♡

Today is one of those days when I clearly need to remember this...

✝

amazing grace and peace unchangeable

God is Amazing, 
full of Grace, 
gives us Peace that passes all understanding. 
The winds may blow and the storm clouds thunder, yet, 
God does not move and never changes. 
His will is best.

☼

What is beautiful is a joy for all seasons and a possession for all eternity.

~Oscar Wilde

Oh the joy and blessing from up in the sky to down on the ground, and everything that is in between!  I thank the Lord for blessing me with the garden outside my door...

the gift ~ reprise

Over the years, I’ve received some gifts that haven’t been easy to accept, maybe for my birthday, or perhaps for Christmas. The gifts may have been exceptionally generous, or undoubtedly pricey, or incredibly lavish. I’d feel tremendously appreciative and thankful, but lovely gifts such as these seemed too extravagant for someone to give to me!

That’s sort of how I think of God’s grace. I certainly don’t deserve this gift that God offers so freely, and I definitely haven’t done anything to earn it. I became a Christian because I have accepted this incredibly amazing gift of God’s grace. By faith, I received His grace and His salvation and His love and His mercy. It’s thru these gifts that I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Yes, thru faith, I’m saved by grace!

It’s wonderful - God’s grace is exceptionally, undoubtedly, incredibly, tremendously the best gift of all!


For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

Who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,
2 Timothy 1:9 NIV

outside

When I’m at home, I have to raise the blinds.  The slider door to the deck must be wide open.  I have to be able to see outside, no matter if it’s rain or dry or snow or sun or ice or hot, I just have to see out there.  I have to watch, I have to know what’s going on out there, out in my backyard. 

It’s hard to explain, but I’ll reach a certain point and absolutely have...

to go outside, to be outside, to relax outside, to dream outside, to explore outside, to cry outside, to sit outside, to live outside, to remember outside, to sing outside, to wait outside, to enjoy outside, to feel outside, to laugh outside, to hope outside, to play outside, to work outside, to smile outside, to think outside, to hum outside, to ponder outside, to pray outside...

(I'm going outside now.  More later.)

seriously?

There have been times I’ve been accused of being ‘persnickety’.  Exactly how does that define me, ‘I ask’?  If you do ask me, in my opinion, there are way too many adjectives and synonyms that define persnickety.  Not all of them would pertain to me.  Yet, will they in fact show I'm persnickety?  Hmmm...

Let’s begin:  (a tiny, tiny list)  fussy, choosy, finicky, picky, nit-picking, choosy, trivial, opinionated,

demanding, critical, onerous ( I’ve always liked the word ‘onerous’), fussbudget (this word also), scrupulous, difficult, particular, snobbish, particular about how things look...

That doesn’t sound very good for me, does it?  Hmmm... Yep, needs improvement.  I’ll work on that...

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.♪♫•*¨*•♫♪

Happy 6th Birthday O, 

I love you more than all the stars in the sky!

Nana

♥

I honestly can't find words adequately enough to describe how I treasure being a Nana to three precious grandkids.

remember this...

♥

oh sweet Callie...

pause 'n ponder

quick quotes

Dwight L Moody (1837-1899)

Joy is love exalted; peace is love in repose; long-suffering is love enduring;
gentleness is love in society; goodness is love in action; faith is love on
the battlefield; meekness is love in school; and temperance is love in
training.

I prayed for faith and thought that some day faith would come down and strike
me like lightning. But faith did not seem to come. One day I read in the tenth
chapter of Romans, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."
I had up to this time closed my Bible and prayed for faith. I now opened my
Bible and began to study, and faith has been growing ever since.

A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat
enough today to last him for the next 6 months, nor can he inhale sufficient
air into his lungs with one breath to sustain life for a week to come. We are
permitted to draw upon God's store of grace from day to day as we need it.

☆

Some people cross our path to teach us a lesson,

others to learn from us, some to stay, while others just get us through a chapter in our life,then vanish and sadly are never heard from again.

