Where O Where have I Been!

Tulips...my most favorite flower of all.

And the color of these which is an orange/red makes them so very pretty!

These tulips were what I would consider perfect,
 both in their color and in the length of time they graced my bedroom dresser.
Tulips...as we all know...do not last very long, but these were amazing!
I usually cut the stems as they continue to grow and begin to droop,
but not this time, instead I left them to themselves with plenty of space 
and each day they were more stunning than the day before.

I was in awe each day with their beauty.
As the stems grew longer and they drooped downwards 
it caused the flower to point directly at me as I stopped to enjoy their beauty;
oh I could see right into the center of the flower...gorgeous!
Maybe that's how we are to enjoy a tulip?
If you think about it, the center of a tulip is like a Kaleidoscope.
A tulip is short lived and fades quickly, sadly they are temporal.
But, the Word of God and His promises are Eternal.
"The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the Word of God stands forever.
~ Isaiah 40:8 ~
What matters in our lives is that we are following the leading of God's Word,
that we're on the right path, always eager to move forward,
willing to be transformed into the image of God,
day by day, moment by moment, by His Word.

It seems like Thanksgiving came and went so quickly. 
My husband and I were able to enjoy Thanksgiving 
and a few days with mom in Arizona.
Going away involves so much, but its always worth the effort.
We took both of our pets with us on this trip, Donatella and Binx our rabbit
and they were awesome travelers!
I made some mini mincemeat tarts for mom, her favorite.
They freeze well which makes them easy for traveling.

Before going away to Arizona we were blessed to have 
our three oldest grandsons with us for a few day's.
They all have birthdays a month apart this time of year,
so it has become a tradition to celebrate their birthdays together
during their Thanksgiving school break.
When it comes to entertaining and throwing a party, that's my niche,
so of course I went all out making it special and memorable for them.
Our boys are turning 12 ~ 14 ~ 16 and that's a BIG WOW!
They were just babies not too long ago...where did those years go?!
Sometimes its hard to believe that our 4 grandsons are in the double digits now.
I can remember when our first grandson was born,
I said to my daughter, 'what am I supposed to do with that?!
I grew up with 3 sisters and each of us had girls, so boys 
were all new to me.😉
Well...those grandsons have warmed their way right into my heart.

While we were in Arizona we took a drive through the
Saguaro National Park and this time through it was gorgeous!
This cactus looks so soft doesn't it, but don't be fooled, a cactus is a cactus.

 With a touch of snow on the high mountain tops, along with the rain they had
 we were able to see the river flowing as well as some water falls.
That was a first for me and I thoroughly enjoyed the beauty God afforded us.

Just a slow leisurely drive the day after Thanksgiving
added a beautiful touch to our time together.

 These are water droplets on a bush in the National Park
and it appears that the plant was meant to collect the water like this.
God's creation really is intricate, isn't it?

We had good traveling weather both directions missing snow storms 
both before going and returning home
allowing for some beautiful landscapes for our 14 hour drive each way.
The distant mountains in Utah were covered with fresh snow
on our way back home.
The red rock formation in front of the snow covered mountain
makes the white stand out even more so.
Just plain gorgeous!

These rock formations look like a painting, almost unreal.
Makes me think that they could be from another planet.

~ ~ ☆ ☆ ☆ ~ ~

This was a long overdue post, so thank you for taking the time
for a long visit.
I trust your days are beautiful as you make your way into December?
I hope to enjoy decorating our home this week
and preparing for Christmas in celebration of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
I'll be around to visit with you and see what 
beauty you have to share.
God bless you!

Joy! 
Debbie

Joyful in the Glory and Beauty ~

"Let the saints be joyful in glory;

Let them sing aloud on their beds.

*Psalm 149:5-6*

My husband and I drove an hour from our home to take 

Cherry Delight to her personal mechanic for her 1st check-up and oil change.
You can read all about Cherry Delight  here.

The blooms on this cherry tree near our mechanics shop 
were absolutely stunning not to mention their fragrance!

We live at a higher elevation making it hard for certain fruit trees to grow,

so I am always in awe of their glory and beauty when I see them.

Aren't they magnificent!?

Of course photo's never do justice, (especially when using a cell phone) do they?

Last week I was reading in the book of Psalms and was reminded through this verse

that we should praise God ~ ALWAYS ~

When we wake up in the morning, at noon and in the evening.

Habits are easy enough to form, so why not form a habit

of thanking and praising God as soon as we wake up each morning.

When we quote the Scriptures and give praise to God

while we are still lying in our comfy cozy beds, it prepares us 

by implanting in our minds words for a positive attitude

and outlook to meet what may come in our daily lives.

Why not begin our day with joy and glory in our hearts?

We can worship and praise God for the promises found in His Word

and for all He has done and is doing in our lives?

Our worshipful hearts pointed towards our most Holy and Righteous God,

will draw us closer to His Precious side.

I know Satan would love to defeat us from the onset of our day,

but we can choose to not be defeated as we put on the garment of praise

and tbanksgiving when we sing for joy upon our beds before we 

allow the negativity of this world to enter into our minds.

Begin tomorrow morning dear followers ~ try not to roll out of your bed until

you have first sung for joy with a heart of praise and thanksgiving.

That little bit of extra time you will take in doing so

will make all the difference in your heart attitude.
God's love and faithfulness will motivate and enable
you to walk in a way that honors Him.

~♡~~~♡~~~♡~

"Praise ye the Lord.

Sing unto the Lord a new song and his praise

in the congregation of saints."

*Psalm 149: 1*

   Be Joyful!
~ Debbie ~

God Deserves our Praise ~

 Hello my dear friends~

Let us give our Lord thanks. Why? Because He is God

and deserves our praise.

Here in the United States we will be celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow.

 Many of us will gather together with loved ones

enjoying the blessings of a delicious meal and sweet fellowship one with another.

But whether you are celebrating Thanksgiving Day or not

let us all bow our hearts and heads with gratitude 

for every good thing which the Lord has blessed us with.

 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,

and cometh down from the Father."

(James 1:17)

~

We have so much to be thankful for, surely the Lord is worthy of our praise.

As we desire to have deep and lasting joy,

it's important for us to develop and attitude of appreciation.

We must purpose in our hearts to be thankful for everything

and count our blessings throughout the beautiful days God affords us.

 "I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart."

(Psalm 9:1)

As we count our blessings, let us begin with what it cost Jesus

to have a relationship with us. 

Let us be grateful for the amazing  forgiveness that He gave us

pardoning your sins ~ past present and future.

Let us ponder in our hearts how great and wonderful God is;

who would never leave us or forsake us, but loves

protects and provides for our every need.

And let us not forget the wonderful plans God has for us

and all the loved ones He's given us to share our lives with.

 "Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous:

for praise is comely for the upright."

(Psalm 33:1) 

  Dear Friends ~ we have so much to be grateful for.

Surely the Lord is worthy of our praise.
Therefore, let us go through each day voicing our praise and appreciation.
There's no substitute for thanksgiving and praise to grow
our intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father.
He deserves our praise.

"I will be glad and rejoice in thee:
I will sing praise to thy name,
O thou most High."
Amen.

Be Thankful!
~ Debbie ~