Faith, Family, and the beauty of Everyday Grace

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the heart remembers
Debbie Prather Debbie Prather

the heart remembers

Words don’t suffice.

There aren’t enough that can express.

A and E, let my heart talk to yours.

You are so adored by your hard-working and fun-loving parents, grandparents, aunties, and uncles: Life will be a great adventure.

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Ties That Bind
Debbie Prather Debbie Prather

Ties That Bind

The beautiful connections that occur in our relationships are not accidental but intentional.

It' s a key word for every Christ follower: intentionality.

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humble and kind
Debbie Prather Debbie Prather

humble and kind

“I love you, Mom.”

“Hmmm?”

(A little louder) “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too ... so very much.”

I’d been deep in thought, listening to the song we were slowly dancing to.

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find their way
family Debbie Prather family Debbie Prather

find their way

"Just turn on the power and everything is all set. You don’t need to change a thing. I have it on the correct setting and volume."

"If it’s not turned on," she said, "he won't sleep and will be distracted by the children playing outside."

I was babysitting for my niece and nephews and followed my sister's instructions to a T.

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an ever-present help in times of trouble
Life Debbie Prather Life Debbie Prather

an ever-present help in times of trouble

My first overriding emotion was embarrassment.

When I heard one say to the other, “It was a domestic dispute,” I felt the blood rush to my face. The emotion immediately following was anger.

“No! You don’t understand. My dad has a brain tumor. He’d never hurt us or our mom!” 

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the essence of big love
family Debbie Prather family Debbie Prather

the essence of big love

The risk of loving big is that big goodbyes can wreck you.

If you've lived long enough, you've experienced it. The reverberating pain of saying goodbye to someone you love.

I've been to more funerals than I can count. My beloved father passed away when I was a teen and three more people I loved completely, my husband's mom, dad, and sister, Denise, all died within a handful of years from one another.

But these are not the kinds of letting go I'm referring to.

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ineffable
Debbie Prather Debbie Prather

ineffable

When I heard his feet hit the floor and his bedroom door open, I knew I didn’t have time to move or hide. I was caught.

"Hey!" he said. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just looking for something I dropped earlier," I whispered (and lied).

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a wing and a prayer
Life Debbie Prather Life Debbie Prather

a wing and a prayer

Being petrified of flying has its advantages.

Okay, advantages is an overstatement, but there is one reason I'm thankful for my intense fear.

When I'm up in the clouds and my heart is hammering in my chest, I can pray to God for hours on end—which is exactly what I did this past July on an eight-hour flight to Paris.

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