Gracious Words......

Gracious words are beautiful words!  Gracious words flow like a fountain out of lips that are thoughtful, kind, wise,  loving and good.  In the book of Nehemiah in the Bible, the Word speaks of a kind of patience that God had (and still has) with people who would not listen to HIM.  Even though, they did not listen, God did not forsake them because the Word says...."For you are God, gracious and merciful."  Nehemiah 9:31  Merciful and gracious words  are able to spill out of lips graciously because God is able to change a person's words into a sweet aroma that can fill a room!   He has given us beautiful words to follow and live by.  Everyday HE IS ABLE to pour into our lives living words of TRUTH that can penetrate....... even the not so soft places in our hearts.


We all love to hear words that lift up and encourage!  Encouragement is a gift and the person whose heart is filled with it cannot help but let it spill out.... blessing whoever walks into their world!  God is gracious in placing these people everywhere!  Recently, my husband and I had the honor of attending a beautiful wedding for a friend's daughter.  Truly the entire wedding was a blessing for me because I love my friend so much and to see her happy for her daughter and the love that I know went into the planning of every single second of the wedding day.  Her love was gracious for her daughter and her countenance radiated with joy.  Love spilled out of her lips for everyone who attended!


As I was thinking about that special day, I thought about how everyday,  gracious and loving words should spill out of our lips for others.  Sort of like a fountain that spills water out so beautifully  that we stand in awe!  We remember the sight (or sound) over and over again.  Beautiful words have a way of lingering long after they are spoken.....like the first, I love you!  Remember when you first heard those words. 


Our days are filled with many things.  Many things that are necessary to do such as preparing meals, cleaning our homes, working at our jobs, running errands, paying bills, etc. but the day is better and the burdens of the day are lighter when we spend time on what matters. The time we spend with God.  May I encourage you today to fill your heart with what truly matters!  The value of filling your life with spiritual truths is to reach the highest human potential, to have abundant life. For us there is a promise if we do and it is to  "Rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ!"   I Peter 1:13  HE has a great and gracious day planned just for YOU!  Enjoy!  

Ministering Spirits.......The Wounds of an Angel

Look closely at this Angel.....his wounded arm makes him even more beautiful!

I have always been fascinated by angels.  Dr. Billy Graham calls them "God's Secret Agents." The beautiful descriptions found in the Bible give us all a keen awareness that God  has lavished His beauty on these glorious creations!  He wasted nothing in making them symbols of  beauty, goodness, and purity. In Luke 24:4 angels are described as "two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning."  They spoke words of hope and of life, "Why do you look for the living among the dead. He is not here; He has risen!"  Yes, angels are present if we take the time to look around us in the world in which we live.


Ministering spirits are people who are angels among us.  Most often, I have found, they are the ones who are the most wounded.  They hurt.  They have experienced pain. Sometimes, they are still hurting.  Yet, miraculously they are able to reach out and touch others in their serviceable labors and assistance, continually active today in advancing goodness on the earth.  In unexpected ways, they often give of their love and their time and their resources, when we least expect it!


In Hebrews 1:14 the Lord's words declare "Are not all angels ministering spirits, sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?"  Yes, they are God's messengers of love and life!  God is raising up a new generation of people who He is calling to minister in the next generation. They have a future, that is for sure.  God has ordained every day of their lives from beginning to end.  He sees their future and wants it to be good.  If you are a parent, you can do your part by just loving them, unconditionally.  Encourage them.  Love their friends. Be understanding.  Be compassionate.  Listen.  Wounds do not mean that one is useless, most often it means they've arrived just in time to be crowned in all HIS glory as a "ministering spirit"!  God has a way of making "All things work together for good."  Even the wounds!  A new day gives us all new opportunities to serve the Lord with gladness...wounds and all!  Blessings to you dear friend!

Outdoor Party........Cherished Times!

