For Those Called To The Mission Field.......

This past week has been a very exciting

time at our church.  Several missionary

families have been visiting, giving their

testimonies and plans for the coming

year in spreading the gospel of

Jesus Christ  throughout the world.

All this missionary talk brought to my

mind one Gladys Aylward. 

Have you heard of her?

A little research on Amazon, led

me to this book for younger children.

I will read aloud to some of my

favorite little people..........

the story of Gladys, a small woman,

born 1902 in England. She would

earn her living as a house maid,

saving  her meager earnings,  to pay

for her passage to China.

"Inn Of The Sixth Happiness"

Glady's life is beautifully

portrayed by Ingrid Bergman.

True story....of a woman who

felt God calling her to missionary

work in China....

In many instances, Gladys

 risk her life for the Chinese

people she loves.  In a

climatic ending to the book

and movie, she rescues

hundred's of orphans in wartime China.

Tonight I'm thankful for

sweet missionary families

who sacrificially offer their

lives in service through missions.

I'm praying for you, as you travel

to Africa, Zambia, the Philippines.

I'm praying for good accomodations

for  the family of  church planters on

their way to Boston, Mass.

God go with you.......Dee Dee

My Cottage Camellias

Sundays are always incredibly busy for

me, so I've put together a little collage

of our Camellias.  They've been lovely

to see, and promise a few more blooms

before the heat sets in, here in Florida.

Have a blessed week.....Dee Dee

An Illustration

"BROTHERS"

Showered,

wet hair

and readied

 for bed,

big brother

 offers a

gentle snuggle.

We find delight in the beauty and

happiness of children that makes

the heart too big for the body.

~Emerson

Have a beautiful Lord's day everyone......Dee Dee

Morning Garden Shadows

Early morning in the garden,

finds shadows from the

neighbors grapefruit tree

and the tall

White Bird of Paradise plants.

A closer look finds another

beautiful Camellia bloom....

and another beautiful double

Camellia bloom....I'm afraid

they are nearing the time when

the blooming ends for the season.

White Geraniums from a hanging

basket in the courtyard area of

the garden....

These delicate little Pansy like

blooms still doing well in a hanging

basket....

This is the most pleasant time of year

here in Florida....not too hot or too cold.

Such a beautiful world....

Enjoying the moments......Dee Dee

On My Desk To Read

My kind of read.

Audubon's story....the illegitimate son

of the French middle class,

coming to America at eighteen

years of age, to escape Napoleon's

army. 

Audubon's history is entwined

with early America.

In an age prior to photography,

Audubon goes to great lengths to

capture true likeness of birds on paper,

with his goal to create as close as

possible .....a complete catalog of

American birds.

Biography and history

wrapped up in one book.

Wherever the young man went he watched the birds.

Birds moved through the human world at will. In their

large freedom they lived rich lives in parallel with

people and people hardly knew.........

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

I'm Impressed With Abigail

Abigail Adams....

Wife, Mother, Farmer and First Lady

John had returned to Congress

in Philadelphia.....still working on

the Declaration of Independence.

What was Abigail doing?

Running the farm, home-schooling

and  raising the

children....alone.

She would write to John almost daily.....

Rampant Inflation,

shortages of nearly every necessity made the day-to-day

struggle at home increasingly difficult. A dollar was not

worth what a quarter had been, Abigail reported.

"Our money will soon be as useless as blank paper."

Bread, salt, sugar, meat and molasses, cotton and wool,

had become dear beyond measure. Farm help, help of

any sort, was impossible to find. Yet she managed....

scrimped, saved, wove her own wool, made the family's

clothes....determined not only to stay free from debt,

but to make improvements. She would do her part in

her way, as a patriotic duty but also because it was

expected of her in his absence.

"I believe nature has assigned each sex its particular

duties and sphere of action,"  she would write,

"and to act well your part, 'there all the honor lies.'"

~Source: John Adams by David McCullough

Yes, I'm impressed with Abigail Adams, thinking

her a good role model for young ladies.

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

Hanging Laundry In A Spring Garden

Now blooming in our garden......

Spring will be short lived,

so I'm spending every moment

possible outside,  enjoying the

cool March breezes and warm

Florida sunshine. 

Those of you who visit the cottage

from time to time, have no doubt 

caught glimpses of my laundry

blowing in the tropical  breezes.

I still find it a little nostalgic, and will

 have to admit that

 having  the clothesline  located in

a tropical spring garden adds a lot

to the charm.

A flash of dew, a bee or two,

A breeze

A caper in the trees,

And I'm a Rose!

~Emily Dickinson

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