New Direction for Growing in Grace

Dear Reader:

I realize I haven't been as faithful to this blog over the course of these past two years especially, and I apologize!  But I have been very active in Facebook posting, encouraging, and following as I felt led.

With this new year upon me, I am taking a new direction - seeking out what Grace truly means. I am sharing here what I shared on Facebook ... And yes, as you will see below, I will be dismantling this website. I will leave it up for a short while so that my readers will have the opportunity to read this post and to know why it will be removed. God willing, I will start fresh with a new blog in the near future or whatever He knows will best fulfill His plan for my purpose ... Your prayers are appreciated as I step into this journey He is calling me on!

Without further hesitation - here is my post:

"I am taking on a new journey this year: every day I will be posting on what I am learning about Grace and how God is revealing Himself through His Grace to me - even if it's a few sentences. 

I know now what Grace is - but I believe I only understand what it means just below the surface. I want to go deeper into truly grasping it! 

Yes, there is no end point in this to say I "have arrived" in total understanding, but I am trusting that through this journey this year, I will grow in Grace, and Grace will unfold more layers of what it means for me in the depth of who God created me to be.

Initially, I was laying out some mental plans how I will go about doing this. Do I post this just on my wall? In notes? On my website? Create a new blog? God spoke to my heart: make it simple, stop planning, don't overthink or analyze everything or think everything has a symbolic meaning, and start listening... share about what He reveals instead of coordinating what He reveals! Just share! He will prompt me from there how it will unfold!

Already I know two things for today:

1 - In addition to posting daily, I will journal this in a note for easy access to share my year long journey and as a window for me to see His Grace unfold as I live it through!

2 - I am to dismantle my website. Ouch! But I am receptive to that. God knows the reasoning behind it. I trust His plan is perfect!

So, here's my first entry - day one. "A Daughter's Journey: Growing in Grace"

It is a new day, a new day and a new year.. My daughters, home from college, are anticipating their first meal of the day. They just got up out of bed -- woke up late because they stayed up late. We all did. We celebrated the midnight step-over together. It was time well spent to enter into this new year - with family!

I have so much I could write this first day, but then it will be overstepping what God plans for me in this. And my daughters are wondering whether breakfast will turn to dinner because of the novel I am writing.

What does this teach me about Grace? I could easily answer that but it would go on for paragraphs. That's the teacher in me. Maybe I'm to step into this slow and simple and not get into long explanations.... Grace will be with me even without a pen on hand or a keyboard in front of me. My daughters are waiting...

So with that - so ends my first post."

You may follow me on my Facebook page if you choose to keep updated on my journey!

Happy New Year, dear one!

God loves you!!!

Bonny.

The Voice of Vulnerability and Transparency

Yesterday someone mentioned to me how she was wowed at my vulnerability and my transparency in my book, Taming the Storm:Victory through Praise.. Until then she thought of me as private and somewhat reserved. I shared with her -- I've come to a place in my life that I knew I needed to let the healing (from God) begin and let Him happen. I explained - life is no longer about me. It's about glorifying God in my daily journey with Him through speaking out and reaching out beyond myself to others who may be struggling, hurting, and stuck in pain-filled and unhealthy crevices of life. In this journey with them - I share the good news of our Jesus. 

Sharing my testimony with others - as I wrote in my book - brings who I was and my experiences out in the open, but it's an identifiable connection with so many in today's world, even in my own neighborhood. Pain. Brokenness. Pride. Anger. Shame. Guilt. Victim. Self-loathing. The list goes on. 

But the testimony I bring forward doesn't stop at where my heart was. It's not about that. It refocuses to who now has my heart in the palm of His hands -- Jesus. And He is the greatest connection we all have. He is the hope in and through all testimonies. All of our stories don't even end at the cross. Another chapter unfolded and His story reflected in us began with Jesus in His rising. It continued with the Holy Spirit who knocks at our heart's door waiting for us to respond to Him in our daily living... Indeed, in my vulnerability and in my transparency -- it is my hope that all who I meet and all who I journey with until my passing will see Jesus in me and especially Jesus in them. All glory to God.

Blessings in abundance, dear one!

Bonny.

Crossroads of Change

We all have a story to tell, but the avenue we share it is uniquely our own in the ways He gifts us. And sometimes, one avenue leads to another. That's the beauty of crossroads - as we trust His lead, we can be assured that new roads may involve some change or expanding the gifts He blesses us with so that we may share God's love and His blessings with others ... 

When God paves new roads, and we follow in faith, what joy there is to step into the deeper end of our journey in Him!

Blessings in abundance, dear one!

Bonny.