03/31/10

I love this keyhole. I believe it was the gate to one of the church graveyards. Do you know the difference between a graveyard and a cemetery??

A graveyard is connected to a church.

A cemetery is away from a church.

Learned something today, didn't ya?

In thinking of this week and what it means, I have been pondering Peter once again. I taught his moment of denial to my students for the past couple of days.

Peter was so vehement when he declared that he would never go away from Jesus. Even to the death he said he would stay with Him. Jesus told him otherwise.... told him that he would deny Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. Peter didn't believe him.

Fast forward a few hours and Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter and the other disciples fled from Jesus when He was taken by the guards. After they all flee, Peter follows at a distance.

Can't you see him? Darting behind trees or bushes trying to see where they are taking Jesus yet hoping no one will notice?

Peter then comes to the palace where Jesus is being tried.

He is asked by a woman if he was one of Jesus' followers. Peter denies it.

He goes to another area... on the porch where another lady asks him if he is a follower of that "Jesus of Nazareth".... and he denies it again.

Finally, he is standing around a group of people and one of them say to him that his speech betrays him.... he sounds like those from Galilee that followed Jesus. Peter denies again, but this time with even more boldness.

The rooster crows.

Peter realizes what he has done.

In one part of the Gospels it records that Jesus turned and looked at Peter at that moment.

Can you imagine what Peter felt when Jesus looked at him? I can imagine that Jesus looked at him with sadness, yet with the same love that Peter had learned from Him.

Peter then goes out and weeps bitterly.

Peter is not recorded in any of the Gospels to be present at the Crucifixion. Until recently that fact had never dawned on me. I think I know why:

He was ashamed.

He was afraid.

He couldn't believe he had done what he said he would NEVER do.

Are you like Peter?

I know I am.

I can so relate to Peter on many occasions. Peter so wanted to be the "perfect" disciple and be the" perfect" guy to stand by Jesus, but he messed up. He didn't listen. He thought he knew more than the Lord.

I have done those very things. If we are all honest, we all would admit to that.

I am thankful the story doesn't end there, just like my life doesn't end when I make mistakes like that.

Jesus still loved Peter and used that time for good. Peter became a bold witness for the Lord and was able to lead many people to Christ... the same Christ that Peter had denied just a few short weeks beforehand.

There is no mistake, no sin too bad for Jesus to forgive.

Jesus takes those mistakes we make and shows us that He has wiped them clean with His shed blood on the cross.

That is what Easter is about.

03/30/10

This church was one of my favorites in Charleston. I loved the capture of the first two pics. The sun was just right to be behind the steeple and add a beautiful glow. One is more of a closeup.

The day I took these pictures there was not a cloud in the sky. That is my kind of photography day. (Right, Kevin????) I just love the blueness of the sky against the white of the church. This church is located on Meeting Street. Hope you enjoy all of the views. lol....

03/29/10

More shots from the Cooper River in Charleston. :) Are y'all tired of Charleston pics? I hope not because I have lots more. lol When I finish these I'll share pics from our Zoo trip this past weekend. It was a lovely day and I was able to capture some animals I didn't in the past. We went with Kevin, Mom and Dad and that was adventure alone because Mom and Dad hadn't been to the Zoo since I was around FIVE..... over 30 years, people. They definitely saw major change from the last time. lol

Cargo ship in Charleston Harbor.

Those cute little sailboats near the USS New York (I THINK that is its name)

Fort Sumter.... we didn't go in the fort... just by it on the boat tour.

Fort Moultrie... the fort that Fort Fisher replaced.

03/28/10

I love this old oak tree.... it has stood on the farm for many, many years. I took this not long ago on a day when it was cloudy. I thought it was beautiful.


In a week we will be celebrating another beautiful tree - the Cross of Christ. Today was the day He entered into Jerusalem with people shouting Hosanna! This celebration did not last long as there was a cloud hanging over Jerusalem... people who were not wanting to accept Christ as the Messiah.... people who were angry and jealous.

But it all was for a purpose.

It had all been planned.

May this week we remember fully what the Lord has done for us!

03/27/10

I love this sailboat that just happened to sail right by our tour boat. What a lovely and peaceful scene. I took quite a few shots of this boat, cause that is just like me trying to figure out what shot I liked best.
Do any of you remember the jump rope songs we did as a kid?

I was reminded of this in the last couple of weeks between Wesley and Mikayla talking about them and watching some girls on the playground earlier this week.

Kids don't jump rope and do those little rhymes/songs like we seemed to do on the playground. I can remember doing jump rope most every day. I was glad to see the girls... and some boys.... do those fun rhymes again. I am amazed at how they have been passed down after over 30 years since I did them. It brought back a lot of memories.

