Making a Turn...

...turning my eyes, mind, and heart away

from things that are not profitable to

me or glorifying to my Lord.

(a 24/7 minute by minute choice)

This neat graphic was created by Lori over at

All You Have to Give

Lori hosts Word Filled Wednesdays and has

a beautiful heart for the Lord!!

Each time I visit her blog I am encouraged, inspired,

and challenged in my walk with the Lord!

Hope you'll stop by and visit her!

Remember...

If we wouldn't do it, speak it, listen to it, watch it,
BUY it, (ouch!) or engage in it with Jesus right next to us...

IT HAS TO GO!!

Love you gals!!

Becky

So Far...So Good!!

Hi Sweeties!! 

Hope you are planning some fun stuff for

this upcoming holiday weekend!  We have some

things we need to do around here so our fun will be

mixed with some good, hard WORK!!

***************

Thank you for your prayers for my tests!!

The shocky/pokey one on Monday showed

NOTHING!!

WOOHOO!!  NORMAL!!!

And I made it through the stress test yesterday!!

I meet with the cardiologist tomorrow!

I'll let you know what he says!!

***************

Can I just share from my heart for a minute?

All of these medical things I have been dealing

with, including starting out my year with the

appendectomy, have made me MUCH more

aware of trials people are facing and

how that plays out in their lives.

I came across this quote and have made it my

quote of the year:

Be kinder than necessary because everyone

you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

We cannot expect those we know or have contact with

to handle things the way we think we would, or impose

expectations on them during times of difficulty. 

Everyone has different ways of coping with trials, and

just as most don't know all we're dealing with at any given

time, we don't know the same of them either!!

Soooo...with that in mind...I'm making it my goal to

expect less, be kinder, and do a better job of just

loving and interacting with everyone as Christ would.

May each of our lives

bear the fruit of kindness and love to all

we come in contact with...

Thanks for letting me share...love you gals!

Becky

Happee Monday!!

Hope your day has started off well! 

Isn't this butterfly lovely?

You can get all kinds of cool pics to use

for free from http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/!

They have been my go-to place since I started blogging!

WELL, unfortunately me and hubby didn't getaway for the weekend.

Logistics were just too difficult with my family's schedules.

WAHHHHHHHH!!!

However,  it was really a good God thing!!

Saturday morning I woke up with a big ol' lump

in my throat and not feeling very well!!  I'd much
rather be in my own home and bed for that!!!

SO....we will plan it for another weekend!!

What a delightful thing for him to surprise me!

That alone just really blesses me!

Today I am feeling almost 100% and it's a good

thing because I have that EMG in a few hours!

Yeah...where they stick needles in your muscles and

shock ya??!!!

I've heard it isn't that bad, and I have a fairly high

tolerance for pain, so I know I will be fine!

So what do you have planned for today?

Do Tell!!

Praying that God richly blesses all
you put your hearts

and hands to today!!

Lots of love,

Becky

Friday Smiles and a Wonderful Surprise!!

The birds are singing, the sun is shining,

and I am one blessed woman with such

a FULL heart!!

My wonderful hubby rolled over to me last night
right after we got in bed, and asked me if I
would like to wake up Sunday morning
at our favorite hotel on Jekyll Island!!!

He sure knows how to make my day!!

and of course I answered...

DUH!!!!!

No, I didn't say that but yeah...

we're going!!!

Our oldest daughter, hubby and grandy stay

here when we go on an escapade

so we have no concerns about Maddy
or our other children,

Cooper, Penny, Kritta and Charlie!!

Of course I wish it could be longer, but am

certainly thrilled that we can go at all!!

So...right now I am going to get ready for that

echo cardiogram and then come home and pack!

Love and hugs to you all! 

And heartfelt prayers

for my girls out there that are dealing with medical

issues, and family strife.  We just have to

remind each other that God is over it all
and is busy taking care of all that concerns us!

Praying for you all!