 ~Luke always brings a party joy!~

~Love is in the air~

"You are cherished!"  Those are words that uplift and words that we all desire to hear and hopefully give away each and every day!  The Bible speaks with words about dwelling and being sheltered in a love that protects and cherishes the people in our lives.  "He who dwells in the shelter of the MOST HIGH will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."  Psalm 91:1~2  When we go into His presence, we can relax our hearts and minds and see that being with Him brings us peace as Believers.  We can let go of trying to get everything just exactly right because He is there to help us and cherish us just as we are.  Our homes should and can be that same shelter for those who dwell with us or those who come our way. 

The photos above are of a little party I gave on the spur of the moment seeking to create a refuge and fortress of peacefulness.  This weekend, being Father's Day, is such a special weekend!  I cherish my husband and so do our children and grandchildren.  They've always had fun with their Dad and Pops!  I wanted to capture the charm of an outdoor room for some special guests we invited to our home in celebration of an early Father's Day!  So......I went to work!  I began with an "old" card table, found a vintage tablecloth, a lantern from my porch, silver goblets we had received for our 25th wedding anniversary, a few antique glasses from the cupboard, our silver, and plates I had picked up inexpensively!  And oh yes, the white linen napkins!  In just a short time, the party started, the guest arrived and the dinner was served!  There are so many ways to show the ones you love that you cherish them and love them!  The rewards are the love and smiles returned to you ten~fold!  Simply beautiful......time slows down when memories are made!  I hope you are able to enjoy some cherished times and make beautiful memories with your family and friends this weekend!!  Happy Father's Day to all the Dads!

Photos and Memories of France......

~A French side-walk cafe~

While in France, like most who visit there,  I fell in love!  I fell for the people, Paris, Avignon, St. Remy de Provence, and other villages.....the food, the wines, the chocolates, and truly all things that the French enjoy!  I loved when you entered a shop or a cafe, I was warmly greeted with Bonjour! (hello)  If I would purchase something it was Merci! (thank you) and as I would leave it would be, Au revoir (good-bye). The cafes and the relaxed way of enjoying a meal changed my life forever! Why hurry?  France is home to a number of different peoples.  Most are descended from settlers and invaders of ancient times.  The Gauls, Romans, and Scandinavian adventurers known as Vikings.  Other settlers included Germanic peoples.  Most of the French people live in cities and towns or small villages and their standard of living is high compared to many American towns.  French is spoken by almost everyone.  All people seem to have a respect for one another. Lots of young couples and beautiful French men and women but I noticed elderly men and women almost everywhere that we traveled.  Elderly men were playing pentanque along with the young under shady trees.  This is a game similar to Bocce', which the Italians play.  France is a beautiful country and I hope to go again!  There are so many beautiful villages to explore!  Enjoy the photos of France and the quaint little man, who must be someone's French father, I am sure, strolling his way through town early on a Sunday morning! I can just imagine what is behind the shutters and their faded colors that I photographed in many of the photos!  We traveled by TGV Train to Avignon and then we rented a car and drove to smaller villages!  I brought back beautiful memories and a love in my heart for all things French! Enjoy and please make your travel plans!!!

A Frenchman, making his way through the village with his basket!

 Bonjour! Come in!

 Or maybe here......

There is little need for window treatments here! 

 A favorite color!

 Beautiful doors.....everywhere!

Finish with a coffee! Americano no doubt!

Latte!

A Father's Love......

The Lord's Table

Our Heavenly Father invites us all!

This coming Sunday it will be a day to honor FATHERS!  I love this day because I am full of gratitude to be married to a wonderful Christian man who loves and adores children!  He loved ours before they were born and everyday he truly devotes himself to others who are important in his life.  God smiled on our children to give them such an amazing father.  He was there when they were born, he was there when they learned to walk, he was there when they learned to ride a bike, he was there to dry their tears when they fell or were hurting, he was there to show them how to live, he was there everyday of their lives and still is!  He is a gift! I am truly grateful! My own father was not present much in my life.  That is one of the reasons that I treasure so much the love I see my husband have for our family.  Sometimes, one has to wait and be patient to see how God will restore what is lost.  But be sure, HE WILL!!!


