Faith Archives - the domestic fringe

Walking in The Rain

January 23, 2014 by Tricia Gillespie 5 Comments

This story first appeared one year and one day ago on Flower Patch FarmGirl's blog, one of my very favorite blogs. I was her guest and I wrote my story in a tone that would fit the style of her blog. So while it may not sound like me writing, it most certainly is me - pinky promise. I came across it the other day and realized it doesn't appear anywhere on my blog. That means I'll lose it. So, today I am sharing it once again. When Going Means Walking in The Rain Noah's Ark - this is what I see every night before I go to bed and every morning when I wake up. This amateur painting … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everyday Faith, Faith Tagged With: evangelism, Faith, Noah's Ark

Give with Abandon

November 27, 2013 by Tricia Gillespie 5 Comments

I'm one of those people who plow through life stuck in my own little world. Without a doubt, there will be one who says it's not true, it can't be. Sadly it is. Each day I walk by people I never see. Too often I'm consumed with the thirty things going on in my head. I'm one of those people who cannot turn their brain off. It's difficult for me to settle, to not be preoccupied. My son gets annoyed because I can't watch a television show without doing something else, anything. When I'm out and about, I'm focused, usually on a mission to accomplish whatever task I set out to do. I can … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everyday Faith, Faith Tagged With: Christianity, community, Faith, giving, love in action, people, Thanksgiving

Once Portugal Bound, Now America Bound

November 7, 2013 by Tricia Gillespie 1 Comment

I am 50% Portuguese, the child of a Portugal born truck driver. My dad came to America when he was a teenager, old enough to retain an accent and thoroughly confuse American sayings. On occasion he’d slip from English into Portuguese all in the same sentence, Ricky Riccardo style. He drove a milk truck and a limousine. I truly am the milkman’s daughter. This had serious benefits for me as a child. Not only did I get plenty of calcium, but he often traded goods with the chip and bread men. You’d be amazed by the exchange rate of a gallon of milk in New York City. Getting picked-up in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everyday Faith, Faith Tagged With: Faith, Family, help, missionaries, missions, Portugal

Love is An Action Word

September 19, 2013 by Tricia Gillespie 9 Comments

Tonight my daughter told me that her friend is going to be evicted from her home. This girl's parents don't have the money for their apartment anymore. If they can't find someplace to go, they are going to send this little girl to live with her grandfather in Tennessee. Then my daughter asked if she could move in with us. You know, stay with us until her family could work out other arrangements. Later my son said he saw that one of our neighbors had two bicycles they weren't using. He said they once offhandedly mentioned he could use one. It seems he's been concocting a plan, a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everyday Faith, Faith Tagged With: Bible, community, Faith, God, Love

Amazing Grace

September 16, 2013 by Tricia Gillespie 6 Comments

Last night was a sad night at church. When tragedy strikes in a small group, it's different from when you have a thousand or even a hundred people. It's all-consuming. It demands attention, not only from a few, but from all. Saturday night, a young mama fed and rocked her infant and then that little girl died in her arms. That child's grandma and friends were in church last night and they were heartbroken. It's not suppose to happen like that. Mothers shouldn't have to bury their babies. Grandmas should outlive their grandkids. It doesn't make sense. Today I've been … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everyday Faith, Faith Tagged With: Faith, grace, Life

Morality vs. Righteousness

June 19, 2013 by Tricia Gillespie 5 Comments

Morality vs. True Righteousness - The clear difference shown from a Biblical perspective

Today I am going to attempt to show the difference between morality and righteousness. Why, you ask? Well, I did this exercise as part of a lesson in the Bible study Chase by Jennie Allen. She asked what the difference is between morality and true righteousness. I'll be honest with you. I don't wake up in the morning thinking these deep thoughts, so I appreciate when someone challenges me to use my brain. Some days, I'm surprised at the thoughts I can think. Morality says... Don't Lie. Righteousness says... In the midst of all the lies, stand … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everyday Faith, Faith Tagged With: Bible, Faith, morality, righteousness

A Printable Resource & Blogging Tips

May 31, 2013 by Tricia Gillespie 2 Comments

Blogging Tips: 5 Things You Don't Want on your Blog

Blogging Tips I've given you 5 Tips for New Bloggers and went into each tip in detail. I hope that helped encourage and inspire some of you in your blogging journey, especially all you new bloggers, but I've been thinking. There are also 5 Things You Don't Want on Your Blog. I'm over at Fancy Little Things today talking about these 5 things. Maybe they're on your blog...? Printable Resource Last week I was over at Fancy Little Things reminding us who we are in Christ. I put together a resource that you may want to print out and keep handy, because sometimes we live … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Guest Bloggers Tagged With: blogging, blogging tips, Faith, Fancy Little Things, gues blogger, inspiration

Give it to God. What does that really mean?

