Today we are journeying down memory lane…I have brewed a strawberry tea & today’s treat is my homemade Gf banana muffin, warmed & spread with lashings of Lf butter which is slowly melting upon its deliciousness…

Hearts Full of Joy & Gladness

Several years ago my youngest daughter invited me for afternoon tea on Mother’s day. My grandchildren met me at the door rather excited.

As I walked into the house I could see why…a beautiful setting was set before me, my daughter had prepared a delicious High Tea.

There were two double tiered servers laden with delicious treats! Mini quiches, petite triangle sandwiches, mini cupcakes, cookies & piklets with homemade strawberry jam.

There were several choices of tea, beautiful antique cups, saucers, teapots, sugar bowl, milk jug & bunches of my favorite flowers placed on the table.

She had gone to a great deal of effort freshly baking all the treats herself, bought & borrowed serving items & planned this special surprise for weeks…

We all enjoyed this special tea time with its delicious treats, mutual chatter & laughter over fun family memories. I felt so blessed that she had planned this out & done all this work to specifically honor me.

When I finally said my goodbyes, my heart was so full of joy & gladness…

Her 60th

I had enjoyed it so much….I thought I would do the same for my friend….You meet her in Heart matters!…as a 60th birthday gift.

I prepared all her favorite treats…I set the table in our front garden under our pergola with my best linen, antique crockery & silverware…All was set & looked amazing!

She arrived….we started this special birthday luncheon…but things didn’t go as planned…

It was a really hot Summer’s day & our neighbor had decided to locate their compost bin right beside our front outdoor seating area!

We ended up having to transfer everything indoors because of the offensive odor & plague of flies that were attracted to it…

Though it actually was cooler indoors & we continued our time together feeling less harassed by the heat & the flies…

After my friend left… I sat….feeling a little disappointed at the chain of events that had unfolded, feeling that it had not been the special gift I had envisaged & planned…

While I was sitting there reflecting,  I heard a text message arrive, it was from my friend…thanking me for the time spent in creating the High Tea luncheon, stating that she felt so honored that I had made her birthday special & how much she had enjoyed it!

Through different eyes

Sometimes things don’t go as we planned…do they…no matter how much planning, organization, effort, desire, passion or prayer we have put into it…

Life just doesn’t go as we had hoped…

We get understandably disappointed at the outcome or we can choose to see it through different eyes…

You see, my friend had not known the plans I had had for the experience…she didn’t know it had not gone as I had envisaged!

But viewing it through her eyes it had been an enjoyable experience!

We can’t control the world around us, but we can control our actions, reactions, attitudes & behaviors to every & any situation in our lives…it’s all in the way we view it!

I pray that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened, so you may know His calling…

Ephesians 1:18-19

Until next time….

Jennifer

You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook

Or 

In Prayer

© 2018 Jennifer M. Ross, teawithjennifer.blog All rights reserved. Photos on Pexels.com

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