Just Mommy & Me Journal!!

Who says we have to stop doing  certain things when we are growing up?

 This worlds culture is just distorted and twisted.. If we don't have the heart of our children while they are growing up, we won't when they leave home!! 

I felt the Lord give me this idea several years ago, it's just a regular notebook repurposed! 

Sure I could go out and buy big fancy journals but it just wouldn't seem as personal and wouldn't mean as much, let me explain. 

This journal in particular is for Kaity & I, so I decorate it to her style with a bit of my flair to it. 

It is a journal for no one else but Kaity and I!! 

The purpose is to write to each other, share our hearts, write to God, journal our thoughts. 

No rules no pressure no time line.... 

We will just go and  get it and write in it and trade it back and forth. 

By Kaity observing me putting forth the effort to make this pretty, it showed her.. I CARE!! 

It's so much deeper than just something to do, it's meant as s tool to be used by God to combat this worlds pull on our hearts during this season of her life and have the freedom and open door to be honest and blunt without judgment or criticism... 

Facts vs. Feelings

(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) – 2 Cor 5:7 KJV

By faith, not appearance; God never wants us to look at our feelings. Self may want us to; and Satan may want us to. But God wants us to face facts, not feelings; the facts of Christ and of His finished and perfect work for us.

When we face these precious facts, and believe them because God says they are facts, God will take care of our feelings.

God never gives feeling to enable us to trust Him; God never gives feeling to encourage us to trust Him; God never gives feeling to show that we have already and utterly trusted Him. 

God gives feeling only when He sees that we trust Him apart from all feeling, resting on His own Word, and on His own faithfulness to His promise.

Never until then can the feeling (which is from God) possibly come; and God will give the feeling in such a measure and at such a time as His love sees best for the individual case.

We must choose between facing toward our feelings and facing toward God’s facts. Our feelings may be as uncertain as the sea or the shifting sands. God’s facts are as certain as the Rock of Ages, even Christ Himself, who is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Jam Time =)

Vanilla Pear Jam! 

Plum Jam

The two "re-purposed" jelly jars are for my Mother&Grandmother to have. 

 From peeling, pitting , cooking/slow-roaster/crock-pot to this....

2 Gallons of the Plum Jam &

1 1/2 Gallons of the Vanilla Pear Jam!!!

Everyone is really enjoying it in our home. 

Used the food saver to seal the jars & we are set on Jam for a VERY LONG time! 

=) 

It was fun doing it together with the Girls. 

This was from last week. 

A few pic from the storm yesterday AM

This is an image snapped from our security camera after the storm and was just a light rain.

Another pic from our security camera by the back of the house. Where you see the dirt is where Hubby was trying to build up a rim around the big hole to prevent more water & dirt filling it up.

Took this right before hubby was trying to leave for work. This was not there before the storm and was a concrete surface. It all gave way & collapsed, this doesn't show how large in width & depth it really is. 

Hubby was late for work due to MANY side roads as well as the freeways blocked off & closed down. 

The wind was so fierce it blew a good amount of rain through the Blackfoot of the house & soaked the entry way right there by the door. 

Our roof leaked, the church leaked some but more of the water damage was by the two rear doors. Not sure about the dorm but hubby & girls did see the dining hall by the back door had flooded&was stinking. But minimal compared to stories from around the valley & we are thankful for that. 

Kaity in a baking mood Sat evening! It was yummy =) 

She made it all including the pie filling, by scratch!!! 

Still here!!!

I know I asked y'all to follow our journey via this blog... But as you know life is crazy busy within and of itself and throw in a heaping spoon each of health issues, loosing my dear mother n love, and another hospital stay for me... There's a perfect recipe for no blogging. 

 Needless to say but I'm going to anyway, I'm a people person and a talker! 

  This season of life finds me struggling to find the words to express not just what I am feeling but even the little day to day things and I don't care for that. So I'm going to by the help of The Lord be willing to open up and share some of our day to day stuff.. Ya know the 'journey' part. 

     This past year has been..... Wow...... Very different in both good&hard challenges. 

Example#1 at the moment would be, as I started to type this sentence I had to go one handed due to the severity of pain & partial paralysis going on. 

It gets very frustrating at times when I can't do simple things I enjoy such as blogging. 

Scrap booking/card making/ mixed media kind of stuff. 

When I'm "down" physically I still like to keep motivated by reading my Bible, writing of any kind, of course teaching our three High School Girls, doing my work in the church with clerical type duties ect. 

 But of late I'm not able to push myself anyway regardless of the pain.. But this is temporary because each task that is VERYimportant and even some not so much, Jesus helps me in many different ways to accomplish these things. 

When I can't it really bothers me but I'm praying daily that Jesus will help me learn the lessons He has for me in and during these trials and season of life. 

God is so very good to us and we have so many wonderful blessings to count, once I start counting them and naming them out, oh my!!!!!!!!! 

Gods goodness and mercy and long suffering towards me is amazing and leaves me with just.... 

A Holy awe at the wonder of how magnificent & powerful He is, yet loves me... 

Really loves me and reaches way down to where I'm at to direct me, guide me, encourage me, touch me so I can finish the night or day I might be struggling with. 

 

He helps my dear hubby through each and every day, our girls in every way... 

Can I just stop right here to testify a moment to the Holy, Almighty, All knowing personal Saviour, 

Jesus Christ my Lord! Oh. I never want to get over what a wonder He is, as the song goes. 

' What a wonder HechNged my life and helped me start over again, He cleaned me up inside and then out!! Gave me anew start, new beginning, and blesses me just because He can and that's who He is!!! 

I heard a preacher say "if ya don't like who I am just hang in there, Gods got me in the oven and he's working in the kitchen&one day He'll open that oven to pull me out & say well done thy good and faithful servant" 

I've always said I'm a mess at times but I'm a mess for Jesus now... THAT my friend is what makes all the difference in the world and for eternity. 

Well I say this is a good Start and so I will pause here, 

Other hand getting tired now too 😉

Keep looking up and stay tuned for the rest of the story!!!! 

Until next time! Good Lords will!!! 

Alone, yet not alone!!!

Alone

So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. – Deut 32:12 KJV

“The hill was steep, but cheered along the way
By converse sweet, I mounted on the thought
That so it might be till the height was reached;
But suddenly a narrow winding path
Appeared, and then the Master said, ’My child,
Here thou wilt safest walk with Me alone.’

“I trembled, yet my heart’s deep trust replied,
’So be it, Lord.’ He took my feeble hand
In His, accepting thus my will to yield Him
All, and to find all in Him.
One long, dark moment,
And no friend I saw, save Jesus only.

“But oh! so tenderly He led me on
And up, and spoke to me such words of cheer,
Such secret whisperings of His wondrous love,
That soon I told Him all my grief and fear,
And leaned on His strong arm confidingly.

“And then I found my footsteps quickened,
And light ineffable, the rugged way
Illumined, such light as only can be seen
In close companionship with God.

“A little while, and we shall meet again
The loved and lost; but in the rapturous joy
Of greetings, such as here we cannot know,
And happy song, and heavenly embraces,
And tender recollections rushing back
Of pilgrim life, methinks one memory
More dear and sacred than the rest, shall rise,

“And we who gather in the golden streets,
Shall oft be stirred to speak with grateful love
Of that dark day when Jesus bade us climb
Some narrow steep, leaning on Him alone.”
“There is no high hill but beside some deep valley.
There is no birth without a pang.”
—Dan Crawford