Real Beauty...and Real Joy!

When a woman has real JOY, it just bubbles out!  JOY has an essence all it's own!!! There is nothing quite like the essence of a woman who is truly filled with this joy, also healthy and next comes what we call......beautiful!  In my many, many years of mothering my daughter's, their overall health and filling their spirits with God's ways was my greatest concern.  We kept them outdoors  a great deal of time. Weather was rarely a factor, because we just changed what we had to wear in order to be outdoors. They all loved sports, well, maybe one a little less but she was really into fitness. There was no striving for perfection but just a desire to be healthy inside and out.  Real beauty emerges from a soul filled with the right things.....like fresh air and nature and a selfless desire to see oneself as a contributing part of the beautiful world God created.  Desiring to give rather than take.....this is what makes one beautiful.  Sometimes this has to be learned through the circumstances one is placed in.  Today good health is closely connected to the quality of our lives and the beauty of  a life well lived. 

Most women desire to be as healthy and lovely and as beautiful as possible.  Poise, grace, goodness, and modesty in dress and style keep a woman looking beautiful and elegant, even when no one else is looking. It seems what we place inside and outside (covering our body) is truly important.  Fashion changes daily or so it seems to me!  The hour glass figure does not last forever (no matter how hard we try) but the beautiful feminine nature IS God-given and it is meant to last the entire duration of ones life.  God, by design, made woman a beautiful creature!

Over the past few days, my readings have taken me to the life of a beautiful woman, Esther.  Esther was an orphaned Jewess who became the Queen of the Persian King, Ahasuerus.  Her life was not always full of joy and honor but she was used by God to preserve His people from ruin.  Yes, God used Esther to save her people, the Jews.  Her story is found in the Old Testamant and during this period in history, palaces and courtyards were used for lavish entertaining.  The references speak of "white and blue linen curtains fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on silver rods and marble pillars; and the couches were of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of alabaster, turoquise, and white and black marble."  Esther 1:6  Any designer would enjoy this description of beauty.  It was just at this palace where Esther first found favor in the sight of all who saw her.

  "The young woman was lovely and beautiful."  Esther 2:7

God opened her destiny for a purpose, perhaps she did not fully understand but her spiritual commitment and her sense of perspective reflected the heart of true inward and outward beauty.  I find it interesting that she was also given beauty preparations and personal care. (We think of cosmetics of something as a current product line)  She was attended by a woman who was the custodian of women. (you know the counter expert at your favorite line of cosmetics :)  Perhaps this person attended her lovingly like a mother would in caring for a daughter.

I like to think that investments in our daughters and even our grandaughters contribute to their inward beauty.....this my friend is what makes a beautiful woman. Outside products can only go so far and then......... the fragance of a beautiful woman fills the room LONG AFTER SHE IS GONE.

There is a purpose for each life, your life!  A beautiful strong and lasting purpose will hopefully touch the ones who come behind you.....something to think about beautiful one!

"Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this."

BATH, ENGLAND, THE PRIORY HOTEL AND SPA, and STOURHEAD

Listening is an attribute that seems to be developed. I admit, I have not always been the best listener but over the years of my life, I am finding this really is one of the cream of the crops of attributes. To hear, to listen, consider, pay attention, to listen carefully and intelligently, to obey. The word conveys a sense of intensity. In the Bible, God commanded Moses to listen attentively and very carefully with a mind to obey what God would say. This listening Moses did brought not only him blessings but an entire nation of people as well. A person who needs one to listen, usually has words or thoughts that are intense and needful in expressing what is in the heart. We all need people who will listen to what we have to say and how we feel. I hope to always be a sensitive listener. You might ask, how does one develop this skill? You might say, my life is so busy and full, there is no time for being in a quiet place where I can hear. We have to get away, even if it's a few minutes in our own home or at the end of a day to listen and hear and restore and refresh. Two weeks ago, I traveled with three friends on a holiday that I had been honored to plan for them over a year. We traveled to some beautiful places and I tried to wisely choose accommodations that would be affordable to all. We shared rooms along the way, which also helped in the cost. We began in London and on day four traveled to Bath, England. I had been to Bath twice before so I knew they would love it also! I researched a beautiful small hotel there and a spa and even asked my daughter, Kara, who lives in London, to go and check it out! She assured me we would love it! So, as our journey began, we traveled by train and arrived about check in time. We were greeted warmly and I was told we had been upgraded to much nicer rooms than I had booked. I was listening, but I could not believe our good blessings to follow. They treated us like we were honored guest in their home. They arranged a driver to take us to Stourhead Landscape Gardens and Home, and he picked us up in a nicer vehicle than any of us owned! He was gracious and kind and shared with us his amazing faith of coming to know The Lord. What a beautiful holiday we had in Bath. A quiet place to restore, refresh, and renew in order to listen again to the sounds and voices around us. You can bet, there was plenty of talking with four women! You see, I prayed for this trip for months, I asked for God's blessings ad favor and His guiding hands. I am humbled and still in awe that HE listened to my prayer and THAT is most humbling in so many ways. His desire to care about the smallest details of life. I Corinthians 2:9 "Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love Him". Amen and Amen! So thankful for our beautiful journey! P.S. This describes THE PRIORY HOTEL: The Priory is a country house hotel and spa. The rooms are all individually designed and beautifully decorated. The gardens are maintained by a full time Gardner. www.thebathpriory.co.uk

