" For God himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything." Acts 17:25

About Me

About Me

About Me

Welcome...I'm delighted that you chose to visit! I started this blog in March 2010 and I am so happy that I did. It has made me more aware of the many ways that God is blessing my life. I have made some special friends who bless,teach,encourage,and entertain me! My desire is to be an encouragement to you. I hope you will tarry for a while and that you will come back to visit often.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

glory will shine


I heard this song on the radio today.
 With my friends' troubles heavy
 on my heart and mind,
 I  immediately thought of them.
 What a comfort to know that nothing
 in our lives is wasted!




Nothing Is Wasted
by Jason Gray
The hurt that broke your heart
And left you trembling in the dark
Feeling lost and alone
Will tell you hope's a lie
But what if every tear you cry
Will seed the ground where joy will grow

 

And nothing is wasted
Nothing is wasted
In the hands of our Redeemer
Nothing is wasted


It's from the deepest wounds
That beauty finds a place to bloom
And you will see before the end
That every broken piece is
Gathered in the heart of Jesus
And what's lost will be found again


Nothing is wasted
Nothing is wasted
In the hands of our Redeemer
Nothing is wasted


From the ruins
From the ashes
Beauty will rise
From the wreckage
From the darkness
Glory will shine
Glory will shine


Nothing is wasted
Nothing is wasted
In the hands of our Redeemer
Nothing is wasted


Monday, April 29, 2013

enduring

The son of some friends of ours has admitted to being responsible for the death of his girlfriend about a year ago. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison this morning. Our friends are strong Christians, but this has nearly killed them. They have grieved for the girl they thought would one day be their
daughter-in-law and for their son who they thought, until the last week or two, was bring falsely accused. They have gone into debt to secure his bond and to pay his legal fees. Their world has been completely turned upside down and inside out!

Through it all, they have kept the faith and relied on God's mercy and grace to endure. Now, that a decision has been made and they know what the future holds, I am hoping they can begin to breathe again. Please pray for them and the family of the girl who lost her life. Unfortunately, they don't have the hope to hold on to that our friends do.

I have felt so helpless in this situation. Of course, I prayed and stayed in touch through emails and notes. But, what do you say? How do you help? I am just so grateful that God has known their every need and has taken care of them. I hope, in the days to come, they will be open to visits and phone calls...they were too difficult for them before.  Their life will never be the same, but there is still a life to be lived. I'm confident that theirs will continue to be a testimony of God's faithfulness.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

movie with a message







The hubby and I saw this movie tonight. I had heard a DJ on the Christian radio station I listen to
recommend it a week or so ago. Then a co-worker saw it last Sunday and told me how good it was.
So, I manged to talk my "non-movie-goer"guy into going with me. I'm glad we went...and so is he!

It is the story of a talented and popular baseball player who is struggling with his past and with alcohol. He is forced, by the consequences of his bad choices, to return to his hometown. There he finds help to face his addiction and the power of Jesus Christ to change his life.

If you are a movie goer, I encourage you to see it and support the the folks (Provident Films, Hero Productions) who make these films. It is refreshing and a blessing to see a movie that is not offensive in any way. I am grateful for companies who are committed to providing quality entertainment. And this film was definitely a "home run"!!

Thursday, April 25, 2013

more local fare


As I mentioned in the last post, we stayed at the 
Hilton Head Beach and Tennis Resort.
We had  one bedroom condo...they called it a "villa"!
It was attractive, comfortable and had everything we needed.
An extra bonus was a guest journal on the coffee table.
Wach page had a place for your name, where you were from,
what the weather was like during your visit, and
how you spent your time.
Several folks mentioned that they had eaten at
 Hudson's (est. in 1967)...
"always a favorite" one said.
So, Friday night, since we like to try local places, 
we headed their way.
It is a simple place on the water...
nothing fancy but you have a view of the water
from every table.
We ordered our usual...fried shrimp.
They were large, butterfly, lightly breaded
and delicious. The hushpuppies were yummy, too.
They were busy, but we were in and out in an hour
 which was great since we had Little E along.
We agreed it was another happy discovery!




So, Friday night, since we like to try local places, 
we headed their way.
It is a simple place on the water...
nothing fancy but you have a view of the water
from every table.
We ordered our usual...fried shrimp.
They were large, butterfly, lightly breaded
and delicious. The hushpuppies were yummy, too.
They were busy, but we were in and out in an hour
 which was great since we had Little E along.
We agreed it was another happy discovery!

