Saturday Scriptures:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

Jeremiah 29:11

May each of you feel the light of God's blessings this day and always, as we remember that God offers us hope and good plans for our future!

Blessings,

Debbie

A Few Things

 A Little Bit of This and That

Hi everyone! Today's post is just a little bit of this and that. Random photos from the last few days. Hope you enjoy! First off, are some beautiful flowers I brought home a couple of days ago. Yellow is such a bright, cheerful color and the arrangement is so pretty on the small table in the dining room. 

The summer just seems to be flying by and I can't believe that the 4th of July has passed. I dressed in a navy blue dress with a colorful neck kerchief boasting red, white and blue for the holiday. It was a festive look and also cool enough for a hot summer's day.

On the evening of the 4th I attended a patriotic concert held at a venue in Black Mountain, NC. The Mr. plays in this band and the concert was fabulous!

Here are all of the trumpet players standing for their solo part in, "The Stars and Stripes Forever."  The Mr. is standing second from the left. 

And here I am with my sweet friend, Libby, who was attending to watch her husband play in the band. We always enjoy catching up at these concerts!

And this isn't the greatest picture, but this is a dress that I have been wearing on repeat this summer. I really need to devote a whole blog post to this dress because it is so comfortable! Made of a soft tee shirt like fabric this dress came from Amazon and is available in different colors and patterns. I will try to do a blog post on this dress soon. 

And, finally, here is a veggie board I created recently. Can you call this a charcuterie board? I tried to be creative in placing the veggies and I loved how the cut end of the celery stalk looks like a flower! I really enjoy having fun in the kitchen and this is one way I do it. Someone once said we eat first with our eyes. This board was a feast for the eyes!

How are you being creative in styling your life right now? Hope you will let me know in the comments!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Saturday Scriptures: Trusting in God

 

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. 

Isaiah 12:2  KJV

While having devotions this past week, I read this verse and it stood out to me. Does that happen to you as you read scriptures? Oftentimes, a scripture just seems to fit the circumstances that are happening in life. I don't believe these things happen by "coincidence" but are rather God speaking through scripture. 

Trusting in God, and not being afraid, can be challenging. I'm a natural worrier by nature (unfortunately) and I tend to ruminate about problems and how they are going to work out or be solved. While I'm not proud of this, I have been this way since childhood so it seems to be a part of my nature. While I take worries "to the Lord in prayer", as the hymn goes, I also tend to take them back sometimes! Being reminded of God's steadfastness through scriptures like this one from Isaiah, helps me to feel better. 

Luckily, I have good company with other "worriers" in scripture who were used by God. In Exodus Chapter 33, Moses was speaking with God in the "Tent of Meeting" outside the Israelite's camp and was concerned that he (Moses) didn't know God's full plan for who God was going to send with him as he led the people forward. Moses was doing a little bit of complaining to God about why, if God knew Moses by name, He had not let him know more and the plans. God's answer to Moses was incredibly simple and as follows:

"And He said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest."

Isaiah 33:14

Isn't that wonderful to know? The answer for Moses, and for us, is simply that God's presence goes with us and gives us rest. If only my worrisome attitude could remember these words and rely on them more! I also love how "The Message" version interprets Isaiah 33:14. That version says, "My presence will go with you. I'll see the journey to the end." 

Friends, the simple truth is that we are never alone in life's worries. God's presence is ALWAYS with us. Even if you're like me and want to take the worries back sometimes. God has our backs. He gives us rest. And, most of all, He sees us through to the end of our journey....and beyond!

What a blessing it is to have the Lord in our lives!

Blessings and Peace,

Debbie

Pink Paper Bag Skirt and An Explanation

 Skirting The Issue

Hi friends!  If you've been missing me for awhile (and I hope you have) it's been because I have been out of town for about nine days helping to care for my oldest sister who has been very ill. She is now stable and in a rehab facility for now and The Mr. came and got me and brought me back home as I have come down with a bug myself and have not been feeling well. I hope that being home in my own surroundings will help me to feel much better soon. In the meantime, I want to share a bit of styling for you with photos I took before I was abruptly called out of town. 