What matters is not how many people or how much of this or that,the thing that matters most, is how we act in those encounters and relationships, that each one makes us a better person.

~unknown

♥

Yesterday was a very good day.  Our kids and three grandkids were here!  

Their Mom had been asked to speak at two ladies meetings, one at 10:30 am and the other at 7:00 pm.  She talked about how her journey began.  She told of her life experiences overseas: about her average day, adjusting to a new culture, different customs, learning the language, the numerous obstacles she faced, and so much more.  She made us aware of several specific areas we need to remember.  Some of them were unexpected.  There were many questions asked and answered.  She did a wonderful job! 

As I sat listening, my mind wandered (I’m sorry about that).  I remembered the first time I met her, the college years, the engagement ring, the wedding, the birth of my grandkids (one girl, two boys, & little girl out there that will join the family soon).  I listened to her speak with ease and wisdom and confidence.   

There were many ladies there, from young to advanced in age.  Over the years, I feel sure a large number have sat and listened to others talk about their experiences.  But this one was different.  This was my daughter-in-law.  The wife of my son.  The mother of my grandkids.  The one they can relate to.    The one they’ve heard so much about.  The one sitting before them in person.  The one I’m blessed to have in my life.

Yes, yesterday was a very good day.

(For the evening meeting, I had my sweet granddaughter in my lap.  I will cherish the smell of freshly shampooed hair, feeling her body relaxing, and her breathing changing to sleep.  So precious!)

i love what's outside my door...wonderful gifts from God

European Starling

Dark-eyed Junco

Northern Cardinal - female

Goldfinch

Carolina Chickadee

Northern Mockingbird

Long-billed Thrasher

Carolina Wren

House Finch - Male

Downy Woodpecker - Male

Tufted Titmouse

White-throated Sparrow

Northern Cardinal - Male

it’s my life

Ever sat down and thought about your life?  About where you are in life’s journey?  About places you’ve gone and people you’ve met?  About precious memories or awful thoughts?  About what you’ve done right and what you’ve done wrong?  About words you shouldn’t have spoken and those you left unsaid?  About how much or how little money you have?  About what you cherish and what you despise?  About what you look forward to and what you dread?  About what you want and what you need?  About what gives you comfort and what you fear?

About what is important and what really doesn’t matter?

This is a partial list of what really shouldn’t matter to me:

not a big house

not a new car

not my 1200 count sheets

not a flat screen or hdtv

not my smart phone

not a laptop nor notepad nor notebook

not a kindle nor nook

not my watches nor rings nor necklaces nor bracelets nor earrings

not my warm fluffy throw

not my digital camera

not my morning coffee

not my cds nor dvds

not my wireless internet

not my photos nor photoshop nor games nor anything else on my desktop pc (Yikes! Yes, I said a desktop!)

not my blog nor facebook nor email.......

Not one of these things, not a single one, never not ever should matter to me!

both are empty!

I didn’t realize I’ve been away since March 18^th!  This is my Easter post:

"The Resurrection is the ground of our assurance, it is the basis for all our future hopes, and it is the source of power in our daily lives here and now. It gives us courage in the midst of persecution, comfort in the midst of trials, and hope in the midst of this world's darkness." (Preface, in Gerard Chrispin, The Resurrection: The Unopened Gift (Epsom, UK: Day One, 2002), 6.) 

These two sentences from Gerard Chrispin’s book are a glimpse of the magnitude of the resurrection.

First, there was the empty cross, and then there was the empty grave.  Jesus had resurrected from the dead!  We should never forget what took place before Jesus died on the cross, and what took place when He rose from the grave, and what took place in between. 

Before, God required the sacrifice of animals because without their blood, there was no forgiveness. Sacrificing animals to God was no longer needed...  Jesus, the Son of God, was the ultimate sacrifice for our sins!  We are covered by His blood!

and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

1 Corinthians 15:17-19 NAS

thankful for these three gifts from God...