I Believe In Miracles

Jesus said,
‘Humanly speaking, it is impossible.
But with God everything is possible.’
Matthew 19:26

Dear friends -
Normally on Sunday’s posts I share a Scripture passage, a devotion, a quote or a song or poem that has touched my heart – without personal comment. However, today I must not be silent; I can’t keep quiet. My heart is too full of praise for a miracle that God gave our family this week.

Our dear daughter has gone through very difficult times and some with possible serious and devastating results. Two weeks ago an ultrasound revealed a three centimeter ‘mass’ on one of her kidneys. Due to other physical complications an MRI for more intense review could not be done at this time and there was wonder and concern as to the nature and full extent of the problem. At the same time her lab test reports indicated many things in her body were completely abnormal. There was cause for great concern and, at times, a tendency to expect the worse. Much prayer has gone to the Father above on her behalf and some of you were aware and praying. Another ultrasound was scheduled for last Friday and we anxiously waited to hear if there had been any change. And there was change! Oh, was there ever change! My friends, we have seen a miracle that the doctors can’t explain. The ‘mass’ was gone – completely gone! No sign of it, no scar, no indication that it had been there at all. Nothing! The doctors knew it had been there because they have pictures to prove it. Unexplained – yes! Surprised – not me! When our daughter called to tell us the news she was laughing – giggling – ecstatic. Something we’ve not heard in her voice for quite some time. Together we gave praise to God and acknowledged that this was the work of His hands!

As I think again of this miracle of healing given by God to our precious daughter my heart begins to sing:

Creation shows the power of God
There's glory all around
And those who see Him stand in awe
For miracles abound

I cannot doubt the work of God
It's plain for all to see
The miracles that He has wrought
Should lead to Calvary

The love of God, oh power divine
'Tis wonderful to see
The miracle of grace performed
Within the heart of me

Chorus:
I believe in miracles
I've seen a soul set free
Miraculous the change in one
Redeemed through Calvary
I've seen the lily push its way
Up through the stubborn sod
Oh I believe in miracles
For I believe in God.

I am truly giving thanks to my Heavenly Father – with a grateful heart!

Scripture from New Living Translation
Song: ‘I Believe In Miracles’
Words by Carlton Buck
Music by John Peterson

Faire Memories

Sometimes the memory of a special time is almost as precious to me as the event itself. I hold it in my heart and treasure it over and over - and that’s true once again. Thinking back to every little part of the Antique Faire and Car Show at Deepwood Estate last Saturday is almost as good as being there! There is so much to share – I came home with over four hundred photos to edit!* I met vendors with wonderful wares and blog friends whose hugs meant much to me. And I saw things that made my heart sing and captured my imagination – antiques and collectibles and the creations of very talented people. Oh, if I had a bigger house I could fill it with all the things I saw! Perhaps I need a house like Deepwood!

Today – just a peek at the incredible day we had together and soon – very soon! – a closer look at some of the vendors and their wares. You will recognize some of them and others may be new to you. Some were so familiar and I knew who they were the moment I saw their artistry. I met others for the first time and now some are becoming sweet new friends who have joined those I hold close to my heart.

Before I entered the gardens at Deepwood it seemed there was magic in the air. There were vendors at the back. . .

On the side. . .

And near the front. . .

Of the grand, old home proudly standing guard nearby!

There were things to see and people to meet everywhere– treasures to be found wherever you looked! And music filled the air! The music of J.T. & the Tourists got our toes to tapping and our hearts (and, at times, our mouths) to singing. It was music many of us grew up with – music that made us feel young again. Just for a day!

And when you thought you had seen it all, nearby you could meet the gals from Jack Rabbit Cafe and enjoy their yummy treats, delectable lunches and refreshing drinks on a warm summer day.

For a small fee you could have antiques appraised by local expert, Cindy Day (on the left).

And you could watch an art restoration demonstration. See the lighter area at the lower right side of the old oil painting? That’s the part that was cleaned and restored! (And I’m sure Max would love to talk about rebinding your old books.)

Not far away you could wander and enjoy the marvelous cars on display. You could talk to their owners who would answer your questions and eagerly tell tales of the cars they love dearly. Classic cars. . .

And vintage cars.

It was a marvelous day! Soon I will show you who was there and the wonderful things they had to offer. And I will show you what I bought – oh, I wish I could have brought home more of the treasures I saw! Of all the people I met and the wonderful things I saw I came away with a sweet memory in my heart – the memory of Mandy, the sweet little dog who seemed to take it all in stride. Her bed was not just any old bed – it was a vintage suitcase. Now she’s a dog with style!

