A Shelter In The Time Of Storm

Dear Lord. . .

I ask for opportunities to grow closer to you.

Should they come in the form of a rainy day or rainy season,

open my heart so that I will know, without a doubt,

that you are with me.

Open my eyes to see how You are growing me in ways 

I could never have grown otherwise.

Help me understand that rainy days are just as essential 

as sunny ones to my growth in you.

- Devotions from the Garden -

The Lord's our Rock, in Him we hide

A shelter in the time of storm

Secure whatever ill betide

A shelter in the time of storm.

A shade by day; defense by night

A shelter in the time of storm

No fears alarm, no foes affright

A shelter in the time of storm.

The raging storms may round us beat

A shelter in the time of storm

We'll never leave our safe retreat

A shelter in the time of storm.

O Rock divine, O Refuge dear

A shelter in the time of storm

Be Thou our helper ever near

A shelter in the time of storm.

Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land

A weary land, a weary land

Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land

A shelter in the time of storm.

- Ira D. Sankey -

A good rainy season can 

awaken us. . .

test us. . .

turn us to God.

And when we do turn to Him, He may stop the rain, 

shelter us from the worst of it,

or remain with us as it pours:

His concern is not our comfort, but our growth.

Perhaps storm clouds are forming in your life,

or maybe the downpour has begun.

Maybe you've been working to build your own shelter from the storm,

and those efforts have proven futile.

Whatever your situation, sweet friend, invite the Heavenly Father

to use this rainy season to revive your spirit,

grow your character, or renew your strength in unexpected ways.

And when the rain subsides, you'll appreciate even more

the brightness of the sunshine.

 - Devotions from the Garden -

Have a beautiful and blessed Sunday!

Much love to you, friends!

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Maggie Bright - Book Review

ENGLAND, 1940.

Clare Childs knew life would change 

when she unexpectedly inherited the Maggie Bright-  a noble fifty-two-foot yacht.

In fact, she's counting on it.

But the boat harbors secrets.

When a stranger arrives, searching for documents hidden onboard,

Clare is pulled into a Scotland Yard investigation

that could shed light on Hitler's darkest schemes and prompt America to action.

Across the Channel, Hitlers Blitzkrieg has the entire British Army

in retreat with little hope for rescue at the shallow beaches of Dunkirk.

With time running out, Churchill recruits civilian watercraft to help.

Hitler is attacking from land, air, and sea,

and any boat that goes may not return.

Maggie Bright must answer the call - piloted by an American

who has refused to join the war effort until now

and a detective with a very personal motive for exposing the truth.

The fate of the war hinges on this rescue.

While two men join the desperate fight, a nation prays for a miracle.

My Thoughts

Compelling, riveting, and inspiring.

Many words could be used to describe the novel Maggie Bright,

but these three are the first that come to my mind after reading the book.

I must confess that I was not quite familiar with the history of Dunkirk

and the evacuation that took place there in 1940.

As I began to read the book I became more engrossed in the history that happened

so many years ago and the farther along I got in the book

the more captivating and emotional the journey got.

Clare Childs, a young woman with spunk, charisma, and integrity, 

is the main female character in the book.

She has inherited a beautiful yacht called the Maggie Bright

from a family friend and in some odd way she feels a connection with it.

She opens up the yacht as a bed and breakfast,

but dreams of the day she will take the lovely yacht out to sea.

Jamie Elliot is a soldier. . .a soldier headed straight for Dunkirk 

with a Captain that has been injured and has suffered brain damage.

The Captain has been placed in Jamie's care 

and has been ordered to get him to Dunkirk immediately.

Jamie's story remains on the battle field and along the way

you will "see" through the writing of Tracy Groot the heartache of war,

and the brokenness of the people who suffered through such ugliness and tragedy.

William Percy is a man on a mission and he is determined to expose the truth 

about the horrible acts taking place with and on children because of Hitler.

He meets Clare Childs and together they begin to form a plan. . .

The Maggie Bright is full of rich history that is not only thought-provoking,

but also quite tear-jerking.

