Perfect Peace

Last night, we drove toward the setting sun with it's purples and pinks and oranges glowing in the sky. What a breathtaking gift from God.

We parked the truck and walked up to the beautiful stone covered building...quiet surrounded us.

Finding her room in a maze of halls with lovely paintings on the walls. Gorgeous cherry woodwork lined the windows where the moon now shone.

There she lay. Under a warm blanket with a mask to help her take in the oxygen that she needed. So small and frail. Asleep from the painkillers.

Gently whispering her name. Her eyes open, and she smiles in recognition. We talk just for a minute. The medicine makes her eyes heavy.

I'm the last to leave. I hold her hand. The warmth from it still seers my heart. How can someone so alive be so close to death? She is ready. She has verbalized it over and over. This place is perfect she says. Is she referring to the hospice house or her home awaiting her shortly?

For one who is usually at no loss for words, I don't know what to say. So...I whisper, "I'll see you soon."

She replies,"Yes, I'll see you soon."

Sweet blessings,

Meet our Sweet Girl!

Hey, y'all! Just a quick Friday post to update you on LAST Friday's post!  Thanks for all of your sweet comments about our "little girl" that we are sponsoring through Compassion International! Her packet of information and photo arrived in the mail yesterday! And, y'all, she is JUST PRECIOUS!! Here, see for yourselves!



This is Monica! And I fell in love with her sweet little face all over again! She has parents and a sibling, but is in an extremely poverty stricken area. It just makes you want to go there and love on these babies and their families and bring them back home with you!! Thankfully, we are able to sponsor her and pray for her regularly. One day, I hope and pray that I will have the  opportunity to meet her and her family. We will see if my plans are the same as God's plans!

I loved your comments about the children that you too have sponsored! What a blessing....to US! Monica's birthday is in a few weeks...she will be 6! As much as I would LOVE to have a birthday party for her with cake and ice cream and presents, I sit here in my sunny kitchen and wonder what can I send her? I cannot send packages. I can send flat paper items that fit in an envelope. Bookmarks? But does she have books? Sheets from coloring books? Same question...does she have crayons? Do y'all have any ideas that you would be willing to share to help make this sweetie pie's birthday a little more special? I would greatly appreciate it!

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend! We are hosting a Chocolate Fest for the ladies at our church in the morning! Then, we have a speaker who will be sharing a beautiful love story from God. I cannot wait! I'll let you in on a little secret--for those of you who don't know me personally! I am not a chocolate eater at all! Can't stand the stuff! or the smell! Yes, I am normal (I think!!!). This is a chance to show some agape love to my sisters in Christ who breathe and live chocolate! I will smile and take pictures! Now, if there is white chocolate, move out of my way! I love me some of that! Pictures next week!

Sweet blessings,

Photo a la {Mode}

Hey everyone! I am linking up with Patty--who is an amazing photographer, writer, mom, wife and friend! She only lives about 4 hours from me, so....I won't be doing lunch with her and other bloggy friends in Tennessee at noon! Bummer!



85mm lens, 1/125, f.5.0, ISO 100



As a photographer, I want my pics to really pop and give you a "wow!" I still have not figured out how to achieve that using my blog format! My pics are fixed at a certain size, and I cannot undo this unless I create a new blog. Well....I happen to LOVE this blog! Not changing it!  But, in a few weeks, I hope to have a new blog that goes along with my business to showcase my pics of clients! Hopefully, the pop and brightness I wish to achieve will be evident! If not, I need to find a new business!

If you look on your camera, there is usually a little green box. It's a helpful box especially if you are taking pics inside and using low light. The green box does all of the thinking for you--pretty much! It's the automatic setting on your camera. It is your friend!

When I first got my camera (which was the Canon xsi), I kept it on the green box. Good pictures but not much room for creativity. And, I'm one of those people who likes to try things that might be a little different. A friend took me to the park downtown and showed me a whole new world! If you look on top of your camera, the letter "M" sits there....usually very lonely! She made me set my camera to "M" and I have not looked back! Now, "M" is good, but it really helps to UNDERSTAND the wordage behind this letter....which I am still working on mastering! Most of it, I get. There are still some gray areas! Patty has a link on her site that takes you to several wonderful lessons on using your camera. If you are truly interested in better pics, I encourage you to grab your favorite beverage (sweet tea here!) and chill out for awhile and learn! Then, take your camera and go shoot something! I just went out on the deck--jammies and all!--and shot these pics. We are learning about the shutter speed, the aperture, and the ISO setting (remember the film numbers from the dark ages? 100, 200, 400, etc.? That's the ISO! See, I do know something about this stuff!)



85mm lens, 1/125, f.4.5, ISO 100



Other questions to answer: What camera do you use and what is your favorite lens? I upgraded to a Canon 7D (love it!) and either shoot with my 50mm lens or my 85mm lens. If you use a point and shoot, what do you have and do you love it???

Anyway, hop over to Patty's and read her beautiful blog. Y'all have a great Wednesday!

Sweet Blessings,

It's a GIRL!!!!

Hey, y'all!
I am so excited I'm about to pop! After much prayer, more prayer, research, and sermons, my family has grown from the 4 of us to 5! And, we have pink balloons on the mailbox!

God has been doing a work in my heart through His Word, sermons, and your blogs! God can use the internet for His Glory! Little by little, He has revealed to me that He wants me to "go." Well, I wasn't sure exactly what He meant! That little word encompasses a lot! As an adopted child, I am a HUGE advocate of adoption. So is my Hubby--who also was adopted :). For this season, to "go" is to go into the heart and home of children in poverty, in brokenness, and to share the love of God. Physically, I will be here in SC. But spiritually, my heart just fell in love with a precious child of His in Guatemala. I can't hop on a plane tomorrow and go get her. She has a mom and step dad and two siblings. But, she is one of the "least" of those that Jesus taught us about. So, we are doing the next best thing!

We have agreed to sponsor her through Compassion International. It's a wonderful organization--trust me, I have spent a LOT of time researching this organization! Here's the link for you to visit yourselves. Her picture just made me melt into a pool. And, her name is the same as one of our best friends growing up --our next door neighbor to be exact. She is five and doesn't go to school just yet. Y'all, after I filled out the paperwork, and submitted it, I immediately went BACK to the website to see if her picture and availability were still there. They were not!! She's ours!!!! Such a small thing, but I did a happy dance.

I went to some of the You Tube videos to see more about the children, and sponsors and their visits. I have used half a box of kleenex! Take time and watch some of these. It's a Friday, the weather is pretty nasty over most of the country, and you need to see this if you've never watched them before.

It will take 15 days--and I WILL be counting!--to get her information packet and picture! I cannot wait!! I'll share all of this with you when it comes! And for those of you who sponsor children, thank you for your compassion! We see those little pitiful faces on ads in the sidebars of blogs, but do we really do anything about it? We (I) think, "Oh, someone else will sponsor them. I am really on a budget." Well, I am becoming that someone else. Someone who needs to step out of her safe little box and share the blessings that she has received. It's only 38.00 a month. We (as a family) spend more than that if we go out to eat a meal--even McDonald's and Chick-fil-a are costly when you have teenage boys! Mercy! So, we can give up one meal out a month to give to Compassion.

And, now, her sweet little name.....

Monica!

If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.  Proverbs 21:13

Go, step out of your comfort zone and see what God has planned for you!

Sweet Blessings,