Blog : Give Me Grace

Give Me Grace : A Gratitude Giveaway

Posted on by lisha epperson

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I dreamed of Laity Lodge. Long before I knew it existed a part of my soul knew this place. As a new mommy I read about their family camp and considered applying for a scholarship for my young brood. That was 10 years ago. The Lovelies were really little.

At Allume in 2013 a friend asked if I’d be attending the High Calling retreat at Laity Lodge. I remembered the name immediately and reflected on how life sometimes seems to circle back. Allowing us to revisit places and things we felt important or a connection to. Laity Lodge was on my radar. Laity Lodge called my name.

I didn’t make it that year. Blogging/ writing has become a part time passion but I can’t attend every conference. Who can handle all the awesome? But I’m here. And I need this. I’m filled with gratitude for the way God showed himself mighty in bringing me here. I’ll tell you in a later post all the hoops I jumped through to get here. The back and forth, the yes and no. Yeah…I’ll tell you about that later.

For now I’m waiting for the final leg of the journey to begin. A three hour drive to the canyon – and I’m told through a river! Yes, a river. I already know I’m in for a treat. I can’t wait to share it with you.

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I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of us does, in pure grace, it’s important that we not misinterpret ourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to us. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. (‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭3‬ MSG) (edited)

Can you believe we’ve met together like this 28 times? That’s more than half a year! I can’t tell you how I’ve grown, how God has stretched me. How He’s used your words and stories to bless. Your words and encouragement have been a light. A special meeting place, a study in discipline and devotion. I’m so very grateful for this weekly offering of grace. God meets us here. He does that for us.

I’ll celebrate and say thanks by hosting the first annual #GiveMeGrace gratitude giveaway!

Link-up today to automatically enter for a chance to win an Epperson goodie grab bag. Filled with some of my favorite things you’ll find – a designer original from Epperson, a sweet art print, a pair of my favorite fleece leggings and my latest lip balm addiction. The winner will be selected and announced on Monday via Random.org

I don’t have pictures of all this goodness. I’m scheduling this post from the airport but trust me…you don’t want to miss it. Link up NOW!

Let your handmaiden find grace in your sight…#GiveMeGrace

♥ Continue reading “Give Me Grace : A Gratitude Giveaway” →

Life in the Church: Living the Sacrament of Grace {a guest post for Outside the City Gate}

Posted on by lisha epperson
photo : flickr cc/ jumpingjimmyjava
photo : flickr cc/ jumpingjimmyjava

We have just enough religion to make us hate one another but not enough to make us love one another. – Jonathan Swift

This isn’t a post where I’ll shame the church I met Jesus in. And it won’t be a post where I call out the imperfections of a single church in comparison to another. It will be a post where I admit my part in watching churches go sour. I wish it weren’t true but I’ve watched the church go south.

I’ve watched leadership manipulate members for selfish purposes. I’ve watched leadership bend the truth. I wonder now about the role I played in that. Because I was as an enabler. By saying nothing, going along with the program to keep the peace, I sanctioned the mistreatment of congregants. Under the guise of respect for authority I gave my nod of agreement, a non-verbal acquiescence to misconduct.

All of this went on for years…until it changed me. 

Small churches are notorious for big time family drama. Familiarity breeds contempt. And our close family like relationships bred all the “crazy uncle drama” you can imagine. When family members were turned against each other or people were shunned for not going along with the program… I still watched from the sidelines. I even took part in shaming when I felt obligated to disclose someone else’s sin. I was never so free with sharing my own.

That’s when I knew something was wrong…my behavior had begun to change. I’d become a judgmental Jesus freak.

In as much as church is the ideal setting for believers to walk out His word… it’s also a Petrie dish of problems.

I’m thrilled to share how I learned to live the sacrament of grace with friends at Outside The City Gate. Join me.

Give Me Grace : In Which I Take a Walk to Find My Way Home

Posted on by lisha epperson

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“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”                 Matthew 11:23 -30 The Message

Yesterday the grassy banks of Central Parks north woods welcomed me.
I accepted an invitation for a walk among the trees. Water loving ginkgoes, red maples, and sweet gums bowed low to greet me. And a sweeping weeping willow sung my name. I heard it above the noise of the city. And lingered long to enjoy it among the peaceful sounds of the woodlands. Her mournful, haunting melody followed me through the ravine, granting me permission to cry.

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I did.

Everything was big and beautiful or small, important and full of wonder.
The earth gave under my feet, absorbing the weight of my body. Accepting my presence as part of the landscape she offered handfuls of life-giving sustenance when I pulled. And I remembered my belonging to this earth. Through lug sole boots, I felt a soul connection, sure and true – grounding me in Gods creation.

Rustic trails led to a wildflower meadow quickened with birdsong. Dramatic boulders of the cascade herald a hush. Without a sign or word I know the only right response is silence…rustling leaves mimicked the sound of rain. Every where I turned. God glory. Warmed by his sisters colorful gloves, my teenage son offered a bouquet of quickweed and I stop to weave a crown of the tiny white flowers. Two hours have passed when I realize the park had done a Narnia like number on me. I’d walked through the wardrobe.

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I’m not lost but something tells me I’m finding my way home.

We nosh on thick slices of country bread and cheddar cheese to fill our bellies and nibble other edible plants and roots we find along the way. Heart-healthy hawthorne berries. The dark flat leaves of lambs quarters, dandelion and bitter burdock. My belly is full but more than that I’ve feasted on a smorgasbord of grace. I’m satisfied.

A walk along the water’s edge takes us back to the hawthorne bush. It’s there we met and there the magic began. Just steps from civilization, but a world away.

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Let your handmaiden find grace in your sight…#GiveMeGrace

♥ Continue reading “Give Me Grace : In Which I Take a Walk to Find My Way Home” →

On Gratitude : Sifting Through the Mess, Finding What’s Real

Posted on by lisha epperson

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Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
― Marcel Proust

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. – John F. Kennedy 

Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. – Philippians 1 : 3-4 The Message

Wisdom waits. In my twenties, expressions of gratitude were measured by feelings of satisfaction with my life and goals. A typical gratitude list would’ve read like an entry from a trendy fashion magazine. I’d have been grateful for my hot new boots ( the ones I found on sale in Greenwich village, for $50 less than they sold for in Neiman Marcus). If pressed further, I might have expressed satisfaction over a professional accomplishment – the successful execution of a challenging piece of choreography. Or something practical, my pleasure in realizing a troublesome roommate moved out in the middle of the night. Eight dancers in a 3 bedroom apartment created the need for “situation” shuffles. Navigating the delights and pitfalls of a first apartment was interesting if not always easy.

Only then, after covering the “me and my world” head space of a young woman on the run would I have considered the basics. Family, friends, health….

I’m thinking about gratitude …. how to move past distractions to live a life of perpetual thanksgiving at 5 Minutes for Faith. Join me.