Kindness.....

Glory to God!

  

Glory to God in the Highest!

A Glorious Breakfast filled with Morning Glory Muffins!

Kindness is a beautiful quality when someone possesses it and also when we've been the recipient of someone's kindness toward us.  You just know it and feel it when someone has been kind to you.  It works wonders and perhaps that is one of the reasons that God speaks lovingly of being kind to others.  A kind person is always ready to help others and do good.  They are friendly, gentle, generous, sympathetic and usually are always showing goodness and generosity through the deeds that they do or the words they speak.  Our God is full of grace and mercy and His kindness is unending.  The Bible says in I Corinthians 13:4 that love suffers long, and is kind.   Jesus also said that we should love those who are not kind to us, difficult for most, but he says we should be kind and, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again, and He promises that our reward shall be great, and that we shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind unto all, even the unkind. Such a wonderful reminder!  He encourages us in Ephesians 4:32 to "Be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you."  When a person is kind there is a sweetness in their presence that lingers long after they are gone.   We are better people for the moments and hours that we spend with them.  My husband is one of those kind people.  He has always been kind to me~always.  It's just his nature and he bubbles with kindness.  

Over the weekend, and since it's still the beginning of a new year, I have been preparing healthier meals as I stated in my last post.  I decided to surprise Steve with Morning Glory Muffins that I found in the LEON cookbook that I mentioned previously. So..... after we finished with our breakfast, he told me  he had a surprise for me!  We took a short drive west of us  to a beautiful little town, Covington, Louisiana, which is north of New Orleans.   It is full of beautiful old homes, street after street, where  the homes have been restored. We just went for fun, not really planning what we would do.  That is the best kind of surprise!  I also snapped these two photos above of two beautiful churches that are still used each Sunday!  

Life has its way of returning to you much more than you ever give away when you do something kind!!!

I hope you enjoy a day filled with kindness, especially for others!

Ingredients and Recipes......for the Good Life!

In the immense colors of the world God created a beautiful array of fruits and plants that are powerful!  They are delicious to eat at mealtime and also beautiful to look at as a symbol of His gifts of the earth to us!  One of my favorite verses in the Bible is "He brought me to the banqueting table, And His banner over me was love."  Song of Solomon 2:4  It isn't realistic to think that every meal can be a banquet but if we plan wisely, we can prepare colorful meals full of vitamins and nutrition for our families. We can bring our loved ones to a banqueting table that we've prepared in love.  We are given many opportunities to serve our families and to do it cheerfully and one of these opportunities involves meal preparation.  As I look back on our life as a family, meal time has always been a special family time.

All of my daughters and my son are excellent cooks. I enjoy the fellowship when they are visiting with us and the meal preparation, the laughter, the jokes, the sharing.....it is all good!   They  also enjoy fitness, as do I, and in choosing wisely the food they eat.  We are always amazed at some of the recipes that are shared between us.  Our daughter, Kacie is planning to create a family cookbook for us and maybe it will be one she can even publish!  So.......it was with much love that I was given a beautiful new cookbook as a gift from our daughter, Kara and her husband Phil, who lives in England.  The name of the cookbook is LEON by Allegra McEvedy.  On the side in small letters are the words:  FULL OF GOODNESS!  Leon is a restaurant in Great Britain on Carnaby Street in the city of  London.  It was founded on the principle that food can be both lovely and good for you!  Amen!  I totally agree with this concept and if we were more conscious as consumers, the health of our nation and our world would be  incredibly better.  Actually in her cookbook she stresses the importance of ingredients being nature's finest at the right time of the year.  Seasonal eating is important in our diets.  "Sunshine is essential for Life~both for us and our ingredients." says the author.  I chose to prepare as my first meal from the cookbook a salad called Chicken Superfood Salad.  It was delicious!  I added extra lemon juice with the dressing and added a creamy Italian drizzle to make it pretty!  Perhaps you can make this for your family!  Enjoy!  Exercise and proper nutrients are essential for a healthy mind, spirit, and body!  Everyday we are alive is a wonderful gift!  Enjoy your day!

Chicken Superfood Salad

Serves 2

1/2 cup couscous

1/2 head of broccoli

2 roasted chicken breast

(Marinate these in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, and 1 -2 cloves of garlic, chopped)

2 handfuls of fresh baby field greens

2 hand fulls of baby spinach

2 vine-riped tomatoes, roughly chopped

1/2 package of frozen peas ~thawed

Juice of 1 lemon (I added another half)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

a light sprinkling of alfalfa sprouts

2 tablespoons of toasted seeds of your choice

a hefty sprinkling of chopped mint and parsley

salt and pepper

Cook the couscous and let it cool while building your salad.

