lulled into thinking.....

....that the deer had found another

restaurant.

A friend had suggested a deer repellent spray,

and it seemed to be holding them at bay.

There had been a few nibbles,

but most of the flowers were starting to recover.

Yesterday I bought this Gerber Daisy,

one of my favorites.

Last evening I planted it...

so beautiful.

One of the first things I do every morning

is go check on my flowers.

Grabbing a cup of coffee,

I ventured out on the back porch to admire

the lovelies in my garden.

Those big, pink beauties

were chomped off, 

leaving nothing but the green leaves.

I was shocked.

Needless to say, I had failed to spray,

and the deer,

being no dummies,

found opportunity to chow down.

Not giving up!

Will continue to fight.

Bubba is growing weary,

said tonight that I need to not buy any more. :(

"As the deer pants for the water brooks,

so my soul pants for You, O God."

Psalm 42:1

*Truth....

I love the deer because God made them.

my favorite chair

If I am not 

standing,

walking,

cleaning, 

cooking

driving,

sleeping,

swimming,

 working,

or at the beach,

I am here

 in my favorite chair.

It starts early in the morning.

This is where I read my Bible and pray.

In the afternoon about one o'clock,

I find my way here again

to read and mellow out a little.

Maybe a nap will come on,

but not very often.

I check Instagram here,

open my mail,

read Coastal Living Magazine,

have nice long chats with Amanda

plan my day,

sit with Lucy to read and such.

It is a cozy place,

my comfort zone.

I also have a favorite chair on the back porch.

It is a rocker that belonged to my mom,

In just a few,

I will take a bowl of Blue Bell out,

and watch the sun go down.

Everyone needs a favorite chair.

This is what the sign behind my chair says....

If you get to spend many days at the beach,

you know this sign is true!

a broken heart

I don't just take pictures.

I look for pictures,

I plan them in my head.

Every now and then I see one that blows me away.

This heart is in the tree in front of Mark and Amanda's home.

What is so amazing is that it is broken.

A broken heart.

My heart has been broken many times.

Some breaks have healed,

others never will.

But we go on living, just like this tree.

Standing tall and thriving with a completely broken heart.

God must have had a broken heart

when he saw our sin.

It grieved Him so much

that He sent His Son to this earth

to die in our place.

Thankful tonight for my salvation

and for the grace that He gives me every day

without which I could not stand.

"For the Lord does not see as man sees;

for man looks at the outward appearance,

but the Lord looks at the 

Heart."

I Samuel 16:7b

precious jake ~ same smile in every picture

So,

Jake wanted a Stitch cake.

This is what we came up with....

a small, plush Stitch with magnetic hands.

When we left their house on Thursday last,

this Stitch,

 and Perry the Platypus,

a gift for Eli,

were hanging from the Hollingsworth's refrigerator.

On this rainy (constant rain) Memorial Day,

I am remembering our trip,

and putting the memories on my blog for later,

when I am old and gray....

when I sit down here at my computer to remember

 when life was so wonderful

and how God blessed me every single day.

Speaking of the rain,

We are going to the beach in about an hour.

The lemonade is made,

Lucy is making delicious brownies,

Spanky's scrumptios chicken fingers are waiting to be picked up

and eaten around the pool at our condo.

Wondering if the rain will stop, 

If we will get blue skies for just a little while

so the kids can swim,

and frolic,

and welcome summer.

Remember....

"All of me ~ loves all of you."

Love that song!!!!

summer

I don't think I have ever been so happy to see summer.

This past winter was especially

brutal.

cold & wet,

longlasting,

creeping into my bones and residing there.

Summer is warmth,

light,

flowers,

rain showers,

the beach,

a pool,

beach towels in vibrant colors,

sandals, 

no socks.

Summer is amazing!

And yes, 

in September,

I will be ready for cooler weather again.

God gave us seasons to enjoy,

to shake things up,

to put everything in perspective.

But right now, it is summer!

Enjoy!

Relish in the warmth of long days.

cool evenings on the porch,

walking on the beach,

or just looking up at the sky from the grass in the backyard.

