AN APPLE A DAY - KNOWING THE VALUE OF FOODS

DAY 108 OF 365 DAYS TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE 
(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)


THE VERY HIGH VALUE OF WATERCRESS

Do you know the value of the foods you are consuming?  

I mean REALLY?  For instance; I did not know the value of watercress.  For that matter, I thought watercress was just regular lettuce!  I was so wrong, and  when I started checking into the matter I realized how little I had paid attention to certain foods over the years.  Even though watercress is a form of lettuce; it is the very specific form of lettuce that comes in the specific package of small, dark green, scalloped edged leaves with slender stems; not the lettuce you can buy by the head.  

It felt so silly to learn that my thinking on so many  different forms of the foods I eat was totally wrong.  I didn't even understand the difference between regular lettuce and watercress!  What else could I be missing in my food interpretations? If you had asked me I would have said that lettuce is almost all water; so it could not have much nutritional value.  That is what I would have said before I started paying more attention to the stuff I put into my body.  I learned that each type of lettuce is different; and each type has its own story and function.    

If you sought to buy a car you would compare prices and styles and check performances right?  If you purchased a new home you would most likely think about all the quality of the materials that go into making a house a good home for you and your family.  The same theory should be true when you think about renewing your body and keeping it healthy.  You have to consider the qualities of the foods you feed yourself!   You will need to know how to treat your body.  More specifically; you should know which foods you want to be using to make your body the best body it can be.  Just like any other major hurdle you face in life; you need to do your research.  The devil's in the details!  I’m shocked and appalled at how little most people understand about nutrition today.  I DO NOT claim to be a nutritionist; but some things are pretty much common knowledge when you do start paying attention. 

Several years ago I studied computer science.  The very first thing they taught us was “garbage in equals garbage out.”  That phrase would also be a good one to remember when you are making healthy food choices.  The problem is; you need to understand what garbage is and what good food is before you can learn how to only be putting the good stuff into your daily diet.

The scriptures make this very plain.  Isaiah 55:2 says "Eat ye that which is good."  I Corinthians 10:31 says; Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Well; we all have good intentions; but just how do we KNOW the foods which are good?

Keeping this question in mind, I thought a good place to start would be to stroll through a few food choices; including vegetables, fruits, meats and spices, in order to get real familiar with each one available and in order to decide how nutritious they are so that we have a better idea of  what we want to put into our bodies and what we want to avoid. 

We have looked very close at the diet of some monks living in Greece, some common people living in Greece, some people living in Japan, and some other people groups.  As I continued to do this I was struck by the thought that men always disappoint; but God never does.  That made me think about the types of foods that Jesus would have been eating when He was walking around in a physical body.  The bible refers to several of the food types that Jesus was most likely to consume.  They include, pomegranates, fish, honey, olive oil and olives, grapes, vinegar, figs, lamb and bread.  The only thing I am doing different than this list is the fact that I am not eating most breads, and Jesus most likely ate more unleavened bread or flat breads too; so we are even doing that right.  Keep all of these foods at the top of your list and you can't go wrong. 

What else can we know?

I decided to do a little research on which fruits and vegetables and spices are considered the healthiest.  Let’s start with those and work our way through the fruit and vegetable and spices alphabet a little at a time. Well, actually we want to remember this stuff; so let's only take one at a time, off and on, until we know about them all.  Slow and steady progress is good progress.  

Why not start out with a vegetable?

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) has analyzed vegetables and ranked them for nutritional value on a scale from from one to 47.  Each vegetable was checked and analyzed for the amounts of fiber they contained, the protein they contained, and the amount of potassium and vitamins they contained. 

So which vegetable is considered to be the healthiest vegetable you can eat in terms of good nutrition?  

I wasn’t surprised to find that green, leafy vegetables topped the list.  The number one choice though would never have crossed my mind.  It is WATERCRESS.  Watercress has a nutrient density score of 100; which makes it the most nutritious vegetable you can eat.  

Most people eat watercress either in salads or sandwiches.  Keep in mind that leavened bread and flour are not on the diet I’m recommending for good health; but you can eat flat breads. So remember to be putting some watercress on those flat bread sandwiches!

The watercress plant is deep green and  has small, round, scalloped leaves .  It grows in water and because of that  it should always be washed thoroughly, then soaked for half an hour or so in cool water with hydrogen peroxide added (one tablespoon per quart) to remove any pollutants, parasites or other impurities.  After cleaning you can submerge it in water and store in the refrigerator for up to three days before eating.  When you are ready to use it wash it again and separate the leaves from the fibers and roots. 
    

