For Ourselves and Our Nation

Time keeps on ticking....into the future....

-

As the years come and go, one considers

or perhaps ponders life,

finding that not a single second,

moment or day

 should be taken for granted. 

We each have a destiny and

have been given a designated

amount of  time for life.

 I hear lots of grumbling and

complaining these days

across our land......

and most of it

selfishly unjustified.

Gratefulness,

self-worth and self pride

is no longer being taught to our youth.

Where's mine? 

 I want what is yours!

Seems some folks have been misdirected,

not yet realizing

 they've been blessed by God,

having been born here, 

 in this great nation

of religious freedom and opportunity.

We can achieve our goals with hard

work and obedience to

God's laws.

-

It is time for new beginnings of sort

for all of us.

 Come what may....

we move in our own directions.

With God's help, we

as a devided nation 

can come back together

and into 

His perfect will.

-

 God bless you each,

with a healthy and blessed

New Year

dear family and friends.....Dee Dee

When We Pray For A Baby.....

........it seems more like we're crying out to God.

I saw this beautiful painting by

Uasili Belyaev, a Russian artist,

 on another Blog this evening,

 and  thought it comforting and

somehow

a reminder of how our Lord,

while here on earth,

was willing to spend  time

with little children.

Luke 18:16

But Jesus called them to Him and said,

Suffer little children to come unto me

and forbid them not, for such is the

kingdom of God.

-

God's Holy Word is meant to

teach us and comfort us.....and so it has.

-

Trusting in Him.....Dee Dee

Cottage Camellias

They begin blooming at Christmastime

each year.

I've tried really hard to capture how

beautiful they are with my camera.....

The afternoon sun found them

sitting on a table in a crystal bowl.

They are,

no doubt

beautifully

designed

by our Creator.

-

Have a blessed day everyone.....Dee Dee

Orange.....Fashion Color For 2012

I was actually crocheting this

nice warm orange scarf, when

I heard this on the news...

"Yes, that's right....orange is the

color for the new year," the announcer said.

For the fringe, I've  used a

  fluffy variegated yarn with colors of

orange, brown and black.

 Finally, I've actually taken

the time and made

something for me..... I

couldn't be more pleased.

This will wear nicely with

shades of brown, lovely

creams, and perhaps  black.

That nice orange

vest that's been hanging in the closet

for a while,

 is begging to be worn

with my new 2012....

quite  in style,

orange scarf.

-

Have a blessed day......Dee Dee

All Things Calm Now....

I suppose I might refer to

 the day

after Christmas as the

"calm after the storm"

and that would be

 appropriate considering all the

excitement from packages

being opened.

We've had too much egg nog, the Mister and I, so  nice

cups of tea have been lovely today.

I've put away all the Christmas fabrics and

have that feeling of contentment, hearing lots

of sweet appreciative complements from the

recepients of my handmade gifts.

However.....baby fabrics are now

in plain view.

A new grandchild is on the way....God

just keeps on blessing us over and

over again. 

Seems I never tire of sewing for "little ones"

kinda makes my heart happy.

I'm thinking just a few more days left in

this year.  The Christmas tree will come

down this week and I'll make a few

changes....planning already to

attend a few January "white" sales.

How about you?

Relaxing today,  and enjoying the moments.....Dee Dee

Merry Christmas......

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth

peace and good will toward all men.

God bless you, everyone.....Dee Dee

Nativity

Millions of Christians visit this

holy place each year.....

 Bethlehem

 Church of the Nativity

-

And it came to pass in those days, that there

went up a decree from Caesar Augustus

that all the world should be taxed.

And Joseph went up from Galilee, out of

the city of Nazareth,

 into Judea, unto the city

of David, which is called Bethlehem,

 to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being

great with child.

 And she brought forth

her firstborn son,

and wrapped him in swaddling clothes,

 and laid him in a manger......

-

Good Blessings for all.........Dee Dee

Christmas On The Causeway.....

On our drive out to the island, we passed

this beautiful sailboat. The camera loved

how the sun was setting, reflecting on that

pretty white sail.  I did a little decorating,

as you can see.

Christmas blessings to all.....Dee Dee

It Seems Christmas Is Everywhere

I did a little holiday candy making

earlier today....white chocolate

fudge with pecans, to be more

clearer on the candy making.....

Then we drove down to the island.

Looks a lot like winter out there.

The tall wispy willows have all

turned brown and we saw  

no signs of the Egret families.

The tide appeard to be coming in

and I took some really pretty photos.