Summer is here.

Celebrate!

the joy of a boy

Jake really is a lover boy.

He hugs hard and kisses long,

but when someone kisses him, he wipes it off....

He always has.

He wants to be kissed, he just wipes the kiss off.

A trait of his that I will always remember.

Home again safely from a wonderful trip.

The day after is always hard...

suitcases to unpack,

clothes to wash,

bodies that need to rest,

always feel a little sluggish,

a little out of things.

It takes a while to get home again.

Many times in my writings

I encourage your readers to "Seek the Lord."

Riding home yesterday,

I was reading the book of 

II Chronicles.

Trying to just get through it,

I am ashamed to say.

As usual and much to my delight,

chapter after chapter

 had something to say to me.

I kept reading verse after verse aloud to Bubba.

I found this gem among many....

"For they had sworn with their whole heart,

and had sought GOD earnestly, 

and He let them find Him.

II Chronicles 15:15

Beautiful truth,

GOD LET THEM FIND HIM.

So thankful today that He let me find Him.

All God,

Sovereign God,

None of me.

seventy

Bubba turned seventy years old today...
hard to wrap my head around that number.
Here in the picture
are the birthday boys.....
Jake and Granddaddy.
We have had non-stop birthday celebrations
for the last two days.

After breakfast at the I-Hop and
dinner at the Cheesecake Factory,
present opening,
and then homemade peach cobbler made by Amanda,
we are all well-spent and ready to slumber.

We return home tomorrow.
I need to see about my flowers,
and get the home fires burning again. 
It has been a wonderful week of vacation and family love.

Thankful tonight for my husband...
the ways we have grown in the Lord together most of all.
Also thankful for what lies ahead.
God has been so faithful to us.
Tonight we praise and worship Him for who He is.

Jake is nine

Jake came into this world nine years ago today.

He made me a grandmother.....

all of the joys  of life,

rolled into your children's children.

Bubba and I spend most of our free time

loving on these blessings.

We have six.

The picture is of Jake in his classroom this morning.

He made his shirt at school.

Today was"solve the mystery day,"

 hence the detective hat.

His mom, me, and his granddaddy got to help in the classroom.

He and his brother Eli

got to leave school early to start the

birthday celebration.

Nine is nice!

Jake is still a loving, sweet little guy.

He loves his "people" with a passion.

He loves Legos,

and the Disney character "Stitch."

Seemingly,

he has moved out of his "Spiderman" days,

but he loves the "Justice League."

He still lets us tuck him in at night,

and kiss him goodnight.

He takes my hand when we are walking,

and melts my heart.

His swimming skills amaze me.

I can still remember those little arms and legs around me

when he was just learning to swim.

I also remember his screams of fear,

if his mother and I got near the edge of the ocean.

Now we are screaming for him not to go out "too far."

Love this boy to the moon and back....

Happy Birthday Jake!

so thankful to get away

We went ahead and found ourselves
a little sliver of paradise
here in the midst of Walt Disney World.

This is the view from our balcony.
We never saw anything
but deer,
and birds,
two wild turkeys,
and a turtle.
Oh, and four beautiful hot air balloons.

Peaceful and quiet,
restful and gorgeous.
we two have relaxed and done Disney like the grown-ups do.

Only spent one day in a park...
that was Epcot.
We went soaring and I got my self back to the Karmel Corn shop
in the Germany pavilion.
Also enjoyed the fabulous "Festival of Flowers."
What they do with flowers is nothing but amazing.

We have sat in the sun,
eaten gourmet food, yes it is here,
ridden the monorail,
shopped,
but mainly had a little vacation....the first in about two years.

We leave this afternoon
to go spend time with our precious family in Palm Beach Gardens.
Looking forward to seeing our little grandsons.

I leave you with two pictures.
The first are the wild turkeys.
They came every morning to be fed our handouts.
Fascinating.
The second is the tame blackbird that we found earlier
sitting on the sofa in our room.
He was going straight for the source,
a box full of snacks.

