Prayer

This beautiful chapel is called Faith Chapel and it located on the grounds of the very beautiful Jekyll Island Club Historic Hotel.  It was built as an inter-denominational chapel on the grounds in the early 1900's for the families who owned homes there or visited the club.  Times have changed.....to think that in building their homes, their faith was so important to them that a chapel for worship was included and of importance for the families and their lives.  Sunday worship was a way of life for families.  Praise God that places like this have been restored and preserved for families today and for others who happen along the way and find such a special place to pause, reflect on the Holiness of God, and to perhaps offer a prayer for those who the Holy Spirit prompts us to pray for.  Several years ago, I was very blessed to know a precious Godly woman, Betty, who reflected Christ in her words, her actions, her teaching of the Word, and her countenance.  Betty taught me the importance of prayer in my life and I have saved her notes for twenty years. She shared from her heart without any notes on prayer and I jotted them down that winter day long ago and still use them often and always with a reminder that God honors prayer........

 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." 

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 as you seek to obey.
10. When you know you are in God's will leave the results to Him.  Give Him Glory and Honor!
11. When you wait, wait expectantly, ultimately it will be good.

May peace be with you~

Very Special Birthdays.....

Two of our daughters have January birthdays!  Kara's was on the 16th and Shelly's is on the 27th and Steve and I were blessed over the weekend to share a great weekend with both of them in Savannah where Shelly is now living working toward the goal of obtaining her master's in Graphic Design.  Kara flew from New York and we picked her up for a whirlwind weekend.  We are in the process of planning Kara and Phil's wedding which will be May 22nd so it was a joy to be with both of them.  Shelly has literally just moved into her apartment but when we arrived, she had the living room filled with yellow balloons all over the place, roses for Kara in two different vases, banners declaring her birthday and a drink for toasting Kara's big year.  So much love and preparation went into her planning for Kara.  That's Shelly....sharing, giving, loving, and doing it all joyfully!  This was a picture from our dinner celebration for the girls!  Shelly is designing the save the date cards, invitations, and programs for Kara and Phil's big day! Happy Birthday to both of you.....with so much love! 

Sweet Little Smiles

These little dresses on my precious little granddaughters....Ava, Olivia, and Isabel were part of my sewing projects last week!  As I've always said...English smocking is such a fun and graceful way to make a little girl look girlie!!!  Ava's dress and the French Hand Sewn collar were made  years ago when Kristen was five years old.......It pays to keep treasures........where your heart is, there your heart is also.  I do treasure these precious little ones!

The Open Door

This beautiful room was featured  in House Beautiful Magazine.....it's one of my favorite magazines for gleaning ideas and just browsing with a cup of tea on a sunny afternoon.  I love the neutrals because they are so calming and serene!   Notice the open door in the picture........ "May your troubles be less, and your blessings be more and nothing but happiness come through your door."  An Irish Blessing......may your day be blessed and may your enjoy those God has placed in your path today! 

Prayers

Two prayers for the Weekend.......

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed by thy Name;

thy kingdom come, thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who

trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and power,

and the glory, for ever and ever.  Amen.

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to

accept the things I cannot change,

courage to change the things I can,

and wisdom to know the difference.  Amen.

Have a blessed and wonderful weekend! And remember.....Angels watch over you......

"For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.:  Psalm 91:11

Wedding Flowers.......

We are celebrating, planning, and.......looking at Wedding Magazines as our daughter, Kara prepares for her wedding in May! She has found her wedding gown (the second one she tried on) and she didn't want to take it off.....a good sign that it was the right one. I have had the honor of helping two other of our daughters with their weddings and each wedding held the dream of each Bride. Now, it is Kara's turn. She is pure romantic~dress, flowers, and all the details. Growing up, she read all the classics in literature and always loved the "love stories" and then movies....she was the first one to see anything classic! She desires a simple and elegant wedding. Phil is from England so the logistics of his family coming to the US is not easy but we will accomplish it! This will be an extraordinary year for Kara and Phil. In two weeks we will be going to the wedding site and preparing more of the details. It will be a beautiful place to be married! I'll keep it a secret for now and after we return, I will post pictures. These beautiful flowers are just a few of her favorites! She loves peonies! But then, what Bride doesn't?

The Cross

First impressions are often lasting and this beautiful room reflects the love in the heart of my friend for the Lord. This tasteful and newly decorated home is on the west coast and the Spanish influence is evident throughout.....it is lovely! I especially was touched by the Crosses and seeing them displayed so tastefully reminded me of how she took her corner of the universe, her home, and improved it in ways to reflect her faith and her love of the Lord. I thank her for sharing these photographs with me and reminding me that our homes reflect our hearts.

