I am so extremely excited to introduce you to this month’s Inspired Blogger!  What can I say about Karrilee?  She is a kindred spirit, a huge encourager and someone else I want to meet some day (what can I say, I want to meet you all!).  I believe I met Karrilee through the Five Minute Friday, but really, I can’t remember, because I’m over 45 and have too much on my plate!  But she writes beautifully in just five minutes and wow, what she can say in more!  Her words pierce my heart and I am so thankful that God brought her into my life.

 Without further adieu, meet Karrilee of
Abiding Love, Abounding Grace!

Tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am honored to be here with you! My name is Karrilee and I have been married now for over half of my life to an amazing man, and we have one incredible nearly grown girlie… which means we are almost Empty Nesters! I am blessed to be surrounded by friends and family who I have lived life with and they have stood by me as I learn to stand up tall in who I really am. I strive to be Real… to be Authentic… and to actively live out the ‘tagline’ the Lord gave me this year: Speak Life. Be Love. Shine On.

How long have you been blogging and how/why did you start?

I have been blogging (on two blogs – one for business and one for writing!) since 2006. I started blogging for business because I was running my own website and wanted to gain a wider clientele as well as showcase my work. However, that blog has taken a backseat as my love and call to write is once again being stirred up & my ‘main’ blog is now where I spend most of my time! I started my writing blog in obedience to the Lord.

What is the purpose of your blog?

That start-up was in obedience to a call. The Lord asked me back in 2006 to give Him a year of Tuesdays. I had been feeling invisible in my church and was having trouble finding my people – my tribe, if you will – and He asked me to begin attending an Intercessory Prayer meeting at the church on Tuesday mornings where I connected with like-minded, tender-hearted, kindred-spirit women. He impressed upon me that He would meet me there, and I was to write about what He showed me during that time. So – I gave Him a year… and wrote every week. But I loved it so much – I stretched it out to several years. Eventually our group stopped meeting, and my writing became less consistent, but the purpose of my blog is still the same. To spend time with Him… and to share what He is saying. My life message is all intertwined in the intimacy of Jesus and how personal and Present He really is! He is always reminding me of His Abiding Love, and His Abounding Grace (which is where the name of the blog came from!)

What do you most enjoy about blogging?

I love hearing His heart for me – then writing it out… only to hear that it is what you were needing to know and hear as well! I love the Community that happens when we connect, heart to heart, screen to screen, blog to blog… and share real life – the ups and downs… and reach out and stand together. I love knowing that what He shows me – even when it feels personal and specifically for me- doesn’t have to stop with me! I can share it here and let the heart of the message touch others as well!

What are you passionate about?

Not surprisingly, words! I am passionate about writing – but I am also passionate about my family, about art and photography, about travel… mostly, I am passionate about being Me in every room and living out every one of the days He has given me. I am passionate about Speaking Life, about Being Love, and Shining His Light brightly wherever I go! I am passionate about letting people know how incredibly, ridiculously, passionately in love He is with them. I am passionate about creating space and atmospheres where we can encounter His Love… where we can extend His Grace!

Who or what inspires you?

Of course – the Lord, first and foremost! My relationship with the Father, with Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit is key and inspires me in all areas of my life (I love those Guys!) – and they help me to see other sources of inspiration as well. My husband inspires me… he is the most amazing, consistent person I have ever met! My daughter, of course… because she is awesome and full of joy and wisdom beyond her years. I am inspired by creation and His breathtaking attention to details… from sunsets to flowers – I see His love. So many writers who craft words together that form sentences that pierce my heart and catch my breath… who can reach right in and shift things around within me. I am inspired by anyone who exudes the Love and Grace of God on any sort of consistent basis – who live this out for years and years… for we know this is not easy – but this is our call! I believe there is inspiration all around us… I believe in the power of testimony… it reminds us that He is actively at work – and if He is at work for you, then I know He is at work for me! And you… yes YOU, sweet reader. I am inspired by those who take the time to read my heart and lean in with me, as we pursue more of Him together in our lives!

Tell us something random about yourself.

I am a miracle. I was not supposed to survive my birth. My blood type was battling hard against my mother’s and (waaaayyy) back then – well… I was in the hospital for 6 weeks, and every day they would tell my parents that I would not survive the night. Finally after 6 weeks, when it looked like they were right, and I would not see the morning light, my mother pleaded with the nurses to let her hold me. She had never been allowed to hold me – skin to skin. The doctor was horrified at hearing this and instructed them to bring me to her immediately. That was the night things began to turn around. While I was not raised in an openly Christian home – my mother would recall this story over and over throughout my life and would speak into my Destiny… telling me that I was spared for a purpose! The purpose she always spoke over me? To be love… to show others how to be love as well!

Will you share with us one of your favorite posts and what you love about it?

One thing you should know about me – I can not ever pick a favorite! It doesn’t matter if it is ice cream flavors, colors, songs, you name it – I can’t for the life of me pick just one!  Can I ‘cheat’ and give you a few?

The Flow of Grace
Leaving a Mark

And lastly, how could I not include the story of my birth – this Five Minute Friday Post is based on the story above:
FMF – Cherished (pt 1)

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Karilee, thank you for taking time to share with my readers.  If you haven’t already met this beautiful woman of God, will you head on over to her blog today to say hello?

Today, I am pleased to introduce you to Joan at The Beauty in His Grip!  I met Joan through our respective blogs. She has a beautiful heart for the Lord.  I love how she profoundly shares His love with others in the most simplest of ways.  

Without further adieu, meet Joan of The Beauty in His Grip!

Tell us a little bit about yourself?

After many years living in California’s Central Valley, my husband and I now make our home in Northern California. I am married to my college sweetheart and am the mother of two grown children, and the grandmother of one adorable little girl. My husband and I enjoy exploring the great outdoors through hiking and camping while marveling at the wonders of God’s creation all around us.

