can you find the hearts?

There are two of them.

One is upside down.

One requires shadows to see.

These bushes are blooming all over Savannah as I write.

If anyone knows what they are called,

please let me know.

I never remember seeing these so full of blooms

this early in the year.

We are having an early spring.

Temperatures are in the eighties, 

the grass is already green,

trees are budding out,

pollen is everywhere,

(my old Honda, which sits outside,

requires a shower from the hose 

before I drive so that I can see out of her windows)

Actually,

it seems like we went from winter to summer overnight.

I went to church without Bubba this Sunday morning.

The pollen got to him early last week.

He has been really sick.

I am very thankful that he is getting better.

I love our church so much.

The Sunday gathering is the highlight of my week.

Of course the proclamation of God's word is the most important item on the agenda.

We are studying through the book of I Timothy.

But let me tell you, when we sing, we worship God.

The music is so God honoring.

I always leave ready to face another week

(in my case another week of radiation)

knowing that God is on His throne in the heavens

and that He is in control.

The music stirs my soul to worship.

You're the Lord of light shining in the dark

You're the source of life beating in my heart

You're the living hope, You're the risen Christ

You restored my soul

Oh You brought me back to life

You Brought Me Back to Life

The Citizens

How do I get through the dark days of pain and fear?

With Jesus holding my hand and leading me to the other side.

He is faithful and good.

I can trust Him.

update

I am two weeks into my six weeks of radiation treatment.

Bubba sent out his daily text a little while ago...

"Number 10 is done.

We are one third of the way to 30 treatments.

that's 33.333333%."

As predicted...

the mouth pain has come.

the fatigue is here,

and nothing tastes even remotely good anymore.

I am trying to adjust to this "new normal" for the next weeks and months.

In spite of this hardship God is good.

This could be so much worse.

His grace will enable me in this trial to glorify Him.

Keep praying!

He hears the prayers of His people.

I feel His strength in the deepest part of my soul.

I am thankful!

"The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness;

He will sustain Him on His sickbed."

Psalm 41:3

This is my verse that I use while I'm  getting radiation.

Billy Graham 1918 ~2018

Many people thought that my dad looked like Billy Graham.

This picture just took my breath away.

The resemblance is startling.

Don't you know that Mr. Graham is rejoicing right now.

He is finally home, finally free.

Ninety nine years is a long time to live.

He has seen Jesus!

I love this quote by him that has been all over Facebook today...

"Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead.  

Don't you believe a word of it!  

I shall be more alive than I am now. 

I will have just changed my address....

I will have gone into the presence of God."

Billy Graham

Praise God today for Billy Graham's life and ministry here on this earth

and for his eternal life that began today in heaven.

To God be ALL of the glory!

the beach ~ yesterday

This was the view from our condo yesterday.

They have planted sea grass on top of the dunes 

in an effort to keep all of the new sand from washing away. 

Keeping the dunes intact is a bit futile but nonetheless necessary.

I think it looks like it snowed on the beach.

We found this comfy bed awaiting the next guests.

The pool has been resurfaced and retiled and is waiting for summer.

I am waiting for summer too.

The days are getting longer and longer.

Also,

I am loving these warm winter days God is blessing us with.

On the way home from the beach we stopped at Papa's for some fresh seafood.

Always amazing.

On Saturday afternoon Bubba and I went to see this movie.

I was completely mesmerized for two hours and five minutes.

I love anything about the World War II era.

This piece of history was so well done.

I could not stop thinking about for hours.

Today we went over to Bluffton to have lunch with 

David and his family and do a little shopping.

So nice!!

Jim n Nicks is a made from scratch every day restaurant.

All of their food is so delicious.

They are opening a place in Pooler this summer.

We are excited!

Radiation week 2....

Back to it today.

I have completed 6 of 30.

Bubba...the numbers man,

says I am 20% done.

I am doing really well and I am very thankful.

Thanks for the prayers!!!

dinner for two with a view

Last night Bubba and I celebrated Valentine's Day

at Pearl's Saltwater Grill.

What a wonderful place to unwind and eat dinner.

The creek was full and like glass

reflecting the blue sky, the clouds, and the docks lining the water.

I ordered shrimp and crab au gratin,

Bubba got crab stuffed flounder.

What a great week this has been!!!

All kinds of reasons to celebrate and be thankful.

Week one of radiation is done.

Five more weeks to go!

Yesterday this came in the mail...

....a gift from Amanda.

Just something about being surprised by these words gave me hope.

Yes, I can do this.

I can go every day of the week,

get my treatment,

talk with the other patients going through what I'm going through,

be cheerful,

and thankful, and glad of heart...

knowing that my God brought this to me,

that He will see me to a good ending.

I will grow and learn more about how He cares for me

every second of my life.

Thank you for the prayers,

all of you who are praying.

I can feel them.

Thank you for the messages,

the texts, 

the e-mails, 

the food,

the cards,

the gifts,

the phone calls,

for all of the love that has been shown to me.

My heart knows....

❤

happy valentine's day

May the blessings of our kind and gracious God 

rain down upon you today.

He loves us with a love that we cannot comprehend.

He proved His love for us by sending 

His son Jesus Christ to die on a tree made into a cross.

God accepted Jesus' death and the shedding of His blood

as payment for our sin.

Because Jesus died we have been reconciled to God.

God sees us as perfectly righteous because of Jesus.

What an amazing truth.

This tree is in David & Erika's back yard.

❤

happy birthday grammy #70

Here is the truth....

these kids and two more little boys down in Florida

are what birthdays are all about.

First of all,

you have to get a little age on you to be a grammy.

Second,

every one of them is special in a different way.

I absolutely love every little quirk.