Heading south....

to paradise.

Thankful for no more cold weather,

only gentle breezes,

sandals,

sun,

and the glorious days of summer.

the view from the top

Many happy memories were made at this place,
The Contemporary Resort at Disney World.
When we were new in our marriage
and had small kids,
we would come here with my whole family.
Abundant good times were had by all.

The restaurant on the roof was called
"Top of the World."
I don't know how they did it,
but my parents would take all of us up there
to dine and be entertained.
We would "dress to the nines" and act like celebrities.

Last night Bubba and I went back
for the first time in many years.
Everything is different,
but nothing has changed.
Gourmet food,
a view to die for,
excellent service,
special attention to detail,
and, we were asked back to view the fireworks
over the Magic Kingdom from their rooftop deck.

It was "Magic."
It always is!
Thank You Lord!

always.....

~

"Cast your burden upon the Lord,

and He will sustain you;

He will never allow the righteous

to be shaken."

Psalm 55:22

"When I am afraid,

I will put my trust in Thee.

In God whose word I praise, 

In God I have put my trust;

I shall not be afraid,

What can mere man do to me?"

Psalm 56: 3&4

"And I said,

 Oh that I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest.

Behold,

I would wander far away,

I would lodge in the wilderness.

I would hasten to my place of refuge 

from the stormy wind 

and tempest."

Psalm 55: 6:8

some of my shell collection

I've been at this shell collecting thing for quite a while.

This display is sitting in the open space

between the kitchen and the living room in our new home.

Quite impressive I think.

My home is filled with all the things I love.

It is a very pleasant place.

But friends,

this is not my real home.

Jesus has prepared a mansion for me in heaven.

It is waiting for me there.

That's my real home and that is the real home of all believers.

We are just passing through this world.

Out trials and hurts are just temporary light affliction.

One day there will be no more sin....

no more hurt,

no more depression,

no more tears.

Lots of people read this blog,

people from all over the world.

Some I know very well,

others I don't know at all,

but I would be remiss if I didn't tell the truth here

every once in a while.

Do you know God,

 or do you just know about God?

Do you have a personal relationship with His Son Jesus Christ?

Are you a dead man walking,

or are you filled with the abundant life that only comes

from being in a right relationship with the God who made all things?

God is waiting for you to seek Him.

The Bible promises that if you begin to seek Him

He will reveal Himself to you.

Start by reading His word,

the Bible.

Read the book of John.

Pray 

and ask simply for God to reveal Himself to you.

He loves you and wants to have a relationship with you.

He is waiting.

And,

I'll be praying for you.

I already have been.

Cathy

this afternoon at the beach

As far as I'm concerned,

all pathways should lead down to the beach.

It was beautiful today.

High tide,

great breeze,

bright blue sky,

all sunny.

There is nothing that restores the soul

like a walk by the ocean.

I love my water aerobics class.

It is so relaxing,

so easy to exercise,

positively therapeutic.

Today I remembered to take a nice cool bottle of water.

Never got to take a sip of it though.

The lady next to me started

guzzling out of my bottle.

When I told her it was mine,

she went to hers and drank deeply.

I never touched mine again.

(afraid of her germs)

By the end of the class

 I was dehydrated again and could barely make it home.

This WILL work,

I just know it will!!!

Lastly,

here are my Mother's Day Orchids

from my family.

I love them and hope to keep them alive for a long time.

So excited about our vacation.

Think I will start packing tomorrow,

maybe get a pedicure

because

there are lots of pools and beaches in my

immediate future.

the joys of being a mom

These two were God's gifts to us.......

David and Amanda

He loaned them to us for a while,

He allowed us to raise them,

train them up in the ways of the Lord,

nurture them,

love them,

and prepare them to go out into the world.

Nothing better has ever happened to me 

than being the mother 

of two these sweet, adorable children.

Thanking the Lord tonight for who they 

have become,

for their spouses,

and their children,

and especially their love returned to us

in so many ways.

I can honestly say that the years spent with our children

were the best years of my life.

It was a fun, wild ride.

