Perfectly Light and Lemony Dessert for Spring ~

More than half a century has passed,

and yet each spring, when I wander

into the primrose wood and see the

pale yellow blooms, and smell their

sweetest of scents...for a moment

I am seven years old again and

wandering in the fragrant wood.

~ ~ Gertrude Jekyll

~ ~ ☆ ☆ ~ ~ ☆ ☆ ~ ~

 I remember my grandmother's house as a young girl,
it was like a wandering path through blooming flowers...a series
of surprises with fragrances that sooth, fragrances that delight
and fragrances that have lingered and left an impression on my heart.

My grandmother (dad's mother) was amazing in her flower garden,

it seemed like everything she grew was bright and beautiful.

I remember her petunias over everything else, gorgeous full blooms 

 graced her backyard walkway, and till this day,

 petunias grace my window boxes in memory of my dear, lovely grandmother.

Soon enough my window boxes will once again be showing off their beauty,

awe...the glory of spring.

Spring has finally arrived, though we still have snow banks surrounding our home
and when springtime arrives I'm eager to try new desserts out on my husband,
desserts that require no baking with hot ovens.
Well...I've got a wonderful dessert that is perfect for springtime

and I wanted to share its goodness with you.

This Philadelphia No-Bake Lemon Chiffon Cheesecake

is out of this world light and delicious with springtime written all over it!

I was given a Kraft Recipes magazine by a dear friend and this recipe was in it.

My dear friend Dixie had my name for Stephanie's Christmas ornament exchange

and we have become fast friends.

This dear lady sends me the happiest mail!

Boxes chocked full of joy and goodness, and for no special reason at all,

just because she has a BIG loving heart. ♡

If you have any special occasions coming up this spring,

then you may want to add this to your menu,
because I'm telling you, its wonderfully delicious!

☆ Philadelphia No - Bake Lemon Chiffon Cheesecake ☆
This recipe is from Kraft Recipes

What you will need ~

28 square shortbread cookies finely crushed (about 1 3/4 cups)

5 Tbsp. butter, melted 

3/4 cup angel flake coconut toasted, divided

3/4 cup boiling water 

1 pkg. (8oz) lemon flavor gelatin 

1 cup ice cubes

1 pkg. (8oz.) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened 

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. lemon zest

1 tub (8oz) cool whip ~ whipped topping (about 3 cups) thawed, divided

Make it ~

Combine cookie crumbs, butter and 1/2 cup coconut; 
press onto bottom and up side of 9 1/2 - inch tart pan with removable bottom.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

~ I used mini pie pans so I could share two with my dear Stephanie 
who was in need of some deliciousness. ~ ❤

Add boiling water to gelatin mix in medium bowl; 
stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add ice; stir until melted.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and lemon zest in large bowl with mixer until blended. 
Gradually beat in gelatin. 
Add 2 cups (about 2/3 of tub) cool whip; whisk until blended.

Pour into crust.

Refrigerate  4 hours or until filling is firm.

Remove cheesecake from side of pan just before serving.

Top with remaining cool whip and coconut. 

Extra Special  garnish with lemon wedges.

Enjoy this perfectly light and lemony dessert as you enjoy spring!

"O taste and see that the Lord is good"

Be lovely!
Debbie

Celebrating our 40th Wedding Anniversary ♡

 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother

and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

~ Genesis 2:24 ~

♡

One man and one woman in a lifetime commitment.

God never intended for man to be alone ~

"And the Lord God said, "It is not good that man should be alone;

I will make him a help meet for him."

~ Genesis 2:18 ~

The very bone from which woman was crafted came from man.

"And Adam said, 

This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: 

she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."

~ Genesis 2:23 ~

Woman was taken out of Man, then presented to man in order to complete him.

We were created in the image of God with physical and emotional needs

that only another human being could meet.

It is not good that man should be alone.

♡ ♡ ♡ ☆ ☆ ♡ ♡ ♡

42 years ago on the ski slopes of Vail Colorado

where I was a chair lift operator and my husband was visiting from Canada

we met...and fell in love. 

We believe it was the hand of God that brought us together,

and for 40 years He has kept us together.

We had a long distance relationship for two years before we married

which involved a lot of letter writing, and believe me, 

there was A LOT of snail mail sent both ways. 

Back then there were no cell phones and using a land line was quite costly.

If we phoned at the wrong time of the day it could cost as much as $1.00 a minute.

My husband remembers paying a $120.00 phone bill one time, 

 that was a lot of money back then. Ouch!

For myself, saving up for a long phone call was well worth it,

I was in love. 😍

♡ ♡ ♡ ☆ ☆ ♡ ♡ ♡

A while back I was reading some of A. W. Tozer's collections

and in his book "The Purpose of Man" he spoke on

 "The absolute worth-ship of Christ", he was writing about

"The Lord of All and His Bride."