There are moments of humor and irony mixed in 

with the inspirational and emotional writing of Tracy Groot.

I found this book to be very moving and a good reminder 

of what the men and women endured for their country and loved ones.

** I was given a free copy of this book from Tyndale Publishers for an honest review.

All thoughts are my own. No other compensation was received. **

Wire And Nail Polish Flower Bouquet

Even the simplest of things

can be beautiful. . .

a smile,

a gentle touch,

sweet laughter,

a forgotten memory,

strolling through a field of flowers.

The simple things 

are also the most extraordinary things.

Simplicity is the key note

of all true elegance.

- Coco Channel -

My dear friends, sometimes the simplest of things can be the sweetest. . .

these things can be the loveliest to add to a room in the home.

Simple. Refreshing. Beautiful.

These delightful flowers were made from wire and nail polish - that's all.

Pearls were added to the center for an elegant touch.

There is pure and simple beauty

to the ordinary rhythms of our everyday lives.

Look for the simple beauty in your daily living,

it's there. . .

it's always there.

When your life feels black and white

make sure that you dream in color.

Have a simply beautiful day, sweet friends!

{ Hugs }

* * * * * * * * * *

Learn how to make these sweet flowers by clicking on the link below:

YouTube Tutorial

Sharing with:

Share Your Cup Thursday

What's It Wednesday

Cooking and Crafting with J & J

Roses Of Inspiration Linkup #21

Happy Tuesday, my friends!
Thank you for participating in another Roses of Inspiration.
I am always so glad and thankful to have you here at the party
and it's with great joy that I visit your beautiful blogs-
I truly love seeing the inspiration that you share.

Next week the party will begin 
in the afternoon on Monday, June 1st. 

* * * * * * * * * *

Before we begin this party I would like to say a few things. . .
First of all, thank you for the many heartfelt words on the post 
concerning my Grandpa Don's passing.
I wrote the post while I was in Arizona {I used a computer at the hotel}
so I didn't get your messages until I got home on Friday.
I was so overwhelmed by the love that you shared -
I could feel your kindness and support - it was like a warm tender hug wrapped around me.
The prayers and encouragement during this time of loss have been a sweet blessing
and I will be forever grateful for each one of you. . .
the Lord has used many of you in a special way during this time.
My mom and I truly appreciate ALL of you!
Mom read the comments left on my blog and her heart was greatly touched.
She was very close to her dad {Grandpa} and his unexpected death has not been easy. . .
We are not only thankful for you,
we are thankful for the comfort and strength that God our Father provides.
Thank you so much for everything, friends!

I have been somewhat slow in getting back into blogging since I returned home.
I must confess that it's taking me a little while to simply unwind -
a lot has happened in the last couple of weeks.
Many of you have encouraged me to take it easy
and I greatly appreciate the support and wisdom from you, sweet friends :)
Thank you for simply "being" there.

Onto the party!

Because I was away last week

I did not get all of you visited and for that I apologize.

I am looking forward to this new week :)

Let's start with some beautiful features.

All of you are such a lovely inspiration.

Roses of Inspiration Features. . .

If you were featured than please feel free to take the "I was featured" button.

Simply copy the HTML code and paste it onto your blog.

<div align="center">
<a href="http://theenchantingrose.blogspot.com" title="The Enchanting Rose"><img src="http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t377/peaches525/6d8b180b-b3b8-4065-9986-dcccb5a9f70e_zpsc65070e5.jpg" alt="The Enchanting Rose" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Please do not pin from my site!

Go to the original source and pin from there IF it is okay with the blog owner!

The most viewed link was Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth

and her thought-provoking post on the blessings of old-fashioned work.

. . . { Sewing Inspiration } . . .

La Sportina

shared these adorable slippers.

. . . { Crochet Inspiration } . . .

Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains

showed us how to make these darling hair curlers with yarn.

. . . { Garden Inspiration } . . .

Sweethearts and Sweet Tarts

shared these lovely moss balls.

. . . { Spiritual Inspiration } . . .

Mountain Top Spice

shared a precious post about joy in the journey.

A very, very, very good post!

