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Grace: A Love Story
Grace: A Love Story
Grace: A Love Story
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Grace: A Love Story

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Grace: A Love Story sharesPortia Bates' message to the world as she spells out her philosophy about God’s presence in our lives and what true grace means.

Though meant as a companion text for her stirring memoir, God Is Not Pixie Dust, Grace: A Love Story stands on its own as Portia intimately describes the exacting nature of God's course-plotting in her life and provides a model for others to dissect their own stories, revealing their own personal tailor-made path of grace in the “all is lost” moments.

Portia wrote this work of spiritual self-help for people who have survived the darkness and yet still cringe in the light. Her hope is that her words can help others gain the courage to step out into the sunshine. Most importantly, her work is a discussion of the intimacy of God's deep love for us, even in our frail and flawed humanness.

Grace: A Love Story provides an intriguing conversation with Portia as she encourages us all to unapologetically pursue our own emotional and spiritual peace.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherPortia Bates
Release dateJan 10, 2016
ISBN9781311104502
Grace: A Love Story
Author

Portia Bates

Portia Bates has spent the majority of her professional career as an educator with a primary focus on educational leadership. In 2014, Portia determined to direct her energies toward her life's purpose, which is to touch the lives of others by sharing deeply personal experiences through her down-to-earth, slightly flinching writing style. God Is Not Pixie Dust is her debut project. She recently published her second book, Grace: A Love Story. Portia lives in Maryland with her two daughters. When she is not writing, she enjoys nurturing her little family and hanging out with her girlfriends eating salty, rich food and enjoying waves of full-body laughter. She is spunky and adventurous in spirit and is committed to healing and continued growth. For more information on the author, visit www.portiabates.com.

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    Book preview

    Grace - Portia Bates

    Preface

    Grace: A Love Story is an extension of my first book, God Is Not Pixie Dust. It is a continuation of my thoughts, my growing confidence, and an acknowledgement of trusting God’s grace, which has sustained me throughout my life. This could be considered a companion book, but reading Pixie, as I refer to my firstborn, is not a prerequisite for you to understand how grace came to be the Love Story of my life.

    God Is Not Pixie Dust is an account of destruction and promises kept, of stroking the bottom of the barrel of shame, and of peace which surpasses all understanding. It is the story of a life manifested by a 2:00 am wish to a God that may or may not have been real in the heart of a girl, who may or may not have cared if she lived or died. And, it’s a ride! It’s a journey of life within a potpourri of family dynamics, encompassing a story of sexual and mental abuse by a pastor who side-skirted all consequences and went on to be crowned as Bishop.

    Writing Pixie unearthed pain but also uncovered an understanding about the impossibility of my current existence that still leaves me in awe. I smile when I consider the myriad of possibilities for my life. I am grateful.  I feel (mostly) peace.  I am learning to be happily imperfect and I appreciate a path for me to have a close relationship with God that isn't performance based.

    Let me be clear; that doesn't mean that God doesn't want me to grow. It doesn't mean that I escape natural consequences. It means that I don't get kicked out from under God's umbrella of love when my human funny bone begins to ache with my own silliness.  I am loved. There is a hard period at the end of that sentence.

    There are so many people who did not inherit a feeling of security in their childhood, or as they matured in other ways. I've found that getting clear about God's love for me and his steady presence in my life fills the need to stay anchored.  The more deeply I delve into the subject, the more value I sense. And, at least for me, my increased worth serves as a parameter for how I treat myself, how I allow others to treat me, and how I mother my children. Clarity about my significance is a necessity; not only for me, but also for everyone in my life.

    There are plenty of religious books available, written by biblical scholars, with vast knowledge of the scriptures. I am not that author and this is not that book. Until about six months ago, I hadn't seriously considered reading more than one or two scriptures from the bible in about 20 years.  Yet, throughout the process of working on my spiritual wounds, I am finding my way back, slowly but surely.

    I share this to point out that you won't see any scriptures in this book, nor any assurances at I totally get God, nor a promise that if you follow my teachings, you will understand him too. I have no teachings. I have experiences that have made me a believer.  I believe that God loves me deeply and sincerely.

    This book was written to challenge your thinking about your individual relationship with God, and the importance of grace at work in your life. Whether you consume this book in one sitting, or savor the information over several days, take time to absorb the concept of grace and consider how it applies to your path.

    Find a nice sitting place and grab a piping hot cup of coffee or maybe even a glass of wine. Both go perfectly with my tell-it-like-it-is style. Keep in mind, you are walking this walk with a person who is probably much more like you than not.

    Me… "the girl who has only memorized one scripture, and I don't even know exactly where it is in the Bible, the woman who has a fondness for live go-go bands, fragrant red wine, cherry pie, and a good bit of cursing, is free.  I didn't earn it in a pew.  It wasn't pixie dust.  It was given to me in love." ~God Is Not Pixie Dust.

    Join me.

    Chapter 1

    Grace as a story

    Let’s make sure we have a proper introduction.  In case we haven’t met, I am the woman who wrote the gut-wrenching story God Is Not Pixie Dust. My book is about the reverberating consequences of being abused and controlled by my pastor, who is now the Bishop at a well-known church in my hometown.  At 38 years old, with two children in tow,

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