Happy Birthday Olivia!

She was born four years ago this morning on a snowy morning....the Doctor called her Snow White! She is a precious girl and loved so much!


One of my favorite pictures for her sweetness just comes out! Happy Day!


A favorite past time is playing and loving her sister, Ava, and her cousins!


Olivia and her Mommy went shopping today for a new outfit! Precious!


She loves pink! Yummy cake and sweet Olivia.....perfect birthday! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Double Blossoms....

~Monday~

~Friday~

~Today....Saturday~

This week at my house we have been on a little sojourn with this beautiful bulb....waiting for it to open!  My precious little twin grandchildren, Luke and Isabel have watched and waited and smelled the fragrance while admiring the beauty.  This morning I checked to see if a blossom was open, no, not yet.  It was a quick peek because we were leaving to drive Luke and Isabel and their parents to the airport because they are moving miles and miles away from us.  When we returned home from the airport, I walked into my house and two lilies had opened their blossoms.  It was as though the voice of God had given me a sign of peace....."Luke and Isabel will blossom today....and everyday.....for I am making allowing them to grow in new surroundings and new places.....they will blossom together....beautifully."  God had a plan for their lives long before I knew what this day would bring and with Him He brought me peace and trust in a beautiful way.  "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of the law."  Deuteronomy 29:29 

I think God had a secret time for my lilies to blossom and I thank Him for allowing me to see today how we have been blessed with double blossoms.....with Luke and Isabel.  I pray for His guidance and beautiful angels and blessings of beauty every day on their journey! xxoo

Mercy, Grace, and The Throne Room

Lovely White Rooms designed by Annelle Primos of Jackson.....














White rooms are my favorite.....lately! Who knows what it will be next week because I change my mind. I am a woman. :-) We have that right because men think we can never make up our minds. Tis true! [the part about not making up our minds] White rooms are crisp, fresh, and clean and remind us of fresh beginnings. The Throne Room of God is described in Revelation 20:11 as "a great white throne" and Jeremiah 17:12 describes The Throne as "glorious high throne from the beginning is a place of our sanctuary". God's beautiful descriptions in His Word are full of promise that Heaven's Throne will be a place full of mercy and grace and the man and woman who trust in the Lord and whose hope is in the Lord will be blessed there. He even goes on to say that a man or woman who trust Him will be like a tree planted by the waters which spreads out it's roots by the river and will not fear when heat comes. Perhaps, if I may draw a comparison, WHITE sure makes one feel cool and fresh in the heat. When I am with God, the heat of the world and all the pleasures that it offers do not really seem that important. Being with God is more important than anything this world has to offer. His throne also is full of mercy and grace when we have needs. Hebrews 4:16 encourages us with these beautiful words, "let us therefore come boldly before the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need." We are encouraged to draw near to Him with confidence and believe HE understands any circumstance or suffering. Powerful words to live by.....this ability to be refreshed and blessed by the sanctuary of His presence, especially in suffering. His presence is a place of beauty and power and filled with Glory! I do not know what your day is like, but I do know that if you are willing to turn your day and your life over to Him that He will create a beautiful temple out of what you give Him! WHITE reminds me of a fresh start....perhaps that is why I like white! Everyday we are given a fresh white start! Let us be fresh and pure and honest before God and, others as well! Enjoy these beautiful white rooms above by an interior designer in Jackson, Mississippi, Annelle Primos. Her parents were friends of our when we lived In Jackson. Almost every day her mom walked with me and shared wisdom that I still value. A few of the photos are from Elle Decor as noted. Blessings to you dear friend for a truly glorious day full of mercy and grace!


Here is one more! This beautiful room is in Seaside Florida. It has to be one of my all time favorites! I love the "DREAM" banner!!! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Searching for God

"If we have a Godly thirst, it will appear by diligence in frequenting the place and means of grace; brute beasts for want of water will break through hedges, and grace-thirsty souls will make their ways through all encumbrances to come where they may have satisfaction." THOMAS PIERSON........... The psalmist, David, in the Bible, sought God, and only God to meet his needs. Sunday is a wonderful day to draw upon the refreshment that comes when we stop our busy lives to be refilled at His table. May we take refuge in the shelter of Thy wings! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Norwich Cathedral, Norwich England

BEAUTIFUL INSPIRATIONS......

