Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Amazing Spring - How Sweet Her Sound








Welcome to my newly designed blog page. Thanks to my brilliant daughter who can do things with Blogger that normal people cannot do I got to change thngs up a bit. The only change that really effects you is that comments are no longer moderated….so friends of mine that know me….you are live now.


I’ll explain the pictures of lilacs in another post this month. They mean the world to me.

But today, I want to tell you about my new tag line.

I went from “My Journey from the Institutional Church into the Father’s Heart....

To... “My Journey into the Heart of Grace.

I changed it because that is where I find myself after almost exactly a year. I no longer feel like I am journeying away from anything but toward a "Someone. "


That is why I capitalize the word Grace. Grace is not an idea, a concept or a vague word used in a theological lesson. The word has become a Who. A Person. Father. Papa.

I decided a week ago as I saw Spring suddenly burst forth in our Pennsylvania hills that Grace must look a lot like Spring.



Spring is fresh and new and colorful.

Spring sings of promise, new beginnings and hope.

Spring gives permission to live again.

Spring declares that we are no longer afraid of the cold winds.

Spring reminds us it is time to finally clean out those
old leaves and debris of last year around the corners of my life.

Spring begs me to plant something new.

Spring encourages me that the long winter is finally over.


Can you see how I can substitute the words of Spring for the words of Grace?

She is Amazing like that!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Woohoo!! No more moderated comments :) I soooo much prefer conversations where it happens in real time and participants can more easily converse with one another as well as the host.

Anyway...nice new blog look, and I like the change to your tag line. It's nice to feel some progress in the journey, no?

I have really appreciated your writing, and I look forward to sharing more along the journey with you.

steve :)

Barb said...

Yeah Steve, the reason my comments were always moderated was because early on in my blogging my friends that I knew (in my real life) would post a comment that would link to their blog and thus identify me. I was so afraid back then. I thought I did not have the right to express these things with my real name.

That fear is gone. The Porpoise Driven Life edition for May will come out in a few days and my real name will be attached as well as the link to this blog. So it is a coming out of sorts ;0

So this will be much better I think. I also suspected that Blogger ate some of the comments made by people. Husband could never get it to work right without eating a comment first.

Thanks for the company this past year. Who knows where we will go next!

Tracy Simmons said...

Barb, Lovely new look! Even better,though, is your change to "My Journey into the Heart of Grace." Fantastic, woman! :-) I rejoice with you on this new leg of your journey!

Fred Shope said...

It IS great to be journeying toward something. And yes, Grace is a lot like spring. Maybe that's why the Resurrection happened in the spring. :)

brad/futuristguy said...

Great new look.

And love the lilacs - always a specific and homey reminder of spring to me.

Thanks for refreshing the saints ...

Linda said...

Beautiful Barb. It has been great to see God's grace bring healing to your life. I am so glad you are ready to own your voice. You have much to share and should be able to stand in your true identity.

Wayward Son said...

Nice new look, encouraging post. Thanks, I needed that.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful!

Erin said...

I love the lilacs! I understand comment moderation, I used to do it, but I do like it better without.

I also understand, completely, about the coming out. It was last year's PDL (June) I was involved with that did it for me...funny how that is. I figured, like you, that if I was going to use my real name there and link to my blog, I might as well use my real name everywhere.

Mary said...

Mary,

Spring is such a wonderful time, and it is a fitting time for a new look for your blog. I like it and love being able to peek in on your journey toward Grace.

I love the lilacs, too. Can't wait for them to bloom here.