Sunrise on a Beautiful Porch

There's the wonder of morning, as seen in the beautiful picture from House Beautiful, and the wonder of sunset at evening.  The wonder of sunrise and morning is my favorite time of day which this picture seems to convey, but the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul is the wonder that God loves me.

J. I. Packer says....."What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it--the fact that He knows me.  I am graven on the palms of His hands; I am never out of His mind.  All my knowledge of Him depends on His sustained initiative in knowing me.  I know Him because He first knew me and continues to know me."

 Amazing love that God has for people.....all people.  It doesn't matter who you are,  what you've accomplished or still hoping to accomplish, nor where you live,......God loves you.   His desire for you is uniquely expressed in the Psalms and throughout His Word.  His desire is to have a relationship with you and lead you into paths of righteousness.
God is righteous and righteousness involves goodness, uprightness, integrity, morality, and purity.  In the world, it's hard to live that way......but remember, every morning there is the wonder of a new day and a choice to live for Him and for His glory!  May you sense His love and His grace in your life this week!

Showered With Much Love.......

As most of you know by now.......Kara is getting married in May and a couple of weeks ago, she was showered with love, kindness, good wishes, prayers, and laughter plus gifts at an English Tea at the Belle Meade Plantation by family and friends!  Kristen, Kacie, and B'Donna worked so hard to make it a lovely and special day for Kara! The details of everything were perfect! We loved these precious little gift bags, filled with messages about how afternoon tea began in England and delicious teas to enjoy.  "Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above....." James 1:17

Restoration

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.  He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name sake." Psalm 23:1~3

Daily restoration of the anxious, weary soul is a  basic human need.  We wander from God and from the paths of righteousness~from following Him beside the still waters~till we lose the way, lose  our joy, and we lose the sound of His Voice.  It happens to everyone, now and then...... But as we take the time to be quiet before Him and listen for His Voice, He has an amazing way of bringing us back into His way as He restores us and brings us back from wandering, just like straying sheep and He leads us and refreshes us in the light of His presence!

Once, we restored a home that had originally been built in 1877.  The first time we saw it, we thought it had been frozen in time and only minor changes would be needed to restore it and to bring it back into all its original glory.  But once we purchased it and began the work of restoration, it took more money and time than we had anticipated.  It's because the outside looked so much better than the inside.  Day after day, we worked on projects eventually bringing it back as a place of beauty.  We loved it there, AFTER THE RESTORATION!!!  When God knit us together in our mother's womb, He had an original design and  so often,  we  have wandered from that path and plan and we don't always act or look the way He intended. He doesn't shame us though....... His grace calls us to trust Him fully  and completely as He begins the process of making us into a vessel that He is more than able to SHINE through.  His love is all about  restoring us daily and eternally to live with Him right now and forever and forever!

It is my prayer that you are able to find time in your day to spend with the Lord.  Your day will be a better day and you will find it amazing that a few minutes of quietness with Him will transform your life and I promise, because He promises in the Scriptures, that He will shine in your heart The Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ! 

The photograph above is of a little teapot that I found at an antique shop!  Tea time is meant to relax us and slow us down a bit from the cares of the day........and hopefully, with God's blessing, restoring us to a path of joy!

Happy Birthday........Kristen

"Behold, children are a gift (to be treasured) of the Lord; The fruit of the womb is a reward.  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth.  How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them...."  Psalm 127:3-5

In the Bible, God's Words speak to us of His goodness in allowing us to be given the gift of children and He shares His wonderful promise that they are from Him.  On a beautiful Sunday morning, around 8:28 a.m., April 20, 1975 in Chattanooga, Tennessee God did indeed bless Steve and I with a beautiful gift we named Kristen.  She was beautiful from the beginning and good and she still is.  Her heart is so full of love for those dearest to her.  She is blessed with a loving husband, three precious children, and a family she grew up in who hold her in the highest esteem.  She sees the good in everything, everyone and in every situation.  She is cut out of the mold of her Dad.  She has leadership qualities, she is bright, articulate, dilligent, fun loving, creative, kind and a continual student of knowledge.  She loves the Lord and it radiates from within her heart.  Yes, I am a mother speaking but these things are true about her.  God has called her to be a woman after His own heart and I believe that the best is yet to develop in her life.  Happy Birthday, Kristen......we love you!!!