They make my heart happy.

Third,

they keep me young at heart.

After my party last night I couldn't have felt more loved.

For my big day we have a tradition....

We order Lou Malnati's pizza from Chicago.

It is the most delicious pizza I have ever eaten.

It comes flash frozen and when you heat it up in the oven,

it is like it just came out of the kitchen at the restaurant.

Served with David's famous romaine salad,

it was everything I had waited all year for.

Lucy got out her "Back in the Day Bakery" cookbook 

and made Old Fashioned cupcakes for me.

Oh my, 

I cannot convey to you how delicious these were.

She also played "Happy Birthday to You" on the piano.

Lucy is my dream of a granddaughter.

She did so much work to make this party perfect.

I love that my birthday gets paired with Valentine's Day.

All hearts and flowers and sweet treats and candlelight.

Gus made me this card and gave me two gold coins.

That is Gus and me.

I love this for so many reasons....

especially that our skin tones match.

Archie made this card.

He worked on it for days.

It is intricate and perfect.

Notice the bluebird heading for his nest in the tree.

I love all that is going on in the house too.

What a sweet, amazing little guy is Arch.

Lucy finally got squared away on her new sewing machine,

so she got busy and made me several very useful gifts.

First, she made me a wallet.

She learned how to make button holes,

so I have a wallet that buttons up.

She also knows my love of reading so well

so she made me three bookmarks.

When we got home after the party,

 Jake and Eli had practiced two great songs that they sang and acted out for me.    

They provided the entertainment.

Thank you Lord for yesterday...for my 70th birthday.....

see how these children make everything so amazing?

I am truly and richly blessed.

on turning seventy

I don't feel seventy but then again I didn't "feel" 50 or 60.

Also, feelings are subject to change without warning.

I am well into my grandmother years.

One of the best things I've ever done!

I love being Grammy.

I love to decorate.

All things that make our home beautiful 

make me happy.

I love flowers.

I love to eat good food.

I love for our family to be gathered around the big farm table.

I love the holidays.

And yes, the ocean is still my very favorite place to be.

At seventy I am early to bed ~ early to rise.

Most nights I sleep like a log.

Most mornings will find me in front of the fire with a cup of coffee....

well into God's word by 6:15 am. 

I love watching our children raise their children.

They are a gift from the Lord.

One of my most cherished blessings.

Worshipping at our church every Sunday makes me happy.

Singing, hearing God's word proclaimed,

and fellowshipping with other believers

is a small taste of what heaven will be like.

My life is much quieter now.

I'm learning what's important and what's not.

I like quiet.

I am dealing with my first major illness.

(see previous post)

I am very, very thankful for my husband.

Many of my friends have lost their's

and it makes me so sad for them.

Reading is my passion.

Writing is a second passion.

I love words!

I love memories of the life I've lived.

I often think about the people and places that have made up the journey of my life.

Such sweet musings!!!

At seventy I am content!

That is a good thing.

I love my life!

Whatever God brings my way 

I know is from Him

 and I know that He will see me through to a good end.

"He has put eternity in my heart."

getting my words back

This has been a cold winter indeed.

January passed swiftly.

Now it is February.....

my birthday month.

I will be seventy years old very soon.

"The days of our lives are seventy years;

And if by reason of strength they are eighty years."

Psalm 90:10b

The Bible is very clear on this subject.

Our time on earth is very short. (Psalm 89:47)

Back during Christmas,

I received the diagnosis everyone dreads;

a little innocuous sore on my tongue was a cancer.

I had surgery to cut it out (very painful and debilitating)

and have been convalescing ever since.

I am doing well....will start radiation on Monday,

my birthday.

The cancer was very small, caught early.

Just to make sure though,

I will have six weeks of radiation.

My prognosis is good.

Things like this though have a way of changing your perspective.

I will expound on this theme in the days and weeks to come.

I have so many stories to tell,

so many victories,

so many sweet memories of times flat on my back.

I find my strength in God's word and the people who have loved on me without stopping.

Sacrificial love in action.

God is good all the time.

He gives us what we need, always.

a night on the town

On Thursday evening,

the students in the sixth and seventh grade at Veritas Academy, 

performed The Wizard of Oz.

That's Lucy there on stage as a talking kitty cat.

Right down to walking in on the

"Yellow Brick Road,"

these kids provided a wonderful, enchanting evening.

I loved the costumes,

the set,

and honestly,

 I saw some budding talent in the mix.

Can you spot Gus among the kids 

who were allowed to sit on the floor in the front.

They thought that was the best ever!!

Here the spotlight is on some of the characters in the last act.

So simple, so good.

So much hard work went into this presentation.

Lucy after the show.

She was the "star" of the show in my eyes!

She got a bouquet of flowers, of course.

I had a ball being a proud Grammy.

Granddaddy stayed home with Walt.

The show was much too long for a tired two year old.

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

the big blue blood moon

Did you see it?

I only saw it bright and shining.

evening and morning.

I didn't see it eclipse. 

Neither did I see it shining red.

There are pretty amazing pictures of the blood moon on social media though.

God's handiwork never ceases to amaze me.

This is the narrow slip of road which leads to our beloved Tybee Island.

The full moon makes for really high tides which cause

the ocean to fill up vast areas of the beautiful marsh. 

 Sometimes the water even covers the road in spots making it impassable.

Recently, hurricanes have also brought a lot of water inland.

But thankfully,

God has promised that He will never again destroy the earth with a flood.

Genesis 9:11

With regards to the moon and all things viewed heavenward,

I love this verse....

"The heavens declare the glory of God:

And the firmament shows His handiwork."

Psalm 19:1

*Photo credit ~ Billy Harrell