Last fall, while visiting my daughter in California, I strolled into the fabulous store on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica known as Shabby Chic Couture! The store is beautiful, feminine, and full of lovely decorating pieces for sale. It is also a place to be inspired and calmed! I truly enjoyed my ooh and ahh moments there.....so much that now, I have visited the store two more times. Rachel Ashwell, the owner and designer has a philosophy that your home should be comfortable and beautiful. I love the lived in look of her rooms and promptly ordered her new book featured above. It is beautiful! The book and her work are both full of inspiration and she shares the places where she is inspired.....movies, music, and poetry and travel. It is an excellent resource book for a designer or just pleasurable reading. The bedrooms featured are dreamy and the furnishings are all so practicable.


Beautiful linens are the foundation of a beautiful bedroom! The store, Cologne and Cotton offers these lovely linens on their web site! I do have a passion for beautiful bed linens! Cologne and Cotton is a British store I hope to visit!


These feminine bed coverings and blankets are perfect for my taste found on their web site. I love everything about this room...the wallpaper, the French desk, the lamp, the curves of the bed and of course, the pot of tea! I wonder what is in that gift on the bed? Any ideas? I am thinking maybe a bar of wonderfully scented bath soap!


This adorable little English cottage is in Hyde Park in London and I snapped this photo there while wondering what it might look like on the inside. It has to be sooooo cute and comfortable! For me, when all the comforts of home are within reach, I am most happy. I want to savor the moments of life that are lovely and precious. Right now, my home is filled with special people that I love. It is decorated most beautifully with THEIR presence. These moments will not last long and I need to remember that.....NOW! The lovely rooms, the pretty linens, the soaps in pretty wrappers will not be the same if they are not in my home to use them. More than anything, I want the ones in my home to know and feel God's love. I want them to know the Heavenly Father welcomes them and He loves them inside and out. I desire to be this kind of example. God loves people and He loves them through us when we fill our spirits with His. Although He inspires creativity and gives us beautiful places and experiences to enjoy, His most magnificent creation is people. People like you and me. He made us with His holy hands. He embraces all of you and me, the good and the bad. He's been with you and me every moment of our lives. He knows where we are now and where we are going. He has covered you and me in the palm of His Hand. You are beautiful to Him and treasured. [I hope you remember that!] Let him decorate the walls of your heart......He promises to make it beautiful with His love and comfort and His joy! May this weekend be decorated with all kinds of lovely moments! Blessings to you!

Happy Valentines!

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

I love Valentines Day!  I love everything about it....the opportunity to express my love to others who are treasured in my life!  My first Valentine card from my sweetheart, my husband came after only knowing him for two weeks in 1972.  We had actually only had one date at the time but he gave me a beautiful "soft touch" card which was expensive and beautiful at the time for college students!  He had counted up the minutes, hours, and days he had known me and proclaimed how knowing me had changed his life!  He was so sweet with his words!  I was totally blown away by this surpise.  From that moment on, we basically were together!  Love at first sight! 

Through the years the memories of other events centered around the special day to celebrate LOVE makes Valentines Day one of my favorite holidays.  If you are looking for a romantic film to watch with your sweetie or girlfriends, I will list a few below!  Whatever you do though, I hope your day is filled with LOVE and JOY!  Love and joy to you my friends!!!

Favorite Films for Valentines (or anytime)

The Young Victoria

Sabrina

The Notebook

Love Story

Pride and Prejudice

Dr. Zivago

Rebecca

Coco Before Chanel


Wedding Scene from The Young Victoria
(Tears everytime)

Reading and The Book

I am an avid reader and most of the time, there are a stack of books that I am reading. Sometimes I may read an entire book at once but most often it is a chapter in one book and a chapter in another. Books take us places through the written word and through lovely photographs, that we only dream to go. Dreaming can unfold into realities as it did for me last year when planning a holiday to visit one of my daughters. I like to know a head of time the best places to visit, such as museums, historical places and beautiful gardens, places to stay, and the best restaurants! Through books this is possible and of course any online resources that are available always help. It's fun to read blogs of other places to travel throughout the world but I always come back to my books!