Using this green leafy vegetable in your diet will bring you great benefits.  It is considered an herb actually, and scientists have identified more than 15 vitamins and minerals in watercress.  I was very surprised to learn that watercress contains more iron than spinach, and more calcium than milk, and more vitamin C than oranges.  

Watercress is also very low in calories and contains lots of antioxidants which provide many disease preventative properties.  Watercress is known to inhibit carcinogens. 

Vitamin K is the most prominent nutrient of watercress.  That means this vegetable is good for your bones and that it helps to fight diseases of the brain such as Alzheimer’s disease.  

All of the vitamin C found in this healthy vegetable helps you to fight infections.    It wards off colds and flu and helps your connective tissues to function properly.  It is a great aid in preventing iron deficiencies.  

The vitamin A contained in watercress is good for the retina of your eyes.  Vitamin A also helps to keep your immunity up

The flavanoids produced  from the antioxidants of watercress fight against lung and mouth cancers. 

Sometimes the DNA can become damaged in your blood cells.  Eating watercress daily has the ability to significantly reduce this damage.  When 60 men and women ate one and ½ cups of watercress daily for eight weeks they saw a reduction in triglyceride levels by an average of 10%.  Their lutein and beta-carotene  levels were greatly increased, and they all had lower incidents of eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration.  

Scientists are also finding that certain elements in watercress are helpful in reducing breast cancer. 

Below is one of my favorite uses for watercress.  This is probably one of the healthiest, yet tastiest recipes on earth!

WATERCRESS AND AVOCADO SALAD

(This makes six servings)

Ingredients:

¼ cup rice vinegar (unflavored)

1 Tablespoon grated Vidalia onion

¼ cup grated Gala Apple

4 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon honey (locally grown, please)

3 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin pure, please)

6 cups watercress (washed and chilled with the stems removed)

1 firm ripe avocado

Directions:

Trim watercress ahead and chill in a sealed bag lined with a damp paper towel.  Stir the vinegar, onion, apple, soy sauce and honey together, then add the oil and stir well again.  Toss the watercress with enough dressing to coat the leaves.  Quarter, pit and peel the avocado.  Cut crosswise into ¼ inch slices.  Gently toss all together.  

It is a good idea to try to incorporate some type of use of watercress into your daily intake.  Use it instead of regular lettuce on sandwiches and salads whenever you can.  It is delicious and well worth the little bit of extra effort to include it into your menus.  It should not be too hard to find anywhere that you shop for organic foods; but if you are looking for a regular grocery store; I've found it in bags at Publix.  

This discovery about watercress has really increased my awareness!  I hope like me, you will be eating more watercress!  Just keep saying over and over to yourself - "garbage in equals garbage out."  Soon you will find yourself consuming more and more watercress and less and less garbage.  

Galations 6:7 says; "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."  It seems to be pretty plain that those who break God's rules for caring for their bodies will reap bad health.  That isn't to say that all bad health is a result of human carelessness, of course it isn't!  Some things happen that are far beyond our control, and it is not the fault of anyone.  The above verse is speaking to people who deliberately abuse their bodies; those of us who are not paying attention to our temples.    Just as one who abuses his automobile will reap car trouble eventually, those who continue to break God's laws of health will ultimately experience unwanted serious health problems.  Why not just pay more attention and eat more watercress?  What could it hurt?  These natural established laws that God gave us to allow good nutrition and health are not arbitrary.

So now we have good instruction and knowledge.  Now we know the number one vegetable not to be leaving out of our diet.  It is a great start; and tomorrow is a whole new day.  May your journey to better health habits be a happy one full of the joy that comes from putting good things into your life and leaving the garbage outisde where it belongs.  

COME AS A CHILD LESSON 129 - THERE WILL BE MIRACLES WHEN YOU BELIEVE

CROSSING THE RED SEA WITH COURAGE AND HOPE

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

They were on their way to Canaan Land!  

Pharaoh had set the people free and they were leaving Egypt.  It must have been both exhilarating and frightening at the same time.   Everyone in Egypt knew that the Israelites were slaves of Pharaoh, and the Israelites might encounter troubles because of this fact as they left the country.  People who did not know that Pharaoh had begged them to leave, might want to capture them and take them back in order to gain Pharaoh's favor.  There was great danger for everyone just in leaving.   There was no tv or radio or social media to spread the news back then; no one living in Egypt would have understood that Pharaoh had released them.  They probably had nothing official stating that they had been released.    News traveled slowly either by messenger or by word of mouth; yet the people marched bravely off into the sunset.

