Today my heart weighs heavy preoccupied with heaviness of mind.
I eluded a few days ago that there is something that I need to share.
And seriously, sweet friends, this is one of the extremely difficult things about having a very public blog.
Pre-blog days things just happened with few folks noticing.
Our private lives were pretty private.
Speaking for myself, I really liked it that way.
My few closest friends can attest to the fact that I really am a very, very, very private person.
{Somehow I think the Lord was smiling at all that,
once upon a time.}
Because He {and He alone} birthed
the enormous responsibility of a very public ministry through our
Place Called Simplicity.
Although it has blessed me, personally, tremendously, I feel the weight of it at times.
Times when things on the home front are not easy to share.
Times when life has taken some unexpected turns.
Times when life has completely blindsided us.
Like now.
And the thought of typing my most difficult post {ever} leaves me wanting to throw up instead.
Over and over I have given our Place Called Simplicity
to the Lord and told Him,
“If you ever see me not honoring you through our Place Called Simplicity, then please close it down.
It’s all yours.
Do with it, what you will.
I only want it to ever honor You – through the good
and the not-so-good.”
And no doubt, He has blessed it over and over, and for some crazy reason people I have never met are ministered to through it and they tell their friends and then they come by…honestly, I am completely dumbfounded by it all.
Needless to say, I am heavy with the responsibility of sharing with a few thousand of you what is going on.
And making our very private grieving a very public thing.
A couple of days ago a sweet bloggy friend
{who knows nothing}
wrote to me
and left me with this verse,
“I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.”
And that is my theme song at this moment.
I will share tomorrow.
Please do pray for me as I write.
praying right now
Linny,
Please know that I am praying for you. Be real but also know that you do not have to share if it does not feel safe. This blog is such a gift to me. I can pray whether you share or don't, have grace with yourself.
Wish I could box up hugs and send them to you,
Shannon
You are in my thoughts.
A friend of mine gave me a paraphrase of this verse that I use all the time, "I can do all things through Christ who continually pours His strength into me." I am praying for you precious woman and for your family.
Linny so sorry for what you are going through. I don't have to even know to be able to read the pain in your writing. I will pray for you now that you may find peace in all of this soon and know why God placed you on this path. I hope you feel the power of prayer lifting you up tonight as you tackle this pain you are having to go through right now. So sorry friend.
grace and peace to you
OK Linny, (You don't have to approve this comment if you don't want. 🙂 ) You are starting to freak me out a bit!!! Just know that I am praying like crazy for you as you consider how you want to share with your friends. I know that whatever you are going through is in God's hands and he will be the strength you need. I have NO DOUBT that that is true. There are so many ways I feel in my heart to pray for you, but for now, I am praying HIS will be done.
Sweet friend, praying God gives you the exact words you need to share all you are going through. I know it's difficult yet I know God is in control of this situation too. Hugs and love
Linny- I'm praying for you today. Praying for God to give you grace and strength as you write. Even in this hard task, I know that God will use you to minister to people through your willingness to share your journey. I am so thankful for your blog and how it provided a way for us to meet. : ) Love you!
Praying for you sweet friend, whatever it is.
love,
janet, kevin, ted, philip, and eli
Oh Linny, I feel for you. I have been praying for you (a lot) and feel a real sense of the gravity of what you are going to share. I'm praying that God would wrap you in his loving arms and that so will all of us – your bloggy friends who love you. Thank you for faithfully sharing all that you have with us. I'm still so new to your blog but I've dug through the layers of posts and been so blessed and changed through your words. You have my support and friendship for life. 🙂
Praying for you friend. There are many who will willingly share your burdens. Love you.
Praying!!!! God knows the words and you are His Pencil 🙂 Love that thought from Mother Theresa.
I am praying. A Place Called Simplicity has impacted my life in ways that I'm only beginning to discover ~ God has used your being willing to share your walk in a mighty way, not only in my life but in that of my husband and friends. Thank you for being obedient to His call, and know that we are lifting you up.
