Simple pops of color for you to enjoy today:

My African Violet that I purchased in Kentucky has finally decided to put forth its' royal display after several months of what? rest maybe?

The vivid color always amazes me.

Recently I added a Coleus to my windowsill and it seems to be thriving.  I have a few cuttings that are attempting to put out tiny roots.  Yay!

Pooh Bear is feeling chipper after receiving an overdue 

new coat of paint thanks to my friend Nancy.

 

This beauty came as a bonus surprise from the birdseed 

Precious Husband blesses all our birds with daily.

 

In spite of the Arizona heat our Lantana and Asparagus flourish giving us color all year long.

Adding to our color are the koi and gold fish swimming contentedly going deeper in the pond as the heat of the daily sun intensifies.  These guys just would not sit still for a picture

Blessings & Hugs,

🦋❤️🦋Mèmére🦋❤️🦋

Make Today Lovely

We do have a free will.  We have a choice each day.  

Finally, brethren, 

whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, 

whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, 

whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; 

if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, 

think on these things.

Philippians 4:8

I am choosing to make it a lovely day.  How about you?

💕Mèmére💕

Good Morning Sunshine!

Here is my question

When you rise from your bed

how long does it take till you truly shine?

Food for thought, right?

Love and Blessings,

💕Mèmére💕

Thank you Betty!

I totally agree 💕

Click on picture to be able to read it.

🦋❤️🦋,

Mèmére 

Monday Humor

Just popped in to share some humor that made me smile today.  Especially the second statement reminds me of my mom 😉

Love and Blessings,

💕Mèmére💕

Biblical Wisdom - Biblical Truth - Biblical Advice

Love and Blessings,

💕Mèmére💕

Rise and shine and give God the glory!

Maricopa, Arizona

From my reading this morning I want to share

 a line that ministered to my heart.  

Mildred Stamm writes in Be Still and Know, 

"My joy is not in the day but in the Lord, who made the day!"

Today I choose to praise the Lord and to trust the Lord for what He has in store.  He is the creator of heaven and earth and nothing will take place today that is too difficult for Him.  Through His loving hands will be sifted everything that touches my life today.  Such encouragement!  TYJ

This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

I lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? 

My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 1211-2

Love and Blessings,

💕Mèmére💕

Beauty

My geranium is thriving in its Arizona element.

Love and Blessings,

💕Mèmére💕

Celebrate and Eat Cake!

It came via a text message including a photo of a letter.  Our daughter Michelle in Kentucky, photographed a letter from the President of Eastern Kentucky University congratulating our oldest grandson, Tristan on making the Presidents List.  According to the letter only a very few excel to this point of perfection in a semester earning a perfect grade point average.

Of course we are so proud of our grandson and it was only fitting that we celebrate his achievement. So I made a cake!  It would have been a perfect celebration if we could have shared the cake with Tristan and his family but alas, they are 1800 miles away.

So Precious Husband and I ate cake!  Here is to you Tristan!  Thanks for a reason to celebrate.  You make your grandparents proud every day and you always have.

Tristan (age 6)

Tristan's High School Graduation 2015

The cake by the way is a keeper!  Need a good recipe? Go here.


Love and Blessings,

💕Mèmére💕

BUT BUT BUT

Thus says the Lord to you: 

"Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, 

for the battle is not yours, but God's.

2 Chronicles 20:15

Love and Blessings,

💕Mèmére💕

Hygge

This is taken from a copy of the September 1996 issue of Ideals Magazine

Hygge.  Have you heard of it?  Do a Google and you will find so many references to this Danish lifestyle.

If you are so inclined go here for a very good article that explains what hygge is.

A simple short definition of hygge is: 

Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) is the Danish art of creating joy and coziness in life's everyday moments, whatever the season or time of day . . . Hygge is not about perfection.

Hygge (pronouced "HUE-gah"). Though there are many ways to describe hygge, we see it simply as the Danish ritual of enjoying life's simple pleasures.  Friends. Family. Graciousness.

You will notice that in two definitions there are two pronunciations. People find it a hard word to pronounce but it is definitely an easy lifestyle to enjoy and try to emulate I believe.

Here is one more definition from Wikipedia:

The word hygge comes from a Danish word meaning "wellbeing". Hug comes from the 1560s word huge, which means "to embrace". The word huge is of unknown origin but is highly associated with an Old Norse term, hygge, which means "to comfort", which comes from the word hugs, meaning "mood".

Joy, coziness, friends, family, graciousness, comfort, well-being.  What is not to enjoy about the lifestyle of hygge!

Think I will go put the tea kettle on and invite Precious Husband for some hot chocolate with (real) whipped cream.

Hugs and Blessings,

💕Mèmére💕

P.S.

If you have read this far please enlarge the picture above and let the devotional written there bless you.

Housekeeping Tip

I have lots of the bags made to take to the store and save the environment but alas I usually forget to take them into the store *sigh*

My tip for you is something I found through FaceBook and it works like a charm.

Take an empty coffee can or oatmeal box and put a good size hole in the middle of the lid.

Then loop one bag into the next and stuff in the can as you go along.  Push hard and you can fill that 'ole can very full.

Pull the last bag up through the hole and walla a neat and tidy and compact place for all those plastic bags.

👉Note to self: try hard this year to remember the canvas bags that are stored in the car.  Put them to use.