The Israelites leaving the land of Egypt would be a lot like illegal immigration is to us today.  They would be traveling to the land of those who bordered Egypt.  They would be entering other countries without official permission.  Many other places did not want thousands of Israeli slaves arriving suddenly upon their doorsteps.  They would be seeking food and water and shelter; most of which the other countries were not willing to give up to them.  These other lands were busy taking care of their own.  They did not need these millions of trespassers and their strange religious ideas.  

Most of these surrounding pagan civilizations bordering Egypt worshipped the same false gods as Egypt, as well as other false gods of their own culture's making.  They would not be welcoming any Israelites worshipping The God of Abraham into their homes as they crossed the borders of Egypt.  The children of God were strangers and pilgrims sojourning in foreign lands.    

With all of this in mind; the Israelites prepared for war the minute they left.  They stayed on constant alert; ready for attack at any time.  They had faith in their God and they were following the cloud and the fire to get where they were going.  They kept trudging on, one step at a time, in whatever direction God led them.    

It might have seemed very odd to the Children of Israel when God suddenly led them to retrace some of their steps.  They had camped at Ramses and Sukkoth and up until that point, they seemed to be headed in a logical direction toward Canaan; but then God told Moses to take them back-tracking and have them encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea directly opposite Baal Zaphon.  

The word Migdol is an interesting name.  In Hebrew the verb form of this word means "to grow up, to become greater, or wealthy."  By bringing the people into the wilderness God was "growing up" Israel.  God was forming them into a mighty nation.  

The noun of the word Migdol in Hebrew means; "a tower"  One builds a tower to see into the distance.  God was giving them (just as he did with Jacob) a "glimpse" into the future.  He was allowing Israel to "see" what they would one day become.  Far into that future one of their greatest Kings (King David) made the statement; "The LORD is a strong tower.  (Psalm 18:10).  

All of the names of the places in which God brought them to when they changed directions were significant.   

  

God even gave Moses a reason for this sudden change in direction:  it was so Pharaoh would think the Israelites were wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.  God again said He would harden Pharaoh’s heart and Pharaoh would pursue them; but God would gain glory through Pharaoh and all of his army and the Egyptians would know that He was God. 

Moses must have swallowed hard after hearing that new development in the plan.  I’m sure it wasn’t easy telling the people that God was enticing Pharaoh to pursue them again!  They had already been brave enough to come out and live in the dangerous desert without a known destination; now they were going to have to face Pharaoh’s army?  

This is part of the story that I have always loved, because you find out right here that the Israelites had finally sold out to God one hundred percent.  They had faith in the cloud and the fire that led them.  They had seen God prove himself over and over again with each of the plagues and they knew that God had supernaturally protected them each time.  Not a word of protest was made!  They listened to God and understood that God was speaking through Moses!  How awesome is that?  No one balked; they simply prepared to do battle and stayed put right in the place where God had led them.  It was a great moment for the nation of Israel!  They had come together in faith under God and they felt invincible.  That is always a great moment for any nation.  It is a very rare and precious time to be living through.  Whenever people and God come together one hundred percent under the leadership of The One True God of Heaven and Earth; you can bet the farm that there will be miracles. You can also bet that humans tend to only keep this attitude for a moment.  Then they quickly fall back to the state of their humanity.  (I hate to have to bring up that last part of the statement!)

So the Israelites went directly to the spot where God was strategically placing them.  They were near Pi  Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea directly opposite Baal Zaphon.  There are some amazing details about this location.  I have learned to pay attention whenever God picks out new routes and names certain places!  The names of the places will usually tell amazing stories; and these names of the places where the Israelites camped certainly did explain themselves!   You might enjoy doing a little homework yourself on these three regional names.  I will be explaining only a portion of the details; they are many.  

From Pi Hahiroth between Migdol and the sea, the people of God could see the mountain called Baal Zaphon.  This wasn’t just any mountain, there were stories and legends about the false god who ruled over this mountain and the mountain itself was said to have powers that protected this god.  The Canaanite storm god was called Baal, which meant “the lord.”  Baal was said to rule over the area known as Mount Zaphon.   