(I like her wording~makes it sound like I am doing wonderful work)

ENJOY!

The Written Words

Ideas for Just The Right Paper, Pen, and Desk!

There is nothing more beautiful than a sincere hand written note.  Truly, it is a mark of class and good taste.  A lovely way to spend a few minutes telling someone, with gratitude, how much you appreciate their gift or their time spent with you.  It is personal.  In our culture of the masses and the media, it is rare to find someone who personally takes the time to make another feel loved and special.  Our thoughts go into written words so in essence we share a part of ourselves when we write a personal note.  As in speaking, we should think before we write, making sure our words are the right words and sincere.  Then, we should address the envelope carefully.  When our children were young, we encouraged them  to write thank you notes for nice things that had been done for them.  All of them, to my knowledge, carry this beautiful expression of thanksgiving on to others.

Years ago someone shared with me a  lovely book called, Silver Boxes.  It was a book written about words and how our words should be like little silver boxes tied up with silver bows......a special GIFT to others.  Those words have always remained with me because our words should be full of encouragement and grace.  We must choose wisely what we allow to enter our hearts because out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.  Psalm 19:14 says to us...."Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer."  Many of the notes that I have received, I enjoy keeping because they serve as little silver boxes of encouragement.

Once on vacation in Newport, Rhode Island, we found a beautiful little shop, called Papers.  The name told exactly what we found inside the quaint little storefront~papers!  All kinds of writing papers were found..... to buy, to order, to customize and for me, since I love paper, it was like....... Heaven!  Selecting the paper one chooses to write on and the pen with which one writes can be an expression of oneself also.  It doesn't have to be expensive to express how you feel and what you would like to say.  To someone like my husband who has a large pen collection, selecting the pen he will write his note with is the most important part.  He is gifted with a beautiful ability to script words.  His handwriting is beautiful.  There is another store in New Orleans, Louisiana called Scriptura and it also is filled of with papers, cards, stationary, and a vast array of books to select and customize one's stationary.

My most favorite letter is the letter that God inspired and wrote to all of us.....The Holy Bible, His written words to us.  "Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to may path."  Psalm 119:105  and "The unfolding of Thy words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple."  Psalm 119:130  God's love letter to us is available to us everyday and in this new year, I pray that you can begin each day with the most special WORDS ever written.  It's simple......"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."  James 4:8  Bless you dear one as you write and as you read your notes!!!  Have a blessed and happy day!!!

Happy New Year!

~ Martha Stewart~

Happy New Year!!!  New Year's Eve has always been such a special time of celebration for our family!  When the children were little, my husband came up with the neat idea that we would each wear a hat of our own design and it's a tradition that we've carried on almost every single year!  So much fun!  Some of my best memories were when we lived in Birmingham, Alabama and all of my Tennessee relatives would come!  The children danced and partied the night away and rang in the New Year with fireworks and the banging of pots and pans, a tradition that has carried itself over into adulthood on more than one occasion.  In Arkansas, it developed into a larger party inviting our friends and their children!  We truly have had some creative friends over the years to make it such a special time!  I hope that you enjoy the final day of 2010 and I hope that your year has been filled with much joy and many blessings.  We rejoice in the goodness of God!  We were blessed with the wedding of Kara and Phil Board and we were so happy to meet his family and have him join ours.  Our children and grandchildren are happy and healthy.

I have learned a great deal this year.  I have learned that God has a timetable and often, His is not at all like mine. He is Wise and All Knowing!  I am not at all. The first day of the new year will begin, sadly, with our son, Steven, attending the funeral of one of his very dear and special friends.  These young men seem to young to learn this. I know that Steven is learning about the brevity of life in a way that I would have not chosen.  But I know that none of us are promised tomorrow~only today.  So..... I do rejoice in the goodness of God, as I said, and I rejoice in the peace that He gives that is through His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  I wish you a vital, happy, healthy New Year!  Fill the moment and each day you are given with many graces of love and kindness (it will return to you) and may all be well with you my friend in 2011!  God bless you and keep you and may HIS GLORIOUS face shine upon you!!!

This Gracious Time

Aunt Shay Shay's gifts ~ love for all!

 Santa loves kids~little and big!

 A beautifully wrapped Gift for Isabel from Aunt Shay Shay

Scenes From Around My House......

Everyday says~"bring the children"!!!

As children, we wait all year for this holiday!  Christmas is a part of childhood that remains forever in our hearts. I hope that Santa Claus finds your house and I hope that Christmas is real special for you and your loved ones.  I hope that you can reconnect with those you love, reaffirm your faith, and recognize the power of love and family!