May 20, 2013 by Tricia Gillespie 6 Comments

Christian Cliches: What does it mean to "Give it to God"?

We church people love cliches. It's true. We've got our own vernacular going and when you decide you want in, we are happy to teach you our lingo. I'm pretty much convinced we say some things and don't even really know what they mean. True story. Today we're going to pick apart something you and I like to say every time we know someone who is going through a particularly difficult time. We look at them with love and sincerity and say, "Give it to God." Now, that's not bad advice. The Bible says to cast your care on Him. God is big enough, strong enough, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everyday Faith, Faith Tagged With: Bible, Christianity, Faith, God, problems

Living with Open Hands

May 6, 2013 by Tricia Gillespie 5 Comments

Love fiercely but loosely. Don't hang on too tight.

This world - these words and family and fun times - I've been hanging on too tight. I say "We only have this one chance, this one life." I don't want to waste it, to do too little, experience less than I could, but really, it's only a drop in the bucket, as they say. I never understood that before, and I'm not sure I fully do now, but I see it a little more clearly. This life, it's not going to be around for long. I look at the things I love, the people, my children's faces, and I want to hang on forever and not let go. I can't let go. But, they are not … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everyday Faith, Faith Tagged With: Faith, Family, Life, musings

Gone Viral

April 28, 2013 by Tricia Gillespie 8 Comments

bringing glory to God makes Him known on the earth

Friends, I've gone viral, but it's not in a good way. I have some sort of pesky bug in my body making me rage with fevers, massive headaches, and vomiting. I know I could have left that last part out, but then you wouldn't know how sick I really am. Stomach bugs are the worst, most awful (I think I'm gonna die) type of sickness I can get. I'm pathetic. I also purchased the right to watch a Priscilla Shirer's live simulcast on Saturday and I missed it. Missed it. That is unacceptable friends. I also missed Saturday Night Stars. Please accept my … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Faith, illness, Life

Chase: Bible Study Review

April 4, 2013 by Tricia Gillespie 7 Comments

What are you chasing? Jennie Allen asks that loaded question in her Bible study Chase. When her publicist contacted and asked me to review this study, I never hesitated. I already knew I loved Jennie and her raw, honest writing, the way she shares her life, both the good and bad things, with her readers. I already reviewed her book Anything and it resonated so strongly in my heart that I wrote a two part review - Part 1 and Part 2. I could not wait to get my hands on this study. Jennie says, "One of the greatest fears of my life is that I would get to the end of my life and realize … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Bible study, book review, Faith, God, jennie allen, spirituality, women

New York Shootings

March 15, 2013 by Tricia Gillespie 17 Comments

There's no rewriting history, but there is today and the hope of tomorrow

When the school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut happened, my kids were worried. I told them how infrequently these types of horrific crimes are committed. I showed them statistics and explained that the chances of anything like that happening where they live are slim to none. It seems as though the odds are not in our favor. I'm not sure how much national attention the recent shootings in New York got, but they hit too close to home for my liking, far too close. In case you haven't heard, one man torched the house he lived in and then went on a bit of a shooting spree. He shot … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Faith, influence, Life, mass shootings, new york shootings, shootings

Again

January 25, 2013 by Tricia Gillespie 12 Comments

'Tis a lesson you should heed, Try, try again; If at first you don't succeed, Try, try again. Then your courage should appear, For, if you will persevere, You will conquer, never fear; Try, try again. ~ Author Anonymous It's a poem I made my kids memorize when they were nothing more than babies. Now they use it on me whenever they see me frustrated, failing. Try, try again they tell me. Again is the story of my life. I do it every single day in the big things and the little. Laundry, dishes, sweeping - those are again and again. But my life and yours, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogging/Writing Tagged With: again, Faith, Family, God, Life, poem, prompt, second chances, writing

