Aunt Bee's Garden

I love accessories! I mean, what woman doesn't?

Look at this picture.

Do you see the awesome organza flower in my hair?

Simple. Elegant. Glamor.

Luckily, my cousin makes these awesome flowers and she gave me this one for my honeymoon!

You can have one too.

Click over to http://auntbeesgarden.blogspot.com or check out her facebook page!

Dazzle your hair, purse, sweater, or flip-flops today!

I'm too sexy for my clothes

Sometimes we all need to run free!

Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness

Galatians 5:22-23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.



"For Goodness Sakes!" How many times have we heard that one?


I think back from when I was a child, I remember my parents asking me to do this or that and I would always reply, "for what?" Why on earth would someone ask me to do something and not give me anything in return? Were they crazy?


It's a hard concept for people to learn, I find myself still struggling with this. Every time I clean the house or do the laundry I am asking myself, why am I folding everybody else's clothes or why am I cleaning everyone else's mess? I have to remind myself I do it out of goodness. I do it because as a mom I want my house to be clean, I want clothes to be put away.


Its similar to how Jesus loves us. He loves us just because. Nobody makes him love us, no one makes him forgive us, he does it out of goodness.


We all should try to remember this everyday. When someone ask for your help, don't ask for something in return, graciously provide your help, you know, for goodness sakes!

Value

To realize

The value of a sister/brother

Ask someone

Who doesn't have one.


To realize

The value of ten years:

Ask a newly

Divorced couple.


To realize

The value of four years:

Ask a graduate.


To realize

The value of one year:

Ask a student who

Has failed a final exam.


To realize

The value of nine months:

Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.


To realize

The value of one month:

Ask a mother

Who has given birth to:

A premature baby.


To realize

The value of one week:

Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.


To realize

The value of one minute:

Ask a person

Who has missed the a train, bus or plane.


To realize

The value of one-second:

Ask a person

Who has survived an accident.


To realize

The value of a friend or family member:

LOSE ONE.


I encourage you all to SLOW DOWN and R-E-A-L-I-Z-E

Do It Anyway

I copied this post from MckMama because I thought it was a very moving way to look at things in life. Often time we are stuck between right and wrong and our final decision is based on how we think others will look back on us.



"This amazing series of quotes, often attributed to Mother Teresa but actually written Dr. Kent Keith, has long inispired me. My hope is that it might inspire you, too.

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
be kind anyway.

If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies;
succeed anyway.

If you are honest people may cheat you;

be honest anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the end, it is between you and God;
it was never between you and them anyway."

Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness

Galatians 5:22-23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.


Today I want to talk about gentleness. This past Friday night Avery, and I  all went to Relay for Life. Last year when I went to Relay it had only been about a month after Pop (my grandfather) had lost his battle to cancer. Emotional yes, but not near as much as I was this year. This year I wasn't still numb from losing Pop, but I felt like I had open wounds with someone squeezing a lemon juice in them. It hurt, it hurt bad.

As I wrote Nanny (my grandmother) and Pop's names down on the two luminaries, filled them with sand, set the candle down in them, and then placed them along the track reality set in about cancer. One survived and one died. (Nanny survived breast cancer when she was in her 40's but passed away last year from complications do to diabetes.)

As I stood around the track to watch the survivors walk I saw a little girl, probably about 4, no hair, no eyebrows, no eyelashes, but a huge smile on her face. I don't know if she has won her battle over cancer, but this day she was LIVING! Tears just flowed down my face to see all of these people walk so proudly! There were young and old. As I watched as each person passed by me, I held Avery in my arms and we clapped in celebration that these special people are alive! As we walked around the track we came to where I had previously sat Nanny and Pop's luminaries, and I cried, and cried some more.

As the night went on I was able to compose myself and enjoy the band and food. That's when it all really sank in why we were there. We were there to fight for our family members who had survived and those who had died. We were there to fight for that little girl who was being strolled around the track during the survivors walk. We were there to fight for the elder couple who both had survived cancer, we were there to FIGHT!

Hundreds of people surrounded us. Did you hear me, hundreds! People came out to support the cure for cancer. People who never knew my grandparents, never knew Papa, never lost a family member to cancer, but they came. They came because they care.

This is what gentleness is all about. Doing something to better others and not yourself. The bible says: "To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people." (Titus 3:2)

Whether we are at Relay for Life or the grocery store, we should all keep in mind this verse. It's so hard sometimes to bite our tongues, but as Christians we must remember to be gentle. You never know what battle someone is fighting.

Fruites of the Spirit: Patience

Galatians 5:22-23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.

I have decided, in efforts to serve my Lord better, I should probably fill my life with more of his fruits. Just as the fruits we eat nourish our bodies, fruits of the Spirit nourish our souls. I couldn't really decide which order to start my task of being more fruitful, so I thought I might should start on the one I'm struggling with the most right now.

Patience.

We all need it, but we don't all have. Or maybe we have it, but just not enough of it.

I found this verse in my hunt for encouragement on patience.

But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15

I think about my daily struggles as a mother and wife. Trying to get out the door in the mornings can be such a tiring task. Many mornings I spend picking up Apple Jacks that have been dumped in the floor, chasing Avery around trying to get his shoes on, calming a tantrum because he doesn't want to get buckled in his seat. I'm sure many of you have experienced these days. Some mornings, by the time I get in the car, I'm exhausted and my patience has warn very thin. These are the mornings I think, what would Jesus do in this situation. Often times I have to take a few deep breaths to calm down, but I really think "what would He do."

Maybe instead of me getting all festered up about Apple Jacks all over the floor I should simply pick them up, tell Avery "no-no" and forget that it happened. After all he's only 20 months old and yes he knows better in most cases, he is still learning to process right and wrong. Because maybe if I had forgotten about the Apple Jacks then when I'm chasing him around trying to put his shoes on, I wouldn't get so upset. I would be more focused on that task instead of still fretting about the fact I had to pick up the cereal. Then if I would just get over the fact that you are going to have to chase your toddler around to clothe them, I probably wouldn't be about to lose my mind when the tantrum comes getting in the car.

Are you following my theory?

I'm starting to figure out that letting things build up is taking away from my patience. From that I'm also learning that patience is really about acceptance. Instead of getting so ill with my husband because he doesn't re-cap the toothpaste, I just accept it. Nobody said I had to clean up after his mess and it's his sink, I don't have to use it, I have my own. I believe once we learn to accept the things we can't change, especially people, and accept things as they are, our patience level really begins to rise.

Over the last few mornings, I've graciously picked up my share of Apple Jacks. (Unfortunately, the dog doesn't seem to like them. Darn!) In doing so, I have patiently explained to Avery that it's a "no-no" and when it happens now, he helps me pick them up. If he spills them on purpose (he tends to do this if he doesn't get his way) we pick them up and I take them away. If he spills them on accident (which happens a lot too) we pick them up and set them back down where they belong. (FYI-we eat cereal with out milk, in case your wondering).

I have noticed a huge change in how my mornings go. I get ready faster, things go more smoothly, and we both leave the house in a good mood.

Turning to the Lord and asking for his help has paid off. Sometimes it just takes you asking yourself "what would Jesus do?" We often times think we need some huge revelation, but a lot of the times, the answer is right there, starring right at us!