praise for the One

God,

you have all power over me.

Everything bad that has Not happened to me

is because of a

 mighty outpouring of 

Your grace.

I am overwhelmed by Your 

goodness,

mercy,

compassion,

and love 

for such a wretch as I.

To You

 belongs ALL

praise & glory & thanksgiving.

*The sun setting down from the beach in front of our condo.

dreaming....

...of a cottage by the sea.

It would be white

with a porch that wraps all the way around.

There would be lots of windows,

all looking out toward the beach and the ocean.

The windows would always be open,

causing the balmy salt breezes 

to blow the white gauzy curtains inside the house....

 allowing the sound of the waves to be music in my ears.

It would have wooden steps

down to the sand

on which I would walk both morning and night.

Only steps to the water,

in which I will swim and float to my heart's content.

The only transportation I would need 

is a boat,

one that I could paddle down to the market

to buy provisions for life,

and to anchor for a while out on the water

 to catch fresh fish and crab.

Every morning I will sit and read God's word

looking out over His mighty, vast ocean.

Every evening I will write good things that people love to read

while watching the sun set and the moon rise.

What a very beautiful dream this is!

washed ashore....

Last week at the beach...

This is our Lu.

she had just washed ashore.

That is sand in her hair.

 I was thinking how much this picture reminds me of Ariel...

The Little Mermaid.

One time Lucy told me a secret...

this was when she was much younger.

She looked up at me and whispered..............

"Grammy, I really AM a mermaid."

I watched her in the pool that summer mimicking mermaids.

I think she really thought she was.

I don't want her to grow up and lose that innocence.

I know its coming,

that's why I cherish every moment of childhood.

Every silly song,

every burst of hysterical laughter,

(usually for some reason while we are driving together)

every corny joke,

every time in grammy's big tub,

every kiss goodnight and morning snuggle,

every secret.

What a joy is this little girl named Lucy!

This is what I cherish...

"The Wonder of it All."

.

"Let our daughters be

 as corner pillars fashioned as for a palace"

Psalm 144:12b

(Someone who reads this will know exactly what this verse means.)

this bouquet.....

....is sitting on the island,

making me smile every time I pass it by.

Thankful that God made flowers.

They are all so different,

so delicate,

and He even put scents in them.

I have decided that I cannot grow anything.

I thought when we moved into this house

that it would soon be featured

in the Southern Living Garden Section.

That was not to be.

The prolific deer of Southbridge

let me know right away that they and they alone

were in charge of my yard and gardens.

What they don't eat, they trample.

They are unrelenting in their pursuit of the succulent 

blooms I pay a fortune for and plant.

This year we delighted in buying four fairly large, 

rather expensive,

crepe myrtles,

not even thinking that they would be fair game for the deer.

Sure enough,

they have decimated the bottom half of all four of them.

I have sprayed deer repellent of all kinds,

which amounts basically to throwing your money away.

They seem to love the smell

and come back for more.

It does nothing to distract the sweet little guys.

They just love our yard!

As deer season gets ready to open,

you are welcome to come sit on our porch.

You can fill your freezer without ever going into the woods.

Anytime from dust till dawn will do!

seeing hearts again

Early in the morning,

before we get up to start the new day,

something extremely monumental will happen.

At exactly 4:21,

on September 23, 2015,

Fall will arrive to greet us.

"Autumn has caught us in our summer wear."

Phillip Larkin

Yes, the poet says it very well indeed.

It is still hot and muggy

in the deep south.

The bugs are still biting.

The fake cool air is still coursing through the house.

I am barefoot and wearing shorts

and drinking lemonade.

But,

out on the newly mowed lawn,

there are a few gold and orange leaves.

The trees are gradually turning colors.

The days are surely shorter,

and the mornings 

hold just a hint of what may be considered 

cool air.

I am thankful for fall and excited by its appearing.

I just never want to let go of summer.

Thank you God for changing things up,

for bringing different

 colors and temperatures in our lives.

For short days when candles so beautifully

illuminate the darkness.

You are our God, 

You made us,

You know what we need,

You provide!

the spirit of the child

Undoubtedly,

to grow old possessing the spirit of the child 

is a much desired gift.

The imagination....

free flowing.

All of the pictures they draw,

the playing mode,

the thinking that produces that play.

the words,

the laughter.

Those eyes locking with yours during church.

Holding their favorite stuffed animal

and knowing exactly why they love it so much.

On the beach,

where every seashell is a treasure....

the ocean, where the dolphins swim and frolic.

At Disney World,

where all the characters come to life.

At Discovery Cove.

swimming with all of God's creatures.

Petting a cat at the Crab Shack,,

interacting with a dog at sewing class.

Face timing, 

hearing them describe

their Halloween costumes.

Watching a movie,

we are into the Chronicles of Narnia right now.

