Hello Mornings!

I am neither a self-professed early riser or a night owl.  I enjoy the peacefulness that either time of the day offers.  How can I choose between the beauty of a golden sunrise or a majestic purple sunset?  One offers me an opportunity to rejoice with the coming of the new day.  While the other gives me time to reflect and be thankful for all that the day was.

There is something to be said about starting the day off in the presence of the Lord…Jesus started his day off by meeting with the Lord and therefore set an example for how our day should begin.

I am embarking on a journey this summer.  A journey that will begin at dawn each day.  Each morning will begin with prayer, include a devotional reading and finish up with a time of quiet and stillness.

I am feeling most challenged by the commitment to the time of quiet and stillness…typically when my feet hit the floor my mind is racing…making my own plan for the day, week, month…rarely checking in with the Lord to see what His plan is for my day.

I have found that it’s easier for me to stay focused when I have a plan in place.  Otherwise, I find myself distracted and rambling. I have been known to chase a squirrel or two…  I have found the simple ACTS prayer model works for me…This also follows the pattern of the Lords prayer…

• Adoration: proclaiming who God is and the attributes of HIS character
• Confession: personal cleansing, repentance, putting on Christs nature
• Thanksgiving: praise offering, meditation
• Supplication: asking, intercession and petitioning according to God’s will

I have created a place that I hope will become my thin place, where heaven meets earth (check out the explanation at 6:00 minutes) …my meeting place with the Lord…If you would like to join the summer session of Hello Mornings click here to find a group.

I am looking forward to developing a great new habit of rising early and meeting with the Lord.  This could be the best summer of my life! Let the journey begin…

Happy Valentines Day…

 I have been looking forward to making these for weeks.

Somehow Rice Krispie treats cut into heart shapes and dipped in white chocolate scream “I love you!”

I called our son and asked if wanted to come over and help me make Valentine treats.  When he told me his girlfriend loves rice krispie treats, I knew he would be here.

I gathered all of the ingredients;

1 Box of Rice Krispie Cereal
1 Pkg of  Miniature Marshmallows
Heart Shaped Cookie Cutters
White Chocolate
Cello Treat Bags
Valentine Stickers

I called him at least twice to confirm we were still on…I’m not exactly sure why I was so excited about making these simple treats…I think it may have had something to do with the fact that I have never made rice krispie treats in my life.

The heart-shaped treats were cut out, dipped in white chocolate, placed in cello bags and sweet Valentine love notes placed on each one.  I hope his girlfriend enjoys getting them as much as we enjoyed making them…

Happy Valentines Day!

February Facts…

What do we know about February?

When I think of February I immediately think of my anniversary and my youngest sisters birthday. They both happen to fall on Valentines Day.

February is the second month of the year…

It is also the shortest month of the year, having less than 30 days…

February has as many holidays as it has days…

• Black History Month
• American Heart Month
• Parent Leadership Month
• National Bird Feeding Month
• Groundhog Day
• Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday
• Valentines Day
• Flag Day of Canada
• Presidents Day
• George Washington’s Birthday
• Flag Day of Mexico
• National Wear Red Day

February’s Birthstone is Amethyst

February’s flower is the violet and the common primrose…

This year Mardi Gras Day is February 12th, followed by Ash Wednesday, February 13th…

It is commonly referred to as the month of love…

And February 14th is one of the most popular days for weddings…

Sadly it is also known to be one of the two most popular months for divorce filings…

What fun fact do you know about February?

Reflection: The Stain of Love!

This week has given me many opportunities for reflection.  A dear sweet friend and co-worker passed from this life into the next on Sunday morning @ 8:00am.  And at 8:00:01am she opened them in the presence of God.  This is what I believe and it is not up for debate.

As I have gone through my week thinking of her at every turn, my days have been filled with smiles and laughter, a few tears but only because of the kind remembrances of her and the unselfish life she led.

She leaves behind a beautiful family with hearts filled with wonderful memories and wisdom only a woman of God can instill in the lives of her children.

I have reflected on how this woman born in the Ukraine came to be a part of God’s plan in my life.  I am a city girl from the Southern United States and she a beautiful woman from a small farming village in Russia.  Only God could have seen how we needed one another for this season of our lives.

I have heard it said that people come into our lives for a moment, a season or a lifetime.  You would think that the person who comes into our life for a lifetime would make the biggest impact on us.  But I do not believe that to always be the case.

