tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post8818000540459667810..comments2023-04-04T15:41:24.585-04:00Comments on Grace with Silk: Familiar TerritoryAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04641003094865906821noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-6559560320138112202016-12-06T16:15:23.168-05:002016-12-06T16:15:23.168-05:00Hi Somer,
That's right -- I remember reading y...Hi Somer,<br />That's right -- I remember reading your post about St. Augustine! It seemed funny to me to see it in the summer since I always go at Thanksgiving and it's usually a little chilly. There's so much there to see and appreciate -- I just love it! You are so right about relationships -- we have to constantly be ready to change our perspectives in our relationships and I think that's a good thing! xoxo Love you too!Valerie Siscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06235325506474887234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-78572487223919805012016-12-06T07:49:18.958-05:002016-12-06T07:49:18.958-05:00Valerie I really enjoyed this post. As usual. I we...Valerie I really enjoyed this post. As usual. I went to St Augustine this summer. I thought of you. I had forgotten what time of year you went. I really enjoyed the historic area and found myself wishing I had some alone time to explore. I liked all of your references to seeing the old as something new. That's so hard. It's true in relationships too. People grow and change so our relating with them and to them does as well. We have to be flexible. <br />Your story of the old building was interesting. I know you could make something stunning out of that :)<br />Love U! Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01897455324381891849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-21219042150844225432016-12-02T14:25:16.661-05:002016-12-02T14:25:16.661-05:00Hi Lesley,
It is! Getting that blend of fresh and ...Hi Lesley,<br />It is! Getting that blend of fresh and familiar is an interesting mix and I think it might be a special blend for each of us! :) Thanks for reading here!Valerie Siscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06235325506474887234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-75579956176481253052016-12-02T14:24:23.971-05:002016-12-02T14:24:23.971-05:00Hi Tiffany,
I'm grateful we are ever changing,...Hi Tiffany,<br />I'm grateful we are ever changing, ever moving forward, too! xoValerie Siscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06235325506474887234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-18702055430089349372016-12-01T23:43:49.777-05:002016-12-01T23:43:49.777-05:00What an amazing adventure, Valerie, and a lovely w...What an amazing adventure, Valerie, and a lovely way to spend the holiday. I love your perspective on embracing what God has written over our lives with fresh eyes. I'm so grateful that we have a God who doesn't leave us as He found us and that in Him, there is always the hope for transformation in our lives. Hugs, friend - thank you for sharing your journey with us!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14632383537232933520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-84354472572105732142016-12-01T14:54:57.475-05:002016-12-01T14:54:57.475-05:00I loved the photos and reading about your adventur...I loved the photos and reading about your adventure as you explored the house. There is something comforting about the familiar but it's important to be open to the new as well, especially when God is doing something new. I guess like most things it's a question of getting the balance.Lesleyhttp://lifeinthespaciousplace.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-43055342422697799542016-12-01T10:26:32.052-05:002016-12-01T10:26:32.052-05:00Hi Sarah,
Looking at the vintage photo of the hous...Hi Sarah,<br />Looking at the vintage photo of the house in all its former glory made me wish for better days for it too!Valerie Siscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06235325506474887234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-85615397504930514072016-12-01T10:25:20.006-05:002016-12-01T10:25:20.006-05:00Hi Bettie,
Oh yes, Eugenia Price did write her bea...Hi Bettie,<br />Oh yes, Eugenia Price did write her beautiful words about Georgia and Florida, didn't she? I have enjoyed her books through the years, too. I am so glad God never gives up on our stories! xoxoValerie Siscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06235325506474887234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-28405729039970274672016-12-01T10:23:50.918-05:002016-12-01T10:23:50.918-05:00Hi Linda,
I think we need a balance of the new and...Hi Linda,<br />I think we need a balance of the new and familiar but often I'm not quite sure what I want! :) Both are good in their own ways, aren't they? Thank you for the Advent wishes . . . this is a most profound season to consider! xoValerie Siscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06235325506474887234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-59319977845582811432016-12-01T10:21:03.651-05:002016-12-01T10:21:03.651-05:00Susie,
