Safely Home......

Jehovah Rohi

The Lord is My Shepherd

Guiding people can be interesting and also a challenge!  When my friends and I shared our holiday to England and France a few weeks ago, I had prepared for over a year to guide them with ease through two European countries. I learned, sometimes it's not always easy to guide or to follow! We had some good laughs over this later!  People get tired......but love guides, shows the best way, and goes along with changes.  The guide knows the goal and the dangers and the places where those following do not need to go.  The main goal is to guide and eventually make it safely back home.  We had so much fun together, but yes there were a few little challenges.  This is what makes life fun though.....in my opinion!  God is always teaching us and there are lessons to be learned along the way each and every day!

In the 23rd Psalm, David paints a picture of sheep being led to pasture by a Shepherd.  The Shepherd he describes is one who comes after the sheep and dwells with them and lovingly encourages them to lie down in the peaceful green pasture he has found and provides.  This would be the name Jehovah Rohi, the Shepherd who guides, someone who provides food and guidance and helps us along the way to get to this place where it can be found.  He carries us to clean waters where we can be refreshed and restored and filled.  He takes time, all the time necessary, to know us, to know our frame because His presence is with us as He guides.  It is in this Name Jehovah Rohi that we can sense His tenderness and love.  Have you ever needed tenderness? God's love is tender hearted, compassionate, and merciful.  Once restored and refreshed, we are able to be tender toward those who need us.  Kindness and compassion when guiding others into the sheepfold of the kingdom of God is the way The Lord brought me.  He was patient, He was kind, and He was a shepherd who became my Lord, my Jehovah Rohi.  A simple prayer for you today....Lord of love, I need your tenderness toward me. I need you o Lord of glory to be my guide, my Shepherd.  Amen

Psalm 16:11 
You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.  

Remembering the Wonders He Has Done.......

 "Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles and the rulings He has given"

 I Chronicles 16:12

 
Over the past few years that I've written my blog, I've shared my faith and the joys and blessings of each day!  I love being in my home and sharing my home with others....there is just no greater place for me and I enjoy sharing tips on decorating and finding fulfillment in things that matter about life, about family, about the beautiful world in which we live and of course decorating!!!! My sewing room/working space is a haven for me to create window treatments and other items of home decor' for clients and my family. 

My Sewing Room

Recently, I read a short article in a beautiful magazine, life....beautiful.  The author of a page in the magazine gave seven steps to fulfillment. Please allow me to share this with you as I truly was blessed by the words!

SEVEN STEPS

TO FULFILLMENT

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

1. Make God your priority.

Matthew 6:25 & 33

2.  Know your purpose.

Romans 12:2

3.  Love Him like your life depends on it.

I John 4:16

4.  Stop following the world.

I John 2:15

5.  Read the Bible.  If you don't know

what Scripture says, you can't follow it.

Romans 15:4

6.  Trust the Bible is true.

Matthew 5:18

7.  Reduce the risk of temptation.  Don't be owned

by your stuff, the mall or Pinterest.

Luke 12:15

There are just some things that don't matter!

My husband and I have been blessed with good health and overall good lives, a good marriage, amazing children, an amazing daughter in law, amazing son in laws, and even more amazing grandchildren....6 thus far!  Mothering has, by far,  been my greatest joy even though a few times I tried working out of my home at a regular job (teaching school and educational positions) but I knew quickly that in my home, I could accomplish what number two says above.  Know your purpose.  Five babies came along within the first ten years of our marriage. Most people freak out when they find out, God allowed me to have four children with one working ovary! It is sort of funny in some ways, but much more serious when I have sat along side a young woman who so much longs for a child.  I freak out too, when I think on this as one was born when I still had two ovaries!  I  was given a miracle in these children and now that I am now wiser with this wisdom, I do not take these blessings or miracles lightly.  Wisdom is really a gift as well.

