Bring The Rain

Bring The Rain

Mercy Me

(Don't forget to pause the beach music on my sidebar before listing to Mercy Me)

Story Behind "Bring The Rain"

Please visit Brittany, Sweet Nothings, and Charlotte & Ginger, Spiritual Sundays, for more inspirational posts!

Monk & Neagle

Praise & Worship Sunday is hosted by Brittany, Sweet Nothings. Spiritual Sundays is hosted by Charlotte and Ginger.

video: You Tube

Monk & Neagle

"Hallelujah Jesus"

Keeper of the stars

Lord of time and space

I will live my life

Lifting up Your name

Lover of my heart

God who came to save

Thank You for the cross

And the life You gave

Wonderful, powerful

Jesus is Your name

Hallelujah, Jesus

Hallelujah, Jesus

Hallelujah, Jesus

You are the everlasting God

Author of my life

Friend of sinful man

Holy, mighty God

Ever Great I Am

You’re so wonderful, powerful

Jesus is Your name

Hallelujah, Jesus

Hallelujah, Jesus

Hallelujah, Jesus

You are the everlasting God

Hallelujah, Jesus

Hallelujah, Jesus

Hallelujah, Jesus

My Lord, beautiful You are

I love to sing Your name

I love to sing Your name

I love to sing Your name

I worship and adore You, God

I love to sing Your name

Hallelujah, Jesus

I love to sing Your name

Hallelujah, Jesus

I love to sing Your name

Hallelujah, Jesus

I worship You with all my heart

Wonderful, powerful

Jesus is Your name

Seashells At The Seashore

Visit Dixie at French Lique to find more Wordless Wednesday posts! This week theme is Bloggers Choice.

Mosaic Monday - Spring Garden Mosaic

Just roaming around blogland, I ran into a fun new blog event - at least it's new to me. Mary, at Little Red House, is hosting Mosaic Monday. I love pictures and I take way to many to use in any constructive way, so this one is right up my alley! If you would like to participate in Mosaic Monday or see lots of beautiful posts, stop in to see Mary at her sweet Little Red House blog!

My Spring Garden Mosaic

Beautiful You

Praise and Worship Sunday is hosted by Brittany, Sweet Nothings. Spiritual Sunday is hosted by Charlotte and Ginger.

Don't forget to pause the beach music on my side bar before listening to "Beautiful You".

This song by Monk & Neagle describes some of the wonders of God's creations on Earth.

"Beautiful You"

All the oceans and the seas know the sound

Of Your beautiful voice

And if You tell them to be calm and be still

They have no other choice

You put the stars in the sky and then

You taught them to shine

They know just what to do

Every morning’s a symphony that’s perfectly timed

Thanks to beautiful You

Beautiful You

I can’t imagine life without You

Beautiful You

I can’t imagine being alone

Beautiful You

The only thing I ever wanna do

Beautiful You

Is have You hold me in Your arms

Beautiful You

All the waterfalls know just where to fall

Brilliant every time

When it rains, you are behind it all

With gentle rhythm and rhyme

Mountains high know Your voice

And they are ready to move where You tell them to

With all my heart, I believe that I can do the same

Thanks to beautiful You

Every ocean, every sea

Every morning’s a symphony

Every drop of rain, every waterfall

All the stars in the sky are so beautiful

Every breath I breathe, every beat of my heart

I feel so alive ‘cause of who You are

Every day I rise, every time I sing

I’m reminded of Your great love for me

You’re beautiful, so beautiful

Beautiful You

I just want to be around You

Beautiful You

I can’t imagine life without You

Beautiful You

There is nothing that I can’t do

Beautiful You

When I build my life around You

Beautiful You

Lilacs Are Blooming In My Yard!

Wordless Wednesday is hosted by Dixie, French Lique. Stop by her wonderful blog to find a list of other Wordless Wednesday participants! Today's theme is "favorite flower".

Checkin' Stuff Off The Wedding To Do List

One thing at a time we're all checking things off the wedding prep list. This is the song Jacob and I will be dancing to for the mother-son dance. Elton John - "Blessed". I love the song - just ignore the weird video! And it DOES feel like he shouldn't be walking yet! Gosh, the time has flown since he was placed in my arms for the first time!

(Don't forget to pause the beach music on my sidebar before playing Elton!)

An Interesting New Blog

I love finding new blogs! I recently found an interesting new page that is compiling a list of Christian/faith based blogs. I checked it out and there are many on the list already, though the author plans a summer kickoff with giveaways and other fun things. I thought many of you would be interested so I'm providing the link below. Have a wonderful day everyone!

http://mychristianblogs.com/

While I was Gone...

While in Florida I read the most incredible book. I'm sure many of you have already read it but I had been putting it off - dragging my feet. It just didn't sound like something I would enjoy. It's "The Shack" - I read it in a day on the beach and I can't wait to read it again. My daughter read it when it first came out and ALL the nurses at my chemo center passed it along until they've all read it. Every single person who told me about their experience reading it RAVED about it. But it sounded so horribly sad...how could it be so fantastic and uplifting??? The first four chapters ARE sad and filled with one of life's greatest tragedies. But you need that background to get the benefit from the rest of the book. From chapter five until the last word in the book, it is not only FANTASTIC, but uplifting. Now, if you haven't read "The Shack" and you are going to, read with an open mind. It's one of those books, kind of like the Left Behind series, that you have to remind yourself - not in a literal way, but ya, it could happen like that...