. . . { Recipe Inspiration } . . .

Living The Gourmet

shared a delicious recipe for goat cheese tarts.

Julie's Lifestyle

shared a yummy summer egg salad recipe.

. . . { Refreshing and Sweet Inspiration } . . .

Stuff & Nonsense

shared a lovely spring post that was filled with wonderful images.

If you are new to our party than here are the basics. . .

{ 1 }

You can link up anything that your heart desires. . .

crafting - recipes - encouragement

Scripture - devotionals - photography

healthy living - gardening - home living

sewing - crochet/knitting - fashion

beauty - tea time - home decor - etc

{ 2 }

You can linkup as many posts as you want

and they can be posts you have written today, last week, last month, or last year.

{ 3 }
There will be fun giveaways throughout the year.

I will simply add up the amount of people who participated in one of the link ups,
write the numbers down on paper and draw the number of the winner.
So if you link-up more than one post you will have a greater chance of winning.
These giveaways will be random
so you never know which link up I will choose for a giveaway.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Below is a button available for your sidebar
to let others know about Roses of Inspiration.

<div align="center">
<a href="http://theenchantingrose.blogspot.com" title="The Enchanting Rose"><img src="http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t377/peaches525/eca034cc-886a-4d9a-8e02-3a4f5bc60e74_zps45b994ad.jpg" alt="The Enchanting Rose" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

If you are new to link up parties than please click here

to see how to share your blog post.

Please have fun, my friends!

I am always excited to see what you share 

and will be around to visit each one of your blogs throughout the week.
And speaking of visiting,
please take a few moments to visit at least two of the posts shared-
everyone loves visits and comments.
Have a lovely day!

God Called Him Home. . .

Hello, friends!

As many of you know my family and I headed out to Arizona on Saturday

to see my precious Grandpa Don who was in the hospital

because of open-heart/bypass surgery.

My husband, son, and I spent Sunday and Monday with Grandpa.

I held his hand and whispered in his ear that I love him. . .I love him so much!

He squeezed my hand and looked into my eyes -

I could feel his love shining through.

As I sat by his side the memories flooded my mind and heart. . .

 

I could see Grandpa calling me to his side asking for hugs and kisses,

he took me to baseball games and we ate hot dogs.

Grandpa loved music especially old country and 50's music

and often he would sit on an old stool for hours

recording music for family and friends.

Grandpa was always so full of life -

if someone told him he couldn't do something

he proved them wrong and did it!

He was full of love and always had time for his family - family was his life.

He had many children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren

and each one was important and special to him.

He had the best laugh, the brightest smile, and the greatest stories

{ I will miss those stories }

He loved old cars and as a young girl I remember riding around in many of them -

I always felt so lucky and special :)

Anyone who met Grandpa always fell in love with him.

Grandpa Don was extraordinary.

 

 

 

 

Due to complications. . .

Grandpa Don passed away this morning at 3:30.

He is now home with his heavenly Father - free of pain.

 

My friends, how I appreciate each one of you.

Your love and support and especially your prayers meant SO MUCH

to my family and me.

We told Grandpa he had people praying for him from all around the world.

Thank you for blessing not only us, but him.

 

He is gone and I will not lie. . .there is a hole in my heart

and the hearts of his family - the pain is great.

Yes, he is with Jesus and we would want nothing else for him,

but we miss him. . .oh how we miss him!

 

May I ask, dear friends, that if you think about the family

please pray for them.

Please pray for Grandma Dee Ann as she has a lot of decisions to make.

Thank you. . .thank you from the bottom of my heart.

 

I am still away and will write again when I return home.

My love to you!

 



Roses Of Inspiration Linkup #20

Hello, my friends!
May I warmly welcome you to another Roses of Inspiration.
My heart is so blessed to have you here
and I hope you leave with some extra beautiful inspiration.

I posted on Sunday that I am currently away in another state
visiting my Grandpa Don in the hospital.
I will more than likely be gone this week
so if you don't hear from me right away that's why :)
I will eventually stop by and visit you when I return home.