I'm delighted you would draw the St. Au...Susie,<br />I'm delighted you would draw the St. Augustine door and I must see it! :) (I missed your art and post this week, but the way.) Isn't that amazing how when we ask for a fresh revelation, it may not come immediately but if we keep looking for it, God always shows us a new attribute or draws our attention so something we've overlooked? <br /><br />I'm so glad you came along with me on my virtual house tour! It makes me think there is always something to discover around the corner! xoxoValerie Siscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06235325506474887234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-71489188703376047232016-12-01T07:26:38.336-05:002016-12-01T07:26:38.336-05:00We love St Augustine so I am glad to see the hurri...We love St Augustine so I am glad to see the hurricane didn't do too much lasting damage.<br />The story of the house made me sad. That poor lady living there as a recluse for decades. :( it sounds like her house is in good hands though!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-71112125152042832102016-11-30T22:16:47.461-05:002016-11-30T22:16:47.461-05:00Dear Valerie, Once again your traveling with words...Dear Valerie, Once again your traveling with words has touched a deep place in my heart. This: "What if we dipped our pens in fresh ink to join him in how he’s writing {and rewriting} our stories?" brought tears to my eyes. HE truly is always at work in the writing of our stories! Oh, and I loved the photos of St. Augustine. They reminded me of the stories of one of my favorite authors, Eugenia Price, who wrote historical fiction about Georgia and Florida. Thank you for sharing such beautiful words! Hugs and Blessings!! <br /><br />BettieGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01184677704960428160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-59736714092854699832016-11-30T21:24:00.646-05:002016-11-30T21:24:00.646-05:00Hi Valerie- I am so glad you had a good Thanksgivi...Hi Valerie- I am so glad you had a good Thanksgiving! It looks amazing-! I just love this post and hearing about the old house! Thank you for taking pictures and sharing your story so beautifully -It made my night! I love what you said about being new everyday- That is encouraging because somedays I feel a bit stale hahah I need new!!- I was just praying today how I want to see something new about Jesus this Christmas-I want a fresh revelation something brand new from His heart to mine- and your thoughts just confirm and help encourage me to keep looking asking and expecting to find something new by the manger. Also I wanted to tell you- I just finished another page in my journalling Bible and I drew your picture of this beautiful door-(hope that is ok) I thought it was perfect for the verse about “better is one day in your house than ten thousands elsewhere..” Anyway thanks for encouraging me and pointing my heart to Jesus tonight! (i needed it! :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-59525667680466807312016-11-30T18:22:23.511-05:002016-11-30T18:22:23.511-05:00Oh what fun! What gorgeous bones, what potential....Oh what fun! What gorgeous bones, what potential. Here's hoping that this once grand beauty will get to come alive once again. I was captivated from picture #1.<br /><br />And yes. I always say I want to go new places, try new things, but the truth is that what I really want is familiar. It's there that I somehow take a deep breath and know that all will be well.<br /><br />Advent blessings to you, dear creative friend ...Linda Stollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15568264417855502332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-35893412003745805532016-11-30T16:32:19.167-05:002016-11-30T16:32:19.167-05:00Hi Cheryl,
So happy to meet you too and so glad to...Hi Cheryl,<br />So happy to meet you too and so glad to hear you love St. Augustine too! I saw Mr. Flagler's grave this time and I love how you and your husband prayed in that chapel! There's so much history and beauty in that old city and it's such a great place to check out all the little side streets and hidden gardens! Thanks so much for coming on my house adventure with me! Valerie Siscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06235325506474887234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-71166612460082429522016-11-30T16:29:59.708-05:002016-11-30T16:29:59.708-05:00Hi Trudy,
Yes I think God wants to take us deeper ...Hi Trudy,<br />Yes I think God wants to take us deeper and higher but it's all about how willing we are to follow and how much we can tolerate being interrupted, isn't it? Who knows what we miss when we hesitate on becoming new or different or changed? I'm so glad you could come along on my little house tour and that you enjoyed the photos! (You'll find no frogs here!) xoxoValerie Siscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06235325506474887234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-61759911371411007962016-11-30T16:25:46.244-05:002016-11-30T16:25:46.244-05:00Wouldn't that be amazing to redo an old house?...Wouldn't that be amazing to redo an old house? Its sounds as if you already have great experience at it! I think I would need a lot of help (I don't have great fix-it skills) but it would be a fascinating project. :)Valerie Siscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06235325506474887234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-24301655814952250872016-11-30T16:05:40.873-05:002016-11-30T16:05:40.873-05:00Oh, WOW!! I just LOVED reading this post! We, to...Oh, WOW!! I just LOVED reading this post! We, too, love St. Augustine! We have only been there twice, but it just fascinated me. I loved the old churches downtown...especially the one that holds the tomb of the Flaglers...it seems like it had the tomb of Mr. Flagler's daughter, Jenny, and possibly, her infant, too? And, the