Linny,
While i do not know what is going on with your sweet family, i am praying for you. You are an inspiration to all of us who call you "friend". Even those of us who have never gotten to meet you face to face.
Please know that you are being prayed for, and hugged from Lower Alabama.
love you!
Alycia
Jeremiah 33:3
Love and support are coming your way!!! Hugs and lots of love. ……Kerry
Praying for you Linnie, whatever the request, remember He holds you in His hands.
Will pray, Linny. May Christ have the preeminence.
((hugs))
Praying for you sweet Linny
Praying for you. I'm sorry for whatever struggle you are facing right now. I hope you feel Jesus holding you in the palm of his hand. As wonderful as this blog is don't think for one minute you have to reveal your private hurts here. God know what your hurts are and you have my prayers no matter what.
I just said a prayer for your family.
I can very much relate to being a super duper private person and the courage it takes to put it on a blog. But every time I write one of my Monster Monday posts and feel like throwing up, I am AMAZED at the positive response. Not only via comments but emails from people I don't know thanking me for sharing "their" story too. I am not nearly as brave about being open as you but from the little I have shared, I know that the courage it takes always comes back to me ten fold.
But also know that no one expects you to disclose every last detail of your life on here. Or they shouldn't. So share what you can and we will all be grateful for that.
Linny, you have blessed my life and been such an encouragement to me through this blog, and now please know that we all stand behind you..on our knees:)..interceding before the Father on your behalf!
Linny
Praying for you and your family. May God bless you and give you the strength to get through this situation. Thank you so much for your open honest heart I really do enjoy reading your blog and have gained much from it.
Janet
praying
Continuing to pray for you.
2 Thessalonians 3:16
Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!
Praying for you. I am not one to leave comments on your blog, but your blog is the first thing I go to when I get on my computer everyday. You have ministered to me Linny, and taught me so much. I first found your blog when my daughter and husband were looking into adoption. I can tell you heart is heavy from your writing. Feel comforted knowing so many of us are praying for you.
Linny,
Your words have been an encouragement to me over and over and over again. God has used you to encourage my 64 year old parents to adopt from Uganda. He has used your words to encourage my husband and I to say yes to God's plan of adopting two more from Uganda. I have had a fear of fires since I was a little girl, and the day of your fire was the first day I read your blog. Please know that I am praying for you even now, that whatever God has allowed to enter your lives He will be faithful to use for your good and His glory.
Love you!
Heidi
I have been praying for weeks for this very post and wish I could hug you in person right now. Still praying! Love you friend!!
Praying for you my sweet friend.
Jenny
http://www.ourplansmultiplied.blogspot.com
Praying for you, my Sister/Friend. Love ~ Jo
Praying for you and your precious family. My heart is heavy for you today. Sending you hugs.
Amy P.
will be praying for you my dear,
love you
I can not get you off my mind tonight. Know that I have prayed for you all night each time you have entered my mind. I will continue to pray for you through the night I have a feeling it is going to be an all nighter! Just wanted you to know.
Usually Linny, your burdens and sorrow along with your willingness to share help so many. You never know how what God is unfolding in your life (good and bad) is going to have an impact on others.. I'm speaking from personal experience here!! . xoxoxo
Lifting you up before the throne of His grace and asking our Father to hold you in the palm of His hand. I know He will give you the words and peace as you choose the words to share.
Praying here too! Your words in the past have strengthened my faith. God has used you well! Trust Him to lead as you share from your heart.
Thinking of and praying for you.
