I'm Ashley Marie
I Work as a internal marketing coordinator for a retirement community-I truly enjoy it. I have been made a new creation in christ- I love me some life-fashion-thoughts-people-coffee-Sundance films-Making jewelry,painting
-anything vintage/ eclectic /unique
Find Beauty in the mess
Religion is man’s attempt to find God. {The Gospel} is God’s plan to reach man. Don’t let religion get in the way of your salvation.
A good ole fashion love song is necessary, for today.
Hold me close and hold me fast
The magic spell you cast
This is la vie en rose
When you kiss me heaven sighs
And though I close my eyes
I see la vie en rose
When you press me to your heart
I’m in a world apart
A world where roses bloom
And when you speak…angels sing from above
Everyday words seem…to turn into love songs
Give your heart and soul to me
And life will always be
La vie en rose
Today I choose Joy. I have the same sense of humor as my father.I look like my father.those things bring me joy.
My Father
7 stages of Grief
- Shock and denial
- Pain and guilt
- Anger
- Bargaining
- depression and sorrow
- Testing and reconstruction
- Acceptance
I am faced to deal with talking about death in my line of work daily, whether it is a family coming in to talk about how they need to move their mother because her husband has just died of cancer or simply loses the residents here at work. I see families, spouses, friends talk about their ways of processing this hard truth, death. It is one thing is this life NONE of us will ever be able to escape from.
But this weekend it was me who had to face the truth, I was forced to take a look at my father in the eyes knowing that the end may be near. As I hear the nurses discuss hospice options and how much morphine he needs to remain comfortable and numb the pain that his body is undergoing by the shutting down of his liver. As he lays in the hospital bed, weak,unable to sit himself up.. bruising and red splotches all over his body, his arms as skinny as toothpicks..looking quite unaware of his surroundings — I start to realize how much pain one person in this life has gone through at the end of his/her life and how much you start to hold on to that person. As I start to appreciate his sense of humor, and the way he used to play barbies with me or dance with me in the garage on hot summer days as we pretend to be cleaning so mom wouldn’t yell at us for goofing off! The Friday nights when he used to take us out for Rudy’s and get jalapeno poppers (they were the best). The nights when the Bulls would play and we would turn on the surround sound and crank it up and get pumped up for the game, although I hate sports, I loved to watch because it made my dad so excited! The Sunday afternoons when I would make my dad watch sappy love stories with me, he would fight back tears and I would pretend not to see so I wouldn’t embarrass him ( he has always been so sentimental)—I accept what ever may happen, I rest in My heavenly Fathers sovereignty— I also accept that the pain I go through is to be a testimony of God’s strength in such a weak vessel. I am not writing my own story - I do not know what tomorrow brings but all i care about is His story is being told through every situation I may go through.
“My whole life is devoted to helping people fall out of love with the world and its painful experiences and IN love with God. Behold the beauty,the glory,the justice, the goodness,the wisdom, the truth, the grace, the mercy, the patience..the whole panorama pf the perfections of the Almighty God & let yourself fall in love with His glory.” - John Piper
“I surrender”
I picture myself in a open field, only wearing that of a bulletproof vest and a line of people are shooting at me.. Testing the authenticity and strength of this contraption. As they start to shoot I start to feel the hurt of the bullets as they penetrate the places of my body that aren’t covered by this vest. Just as I am walking away, I feel a sense of peace as I yell “I surrender” and I close my eyes to except the defeat,but when I open my eyes I am surrounded by a beautiful fortress. This fortress is impenetrable, to bullets and my safe haven where I rest and can heal my wounds and simply recover from the attack I have just experienced. It is here I am fully restored from that lonely battlefield I once fought all alone. But now when I fight I am not fighting with my own strength,but that of My Father. Who is constantly sacrificing and stepping in front of me-taking every bullet that was meant for me, they now penetrate him instead.That is true rest. That is true comfort.that is true confidence… That every-time the war will be won, but not until I throw my arms up and surrender. As i fight to constantly just give up on my own strength - i hear my enemy whisper-” you are weak”- yes i am you see- but it is only by surrendering in my weakness, that I will truly find any strength at all. In Him- and Him alone.
Ash.
FRIENDSHIPS OFTEN SEEM TO BE GOD’S TOOL FOR CONVICTION.
God has been stirring in my spirit about friendship for months now. why was this something that hAD BECOME so important LATELY? THEN CAME THE STILL VOICE THAT WHISPERED “WHERE ARE ALL OF MY FRIENDS AT WITH CHRIST? “- SURPRISE,SURPRISE- I HAD NO CLUE…. SO,DID THIS MEAN I WASN’T BEING A GOOD ENOUGH FRIEND?