I’m Flower Patch Farmgirl’s Guest

January 22, 2013 by Tricia Gillespie 5 Comments

Please don't faint on me, but I am a guest over at Shannan's place, Flower Patch Farmgirl. I'm writing something completely different, sharing a part of my story I don't normally talk about on my blog. I have a hard time seeing the boundaries and knowing what is good to write and what is better left unsaid, so I seldom talk about the serious stuff that involves other people. The bottom line is that I've made people upset before by what I've talked about on my blog, so I walk a fine line; however, this is as much a part of me as anything. That's all. Go read. It's rain and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Everyday Faith, Faith Tagged With: church, community, Faith, Family, inspiration, personal

Holiday Humor, Day 2

December 20, 2012 by Tricia Gillespie Leave a Comment

I felt the skin of my armpit stick together like a piece of double-sided tape had somehow made its way to the deep recesses of my underarm. Beads of sweat broke out on my forehead and I went running as inconspicuously as possible through the crowded, candlelit church. I bee-lined for the basement and ran full throttle into my mother. “Oh, mom! You made it out earlier than expected.” I blurted a quick greeting while pushing her back into the ladies’ room. “Mary,” draped in Biblical robes, was stealing one last check in the mirror before taking center stage in the manger. I frantically … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: church, Faith, Family, holidays, humor

Guilt Free Gift Giving

December 5, 2012 by Tricia Gillespie 14 Comments

Isn't it strange that giving sometimes comes with guilt? Guilt does not seem worthy of Christmas. The two do not mix, or should not mix, but somehow over the years we went from accepting the greatest gift of all, a savior in the form a baby, to stressing over the gifts we give, the gifts we want to give, and the gifts we will give - so help us God and our credit cards. Every Christmas I make a batch of the Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls. If you know anything about the Pioneer Woman's recipes, you will already understand that the calorie content constitutes buying new pants in a bigger … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: community, Faith, Family, Food, gifts, giving, holidays, relationships

Wonder

November 30, 2012 by Tricia Gillespie 11 Comments

Wonder I wonder what this next year will hold - 2013. It seems impossible. Weren't we just waiting for the end of the world to come at the strike of midnight 2000? Some people still have cans of corn in their basement. My son will be thirteen this January. I sit and wonder where all the time has gone, and then I look to the future and I wonder some more. The cure for wonder is living in the present, being right here in this very moment, but it's hard work to live like there is no other time except today. I look back over this last year and it's filled with moments of wonder, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Faith, musings, personal, writing

Book Review – Mended: Pieces of a Life Made Whole

November 15, 2012 by Tricia Gillespie 8 Comments

When I began reading Mended: Pieces of a Life Made Whole, I had no idea what this book was about, but it didn't take long before I realized I knew the author. I didn't "know" her in a personal way, but I recognized her voice, the way she writes. I flipped to the back of the book and read all the inside pages near the flaps (the ones we all ignore), and I realized Angie Smith writes Bring The Rain, a blog I read long ago. When my last computer crashed, I lost all my bookmarks, and unfortunately, Bring The Rain was one of them. Then it hit me, she wrote What Women Fear. I read that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: books, encouragement, Faith, inspiration, reviews, women

Book Review – One Thousand Gifts Devotional

November 4, 2012 by Tricia Gillespie 6 Comments

If you are not familiar with Ann Voskamp, you need click right over to her blog and fall in love with her writing. Ann is so much more than a sentence can describe. She is a farmer's wife, a mother, a homeschooler, a writer, a follower of Jesus, and a giver of thanks. She took us all on her journey of counting One Thousand Gifts and finding joy in the ordinary happenings of everyday. You can read my review HERE. Now she has written a One Thousand Gifts Devotional. This book takes all the principles from One Thousand Gifts and gives them to us in a practical way. Each day, Ann takes … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: books, Faith, reading, reviews

31 Days of Living by Faith, Day 31 – Running The Race

October 30, 2012 by Tricia Gillespie 12 Comments

school track - running - 31 days of living by faith

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us; Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. ~ Hebrews 12:1-2 You are not alone in this life of faith. You have a whole cheering section rooting you on. Have you ever run a race? I have not. Believe me, I need a cheering section just to run around the block, but in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 31 Days of living by Faith Tagged With: Bible, Christianity, encouragement, Faith, God, inspiration, race