Blooming Where You Are Planted: A Devotional

Blooming Where You Find Yourself 

A rose captured on a morning walk at the rose garden.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,

    whose confidence is in him.

8 

They will be like a tree planted by the water

    that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

    its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

    and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Good morning friends!  One of the pleasures I have enjoyed this summer is looking at my beautiful flowers that I planted in my back porch containers. They seemed to have bloomed more beautifully this summer than ever before. I would look at them while sipping my morning tea and bask in their vibrant colors. 

Imagine my surprise when I began to see the flowers that I had planted in containers popping up at the edge of the patio porch. I certainly had not planted them in this location!

And then on our gravel driveway. Nope, didn't plant them here, either!

And even under the steps of the stairs on the side of our porch! I couldn't even have managed to get them under here to plant them, lol!

And soon, there were little clumps of flowers all over our gravel driveway! And I had not planted ANY of these flowers in those locations! I learned from my sister that when flowers pop up in unusual places like this, where they have not been "planted,"  they are called volunteers. Did you know that? I guess the wind or birds carry the seeds or small seedlings from the plants and then drop them in random places where they  can either take root, grow and flourish or just die without blooming. 

 As I enjoyed these "extra" blooms this summer, it got me to thinking about the idea of "blooming where you are planted." I'm certain that these plants in the midst of gravel, or under the steps of a porch, would have much preferred to be planted in one of my porch pots with lots of wonderful and enriched potting soil surrounding them. And yet, they were blooming in these less than desirable spots in spite of the conditions that surrounded them. 

So tell me......are you blooming where you are planted? Where you find yourself in life right now? Am I blooming where I am planted and where I find myself?

I believe that in today's world, these are questions for each of us to think about and ponder. 

You know we can't always choose what surrounds us on a daily basis. We can't always choose what is happening around us in the world. And let's face it. The world around us can be a pretty depressing place at times. Our own personal lives can sometimes be less than what we would want them to be at times. Sadness, despair, illness, anxiety, personal problems and relationships, money worries and concerns about those we love and care about.....all of these are simply part of what comes with being human. 

But this is not meant to be a downer as a devotion. Rather it is meant to be just the opposite. Because along with the previously mentioned problems that can come with being human, there is also the capacity for finding great moments of happiness, contentment and joy to be found in our daily living! 

And just like these plants that found themselves planted smack dab in the middle of a gravel driveway or alongside a cement porch or hidden away under the treads of porch steps, we can still bloom and even thrive with brilliant colors and greenery!

Today's scripture from Jeremiah speaks about a tree planted next to a stream that sends out its roots to the water so that it can flourish. It likens this tree to people who have faith and confidence in the Lord. That tree didn't have to fear heat or drought or the inability to bear fruit when these horrible conditions might come. It didn't have to fear, because the tree had made sure that its roots were sent out toward the stream where it could draw in the life giving water that it would need to survive, and even thrive, when these less than optimal conditions surrounded it. 

I ask each of us, including myself, to ponder this question today. Are we rooted in the life giving water of Jesus Christ? Are we keeping our trust and confidence in the Lord, rather than in other people or sources? Are we looking for ways to continue to bloom and flourish and enjoy life, even when events around us are less than optimal? 

For me, relying on my faith helps me during both times of stress and times of joy, because I know that my roots are firmly planted in the Lord. 

May each of us have faith to help us continue to bloom and grow wherever we may find ourselves this day. 

Blessings and Peace,

Debbie

Fall Tablescape for Two and More

 Which Tablescape Arrangement Do You Prefer?

Good morning, everyone!  As promised, I'm back today with some more Fall decor for you. Hope that you enjoy and, perhaps, you will get some ideas that you can use in your own home decor. Who knows?

The anchor to this tablescape is the plaid table covering in a gorgeous burnt orange color. It creates the illusion of placemats but is all in one piece. Would you believe that this table covering is actually a rug? I picked it up at Aldi's and immediately thought about using it as a table covering instead of a rug. I like it. What do you think?

I also added the pretty Fall plates to the mix. These plates are just perfect for a Fall table. I started this Tablescape with just  the two woven pumpkins, also from Aldi, and the green/brown leaf plate as the centerpiece for this design. I later decided it needed "more" and added in the faux gourd and smaller orange pumpkins. I think this looks better. Which do you like best? Less or more for the centerpiece?

