THOUGHTS ON A SUNDAY MORNING

Another year has nearly come and gone and before long I will begin my third year of blogging.  It hardly seems possible as it feels almost like yesterday that I began sharing with you the very things I love most about life...

My faith

My family

and 

a deep, yet simple, belief that God has a purpose 

and a plan for our lives...

When I was a bitty girl Sundays were jammed-packed full of activity.  Being the daughter of a preacher-man you can probably understand that we were always on the go.  My father seemed to always be speaking, preaching or teaching somewhere and for us 'Elliott Kids'  Sunday(at least for me!) never felt like a day of rest.  More like a day of work if you want to know the truth.  I'd much rather have been outside playing jump-rope, riding my two-wheeler bike or coloring in the latest, greatest coloring-book known to man children than listening for the gazillionth time how Moses built the Ark and how Noah was given The Ten Commandments!

(I jest!!!!  I KNOW, I KNOW it's the other way around!) :)

Still...our Sunday Worship Gatherings ultimately served a greater purpose for somewhere between my parent's tough scoldings  loving instructions and their promises of a bootay whoopin'  just punishment if I didn't start mindin'

(that usually started out with

"Becky Sue! Stop coloring and put on your Sunday socks?!"

or the

"You've were given a full week to memorize your Bible verse not a week to color every page in your color-book!?"

to the

"Take that coloring book BACK inside the house!"

or the

"Rebecca Suzanne!  If I have to tell you ONE MORE TIME to put that colorbook down you're gonna get....!")

   
I learned about a big God who lived in heaven and how, if I wanted Him to, He could shrink down small enough to live inside my heart...

Pretty awesome thought.

Big enough.

Small enough.

~~*~~

Below are the lyrics to the first song playing today on my Playlist.  

Simply put...He's everything to me!

"Everything To Me"

I grew up in Sunday school
I memorized the Golden rule
And how Jesus came to set the sinner free
I know the story inside out
I can tell you all about
The path that led Him up to Calvary
But ask me why He loves me
And I don't know what to say
But I'll never be the same
Because he changed my life when He became...

Everything to me
He's more than a story
more than words on a page of history
He's the air that I breath
The water I thirst for
And the ground beneath my feet
He's everything, everything to me

We're living in uncertain times
And more and more I find that I'm aware
Of just how fragile life can be
I want to tell the world I found
A love that turned my life around
They need to know that they can taste and see
Now everyday I'm praying
Just to give my heart away
I want live for Jesus
So that someone else might see that He is...

Everything to me
He's more than a story
more than words on a page of history
He's the air that I breath
The water I thirst for
And the ground beneath my feet
He's everything
And looking back over my life at the end
I'll go to meet you saying you've been...

You're everything to me
You're more than a story
More than words on a page of history
You're everything to me
You're more than a story
More than words on a page of history
You're the air that I breath
The water I thirst for
And the ground beneath my feet
You're everything to me
Lord, you're everything to me

Blessings today as you give thanks for...

 well...

EVERYTHING

Love to you...

~HAPPY PINK SATURDAY - Celebrating You With A GIVEAWAY~

 ~MY MISS K and I~

(Baking Cookies in 2005 - Age 3)

Dear Pinkettes!

HAPPY PINK SATURDAY TO YOU!

  ~MISS K PAINTING CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS~

(A Precious Memory For Me)

Thank you Miss Beverly from HOW SWEET THE SOUND for hosting our PINK GATHERING week after week!  Please stop by and visit with as many of the Pink Lovin' Peeps who work so hard to give you a weekly dose of Sweet Pink Inspiration Saturday after Saturday.  This week I hope you'll visit our special friend, Marilou from LuLu's Lovlies!  She always has the best PINKS and this week she's celebrating her 100th Post with an awesome giveaway!

 

 ~MISS K and PINK PAINT EVERYWHERE~

 (Totally Priceless)

The three little pictures above steal my heart away.  Very few of you know the back story of my Miss K and until she is older and chooses to share it for herself, that is how it will remain.  What I will tell you is that the photos you see were all taken on a frosty November day as I worked feverishly at squeezing in as many 'experiences' as possible into a six hour time-frame.  Now...here I am almost exactly 5 years later and find I'm not only thankful for answered prayers but for restoration of the years the locusts devoured.

~AN EARLY RACHEL QUILT~

Next comes a  pretty pink rose quilt that was originally sold at MERVYN'S (geez...I miss that store!).  It was an EARLY Rachel Ashwell print and I still love it as much today as I did when I bought it several years ago!

~PARIS PINK FILE FOLDERS~

I don't recall where I first found these charming Paris Pink File Folders but boy do I love them!  YUMMO!

~VINTAGE CHRISTMAS GIRL POSTCARD~

Isn't this little Pinky sweet?  I recently purchased this old Post Card on eBay and I'm over the moon crazy about the image!  Too Sweet!

