Bandits in the Yard

14 May

A Time to Live

Melody Hendrix

 

A video of Melody’s bandits.

 

Melody
Welcome! I’m so glad you stopped in to visit. I am retired and enjoying life. My hobbies are my 5 grandchildren, son and daughter, and my loving husband. I am a photographer and extreme nature lover. I love spending time in my garden or in the wilderness connected to God my Creator.
What a beautiful world we live in. We all have that in common. Natural beauty is everywhere, but sometimes we are not connected until we see a picture, taken just right, that makes it really come into focus and be admired. My passion is to make a connection between the lens and your soul. Photography is my passion.
My photography passion began when my Father handed me his old Ricohflex box camera when I was 12.  It was love at first sight. I still have it. My hand was never empty of a camera since.
Rocoflex
I am a native Floridian. I am so lucky to call it home. I was born in Orlando BF (before Disney). My family moved to the Winter Park area when I was very young. Central Florida was so simple and quaint at that time. I wandered the streets barefoot with my friends, never worrying that something bad could ever happen. My Mom used to pick the sand-spurs out of my feet. I still go barefoot. It grounds me to earth and connects me to nature.
I have extensively explored Florida and its diverse beauty. So much to see and so little time. I would love for you to join me in my travels through the images I have taken. I wish you could hear the sounds, smell the fragrance and feel the breath of it. But for now we must be content with exploring with our eyes and only imagine the rest.
Thank you for your interest.

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Baby Book 2

13 May

My Take

DiVoran Lites

  Story by  my mother, Dora Bedell Bowers  

Card-Star of the West Press

On Christmas Day, when DiVoran was nearly two months old Ivan’s Uncle Glen and Aunt Lucille invited us to Sparks for Christmas. We put aside the long gown that most babies wore for the first couple of months and she wore a pretty pink dress a and a bunting I had crocheted which went perfectly with the leggings her Great-grandmother Hunter had made for her. When we got to Sparks, Glen and Lucille were glad to see us, especially the baby who squirmed and kicked her feet to show she was happy to see them too.

 

For Christmas DiVoran received a wooly dog made by a convict from the Colorado State Penitentiary in Canon City where Granddad Bowers worked as a guard. She also got a baby rattle from Boonie Egbert and another rattle from the Safeway folks, where Ivan worked as a meat-cutter. There was another baby book from Ivan’s aunt and uncle. She got a soft, fuzzy duck and swan from my brother, Snooks (Smithy) Bedell and his wife, Lena. She received a crib-sheet and pillowcase from Mrs. Hill and Kitty Hill. We got her a doll, which she likes to have in the crib with her.

 

She learns something new every day. During her first eight weeks, she learned to turn her head to see who was talking to her. When she smiled, that person would just beam. And on the second day of January when DiVoran was three months old, she held up a tiny hand and stared at her fist for a long time as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

 

DiVoran likes to suck her thumb, she not only likes it but feels it is an absolute necessity. Last night, we wrapped her thumb in gauze so she couldn’t suck it. She cried, so we unwrapped it. She went back to sleep so we wrapped it again waking her in the process. She cried again so we unwrapped it. So that’s how it went until we gave up and went to bed. All in all, though, she is a good child and not only because she belongs to us.

 

Photo by Pixabay

 

  Our baby girl likes intense colors, particularly the afghan throw over the back of the Chesterfield couch. She lights up at the sight of a bright dress. She enjoys listening to music on the radio, especially the lively tunes. There are a few things she is particular about such as thumb sucking, sleeping in her basket, and not having too many covers on. She wants plenty of food and it had better be on time. Sometimes she just lays in her crib and kicks her feet. The doctor said we were not to pick her up too much because it would spoil her, but sometimes it is hard to resist. She coos and smiles a good deal, particularly when we say hello or call her sweetheart. She turns her head with a definite movement now.

To Be Continued

 

 

Author, Poet and Artist

 

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

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Mother’s Day 2019

12 May

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Fred and I have been considering what to tell you about our mothers on this, their special day.  We’ve told you quite a bit about them both, and so I will just give you tidbits of what we’ve said before.

