Prayer: repeat from a couple of years ago....worth repeating!

~The Beautiful CROSS on the Altar inside the Chapel at Seaside~

Prayer

Prayer comes spontaneously from those who abide in Jesus.  Prayer is the natural outgushing of a soul in communion with Jesus.  As the leaf and fruit come out of the vine branch without any conscious effort and simply because of its living union with the stem, so prayer buds and blossoms and fruits out of souls abiding in Jesus.  As stars shine, so do abiders pray.                   Charles Spurgeon

Prayer is trusting God will answer according to His perfect will.  There will be times when you receive an answer right away but often we wait for God to answer.  The Bible often speaks of "waiting" for God:  "We wait in hope for the Lord: He is our help and shield."

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.  Expect intense struggle.

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.

God is HOLY:  Spiritually perfect or pure; deserving awe, reverence, adoration!

Exodus 15:11                                        Luke 1:49

I Samuel 2:2                                         Acts 3:13-15

Psalm 77:13                                          I Peter 1:15-16

Psalm 99                                              Revelation 4:8

Psalm 111:9                                          Revelation 19:11

Isaiah 5:16                                            Isaiah 57:15-16

Prayer refreshes and renews our perspective and brings us into the Presence of the Living God! Time spent in the Presence of the Lord touches our souls in profound ways.  When we spend time in His Presence this living union that we have with God enables us to go out and live our lives with joy and purpose!  The beautiful photos above are of the Seaside Chapel in Seaside, Florida where Kacie and Josh were married almost six years ago!  It's such a beautiful place for reverence and a place to touch and heal the soul.  When you walk inside, and anyone who visits there should, a peace and calmness fill your spirit!  It's a special place.  Our places of prayer, where we meet our Savior, will and can do the same.......calm our spirit and restore our soul, while giving us clarity in our daily lives.  A dear and precious friend who has now gone to Heaven to be in the Lord's Eternal Presence, Betty Gaddy, gave me the 11 points above one day just in sharing.  I am so thankful I wrote them down as she shared them with me because they have ministered to me in my prayer times over the years.  I hope they will bless your times of prayer and Bible study also.  God always stands ready to do great and mighty things in our lives and throughout the world!  Have a blessed and beautiful weekend!!!!

Creative Spaces.....and Inspiration!

 ~The desk to the left and the bookcases in our library are filled with books that inspire~

 ~A board filled with magazine clippings, fabric swatches, and dreams always lead the creative spirit, igniting ideas and hopes for what we want to creative~

~As a complusitve reader (every chance I get) there are never enough books for me and this lovely library from Traditional Home Magazine really inspires~


Creativity is something I believe we all possess......but in the busy world in which we live, often the senses that yearn to create are snuffed out by the busyness of our lives! Woman or man we are blessed by our Creator to have within us qualities that inspire us to appreciate beauty, the artistic talents of others, music, good food and drink......YES someone created all these lovely things we enjoy!  Do you create for your family?  If so, where do you create?  Your kitchen table?  A sewing or craft room? What ignites your creative spirit?  For me, there are a few places I like to visit.....

1. Outdoors~give me a beautiful day in the yard, on a walk, or a drive and I am truly inspired!

2. A good book~There are many books I am inspired by,  with beautiful images created by others,  but my best inspiration comes from reading!  Reading about quaint villages, towns  or cities where real people live and laugh!

3.  Travel~I love to travel!  This can be down the road to another little town, a big city, another country, the mountains, the oceans and all in between. National parks and gardens hold much natural beauty that we have been blessed to enjoy! In our country we have the National Park System, in England, they have the National Trust Homes and Gardens.   I love learning  how others live and what inspires them as  people.  I enjoy learning about families in other cultures and their values. Families who LOVE, inspire!

4.  Those wiser than me~this would be those special women in my life who have served as mentors before me inspiring me by the way they live out their daily lives. Education falls into this category because an education of the mind and spirit continue throughout our lifetimes!  My grandmother so inspired all her family in our educational pursuits.  She was an advocatge of life~long learning!

