My Pot of Tea at the End of the Rainbow

I don't really believe in luck....whether it's good, bad, or the luck-o- the- Irish. I am more of a "God's in control" type of girl. Now, that doesn't mean there aren't times I haven't broke down and said to myself, "I'm just having bad luck today," or "You are so lucky to win that 2 week vacation to the Bahamas!" But honestly, I feel like God doesn't allow anything into our lives that He didn't plan for us to go through, good, bad, or indifferent. And I really haven't been a lover of the color green. So, of course, I don't own anything tea-related for St. Patrick's Day.  But I do love color and one thing that always intrigued me about the Irish was their saying..."you'll find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow"...of course, I don't believe in leprechauns either, so most of that concept is not much of an interest to me. But I thought if I could change it up a little bit....instead of gold, I'd love to find a pot of tea (full of my favorite tea, of course) at the end of the rainbow...wouldn't that be awesome?

 Source: http://freeimagesget.com/beautiful-rainbow/

I also wanted to share some information about Irish tea. I had no idea that there were so many different kinds of Irish Tea!! (Along with them, I've intermingled a few Irish blessings that I liked and a little recipe at the end)

Irish breakfast tea is brewed strong and served with milk, with sugar added to taste or they drink it plain, with sugar & perhaps lemon.  Part of the strength of Irish breakfast tea is because it’s a blend of various black teas.  Irish breakfast tea is very dark red to brown in color.

Ireland’s climate is cold and damp so if your early Spring is similarly chilly and damp ~ a nice hot pot of strong Irish tea may be just the ticket for you this St. Patrick’s Day.  Irish breakfast tea is primarily taken in the morning (hence breakfast tea) because it has a higher caffeine content than other teas, but then the tea is still taken for most of the rest of the day.

Tea Bags Imported from Ireland

 

                                                                                               Source: tealaden.com via Ann on Pinterest

                                                                                                Source: tealaden.com via Ann on Pinterest

May joy and peace surround you,
Contentment latch your door,
And happiness be with you now
And bless you evermore. 

 For tea-lovers looking locally:

                                                                                            Source: teacaddy.czi.cz via Ann on Pinterest

 May brooks and trees and singing hills
Join in the chorus too,
And every gentle wind that blows
Send happiness to you.

                                                                                                   Source: amazon.com via Ann on Pinterest

 These things, I warmly wish for you-
Someone to love,
Some work to do,
A bit of o’ sun
A bit o’ cheer
And a guardian angel
Always near. 

 Rainbow Tea set found online

                                                                                                           Source: google.comt

 Deep peace of the running waves to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the smiling stars to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the watching shepherds to you.
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you
AN OLD GAELIC PRAYER 

                                                                                                     Source: amazon.com via Ann on Pinterest

Teapot says "A good laugh and Tea are the two best cures"

 You’ve blessed me with friends
and laughter and fun
With rain that’s as soft
as the light from the sun-
You’ve blessed me with the stars
to brighten each night
You’ve give me help
to know wrong from right
You’ve give me so much
please, Lord give me too
A heart that is always
Grateful to you. 

Here is a recipe for "Irish Soda Scones"

Mmmmmm....I'm gonna have to make these!

 May the roads rise to meet you.

 May the wind be at your back. 

May the sun shine warm upon your face; 

The rain fall soft upon your fields 

And, until we meet again, 

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
A GAELIC BLESSING

 May the grace of God’s protection
And His great love abide
Within your home-within the hearts
Of all who dwell inside. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Linking over at these blog hops:

Tea Time Tuesday (Rose Chintz Cottage)

A Return to Loveliness (A Delightsome Life)

Friends Sharing Tea (Bernideen's Tea time)

Tea Party Tuesday (Sweetology)

Rivers of Living Water

Source: kitchenappliancespackages.blogspot.com

       

exerpted from a sermon written at the following site 
Oh, to be like a deep mountain spring overflowing in rivers of living water! In this verse "rivers of living water" implies fullness and completeness to the point of overflowing; sweet coolness and refreshment.   

Everything in the Old Testament had pointed forward to a time of fulfillment. Jesus is that fulfillment. When we hear Jesus cry out at the feast of booths "If any one thirsts let him come to me and drink," we understand him to mean, if you are eagerly looking for the Kingdom of God (Luke 23:51), for deliverance from sin and oppression, then; no longer look back to the days of old and don't look forward to the future, look to me. In me all the past is summed up and in me the future hope has arrived. "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink."

(Now pay really close attention here. I LOVE this part!!)

The invitation goes out to all. Everyone has a personal invitation from Jesus to come to him and drink. There is only one condition: you have to be thirsty.(earnestly desire for what Jesus has to give.)  All men thirst. But not all thirst for God. We are the only species of God's creation afflicted and blessed with chronic longing. Dolphins are content to frolic in the sea, dogs are content to lie in the sun; frogs are content to bump their bellies from pond to pond. But man is not content. He is afflicted with chronic restlessness. Everything we set our hand to gets old. We fight without success against an epidemic of boredom. Fad after fad, fashion after fashion, challenge after challenge leave us thirsty in the end. Why? It's a hidden blessing.