Last night I began reading a book that my husband has by author, Tim LaHaye, on the book of Revelation in the Bible. I couldn't put it down! It is a fantastic resource for one like me because it is educational and informative and exciting about the way world events will unfold, according to the Scriptures. It makes one think and think again about how we live our days on the earth and how brief our time here is, in the light of all eternity. God has prepared a beautiful place called Heaven for the redeemed! One day there will be a new Heaven and a new Earth. The book is deep, much too deep for me to go into here. Perhaps your day is busy, you have lots to accomplish, but may I encourage you to slow down just for a few moments and think about how you spend your days, your weeks, aside from working. We all have moments we waste or rest. You can rest in the arms of ONE who cares.....The Lord Jesus Christ! He has a plan for our lives, plans to prosper us. If we seek Him, He will find us! We are able to seek Him in prayer. Prayer places us under His care and trust and His guidance. Several years ago a beautiful mentor of mine gave me these beautiful points below to follow when praying. I have shared them before but today just seemed like a good day to share them again. May I encourage you to open THE BOOK, and you are promised, when you wait for God to guide, He will! Psalm 33:20 "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait." 1. Wait through earnest specific prayer. 2. Listen for His Voice~pray you will hear that still small Voice. 3. Develop a love for God's Word. 4. Ask the Lord to be steadfast. 5. Read His Word, meditate upon it. 6. Memorize His Word. 7. Words of the Bible are Living. 8. Obey God's Word. 9. Overcome fear and trust in Him. 10. When you know you are in God's will, leave the results to Him. Give Him glory and honor. 11. When Waiting, wait expectantly, ultimately it will be good. Posted using BlogPress from my iPad. Photo from piccsy

AD Visits Brooke Shields

Designers will have to give a big hooray for the current issue [March] of ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST! I always use this magazine as a resource because the photographs are clean and crisp in each issue. The homes featured are filled with real people and the homes chosen for print always are beautiful, warm, and tastefully decorated. One of my favorite people in the design world is India Hicks. Her partner is David Flint Wood and they have collaborated on their home, in the Bahamas , in a book which I love, called Island Living! It is a lovely coffee table book and so very inspiring! It was while on vacation with India and David that American actress Brooke Shields and her husband decided to hire David Flint Wood to design their Townhouse that they were rebuilding after a complete gut! The finished product is beautiful and the article shares a warm and refreshing side in the interview of a beautiful young woman seeking to rear her children in a home with roots. It is quite refreshing. Enjoy the beautiful pictures of her home from the magazine.








She seems like a person truly thankful for the life she has been given......the lovely words by William Shakespeare could find meaning here in her home or perhaps anyone truly thankful for life's gifts! "Oh Lord, that lends me life, Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness". - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Simply Beautiful

This simply beautiful white narcissus was waiting for me this morning in my garden.....a sure sign that SPRING is soon coming! How exciting!

These flowering plants remind me of the loveliness of flowers in Paris! One can walk down almost any street and fresh flowers abound! Parisians love their fresh bouquets and lovely old courtyards! Hope your Saturday includes something simply beautiful! Enjoy the blessings all around you!

LEONARDO DA VINCI......"For those colors which you wish to be beautiful, always first prepare a pure white ground."

Marriage Oneness

In Seaside, Florida there is a beautiful white chapel where one of my daughter's married her sweetheart and it is where they started their journey of Christian marriage. Every time I see it, I am reminded of God's goodness and Glory!