There are lots of interesting and unusual facts associated with Mount Zaphon and Baal.  The first fact has to do with the compass and the word "north."  Even though the direction you would  normally take to climb this mountain was NOT north; because of the mountain’s importance to the people and the religious significance it held for them; it became metonymously known as “North” when translated into Hebrew.  This is very odd but true, and it has caused lots of translation problems and errors in judgment for people studying the Exodus.  It is important to understand in studying Baal Zaphon that there is a type of "false" north associated with the mountain.  You have to realize that sometimes in the scripture references, the term or word "north" isn't really north on the compass.  They are simply referring to a region by the name of "north."    Sometimes in the ancient ways when a region was very powerful and important, it gained the name of "North" even if it was east, west or south in reality.  Often such tricks of deception of reality are used in pagan practices.  It is meant to cause confusion and chaos and to pervert and counterfeit what is actually real.  This is one of the devil's oldest tricks; and he uses it a lot!  This is also why when end time scriptures refer to "the King of the North" some translate this phrase to mean a false god, or a false religion, instead of a place or a region of the north.  Many scholars have come to think that "The King of the North:  is actually referring only to a state of paganism.

So, because of this misapplied name of the mountain, Baal Zaphon was also called by many cultures; “Lord of The North.”  

This same false god called Baal Zaphon was later worshipped by the Greeks who named him "Zeus" and/or "Jupiter Casius"  All of these mythical gods that most of us know from Greek mythology are associated with Baal Zaphon.   They started out being the pagan gods of the Egyptians and the Canaanites.  

This same false god called Baal Zaphon was also named Amun by the Egyptians.   

The many different names for the same pagan god are confusing as you read through the scriptures. So often people studying different cultures in different frames of time do not understand this and they assume they are reading about the worship of a different false god. Once you know this fact it becomes apparent that many pagan people groups worshipped this same false god which they imagined ruled over Mount Zaphon.  He was said to stand huge and tall over two mountain peaks, with one foot on one of the mountain ranges and one foot on the other mountain range next to it.  It was from there that he was said to rule over the sea.  These two mountain peaks he supposedly stood on were what the Children of Israel were gazing directly at from across the sea at the camp where God had led them.  They were stuck there looking directly up at The Mountain of Baal.  Baal worship was heavy in the land where the Israelites were camped; as well as across the sea from them on the mountain that he supposedly reigned from.  This fact was probably not a bit encouraging to The Children of God who were crouched down in full armour, waiting and wondering what would happen next!

So to summarize the moment; here are the Israelites being led by Moses, who is led by God, out of Egypt and through the desert; and they decide to take the road toward the Red Sea.  The pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire went before them; leading them all the way.  They are armed and ready for battle.  They have full faith that God will look after them and take care of them; no matter what.  (I consider this to be the FIRST major miracle, though it did not last very long!)  Suddenly God stops the Israelites and tells them to turn back!  God wants them to camp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and The Red Sea, a very pagan place that would put them directly opposite Baal Zephon! 

Have you ever had God turn you around in midstream from doing what you thought He wanted you to do?  Has He ever led you straight into a pagan land in order to do a holy thing?  It can be very confusing and those are times that always call for great faith.

As we have mentioned many times before; in bringing the people out of Egypt, God was doing more that freeing the Israelites.  He was showing the Egyptians that their false gods were powerless against Him.  He was revealing that He and He alone was The God of the Universe.  Each plague had progressively revealed God’s power and might over a false god.  Now we know that the worship of Baal was carried on throughout the whole area of the Fertile Crescent.  The Mountain of Baal Zaphon was sacred and honored by the people of Egypt and the people with borders to Egypt.  They believed a false god reigned with power and might over that land.  Baal (Zeus/Jupiter Casius/Amun) was known to reign there, and to have powers over the sea.  

Do you see how God was once more setting up to show who He really is?

When Pharaoh was told that the people had fled, he and his officials (once again – surprise, surprise….) changed their minds!  They said to each other; “What have we done?  We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!”  So arrogant Pharaoh and his officials who thought themselves too good to do their own work got their chariots and armies together; six hundred of the best chariots, with many more lesser chariots, and all of the top officials of the army.  All of these officials; horsemen and troops pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth opposite Baal Zephon.  I’m sure a few prayers were offered up to Baal as they traveled.  They were probably VERY overconfident thinking that their false god would destroy the Israelites because they were right in his territory!    