Doing a Tablescape photo shoot always presents some challenges. As you can see, one challenge I encountered was keeping my trusty assistant, Cassie, off of the table while I was taking pictures! She said that she thinks this Tablescape needed a cat next to the woven pumpkins in order to look complete! What do you think?!

I have little Fall touches everywhere in our home including this pretty Fall towel hanging on the stove. 

And this Fall arrangement on the table in our dining room. The wooden leaves in the bowl are actually a piece for hanging on a door. I'm using them in the ceramic bowl instead with a carved wooden pumpkin added in. 

This simple use of wooden pieces in a ceramic bowl adds to the clean lines of our wooden dining room table. I love the simplicity of this arrangement. What do you think?

The beauty of these Tablescapes is that they contain elements that can be used in many ways and in different places. They travel well! This is a snack table I set up in the handbell practice room for my handbell ringers at church. Recognize the pieces I used? By the way, those apple cider donuts were delicious!! They were a big hit with the bell ringers!

I really enjoy decorating for Fall and still have several items that are not on display yet. As we move further into the season and into October and November I will add in those pieces. We already have colorful leaves dropping from trees around our house. I decided to collect some and "press" them between sheets of wax paper. Have you ever done that? It's so easy to do. Just lay the leaves on a sheet of wax paper and then place another sheet of wax paper on top and lay a heavy book or other object on top in order to press the leaves flat. I plan to either display the leaves in a bowl or use them on a small pre-lit tree. I haven't decided, as yet. 

Fall/Autumn is such a beautiful season and I truly enjoy adding all sorts of Fall decor to our home. How about you? Are you decorating for Fall? And which Tablescape in this blog post do you like best? Any other news to share? Please be sure to leave a comment as I love hearing from you! I'm getting many comments marked as anonymous so I don't know who you are unless you sign your name. I many not guess correctly who is doing the writing! Take good care, friends.

Until Next Time,

Debbie This and That

Linking to:

Eclectic Red Barn

Nancy's Fancy Friday Linky Party

Floral top and Fall Colors in the Great Outdoors

 Floral Style and Fall Colors

Hi everyone!  What do you do when your pretty summer flowers fade away?  Well, you wear a pretty floral top, that's what!

Aren't the colors in this top just beautiful?!  This top is just perfect for early Fall as the material is just a tad bit thicker than is comfortable on those hot summer days and yet is still short sleeved for comfort as the Fall days warm up. The white background is also more of a yellow toned white/cream color which also works for Fall. 

I find this to be a joyful top to wear. If you don't have a floral top in your wardrobe, I advise you to look for one and enjoy bringing some flowers into Fall like I do! My top was thrifted, so floral tops need not be super expensive in order to bring joy!

I took a little walk around our property today looking for Fall colors wherever I could find it. I'm already seeing changes happening with color even though it isn't quite mid-September. I don't know the names of all of the flowers/plants. Some may even be considered weeds! But, I don't mind as long as they are pretty to look at and have pretty color. If you know the names of any of the plants feel free to chime in with the info.

And, I took this next photo while shopping at Home Depot the other day.

And, The Mr. took the next two photos of the butterfly on the flower while he was hiking last week. He's a better photographer than I am!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! I'll be back next week with some more Fall decor so be on the lookout for another new post! Happy Saturday!

Until Next Time,

Debbie This and That

Linking with Nancy's Fancy Friday Linky Party

Welcome September

 Stepping Slowly Into Fall 

And Other Events

Hi friends!  Welcome to September!  Where on earth did August go, hmmm?  Today's post is chock full of early Autumn decor plus a whole lot more, so grab your favorite beverage and settle in to see how I have been styling life lately!

I'm settling slowly into September and the whole idea of Fall with just a few changes in decor at this point. I recently added this Fall faux flower arrangement to the items on the foyer table. 

And the Fall door sign and white wooden pumpkins look quite nice on our front door. Not too much orange for Fall just yet.

I also added the little white light stick tree to the bottom shelf of the living room side table for a touch of warm light in the evenings as darkness begins setting in earlier. You can already see changes in leaf color starting outside our window. 

I do love this little tree!

I've also turned the oven on and done some baking recently. 

This is my first ever attempt at baking zucchini bread. It turned out pretty good and I cut it into pieces and froze it so we can enjoy a slice now and again.

I did tweak the recipe I used quite a bit substituting honey for sugar and I didn't add salt for health reasons. Yes, it would be better with salt but I will admit the spices added quite a bit of flavor. Warming a slice in the microwave and then buttering the slice is quite delicious!

