Afternoon Tea

~Afternoon Tea in The Library~

~Scones made with fresh blueberries and jam~

~A mixture of fresh fruit~

~These beautiful saucers my husband gave to me the first month we were married.....they are some of my most treasured gifts from him.~

~Tomato Tea sandwiches~

~Cream cheese, fresh organic tomato, seasonings of your choice and fresh oregano on a wheat bread circle~

What makes a beautiful home?  Whether your home is contemporary or classic, the individuality of your home expresses what you treasure.  Our homes should be places of comfort for those who live with us and for those who visit.  My home is most beautiful, to me, when it is filled with the people that I love and treasure and those times we get to spend together making memories!  To me, the people that I treasure bring a joy and delight to my life! The beautiful verses of Proverbs 24:3 found in the Bible inspire me to pursue what is most important to God in my home.  These words say, "Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches."  Our ministry as mothers, fathers, as wives, as husbands, or as a single woman or man begins in our own homes.  We can serve the generation that we live in.

As I have shared before, my youngest daughter is married to a British citizen and they live in England.  She is enjoying her charmed life there and settling into her life as a bride very well.  Long before she met her British husband though, she enjoyed the experience of taking afternoon tea!   Here is the story....... Her Dad, my sweet heart of a husband,  surprised me on our twentieth wedding anniversary with a trip to Victoria, British Columbia.  We took all five of our children and stayed a week in Victoria at the beautifully restored  Empress Hotel which is famous for their afternoon tea time!  It was there that we all enjoyed this relaxing experience of taking tea together.  Throughout the years, I have always cherished these  afternoon tea experiences with my daughters' and even my husband at times!   My grandmother gave me several of her tea cups years ago and I have found additional ones at antique shops over the years.  Two of my favorites, which are pictured in first picture above, I found in Birmingham, Alabama  in a little antique shop several years ago from a lady who was British.   Tea Time is a time to stop from a busy day and just enjoy the moment!  In the moment of taking tea, one can enjoy the person you are with and share a few moments of the day. The English say it is comforting to share this experience.....sort of like a warm hug toward the end of the afternoon.

There is work to do but there should also be times of refreshment and relaxation.  I hope you have an afternoon Tea time in your future!  Kindly, share what you have with others.......it doesn't have to be on fine china or picture perfect if your heart and your love are a part of what you are sharing.  Give out of love...... In the words of Margaret Walker who says......."Love stretches your heart and makes you big inside."   I hope you have the chance to share your love with others at the beginning of this new week!  Happy Monday dear friend!

Blueberry Scones

2 cups of all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter 

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup of milk

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; cut in butter with a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Stir in blueberries.  Gradually add enough milk to the mixture to form a soft dough, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 4 or 5 times.  Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness; cut in triangle shapes and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake at 450 for 8 to 10 minutes.  Serve warm with clotted cream and jam.  Enjoy with your tea!

Peaceful and Beautiful.......

~This beautiful and refined planters bed is amazingly dressed by Nancy Price Interiors~

~It just so happens that I own the very same bed purchased for our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary!~

~A beautiful bath!~

House Beautiful

~A beach house bath ~ beautiful!~

Coastal Living

This decor' of this beautiful French inspired bathroom by Betty Lou Phillips for House Beautiful is a dream come true for the Monsieur and Madame who live here!!!

The decor' of these beautiful rooms by the interior designers who fashioned them are near perfection! At the end of a  busy day, I hope you have a place where you can relax a few minutes, sort of a ritual for calming the spirit before bed time.  For me, when I am able to take this time of the day, God's cleansing power often fills my soul during this timeless ritual that has been inviting for women since the dawn of time.  For me, often it becomes a time to thank God for His blessings of the day and to think about the relationships in my life that I have been so blessed to share.  Thankfulness frees the spirit!  I am so thankful for my sweet family and the little grandchildren that are now in our lives.   Yes, each life has eternal significance and God has a unique plan and purpose for each life.  

