Life's Daily Investments......

Much of my time last week was spent investing in smocking dresses for my little grandchildren!

This dress was made for Mary Isabel!  She loved it!

This  dress was made for Olivia Ann....she loves to wear her smocked dresses!   Oh.... The blessings of life!

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."  James 1:17   Truly, I am thankful for the gifts of  the blessings of my life.  When I was a young mother, it never occurred to me at all that one day I would bear five children who would grow up to become adults......as a busy mother, you just never think that far ahead.  You are truly so busy just meeting the needs at hand and reading another book to a child, driving another child to school, church, gymnastics, baseball, piano lessons, art lessons, tennis lessons, or some other  very important event...like the grocery store for the fourth time in four days.  But, these are investments necessary for their lives to grow and become beautiful.  Investments of a most notable cause because, these wonderful children have the ability to grow up into the most wonderful adults full of God's love and full of the living expression of His goodness through a life that has chosen to give Him their own investment of time and love.  We invest in many things in our lives such as our health and fitness, a job, a savings account of money, relationships, but none can be more important than a marriage and a family.  If you invest in time with your husband or wife, it will show up in the faces and the lives of your children, not only today but in the years ahead of them.  They will understand that marriage is about commitment as much as it is about a great night of laughter and love!  Often as I sew for others, whether it be for their home or a garment for a child, I use the time to think about people that are important to me....people that I sense God is leading me to invest in and invest in praying and asking God to bring blessing to their lives.  If you know Christ, you live under His blessing.....think about that.....He wants to spend time with you and invest in you more of Himself.  His desire is to mold you and make you into a vessel that reflects all the love and time He has poured out for you.  Jesus came to give you life and to give you a more abundant life.  God's covenant to us is a covenant for abundant life.  John 10:10 "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."  

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
Weekend................................
      

Valentines Day has to be one of my all time favorite holidays just because it is a day all about love!

The one you love, those you love, and then those who show and share their love with you!  What a special day to just wake up with with joy, joy, joy!

I hope that your day is filled with much happiness and much love~

Fashioned in LOVE........

A Little White Dress

Our ties to our past are precious.  For me, the art of creating beautiful handsewn clothing go back three generations of watching my great grandmother, Nancy Elizabeth Balthrop Murphy, sit at her sewing machine or in her chair, sewing beautiful garments for others.  Now in my life, I realize that God did indeed allow me a special gift of spending a great deal of time with her.  She kept me for two years when I was three and again from four until I was ready to begin school.  I attended kindergarten in the morning and in the afternoon stayed with her and my great grand father, John Joseph Murphy.  She would make wonderful meals at noon and I enjoyed the love that they gave to me.  I also watched her sew.  She was an exquisite seamstress of handsewn clothing.  She worked with extra fine thread and tiny needles to create the delicate clothing for babies and children and truly her work was art.  I am so thankful that I have inherited just a little of her talent.

French handsewing brings to mind a picture of a little girl in a beautiful dress and the softness and sweetness of a baby's face is only enhanced by these garments.  Only the finest materials are used such as batiste, lawn, and organdy with lace found only abroad or in speciality shops here in the United States.

I made this little white dress over the past two weeks for one of my granddaughters who will wear it on the wedding day in May of our daughter, Kara, to her sweetheart, Philip.  The little dress is made of white swiss batiste, tulle, French lace beading, entredeux beading, and the sleeves are organdy.  It is still actually in process because I still have to travel to New Orleans to purchase the ribbon at a shop there and I plan to close the back with old fashioned antique beauty bars.  Of course the greatest stitch I am putting in this is my love.  The love that a mother, grandmother, or a great grand mother shares with a child is dramatically different from all other kinds of love.  It is a miracle working kind of love.....to have a love given so purely, freely, and unconditionally is the way God loves us.  He gave Himself totally to and for us.  His love is the kind of love that radiates upon the face and in the heart of someone who possesses it.  He used HIS finest materials in making you and then created you in HIS own image so that you could shine like a star in the universe......and all for HIS GLORY!!!!.  Do not be afraid to share HIS love because just like the story in the Old Testament where the children of Israel went out each morning to gather manna for the day according to the people within their own tent, His provision of love for you is similar.  The love you give away will indeed be returned to you in a bountiful way and it is new every morning.  "And in the morning, you shall see the glory of the Lord!"  Exodus 16:7  Give your love, talents, and resources that you have been blessed to recieve and it will be given unto you my friend!

His love for you is beyond your understanding.  He longs to show you His majesty.  Turn your eyes to see the beauty and glory of His creation.  Ponder the vastness of HIS abilities.  It is when we use those abilities, no matter how small, that a masterpiece is created and I might add one defined by LOVE!

At Home With White

Okay.....I admit it...."I want a white house with blue shutters and a window overlooking the water so I can paint (or sew) and a big old porch wrapped around the entire house!!!"   If you've seen the film, The Notebook, and most women have (right?) you will recognize this quote.  White calms our souls and is soothing and serene.  In interior design, shades of white are always in style and the mood stays the same in a room until a splash of color is added and in our lives often we do need that splash of color and truly, sometimes just a touch of something colorful can keep one balanced.  Okay back to white.....

Recently, while in Savannah visiting Shelly she took me to one of my favorite stores, "One Fish, Two Fish."  If you visit Savannah, you'll be inspired by the lovely array of furnishings, books, and gift items found in the store.  One book in particular caught my eye, AT HOME WITH WHITE,  by Atlanta Bartlett.  I thumbed through the book, admired it, wanted to buy it, but put it down and kept browsing.  Lucky me....at the next shop Shelly took us to, the book was on sale by 20 % so I just bought it on the spot!  It is full of ideas room by room and if you find during these winter months that you need a pick me up, you might think of white working for you.  White after all, is a perfect blank canvas with limitless possibilities!  Isn't that what our lives should be.....full of possibilities!  I hope you will enjoy just a few of these white places that you could be at home with.

 

AT HOME WITH WHITE

 

This beautiful all white bedroom!

 

This room is almost all white, except for the colorful splash of yellow, grey, and blue from fabric by Marimekko that I added to this all white bedroom for a change.  The room with the twin beds has everything white except for the pillow on the top in a shade of gray.  You can see how just a touch can change the feel of a room.  

 

This all white room, again with a splash of color, was the hotel we stayed in on our visit to Savannah,

The Mansion at Forsythe Park

 

And now a favorite.....the white chairs all in a row at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel!

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!!!