Hello Fellow Bloggers!

I wanted to take this time to explain who I am and what my blog is about.

My name is Miranda, and I live in Rural Arkansas. I am married to my sweet husby William, of almost 16 years and I am a homeschooling mom to my kiddos Keegan, 14 and Lindy 12.

We adopted our daughter Gracie when she was 12 and she is now almost 22, married and I am the MiMi to 3 little ones, Wyatt, Wesley and Lilli and baby Laila who will be making her appearance in July.

I am a non-profit business owner, Crazy about Cupcakes, where my creations help support Missions in Guatemala, particularly focusing on Shadow of his Wings Orphanage.

That is who I am, now here is where the story begins.

9 Months ago, I left a life of Full-Time Ministry, where time knew no end. My life was on a constant race track that never ended. Please do not get me wrong, I love serving God and God’s children, but there came a time for me when I was losing not only myself in that journey, but my family as well.

My “team” as I call them (or ministry volunteers) saw me more on a daily basis than my family did. I had more breakfast, lunch and dinner meetings with fellow staff, volunteers or individuals than I had with my family. Church consisted of work, not a day to rest and reflect on what the Lord has done and my many blessings. In fact, my family was almost never at the same church campus as I was.

I knew something was going to have to change when I would emotionally breakdown as I headed one direction for church and my family headed another. I won’t lie. Ministry is demanding. It’s brutal. It just sucks sometimes.

But it also is so rewarding!

But in the end would it matter if I saved 1000 souls if I lost mine or my families along the way?

Is the high I would get after helping someone, creating another great service, pulling off another big event, worth the crumpling walls of my own home?

Those were the questions that my consumed my mind for so long. Isn’t this the plan God had for me, I would say. Did he not put me in this spot to make a difference?

Then finally one day I realized after dragging my kids to another meeting so they could do school, coming home to find that once again we didn’t have any groceries to cook a decent meal, seeing the mountains of laundry waiting to be washed and looking into the eyes of my fur babies as they wondered why I never spent any time with them anymore, and watching as my husband slipped further and further away from me, that none of that was God’s Plan for me. I created something ugly out of what he had laid before me.

Then I found this…..

The most important of the Lord’s work you will ever do will be the work you do within the walls of your own home.

Wow!!!

An then I knew what had to be done. I resigned shortly after, and no it wasn’t easy. It was very emotional, confusing, scary, and even uncomfortable for me. But it was also very freeing.

It took several months to completely break away, but I still play small parts to areas that I worked in before. But I finally feel I can do the Lord’s Work inside my own walls.

That is when I decided to blog.

I started a blog last summer as “Ramblingsofahomeschoolmomma”.  I was in a place where I didn’t know who I was suppose to be or what i suppose to do with my life. So mostly I just rambled on to get thru each and every day.

Then I started soul searching. Asking God, “Who is it you created me to be?” And while I don’t have the exact answer I do know my roots. I know I was raised a simple life, living off the land, loving family and enjoying life. So what better place to start then there.

My husband and I are both passionate about late 1800′s Homesteads, Farmhouses and Primitive Decor.  Anything Vintage or Retro.  We love Farmhouses!

When I was reflecting on how I wanted my life to be, I just wanted to keep the same traits of a more simply style for my family.

If you are asking what does that mean?

Well the name Grace and Gravy comes from a Cooking Connect Group that I started at my church.  A group of ladies would meet weekly and we would learn new recipes and discuss devotions or just share left.

After I was soul searching I realized that Grace and Gravy is my life.  I love how God’s Grace covers me daily, like gravy, as I continue my journey striving to be a Proverbs 31 wife/mother.

I plan to blog about my Homesteading Adventures (as I learn what living a homesteading life means), my love for baking (My side business for Guatemala Missions: Crazy About Cupcakes) and cooking ( including a few tutorials From Scratch Cooking).  I will share my Mid-Day Homeschooling Humors (or Horrors :/ ), my everyday Life Adventures or Mis-haps, and  how I love to give and receive God’s Grace.

I hope you will enjoy the new adventures I am embarking on.

Love Miranda