Tag Archives: death

Away in a manger

Are you away from those you hold most dear ? Are there misunderstandings or even death or divorce that keep you apart from loved ones in time, space or distance? Or is this a hard season for you for any reason at all ? There is someone who cares. Someone born AWAY IN A MANGER but not far away today!

Writing my emotions thru letters, prayers, poems & songs has comforted me since I was a child and I am often surprised at how much comfort my words bring to others~ similar to how a song can bring comfort to a child when a mother sings or just humms. Let’s write & sing & humm with & to ourselves and others to bring more comfort to the world starting with just a smile & a KIND WORD ~right in the mirror !

🎶 AWAY IN A MANGER ~ no crib for a bed ~ the little LORD JESUS laid down HIS sweet head ~~~~~The stars in the sky looked down where He lay ~ the little LORD JESUS asleep on the hay…🎶

Things certainly were not perfect ….they were less than ideal for THAT ROYAL birth ~ far & AWAY from home and no room in any inn but THERE WAS PEACE in that humble ground because the HOLY SPIRIT WAS PRESENT.

Amazingly PRESENTS started arriving . Worshipers celebrating the birth of the MOST HIGH came from all over because they knew the truth & wanted to SEE IT & get CLOSER . Angels started the chorus and the shepherds ( drummer boys ? 🥁) & even wise men later brought their most valuable gift each from the heart and with so much JOY . To some of us the BEST GIFT WOULD be:

✨TIME or a

✨TOUCH ( like a good hug !)

✨WORDS of affirmation like in a letter or a song ….

✨Acts of SERVICE

✨GIFTS!


HOW DO YOU GIVE & RECEIVE LOVE ? When we know ourselves & seek to understand others we can better give & receive love. There is always so much to learn because we do change & grow and need to ASK …ourselves & others.

So TODAY as I miss many I love ~ far far away in some cases. There is no distance in my heart…..Perhaps it is YOU I am thinking of so dearly right now ! I DO KNOW GOD IS THINKING OF YOU and believe that is why you are reading this. We are messengers . I hope to be a messenger and a GIFT of love to you & all I meet & know ! So I pray & write & sing & will ask you to wrap your arms around yourself & RECEIVE THIS HUG I AM SENDING & then HUMM along with me your favorite tune of the season or one of mine !

I write for ALL those I love & miss and all who read this sometimes purely by the hand of providence.
I ALSO PRAY this gives encouragement and hope just where you need it most. May this be an answer to both of us. It is is my gift to you today from my heart.

I CARE & that is why I SHARE! I write this today for love and out of my broken heart that Heaven keeps healing and holding together by amazing grace cords of love.

I forgive those who have misunderstood and hurt me because that is the habit my dear daddy modeled and taught me from a child. May we learn to forgive like Jesus did even on our crosses of sufferings and even for our enemies as was JESUS WAY. I know no other way. It is the way of peace and healing and have seen many suffer because they would not forgive or reach out & try to love again. Forgiveness is a gift I give myself as much as for the other person who may or may not know how much their words or actions ( or lack of words or actions or contact ) have grieved me. I ask their forgiveness as well for anything I might have done to cause harm. I never want to hurt anyone I pray we will all get the gift of forgiveness that is one of the BEST GIFTS OF ALL!

My dear daddy was very wise and like a grand~father & mentor to me. He was nearly 50 when I was born. I was his only daughter and he affectionately & humorously introduced me as ” My favorite & Hebrew Daughter along with His Hebrew Son” because he choose our names from the Bible. The Hebrew meaning of my name is compassionate, friend …. Names are important and can teach us much about ourselves & our destiny~ I recommend looking your name’s meaning up and/or pray about the meaning of your name to discover more about yourself. Our name is a key to our destiny and can especially help us when we are AWAY from who we love and things that are comfortable & familiar or need to start a new chapter of our lives.

How wonderful to be SO beloved by both my far from perfect parents but sadly there was a lot of disease and financial stress in my home after a horrible car accident when I was very little. Our car had plunged over the freeway’s edge at 50 mph and it rolled several times before it stopped and my mom was thrown many yards away . When she came to she thought we were all dead just before she passed out again after trying to get up. It seems we all passed out unconscious until a miraculous intervention saved us. My mom & I would most likely have bled to death if someone had not pulled over to help since this was way before cell phones . God made A WAY ! ( ask me about the REST OF THE STORY sometime…I do edit a lot out of stories to save YOU time !) Believe it or not !

There were dangerous medications causing nightmares along with concussion symptoms & other health challenges….some lasting for decades that are all part of what makes me unique. BUT GOD CAN MAKE A WAY & send healing even TODAY for us all ! OFTEN WITH PRAYER !

