Retirement has been a discovery of beauty for me.

I never had the time before to notice

the beauty of my grandkids, my wife,

the tree outside my very own front door.

 And, the beauty of time itself.

~Hartman Jule

Congratulations, my sweet Johan ~

Now it's our turn.

love,

Nancy

I like Google.

I like seeing what other's have created.

Here are two of my favorites.

The one below refers to

reflecting God's love~

All changes, even the most longed for,

have their melancholy;

for what we leave behind us

is a part of ourselves;

we must die to one life

before we can enter another.

~Anatole France

And my favorite ~

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

~Reinhold Niebuhr

Happy Anniversary, my love.

The keeper of my dreams,

the man I pray for.

We have such an exciting time ahead

and I look forward to spending

each and every day of it

with you ~

All my love,

Nancy

"For everything there is a season,

And a time for every matter under heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;

A time to plant, and a time t

 pluck up what is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal;

A time to break down,

and a time to build up;

A time to weep,

and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

and a time to dance;

A time to throw away stones,

And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace,

And a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to seek, and a time to lose;

A time to keep, and a time to throw away;

A time to tear, and a time to sew;

A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate,

A time for war, and a time for peace."

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Soon,

our little ones,

you shall play in the sun,

run from the surf,

and scramble for hermit crabs.

And we, those that love you,

will laugh,

and love,

and linger

in the love.

I love this print!

It reminds me of all the happy colors of Summer.

I'm not a lover of this season.

But He provides us with such beauty every day.

My favorite movie.

One of my favorite sayings.

"There's no place like home."

I love vacations,

but I love coming home more.

Little girls are precious gifts,

wrapped in love serene.

their dresses tied with sashes

and futures tied with dreams.

~ Author Unknown

It wasn't until I had grandbabies

that I realized,

it's fun to watch them

blow out a candle

over and over and over again;

it's fascinating to watch them

build a tower from Legos

only to knock it down

and laugh with delight;

to see how quickly they learn

where the snack basket is;

to remember what it was like

watching the same cartoons

that I did when I was younger;

to feel delightfully loved

when they fight over your lap;

to see that look of adoration

when they spot your face;

and to see their unabashed love

when they see their parents

walk through our door.

They love me,

and I relish in that fact,

but it thrills me to know

they love their parents more.

Grandchildren?

They are the best parts

of all the ones I love ~

Jenny, with Noah, her second child

My sweet child,

When I first knew about you,

I wasn't sure if

I was ready for you,

but God knew better.

When I first knew about you,

I was scared that something

somewhere, sometime,

would happen

to take you away from us,

but God knew better.

The instant I saw your tiny face,

I thought that my heart

would burst into millions of pieces

of love and awe and wonder,

all because God knew better.

Happy Mother's Day, Jenny.

I am so honored and thankful

to be called your mother. And thank you

for giving me three precious babies

to love and take delight in.

The breezes of a new Spring,

the memories of fading Winter,

the hopes of a coming Summer,

the beauty and life of our young ~

"He arose a victor from the dark domain,

and He lives forever with his saints to reign;

He arose! He arose!

Hallelujah, Christ arose."

Praying you have most blessed weekend,

filled with love and laughter, giving thanks

to the One we serve and adore ~

Happy Birthday, Nels ~

The big brother I always needed.

He's on the right. His son's on the left.

Look how tiny they make me look!

Nelson.

I've loved him for 51 years now.

He has my back.

And I have his.

Ian quickly became Nelson's buddy.

I have loved watching his eyes light up when

they are playing. It warms my heart

that they love each other so.

Elle is the same way.

Not quite as much as Ian,

but he can quickly get a smile.

I haven't mentioned Noah.

Early, early on in Noah's young life,

Nelson came in full of life and laughter,

and scared the beejeesuse out of Noah.

He will cautiously approach Nels now,

but always with a foot back ready to run.

Best buddies.

Best friends.

Brothers by different mothers.

The two men in my life I love

more than life itself.

Happy birthday, my beautiful Nelson.

I love you dearly

and treasure our relationship.

Always know, I'm here

and I've got your back (heart font)

much love,

Nancy

What a comforting feeling to know that at our age, at any age, you're never to young to reach out for that brass ring and grab hold. To make a change, to follow a dream, and not worry that you're too old to do so. Never hold back. Never settle. And always, always make those dreams come true. With His guidance, we all can make dreams come true. Ours is and I pray yours will as well ~

Sketched by a child that has 'heavenly visions'

Recognized by a four year old that visited heaven

If you haven't read, Heaven if For Real

you will be blessed by doing so.

I'm convinced and I believe.

What a beautiful man,

"that died so we could go see His Father".

It's as simple as this.

The baby girl,

of my baby girl.

I am so in love

with both of them.

And always will be.

Serenity. Not only a pretty word, but it describes a peaceful existence. I have heard others, and read blogs, where words like 'hate' and 'enemies' are used. What sadness to waste life with these emotions. I can honestly say I've never hated anyone. I've been hurt and very disappointed in the actions of others and choices they've made, but I've never hated them. Not even when I was at my lowest in the pain delivered by another. Understanding brings about the peace He speaks of when He tells us to wrap ourselves in His peace and to be calm. For that is when we are able to hear His words of love and comfort. If you've experienced such emotions that you would label as 'hate' or that you have made enemies, please know that you are wasting such precious time. There is more to life than trying to hide behind a life of hatred and lies and making enemies. May all of us live as peacefully as possible until He calls us home to that beautiful Garden where peace abounds. I know I look forward to seeing it again.

During worship this morning, I heard something I wanted to share with you. Prayer is not all about us talking to God, our heavenly Father. It's also about listening to Him. Listening for Him. You don't have to fill your prayers with your words. Stop and listen for His. Have a blessed week ~

Spring.

She is on her way.

"Yet He has not left Himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; He provides you with plenty of food and fills your

hearts with joy.”

~ Acts 14:17

 

It has been raining off and on today and the earth is being refreshed. I have always loved the various sides of Nature and to see Him cleaning His handiwork and filling the air with the smells of rebirth makes my heart soar. Thank you, my beloved Father, for the infinite blessings of this day.

I am still confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living.

~ Psalm 27:13

"The heart has eyes, which the brain

knows nothing of."

Valentine's Day, 2011

Everything holds its breath except Spring.

She burst through as strong as ever.

~ B. M. Bower

"See the sunlight through the pine,

taste the warm of winter wine.

Dream of softly falling snow,

Winter's gold, Aspenglow."

Each and every Winter this song comes to mind. My sister loved John Denver and because of her I paid more attention to his songs. This one is a favorite of mine ~ and I know I speak of this particular song each winter season, but humor me. Here's a link to a YouTube video. It's a beautiful song. Heartfelt, and brings such peace to a season, that to me, is a time for warmth, coziness, quiet, and incredible beauty ~ even in the sight of barren trees and shrubs. I truly hope you are taking the time to see the beauty in His creation for us.

It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.

~ Psalm 74:17

Winter's Cold

I love the quietness of winter, the earth lies dormant, waiting.

And while it waits for Spring to burst forth, I take advantage

of good books, good friends, and family. It's a time

of silence to allow us to hear His voice clearly.

I absolutely love Winter and thank Him for this time.