Behold the Work of the Old

Where to begin....

Our family has been journeying. It 's always so exciting to gather our things and hit the open road. It
brings such a feeling of freedom. Adventure. Meeting new people. Finding treasures and making memories that we'll tuck away and re-visit as often as time allows.

Parts of the trip are planned and very purposeful and then others just happen That's part of the adventure.

A very special stop that we made was to see our new grandson Isaac. It was to be our first meeting and it would be extra-special because it was Mother's Day weekend.

What a joy it was to see this precious baby boy for the first time! I was able to hold him and rock him
to sleep and just sit and look at him.

It makes me so thankful for the blessing of travel and finances to make the trip possible.


Travelling always makes me pensive. Seeing new places and remembering the time that has passed since I was there before.  Wondering what peoples lives are like on a daily basis.

I was trying to capture something from every state and make it memorable. My husband and I have always been about family. Making the time meaningful. Making it count.
.
                                       Building...
Foundational things.. Relationships.. Truths.. Traditions. Things that would keep the family connected and strong.

(The main reason we travel is to close the gap of distance between family. To spend time. Supporting. Showing we care. Sharing a laugh and helping lighten a load. There's never enough time but it's why we come.)

On the trip, we stopped at Silver Dollar City in Branson. There were so many things to look at and enjoy. The Old Schoolhouse and the I sat and listened to a lovely lady play some beloved  hymns in the  Country Church.

We were able to watch the Grascals sing and play their bluegrass music. The girls were having fun riding rides and enjoying the beautiful greenery that we always miss during our everyday life.

 

 

 

There was a very touching opening ceremony Our flag was raised. The veterans were honored. What a special moment that was.



But the thing that impacted me the most was this little plaque that I saw on the side of a building.


It spoke of the desire to teach our children of God and the values that last forever. The words reminded us to keep the things of tradition and truth. To continue to keep them always before us. to guard and to then to entrust them to our children as adults. And to go beyond our understanding and seek the knowledge and wisdom of others as well.

Finding That Place Full of Grace and Peace

do we really show our true selves to others//
can we embrace the real us//
do we allow others to get close// 
are we comfortable with who we are //
do we follow our hearts//

each one is the only one// 
unique//
beautiful//
a treasure//


                       Sometimes I really struggle with who I am.  As a person... a mother.. a friend...

And I wonder...
am I the only one? But I know that isn't so.

I talk to friends who hide because of the pain of life.  {It's true. Sometimes life hurts.} They are afraid of making more mistakes and of being misunderstood. Feeling inadequate and terrified of rejection.


But there is a place ..
                                     
                               a place of :

                                         ~grace, encouragement and peace~
 
Where we can be seen as we truly are. One with faults but one who is trying. One who desires good but fails sometimes. One who has talents and is learning to use them.  We are seen by One who knows our heart and will never reject us. He will affirm us and help us get through those times when we feel afraid.

He can help us embrace our mistakes and learn from them and love life and the path we're on. I wish I would have learned this so long ago. So much has been wasted. Trying to get it right every time. That makes for a very long dis-heartening journey.

He would say to us..{ You can do this! You can face this life. You can be strong in me and I am here to show you the way when you are unsure. Go for it and don't be afraid.}

He created only one of us.
Fearfully and wonderfully.
{139:14}
 
With a plan to bless us and to give us a hope and a future.
{Jeremiah 29:11}

Sometimes we think too much about our difficult circumstances or relationships! I know I do and my thoughts are often negative. And negative thoughts are usually destructive. Being mindful of our thoughts is a good thing!
{ 2 Corinthians 10: 4&5}

They can create circumstances that don't even exist, complicate our relationships and they keep us from doing what we have the gift and desire to do.

Don't second guess yourself. Make the best decision you can with what you know. And move forward with confidence and peace. If you did your best, that's what counts. If there's some way to make it better, then you've learned and you can do it differently time. It's good to allow yourself a bit if learning curve. Whatever it is that you're trying to accomplish. This has been very hard for me to learn. I was never allowed that as a child. I felt like I needed to now and do it right the first time and to this day, I can get very easily discouraged if I don't stay focused.

And enjoy being beautiful you! Our faults and failures help make us who we are. We build on them, mature and move forward.

 Some  things I've learned.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trust God and trust yourself. And keep a sense of humor about things. Most of my life I think I've taken things too seriously. These are sober times that we live in, for sure and I want to be purposeful and intentional in my living. But to dwell too much on any one thing can create a heaviness about us.

So... do your best. Believe what God says about you. He rejoices over you with song! He loves you and I more than we'll ever know or be able to comprehend. He is with us and He's rooting for us.

He's the proud Father that wants to see you and I succeed and YES! He wants us to be happy.... DILERIOUSLY happy.

So go forward in His grace knowing that you are one-of-a-kind
special and walk in the peace that you will make mistakes but He
KNEW that you would and it's ok.

Blessings to you,
Tamara <3 font="">

Welcome May ~ A Colorful Spring Banner

 

Welcome May!

 

Isn't it lovely? Warm weather has arrived? I am so happy about that.

Though I do enjoy a good, snowy winter.

 

Outside, my herbs are all up and blowing

in the "not-so-gentle" breezes or winds that are typical

for this season in the high mountain desert country!

 

 

 

The leaves of the Purple Cone Flower and Hostas

 are just poking through and the Day Lilies

have been transplanted to a cooler spot.

 

I have been enjoying all beautiful flower photos

on the blogs that I follow. Patty at Lemon Lane Cottage

has the most enchanting flower gardens.

 

However, it's a bit too early for flowers at our happy place

so I have created some

of our own color to enjoy and share.

 

Be Happy!

 

is what this banner says. It seemed appropriate. Not just for spring but

for everyday. There's so many things that can cause the clouds to hover

over our lives. So creating things that are bright and cheerful

are important to me.

 

Bringing some kind of joy into people's lives.

 

 

So with this simple thought,

   I hope your day  is filled with a little extra sunshine!

 

Blessings to you,

Tamara

 

 

I'm sorry my pictures are so bad! I will be working on that..