"There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving and that's your own self." Aldous Huxley

Wow! Now those gracious words are chosen to inspire! I am hoping that you grew as a person this year and you found ways to be productive with your talents and resources. In other words, I hope that you feel that your life is of value in both small and big ways. To be human, means that we aren't always sitting around thinking of how we can be a better person but, if we look inward prayerfully, we all can find ways to live more as our Heavenly Father would desire us to live. Life has a way of bringing us changes when we least expect them and we can choose to use these situations to look up or down and I pray that you are able to look up! In the new year, please allow me to encourage you to write down a few things you want to work on to improve about you....yourself. Begin by resolving to use your energy in a positive, constructive, life-enhancing, optomistic way. Try just to enjoy what life brings you day to day and seek to live your life with as few regrets as possible. What kind of year did you have in 2009? No matter how many challenges you've encountered, no matter what pain you've endured, ask yourself "Did I do my best?"

Which leads me to my friends lovely display of the Cross.....This morning, as I was praying, I began to think about THE CROSS and how Jesus gave His life for us there and truly The Cross was a new beginning for all who BELIEVE in Him! In the book of John, he tells us that Jesus went to The Cross not only to bear our sin but that He
would send us His Spirit! We can have the blessing all year of living a spirit filled life. In other words, allowing Him to fill you each morning with His Spirit. Have you known someone who approached life daily spirit filled? They are hard to miss, for their joy bubbles over and their spirits are the ones who lift up all they meet! Like an angel, they often minister to others with their joyful and guided spirit filled lives. I have been blessed to know some of these wonderful people! Being with them and around them changed my life and continues to influence me to this day! Yes....we have THE CROSS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT! "It is the Spirit who gives life..." John 6:63 In the ending of this year, I am praying that God will draw us all closer to His heart and that His Spirit will flow from us to bring about change in the world. Seek to find where God is at work, then join in to be a part of what HE is doing in the world. He is alive and He is always at work!!! Blessings of joy to you and may you have a Happy New Year~2010!

Christmas Memories.....in the making!

On Saturday, Kristen and her family and Kacie and her family invited me to "Breakfast With Santa" at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear!  How fun!  It was a beautiful experience with all five of our sweet grandchildren.  One of the greatest joys in my life is watching our girls be generous and loving mothers.  They are so gracious with their children.  Sweet pictures from the morning with Santa!

The Life of Our Lord

"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name...JESUS.
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father, David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end."  Luke 1:31-33

There is a wonder surrounding Mary, the mother of Jesus, that transcends traditional religious thought.  That she was a privileged vessel, chosen to bear God's Son, is wonder enough, for she is a participant in the miracle of the Incarnation at a level no other human being can comprehend.  It is clear that she did not claim to understand it herself, but simply worshiped God in humble acknowledgment of the miracle engulfing her existence: "My soul magnifies the Lord." she exclaimed. In her own heart, we are told in the Scriptures that she pondered these things.  She is truly a beautiful woman and the Life of our Lord was preciously given to her to love, to nurture, and to behold!  She had to go away from her family to a place unknown to her and it was there that God chose His Son to be born among the lowly and the animals of the stable.  Yet the STAR of wonder found her and shepherds and a Heavenly host of ANGELS proclaimed the miracle, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill to all men."  Luke 2:14  During these next few days before Christmas, I hope that you have some sacred time to reflect on these verses from the Bible and truly center your heart in the Lord!  Your family and your loved ones will be blessed if you do, but most importantly you will be blessed.  "O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His Name together!!!" Merry Christmas to you...and to your family.

December 4th.......and a Coconut Cake

Every year that my husband and I have been married, he has made for me a beautiful coconut cake!  What Bliss!!!  This year once again, my family celebrated their lives with mine and I think every year life really does get better.  Every morning possible, I jog two miles, celebrate a relationship with my Savior, the Lord Jesus, and about three months ago bought a juicer!  Wow.....now can life get any better?  This year, my daughter Shelly made the coconut cake and even grated the coconut!  Double BLISS!  Thank you to my family and my wonderful friends for helping me to celebrate my birthday.  I love you all! "Another day is dawning, dear Master, let it be, In working or in waiting, another day with THEE!"  ~Frances R. Havergal~

