Knit Together In Love

It was a beautiful day yesterday sitting on the deck by Lake Walden celebrating my dear friend, Sarah's, birthday!
A wonderful group of ladies took time out of their day to share their love with our treasured friend.
Most of us have been friends since childhood and we laughed about old memories.
We were blessed to have in attendance her mother and mother-in-law who joined in on the fun plus a few young ladies and a handful of children who scurried around us to offer up a delightful mix of youthful energy!
The sun warmed us nicely on this beautiful fall day!
We sang hymns.
Were angels chiming in?
It was beautiful.
Everyone wrote a memory of Sarah and then a question for her to answer.
It was quite fun!
We laughed and reflected and even received a few wonderful lessons on family, faith and the latest rage in household paint colors.
A few opened up about minor or major struggles.
We listened.
We learned.
We laughed.
We shared.

You know what?
We loved!
We loved being together.
We loved being in the fresh air.
We loved the fellowship.

This morning is a new day.
We hear of death and sorrow and heartache.
Our hearts are aching for friends who've loved and lost.
We ache over sickness and loss and uncertainty.
One day our hearts are filled with joy.
The next heartache and sorrow.

I am reminded of what is precious in this life.
Love.
And the relationships we've been blessed with.
God is reminding me that our relationships are the most important thing we have on this earth!
The love of our Heavenly Father the most important relationship of all!
He lovingly calls us to Him, wants us to confide in Him, talk to Him, listen to Him!
He's our Best Friend!
Our Best Friend Forever!
He is constantly giving us unexpected gifts of love:
~a friend out of nowhere.
~a conversation of comfort.
~a smile from a stranger.
~a quiet moment to hear His voice.
~a small child to hug.
~a glorious sunrise.
~the joy of a birthday, a celebration, a birth.
~the comfort only He can give when our hearts are broken.
Can we find joy in that?
When our joy is lost, He gives us His!

Let us find the time to love.
We were created in love~it is part of our identity.
Enjoy it!
Celebrate it!
Give it away!

Life is a gift.
Love is a gift.

"That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love,"
Colossians 2:2

The Beautiful Garden

There is a beautiful garden.
The most beautiful garden in all the world.
The sun never stops shining and love and joy will forever grow.
The tears have been shed, The bloody sweat poured out.
The work is finished.
It is ready for all to enter.
The price is free.

All are welcome into this garden.
It is a place where all hearts find True Love and Joy!
Forever!
Happiness forever!
Joy forever!
And it's for YOU!
All sins have been washed away by the Gardener~
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

"The hour in Gethsemane I never shall forget,
When Christ alone the battle fought,
In grief and bloody sweat.
Gethsemane, Gethsemane, 
I must remember thee,
Where God's eternal Son I saw
In pray'r on bended knee."

"When I among the solemn trees,
In spirit gazed around;
I saw the burden of my sin
On him with judgment bound.
Gethsemane, Gethsemane, 
I must remember thee,
Where God's eternal son I saw
In pray'r on bended knee."

"I saw Him tempted to despair,
By anguish, grief, bent low;
The depth of pain He suffered there
No man can fully know.
Gethsemane, Gethsemane,
I must remember thee,
Where God's eternal Son I saw
In pray'r on bended knee."

"If ever. Lord, my love to Thee
Should cold and fruitless be,
O show me in Gethsemane
Thy suff'ring there for me.
Gethsemane, Gethsemane,
I must remember thee.

Where God's eternal Son I saw
In pray'r on bended knee."
               Author unknown

The story of our Lord's agony in the garden can be found in Luke 23:41-44.
Be happy!
There is no need to fear! 
The agony turns to Joy on Easter morning where the angel at the empty tomb proclaims:

"He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again."  Luke 24:6, 7

Grief turned to JOY!
The promise of that Beautiful Garden!

May all Hearts be filled with Neverending Love, Joy, Praise and Thanksgiving this Easter!
You are all So Loved!

*All drawings done by my children

Finding True Love

It wasn't that many years ago that I found true love.
I was a little ball of despair huddled into the corner of the bathroom pleading to God to help me.
I was an emotional wreck! 
I wonder if being 44 years old and pregnant had anything to do with it-I don't know, but there I was-a complete basket case-feeling hopeless!
I am not making light of this. It was true! I really felt hopeless even though I had a beautiful life.
I thought I was going to die in that corner.
No one could help me.
Oh, I wanted so badly for my loved ones to come in and save me.
Surely my darling husband would. After all, he would know my needs more than anyone.
In my mind it would have been so easy for him to swoop in and give me all the things I felt I needed from him. 
Shouldn't he know exactly what I need to be comforted, to get me through this needy time in my life?
Or what about family and friends?
Where is everyone when you truly need them?
Honestly, do I have to DIE in this corner?
Couldn't my loved ones see how to help me, how to love me like I needed them to?
I prayed my little heart out! Surely God would intercede for me and let my loved ones know how to truly help me!
SHOW THESE PEOPLE HOW TO LOVE ME!!
I heard a soft voice deep within me.
"It's Me.
It's Me. There is no one who can love you like I can.
Come to Me, My darling child."
It struck me right in my heart and soul!
In my mind, I formed ideals of how I should be loved by the people in my life.
My husband would be my knight in shining armor, coming in with full armor and a sword, swooping me up in his arms and carrying me to love and safety.
My family and friends would come to my aid just at the right time.
What was I thinking?
The little girl in me couldn't let go of the romantic notion of being so loved that surely everyone would know when to do the swooping and saving!
And I was CRUSHED when it didn't happen!
The Voice of my TRUE LOVE came to me that day.
It was and is my Saving Grace!
Jesus is my True Love!
I no longer look at people to be my saving grace. 
How could anyone on this Earth be my savior?
Could I be someone's savior-always doing the right thing?
Of course not! 
This simple revelation has completely change my life.
I no longer put expectations on my loved ones.
I am so faulty myself, how can I expect others to perform to my expectations.
I have so many people in my life that love me so dearly.
I don't doubt their love.
And I love so deeply, too, those that God put into my life.
But my Truest, most Perfect Love is my True Savior.
My Jesus.
I sobbed and accepted again His love into my heart that day (I have known it my whole life but still thought others could do the true swooping, saving and chivalry-type of love!) and immediately felt true healing.
I am loved!
I am LOVED!
And so are you! So deeply-to the core-everlasting-perfectly LOVED!
There is no greater love than that of our True Savior!

