LINDSAY'S WEDDING SHOWER!

Oh, what we do for glam!


My beautiful namesake, Lindsay Dianne, my sister's daughter.



Lindsay in one of the beautiful rooms in the house where the shower was held.

Lindsay and her hostesses.

Well, she didn't get the shoes as a wedding shower gift but I just had to show them. They are darling but dare I say that she was walking on air as miserable as could be all day long. Yea for me and for MckMama. I have been wanting to do a "strike out of words" but did not have a clue as to how to do it. Tonight on Twitter, MckMama gave directions AND IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM THE FIRST TIME I TRIED. If you google "mckmama," it will direct you to her Twitter site but don't blame me because you will never be the same for many reasons.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand: the shower--it was great. The food was delicious--fresh, sweet, juicy, red, red, red Arkansas strawberries among lots of other good stuff--many nice gifts including a flat screen TV.

The town we went to is a 2 hour drive away and it rained all the way there and back. I am ready for a break from the rain. It has been raining for 4 straight days here in the Little Rock area--well, really today doesn't count but it was damp and dreary. We are soaked to the gills.

Congratulations, Lindsay Dianne. We love your hubby to be. We welcome him to our ever-growing family.

KICKING AGAINST THE GOADS

There is a verse in the old testament--I think in Proverbs --that speaks about the difference between a horse who is easy to guide with a bit in his mouth and the horse with the same bit who chomps at it and rears his head right and left and the rider has to pull the bit harder and harder to get the horse to go the way he wants him to.

The picture here is that God is the rider and we are the horses and the things that come into our lives are the bits. At least this is how I take it. When we are compliant with the Master, he only has to barely move the rein against our neck (it is so easy that the feeling never even makes it to the mouth and the metal bit) and we turn and go the direction he wants us to go. The more we want our own way, the harder the Master has to JERK the reins to get us to turn in the direction He wants us to go.

Years ago, I TRIED to incorporate a compliant spirit with God into my daily life so that He wouldn't have to jerk so hard. I don't like to hurt. I have failed many, many times but my heart's desire is to accept with grace and trust all the things that come into my life KNOWING the master will work all for my good and His glory.

The goads were used to move the oxen forward but too often they didn't want to go forward and ended up kicking against the goads only to their detriment, sometimes sustaining injury. When we ask God each day to draw us closer to Him, I don't think we need to worry about where the goads are coming from, only trusting that, good or bad, God will ultimately use them to produce something beautiful in our lives.

Madame Jean Guyon, a martyr in the 16th century, says in her book, Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ, that when we get to a mature level with God, we won't even notice the difference between the good and the bad that comes to us-- we will just trust Him so much and live to love Him and give Him glory. Wouldn't that be a wonderful state to get to?

What do you think it means "to kick against the goads"??????? How would you define a goad????? Are they always from God....or does satan sneak in with his own 'goads'????

MY NEXT HOUSE WILL NOT HAVE A KITCHEN!!

My kitchen does have some very sentimental things in it. I cross-stitched the clock on the wall long before we ever bought a single picture, maybe 35 years ago. The plant on the table is from my mom's funeral 12 years ago.

This curio cabinet belonged to my mom--she was my bff, and will always hold a special place in my heart. In the picture above are my three sons, their sweet wives, and 6 out of 7 of my grandchildren. Sorry precious Noelle Grace. You were not even thought of then.

The clock on the curio cabinet belonged to my husband's parents and we were told by a clock fixer guy that it was made by the first female clock maker in the United States. We don't know if that is actually true or not but it is a beautiful clock. You will also notice in another picture that the clock has been moved. It got moved to the living room when I took a hiatus from cooking.

See the mirror at the other end of the kitchen--that is also sentimental and very meaningful to me. When we lived in another state for 30 years (in the same house) a gal moved in with her family and six weeks after they moved in, her husband left her. She knew I loved the mirror and when she got ready to move a few years later, gave it to me. It was an old antique church window from Canada that they had bought and had mirrored. I think it is so lovely and it reflects so much light from the window at the other end.



The picture over the sink is by Carpentree, many, many moons ago and the calligraphy was designed by one of my calligraphy teachers in Tulsa, Marj. It says, "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened to you."



I love the window at the end of my kitchen. We can check on all the neighbors on our friendly and awesome cul-de-sac.

In reference to this post, please check out http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/. She is having a "Show and Tell" about kitchens. That's why I am posting this blog.

After cooking for three sons and a husband everyday for many, many years, I am tired of the kitchen. I have other things to do with my life--watching grandchildren's many and varied activities, painting (acrylics and calligraphy on canvas, a little watercolor--if interested check it out at http://www.diansartstudio.blogspot.com/ , especially if you like Christian art), spending time alone with God (the absolute love and passion of my life), and, of course, spending time with Boompa.

BUT I will share my kitchen with you although there has not been much life in it for the past few years. My husband and I eat out a lot now that we are retired. Well, I should have said, "We did eat out a lot until last week." You see, we started South Beach eating plan and while it is the easiest and most delicious to follow, I have grocery shopped and cooked until I am about to drop.

Most of my married life I have had a galley kitchen and while it is great on a daily basis, at holiday time I almost pull my hair out when my 6'6" husband, sons 6'8", 6'6", 6'4", three daughters-in-love and 7 grandchildren all want to be in there at the same time while I am putting the finishing touches on the rolls, gravy, turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, corn souffle, cranberry sauce, etc. It is a madhouse. Just imagine it as you look at these pictures. Enjoy!

A TRUE CLASSIC BY OSWALD CHAMBERS!

This is one of the most enlightening devotionals I have ever read.

INSTANT IN SEASON
Be instant in season, out of season." 2 Timothy 4:2
Many of us suffer from the morbid tendency to be instant "out of season." The season does not refer to time, but to us - 'Be instant in season, out of season," whether we feel like it or not. If we do only what we feel inclined to do, some of us would do nothing for ever and ever. There are unemployables in the spiritual domain, spiritually decrepit people, who refuse to do anything unless they are supernaturally inspired. The proof that we are rightly related to God is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not.
One of the great snares of the Christian worker is to make a fetish of his rare moments. When the Spirit of God gives you a time of inspiration and insight, you say - "Now I will always be like this for God." No, you will not, God will take care you are not. Those times are the gift of God entirely. You cannot give them to yourself when you choose. If you say you will only be at your best, you become an intolerable drag on God; you will never do anything unless God keeps you consciously inspired. If you make a god of your best moments, you will find that God will fade out of your life and never come back until you do the duty that lies nearest, and have learned not to make a fetish of your rare moments.

GRANDPARENTS DAY AT SCHOOL!

The teacher gave the students the picture on the left of Lincoln and the picture on the right with the right half of the picture missing. The student tried to match the missing part of the face to the original picture.




These are our name tags that Kennedy made. You fold up the little flaps and just have the name to pin on. And then you get to be really flattered by unfolding all the flaps. No wonder they can wrap us around their little fingers. Who else in the world would say all those wonderful things about us. LOL!!!!!!!!

This morning was Grandparents Day at school for Kennedy and Caroline. We are so proud of Caroline, who won first place in an art contest and loved the poem and handprint that Kennedy gave us. Enjoy! Click on picture to get a better view.