and a contrite spirit. How quickly… how quickly.

I push a button and change the look and the feel and the design of this blog. Trying to find the most perfect design style and the most beautiful look. I preview and try to improve on the appearance.

And I can try to change up my outward appearance when what’s needed is a heart change. Lord take what is not of you and which doesn’t honor and bless and point toward you and change it. Turn my heart toward all that is good and all that is beautiful and all that is grace. Lord come and change.

That dying to self change. Dying to self during Lent requires identifying the rot. And the Lord provides a song bird even as I write. The one that sings pretty pretty pretty. In the smallest increments of time there is more to count as blessing and beauty and gift.

Can my perspective and lense shift to that of always and everytime seeing the half fullness. Everytime. The laundry means life and love and children and husband and family.

What joy could be found in picking up the trash if my perspective shifted away from the me and onto the outside of me. A shift toward the right here right now moment, the present, the hurting one beside me. A shift to the friend whispering faintly a cry for a word of encouragement. The family member with an unspoken need for embrace or prayer.

What gentle conviction He brings. What a gentle spirit he blows over us. The paraclete, the advocate, the consoler, comforter, intercessor.

Lord, take the mutterings and mumblings and grumblings of this heart in the Lenten Season and replace them with an Easter newness. A glass full, over full, life perspective always.

Lord refresh and renew, rekindle and re-ignite.

Hourly, daily remind us of how utterly dependent we are on You, Lord.

And this March 1, with a spirit of gratitude, counting gifts:

*friends and a couples Lenten Bible Study — Lord, thank you for FRIENDS
*a hardworking husband who will walk in the door tonight
*a special small group of women who listen and hold one another to account
*a son on a special overnight field trip to learn and explore
*a daughter who wants a picture of her mom beside her as her facebook profile picture
*blackbirds, songbirds, all feeder birds – smiling here
*re-connecting with childhood friends who bless me mightily
*camilias still blooming and still providing beauty everyday for my home
*a friend who shared this blog and humbled me mightily

Reading Ann Voskamp’s 1000 Gifts and trying to take on the discipline of counting gifts daily. The link to her blog is listed under blogroll on this site.

New post The Recovery Stroke

~ Elizabeth W. Marshall ~ Leave a comment

The Recovery Stroke

by wynnegraceappears

I stand and listen to it explained. The room full of souls is stone cold silent. I hear my breath. The stillness and quiet are profound. Birds have two wing strokes. Power and Recovery. And wood carver and sculptor Grainger McKoy observed that the birds weaker wing position, recovery, has the most grace and beauty. Grace and Beauty in recovery. I stay there. I rest in the nature of this. The God designed mechanics of this.

And I soak in this beautiful picture as it relates to Friendship Place. An amazing grace-filled hope-filled charity. I watch as the artist’s son waves his own wing span back and forth demonstrating recovery and power strokes. Bird and human anatomy collide for a moment in their sameness.

Friendship Place daily provides grace and mercy to the vulnerable and the broken. I am here to learn more of their ministry. Of the simple truth of extending grace in moments of vulnerability. The pronouncements of the mission are made with clarity and poise. The director, a Westpoint grad, answering the call on his life. Following the call into a ministry in the shadows of the steel mill. A First Gulf War veteran, God equips those he calls.

They are Jesus’ hands and feet, those called to this place.

McKoy’s "Recovery Stroke" sculpture , like all of his created beauty is breath taking. Punched in the gut after viewing beautiful.

A friend for years, Grainger says this on his website:

I’ve always been attracted to a wing when it is in the recovery position. This is when its the least productive and most vulnerable, yet here can be found a grace and beauty that exist nowhere else."

My grace is sufficent for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." — 2 Corinthians 12:9

and then he told me, My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9 – The Message

In the shadows of the steel mill and in the shadows of my heart, His Grace soothes and strengthens.

And Paul continues in 2 Corinthians 12: 10 –" I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become."– The Message

Grainger carving a picture of Grace. Charlie, director of Friendship Place,walking out and extending Grace.

And the stories of individual needs being met rip the heart. The mom who breaks open the pack of diapers and steals two or three. Not the whole pack. A picture of her desperation and true charachter colliding.

And Charlie works it out to help her and cushion her fall. Preserve her dignity.

I soak in the stories; there are many. And I spot the silver "Recovery Stroke" pins around the room on a board member or two. I hear of the EGR people who have to take their meals to go when they disrupt.

Explanation is required. That is "Extra Grace Required" people. There is a collective laugh.

But that is me. I am that person in the shadows of the steel mill requiring extra measures of grace daily.

He he extends it. And I humbly receive.

A man who knows Grace and Beauty knows the Joy of sharing the good news of Christ. And he did that almost a quarter of a century ago. Instrumental in bringing The Patient One to the Lord, he is cherished by this wife and mother.

Patiently, stroke by stroke.

And Charlie will get up today and tommorrow. Cross to the otherside of !7 going South. Extending Grace and Mercy to those recovering from a stumble or a fall or a setback in their life journey.

Patiently, under the Grace covering of the Creator, pouring it out.

Drop by drop.

Poured out Grace.

" But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. they spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind. " Isaiah 40:31

wynnegraceappears | February 29, 2012 at 3:45 pm | Tags: Charity, God Beauty, Grace | Categories: Grace | URL: http://wp.me/p2bYsv-pY

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A Joy Hunt

~ Elizabeth W. Marshall ~ 1 Comment

New post on wynnegraceappears

A Joy Hunt

by wynnegraceappears


I’m whistling, laughing, and jumping for joy; I’m singing your song, High God”
Psalm 9:2

You made me so happy God. I saw your work and I shouted for joy.”
Psalm 92:4

I didn’t capture the love gifts of The Patient One. With my camera. But I did with the heart. The clean house, cut camelias, trip to the store, folded laundry and dinner prepared. My heart records.

I didn’t capture the good night hug from middle son. But my heart recorded the trip to my bedside and the hug, the sweet embrace and the I love you.

There are no photos of the oldest man/child saying I love you. I’ll call you later momma.

This is all enough. More than enough. Much much more than enough to push out pain and let in Joy. News of a hurting one close to me bears down with stinging nettles. I want to bottle my Joy and deliver it to her door. The hurting one is not one. There are many in my world. Multiples.

Joy is the serious business of heaven”
C.S. lewis

And I have had serious worker bees in the Joy business minister to me time and time again. Those ministering angels who called and hugged and prayed on the days the black shadows robbed Joy.

There were those who spoke a word of encouragement when pain pressed in, numbing Joy.

Today their pain moves me to prayer. And to capture Joy, hold it in my hand and deliver it to theirs.

Hunting for Joy is a joy.

Joy IS serious business. It brings serious change to the heart of the hurting.

Praying for Joy in your day and released Joy into your world.

wynnegraceappears | February 27, 2012 at 3:39 pm | Tags: Joy | Categories: Joy | URL: http://wp.me/p2bYsv-oP

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