bought and paid for

We were a little later than usual leaving for church this morning. When we were almost there, J said. jokingly,"I bet somebody else has gotten our seat... bought and paid for." I said, "Jesus did that a long time ago." We both laughed. I started to think about the truth of that.....Jesus did, indeed, purchase our place in the Body of Christ and in Heaven.

".....to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light...... that they may receive forgiveness from sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me." Acts 26:18
"In my Father's house are many rooms......I go there to prepare a place for you......I will come back and take you to be with me with so that you can be where I am." John 14:2-3

In addition to Christ's sacrifice, many others have paid the price for me to sit in that seat in that church and worship freely without fear of penalty, torture or death. They are the ones we are remembering this weekend. They are the ones we honor when we fly our flags. They are the ones we should thank God for, not just on Memorial Day but every day. And not only for those who died but all those, past and present, who are willing, even eager, to serve their country and protect us. So, for the men and women in blue, gray, green, and white.....May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make His face to shine upon you and give you peace. Amen"

the chocolate glazed enemy!

When you are trying to diet and your husband walks in the door with these because he knows you like them but has forgotten that you are trying to diet because he is thin and has never had to diet a day in his life.....breathe..... do you kiss him or punch him? Do you thank him for being so thoughtful or do you scream..."You're killing me!" So far I haven't eaten one and my sweet girl said, as she was devouring one this morning, "They're really not that good, Mom." Yeah, right. Lord, give me strength!

a gift that keeps on giving

We woke up to a nice surprise this morning ....


We have the Thompsons to thank for these daylilies. We bought our house from them in 1976. We don't know when they planted them, but we have enjoyed them every year since we moved in. There are only about a dozen, but they are faithful to bloom on cue every spring. The Thompsons had no idea what a nice gift they were leaving for us or that we would be here to be blessed by them for so long..... and neither did we!
"Consider the lilies how they grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that Solomon, even in his splendor was not dressed like one of these."Luke 12:27

country treasures

I am a country girl.... well, at heart anyway. Our house has lots of heart of pine paneling, which may date it, but we love it! I believe it makes our home warm and comfortable. So, country casual is our style. I have a window flanked by rounded shelves over my kitchen sink. I have" doo dads" or "what nots", or whatever you want to call them decorating the shelves. The other day, I really looked at those shelves for the first time in a long time and thought.... I need some new stuff! I still like what is there, but I think a change would be nice and refreshing. So, this week I visited our local Beall's Outlet (do you have those where you live?) and hit the jackpot! Beall's carries name brands (Sag Harbor, Gloria Vanderbilt, Chaps, Haggar, etc) at discount prices. I have bought some nice things there...skirts, sweaters, blouses, even a pair of leather Keds. I have also bought scrubs there for work. Anyway, in addition to clothes and accessories, they have housewares. I found 4 things for my shelves. I'll have to buy some other things or look in the attic for items I might recycle, but I was very happy with my "little treasures". So, here they are.....
My sweet little hen was the most expensive at $4, the other three were $1.50 each. The apple says" live simply", the verse on the hen says "within this home may love abide to bless all those who step inside". That has always been my hope and prayer...that those who visit us will feel welcome, loved, and comfortable. So, that was perfect and I just love that she is so chubby! I'm excited to see the end result. When I'm done, I'll let you see! :-)

what do you think?

On the way to church yesterday, I saw this quote on a message board in front of a dentist's office:

"A big problem is a little problem that didn't get handled"

I've been thinking about that and I've thought of few exceptions, but in general I think it might be true. What do you think?

a sweet fragrance

We picked our first gardenia yesterday. Their whiteness is so lovely and pure and their fragrance is....... oh my goodness, wonderful!
I love gardenias!
On this Sunday, my prayer is that my praise, my worship, my life might be an offering that is a sweet fragrance to the Lord.... as pleasing to Him as the lovely scent of a gardenia.
"For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing." 2 Cor.2:15.

are your blooms blue or pink?

J was very close to his maternal grandfather. He called him Chief and they spent many happy hours in a boat fishing together. Chief and Grandmother lived in a small house with a big backyard filled with blue hydrangeas. On one visit, many years ago, J brought home a cutting from one of their bushes. He rooted it, cared for it, and planted it in our front yard by our lamp post. It now surrounds it and is big and full and lovely with its blue blooms.