Merry Christmas Blessings to you and your loved ones!!!  This is a GRACIOUS season where time doesn't matter!!!  Enjoy!

The Gift and The Throne Room

"After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven.  And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet." said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."  At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.  And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian.  A rainbow resembling an emerald, encircled the throne.  Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders."  They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads."  Revelation 4:1-4

These beautiful verses in Revelation describe the throne room of Heaven and the elders who are worthy to be found there.  God is on the throne in this glorious and beautiful throne room.  I admit.....it is deep and hard to fully comprehend the majesty of Our King of Glory and the awesomeness of His Throne!  We are concerned with everyday events.  We are concerned with wrapping our packages.  We are concerned with making sure we have just the right gift. We are concerned with much that doesn't really matter.  I admit~I fall into that category too many times.  It's not even by choice~it's just being human.  But I want to be someone who lives above The Ordinary during this season and  one who lives to see my Lord, His Throne and all  of His Glory!  In Luke 2:13 beautiful verses say,  "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rest.'"  The awareness and majesty of Jesus, the King of Glory brought out a heavenly host of angels!  Can you just imagine the brightness of the sky as the Angels proclaimed that the KING had been born!  One day we will be a part of this wonderful gift of seeing the King of Glory in all of HIS GLORY and the twenty four elders dressed in white with crowns of gold on their heads!  There is not a package I could wrap, my friend, that would ever be as beautiful as THE GREATEST GIFT OF JESUS!  How blessed we are this season  to celebrate Him and to declare to the world that a Savior was born in Bethlehem.....destined to be the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!!!!   We have a wonderful week of celebration!  Christmas Blessings to you!!!

Gifts For the Season!

Mend a quarrel. 

Seek out a forgotten friend. 

Write a long overdue love note. 

Hug someone tightly and whisper, "I love you so." 

Forgive an enemy. 

Be gentle and patient with an angry person. 

Gladden the heart of a child. 

Find the time to keep a promise. 

Make or bake something for someone else. Anonymously. 

Release a grudge. 

Listen. 

Speak kindly to a stranger. 

Enter into another's sorrow. 

Smile. 

Laugh a little. 

Laugh a little more. 

Take a walk with a friend. 

Lessen your demands on others. 

Play some beautiful music during the evening meal. 

Apologize if you were wrong. 

Turn off the television and talk. 

Treat someone to an ice-cream cone (yogurt would be fine). 

Do the dishes for the family. 

Pray for someone who helped you when you hurt. 

Fix breakfast on Saturday morning. 

Give a soft answer even though you feel strongly. 

Encourage an older person. 

Point out one thing you appreciate most about someone you work with or live near. 

Offer to babysit for a weary mother.

                  From:  Chuck Swindoll

RESTORER OF JOY!

Alex Ruskin Antiques in Savannah, Georgia

Four Floors of Antiques ~ Beautiful example of a Preserved Home

The Aiken~Rhett House

Art Gallery in the Aiken-Rhett House

This past week, I was invited to spend a few days in Charleston, South Carolina with my sister.  How gracious of her to share her resources and blessings with me.  Such good company in a place that is truly beautiful!  Nature has been kind to this city, even though hurricane Hugo ravaged some of the homes in the past.  The Historical Charleston Foundation has achieved remarkable results with their historical restoration and their historical preservation of homes, gardens, and government buildings.  If you have not been there, you might consider a vacation in the area.  I can just imagine how the Grand Ladies of these homes would be pleased with the attempts to preserve and restore the homes in which they lived when they were originally built for their families.  Of course, the time in which they lived, even though it was a grand time,  there were also many evils of slavery and  cultural differences that separated people.  Through education of diversity, it seems  much has been accomplished to show the wrongs of those times and today people recognize that each person has a right to equality and human dignity.  The cultural and artistic endeavors of the foundation help instill in each visitor their attempt to share this rich heritage of the low country of South Carolina.

Two words kept me interested~ restoration and preservation.  When something is preserved it is protected from harm or further damage.  When something is restored it is brought back to an earlier or normal condition.  These two words continued in my thoughts as I left Charleston and drove home.  I thought of how God is  THE  RESTORER...."He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."  Psalm 23:3   We wander from God and from the paths of righteousness~from following Him beside the still water~till we lose the way, lose joy, lose the sound of His voice.  Then the Master "restoreth our soul"; and brings us back into His way, in the paths of righteousness.  Oh, gracious "Restorer" bring back my wandering soul as a straying sheep, and lead me on in the paths of righteousness "for Thy name' sake."  Amen  I hope this next week, though a busy season, will give us time to restore our souls and lead us on the right path!  Blessings to you beloved!