Above all else, I must make this statement first – and this comes from both Fred and myself: We both loved our mothers-in-law.  We were each treated as if we were another son (Fred by my parents) or another daughter (me by Fred’s parents), rather than son-in-law or daughter-in-law.  We were loved.

Fred’s mother – Kitty Wills…

            She was funny, cute, elegant, classy, down-to-earth, loved to laugh….

Her father was a Scottish Presbyterian minister… I remember her saying that she loved to hear the bagpipes play – it really got her blood up to a good boil!

She was devoted to her husband and their four children.  Being a U.S. Air Force wife, she moved and traveled frequently.  She had a flair for decorating, and her home was always elegant yet comfortable…They lived all over the world – many places in the United States as well as Italy, Japan, and Hawaii.

She was a great cook. She taught me to make turkey stuffing the “New England” way – with bread rather than cornbread.  She taught me to make German Springerle Christmas cookies – the best I’ve ever eaten!  

She loved to have fun, and was a bit of a cut-up. I will always remember her with me on the beach in northern California, dancing barefoot through the wet sand and kelp.

When Fred and his siblings said something “bad,” his mother, instead of washing his mouth out with soap – would put mustard on their tongues!!  Consequently, none of the Wills siblings like to eat condiments!  Understandable, right?

Fred’s Mother had one little quirk that I enjoyed. After she finished stirring a pan on the stove, or a pot of tea, she would hit the spoon on the edge of the bowl/pot/pitcher in the following pattern:

tap, tap, ta-tap, tap…..tap, tap.

For those of you old enough to remember, it is the sequence for “shave and a hair-cut…two bits.”  I always thought that was cute.

Judy’s mother – Agnes Lites

Mother’s meals consisted often of pot roast – and she could make a roast that would just melt in your mouth!  It would fall off the bone it was so tender.  Dad used to tease her with “this meat is no good – it just falls off the bone!”

I also remember that, if there was any roast left over, mother would grind it up, add mayonnaise and either relish or pickles and a hard boiled egg, and it became a meat salad. Spread it on bread, and you have a lovely sandwich!  She didn’t waste anything!

When my Dad retired and money was tight, Mother bought a Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio, trained for the job, and set to work. She had a really good, strong work ethic.

Although I suspect she would have loved to be a stay-at-home mom, she worked as an accountant at Kirtland AFB, to make money for “extra” things in our life.  She bought a new piano for our house. But one of the best things about her working there, was that she would find young military personnel – usually men – who were away from home and homesick, and bring them to church with us on a Sunday, then home to Sunday dinner. She kept in contact with many of them throughout her time there. One time she broke her ankle and couldn’t climb the steps to her office upstairs. The officials were so insistent that she not “retire” that they placed a desk and lamp under the stairway just for her. They really liked her work.

Credit Google Search and Kirtland AFB website

One of the most unique things is that she met, fell in love with, and married a man who was 20 years older than herself. And yet, the marriage was one that I hoped to emulate with my marriage.  She created a loving and secure home for her husband and her children. She was heart-broken when her husband died.

The little snippet of information below is a real insight into her life.  I think it was a testimony to the way she lived her life, and the way she saw life.  It certainly makes one take notice about the wisdom of the words.  I found this in her Bible following her death.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY 2019

JUDYJudy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years
Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing.
Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.
After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.
She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins.
She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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Buddy System

11 May

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

 

My mother handled the family finances and after she retired, she liked, as much as possible, to pay her bills in cash. As her health deteriorated, it became increasing difficult for her to do so in the brutal Florida heat, so we developed a buddy system.

Depending on how she was feeling, I would drive her up to the door of the business and keep the car air-conditioner running while she went inside.  On other days, I would take her payment in while she kept the car cool. Friday was our day and usually bill paying was followed by lunch out.

 

mom

Mom and Max

 

I miss those days, but the buddy system is still going strong. Now my daughter and I run errands together and on hot summer days we still keep the car cool for each other.