There are those people who come into our lives and they make an impression.  They can either make a good impression or a bad impression.  But impressions are easily forgotten as time passes.

There are those individuals who come into our life and they make a mark.  A mark sticks with you longer than an impression.  When I think of a mark I think of a scar.  Scars are made by cutting into our flesh, they hurt and make us bleed.  Some marks are deeper than others but they heal, the pain goes away and eventually you are left with a faded mark.  There are good scars and not so good scars…A good scar could be one left from a surgical procedure that saved your life or delivered your child into your loving arms.  A bad scar…there are too many to mention…

Then there are those who come into our lives and leave a stain.  They pour themselves out all over us and when they are no longer with us we see a reflection of them in our own lives.  I realize there are good stains as well as bad stains…A bad stain that comes to mind is red wine spilled on white carpet…A good stain is the perfect walnut stain applied to a beautiful hand crafted wooden cabinet.  To better illustrate my point here is the definition of how “staining” works;

“The primary method of stain formation is surface stains, where the staining substance is spilled out onto the surface or material and is trapped in the fibers, pores, indentations, or other capillary structures on the surface.  The material that is trapped coats the underlying material, and the stain reflects back light according to its own color.”

My sweet beautiful friend was a “stainer”…she stained everyone she met with her color.  She didn’t just spill a little of herself into your life, she poured herself into your life.  It was subtle and sweet.  Her intentions were always meant for good.  Her grace and goodness had a way of making you stop and realize how blessed we were just to be standing up, walking around, able to work…my sweet beautiful friend seeped into my pours, she filled every indentation of my being with warmth and love.

This is one stain I will never try to remove or cover up…it is the stain of love.

Other Reflections of Love:

Reflections from a Cloudy Mirror

This Man’s Journey

Christine M Grote

Fabulous 50′s

A Spring Day via Pinterest…

Groundhog Day is just around the corner, February 2nd.  I am almost positive that Phil will see his shadow and we are in for an additional 6 weeks of winter.

Whether Phil sees his shadow or not I am already enjoying spring time on Pinterest.  Spring colors, recipes and crafts are sprinkled across the pages…

This is one of the ways I would love to spend a spring day...

Wearing a new spring outfit..from Anthropologie

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Picking out a new lipstick..Mac Twig

Bringing home a bouquet of plump blush  peonies…

Making a pitcher of homemade strawberry lemonade…made with fresh strawberries, lemons and honey.

And then making a delicious strawberry and lemonade layer cake…

And finally walking around with balloons…just because they make me happy!

Travel Theme: UP

 

Key West on Dwellable

I am joining up with the Alisa and her traveling backpack…this weeks Travel Theme is UP!

We will be looking UP at the Key West Lighthouse from outside and also from within…

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Check out Alisa at Where’s My Backpack…for the latest travel themes…you just never know where the day will take you.

Time to Winterize…

It’s January and most of the country is settling in for a long winter.  Have you thought about winterizing your home?  No I don’t mean wrapping the pipes and putting away the lawn furniture.  Although those are very good ideas I am not talking about the outside of your home.

Wouldn’t it be nice to come in from the cold and walk into a home filled with warmth.  Warmth that doesn’t come form the thermostat but from little touches that you have added to your home.

In the winter we dress in layers. Layers help us stay warm.  Try dressing your home in layers.  Blankets, throws, quilts and lots of throw pillows will add a whole new layer of comfort to your home. I have throws on the back of the kitchen chairs, quilts stacked up next to the fire-place.   I have blankets on every bed and on the sofa.  I have even left a quilt out on the patio for those days when the thermometer is near freezing but the sun is shining…and I want to sit outside for a bit.  Having blankets handy for you and your family to snuggle up in will actually save you money…you will be less tempted to turn up the heat when a blanket is within reach.

You can add a layer of warmth to your home by adding a little whimsy to your decorating style.  Adding a pop of color to your bookcases is as simple as using scrapbook paper, a vintage album cover or coffee table book as the background on your shelf.  Restyle  your bookcases by moving things around and mixing it up.  Add dimension and texture by adding  pictures, mirrors, $store silver trays and collectibles in with the books. Remember your bookshelves should show off your personality…you don’t live in a library. Do you?