So exciting,

so worth every minute spent doing what moms do.

Thanks for calling me MOM.

I love both of you so very much!

me and my moma

Tomorrow is Mother's Day.

Reflecting always...

Thinking about my mom and all she did for me.

I remember Daddy telling me

after mom had died,

that she told him one day......

I was about two,

"Ed, I'm taking Cathy to church tomorrow.

You can come if you will,

but if not, I'm taking her by myself."

That's kinda where I got my start.

She knew I needed to hear about Jesus,

and she did the right thing.

Daddy did go with us, 

and I don't think we ever missed another Sunday.

Not that going to church saves you,

but that is where you hear the word....

and it is

God's word that changes your heart.

My mom...

I thank her for what she did,

that she knew where I needed to be,

and she made sure I got there.

If your mom has passed on,

remember her with

 fondness and thanksgiving.

If your mom is alive still,

love her.

Be understanding.

Be thankful for her.

After she has lived a long time,

she may be weary, 

 she may have deep hurts

down in that old soul of hers

 that cannot be uttered.

Our moms are gifts from God.

I miss mine every day.

low, low tide

A day in May....

late afternoon, the tide is way out,

The south end of Tybee becomes an alien landscape,

beautiful, but different.

At one point I thought of the Roman aqueducts.

The birds are wild,

free,

and hungry.

There are a few dead jellyfish around,

and some little hermit crabs.

The kids are fascinated.

Our kite is in the sky.

Everyone is busy,

doing their beach things.

too cold yet to swim,

but,

it won't be very long.

We think this is possibly 

the first time

 Archie 

has ever flown a kite.

*Living near the coast....

A huge blessing,

never get enough of it.

.

boys on a bench

Every now and then

I will come in here to the computer

 and look at my pictures.

I have thousands.

Doing so restores my soul and

sends me to counting my blessings.

This one is at the tower on

Skidaway Island.

Sweet boys,

Archie still has on his hospital band,

chillin on a bench.

Just back from the beach

on this beautiful fifth day of May.

God gives us these days.

Soon it will be hot and muggy and 

air conditioning will feel good.

But now....

let me just be outside and feel the warmth

and relish in the beauty of Spring.

Over and above the top of the 

highest mountain

are the joys of the Christian life.

Even on the darkest of days, 

in the depth of despair,

God provides glimmers of hope to get us through.

That hope is found in God's Word.

"Oh, the depth of the riches

both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable are His judgement

and His ways past finding out!"

Romans 11:33

cathy's happy flowers

Stunned....

getting word of the death of a friend is always terrible,

but when you hear that it was

suicide,

it becomes almost incomprehensible.

"Why" is on everyone's tongue...

"never would have seen that coming,"

 "How in the world?"

There are no words, nothing that can fill the gaps.

Our hearts and prayers

go out to these families 

from our days in

 Peachtree City, Ga.

I know about depression.

I've known about it for 36 years.

There is no cure except God's word.

That's why I cling to it so closely.

It is my lifeline,

my hope,

what keeps me from falling headlong,

what lifts up my head

 above the water.

Never take anything for granted.

Flowers bring so much joy.

This is how they looked after I planted them....

memory master

Spending this afternoon,

tonight,

and tomorrow

 with this precious little girl.

We have flowers to buy,

choices to make,

kites to fly,

and alligators to feed.

This picture was taken on

 the last day of school

when she was given 

her memory master award.

We all are very proud of her and her upcoming trip to

Disney World with her dad

which is her reward.

There is nothing to compare with

grandchildren.

God's richest blessings come to us on their smiling faces.

their sweet words,

their gifts and flowers,

hugs and kisses.

Thank You Lord!

happy first day of may

I love this!

JC Ryle is one of my favorite theologians.

Even though he lived many years ago,

his words are always fresh and new,

inspiring my heart.

I am "friends" with him on 

facebook,

So every now and then he sends me a quote.

When you love the Lord,

when you love all things about Him,

there is a common language.

All words point to Him

in a dialogue of praise and worship.

cathy