Friday, February 19, 2010

Show Us Your Ministry- You are His Pearl!




Kelly from Kelly's Korner  is hosting a party today titled -Show Us Your Ministry and you can also share your testimony. What a privilege. 

So if you are here visiting from Kelly's, welcome! 


Some of you may be familiar with pieces of my story.  If not, you are welcome to read a little about it here .  After overcoming those circumstances I have made it my purpose in life to make sure that as many women as possible know- down to their very core -that they are His pearl. I also dream in technicolor about placing pearl necklaces around every woman on this earth. I dream pretty. 


And by His grace I started doing just that last March at the first of hopefully many Pearl Events. 


During the last twelve years, God used my husbands nick name for me- (Pearl) and the metaphor of a simple pearl and how it is formed, to bring about tremendous healing and to turn the oyster shell of my circumstances into a beautiful ministry. This blog is where I write to encourage, edify and support His precious women - whom I love dearly. 


I have also been given some special opportunities to speak and teach at women's events, churches and bible studies where I share my testimony and give Him the glory for what you see here on the pages of Pearls and Grace. 


And I absolutely love it.  It is my passion. 


I have a heart for the broken. The lost. The abused. The rejected. The abandoned. The ones that everyone said would never make it. Especially those. I have been all of the above. I have a heart for single mothers who can barely make ends meet and women who would trade every dime in their bank account just to see two pink lines. I have been both. I have a heart for those who finally get those two pink lines, after waiting for a very long time, only to lose in the end. I have been this woman three times. I have a heart for those who are trying to find a safe way out in the middle of the night and for those who are begging God to explain why they are still alone. I have been both. And I am thankful. 


My many experiences are what give me such tremendous compassion. 
Ministry without compassion is just- a position.


I wanted to share the video we created and used during The Pearl Event last March. I pray you are encouraged today and that after visiting here and reading through this blog you will leave knowing that no matter what..........You are His pearl.



Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Pearl Party


Photo Credit: YSA Makino

*** Update*** Thank you all so much for linking up yesterday! I am still making my way around to all of your blogs! It blessed me so much to see you all supporting one another! Thank you so much for taking the time to visit one another ! We may just have to make the Pearl Party a weekly event with a scripture theme each week.  Okay. I am on to something......

Calling all Pearl Girls! It's a Pearl Party! 

I received a phone call today from my thoughtful friend Kellie of This Blessed Nest who is either Ethel or Lucy on any given day in our real life friendship. She is quick to encourage and support and will often give the most loving suggestions. She is the real deal. She called me today and suggested that I host a Mr. MckLinky party so that everyone could meet all of the bloggers who were leaving comments on my earlier post today. Thank you Kellie for your love, help and support! 

So I am praying that this will work! This is for everyone! If you are a new blogger. If you are a pro blogger. If you are His pearl. If you are not sure whether or not you are His pearl. (Especially you... ) If you are a regular reader. If you are a first time reader. 
This is for all of you! 

I want to know you and know about you and I want others to know you! This is a community!

So link up and make new friends with all of the amazing, gifted, talented and faith-filled bloggers!


And if there is enough interest this may just turn into a weekly event or an online bible study!












Pleasure To Meet You



photo: country living


Good morning beautiful friends! I wanted to ask you to sit with me this morning and introduce yourself.  Tell me about you and your blog! If you are a reader and have never left a comment, please do so! 
I would love to meet you! 

I remember starting out with this blog two years ago and just learning as I went along. I did not know anyone in the blog world and I did not know anyone in real life who had a blog. Therefore there wasn't any introducing, connecting or linking going on for a very long time! It was pure scratch.

I can remember the first time someone linked to me- I almost fainted. Seriously.
It was beautiful Lori from A Journey To Our Daughter- whom we all love and miss very much. 
Big sigh.  Lori is taking a break from the blog world right now but she still has her gorgeous Charlotte English Boutique that we can visit from time to time. 

It is amazing what one link can create for another blogger. It is a tremendous blessing and I love highlighting other bloggers and would like to do so more often. 

So please leave a comment telling me about your blog with a link to your site. Then I would love if you would also list your five favorite blogs so that we can all stop in and visit a bunch of wonderful ladies.  

On a side note I finally retrieved my Blissdom pictures and will have that post up soon!


Can't wait to meet you.....



Thursday, February 11, 2010

When Harry Met 500 Bloggers







I just wanted to share a group shot with Harry Connick Jr. from the concert at Blissdom!  I am still working on my photos and will hopefully have that post up this weekend.  It was a really special night and a great concert and for those who haven't heard yet- He kissed Tidy Mom! It was absolutely hysterical and you just have to read about it if you haven't already. 

I do not know the other women in the picture except for the beauty on the very end. That is Mela Kamin and she is an amazing Christian writer, speaker and singer! God connection. Loved meeting her and getting to know her over the weekend. Stop by and pay her a visit when you can....

Another post soon sweet friends!



Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Elle Woods Goes to Blissdom




Taken with my IPhone :)


I sent a tweet out on Friday that I felt like Elle Woods with my pink paper notebook in a room full of laptops! Giggles. I am certain I was the only one who attended a blogging conference without a laptop. But I am a pen and paper kind of girl!  Mr. P and G offered his laptop but it is a beast to operate and I wasn't about to carry that thing around from session to session,  manage to pass out business cards like after dinner mints and still take pictures of all the famous people.  I'm not that coordinated.


 I took tons and tons of pictures throughout the weekend only to get home and realize that something happened to my camera and I haven't been able to get a single picture uploaded. Deep breaths. I know we will get it worked out.  But my apologies for the delay with all the cute photos. I'm hoping to have the photos up by the end of the week! In the meantime here are a few pearls of wisdom that I found to be helpful. More posts with pictures soon!




