God's Princess

Ever since I can remember, I've always wanted to be a princess. But for some reason (maybe due to Disney's influence), I was under the impression that a real princess had blond hair and was super sweet, always in a good mood, and never got into trouble. (Aside: Snow White's dresses, short hair and headband weren't princessy enough for me). With my jet-black hair and Native American looks, then-moody personality, and penchant for being punished by my parents, I gave up hope somewhere around middle school. But then when I got into bible study later on in life and really learned about the Gospel of the grace of Jesus Christ (the same one that Paul preached), I began to realize that, as a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, I am one of God's princesses. I am His child, the bride of Christ, and have been placed in a spiritual position to rule and reign with Jesus as a King and Priest--for ever!

It look a long time for me to believe that truth in my heart and accept it, but I am now getting that revelation, and it is very freeing! I believe all little girls are wired by God to come to the revelation and knowledge that they are His princesses in Christ Jesus! Think about all of that pink Walmart sells in the toy section--it takes up a whole double aisle! Where does that come from? It's been placed in us, in our very souls, but sadly, so few come to the realization of the truth regarding how God sees them. Tragedy, pain, lies from the enemy, and evil circumstances blind us to the truth, until somehow an unveiling by the Holy Spirit occurs.

This flowered cross is a tribute to my unveiling. Note the dark-headed princess underneath eating freely from the Tree of Life. The cross is the Tree of Life and I aim to eat freely with no guilt and no condemnation, because I am God's daughter, His princess--black hair and all!

The Cross Gets Bigger

My latest art project using sea shells I collected as a girl. When I was little, my parents would pack up the station wagon the day after the last day of school and move the family to the beach for the summer. Those were the days before video, cable TV, and smart phones, which left me and and my sisters little to do other than read countless books and roam the beach, scouring for sea shells. These shells were like treasure to me, as lovely as precious stones. Over the years, I've had dreams about gorgeous, gleaming conch shells piled as high as mountains, an endless supply of treasure for the taking. I know now that this was God's way of communicating the truth about all the blessings He has given me in Christ Jesus.

My vast collection of shells have remained in a bucket for many years, so I got the idea to decorate a cross using them in a decorative fashion as a piece of art. I like the message of using dead things on an instrument used for death, and then arranging them in a way that brings beauty, hope and life. Oh, and at the bottom, is an ocean scene that reminds me of my long, slow summers at the beach.

This cross stands over the mantle for now, replacing a much smaller cross that stood there for over ten years. A prophetic message to me -- the cross keeps getting bigger in my life.

Now on to College!

Well, it's official! My baby finally graduated from high school and is on her way to UGA- just signed a housing contract this evening. Very moving ceremony and then a fabulous dinner at Ritter's with siblings, grandparents, and aunt and uncle. Lovely time!!

Graduation!

Here is a pic of Bill and me with Anna before attending Walton High's Night of Inspiration. It was a great evening and just a little taste of what will take place on graduation night. This entire graduation process brings back fond memories I have of graduating from White Oak High in Jacksonville, NC in 1979! Now I have a daughter graduating and heading off to college. How time flies!

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day to you! All of us children appreciate the things you did for us over the years.

Some of my fondest memories with my mother were when I was little. We would spend hours in the kitchen, especially during the holiday times, baking cookies, cakes, and all kinds of treats. I remember doing crafts, needlepoint, cross stitch and crewel, and decorating my first bedroom with white and blue furniture while my dad hung blue flowered wallpaper on the walls.

Every time I look at a container of jello (yes, my oldest child just got her wisdom teeth out!), I am reminded of Jello 123 in the 70s. The stuff was horrible, but my sisters and I begged Mom to make it, and she obliged, preparing it in lovely glass parfait dishes. And then there was the weekly meatloaf with the Le Sueur garden peas that popped in your mouth, fried chicken (prepared by our Help), ham and cheese stuffed hamburgers about four inches thick and served on English muffins, and then the Swanson's chicken pop pie on Friday nights since she and Dad were going out. Sorry Swanson's, but those things were nasty! I now have my own homemade chicken pie recipe, which is delicious!

A lot of that special time in the kitchen where food brought us together ended once I got married, but the memories are still there. As I've grown older, times with Mom have been replaced with shopping trips, the occasional excursion to Las Vegas (I don't recommend that!) and discussions about movies, books, TV shows, and recipes. We're different  in many ways, and yet in many ways we are similar. She can make me as mad as a hornet and vice versa, but she's still my mom! How can I forget her tucking me in at night when I was little and the kisses on the cheek? There's nothing like a mother's love and tender affection.

Thank you, Momma, for your love over the years! And thank you for giving me a glimpse of how to show love to my own sweet children!

Anna

Anna reminds me so much of my beloved grandmother in this picture. Part Cherokee, my grandma was a strikingly beautiful woman who had a sharp, crisp personality to match. She came from a life of tragedy (her dad died when she was 5 days old and her young mother was placed into a mental home by her family), but managed to get an education, marry my grandfather, have my dad, and run a very successful business. She survived the depression era and WWII and lived to see modern technology go from horses and long skirts to race cars and minis (and bikinis too). She believed in me and always encouraged me in every area of my life. She certainly wasn't perfect and was full of flaws, but she was the only person in the world who truly loved me for who I was. Every young girl needs someone like that in their life, to encourage them and build them up, inspiring them to go for their dream. Thanks Grandma for all you did and all you were!

UGA - New Dawg Day

Here is a picture of me and my sweet Anna at UGA for a new dawg day where we took a tour of the campus, ate a delicious lunch at Snelling Hall, bought sweatshirts and UGA clothing from the fabulous bookstore, and a got a great workout from walking around this very hilly campus. I had never been to Athens, so had no idea what to expect, and was very, very impressed! My sister, Ashlyn, came with us, and she was equally amazed. Since we are both Tarheels from UNC, we had never ventured on another state university campus, so things seemed a bit foreign at first, but we loved what the school has to offer. There is a great focus in the arts and music, which is a plus for creative people, wonderful food, a fantastic downtown area, beautiful magnolia trees and old stately buildings, and the freshman high rise dorms are in a superb location. She and I were joking that we would love to move to Athens with Anna in the fall and take jewelery design, ceramic pottery, drama, and creative writing - then hangout downtown for some great food and a hot cup of coffee. Can't wait to visit during football season and sit in that humongous stadium and finally become an official Georgia bulldawg!