Saturday, December 3, 2011

A Christmas Tea

Lovely Thing #6: A Christmas Tea
Tiffani and I attended the Christmas Tea at our church this morning.
What a beautiful time spent with our sisters!

Shelly & Lori arranged a Mother-Daughter table. 

Top row: Tiffani, Emily, Kayty & Karli

Bottom row: Traci, Lori, Shelly & Kathy





If you are cold, tea will warm you.
If you are too heated, it will cool you.
If you are depressed, it will cheer you.
If you are excited, it will calm you.
~Gladstone, 1865

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Let There Be Light


Lovely Thing #5: Sunshine

I walked into our living room this morning and a flood of sunlight entered through the three small windows above the double doors.  I was instantly enveloped in its warmth and unexpectedly exclaimed, "Wow! Look how bright it is in here!"

As a girl's brain works, I was transported back a couple days ago.  I rode in the passenger seat while Tiffani drove down down a beautiful tree-lined street. The sun blazed through the front windshield.  Though I live in southern California, I don't own a pair of sunglasses, so I started to move the visor to shield my eyes out of habit.  Then I realized...I'm not drivingI can just close my eyes and allow the sunshine to hit my eyelids and enjoy its warmth and healing qualities.  So I did.
   



A cloudy day or a little sunshine have as great an influence on many constitutions as the most recent blessings or misfortunes.
~ Joseph Addison

Thursday, November 17, 2011

MODA Days

Lovely Thing #4: Mother-Daughter Days (AKA MODA Days)

A mother's treasure is her daughter.  ~ Catherine Pulsifer

As referenced in the last post, Tiffani and I have been working on a special project with Jeff. 
It's been all-hands-on-deck for the past 4-5 weeks.  Tiffani completed her portion, so her time has been freed up to study much more for her college exams. Woo woo!! 

We have annual passes to Disneyland (15 minutes from home), so we headed out this afternoon for a MODA Day visit to celebrate her "freedom."  How wonderful to wander the impeccably manicured grounds ~ beautifully decorated for the Christmas season.  Everyone happy ~ cast members (employees) and guests. We rode several newer rides we'd never been on before. 

We noticed a television personality with her husband and twins in the boat in front of us in the Peter Pan ride. I don't watch her show, but have recently seen a candid interview with her, and it filled me with joy to see her with a family that she never thought she'd have.

Tiffani and I had a great time "escaping" to different Lands for a while.  MODA Days can be anywhere and you can do anything.  A couple of our favorites are going to a local park and taking some books to read or just walking & talking.  We visit the Panera Bread close by and chat.  Pop over and window shop in a mall.  Sometimes, we just stay home and have "tea and goodies" outside on the patio. 

It doesn't matter where you are or what you do for MODA Day.  What matters is that the days are planned and come to fruition ~ we like to plan something at least once a month.  And it does matters what you talk about.  As the mom, I attempt to keep the conversation focused on her or us and away from the "trials of the day."  However, some serious topics have arisen on MODA Day, which is perfectly fine if she brings them up.

A daughter is, a joy bringer, a heart warmer, a memory maker; a daughter is love.  ~ Unknown

A little girl, asked where her home was, replied, "where mother is."
~ Keith L. Brooks


Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Enjoying the Journey

Lovely Thing #3: Diligent Work while Enjoying the Journey

Being forced to work, and forced to do your best,
will breed in you temperance and self-control,
diligence and strength of will,
cheerfulness and content,
and a hundred virtues which the idle will never know
.
~ Charles Kingsley

I'm working on a special project. Even though it's creative and challenging and will contribute in a positive way to lives of many, my mind flits to other things that I could be doing.  I was just sharing with Deborah my thoughts. 

How many times are we called upon to do worthwhile things that we hadn't planned on doing? Aha! That's when the lightbulb went on inside my head!  Immerse youself in this.  Imagine the faces of those who will be blessed.  ENJOY THE JOURNEY!  So I am...


I never could have done what I have done
without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence,
without the determination to concentrate myself
on one subject at a time.
~ Charles Dickens

Monday, November 14, 2011

The Beauty of Friendship

Lovely Thing #2: True Friends

A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him I may think aloud.
~
Ralph Waldo Emerson


The blessing of hearts knitted together is truly one of the greatest gifts that God gives us here on earth. 
~ Traci Hockings

My friends are my sisters...and they fill many important roles in my life!  They...Help. Encourage. Listen. Lift me up. Share my JOY. Laugh with me. Cry with me. Pray with me. Hug me. Smile. Brighten my day.

I love you all! Miles cannot separate us...
Thank you for making my life BEAUTIFUL!
For inspiring me to learn new things and be a better me.

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you... ~ Philippians 1:3

Never shall I forget the days I spent with you.
Continue to be my friend, as you will always find me yours.

~ Ludwig von Beethoven



'Stay' is a charming word in a friends vocabulary. ~ Louisa May Alcott



I’m so thankful for friendship. It beautifies life so much.
~
Anne Shirley, Anne of Avonlea



True friends are always together in spirit.
~ Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables

Friday, November 11, 2011

The Story of the Butterfly

Lovely Thing #1: Transformation through Trial
The end of a thing is better than its beginning;
The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 
Ecclesiastes 7:8


Much of life is uncertain.  No matter how much "control" we believe we have, our control in light of the the world around us is certainly an illusion.  We wonder why we live in poverty ~ physically, spiritually and/or financially ~ only to discover that if we relinquish Control to the One Who formed us with His perfect plan in mind, we would be much better off.


As we grow older and mature in our faith, we have the benefit of looking back and seeing why the difficult times and why it's important to persevere.  Those trials build our faith and trust in our Father in heaven; in His perfect Son, Jesus; and our Helper, the Holy Spirit.

Consider the following story in light of our struggles in life. 
Consider "the end" product, as we are encouraged in Ecclesiastes 7:8. 
Do we crave God's way?  Man's way?  Our own way?

The Butterfly Story ~ a story of transformation

A man found the cocoon of a butterfly.
One day a small opening appeared.
He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours

as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole.
Then it stopped, as if it couldn’t go further.
So the man decided to help the butterfly.
He took a pair of scissors and
snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon.
The butterfly emerged easily, but
its body was swollen and its wings were shriveled.
The man continued to watch it,
expecting that any minute the wings would unfold
and expand enough to support the body,
Neither happened!
In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life
crawling around.
It was never able to fly.
Here's what the man in his kindness
and haste did not understand:
The struggle required by the butterfly
to get through the restrictive opening in the cocoon

forces fluid from its body into the wings
making them ready
for flight.

Sometimes struggles are exactly
what we need in our lives.
Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us.
We would not be as strong as we could have been
and we would never fly.
Author Unknown

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseveranceand perseverance, character; and character, hopeNow hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us~ Romans 5:1-5

*Dedicated to my Mary Martha group: Bethany, Bethany, Dani, Lyndi, Phyllis, and Yvonne ~ we prayed for years that He would not leave us unchanged.  He has been faithful!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Whatever is...

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence
and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
~ Philippians 4:8

WHATEVER is one word that's been so abused in our world for years now.  As a younger generation uses it to dismiss another's suggestions and even TRUTH, I'm reminded how WHATEVER is used in the Word of God. 
 
WHATEVER is...true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent, and worthy of praise...our focus should be on these things. For as a man thinks in his heart, so he is (Proverbs 23:7).  

I pray to daily surrender unlovely thoughts and focus on the lovely things that are all around me.