All The Things, America, farm life, farmhouse, God-Sized Dreams, Gratitude, homestead, liberty, Life in General, lifestyle, wellness

Be a Good Steward

Anyone else looking for other shopping alternatives? No? Just me? 👀

Over the last few years, things have shifted, in a big way, for me.

I’ve been more conscious of what we consume, in every way. I’m having to make my dollars stretch a LOT farther. I’ve had to let go a lot of things. I’m reusing and repurposing anything I can. I’m cooking and baking from scratch, gardening, getting chickens, etc. It’s a whole thing! 🌱🐓💐

Since I’m an America First 🇺🇸 kind of girl, I’ve been really conscious of spending my dollars with like minded shops/stores/people, as well as local.

It’s super important to me. God has bestowed upon me blessing after blessing and I must be a good steward of those blessings.

Thankfully, I’ve found one such place that checks many of my boxes.

  • Made in the USA
  • Clean & non-toxic
  • Affordable
    …just to name a few

I am now working to swap all the gross toxic crap with healthier options. Under my kitchen and bathroom sink, in my medicine cabinet, including supplements! I’m really excited to get everything swapped over and share with you my thoughts on it. It’s all part of our journey in going from cottage to farmhouse!

America, God-Sized Dreams

Happy 246th Birthday, America!

Happy Independence Day, friends! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Even today, with all the nonsense going on in our great nation, we are a FREE people. We are free to worship. We are free to choose. We are free to love. We are free to serve one another with grateful hearts. We are free to gather. We are free to speak our minds. We are free to disagree. We are free to protect our families and property (All God given rights, by the way). All because ‘some old guys’ stood up and said NO MORE to government control. We are free to do the same. Our founding documents make it so.

So while you’re hanging with friends and family, grilling up some brats and pounding back a few brewskis, and blowing stuff up, remember that. Remember that countless thousands died to protect your right to do so. Remember that these Founding Fathers of our GREAT nation did this for US. So that we would be free.

Remember that YOU are We the People!

All The Things, Faith, Jesus Loves Me, Life in General

The Sweetest Gift

You know how you love your Bible but know you probably need a new one, one with larger font…🤓🧐 but you have such a hard time giving up your old, comfortable, worn, marked Bible? This has been me for a few years now. I LOVE my Bible. All the notes, underlinings, circled scripture, marks, dog eared pages, coffee stains, tear stains, maybe even some Cheetos dust (don’t you judge me).

But then you’ve had your eye on this one particular Bible for a couple years. One that’s in one of your favorite colors, larger print, preferred translation. You saw it on sale one time and kicked yourself for not getting it then and haven’t seen it on sale since.

Then this new couple comes and joins your church. The lovely wife of the couple is in your Thursday night ladies’ Bible study. You noticed that she has the very Bible that you’ve had your eye on and you make a comment about it. You show this Bible to your mom because you have a birthday coming up wink wink.
Fast forward to Sunday morning and you hadn’t given it another thought.

But she did. She comes up to you with Bible in hand and tells you that she has thought about you since Thursday and would you please accept this as a gift and hands you said Bible. You tell her that she is so sweet and kind and she doesn’t have to do that. She tells you that it’s just her ’church Bible’ and that it’s nothing and she would love for you to have it if you would accept it. I graciously accepted it and hugged her big. What a sweet, precious gesture and gift from a sweet, sweet, gracious and Christ loving sister. 🥰

I just feel so humbled and blessed.

Faith, Jesus Loves Me, lifestyle

Holy, holy, holy

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Holy crow. This passage below left me undone.

This is just after Isaiah has come face to face with God in the temple. The seraphim is about to touch his lips with a white hot coal. (Isaiah 6:6-7)

Put yourself in Isaiah’s sandals for a moment. I did. 😳 And it tore me to shreds.

Even though I know I am forgiven by His mercy and grace thanks to His One and Only Son, I can’t help but think I would behave as Isaiah did. To know that I am a sinner in the presence of the Holy Trinity? I am so not worthy!

We are used to being able to hide our shame and unworthiness from one another, but there is NO hiding it from the LORD God Almighty!

LORD, thank You for sending Your Son to die for my sins! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul, Tyndale Publishing
America, Faith, Jesus Loves Me, Life in General

It All Comes to a Head…

The last two days have had me feeling some type of way. Granted, I fully feel like my hormones are to blame, but it doesn’t make it any less a thing. Also, driving ‘into town’ on a rainy day doesn’t help matters, either.

You see, I’m a pretty strong chick. But even strong chicks have their days. I am quickly realizing that I am not praying for the right things. Personal needs. I mean, I am, mostly. But there are things that I need to pray more boldly and specifically for that I didn’t realize I needed to be praying for. This world is a crazy place right now. I’m sure you’ve probably noticed. If you haven’t, you must be in Elijah’s cave or something.

It’s a lot. Mentally and emotionally taxing. And when you get into the trenches to help fight for our liberties and freedoms, you see soooo much more than just your normal, every day citizen. I think the last two days, with hormones and such, it’s just starting to come to a head. This morning I was feeling heavy. And not just my weight. That’s a blog for another day. It’s just that the hits keep coming. And I feel like I need to take it all on. And realistically, I know that I can’t. But they are all important matters. Especially where our children are concerned. They are our future and we need to protect them at all costs. We need to protect their innocence, especially. But this is going off topic. Another blog for yet another time.

So while in one of our leader chats, I mentioned how I was tired. Of course, we all are. But I was reminded that now is when we have to be at our strongest. I lamented over the fact that I am the only one in my household fighting, and that actually, I feel like I’m fighting for three households. And one doesn’t even know it. That’s when I put my phone down and got into the Word. That was when the Lord reminded me that no weapon formed against me will prosper. {Isaiah 54:17} That God. His timing is so perfect. He always shows me what I need to see and hear at just the right time. I need only be still and listen. And trust and obey.

“When you are in Christ, weapons may form but they will not conquer you. Choose to trust Christ and let His Word fight on your behalf. When the enemy rises up against you, choose to hold your peace — let God fight your battle. Every tongue that rises up against you shall backfire.” No Weapon by Vance K. Jackson (a 3-day devotional on the YouVersion Bible app).

I’m not entirely sure why the Lord has brought me to this political sphere. Clearly he sees something in me that I don’t. Maybe he intends to use my lack of filter for good. Or the fact that I’m not afraid to speak my mind. Perhaps he thought that I was made for such a time as this. {Esther 4:14}