Here are some I remember:

Down in the meadow where the green grass grows,
There sat (insert girl's name) sweet as a rose,
Along came (insert a boy's name) and kissed her on the cheek,
How many kisses did she get that week?
1, 2, 3, 4, etc.....

Fudge, Fudge, Tell the Judge
(Girl's name) is gonna have a newborn baby,
Wrap it up in tissue paper,
Send it down the elevator,
Boy, Girl, Twins, Triplets....
(Whatever you stopped on would be what you would have.)

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear,
Turn all around
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
Touch the ground
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear,
Tie your shoe
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
I love you.
(I think this one is right.)

Cinderella dressed in yellow,
Went upstairs to kiss her fellow
Made a mistake and kissed a snake!
How many doctor's did it take?
1, 2, 3, 4,... etc.


Do you remember any I haven't?

03/26/10

We also went on a boat tour of the Charleston Harbor on the Cooper River. (Say that with your best "Suthun" accent. My friend and I did that a lot during the weekend. lol)

Battery Row

No building in Charleston can be higher than the church steeples. This is quite evident in this photograph. Love that.

You can also see that rule from this view.

It is Friday.

I am thankful.

We have done Achievement Testing at school all week and, although it is different and I don't have papers to grade and homework, it is still tiring in its own right. We did marblizing again.... the art project that does NOT use marbles (ha!), but we use paint that "floats" on a mixture of water and marbling powder. It is wonderfully fun and the kids love creating their artwork... but it is exhausting, too. It was finished up yesterday.

I see in my future that I am gonna pass out on the couch early tonight.

03/25/10

If you ever go to Charleston you MUST go to the Cupcake shop and get you a cupcake. :) We went there on our second day early in the morning and saved our treat for later. I know the people thought I was crazy photographing the cupcakes, but you know how I am. lol

This is what I got... chocolate icing with yellow cake... YUM.

This was a cheesecake cupcake. Calories??? Oh, no.... none.

This is what my friend got... and when she went to eat it the top came off the cake part but she enjoyed every last "messy" bite.

Aren't those jars of sprinkles too cute!??

I didn't get to enjoy my cupcake until we were almost ready to eat supper simply because I wanted to SIT and enjoy the cupcake or I'd drop it while holding my camera. lol After a talking adventure with a "dude" from Virginia (that is a story in and of itself) I was finally able to sit on a park bench and enjoy every bite of that delicious cupcake. :)

03/24/10

Every time I go somewhere I seem to become enamored with something to photograph. Charleston was no different! ha!

The "new" bridge that takes you across the river into downtown Charleston is a beautiful sight to behold. Apparently, the bridge before this one was quite rickety and those who have visited there often have all said they prayed hard to get across each time! Well.... the new one is just magnificent and I couldn't get enough of the view. Today's pictures are all of the bridge. I actually took more shots of it when we were on our boat tour, but as I worked on them I realized you all didn't need to see the underside of the bridge so much. ha! These were my favorites and I hope you enjoy these as much as I enjoyed the view.

I took this as we were coming up the interstate heading into Charleston. I got excited every time we saw this. lol

Getting closer to those towers and cables!

passing underneath

from our boat tour... doesn't the bridge look like sails on a boat from this distance?

Notice the small sailboats underneath... that was why I took this shot.

a couple more views

03/23/10

Here is the latest and greatest security system and it really doesn't cost too much!! :)

That is my best friend's version of "added security" when two women are spending a girl's weekend in Charleston. lol She said the noise from the chair falling would cause us to wake up and attack the intruder. The only problem would be if WE were the ones who tripped over the chair....and she and I have both been known to have our share of "graceful" moments. lol

Where we stayed was quite nice.... and it was kind of a mix up because we thought we booked a hotel room. When we got there the place didn't have us down for that and we were able to pick one of the villas that wasn't being used because of off-season times. We each had our own room and bathroom. That was very nice!

Here is something I read the other day that I've been thinking on.

"How do we case our cares on the One who cares for us? The secret is found in the word CAST:

Commit your burden to the Lord. Give it over to Him who cares even more than you do, and who has the power to do what you cannot.

Ask for His help in prayer. Philippians 4 tells us to be anxious about nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, to let our needs be known to the Lord.

Search the Scriptures. God has a promise for every need.

Trust Him. For He does care for you."

03/22/10

More ironworks.... :)

03/21/10

Can you feel the sunshine? Can you see flowers blooming? Color is beginning to break forth and it is wonderful.

Song of Solomon 2:11,12

For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land;
WELCOME SPRING!! :)

03/20/10

Anybody know if these are oranges or what? We saw these in a garden in Charleston and my friend thought they were lemons. I just don't think they are the size/shape of lemons. We had a good chuckle over this plant!