THE ANSWER? NO, I WAS NOT. I WAS BEING VERY PASSIVE ABOUT MY FRIENDSHIPS AND THE IMPACT I WAS HAVING ON THEIR LIVES AND WAS NOT ENCOURAGING THEM INTO RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER. I WAS ALMOST AS USEFUL AS USED TOLIET PAPER, TO PUT IT NICELY. Augustine, perhaps better than any other theologian, captures the essence of friendship in a practical, everyday manner in his work, Confessions: To make conversation, to share a joke, to perform mutual acts of kindness, to read together well-written books, to share in trifling and in serious matters, to disagree though without animosity—just as a person debates with himself—and in the very rarity of disagreement to find the salt of normal harmony, to teach each other something or to learn from one another, to long with impatience for those absent, to welcome them with gladness on their arrival.
Jesus tells his disciples, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). As Peter Slade writes in his book,Open Friendship in a Closed Society, “This is no easy designation. Jesus indicates the import and cost of such a statement by linking friendship with the greatest possible human love for, as Jesus explains, ‘No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’ (John 15:13).
We learn true friendship by looking to the example of Jesus, who gave up his life to make his enemies—us—into his friends.
TO HAVE TRUE FRIENDSHIPS IT TAKES TRUE GOD GIVEN PATIENCE AND SELFLESSNESS TO KEEP SOME OF THESE DIFFICULT ONES AFLOAT & HEALTHY, AND A CONSTANT REFLECTION ON THE GOSPEL AND WHAT YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER HAS DONE FOR YOU- AS A UNDESERVING SINNER THAT YOU ARE- HE LOOKS THROUGH YOU AND SEES HIS BEAUTIFUL SON. THAT STATEMENT ALONE SHOULD PRESS YOU AND SHAPE YOU INTO SACRIFICING AND LAYING DOWN YOUR LIFE FOR YOUR FRIENDS AND UNBELIEVERS AROUND YOU.
“God receives none but those who are forsaken ,restores health to none but those who are sick, gives sight to none but the blind, and life to none but the dead..He has mercy on none but the wretched & gives grace to none but those who are in disgrace.”
Martin Luther.
Too late for love?
I dont think so. This “couple” intrigues me, they have started a wave in behavior around the old folks home. What is that wave you ask? dating,affection,company of the opposite sex. They boldly went where most at this age won’t dare to go anymore, I find it fun to watch. They both suffer from alzheimer’s and meet new everyday. Most people from the outside would not know that though by just looking at them, because their old behavior comes out from the previous day once they get “acquainted” again. They snuggle on the couch in our lobby and hold hands, they kiss. I swear its like watching two teenagers fall in love for the first time. Some other residents think its disgusting but we all laugh, I myself say why not? Are you really too old to love? To share your desires, past, your exsistence with someone new? Both of their spouses have pasted- so i’d say go right along with your bad self!
Now on to the wave it’s caused- The other day I caught two recently widowed residents holding hands (Not the previous couple) but a new couple! Tooty and Henry, they come from very different backgrounds in life- she is from India. She is outgoing,educated,out-spoken and was married to a british gentleman, who just pasted. He worked in the shop for a living, born and raised here in East Moline and was married to a very quiet, sweet, soft spoken woman who also pasted recently. Well since Lora and Bill came out with their new blooming relationship they have decided to do the same. I have also seen a couple other couples forming! Who would of thought? It’s so sweet to see this happen, to me I would want nothing more for my future husband to move on if I ever died and not sit a grieve for the rest of their lives. That’s just me though.
Too late for love? I say never.
Estate of Grace-local “vintage” shop located in Rock Island,IL. Its set up and layout is lovely and the details of the shop is very enjoyable to me! It is owned by a woman from California, whom brought back with her a new flare and world of how to wear and decorate with aged,well kept treasures. My personal favorite store right now in the area. This shop has also encouraged me to one day have my own. Dreams do come true, maybe just not when we want them to,considering I want my own shop RIGHT NOW. :) Someday.
nos·tal·gia- is what this shop brings to my mind. This concept of nostalgia is interesting to me, being that I was not born in the 30’s,40’s or even 50’s. BUT my heart’s desire is to try and experience or comprehend what that would of looked like. Through my clothing and interior of my home you can tell I have a bit of the word. (although I never lived near these eras) I wonder where this interest came from? Maybe it’s just simple -chalked up to how life “seemed” to be to me back then?
Scott Fitzgerald on love
i fell in love with her courage, her sincerity, and her flaming self respect. and it’s these things i’d believe in, even if the whole world indulged in wild suspicions that she wasn’t all she should be. i love her and it is the beginning of everything.
- f. scott fitzgerald on his wife, zelda |