I've been trying some new-to-me styles this summer as you saw in my last post about my olive green dress. The paper bag waist style is one I wasn't certain I would like. However, when I saw this pretty pink skirt at Target I tried it on and decided to give it a try and I must say I am enjoying it very much. The waist has a drawstring tie so I can cinch the waist as much or as little as I want for comfort. The skirt length is perfect for me and the material has a bit of stretch to it which I like. So, overall I'm a happy camper with this purchase. 

My mauve Sketcher Mary Jane style shoes work well with the skirt and I like the white jean jacket with the look as well. This paperbag skirt is available online in small and extra small in green if that color and size would suit you. And maybe there are still some in stores available. I found mine in March or April I believe. I'm not receiving any compensation for this post. I just like the skirt!

I'm sorry to have missed not only style posting these last nine days but also I missed posting two Saturday Scriptures. When I found out my sister was hospitalized we just threw things in the car and left the following morning and I didn't take my computer. I plan to be back for this Saturday's devotional post. Family is more important than the blog. I did miss all of you, however, and hope that each of you are well. Prayers for "S" would be appreciated!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Olive Green Summer Dress For Hot Days

 Perfect Summer Dress for Hot Days

*not a sponsored/paid post

dress available here

Hi friends!  If where you are is like here, then you are suffering through some very hot days! Today, I'm sharing a perfect dress for just those type of days. It is still available online and possibly in-store too depending on where you are, so I thought I would go ahead and share it with you.

This dress first caught my eye in yellow and I bought it and brought it home to try. I knew it looked like it ran large so I went with a medium even though it is cotton. Well, the yellow medium was waaaay too big so I took it back. Of course, they didn't have the pretty yellow anymore in the size I wanted so I went with the olive. I have grown to like olive color and feel like I look pretty good wearing it. I also sized down to a small and it is just perfect on me. I don't wear much anymore in a small but this dress fits just where it needs to "billow out" on me so it is perfect. I have washed it and it washes up really nicely and I didn't notice any shrinkage. The brand is Time and Tru and their line tends to run large. I bought it during cooler weather and have also worn it with leggings and it looked great that way, as well. So you can be versatile with this dress.

The Mr. and I ate on the outside porch of one of our favorite eateries today and I was thankful to have worn this little dress. The table we like to sit at (which we refer to as "our table") had a stand-up fan blowing air right at us which helped to keep us cool in the heat. 

Plus, my hair was "Oh-so-Breck Girl" with the fan blowing. Remember the ads from the seventies with all of the models' tresses blowing freely? I always wondered how they did that. Duh, with fans, Debbie!! Anyway, we had a lovely lunch and I asked The Mr. to snap a few photos along the way. 

I hope your week is going well. Other than Saturday Scriptures I haven't posted lately but I have a few ideas coming so stay tuned. The best way to know when I post is to either follow me or sign up to subscribe. That way you will be notified when I post. Sometimes I post a lot and other times not so much. I am working on consistency with the Saturday Scriptures for the summer.   

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Saturday Scriptures: Seasons of Life

 For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

This scripture is only the first verse of Ecclesiastes 3 which goes on to name the many different seasons of life that can affect people. What season of life are you in right now? Whatever season you are experiencing, please know that God loves you and walks with you in that season. 

Blessings and Peace,

Debbie

Saturday Scriptures Friendship and Sisterhood

 

I have always felt that women provide special bonds of friendship for one another. Of course, men can have brotherly friendships as well, but when women care for one another, true sisterly bonds can form.

I've seen that this week, as a member of a women's group I belong to suffered a dislocated hip. Some women in our group met her at the emergency room and stayed with her until the medical personnel were able to fix her hip. Others of us brought her food and checked on her to see what her needs might be. This type of friendship goes beyond the "meeting up for lunch" type friendship. This is a sisterhood coming together during adversity. While all types of friendship are important, knowing that there are friends who are there in bad times as well as good is very important. 

Being the introverted person I am, I have always found it hard to establish friendships. It takes me awhile to warm up to people, especially in group situations, and I have often been told I am "quiet" or it has been inferred that I am snobbish. This is not how I see myself at all. I see myself as a friendly person ready to offer a smile to others. But, I don't come into a large group and take the room by storm. That is just not my way. 

Each of us is called to be a friend to others. But, we can do friendship on "our terms" as our personalities and gifts dictate. I am blessed to have friends in my life that accept me as I am even as I know that Jesus accepts me as I am. 

When have you been a friend to someone lately? When has someone been a friend to you? 

Blessings and Peace,

Debbie