About Karrilee



Hey there... welcome to Abiding Love, Abounding Grace.  My name is Karrilee and on any given day, I am all of these things: a Wife, a Mother, Daughter, Sister, Friend… I am a Writer, Reader, Pray-er, Photographer, Beach Lover, Laugh Seeker, Life living person, serving God to the best of my ability!

I'm passionate about diving in deeper with the Lord and inviting others to discover just how personal, intimate, and abundant His Love is for them!  I live in the PNW with my Honey. Our (nearly) grown girlie moved out last year, so we are all adjusting to being Empty Nesters now. Parts of it are wonderful, and other parts - well --just hard, transitioning into a new Season.


My life message?

Speak Life. Be Love. Shine On.

I love to share what is on my heart and what the Lord is speaking to me... I write about family, marriage, parenthood, friendships... I am passionate about Community and creating an atmosphere that is welcoming and full of grace - both in my home, and here, on this blog!

I have been on a journey to stand up tall in who I am... to live out loud... to be real, to be honest... to live truth.  I strive to be me - wherever I go, and my hope is that in living like this- it will cause you to want to stand up taller too!


WHY I BLOG:

First off - why "Abiding Love, Abounding Grace":  Well... those are two of my long term goals. I want people to be able to look at my life and see that these two things are active and real in the way I live! Also - it is based off of two of my favorite scriptures:
"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.  Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love."    ~ John 15:7-9 NASB
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed"  ~ 2Cor 9:8 NASB
Now - on to why I write:  I began this blog a long time ago and it was originally started as an act of obedience!  I had been attending a prayer meeting on Tuesdays back in 2006 and felt as if the Lord had asked me to give Him a year... to go every week... to pray and worship and hear from Him... then to come home... sit down and write it out... and share it here on this blog!  One year turned into two or more and then slowly... my blogging was sporadic at best and my purpose for writing seemed to get a little blurry. (I wrote a post not too long ago about Why I Write... it expands on this thought.) 

However, I kept being drawn back here... wanting to share how He was speaking to me and what He was teaching me in my everyday life.  I love to pray and spend time at His feet or on His lap... just the thought of it stirs me up and pulls me close... This year, I realized that part of my God-Sized Dream is to create community and while I do that in my home in real life, in groups and one on one, through out the week, I also feel a call to do that here - in this space, online, and in other arenas on the web.

My call, my Dream, is to live out my mantra in real and tangible ways... my hearts' desire is honestly - with His help (because without it, it truly IS impossible) - to:

Speak Life. We hear enough death all around us and coming from our own negative thoughts within us.  It's easy to point out what is wrong... I challenge you to call forth what is right!

Be Love. I want to allow His Love to so saturate me, it spills out and pours onto you!  My goal is to fill up, and leak out!

Shine On. We are called to so let His Light shine that they will see and know that there is something different about us... that wherever we go - darkness has to flee!

To be honest, I can get a bit overwhelmed with all the Marketing, Should-Do's, and Business side of blogging... I have to set myself aside every now and again and ask Him why I am doing this!  I actually just did that last week... and this is what He said:
"Those who seek Me, find Me, and those who know My Voice, hear Me.  So in all that you do, teach them how to do these two things: How to seek Me... and how to know My Voice."
So - that is why I blog!


I share my everyday life... my good days and not so good days and I count gifts and I pray in faith and I point you to Jesus... I want you to know beyond the shadow of a doubt that the connection that I have and enjoy with the Father... with the Son... and with the Holy Spirit... you can have that too! In fact, He desires to have that connection with you! To speak to you in the middle of doing laundry or cooking dinner, or driving from one errand to another, or drifting off to sleep... He is speaking throughout your day.  My prayer is that hanging out here, will help you to hear Him more clearly in your every day, and will stir you up to have Abiding Love and Abounding Grace active and evident in your life as well!

You will quickly find out that I am really really really not good at picking favorites... and because this blog has been going on for so many years - I couldn't possibly pick all the posts that have meant so much to me! (I preach to myself when I write!)  So feel free to browse through the Archives... but to help get you started - here are a handful of posts that have either impacted me personally, or have gotten positive feedback from other readers:


On Marriage & Parenthood:
Where I write about my Husband... and the kitchen sink!

Leaving a Mark - a Legacy of Love...  where I write about the impression left behind & pray a prayer.

What is it about this Kitchen Floor... where I share vulnerable and honest on the power of Grace.

From One Mama to Another... where I share what I have learned so far - in case it may help!

When what you really need is somewhere along Highway 101... where I share the importance of Date Nights and Vacations withOUT the littles!


On Friendships & Community:
Where I write a letter to the Dreamers in my Life... my husband, my daughter, my sisters, my friends.

Searching for Identity... while sharing coffee and prayers and being honest and taking a risk.

On BBQs, Beauty, & Blinking... where I share the value of life long friends.

Where I Pray Before I Write... and He reminds me to follow His lead - and 'think better of it'.

When There Are No Words... where I share my feelings and what He reminded me of in the aftermath of Why's


On Dreams & Identity:
Be the Song... Walk in Tune... where I beg you not to wait!

His View is Inspired & Romantic... where I write about how you have captured His heart!

When what it feels like you need is more time... where I remind you (& me) that when I feel like I need more time, what I really need is less striving!

When Too Many Memories are Coming At Once... where I write in the midst of a crazy busy week and He reminds me how to NOT keep up!

When the Choice is Really Yours... where I write about how in order to Speak Life - we must first, Choose Life!


Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you will settle in with me, sip on something yummy, and listen for Him.

Lean in... I know He is speaking!











Abiding Love, Abounding Grace Copyright 2018





7 comments :

  1. Anonymous8:26 AM

    Karrilee, you are such a gifted writer and I so enjoy reading your blogs, God has surely blessed you! I will pray about helping in Phase 5 for the mothers in Kenya. At Christmas my family decides on a charity or a way to help people or animals in need instead of gifts to each other, I will bring up this very worthy cause for prayer. Sydney

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    1. Sydney... I love this! Thank you for your sweet words, my friend - and even more for your giving heart! I too am bringing Phase 5 to my family... praying about doing this this year as well! Thanks so much for reading and always encouraging!

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  2. Rod Thompson12:06 PM

    Hi Karrilee, this is your uncle, Rod, and I just found your site. I think your blog here is excellent -especially for women and girls, but for families, yes including men, to give those males with an open heart to better understand and appreciate the females in their life.! Congratulations! I'll write you and David a little later today. Thanks! and the Lord Jesus Bless you guys! -Uncle Rod

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  3. Hello! I just found your blog. So thankful I did! Your love for Jesus shines forth so sweetly here! May God's blessings rest upon you and your sweet family throughout the new year! Love, Cheryl

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  4. I love your mantra. Speaking life is crucial, crucial...love it.

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  5. Your note tonight on my blog was the first comment I received as entered blogland..you lit my candle Karrilee! Thank you! As I read your about your life purpose, your beautiful family, your love of God, I know you're not only a candle-lighter, but a shining light in the world!! I'm eager to get to know you and share this sacred journey!

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  6. Love love your blog! So y to have met you over at Jennifer's place.

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Thanks so much for stopping by! I always love to hear your thoughts! Remember to: Speak Life - Be Love - Shine On!
~Karrilee~

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