WRITE 2 THE HEART
Stories that are aimed "Write 2 the Heart"
November 18, 2003
Cheryl Speir, Editor, moderator@write2theheart.com
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There are times we can only stand in awe at the workings of God.
The impossible became possible for Mary Ellen and her family as
a series of blessings allowed them to buy and move into the home
of their dreams.
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Bless This Home
By Mary-Ellen Grisham
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The house that holds my home is in the original section of our
subdivision, closest to the woods. It is a beautiful place with large
trees, bushes, flowers, lovely landscaping. It is also a good place,
with residents who care for their homes, love their families, and
express good will for their neighbors. I give thanks every day for
my home and feel endless gratitude for all the beauty that
surrounds me.
However, we might not have had this home. It was only by chance
that we discovered it. My husband had seen an ad for a house up
the street and around the corner. While he did not want to buy it,
he continued around the corner and down the next street. Then he
saw our present home. From that moment on, one fortunate
occurrence, one blessing after another occurred.
We were living in an old country subdivision that had been built on
a drained lake. Besides being thirty years old, the houses had
various problems. When Lowell took me to see the house he
wanted to buy, we were astounded to learn that the house was
being sold by an elderly couple at our own church. We got a
warm, friendly house tour. Afterwards we sat out in our car parked
in front of the old coach light and lush shrubbery. Tears ran down
my face as I looked at the old-fashioned light and the country-style
porch. I just knew we would never be able to buy the house
because we were just never going to be able to sell the home we
owned then.
Then the enabling blessings began. A couple who lived across the
street from us at our old home had a sister who was tired of
apartment dwelling. She saw our unwanted house as a haven for
new independence and freedom. Better still, she truly wanted the
house across from her sister. Best of all, her father was one of the
original contractors who had built the old subdivision, and he was
willing to renovate the house for her. All of our improvements
could never have competed with his professional skills. We had
agreed to sell our "un-sell-able" house within three days of putting
it on the market!
The owners of the house we wanted to buy, being church friends,
worked with us every step of the way, even lowering the house to a
price that would meet both their needs and ours. They waited for
the young woman who wanted to buy our other house to get her
loan, a real feat for her because it was her first adventure with
credit.
When the time came to move, I had recently been promoted to
eight-hour days at my job, and I could only work on packing and
moving in the evenings. Church friends made the difference.
They came to help us pack and load, and my husband's boss let
him have several days off work. An elder, a deacon, my husband,
and I moved everything in to our precious home from a regular
"you-haul-it" conveyance. The move was so smooth and quick
that it seemed unbelievable!
The first year we lived in the house I just knew that since the
foundations of the earth this house had been prepared for me. The
sheer poetry of the house was enormous! As I sat listening to the
branches of bushes tap the double dining room windows in fall, I
thought of Zhivago, the boy staying with his cousin's family. As I
wrote Christmas cards, I happened to look up at the home stitched
sampler of the Wise Men, and the light of that glorious star seemed
to be shining on us all. As family and friends visited, the house
was filled with warmth and love. Then as the gardens bloomed,
flowering surprises slowly appeared all around the yards. I was
overwhelmed with blessing!
With a heart overflowing with gratitude, I realize that this earthly
home of mine that I so love is only a faint foreshadowing of the
"place" that the Lord has prepared for each of us in His Kingdom.
In John 14, Jesus promises us that He "goes to prepare a place" for
each of us who believe in Him. While our present stewardship of
home, family, neighborhood, country, and world guides us on our
way, we can only guess at the great glories God has in store for us
at Home with Him.
©2003 Mary-Ellen Grisham
meginrose @ empowering.com
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Mary-Ellen is a Christian writer living with her husband and son in
Godfrey, Illinois. Widely published on the Internet, she is the
current Editor of Eternal Ink, a twice-monthly Christian ezine-
newsletter. You can visit the site at www.eternal-ink.com.
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Letters From Our Readers
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I never understand people who complain about the time they have
to spend with children. You are only going to get out of it what
you put into it. If you treat the time as a burden, it will be. If you
treat it as an adventure, it will be.
Kim
It looks like Melva has a great relationship with her granddaughter.
Stories like that make me look forward to being a grandparent.
Right now I can relate to Ginger. The arguing and fighting are part
of my days. Then they snuggle up to me and tell me they love me
this much, and I know it’s worth it.
Carol
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Military Prayer Reminder
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As you read over this list of names, please take that
moment to pray for these young people and their families:
Chris Speir
Tim Speir
Alan
Thaddeaus
Howard
Todd Holland
Graham
William
Julie Sagel
Jessie
Marshal Thompson
Jason
Eric Hernandez
Kristin Danielson
Ken Prieur
Ryan
Please continue to pray for our country, our leaders, and our
troops at this time.
If you have loved ones in the military, or who are being
called to go overseas, send their names (first and last
or first only) to be included in our prayer reminder.
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Cheryl's Corner
Recently, my oldest grandson, Logan, came running in the front
door. He wrapped his arms around my waist, leaned back his head
to look into my eyes, and said, “Guess who I am!”
I made several guesses and I was answered with, “that too” and
“nope.” Finally, I had to give up
“I’m your bargain grandson!” I knew exactly what he was talking
about. He loves to go with me to garage sales. But, he’s a bargain
in more ways than that. He joined our family when my oldest son,
Chris, married his mother, Nicole. Two for one, that has been a
blessing of a bargain for me! I can’t imagine life without either one
of them.
God Bless,
Cheryl
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