A father's love is such a special kind of love.  It is modeled after our Father in Heaven who loves and cares for His own children, created and fashioned in HIS own image.  In the beginning of creation, His sole intent was to create a perfect place for families to live and grow and be nurtured by His love and tender care.  He provided everything that they would need for a happy and wonderful life.  Those, blessed to have families know the value of a loving Father in the home.  A shepherd so to speak.  One who guides and provides for his family and sees his role in that light.  A Godly home can be a haven for those who dwell within it's walls.  God provides for families, according to the size of each one.  In the book of Genesis, in the story of Joseph, when Joseph's brothers came to him in need of food during the famine in Egypt, "Joseph provided his father, and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to their little ones."  states Genesis 47:12  For us also, there is a Heavenly Father who provides for every need that a family has.  So whether it is one, two, three, four, or five, or more......God will provide for the size of a family.  It is a loving attribute of a Father's love.  Prayer and faith working together builds strong families.  The foundation that is built upon a belief in God as our Father opens our lives to blessings.  Showers of blessings!


One of the most special examples of a Father's love and the blessings of a Godly father is found in Chapter 15 of Luke.  It is the story of the Prodigal son.  It's the story of a certain man who had two sons and the younger son asked for his share of the inheritance early.  He gathered all his belongings and went off to a distant country and he squandered his estate with loose living.  He found himself at the worst possible place.....without work and without food.  It was at that point, he remembered the "father" who had loved and cared for him and graciously had given him his inheritance.  Perhaps the Holy Spirit brought this loving thought of his wonderful father into his mind.  It doesn't matter how it happened but the truth is, the Bible says it did!  He quickly set out to go to his father's house and while he was still a long way off his father saw him, and felt compassion for him and ran and embraced him and kissed him.  The son told to father that he had sinned against heaven and in his sight and that he was no longer worthy to be his son......the father just was so happy to see his son, nothing else mattered....his son was home!  He called for the fattest calf to be roasted and the dancing and merry times to begin.  What an amazing evening that must have been!  Tears, embraces, forgiveness, unconditional love abounding and abounding.  It does not matter, my friend what you've ever done.....A Father's Love is ready to embrace you.  I just imagine that father, on his knees, praying everyday for his son to come home.  A Father's love intercedes for his children.  There are times when one doesn't know exactly what to say or how to pray.  It doesn't matter.  The Heavenly Father's love is available to take your words and fashion them in a way that will be presented before a Throne full of grace and love.  Know for SURE.....God loves you!

Outdoor Furniture and It's Beauty....

 ~This beautiful chair is by Pierce Martin~

~from Veranda~

~This lovely setting of Sutherland's Peninsula Chaise is by designer Terry Hunziker~

~Photo from Veranda~

 These two handsome and beautiful beach babies belong by the Ocean for sure!

After a long day of swimming with Nina and Pops there is nothing more relaxing than to lay out by the pool and have your favorite boxed beverage in a comfortable chaise!!!  To spend time with a child is a beautiful way to REFRESH!  They see the good and the beauty in everyone.....as should we! 

Shopping for outdoor furniture today is a bit like shopping for a new sofa!  There are many styles and many colors and oh for sure many price ranges!  These beautiful designs above caught my eye for their simplicity and their curves.  Symmetry gives the look a sleek, relaxed feel, with clean lines.  Before the season is out....I would like to find a couple of nice chairs for our patio!


How do you relax?  How do you restore?  How do you refresh?  For sure, today everyone seems to lead such a busy life.  It is still important to have those times of rest and restoration.   In the beautiful little book  Gift from THE SEA ,  Ann Morrow Lindbergh writes how at the beach as one begins to relax, " the tired body takes completely over. As on shipboard, one descends into a deck-chair apathy. One is forced against one's mind, against all tidy resolutions, back into the primeval rhythms of the seashore.  Rollers on the beach, wind in the pines, the slow flapping of herons across sand dunes, drown out the hectic rhythms of city and suburb, time tables and schedules.  One falls under their spell, relaxes, stretches out prone.  One becomes, in fact, like the element on which one lies, flattened by the sea: bare, open empty as the beach, erased by today's tides of all yesterdays's scribblings."   Isn't that what we hope for? To let go is good. She goes on to say as the week at the seashore progresses," we are able to lie open, choiceless as a beach~waiting for a gift from the sea."  Who really knows what God will bring you today?  Let today be a gift!