"Our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world that He might

save us from the ugliness of sin to a beautiful heaven. "

How beautiful are those words A. W. Tozer penned!

"The old Testament gives us the story of a man named Isaac.

His father, Abraham, called for his servant to go find an

acceptable bride for his son (see Genesis 24). 

With the help of the Holy Spirit, that old servant went down into the town Abraham indicated and found a young woman there. 

The Bible pictures her as being very beautiful. 

Her name was Rebekkah and she must have been beautiful, 

because the servant was instructed to find a 

bride that was beautiful to look upon. 

Isaac is a type of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

God the Father sent the Holy Spirit out among the 

people of the world to win a bride for Christ, 

one that was worthy of Him. "

One that was worthy of Him!

What a beautiful picture.

Those words actually took my breath away as I read them,

one that is worthy of Him, sigh...

As a wife, I am constantly asking myself, am I worthy?

Am I honoring the man God has blessed me with?

Am I the help meet God desires of me to be

each and every day of our lives together?

Daily in great humility I bow before the throne of God,

seeking His face as a wife, for I long for nothing else but Thee

as I strive to be first, worthy of God, then worthy of my husband.

Without God in my life, it would be extremely difficult

to be the wife I so desire to be. 

It is only by the grace of God that I am who I am.  

"The bride's significance was to rest in the groom.

She has no worth of her own, but her worth lies in her

relationship to the groom. Jesus Christ is the groom

and is worthy of our love, adoration and joyful worship.

Rebekkah was merely the daughter of her father.

But, when she was taken to Isaac, she took on a new identity-the identity

of her groom."

A picture we all know that comes with marriage,

the taking of our husband's name, such an honor to him!

Our identity is now in our groom.

"Our identity is now in our Groom. The past identity is now forgotten, 

with all its obligations. Our Groom is now our identity, 

and nothing in our past matters anymore. 

The bride not only takes on the identity of the  groom 

but also his name as well. She is now forever known by that name. 

The Groom Shepherd is worthy of our affection

and is deserving of us leaving everything and 

embracing Him as our own."

I found this to be such a beautiful picture, both in my 

marriage to my wonderful husband

and in the marriage of Christ and his bride. 

This isn't a new story to me ~ but knowing that our Wedding  Anniversary

was just around the corner it found its way into my heart

and touched those heart strings in a very special way. 

If I were to say it's been 40 wonderful years of BLISS I would be lying to you, 

and to God. 

But I can say,  that these past 40 years have been beautiful

because God has been there orchestrating the both of us

in our lives together as husband and wife. 
As Christ-followers, by faith we press forward in our daily lives together
knowing God will lead and guide us,
and by faith we believe He will never leave nor abandon us.

My husband is a steady man who loves the Lord, and because of his love for the Lord 
he is a wonderful husband whom I am honored to love and respect

until death do us part. 

♡♡

"But she that is married careth for the things of the world,
how she may please her husband."
~ 1 Corinthians 7:34 ~

Take Joy!
Debbie

Wishing you all a blessed Easter Resurrection Sunday,
as you celebrate the victory that has been won
through our loving Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Hallelujah ~ what a Savior!

Happy Tail on a Happy Trail ~

A happy trail in deed was the life of our sweet and gentle Toby.

This past week we said our goodbyes to our precious cat of 17 years.

Toby joined our family before he reached 6 weeks

coming from a home where there was the use of drugs.

Our niece picked him out for us, thus, saving him from

a life of who knows what.

Toby was special in more ways than one and brought great joy

into each one of our lives.

He was a Ragdoll ~ with a color point coat and blue eyes,

long beautiful soft silky hair ~ half Persian half Siamese

and one gorgeous handsome boy!

His temperament was docile and placid

making life with Toby a real pleasure.

Toby lived through three of our pet rabbits and because of his 

gentle nature he was like a daddy to those dear rabbits.

Those five week old bunnies would snuggle up in Toby's soft silky hair 
and find great comfort after having left their mother's so young.
Toby never turned them away.

There are so many things that make up the lives of our precious pets.

Those who have the joy and pleasure of a pet can attest to that.

Toby wanted so badly to be out doors, but I sheltered him trying to

keep him in doors where I knew he would be safe.

He was gentle in every way and with predators in our area

I found that to be such a concern. 

One day I caught Toby hanging on the screen door while reaching

towards the door handle with his right paw trying to open the door 
for his escape to the unknown world that he was kept from.

He would time it just perfectly waiting for one of us to head out the door then,

 he made his big escape and darted out the door

only to find himself carried back into the house.