I hope you sense God made YOU real special!!!  It truly doesn't matter how you came into the world or who your parents were or are if they are still living.......what matters most is that God created you  in love and He chose to create you in His own image.   YES, you are special!  You are one of a kind!  He loves you with an unconditional love!  How amazing is that? I hope at the end of your day you are able to be set free from any pain or hurt caused in your life and to trust Him with all the tomorrows in your life. Give your plans to God!   His desire is to cleanse, renew,  and refresh, making you much more beautiful than any perfectly designed room!  He too has a ritual, sort of like the bathing ritual~feeling so, so clean!!!   God's love and cleansing power does work!  He is able to bring freedom to your captive heart and mind!  "Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things......"  Psalm 119:18   Daily this beautiful ritual can help us to ask God to open our heart and mind through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.....it is then that we  can lay down on our bed at night and rest peacefully!  When we awake, we can trust Him with the purpose for the new day ahead!  Enjoy a peaceful weekend!!!

Mediterranean Inspired Dining......

 ~Dining is an integral part of the Mediterranean culture~

~My own version of a table setting created just the right ambience~

 ~Chopped Mediterranean Salad~

~Recipe below~

 ~Invite your guests to serve themselves as they begin arriving, giving them easy

access to the things they will need for their beverages~

~Personalize each table setting for your invited guests to make each one feel welcomed~

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.  It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive, and for a while I could not enter, for the way was barred to me.  There was a padlock upon the gate, I called in my dream......"  So begins my love affair with a beautifully written book by Daphne DuMaurier, REBECCA,  which I have loved and read several times in my life, always gaining something significant about life!  It is also available as a film! The story begins by the sea in the south of France  and moves quickly into a vast dining room, ornate and ostentatious,  at the hotel Cote d'Azur in Monte Carlo!  From there, I was captured by the story, the beautiful flow of words by the author and the French style of dining and life on the Mediterranean Coast of France!  This region of Europe known for its rocky shores, deep azure water, and charismatic towns and villages hugging the coastline is also famous for foods of intense flavors and aromatic ingredients!  " Dining is an integral part of the culture and meals play an important role in the community and in family life,"  according to a writer from Victoria Magazine.  I have always taken pleasure in preparing meals for our family and so  I couldn't wait to prepare something for a recent dinner from this region of the world!  Worlds away from where I live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast...... but our climate in my region is warm and sunny also on most days of the year and near the Sea!  Yes, it is a gift to be so close to the sea and enjoy the abundance of seafood served when one lives near the ocean!  Psalm 24:1-2 says, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters."  These resources God gave to us for beauty, health, and sustenance!  I do love God's Words and find blessing as He speaks from the Bible words that encourage us all to live an abundant life! John 10:10

Preparing a lovely meal for your family or guests is, I like to believe,  most often motivated in love.  Any worthwhile investment takes time and energy and so does healthy meal preparation for our families.  We can exercise and we should, daily, but eating foods that are in their freshest state really do make us feel better and give us nutrients that insure good overall health!  What brings contentment  and good health into your life?  God has a design for each and every life and  it is a design which can be rich in joy and happiness! Often the cares of the world strip us of this beautiful life that He has designed for us.  We choose our on way without stopping to think of Him or better yet, asking Him for direction through prayer and guidance.  Today, allow me to encourage you to stop and renew and refresh your thoughts about where you are going in life.  You know.....the direction! We all should do this!!!! Plan to renew and refresh!  Possibly, you have plenty of time in your day for this planning, however,  most people have  just a few minutes and most hurriedly stop by the market and pick up a few things for dinner!  I hope that you will be inspired today by the lovely photos above  to create in the time that you do have, an environment of love and acceptance for those who come to your table!  Blessings to you, beloved,  for a beautiful day!!!!

Chopped Mediterranean Salad

Makes 8 servings

2 cups chopped pepperoncini peppers

2 cups chopped cucumber

2 cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes

1 cup of kalamata olives, pitted

1 cup green olives, pitted

1 cup nicoise olives, pitted

1 (14) can quartered baby artichoke hearts, drained

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss!  Just before serving sprinkle the feta over the salad!  I served this on a bed of baby field greens, and a white fish of choice!  It was beautiful and delicious!  

Coastal Style......