The Mr. and I recently went on an excursion to The Tobacco Barn antiques barn located in Biltmore Village here in town. The barn was wiped out in the flooding during Hurricane Helene a year ago and has been repaired and is now reopened. I wanted to see if it looked the same or not. 

We had a very similar record player when I was growing up. Remember having to put the little plastic discs in the middle of our 45's so the record would fit on the spindle and play?

Here's The Mr. looking at something of interest. My observation of The Tobacco Barn is that it is certainly filled with booths and lots of merchandise. However, I wouldn't say that everything we saw could be classified as antiques. It seems like they are renting booths out to any folks who have something to sell including craft items. I enjoyed my visit there and would go again, but I don't think it is totally the same as before the flood. 

I also picked up a new top last weekend when we stopped in to The Tractor Supply Co. Store to buy River his costly bags of bones he insists on. 

This top was on their clearance rack and I really like the embroidery on the flutter sleeves. I'm wearing it with a short sleeve top here but it could be worn over a turtleneck on cooler days or worn alone on warmer days. The colors on the top are perfect for Fall. 

And, finally, how gorgeous is this sunset I captured from our back porch the other night?! Just a beautiful sky with amazing color! 

You know, whether we like it or not, Fall is on its way. My back porch flowers are really starting to look "spindly" and I don't know that they will be blooming much anymore. I can't complain. My flowers have been just gorgeous all summer long. I do enjoy summer but, oh my, this summer was a hot one! The cooler temps we have been enjoying this week are welcome relief and, as always, I get a little excited at the prospects of a new season. I always think about school and teaching in the Fall. Remember, I taught school for many, many years so thinking about school at this time of year is certainly normal. Please keep teachers and students in your prayers as they return to classrooms. 

Are you looking forward to Fall? Doing any Fall decorating? Be sure to share in the comments. I enjoy hearing from you!

Until Next Time,

Debbie This and That

Thoughts On Becoming A "Dear"

 Oh Dear, I've Become A "Dear"

Starting to feel like Fall with Fall colors!

Hello friends!  So, there is something that I've been noticing recently as I have been out and about going here and there. It may have happened a few times before I began to notice too much. But now, since it has happened fairly frequently, I am starting to take notice. 

Maybe, it's happened to you as well. Surely, it can't be just happening to me, can it?!

And here it is.....I have become a "dear."

What is that you say?

It's where women of a "certain age" start to be called "dear" by virtual strangers. People who wait on them in stores, or who open doors for them into restaurants feel like they should address said women by using the moniker of "dear." As in, "Here you go dear, I'll get that door for you."

Now, I realize that there are far worse names that I could be called. And, also, I realize that there are some women who probably don't mind being called "dear." 

And, it's not that I hate being called "dear."

But, I kind of feel the same way I felt when I was in my young twenties and men who I did not know would call me "honey." 

It felt a bit offensive to me to be called "honey" by a stranger when I felt like only The Mr. had the right to call me that. 

You know what I mean?

Now, if people were to address me by calling me "ma'am" that would be okay with me. But somehow, calling me "dear" feels a little bit like they think I'm a doddering fool who can't get a door open without help. 

And I'm not.....doddering that is....and hopefully not a fool either. 

I do appreciate the courtesy of someone opening a door for me. That shows respect and helpfulness. Calling me dear? Not so helpful or respectful in my opinion.

Now, I'm sure no one is doing this to be mean spirited. Just like I'm certain that when men called me "honey" years ago they weren't trying to be mean spirited. But, I do feel like I was kind of being put in my place. And taken advantage of. As in, "Honey, I know you know nothing about cars so I'm going to take advantage of you by overcharging you what you should be charged for this car repair."

And, yes, that really did happen when I took my car in for repairs. Calling me "honey" was actually a sign of disrespect disguised as respect.

Now, is calling me "dear" at my age disrespectful?  No, not really. But, I would feel better about being called "dear" if it were a family member using the term. Just someone on the street calling me that? No, I don't care for that so much.

It probably doesn't help that, in my opinion, being called "dear" means that the other person is in full recognition of the fact that I am "of a certain age." And here's the thing; I already know that I am "of a certain age." I prefer not to be reminded of it too often by other people since my knees, back and joints typically remind me of it several times throughout the day. 

You know what I mean?

So, what is your opinion of being called "dear" by others?  Do you like it? Dislike it? Could care less? Wondering why on earth Debbie decided to write a blog post on the subject?