Today was our AWANA Olympics and Wesley and Mikayla's first year of competing in the Bible quizzing and actual Olympic games where scores are kept. They both did very well even though no major prizes were won. To me, the most important thing was watching them conduct themselves with manners and good sportsman-like conduct. I was also thankful when I heard Mikayla tell girls from the other team that they did a good job. She didn't know I was around to hear it and so I know it was all on her own.

That is what makes a winner.....

03/19/10

I love this door knocker.... it reminds me of Aslan from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

Window view

I must start off by saying kudos to my kiddos. (It's my blog so I can do that!) They had a tough nine weeks with a lot of new concepts and both came out with A's and B's. This was an especially great accomplishment for Wesley and shows he has come far. We're proud of both of them!

Last night Kevin and I went to see the Broadway play Little House on the Prairie. It was AWESOME. I loved every minute of it and it was nice to see parts of what I had read to the kids acted out on stage. Melissa Gilbert, who originally played "Laura" in the TV series portrayed "Ma" on stage. Again, it was wonderful to go to something where you weren't concerned over the language or what the scenes would portray.

People who lived in that era of exploring and settling the west were very courageous. I honestly don't know if I would have had the stamina to do what was needed. I like to think I would because I would have grown up with the harder life. Even though it was harder in that they WORKED at everything they did and suffered through many difficulties, their lives were simple and happy. Life today can sometimes be too complicated.

Having said all of that... I am thankful for running water, solid walls, a kitchen, insulation, washer and dryer, microwave, etc.... that do make life easier. But I also just want to always have an attitude of gratitude and not take for granted the simple things in life. :)

03/18/10

Here is more ironworks from Charleston.... love, love, love them. :) Same ironworks, just different angle and one in b&w, one color.... like you couldn't tell!

I heard this last week at our teacher devotion and finally found it online. It is a cute story and I hope you enjoy. :)

"Burnt Biscuits"

When I was a little child, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Baby, I love burned biscuits."

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burned biscuit never hurt anyone!"

You know, life is full of imperfect things.....and imperfect people. I'm not the best housekeeper or cook.. What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each others faults - and choosing to celebrate each others differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good,the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker! We could extend this to any relationship in fact - as understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship!

"Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it in your own."

03/17/10

Love the entryways to the houses in Charleston.

In honor of St. Patrick's Day I found some facts about the day online. You will either enjoy these facts or be utterly bored. Either way, know that MY day was NOT boring and I'll leave it at that.... :)

Facts about St. Patrick's Day Holiday

• St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17 because that is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is believed that he died on March 17 in the year 461 AD. It is also a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history. St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland, and a provincial holiday in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
  
• In Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair.
  
• Many cities have a St. Patrick’s Day parade. Dublin, the capital of Ireland, has a huge St. Patrick’s Day festival from March 15-19, that features a parade, family carnivals, treasure hunt, dance, theatre and more. In North American, parades are often held on the Sunday before March 17. Some paint the yellow street lines green for the day! In Chicago, the Chicago River is dyed green with a special dye that only lasts a few hours. There has been a St. Patrick’s Day parade in Boston, Massachusetts since 1737. Montreal is home to Canada’s longest running St. Patrick’s Day parade, which began in 1824.
  

Facts about Saint Patrick

• St. Patrick was born in 385 AD somewhere along the west coast of Britain, possibly in the Welsh town of Banwen. At age 16, he was captured and sold into slavery to a sheep farmer. He escaped when he was 22 and spent the next 12 years in a monastery. In his 30s he returned to Ireland as a Christian missionary. He died at Saul in 461 AD and is buried at Downpatrick.
  

Facts about the Irish

• 34 million Americans have Irish ancestry, according to the 2003 US Census. That’s almost nine times the population of Ireland, which has 4.1 million people.
  
• Some American towns have “Irish” names. You could visit: Mount Gay-Shamrock, West Virginia; Shamrock Lakes, Indiana; Shamrock, Oklahoma; Shamrock, Texas; Dublin, California and Dublin, Ohio.
  
• The harp is the symbol of Ireland. The color green is also commonly associated with Ireland, also known as “the Emerald Isle.”
  
• The Irish flag is green, white and orange. The green symbolizes the people of the south, and orange, the people of the north. White represents the peace that brings them together as a nation.
  
• The name “lephrechaun” has several origins. It could be from the Irish Gaelic word “leipreachan,” which means “a kind of aqueous sprite.” Or, it could be from “leath bhrogan,” which means “shoemaker.”
  
  

Facts about Clovers

• According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the highest number of leaves found on a clover is 14!
  