 

 

 

 

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Sweet memories for Mother’s Day

11 May

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

  May 11, 2019 Sometimes, we need a story to make us sigh with gladness. Here’s one for you.

The invitation read: “You’re Invited to an afternoon tea to celebrate Janet’s Birthday.”

My mom had artistically prepared that invitation for my tenth birthday celebration. Bursting with excitement, I raced down the narrow dirt streets of my hometown of La Paz, Bolivia to deliver them to each of my neighborhood friends. The common tradition of enjoying an afternoon cup of tea became special when it included a birthday celebration. As in most Latin American countries, drinking tea begins at the dawn of life. My grandmother prepared anise tea and poured it into a baby bottle to ease nagging colic in little family members. She grew a myriad of plants, whose leaves she used to prepare tea. According to her, each leaf or herb held special properties to cure any ailment imaginable. Perhaps it was the love she exuded when she handed us the aromatic blend that eased our afflictions.

Tea Was Served Daily

As part of her daily routine, wearing her apron over her black wool skirt, Grandmother stood in the doorway looking outside as her echoing voice called us in for mid-afternoon tea. Missing this important treat would leave us famished until dinner, which wasn’t served until 8:30 in the evening. Engraved in my heart are memories of so many afternoon teas. I can still smell the warm golden bread at the center of the table. Beside it sat a plate of white homemade cheese and a glass bowl of Grandmother’s orange marmalade. And while we sipped our tea, the conversations with her added a special delight for me. During the school year, once the dismissal bell rang, I dashed out and headed to the corner bus stop. I would wiggle my way through the crowded old bus and sit clutching my book bag, gazing out the window at the activity on the streets. Vendors in their colorful garb sat behind their stands calling out their wares to the crowds who jammed the sidewalks. Then I would elbow my way out of the bus and hop off with anticipation thumping in my heart. My gaze would travel past the green lawn to the tall building, the only university in La Paz, where Mom worked in the basement cataloguing books. I then darted as quickly as my young legs would take me through the large entrance, pushed the glass door that opened into the library, and headed down the stairs to the basement. As I slipped between tall bookshelves, the smell of buttery pastries wafted straight to my growling stomach. Swinging the door open, and with a huge grin, my gaze swept through the familiar scenery—my mom and her colleagues’ chatter blending with the pleasant aroma of coffee, tea and cream. After breaking loose from Mom’s tight hug, my glance darted to the mound of flaky pastries on the table along the wall.

All was not well.

But, as afternoon tea breaks offered moments of relaxation for all, Bolivia’s unstable government and stagnant economy offered scarce opportunities for my brother and me. Two years later in 1964, while seated in our tiny dark kitchen, it was time for our daily teatime again. With Mom stirring sugar in her cup, I watched as she gazed toward my grandmother and announced her decision to move to America. Grandma set her cup on the saucer with a loud clank, and tears flowed down her wrinkled cheeks. My grandfather, who had lost his lucidness along with most of his teeth, sat in silence, and with shaky hands, dunked his crusty bread into his tea.

Special Moments

After we began our life in America, whether by design or coincidence, I found special moments over cups of tea. When I lost my sight to an incurable retinal disease, my mom and I would sit sipping tea in the cozy kitchen of her condo. She reassured me that I wasn’t alone in my darkness. The aroma of the citrus blend still lingers, as do her words echoing in my heart: God would provide and she would be my eyes. God did provide. At times, while the family slept, I sat in silence with a cup of herbal tea pondering just how much He had granted me. His provision included Mom’s perennial assistance, and a renewed attitude, confidence and determination on my part. With the aid of a computer program that reads the screen, I’m able to string together words of inspiration for those who might need a little light in the midst of dark moments. As herbal tea comes in a variety of flavors, different types of events also came into my life. When my heart was sliced with pain after losing my 19-year-old son, in the midst of cold anguish, I remember moments of warm comfort. My mom handed me a cup of chamomile tea with honey. “Here sweetheart,” she said. It’s okay to cry. God knows your pain, and He will heal your heart.” Now, as I take the last sip of my Lady Grey tea, I set the cup on the corner of my desk and the eyes of my heart review the scenery of my life. Fueled by gratitude, my fingers begin to dance on the keyboard, relating the blend of emotions that swirl in my heart like tea leaves in the cup.