It is my hope than you have times to relax and restore.  It is important.  It makes one sweeter inside and out!  Here's to a sweet day for you dear friend!

In the Bible, God speaks of repentance also as a way of refreshment.  We all need to repent of sin in our lives, you know things we do or say that do not reflect God's best for us.  It's a hard place to be.....to see....that we need to turn and ask God to help us start fresh so that we can be a vessel as beautiful as a seashell found as a gift on the seashore.  Acts 3:19 encourages us to "Repent therefore and be converted, that yours sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come form the presence of the Lord."  Enjoy those precious time that come from the presence of the LORD!  You are a special treasure!  Amen!

Dreamy White Room......

~Photo from Victoria~

There are days when an all white room would be perfect!  The heat in south Mississippi is already pouring down on us here!  White rooms, white furniture, white flowers, white towels, pure thoughts, pure motives, pure heart!  Those are what I wish for you and for myself today!!!!  Enjoy the day that God has placed before you! 


AT HOME WITH white   is a fantastic little book by Atlanta Bartlett, an interiors stylist whose trademark look is best described as accessible and easy-going.  In the book she shows you how to keep white contemporary using different textures and shades of white.  The book is divided into sections, each sharing about a particular mood one might want to create in their home.  I love the section on romantic white.  She says, "Romance comes in many guises, from fairy tale to boudoir, and can therefore be adapted to suit a variety of tastes.  it is not a look anchored in practicality, but a means of escape to whisk you away from the humdrum of everyday life."  I like that!  Here's hoping to do away with humdrum lives!!!  That is my goal at STARFISH DESIGNS!!!!

 Who doesn't love a white seashell?

 I found mine on sale!!!!  

order from www.amazon.com

 ~The Jekyll Island Club Hotel off the coast of Georgia~

The scene of great "WHITE"  memories!!!!

Wrought Iron Accents.......

~Beautifully Painted Wrought Iron Doors~

~Wrought Iron stair rail off a courtyard in Paris, France~

 ~Wrought Iron Balcony in Avignon, France~

 ~Wrought Iron Accents in Chateauneuf`du Paups~

~Wrought Iron stair railing 
as seen in Veranda Magazine~

~Beautiful Entry Doors in Paris~

~Wrought Iron Accent~

I love wrought iron, period!  The glistening qualities of a spectacular piece that has been forged by a craftsman adds beauty and definition to a home.  It can be found above windows, on windows, accents for windows, above doors, exterior stairways and we also find it everywhere on the interior of homes thanks to the beautiful influence of French style homes and interiors.  

When we found our home, already built and new three years ago, the French exterior style of the house is what we liked most! The touch of wrought iron was a plus!  What exactly is wrought iron?  Webster's defines it as a kind of iron that contains very little carbon.  It is tough and hard to break but easy to work or shape.  I had to laugh....... that could describe me lately!  I liked that definition and now I understand why it so beautiful!  It is tough and hard but easy to work or shape.  Shouldn't we be like that?  The easy to shape part.  Have you ever seen wrought iron on an old house that is rusted, chipped, and needing a little extra love and care.  A tender touch perhaps.  Patience of a skilled craftsman brings it back to its original state.

We too get tough and rusted and chipped by the "things" we go through in life.  Life is meant to be fun, happy, healthy and enjoyed!  When we go through dark times which often God has allowed into our lives, hopefully we reach out to Him and find His light in them.  Sort of like a new fresh coat of paint.  New again.  Submitting to being shaped and hammered, like the wrought iron, is a process.  The  beauty found in a finished piece of wrought iron goes through fire, hammering or beating but the finished product is glorious and beautiful!  "As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."  Proverbs 27:17 Do you know someone who is "bent out of shape"?   Encouragement is a tool we can all use.  Encourage someone today and you just might find that he or she will reflect a countenance of beauty.  If it is you who needs encouragement dear one.....may I be one who can encourage you?  Take heart knowing that you are created in the image of God and He makes no mistakes.  He loves you with an everlasting love and sent His Son, Jesus to show you the way to live and love.......blessings be upon you today and forever! Amen!

ttouttbeau a ses moments

(everything beautiful has its moments)

Blessings of Water and Life......