*News flash: There was good reason why I took so many photos and shopped so little, although I did shop! I was asked by Deepwood staff to take photos for the new Deepwood blog that will debut soon! I was introduced to each and every vendor and given permission to photograph their wares to share on the new blog. When that happens we will link to their websites and blogs so you can get to know them and have a chance to purchase their creations and treasures and the services they offer. I’ve also been asked to possibly be part of the blog design team and one of the people who will share information and events at Deepwood Estate. When it’s up and running I’ll let you know. You can’t imagine how excited I am for the opportunity to share this wonderful, elegant piece of history with you! Until then, you can read more about Historic Deepwood estate on their website.

Fill My Emptiness

Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.
Proverbs 4:23

Create in me a clean heart, Oh God,
And renew a right spirit in me.

Create in me, Lord....a pure heart, yes. But Father, even more.

Create in me. . . .(out of nothing for that's what creation means) an expectant heart. May I stand on tiptoe waiting each moment in joyous anticipation for what You are going to do!

Create in me an enthusiastic heart- "en theo" - meaning "in God", God in me, filled to overflowing with You Lord!

Create in me a laughing heart - one that sees the serendipities of an autumn leaf and mist upon the mountains and hears the chuckle of a child.

Create in me a heart of integrity - to be real, not to talk above my walk, not to try to impress. Create in me a caring heart - tender toward the hurts and happenings of others, more concerned with their needs than my own.

Create in me an attentive heart - able to hear Your whisper, and moment by moment listen to Your voice.

Create in me a contented heart - at peace with the circumstances of life.

Create in me a hungry heart - longing to love you more, desiring your Word, reaching.... stretching.... for more of you.

Creator Lord, create in me.
Amen.

'Fill My Emptiness' by Carole Mayhall
Scripture from New Living Translation
Photo: ‘Tree Against Sky With Heart-shaped Cloud’
Photographer: Henryk T. Kaiser

Off To The Faire

You may remember an excursion I shared here a few months ago – a day at Historic Deepwood Estate in Salem, Oregon. It was a day to celebrate my dear, little mother’s birthday. And what a celebration we had!

Tomorrow I am returning to this place that captured my heart. This time I will join many others for the annual Deepwood Antique Faire & Car Show. I will join my dear friend, Miss Betty, of SammyGirl fame, who is the curator there. I'm looking forward to shopping and meeting the vendors (some who have blogs I enjoy!) and, for sure, I will wander with my camera in order to capture the day in photos that may be used for a new Deepwood blog coming soon! Can you imagine – me, wandering around with my camera with permission to photograph the goings-on? Oh joy! Delight! Be still, my heart! Ah, the wonder of an elegant historic home, gorgeous gardens displaying their fall beauty, vendors whose goods you would enjoy and people – people you know by way of blogland - and some you have never met before.

If you are nearby, please stop by Deepwood to enjoy a day of shopping for treasures offered by area antique dealers and artists. And while you are there you can enjoy lunch or a refreshing beverage from Jack Rabbit Cafe and listen to the music performed in the Deepwood gardens. Vintage automobiles will be on display nearby. And the best part? It's free! You can get more information and directions on Deepwood's website here. Maybe I'll see you there.

Signs Of Autumn

Fall, once more, has descended -
There’s a briskness in the air!
Beds of pungent, Autumn flowers
Emit their fragrance everywhere.

Trees are changing all their colors -
Hues of red and gold are found.
Leaves are making earth’s new carpet,
Slowly spreading o’er the ground.

Soon old Winter will be calling
With his early morning chill;
But for now, let’s savor Autumn -
While it lingers, soft and still.

written by Mary S. Chevalier
published in ‘Blessings Upon Blessings’
from the Salesian Collection

Star-Gazing, Keeping Cool and Other Concerns

We are contemplating some major changes to our bedroom. The biggest change will be the removal of our big window into the backyard so we can replace it with doors. The doors will lead onto a new, little patio that will house our hot tub that has sat for a bit longer than planned in its ‘temporary’ spot. We enjoy the benefits of the hot tub but it’s time to get our act together and get moving. Moving the hot tub, that is, before winter arrives in the Pacific Northwest. Final decisions and plans are being made and, hopefully, it won’t be long and the long-dreamed-of sweet place just outside our bedroom doors will be reality. The photo above captured my heart with more ideas than the pocketbook can handle. And my doors will not look exactly like these – my sweetheart’s advice, based on the size and limitations of our space, is to install sliding doors. I long for a pergola – one that will allow me to relax in the hot tub or on our little patio while watching the stars, the moon, the clouds and other flying objects! But how to handle Oregon rains in the winter is still under consideration and discussion. If you have ideas and suggestions that work for you or for someone you know, please feel free to share. We’re still at the ‘kicking-ideas-around’ stage on this one.