Indeed, sweet Linny, you do have my prayers. May His strength and peace be sufficient for your need.
oh Linny….i so echo what so many have already said….how you bless me, and so many, with how the Lord speaks through you…how He moves through you…praying for you unceasingly as the Lord pours His heart through you…His unfailing love…may you feel immersed in His Love…His Peace…His Perfect Will for you and your family. You have touched so many hearts..know that we touch yours in unceasing prayer and love, supporting you in whatever is ahead. You are such a gift from the Lord…blessings dear one…love you<3
no words to say Linny, except I'm lifting your family up in prayer to our Father who knows the beginning from the end.
May he sustain you with his unfailing love – fill you with his supernatural strength and peace and be all you need him to be.
Praying for you and yours.
Praying for you this morning sweet Linny.
This blog has been such a blessing and encouragement to me. Praying for you!!
Praying Linny. God has allowed your blog to affect so many people to bring glory to His name and this post will be no different. He will work through you and help you to say what needs to be said.
We are praying for you Linny! God is good all of the time.
Father,
Bless Linny today. Protect her from any extra stresses and worries today. I ask a special hedge of protection around her children (and grandson) during this time – those in her care and those all over the country and world. We love you, Lord.
As always, my precious sweet Linny, you and yours are in my prayers. As we both know and understand, our "But God" is always at work and only He can take some things that hurt and break our heart and make something truly beautiful out of them. We will look back and marvel at what He does with your current heartache and know that even through tremendous pain, a butterfly is born. We don't understand but we know we can trust His heart. He knows. He sees. He cares. He will give you what you need and He will minister to the faithful through your words and heartache. I love you and am spending today in prayer for you and yours. "Take the unthinkable, Lord, and make it something beautiful for your glory!" I love you precious friend and know that my day today is yours.
Praying for you, Linny. Don't feel you have to share – unless you feel God will be glorified. We can just know to pray. This blog has blessed me. You owe me nothing. God bless you.
praying for you as you prepare to share….you have been such an encouragement to me and many others…just know that whatever you're about to share..you have many to encourage you & support you here.
Blessings,
Chris in WA state
Praying for you today Linny!!!!
Whatever it is, know that there is nothing that can be shared that will cause us to feel differently about your or your precious family.
Praying right now friend!! I'm so sorry that the weight feels so heavy. Praying that you can lay it at the Father's feet and take his yoke instead.
Love and prayers,
jenn
My verse for the past several months (which I actually just blogged about) is Exodus 14:14 "the Lord will fight for you, you have only to be silent." Praying for you…
I am praying. I am grieving that you are grieving. You have impacted my life in ways I never imagined. You have cracked open my heart to adoption, but most importantly you and your family have drawn me to the CROSS and closer to Jesus. That means so much to me, you have prayed for me and shared my burdens. That is something that has changed my life
I am praying for you right now, Linny. You will have His strength to do what you need to do and His wisdom to know what steps to take and how much to share or not share. It may seem like an odd scripture right now, but the verse I feel led to share with you is 1 John 5:20:
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
Lifting you up in pray, dear one.
You are in my thoughts and prayer today, Linny.
trina (on alexis's account 'cause it won't allow me to log in)
Oh Linny, I have nothing new to add to the comments already made. I've been praying. My heart aches for you. I checked just now, feeling like maybe you were writing it about this time. Know that it takes such courage to share such deeply personal things with others, but by doing so, we can all hold you in our arms and cry with you and pray specifically for your needs. Hugs to you from afar!
Jenny
I'm praying that God will give you and your family peace, comfort and hope in the midst of whatever is going on.
Linny, haven't been by in a while. We have been very busy since Moms diagnosis of brain cancer. have had some weepy times, and times of laughter but through it all he has been faithful, as I know he will be for you and yours…praying for you and DW and family…
For some reason I just feel sick! I am praying so hard for you and for your family and peace as your write. God bless.
Brooke Annessa
http://www.theannessafamily.blogspot.com
Praying for you tonight and throughout the day tomorrow as you share your heart and your struggles. As a very private person myself, I can only imagine how very, very difficult it would be to have such a public ministry. We all love you Linny.
Praying for His strength in you, Linny!