Last year, J rooted some cuttings from it. They have been growing in pots on our patio. Two of the plants are blooming......soft PINK blooms!


Now, I know it is the acid or alkaline in the soil that determines the color, but it still seems like a miracle to me! God's creativity is always a wonder to me!
Got me to thinking....... if my roots are planted deep in the rich soil of God's Word, I should be growing in His grace and blooming so that the world can see Him in me. Do my blooms change color depending on what is going on in my life? Would my blooms be blue during times of suffering or sadness as a reflection of the acid, or hard things, that I am experiencing? Would they be pink in the times of happiness and contentment as a testimony to the alkaline, or pleasant things, that I am being blessed with?
I believe faithfulness and steadfastness in difficulty, whether there is a smile on my face or not, speaks to the world about my source of strength, hope, peace and joy. And gratefulness during the pleasant times says that I know they are a gift of God's mercy, nothing that I deserve or have earned. It has given new meaning to the old expression "bloom where you are planted". I always thought of "where" as a location.... your church, your city, your job, etc. Now, I see it can also mean a time in life, a frame of mind, or a circumstance. That makes it more meaningful to me.
We all know that, on a fruit tree or plant, blooms represents the fruit to come. On flowering trees and plants, the bloom is the fruit. So, if we are blooming, that means the Holy Spirit is producing the fruit of the spirit in us. Isn't that an encouraging thought?
" By this my Father is glorified that you produce much fruit and so prove to be my disciples" John 15:8

grand "grands"!

We had a nice visit with our oldest son and his two little girls this weekend. The weather was beautiful except for some rain on Sunday, but even that was lovely because it was needed. He has a nice yard and he is diligent about keeping it well maintained. His front yard grass, especially, is like carpet, lush and thick. He has border grass (thanks to good old Dad) lining his driveway and around his flower beds. He has a huge weeping willow tree in his back yard. And he even has flower boxes full of impatiens hanging on his deck!







And, of course, a "play station".... the outdoor kind! Along the fence, to the right of the slide, he plants his garden... peas, tomatoes, cantaloupes, and cucumbers. He ate cantaloupe until he was about to pop once when he was about 18 months old. He has loved it ever since. Here's a picture of him and his youngest "weeding" the garden. She is the "biggest" helper!




There were scooters and bikes to ride, games to play, blocks to build with and lots of hugs and kisses! The girls weren't too interested in posing for pictures. The youngest who is three told me when I picked up my camera the first time......"I don't want to say cheese!" Cracked me up! Here is what I got ......

And, in case there is any doubt, there is a real cutie behind that mug of hot chocolate!


Anyway, we had a great weekend! We are very proud of our son. He is a fine man and a great dad! And we adore those little girls....... they are a joy and delight!

is that a cricket I hear?

My husband, J, is a frugal man. Sometimes when he goes fishing, he has crickets left over. If he plans to go again in the next week or so, he tries to keep the crickets alive.... okay maybe frugal is an understatement! :-) Anyway, he puts water in a milk jug cap and puts it in the cricket basket along with something green for them to eat. And so they won't die from exposure (ha! ha!), he brings them in the house and leaves them by the back door. In case you didn't know it, crickets chirp...... A LOT! Funny thing is, that after a while, I don't hear them anymore.... until someone else comes in the house and says "do you have crickets in here?" Then, I notice them again. J's sister lives close to the interstate highway, but she says she doesn't hear the traffic until someone else mentions it. We have a friend who lives near the railroad tracks. He told me once that when they first moved in the house, the train woke him up every night. Soon, he didn't hear at all even in the daytime. That is probably some phenomenon that has some fancy name, of course I have no idea what it is. But I do think it is interesting that our brain can tune things out like that.
Do you think that is how we end up in sin sometimes? I say one negative thing, share one tid bit of gossip, complain just a little.....and before I know it, it is happening more frequently. I get so numb to it I don't even hear myself doing it anymore. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit doesn't let me get away with it for long. Sometimes I hear Him when He chirps softly like a cricket, sometime it is more like the distant sound of traffic, and other times He has to get as loud as a train roaring by. But He doesn't give up and eventually I hear Him. I am so grateful that our Heavenly Father loves us enough to chasten us. He will not allow us to continue in sin. He always reminds us of who we are and whose we are.
"For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart....." Psalm 95:7

blooms and blessings

The daisies were a gift from J for Mother's Day. I added the geraniums today. It's a little sunny for a great picture, but here are some close ups with me acting as shade! :-)

I just love daisies! Like Meg Ryan said in "You've Got Mail"......a daisy is such a happy flower!!
We put them in the sunniest spot in the back yard. I so hope they do well!