Mother Love and Mother's Day......

In the sweet little children's book, THE LITTLE LAMB, the story begins with a little girl, Emmy, visiting some newborn lambs. As the story begins Emmy becomes an adoptive mother! "Mother sheep usually keep their babies close to them. But one little lamb wandered away from the flock. He seemed to be lost. Baa-baa-baa, he cried. Mrs. Wetherbee asked Emmy if she would like to take care of the lamb until he was big enough to come back to the flock. He had a twin brother and his mother did not have enough milk for two babies. Emmy was so happy she bent over and kissed the little lamb. Then she carried him home". This my friend is precious. The meaning is even more precious behind the words because we do not all come to be mothers in the same way. Emmy was the adoptive mother of this little lamb, but the mother lamb who gave him away was just as much a mother. She trusted another with a most precious gift. These women are priceless, the mothers who give AND the mothers who receive. In the Bible, in the old testament, there is a beautiful and loving story of sacrifice of a Godly woman, Hannah. Her story is found in I Samuel 1-2. The culture of this time in Biblical history allowed Elkanah, her husband, to have two wives. The other wife provoked Hannah cruelly because The Lord had closed Hannah's womb. Year after year this continued to the point of Hannah not eating and weeping to the point of bitterness of soul and weeping in anguish over being barren. In all of this, she continued trusting God through prayer and poured out her heart before the Lord for a child. At long last, she did conceive and receive a child and made a vow that she would give him up to the Lord as a minister, even as a child to be reared in the temple. Because of her faith and trust, this child grew in statue and favor both with men and the Lord. God used him mightily as a prophet during that period of world history. Hannah did have other children whom she mothered later, but her release of her child was to allow her child to live his destiny and purpose. I believe that birth mothers and adoptive mothers are very special before God. Children ARE the fruit of the womb and to be loved and to be treasured......this is what Moms do EVERDAY all around the world.....love children! If you are one of these special people God bless you and keep you and may His grace and His goodness give you everything you need to succeed in this most magnificent profession! Enjoy Mother's Day assured that your little lamb was chosen for you and is precious in God's sight no matter how he or she arrived in your arms. Bless you!!!

Easter Thoughts.....

One of our kids, grown up now, always asked during family devotions, "Can we just not go deep?"  This is still  our "laughter" quote in our family after many, many years! When the conversation goes deep......everybody laughs! These thoughts about Easter are deep! Thoughts that keep me grounded and grateful and looking UP!

The beautiful words from Scripture say, "Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly, does not seek it's own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered" I Corinthians 13:4-5 These words are unselfish, GRACE filled words and beautifully woven into the message of Easter!   Nothing you or I could ever do could keep us from The Heavenly Father's grace and mercy.  When we approach His throne of grace and seek Him in thought and prayer, and TURN to Him,  He comes and meets us. He counsels, He loves, He forgives, He redeems, He restores, He renews!  Our lives can be filled with joy, blessing, and purposeful worth!!!  It is not pleasant to think and reflect on the fact that He was mocked (and still is) and forced to wear a Crown of Thorns. This Mighty One who had come to share and freely give this redeeming love! There is no greater LOVE than the Agape LOVE of Jesus, Great is Thy Faithfulness! Easter is about His love for the world.  He gave His life on The Cross so that we might live, truly live and eternally with Him in Heaven! These thoughts are deep.......JOY DIVINE! I hope your Easter will be filled with a beautiful remembrance of what He did for all the world! Our lives can be inspired by a beautiful LOVE like HIS! He is RISEN!!!  He is RISEN! May we too be filled with the joy of the first followers and be excited as we go and tell and spread His love throughout the world!

