Thursday, June 3, 2010


Very early this morning, I was sitting on my porch, enjoying my first cup of coffee, along with the single red rose from my garden, and a little inspiring book that I was given. The book is "Mocha with Max" by Max Lucado. It was quiet except for the birds singing. Without a doubt, it was my favorite time of the day.
Now, you may be saying to yourself, "well, this picture certainly looks staged to me."
It is not. I like drinking my cups of coffee out of different cups in the morning. This is from a set of dishes that I have had for many years. I love to bring flowers into my home, and do it throughout their entire blooming time. And, I like using old and pretty glass containers to display them in. This little old glass pitcher is one that I found years ago at a flea market. You see, I respond best to vignettes I create and hot coffee I drink.
In the quiet, early mornings, I like to read, think, and pray. I want to share something I read from Max's book;
"God isn't going to let you see the distant scene, so you might as well quit looking for it.
He promises a lamp unto our feet,
not a crystal ball into the future.
We do not need to know what
will happen tomorrow.
We only need to know He leads."
Reading this brought into my mind, like a flash out of the past, a picture of one of my dear
grandmas. I worked for her for three summers during my early high school years. I would help her to clean, do laundry, and serve full course breakfasts in her simple, yet beautiful tourist home(or a Bed and Breakfast in today's language).
We spent hours ironing in her front living room. We would starch and iron the sheets, the pillow cases, the tablecloths and all my grandpa's shirts. While we ironed, she would play records on the big RCA console, and it would always be her beloved old hymns. I would add joy to her day, if I would sing along with her. Hence, to this very day, I know most of the words and melodies to each of the old hymns of the church.
You may wonder where I am going with this story, and how I am possibly going to tie it in with Max Lucado's quote that I read this morning?
The last line of the quote states that "we only need to know that He leads".
My grandma's singing the song "Where He Leads, I'll Follow" immediately came to mind. She loved that hymn and it's promising words. "Where He leads, I'll follow, Follow all the way..."



This is my one sweet grandma and me during one of our warm, summer days of cleaning together. The year was 1969. She taught me well. She knew how she wanted things done and she was not afraid to tell me that what I had just done, needed to be redone. One example was the cleaning of all the faucets in her guest bathrooms. The job was not complete until not one water drop remained, and the stainless steel sparkled:) But, she also was a wonderful, gracious, fun lady to work for. At my impressionable age, I learned many valuable lessons.
In today's world, with uncertainities and daily unfolding new's events, I am thankful to be reminded this morning, that I can relax when(and only when) I remember the words from the quote above, and the words to grandma's beloved song.
Maybe today you will want to pick a rose from your garden, use one of your china cups to drink coffee or tea from, and read something that inspires and encourages you...even if you only have 10 free minutes in your day.
~the photo on the top right side of this post was taken by a good friend, and ties in perfectly with this post. My grandma's tourist home was named "Cardinal Hills Tourist Home", because of her love of cardinals.

13 comments:

Judy said...

The coffee is not yet ready...and there is no rose in a lovely container beside me...nor is the sun shining today...but I feel like I've had a little dose of inspiration and encouragement right here on your blog already this morning. And if it's OK with you...I will copy Max Lucado's words to share with a friend today.

http://bitsandpieces-sonja.blogspot.com/ said...

I'm a little embarrassed as I'm sitting here reading this with my McDonald's coffee cup in front of me, but I love your setting, and I also love the words you've shared and the story from your growing up years. How precious those memories are and how they shape our lives.

This was beautiful Judy, thanks for sharing. It's a good way to begin my morning.

Rach said...

Thanks for the inspriration. All to often I get caught up in "what's going to happen?" when we should just have more trust.

Just a little something from Judy said...

Please do not be embarrassed by your McDonald's cup, because I drink coffee out of any kind of cup. It is just something strange about me, that when flowers are blooming in my garden, I have to bring some inside, and with the coffee cups...I get bored using the same ones, so I switch.

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

Beautiful setting, beautiful thoughts. As I read the news I see many reasons to be dismayed. We may be in for a bumpy ride and perhaps a rough landing, but while ML say God only gives us a lamp to our feet, I say He also gives us promises for our distance situations as well. In the end HE will rule both in Heaven and on Earth. All will be well.

(PS: I drink my coffee from one of four mugs with bird motif. It is one of the first decisions of the day: am I in a bluebird, chicadee, cardinal or gold finch mood? Lately I've been going with the gold finch!)

Landis said...

Grandmothers are the best! And you have a very sweet one in the photo. She obviously made a big impression on you. Thank you for sharing your story! I needed that reminder. :)

lindsey said...

Lovely post Judy, thank you for sharing the quote from Max Lucado. Each day is in our Fathers hands and His leading is the best thing that we can look to. Your early morning was certainly inspired and an encouragement to me,and the photo's are so peaceful. I am blessed by your blog so often, thank you

Miss Debbie said...

What a beautiful post.Thanks or blessing my day. I, too, have a friend who would be encouraged by the Lucado quote. I love Max, too!

Tracy said...

Love those words by Max Lucado. Hope you won't mind that my beverage of choice during my devotional time this morning was a Diet Coke... = ) I so enjoyed reading about your special Grandmother. What sweet memories and what wonderful things she taught you! How sweet to think of YOUR grandchildren having special memories with YOU!

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful post. I loved to help my grandmother in the cellar to put up cottage cheese and make butter. blessings
QMM

LisaShaw said...

Oh Judy, as one who adores my own Grandma who is with the LORD since 1990; this sharing of your heart has left me in buckets of joyful tears as I can relate to much of what you shared.

Oh those treasured moments with our Grandma's! I only had the pleasure and joy of knowing one of my Grandma's and still walk with her heart within mine.

This sharing also blessed me because I recently took out and washed my Grandma's all silver tea tray and her beautiful tea set to use when I'm spending quiet time with the LORD in the mornings. Only difference is rather than me using tea it's coffee for sure (smile).

I love you very much and loved the photos especially of you and your Grandma.

Happy@Home said...

It seems to me that you have found a beautiful way to begin your day. I really enjoyed reading about your special memories with your grandmother. It was so interesting to me that she ran a tourist home with such a sweet name. What a wonderful experience that you were able to spend so much time at her side. She sounds like a very dear lady. The photo of the 2 of you is precious.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

I've alwasys enjoyed reading books by Max Lucado. He was a very wise man.

Wonderful story about your grandmother and your days workingand singing with her. I hope my grandson will remember me by my singing to him (off key, but sincerely)and also by reading to him.

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