developpé...graceful becoming

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Friendship

Proverbs 27:9

Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul.

My sweet friend Marie and I on the last day we saw each other before beginning her new adventure.

My soul continues to be refreshed by friendship. I love meeting new people and being around people. I love having people over and enjoy getting to know them better. I recently posted about my friend Marie who just moved. I believe God gave us a friendship that refreshes our soul in this season of life.

I love that a friendship can be maintained and nurtured in this day and age by a simple touch. at the touch of a button you can connect with a friend anywhere in the world. I have friends all over the world-literally and although that might seem daunting-I assure you it is very exciting. the privilege of visiting my friends has not yet occurred but we do "see" each other via skype etc.

We keep up with each other by looking at the picture postings on facebook or now instagr.am!

The projects we are working on are updated on Pinterest almost daily.

But...there is always a but isn't there. We long for human interaction. We love to sit across from each other and chat over tea. We love coffee and conversation. Although girls night outs in this season of our lives are few and far between, we revel in them when we get them!

On a sweet Tuesday night when the only things that normally happen are work and school. I had a beautiful meeting with 5 beautiful ladies. They inspired me to reminisce on how friendship has refreshed my soul all my life.

You see I attended a health session given by a local doctor only for my own education I thought. Not knowing anyone I ventured into a tightly packed room and noticed a table of ladies and I sauntered over to join in their conversation.

They welcomed me and Micki said, " Yes, sit down by the end of the night you will have our emails and we will invite you to lunch." and this ladies and gentlemen is exactly what happened. We had lovely conversations: from politics, to books, to the Holocaust, to solving social issues and back to movies and shows. I looked around the table at Gayle and Donna who's friendship formed from their children's marriage. Dee and Cea neighbors who met from a flyer posted at Lofino's because Cea sold baskets-Micki was at this basket gathering and as they say the rest is history. Some of these ladies have known each other almost 40 years and it is the bond of friendship that continuously refreshes their soul creating a tight knit group.

Proverbs 17:17

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁷ A friend loves at all times,

Gayle and Donna

Micki, Cea and Dee

So, I thought of my friends all over the world creating such bonds with the friendships they nurture and their souls are refreshed. I remembered that in this same week My friend Marie would move away to a new adventure.

As I pondered on this change, I thought, " It's ok these very sweet ladies live in Dayton. I will be ok."

Proverbs 25:13
Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat—refreshing!

So, new friends don't replace old friends. Instead they refresh our souls by filling our longing for face to face interactions. They help us remember our friends that are far,thus encouraging us to reach out and nurture the friendships afar with a simple touch.

Proverbs 25:25
Like a cool drink of water when you're worn out and weary is a letter from a long-lost friend.

So, at the end of this bittersweet week an email was delivered to my inbox, from a lovely blog about how to be a better friend. A Holy Experience is the name of Anne Voskamp's blog. As I read her post about 4 ways to be a better friend, tears gathered and in my heart arms extended and closed. In them the beautiful friends of long years and short. And with a simple touch I connected and praised for the simplicity of it all

Gracefully Daisy

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Sweet days

Gracefully Daisy

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Book Review: Just In Case You Ever Wonder

A sweet little book that helps to give a child perspective about a father's love. This example of a father's love helps to begin building a bridge of how God also loves them. I enjoyed the way he describes the uniqueness of the child and how God took such pleasure in creating them.I liked the examples of what things could be bad in a child's life and to give them a sense of knowing that father's are there for them even through the hard times. I love that it talks about teaching them about God and heaven. I see this book could become a favorite for our home. Thank you book sneeze for providing this book for us.
Gracefully Daisy

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Raising Godly Children: 31 Days of Praying for Your Husband

Raising Godly Children: 31 Days of Praying for Your Husband: “She does him good . . .” (Proverbs 31:12a) Bless your husband by praying for him! The Apostle Paul instructed all Christians to pr...
This is my third attempt to share this with on my blog via the iPad.

Will you join me...just in time for this season of love to cover the love of your life in prayer.

Even of you are not married or have not me him yet- cover him in prayer anyway

Gracefully Daisy

Monday, December 5, 2011

Advent

I have missed you. It has been so long...

My life has been changing quite a bit recently and we are doing well adjusting.

I couldn't wait any longer to share with you about Advent ( although I must admit: I'm a tad bit late). Advent has already begun and for the first time my sweet little family and I are having advent daily in our home! But don't let this confession deter you from observing it this year with your family-it is never to late to remember and reflect on the coming of our Lord and Savior!

Last year I read a book called 25 Days, 26 Ways to make this your best Christmas ever by Ace Collins you can download it straight to your kindle! I was inspired during the Christmas Season last year by reading it like a devotional. I began reading it again this year and loved being reminded of the beauty of this season! The first chapter in the book talks about Advent and it made me go searching for what it meant and how to incorporate it into our Christmas tradition. Here are some inspiring thoughts I discovered along with 3 different ways you can practice Advent this year.

here is an excerpt from the above mentioned book:

Advent is a Latin word meaning "the coming"...In the beginning Advent started on the Sunday closest to November 30 and ran until Christmas Eve. Essentially, the church leaders of the day set aside four weeks to consider what the coming of Jesus meant not only to the world but also to every individual's soul."

Collins also gives three reasons for Advent. Take some time this Christmas to reflect on these:

1. Reflect on what it means for God to come to earth in human form as a baby.

2.Consider how accepting Jesus as Savior changed your very existence.

3.Know that Jesus is coming back.

Here are three different advent calendars to walk you through this Christmas Season!

Free Jesse Tree Advent Family Devotional

This is the one our family is following this year. I love how it guides us through the Bible from the very beginning reminding us that the Lord's plan of redemption began in Eden.

Many ways to keep an advent calendar

Maybe next year I can start ahead of time and make a cute calendar like these!

Last but definitely not least Collins suggests at the end of his advent calendar chapter (chapter 1) to use the gospel of Luke as a biblical Advent Calendar! What a great and simple idea. The book has 24 chapters just the right amount to help you focus on Jesus' birth and life!

and an excerpt from the first chapter of Luke...

Luke
Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary   ²⁶ Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name wasMary. ²⁸ And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”^[c]²⁹ But when she saw him,^[d] she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. ³⁰ Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. ³²He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. ³³ And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” ³⁴ Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” ³⁵ And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. ³⁷ For with God nothing will be impossible.” ³⁸ Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.Mary Visits Elizabeth
   ³⁹ Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, ⁴⁰ and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴²Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³ But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?⁴⁴ For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”The Song of Mary
   ⁴⁶ And Mary said:

      “ My soul magnifies the Lord,        ⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.        ⁴⁸ For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;       For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.        ⁴⁹ For He who is mighty has done great things for me,       And holy is His name.        ⁵⁰ And His mercy is on those who fear Him       From generation to generation.        ⁵¹ He has shown strength with His arm;       He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.        ⁵² He has put down the mighty from their thrones,       And exalted the lowly.        ⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things,       And the rich He has sent away empty.        ⁵⁴ He has helped His servant Israel,       In remembrance of His mercy,        ⁵⁵ As He spoke to our fathers,       To Abraham and to his seed forever.”
⁵⁶ And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.