• One estimate suggests that there are about 10 000 regular three-leaf clovers for every lucky four-leaf clover.
  
• Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for luck.

03/16/10

Charleston had tons of decorative door knockers. LOVED these. I have a couple more in pics to come.

I know I have discussed many times about imagination in children. Watching Anne of Green Gables this past weekend and then just watching Wesley and Mikayla brings it to my mind again.

I love to see imaginations at work.

I love to see my children take something ordinary like a piece of plywood and a trash bag and make it into a house.

I love to see them use an old wagon from their early years and turn it into their "car."

I love to watch them play outside all day long in their pretending.

I love to see my office set up to be "Petsmart" and see Mikayla's "book keeping" and Wesley's keyless entry tag that he made out of paper and tied with string to his belt loop.

I love to walk into Wesley's room and see where they created a huge farm out of his Lincoln Logs and are so excited to be playing.

I love to listen to Mikayla playing in her room talking up a storm to her American Girl dolls.

I love that they still do all of that even though they are almost 10. I see so many kids their age thinking that it is "dumb."

I love that while they enjoy TV and the Wii, that is not their only sources of entertainment, nor do they feel they have to play them for hours on end.

I love how my children are using the brains the Lord gave them in a way that will keep them thinking for years to come.

I hope they never lose their sense of wonder and imagination.

03/15/10

One of the many beautiful side streets as you walk through Charleston.


In the past couple of weeks we have watched two wonderful movies.

Last weekend we saw Little Women... I think it was filmed in 1994. Since we had finished reading the book I thought it would be great to see it. We loved it and I highly recommend it!

This past weekend we watched Anne of Green Gables. I had seen that years and years ago but didn't remember as much. Mikayla has read the book and loved it so I knew it would be great to see. We thoroughly enjoyed it as well.

It is so wonderful to watch movies where you don't fear what is going to be said or shown in front of your children. Anne of Green Gables gives new meaning to "Kindred Spirit"... and what a joy she was to watch!

03/14/10

I love doorknobs and locks... and Charleston allowed me many views of them!

Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

03/13/10

Something I found so neat in Charleston was how they were in the city but had such beautiful garden areas. Here is a glimpse into one as I was walking down the street.

This is a little closer view of looking through the iron gate into the back of the garden area. I love the pineapple in the background.

Steve and I have begun walking/exercising again. I haven't really exercised since I did my first weight loss about 7 years ago. As with anything in my life, I became obsessed with it because I wanted to do it "perfectly"..... the same as how I began with Weight Watchers 3 years ago to lose the weight I had gained back from the obsessive 7 years ago exercise routine. When I set my mind to do something I usually go overboard... unfortunately. That gives me great success a lot of times, but that also leads to burn out.

In looking back on my life I see so many areas of burn out. I have gone full throttle with something and totally exhausted myself while missing out on life in general trying to look through the tunnel vision of whatever it was I was obsessed with.

The Lord has been teaching me.... for many years now... that while I need to do my best, I can't expect perfection. No one is perfect.

WHAT????

Not ME?

Oh, goodness, no. I am not perfect. No one is.

The Lord seems to be cutting to the heart of the matter in that area of my life now. In learning what the Lord wants to show me, I have a road ahead of me. I must take it one day at a time/one step at a time knowing that God is holding me up through it all.

I'll be taking those steps with this exercise thing. It will be a good reminder that God is there every step of the way giving me what I need for the moment. It isn't up to me to plan and be perfect, but to leave everything to the Lord.

This is a little song we sing with kids and I think it fits:

Little by little
Inch by inch
By the yard it's hard
By the inch it's a cinch
Never stare up the stairs
Just step up the steps
Little by little
Inch by inch

03/12/10

I love the beauty of the flowers under the windows in Charleston... nothing like it. Would love to see it in spring/summer.

Do you at times feel helpless
Like a ship against the tide?
You feel the darkened waters
Constant crashing 'gainst the side?

You're in tumultuous waters
You have been tossed to and fro
Your thoughts are turning frantic
And the tides too strong to row

You're out in the great open
At the mercy of the sea
And suddenly you're feeling
All your inadequecies

Feeling so awfully helpless
Forces out of your control
For they are so much bigger
Without help, affect your soul

There is one force that's greater
That is stronger than the rest
It is our Lord Almighty
For solutions, He's the best

When you're feeling tossed about
And your future's looking bleak
May it be God you call for
And the first one that you seek

For He's the greatest calmer
Greatest peace you'll ever find
When our own understanding
Leads us in these waters blind

He is always there for us
We need give control to Him
And let the Lord take over
When you're just too tired to swim

For He is your protector
Safely carry you ashore
So call on Him and trust Him
Let His love for you outpour

-Rebecca Grant-