The greatest gift you can give a family is grace. Whether birth or step, family needs an unending supply of grace.
Grace cannot stand without love, coming down like beams of light into the heart of one who is to give it away. It does, it must, come down from heaven because grace is counter intuitive to our human nature.
Grace, sweet Grace comes in, full of light, love, and joy. Lifting the shawl from her shoulders, Grace, she wraps me in light, and whispers, “It will be all right.”
Leaning my head against the doorframe of the kitchen I release a sigh. “Breathe” grace whispers again, and again my breath and my soul exhale.
Charis, Grace.
Grace is motivated by love.
Grace, authored by Christ, and written on our heart.
Grace renews a relationship.
Grace restores the offender in love.
Grace is true love’s gift.
Doc gives grace to me, always looking for the best in me, giving words of affirmation, words of life – grace. Even when we are standing at right angles to one another in disagreement, there is grace. There is thankfulness for each other, for our love –Euchristos.
It is not easy to be a stepfamily; one must develop a thick hide, and tender grace to endure.
I give these children, birth and step, grace; and, they will never fully understand the gift they are given, until, one day, they give that gift to another.
“Who would ever know the greater graces of comfort and perseverance, mercy and forgiveness, patience and courage, if no shadows fell over a life?”
Grace and relationships, they go hand in hand; and, one is incomplete without the other.
And these children, and their dad, are where I now make my home. These children, who I never pressed into the world; but, I share in parenting now press into them, my gift of grace, praying that without words, they will see the gift and graciously give it away.

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your photos are so calming! Make me want to pull a boat out and glide right over the lake. Great thoughts!
Margaret, I love to be in the boat. Thank you for visiting.