Blessings and Hugs,

💕Mèmére💕

I really like the concept of acronyms.  Remember when WWJD was the thing and people wore the bracelets?  I think my Pastor Walt still wears his :-) 

Today as I read my bible and made notes I decided it would be fun to start my own vocabulary to use in my notes and Bible.  I also write in my books.  So here are my first two:

GIG                

God

Is

Good

And the second is simply

TYJ which in my Bible stands for "Thank You Jesus!"

"God is good all the time.  All the time God is good."  

A phrase you  hear a lot at Church on the Street.

Hugs and Blessings,

💕Mèmére💕

P.S. Just in case you don't know WWJD means what would Jesus do.  I too had a bracelet 😀

Good biblical advice I am taking today

and thought I would pass on to others

Hugs and Blessings,

💕Mèmére💕

Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!

Psalm 46:10

Max Lucado writes, "Nothing occurs beyond the reach of God's power.  Awareness of God's power provides rest and encouragement to Christians."

Note from my study Bible

NOTHING occurs beyond the reach of God's power.  Nothing.  Another thing that brings me comfort and encouragement is that EVERYTHING that comes into my life as a believer is filtered through God's loving hands.

AWARENESS, Webster says is knowledge and understanding that something is happening or exists. 

As I begin this new year my desire is to so know God that I will see and hear Him clearly and grow in my faith trusting His heart, His love for me!  

God promises me He will be exalted.  He will be known.  He commands me to BE STILL.  Commands with promise.

Be still, and know that I am God

Psalm 46:10a

Hugs and Blessings,

💕Mèmére💕

Trust

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding.  

In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

This verse has ministered to my heart many times through the years.  It is a verse given me when I adopted my first son over 46 years ago as a single woman.  Everyone thought I was crazy BUT God had a better thought.

Now 2018 and the verse is being put to the test again.  Fresh reasons to trust God and fresh faith to know He will prove Himself faithful again.

What do you need to trust God for today?

Hugs and Blessings,

💕Mèmére💕

Wordless Wednesday

Hugs and Blessings,

💕Mèmére💕

 

Tomato Tortellini Soup

My go to recipe for bbq ribs was found at Stephanie's blog Plain Chicken.  They are called "Fall Off The Bone Ribs" and they are wonderful. Ask any of our family or friends, they will tell you the ribs are a keeper.

Today I want to share another of Stephanie's recipes that is definitely a keeper also.  We can't get enough of this soup.

Especially our friends and family in Kentucky where the days have been in the single digits - give this soup a try.  It will warm your inside and make you smile - all at the same time.

Slow Cooker Tomato Tortellini Soup Recipe

1 lb. Italian sausage

                1 (32-oz) container chicken broth

1 (28-oz) can petite diced tomatoes

2 (10.75-oz) cans tomato soup

2 (8-oz) containers chive and onion cream cheese spread, softened

1 (18-oz) package refrigerated cheese tortellini, uncooked

In a skillet, cook Italian sausage until browned and no longer pink. Transfer cooked sausage to slow cooker.

Add chicken broth, tomatoes and tomato soup to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.

Stir in cream cheese and tortellini. Cook on high for 15 to 30 minutes, until tortellini is cooked.

Do yourself a culinary favor and visit Steph at www.plainchicken.com for lots of good recipes.

Blessings and Hugs,

💕Mèmére💕

Happy New Year

Blessings to you and yours in 2018

Let your light so shine before men,

that they may see your good works,

and glorify your Father which is in heaven

Matthew 5:16

Blessings and Hugs,

💕Mèmére💕

What Makes You Smile?

Simple!

It's what makes me smile.

Hugs & Blessings

Mèmére

In ALL things!

Does this pattern look familiar to you?  It is Hall's China and often called Jewel Tea dishes because it was sold on the Jewel Tea trucks that sold household products from a truck and drove through neighborhoods meeting the needs of the homemakers.

My favorite aunt on my mother's side of the family, Aunt Virgina, collected these dishes and they lined the shelf around her kitchen in her old farm house.  They bring back such fond memories.  Aunt Virginia had 3 boys - no girls so when I visited I had lots of fun with her and got to make lots of cookies.

What you see in the picture above is a portion of the water pitcher made by Hall's China.  A couple of weeks ago I found the pitcher at a local auction and bought it for $20.  Such a steal.  When I looked at my pitcher I thought of Aunt Virginia.  Fast forward a couple of weeks and my prize pitcher met its demise.  Being the creative woman I am I can still use it but it sure won't be holding ice-tea or lemonade again.  

Once again I am reminded of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Love and Hugs,

Mèmére

Good Morning World

Love and Hugs,

Mèmére

127 Yard Sale!

Last weekend Precious Husband and I along with good friends, Nancy and Darrel here in Kentucky took off bright and early (6 AM!) to attend our first World's Largest Yard Sale - 127 Yard Sale.  This was something I have read about for years and have wanted to do.  It was interesting and fun.  You can't image all the things you come across as you venture down Highway 127.  We were gone all day and didn't get too far but we sure had fun.

My purchase for the day was an eight place setting of Homer Laughlin Eggshell Georgian china.

Those that know our situation know this is the last thing I needed to buy but hey, I just could not resist!  I love it, I know their value and worst case scenario I can resell them after I have played with all their beauty for a while!

Isn't it pretty?  I also got the covered vegetable casserole.

Another treat was seeing a field of goats.  So cute and so nosey.  Quite photogenic I think.

I didn't buy anything at the man's yard sale but I enjoyed the goats.

Love and Hugs,

Mèmére