Seriously though, walking with God now, forty years, it surprised me when I found a wonderful book three years ago and began to plunge regularly into it's pages about WHO God truly is.  The book is called Knowing God By Name by David Wilkerson.   He grew up in a strict, legalistic church that was more about rules and dotting the i's than actually understanding who God is and about His caring and loving heart which is full of grace and mercy.  He began to understand as he read the words of the Bible that our Heavenly Father is one who rejoices over us in love, He is patient with our failures, and available at all times, offering counsel and ready to meet needs.  He began to understand the heart-knowledge of God's names.  In his study, he became aware that God revealed His name to His people only as they needed them in their moments of deepest crisis.  I have always loved the quote that "everything that God allows into our lives has been filtered through His loving hands."  Such peace this gives me as I encounter each day that I live as a gift from my Father's hand.  He has a purpose and a plan for each day.  

Over the next few weeks, I hope to share on my blog some of the wisdom that God has taught me about Himself with you.  Wisdom, if we are blessed to live to become older,  increases with age...... and I am grateful, so, so grateful to still be young enough to realize God is wisely teaching me about His purpose for my life and how I can share my love for Him with others. He gives us blessings so we can share and make a difference in the world. He wants us to love all people! I want to make a difference each day! I want to love deeper and laugh more and be all that HE would have me to be! It's not about choosing who to love but HOW to love......unconditionally and fully!!!!

The first name I will share is one of the first Names of God that I learned in my own walk with Him.

Jehovah Jireh

Rearing a rather large family and deciding to do this with one income, while I would stay at home as the mother in the home full time was an act of faith for us as a young couple.  My husband had a good job but early on, we learned that we would have to decide about certain material things.  We excitingly bought a new car soon after the birth of our second daughter, only to have to sell it within the first year because we couldn't afford the car payment.  My husband also changed jobs during the pregnancy of my third child and our insurance would not cover her delivery.  We studied and prepared all we could about bringing a baby home soon after birth and we did.....with the blessing of our physician and at two hours old, we left the hospital with her.  Looking back, I see how God was our Jehovah Jireh in these times of provision.  It is a name that speaks of provision. "Even before we call out to Him, our God answers.  Long before we are even born, He is at work forming and shaping the circumstances of our lives."  David Jeremiah

Do you have needs in your life? I know I do.  You can simply trust that God is the One whose very name magnificently encourages us to trust Him in all things. A prayer of faith is a beautiful prayer to our Father in Heaven.  He cares and He loves! As I continue to trust Him these 40 years later, I can say without a doubt that God does supply for every need.  It may not be in the way you or I plan or think, but HE will supply.  His desire is to bless you and honor you with His favor and delight. His love for you is like no other!  It is pure and selfless!!!The apostle Paul describes the full meaning of this name when he writes, "My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:19

White Furnishings and Serenity......

While in London two weeks ago, I stopped in the antique shop of one of my favorite designers, Josephine Ryan.  I have enjoyed gleaning from her design knowledge from two of her wonderful and beautiful books.  She was kind enough to autograph one of the books for someone I love!  I really enjoyed meeting her and loved her shop for its clean and simple display of true French antiques.  She has a classic style which is similar to my taste and design.  She talks about the thrill of getting up early and hunting for antiques and enjoying it as a way of life.  She has a chapter in one of her books called ALL SERENE and it is about the home of Appley Hoare and her daughter Zoe whose home is in a tiny picturesque village in southern France. I also visited Appley's store just a couple of doors down from Josephine's.  What a delight to meet both these icon's in French interior design in the same afternoon!   Both shops were loaded with neutrals which I happen to love.  The mirrors, the linens, the accent pieces, the doors, the framed religious art, all would be at home in my house! 

 Home should be a place we can relax, be ourself, and restore and refresh!  It's the weekend.......so let's do just that!  I hope your weekend is filled with blessings of family and friends!  The photos are from last weekend when my son visited us.  He and his beautiful wife, Sara met us in New Orleans and the first photo is from the hotel lobby......all serene in white!  We laughed that the bench in front is a fertility bench from Africa.  It was beautiful.  The second photo is the layers of white in my home that are becoming more and more serene.  A White House is not what I aimed for but with white you can let your imagination run wild!  You can add pieces that tell a story and soon the mood is set!  This, my friend, is what a designer should always help you do.  Here's to a happy weekend mood!  Enjoy everyday.......each one is a gift, just waiting to be unwrapped!  