Something was missing.....I thought to myself.

It is.....Christmas

after all.

I had the solution.

With some help from Photoshop

and a steady hand with paint brush,

I did a little island decorating.

The Mister walked by, leaned

over my shoulder as I was posting,  and said

"Funny, I don't remember seeing

the wreath out there......"

"Really?"

Yuletide blessings for all.....Dee Dee

Lovin' The Florin Street Band

I cannot begin to tell you how

beautiful this whole

Christmas musical production is....

Watch and share with others.....

Sit back, relax and enjoy.....  

Click here...... http://www.florinstreet.com/

Christmas blessings.....Dee Dee

Star Of Wonder Star Of Night....

As an old brown sheep slept

out in the open on that night of miracles,

the snow came quietly

down onto the mountainside.

  The heavy wool

on his body giving him warmth,

he hadn't noticed or felt the soft

cold flakes that began to cover him.

Light seeping through his thick

lashes, had awakened him

and he lay still wondering

at the woodland shadows

 that streaked by him and

 the strange bright light coming

from the heavens.

-

Enjoying pencils and watercolors....

Christmas blessings for all.....Dee Dee

 

Camellias For Christmas

.....and they are scattered all over the cottage.

Up high on a bookcase.....

In the kitchen window......

....and even placed on a book

of Christmas poems.

This one was the first to

bloom, surprising us with

a variegated color.  We

likened it to the candy cane.

The  bush has hundreds of

blooms yet to open.....

So perfect for this time of year,

having nature celebrating and

giving us Camellias for

Christmas.

-

Have a blessed Christmas week everyone!

.....Dee Dee

Miss Read

For many years, Miss Read has

been the standard-bearer of

wonderful English country village

novels. Her tales of thatched-roof

cottages and two-room schoolhouses,

dotty spinsters and genial eccentrics,

have more recently won me over

as a fan and happy reader.

In my stack of Christmas's books

to read....

 Miss Read's Christmas:

Village Christmas and The Christmas Mouse.

Mrs. Berry awoke as the children

burst into the room.  A cold breeze

set the Christmas tree ornaments

tinkling and rustled the paper chain,

which swung above the door.

The little girls' faces were pink

and wet, their bangs stuck to their

foreheads and glistened with dampness.

Drops fell from the scarlet mackintoshes

and their woolly gloves were soaked.

But nothing could damp their spirits

on this wonderful day......

-

With one week till Christmas,

you still have plenty of time for

this little read....

I promise, you too will become a Miss Read fan.

-

Have a blessed Lord's day,

sweet family and friends.....Dee Dee

Wrapping Packages

I am pooped from wrapping packages,

but pleased that they look nice with

Christmas slogans and sayings. 

I bought the wrapping paper at last

year's Christmas sales bargain prices.

I'm posting early today and then

off to a family outing.....

holiday  ice skating at the mall.

Oh no, I won't be skating....

I'll be holding a two year old and

taking photos.

Have a blessed day....Dee Dee

Christ's Bell

THE BELL

I KNOW WHO I AM

I am God's Child (John l:l2)

I am Christ's friend (John l5:l5)

I am united with the Lord (l Cor. 6:l0)

I am bought with a price (l Cor. 6:l9-20)

I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. l:l)

I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts l:8)

I am a member of the body of Christ (l Cor l2:27)

I am free forever from condemnation (Rom. 8:3l-34)

I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor. 5:l7-2l)

I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:l8)

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)

I cannot be separated from the love of God. (Rom 8:35-39)

I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Co9r l:2l-22)

I am assured all things work together for good (Rom 8:28)

I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John l5:l6)

I may approach, God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3:l2)

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:l3)

I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John l5:l-5)

I am God's temple (l Cor, 3:l6).  I am complete in Christ (Col. 2:l0)

I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3)..I have been justified (Romans 5:l)

I am God;s co-worker (l Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:l). I am God's workmanship (Eph. 2:l0)

I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil. l:

5)

I have been redeemed and forgiven (Col l:l4). I have been adopted as God's child

(Eph l:5)

I belong to God

Do you know

Who you are?

-

A dear sweet sister-in-Christ gave

our Bible study class this and I

wanted to share it with the world......

Blessings for all here at Christmastime....Dee Dee

His Special Ornament

No matter that I put

my feminine touch into

decorating

 our Christmas tree,

one can,

upon  taking a closer look,

find evidence of the

"man-of-the-house."

Once

a sailor in the US Navy,

he was then and still

to this day, fond of all

that floats on the waters.