~Cute new beach bags~

~Cannot wait to FIND mine this season~

~Coastal Living~

~Walk right outside to a HAPPY day......365 days a year!~

Just yesterday I received my March copy of Coastal Living!  Reminds me vividly of why I enjoy living in this beautiful location 365 days a year!  Our path led us here and I joyfully embrace  living here each and every day!  This issue has one of my favorite colors for beach decor and a wonderful article and photos on Puerto Rico, where I actually spent a holiday a few years ago as a gift, going with our daughter Kristen, and her husband Brian! The photos are about the colors of Puerto Rico, the art, and the culture and  history!  Two years ago I painted everything this vivid teal/blue color!!!  Not really everything, but I did begin to find that one painted piece really brightens the spirit too!  I had a chest that we had purchased to match a bed in one of our daughter's bedrooms.  One day, on a whim, I bought the paint and  painted the chest before the end of the day and placed it back in it's rightful place!  Change is good for us, whether it is color, a new outlook on life or maybe just accepting someone or a situation for who they are and stop trying to change them (like we could or should~that is not our place).  Often, if we take the time to look at ourselves through God's word we find that WE are the ones who need to change (oh, yes, I am speaking to myself here).  Yes, change is good for us.  Staying close to our Creator helps us to see old situations (things that have happened)  through His eyes and His ways and those are the ways, if allowed,  to take root and  will allow us to forgive, accept, love, heal, give, restore, and refresh!  Hope today finds you spending new time painting a new way of looking at the very LIFE you've been given to LIVE!!!!  Live it to the fullest!!!  Paint your world into a masterpiece!

Olivia......

Three years ago today our sweet little Olivia entered the world!!! What a joy and delight she is to all who know and love her~ She loves her family, her Pops, and is just a happy child! Thankful today, O Lord, for this precious child in our family!!!

.....Magnifique......

 ~The Library~

 ~Small collections of books, photographs, and treasured objects~

 ~The entry foyer~

 ~A treasure discovered on a day of antique shopping~

 ~My husband made the beautiful French mirror for Ava Grace~

 ~The silk curtains add warmth to the beautiful windows~

~We found the sea blue fabric made into pillows to pull the look perfectly together~

~French Essence is a new book by Vicki Archer~

"It is a celebration of life in Provence......"

Inspiration for my precious daughter, Kristen, as she moves to a new home, a new city,

and travels the path that God has after much prayer led her and her family to follow......."

In English the word wonderful or in French "magnifique" is the only way to properly describe the past twelve years for one of our daughters' life.  Over those years, she has changed from a young bride to a young mother of three and a loving wife with a passion for her family and home. She has enriched the lives of her friends and they have enriched hers...... so I know it is bittersweet for her to be moving to a new home, new city, and begin a new chapter in her family's life.  She has grown up in those years!  Grown up to be a beautiful Christ-like young woman.  The photos above are of her home and it is with a farewell that I decided to post them today.  She created a warmth and acceptance in her home that always offered a warm welcome to others.  She reached her hand and heart to help her friends and family when needed and prayed and loved each one through the events of their lives.  She loves to entertain and open her gifts of life to others.  So.........today they will pack the last box into the moving truck and tomorrow will be their final day to stroll through the house and yard and begin again.  New beginnings are good!  They are gifts that unfold gradually and with purpose for the next chapter!  Enjoy the photos, most of the window treatments  I made for her for  another home and she just found the right windows to hang them~that will happen again as they discover just the  right home.  She is an example of being open to new experiences and new friends.  The new friends will be blessed as will she and her family........God is already preparing their hearts to connect!

Please let me leave you with a quote from  the book A Gift from the Sea by one of my favorite author's, Anne Morrow Lindbergh,  who inspired the name for my designs........"It is a difficult lesson to learn today~to leave one's friends and family and deliberately practice the art of solitude for an hour or a day or a week.  For me, the break is the most difficult.  Parting is inevitably painful, even for a short time.  It is like an amputation, I feel.  A limb is being torn off, without which I shall be unable to function.  And yet, once it is done, I find there is a quality to being alone that is incredibly precious.  Life rushes back into the void, richer, more vivid, fuller than before.  It is as if in parting one did actually lose an arm.  And then, like the star~fish, one grows it anew, one is whole again, complete and round.....more whole, even, than before, when the other people had pieces of one."

I have found a beautiful new book for her which has just been published and which I have shown above.......French Essence.......by Vicki Archer.  Her style, her home, her labors of love for her family  and her outlook on creating a warm and beautiful environment for ones family reminds me of all four of my daughters and others who read my blog!  Embrace today, embrace each day as a gift to share with those you love and care about!  Your family is truly all that is lasting on this earth!  Live, love, and laugh!!!!  Enjoy your weekend!!!

Lovely Dwelling Places......