Just talking and listening to their logic.

I could go on and on.

It is all pure joy.

It makes a heart that is growing old,

renewed and happy....

and filled with joy!!

This is what I mean...

If I hadn't thought I would break my neck,

I would have rolled down that hill of new sand at the beach

right after Lucy!

But Jesus said, 

"Let the children alone 

and do not hinder them from coming to Me; 

for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

 Matthew 19:14

cloudy days

They come out of the blue.....

cloudy days.

Today is a cloudy day, literally.

A tiny little bit of rain has been falling out of the sky,

it seems like forever.

This morning, I cannot see well.

It's not my eyesight, 

that is like it always is....

failing fast.

Somehow today I cannot see by faith.

Everything is a little off.

Bubba left early to go to Macon for a friend's funeral.

I had to have fasting bloodwork done,

no breakfast until 10:00 am.

Feeling weak...

off course,

not focused.

headachey.

My hand hurts,

I am fighting off an infection.

La- de -dah!

Enough of what's wrong.

I picked up my word (the Bible).

Last resort kinda.

Maybe this will help.

This is what I read....out loud:

"O Lord, 

You have searched me and known me.

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

You understand my thought from afar.

You scrutinize my path and my lying down,

and are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

Even before there is a word on my tongue,

Behold, O Lord,

You know it all.

You have enclosed me behind and before,

and laid You hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

it is too high,

I cannot attain to it."

Psalm 139: 1~6

This is what it means to walk by faith...

On those days when we can only see by sight,

and even then somewhat feebly,

the God whom we believe in,

the God who made heaven and earth,

knows us intimately like the verses above tell us.

No matter how we feel,

how much pain or sorrow we are in,

how cloudy and dismal our thoughts,

there is Someone who knows us like that.

We muster all we've got,

and with the help of the Holy Spirit

and the power that raised Jesus from the dead,

 believe that what He says about us is true.

 "That He has enclosed us behind and before,

 and has laid His hand upon us,"

and we rest in that!

That is what it means to walk by faith and not by sight.

What we see is going away,

what we don't see is eternal.

Reading God's Word changes your mind,

it changes your heart.

It gives you clear vision.

happy birthday harry #8

Eight is Great.

Harry....

you have brought us blessings for eight whole years now.

A little, tiny baby 

came to Savannah when he was two weeks old 

 to attend his great grandmother's funeral.

Everybody eewed & awwed over you.

One life over ~ one just beginning.

What a joy you were!!

Now you like things like Power Rangers and Pokemon cards

bikes and skateboards,

swords

 and climbing to the top of the world.

Now you are doing second grade,

you are reading chapter books,

you are doing lots of hard homework,

art classes,

PE,

and making lots of friends.
You proudly wear the uniform of Veritas Academy,
even to your birthday party.

You got a big bike with hand brakes and gears,

you took off and rode it without a single problem....

(we were all a little worried)

You, on the other hand are fearless.

Happy Birthday Harry!

Your Grammy and Granddaddy love you so much!

new sand

We are getting new sand at North Beach

on Tybee Island.

It is much needed and we are

very grateful

A lot of the dunes were eroding.

It is nice for them to be firm and beautiful again.

As many of you know,

our condo rests peacefully here.

This is one of our favorite places in the world.

Our adult children

have conniption fits if we ever mention selling it.

The first house to the left belongs to

Sandra Bullock.

So glad to see this progress being made!

By the way....

Bubba located the little lizard in the wreath on our front door 

and relocated him across the street to a forested area.  

I am happy for him to live and thrive,

just not on my front porch.

*Bubba didn't know about the lizard problem

 until he read about it on my blog.

One day last week when Gus was here,

we heard a knock on the door.

Bubba had on a blue rubber glove

 and was holding the lizard up for us to see.

Gus went charging down the street after Bubba,

wanting to see his new living place.

Never a dull moment around here!!!!

taped

This will be short,

I hope.

I have something else to say about words.

Sometimes they hurt...

literally.

Here is the problem....

I don't know when I started.

I do know it was a long time ago.

This is in no way a boast,

but,

every morning I write a Psalm

twice.

First I write a Psalm in my large, 

spiral bound notebook,

and then

I write it again in my prayer book to pray back to God..

That is a lot of writing,

but I love doing this.

It helps me focus,

and I have learned so much about Him.

Well,

my right wrist had been getting sorer and sorer.

I thought I might have had carpel tunnel,

but it isn't that.

Yesterday I went to a physical therapist.

Immediately he diagnosed

the problem......

Dequervains syndrome.

bottom line is this,

I have put too much stress on my wrist

from all the writing.

I have to stop for a while,

maybe forever at that level.

He promised he could help with the pain

within two weeks.

I left there,

not with a brace like I thought,

but taped.

