Call Upon the Name of the Lord ~

Hello sweet friends ~ I pray you are having a beautiful day!

This past week I was talking with my sister over the phone 

and somehow we got on the subject of our older cell phones.

My husband and I have kept every cell phone we've had from the first one we got, 

 boy have they ever changed. 

I remember the first cell phone available, it was huge!

It was like putting an oversized man's shoe up to your ear.
The thing was all battery, quite heavy and those who owned one
thought they were the cats meow. 

We didn't have the first cell phone but came along when the first flip phone with an antenna no less, became available and we thought that was pretty fine!

Can you tell that I love pink?
Every phone I've owned has been pink and I LOVED my first flip phone!
I had that phone for years, even used mailing tape to hold it together.
I was slow in getting a cell phone, but sure have enjoyed it once I took the plunge.
Texting was something I didn't do and believed I never would,
until my boss gently persuaded me into getting an iphone.
I was working with Hospice and Home Care at the time
so texting with staff was much quicker and quieter
should we be in the presence of a client.
Having never texted before I had much to l earn.
"Spell Check" has certainly caught me off guard at times
and changed words without my notice, yikes!
My very first text, to my sister praise the Lord, was ~
"I want to toilet you"
What I was wanting to say was ~
"I want to let you know. "
Spell check turned "to let" into "toilet" without my even knowing it.
When my sister texted back and asked why I wanted to "toilet" her
I was shocked!!
How thankful I was that the text went to my sister and not my boss.

♡♡♡

Whatever the conversation was between my sister and me,
it caused me to ponder on the open line we have with God in our prayer lives. 

" And he spake a parable unto them to this end, 

that men ought always to pray,  and not to faint."

*Lukes 18:1*

In this parable Jesus was encouraging His listeners

to be persistent in prayer. 

"Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. "

*Colossians 4:2*

In order for us to have an effective prayer life

we must continue earnestly (call upon the Lord) being vigilant, alert and thankful.

Our disciplined prayer life will lead us into spiritual fitness

preparing us for God's ministry. 

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, 
and watching thereunto with all perseverance 
and supplication for all Saints. 
*Ephesians 6:18*
Our whole life should be a life of prayer.
We are to "continue steadfastly in prayer." 
*Romans 12:12b*

♡♡♡

As children of God, we are privileged to call upon the Name of the Lord

anytime of the day or night and He has promised in His Word

that He will hear our petitions and answer according to His will. 

When calling on God, how wonderful it is to know that 
we will never have to pay for a call ~ there are no busy signals ~
never a wrong number dialed ~ He doesn't hang up on us ~
 we will not be put on hold AFTER having listened to the recording first ~
and the lines are NEVER down.

God's ears are attentive to our prayers 24 hours a day ~ 7 days a week. 
" The Lord hath heard my supplication, 
the Lord will receive my prayer."
*Psalm 6:9*
♡
"Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry."
*Psalm 39:12a*
♡
"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.
But verily God hath heard me: and hath attended
to the voice of my prayer. 
Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer,
nor his mercy from me."
*Psalm 66:18~20*
♡
When we are listening to God, (who is on the other end of the line you might say)
through the reading of His Word, and we are sensitive to our sins
we will find ourselves constantly confessing our wrong doings.
Verse 18 is telling us,  that if we refuse to repent
 (express sincere regret or remorse about our wrongdoing or sin)
or harber and cherish certain sins, then we are placing a wall
between us and God.
No, we may not always remember every sin we have committed,
but our attitude toward life should be one of confession and obedience
so as to keep those prayer lines open.
Are you experiencing the joy of living in close relationship with God
through your prayer life?
 May our prayer lives be as that of David's,
"I give myself unto prayer."
*Psalm 109:4b*


"Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray,
and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. "
*Psalm 55:17*
Amen.

Praise God!
~ Debbie ~

Puppy Love ♡

Hello precious friends!

I trust that you had a beautiful Valentine's Day ♡

I was sick all week, but I wasn't about to cancel a special tea party I had scheduled.

This Valentine's tea party was for my dear Stephenie and her little one,

but the Lord in His goodness made it possible for my dear husband's

schedule to change allowing him to join us.

Of all the tea parties I have hosted this was my husband's first and he loved it,
with the exception of the tea. 
My husband is Canadian, yet he has never acquired the taste for tea.
It was while living in Canada and spending much time visiting with the elderly
that I came to enjoy a good cup of tea.
Visiting these elderly ladies was how I came to learn
of tea parties and fine china.
Isn't it wonderful the way the Lord brings others into our lives
so that we can learn many beautiful things?

 I found these adorable dog dishes at Pier 1 Imports 
and although I really didn't need them
I just knew my grandsons would enjoy them .
It is a perfect set, complete with four plates and four matching drinking glasses.
Each plate is decorated with a different dog picture and is so adorable!
When my oldest daughter's three boys come for their next visit
I will host a tea party for them as well. 
I'm thankful my grandsons enjoy having tea with their Gamma.