When my husband and I were married over thirty eight years ago, the pastor prayed a beautiful blessing upon our wedding vows. Thinking about these vows as Valentines Day approaches always makes me truly grateful. We had been married about fifteen years the first time I listened to the words the pastor prayed. I cried as I realized so much of his requests had actually happened in our marriage. There was just one sentence I did not understand. "As they become one they will think alike." That always puzzled me a little as I thought, NO I want to have my own thoughts. How can we think alike as he stated? Sometimes, though if we are blessed with a long and happy marriage, we still are able to learn and to understand about this hope of "becoming one". These words are written in Romans 15:4~7....."these things were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ received us, to the glory of God". Receiving one another is the way to oneness. These verses are frequently used at weddings, for they represent a beautiful and fitting description of Christian marriage. The key word is "receive" which means to "take to ones self". As God took hold of us when we were yet sinners, it is by that same grace that we are to take hold of one another in marriage. When that grace filled power is allowed to work in a family, it will transform the lives of two imperfect people into one life, lived to the praise and glory of God! It is sort of like a banner that God places over our marriage. This is the difference, my friend, in a marriage centered in Christ and just a marriage. We can begin to think alike just as the pastor prayed on our wedding day back in 1973! Sometimes, I am slow in learning these truths which give me comfort and encouragement in my own marriage. I hope, if you are married, or know someone about to step in this beautiful relationship that you will see this calling alongside another...... to help, to comfort, to give consolation or to encourage is truly one of life's greatest joys and blessings! Yes.....marriage is a oneness of "mind" too and a good marriage can be a banquet of LOVE! "He brought me to the banqueting table, and his banner over me was love". Song of Solomon 2:4

A Mother's Legacy

Mother Love: Giving or sharing tenderness with one's child. This definition is my own. Webster's does not really give a good definition [in my opinion.] A mother is called a female parent or a woman as she is related to her children. This definition is true but rather vague. When I think of the word though......an entire life time defines the word for me. It's all I really aspired to be! Oh, I have had other jobs, such as being a school teacher, also working with adults who assisted children as tutors for children, and working with cancer patients assisting in a resource library, but compared to the role of mothering all these positions pale. I think most women who become a mother cherish the role of being called, Mom or Mommy. A good and loving grandmother cannot EVEN begin to take the place of a loving mother, for that is not our role. The role of the mother is one of God's highest callings! My desire has always been for my daughters to be good mothers, which they are, and any encouragement I am able to give them in their wonderful role of motherhood, I hope helps them with such an important and demanding role. As mothers, the first requirement is strength of character. Each and every day a mother is held accountable by her little child as the child looks to her for guidance over their entire day! Most mothers want their child to flourish, to become all that he or she is capable of becoming. This takes all our efforts and can become laborious, day after day but when that cute little angelic countenance looks up at us.....our hearts melt....with love. Nothing can replace the bond between a mother and her child when it has been blessed and cultivated. I have now been blessed to see all of my children grown. I have not been a perfect mother and they have not been perfect children but in a miraculous way, God gave us grace to develop strong and healthy bonds with one another. Mothers pass on a legacy. If you are a mom, or maybe hope to be one day, may I encourage you to begin your day in prayer, just a simple one liner will do......until you have a few uninterrupted moments to go deeper with the Lord. He is attentive to our prayers. In the book of I Samuel, chapters, 1~2 we hear the true story of a woman, named Hannah, who so desperately wanted to be a mother that before she even had a child, she promised God she would give her child back to God. This is humbling on so many levels and, throughout my life as a mother, there has been so many times that I have had to do this.....give back and start again. You see, childhood is fleeting and you will only have little ones and teens, and young adults a short time under your roof......then they'll be gone! Let me encourage you to slow down, look to God, look to your partnership with your husband and together pray as Hannah prayed, "For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord!". I Samuel 1:27~28. Yes, Lord, I do pray that as a mother, you will BLESS my children as I have given them to you! Let us remember as we dedicate our little ones and our big ones to the Lord that they are an inheritance and gift from the Lord! What a beautiful legacy....this job of becoming a Mother!


As Mothers we never outgrow the opportunities we are given to help our children grow in Godliness. As parents, we have much to do with our children's destiny. Give them over to God's purposes and whether in your home or abroad or another state continue to nurture them to become fruitful in Godly living! The best is yet to be!!!! Dear friend.....I am praying for you today! Bless all who read these words from my heart, O Lord!

Location:Paris, France with Kara