Poor Toby 🐱

I used Toby and Lakota, one of our pet rabbits for character building lessons

for the children in Children's Church in between a missionary story,
 because Toby would entice Lakota to do wrong.

Those two were a riot playing together!

Toby would tease Lakota by dangling his tail as bait

to get Lakota's attention, then when Lakota went for the tail

Toby would slap him!

Other times Toby would get Lakota to chase him through the house

and end up in a place where Lakota would get himself into trouble. 

The Bible tells us ~
"He that walketh with wise men shall be wise:
but a companion of fools shall be destroyed."
~ Proverbs 13:20 ~ 
"It is as sport to a fool to do mischief:
but a man of understanding hath wisdom."
~ Proverbs 10:23 ~
Proverbs is a great book of the Bible that teaches on character building 
and with those two I had many stories to share
and the children enjoyed them.
Toby became famous in the eyes of those sweet innocent children.

From the time Toby arrived he was forever in something,
be it in a basket ~ a box ~ a cooler ~ a bucket ~ a shoe ~ even a ladies purse.
Yes, if you were a visitor in our home and owned
a purse or even a diaper bag, he was sure to claim it as his own.

  If we had a delivery I would sneak the box in and try opening it
with out Toby knowing, but it was impossible.

 I could go on and on with happy stories of our beloved Toby,
but it would make for a long posting that has already become way too long.
 I have to tell you one last story ~
As you can see, Toby was a long haired cat and long haired cats shed!
Well ~ One of Toby's favorite spots to sleep was in the bathroom vanity
on top of the bath towels. 
We always knew when Toby was headed to his spot because we could hear
the slight banging of the cupboard door. 
He would take his paw and open the door, but it took him awhile, 
so you would hear bang ~ bang ~ bang until he got it just right
and off he went for hours. 
We have some dear elderly friends who come and stay with us often
and they are not animal people. 
No pets in their home, no sirree ~ no way ~ no how!
This one particular visit the misses was having her shower and I had FORGOTTEN
to take the top towel out beforehand which was covered with Toby's hair
 and I'm telling you it was grossly covered with hair.
To her horror and to our horror she was covered with animal hair,
face and all!
Behind closed doors my husband and I had a great laugh! 😂
From that time on I was careful NOT to let that ever happen again. 

We knew Toby's days were numbered and that we were coming to the close of his life 
but its still hard to let them go.

 We will miss our Toby in the window where he sat quite often
watching the world go by while he was safe and secure in our loving home.
Toby hated the car, but he loved traveling in the motor home,
maybe because of the big front window where he could see the world.
I was so hoping he would have the chance to travel just one more time to Canada,
 but he enjoyed his last hurrah and his last visit with Grandpa Bill in the Spring of 2018.
Grandpa Bill, whose now in glory was not an animal lover either,
 but he loved Toby, and Toby loved him. 
We have learned over the years to enjoy the moments we are given 
because they don't last forever. 🐾

Today there are two very special Birthdays being celebrated.
Stephanie  and my grandson share their Birthdays 
and I would love for you to stop by her lovely place
and wish them both a very Happy Birthday! 🎂

The Joy of the Lord is my Strength!
Debbie
♡

Jewels that Adorn our Lives ~

 For a number of years now I have been collecting jewels,
well, jewels to me.
These jewels are brooches ~ pins that are quite unique in their own way. 
As I've collected these jewels my mind has been busy thinking of
a way to use them for God's glory. 
I've thought about using them in a Ladies Retreat
or a seniors program, with the youth or maybe during a Tea Party. 
It's all in God's timing but in the meantime
I will continue to gather up my jewels and wait upon the Lord. 
I thought a good devotion would be on the Fruits of the Spirit
using these beautiful brooches in representing the jewels
that adorn our life found in Galatians 5:22
on the Fruits of the Spirit. 

"But the fruit of the Spirit is ~
 love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self- control
Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's
have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 
Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, 
envying one another. "
~ Galatians 5:22-26 ~

As the bride of Christ ~ He will know us by the jewelry we wear.
He will know us by what He has bestowed upon us. 
The " fruit" of the Holy Spirit refers to the godly attributes of those
who " walk in the Spirit."
The fruit of the Spirit should characterize the life of every believer. 
These godly virtues are evidence of salvation
and the genuine work of the Holy Spirit. 
Each of the fruit of the Spirit responds to the nature of Christ. 
He looks into our life, sees what He recognizes as coming
from Him and accepts it. 
I'm thinking the biggest jewel of all is that of worship.
The glorious jewel of worship in all its beauty as we
practice the presence of God, pursuing Him with all of our time and energy
with amazement of His love and grace. 
To have hearts aflame for God!
When God sees our worship, purified by the Spirit and the Blood, 
He responds and recognizes it as His. 