~HAND PAINTED PINK ROSE BOX~

This charming old box was once rusty and worn!  It was sold to one of my long-time buyers last week and I was sooo sooooooooo sad to see her go!  Some things you just hate to part with!  "So long sweet old Tackle Box!  Hope Miss Sweet Tea loves you as much as me!"

 ~VINTAGE PINK BEAUTY~

This darling old print came in a wedding guest book I bought in the early 90's at T.J.Maxx.  I loved it so much I tore it out of the book and put it in a little frame!  She hangs in my office!

~LOVELY PINK LADY~

I love old graphics and the one you see above has always been one of my favorites!  There's just something about her face and pink rose hat that pulls me in...

~VINTAGE MILLINERY PINK ROSE HATS~

I have a weakness for vintage hats.  If they have pink roses on them...well...I'm a BIG-TIME-GONNER!

Now...are you ready to see my 2nd Giveaway for the month?  This one is for my FOLLOWERS!

~A SWEET GIVEAWAY FOR MY FOLLOWERS~

(Yep...Another GIVEAWAY)

If you've made it through all my pinks for this week then you probably just looked at one above!  Now scroll on down to see the one below!!!

~PINK SNOWMAN GLITTERY CARD INCLUDED
(and a matching Tea Bag, too!)

Now...a couple of days ago I stared my November Giveaway!  I hope you'll follow the link and check it out! 

 MY NOVEMBER GIVEAWAY


It's easy to enter the drawing and you have several chances to win!


The Pink Snowman Pillow, Matching Greeting Card (blank inside) and Tea Bag is a new GIVEAWAY I'm starting today and it is for my amazing Blog Followers...  If you are a public follower of my A Gathering Place (of Thoughts) Blog (recent or long-time) your name will be automatically entered once.   If you would like to have your name entered for a 2nd chance at winning this charming little ensemble then leave me a comment on THIS POST!  If you'd like a 3rd chance then BLOG about THIS GIVEAWAY (and then come back and let me know you did so)!  I may even draw an additional name for some lucky peep!

The Snowman Pillow/Card GIVEAWAY will end December 3, 2010 at Midnight and the winner will be announced within 24 hours!  Have fun!


Thank you for visiting me today and for your kindness during the past 23 months.  If you don't return before Thanksgiving may you have a blessed day filled with everything and everyone you love!


Love to you~

~SWEET GIFTS FOR A THIN DIME~

~GORGEOUS VINTAGE PRISM BOTTLES~

A couple of years ago I was in Southern California visiting family and while there I was able to meet up again with one of my sweetest longtime friends.  We shopped about in downtown Orange (be still my heart!) and it was an experience I will never forget.

 ~SO ROMANTIC~

I don't get out to the West Coast all that often, but when I do I'm always amazed at the different things offered up for sale in the stores.  From Antique Shoppes to Department Stores the merchandise is just plain 'different' than it is in Oklahoma.  Don't get me wrong...we have great stuff here!  But...it at least SEEMS to me that the cutting edge of design (fashion and interior) is someplace OTHER than the place I call home.

~ONE IS GOOD, TWO IS BETTER~

Anyway...while I was there I found the amazing bottles you see at the top.  Made using vintage prisms, they just stole my heart away!  Toooo pricey for me at the time I passed on purchasing even one!  A couple of weeks later I was totally over-my-head crazy with excitement when for Christmas and my December birthday my friend gifted me with the complete set.  I keep them in our main bath and love them more than ever.

~SIMPLY FABULOUS~

Now...I KNOW the asking price for these little beauties.  So...when I was out shopping this past week at the ROSS Store in good old Norman, Oklahoma (GO OU! Whoot!  Whoot!), I nearly fainted when I saw two smaller versions of those expensive little Bottles sitting all alone on a half-empty shelf!

~ONE FOR ME, ONE FOR MY GIRL~

The price...$5.99 each.  WHAT?

Now...ROSS isn't always great!  But I've found that during the Holidays, and IF you are willing the brave their sometimes JUNKED UP STORE (especially during the Holiday Season), you can find some truly great things!  I know I've blogged about this incredible store before...at times it is simply FABULOUS!

So~if you are on your last thin dime...OR (and I really like this kind of thinkin') if you are like me and always on the hunt for incredibly priced finds...check out ROSS!

~November Giveaway Sachet Hanger~

Now...see that little Angel Sachet Pillow Hanger above (and in the background of two center photos)?  That's my NOVEMBER FREEBIE GIVEAWAY!  Follow the link and check it out!  Ends November 30th!

Tomorrow I'll be starting another LITTLE GIVEAWAY but this one will be for ONLY my Followers!  (I know...I know!  How RUDE!) So if you're interested then come back and check it out in the morning!

In the meantime scoot your happy little self down to your closest "ROSS Dress For Less" Store and see what you can uncover for yourself!  Then come back and share it with all of us!

Love to you...