Have a delightful weekend!

Love,
Becky

Stay tuned!!!  I will be posting a giveaway in

the next few days!!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!

Good Morning!!!

Thank you all for your wonderful birthday wishes!!

You sure know how to make a gal feel great!! 
I am so blessed by your loving, caring, hearts!!

I am sharing my gorgeous birthday blooms with you today!!

My lovely friend Nellie just showed up at my door midday on Sunday

with these beautiful flowers for my birthday! 

She stopped by one

day IN THE POURING RAIN and brought me a smoothie

called a "Chocolate Elvis" just to make my day!

And of course it did!!!

Nellie knows how much I love daisies and looked for a bunch that

was FULL of them...I put them in a creamy white vintage pitcher

and they greet me each morning on my breakfast nook table!!

Daisies to me are really just God's smile in a flower!!

They NEVER fail to cheer me~~~

Especially when they are an act of love from a wonderful

loving, encouraging friend like Nellie!!!

She also designs her own greeting cards and made this pretty one for me!

If you haven't met Nellie yet...she is a blogger too and you can find her

at Nellies Cozy Place!  I hope you'll go meet her!!

Today she is preparing a special birthday lunch for me!!

YIPPEE!!  She is full of hospitality, too! 

Can't wait!!

*******************************

Another lovely bloggy friend is also a good friend of mine,

Jessica at Jewels for the Journey,

(please go meet her too, if you haven't yet,)

and later in the day she stopped by bearing birthday wishes

and this pretty bag of goodies!!

Jess is also full of surprises! When I was at a wedding a week ago

Saturday she dropped by and brought a petite

tea cup full of chocolates by for me to enjoy!!

Thanks Jess...they were yummy and sure made Emily's eyes

light up!!

I love this bag...the blooms and the dragonfly!!

And here are the delightful things inside!

Jess knows I LOVE birds and has blessed me with several

including this little beauty!  It is on our console with this adorable

little pot of silk geraniums.  She covered all the bases, by adding in

chocolate, a fragrant candle and the blue crystal dragonfly!!

Thank you Jess!!

The rest of my birthday was wonderful...my wonderful hubby

made an awesome fresh redfish (caught by him!) dinner complete with

homemade hushpuppies...Mmmmm!

And my gift from the girls and him is the money to purchase a new

camera!!  My grandy Emily dropped mine last year, and it just

isn't functioning properly.

I will be shopping soon and will show you what I get!

PLEASE PRAY FOR ME as I am having an echo cardiogram
tomorrow, an EMG and nerve conduction test on Monday,
and a stress test on Wednesday!!

The heart ones are because of an irregular EKG when I went for
my appendix.  The Dr. doesn't think it is anything, but has to check!

We really think all of this is for nothing...but please pray anyway!!

Thanks for sharing in my birthday JOY!

Gotta go get ready to go to Nellie's!!

Big Squishy Hugs!!

Becky

Thought to Ponder & Celebrating!!

In my devotions yesterday morning I read this quote and loved it!

Definitely a great one to ponder!!

There never was and never will be

a believing prayer left unanswered.--McCheyne

Love this beautiful mountain trail...the perfect place to sit and

ponder the greatness of our loving God, and His promises

to those who know Him personally and call upon Him in prayer.

We can be safe trusting and waiting for His perfect timing in anything

we are dealing with.  Trust Him today!  He won't disappoint you!

 

These flowers are soooo pretty!

 

Well sweet friends, today I celebrate my 52nd year of life!!

 

WOOHOO!!!!

 

Never have I been more happy to be alive...

Never have I been more appreciative of all my blessings,

(and they are too numerous to even begin to count!!)

Never have I loved my Lord and Savior more,

and never have I looked forward to His coming more!

 

My prayer for me and for you is that we continue to grow

 in the grace and love of Christ; that we put off all things

that displease Him, seeking with our whole hearts to honor

Him and allow Him to have His perfect work in our lives, so

that all who know us see us first as the light of Christ!

