Saved by Grace

  Merry Belated Christmas and Happy Early New Year! This year has surely been a different one. It is for sure one for the books.  As this Christmas season comes and goes, I can't help but compare it to how I spent it last year. Last year, we didn't have lock downs or Covid -19 to worry about. Nor did we worry about gathering restrictions or wearing masks in public places.  On the bright side, this year's restrictions have allowed some of us to focus on the reason for the season more than the traditions we are used to. It has allowed us to dig deep and search for the true meaning of Christmas. I have also heard numerous reports of families spending more quality time with one another than ever before. Though this year had its fair share of burdens, hurts, and even losses, I thank God for the good that I have heard and experienced myself.  One of the things that came to mind however is how we as Christians can remain focused on our Unchanging God in these rapidly changi...

  Well, Fam, this was written halfway for a post in October and I was thinking about how to finish it off. And then I thought I will finish it up at the beginning of November and then post another one at the end of the month. Spoiler alert, it didn't happen! I sure hope you are keeping well though. I am also in awe that we are already at the end of November! To say 2020 flew by is the understatement of the century.  Healing had been a topic on my heart to post about for a while. However, I felt like it was such a broad topic. I further considered how little I know about the topic. Nonetheless, if it was important enough to be mentioned both in the Old and New Testaments, then it is a topic worth exploring. If you are like me, the first thing that comes to mind when you hear of healing is in the obvious context of physical restoration. That said, in looking into this topic I have since learned that healing seldom refers to just physical restoration. I knew this was one to pull ...

I did not mean to take the whole summer off from blogging it just so happen to be that way. Partly due to the numerous things that were changing in my life but more so due to lack of better planning/ time blocking. One of the highlights of my summer was becoming a Mrs. I never knew the weight the pre-fix would carry until I heard someone address me as such. I don't know about you but the Amharic word is, even more, weightier, "ወይዘሮ/weyizero"!. That was one of my life updates. Now that I said that, let's get to the meat and potatoes of my post... I have said before that I am a recovering perfectionist. Today, I stand before you confirming that statement still rings true in my life. I confess, somedays, I face some battles as if I had never before and get frustrated because I haven't gotten perfect at not being a perfectionist! You see the irony...   Tracing back where my want/need to be perfectionist came from, I was surprised to find out that it was linked to ...

I do not have an expert level understanding of what it means when doctors say “Bonding Time” when they refer to a time a newborn spends with his/her mama. However, since the arrival of my niece, I have heard this term being thrown around a lot and it got me curious. It turns out that the “Skin to Skin” and mama baby time are important parts of a newborn learning his/her new environment. It is when the baby lays down on the mom’s chest that they calm down. This is because of the mama’s heartbeat, a rhythm the baby has known and felt from the inside. In bringing the newborn close to the mama’s chest, it brings the baby comfort, peace, protection, and a sense of familiarity. In addition, it allows for the newborn baby to learn mama’s scent.   The tone of voice and the scent become two of the ways that a baby recognizes his/her mom until they get past seeing shapes. Seeing this up-close and understanding the why behind some of the things that are done for a newborn got me ...

I hope you and your loved ones are safe in these crazy times. If any tragedy has come to your home, I pray God's peace and love envelops you right where you are. I pray that you rely on His unending love, mercy, grace, and strength in this time of hardship... I am, like most people, feeling very jaded. I have experienced more highs and lows in such intense frequencies now than any other time I can remember. I believe this is why the Lord has me sharing this... I had planned to write about loving people and what it looks like in different seasons. However, I felt a nudge that I should be sharing about the hope I have despite feeling jaded. To make sure we are on the same page about what I mean when I say jaded, here are two definitions from Merriam Webster's dictionary:  1: fatigued by overwork: EXHAUSTED  2: made dull, apathetic, or cynical by experience or by having or seeing too much of something I can identify with both definitions. In this season, I fin...

Friends, I hope you are keeping well and safe in this time of craziness.  I don't know about you but where I live the minute the Covid 19 panic hit, the grocery stores saw a spike in sales. Most importantly, lots of stores had no toilet paper left. That is when I proceeded to order it online. In the meantime, this might be a tiny bit TMI, I got flushable wipes and had a backup toilet paper roll that I took from my sister. Interesting times require interesting measures so if all else fails, thank God for old water. I don't know if I mentioned it but back in December of 2018, I had moved to the city I live in now. I remember keeping a roll of toilet paper in one of my storage spots in my vehicle. That toilet paper roll was awaiting its moment to shine very patiently. One fine day, when my back up roll ran out, I recalled that I had one in my car. One that had been in my car for more than a year! I, of course, went and grabbed it, peeled some layers off, and started us...

I thought I had another topic I wanted to share about something God spoke to me a few weeks ago. However, one thing I try to do is check-in to see if I should share that same topic or if there is another thing He wants to put on my heart. Typically, if I do not post right when He drops the message, then next time I check in it will be a different topic. The moral of the story is that God gives us words for each season of life. His word is active, living, and applicable in every stage of our lives.  A few minutes ago, I sat and waited for Him to give me an updated topic. I waited and I heard "Rain". Because I didn't want to go off on my own tangent about rain, I first searched what scripture says about it.  As I looked for verses related to rain, this one jumped out at me " 12 Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers his righteousness on yo...

This is an age-old question that generation after generation has asked in one form or another. In some respects, this question is an association with self-discovery whilst other times it speaks to the feeling of unworthiness or being undeserving. In a way, this question is one of the reasons we can not comprehend unconditional love. A love undeserved, not purchased, nor earned!  This question came to mind as I was reading Moses's conversation with the Lord; 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” Exodus 3: 11 - 12 Don't you just love God's response? When we ask Him who we are that we can do this thing, have this, be this... He counters our objection by "I will be with you!" This encourages me so much! O...