Went to a Garden Party

This would have been an 18th birthday and high school graduation party. I decided to go ahead and have a party anyway.

We had one daughter run away and tell us she wants nothing to do with us, my mom had a serious stroke, changing her life forever, my brother had TWO open heart surgeries in one month, our back patio was poured wrong and had to be jackhammered and redone - leaving us with no backyard for a full summer!

We can rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Tonight we rejoiced in life and the beautiful things.

A ladies only party!

I love these women~

I am blessed beyond measure...


My precious daughter Julianne, age 12, encouraged me one day with these verses:
Rev.3: 7 & 8 "The words of the holy one, the true one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but a little power and yet you have kept my Word and have not denied my name", and said "SEE? You still have some power and you have not denied His name!"

I asked Julianne what she would say about this past year, and I am completely humbled by her sweet, kind, and faithful heart. She wrote this "speech" and the poem at the end:

Today we acknowledge the beautiful unending grace of God, and though we ought to acknowledge God’s grace everyday and time we see and think of our surroundings, we recognize it sometimes more than others. I accept that I am imperfect; I know that we all are not without fault, and that really makes the grace of God even more beautiful, even more majestic, and even more meaningful.

Now to realize God’s grace and to thankfully acknowledge it is two different things. Anyone can see God’s grace but a Christian must thankfully acknowledge it. To thankfully acknowledge God’s grace is to realize that the grace that we receive from God is sacrificial, and that He sent His Son to be our salvation.

To thankfully acknowledge God’s grace is to recognize that the grace of God is one that no person can ever give – that no one is capable of giving any grace with such power and meaning than that of which we receive from God, and to be endlessly grateful for it.

An amazing grace God gave us was life and some if not most of us abuse it when it gets tough, when things don’t go our way, we sin and rebel. But show me the book, chapter, and verse where God said “here is a perfect life! Here is a life of pleasure”. He did not ever say such. He said “in me you will find life” – He did not say a faultless life. No, He did not say “here is a trouble less life” – He said “here in me is life”.

Without my God’s grace what would I be?
The answer is nothing, nothing you see.
His grace is so amazing, it shines so bright
Brighter than any stars, glistening night light
Through good and through bad my God will be here
He’ll be my salvation, my glorious fear.

No Tolentino party is complete without the vultures coming out of the woodwork and descending on the food table - where do all these males come from anyway???