Christmas Brings Us a Holiday of Hope......

Christmas brings us much hope as Believers!  We see people stepping out of their homes and sharing a smile with people much more often. Children tend to take center stage in even the coldest of hearts.  It could be in the stores, in the post office as we mail our Christmas cards, in our driveways as we talk with neighbors, and maybe even within the circle of our own family and friends.  There is something about the spirit of Christmas that makes each one just a little softer, kinder, and forgiving...... and for that I am thankful and hopeful!  It's a time to magnify the Lord!  One such faithful mother and obedient disciple was Mary.  There is a wonder surrounding Mary, the mother of Jesus, that transcends traditional religious thinking.  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 or begin to understand.  Truly, she may have not understood herself, but simply worshiped God in humble acknowledgment of the miracle of which she was a part.  She exclaimed....."My soul magnifies the Lord."  Luke 1:46   She simply walked the path of God's direction in her life.  She chose to walk forward in the next step He had for her, not looking back at her past....... but forward, with hope,  of what she had entrusted to Him.   She lived with a servants heart ~ timeless advice for all generations.  Oh, how I hope to look forward, grasping the Hand of My Savior, the Lord Jesus!  Yes,  He is the Reason for the Season.....Peace, Hope, Faith, and Love!  My soul magnifies the Lord!!!!

Tis the Season........

These lovely and inspiring ideas I hope will get you excited about decorating for Christmas!  I love the soft colors and the beautiful settings of each picture!  Christmas is  so much more about giving than receiving!  Notice the beautiful gifts placed at the front door in the first photo....wouldn't that be a fun way to surprise your guests when they arrive.  Gifts for everyone!!!  The table setting in the second photo is perfect for a girlfriends holiday luncheon sharing about the good things in our lives!  And the last picture looks like a perfect European bakery shop!  What could be more inspiring than listening to Christmas carols and baking sweets and treats for those you love........

I hope you will enjoy decorating your home over the next few days as we prepare our hearts and home for Christmas and all that will take place within our  hearts and our homes.   May you find a few moments each day to focus on the true meaning of Christmas......the birth of our Savior!!!!   " Christmas holidays in families......a tapestry of many places, people, and radiant memories.  Share your faith with your children for FAITH is a gift truly given, and always to  be nurtured."  

   Amen to those beautiful words by Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy

Thanksgiving Prayers......

A Beautiful Table at an antique shop in Fairhope, Alabama ready for Thanksgiving!

"Oh Lord, that lend me life,

Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness."

William Shakespeare

"Blessed Lord, we pray thee

to be present at our table

hallowing thy gifts to our use; 

that eating to satisfy our needs

we may remember those who lack."

St. Francis of Assisi

"May God be praised

that all things be so good."

John Donne

"Gratitude is Heaven itself."

William Blake

"O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup,

You maintain my lot.  The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;

Yes, I have a good inheritance.......You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

Psalm 16:5-6

Thank you most High God for Your GREAT love and in this life for the love of family and friends!

May your time with family and friends be blessed! 

Table Manners

Soon, very soon, we are about to begin the beautiful Thanksgiving and Christmas Season!  We will be gathering together with those we love and care deeply about throughout the year.  These are very special times because from those times, memories are made that are deep and lasting within our hearts.  Traditions that are important to families are honored and established  and then passed on generation to generation.  Everyone, I hope, has special memories attached to these holidays.  Webster's defines a memory in this way:  the act or power of remembering (something good)!!!  I added the part in the parenthesis.  Memories establish and empower us to move forward in our lives. When my husband and I married and established our home, we chose to begin with traditions that centered around our faith and belief in Jesus Christ.  We wanted our children to glean from the Scriptures the TRUTH that is found within the Word of God and teach a spirit of thankfulness and giving to our children.  I believe we succeeded, and I say that very humbly, for God is always at work in each life that is given to Him and all of us are on a spiritual journey.  God has blessed us and I am so very thankful.  The blessings I am describing are relationships.  A great joy for me, personally, is the love and laughter and trust that our adult children have between one another.  This is a great gift!