Also, I am going to change the party time to Monday afternoons
so that those of you in different countries will be able to link up 
when it's actually Tuesday in your country.
The new link up time will either begin next Monday {the 25th} 
or the next Monday {June 1st}.

Let's start with some beautiful features.

All of you are full of inspiration.

Roses of Inspiration Features. . .

If you were featured than please feel free to take the "I was featured" button.

Simply copy the HTML code and paste it onto your blog.

<div align="center">
<a href="http://theenchantingrose.blogspot.com" title="The Enchanting Rose"><img src="http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t377/peaches525/6d8b180b-b3b8-4065-9986-dcccb5a9f70e_zpsc65070e5.jpg" alt="The Enchanting Rose" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Please do not pin from my site!

Go to the original source and pin from there IF it is okay with the blog owner!

The most viewed link was Everyday Living

and her beautiful Mother's Day post.

. . . { Sewing Inspiration } . . .

Musings of a Vintage Junkie

shared her delightful curtains made from flour sacks

. . . { Recipe Inspiration } . . .

Simply Fresh Dinners

shared her incredible recipe for Mahogany Chicken.

. . . { Lovely Tea Inspiration } . . .

Cozy Tea Cottage

shared her pretty in pink tea party.

. . . { Spiritual Inspiration } . . .

Amy Schlichter

shared a few lessons in mushroom hunting.

She wrote a very encouraging post - if you have time, please read it.

. . . { DIY Inspiration } . . .

Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth

shared a fun and easy tutorial on how to make your own apothecary jars.

. . . { Just Plain Sweet Inspiration } . . .

Debbie - Dabble

shared her adorable pictures of the Morning Doves.

Her images are incredibly sweet!

. . . { Fun With Kids Inspiration } . . .

What Happens at Grandma's

shared this delightful family library idea.

If you are new to our party than here are the basics. . .

{ 1 }

You can link up anything that your heart desires. . .

crafting - recipes - encouragement

Scripture - devotionals - photography

healthy living - gardening - home living

sewing - crochet/knitting - fashion

beauty - tea time - home decor - etc

{ 2 }

You can linkup as many posts as you want

and they can be posts you have written today, last week, last month, or last year.

{ 3 }
There will be fun giveaways throughout the year.

I will simply add up the amount of people who participated in one of the link ups,
write the numbers down on paper and draw the number of the winner.
So if you link-up more than one post you will have a greater chance of winning.
These giveaways will be random
so you never know which link up I will choose for a giveaway.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Below is a button available for your sidebar
to let others know about Roses of Inspiration.

<div align="center">
<a href="http://theenchantingrose.blogspot.com" title="The Enchanting Rose"><img src="http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t377/peaches525/eca034cc-886a-4d9a-8e02-3a4f5bc60e74_zps45b994ad.jpg" alt="The Enchanting Rose" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

If you are new to link up parties than please click here

to see how to share your blog post.

Please have fun, my friends!

I am always excited to see what you share 

and will be around to visit each one of your blogs throughout the week.
And speaking of visiting,
please take a few moments to visit at least two of the posts shared-
everyone loves visits and comments.
Have a lovely day!

Prayer + What? = Peace

If we were sitting across the table from each other,

you could probably tell me what's stealing your peace right now

without having to think too hard.

You may be grieving a longtime loss

that never settles far from your conscious thoughts.

You may be crying yourself to sleep at night over a situation

with a son or daughter who is beyond your ability to control - a failing marriage,

a grandchild undergoing diagnostic tests, 

perhaps open rebellion against your parenting decisions.

Maybe you're facing some health issues of your own,

or your income just isn't meeting your monthly bills,

or your church is in turmoil over some hot-button issue.

You can {and should} pray about these matters, of course.

But praying is not all you can do.

"Do not be anxious about anything," the apostle Paul wrote,

in a much-loved passage of Scripture,

"but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving

let your requests be made known to God"

{Philippians 4:6}.

Then what?

"The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" {verse 7}.

When prayer teams up with gratitude, when you open your eyes wide enough 

to look for God's mercies in the midst of your pain,

He meets you with His indescribable peace.