Feel free to chime in with your thoughts in the comments section. You know that I love to hear from all of my dear readers.......uh, oh...oh yeah.   Oh dear!

Until Next Time,

Debbie This and That

Celebrating Ten Years of Blogging

 Happy Ten Year Blog Anniversary!

Hello, Hello Everyone!!  Can you believe it?!  I'm celebrating ten years of blogging today and I am more excited than you can imagine! Lots of exclamation points, I know. 

When I started my blogging adventure TEN YEARS AGO I had no idea that I would be here now still writing. To be honest, I truly didn't know what I was doing but I learned from others and found a passion for blogging and sharing little bits of daily life with others that I truly enjoyed. Blogging has always been something that was truly all mine and so, here I am, ten years later, still blogging away and loving it!

This was the very first photo that I published on my very first blog post from July 30, 2015. The Mr. and I were vacationing in Estes Park, CO when this photo was taken. I've come a long way since then with photography I hope! Most of you know that when I began blogging in 2015 my blog was then called "Debbie This and That" using a blogspot domain. Even though I changed blog names to Debbie Styles Life, I still feel that what I do with my blog posts is to share a little bit of this and that with all of my dear readers. Just bits of everyday life that includes styles of clothing and jewelry, home decor, my faith life, flowers, cooking, books I read, my musical endeavors, my sweet fur family, life with The Mr. and so much more. I still will often close my posts with either Debbie or Debbie This and That because, well, that's who I am!

I used to be a bit more adventurous with my style posts as you can see from this collage taken in 2019. I had so much fun with this post. The Mr. and I went to Biltmore Village in Asheville and he took the picture you see in the middle. Sadly, much of Biltmore Village was devastated in the flooding that occurred during Hurricane Helene last September. But, the shop owners are working on rebuilding. Experimenting with how to style and accessorize clothing is very satisfying to me. For some reason, I became less confident about sharing my style ideas on the blog. I began to feel a bit "silly" and didn't want to look ridiculous. I think I need to work on my confidence and start styling a little bit more on the blog. What do you think?

Sharing life with our fur babies has always been an important part of my blog. If you have been a long-time reader, then you may remember "Gracie the Ace Cat Reporter." She always helped me to write posts and sometimes would "write" one of her own posts from a cat's perspective. Sadly, Gracie passed on. I would like to dedicate today's 10 Anniversary post to sweet Gracie, The Ace Cat Reporter. We miss you Gracie. 

Now, our fur family consists of Cassie, Garden and River. They keep us on our toes and Cassie, especially, has a penchant for blog writing. Every once in  a while, I allow these furry writers to take over the blog in a post. You never know what to expect when they start writing (and singing!) however. If you want to read a Christmas Post they wrote, I have linked it for you. 

Over the years, I have created many posts related to tablescapes but none as "infamous" as the tablescapes I create on our foyer table. The pic you see above remains one of my favorite designs for the foyer table. I created the little box filled with flowers and the doily was crocheted by my mom. The tea cup was given to me by my oldest sister and the pearls were given to me by The Mr. This tablescape is designed and filled with love! 

Sharing my faith in God has always been an important part of my blogging experience. I enjoy writing and sharing devotionals and, recently, I have begun sharing my faith by giving sermons in local churches as I am called on to do so. My faith is part of who I am. The most important part. I remember frequently that, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." I hope that when I share scriptures and devotions that my readers are blessed. 

And so, dear readers, I am celebrating today! Wow. Ten years. That's a long time. A lot has happened in those ten years both personally and in the world around me. COVID, elections, retirement, family deaths and births. And through it all-sometimes with tears streaming down my face, I have continued blogging. 

I realize I don't post as often as I once did. As I have mentioned before, sometimes I feel like the well has run dry and I have nothing "new" to share. But, I'm not ready to give up blogging anytime soon even if the posts are fewer and farther between. There is still some "this and that" left in this old girl! 

Over the years I have gained some readers and, sadly, lost some readers. Many bloggers have given up blogging either entirely or they have moved to shorter posting on either Facebook or Instagram. And as my dear friend, Shirley, would say, "and that's okay." 

I'm still here. And I hope that you are still here with me because I would miss you if you leave. 

I don't get as many comments as I once did on the blog. But when I do, I love and read every one. 

So, thank you all for ten lovely years of Debbie This and That and Debbie Styles Life! 

Until Next Time,

Debbie 💗