Taped, and not able to write.

Life is full of all kinds of surprises.

Thankful tonight that I can soon be pain free,

and that I can still read God's word,

even through I can't write it.

This wasn't short. :)...:(

my dream bath

I stumbled upon this picture the other day.

It made me catch my breath a little

and then I laughed.

What an extraordinary place for a bathtub,

right in the middle of your library.

Sit and soak and read to your heart's content.

What is better than that?

Bubba is amazed at the different places he finds me reading.

Sometimes walking around with a book in my hand.

Always in my big white chair in the morning.

Always in our bed at night.

In the car on a trip,

on the beach, 

by the pool,

in the loo.

Waiting.

Books are priceless treasures to me.

Words are jewels strung together,

painters,

storytellers.

They take you to faraway places,

back in time.

They evoke emotions,

make you cry and laugh.

They make you fall in love all over again.

Words teach,

encourage,

admonish.

electrify.

If you love to read you have everything.

and,

there are no commercials!!!

so many kinds of beautiful

"Finally brethren,

whatever things are true,

whatever things are noble,

whatever things are just,

whatever things are pure,

whatever things are lovely.

whatever things are of good report,

if there is any virtue,

and if there is anything praiseworthy,

meditate on these things."

Philippians 4:8

It has been a growing summer for me.

along with the grass and the flowers,

I have grown.

As a Christian,

one of our responsibilities is to think well....

to have the mind of Christ.

I have not always done that.

I have allowed wrong, selfish, and sometimes evil thoughts and desires,

at times,

to rule my head and seep into my heart.

Thinking God's way is not easy.

It does not come naturally.

Thinking God's thoughts must be cultivated,

practiced,

much time must be spent in His word,

learning how He thinks 

and what He desires for us.

It takes time of being with Him in prayer,

confessing our sins,

and basking in His grace and mercy.

Most importantly,

we must have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit

to give us the power to think

God's way.

There are, my friends,

"so many kinds of beautiful."

There are so many reasons to be thankful.

There are countless reasons to be joyful.

Our minds can be filled with the pleasures of God,

the beauty of His creation,

the knowledge of what He has done for us,

the expectation of where we will spend eternity

or steeped with the things of this world.

We get to choose,

Choose wisely ~ grow in grace

*We don't have anything except what God has given us.

Our next breath comes from Him.

Think always on His beautiful truth.

irrational fear

This lizard has taken up residence in the wreath

on my front door.

He prances around like he owns the place,

and has rendered me

unable to use the front entrance to our house.

You know,

if I open the door he could dart in

and then what would I do?

There would be a lizard in my house,

and I would be freaking!

Here's the deal.

I am trying to do better.

When I see one,

 I stop,

take a deep breath,

remember that they are harmless,

and move on.

Lucy always tells me,

"Grammy, they will just run away from you."

I know that,

but they still make my blood run cold.

This is a lifelong fear.

A phobia with no rationality,

a dread that is real.

I just pray that none of my boy grandchildren

will ever bring one for me to see,

or worse yet,

put one on my person.

The guy in the picture is just a baby...

very tiny.

When I cropped, he looks bigger than he is.

I can't believe I took this picture....

that I put it on my blog.

Making progress,

I guess.

*All guests must now come in via the garage

until further notice.

as close as it gets.....

Jake kissing Stella the dolphin!

Amanda posing with Stella....

Eli swimming with Stella.

I was a moment too late snapping this shot.

There are three dolphins.

I wish their faces were still above the water.

Still can't get over the day we spent at

Discovery Cove.

just a little over a mile.....

....from this idyllic scene,

is the beautiful and majestic

castle of Cinderella.

This is the view from our balcony at

Shades of Green,

the Armed Forces Resort in the center of

Walt Disney World.

Sitting there, 

watching the sun come up,

watching the deer graze on the golf course, 

you would never know you were anywhere near 

the epicenter of the world's most famous 

Amusement Park.

Also,

these wild turkeys were frequent visitors

every afternoon,

because the hotel guests feed them so well.

Bubba and I have been going to Disney World

ever since it first opened back in the early seventies.

There is plenty of magic there.

You travel by monorail,

you soar over California,

you wear poncho's when it rains,

you eat Mickey Mouse waffles for breakfast,

you walk for miles,

you see lots of tiny princesses,

you ride the people mover when you want to rest,

you ride high in the sky on Dumbo,

you travel back in time, 

you eat caramel corn,

you catch brief glances of people like

 Snow White,

you try to beat each other at Buzz's shooting gallery.

Lunch is always at the Mexican Pavilion in Epcot,

you finish every night eating a Dole Whip ice cream cone

at the Polynesian,

you get really, really tired,

you sleep like a baby.

We just returned from spending three nights at this wonderful place,

We are already talking about when we can go again.