When I think of her home and how the way she decorates it, I see her love of beauty in every detail.  She has developed into a wonderful artist and her paintings are beautiful. Her favorite color is blue and I understand why......Blue is a calming color and gives a sense of peace.  It dissolves tension and promotes tranquility.  Light blue (her favorite) especially brings ease into the home and harmony into relationships.  Wearing or surrounding yourself with it helps calm aggressive tendencies and eliminates discord.  That is Kristen.......calm, fun, gracious, and lovely in every way!  I hope she enjoys a special day........

Drawing Near

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God."  Psalm 42:1

As the life of the deer depends upon water, so our lives depend upon God.  In His care is such a peaceful place to live.  Just like a garden that has been cultivated, it doesn't grow fully until the water from rain supplies its thirst for the garden to grow.  As we go about our daily lives, we CAN live WITHOUT an awareness of God and His endless supply of wisdom and glory but when we stop and think about the wondrous blessings we receive when we walk with Him, it is a powerful moment!  This doesn't mean we have to always be walking around on a cloud but it's just a joy that comes out when you love the Lord! Get a few people together who has His love and look out!!! You might ask where does this illuminating quality come from........it comes from trusting God with the concerns and worries you might be tempted to carry along.  He is available to work in your heart and with a purpose that will be changing and productive.  That stream will cause your heart and soul to pour out love, kindness, patience, goodness and joy overflowing!!  Expect God's Spirit to give you clear guidance every day! He will care for you and keep you safe.  You can call to Him and He gives you strength.  He gives you rest because you depend upon Him and not on yourself.  Be comforted knowing He knows your cares and concerns and He loves you.  "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you!"  James 4:8  Blessings to you today dear one!

Shelly's Savannah Home

All of my "girls" have their own style......whether it is in their dress, hair, personality or the way they decorate their homes.  Each one has a beautiful place and what I see most in their homes are what they value and that is the comfort of others.  Recently, Kara, Phil, and I took a short trip to finish up some wedding planning for their upcoming wedding in Jekyll Island, Georgia.  After we finished we drove up to Savannah to visit with Shelly and Jeremy.  Shelly always greets you with a big beautiful smile and she always has fresh roses.  Her house is a love of her books, pieces from her worldly travels, her design studio, and comfort.  Her main piece is a nice sofa and she has built a beautiful place around it!  Enjoy the pictures.

Rest

Rest is important in our lives.  Many times, we do not have opportunities to receive the rest that we need.  Fortunately, I am at a place in my life where my life is full doing things that for me personally are important bringing lasting value, I pray, for our family.  When I rest at night, I am able to sleep contently and most mornings I wake up very grateful for the blessings of life.  Exercise plays a key role also in a life that is healthy.  Most days, I jog three miles before breakfast which is a remarkable avenue for me because when my husband I first got married almost 37 years ago, I could not run around the house. TRUE!  He motivated me to be fit. Today, we try to eat healthy and rely on a gentle way of life.  It keeps us balanced.  I am inspired by people who accept others of both ethnicity and age.  Value should be from within a person's soul and heart.  I pray for you that you will take time to be aware that the people and "things" that you surround yourself with over time make you who you are.  A truly beautiful person is beautiful because they have sought to fill their heart with beautiful thoughts and inspirations.  They are rare souls. I hope you are blessed to know some of those people.  God bless those people in my life who have shared their beautiful lives with me.........