In the Bible, one of the most lovely and beautiful stories can be found in the book of Genesis in chapters 42 and 43.  Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers because they were jealous of him and his relationship with their father.  The father and son relationship was special because Joseph had been born to Jacob in his old age.  The Bible even says that Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other sons and gave to him a richly ornamented robe to wear.  Favoritism is never good, but our God used the situation for His Glory and good.  Ultimately,  after being sold, bought, and sent to prison, Joseph ended up becoming "IN Charge"  of all of Egypt.  This was a time of abundance in the land,  and wise Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain for the nation.  But soon, the time of abundance ended and there was a great famine in the land which spread over the whole country.  Famine was severe in all the world.  During this time of hunger and need, Jacob sent ten of his sons to buy grain from Egypt, for he heard a wise man had stored up as much as the sand in the sea.  When his brothers came before Joseph and bowed down, he recognized them but pretended not to.  As the story goes, the brothers go back with grain and come back again for more grain and this time, Joseph invites them for dinner.  He gave them water for washing, fodder for their animals, and each a gift.  The men were seated in order of their ages and served large portions of the finest foods available. They feasted and ate freely with him according to God's Word.  Still not knowing who Joseph truly was, they were astonished that they were being treated so graciously and of course used their finest table manners to express their gratitude!   When he finally revealed himself to his brothers they could not believe it!  They all wept and embraced!  You can just imagine the scene of disbelief, forgiveness, mercy, and unconditional love.  Total acceptance!  God's love is like that for us.

In the time of famine when Jacob's family could not produce grain on their own, The Father had stored away, awaiting their arrival.  He wanted their hands in His.  Where are you hands?  Are they in His?  During this glorious season when we will all be with loved ones, I pray that God will allow us to love unconditionally as we place our hands in His and bring out the finest table settings and manners we possess.  Those, my friend, are the best kind of manners at the table......embracing all who have gathered!  Blessings to you and your family during  this beautiful Thanksgiving season!!!!

The Holidays......

I love everything about the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday season!  The blessings and gifts that we are given daily in our lives are celebrated by most everyone in the United States during this season. Seems like people are kinder and gentler with their deeds and conversation.  Sharing the love and blessings that we have been blessed to receive is even more special.

The past week was busy for me, painting and doing a little redecorating in my own home for our guest room.  It is still a little bit in progress.  My hope for the room is "rest".  A place of solitude and restoration for the ones who will visit during this season.  I found this beautiful color in a magazine and it's a Benjamin Moore color called "love and happiness"!  That is what I hope for you this week.....love and happiness.  The pillow is made from a coral/pink duponi silk with a beautiful brocade of grey and cream!  The pillow added just the touch that the all white bed linens needed!  My guest will have a place of their own for a few days.......

Entertaining Angels......

"Let brotherly love continue.  Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels."  Hebrews 13: 1~2


This beautiful verse has always been such a special verse to me!  It's a joy for me to entertain others in my home, it's something that I truly cherish and enjoy.  I love everything about the process~the guest, the menu, the atmosphere that I hope to create, the dishes I will serve, the colors, the flowers, the tablecloth, and most important the love that I hope to share with our guest.

This gift of sharing ones home is hospitality, which literally refers to opening one's home to traveling strangers who  can share in your life.  Many times these "strangers" bring unexpected joys and blessings.  It's a way of ministering to those we care about and hope to bless with encouragement and a meal we've prepared for their journey in life!

Thanksgiving is a special time for our family because it represents a time of gathering together and giving thanks for all the blessings~big and small~in the past year.  The food is always wonderful, but just being together truly is what a Thanksgiving meal should be about.  Who will be at your Thanksgiving table?  Think for a minute about the ones you are expecting?  They could be your family members that you see everyday and just cooking the meal and serving it will be the big part of your day.....but as the family grows and others are gathered into your circle, sometimes there are "strangers" or a softer way of putting it (people we don't know so well).  It could be a family member.  It could be someone you've not really taken the time to listen to or care about as fully you or I could have.  As we enter this season of thankfulness, hopefully, we can begin preparing by focusing on Our Lord and His love for me and  for you.  I hope that we can center our hearts in His and truly be cleansed of all unrighteousness.  Then, perhaps, we will be ready to entertain strangers and our family and  be given FULLY to hospitality.

Enjoy the pictures of my preparations this year!  We live on the Gulf Coast and I always try to include seashells and lighter colors for our warmer weather climate.   As your guest come to the table for food, fellowship and celebration, I pray that you will find blessing in all things good! May you have grace and strength and the joy that can be found in KNOWING Jesus! Blessings to you my friend!

A November Morning

“God is not a belief to which you give your assent. God becomes a reality whom you know intimately, meet everyday, one whose strength becomes your strength, whose love, your love. Live this life of the presence of God long enough and when someone asks you, “Do you believe there is a God?” you may find yourself answering, “No, I do not believe there is a God. I know there is a God.”

~Ernest Boyer, Jr.

Thanking Him for His amazing blessings in my life this beautiful November morning!!! I pray today He brings good things into your life.  He cares for you in all you do.  Look for what He is doing behind the scenes in your life!  Know......The Lord watches over you~