5.  Fashion~I love a pretty dress, I love a lipstick, I love perfume.....I love being feminine and being a woman!  I am inspired by fashion that has stood the test of time!  Classic to the bone!

6.  My Family and Friends~I am inspired by the creative talents of my husband and each one of my children!  Everyday they surprise me with their talents!  Friendship is truly a gift! Our friends help us daily to be better people!

7.  My faith~This is the time of year, when I am most inspired!  Spring intersects with The Easter Season and the beautiful Scriptures in the Holy Bible  which share the TRUTHS of how Jesus gave His life on a Cross so that those who choose to BELIEVE in His saving grace could live eternally and forever with Him in a beautiful place called Heaven!  The Holy Spirit inspires me to look to The Father for inspiration and creativity! 
This ignites my passion for all that I do in life!  Living for His Glory!  I pray that as you prepare for this Spring season of Easter when so much is new and life is busy that you will reflect on the joy of knowing The Creator of The Universe......who breathed LIFE into all that is living on this earth! 

Joyous Easter!

Norwich Catherdral, Norwich England

Easter 2011

Peace.....attaining it!

A peaceful place.....to ponder......

Happy Friday!  In just two weeks, we will be celebrating Good Friday and even though for Christians it is a difficult day in some ways, it is a most glorious beginning to the promise of hope in repentance, forgiveness, and new life found in Christ. New life brings peace to the spirit, the soul!   Peace within and peace about our position in life.  I hope if your life isn't "perfect" [like most of us] that you will look to the One who can give you His peace and His hope in a glorious tomorrow! It can begin, if offered in a humble prayer asking for guidance.  Yes, Easter brings the Believer in Jesus Christ a new hope and a new peace!  "And the work of righteousness shall be peace: and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.  And my people shall dwell in peaceful habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places."  Isaiah 32:17~18

Mother's Beauty Routine......

Most Mothers want to look their best!  I remember as a little girl, I thought my mother was the prettiest of all the other mothers I knew.  She was stylish at the time, wearing heels and matching purses.  She had really beautiful clothing.  I wonder if she wore much makeup.  Probably less than I do today but I do recall she used Merle Norman products!  As mothers and grandmothers :) we want to look our best. 

 I have enjoyed facials now for two years and using Obagi products and I can certainly tell a difference.  I am able to use less makeup than before, which I like!  For foundation, I use Bobbi Brown products because they match my skin tone well.  Recently, I asked my daughter in law, Sara, who sells skin products about BB cream that everyone is talking about.  It was a lesson that was helpful!  I also have the concealer listed above by Laura Mercier.  Here is the reason I have decided my routine must change.....I was putting the concealer on first and this step is STEP 3!!!!  No wonder, I am looking older!  But truly, is this what makes a woman beautiful?  Is this what makes a Mother beautiful?  

Scripture clearly states in Psalm 34:5 "Those who look to Him are radiant, their faces are never covered with shame". When one is filled with the love of God this LOVE is shining and vividly bright, glowing with happiness and joy! Yes, these products we mothers purchase are helpful but they can only improve our faces so far......then the real woman comes out. It is my prayer for The Lord of Light, who is the source of all light to shine on me and on you! May He fill every dark corner with His bright and radiant love! I KNOW I need Him to do this in my life! Wherever He leads you or me today, it really won't matter the order in which We applied our skin care products! This is a TRUE blessing!

 Enjoy your day sweet beautiful friend!

Thanks CoCo

Lovely~I might add what we fill our spirits with!

To check out Laura Mercier click here:

www.lauramercier.com

Traveling.........with Purpose!