An Angel of the Ressurrection

On the third day after Jesus was crucified on the Cross the Bible says, "And behold there was a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.  His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:  And for the fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men"  Matthew 28: 2-4

As Mary looked into the tomb she saw "two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain"  John 20:11-12.  Then one of the angels who was sitting outside the tomb proclaimed the greatest message the world has ever heard:  "He is not here, but is risen"  Luke 24:6  Those few words changed the history of the universe.  Darkness and despair died and hope and anticipation were born into the hearts of men and women!

Easter Blessings

Happy Easter!  "Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.  But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.  Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.  Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, 'Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen!' "  Luke 24:1~6

The angels in this passage from the Bible assure us of this truth with the evidence of the Resurrection!  Another passage found in John, chapter 20 shares the good news of Mary seeing Jesus also.  His words were "Peace to You!  As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."  What a glorious day Easter is for Believers of Jesus Christ, Our Lord!  He was sent in love and parted in love and forgiveness for those who crucified Him.  The key word here is "believe" as FAITH unlocks our understanding of Scripture and releases the Spirit's activity in our lives and allows us to truly understand His great love for all people as He willingly went to the Cross.  Faith, like love can unlock the Power of God in our lives. Yes.....the stone rolled away and Christ Arose and offers new life!!!

Precious thoughts to ponder........
Believe in the miracles of Jesus!
Understand the glory of God is truly and graciously revealed to those who believe!
Recognize that God's Word brings blessing to you personally, your family, and others!
Pray and expect God to fill your soul with joy and good!
Humbly seek the Father for the grace to live in Him!

In prayer......I ask for His greatest blessings upon your life!

The Wedding in May

These beautiful pictures are where Kara and Phil will be married on May 22, 2010!  Okay.....that is the easy part!  Now, as the Mother of the Bride, I find myself waking up every morning thinking about what we are doing for the special day!  I get anxious like any mother of the bride but my spirit must be quietened by the Holy Spirit!  He reminds me daily of HIS FAITHFULNESS with this family and HIS GOODNESS!  Kara is so in love with Phil, and so happy and so sweet about everything.  She is never demanding or asking for anything except for it to be a wonderful experience for Phil's family (they're all from England!), our family and our precious friends and loved ones.  Life is but a vapor and I realize THAT more everyday, so I ask that if you read this, would you please offer a prayer for us that our Glorious God will be glorified in this wedding and this marriage between Kara and Phil.  Enjoy your children today, invest in their hearts and souls, invest in their dreams, listen to them, reward them with your honesty and faithfulness.  Invest in their education and their value and worth as a human being.  Share your love of the Lord with them daily! Travel with them.......even if it's to a park for a picnic.  I promise as the Word promises......this investment will not return to you void.......it will be immeasurably more than you could ever hope for or imagine.  Blessings to you today! 

Happy Birthday....Clayton Coulter

Today is the day eight years ago on a beautiful afternoon that God blessed our family with this very special child.  He is special to his Mother, his Daddy, his sisters, Ava and Olivia, and to both sets of grandparents and uncles and aunts and cousins and friends and family!  

Bouquets Throughout the Year

The time of the year has come.....YEAH.....Springtime! Thoughts turn eagerly toward planting flowers and making sure every corner of the yard is beautiful.  That is, if you enjoy flowers and gardening, or at least the beauty that they bring.  A home benefits from the presence of flowers.  There is just something about a fresh bouquet of your favorite flower whether it be a rose, a peony, a tulip or countless others.  Spring is the busiest time of year in any flower garden.  Flowering trees and shrubs come back to life, crocuses, early tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and liy of the valley are all making their annual appearance and roses are not far behind.  These beautiful pink roses in the pictures above, have been in my kitchen two and a half weeks~I am not kidding!  I bought them two and half weeks ago on a Friday morning, knowing that Steven and Rebekah were coming for the weekend, and they are still just a beautiful!  I have been calling them my miracle roses.  Now, I am just waiting to see how long they last!  They remind me that God allows a moment or memory to linger that is beautiful, long after the moment is over.  Our hearts have to be ready though to recieve the miracle and the blessing that God has brought or is bringing.  He is always at work in our lives. God's covenant to us is a covenant for abundant life.  From the very beginning of time, in the first garden, Scripture shows us that God wanted us to be happy and prosperous.  In Genesis we are told that God made everything and declared it to be good.  Then He gave this beautiful, plentiful Earth to Adam.  God's plan from the beginning was for man to be enriched and to have a prosperous, abundant life.  This time of year as we approach Easter, our glorious reason to celebrate as Christians, we can see in the miracle of flowers blossoming from the soil that new life is real.  Jesus offers new life and a new birth and peace and joy!  Now that is a miracle!  A miracle that is daily being lived out in the life of countless Believers around the world! I pray that you humbly seek to live your life for HIM!  I will too..... Enjoy your day......nothing touches you or me that has not first passed through His Hands!  Psalm 42:2  declares,  "As the deer pants for water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God.!"  As the life of the deer and even my roses depends upon water, so our lives depend upon God and His glory and grace!