~ House Beautiful~

 ~House Beautiful~

~Window Treatments and Design by Starfish Designs~

~House Beautiful~

Our dwelling places as people, in a small way, define us.  When we are young, we rely upon the care, love, and wisdom of others to provide a place and environment for us to grow up healthy.  Even in nature, the love and tenderness of a mother bird caring for her eggs, waiting for them to hatch and come to life is a beautiful picture of a mother's love.  She works tirelessly preparing her "nest" and settling in....... to dwell and wait, expectantly!  It's funny ......but we are not very different.  Life is meant to be simple, not complicated and full of stress and worry.  The beautiful rooms pictured above are lovely dwelling places that are inviting and warm and just waiting for someone to enjoy and live!  All but one are from House Beautiful Magazine, and in the third picture, I made the window treatments and assisted with the layout of the room.  Each home has an essence of beauty~in other words that element which makes it special to the person or people who dwell there.   


In our homes, we hopefully are safe and secure from the trials and pressures of the world.  Once, I found a treasure of beautifully scripted words that I keep in my entry foyer which reads, "When home is ruled according to God's Word, Angels might ask to stay with us, and they would not find themselves out of their element." Charles  Spurgeon.  Christ can dwell in our homes if  we've invited Him to dwell with us, so we are more than able to trust His Words to have assurance that He is with us at all times. The Scriptures say and I agree, "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height~to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge: that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."  Ephesians 3:14~19  Yes, dear one, the good news for us is.......... that in our homes and lives we are able to have this wonderful reinforcement of the Spirit in our inner person. So..... no matter what happens on the outside, just as a storm-tossed ship once sailed,  we can be strengthened inside by bracing and  being under-girded outside by Christ.  It is never by laws or rules but by inward character.  When we open the door of our home and our heart for Christ to dwell ~He imprints His nature upon our minds, will, and emotions.  When He enters a life, He brings His life-the very soil in which we take root and blossom.  The soil and ground where you are building today, I hope, is welcoming of the One who loves you so!!  As the Scriptures say.....Christ's love is bringing the fullness of God when you take the time to seek Him and ask Him.  Live your life with an expectancy for great things.  Today people call that being optimistic or rather bright and hopeful!  Be blessed my friend with the assurance that you can expect a bright and hopeful day!  No matter what happens in life, God can dwell in you if you invite Him into your heart!   May you find joy in this beautiful day!  Everyday is a gift!

Visiting a Princess!

 I have the most amazing news to share!!!  Soon, I will be visiting a Princess in England!  That is, our princess or as we've ALWAYS told her....."you are a Princess!"  I adore that line from one of my very favorite films.....Sabrina!  Kara has her own beautiful story that is as interesting as Sabrina's!  Kara studied abroad the first semester of her junior year as a university student!  She was only there a few days when she met a young man and soon he became the love of her life!   After the semester ended, trips back and forth across the Atlantic kept their romance alive until they could part no more! So, after a surprise proposal in Central Park in New York City,  they were married in a beautiful ceremony last May at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel off the coast of Georgia!  It was a beautiful dream come true wedding for Kara and Philip and their families!   I have not had the opportunity to visit her yet, until now......


Through the years of educational pursuits of our own and those of our five children, our gifts to them were travel and dreams fulfilled and accomplished through obtaining their university degrees.  As they each have  had their own dreams, mine has always been to travel abroad to the places that I enjoy reading about and dream about going!  In April, I will be traveling to visit our princess in  England for a week and a half before traveling with her and my sister into France!  We will be traveling together in Paris and then on to the Provence region ~ a place that I only dreamed of going until recently!  What I am most looking forward to is sharing this precious time with our daughter and her husband.  His family lives in the west country of Dorset, England and the beauty of that region has long held my interest due to the famed author, Thomas Hardy of the book and film Far From the Madding Crowd!  During my stay there, one of Philip's brothers will be celebrating a birthday so I look forward to this celebration and seeing the lovely town where Philip grew up. He comes from a very close-knit British family.  My heart if full of thankfulness for this gift to visit my daughter.


Thankfulness is cultivated in an open heart.  One that yields to our Heavenly Father for we are such earthly children most often seeking our own way on our path of life.........the paths' that He leads us on are full of His fragrant blessings.  "You will show me the path of life; In Your Presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."  Psalm 16:11   It's interesting to me that Kara and Philip live in a town that is in her words are....."full of beautiful old churches that you will love." (her exact words to me)  And one of the French towns that we've chosen to see, Avignon, where Popes lived when they were exiled between 1309 and 1377.  It was once home to Cardinals and Archbishops. Can you just imagine the prayers that have gone UP from that region in times past.  It must indeed be a special place to see and visit.  Today the shop lined streets of old Avignon are spectacular, according to those who live there and have visited!  Yes, I am thankful to visit these beautiful places where others have walked and lived and enjoyed throughout hundreds of years!  We also plan to visit vineyards and taste the wine of the region and even dip our feet in the Mediterranean Sea!  I look forward to these magical moments shared with my daughter.....I only wish all my daughters' were going but ~one day!!!!! 