The Israelites looked up to see Pharaoh and all of his army marching after them!  Suddenly they became terrified and they cried out to the LORD.  They turned to Moses and asked him a horrible question; “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?  What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?  Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians?  It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”  Funny how when things are going right; God is always blessing them and they are faithful; but let something go desperately wrong (in their eyes); and Moses was to blame!

I guess the miracle of the moment had passed.  They all had the same typical human instincts again; just like before leaving Egypt.  Even though they had the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire and even though they had seen the plagues up close and personal with their own eyes; their faith was wavering in the very moment they needed it most!  

It is so easy to have faith when you are not facing adversity.  It is much harder to have faith in the heat of a battle.  Moses though; did not panic.  He kept his faith in tact.

Moses turned to the people and said “Do not be afraid!  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.  The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.  The LORD will fight for you; you need only be still.”

There is was again……BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD!  When would they ever learn?  When will WE ever learn?

Moses must have been praying hard!  You know how it is when you tell your children to do something and they just look up at you without moving and you look back at them and say; “Did you not hear what I said?”  It was one of those moments.  

God looked at Moses and said; “Why are you crying out to me?  Tell the Israelites to move on!  Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.  I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them.  And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all of his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.  The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen!”

Can’t you just see Moses now?  I can imagine him saying; “Oh Yeah…..my staff!!!!!  I forgot about my staff!  Will that REALLY work?  God said it would; so I know it will.  After all; I used it in Egypt and it worked!  Why did I not think of that myself?  I have everything I need; God has provided it……I just need to go use it!”  

Aren’t we all so much like Moses here?  God has equipped us all with absolutely everything that we need to live and thrive.  We have God's ear.  We have salvation.  We have prayer.  We have God's Holy Spirit living within us.  We have eternal life.  We have been given the best ways to live by the Only True God.  For some reason though, we forget to use the power of God to bring about our miracle.  We have it in us; we are well equipped.  We just aren’t using what we have been given from God.  

Are you facing impossible circumstances much like the children of Israel?  Maybe things even look like sure and sudden death; turn around and use the power that God has given you!  

Put the power of God in charge of helping and healing your circumstances!  Do not forget Who you serve.  He will see you through; even when it looks impossible.

So Moses looked around and found his brain, and used the power that God had already provided.  I’m sure he prayed first.  As Moses talked with God, the next miracle began to happen.  The Angel of God who had been traveling in front of the Israelites (here called God’s army) withdrew and went behind them.  The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them.  They stood between the armies of Israel and the armies of Egypt.  Through the night the cloud made darkness on the side of Pharaoh and  light on the side of the Israelites.  This kept them separate from each other.  Pharaoh's army could not see the Children of Israel.  All night long the Israelites were protected and sheltered from harm. 

Then Moses gathered his faith and did exactly what God had told him to do.  He stretched out his hand over the sea and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.  All of the waters of the sea were divided into two sides with a strip of dry land in between them. 

Those Israelites walked right through the sea on dry ground.  Not a drop of water got on them!  Can you imagine what that was like?  It would have taken great courage to walk through such a place with tons of water walled up on your left and right; not knowing how it got there that way, or how it would stay that way, or for how long it would stay that way; but they gathered their courage, trusted God and stepped right over that little strip of dry land into a place of freedom and joy.  Not only had God provided them a way to walk through two huge walls of water; their God had defeated the false god of the sea! 

Here comes Pharaoh and his army right behind them.  They stood on the other shore the next day after the Israelites had spent all night crossing the sea.  Pharaoh's army gazed into the dry land with huge walls of water on each side.  They must have thought that Baal Zaphon had come to their aid, and this would be their victory!  I am sure if they had realized it was The One True God of the Israelites who was holding back the walls of the sea, they would never have driven their horses and chariots into the sea between those great walls of water.  

Putting their trust in all the wrong sources; those followers of Pharaoh dove right into the bed of the sea and pursued the Israelites; very sure of their victory; blindly putting their faith in their false god; quickly forgetting all that the REAL God had proven with the plagues back in Egypt.  

The Israelites had walked to safety by now and were standing on the other shore; and soon Pharaoh and his army learned exactly who was in control of the sea!  During this last watch of the night, the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.  He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving.  The Egyptians said “Let’s get away from the Israelites!  The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt!”    

