recipe for love ♥

 Fill bowl with Faith, Hope and Kindness
add 1 sifter of Powdered Persuasion
2 cups of Finest Devotion
3 heaping tablespoons of Passion
4 ounces of Sweet Nothings
1 cup of Lasting Hugs
 2 Soft Sighs

 Don't forget the Kisses

♥ layer with ♥
Lots of Laughter
a Pinch of Forgiveness when needed (no substitutions)
Sprinkle generously with Thoughtfulness (not optional)
 ~
stir Lovingly
and
Simmer Gently
♥
Ready when Bubbling
Serves two

♥  Maria


“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast,
it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
– I CORINTHIANS 13:4-7

on a journey

You will show me the way of life,

granting me the joy of your presence and the

pleasures of living with you

forever.

Psalm 16:11

Dear God, may you help us to end each day
by whispering an amen to You as we go to sleep

and to wake up each morning

with an halleluiah in our hearts.

Amen!

Photo of sky, trees and highway taken in on the road to New Hampshire.

Borrowed {stolen} from my daughter Amanda for Sky Watch Friday.

Quotes from Psalms and from the book

Moments of Peace in the Presence of God

Picasa Picnik

We had a beautiful sunset the other night.

...the kind that makes me run back into the house for my camera...

to snap a few Sky Watch photos.

Tonight, I decided to add a little Picasa twist to one of the sunset photos.

{pencil sketch}

{focal black and white}

{boost}

{vignette in blue}

{original}

{that was fun!}

The northeast has been enjoying some beautiful days.

It reached 50 degrees {F} this week!

I love coming home from work, putting on my sneakers {instead of boots}and heading

outside for a glorious walk.

I keep thinking back to last winter with 7 foot snow mounds along the sides of my driveway.

Who knows how long we'll get to keep this weather trend!?!

I'll enjoy it while it lasts... for sure!

“People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy.”
 Anton Chekhov

Enjoy this first weekend of F♥bruary everyone!

Are you baking anything sweet?

finding some color in Winter

a red and polka-dotted  little visitor on my yellow primrose

a  rainbow cake made by Amanda

some  rainbow M and M's on my brownies

pink flowers on my counter

and some pink sprinkles there too!

getting ready for the colors of February!
{thank you Doreen @ Fancy That!}

I love these quotes about color written by Georgia O'Keeffe.

{American artist}

"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way--things I had no words for."

"So I said to myself, I'll paint what I see-what the flower is to me but I'll paint it big and they will be surprised into taking the time to look at it-I will make even busy New Yorkers take time to see what I see of flowers."

*

In the heart of winter, it's lovely to bring home some colors of the rainbow!

everlasting delights

"Keep me walking steadfastly towards the country

of everlasting delights,

that paradise-land which is my true inheritance.

Support me by the strength of heaven

that I may never turn back,

or desire false pleasures

that wilt and disappear into nothing.

As I pursue my heavenly journey by thy grace

let me be known as a person with no aim

but that of a burning desire for thee,

and the good and salvation

of others."

This beautiful prayer comes from the book,  Valley of Vision.

It is a collection of Puritan prayers {16th & 17th centuries} written in poetic form.

Jason gave a copy to each of us for Christmas.

It was the first gift we opened.

There wasn't a dry eye as he read one of the prayers,

"The Gift of Gifts," as we started our Christmas morning celebration.

~ ~ ~

A couple of weeks ago, Amanda and her boyfriend, Nick,

took a walk along the Hudson River Walkway.

She took the most beautiful photos.

She knows that I "stole" them for Sky Watch Friday  :D

~ ~ ~

I wish you all a wonderful weekend

filled with everlasting delights!

Momma birdie necklaces

 This weekend, Ann Voskamp posted about how

Joy nests in the encircling Grace of God.

What a beautiful way to think of joy and God's sweet gift of Grace.
...such inspiring words...

Ann also added a link to a tutorial for making these sweet nest necklaces:

Thank you, Sarah Ortega!

I have always wanted one of these nest necklaces.
Inspired by Ann and by Sarah's easy directions... I had to make one myself!

I bought two kinds of silver wire and two kinds of beads

and got to work.

I really enjoyed myself making these necklaces.
It was so much more fun than cleaning the house!

If you have read Ann Voskamp's book "One Thousand Gifts,"

do head over to read her recent post on what she was able to give as a result of her profits.

The story of Pastor Saul will fill your heart.

♥
I hope you have been having a wonderful week..
Here in the northeast, we've been spoiled with our weather...
I think that will change as we enter into the weekend,

but ohhhh

I am so grateful for this easing into winter!

Joy that Lasts

What a wonderful week we had

with much togetherness

my heart overflows

with joy that

lasts and

lasts.

I wish you all a wonderful

New Year

filled with Joy and Grace.