~ The Fruits of the Spirit ~

Love ~ the love of choice, respect, devotion and affection
that leads to willing, self-sacrificial service. 
Joy ~ it's a gift from God. Its the sense of wellbeing experienced by one 
who knows all is well between himself and the Lord. 
Joy can even occur in and through painful circumstances. 
Joy isn't just a happiness of heart. 
Peace ~ the inner calm that results from confidence in one's saving relationship
with Christ. A sense of having it all together, even in difficult circumstances. 
Longsuffering/Patience ~ the ability to endure injuries inflicted by others and the
willingness to accept painful situations.
Kindness ~ tender concern for others, willing to treat others gently.
Goodness ~ moral and spiritual excellence manifested in active kindness.
Believers are commanded to show forth goodness.
Faithfulness ~ loyalty and trustworthiness.
Gentleness ~ a humble and gentle attitude. Submission to the will of God,
teachable and considerate of others. 
Self-Control ~ restraining passions and appetites.
When a Christian walks in the Spirit and manifests his fruit, 
he doesn't need the law to produce the attitudes and behavior that please God. 
Our Lord Jesus Christ knows who we are by our jewelry
which He has given us
He is our Lord and He desires our beauty.
As women, are we adorned with the jewels God has given us
to show the world Who we belong to?

"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning
of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold,
or of putting on of apparel.
But let it be of the hidden man of the heart,
in that which is not corruptible,
even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, 
which is in the sight of God of great price."
~ 1 Peter 3:3&4 ~

Always choose Joy!
Debbie
♡

Go West Young Man ~

Like the Pioneers, I decided to head west 

for a little warmer weather where I knew there would be 

less snow, new baby calves streams that have melted and rivers with little ice.

I can go 30 miles west from our snowed in home

and find the weather to be extremely warmer, it's crazy! 

Right now, our home at 8,000 feet is nearly buried in snow,

while it is beautiful in deed, outside enjoyment is limited.

I've been taking Donatella to the walking/bike paths in our area

where we are able to walk at a faster pace and get some proper exercise.
While we have been walking on the road near home
it's just not the same with the snow and ice,
I need to be careful of falling with my new knee.

She and I both need to shed some winter pounds!

Donatella has to visit the veterinarian every 6 weeks

for an on going issue she has and she is up in weight a few ounces

with every visit, not good!

Of course the veterinarian reassures me that it's okay 

during the winter months.

Well...when I see my Doctor this week for my yearly check-up

I will be sure and tell him that my extra weight is okay,

after all, it's the winter.😉

The two of us have enjoyed our extra long walks

on dry ground right beside the river.

We are blessed with wonderful walking paths throughout this valley.

Just the other day, I decided to take a drive after our walk,

the sun was shining and we had clear Colorado blue skies,

so off we headed towards the west, off the beaten path

enjoying every bit of God's created beauty.

The river sounded glorious as it rolled over the rocks.

The bridge is an old railroad bridge that is no longer in use.

The deer were out being lazy and enjoying new growth under the trees.

They really blend with nature around them, don't they?

You could see some cow elk grazing on the hay

 that a rancher had put out for his horses.

Everyone gets along.

To my surprise, there was a ranch with a number of bison.

I had no idea this particular area where I took a drive had bison.

Donatella was quite intrigued with them as well.

Look at the size of this nest! 

Of course nothing was making it their home as of yet,

but soon enough.

As I continued along with my pleasant drive 

the dry road became narrower and muddy.

Mmmm... should I continue on?

Having never been on this road I wasn't quite sure what might be ahead.

What to do?

Then strangely enough I came across this snowman

standing on the side of the road. 

Why would someone build a snowman there?

He was out in the middle of nowhere as if he was trying to tell me something.

Was he telling me to turn back?

Was he telling me up ahead was safe for travel?

I chose to drive on and see just what the end of this road had to offer.

Well, not much further I came to a small parking area which indicated I was at the end of the road, I was able to turn around and safely head for home.

Did you notice this snowman had an extra roll?
I think he should join Donatella and I on our daily walks.

⊙ ~ ⊙ ~ ⊙ ~ ⊙ ~ ⊙

Awe...there's nothing like a warm sunny day and a drive in the country.

With my instrumental music playing softly in the background 

and the windows open allowing the fresh air

to wrap itself around us, my mind found itself in thinking mode

as I turned my thoughts towards God.

All that I had seen belongs God, He owns it all.

"For every beast of the forest is mine 

and the cattle upon a thousand hills. 

I know all the fowls of the mountains:

and the wild beasts of the field are mine."

~ Psalm 50:10&11 ~

Always Choose Joy!

Debbie