Then God told Moses “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.”  Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back into its natural place.  The Egyptians were fleeing, and the LORD swept them into the sea.  The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen – the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.  Not one of them survived.  Not one Israelite was lost.  The LORD had saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and the people feared the LORD and put their trust in Him and they trusted Moses as God’s appointed servant. 

So I ask you; children of God today; are you afraid?  

We are living in a time when we MUST trust God to deliver us through much more than a troubled sea.  Are you using what He has given you?  He has equipped you to walk through the wilderness and cross the sea.  Don’t ever doubt the power of The One and Only God of Heaven and Earth.  He will get you through to the other side.  

I am reminded of a song with lyrics written by David Haas; called “You Are Mine:”  Here is the link to it  on You-Tube, if you wish to use it in your worship today.  Sing it out before God to let Him know that your heart is full; and you are convicted to follow Him wherever He leads  . 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14pPevY5sd8

Keep singing; Keep praying;  Keep following the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night (God's Holy Spirit working in your life.)  Keep worshiping and keep walking.  Keep telling others the gospel!  Keep reaching out!  Keep overcoming!

I’ll be seeing you there, over on the other side of the sea!

THE HOUSE DOCTOR - SETTING SEASONAL STYLES

ANOTHER WAY OF BRINGING THE BEACH INSIDE FOR SUMMER

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

No one loves the beach more than me or my family.  We love everything about it and as soon as we leave we are already making plans for the next time we can return.  That is why I love to give our home a beachy theme every summer.  

A few weeks ago I wrote about turning your home into a beach cottage for the summer months.  I spoke of several ways that can transform a house into a beach retreat (even if you are not really there) during the long hot days of summer.  That article contained several classic decorating tips and photos of what I've used several times over the years inside our home to achieve this "let's hold on to summer" look. If you are seeking ideas for summer decorating that are beachy; here is the link: http://dancinginseason.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-house-doctor-setting-seasonal-styles.html.

Some years are different than others.  Life is always changing and nothing ever stays exactly

the same; but it all is good!  This article is full of beachy themes too, but it will be about a more casual, more modern and trendy type of beach cottage look.  I guess the words that describe this look best would be "lots of sunshine and bright beach colors."    

If you are doing this type of theme-decorating that I do; by following along with all the changing seasons of each year; it is always fun to change up the look of your themes from year to year.  Variety is always more interesting and there are a million and one ways to emphasize the beach look inside your home.  On this particular year that I'm thinking of; when summer approached I wanted to incorporate some color schemes using coral.  I wanted a more trendy, “pop-looking,” colorful entrance.  Of course I wanted people to feel the wonder of the beach when they first walked into the house. 

It all started with our front door.  On the outside I hung an old wooden cross that has been used a lot at our house with many different themes.  It has a weathered look and is like something you might see for sale at the seashore.  I added a little sign that said “by the seashore.”  Your imagination could naturally take over after that.  The little pops of blue really added to the effect I was seeking.  I loved it.  We were off to a good start right outside the front door!

I kept the inside of the door very simple but beachy by hanging a blue wooden boat anchor that I already had on the inside.  It looked great against the solid white door.

One day I was out shopping and thinking about the way I wanted the foyer to look.  I was wondering how I could pull in some brighter beachy colors and add the coral colors that I wanted.   I saw this canvas print that said “Easy Living” and I thought that was just the feeling I wanted to achieve with the house during the beach season.  The painting was very inexpensive; but it had all the right mix of the trendy beach colors I wanted to use, and because it was a sailboat and I had a lot to go with that theme, you know I had to purchase it.  When I got it home and hung it on the wall it became the palette for my whole color scheme for the main part of the house.  The colors in that painting were exactly what I needed to add that little touch of cheer that I had been looking for. 

I thought of some brightly colored bottles that I had scattered around the house and gathered them together to add to the chest under the painting.  

Two starfish from last year’s beach look just seemed to go perfectly.  

The first ten steps into the foyer were covered. 

I was liking the progress of this fresh beach cottage look. 

The year before I had used a large sail boat on the portable bar where your eye rested as you were coming inside the front door.  I still thought it was a good idea, it would fit right in with the entrance painting of a sailboat, but it would add some more natural colors and tone down the bright colors I had incorporated a bit.  I pulled it out and set it in place.  I liked it.  I kept it and used it again this year.

Since I was mixing boats into the decor; I found another one I had in storage and put it across the living room beside a lamp on the floor.  I added a little blue daisy into the setting for a bit more color.  I liked it.  I kept it there. 