It's a promise:

prayer + thanksgiving = peace.

Prayer is vital, yes.

But to really experience His peace in the midst of problems,

you must come to Him with gratitude.

Costly gratitude.

The kind that trusts He is working for your good even in unpleasant circumstances.

The kind that garrisons your troubled heart and mind

with His unexplainable peace.

{ Devotion from The Quiet Place by Nancy Leigh DeMoss }

Sweet friends,

my family and I are headed to another state to see my Grandpa Don.

As of right now his kidneys are not doing well

and Friday night he was put on dialysis.

Also, as of Friday night my Grandpa has not woken up.

He is not on any pain medication because the medical staff wants him to wake up on his own.

Because his kidneys are not functioning properly 

his system is not flushing out the anesthetic that was put in him for the surgery 

so he is in a semi-coma.

Hopefully the dialysis will do the job and clean him out

and Lord-willing he will wake up soon.

Also, the neurologist confirmed that he had a stroke 

and it happened in the front part of the brain.

We will not know the extent of damage until he wakes up.

Thank you for the continued prayers!

My family and I have been so blessed by you

and we can feel your love and prayers.

I could be gone for up to a week so I will talk with all of you when I get back.

Much love to you!

Roses of Inspiration will be up on Tuesday

for all of you to enjoy.

I look forward to visiting you when I get home.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Two of the items in my photos today were from dear blogging friends. . .

The "Peace" box was handpainted by the lovely Celeste.

And the stunning lace heart was created by the wonderful Linda.

Both of these women have delightful Etsy shops.

Click on their names to visit their blogs

or click on their Etsy shops below:

Celeste's Etsy Shop

Linda's Etsy Shop

Raspberry Danishes. . .Made With Frozen Bread Rolls

Sweet bread, juicy raspberries, cinnamon and sugar,

melted butter, and delectable icing - here is a tasty treat for you, my friends.

These danishes are made with frozen rolls. . .can it get any easier than that?

Ingredients:

8 frozen rolls

1 container of fresh raspberries

cream cheese

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Lightly grease a cookie sheet and place the rolls on the pan.

Lightly spray the tops of the rolls with oil and cover with saran wrap.

Allow the rolls to rise for 2 - 2.5 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using scissors, cut a slit in the top of the roll 

and spread out the dough to create a pocket.

In the pocket add a spoonful of cream cheese 

{you can add sugar to the cream cheese for a little extra sweetness}

and top with 4 - 5 raspberries.

Once all of the rolls have been filled pinch the sides together to close up the roll.

Mix together brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon

and sprinkle half of the mixture over the rolls.

Bake for 25-minutes or until rolls start to turn a nice golden color.

Remove the rolls from the oven

and immediately brush the melted butter onto the tops.

Sprinkle with remaining sugar and cinnamon.

For the glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon almond or vanilla flavoring

Mix all of the ingredients until smooth

and drizzle onto the danishes.

Brew yourself some coffee or tea, grab a book,

and simply enjoy some quiet time and a tasty treat :)

Happy day and happy hugs, my friends!

* * * * * * * * * *

The prayers and encouragement continue to roll in for Grandpa Don and my family.

Sweet friends, thank you for expressing such love and concern.

The latest is. . .

Grandpa had not awakened from the open-heart/double-bypass surgery 

that took place on Tuesday and he is only responding with one hand 

and it's a very gentle squeeze.

Mom can ask him questions and he will barely squeeze her hand.

The doctors are afraid that he had a stroke during the process 

since most of his body is not responding. . .

Today, Lord-willing, he will see a neurologist to find out if he did have a stroke.

The internal bleeding has slowed down by a considerable amount 

and as the doctor said, is normal for after surgery which is a huge praise and blessing!

Thank you for the continued prayers!

The fact that you care enough to be interested in a man and his family

whom you have never met speaks volumes of your character and kindness!

Much love to you!

* * * * * * * * * * 

Sharing with:

Cooking and Crafting with J & J

Share Your Cup Thursday

What's It Wednesday