So much good did come from the tragedy but it takes EYES of GRACE to see and sometimes that includes time & experience. I am so grateful for how it shaped who I am and the many choices because of that abrupt turning point in my life. Painful at the time but I learned & grew so much in ways that were important. God was making A WAY for me even then.

Instead of being shy and afraid I had to learn to be brave. I wanted to be there for others who were in pain because of the hospital trauma where I felt lied to and/or abandoned by everyone including the nurses as I the painful needle pulled me back together and I counted each stitch. I just wanted to know how many and when the nurse across the room said just a couple more …I had believed her but nightmare did not end for a long time. I realized at a young age there is no one who understands or cares and can be with us all the time like Jesus can. Jesus said I AM THE WAY John 14:6

You see, just months before the car accident I had asked Jesus to become my best friend by inviting him into my heart through a simple prayer on my daddy’s lap after church one night when the sermon scared me about the reality of a hell. I wanted to go to heaven not hell like the Preacher had talked about.

How GLAD I AM THAT I GOT THE HELL SCARED OUT OF ME at 4 !!! HALLELUJAH !!

I HOPE TO SCARE IT OUT OF YOU TOO!!! SO you can sing HA HA HALLELUJAH with me too and chase away the fear & anger & pain of this world ! There is no other comfort like the WORDS of Jesus to my heart & soul. Do you know & trust Jesus ? Do you want to know God’s LOVE ? Just say a simple prayer like a child and God will send answers when you ASK ! GOD WILL MAKE A WAY for YOU!

Even at that small age after the car accident I wanted to SPEAK UP for those who had no voice or were too weak or just felt alone.

Well~ we can ONLY choose our response & take our emotions and recreate something good out of what seems like a mistake or a tragedy. May we choose to keep learning & growing and share humor & love wherever we are , like my dear daddy did for 80 wonderful years. I have missed my parents and first son since they all died in the 1990’s. I REMEMBER them each fondly and because I write & talk about them along with others who have died like another son last year ~ it seems to help them seem near and chase away the tears that still flow and pain that grief will bring like unexpected waves at times. Feeling the pain but not getting pulled under & stuck in it is healing. We must feel our emotions and then do something constructive with them ~ like move & create & reach out to help others.

This helps bring healing and even heaven to earth ~ one action at a time. I get thanked daily for some of the simplest acts of kindness that any one can do. A cup of kindness I call it ….It could be a cup or bottle of water or an apple for a homeless person ~ EVERYONE needs a smile & a kind greeting especially in times like these. REACH OUT ~ SMILE & GREET ALL YOU MEET . You will find that the nobleness & love you give away WILL return to you some day when you most need it also ! Not where you think ~ God shows up in mysterious ways and the Bible tells a lot of those mysterious stories to show us HIS WAY!

The most famous stories of all time are full of separation & difficulties and often start in humble & what seems to be unlikely beginning places.

One phrase and most of the world knows the same story we are talking about from the MOST FAMOUS STORY OF ALL TIME ” AWAY IN A MANGER” or “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem” or so many many more about that Oh HOLY NIGHT when there was a SPECIAL STAR shining SO bright in the darkest of times !

In pondering this during my prayer time first thing this morning a poem starting coming to me. For decades I have written my prayers & poems in journals before or after my habit of daily Bible reading.

Here are 2 of my new verses (part of a longer poem ) to AWAY in a Manger that I wrote this morning:

🎶The Story of JESUS a child can RECEIVE ~ but grown~ups forget or are often deceived

🎶We must be like children to SEE the PURE THINGS

🎶Like Jesus the sacrifice LAMB & TRUE (LION) KING!

🎶NOW what can we do to show JESUS we care ? ~

🎶Let’s give Him our HEART & show love everywhere~

🎶For that is the message from that HOLY NIGHT ~

🎶TO SHINE FORTH THE KINGDOM OF PUREST D*LIGHT ~~~ grace’t*ruth

May this & every season remind us of the reason we are still here & why the

King of glory arrived AWAY IN A MANGER & WANTS TO BRING COMFORT & JOY TO EVERY PLACE !

