Spiritual Sundays

Linking up with Ginger and Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays. Visit here to get more Sunday inspiration shared by many.

http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/2010/01/welcome-to-spiritual-sundays.html

"Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality." (Romans 12:9-13)

Interpretation for me....

Don't fake caring for others just to seem kind or "Christian." Think of them as your family...and you will genuinely care. If anything is wrong and dishonors God, it is okay to passionately hate the evil. Whatever is good and right and honors God, keep a tight grip on that truth. Love others with unselfish motives. Practice putting others first and begin feeling the joy it gives. Don't be sluggish, afraid of doing hard things and taking the hard path.
Do what you do as if you were reporting to God, and you will pursue excellence in all you do. Be glad that your hope in God and His Word is confident..-NO DOUBTS. In times of trouble, keep talking to God, and believe He is listening and working....WAIT FOR IT! When other brothers and sisters in Christ are hurting, don't be caught unawares...Be ready to lend a hand or a word or some of your own finances. Be excited if the opportunity presents itself to you.

This is what it means to be a little Christ, yes?

Blessings on this Snowy Sabbath here in North Carolina.

"My dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Don't let anything move you. Always give yourselves completely to the work of the Lord. Because you belong to the Lord, you know that your work is not worthless.(I Corinthians 15:58)

Saturday White Winter Storm

Well, here it is again...the first winter snow for Charlotte. Everything kind of stops or at least slows down when this kind of stuff arrives. The snow has stopped and the icy sleet is now topping it off. What to do???
Take a few pics for our cottage files here on Woodberry.







Get da man to build a nice cozy fire..




Set out the Hot Drink choices...



Find a good movie or book... Hunker down and wait for it to move on out.

Snow...Snow....Snow...Snow... as they sang in White Christmas. :-)

Hope wherever you are, you are staying nice and warm and safe.
Blessings to all.
Julie

Not Quite the Same....

My "little" Marine....wanted to wear boots...Daddy's boots. Couldn't quite fill them up at the time.

Turns out he ended up wearing boots after all. Just not the "ride 'em cowboy" kind.
It's the Semper Fi, Ooo-Rah, Do or Die kind. Little did we know all those years ago....

God bless him. May those boots carry him to safe havens, successful missions, and over miles of miracles worked every day by the hand of God. No blisters please, Lord.



Missing my Justin...Praying for ALL military men and women doing their duty and keeping us safe...

White Wednesday and Rednesday...

I'm combining two links today into one post here.
First of all my usual fun with White Wednesday over at Kathleen's.

Here's the link to her blog and the many participants sharing their Whites.

http://fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com/

And....I'm sharing a few Reds with Sue again over at Wednesday is Rednesday.



http://suelovescherries.blogspot.com/?

And then just for fun, I have a couple of finds that are RED and WHITE!

First the WHITES:




I found this 3-D "relief" plaque at the little thrift... $2. Knew exactly where it would go over the sink in the Master Bath.


See this little white chippy angel? The lady at the thrift shop said "aww...you do know it's foot is chipped off. see?" I told her that I knew. It needed a home, and I knew where. Right beside Justin. I think of this little cast-off cherub as his guardian angel watching his back, as it says in Psalm 91. :-)


This Goodwill urn had a mercury glass pumpkin on it over the holidays, but now has been relocated and filled with my favorites...hydrangeas!



How about a rustic star on a worn newel post?


Another favorite vintage print. Love the whites in it. Some of you are beginning to believe me about my fondness of pictures with children and pets.

And Now For Some REDS:


This little triple bowl I spotted at Goodwill. It had a chip in it, which I guess is why it was turned in. But it makes a perfect little storage place for the tea bags.


Are you a fan of the Wizard of Oz? I am, and I had to have this little display in my hutch. Truly happiness can be found in your own backyard. We don't need to search far and wide to find it. There's no place like HOME!


Skinny little spot at the back door for leash and doggy collars. (goodwill finds)


Got these 3 little red star medals for our three canine stars' chew bone jar. (jar from Goodwill)


vintage plate with a splash of red, and adorable pups. (Goodwill)


Here's the "home" for Justin's keys while he is away. Whenever he comes back in, he will find them waiting, along with all the rest of us! ooo-rah

NOW...here are a few red-and-white combinations just for today!



This little bunny lamp was at the thrift store. ($4) oh my...I just about melted...I grabbed it and smiled all the way to the checkout. I do so love it on the table.


In the kitchen. Love the red and white.



This red cranberry wreath with burlap ribbon was at Goodwill. The Welcome pineapple plaque was on my front door. It fit perfectly in the middle. It has been relocated to a new home beside the front door.


And now this HONOR plaque rests where the pineapple was on the door.

That' all my fun pics for sharing with all of you white and red loving gals. And I do want to post one more. This last photo has RED maraschino cherries and it is DELICIOUS. I got the recipe from Tina over at Cherry Hill Cottage. It is baked in a cast iron skillet, and it is awesome. Here is the post to get the recipe if any of you want to try it. YUM!
http://cherryhillcottage.typepad.com/cherryhill_cottage/2010/01/pineapple-upside-down-cake.html




Thanks so much for visiting here with me today. I always have fun sharing with you, and visiting your blog-homes.