The Caron de Beaumarchais Hotel.....In the Marais

A visit to Paris should be something always remembered.  There are numerous hotels to choose from and it can become quiet overwhelming for first time visitors!  I found this quaint hotel in a magazine a few years ago and I knew it was a hotel that I would love!  I have stayed in this hotel twice and both times the rooms were wonderful and the service was like being in a small Parisian home. This is perhaps because it is a nineteen room treasure right in the Marais district.  It's such a friendly hotel with history and the price is good also.

It is located just a few blocks from the Seine!  This area is extremely popular with locals and with tourists. It is near museums and shopping and the cobbled streets take you back to a time gone by in Paris. Every little street is like a postcard!  You are far removed from the modern day Paris in the quaint place.  The rooms are not large, but adequate and the delicate brocades, gilded mirrors and sconces and antiques greet you like an old friend! Truly beautiful! 

 Breakfast is served in your room or in the beautiful and quaint breakfast room which is on the bottom floor down a winding stairway.  You will find fresh juice, wonderful coffee, and delicious croissants, jams and jellies, a soft boiled egg in a cup, fresh yogurt, fruit, cheese and the morning paper.  Fresh flowers fill all the rooms in small bouquets!  The staff's main goal seems to make you happy!  It's a beautiful place to stay! 

 You can visit their website:

www.carondebeaumarchais.com

More of Paris and Montmarte......

Paris had never looked more beautiful to me than on our last full day together with my friends! Our day began as we walked from our hotel, the quaint Caron de Beaumarchais, in the lively old Marais. It's such a pretty little hotel with history, pretty rooms, and antiques. [more on the hotel tomorrow] we walked along the Seine past Notre Dame and into the long line for tickets to The Louvre. If you are planning to be in Paris several days, I would advise purchasing your museum ticket pass in advance. We purchased the private museum passes in advance but arrived early for the Louvre, so the line moved quickly and we were in! My friends thoroughly enjoyed their time in the museum and were not disappointed! A great time and very relaxed! But then.....could the Louvre ever disappoint? I don't think so!

 We met my daughter outside when we were finished and headed to Montmarte in the 18th district of Paris! What a glorious day to be in Montmarte. The sky was a beautiful blue which was a perfect backdrop for the domed Basilica of the Sacre Coeur. Our taxi driver had taken us up the scenic route past the famous Coco Chanel shop and the Ritz Carlton where she lived. A beautiful high end shopping district where you can find the most beautiful silk scarves in all of Paris [which my daughter gave me as a gift, so sweet of her]! We climbed the steps to the Basilica and once again, I was awed by the beauty inside. No photographs are allowed inside [I had already snapped one when I was nicely told photographs were not allowed] but the image in ones mind remains forever. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are beautifully painted on the dome and the art is magnificent! A must see in my opinion! Once outside, our afternoon was spent in this fun district having lunch at a sidewalk cafe, interacting with the amazing artists selling their artistic talents to the tourists and just having lots of fun and more laughs than we deserved! This district of Paris was home for a while to artist such as Salvador Dali, Claude Monet, Palbo Picasso, and Vincent Van Gogh. Today it's bohemian feel attracts artist of all ages and two of my artistic daughters especially love it. I understand very well why they do.

 Once we finished there, we were back to the Marais district for some final shopping for gifts and dinner near our hotel. This area of cobbled streets and very fashionable boutiques is my favorite. It's a mixture of quaint shops, cafés, people just relaxing and taking in all the culture of a Parisian evening. Paris is simply beautiful. It is charming in a way all it's own and each person who visits or lives there falls in love for life. There is nothing ordinary about Paris! Life should never be ordinary, in my opinion. If you can't travel to Paris or somewhere you may want to go, you can dream and create an environment when life is anything but ordinary. This begins by looking for the beautiful in life. Our Creator has given us a beautiful pallet of colors found in nature. HE wants us to find fulfillment deep inside. HE wants our lives to have purpose and meaning and in The Bible, we find answers and direction for a full and beautiful life! Such travel is fun and being with friends and family is the best but in the end, what matters most is our relationship with God and living a life where others are blessed, served, and loved because we took the time to care for and about them. This was truly my heart as I planned the trip for my dear friends and the steps we would take. I think God gave us His blessings and the beautiful blue sky in a beautiful place on the last day of a Parisian holiday was one I will always cherish! Giving thanks to The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit! xoxo

Summer Time and The Skin.......

