Ringing in the New Year ~

The way we typically ring in the New Year. Home with our kids, yummy food, enjoying the family. Love it! We made our own Chinese food tonight and I tried a new recipe . . . . Cocoa Cake. Sooooo good!

"Instead of making a New Year's resolution, Consider committing to a Biblical solution, your promises are easily broken, empty words, though earnestly spoken. But God's Word transforms the soul, By His Holy Spirit making you whole. As you spend time alone with Him, He will change you from within." M.F.

Useful Wall Art

My New Closet

My hubby "built" me a new closet in our now spare bedroom! I feel very spoiled, but it is so nice to be able to have everything in it's place! I can now go in pick out my clothes, find my shoes (without searching for that missing second shoe!) I can be organized and fussy and keep my things color coded and neat. :) He built me a frame for my jewelry as well, I will take a picture of that and post it later. It's a place where I can hang all of my necklaces and easily see the perfect one for the outfit I am wearing.

Give Thanks . . . . With a Grateful Heart

189. The season of Christmas and all that goes with it.

190. Successful bazaar

191. Lots of time "creating" for the bazaar with my daughter

192. A day away with hubby yesterday

193. Christmas cards in the mailbox each day

194. Visiting with friends from the past

195. The laundry is caught up with :)

196. Phone calls from Mummu and the encouraging words that go along with them

197. Memories of a friend who was always there to listen, encourage and support

198. Lindt Truffles :) And the new coffee filled ones. Mmmmmmmm:)

199. Provision

200. Hot sauna before bed

He Alone is My Rock and My Salvation ~

Burdened above measure and strength, Hard Pressed, perplexed, persecuted, struck down . . . . .

Do not be crushed ~ do not despair ~ I won't be forsaken ~ I will not be destroyed.

Do not focus on the seen things that are temporary ~ only the unseen and eternal ~

He will work out everything for the good of those that love Him ~

And then there were Seven ~

~ Let Us Rejoice and Be Glad in It ~ Wedding Day

On October 15th, our oldest son got married to his sweetheart. It was an exciting and bittersweet time for us. Letting go of our oldest child, but so proud to see him starting his life with his bride.


"I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm

living ~

my baby you'll be."

I can't believe how quickly 21 years have passed ~ and today is the day that you will marry your love. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing you home from the hospital ~ our firstborn. Or exclaiming over your first tooth, your first word, your first step. Just yesterday weren't we sitting at the ball field watching you play baseball? Or sending you off to driver's ed? Watching you graduate? Go off to your first college class?

We have watched you grow into such a fine young man. We are so proud of you and are so happy for you on this day. It's surely bittersweet, you will fly out of our little nest here to begin your own life with Ariel. The house will be different! Waiting up for you each night, I could always hear your truck as it came over the hill and turned into the driveway, and I would sigh a prayer of thanks that you made it home safely. Then I would hurry to meet you as you came in the door. How I will miss those quiet chats we had while the rest of the house was asleep.

What can I grab hold of ~ To slow the spinning of time? To slow the turning of the page? A sequel for us all. I have no doubt that it will be a wonderful sequel ~ and though I try to linger on the pages of this book, the time has come, the page has turned. I do my best to embrace it ~ and with much love and prayer, joy and tears, we are blessed to watch as your new story begins. As God has ordained it.

On this day and always, be the man that we know you are. Show your strength and your love and your humor. Continue to grow in Christ, never let go of your love of learning. Always rememmber how much you are loved ~ and we will always be here with an open door for you and your new bride. Love Ariel as Christ loved the church. And remember to cherish each moment, as they all go so quickly.

"Be strong in the Lord and, Never give up hope, You're going to do great things, I already know, God's got His hand on you so, Don't live life in fear, Forgive and forget, But don't forget why you're here, Take your time and pray, Thank God for each day, His love will find a way, These are the words I would say."

Love You Both! xo

3 john 1:11

"Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God."

New Photo Board

I made a new photo board today. It was fun, and I love the results!


This was my old picture board ~ always very full.

I'm Back

Wow, I haven't been here for a long time! It's been a busy summer! Nice to be back:)






189. Summer ~ and clinging to it

190. Sunshine ~ warm air

191. Good books

192. My Swing and a coffee

193. The Word to comfort and encourage

194. Getting through the storm safely ~ and waking to blue skies

195. Not always understanding, but the ability to seek answers and seek Him

196. Provision

197. Zucchini from the garden for lots of zucchini bread

198. Friends to encourage us

199. My beautiful white hydrangea trees, and they weren't damaged by the storm

200. Mummu calling to check on me:)

201. A nice dinner out with friends

202. The quiet of early morning

Working as Unto the Lord

One of my favorite encouraging women is Elisabeth Elliot. She conveys such simple truths, yet in a gentle, Godly way. I read this today and had to re-post it. I hear so many grumble about all the daily tasks, or about work. I am often guilty of the same. I think this is a nice reminder of "Doing as unto the Lord".