 On this path, there will be much to learn and enjoy and  I look forward to seeing the lights and beauty of London and Paris~ but nothing will be as beautiful as seeing my daughter's face posed beside a London phone booth and very soon afterwards.....sipping a cup of tea!   Yes, everyday is a gift!  Enjoy the path that you are on this day...... my friend!!!

"It is said that in order to see France in the most traditional form, you must travel outside of Paris and explore the distinctive charms of each region.  The essence of French savior-vivre is the enjoyment of daily rituals~eating, drinking, talking, dressing, and shopping!  People take pleasure in good  food and wine and conversation with friends!"   Descriptive words from a travel guide..........Sounds amazing!

Beautiful Provisions........

 ~The beauty of a hotel in Paris~

~Athenee'~

 ~House Beautiful~

~Elle Decor~

Beautiful surroundings are everywhere....... all around the world........we just have to take the time to look!  It's a gorgeous day where I live and a fresh day full of promise and blessing!  Everyday we are offered a new and fresh beginning by a God who can provide for EVERYTHING we need!  It's true, my friend, His name is Jehovah Jireh ~ The God who provides!  This name tells us God is willing and able to meet every need of His people!  Yes, God is Supreme, He is Sovereign, He is Faithful, He is Holy, He is Just, He is Wise, He is Eternal, He is the Creator God, and He is Good!  Absolutely and consummately good!!!   What good news for you and for me each and every day.

The beautiful pictures above inspire me to think about springtime and the beauty of every season.  Something to think upon today......even the seasons are designed to provide for us in our lives and give us the sunshine and the food we need for survival.  The Bible says, "Nevertheless he did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness."  Acts 14:17   Beautiful surroundings don't just pop up, someone provided and gave of their efforts, time, and energy and hopeful love.  Oh, I know not everyone appreciates beauty but those who do, it unleashes positive energy thus leading to positive experiences in our lives each day!  It amazes me, when I stop to think that even the seasons are ordained by God for provision throughout the earth.  The wise farmer, who is almost a person of the past, could look at the moon, the sun, and the stars and decide about the proper time of planting his seeds in order to reap full benefit at harvest time.  His family worked the field and gardens in order to store up food for the seasons when the soil would need rest.  Yes, wisdom can be lost in just one generation if we fail or forget to teach what we believe is important.  Generational  wisdom and love is so important to pass on to our children and grandchildren so they too can enjoy the blessings of knowing Jehovah Jireh, the One who has provided for us and the One who will provide for them. Yes, enjoy this beautiful day and this beautiful season and pass along to others the joy that fills the heart when one knows and loves Jesus Christ!  

Last night, I shared with my husband how thankful I am that He knelt down in a hotel room many years ago and gave his life to the Lord.  Our lives have never been the same!!!!!  So thankful for the seasons of our lives and the beautiful garden of memories that is still growing!  Plant some seeds today and just "see"  what beautiful fruit HE WILL PROVIDE!!!

Happy Valentines Day!

~Beautiful Dinner for Two from Victoria Magazine~

Today is a busy day for those of us who enjoy spreading love and happiness in the lives of those whose lives have touched ours.........So I thought I would share a special poem with you.  This poem was written about someone who truly, truly cared for another soul. The most special love that any of us will ever know is the love that God offers to us each and every day.  It's been said that love isn't truly love until it is given away!  Love someone today!

LOVE

I love you,

Not only for what you are

But for what I am when I am with you.

I love you,

Not only for what

You have made of yourself

But for what

You are making of me.

I love you,

For the part of me

That you bring out.

I love you,

For putting your hand

Into my heaped-up heart

And passing over

All the foolish, weak things

That you can't help

Dimly seeing there,

And for drawing out

Into the light

All the beautiful belongings

That no one else had looked

Quite far enough to find.

I love you because you

Are helping me to make

Of the lumber of my life

Not a tavern

But a temple;

Out of the works

Of my every day

Not a reproach

But a song.

Roy Croft

Valentine Gift Ideas......