Another entry in the journal mentioned
Stellini's, an Italian restaurant opened in1989.
My girl is always up for Chicken Pamesan
and me...I'll take alfredo anytime!
We decided to eat early so we could have ice cream
later. Interestingly, it was on the same side street as the
Sea Shack (where we ate last time) snuggled into a lovely
stand of trees surrounded with flowers.
 We arrived just as they were opening their doors.




There were cloth tablecloths and napkins and candlelight.
And a lovely view of their gardens.
We were treated to delicious food, excellent attentive service,
and the early bird special!!
Little E loved it, too.
She ate some of our tortellini soup, salad, bread,
and parts of both of our entrees! 
And, again, we were in and out quickly...
a great thing when you have an active toddler to keep happy!
We were so very pleased, again, with both of our experiences!

Isn't our God creative in the ways He cares for us?
Anneliese shared yesterday about a pizza delivery driver
 coming to their rescue in Seattle, Judy shared about a secret
delivery of a special gift for her granddaughters, and Kim
told us about the baker giving the wedding cake to her daughter
as a gift instead of charging her for it.
Recommendations for excellent places to eat were
placed right in our hands...to make sure we would not miss them!

He is a kind and generous Father who delights in giving us
good gifts and caring for our every need.
Thank you Lord, for loving us so!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

the locals know

The first time my sweet girl and I went to Hilton Head for a girl's trip was about 
five years ago. I found a nice room for a nice price, so I booked it and we hit the road.
The room came with breakfast and we packed a cooler with lunch stuff we could eat
on the beach. We had no idea about restaurants...what they had or what was good.
But, when we checked in the hotel, they gave us a booklet that was filled with
restaurant information and coupons. The best thing about it was that it featured the
local eateries...their history, specialties, and reviews.
So, our first evening was spent enjoying delicious prime rib at 
Jump and Phil's.


The owners were two University of Georgia grads who had spent
their summers while in college working in restaurants on Hilton Head.
When they received their degrees (zoology and journalism!) in 1975,
they decided to return to the place they loved and open a restaurant.
It wasn't fancy...casual and friendly and the food was great!

As we continued to study our info, we found a little "hole in the wall"
place called The Sea Shack. The booklet said, "Best seafood on the island
 at the best price. Plan to come early because there is always a line. It's where the 
locals eat." So, we went early...and, yes, there was a line. But there weren't
many ahead of us. We conversed with others in line and soon
 the doors opened and we took our turn ordering at the counter.



We took our seats and shortly, our shrimp dinners were brought to our table.
The ad was right...delicious, perfectly prepared friend shrimp
with all the trimmings for less than ten bucks a piece!
Again, not much atmosphere...simple, casual, basic.
But we loved the food...and we even bought a tee shirt!

We were so grateful for the Lord's direction and provision
for us two "clueless" females. 
There are hundreds of places to eat on Hilton Head, but we never would
have found these two places on our own. 
Jump and Phil's is on the main road, but it is small and non-descript
and the Sea Shack is on a side street surrounded by trees. 
They are the kind of places you just have to know about...
you're not going to just stumble upon them.

He took care of us this past weekend, too. 
I'll tell you about that next time!! :-)



Monday, April 22, 2013

a break for the beach


My daughter and I have been itching to go to the beach.
 This past weekend, we found an opportunity...
and headed to Hilton Head Island, SC!
 

These pretty flowers greeted us as we entered the resort.
 

This was the view from our balcony. 
The beach was beyond those bushes.


This pond was near the playground...
pretty and peaceful.
 

Until we saw this sign!!!
Fortunately, we didn't see any gators!


This lovely visitor didn't seem to be afraid. :-)


Little E had fun riding the dolphin...
 

sliding...
 

and climbing!
 

More pretty flowers outside the Italian restaurant,
Stellini's, where we ate dinner Sat night.
 

The view from our table once we got inside.
 

After a bite of tortellini soup!
Hard to tell from the picture...but she loved it!
 

Blowing bubbles on the balcony!
 

And yes, we did make it to the beach, but only once.
It was chilly and windy...not the best for
"beaching it"!
 

But Little E had fun and we had fun watching her
discover the surf and the sand!



It was a nice little get-away...
an enjoyable change-of-pace.
A lovely place to visit no matter the weather!



Thursday, April 18, 2013

a drop-by


 Last Friday, we had a "Ladies Evening Out"
 event at the office where I work.
 By now, I think most of you know I work for a dermatologist.
 We advertised in the office and on Facebook
 and had almost 80 women to attend
 the three hour drop-by party!
 As you can see, we had yummy refreshments
 and there was lemonade to drink.