Light a Candle

Have you ever faced a difficulty so large that the impossible lurked in your mind? Perhaps something you've been praying for is delayed. Maybe you've looked at the situation, considered the options and felt overcome. The children of Israel faced a similar delay when God spoke to Moses and told him to lead the Israelites to the promised land to a place flowing with milk and honey. Joshua and Caleb were two of the mighty men sent to spy out the situation they were facing as they sought this new land. Caleb declared, "Let us go up at once and take possession for we are well able to overcome it." Numbers 13:30 What faith! He knew they had the power to overcome, a capacity to prevail and succeed. However, the spies Caleb sent to survey the situation brought back a bad report, complaining about giants in the land who were stronger than them. They wanted to give up! But Moses and Aaron after hearing of these giants in the land of Canaan, fell on their faces before the Lord. These faith filled men did not deny the difficulty of defeating giants, but sought instead the POWER OF GOD in the face of their problem. Caleb stood his ground and later, even though delayed, ultimately brought victory. God is able to bring you through any situation into a land flowing with milk and honey. In my own life, I have seen it! We have been faced with situations that seemed impossible to overcome, but we did with the salvation of the Lord. Let the power of the Living God work in your life today.... "They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed." Psalm 34:5 The Christmas season brings much hope and joy because Jesus has overcome a cruel world and we too can have the peace and joy right now...even a prayer request has been delayed, an answer will come. God will find a way to meet your every need. As you go out, take your faith and the Light of Jesus with you! Even a small gesture, such as lighting a candle in your home can be a reminder to you of God's good and shining light and that He is faithful in every situation. He is shining bright! Blessings to you dear one during Christmas and always!!!

It's Christmas in Fairhope!!!!

It's Christmas in Fairhope where three of our daughters live and from the decorations in their homes, it is promising to be a holiday that entices everyone to settle in for joy and gladness. This lovely entrance is in Kristen and Brian's home where the house is filled with warm sunlight and a very cozy feeling. It was just the right spot for their family to host all of us for a small party honoring our daughter, Kara Ann and her engagement to her boyfriend, Phil. Phil is from England so his gentlemen ways and proper ways caught even Kara off guard on a recent stroll through Central Park in New York City. Phil dropped to his knee and made a very sweet proposal to Kara. They were able to share the Thanksgiving holiday with us and we all couldn't be more excited for them! They have dated for three years and met while both were students at The University of Reading in the UK.
Celebrating the season in style with a brand new shiny ring on a very special left finger! Congratulations Kara and Phil! We look forward to sharing the months ahead as the two of you plan your wedding! May God bless you both as you prepare your hearts to honor Him in this most special engagement period. Our prayers are with you both!

A Thanksgiving Table for Sharing........

This beautiful book COME TO THE TABLE was a gift to me last year by a dear friend. It is a book about food, fellowship, and a celebration of God's bounty as the cover so beautifully details. If you have a few extra dollars this season, it is a book you will enjoy all year! The writers' celebrate the goodness of God and the special ways that He brings forth food on the earth....which strengthens mans heart.


"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." III John 2 This is a beautiful time of the year when our hearts begin to turn closely to home and to family and friends that we love and care about. One of the glorious attributes that God has graciously bestowed upon a woman is the joy of nurturing and loving those around us. The result of spending time alone with God results in a quality of life, commitment, dedication, and action that is in line with His Word. He is there to help us on the road or succeed in each task that is before us. Thanksgiving and Christmas give us many opportunities to love and encourage those in our lives. I want to encourage you to celebrate God's bounty and make your table lovely for all to enjoy. We are blessed to be alive and to have another day and another Thanksgiving season to celebrate God's bounty and prosperity in our lives. May you know that God loves and accepts you as you come to HIS TABLE and He is there to listen, listen, and listen and He fully offers acceptance, blessing and refreshment and forgiveness. He is a God of goodness and GRACE! "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good: Blessed is the man or woman who trusts HIM!" Psalm 34:17

LIVE EVERDAY DAY TO THE FULLEST!!!!

Birthday Girl......Ava Grace

I could say many wonderful things about Ava but she has LIFE! She is artistic, bright, quick, happy, perceptive, inquisitive, athletic, "wild", and just an all round bundle of energy. She celebrated her birthday on November 11, turning five years old! She is such a special girl and I would say little girl, but Ava Grace is pint size but enormous in personality. She totally lights up a room with her personality. Ava was ALL about what a birthday should be~HAPPY! She woke up happy and her Mom, Kristen, had her breakfast ready! Ava enjoys eating her boiled eggs (at her request) European style in her egg cup, cracking her egg and then delicately eating it with a spoon. She brings so much joy to our lives and our family! She had a very special day! Her Dad purchased her an American Girl Doll named Julie and she was SO thrilled and suprised when she opened her gift! It was a joy to share in her special day! I believe GREAT experiences will come to her in her special life. Thank you dear Lord for sharing this special child with our family! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AVA GRACE!