i still can’t believe you even show up
I love that so many of you joined yesterday’s All Skate!
(It’s not too late to lace up your rollerskates and join in if you haven’t yet…)
I’ve had a blast reading all your comments. It’s been fun seeing all the creative ways you’ve responded, and I’ve learned tons of new things about you.
I’m astounded by all the lurkers who’ve come out of hiding.
I’m so glad you did. Seriously.
I appreciate knowing who I’m talking to everyday.
And now that you’ve officially de-lurked, hopefully you’ll start commenting more often. Because, I promise you, the best part of the Grit isn’t my posts.
The best part is the comments.
I cherish the community that takes place there. I value the conversations that unfold in that space. I am grateful for the safety and freedom you feel to be authentic and transparent.
In the comments, hearts are shared and connected.
It’s where I get to know you, and you are my favorite part of blogging.
Thank you for listening to my heart and for sharing yours. Thank you for walking with me through this valley, and for strengthening me with your prayers and encouragement.
Thank you for simply showing up.
I’m still amazed that you do.
So sorry I missed the all skate. I am here now. Not a lurker. Skates on!
@gritandglory says:
feel free to still jump in over at the all-skate, heather! i think they’re playing your song!
I, for one, am looking forward to conversations here. I just found this place, and I’m pretty pumped!
the addiction is quick. you’ve been warned.
I’m ok with that…. :)
@bajanpoet says:
So true!
Alece’s blog quickly graduated from my reader to my HOME PAGE … so I never miss ANYTHING!
@Nomadstacey says:
Home page?! No way! I LOVE that!
I have to admit, I stop by and read every.single.comment….every day!
@gritandglory says:
this blew me away.
:: sigh ::
thank you, a-ness.
@Nomadstacey says:
Love you A-ness
@nateonamission says:
I would have to say I do pretty much the same thing. I am pretty up to date with Alece and the community. haha. I at one point went and read all of the older posts too. It was quite an experience. I get her tweets txted to my phone so when she has a new blog post …. I’m on it.
Is that creepy?
haha.
@Nomadstacey says:
She’s in my google reader so I don’t miss out! I’m not on twitter (yet). I just don’t like the thought of saying ‘I tweeted’. Sounds too weird to me!
Nathan, I did the same reading every post thing, too! If that’s creepy, then we’re creepy together!
@nateonamission says:
yay for being creepy together!
@Nomadstacey says:
Yea because now we are both creepin’ on The Grit at the same time but thousands of miles apart! Ha!
@nateonamission says:
*awkward* haha … umm how do you know we are thousands of miles a part? Maybe I’m your next door neighbor? You never know! Anyway, I love creepin’ on the Grit! Yay, for community!
@Nomadstacey says:
I don’t live on the West Coast! Remember I read every.single.comment. You were saying you’ve always lived near Seattle.
Yea, I think I take the cake on creepiness now…
@nateonamission says:
We’ve talked so much on here it won’t let me reply. lameness. that is true though, I live in Seattle. creeeeepy. haha. I love Seattle. You should try out twitter. I think you’d like it. =]
@Nomadstacey says:
Whoa! I was thinking yesterday that I should get an account and woke up this morning determined! Now I just need a username…
@gritandglory says:
no you didn’t! seriously?! every post? that is crazy to me. that must’ve taken forever!
@gritandglory says:
every post?! i bet that WAS quite an experience! sheesh!
;)
@gritandglory says:
seriously? woah!
I have an old box I found….didn’t even realize I still had it…. that was FULL of notes passed during classes in high school. A few friends and I even had notebooks we’d write in and then pass them off in the halls, and keep doing that until the book was full of our notes back and forth. I was reading back through them when I found the box and just laughing at the stuff that plagued us then, remembering what was heavy on our hearts at that time, and feeling thankful that I had kept those to remind me of such great friendships and to show me how far we’ve all come.
The comments at The Grit are like that box. Wonderful conversations, great memories (huggboochin anyone?!), and milestones to mark our growth because of eachothers friendship, love, and encouragement.
crap. that was way too cheesey.
where’s my glass of wine?
@Nomadstacey says:
Brandy, my friends and I used to pass notebooks of our notes in high school as well! A few years ago, I got a package in the mail and my friend had sent me our notebook! What a blast it was reading through our year!
@cassgirl says:
i still huggabooch in my red hot hooker heels bran muffin… love you bran
heeheeheeeeee ha ha ha!
yes, a blast…. and also slightly embarrassing! haha!
@Nomadstacey says:
Soooo glad high school is over!
amen!
@gritandglory says:
so not cheesy. it was… perfect.
i love you, raisin bran.
(and i’m laughing just remembering the Grit’s huggaboochin days!)
I sat and talked to a 104 year old lady this week that when i knocked on her door had been sending out encougement emails to her friends…I asked how she was doing…she said she had just asked God why she was still here, and he had told her because she needed to draw closer to him. That’s a good enough reason for me she said with a smile.
@PrudyChick says:
Oh tears forming.
@gritandglory says:
so beautiful!
You are very fortunate to have such a community. My blog was a ghost town long before I ever closed the comments and stopping writing.
Still, the air is not heavy here. And I apprreciate that.
