March Time For Light

It's March.

And it's still stormy, cloudy, cold, and dreary.

BUT...

The sun is starting to come out today!!

And the temperature is rising!!!

The flowers will be blooming soon and the birds are going to be nesting.

We have a large number of birds I feed on our back porch, mainly Cardinals.

They are gorgeous.  But they will start barking soon.  Yes, barking.

They love dog food!!!

And with the sun creeping out from behind the clouds, I wanted to share some light and bright things with you all.  I hope the winter snows and storms are beginning to subside where you are.

(Unless you're my friend Melanie in Australia!!! : )

With the storms and cold of this past winter, I've been thinking about times in my past when the storms of life seem to be never ending.  

I was told once that when you're in the valley of the shadows, that SOMETHING has to be there to make the shadows....LIGHT!  So instead of concentrating on the dark and shadows, turn around and look at the LIGHT.  The ONE Who is the LIGHT is Christ.

Wise words.

But His promises are for those who obey Him.  Who walk uprightly.

And we can only do that through His Son, Jesus.

Jesus Who died on the cross, was buried, and Who rose again the 3rd day.

I was a child when I first heard of Jesus, and was told Bible stories that I remember to this day.

But I was an adult before I realized that Jesus dying on the cross had a purpose...

for ME!  He died in my place to take MY sin on Himself.

I don't have to pay that penalty now.  It's been paid by HIM.

God gave me FAITH to believe that!!!  It's a gift from HIM.

Ask Him for faith to believe.

You can't muster it up in yourself.

I'm reminded as I look at the clouds still thick in the sky as the sun breaks through that the sun is ALWAYS there...there are times we just can't see it.  And yet there are times during the thick clouds that the sun breaks through and there is beautiful light!

How like our Lord to give us pictures all around us of the way He works!

And He cares about the littlest thing.  The birds that I feed...He knows about each of them.

The things that you are concerned about...He know them too.

And when the threads of our life start to unravel, or get tangled, He is there:

He is there to take them from us, and to make them into something beautiful!

Each of us has a history, each of us has a past. 

We are none of us perfect, and we have no perfect family.

We tend to dwell on our past, to try to bring back the good times, instead of looking at our future and making it worth while.  My past is nothing compared to what God is doing in my future!

I don't know about tomorrow, He alone knows what it is. 

 There is a hymn I love...the last words are these:

"But I know Who holds tomorrow, and I know Who holds my hand."

To you my friends who have come alongside of me and brightened my days, I dedicate this post.

My Lord and Savior alone is my Pearl of Great Price, but I see each of my friends as precious pearls or jewels along life's way to make each day beautiful in special ways.

My prayer for each of you is that Jesus be your Savior.

Pray for Him to be just that.

He gives beauty for ashes and makes all things new.

Praise Him for His wonderful grace!!

Blessings,

Doni

Blessings To You This Thanksgiving!

The sun was setting as I jumped out of my car with my camera and tried to catch the beauty that was before me.  A lovely display of wild berries growing up an old rusty fence, just across the street from my mailbox.

Absolutely lovely.

If I could give you each a hug, I would.  So consider yourself hugged!

If I could invite each of you to my home and sit and talk with you and enjoy your company over a pot of hot coffee, tea, or chocolate, I would do so.

You are each so special, and you have touched so many people in so many ways.  Do you know that your comments are like lights on my daily walk?  They brighten my day and give me a boost.

My sincere thanks to each of you who click on my blog and visit me.  I love sharing lovely things with you and get SO much pleasure planning my vignettes and posts each week.

I wish you each a wonderful and lovely Thanksgiving week.  If you don't happen to have a special someone or family to share it with, please consider stepping outside your comfort zone and sharing your compassion with someone less fortunate than you.

And please remember to thank God for each of your bessings.

I thank God for each of YOU!!

hugs,

Doni

No Pearls and Lace Thursday this week.  The party will resume next week!

I have planned something pretty to share with you!



A Gift For A Dear Friend

It's The Tuesday Tea Party Day!!

I've decided to share a recent find with y'all that I'm going to be giving to a dear friend for her birthday (though belated!)

Her favorite color is blue, her spirit is sweet, and she's a Christian sister who delights in the Word of God.

The cobalt blue really stands out, but look at the outter rim!  It's the prettiest light blue color.

The interior of the cup at the center is white, but the eggshell color of the gilded trim next to the cobalt blue makes this cup very unique.  The gilding is hand done and makes the detail stand out.

There are no marks on the bottom, but with such a pretty set, who really cares??

BUT, if any of you just happen to know the pattern or maker, could you please let me know?

Thanks so much for visiting me today.

I see that I have some lovely new followers as well!  Y'all don't know how excited that makes me!

Just to know someone would come by and visit is wonderful, but to follow as well!!!

Thank you all so much.  You make blogging so much fun!  I love to think about what I'll be sharing the next time I post!

And speaking of the next time, this Thursday is Pearls and Lace Thursday....AND I'm having a GIVEAWAY!!  The hottest of the summer days is over, and Praise God, IT RAINED HERE!!!!

We actually had MUD!!!  It's been months and months, the trees are dying, fires are all around, but we have finally had a lovely rain.

In honor of the end of summer, I'd like you all to come join me on Thursday (Wednesday evening if I can get it posted sooner), and enter my Giveaway.  I am putting together some lovely pieces that I hope you will be excited about.  I will also be sharing a GORGEOUS bridal cap that I recently found...and it's made out of Pearls and Lace!  What could be more perfect?  (Actually, the DRESS would, but I don't have it!)

So...come back and check out the party this Thursday.

Now....I will be joining some wonderful Link Parties with this post.

On the sidebar of my blog I have a list of parties that I participate in.  Please go by and visit them.  I keep the list there all the time so that if you'd like, you can go by all week long and easily find the links.

Thank you to all the party hostesses who keep the fun going week after week.

Hope to see you all on Thursday!

Blessings, Doni



Putting it in Perspective...Thanks to God!

Oh So Thankful to God

Thankful to God for a roof over our heads, a place to lay my head to sleep with no worries or fears, a home to call my own, a meal to eat when I'm hungry. 

In some countries this place would seem a mansion.  It has a door and a metal roof.  Are you thankful for what God has provided for you?  Let's put it in perspective.  We are rich beyond measure and all from the Hand of Almighty God.  Without Him we are nothing.

I thank God for His gifts to me!

James 1:17

Blessings to you,

Doni