Speaking of books, I love a good book.  I have books in every room of our home.  Yes, even the bathroom. TMI?   There is no better time of year to catch up on your reading than when the temperature outside is hovering around freezing.  I suggest taking a trip to your local used book seller.  Pick up a latte on the way and spend the next several hours scouring the shelves for a few good reads.  When you get home stack your new to you books next to your favorite chair.  Make sure they are within easy reach…so you can enjoy them whenever you have a few minutes to leaf through or read a page or two.  I especially love “picture books” or “coffee table” books for leafing through when I only have time for tea…

Spring is a long way off for most of us, but the retailers are already pushing the new spring and summer colors, patterns and fabrics.  The clearance racks will be full of quilts, chenille blankets and faux fur throws.  Look for down filled pillows covered in soft fabrics.  Don’t be afraid to go with a bright color a whimsical print.  You might even pickup a cozy pair of slippers and a new coffee mug from the clearance racks…keep your eyes open, you never know what you might find.  Have you been to HomeGoods Store?  It’s my new favorite home decor store…

One of the easiest ways to warm up your home is to add fragrance.  Find a candle fragrance that smells like your favorite dessert is baking in the oven.  I love Circle E candles.  They are multi wick, burn evenly and smell delicious.  My favorite for this time of year is “Fresh Cake”.  If you are uncomfortable with having lit candles in your home, you can pick up a candle warmer.  It will slowly melt the candle releasing the wonderful aroma without a flame.

There you have it…a warm cozy welcoming space to greet you when you come in from the cold… and all we did was winterize our home.  Now snuggle up with a blanket and a cup of hot tea and a something sweet.

January Photo A Day 2013: Surprise

Day 12. Surprise: I love when I stumble across coins when I’m walking. It’s a lovely surprise. That would be a lucky photo for me. Can you think of a way to capture surprise?

Surprise!!!  There’s a baby in my cake!!!

In the southern United States, the tradition was brought to the area by colonists from France and Spain and is associated with Carnival (also known as Mardi Gras). Celebrated across the Gulf Coast region from the Florida Panhandle to East Texas, it originated in French Louisiana and King cake parties in New Orleans are documented back to the eighteenth century.

The king cake of the New Orleans tradition comes in a number of styles. The most simple and the most traditional, is a ring of twisted bread similar to that used in brioche topped with icing or sugar, usually colored purple, green, and gold (the traditional Mardi Gras colors) with food coloring. In 1972, a small bakery in Picayune, Mississippi, Paul’s Pastry, started adding fillings

 Also, some bakers have now taken the liberty to offer king cakes for other holidays that immediately surround Mardi Gras season, such as green and red-icing king cakes for Christmas, red and pink-icing cakes for Valentine’s Day, and green and white-icing cakes for St. Patrick’s Day. Others have gone a step further and produce specialty king cakes from the beginning of football season for Louisiana State University and New Orleans Saints tailgate parties, then for Halloween, then Thanksgiving – and do not cease until after Mardi Gras season with an Easter holiday king cake.  It has become customary in the Southern culture that whoever finds the trinket must provide the next king cake or host the next Mardi Gras party.

Surprise...a history lesson wrapped in a pastry!  Some information gathered from Wikepedia and of course personal first hand knowledge.

What do the prompts mean?

There are no rules when playing along with photo a day, you can be creative as you like! Interpret the prompt as you please. For those that need a little help, some more suggested details about each prompt are below.

13. Circle: Look as you go about today for things shaped in circles. Is it the tyres on a bus? A big sign? Or something else?
14. Something yellow: Find something yellow in your travels today and take a photo.

Wordless Wednesday…Indecision or really focused!

More Wordless Wednesday Posts:

Okiegrl

Personal Garden Coach 

Today was a huge day…

Today was a huge day in my 9-5 world.  I am a volunteer organizer…today I received 77 new volunteer interest forms.  This is a really big deal!

Volunteers are the life blood of our organization.  It would be virtually impossible to accomplish the goal to meet and greet every person who walks onto our campus without volunteers.

Our church offers 5 services on the weekends.  It takes approximately 150 volunteers to cover all of the needs of my ministry teams alone.  Adding 77 volunteers to the team rosters seems like a lot of volunteers.  That is until you break it down by service and team…the volunteers serve every other weekend, so that is 150 volunteers every weekend.  After all the dust settles it equals out to approximately one new volunteer per team.

The original contact has been made…now the real work begins.  I have to find a way to help these new volunteers stay excited about the commitment they have made.

What I did today will help someone make a difference in the life of someone else…Today was a huge day in my 9-5 world.