GOOD CHEER TO YOU & YOURS AS YOU CELEBRATE YOUR DAYS & HOLY NIGHT(s)

MAY THEY ALL BE WITH & IN D*LIGHT

Lovingly

with grace & truth

your friend ~ even to the end …..which is really just a new beginning

PS AND ….If you are grieving the loss of someone or REMEMBERING my dear Son Joshua as I am perhaps this touching song will help you cry out a few more healthy & healing tears like it did for me when I heard it ! May GOD’S LOVE RAISE YOU UP over the ashes of life to SEE THE MANGERS & THE CROSSES of life , that can seem like a bloody mess actually turn into the places that lift us up to SEE LIFE ETERNAL FULL OF HOPE & JOY & ABUNDANCE EVEN :

Blessed are those who MOURN (express their grief) BE COMFORTED BY JESUS~ Matthew 5:4

For more on Jesus Birthplace & prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures check out this Link especially if you are are seeker of truth or Jewish or just CURIOUS ~~like a child.

https://jewsforjesus.org/messianic-prophecies/the-messiah-would-be-born-in-bethlehem

SHALOM ! & IF YOU RECEIVED & BELIEVED THEN GO TELL …SOMEONE & SPREAD THE LOVE
GOOD WILL ON EARTH AS IN HEAVEN

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HEAVENLY BLUES

HEAVENLY BLUES

Oh how I love those heavenly blues

Like the sky ~ his eyes so beautiful & true

From the first moment he was placed in my arms

There was a knowing look ~ a winsome charm

And a striving for JUSTICE & MERCY too

….That’s my boy’s heavenly blues

He loved nature & music the most

So many talents I surely can boast

Always reaching higher & searching the stars

His body & heart wore many battle scars

So he cheered himself & others with tunes

~~~Yes my boy’s sweet, uncanny heavenly blues

He loved gathering friends new & old

Lighting a fire where stories were told

Humor & music & games to be played

But he wasn’t one for masks or charades

He’d challenge all to be honest & real ~not fools

~~~So often with a song ~ahh those heavenly blues

His body was agile, swift & strong

He worked & played & wrote many a song

His craftsmanship was unique & clever

He noticed each detail even each feather

He did more in his years than most it’s true

~~~So CELEBRATE with me his heavenly blues

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The last few visits were the best in years

He was so tender & grateful as we shared hugs & tears

He played special songs while he held my hand

I’m so grateful GOD had that in the plan

For my last memory with him is in purple hues

~~~Sharing & singing BRITER heavenly blues

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He realized so much is lies from one ENEMY

For our loved ones are not the problem you SEE

Anger guilt & pain covered in shame

Makes us blind & casting blame

He was understanding the TRUE gospel anew

~~~And now he’s singing them in heavenly blues

Have you heard the story of Jesus so dear?

God’s son sent to save us & draw us near

Nearer & nearer to the way we should live

A peace within with JOY & quick to forgive

DO ASK NOW to receive this good good news

Then share with all the heavenly blues

       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There’s nothing in this world that compares

To presence of JESUS a constant best friend, who cares

His SPIRIT wants to comfort, guide & keep

Then we can safely live, trust & sleep

SO ASK JESUS TO MAKE YOUR HEART NEW
& SING GLORIOUSLY WITH ME FOREVER
~~~ETERNAL HEAVENLY BLUES …..

~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you GOD for sending us

Joshua ~ the one who lived in my womb

& Jesus the one on the cross & the tomb

The womb & the cross & the tomb are not places to stay

GOD WANTS US FREE TO LIVE at PEACE COME WHAT MAY

GET READY FOR SOON IS RESURRECTION DAY &
A NEW BIRTH & EARTH TO STAY ~~

There are links at the end to the very special songs

My son played for me during one of our last visits ( we had many hours long visits when I parked my RV home at his home that he had paid off. He said he was working on getting me a place of my own too &/or put a pad in behind his house) GOD had other plans for each of us & now he is FREE from this earth’s pain & struggle & we are left behind to carry on his legacy along with ours. He would say LAUGH MORE & BE HAPPY & that sounds like Jesus kind of living to me. ABUNDANT LIFE.

~ THESE songs meant a lot to us so do click the links below & pretend we are their

taking you to the heavenly BLUES TOO !

And a new one to me that is now my favorite & theme song for this past year since Joshua shared it with me:
When….the Man comes around Johnny Cash (2018 version)

For more

Poetry & gleanings from

The pen of Joshua’s mother’s heart

See graceannetruth.org

GOD BLESS YOU WITH HIS PEACE & JOY

AS YOU BELIEVE

BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

IT IS FREE FOR THE ASKING
NOW & FOREVER

Look up & say Hello to GOD & ASK HIM TO SHOW YOU THE WAY FROM A SINCERE HEART & HE SURELY WILL CARRY ALL IN HIS HEAVENLY BLUES NOW & FOREVER ~ SHALOM DEAR HEARTS

FOR those I met CELEBRATING JOSHUA OR WILL MEET THAT KNEW HIM
THANK YOU FOR WELCOMING ME
& LOVING MY SON WHO LOVED YOU ALL SO MUCH!

