MISTY'S MORNINGS

What does "Mom" mean to you?   For me, it is the essence of life.  I am best friends with my own mother and depend on her wisdom and support daily.   Having lost my father as a two-year-old, Mom became the center of my childhood universe.   She is the woman I most admire and aspire to be like.  You are so beautiful Mom. I love you the world! Becoming a mother myself is the most fulfilling part of my life.  It taught me to draw on strengths I never knew I had.  It has also opened up a depth of love that cannot be explained or compared. If you had asked me as a little girl what I wanted to be when I grew up I would have said a teacher, wife and mommy. Amazingly I can say I have accomplished my dreams!  ;)   If you  would like to share a post about your own interpretation of MOM please link below! Have a Blessed Mother's Day and be sure to celebrate all the moms in your life.

  If you haven't yet heard of Ann Voskamp's best-selling book,   One Thousand Gifts , you may want to look into reading it.  If you want a flavor of her writing style check out her blog, A Holy Experience, which is linked on my sidebar. Ann's life was changed when she began intentionally noticing and then listing the various blessings and beautiful moments in time all around her.  Soon she was finding them everywhere and her notebook was overflowing with everyday graces. First, through her blog, then through her book, Ann has managed to change the lives of thousands of people who have shifted their focal point from what is lacking in their lives to taking note of the gifts every ordinary days freely offers them. Though I've read her blog for many months then read the book last fall, I am just now making the attempt to catalogue my own 1,000 gifts in a small, unlined, top-ringed notepad.  Here are a few from the list so far... Room temperature outdoor ...

Cathedral Image of Divine Mercy available here . Are you familiar with Divine Mercy Sunday ?  It is today, this second Sunday of Easter.  It was particularly important to Pope John Paul II so it is fitting that his beatification takes place today.  He will officially become "Blessed Pope John Paul II" from now on. Click here to pray   The Chaplet of the Divine Mercy   with your rosary beads.   Have a blessed day!

On our second day in Charleston, we decided to head a few miles out of town to Middleton Place, a former rice plantation which is now a National Historic Landmark. The Middleton family first lived here from around 1705.  The three main houses were terribly burned during the Civil War and then two of the three were reduced to rubble in the Great Earthquake of 1886.  The plantation sits on the Ashley River, a tidal river that rises and falls six feet each day with the tides.  In the early days, the only way to reach Middleton Place was by riverboat. Touring the quiet grounds provided many moments for contemplation and rest. There were swampy areas and we even saw a small crocodile swimming.  We were told they have had one as large as 16 feet long.     We also learned about coots - a bird that is unfriendly to other birds  - thus the saying about being an old coot. Mr. Mark gave us an informative carriage ride through the bamboo forests and a...

Charleston is loaded with both charm and a sense of mystery. There were many secret alleyways.  My romantic imagination had fun creating possible scenarios that might have taken place down these quiet corridors. How many styles of shoes have stepped upon these cobblestones?   How many full length skirts swished by on their way to the evening's entertainment? We came upon this church on Sunday evening while strolling down Church Street.   The wreaths adorning the wrought iron gate caught my eye.    Upon closer inspection, I was amazed to realize that the flowers were real . This gorgeous touch was completely foreign to me.  It was not unheard of to have snow at Easter where I grew up. The floral cross was also made of fresh, fragrant flowers.  Simply stunning in person. Behind this church was an old graveyard.  We toured as respectfully as possible while oohing and ahhing at the impossibly old burial dates on the weather-worn he...