"...I have loved thee with an everlasting love.." Jeremiah 31:3

Please know how much you are truly loved!

Dear Children, I Just Want You To Know

Dear Children,

I just want you to know that each one of you has brought so much joy to my life.

From the time Dad and I knew that you would be our child until now, I have found no greater joy than to be your mother.

To think that God created each one of you and sent you straight from Heaven for me and Dad to love is just so very wonderful!

Our lives have been so richly blessed by the birth of each one of you! And to watch you grow and become the person God created you to be is just so exciting!

You are all so special and beautiful in your own way! Each one having your own special gifts!

And to think that I get to be your mother! Wow, did I luck out!

Thank you, God, thank you, God, for these precious, precious children!

I just want you to know that my heart is so full of love for all of you and eventhough a mothers love will never be perfect, I love you more than you'll ever know.

And I will never stop loving you, no matter what!

Someday, you will all be grown up and have your own families, but I will always be your mother and I will always love you.

My prayer is that I can love each one of you the way you need to be loved, for everyone of you is different and you all bring joy in many different ways.

I just want you to know that you never have to be anyone besides yourself because you are beautiful and perfect just the way God made you and that is where your joy comes from. From being you!

I want you to know that eventhough I love you more than you'll ever know, that God loves you more! So much that He gave us Jesus to be our Savior!

So even when you feel alone, you never are. Jesus is always with you, loving you and taking care of you!

But anyway, I just wanted you to know that I love being your mother and that I couldn't be happier being anything else!

Every day is a happy day for me. I get to be your mother!

O happy me!

O happy day!

O Happy Mothers Day!

I love you, Dear Children!

I just wanted you to know!

Love, Mom

A Happy Easter To You

Easter is such a precious time of year!

Hearts filled with hope of an even more precious Heaven!

How lucky we are that we have a Saviour that 'laid down his life for his friends'!

There is no greater love!

Easter is a beautiful reminder of That Love!

A Love that covers all sins, delivers hope to the downtrodden, strength for the weary!

O Happy Day!

O Happy Day!

O Happy Day!

Of Love and Babies

When my newborn smiles at me like I am the center of her universe, my heart wants to leap right out of my body!

It is the most precious thing!

Such unconditional love!

She sees no flaws!

Only love!

Isn't it just a beautiful thing?

When do we stop loving like that?

I mean, we still have so much love and all as we get older~but do we still love as a child does?

I am telling you, I learn so much from babies and children that it just amazes me!

Have I put expectations on the love I have for my parents, husband or children, for example, that I no longer can love unconditionally.

Do I expect more of any relationship, where as a child I didn't expect anything?

We just loved!

Hmmm.

It is something to think about!

God just loves.

I want to go back to that feeling of just plain loving.

My baby has taught me to just love!

Forget about conditions and whatever else that keeps us from really, truly loving!

Thank you, Baby Rosie, for showing me God's way of loving!

The Perfect Valentine's Day Gift!

I am a hopeless Romantic!
I love anything to do with LOVE!
Valentine's Day is a day to be a little more romantic and eventhough I think love is for EVERYDAY, it's fun to make the day a bit more special with a 'love' treat~
~heart-shaped pancakes, cookies, pizza and meatloaf!
~ maybe a bunch of roses and children's cutout hearts all over the walls and windows and doors and dressers and even a heart sticker on each cheek!

My Dear Husband is the type that hates when card companies dictate when he should be romantic.
He likes to do it his own way on his own day~
~Ane he does~
Every once in awhile.

But my husband gave me the most BEAUTIFUL gift EVER this Valentine's Day morning!
The gift of a Blessing!
Reassuring eachother that all our sins are indeed forgiven in the Name and Blood of Jesus!

I was nursing the baby in bed early this morning when my Dear husband came and asked me for a blessing!
In return, I asked him to bless me, also.

I have always looked forward to roses, or perfume, or a beautiful romantic card and at times, actually felt 'crushed' if I didn't receive anything 'special'~being the hopeless romantic that I am!

I will tell you, though, I am no longer wishing for those things.
I was given the perfect Valentine's Day gift!
The gift that is a 'one size fits all~all occasion, absolutely PERFECT gift!

My darling husband is probably feeling he has to rush out and buy me a box of chocolates so I won't be disappointed this Valentine's Day.

And eventhough I know this gift is from God, I have to let him know that I don't need anything more!
I already received the gift that can never be topped!
~On Valentine's Day or any other day!