"Fear not, for I HAVE redeemed you; I have called you by name; You are Mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you."  Isaiah 43:1~2

This beautiful rock formation is an awesome reminder of the forces of nature and how strong and how magnificent the world God created truly is.  This is Durdle Door near Weymouth, England.  In order to see it, you have to park your car almost one half mile away and walk down a steep hill downward toward the sea.  It is an inspiration of beauty once reached....... and worth the walk down and back up the hill!  It is  extremely steep.  This week I have thought about WATER a lot for some reason.  Perhaps because earlier in the week I had read a Scripture from the book of John that settled deep within my spirit.  I read it as if for the first time and have thought about the words all week.

River Wensum

Norwich, England

April 7, 2011

  "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."  John 7:38

As I read those words that Jesus spoke to his disciples near the last days of his earthly life, I sought to understand and glean why He desired to leave these men with words they would need as His disciples who would carry on HIS MESSAGE of hope and life.   Rivers flow.  Rivers flow constantly.  Rivers are filled with life.  He hoped they would see that by simply believing in HIM that their hearts would be different.  Life would flow out of their hearts.  I asked myself....what flows out of my heart?   Sometimes we are so busy trying to correct the heart of another than we fail to see that our own hearts need life.  Water, vast waters, and seas speak of life, sustenance, fertility, blessing, and refreshing.  Words that flow out of us should be words of blessing, words of encouragement, words of hope, and words of kindness, words that build up, words that offer sincere understanding.  "He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.  He restores my soul."  Psalm 23: 2~3   What flows out of you?  I hope that you know that I am praying for a revival of flowing and living hearts.  Hearts that are alive and bent toward a loving and caring God.  May we begin to refresh others in His love.  I hope you can find a place to restore your soul.  He patiently waits for you.  He truly is interested in the condition of our hearts.  Take His hand and let him guide you to a greener pasture and a flowing river! Just see what flows out!!! Blessings of love to you dear friend!!!

A Garden at the Doorstep.....

 My husband laid the stone with pea gravel and we planted pink azaleas and a coral rose bush....just needed the cute little Bistro table I found on sale for 50% off!!!! Perfect!!!

White roses from Kacie and Josh add a bit of cheese, wine, olives and Crisp bread!

A Party!

 I could not wait to paint my door green and find a lion head door knocker!

"I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.  I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove."  Ecclesiatstes 2:5~6


Inspired by Solomon from the Bible and the beautiful gardens recently that have inspired me also, I decided to ask my husband to help design and make a little "French Inspired Garden" in a corner near our back door that was barren for three years.....just waiting to be planted with flowers, shrubs, and lots of love!  I could not resist the French Bistro table!  In our homes, flowers and gardens make all the difference.  A pretty yard becomes even more beautiful with well balanced gardens.  We are "getting" there.  It takes time and patience to see them grow and blossom.  I am hoping within four or five years ours will be fully planted and growing like I want it to!  If you are inspired by beautiful gardens clip favorite photos from magazines and "dream" and plan like I do!  I am inspired by other people's gardens also and the love and care that go into the creation and the maintaining of them.  Our daughter and son in law purchased a beautiful home with an English Garden fully intact!  They are the lucky ones!  Most of us have to work and work to acquire the look we want.  


I hope you enjoy the photos and find a little piece of Heaven in your own backyard!  I enjoy white flowers and mixing them with lavender colors in plantings.  Think about the colors that are your favorites and then have a plan when you are at the nursery or a local garden center.  


A few of my favorites are: 
White:  Garden Phlox and Roses
Blues:  Hydrangea and Delphinium
Pinks:  Camellia and Peony and Roses
Purples:  Lavender and Iris
Yellows:  Rose and Lantana and of course the Daffodil
Oranges:  Poppy and Dahlia

Like any good gardener, there is an inspiration somewhere!  Mine was in House Beautiful magazine.  It was here that I thought.....Yes....I can do this.....I am in France again, this time in my own backyard!  I am waiting for the girls and guys....any of you to arrive!  That includes friends!!!  Let's go to France!