I love being outdoors!  It has to be my favorite place just to be!  My daily routine involves a long walk, sometimes a jog, and sometimes paddle boarding.  I love also gardening and making my gardens as lovely as possible.  Summertime is my season! All of this can take a toll on my skin unless I am careful to prepare ahead of time.  Extra exposure to sun can damage our skin and it is hard to turn the clock back once there has been damage. I have learned this the hard way.  Two summers ago, I had a scare with a small basal cell carcinoma!  I was shocked this happened to me because I thought I was being careful.  I have learned sun screen is so very important.  It is very important to even wear sun screen when we drive daily in our cars.  So.....my warning to everyone is:  take care NOW by limiting your exposure and use products that cover for protection.  I use Obagi skin care products and have found these to help in both cleansing and nourishing my skin.  Drinking lots of water also helps keep that glow we all desire! Over the past three years, I have tried to wear less makeup to cover my flaws and enhance the good qualities by using just a little blush and lipstick!   I just cannot  forget my lipstick!!!  Enjoy your summer by the pool, at the beach, or outdoors but be sooooo careful to cover your beautiful skin!!!!

Paris.....The City of Light

Paris....What can be added to these wonderful pictures except to say~perfection!  Paris is known as the city of light for a reason.  I love everything about Paris and do not think I could ever get enough of her!!!!

My grandmother inspired all her grandchildren to see the world!  She did herself.  She traveled and planned and planned for others to travel with her.  This was my mindset when I began planning over a year ago a trip of a lifetime for three of my friends who live in Jackson, Mississippi.  We had a wonderful time together touring England and then passing easily into France via the Eurostar and our destination of course was Paris!  I think the girls had a blast and the walking, the talking, the cafes, the wines, the laughs over words we tried to say in French, the stress (a little bit), the art district, the boat ride on the Seine, the prayers in the great cathedrals, and the taxi rides.....the list goes on.

If you've ever thought of traveling, you should go!  As I said, my grandmother's love for people and her giving spirit of seeing others happy continues to touch my life every single day even though she has been in Heaven three years now.  I would be most happy to help you plan a trip!  You can message me at pbevila@gmail.com and I will gladly share any knowledge about planning a trip abroad.  I can give you tips on how the manage the trains, the museums, the best areas to book your hotels, and the best places to dine!!!

Our journey through life is truly very short. We are given only a select number of years then it's gone. I feel enormously blessed to have found my purpose in life early. Oh there have been times when I have asked The Lord to take me a different direction but He has ordered my steps as he has seen fit. My spiritual ear hums no matter where God allows me to go. You see, early in life I was taught that a relationship with God was a personal one in which He speaks to His children. This speaking comes when we read The Bible and His love and His ways are imprinted on my heart and He has full control in changing my heart from mine to His. The journey of life is so much lighter and so much more beautiful when it is shared each day with HIM! I thank Him for giving me this season in life where I have experienced so much joy in sharing the journey and trip with others! Take time to be with the people you love and care about. It doesn't have to be Paris......it can be your own backyard filled with the pleasures of being with the people you care about! Everyday is a GIFT!!! Have a blessed one my friend!

Real Beauty...and Real Joy!

When a woman has real JOY, it just bubbles out!  JOY has an essence all it's own!!! There is nothing quite like the essence of a woman who is truly filled with this joy, also healthy and next comes what we call......beautiful!  In my many, many years of mothering my daughter's, their overall health and filling their spirits with God's ways was my greatest concern.  We kept them outdoors  a great deal of time. Weather was rarely a factor, because we just changed what we had to wear in order to be outdoors. They all loved sports, well, maybe one a little less but she was really into fitness. There was no striving for perfection but just a desire to be healthy inside and out.  Real beauty emerges from a soul filled with the right things.....like fresh air and nature and a selfless desire to see oneself as a contributing part of the beautiful world God created.  Desiring to give rather than take.....this is what makes one beautiful.  Sometimes this has to be learned through the circumstances one is placed in.  Today good health is closely connected to the quality of our lives and the beauty of  a life well lived. 

