Transitions...

If you've been following for a while,

you know that recently,

we built a new home and moved across town.

..."recently" means

7 months ago...

Now for the Houston area,

across town is approx an hours drive

from our old address

to our new address.

We traded in suburbia

for

rural living.

I won't kid you

it's been quite an adjustment.

An adjustment that I knew I would be making.

However,

saying it 

and 

living it

are very different things.

I hope I'm not coming across negatively

because

that would imply that I'm

not happy.

And

that's not the case at all.

Life is just different.

For instance:

we see deer in our yard,

sweet little birds that love to visit,

and

a multitude of stars at night.

Guess what I saw today?

A cat being chased by three blackbirds.

That cat was running through the trails as fast as he could

and those birds were just a squawking!

I'm thinking they were all enjoying a game of tag.

Now, if my internet connections were consistent

I'd be set!

Happy Thanksgiving 2013

From our home to yours...

have a blessed day!

Spiritual Sunday...Have You Ever Wondered?

Thoughts and scriptures to share... 

Have you ever wondered what eternity will be like?

I have.

I've seen a lot of pictures and have an idea that's been forming in my head since childhood.

Today I thought I'd share a place in the Bible that gives a glorious description...

Revelation 21:11

"It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal."

Have you even seen jasper?

I'm not sure I have...

Here's a bit of background info:

In ancient times JASPER 

was a collective name for opaque stones but it is clear 

that in the New Testament the Jasper is a crystal clear 

transparent stone thought to be a high grade diamond. It is thus

 a fitting symbol to tell forth the glory of God.

http://www.christianshepherd.org/e_books/the_precious_stones_seen_in_the_word_of_god.pdf

Revelation 21:18-19a

"The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone."

The city walls are described in detail in verses Revelation 21:17, 19-20. The above site gives more information about the other precious jewels stated.

Revelation 21:22-23

"I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp."

Taken directly from my Life Application Bible...

"The Holy City, the new Jerusalem is described as the place where God will wipe every tear from our eyes...there will be no death, pain, sorrow, or crying."

Heaven.

I'm joining Spiritual Sundays

Quiet Times...Table for Two

In the hustle and bustle of the season, 

sometimes it's nice to relax and take a little break.

Welcome to my tablescape for this week.

As the morning sun filters in, it's a quiet place to begin our day.
Enjoy!

Table Information:

dishes: antique finds - Noritake "Embassy"

flatware: Ebay - "Shell"

napkins: handmade - re-purposed fabric

tablecloth: vintage

I'm joining the following parties:
Let's Dish
Tablescape Thursday

Thought for the Day....prayer

Welcome to Thought for the Day.

Today's verse comes from our pastor's message this past week.

It was something that struck a chord in my heart, so I thought I'd share it with you today.

My mother-in-law is a prayer warrior. She keeps a prayer journal and prays through it each day. If she can't remember specifics, she calls to make sure she gets all the information right.

She's my inspiration for many things and this prayer journal kept popping up as something I really wanted to do.

Not only is it a tangible place to keep track of prayers but of prayers answered 

and those that are waiting on God's time.

This past Sunday, our pastor titled his message: P.U.S.H.

I had no idea where he was going with this but as usual, 

he had a wonderful point to make.

P - pray

U - until

        S - something

       H - happens.

Have you heard of this before? I hadn't but it really made me think.

I have a constant prayer that hasn't developed yet. I admit that sometimes I just think that it's not meant to be. However, I have to remember that sometimes our prayers can be delayed.

"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray 

and not give up."

Luke 18:1

So guess what's top of my list today? 

Yep...I'm beginning my prayer journal 

and this "old" request is going to be written down

 and I'll continue to pray about it.

God hears our prayers because He is a loving God.

He's not ignoring us...but in our fast paced world, we all are used to immediate responses.

This message for today reminded me that God is in control; 

He knows best

and

His timing is perfect!

Have a blessed week!

Old Britain Castles

Thanks for dropping by...

the table this week features a favorite set, 

Johnson Brothers Old Britain Castles in blue.

I saw this set several years ago and loved everything about them.

I'll bet you've seen them in pink too...think about using them for Christmas, Valentine's Day...

so pretty!

http://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Brothers-Britain-Castles-5-Piece/dp/B0000B2M81

Anyway, I paired the blue set with off-white and burlap, 

burlap helping to bring a little casualness to the table.

For a little twist, vintage lace was added to the ends of the runners and utensil holders were also added. If you notice there are two types...one with just burlap, the others with matching lace.

I like them both and couldn't decide which to choose so I tried them both.

Enjoy!

I'm joining these parties:

Kathleen's Cuisine Kathleen for Let's Dish

Susan's Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday

In case you're interested:

Chargers - Pier 1

Off-white dishes - Oneida Westerly Basket - Bed Bath & Beyond 

Johnson Brothers Old Britain Castles - blue - My Tableware.com

Stemware - Dollar Store

Tan napkins - World Market

Blue/white napkins - handmade

Flatware - Onieda Michelangelo

Centerpiece - Antique

Burlap fabric/ribbon/vintage lace - handmade

Vintage Mirror

I was in the market for a vintage mirror 

but couldn't find one the right size

or the right price.

So, I did the next best thing...

I made one that looked vintage to put in an existing frame.

After searching online, I found this site.
Amy, over at Atta Girl Says has a great tutorial.
I followed it to the "T" and I'm very pleased

Here are the basic supplies:
glass (I had a piece cut)
Krylon Looking Glass Mirror Spray
vinegar/water solution

Here is the beginning point...clear glass, be sure to clean it very well.

After 5 coats and the beginning of distressing.

You can control the mirror-like look with the amount of layers you spray...
I wanted one that looked worn and foggy.
(This was 5 coats of spray, vinegar distressing, then two additional coats of spray)

It's difficult to get a close up of this mirror, but here you can see a bit of the distressing.
Again, this is a controllable, just adjust the amount of vinegar solution used.

I love my faux vintage mirror...
it's perfect for this bedroom that's still in progress.

Think of the possibilities with this paint...it's endless!


I'm joining Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch for her Metamorphosis Monday
and Marty over at A Stroll Thru Life for her Inspire Me Tuesday.
Be sure to drop by for loads of inspiration!