I thought this was a gorgeous pink geranium and I was looking for something to balance the basket of daisies. I will certainly be happy every time I look out my bay window and see these beauties blooming away!
Headed out of town tomorrow morning for the weekend.... going to see our oldest son and two granddaughters. Thanks to those of you who are praying for my friends. That is a blessing to me. "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you..."

"if two of you agree about anything...."

As I have mention in previous posts, I work in a doctor's office. One of our nurses has had cancer before and recently she found out that it has come back with a vengeance. Last week, we found out that the daughter of one of the medical assistants has cancer also. She is in her early twenties and has two small children under the age of three. This has created a somber atmosphere in an otherwise, happy (for the most part, anyway) office. Please pray for these two women and their families. My office manager said today that she corresponds through email to people all over the world and she has asked them to pray. That reminded me that I have new blogging friends all over the country and Canada, so I should ask you to do the same. I'll not mention their names, but God knows who they are. Thank you for joining me in this.
"The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." James 5:16 ESV

Happy Mother's Day!

Look what we found! Aren't they sweet? As you can see one egg didn't hatch, but we are so excited to have two babies in our tree. Mama bird was fussing at J when he took the picture. That is the nature of mothers.... loving and protective! I thought this was appropriate for the day. Hope you get to enjoy your "babies" today.... whether they are still in the "nest" or if they have"flown the coup"!!
God Bless You!

the graduate

Today was a big day! Our soon-to-be son-in -law graduated from college. He has worked hard. He has persevered. He has won the prize.... a diploma! To make it even better, he already has a job. He starts full time on Tuesday. In this time of economic depression and unemployment, we all know this job is a gift from God. He interviewed at one company and was hired... amazing! It has been a blessing to see God's provision for him and our sweet girl as they prepare for their future together. He has confirmed their decision to marry again and again in the past few weeks.
He had a check list: graduate, get a job, ask her dad's permission, buy a ring, pop the question. Now, he's done them all! Congratulations, Son!

dinner and a movie

Headed to my dad's for a visit and to give my step mom a day off tomorrow, but I wanted to share a couple of reviews with you. One, favorable, the other... not so much!

First, my sweet girl and I tried the new chicken alfredo pasta at Pizza Hut last night... and it was good! We were both pleasantly surprised. And on Tuesdays, you get two pans (6 x 9 x 1 1/2) of pasta and 5 bread sticks for $10! It feeds 4-5. If you add a salad or you are feeding children, maybe more. So, that's the good review.

Now for the not so good one. About a year ago I saw a movie previewed on TV called "The Brothers Bloom". It was about these two con men (brothers) and it reminded me of the Ocean 11 movies. You know the funny, cute crooks you can't help but cheer for? I never saw it come to the theaters, so I was happy to find it in the rental store . Well, Mark and Adrian (Ruffalo and Brody) weren't anything like George and Brad (Clooney and Pitt)! It was, for the most part, depressing and the few attempts at humor were LAME! Guessing that is why it went straight to DVD. So, again, save your money, go buy a milkshake from chick-fil-a or a blizzard from DQ...you'll enjoy it a lot more!

welcome to our front yard

Don't you think a wreath on the front door just says "welcome"?
I haven't had one for a while, but I have been inspired by visiting other blogs and seeing your beautiful doors. So, I was going to refresh one of my grapevine wreaths, but I found this one, already made at Wal Mart.For the price, I decided to go for it! It has certainly brightened the door and it has made me smile!

I also spent some time Saturday planting impatiens in pots and baskets. We have a very wooded yard so that means we have a very shady yard, especially the front. So, impatiens is the only thing I have found that does well there. I'll never forget the first time I bought some at a local nursery. The owners were good ole' southern folks. The lady owner told me, when I ask about watering them, "their heads will droop... they'll let you know when they need a "drank"! " And she was right.... they do! I should have planted them a month ago, but I've been gone so much staying with my dad during his hospital stay and recovery, I didn't get to it. So, they are small, just getting started, but the colors are vibrant and they will grow.
At one time we knew the name of this hedge bush that lines the left side of our front yard, but now neither J nor I can remember it. They are very tall now and J wants to trim them, but I like them big! They are covered in these lovely little white blooms and they smell sweet.