1. Get Thee On Twitter. Amen


I did not realize until this weekend what an amazing tool Twitter is. It is also loads of fun once you figure it out and start twittering about. Unlike Facebook, you do not have to send a request or wait for a friend request to be answered. You can just start following and jump in on the conversations and connect with lots and lots of people from all over. News spreads like wildfire and basically anything and everything that had any weight to it was tweeted during Blissdom.  It is a WONDERFUL way to connect throughout the blog world!


2. Why Do You Blog?


What is the reason for your blog? What is the purpose? We need to have a purpose for what we do. If we do not know the answers to those questions we made need to pause a minute and figure those things out first and then begin to write with a purpose in mind.


3. Find Your Voice. - Emily with Chatting At The Sky


"Good writing is an authentic voice." Be true. Be authentic. Be yourself. "But before you post ask yourself, does this add value to my reader?" "Say the most with the least amount of words."   


4. Content Is Queen


Edit. Edit. Edit and Edit.


There was also a bit of talk this weekend about keeping posts short- no one has time to read a long post. Others felt that a long post was okay- as long as the content is good. My personal thought is this..........
I have on more than one occasion,  pulled my car over to the side of the road in order to read a beautiful, moving and breathtaking post.  Some bloggers have that gift. Some bloggers give you an experience. If that is your gift, write long posts.


5. Give Your Readers A Reason To Come Back


Feature a "Friday Follow"- where you feature your favorite bloggers or five favorite posts or five or ten of your favorite new bloggers every Friday. Use Mr. McLinky and have your readers link up on your blog for a specific theme, idea, etc.  Host a Giveaway. Have a contest. Interact with your readers.




6. Becoming A Successful Blogger-  Laurie at Tip Junkie


Comment when you visit. Introduce yourself. Respond to comments and questions as much as possible. Link to others. Highlight other bloggers. Collaborate. Don't compete. Comment on five new blogs a day. Feature your top ten referrals. Post regularly. Be consistent. Do the most good for the most people. Be authentic. Be yourself. 




Part Two coming soon.....












Thursday, February 4, 2010

Perfect Sentiment






I wanted to introduce you all to my new friend Erin at Perfect Sentiment. For those who are not familiar I want to encourage you to stop by and introduce yourself and then sit with a cup of tea and look at all of her beautiful and inspirational paper goods. I absolutely adore her style! I recently asked her if she would create a card for me to use during Blissdom and she created the sweetest and girliest card and I just absolutely love it! On top of that, she did it in a pinch. And I do mean in a pinch and was so kind and so gracious to me that I am not quite sure how to express my gratitude. (Seeing that this sleep deprived Mother of five waited until the last minute to have some cards made. :) Thank you Erin for your extraordinary kindness...






The Blissdom weekend is here and I am super excited and scared to death all at the same time. Couple that with trying to make arrangements for this great big family and well, it's a little hectic! I wish you were ALL going first of all so that we could finally meet in person and I could shower you with pearl necklaces and rose petals and secondly so that it would feel more like a conference with beautiful friends!!


I do not "know" a single person attending but I know of and admire many of the talented bloggers who are speaking and attending.  I am looking forward to soaking up all of their wisdom and learning as much as I possibly can about how best to share my story. I promise to pass along every pearl of wisdom to you sweet friends.......wish me luck.







Southern Butter




Please welcome my beautiful, real life friend to the blog world! 


You will absolutely fall in love with her brand new baby boy, her gorgeous sense of style and all of her creative crafts and goodies! She can make anything, create anything, design anything, sew, smock, cook, bake, and loves the Lord with all of her heart!  You will love her! 

Get some biscuits this morning and stop by for a little butter............ 




Monday, February 1, 2010

How Beautiful Are The Feet




How beautiful are the feet of those who
 preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!~ Romans 10:15



Look at your feet for a moment.  Did you know that your feet are messengers? What message are we carrying? I long to bring glad tidings of good things! Oh dear. Some days it seems impossible. Really. Sometimes the Lord will remind me to slow down. Pay attention. Listen more. Let things go. Talk less. Walk lighter. Walk in step with Him.  He will ask me about my feet and if I'm out of step. (Did I save any time for Him that day?) He will ask me about my countenance. Is it full of love and light?  Some days it really isn't. 


Some days are harder than others. Some days I'm not so sure I have any glad tidings left. 
Or any good things for that matter. Sorry Martha.


What's going on in our hearts shows on our faces and creates the rhythm of our steps...


I have really been pressed in this area over the last eight months and with a very heavy heart as I have had the demands of the house, children, schools, etc. completely solo except for the weekends. I have felt almost every day for the last eight months that I am failing. I am trying to do it all and trying to do it all well.  If you asked me a year ago if I thought that my feet would be taking care of these tiny feet completely solo for nearly eight months I would have given you a great, big southern hug and said "No way! After all, I have been squeezed and pressed about all that one human being can handle!"


But apparently God had different plans and felt that I needed a bit more squeezing. 
Read ~tons more.


I thought I was past that part of my life. Sweet goodness. He is never finished with us.


But I'm doing it. By His grace. I'm pressing on. I'm trusting on a new level~ a deeper level of faith. I'm encouraging myself as I encourage you. And I'm trusting that He will work out all the details. He's really good at that.


I look at the precious feet of my tiny children and I see world changers with my eyes of faith.  I also see that the way in which I teach the gospel of peace~ the way in which I bring glad tidings of good things to them is the very way in which they will receive it and then ultimately, prayerfully their feet will bring those same good things to other people. I have to get it right with them even when I'm being pressed on all sides.


Their feet are dependent on it........