Dream On!

Take delight in the Lord,
and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

(heartlight)

This is a well-loved poem by Langston Hughes

 that reaches back to my youth,

and many of you may be able to quote it.

Even now, at this time in my life,

I still have dreams,

although they are

quieter,

simpler,

more centered on God's plan

for my life.

But maybe,

just maybe,

if I had an outfit and wings like this little guy.....

My Flowers & Herbs Wish List

I have a few favorites on my flowers & herbs wish list for our new place,

so I made a collage of a few of them...

1. Lavender  2. Pansies  3. Sarah Bernhardt Peonies

4. Lady's Mantle  5. Lilacs  6. Lamb's Ears

The pansies are in a basket on our front porch, and the rest are still "wishes".

Elements such as shade, sun, and space will determine what plants will make
the list and where they will go, but these are my favorites.
With the last frost date in Montana usually around May 15,
it won't be long before I make a trip to the local nurseries
and add several more favorites to my list, such as

rosemary
~
thyme
~
geraniums
 ~
zinnias
~
hollyhocks
~
oh, the list is endless!


(The photos of the pansies and lilacs are mine.
The other photos are from my Cottage Flowers and Herbs board on Pinterest.)

Think on These Things ~ Letter from a Mother to a Daughter

Perhaps you have already seen this on Facebook. I found it to be so touching,

especially after having lost my mom in December to Alzheimer's disease.

Rather than write about it, I just want to share it with all of you,

and I want to thank whoever wrote it,

as I do not know who that is, although it was linked to

Spring  in the Air. 

Letter from a Mother to a Daughter:

  "My dear girl, the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through. If when we talk, I repeat the same thing a thousand times, don’t... interrupt to say: “You said the same thing a minute ago”... Just listen, please. Try to remember the times when you were little and I would read the same story night after night until you would fall asleep.

When I don’t want to take a bath, don’t be mad and don’t embarrass me. Remember when I had to run after you making excuses and trying to get you to take a shower when you were just a girl?

When you see how ignorant I am when it comes to new technology, give me the time to learn and don’t look at me that way... remember, honey, I patiently taught you how to do many things like eating appropriately, getting dressed, combing your hair and dealing with life’s issues every day... the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through.

If I occasionally lose track of what we’re talking about, give me the time to remember, and if I can’t, don’t be nervous, impatient or arrogant. Just know in your heart that the most important thing for me is to be with you. And when my old, tired legs don’t let me move as quickly as before, give me your hand the same way that I offered mine to you when you first walked.

When those days come, don’t feel sad... just be with me, and understand me while I get to the end of my life with love. I’ll cherish and thank you for the gift of time and joy we shared.

With a big smile and the huge love I’ve always had for you, I just want to say, I love you... my darling daughter. "
 

(In honor of my dear mother, Doris, who could have written this to her daughters.

I love you, my dear Momma!)

I'm joining in @ With a Grateful Prayer and a Thankful Heart for

Think on These Things

Think on These Things ~ The First Promise

“Honor your father and mother”

—which is the first commandment with a promise— 

 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

Ephesians 6:2-3

Ben was showing me his new trick:

he can now roll over from his back to his tummy,

and I thought of the verses above as he flipped over and shared the

words on his onesie.

I love that these words from Ephesians are the first commandment

with a promise, and they are a reminder to me that we should honor our parents

no matter our age or even if they are no longer with us.

I am thinking on these things and the other posts shared at

With a Grateful Prayer and a Thankful Heart ~

Think on These Things ~ Missing the Dear Old House

Lately, I have been missing our Dear Old House...

the one we moved from last fall, the one we raised our daughters in, the one our grandchildren stayed in overnight in their room upstairs, and the one where they climbed the crabapple tree in the backyard.

I had a bit of a tearfest one evening, and the next morning, I was still feeling a little sad, when I was reminded that this new little cottage is God's plan for us. Somehow, in the course of the day, I hurt my back, and doing the day-to-day things I do became difficult, and the day after my tearfest, I was very thankful for this cottage where it only takes a few steps to go from room to room, the house that is easy to keep clean, and the home where our grandchildren still spend the night.

And God, in His wisdom, helped me to see that this little cottage He made possible for us to build, the one that holds the promise of more time with our daughters and their families, the one in a pleasant, new neighborhood just right for walks and exploring along the Yellowstone River, is just right for us.

This is the front porch of our new little cottage,

the place we now call home.

 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

 You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.

I'm joining Lorraine at With a Grateful Prayer and a Thankful Heart for

~ rest ~

 

Monday, April 16, 2012 - I first posted this last week, but I am adding this comment today:

Rest is something I am craving lately, for a variety of reasons,

reasons that do not matter for this post;

for what matters is that

Christ alone promises to give me,

to give all who ask, the rest we need.

This is what I am thinking on this week,

being reminded that there is nothing in this world that

Christ cannot do,

and He will give me rest.

He promises.

Just for Fun

This is a dangerous post...

no, this isn't an exotic cup of tea or  cocoa...

It's

dat-da-dahhhhhhh...

Go.now.do.not.hesitate.to

no.2 pencil

for the recipe.

You will not regret it.

I went

and

I "baked"

and

I loved

it.

(Thank you to Karen, who shared this on Pinterest,

so that I could have my cookie without eating an entire batch,

and to Melissa, who's blog, no. 2 pencil, made it all possible.) 

When things go

from bad to worse,

keep a cookie

in your purse.

(clutch bag on etsy)