A note from Janet

I pray God hands you a cup of His love to warm the cold moments of your adversity. And may you taste the sweetness of His Word to soothe the pan and bring delight instead. Janet ______________________________________ Did you know I wrote a book filled with words of encouragement, uplifting thoughts and illustrations of real-life triumph to empower you? Its title, Trials of Today, Treasures for Tomorrow: Overcoming Adversities in Life. You can get it HERE. CLICK HERE for a one-minute inspirational video. Looking for a speaker for your upcoming event? A great speaker makes the difference between a so-so event and one that shines with impact. I invite you to view one of my two-minute videos HERE. Please share: Feel free to share Janet’s posts with your friends.   Source:https://janetperezeckles.com/blog/sweet-memories-for-mothers-day.html  
Janet Eckles Perez
Some say she should be the last person to be dancing. Her life is summarized in this 3-minute video: http://bit.ly/1a8wGJR Janet Perez Eckles’ story of triumph is marked by her work as an international speaker, #1 best-selling author, radio host, personal success coach and master interpreter. Although blind since 31, her passion is to help you see the best of life. www.janetperezeckles.com

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It’s Time

9 May

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

 

We have missed on spring in the mountains but have been blessed to be able to watch it from a camera trained on the front yard. I have seen my daffodils bloom and fade, watched the Peonies peep and the Knock Out roses bloom. Last of all, we have watched the grass grow tall and the weeds!

 

 

After a week of fretting and moaning, I finally was set to return to North Carolina and flee the Florida Summer heat. Last week after unsuccessfully attempting to make an appointment with my North Carolina eye specialist due to doctor to doctor issues, I gave in. “Lord, I said, I’m tired of trying to force my timing, so whenever.”

Yesterday, I placed a call to the North Carolina doctor’s office to follow up on the paperwork of the previous week, expecting more frustration and run around. To my surprise, the office staff said no problem, they could make the appointment. But, but I began, then I realized God’s whenever had come. I made the appointment and we are heading north soon.

It’s time…but am I ready? Each spring it is bittersweet to leave our friends and family in Florida.

 

I'm a winnerAfter my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I learned from my mother but hadn’t practiced for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience.  Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites,  Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix

In addition to blogging, I work as the publicist/marketer/ amateur editor and general  “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books  where we frequently host the best in up and coming authors.

My 2019 goal is to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media. You can visit Real Life Books and Media You Tube Channel if you would like to view some of the mini-videos I have created for our church, Gateway Community in Titusville, Fl.

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Wildlife

7 May

Melody Hendrix

A Time to Live

 

Our favorite nature photographer, Melody had some pretty cool visitors in her yard. The sound quality on the video is amazing. I hope you enjoy this short video as much as I did- Onisha

 

Melody lives in a rural area of Central Florida and her land is cultivated as a haven for birds and butterflies and as you will see, critters too!

 

Melody
Welcome! I’m so glad you stopped in to visit. I am retired and enjoying life. My hobbies are my 5 grandchildren, son and daughter, and my loving husband. I am a photographer and extreme nature lover. I love spending time in my garden or in the wilderness connected to God my Creator.
What a beautiful world we live in. We all have that in common. Natural beauty is everywhere, but sometimes we are not connected until we see a picture, taken just right, that makes it really come into focus and be admired. My passion is to make a connection between the lens and your soul. Photography is my passion.
My photography passion began when my Father handed me his old Ricohflex box camera when I was 12.  It was love at first sight. I still have it. My hand was never empty of a camera since.
Rocoflex
I am a native Floridian. I am so lucky to call it home. I was born in Orlando BF (before Disney). My family moved to the Winter Park area when I was very young. Central Florida was so simple and quaint at that time. I wandered the streets barefoot with my friends, never worrying that something bad could ever happen. My Mom used to pick the sand-spurs out of my feet. I still go barefoot. It grounds me to earth and connects me to nature.
I have extensively explored Florida and its diverse beauty. So much to see and so little time. I would love for you to join me in my travels through the images I have taken. I wish you could hear the sounds, smell the fragrance and feel the breath of it. But for now we must be content with exploring with our eyes and only imagine the rest.
Thank you for your interest.