little chapel...I called it the fertility chapel. When my husband and I were struggling with infertility, we went there, and I remember praying in that chapel. Oh, I absolutely adored reading about and seeing the neat pictures of the old house you toured. This was a Divine appointment for you, for sure! What a neat thing to get to do! Oh, I do hope Pat will restore the home to its original beauty. I just wonder about that woman who lived in there as a recluse all those years. There are so many neat questions that go through the mind while touring and thinking about an old house. Thank you SO much for sharing your adventure with us here! I am visiting you for the first time from Holley's link-up, and I am ever so glad I clicked over! So very happy to meet you!Cherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01891257905649460436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-13257097150836967962016-11-30T14:30:20.918-05:002016-11-30T14:30:20.918-05:00You have such a special way of inviting us into an...You have such a special way of inviting us into and making us feel a part of your adventures, Valerie. Also of helping us to see beauty in old, worn-down buildings and sites. Your words and photos are always so intriguing. And I am amazed how you always weave in a special spiritual lesson. This captures my heart and gives me reflection - "What if instead of going through the motions of the mind-numbing familiar, we searched out a new side of God?" As I read the verses, too, I thought - What if I would anticipate the new more? Thank you for your inspiring encouragement to search out deeper revelations of God. Advent blessings to you! Hugs!<br />Trudyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05179372917600231306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-52388385242344215262016-11-30T12:25:44.566-05:002016-11-30T12:25:44.566-05:00Oh, boy! I would LOVE to redo an old house like th...Oh, boy! I would LOVE to redo an old house like that! It's on my secret bucket list (of course, I don't have all the skills necessary, but I've redone a house of two with my dad, and if he helped....). I love the comparison that you make. We don't often like growth because it feels uncomfortable (or even painful), but it sure changes us for the better! Without the circulating powers of growth, we stagnate and decay. blestbutstresthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02058280295906350992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-13546766814041721702016-11-30T11:17:26.730-05:002016-11-30T11:17:26.730-05:00Hi Lynn,
Oh you'd love St. Augustine! Yes, Pat...Hi Lynn,<br />Oh you'd love St. Augustine! Yes, Pat told us that she used to take groceries to the lady in the house but she was used to living that way, among the debris. Originally she'd had an antique store on the ground floor and lived on the second floor but that was in the 1970s. Aren't old houses just fascinating?! Thanks for sharing my fun adventure with me! I contribute one travel article a month to CulturewithTravel.com and we do a Twitter chat every Thursday -- come join us! Thanks for asking! :)Valerie Siscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06235325506474887234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-26625875012470300172016-11-30T10:38:43.423-05:002016-11-30T10:38:43.423-05:00Oh my gosh, I couldn't help but wonder about t...Oh my gosh, I couldn't help but wonder about the lady that lived there prior. What is her story? Why was she a recluse and how is one thinking when one lives in such historical beauty on the outside, but oh so much decay on the inside? You've captured all of this beautifully with your images and words Valerie. Is there somewhere you share where your travel articles are published? I know there must be some, yes? And I now crave a road trip to St. Augustine but shall need a few weeks of travel time at least from my northern place! Lynn J Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04573498994019644656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-42706901424472262592016-11-30T10:22:42.898-05:002016-11-30T10:22:42.898-05:00Heather,
It was so fascinating to get to go inside...Heather,<br />It was so fascinating to get to go inside -- I just loved it! I was Nancy Drew herself for a few hours! :) I love it that your Thanksgiving service mentioned St. Augustine -- you will have to come see it sometime! :) Oh -- fresh eyes -- love that word picture -- as we unwrap this holiday season -- always beautiful, my friend! xoValerie Siscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06235325506474887234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-70280523483282308362016-11-30T10:21:11.011-05:002016-11-30T10:21:11.011-05:00Hi Julie,
Thanks for coming along with me on this ...Hi Julie,<br />Thanks for coming along with me on this old-house adventure! It was an unexpected surprise in that very familiar place and I loved being taken behind the No Trespassing signs! :)Valerie Siscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06235325506474887234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237333093557464861.post-55099851984305547652016-11-30T10:19:31.977-05:002016-11-30T10:19:31.977-05:00Brittany,
Pat is a miracle-worker for houses! She ...Brittany,<br />Pat is a miracle-worker for houses! She brings the best out of them and breathes new life in them and I'm excited to see her work next year too!Valerie Siscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06235325506474887234noreply@blogger.com