 Oiseau Eau Toilette

 Tocca Eau De parfum

Happ & Stahns Perfume....

The love stories are all completed this week and now it's your turn to create your own LOVE STORY! I hope you have a special one!   I have a few valentine ideas:  First buy your sweetie a bar of TOBLERONE Swiss dark chocolate with honey and almond nougat, you can find this at the grocery store!  Easy, right?  He might find you just the perfect gift but if you want to share a few  hints of what you like, that is okay too!   I have included a few suggestions above ~ lovely gifts ~ in beautiful bottles which can later become keepsakes.  The greatest gift he will ever have though is your love.  It is truly all that is lasting!

Whatever you do, I hope that your weekend will be filled with LOVE!!!

Love conquers all things!

All of the lovely fragrances above can be found at Anthropologie!

Healing Love........

The film, CHOCOLAT' was filmed in the village of

Flavigny-sur-Ozerain in Burgundy, France and on the

Rue De L'ancienne Poste in Beynac-et-Cazenac on the

Dordogne River in Dordogne, France.  The river scenes were filmed at 

Fonthill Lake in Wilshire, England! 

 The beautiful little CHOCOLATERIE became a haven for

healing of all sorts!

Sometimes taking a step outside of our comfort zone

is just what is ordered for those we are yet to meet!

I hope you've enjoyed my journeys this week of love and romance in honor of Valentines Day!  Webster's gives the definition of a romantic as someone filled with romance!  That is what love should always be about but there is another kind of love that we can celebrate during this week of expressing our love to others.......it is friendship!  A friend is someone we know well and enjoy spending time with.  In our lives, friends are truly the people who are there for us when the world has been tough on us!  The experiences of our lives shape us into who we are as a person.  Healthy friendships are gifts in our lives!  If you are blessed to enjoy a friendship that gives you love, happiness, trust, and just pure fun....... then indeed you are fortunate.  The film, Chocolat is one of my all time favorites!  There are a few lines in the story that I think could have been omitted ,but overall the film is excellent. The beauty that unconditional and accepting love brings to a person's life is healing.  Also, clearly when one looks at the other side of the coin so to speak....such as when one fails to offer unconditional love in return for what they are expecting, a heart can be broken.  A broken heart is a sad place to be.......for anyone.  There is truly only one place that any of us can go for a broken heart and that is at the foot of The Cross where Christ fully offers the gift of redeeming love for each person willing to accept His gift of  love and healing.

My prayer is that you have been  well loved in this special way with unconditional love........

In Luke 10:34-37, Jesus shares beautiful words about a certain Samaritian on a journey, who came upon a man who was stripped, wounded, and had been left alone, half dead. He decided to help without any reservation!!! "So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, "Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.' ............Go and do likewise."  I have known a few real people like this........special people!

This kind of loving restorative friendship is rare but it is the kind of friend we all should strive to be.  In the film that I've mentioned above, her little shop was a haven for the wounded in spirit.  She used the resources that she had, though meager, to accept, love, and repair what had been broken in others.  It worked!  The entire little village was changed because of her choice to act!  Oh, how I pray we can leave our own selves for a short while and act on behalf of those who are hurting.  If we could.........the world would be a more loving world!  Love someone today without any expectations and trust God's power to change the situation!  Better yet.....while there is time, send them a Valentine!  Enjoy your day to the fullest!!!!

Beautiful Love.......

Rebekah and Isaac

Today, I want to share the beautiful love story of Isaac and Rebekah found in Genesis 24 in the Bible.  

In our lives, when we look, we see how God desires to express His loving~kindness to us.  Psalm 25:10 declares, "all the paths of the Lord are loving-kindness."  All does not mean just the easy ones but ALL means everyone, even the difficult and painful paths.  There is wonderful joy to be led in ways that are not of our own choosing!  It is very good to be "ordered" by our beloved Lord!