Blessings From Above

Psalm 143:8 "Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust:  Cause me to know the way in which I should walk.  For I lift up my soul to You." 

Psalm 145:1-2 "I will extol You, my God, O King:  And I will bless Your name forever and ever.  Every day I will bless You and I will praise Your name forever and ever."

Psalm 51:15 "O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise."

To bless, to thank, to praise, to kneel down in reverence to our Lord is such a privilege for a Believer.  It takes time outside of our normal routine to stop and focus on the One who causes the day to dawn and the morning to break in freshness and newness.  Every morning the sky brightens with hope for a day that we can break forth in praise to our Creator!  In the Old Testament, time and time again we are told of one who got down on his or her knees when preparing to pray or recieve words of blessing, whether to God in Heaven, or to the king on his throne.  From God's side, He is the Blesser, the One who gives the capactity for living a full, rich life.  In the garden of Eden, the first action of God the Creator to the newly created man and woman was to bless them.  Genesis 1:28.  In the beginning of your day, my hope for you is that You find the joy of knowing that God desires to bless, guide, and always love you!  When you spend time with the One who loves you unconditionally and desires to bless you in unexpected ways, you are filled to go out and be a blessing to others.

An Ocean View.......to inspire you!

Spring is just around the corner and this beautiful outdoor room should inspire us!  The designer, published in House Beautiful, used this beautiful ocean view framing it, almost like a phototgraph.  The seating arrangement creates a cozy atmosphere by placing the two sofa's so closely together!  I love it!  It's time to begin thinking about being outdoors~God gave us the four seasons and each one has its own special purpose.  The winter months give us days and evenings to be inside more..... but Spring is my favorite.  The budding flowers, beautiful green sprouts on trees, and little birds and animals coming out of winter hiding!  New life and new beginnings are offered daily to us for God has a plan for your life each and every day!  Great is Thy faithfulness......Thank you Lord for your glory and grace.

"For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord.  Plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."  Jeremiah 29:11

A Butterfly Cake

What a great weekend we had celebrating Olivia's 2nd birthday! For days, she talked about her "Butterfly Cake".   Kristen and Brian decided to celebrate at the Children's Museum in Gulfport!  They loaded up the family and Kacie and Josh came with the twins, along with Steven and Rebeka from Oxford so we all had so much fun!  It is a wonderful hands on museum for children and such a wonderful way to spend a birthday!  As Kacie said, it is so refreshing to go somewhere for a birthday party that is just about being together and watching the kids have simple fun!  We then celebrated with her Butterfly Cake that Kristen made and enjoyed hamburgers with all the trimmings!  Olivia is such a happy little girl!  Bright, articulate, beautiful inside and out and already at two,  ruling the show!  (well sort of....Ava is her sister!)  Thank you Kristen and Brian for sharing your beautiful family with all of us.  May God bless her life in every way and may she come to know the Lord Jesus early in her life and lead a life filled with joy, health, and happiness.....always!

  To God be the Glory!