So, until our blue hydrangea blooms, that is about it for the front yard. The days are getting warmer here, so I am trying to enjoy every "smidgen" of spring we have left!

I was so happy to read all the comments about the cinnamon biscuits. I hope you all enjoy them as much as we do! Bless you all for taking the time to visit and respond!

brown sugar+cinnamon+biscuits= yummy!

Do you remember when Hardees first came out with their
cinnamon biscuits? They sold them 2 in a box for 99 cents and they were sooo good! Our family loved them. But as time went by, the biscuits kept getting smaller and the price kept going up. So, no more early morning trips to Hardees! I decided to try to make them at home. I usually make "hand squeezed" biscuits, but I decided to try canned biscuits for the consistency. They were a hit from the very first attempt. I still remember how surprised I was when they actually turned out! :-) We had them for breakfast this morning, so I thought I would share the very easy recipe.

1 8 ct can "grand" size biscuits (I use store brands)
2 -3 tsp margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon


icing:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tbsp milk

Place biscuits on ungreased cookie sheet two inches apart. Smear margarine on top of each biscuit. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Spoon brown sugar mixture on biscuits (about 1 tbsp each). Bake at 375 for 11-13 minutes, until sides of biscuits are lightly brown... do not over bake! While they are baking, stir milk into sugar until smooth and icing will drizzle from spoon. Drizzle heaping tsp of icing in circular motion on top. Enjoy!

an afternoon in the backyard

I spent some time on our patio this afternoon. It is a beautiful, sunny day with blue skies and warm temperatures. Thought I would show you what is going on in our backyard today! First, our amaryllis is blooming. They were gifts from J's mom years ago and they bloom faithfully every year. The blooms are big and pretty... just wish they lasted longer.


The largest Koi in our pond is feeling frisky. She is about 6 years old and likes eating out of J's hand. She jumped out of the pond one time a while back. Thankfully, J rescued her in time. We have other fish, but she is the boss.




The peas (top) and the tomatoes are up and growing in J's little garden spot. He has three rows of peas and ten tomato plants. We have moderate sun, so we will see how they do. We have had tomatoes before...some years we had plenty to eat and give away, other years not so bountiful. If they fail, it won't be from lack of attention. J is a good caretaker!


















The ivy is thriving on the north fence which is great. We will
probably use some of it in decorating for the wedding.
The honeysuckle on the south fence smells so sweet.




















The wood hydrangea is just beginning to bloom. In a day or two,
all the blooms should open.It is a huge bush, so it will be pretty "showy"!
And the woodpile is growing! J and our youngest son worked together this week to cut up some downed trees in a co-workers yard. Love that free firewood!One thing I couldn't take a picture of was the wind. It was blowing briskly today. I love to watch the trees dance in the breeze. It is lovely to watch them sway and bend and to see the leaves wave. We've all heard "you can't see the wind, but you can see what it is doing". The same can be said of God. Today as I enjoyed the beauty of the wind's work, I was reminded of the work our Heavenly Father has been doing for us in these last few weeks... His provision and care... and I was filled with gratitude....
"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.
Be thankful unto Him and praise His Name." Psalm 100:4

derby disaster

Teresa, at Grammy Girlfriend, wrote about her dad and how much he loved the Kentucky Derby. It reminded me of my step-grandmother's Derby story. My maternal grandmother died when I was ten. About four years later, my Papa married his grammar school "sweetheart" and they were married for twenty years. Mom (as we called her) was a sweet Christian woman who had been married before but had never had children, so we became her children, grandchildren, and, eventually, great-grand children. She grew up in a small town and lived a sheltered life...... teaching school and going to church. When she was about forty, (which would have been in the 1940's because as she always said,"I was born in the year 01.") she was invited to go to the Derby with her brother and his wife. She was so excited at the idea of getting to see those beautiful horses race. When she got there, she was "so disappointed. I had no idea it was about gambling and everyone was drinking alcohol!" We never laughed at her when she would tell the story, but it was funny to think about her being so sweet and naive. Needless to say, that was her first and last Kentucky Derby! :-)
Have you ever anticipated a big event just to have it fall flat? I'd like to hear about it.