Mixing a few basic colors and classic tones with the trendy things seemed to only add interest.  

The foyer was coming together just fine.  The next place my eye went to was the couch table behind the sofa.  I knew it needed something; but I had not quite decided.  I put that off for awhile and let the rest of the room evolve first.  

I found some pillows with a touch of coral mixed with gray.  They seemed to help to add some touches of coral in the room.  I arranged them on the sofa and liked the way they blended into the effects I was aiming to pull together. 

I set my re-purposed chair (I painted it antique white) in the corner by the window and added a contrasting sky blue pillow with a gray seashell design that coordinated with the little bit of gray in the sofa cushions.  I had the photo of Tom’s Pop at the beach that I always bring out in the summer.  (We miss him so much!)   It looks elegant here in front of the sailor’s lantern that I usually always use too.  Most everything was something I usually use every summer, but the painting and the pillows switched up the decorating order into something new and fresh. 

Our coffee table is large and black and things show up well on it.  I always find it easy to use in showing off little treasures.  I wanted something very beachy to go on it's surface.  I have several books about summer vacations and thought they would certainly fit the mood.  I continued the focus on colored bottles and added some blue glass with some clear glass bottles.  I gave them a beach look by filling them up with shells and set them on a silver tray.  I enhanced this by placing a little accent of white lace on top, and a pretty little blue starfish to the side of the arrangement.  All of this made a pretty splash of beach color right in the middle of the room.  

I figured I couldn’t go wrong by adding the old familiar starfish ash tray that I pull out almost ever year.  The coffee table was looking just the way I had envisioned for this summer beach cottage.  I caught myself thinking about shopping for a bathing suit and wondering where I had left my sunglasses and my white floppy hat.  

The book on summer vacations was inspiring me.  I put my feet up for a little while and dreamed of summer adventures before moving on with the decorating.  That is the wonderful thing about summer; you needn’t ever be in a hurry and there is always time for dreaming. 

  

So....back to the task at hand.  What was missing?   

Well, I still felt the need for more coral.  I solved this the next time I browsed through The Christmas Tree Shop.  They have great inexpensive summer decorating items.   I found these small decorative wooden beach chairs that were just the right shade of coral and very cheerful and novel.  I bought four of them and brought them home with me.  I sat two of them (one on each side) on the couch table that I had re-purposed and painted antique white.  They added just the splash of color that I wanted. 

I liked this so much that I put the other two chairs (they have little yellow flip-flops hanging over them with a little hemp rope) across the room on each side of the mantle above the fireplace. 

This novel touch of coral color sort of tied the look together.  I added another starfish just above the fireplace.   I stood back to see the effect.  Overall it was just what I was after, a room full of natural light, with mostly white furniture, and little pops of color here and there.   I added a nautical looking lantern between the chairs and set it on top of a white boat steering wheel.   The rope on the nautical lantern and the jars on the coffee table added to the nautical feel of the room.    I found some warm cozy pillows to put on one side of my other white sofa.  This added some softness against some of the bold sharp colors.  The calico cat just gave a more casual, I'm home sort of feel to it all.  Everything so far began to feel very cozy.

  

I carried the same cheerful trendy-beach theme through the rest of the main living areas.

  I placed scattered bowls of starfish in the dining room and I used the same wooden bowl full of candles and sea shells in my kitchen again, only this time I used a plastic platter of blue and white squares instead of my large black tray.

I scattered little ships everywhere, and I went a bit wild by adding a banner in the kitchen window.  You need something a little novel to make a statement sometimes.  I thought the banner was fun and nautical too.

  

I had re-purposed two old bar stools by painting them a deep bright blue color.  They not only went well with my summer beach look; but they gave me extra bar stools to sit around my counter height table in the middle of the room. I enhanced the look by putting some nautical looking pillows in each bar stool and setting them on each side of the buffet table near the window. 

With hardly any trouble at all our home had taken on a whole new beach cottage look.  

This was on a year that we DID make it to the beach.  You know that feeling; how hard it is to leave it all behind when it is time to come home?  

Returning to our little bit of the beach inside our home only made our great memories last longer!

Having more beach photos to add to my ever growing framed memories for our beach cottage is icing on the cake after having so much fun at the beach.  

I love having a home that flows with the seasons and keeps the memory making going on all year long.  We will enjoy this beachy look all the way up to the end of September.  

Ships ahoy!  Here is wishing you smooth sailing through your summer decorating schemes.