JUNE 13th

Famous People Born
on June 13th

Winfield Scott - U.S. General
Heinrich Hoffman - German Painter
William Butler Yeats - Irish Writer
Etienne Gilson - French Philosopher
Basil Rathbone - English Actor
John Forbes Nash, Jr. - Am. Mathmetician
Christo - Bulgarian Artist
William B. ('Bill') Beserock - American
   Engineer, Woodworker, Philatelist,
   Bible Teacher, Super great Husband,
   Dad, Grandad, Friend, etc.
   (the list goes on and on.....)

Happy, Happy Birthday, Bill!!!

GUIDANCE


A friend sent this to me, and I thought I'd pass it on...........

Dancing With God

When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".
"God, "u" and "i" dance.."
God, you, and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
and mercies are upon you on this day and every day.
May you abide in God, as God abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting God to lead
and to guide you through each season of your life.

And I Hope You Dance Through your Life with Him.


...guide me in Your truth and teach me,
for You are God my Savior,
and my hope is in You
all day long.
--Psalm 25:5

RECENT MOSAICS PROJECTS


I recently completed the last of these three name plates; made using wood pieces as pictured above. You may recall these from last year's 'Make Five' project. Bill had them in a box of stuff in his workshop, so I've been putting them to use!

1. Back side of name plate for Jami. It's difficult to see, but the little gate swings open to reveal a bunny rabbit. Jami has an adorable bunny named 'Chloe', which explains the theme here.
Stare at the plaque for a few seconds, and you'll see the platinum-colored rabbit.
Materials used: vitreous tile, stained glass, glass gems, brooch, & ball chain .
Below, is the front of Jami's name plate.
Materials used: micro-mosaic tiles, pink stained glass, agate slices and Scrabble letters.

2. Lisa's name plate. Lisa likes blue, and had requested the irridescent glass, because she liked the look of it. (Made using irridescent stained glass, large glass gem, bling, and letters made from shells.
Back side also includes decorative tile).





3. Jeff is a train enthusiast, & has a Harley, so these are featured in his name plate. His name is written in the smoke from the locomotive.
Materials are vitreous glass, stained glass and small black beads.



In addition to glass tiles, back side includes wooden letters, a motorcycle, and tiny mille flowers.


I currently have two works-in-progress, so hope to be able to post the completed pieces soon.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!



***

Happy Memorial Day


***
I'll be taking a short bloggy break
until the end of next week.
Hope everyone has a safe and
Happy Memorial weekend!

ALMOND SUGAR-FREE COOKIES


Today, I'd like to share a favorite recipe that I make for my hubby often. Hope you'll try it. These cookies are sugar-free, gluten-free, and have a great taste as well as texture.
I believe Walmart carries almond flour now. If not, it can be found in any health food store.



ALMOND SUGAR-FREE COOKIES

2 c. Almond Flour
1/2 c., or less Stevia (or Truvia)
1 stick softened Butter
1/2 t. salt (if using salted butter, omit salt)
1 t. Vanilla extract
1 t. Almond extract
1/2 c. sliced Almonds, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients.
Form dough into walnut-sized balls & place onto greased (or parchment-covered) cookie sheet.
Bake for 5 minutes.
Press down lightly
with fork tines, then continue baking for
another 15 minutes. Let cool.

Yields 30-38 cookies. Approx. only 1 carb per cookie;
30 carbs in entire batch.

Sometimes I leave them plain, as in top picture, & sometimes with sliced almonds added, as shown here:
These are really good, even if you aren't on a sugar-free diet, and so easy & quick to make!

Be sure to visit Foodie Friday for more delicious treats to make!----------->


OLD FARMERS' ADVICE


“Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.”

“Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.”

“Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.”

“A bumble bee is considerably faster than a Massey Ferguson tractor.”

“Words that soak into your ears are whispered…....not yelled.”

“Meanness don't just happen overnight.”

“Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.”

“Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.”

“It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.”

“You cannot unsay a cruel word.”

“Every path has a few puddles.”

“When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.”

“The best sermons are lived, not preached.”

“Most of the stuff people worry about, ain't never gonna happen anyway.”

“Don't judge folks by their relatives."

“Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.”

“Live a good and honorable life, then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.”

“Don 't interfere with somethin' that ain't bothering you none.”

“Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.”

“If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.”
(Wish Obama & Congress would heed this one!!) 

“Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got."

“The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'.”

“Always drink upstream from the herd.”

“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.”

“Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.”

“If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.”

“Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.”

“Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, and leave the rest to God.”

CAYLIE IS "6"!

**CAYLIE**


Blowing out her candle
(with  brother, Chase looking on)

Caylie modeling her pretty new dress.
and new 'heels'
from
Grandma & Grandpa
Hi, sweet Miss Caylie!!
Lots of hugs & kisses to you!!
xoxoxo
Hope you have a wonderful
6th Birthday!!

*Caylie is my great niece, & in my opinion, she is definitely "GREAT!"

**pictures taken by Aunt Jami with her new smart phone.

FAITH OF MY MOTHER


HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!


Faith of my mother, living still,
In cradle song and bedtime prayer;
In nursery lore and fireside love,
Your presence still pervades the air...


Giving thanks today
for the blessings and joys of having
a loving, Christian mother!


HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

to all who married
in the month of
MAY!

Bill & I (May 2) 47 years!*

Lisa & Jeff (May 5) 27 years!

Mary & Buddy (May 8)

Wes & Linda (May 9)

Eva & Jim (May 11) 36 years!

Diane & Joe (May 15) 34 years! 



Anniversary Pictures
* Bill,
it's been 47 GREAT years!
Hope we have at least
47 more years
together!!

WE SERVE A RISEN CHRIST!


Matthew 28:1-10:
1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”


I'll be taking a bloggy break for the rest of the week so I can spend some time with my mother and help her celebrate her 93rd birthday.
Wishing you all a glorious, blessed Easter week!

HOSANNA!



Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:
"HOSANNA!
BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!"
--Mark 11:9

NEW HAIRCUT

Here's Chase before his new haircut.....


And (Boo-hoo!, Sniff, sniff!) afterward....


What can I say, HE loves it!! At least he'll be cooler for Florida's hot weather!

*****

Totally unaffected by the whole thing is his big sister, Caylie....
(showing off her jewelry & her pretty nails!)
Aren't these two of the cutest kids you've ever seen?

S: )

TUNE MY HEART TO SING THY GRACE

This is a wonderful old hymn, written so long ago, but the words really speak to me! My prayer is that God will keep my heart in tune to sing His grace!

 Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

*Verses 1 & 4 of original text of the hymn "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing",(written by the 18th century pastor and hymnist Robert Robinson,who penned the words at age 22 in the year 1757.
Melody is by John Wyeth.

*****

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
--Colossians 3:15-17

ATTITUDE

Attitude

There once was a woman
who woke up one morning,
looked in the mirror,
And noticed she had
only three hairs on her head.

'Well,' she said,
'I think I'll braid my hair today.'
So she did
and she had a wonderful day.
The next day she woke up,
looked in the mirror
And saw that she had
only two hairs on her head.

'Hmmm,' she said,
'I think I'll part my hair
down the middle today.'
So she did
and she had a grand day.
The next day she woke up,
looked in the mirror and
noticed that she had
only one hair on her head.

'Well,' she said,
'today I'm going to
wear my hair in a pony tail.'
So she did,
and she had a fun, fun day.
The next day she woke up,
looked in the mirror and
noticed that there wasn't
a single hair on her head.

'YAY!' she exclaimed.
'I don't have to fix my hair today!'
Attitude is everything.
(Well, maybe not EVERYTHING,
but it sure helps!)
S: )

Be kinder than necessary,
For everyone you meet
is fighting some kind of battle.

Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeply,
Speak kindly,
And pray continually.

*****

Life isn't about
waiting for the storm to pass...

It's about learning to dance in the rain.

Have a great weekend!!

A SONG FOR YOU

I LOVE this song, performed on piano by Jim Chappell. I love the melody, & the way it stops and starts again, changes mood, etc. Hope you enjoy it too!
You can sit back and listen to it while you're relaxing from all of that 'spring cleaning' that's probably going on at your house! S: )

 (Please remember to mute Playlist before listening).





*****

This pic has nothing to do
with the video.
It's just a capture of one of the
last daffodils of the season.
It's still so pretty,
even though the edges
are wilting away.

WELCOME, SPRING!

All three of our tulip trees are in full bloom!
There are no leaves on the trees until after the blooms have dropped off, & it is such a pretty sight to see the fragile bare branches with their many pale pink flowers waving back and forth when there's a breeze.

*****


We have two trees in our backyard that are covered with these gorgeous bright pink blooms! They do have thorns, though, as I quickly found out when picking a few stems to put in a vase. Can anyone tell me what they are?
The closest thing I could find pictured anywhere is something called 'Chaenomeles', a non-fruit-bearing member of the quince family.

*****

I'm happy to report that it's now been a little over 3 weeks since my husband's surgery, & he is walking everyday....almost up to the one mile at a time mark.
Yea, Bill!
We go back to Atlanta this Thursday for his one-month check-up with the surgeon.

*****

Now to him who is able
to do immeasurably more 
than all we ask or imagine,
according to His power
that is at work within us,
to Him be glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations,
for ever and ever!
Amen.
-Ephesians 3:20-21

IRISH BLESSINGS

Top O' the Mornin' to ya!

Whether you're Irish, or not,
it's fun to read these Irish Blessings!
Here are a few I'm passing on to YOU................
May you always have work
for your hands to do
May your pockets hold always
a coin or two
May the sun shine bright
on your windowpane
May the rainbow be certain
to follow each rain
May the hand of a friend
always be near you
And may God fill your heart
with gladness to cheer you.
- Irish Blessing




 Wishing you a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

CLOSE CALL!

I'm afraid my few bloggy friends have given up on me, but this break was unscheduled.
On Friday, Feb. 25th, my husband underwent emergency open-heart surgery in Atlanta. A real shocker for both of us, as his only symptoms had been shortness of breath & a painful 'crink in his neck'. (No history of heart trouble at all!) Our alert GP sent him right away to a cardiologist, who scheduled a heart cath. We were anticipating a possible stent; maybe even two.
As it turned out, his main artery was 90% blocked right up against his heart (a scary sight on the x-ray, to say the least!), & he needed a triple bi-pass also. They inserted a balloon thingy in his leg to help take the stress off his heart until he was on the operating table, & removed veins from both calves.
I won't go into the gruesome, but amazing specifics of open-heart surgery, but I shiver everytime I think of it! (Dallas, you can probably relate!)
Ouch!!




Every heart surgery patient receives one of these special pillows
to hold onto in case you have to cough.
It was designed by Dr. David Dean, of Piedmont Heart Institute 
(Bill's surgeon).

Let's just say that I've told Bill if I ever need to have this done, SHOOT ME! S: (

It's now been 2 1/2 weeks, & his progress to date has been phenonomal!
We have God to thank! Healing is a slow process, but everyday, he notices a slight improvement.
Family & friends have been SUCH a tremendous help! A special thanks to our daughter, Lisa, who left at 4am & drove from Florida by herself to spend 3 days helping me navigate that big hospital, &  to just 'be there'!
 Jami, Toni & Johnny offered to come too, & we thank you for your willingness & for your love & prayers!
Thanks to all of you who came to the hospital, or by the house later, called, sent cards, emails, etc., etc. The list is long...I can't begin to name everyone here, but you know who you are, & you are much appreciated!!