After a crazy day, I look forward to seeing whats going on over here! It ALWAYS puts a smile on my face! Except for the times my heart is breaking for you :( But even then, I know what you are going through. I told you my story in a message on Facebook. It warms my heart to watch you heal!
Hate I missed it! I do love me some Grit. It’s such a unique and special
place!
@gritandglory says:
lace up your skates, shineanea! i wanna hear your ten words!
I need to think on my 10 words before I join yesterday’s conversation!
I’ve only been reading Grit for a few weeks, but I am really enjoying it. :)
So, I just wanted to say this: You say “All skate.” I immediately think of this: Colored lights cast every which way, disco ball, the clunk-clunk-clunk of less-talented skaters’ wheels (i.e., mine) on the beat-up but varnished-over floor, and the sound of Deniece Williams’ “Let’s Hear it for the Boy” BLARING over the loudspeaker. Oh, and lots and lots of fluorescent-colored clothing.
@gritandglory says:
loved hearing your vivid mental picture. my brain goes to pretty much that very same roller rink! ;)
did you think of your 10 words yet?
Thanks! Occasionally I have those late-80s flashbacks that are almost too vivid for words.
I DID think of my 10 words during my run this morning:
Witty, clumsy, meticulously editing tall blonde with a sensitive nose.
The spell-check is telling me blonde in this usage is incorrect. But I know for a fact that it isn’t! :-) Ha! Have a blessed day, Alece!
@gritandglory says:
ha! i love it!
@Nomadstacey says:
I love the community here (for me and for you!).
@coloraturajoy says:
I never know what to comment on these types of posts….”you’re welcome???” Sounds cheeky! haha…
I obviously have little time to keep up my own blog with everything else going on in my life. But I’m extremely thankful for blogs like yours and others where I can still feel like I’m at least a small part of this community.
Even if my friends think it’s chat-room-strange. ;)
@gritandglory says:
as if you’ve ever shied away from being cheeky!
@coloraturajoy says:
HA! that hurts.
;)
@PrudyChick says:
I love your posts. Loved getting to know you. I love reading peoples comments. This is one of a few blogs out there where the readers are courteous to each other. They don’t hit someone over the head because they don’t agree with what they are saying. It is an amazing place God has formed here.
@gritandglory says:
i agree! i love the banter that goes on between people in the comments. and while people sometimes disagree, no one’s gotten ugly. i cherish that.
Of course. As long as you show up, I will show up.
You’re contagious.
@Nomadstacey says:
So. True.
you have a ministry here.
i love reading.
keep writing : )
@bajanpoet says:
Agreed!
@gritandglory says:
i can’t even tell you what your comment meant to me… thank you.
and i’ve been thinking all day since it came in that i want to steward well this gift (and ministry) God has given me. because i don’t take it lightly.
at all.
This is one of my favorite places to be. And its great I can show up in my pj’s with un brushed teeth and nobody even cares. Thanks for that.
As I said before its a heart warming healing kind of community here that you are facilitating. Weather deep and meaningful or crazy red hot hooker heals its healing qualities remain. Thank you for that!
Just wanted you to know that we sent a little link love Thrive Africa’s way today! http://www.lovefeasttable.com
~kristin
@pa3cia says:
oh wait…i dont know how to skate =(
I love coming here every day. I love feeling part of this little community.
It’s YOUR transparency and authenticity that help coax that out of US, you know. ;)
I’m STILL thinking about more things I could’ve written for the All-Skate “10 words that describe you” thing!!
@gritandglory says:
feel free to get back out there for a second round.
the disco lights are still going!
@kamriereed says:
I really like this community that has been started for some many blogs. People are constantly connecting from half way across the world! Thanks for making that possible.
@bajanpoet says:
I think it was Tammy who said that we have church at the Grit … :)
And I wholeheartedly agree….
I could unmask here without fear, because u did first.
I can laugh here… I still can’t believe we said the things we did on the Monday Confessions blog lololol
But Alece… u might not believe that we come…BUT WE’RE GLAD YOU DID!
@jeremybarr says:
I love that you call it “The Grit”!
@gritandglory says:
haha!
she takes on a life of her own sometimes, so she clearly needed a name! ;)
@cassgirl says:
I come here because it’s home….
@gritandglory says:
FIERCE FRIEND!
I knew when I read your post in which you confessed to not washing your hands after, well, you know, that I had to come back here! Reading your blog is just like hanging out with someone so real. It’s refreshing and encouraging. And I have to admit I have been thinking about who-I-am-in-10-words-or-less and that’s hard, really hard. I just keep singing that song from Les Miserables – “Who am I? I’m Jean Valjean.” But I’m not. So I’ll keep thinking.
@gritandglory says:
“reading your blog is just like hanging out with someone so real” — that is such a great compliment! and a huge encouragement! thank you, charity…
soooooo…. did you think of your 10 words?
@JewelzSightings says:
Alece, This is one of my favorite stops in blogland… and I might just be your oldest reader.. lol. I hope not. Regardless age is just a number….
I tried to come up with 10 words the other day and just couldn’t find the time, so maybe I’ll head over there now and give it a shot.
I can’t even remember how I first found your blog. But I’m really glad I did.
Hope your weekend is blessed!