No More. No Less.

I am happy (not really!) to report to you that I'm writing tonight full (miserably so) of peanut butter M&Ms and diet coke. Comfort food? Yes-sir-eee indeed!!!

I'm still struggling. Really struggling. But I know I'm not alone. I feel alone. But I'm not.

I know that many members of my family love me. I have a husband who somehow still loves me. I have two girls who adore me (at least I like to think they do!). I have a wonderful family of friends who love me. But most of all, I have a God who loves me just the way I am.

I'm trying hard to crawl in His lap and let Him comfort me. I know it's what He wants. After all, He's my heavenly father. He's even invited me/us to call him that! The God and creator of every thing wants us to know Him as our heavenly father. When I stop and ponder that, it is amazing to me.

And how are parents supposed to love their children? Unconditionally. Just the way they are. I know that I love my two girls just the way they are, inside and out, from the top of their heads to the tips of their toes! I've told them repeatedly that there is absolutely NOTHING in this world that they could do that would make me not love them. And I mean it! I may not agree with or like the choices they make or the behavior they choose, but I will always love them! My door and arms will always be open to them. And just so you know, I will always love Grady, too! And you can bet, if he were alive on this earth with us, the same would apply to him!

Praise God, He loves me just the way I am. No more. No less. He knows my heart. He knows my every thought. He knows my cries, my hurts, my desires, my joys.

Shoot, He even knows the number of hairs on my head!! I didn't make that up. Nope! That's in the Bible somewhere, but for the life of me, I couldn't tell you where! I would be willing to bet he even knows how many of them are white, blond, brown, and so on because my hair is so many different colors! (But underneath it all, it's probably just white. Sad, I know. But true!)

Anyway, this post isn't about hair. It's about coming to Jesus just the way we are. In much of the same way, this is how I come to you. Just the way I am. I don't try to be someone I'm not.

This whole post was inspired by Mercy Me's song called "No More No Less". I'm posting the song and the lyrics beneath it. Take about 5 minutes if you've never heard it to really listen and ponder the words. (And don't forget to mute my music at the bottom of the page before pressing play!) It brings me hope and comfort that God doesn't need or want us to be perfect. He wants us to come to Him just as we are! And for me, I'm just trying to make it HOME!



No More No Less, Mercy Me (www.christianlyricsonline.com)

I'm not trying to hide anything
I wear it on my sleeve
I wear it on my sleeve
I'm not trying to be something I'm not
This is all I've got
This is all I've got

I'm not trying to re-invent the wheel
Just trying to be real
Trying to be real
I'm not trying to say follow me
I'm not the one who leads
I'm not the one who leads

Let me introduce myself to you
This is who I am
No more, no less
I am just a man who understands
Because of You I'm blessed
No more, no less

I'm not trying to prove anything
It's all about the change
It's all about the change

Let me introduce myself to you
This is who I am
No more, no less
I am just a man who understands
Because of You I'm blessed
No more, no less

I hope you stare just long enough to see
The heart that's beating here inside of me
Beyond all of the things you may think you know
I'm just a kid trying to make it home, that's it
No more, no less
Lord, I want to go home
Nothing more, nothing less

Love,
Tonya