We are afflicted and blessed with a chronic restlessness, an insatiable soul-thirst for this reason: that we might keep looking until we find Christ. And that having found him we might be turned back to him again and again when we taste of other springs and find them bitter. 

We were made for God!!

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I continue to share my blessings through the Joy Dare!

 3 Gifts, bent, broken, beautiful

      518. A tree in the neighborhood - it actually is bent in
   the middle of the trunk at a 45 degree angle.(vertical to
   horizontal)
   519. My heart - hearing a story on TV (60 Minutes) of 
   children who suffer from a disease that causes them to
   age prematurely.
   520. The view out the back window on a country house
   we are looking at to buy

       
3 gifts in the kitchen

521. My hubby's pot of apple tree seedlings, sprouting up green (I call my hubs my ‘Johnny Appleseed’, as he hopes to plant them in the ground eventually).

522. A place to gather family, when we have the opportunity to all be together to cook a meal!

523. My dishwasher! Oh, what a blessing!!

      
 3 gifts loud

524. My son’s band….music

525. My barking dog….sometimes frustrating, when he doesn’t stop, but still a gift to have him.

526. Singing loud in church!!

       
3 gifts carved

527. A  gift  from a friend given to me - small wooden box brought from Africa.

528. My uncles carvings…he is SO gifted!

                                                                      Source: google.com via Ann on Pinterest

529. Time carved out of the day for God, for family, for friends.

3 gifts in Christ

530. Salvation

531. Peace

532. Joy 

A gift in wind, in water, in white

533. Wind –(hard gift) Loss from tornados in southern Indiana, yet the love of mankind, reaching out to those who have lost.

534. water -  - John 7:37, 38: On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, 'If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, "Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water."'  
535. white - Easter Lilies

linking over at these blog hops:

Fresh Brewed Sundays ( My Freshly Brewed Life)

Hear It on Sunday/Use It on Monday (Graceful)

 Multitude on Mondays (A Holy Experience)

Sharing His Beauty (Beauty in His Grip)  
A Pause in the Path (On Your Heart Tuesday)

They that Wait Upon the Lord. . .

Source: jcsnotebook.org via Ann on Pinterest

Have you ever run and not gotten tired? Maybe some dedicated athletes can relate to that, but personally, I have never enjoyed running. I just get out of breath and wear out after just a few minutes into a light jog! I'd rather walk, thank you very much!  But, this verse says with God as our strength, we will run (the race of life) and not grow weary!! Life can be tiring at times, with all the stress, health issues, pressures of work and family, and even resisting all the temptations of this world!

Friend, if you are feeling weak and think you can't go on anymore, turn to the Lord - read His Word - go to Him in prayer. Seek Him and you will find Him, for He says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

Isaiah 40:31 has been my all-time favorite verse since I can remember....at least since my teen years, when I dedicated my life to Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I love the imagery of an eagle soaring high in the sky, the wind keeping him high above the trees. With the strong wind holding him up, he can relax and enjoy the view below. No need to strain and work his wings. I see God, as being the "wind" holding me up when I can't hold myself up anymore!! What a relief, knowing that He is my strength!!

I wanted to share a short paragraph on the subject of the week from the blog hop (JamWithMe Thursdays) which is actually being held over at My Home Sweet Home blog. This week we are asked to share a " A heart healing moment." That is actually a hard one for me to pin down just one moment of God's healing, there are sooooo many!! But, I guess if I just had one to share, it would be the emotional healing of the loss of a child. Even though he was a step-child, James spent many weekends, holidays, and vacations with us and eventually lived with us through his high school years. God chose to take him early, at the tender age of 18. My relationship with him had been bittersweet for many years prior to the car accident that took him from us. For many years guilt and sorrow plagued me and even kept me from freely enjoy raising my own biological son. But, one day, as I was going to Him in prayer and wanting peace, God spoke to me and told me that it was o.k. and that He knew my heart. I felt immediate peace about what I couldn't change...God had healed my heart!

 May you find strength and healing this week in the power of Jesus Christ!!!!

Linking over at these great blog-hops:

On Your Heart Tuesday (A Pause in the Path)

Word-Filled Wednesdy (Internet Cafe')

 Winsome Wednesday (My Daily Walk in His Grace)

JamWithMe Thursday (Faith Barista)

Heartprint Hallelujahs(Heartprints of God)

What I would have in my Cottage Tea Garden:

I have this image in my mind of a small cozy "tea garden" where I can go to relax, sip on tea, maybe read a book, and take in the beauty of the surroundings. Yes, I would love to have my very own cottage tea garden...I currently have a small garden and pond on the side of my house, but my real dream is to someday actually live in a small cottage (preferably near the ocean) and have a little place to go.