The French Nobility........ QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE

 These beautiful postcards/photographs of Versailles, just outside of Paris, are from the 1940's.  They were purchased by an American solider stationed in France during WWII.  He purchased several and I was fortunate to receive them from someone who knew I love all things French! 

The beautiful interiors of Versailles remain one of the historical treasures of France! Just to imagine Queen Marie Antoninette walking in the grand rooms and in the gardens remains as a tribute to the life that she led there.....until the sad end!  I have just finished reading  a wonderful book about her life! I place it as one of my all time favorites.  A strong woman always has a story to tell and one we can learn from, both good and not so good! 

Marie Antoinette!  Just say her name and many opinions are formed!  For sure, she was a fascinating person!  At fourteen, she became the Queen of France!  She arrived in France in 1770, naive and hardly more than a child and quite unprepared to become the future queen.  In the beginning, she was adored for her good looks and all of this just because she was the Queen!  However, her pride and her extravagance in her life's choices and entitlement of her position as Queen and her extravagance of her clothing and her friendships outside the chateau made resentment grow toward her.  This resentment grew from the people who were closest to her within Versailles.  They turned against her one at a time and soon, she was forced to take refuge in her own fantasy world within the castle, oblivious to criticism. 

For sure, she was a charming person. Attractive, accomplished, yet married to a man, King Louis XVI, who waited many years to consummate their marriage.  Her life is one, which it seems,  she had little choice in decisions...... from the very beginning.  Who can imagine a daughter leaving home at fourteen to be married in a foreign country to someone they had never met?   There was a small blessing, as she continued her relationship with her mother through letters and guidance in the letters she received from her mother. She adored her children when she was blessed to finally birth them.  She had a mother's heart.  This is so evident to anyone who reads her life's story!  To me, one of the saddest parts of her life were the people who worked for her, these trusted people turned against her one by one.  According to history, the story of "The Diamond Necklace" was the final blow .

 Eventually, this led to the entire country of France turning against her and, she then being led to the guillotine. Such a sad waste of a life that could have counted for good!

In a time of change in France, she played a key role in the progression toward a country without need of a King and Queen.  Today, France has opened the grandest palace in Europe for us all to see the beauty of Versailles, her home and the palace where her days were lived out.  In May, I am planning to go to Versailles with one of my daughters and three of my friends!  I can hardly wait! 

P.S. Here is the famous story of The Diamond Necklace...... The Affair of the Diamond Necklace was an incident in the 1780s at the court of Louis XVI of France involving his wife, Queen Marie Antoinette. The reputation of the Queen, which was already tarnished by gossip, was ruined by the implication that she had participated in a crime to defraud the crown jewellers of the cost of a very expensive diamond necklace. The Affair was historically significant as one of the events that led to the French populace's disillusionment with the monarchy, which, among other causes, eventually culminated in the French Revolution.

It's the Weekend.....relaxation time!

A fresh bouquet of flowers gets the weekend started! Now.....time to relax!

How do you relax?  How do you restore?  How do you refresh?  For sure, today everyone seems to lead such a busy life.  It is still important to have those times of rest and restoration.   In the beautiful little book  Gift from THE SEA ,  Ann Morrow Lindbergh writes how at the beach as one begins to relax, " the tired body takes completely over. As on shipboard, one descends into a deck-chair apathy. One is forced against one's mind, against all tidy resolutions, back into the primeval rhythms of the seashore.  Rollers on the beach, wind in the pines, the slow flapping of herons across sand dunes, drown out the hectic rhythms of city and suburb, time tables and schedules.  One falls under their spell, relaxes, stretches out prone.  One becomes, in fact, like the element on which one lies, flattened by the sea: bare, open empty as the beach, erased by today's tides of all yesterdays's scribblings."   Isn't that what we hope for? To let go is good. She goes on to say as the week at the seashore progresses," we are able to lie open, choiceless as a beach~waiting for a gift from the sea."  Who really knows what God will bring you today?  Let today be a gift!