Most women desire to be as healthy and lovely and as beautiful as possible.  Poise, grace, goodness, and modesty in dress and style keep a woman looking beautiful and elegant, even when no one else is looking. It seems what we place inside and outside (covering our body) is truly important.  Fashion changes daily or so it seems to me!  The hour glass figure does not last forever (no matter how hard we try) but the beautiful feminine nature IS God-given and it is meant to last the entire duration of ones life.  God, by design, made woman a beautiful creature!

Over the past few days, my readings have taken me to the life of a beautiful woman, Esther.  Esther was an orphaned Jewess who became the Queen of the Persian King, Ahasuerus.  Her life was not always full of joy and honor but she was used by God to preserve His people from ruin.  Yes, God used Esther to save her people, the Jews.  Her story is found in the Old Testamant and during this period in history, palaces and courtyards were used for lavish entertaining.  The references speak of "white and blue linen curtains fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on silver rods and marble pillars; and the couches were of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of alabaster, turoquise, and white and black marble."  Esther 1:6  Any designer would enjoy this description of beauty.  It was just at this palace where Esther first found favor in the sight of all who saw her.

  "The young woman was lovely and beautiful."  Esther 2:7

God opened her destiny for a purpose, perhaps she did not fully understand but her spiritual commitment and her sense of perspective reflected the heart of true inward and outward beauty.  I find it interesting that she was also given beauty preparations and personal care. (We think of cosmetics of something as a current product line)  She was attended by a woman who was the custodian of women. (you know the counter expert at your favorite line of cosmetics :)  Perhaps this person attended her lovingly like a mother would in caring for a daughter.

I like to think that investments in our daughters and even our grandaughters contribute to their inward beauty.....this my friend is what makes a beautiful woman. Outside products can only go so far and then......... the fragance of a beautiful woman fills the room LONG AFTER SHE IS GONE.

There is a purpose for each life, your life!  A beautiful strong and lasting purpose will hopefully touch the ones who come behind you.....something to think about beautiful one!

"Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this."

BATH, ENGLAND, THE PRIORY HOTEL AND SPA, and STOURHEAD

Listening is an attribute that seems to be developed. I admit, I have not always been the best listener but over the years of my life, I am finding this really is one of the cream of the crops of attributes. To hear, to listen, consider, pay attention, to listen carefully and intelligently, to obey. The word conveys a sense of intensity. In the Bible, God commanded Moses to listen attentively and very carefully with a mind to obey what God would say. This listening Moses did brought not only him blessings but an entire nation of people as well. A person who needs one to listen, usually has words or thoughts that are intense and needful in expressing what is in the heart. We all need people who will listen to what we have to say and how we feel. I hope to always be a sensitive listener. You might ask, how does one develop this skill? You might say, my life is so busy and full, there is no time for being in a quiet place where I can hear. We have to get away, even if it's a few minutes in our own home or at the end of a day to listen and hear and restore and refresh. Two weeks ago, I traveled with three friends on a holiday that I had been honored to plan for them over a year. We traveled to some beautiful places and I tried to wisely choose accommodations that would be affordable to all. We shared rooms along the way, which also helped in the cost. We began in London and on day four traveled to Bath, England. I had been to Bath twice before so I knew they would love it also! I researched a beautiful small hotel there and a spa and even asked my daughter, Kara, who lives in London, to go and check it out! She assured me we would love it! So, as our journey began, we traveled by train and arrived about check in time. We were greeted warmly and I was told we had been upgraded to much nicer rooms than I had booked. I was listening, but I could not believe our good blessings to follow. They treated us like we were honored guest in their home. They arranged a driver to take us to Stourhead Landscape Gardens and Home, and he picked us up in a nicer vehicle than any of us owned! He was gracious and kind and shared with us his amazing faith of coming to know The Lord. What a beautiful holiday we had in Bath. A quiet place to restore, refresh, and renew in order to listen again to the sounds and voices around us. You can bet, there was plenty of talking with four women! You see, I prayed for this trip for months, I asked for God's blessings ad favor and His guiding hands. I am humbled and still in awe that HE listened to my prayer and THAT is most humbling in so many ways. His desire to care about the smallest details of life. I Corinthians 2:9 "Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love Him". Amen and Amen! So thankful for our beautiful journey! P.S. This describes THE PRIORY HOTEL: The Priory is a country house hotel and spa. The rooms are all individually designed and beautifully decorated. The gardens are maintained by a full time Gardner. www.thebathpriory.co.uk