Elisabeth Elliot's Daily Devotional
Title: How to Do the Job You Don't Really Want To Do

Author: Elisabeth Elliot


Certain aspects of the job the Lord has given me to do are very easy to postpone. I make excuses, find other things that take precedence, and, when I finally get down to business to do it, it is not always with much grace. A new perspective has helped me recently:

The job has been given to me to do.
Therefore it is a gift.
Therefore it is a privilege.
Therefore it is an offering I may make to God.
Therefore it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him.
Therefore it is the route to sanctity.

Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God's way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness. The discipline of this job is, in fact, the chisel God has chosen to shape me with--into the image of Christ.

Thank you, Lord, for the work You have assigned me. I take it as your gift; I offer it back to you. With your help I will do it gladly, faithfully, and I will trust You to make me holy.

Daily devotions courtesy of Devotions.org, a ministry of Back to the Bible.

How can one not believe?

Give Thanks . . . . With a Grateful Heart

175. A wonderful Mother's Day with my kids ~ so blessed to be a wife and mom. Something I always dreamed of being.

176. Lots of food and bakery to make and deliver

177. A little bit of sunshine

178. Apple blossoms, cherry blossoms and lilacs

179. Handfuls of dandelions from my sweet girl

180. A nest of baby birds below my bedroom window

181. Rainbows

182. Visits with friends

183. A visit with my dear cousin and two of her boys. Oh, they make me smile:)

184. Time between the raindrops to take a few pictures

185. Standing on the Promises

186. Almost through the school year:)

187. The scale is going in the right direction. . . . and trying to stay on track! I think I can, I think I can:)

188. Hearing kind words from others about your kids

Give Thanks . . . With a Grateful Heart

159. Sunny skies

160. Pretty pink cherry blossoms on my weeping cherry tree

161. Lunch at Kimball's after church with family and friends

162. A reminder to keep your eyes on Jesus

163. Celebrating Benjamin and his 15th birthday

164. Lunch with Mummu and seeing her so thrilled

165. A clean car

166. The Greatest of these is LOVE ~ love, love, love people. Show the love of Christ!

167. Ideas and new ventures

168. Ice cream out with hubby and kids

169. Our troops and the sacrifices that they make daily

170. A phone call from hubby on his lunch break ~ just to chat

171. Friends stopping by for a visit

172. Bleeding hearts in blossom

173. Sweet notes in the mailbox

174. Encouraging words

~ Of Weddings, Friendship, Love, and Royalty ~

Watching the beautiful fairy tale wedding this morning. I remember getting up to watch the wedding of Charles and Diana. Wow, that was a long time ago! Due to my great interest in Princess Diana, I was invited to England by a great friend of my grandmother, and spent three weeks traveling in England, Scotland and Wales as a teen. I was in England for the wedding of Andrew and Sarah.

Even better, my interest in Princess Diana led me to a special friendship in middle school. My dear friend and I were drawn together by our interest in Princess Diana. We were soon the best of friends. It wasn't long before she told me that I had to meet her cousin who was moving back to town. She thought we would be the perfect pair. She introduced Eric and I, and sure enough ~ it was love at first sight, and my fairy tale began. I was a girl just shy of thirteen at the time we first met. Now in June we will celebrate our 22nd anniversary.

I have always loved the beauty and the tradition of the monarchy. The pageantry is stunning. It calls me to remember our own royal heritage ~ in Christ our King! We are all subject to Him. In Revelation we read about a throne ~ with a rainbow about it, before a sea of glass like crystal. "And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever."

Nothing could be better than to be in that Royal family.

Free eBook

Like a Warm Cup of Coffee ~

Check out this deal ~ if you blog, tweet or Facebook about the new e-book "31 Days to Clean ~ Having a Martha House the Mary Way", before midnight tonight, you get a free copy of the e-book!

Sarah Mae's blog is full of lots of wonderful information from a Christian perspective. Check it out, I know you will find some pearls of wisdom there!

Give Thanks . . . With a Grateful Heart

151. The sun shining and the Son Shining ~ on Easter Morning

152. Our son is home from S.C.

153. A great cantata at my Mom's church ~ beautiful music and video presentations~ a wonderful sermon, and seeing lots of friends

154. A visit with friends in the afternoon, and dinner with all the kids and their friends

155. To see Benjamin so excited that his goats each had twins. I must admit, they are pretty cute when they are little!

156. Going for a much needed massage tomorrow! Praying it helps my sciatica!

157. Pondering and reading and hearing the story of what Christ did for us ~

158. My coffee on such a gray day

Easter Blessings to All

Sunday's Comin'