The Size of Our Portions.....

Which portion would you prefer~a teaspoon or a large generous spoon?

Have you ever yearned for a taste of something delicious and then asked for it and only be given a small, a very small portion?  How does this make us feel?  For me, it makes me want more, immediately!  The opposite can be true, you may have asked for a small portion and the giver was so generous in the serving size, you could live on the serving for a long while!  I suppose it depends upon who is doing the serving AND how much they want to share. I was thinking of this comparison in relation to Easter and how Jesus invited,  with a fervent desire, the twelve closest to eat the last Passover meal with HIM.  He knew the events that were about to unfold. He even gave them instructions on how to divide the meal among themselves.  It wasn't so much about this last meal that he was serving them......as the generous portion of Himself, of which He was about to give TO and FOR them.  With this amazing meal, He was about to forgive them for every sin, every wrong thought they had ever done or ever would do! He was about to lavish them with a LOVE like no other and give them forgiveness for all eternity! He was offering the largest portion ever known!!! Actually, in HIS final week before going to The Cross, many of the twelve closest followers had wronged HIM and even denied Him and lied about HIM, yet even in the desperate hours, HE was able to forgive and extend mercy.

What a beautiful lesson for us on forgiveness and inclusion. How readily do you extend mercy and inclusion toward others when wronged or hurt?  How do you forgive? How do I forgive, I must ask myself?  Is it just enough to "muster" up a smile and pretend to be a friend or is it from the heart?  Psalm 86:5 says beautifully these words:  "For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You".  We can receive God's love and forgiveness and He can enable us to give it also to others just as we have received.  The two virtues - goodness and forgiveness - are attributes birthed by our Heavenly Father and He has desired these to be born in our own lives.  He wants us to forgive others transgressions in the same abundance of mercy He has shown us.  God does not want us to portion out our mercy and forgiveness with teaspoons.  HE is looking for people who will portion out their forgiveness and mercy with HUGE, unlimiting spoons!  


When you sit down for reflection and prayer, God has set a sort of "supper" for you.  Which spoon will you select? Just a small portion OR a generous and large portion to share in goodness and forgiveness.  Easter is about the new birth we receive in Christ, the NEW one He has redeemed  and given in the largest of ways!  He gave everything, His very life for you and for me!  It is my hope,  you will sense His GREAT and GLORIOUS LOVE for you this beautiful Easter season and embrace ALL that HE has for you! Blessings of JOY to you today dear friend! 

The Little French Chair.....

AT Home With White by Atlanta Bartlett is a book I purchased in Savannah a few years ago while visiting one of my daughters who was living there at the time.  It was one of those books that was an impulse purchase but has greatly impacted my design in my own home.  No matter what your personal style, white can work in almost any home.  I wanted a lighter, more contemporary look throughout my home.  So......today, our home is lighter and many of the soft coverings on our pieces of furniture have changed to white or shades of white.  Nothing has pleased me more than this cute little chair my husband brought home.  I loved the French legs,they were so graceful and refined.   For a couple of years, I enjoyed just leaving it as it was found, the the buttons and the fabric needed attention and it was looking its age so, I looked for some new fabric! My husband has lovingly placed his wonderful skills on this, yet another piece of our home! Mixing shades of white in our home has given us a crisp, clean, and new look!  

Praying for Your Children......and their children....