DiVoran’s Baby Book

6 May

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Story By Dora Bowers  

DiVoran Rae Bowers-1938

Lovelock, Nevada

    On October 29, 1938, my water broke. The time was 12:15 in the morning. After becoming convinced that the moment had come, Ivan ran for the doctor. Doctor Perry brought him home in his car, then took us to the Lovelock Hospital. In those days, the hospital was just a house with several bedrooms. Dr. Perry observing the timing of my labor left me with the nurse and went back home to finish his night’s sleep. Fourteen hours of labor later, the tired father sneaked into the nursery to see the baby. It was three P. M. on Saturday and there she was, blue as your hat and not a fit sight to see. For Ivan, it was hardly love at first sight because the first sight was bad–very bad. By the next time we saw her, she looked better. She had tiny ears, a nicely shaped head, a small mouth, and blue eyes. Her hair was the same color as Mama’s and Daddy’s which was dark brown. When one of her beautiful little hands curled around my thumb I knew those hands were the things I loved best about her, although it was hard to choose.  

Photo-Pixabay

A nurse brought her to me, but neither baby nor I knew how to go about breastfeeding. The nurse helped and finally, we managed with the aid of a breast shield. The next problem was naming her. After all, one couldn’t go through life with the name of She. The catch was that we had been prepared for her to be a he. After four days of our calling her Rae, the nurse, Mrs. Smith, came in and told us that we had to give her a full name so we could get the birth certificate. The nurses were trying to help. I asked, “How about Alice Rae? My best friend’s name was Alice, but Ivan didn’t like that name for our daughter. One of the nurses then suggested we put the letters of each name together. Ivan and Dora. When we decided on Divoran Rae Bowers, we thought we were finished but that wasn’t the end of it. The other nurse, Mrs. Romaine, suggested two capitals, one for each parent’s name. We worked it out and decided on DiVoran. As for the Rae, that came first from her father’s name, Ivan Ray, second from an another friend’s name, and third from the ray of sunshine that came through the window of the operating room when she was born. That ray meant hope to her mother after the long labor. So we have recorded the first week of DiVoran’s life. She weighed seven and three-quarter pounds when she was born. Her grandma, my mother, Mabel Bedell, had come from Canon City to be with us when we went home. She was a practical nurse and a big help. Home, at last, DiVoran was beginning to settle in, but when she fainted in my arms one day, we took her to the doctor as quick as we could. His diagnosis was that my breast milk wasn’t rich enough. I felt sad about that, but Dr. Perry ordered, Mellin’s food, lime water, and sugar of milk for her and we put her on the bottle. I thought that would work better, but still, she failed to thrive.

To Be Continued

Author, Poet and Artist
  DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

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Puzzles-Part 2

5 May

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

I’ve written before about puzzles, and how much we enjoy putting together a jigsaw puzzle.  Our Karen and Brian have given us some that we had really enjoyed.  This is a Disney puzzle they gave us.

 

 

Last year it was of a bunch of Norman Rockwell pictures.

 

 

This past Christmas they gave us one that held three Bev Doolittle pictures on it.

I’ve been enthralled by Bev Doolittle’s artistry for many years now.  Some of that interest is because of the subject matter she has – Southwestern/Indian.  Since I grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, all of that is interesting to me.  I have some of that same flavor around our house.

Each Christmas in past years, I have requested a Bev Doolittle calendar from one of our daughters, to hang in our home office, where I can see it every day. Those calendars have become more and more difficult to find.  And last December, when checking it out, I found that they have stopped producing Bev Doolittle calendars, much to my sorrow.

