She Lives in Grace

Welcome!  Welcome!

Hi everyone! It's nice to 'meet' you!

Who am I? First and foremost, I am a daughter of the Most High.

For much of my life, I felt alone. Although always convinced God was present in the universe, I believed he did not care about me personally. Where was he? Why was he always mad at me? Did he cause all of this evil around me? Tough questions. Maybe you have have them, too. Now, through a series of revelations about who He is, and therefore, who I am, I have come to realize the grace of Jesus Christ and just how much it changes every area of my life. My writing reflects this truth. I desire to point to Jesus Christ in all I say and do.

I am not all of the lies I once believed about myself.

I am a saint - forgiven, holy, justified, and sanctified. I am the apple of His eye, beloved, adopted, righteous, made alive together with Christ, a new creation, a fellow heir, and partaker of God's promise in Christ Jesus, Christ's friend. I have the mind of Christ. I am blessed with every spiritual blessing.

I am loved.

I live in Michigan with my husband and family. I am Mom to four sons, a daughter-in-law, and one golden-doodle, Lexi. I love marmite book endings, baking fresh bread, teaching piano, walking with friends, watching my chickens, and creating straight lines in my vegetable gardens. Even though I'm a Master Gardener, my husband teases that he'd hate to be one of my perennials as I move them around so much. I can't do a cartwheel to safe my life and I frequently lose playing "Fast Scrabble". I know all of the words to the opener of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (yes, I know that dates me) and I have an odd fascination with weather-vanes and windmills.

I still send out an old-fashioned Christmas letter, a tradition that I started when first married. Over the years I have found my voice and realize I like to write with a touch of humor. I'm pretty classic and traditional, a large dose of whimsical and a small touch of quirky thrown into the pot. I live with a child-like curiosity and zeal for life. A deeply emotional person (hello Enneagram 4!), I prefer deep conversation over a cup of tea (coffee - bleck!) rather than small talk. I love one-on-one conversations. Want to go out for "coffee"? Just ask! I'm always very game!

And in case you ask, yes, the cover picture on the opening page IS actually me in Jamaica with my husband for our 25 wedding anniversary. It mirrors my freedom - from lies, from addiction, from depression, from people's opinion of me. Rest is available in Jesus Christ. It really is. I have grabbed ahold. He will never let me go. It's a win-win! To me, grace is not a "thing"; it's a person - Jesus Christ. In him, truly for the first time, I live.

I wouldn't have believed this possible ten years ago.

Living in Grace changed all of that.

Father changed all of that.

My favorite verse paraphrased from Ephesians 3:20 sums it all up for me. "Father can do abundantly more than all we think, ask, or imagine."

Even for me. For you, too.

Glory!

*****
Aleisha Cate