Travel with my family was always so much fun......and still is.  These days the travel together is less but just as fun when I go somewhere with one or more of them! When your children grow up, your highway of travel is sort of elevated (not as many theme parks......SMILE)  and you become more selective, but just as ardent in the planning of a trip together.  Currently, I am in the planning stages of two trips with family which are in the near future.  Vacations are as important for the Mother as the child because the routine change can be a wonderful and fun blessing! Little ones can have the opportunity to plan what they will wear each day and then organize and pack accordingly!  This can be a valuable learning experience in organizational skills!  We should never miss a learning experience!  Even taking a mini vacation to visit friends can be so much fun and memorable!  Vacations do have to be planned in advance and the money needed must be set aside in advance but these times of refreshment build memories with our families and share life events that bond us in a positive way!  I hope, if you are a Mother, you are busy making plans for your child's future.  I am humbled that Almighty God led me to see the importance of mothering my children when they were small.  There is truly no higher calling. We didn't have everything we wanted but we did have everything we needed.  The path ahead is unknown but what we do know is that God has given us His Presence to travel with us.  As you plan, setting aside a time to pray and seek His wisdom and the fruits of the Spirit within you will make the travel do much smoother!  As the saying goes.....above, often Mother has wisely traveled the way you are going before.  Enjoy your journey!!!

A Mother's Heart

"Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life". Proverbs 4:23  It has been said that we LIVE from our heart.  In other words, actions follow what is in the heart of a person.  I like to think that all mother's heart are tender toward their child, loving and patient, attentive, and wise. This is hopefully the kind we desire to be or become!  But the truth is, not all mothers are this way.  Some do not enjoy being a mother at all.  Their lives are filled with the cares of the world and the activities at hand,  they are just too busy to see or understand the difference.  The scripture above wisely imparts to us that we must "watch over our heart".  I see this as a sort of protection or covering.   How do we do this?  For some, there is the wonderful example of a Godly mother who mentored you just by their life lived for others, it may be another older woman who nurtured or presently nurtures your heart, a woman who cared enough to see what was actually in your heart and helped you see the joy of filling up your heart with the truths and promises of the Scriptures.  You see, just like a beautiful home, our hearts must be filled too with beautiful "treasures" that overflow with qualities that make us become a good mother.  "I will bless The Lord who has given me counsel; my heart instructs me in the night seasons.  I have set The Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.  Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope."  Psalm 16:7~9 A wise mother gains wisdom when she learns to think God's thoughts after Him.  Learning wisdom is gaining a perspective that results from adopting God's values and rejecting the values of the world.  Every generation has its vices and must deal with the culture.  Mothers have a powerful influence in the world!  Our hearts are the starting point where God can do some of His most powerful renovations!  As your day begins, remember that man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart!  May I encourage you as a Mom to prayerfully begin your day asking for help from Heaven!  HE always stands ready to do great things in your life and to do it joyfully!

A Mother's Legacy

Happy March!  It's a gorgeous day where I live and I am truly thankful for each and every blessing of this day!  I hope YOUR day is full of blessing and beautiful moments!  This month, I have decided to devote my blog to the joy of being a mother!  A MOTHER'S LEGACY  is a wonderful Bible Study I did several years ago on my own.  It was during the time of rearing my children and time was limited as far as being out of the house [ you know the feeling if you've had had small children]. I hope you will be encouraged on this journey with me!  Today, the world in which we live offers many choices to women.  Becoming a mother seems to be one of those choices.  In my time of the child bearing years, it was not so much considered a choice.  The Scriptures teach us that children are gifts from Heaven that God sends into our lives at just the right time.  I choose to believe that each one of ours came at just the perfect time.  Age is not really a factor when we become mothers because God has a perfect plan about this also.  Some children come right away, some have to wait years.......but all in God's timing! Mothering requires nine months most often to prepare our hearts for these little ones.  The deep appreciation for this time doesn't actually come until later when we see our baby for the first time and then it seems impossible that we shared in such a miracle!  Yes, motherhood is a time of miraculous events!  I hope as we journey together that you will enjoy the miracle of each and every day with your child or the one you hope to have one day!   Nothing matters more than this blessing God has given......your child!  I want to leave an imprint for good!