Blessings,
Julie

My Friday....Show and Tell!

Come on in..

I'm having
a cup of tea....



Hmm...which one?


And how about a Key Lime Bar? (delicious!) Go here to get this yummy recipe from Leigh Anne: http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/key-lime-bars/
They are out of this world.


Food for the Soul too! Need that every day for sure!


After some vacuuming and cleaning ...a little fun reading!



Can't resist a few chocolates! ...this woman's weakness...


And now I'll share just a couple of my favorites here in my home. Linking up to Cindy's Show and Tell at her blog: My Romantic Home. If you would like to browse through lots of ideas and pretties just go here:

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

This is a favorite,...which around here means it's a keeper. I won't be letting go of it in a yard sale or swap. I found this pretty colander at Goodwill in perfect condition. It was repurposed into our fruit holder.


I love prints with children and animals in them. This is one of my favorites. It is titled "The Reading Lesson." It got a new frame since the original was old and beat up. It is hard to find some vintage prints, so if you should see one for a deal, grab it!


And this is a favorite little cubby above the toilet in the Master Bath. The picture of my four treasures was taken at Fairfield Mountains when they were all younger. They had caught a lizard,(which Katie is holding...lol) and they had all gathered around in excitement. I love it. The little photo is of Kurt surrounded by the kids after an Easter Sunday service. (a favorite.)

All for today. Thanks for visiting. Hop over to Cindy's at the link above for Friday fun.

Blessings,
Julie

Thankful Thursday

Ever have a day in your life where it was hard to "feel" joyful? The ease to just fly or glide through a day is hampered by the tyranny of the present and whatever circumstances are pounding on you endeavoring to keep you grounded...

I think all of us have those days. Some days we just tire of the constant battle to keep our mindset looking up and outward, instead of down and inward. Today I am posting or shall I say RE-posting a previous post written last Spring. It says once again what I want to share for these days we walk in the present.

When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

There is no life - no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

This is one of my favorite songs. It speaks of a reality that comes with an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ my Savior. I am grateful for people who are gifted to write words that hold meaning, and musicians who are gifted to set those words to melody. Together they create songs that can express what our hearts feel, but sometimes our own minds cannot find the words to say it well...

I won't ask "Have you ever...?" because I know everybody has. We feel like throwing in the towel, we feel like giving in, we feel defeated by our very own emotions repeatedly beating us up, pushing us back down, saying "You'll NEVER win...what you wish for will NEVER arrive, life will NEVER be what you long for."

And then, when we step away, go and sit in the silence, far from the madding crowd of those inner voices, there is THE ONE who comes, and sits with us, and HIS words begin to soothe us. HE knows all that we fight inside ourselves. HE knows all of the self-imposed words that come from our own fears, and doubts, and disappointments. HE comforts us like no other. HIS words are salve to the wounds and scars left by life and all its battles.

It is the times spent with our Lord that give us the renewed energy to get back up and go back out, revived once again with a passion to say, I will NEVER, EVER give in. We realize afresh that it is HE that lifts us up.

The best line of this song is the truth of this statement.

I am strong when I am on HIS shoulders.
HE raises me up to more than I can be.

In Christ I stand. I am not beaten down.

In Christ I am given the strength and power to be MORE than I could possibly be in this life on my own. It is because of my Savior and Comforter that I am anything good and worthy today. He sets me in that place. And once again I find myself on His shoulders, and it is exhilarating!!

This is life in Christ and with Christ. Yes, life is hard; sometimes it is downright depressing.
But there is more... much more to life than what we see with our eyes, what we hear with our ears, what we perceive from our own inner voices.


Today...make time. Get away. Be still in the quiet places you can find. Sit with your Lord and be filled again with wonder at His holy compassion for you, His presence that moves you to reset your eyes on eternity, not the here and now.

Jesus Christ, your best comforter in this age, and the ages to come, will give you all you need and more. He will raise you up today.

Blessings and Encouragement and a Hug!

Julie :-)

How about a RED Wednesday???

Normally I am participating in Kathleen's White Wednesday, but today I thought I would join Sue over at Wednesday is REDnesday...for all things cheery and red.

Want to see pretty reds today? Here's her link:

http://suelovescherries.blogspot.com/?

Here are a few REDS that bring a zing to my kitchen. :-)


It's very cheerful and whistles like a charm!


Love the red! This woven bread basket (repurposed!) was at Goodwill!


Sentimental pot holder (grandmama's) and cheap little dishdrain, over the sink for when I need it.


vintage-looking diner set - Goodwill.


loved this vintage metal coffee sign.


This large print hangs behind our kitchen table. I got it a number of years ago. I loved the beautiful cat, the birdcage, the blue and white vase and the red Poppy flowers. This gave that red splash to the kitchen I wanted.


Every kitchen wants a touch of whimsy, so here is mine. Loved the big RED cherry on top.


Don't these replica clocks take you back to the pics from the 50's?

And here are some of my favorite REDS outside of our home.






These are very special symbols to all who pass our home because....

Truly I do love my honorable Marine. I am missing him.

Thanks for visiting and cruising through my reds... Have a great day and don't forget to go over to Sue's if you want to see more cheerful stuff.

Julie