 

Praying His love falls fresh on you today!!!

 

Have a joyful day!! 

Love you lots,

Becky

 

 

Flower Pot Frenzy!

Well, leave it to Martha!!!

I absolutely love this idea!

Who knew that painted pots could be so much fun,

AND so very eyecatching?? 

I have got to get some flowers out, and am so glad I checked

out Martha's site for some ideas!!  I will be painting some pots

FOR SURE!  I'll show you when I'm done!

I have never seen rocks used this way before think it

looks so cool!!  Don't you love the patina on these pots??
I aged two clay pots a couple of years ago just by rubbing
some potting soil on them, but you can even spread moss on
them to take it a step further.

I have seen lots of stacked pots...the possibilities are endless.

This one is lovely, but needs some FLOWER POWER!!

Serving lunch on terracotta...ahhh...it just screams

al fresco to me!!

I know my herb plants very well, but really like the idea

of labeling them anyway!

Picket Fence pots!!  Very cute, but would love to see some

daisies in one of these babies!!  I like the shorter pot best!

Is there anything you can't paint with chalkboard paint??

I think not!  I am going to do this, too, and write things

like FAITH, HOPE, LOVE, and of course

JOY on them!!  Maybe even some scripture.

This is a plastic pot that was given an aged patina with some

glaze I think.  So very pretty filled with these lovely impatiens.

Don't these look great?  This was done with masking tape

and some kind of spray protectant!!!  LOVE IT!!!

You can find out all the details on how to do these pots

at http://www.marthastewart.com/

I am going to gather up some pots, and head to the local nursery!!

Hope you have a lovely day, sweet friends!!

Please know how you bless my soul!!

Love Ya Bunches!!
Becky

Oh Happy Day!

Happy Thursday to all my girlies out there!

And it is a day to be happy for sure!

I got my MRI results, and the preliminary report

is that the symptoms I have been experiencing are

a result of bone spurs in my cervical spine, along with

a few tears there as well.  I have a slight curvature of

my spine that I have had since puberty, and one hip higher than

the other, which combined with age, have contributed

to uneven wear and pressure in my upper spine.

Normally I wouldn't be thrilled to find out that

 I have a problem in my back, especially one that

will probably continue to get worse as I age, but I'll

sure take that over the brain issue anytime!

I won't be meeting with my neurologist until July.

I have decided to not have the lumbar puncture unless

she can make a strong case for further investigation

based on these results and my blood work.

The peace that God has given me has been amazing,

and so has the wonderful, loving support from each of you!

Please continue to pray that this is the sole cause of my symptoms.

I have a moderate case of cervical splondylosis which explains
all of the tingling sensations I have experienced.

Thank you so very much for your prayers and love!
God sees and knows, and will bless you accordingly!
He sure has blessed me with YOU!!

Thank you for investing in me!  What a delight to my soul
to be on the receiving end of so much love and prayer,
especially from so many of you I haven't even met in person!

What an incredible God to reach
through space and time
and gift me with you!!

I'll let you know if there are any further developments, but

honestly, I don't think there will be!

I sing because I'm happy
I sing because I'm free
His eye is on the sparrow
and I know He watches me!!!

OH HAPPY DAY!!
Love you!!
Becky

Waiting...Yes I'm Waiting...Waaaa-aiting!

Well, my sweet friends, still waiting for those results!!

I'll talk to one of my Drs. tomorrow to see if they got

the report from the MRI people yet.

I'll let you know as soon as I know!
If there aren't any lesions in my neck, the MS thing

would probably be a stretch at best, unless this is the

initial onset of the disease.

Just a waitin' and a trustin' that God is tending to it all!

Pray along with me, won't you?