  

Example of the cutest little cottage:

                                                                                 Source: crumpledenvelope.tumblr.com via Ann on Pinterest

Here are elements I would have in my Cottage Tea Garden:

·        Low fence and entrance gate(white picket or wrought iron)

                                                                                                 Source: susanbranch.com via Ann on Pinterest

    

Arches, Trellises, and Arbors·          

                                                                                            Source: theoldpaintedcottage.com via Ann on Pinterest

     

Fountains and bird baths

                                                                                                 Source: thisoldhouse.com via Biz on Pinterest

·         

·    

Benches (places to sit and sip on tea)

                                                                                           Source: theoldpaintedcottage.com via Ann on Pinterest

·         Wrought Iron or wicker table and chairs.

                                                                                      Source: eleganttabletop.blogspot.com via Ann on Pinterest

Bird feeders and houses

                                                                                         Source: craftberrybush.blogspot.com via Kerrie on Pinterest

       Of course, many flowers and herbs.

                                                                                                 Source: google.com via Sam on Pinterest

And most importantly, TEA!

                                                                                           Source: royalgardenhotelblog.com via Ann on Pinterest

            
Even the birds can join in the tea party!!!

                                                                               Source: emilysummers-designer.blogspot.com via Ann on Pinterest

We have had some very warm (but windy) days here in my part of the world. Hope you have a chance to get out and enjoy God's beauty in your area. Spring will be here soon! Very soon, I will be able to have tea out in my little garden by the house. Dreaming is fun, too!! Maybe someday my "Cottage Tea Garden" will be a reality!! :-)

Oh! I almost forgot. I promised you last week that I would show you a picture of my little whimsical birds that go with my birdcage, purchased at Goodwill. (The birds I got at a local consignment shop) Aren't they cute together?

Linking over at these blog hops:

Tea Time Tuesday (Rose Chintz Cottage)

A Return to Loveliness (A Delightsome Life)

Friends Sharing Tea (Bernideen's Tea time)

Tea Party Tuesday (Sweetology)

Meet Mariamu

                                                                                                Source: community.albinism.org

I watched a documentary on the TV show "20/20" last night about a brave young Tanzanian woman who not only has had to survive the judgement of her community because of something she can't help, but suffered the consequences of a satanic ritual observed by the people.. Read about Mariamu here

This story made me cry. Not only to learn about the suffering that goes on daily in Africa, but also to see this Christian woman, who is such an inspiration of courage and strength!!  I feel a sting of guilt, as I think about the many times I have complained about the little, petty things in my life that were a bother to me. Mariamu suffered the pain of losing both her arms, and her ability to feed or clothe herself, her toddler son, or even hug him. She literally depended on her mother to take care of her. But, instead of complaining, she lived each day praising God and waiting for Him to use her. Her strength and courage led her to come to the U.S., receive new arms, and help to change the laws of her country. She continues to use her challenges to help others, even today!!

                                                                                             Source: google.com via Ann on Pinterest

Our Lord desires that we be strong and courageous in following Him. In the book of Joshua, God encouraged the Israelites to be "strong and courageous, because (He) will lead (His) people" and to "be careful to obey the law.....meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it."  Why does he want us to do this? Because, "then you will be prosperous and successful."(Joshua 1:8)

I'm doubtful that Mariamu felt prosperous when she first lost her arms. But if asked today, she most likely will have a different response. Often success or prosperity doesn't come till much later in life, and then it may be something much different than financial or monetary. I remember at the end of the show, she said that what she was the most happy about was that once again she could put her arms around her son when he went to hug her. To her, that was success!!!

                                                                                               Source: 

Swahili Time

I am once again reminded that I have SO much to be grateful for!!!!

I continue to sing His praises through the Joy Dare!

3 gifts from the past – that help you trust the future.

500. Reading in the O.T. how God supplied the needs of the Israelites while they wondered in the desert.

501. When the Lord protected me from past near accidents.

502. Trusting God to hear my prayers...answering according to His will.

A gift dull, a gift shimmering, a gift cleaned.

    503.  Dull – winter landscape before spring comes.

    504.  Shimmering – A favorite lip gloss  

    505.  Cleaned - my car

3 gifts at 3 p.m.

     506.  Going to the park to enjoy the warm weather (70 degrees)

    507. A peaceful moment by the lake.

    508. Ripples of water around a dead tree.

     3 gifts green  

    509. Moss covering the ground!!!(Spring is coming!!)

510. Frog from my pond(somewhat green)

511. Fresh Kiwi

Source: free-extras.com via Ann on Pinterest

3 gifts wore

512. A bracelet that was a gift from my husband
513. A new top
514. New socks

3 gifts hard to give thanks for
515. Serious illness
516. A wayward child
517. Seeing when children in the world are suffering greatly.

linking over at these blog hops:

Fresh Brewed Sundays ( My Freshly Brewed Life)

Hear It on Sunday/Use It on Monday (Graceful)

 Multitude on Mondays (A Holy Experience)

Sharing His Beauty (Beauty in His Grip)