If you have not read "The Shack" by William P. Young, DO plan to read it soon! It will leave you feeling incredibly uplifted!!

Bittersweet - Leaving the Beach Behind and Returning To My Own Little Haven

Well, my friends, I'm home! I had the most wonderful time in Florida on the beach. I spent the first ten days with my sister-in-law, who traveled with me from Michigan to the Gulf of Mexico, then I spent the last 4 days with my brother, who lives in Florida. I can NEVER, EVER get enough beach time, but I am truly GRATEFUL for two glorious weeks.

I don't have a lot of blue in my house anymore so I don't typically participate in Blue Monday. However, I can't think of a prettier blue than that of that perfect, natural blue of the ocean and sky at sunset. I'll start with several of those beauties!

Blue Monday is hosted by Smiling Sally. Please stop by to visit her and find links to many wonderful Blue Monday posts!


One of the first things I wanted to introduce my sister-in-law Jeri to after we arrived, is Egmont Key and Fort DeSoto Beach. Both are gorgeous, natural beaches that my husband and I love.

Here you can see that Jeri and I were wind blown messes, but we were loving every minute of the boat trip to Egmont! I'm the wild looking one on the right.

We left the Sunshine Bridge behind us on our trip to Egmont...

This is Egmont Key, as we approached it from the Gulf. It is completely uninhabited and is a haven for nesting birds and turtles. The water is a lovely blue-green, the sand is white and powdery, and it is HOT, HOT, HOT! If you ever go to Egmont, take lots of water with you. We had a fantastic day collection shells and walking on the deserted beach. Unfortunately for four other guests on the boat, stingrays were out in force. They were stung almost as soon as they got off the boat and in the water. Guess they forgot to do the "stingray shuffle". Three of the victims were fine, though in a LOT of pain. One woman had to be taken back to the mainland in a hurry since she seemed to be going into shock. Stingrays - no fun at all!

On the trip back we were lucky enough to be greeted by some beautiful gray dolphins with pink tummies

I wanted Jeri to see Fort DeSoto Beach before I started driving us back to our hotel so we stopped for an hour or so. There are usually multitudes of gorgeous shells to be found but it was high tide so we only picked up a few.



Some more fabulous Florida sunsets. Don't they look like watercolors signed by God Himself?







The day came far too quickly for Jeri to go home by herself. Her son was graduating from college. Who could miss that, even for a few more beautiful sunsets??? We had to take a few last evening pictures before we packed her up for the airport.That's me on the right.

We ALWAYS take a beach feet picture...

I'm on the left in the first pic and the right in the second. Would you look at those knobs??? (Which is what I call those most unattractive middle aged arthritic large toe joints!)

We decided in the two years since we were last in Florida together that our feet had seriously deteriorated!!! They just are NOT cute anymore. SO we opted for a picture with cute sandals! Mine are the silver pair on the left.




I was beyond thrilled when my wonderful brother came to spend my last few days at the beach with me. I don't get to see him nearly often enough - usually just a couple of times a year. We had a short visit together but we had a blast! We spent all day every day sitting in our lounges in the sun, then we cleaned up in time to go to dinner. Then we watched the sunset from the hotel or wherever we were for dinner. I'll treasure those memories with my sweet brother.




Gods world at its best...


The "short" pier - half mile each way from my home away from home...


Baby sandpipers...



A fish dinner for a beach bird...



Gosh - no description necessary...



Seagulls over the setting sun...



The rising moon over the just set sun...

This gorgeous Jacaranda tree was in bloom all over the place in Florida. I've only seen it once before. It's simply covered with lavender blooms. I fell in love with it!

I miss the beach, as I always do, but I really, really missed my sweet husband! I always do when I'm away from him. Phone calls and text messages just aren't the same.

I met a serious goal while on my trip - I walked 5 or 6 miles every single day! I had been working very hard on diet and exercise since January and I was worried about undoing all that work in two short weeks. I can gain in two weeks what it took me to lose in three months! I was proud of myself when I only gained two pounds in two weeks of vacation. I have lost that plus one more since coming home. Yea - don't know what that's all about, but I'm not complaining!Grand total since January - 18 pounds!

I've learned something wonderful in recent years, but especially over the last six months. LIFE IS SHORT and LIFE IS PRECIOUS - enjoy EVERY SECOND of it!!! Most of you know that I have a pretty serious blood disorder. I had a hideous and worrisome winter. Well, God has granted me more wonderful days to enjoy and I am feeling GREAT! I don't mean to sound preachy, but here it is anyway - don't waste any of life being angry or resentful or blue or worrying if you can help it. Enjoy life just as it is - your family, our beautiful earth, the bird's song, the budding trees, sunsets, a rain storm, Spring flowers, music, etc.. Every second we have is by God's Grace. This particular lesson is probably the greatest I have learned since receiving my diagnosis, perhaps in my entire life. Like everyone else on the planet, I don't know if I have one day to live or 30 years - but I do know that I intend to love living every second God allows me to enjoy on His wonderful earth before I go to His wonderful Heaven! I am incredibly grateful for renewed strength and purpose and for the wonderful beach days I was so blessed to enjoy.

I've missed each one of you and look forward to visiting you as time allows. Now that I am home, we are into wedding mode! Only 48 days until Jacob's and Jenni's wedding day! Yikes! I better get to work!!!