The small blue boat is

his special ornament this year.

Hmmm....

what gift for him

shall I place beneath the tree?

-

Tomorrow would be Christmas Day,

and she had only one dollar and

eighty-seven cents with which to buy

Jim a present.

So now Della's beautiful hair fell

about her, rippling and shining like

a cascade of brown waters.

"Will you buy my hair?"  asked Della.

"Twenty dollars," said Madame.

"Give it to me quick," said Della.

"Please God, make him think I am

still pretty."

-

Reading again, The Gift Of The Magi

by O'Henry

and pondering the message.........

-

The Magi that brought gifts to the

Baby Jesus, invented the art of

giving Christmas presents.

-

Yuletide cheer to all.....Dee Dee

All Decorated

The cottage is decorated in

celebration.....

......ring Christmas bells, merrily ring,

tell all the world Jesus is King.....

....come all ye people join in the singing

repeat the story told by the ringing.....

All is finally coming together....

the tree is decorated, the

shopping  completed, and

packages all mailed.

I bought some 60% off

ribbon today,

for family

gifts to wrap and put under

the tree.

This has been one of those

Christmases, so far,

 that all seems

to be going well and right

on schedule.

The basket beneath the tree is

filled with little gifts for a

nursing home Christmas party.

What to get for my sweet

brothers and sisters in Christ....

that are in the winter of their

lives, just trying to cope.

Something to bring a smile

to their faces.....gentle hugs

and kind words is what

they want more than anything.

Perhaps a pretty Christmas

snow globe will remind them

of happier times....I hope so.

Christmas blessings for all.....Dee Dee

Martin Luther and the Small Fir Tree

There is a tale about Martin Luther,

 founder of the Protestant faith......

-

Martin Luther  was out

walking on Christmas eve, looked up

to the clear, wintry sky lit by thousands

of stars and suddenly was moved to cut

down a small fir tree and set it up in the

sitting room for his children. It had no

ornaments, but he lit it with "countless

candles as an image of the starry heaven

from which Christ would come."

To Luther, it seemed as though the

stars themselves had come down to earth.

Source: The Book of Christmas

-

Sweet thoughts to ponder today....Dee Dee

I Love Christmas

Our choir's cantata,

last evening, seemed

blessed by God.

At rehearsal

the day before we

had a few rough spots.

With the main lights in

the church lowered, the soft

light from candles

offered the perfect

ambiance for

Russell Mauldin's

"O Holy Night"

Christmas musical.

I felt it from the

beginning, something

quite miraculous was

happening to our little

choir.  The young

and some very old voices

were singing in almost

flawless unison to

beautiful words

of adoration to our Lord.

Emmanuel(Hallowed Manger Ground)

O Holy Night, Come Adore Him.

-

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Our Savior, Deliverer, Redeemer.....

the One God's people had

watched and waited for so long...

born on this holy night.

-

I love Christmas......Dee Dee

I Hear Tiny Little Christmas Carols

I hear tiny little

Christmas Carols,

or so it seems.

Sitting atop the bookcase

each Christmas

a sweet porcelain mouse

whose small voice

fills the cottage with

whispers of

yuletide songs....

Or so it would seem.

-

"Joy to the world,

the Lord is come......

And heaven and nature sing,

and heaven and nature sing......"

Have a blessed day.....Dee Dee 

Contentment

Oh yes, I am  pleased with the Poinsettias.

They are the perfect color for the living room.

I spent the morning making more

Christmas pillows....

lovin' the little ball fringe,

red on one pillow

and green on the other.

(note bits of polyester fiberfill on fringe)

I actually made them to

give for gifts.

I placed them on the

sofa, stepped back to

survey my sewing efforts....

and began liking them way

too much.

Hmmmm.....I might

just have to buy a bit

more Christmas patterned

fabric.

I've really

enjoyed making several

of my Christmas gifts, at least

half of them.

My thirty year old sewing

machine is working like a charm.

The Mister wonders that I

don't want a new and better one.

At one time,  I

just might have liked a

newer fancier model.  I suppose

I've found contentment with what

I have. It's a good sewing machine,

old indeed but now my pride and joy.

-

Which reminds me......

Our Bible study is in Hebrews again this week...

Chap. l3 verses  7-12 ...Speaks

of having contentment, rather than

desiring more.

  That we should

relish what we have, rather

than resent what we're  missing.

Good words to ponder today....

Sweet Christmas Blessings for all....Dee Dee

Christmas Juniper

"Poinsettias For Sale"

He's there every year....

