Welcome to my blog.
My name is Cheryl and I live in Southern Ontario, Canada.
I am a Jesus-follower who longs to glorify Him in everything I do. My relationship with my Father God is my highest priority, my greatest source of strength and my reason to go on.
I am a wife who has survived my husband’s addiction to pornography. Somehow God has managed to take our mangled mess and restore it into something good. Our marriage isn’t perfect but my prayer is that my Father God will keep molding and changing it into a message that glorifies Him.
I am a mom to 6 kids. I have a daughter in her early twenties, 2 teenagers and elementary school-age twins.
I have a teenage son with Autism Spectrum Disorder. He also has a learning disability. Being his mom has been a challenge. I don’t know what the future holds but I know my Father God has him. That is enough for now.
My second daughter, Arlynne, had just turned 16 in the summer of 2011 when God called her home to Heaven. Losing her was like a wave crashing into my life. The wake still continues to wash through my life. I am forever changed.
This blog is about the grace that my Father God continues to lavish on my life.
Grace. Undeserved favour. Love and mercy from God that I have done nothing to earn.
Walking in grace daily can be difficult. Seeing God’s favour and His unrelentless, sacrificial love for me while life isn’t what I expect can be a challenge.
Life is hard. It is full of circumstances that overwhelm me. I expect it to be a certain way and then something happens–loss, pain, disappointment. Especially when I have reached out to God and have given Him the control of my life.
I forget sometimes that God hasn’t promised me a smooth road here on earth. I will be stretched and pushed and moulded, as long as I am willing, until I finally get to Heaven. And that is my heart’s cry–to be transformed into something that resembles my Saviour, to walk so close to Him that you can see Him through me, in spite of me. To become “an Oak of Righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of HIS Splendor”. (Isaiah 61:3(b)
I am not perfect. I have not had a life without challenges. And my life isn’t pretty. In fact, sometimes it is down-right messy. But it is my prayer that, by exposing my mess, not only will my ashes become beautiful but you might find some encouragement through my journey.
This blog is about seeing God when life hurts. It is about working through life’s ashes, pain and loss and becoming someone new. Someone I never could have imagined on my own.
Grace from the Ashes 
Cheryl
I had to take a really deep breath the 1st time i saw your photo. You are very pretty, but more so than that you look so much like my mother (in her younger years) – that it’s uncanny.
I say that, because she died a long time ago (’83)….so believe me when I say, your blog post about “wishing you’d asked really did “hit home. ”
You’ll find some stories on my blog about her & if I can get beyond myself I might actually finish my memoir, someday.
Blessings to you and yours….
Thank you,
Kenzel
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I am so sorry to hear that you lost your mom so long ago. It must be really difficult, even after this long time. I am looking forward to reading your memories of her.
Thanks for the visit!
Cheryl
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Dear Cheryl,
I echo what Timothy wrote in his comment.
God bless you, Cheryl . And I don’t mean it as just a nice perfunctory salutation . I mean it with conviction and admiration. God bless you!!
Thank you for following my blog
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I love the way blogging is able to connect us. Following you is my pleasure! 🙂
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Thanks Grace from the Ashes (love that title). Feel your grief and your hope in grace. I’m there too. Thanks.
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It has been a pleasure to find a wonderful group of people who are walking in Grace! 🙂
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What a wonderful post. God’s grace IS the answer. I hope you enjoy and are blessed by Blogging 101. http://lilypupslife.wordpress.com/
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Cheryl, I got here from Blogging 101, nice post. I like your honesty, your heart, and you write very poetically.
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If I could make one suggestion that would be to make your “Follow” button more visible/easier to access. You’ll get more followers.
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Cheryl, I’ve only read your About and nothing else, so I don’t know much about you, except that you have been touched by HIS Grace in the midst of a tragedy—I got that from Tim’s comment. May He who has touched you by his grace also comfort you with his mercy.
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Cheryl, thank you for your honesty. God ask for that from us, but He gets it too seldom. May His Spirit, the Comforter be with you and your family in these day and weeks and years. Our God is indeed all that you say He is.
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Cheryl, I wanted to thank you for stopping by my blog and the follow. I have read some of your posts and I am praying for you and your family. I cannot even begin to imagine your loss and pain. I am grateful that your daughter is with her King and Lord and awaits the day of your arrival. May the grace of Christ gird you and guide you until that glorious day.
In Christ,
Timothy
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