a life blessed

(I'd like to apologize beforehand for a lengthy post!  The material was just so rich I could not bear to shorten it.) After coming off a whirlwind of 2011, my goal for 2012 is to 'gear down' in this Martha-esque world and make a determined, intentional resolution to take time every day and sit at the feet of Jesus and earnestly seek His face as Mary did.   In a world of  'to do' lists, and feelings of satisfaction with every check mark of completion making me feel productive, my main purpose of twenty twelve is nurture the relationship I have with my Father. Nothing else matters. Everything else will fall into place. I have been reading a very small but powerful book entitled 'Towards a Powerful Inner Life' by Graham Cooke. (A big 'thank you' to my friend, Jacque, for this gift!) I should have read it all in one sitting but have been savoring over each page for several weeks now.  The material is so rich I can only tak...

Christmas at Dad's. Family Traditions kindling a climate of love and warmth which create a sense of completion....a family bond ... family unity. Cords that cannot be broken. There's nothing else like it.   And it was all captured through the eye of the lens. Christmas was at Darin & Jen's house this year (my brother & sister-in-law.) Jennifer, adding the last minute touches Jennifer did an outstanding job creating a festive atmosphere with all the decor that was so very simple but elegant and Martha Stewart-ish, with her own personal touch of course. I love this! The food and trimmings were out of this world (thanks to a family of great cooks!) Lots of side items to go with the BBQ & baked beans, yum! And along with the BBQ, baked beans and side items, there were lil smokies and lots of desserts. The peppermint cake is absolutely my dad's favorite! My mom used to make my dad's favorite peppermint candy...