WE ARE BELOVED

GIVE YOURSELF 3 HUGE (and I mean HUGE TEDDY BEAR HUGS NOW!!!) & LET’S TOGETHER SEND 3 KISSES TO HIM IN THE HEAVENLY BLUES

Romans 15:13

John 17:3

John 3:16-17

Psalm 1 (one psalm & one proverb daily along with reading thru the bible many times a year is the secret to WISDOM & GROWING IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR CREATOR OUR CREATION & OUR PURPOSE IN LIFE.)

JOIN ME IN THE ADVENTURE OF THE WORD THAT
SETS US TRULY FREE

IN ALL THE WAYS THAT MATTER

FREE FROM FEAR

BY A PERFECT LOVE

DO NOT DOUBT ~ GOD IS WITH YOU & FOR YOU IF YOU SURRENDER WITH A LISTENING HEART & ASK HUMBLY ~

GRACE GRACE TO ALL THE SAINTS

IF YOU MADE IT TO THE END HERE…LEAVE A COMMENT KINDLY & CLICK THE SUBSCRIBE BUTTON IF YOU WANT MORE UPDATES FROM

graceannetruth.org

Love from Granma Grace aka friend

Here is a song & show I loved as a child & had not heard for decades …Joshua always knew the right song to put on for me even as a teen when he sensed things were hard. We had a special bond especially when we looked up at the stars at night. I surely do & will always miss him & will love the ones I meet on the street for him …for he like me liked to cheer the neighbors & strangers AS IF THEY WERE JESUS IN DISGUISE . …WON’T YOU JOIN US?

JOSHUA’S LAST SONG WE SHARED & I ASK YOU TO CLOSE YOUR EYES & LISTEN AS IF YOU ARE LOOKING INTO HIS EYES WITH ME …THOSE HEAVENLY BLUES …

SHALOM & GRACE TO YOU !

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JOY & PAIN of LOVING

BIRTH IS THE MOST THRILLING OF EARTHLY EXPERIENCES BUT IT IS OFTEN THE MOST

CHALLENGING AS WELL~especially the next 100 years or if the child dies before the mother!   IN other words LIFE IS a BEAUTIFUL MESS & BITTER~SWEET!!!…

 

…A MESTER~ PIECE ….orchestrated by the MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE WHO CAN MAKE
ALL THINGS TURN FOR GOOD IN TIME IF WE WILL ONLY TRUST & DO THE NEXT RIGHT THING!photo

THE SMILE on my face is the thrill of a water birth at home after hours of labor & laughter to bring forth our last son! My 12 year old daughter, ( still an amazing photographer!)took

this photo at the moment of my last of 10 births ( 8 are still living on this earth).

Anything worthwhile takes effort & even a certain amount of pain to learn to breath with & through to manage life well. I got very good at practicing breathing with my many births

( the last 5 at home !)

Life IS about taking DEEP BREATHS FOR LIFE!

It is the first & most important principle of good health~

all three aspects of good health: BODY ~ SOUL~ SPIRIT BREATHING!

AND DEEP BELLY LAUGHTER COVERS ALL THREE ASPECTS WHEN DONE PROPERLY!

TODAY my oldest son would have turned 26 ~ but sadly Luke Henry Clifford was sang into

Jesus arms & heavenly peace at the only 1 week old as his father & I wept and began the grieving process that only someone having lost a child can understand.

Doctors misdiagnosed  several times the “problem” pregnancy and ultimately GOD had different plans for our precious & beloved first born son.

ONLY GOD can give the peace that I experienced at those critical moments when the world

seemed to be falling apart .

GOD has carried me & guided me and I THANK GOD DAILY for the gifts I learned during

Luke’s short life AND death and though I miss him dearly, I am SO GRATEFUL for the GIFT OF
LIFE & DEATH because GOD IS NOT ONLY WITH ME BUT IN ME.

ASK GOD TO SHOW YOU THE WAY.

Jesus example of TRUSTING HIS FATHER & FORGIVING & LOVING ALL
IS THE WAY
IS THE TRUTH
IS THE LIFE

 

AND THIS IS THE LIFE
I WANT TO LIVE & DO PRACTICE DAILY TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY WITH GOD’S HELP
WON’T YOU JOIN ME?

FOLLOW JESUS John 17:3

IN FULLY EMBRACING THE JOY & PAIN OF LOVING EVERY MOMENT OF LIFE!

lovingly

“aunt Ruth”

aka : graceanne

Here are two songs that were great comfort in my deep grief that I want

to share with you:

 

 

 

https://youtu.be/x2PkccjTlho

 

 

Let’s comfort each other ~ each one you meet is hiding pain!Share this:
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