There was lots of information about our services
 (besides traditional dermatology and skin cancer surgery)
 like laser hair removal, spider vein treatment, glycolic washes,
and micro dermabrasion. And there were also opportunities
 to sample our skin care products.


Anyone who purchased products received a discount
 and everyone who attended received a "goodie" bag.
 We also had some terrific door prizes!
 

These are the ladies that worked the event...
greeting, serving, and assisting our guests.


We believe it was a big success and the ladies 
that came seemed to think so, too.
 It was our first, but it definitely will not be our last!

Monday, April 15, 2013

today's gifts






Here are a few of the things I am thankful for today:

181. rockers for our new front porch...1/2 off
        at Cracker Barrel!

182. beautiful weather for watching t-ball

183. crock pot cooking

184. opportunities to give at church


185. people who are genuinely pleased with a gift

185. zyrtec...the solution to the pressure I have been
        feeling in my head...yea!

186. Kohl's...have gotten some great bargains there recently!

187. warm hugs from folks who love me

188. my fan at work...it was warm in the office today!

189. job security

190. and my security in Christ!


"...for I know the one in whom I trust and I am sure
He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him
until the day of His return."
II Tim 1:12b

Sunday, April 14, 2013

take me out to the ball game

Yesterday, we were happy to get to watch our
 grandboy's first t-ball game of the season.
He was serious on the field...
waiting for an opportunity to grab
the ball!


He was serious at the plate, too.
He got set...

he swung...


and he connected!

Love this picture of the "men" walking
 together to the parking lot after the game...
Papa, Daddy, our boy, and Chief!


Me and our own little Brave!

Love him...love watching him play!!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

hope springs


I think I would have to say that spring
 is my favorite season. 
Watching God's creation come back to life 
after a winter's sleep is so inspiring.
 I love to see the trees "green up" and
 the flowers and shrubs begin
to bloom. It is a beautiful picture of hope!

My mother-in-law loved amaryllis.
 She had a large bed of them. They multiply
 profusely, so she shared some with us.
 Every year we are
 blessed with their loveliness!



I talked in an earlier post about the new
 Encore azaleas we planted last spring. 
The bushes are still small, but their blooms
 have been plentiful!







We still have a few of the bushes that
 were here whenwe bought the house. 
Two of the biggest are white.
There is one in the front yard by
 our driveway and this one in the
 corner of our backyard.


About 15 years ago, we had some
 next door neighbors who decided to plant
 Yoshino cherry trees in their yard.
They lived there for several years
 and then moved away.
They never saw the trees bloom.
But, every year, we get to enjoy them!


I don't think they thought they were
 giving us a gift when they planted them...
but they did!


"Spring is God's way of saying
'One more time!' "
Robert Orban

Monday, April 8, 2013

swing away!



I've  always wanted a porch big enough to have rocking chairs. When we were planning our addition, I asked our contractor if I could have a porch..."Sure!" he said! So, he built us one. We are still looking for the rockers, but Hubby found this pretty swing at a local building supply place. Last week, he sanded it, we primed and painted it, and Friday, we hung it! I love the way it looks and the way it swings. It's a nice place to have my morning coffee on these spring mornings. It's also a sweet place to "swing" babies to sleep which I did Saturday when Little E needed a rest.

I expect it to get lots of use because now that we have the room we need, I am pretty sure we are here to stay! Thirty seven years and counting....

Sunday, April 7, 2013

her first...

 ...BIRTHDAY!
Saturday we celebrated our Little L turning one!

She had an adorable "smash" cake and, uh...


...and that is just what she did...


...she smashed it!!


 

And invited Little E to join her!


Among her gifts were a new "ride"...


and her own bean bag chair...
(big brother got one for Christmas and she
has been insisting that he share it!)


Her guest included our dear "adopted"
parents/grandparents/great-grandparents
who have always shared in our "big" days!

Here she is with her Great-Nanny
 on her mom's sideand her Papa, her mom's dad.
 Her Nana was busy taking pictures
 somewhere!


Her uncle, aunt and her two cousins
  from Tenn came for the big event.
Little E brought her mom and dad, too,
but somehow, oops!, they missed being in a picture!  


Little L is a precious gift to our family.
 We (and many others) prayed her here
 and we are so grateful that she is 
healthy and happy!
 It was a joy to have all our family
 and our DIL's family here to celebrate!
Happy Birthday, Little L!
We love you very much
and look forward to watching you grow!