YOU GALS ROCK!!!

~~~~~~~~~~

You all know by now that I love jumping in the car,

putting down the windows, and driving around
some of the more scenic spots in our area.

I just love this pic I snapped 10-12 days ago while on a

drive around Lake Monroe. 

My favorite time of day for my drives is

before 10:00 a.m. and after 4:00.

I enjoy seeing the sun dance on the water,

back lighting the trees, and making

the dew sparkle!  Add to that the chirping of birds,

or in the evenings the sounds

of crickets, and I am in one of my happy places!

What is one of your favorite happy places?

HUGS,

Becky

Who Touched Your Life This Way?

Hi Sweet Friends...sharing some fun blooms on the
Lorepedalum in our front planters.

I receive email devotions from Dayspring and
today I got this one. 

My very first thoughts upon reading it were of

my loving Mother.  She was amazing, and I

have been so blessed by how she poured

herself into our lives.

Who touched your life this way?

You wrote no lofty poems
that critics counted art.
But with a nobler vision
you lived them in your heart.

You carved no shapeless marble
to some high soul design
But with a finer sculpture
you shaped this soul of mine.

You built no great cathedrals
that centuries applaud
but with a grace exquisite
your life cathedraled God.

- Thomas Fessenden, excerpt from Quiet Reflections: A Mother's Journal.

Have a joyful, thankful Sunday sweeties!

Love and hugs,

Becky

The Cream In My Coffee!!

A few weekends back, this wonderful hunk of a man...

the cream in my coffee...
MY MAN,

took his wife on a cruise down the river...

one of my favorite things to do!

We put the boat in on the St. Johns, but our destination is

the Wekiva River...old Florida at it's best!

We have a flats fishing boat that can float in 6" of water

perfect for those places reachable only by

kayak or canoe otherwise.

This is the old bridge...it was replaced by the one behind it

several years ago.  It completely raised up to let boats through.

They left part of it in tact as a little fishing pier.

This one is the railroad bridge that lifts up as you can see

Draw bridges have always fascinated me.  I even used to have

a bad dream about teetering at the top of one! HA!

I have really gotten into angles and architecture lately.

They always capture my eye. This part of the bridge

has bird nests in it!

An Anhinga on the pylon.  Love the rope and wood!

Entering the Wekiva...as you can see the water level is

pretty high.  The sign isn't suppose to be covered!

And of course, the welcoming committee!!

They lay with their mouths open to help vent

their body heat.  They are truly amazing creatures!

This looks like it could be the bayou in Louisiana..

These are cypress trees and just look and feel so

ethereal.  Love the reflections in the water!

A nesting hawk with babies chirping!

A little side waterway...so picturesque!

Their are actually people who LIVE on the banks of this

river in tents.  I SO wanted to snap their picture, but

they looked a little rough so I didn't even ask.

People also pull in along the banks to swim, picnic and play.

Not sure how they got that rope up their, but I'm sure

lots of folks have had fun with it!

A larger boat anchored at the bank

I love how God put beauty everywhere.  The lillies cover the

water on the side and are a food source for manatees.  The

bright yellow blossoms just make me smile!

This little plant is everywhere too and makes me smile with

it's perky little green clover-like leaves that just stretch

toward the sun.

As soon as I saw this log in the water I though of the

Loch Ness monster and had to snap it!

Too funny!

Another fella that wanted to tell us to have a great day

as we exited the Wekiva!

This is the boat the Rivership Romance.  I have never been

on it, but they serve meals and cruise around Lake Monroe

and the St. John's river.  I'm sure it's fun, but I love my

more up close and personal view at my hubby's side.

The mechanism that raises the train bridge.  It rocks on

that rounded part towards the bottom of the photo.

Amazing.

The underside of the new bridge. Kinda cool!

Thanks for coming along with us!

Oh and my MRI went fine!!

I was in the tube up to my waist for

about 25 minutes and did great!

Won't have the results til Tuesday, I think,

so please pray that it is clear of lesions, ok?

Love ya!!  Really do!!

Becky