We are blessed with four daughters and one son!  One of our daughter's, Kacie, is celebrating today the birth of her twins six years ago!  She was so blessed to carry the twins to full term with a healthy pregnancy and delivery.  The day the twins were born was such a bright and joyful moment in my life to see my daughter and her wonderful husband experience this awesome miracle.  Twins do not run in our family and she did not take fertility drugs of any sort!  They were just a gift from Heaven!  I remember now looking back, and it is sort of funny how Josh seemed shocked with this new responsibility of provision and taking care of his beautiful wife and his babies.  He too has been a gift for God sent Kacie the most amazing partner to share her life's journey with!  From the time my children were small, I was taught to pray for their life's partner and so I did.  Sometimes, because I was so busy with life in general with our large brood of kids, I prayed on the run or had my closet time in the car while waiting in the school line. I love having fun and I love being active but what gets me through a day is being in touch with my Redeemer!   God, in His grace, answered those humble, heart wrenching prayers and they are still unfolding, one day at a time.  I am so grateful for the births of each baby born into our family.  I just love babies in general.  I think about my children and grandchildren all the time! I would love your's too if I knew them! As a mother or as a father or an aunt or uncle or friend, may I encourage to pray for the children in your own life and the children of the world!  Today and everyday, they need our prayers and we need God's grace and goodness and favor, now more than ever. Childhood is such a brief time!  I remember my dear mother in law would tell me this often and I did not fully understand until all of our children grew up, finished college and found jobs miles and miles away from our home.  God will move Heaven and Earth to answer our prayers on behalf of our children, even after they grow up, we can still be a part of their lives through prayer. Do you want to pray more often for your children?  Here are a few simple steps offered by "Moms in Prayer", a prayer ministry for mothers around the world!  1.  That I would be a woman of prayer.  2.  That I would gain a vision for the power of prayer.  3.  That I would seek to become an intercessor.  4.  That I would begin to practice aggressive praying, taking the initiative to pray with others as a way of life.  5.  That I would learn to pray through the Scriptures.  6.  That I would pray without ceasing.  7.  That I would be able to communicate to others what God is teaching me in prayer.  One of the blessings of being a Christian mother for me has been the honor of praying for my family and with friends and others who see prayer as one of God's highest callings.  Always be certain HE hears your prayers.  It's as simple as believing if  we "Draw near to God, He will draw near to you."  James 4:8  

Beautiful Morning and The Sunshine!

There's the wonder of morning, as seen in the beautiful pictures, 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 us in spite of our human and fragile souls!

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!

An Outdoor Feast.....

One of the JOYS to be taken advantage of by living in warm climate is eating outside! A mere meal can become an outdoor feast! This breakfast  on the screened porch is perfect!  Table settings can change constantly too!  Spring tables are always so pretty!  The white linen table cloth adds just the touch of elegance needed!  Everyday is a GIFT!  I wish we could all live as we felt this were really true!  Spend time with the special people in your life and LOVE them without condition! Life is way too short to live it any other way!  Have a happy day! 

A Mother's Lasting 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

Good Manners.....

Good Manners are always refreshing!  Growing up, I was exposed to good manners through my grandmother who truly enjoyed the finer things in life and enjoyed teaching me and my siblings how to properly set the table for a dinner party during the holidays and other family gatherings.  She was a busy lady as a school teacher and community volunteer but still found the time to teach us what was important to her personally.  I will always remember her dressing in her pearls and heels when we would go out for dinner or to the theater.

She presented me with gift of six place settings of my sterling silver, one place setting a year at a time before I graduated from college.  She purchased the silver box also where they are kept today.  Along with this, she taught me how to properly fold dinner napkins, and use the words, "Excuse me", "Thank you", "No thank you", and "Yes, please".  She wore beautiful hats and gloves and a few of those, I inherited as gifts from her later in her life.  She was what I would call a lady. She carried herself with dignity and grace until the day she passed away. I was sooo blessed by her life!

Thinking about what it means to be a lady is probably not something most young women give much thought about today.  Today the emphasis is placed on sports, education, career, physical appearance and the social life.  Times have changed but the opportunity to develop good manners is still something we can appreciate!

When my son was growing up, he was taught how to always open a door for a young lady.  He was taught that this was the polite thing to do. In today's world, some young women may not care for this gesture, but I still think of it as just plain nice behavior for a young man or really a man of any age.  

In France, one of the proper etiquette's is to say, Bonjour when entering a boutique or shop and to say Au revoir when you leave.  Yes, manners are chic! Manners make a difference.  Etiquette is much more than a set of rules.  It is about connecting with our fellow human beings in a positive and polite way!

It's never to early or to late to begin to develop manners.  We can begin by thinking before we speak.  Choosing our words wisely and guarding our words so we do not blurt out anything that comes to mind.  As I said in the post yesterday, let your words be gracious.......think about how they will be received by others.  It is so easy to hurt someone's feelings with the words we speak or write.