How long have you been blogging and how/why did you start?

I started my blog, The Beauty in His Grip, in March of 2010 as a way to somehow give back to God for all he has done for me. A few years ago, I went through an extremely challenging time in my life, but it was through that experience I discovered the depth of God’s faithfulness and never ending love.

What is the purpose of your blog?

The title of my blog describes what I have found in God’s loving grip and the words I write in it are my way of sharing what I discovered with others and to hopefully bring honor and glory to Him.

What do you most enjoy about blogging?

I have always enjoyed writing. At an early age, I learned that it was fun to put words together in a way that was pleasing to my ears. As I grew, the content of those words became an important way to express my feelings. I discovered that when I wrote, I was able to get to the root of what I was thinking rather than getting “tongue-tied” speaking my thoughts or ideas. And, through blogging, I am able to connect with wonderful people all over the world…people whom I would never have met otherwise! It is a fantastic way to grow in the Body of Christ.

What are you passionate about?

My heart is for serving God in adult ministries and it is my desire to encourage other women to come to a deeper, more meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ. I believe that everything in our lives happens for a reason and the life-lessons learned along the way should be shared with others in order to build up the body for Christ. I have learned that we can never fall so far that we are beyond the reach of God. There are no lost causes. He loves us all. It doesn’t matter how rocky our pasts, God will always accept us when we surrender our lives to Him. With Christ we can live a life of abundant joy simply by knowing and experiencing Him through His mercy, grace and unfailing love.

Who or what inspires you?

I am inspired by people who have faced trials but who have found victory in Christ! Hearing their stories strengthens my faith and encourages me to share God’s love with others. I am also inspired by worship, both corporately and when I am alone. I love sensing God’s presence and for me, He is almost tangible through music.

Tell us something random about yourself.

A random fact. Hmmm. Well, my favorite color is green, but, I love the color combination of orange and purple. All my kitchen appliances, bowls, spoons and many dishes, etc. are orange and I offset those with purple glass and pictures. (Think poppies and lupine!)

Will you share with us one of your favorite posts and what you love about it?

The posts that are closest to my heart are ones that have been written due to a specific experience or lesson God has taught me. One of my favorites is The Dance with My Father. In it I describe the intricate relationship we have with our Heavenly Father and what happens when we get out of step with Him. Another favorite is A Life Saved. This post is my first expression of my testimony and in it I share about the valley I travelled and how we can never fall so far that we are beyond the reach of God.

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Thank you, Joan, for allowing me to host you in my space this month!  You are a blessing and a treasure.

Friends, will you take a moment to visit Joan’s blog and say hello?  You will find much beauty there.

Today I am so excited to introduce you to Lisa of Four Simply Living.  I met Lisa when she visited my blog during my Fresh Brewed Sundays link up a while back.   Her words are deep, and have left forever marks on my heart.  She is passionate about Jesus and her family, and through her I’ve met another kindred spirit.

Without further adieu, meet Lisa of Four Simply Living!

Tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am Lisa… vagabond my whole life searching for a place to call my own. I was born into a military family and married a military man. I also had the privilege of being a preacher’s kid because, yes, my dad worked two jobs and, no, he was not a military chaplain. I married young (19, whooh) and had two kids one right after the other. It was planned; we wanted to be young empty nesters. God called us to homeschool full-time in 2004 and we have not looked back since, well not too much. I love all things literature, coffee, and photography but not necessarily in that order.

How long have you been blogging and how/why did you start?

I began blogging about five years ago. Blogging was a way for our family to share our journeys in Europe. I have always journaled in my head, too scared to put pen to paper in case someone actually read it. One day I had to write, I could not contain the torment in my head, and then I hit publish, and the written world opened up to me. What started as an adventure became a passion.

What is the purpose of your blog?

Because I doubted myself, I jumped from one platform to another looking for my purpose in the blog world. I closed down my first blog and opened two more, one photography and one homeschool. But soon I found the homeschool one to be a painful thorn in my side and the photography one lacking inspiration. And, God? He brought me full circle back to the original name of my blog and back to the original purpose, sharing my journey only a different adventure. The reason for my blog, to live life purposefully and see where the adventure takes me falls, spills, scrapes and all.

What do you most enjoy about blogging?

That moment when you know the words came from God and not you. When you hit publish and pray that whoever needs to see the words will find them. I am building my blog slowly, but I LOVE the people I have met along the way, and I most desire to sit face to face with them someday. And the fabulous thing is that could be a real possibility, just not here on Earth.

What are you passionate about?

I am PASSIONATE about photography, and coffee, and literature… oh and politics, theology, the church, compassion, love, and justice when I have a soapbox to stand on. In fact, recently my kids told me that I must always live with something. Notice they said something and not someone… “yah mom, like a dog. That way you always have someone to talk to.”

Who or what inspires you?

Nature most definitely inspires me. I do my best worship behind a camera just me, God, and His creation. And words, written by others, the ones that you feel for certain were penned just for you. My kids inspire me on a minute by minute basis, to be a better person, to live more in love, to laugh out loud several times a day, to stop taking myself so seriously. And my husband, the one who leads by integrity and challenges me to do so as well.

Tell us something random about yourself.

My favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate peanut butter.

Will you share with us one of your favorite posts and what you love?

Praise Was All I Had is a rework of a blog I posted on our original family blog. (I recently re-posted it to my current blog.)I can’t say it is my favorite work, because it is raw and relives the night my father-in-law died. But it is one of my cherish posts because this is when writing took a turn for me and became a passion.

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Will you head on over to Lisa’s blog to say hello?  You will not be disappointed.  Just click the button below and you will be taken there.