I’m anxious for the doors to be reality; however, I have a concern that holds me back from being totally ecstatic about the changes. We don’t have central air conditioning and my sweetheart has lovingly installed a unit in our window. How to deal with that has been a big drawback for me. I’m not fond of the idea of cutting a hole in the wall, installing an a.c. and leaving it there year-round. It seems there must be a creative and decorative way to deal with the hole in the wall when the a.c. is not in use. My best suggestion has been to install shutters that would cover the opening. I even thought of a cute, little door made of a framed picture! Today while wiling away the early hours of the morning in the hot tub an idea suddenly ‘struck’ me – a thought I can’t wait to share with my sweetheart. Why not, or should I ask can we, put a small window in the wall where the a.c. needs to be? That thought makes me smile – if there must be a hole in the wall, why not fill it with a window? And light! I’m sure he will launch into a discussion of load-bearing walls and headers and wiring and all sorts of things that must be important but I’m thinking it’s a question worth asking! And I’m sure he will mention the budget. Oh well, a girl can dream – can’t she?

If you have an air conditioner unit that has been installed in a wall of your home, or if you have some ideas, would you help me decide how to handle it in the big scheme of things? The decorating scheme? If the truth be known my first choice would be to install a whole new heating and cooling system that requires ductwork added to my sweet little cottage home. Brought that one up to my sweetie and you should have heard the discussion on that one! He likes the idea – the the pocketbook doesn’t! Maybe someday!!!

Me Addicted? You’ve Got To Be Kidding!

After two days without internet and email service because of a faulty router I have to admit one thing. Hi, my name is Adrienne and I’m a computer junkie! I thought I would go nuts without contact from the outside world and all of you. And every time I thought of information I needed to find, it wasn’t available because it was online! So, now that I understand and have admitted it – I feel SO much better. And with my cute, new router came the news that I can have fiber-optic service right to my home in a few weeks. The engineering department has been notified and they will contact my sweetheart and I to discuss what needs to happen and their timeline and soon we will be in the current century. For a few days! Until something new is invented and comes our way. The benefits of fiber, you ask? My televisions will be on separate ‘lines’ from the computer access coming into my house and the routers that now take up space on my desk will be replaced with a teeny, little box that is just for my computer! What that really means is if there is a problem with the computer access we won’t lose our TV service. Like we did this weekend! And if the TV service goes out for any reason I can happily spend my time on the computer!! Whew, that was a lot to learn. And I didn’t even really want to learn it this way.

But I’m a happy camper now and I will catch up with you and return emails and enjoy what you have shared since I last checked in. Now, I have work to do so I can spend time on the computer this evening while my sweetheart watches a football game or some other sporting event. I fear he suffered withdrawal, too – no sports this weekend! We were forced to talk to each other, read, work on needlework (me) and Sudoku (him), attend a surprise seventieth birthday party for our friend and neighbor and be blessed by the sweet outdoor wedding of a dear friend last evening.

On second thought, maybe we don’t need that TV and computer after all! Or, maybe we have learned that it’s possible to discipline ourselves with our time. Do you think? Maybe so!

Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me

Jesus, Savior, pilot me
Over life’s tempestuous sea;
Unknown waves before me roll,
Hiding rock and treacherous shoal.
Chart and compass come from Thee;
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

As a mother stills her child,
Thou canst hush the ocean wild;
Boisterous waves obey Thy will,
When Thou sayest to them, “Be still!”
Wondrous Sovereign of the sea,
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

When at last I near the shore,
And the fearful breakers roar
’Twixt me and the peaceful rest,
Then, while leaning on Thy breast,
May I hear Thee say to me,
“Fear not, I will pilot thee.”