I've noticed, but then passed by.

It was my good fortune that

I stopped by today.

I found, much to my amazement,

that the

 large white tent was covering  a sea

of Poinsettias, Christmas trees,

Christmas wreaths,

Christmas cactus, Juniper trees

and bunches of

beautiful arrangements

using traditional Christmas

plants and flowers. 

Grown local and close by, in

Tampa Florida, I was

pleased and amazed at how fresh,

lovely and perfect they each were. 

 I had one of those,

"I want one of everything"

moments, unable to choose.

I did finally make my

selections, one being a

sweet little juniper tree with

red bows... for the kitchen.

"How's your business doing?"

asked the Mister. "Not good,

the economy, I suppose."

On the way home, we made

a few calls to family and friends....

"Go here to buy your

Christmas plants.....you won't

be disappointed."

-

Blessed by the

Christmas sunshine,

our natures, perhaps

long leafless, bring

forth new love,

new kindness,

new mercy,

new compassion.

~Helen Keller

-

Christmas Blessings for all.....Dee Dee

Enjoy Being Alive

Life is what we are alive to.

It is not length but breadth......

Be alive...

to goodness,

kindness,

purity,

love,

history,

poetry,

music,

flowers,

stars,

God,

and eternal hope.

~Maltbie D Babdock

-

Blessings to all....Dee Dee

Let The Stable Still Astonish

Let the stable still astonish:

Straw-dirt floor, 

Dusty flanks of donkeys, oxen;

Crumbling, crooked walls;

No bed to carry that pain,

And then, the child,

Rag-wrapped, laid to cry

In a trough.

Who would have chosen this?

Who would have said; "Yes,

Let the God of all the heavens

and earth

Be born here, in this place?"

Who but the same God

Who stands in the darker, fouler

rooms

of our hearts

and says,

 "Yes,

let the God of Heaven and Earth

be born here....

in this place."

-

Leslie Leyland Fields

~Patches of Godlight...Jan Karon

-

Me thinks....a lot to ponder,

and  wondering

at this kind of love.....Dee Dee

Another Prayer Scarf

It takes me a while to crochet

a nice long scarf.

I'm at it again tonight, one stitch

 after another, slowly

but surely, it's coming along,

a prayer scarf.  I've made quite a few of these.

When my grandson was

in Afghanistan, I sent him a "prayer scarf". 

 I  used  a camouflage yarn....

green and black.  I prayed

for him  off and on the whole

time I crocheted,

asking God's protection for him. 

 The day he received it, he

began showing it to the guys in his company,

calling it a prayer scarf. 

One by one these young marines

began asking if he could

get his grandmother to

make them one.....so long hours

of work  began. Day after day,

week after week, month after month, I

stitched  and prayed.  Each young

soldier that received a scarf,

 made it home from the war.

I like to think my prayers

encouraged  each one of them,

 I know the scarf

kept their necks warm during

the cold Afghan winter.

Not long ago, my friend's

daughter was diagnosed

with lymphoma cancer....

I made her a beautiful scarf,

prayed for healing

asking  God  restore her completely

to good health. She loved her

scarf and I had

oddly enough selected her

favorite colors. My hope

is that each time she wears it

she is reminded of

God's faithfulness

and love for her.

I've selected a nice brown/beige

tweed yarn for this scarf.

  It's  for someone very close to me,

 a man of God, a pastor who serves 

our Lord with all his heart

and soul.  I'm asking for healing and trusting

in His promises as I watch the stitiches

form into a scarf of encouragement.

-

Please Lord, restore your servant to full health.

Remove all fear and doubt from his heart by

the power of your Holy Spirit and may

you Lord be glorified through his life. Amen

-

Blessings for all......Dee Dee

Christmas Sketching

Angels and  archangels

May have gathered there.

Cherubim and seraphim

Thronged the air;

But only His mother

in her maiden bliss

Worshipped the Beloved

With a kiss.....~Rossetti

"Though I don't understand the purpose of your plan,

Here I am.....be it unto me..."

These beautiful words are part of a  solo....

Mary's reaction when told

she would give birth to the Christ child.

Our choir practiced today, and I'm finding it a bit

overwhelming emotionally, when I hear all the

parts blending together.  I sing soprano ....the

tenor section is behind me, the alto

to my right. 

My sketching of Mary and Child, seen here,

 is heartfelt....

very much on my mind,

the Christmas message.

Blessings to all.....Dee Dee