“Blessing is found in cupped and opened hands. Blessings are sown in open hands.”
Blessing In The Ordinary & Mundane
Five Minute Friday
“Thanks is what multiplies the joy and makes any life large, and I hunger for it.”
Ann Voskamp -One Thousand Gifts
Happy Friday Dear Readers!
Today finds me in the midst of packing, sorting medications, and reassuring Lola she is traveling with us (in the back seat much to her chagrin-I. Mean. That. smile). Today was the day I had planned to unplug, taking a week of Sabbath rest. Can I tell you how much I need it, we need it?
Before I go, I could not pass up the opportunity to come and meet with you today. Why? One word, BLESSING. The past four years in the wilderness, in the unholy hard, has been where I have been blessed abundantly. Feathery whispers of grace are found everywhere in this dry and barren land.
I hope you will join me as I share a few with you.
Stepping into the unknown, disease without a cure, through opening my hands and searching for the gifts, Gifts of Grace, I was able to take one blind step at a time. In the ordinary things, I fell in love again. I fell in love with a God who gives His blessing of tender mercy and grace when we are walking the unholy hard.
It was there I discovered it was not a matter of surviving but a place of thriving.
Plump Mourning Doves cooing their sorrowful song beneath the feeders.
Blueberry bushes ripe for the picking.
Adults bent low, loving on precious hearts, serving tirelessly at Vacation Bible School
Mountain roads and mountain views
Small towns and trains
Outdoor cafes
Retirement life with my Sweet Man
A television free home
Stacks of books
Lola, our furry friend who loves unconditionally
The Good Book and Birkenstocks
Ann Voskamp in her book One Thousand Gifts says this:
“It is one thing to choose to take the grace offered at the cross. But to choose to live as one filling with His grace: Choosing to fill with all that He freely gives and fully live-with glory and grace and God?”
I want to be filled with the feathery whispers of grace found in my everyday ordinary and mundane. I want to be filled with His grace in the unholy hard of the wilderness. I want to keep my hands cupped wide open to catch the gifts.
The blessing.
Gifts of Grace
PS: I’ll be sending out my June Bookshelf later, be on the lookout!
I’m blessed to serve you in this place, to share with you the Gifts of Grace as I journey through the wilderness. I picture you across the table, hands wrapped tightly around your cup, sharing life, and laughter, and tears. As I share with you my own daily struggles, I long to hear what yours may be. Sharing the realness of life. You can do that by commenting below or reaching out to me here.
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In case you missed these posts:
You can find a small sampling of my favorite podcasts here
Generations Lost: Have we given up too soon?
Leveling the Ridges-Beauty in Painful Places

Love that you point to the simple graces that God offers to us each day. I do find joy and refreshment in my garden, in wildflowers, in the beauty of God’s creation. God is good even when we encounter hard times. Have a blessed weekend!
Thank you Carol! I’m so glad you came by!
You have a blessed weekend as well!
XO
Tammy
“I want to be filled with the feathery whispers of grace found in my everyday ordinary and mundane. I want to be filled with His grace in the unholy hard of the wilderness. I want to keep my hands cupped wide open to catch the gifts.” So beautifully said, this is my prayer today. Thank you for giving it words.
Me too Debbie!
Thank you for coming by!
XO
Tammy
Oh my goodness! I was just on Five Minute Friday and your post caught my eye – and our take on blessing was so similar – which didn’t surprise me when I looked at the top of the page and realised that you have POTS. I also have POTS! (Not a good thing but still worth an exclamation mark from the solidarity point of view). And I have severe ME which renders me housebound. I write about the spirituality of suffering from the viewpoint of chronic illness, and my first book, Coming Back to God When You Feel Empty: Whispers of Restoration from the Book of Ruth, is free, if you’re interested. http://tanyamarlow.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=87afe91e2aedda5db37e8d369&id=a8ddc9b266
Great to meet you here!
WOW Tanya…we need to connect! And yes, I would love to have your book! I’m slowly working on my book, as of this moment, I call it The Wilderness Marathon, using Exodus and the Israelites wandering in the wilderness.
I hope you’ll come back soon.
XO
Tammy
Your pictures make me want to join you! Dare to do more than just survive, step out and THRIVE (my motto…so you know I love your thriving statement!) 🙂
YES Bethany! It would be so easy to fold up and give up, but thriving, WOW. Thriving is where God meets us!
Thank yo for stopping by!
XO
Tammy
I offered up a prayer for you today. Thank you for sharing your honest feelings, struggles and blessings with us. It’s hard to count our blessings sometimes when we feel our heart breaking – we just lost our cat, a valued member of our family, to cancer. Yet, I saw God’s hand and felt His comfort through the experience. So glad I found your blog through the FMF. http://www.dianeweidenbenner.com
Thank you Diane for your prayers, I’m blessed by them! I hope you will come back again!
XO
Tammy
So glad you’re still here friend! “Feathery whispers of grace”–I love that image. I’m blessed by all of you too. I’m in the 11 spot this week.
Thank you Tara! We’ve had a tough couple of weeks, as you know, it’s in these place where we can see God’s tender mercies.
He is so sweet to us!
XO
Tammy
Thank you for the reminder that I need to open my arms to grace. I need to chose to be filled with His grace. I needed this reminder. I hope you have a lovely weekend!
Jolene, I need that reminder myself!
Thank you for coming by!
XO
Tammy
“…the unholy hard.”
Yes, ma’am. Yes, indeed. There’s a whole lot to this life that is unholy. And more than hard. Downright a pain in the tuckus that makes us want to scream all the time. At least, that’s how it is for me. Yet, somehow, in the middle of the unholy, God ushers in gentle winds of His presence, reminding us that this is not all there is. The unholy and the hard will one day cease, and we will remember it no more.
Amen Marie…I am living for that day!
Thank you for stopping by!
XO
Tammy
You and I, we have been traveling this ‘unholy hard’ together separately. And I, like you, have found so many blessings of God. Coming from FMF #85 (or so..brain fog)
Yes we have Mandy! I’m so glad you stopped by!
XO
Tammy
Tammy, I love everything about this – your words, your photos, just beautiful!
Thanks for sharing and may God bless you richly!
Thank you Gayl!
Happy Fourth!
XO
Tammy
“I want to keep my hands cupped wide open to catch the gifts.”
Your post here makes me think we could sit for several hours with steamy cups of coffee and share about the difficult sharp turns of life, which lead us on a desert tour. I’m sorry you are in this place of trial. I hope it helps you to know that it helps me to know I am not alone. I bless you with a feast of JOY on your journey with Jesus. Lisa
That would be lovely Lisa! Oh Sweet Friend, that’s why I write, so you, me, and others will know we are not alone. I hope you will come by again!
XO
Tammy
This was a great one, as expected.
Love all
Mom