I made heart ice cubes and served raspberry mint lemonade.

The color red was my prominent color in decorating ~

I usually decorate with soft colors and plenty of lace,
but for the boys I went with reds. 
That's partly why I purchased this adorable set.
My grandsons enjoy the finer things that grace the table  at a tea party,
but a tea party is usually on the feminine side, wouldn't you agree?
Though these dishes are adorned with hearts, 
they will get used a lot I'm quite sure. 

We played Valentine's Bingo ~

I prepared sandwiches made more for the guys.
BLT rounds ~ roast beef  with horseradish sauce ~ heart shaped grilled cheese ~

Potato fans made with mini potatoes ~

Of course we had to eat our veggies!
They always taste better with ranch dip, don't you think?

Many dainty desserts to choose from.
Strawberry tarts ~ mincemeat tarts ~ maid of honor tarts ~
strawberry french cream pastry puffs ~
chocolate covered strawberries ~ 
and of course, cherry scones served with clotted cream and lemon curd.
What would a tea party be without a scone?
A dear friend gifted me with some dried cherries from Michigan 
and oh are they ever delicious!

Gifts were shared around the table.
Stephenie gifted me with a beautiful lavender sachet that she made.
It found a special place rather quickly
and looks gorgeous hanging with many of my lace scarves.

This was the first use of Stephanie's tea cozy that I purchased
from her lovely etsy shop Rose Petal Blessings.
I LOVE the embellishments!
I was amazed at how warm my tea pot stayed
keeping the tea quite hot for a long time.

♡♡♡

It was a lovely Valentine's tea party!
What were some of your memory making moments
this Valentine's Day?
Thank you for stopping by, I always enjoy your visits.

♡♡♡

" Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God;
for it is pleasant; and praise is beautiful."
*Psalm 147:1*

Joy!
~ Debbie ~

Love One Another ~

" This is my commandment, that ye love one another, 

as I have loved you. 

Greater love hath no man than this, 

that a man lay down his life for his friends. "

*John 15:12-13*

♡♡♡

February 14th is a day in which we celebrate LOVE~Valentine's Day.

Cards are sent out, chocolates are given, flowers adorn our homes
by those who graced our hearts with their love.

I know for myself, I enjoy blessing others by sharing my love and gifts, 

but I enjoy being remembered just the same. 

I'm not one to buy chocolates for myself, 

but there is something beautiful in receiving one of those

fancy red velvet heart shaped boxes filled with delicious chocolates. 

I enjoy storing sentimental little keepsakes in those heart boxes once emptied, 
then years later sit and pull out those keepsakes 
that have been tucked away and look back over sweet memories.
Do you reuse your heart shaped candy boxes for anything special?

LOVE...

Valentine's Day is a time when we can show others how much we love them
with little acts of kindness.
May we have big hearts spending the day looking for ways to love on others.
To you, my graceful followers, love and hugs are sent your way 
with best wishes for a special Valentine's Day.

♡♡♡

As Christians we must strive to love sacrificially, just as Jesus did.

Paul taught the Ephesians to walk in love ~

"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, 

and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice 

to God for a sweet smelling savor. "

*Ephesians 5:2*

~~

The love that believers have for one another should be a selfless

effort to meet each other's needs~in a way that

let's the world know who we really are. 

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, 

if ye have love one to another. "

*John 13:35*

We see Jesus' love manifested in His substitutionary atonement ~

"We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us"

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, 

that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, 

but have everlasting life."

*John 3:16*
For God so loved the {whole} world...
His love spreads to every tribe and nation,
to every believer and non-believer and His love is without measure.
Oh the wonderful love of Jesus!
Have you received the love of Jesus?
"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world through him might be saved."
*John 3:17*

Jesus laid down His life for us,"herein is love."

As believers in Christ we should display our mutual love by humbly

meeting one another's needs.

John expressed brotherly love's practical implications 

in 1John 3:17-18 ~

"But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need,

and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him,

how dwelleth the love of God in him?

My little children, let us not love in word,

neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."

In the book of 1John chapter 3 verses 7-21 
John says "God is Love" these are tremendous Scripture verses
that instruct us on how to love one another, for love is of God; 
and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God.
If we say that we love God, then we will love our brother also.

♡♡♡

How have you been blessed by allowing the Lord's love to shine through you?

"We love Him because He first loved us."
Amen.

Be Loving!
~Debbie~

 The hand painted items in my photo's were purchased from 
Celestina, who has a lovely Blog over at Southern Day Dreams
You will find gorgeous hand painted roses and home decor
in her beautiful etsy shoppe Rose Garden Market