When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Mark 4:39

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Artwork: 'At The Helm'
Artist: Danny Hahlbohm
From art.com

Song: ‘The Sailor’s Hymn’
Words by: Edward Hopper
Music by: John E. Gould

Scripture from the New Living Translation

Weekend Memories

Was it only a week ago that we were at the Oregon Coast with my sweetheart’s brother and sister and their spouses? One brother and sister-in-law who had planned to join us were not able to go so it was just three couples together on a wet and stormy Oregon weekend. At the beach! Some things did not go as planned but we were flexible and changed plans to accommodate the weather. Because of the moisture from the rain – and the fact that a certain little dog had gone with us, making it hard to manage a doggie leash and a camera, I didn’t get many photos on this trip. But what I did get shows a bit of our adventure.

Much of the weekend we were under clouds – most of the rain came down during the night. And when it came down it really came down hard. At one point I thought maybe our little travel trailer would become the next Noah’s Ark and we would float away never to be seen again!

But every day, at least for awhile, the clouds would part, the sun would come through and we would enjoy nice autumn weather.

My sweetheart, his brother and brother-in-law were able to take our little boat out on the bay on Saturday. They returned with some nice crabs. They planned to go out again on Sunday and improve on what they had learned about the crabbing conditions – what worked and what didn’t work – but the winds were too strong for a small boat to be out on the water. So the men joined us girls for our ‘antiquing’ ventures as we headed north up the Oregon Coast. We had a great time together, snooping through antique stores along the way and ending with lunch in a cute little eatery. And all the while, my camera was back in the trailer. No pictures of the adventure – no way to share the fun we had together. We were happy campers when we returned ‘home’ to our RV’s. My sweetheart watched Mr. Joey for awhile that evening so I could go on a photo adventure nearby. Walking just across a country lane that ran along the side of our RV park I was mesmerized by the incredible sight of night falling around us. Farms were quiet after a busy day, lights were on in the homes nearby and the clouds reflected a bit of sun peaking through. A last glimpse of day caught my imagination and I found an incredible joy and freedom as I tried to capture it for memory’s sake. (See the lights of farmhouses across the pasturelands?)

Across the coastal highway from our RV park we had a great view – and easy access to – Tillamook Cheese Factory! We made quite a few trips over there for their delicious ice cream, cheese, and our favorite - cheese curds, also known as 'squeaky cheese' because it squeaks on your teeth when you chew it! - and a wonderful farm-fresh breakfast. When evening time came each night I was fascinated by the sight of the now-silent factory bathed in the glow of the lights.

Neither of my sisters-in-law were interested in having tea at the sweet little tearoom in Tillamook. Since I had no vehicle to drive there by myself (I haven’t driven my sweetheart’s new, big pickup yet!), I enjoyed tea alone in my little cabin-on-wheels – a natural Oregon tea – and a hazelnut almandine scone from a nearby bakery.

Well, I wasn’t really alone! Mr. Joey was there, too – wishing he could share my repast with me!! He was such a good little camper.

How can it be that it was just a week ago we were there? Away from home with family dear? There were too many things to see and do. We want to return again, maybe even for just a day, and enjoy the things we missed. For sure, the tearoom will be on my list! And a bit of cheese and ice cream – and who knows what else?

Silent Expectancy

Be silent before the Lord,
And wait expectantly before Him.
Psalm 37:7

In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.
Isaiah 30:15

A New Tradition

Two years ago we joined my sweetheart’s brothers and one of his sisters and their spouses at the Oregon Coast for Labor Day Weekend. We had such a good time that one night while sitting around the campfire we decided to do it again. And so our Annual Sibling Reunion - a new tradition -was born! You can see a bit of what we did that first year here. You can read here about our time together last year when we met at a lake in Central Oregon. This year we are returning to the place where the tradition began. In a few hours my sweetheart and I, and our little dog (Joey) will leave home, with our cabin-on-wheels and my sweetheart’s small boat, and we will drive to the Coast to join three of his four siblings and their spouses for time together. We are always so sorry that one sister and her husband live far away and can’t join us each year. And we have talked of heading their direction some year to meet near their home so we can all be together again. (Mr. and Mrs. H., I know this may be news to you. Don’t worry – we’ll give you fair warning that we’re all headed your way!)

Rain is forecast for the weekend but that won’t stop us! We will adapt and have a good time together. Part of our group plans to spend time crabbing on the bay – rain or shine. The rest of us will enjoy the Tillamook Cheese Factory, just across the highway from our RV park, and we will browse through antique and quilt shops on the northern coast. A sweet tearoom is nearby and it may be that we girls can slip away for tea. The weather won’t dampen our spirits! No matter what, we will be together - and that’s really all that counts.