So it was a bit of a surprise to find that Karen and Brian gave us the Bev Doolittle puzzle!  As I said, it held three different pictures, one was fairly small – only 100 pieces. (can you find the Indian in the picture?)

 

 

The “middle” one was larger, with 300 pieces.

 

 

And the large one was 500 pieces.

 

 

We were able to get the 100-piece picture together fairly quickly.  And we were quite pleased to find that Brian had put together the “frame” of the 300-piece puzzle when they were here in February for Fred’s surprise birthday party!  That really helped!!  But it took us a VERY long time to get the frame together for the 500 piece puzzle. Brian!  Where are you???  But Fred was finally able to get it together, and we proceeded.

It was fun…it was time consuming…it was frustrating…but we managed to enjoy every minute of working on it.  We took about three months to finish them all, but we finally did.  What an accomplishment!

As I mentioned in the other article I wrote on puzzles:

Fred parents lived in a retirement facility for several years before they passed away.  One of the interesting things about that facility was that puzzles were left out on tables in the hallways.  Any of the residents could come and “pick up” just where the last person had left off, at any time.  I thought it was a wonderful way for them to keep their minds sharp while trying to do the puzzle.  It was also an entertainment for them.

And so, I wish you a joyful time working a puzzle.  It truly is FUN!

 

JUDYJudy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years
Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing.
Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.
After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.
She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins.
She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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How to look gorgeous all the time

4 May

Walking by Faith, Not by Signt

Janet Perez Eckles

 

Reblogged May 4, 2018
  We all want to look our best. And we do our best to achieve it. And if you’re like me, you’ve tried various products, hoping that the promise on the bottle will prove true. The latest one I tried had this instruction: “The best time to apply skin care products is when you are fresh out of a warm shower or bath. Not only is your skin clean, but it is also thoroughly moist and will better absorb anything you apply to it.”

Instructions followed for the product but not for my life.

I followed this instruction. But blushing a bit, I confess I failed to do the same when it comes to my life. When spots of insecurities appeared, when blotches of worry and blemishes of resentment, past sin, guilt and unfulfilled dreams remained, life wasn’t pretty. A clean-up job was begging. But instead, I covered it with the busyness of life. Hoping no one would notice the blemishes that stained inside.

But God noticed.

He had the washcloth of His unconditional love and the lotion of His grace to wipe away any unsightly blemish in my heart, all the dirty of past mistakes, the nagging regrets and the self-doubt. And when in front of the mirror, I saw it all. I took a deep breath, drew in courage and confessed to Him, “I’m in Your presence as I acknowledge all I see. I will be still for you to clean all that keeps my heart, my attitude, and my thoughts from radiating the beauty You know I should have.” One by one He wiped away, leaving my heart fresh and free. And He added the perfume of His instruction: “Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22).

Let’s Pray

Father, it’s a pure heart I pursue and it’s a clean life I long for. Help me to be still as You use Your supernatural cleanser that I still need. In Jesus’ name, amen. What needs to be removed to make your life beautiful again? Janet ______________________________________ Did you know I wrote a book filled with words of encouragement, uplifting thoughts and illustrations of real-life triumph to empower you? Its title, Trials of Today, Treasures for Tomorrow: Overcoming Adversities in Life. You can get it HERE. CLICK HERE for a one-minute inspirational video. Looking for a speaker for your upcoming event? A great speaker makes the difference between a so-so event and one that shines with impact. I invite you to view one of my two-minute videos HERE. Please share: Feel free to share Janet’s posts with your friends.  
Janet Eckles Perez
  Some say she should be the last person to be dancing. Her life is summarized in this 3-minute video: http://bit.ly/1a8wGJR Janet Perez Eckles’ story of triumph is marked by her work as an international speaker, #1 best-selling author, radio host, personal success coach and master interpreter. Although blind since 31, her passion is to help you see the best of life. www.janetperezeckles.com

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