In a way, this is the story of Isaac and Rebekah and the way that God ordered their two very different paths guiding them to their meeting and ultimately to their marriage.  Isaac was the son of promise born to Sarah and Abraham in their old age.  As the years passed, Abraham knew that the time had come for his son to find a wife.  Abraham, being a servant of the Most High God, prayerfully called in his eldest servant and gave him detailed instructions of how and where to search for Isaac's wife and the path he should take to find her.  In our western culture, this seems strange, but it was an accepted practice of their culture and time.  "But you shall go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac." Genesis 24:4.  Then, Abraham boldly asked God to send an angel before him for preparation.  How precious to "see" the heart of pure love this father had for his son and his bride...... that he would ask for an angel to guide the path ahead.  He also gave specific instructions on how the servant would know "which maiden" would be the one for Isaac.  According to Scripture. this beautiful girl was "very fair to look upon, a virgin, and would stoop down to fill her water~pots."  Genesis 24;16  The beauty and kindness of Rebekah assured the servant that this woman was to be the wife of his master's son.  So as the story unfolds Isaac and Rebekah meet and as their eyes meet and it was LOVE!  Verse 67 of the passage tells us "she became his wife and he loved her."  

The tenderness and sweetness of this special love story reminds us that love ordained and blessed by God leads a couple on a path of blessing!  Thankfully we have true love stories like this one that remind us that it is worth waiting for the person God has chosen for us and that it will be BLISS!!!!  Romance is in the air...........soon it will be Valentines Day!!!

America's Queen

~ Jacqueline  Bouvier Kennedy~

~September 12, 1953~

~Jackie's Billowing White Veil~

~Her veil  of rosepoint lace belonged to her maternal grandmother~

~Reception at Hammersmith Farm, Newport, Rhode Island~

~On the Shore of Beautiful Narragansett Bay~

In our country, the Kennedy Family is about as close to royalty as we have.  Oh, I realize that not everyone would agree with me but over the past sixteen years, I have been collecting books on the Presidents of the United States and President and Mrs. Kennedy, for me, always rise to the top.  Many of these books on the Presidents,  I have found inexpensively at antique shops  and also some were given as gifts or  I've purchased a few than were meaningful.  Our family truly enjoys history!  When our children were growing up in our home, our vacations every other year, were centered around places of history and importance to our nation, The United States.  We traveled to Washington, D.C. on several occasions and always stopped at historical homes, parks, museums, and even on our wedding anniversary one year, we took everyone to Williamsburg, Virginia.  

During this time, we visited Newport, Rhode Island for a convention and part of the trip included a tour and dinner at Hammersmith Farm in Newport.  This was one of the childhood homes of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and so began my journey collecting books about the Kennedy's and over the years, it is evident to me, even though difficulties may have been a part of their marriage their love story is special and sweet and a part of our nation's wonderful legacy.  For sure, Jackie was beautiful and one of the most influential figures of the twentieth century.  She was a devoted wife and mother, First Lady, preservationist, and accomplished editor. As a couple they shared a love of history and the arts and a devotion to their children.  She was a profoundly private person yet acting as a generous patron of the arts and she touched all our lives during that time. Many beautiful furnishings in The White House mansion today  are there because she was particularly concerned with authentic restoration of the White House to reflect the times and tastes of the families who have lived there.  She established a Fine Arts Committee to acquire historical furnishings and works of art, and sponsored the creation of the White House Historical Association.

The pictures above are beautiful and unforgettable of a hopeful bride!  "When one is chosen by destiny, the path ahead is often fraught with challenges and complexities almost mythic in nature and size."  Jean Mills

She first met John Kennedy at a party in Washington D.C. in May of 1951, but it wasn't until the summer of 1952 when they met again that their romance began.  Their wedding took place on September 12, 1953  at St. Mary's Church in Newport, Rhode Island and became an extremely important social occasion and many felt it was "The Wedding of the Year."  I'm sure it was!!!  In the book, America's Queen by Sarah Bradford, she says that "Jackie was romantically in love with her husband" and wrote a poem expressing this love in detail and gave it to him on their honeymoon.Their love and marriage produced two beautiful children and the rest is history!  

I have a deep admiration for Caroline Kennedy and her endeavors to continue to write, with integrity and purpose about the lives of her parents.  A legacy is something all of us will leave one day to our children, grandchildren, and those we are blessed to know and share our lives with while on this earth.  Prayer is a good way to begin each day because it takes the focus off of our own life and places our focus on our Creator who has given us this day to live and to make a difference in history, even in small ways.  It is exciting to know and understand that only God knows our destiny!  Let us begin today to live our lives in such a way that the ones behind us will be blessed because of the way in which we choose to live our lives!  

Books on the Kennedy's

America's Queen by Sarah Bradford

Moments with Jackie by Jean Mills

JFK Remembered by Jacques Lowe

Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years

First Mothers by Bonnie Angelo

A Family Christmas by Caroline Kennedy

The White House by The White House Historical Association