A simple suggestion is to teach your children by allowing them to properly set the table for dinner or breakfast on a Saturday morning when family time is not as rushed or hurried. A simple "tea time" could be an easy beginning. You could show your children how to pour the tea, hold the cup, stir the tea, and place the napkin in the lap. For dinner, you might show them how to fold the napkins properly, where to place the fork, the knife, and the spoon along side the dinner plate.  Then, most importantly, allow them an opportunity to use the utensils properly during meal time. Teach them to use words properly such as , "yes sir" and "no sir".  It may seem foreign to you and to them at first but in time, I promise, these will be the very words and actions which separate the ladies and gentlemen for the ordinary.......manners are always IN STYLE!

UPlifting Words.....

Gracious words are beautiful words!  Gracious words flow like a fountain out of lips that are thoughtful, kind, wise,  loving and good.  In the book of Nehemiah in the Bible, the Word speaks of a kind of patience that God had (and still has) with people who would not listen to HIM.  Even though, they did not listen, God did not forsake them because the Word says...."For you are God, gracious and merciful."  Nehemiah 9:31  Merciful and gracious words  are able to spill out of lips graciously because God is able to change a person's words into a sweet aroma that can fill a room!   He has given us beautiful words to follow and live by.  Everyday HE IS ABLE to pour into our lives living words of TRUTH that can penetrate....... even the not so soft places in our hearts.


We all love to hear words that lift up and encourage!  Encouragement is a gift and the person whose heart is filled with it cannot help but let it spill out.... blessing whoever walks into their world!  God is gracious in placing these people everywhere!  Recently, my husband and I had the honor of attending a beautiful wedding for a friend's daughter.  Truly the entire wedding was a blessing for me because I love my friend so much and to see her happy for her daughter and the love that I know went into the planning of every single second of the wedding day.  Her love was gracious for her daughter and her countenance radiated with joy.  Love spilled out of her lips for everyone who attended!


As I was thinking about that special day, I thought about how everyday,  gracious and loving words should spill out of our lips for others.  Sort of like a fountain that spills water out so beautifully  that we stand in awe!  We remember the sight (or sound) over and over again.  Beautiful words have a way of lingering long after they are spoken.....like the first, I love you!  Remember when you first heard those words.


Our days are filled with many things.  Many things that are necessary to do such as preparing meals, cleaning our homes, working at our jobs, running errands, paying bills, etc. but the day is better and the burdens of the day are lighter when we spend time on what matters. The time we spend with God.  May I encourage you today to fill your heart with what truly matters!  The value of filling your life with spiritual truths is to reach the highest human potential, to have abundant life. For us there is a promise if we do and it is to  "Rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ!"   I Peter 1:13  HE has a great and gracious day planned just for YOU!  Enjoy!  

Being Real and Real Beauty.......

Of late, it seems the airways are back at it.....defining "BEAUTIFUL" for our young women and even those of us who are progressing in age! Personally, I feel extremely blessed to be a woman today. Being a woman, being whole, being healthy~ both emotionally, physically, and intellectually~is not always easy but if approached sensibly, we can arrive in a good place. A truly beautiful woman feels good about herself on the inside(her heart or soul). Her life is filled with positive images and positive relationships. It has taken her a while to get there, most often. There are people who sometimes tatter and tear at life and unknowingly at times rip apart the image that God imagined. This can begin many times in childhood and progresses through preteen and teenage years and then on into college and perhaps even adulthood. My heart breaks for a girl or a woman with an image of imperfection and feeling that this will keep her from fulfilling her dreams. I admit, there were times I too struggled, but nothing compared to women today (of any age). The constant need for celebrity updates, the latest fashion trends, magazines with flawless images (which are perfectly airbrushed) add to this trend of being less than beautiful. My prayer and my desire is to see young women and older women return to the right places for their definitions of beauty and happiness. There is nothing like a real example of beauty. If you are a Mother and have a daughter, she looks to you for this image and definition. Words have a lasting impact. A beautiful woman is known by her physical appearance and includes the facets of voice, countenance, and personal qualities that make her who she is. When we look at her we see her as someone unique and special. If you struggle with self-image let me urge you to turn to the Bible for God's definition of beauty. "Look to HIM and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed". Psalm 34:5. Beauty comes from surrounding yourself with the right people, right images and thoughts and the right words. We have to protect ourselves from wrong images and people who seek less than our best. Please do not let another rob you of your joy! Joy and gladness can fill your heart daily when you take the time to fill your spirit with uplifting words, soothing music, and the nature around you! Add a little laughter and you are there!!! It is refreshing to breathe the air and look UP to the ONE who formed you and made you, YOU! Psalm 139