A Teachable Spirit

.... I awoke with a fever and the crud again !!!! I was so frustrated ... I have so many things to do .... Take tree down, clean house, prepare to start school back, prepare for ministry meetings , and the list goes on !!!! So after breakfast and a hot bath I set in the couch .... Wandering why on earth did I have this stuff again ! Then when I asked Jody to bring my devotion book I caught a glimpse of why possibly .... My devotion came from Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world,[a] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

I started an amazing devotional by Sarah Young Jesus Calling ! The very first sentence was , "come to Me with a teachable spirit , eager to be changed ...

It was then I realized ,that I have me best talks with God when I feel bad ... Because there is nothing to distract me !!!! I want to always have a teachable spirit .... To learn from my Heavenly Farher daily !!!! Today's lesson was just this .... Sometimes His plans aren't my own.... I need to slow down take care of my body , the chores will be there tomorrow or when I feel better , meetings can be rescheduled , but time alone with Him comes everyday .... To learn what adventure with Him is next !!!! It's sure to be amazing ! He never fails to offer hope ... Love or grace ! He also never makes. Mistake .... So the couch for me it is today ..... I have already learned so much from my teacher today .... I'm so blessed to call Jesus mine !!!! I would like to leave you with a scripture to think about toady ... For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[a] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 

I pray you too trust Jesus with your plans ... Hope everyone has a blessed day !!! Happy New Year !!!! Praying your 2015 is filled with blessing , hope , joy , love , and of course lessons from the Master ....

Shellie

Breaking Free

I have been praying for awhile now about the upcoming year .... What did the Lord need from me ?!?! What do I need to let go of and how would He have me to do these things ..... The longer I prayed the more I realized I let the past hold me prisoner .... Making it harder to move on and do new things in ministry and life ! This one verse of scripture kept coming to mind:

 Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
    but the word of our God will stand forever.

I prayed and asked the Lord what was I to learn from this .... I had read this scripture a thousand times its one of my favorites ! What had I missed ! I learned I had missed a lot actually !!! I would like to share them with you ....

The grass and the flowers fading stand for three things in my life ...

1- my past it has happened but it's over ! It can no longer hurt me ! People's words can and the memories .... The act itself no longer holds keys to my life ! Jesus

 took them the day I got saved ..... I don't have to worry about people's opinions anymore .... Theirs doesn't count !!!! I need to break out of the cage my past is holding me in ....

2- in order to realese myself from the cage I have to quit looking back .... I don't mean stop having relationships with those close to me ... I must stop looking back at what God closed the door on ... It's was done or He wouldn't have said GO !!! That He did !!! He told us to Go it was time .... I don't need to worry about how much they stalk social media , talk about me to make sure it gets back,

or worry about their opinion .... God wasn't worried when He closed the door ... Why am I still worried about what they think ! Gods opinion is all that matters ! He loves me for me He created me ! He knew about all these things ! He had a plan ! 

3- In order to stay out of the cage I must close this year knowing God is in control ! You see there was nothing that happened that surprised Him ! Me on the other hand I was blind sighted several times .... I lost a lot this year .... Oh but I gained so much ! I learned so so much about my home ..... Things that needed to change ... Things that need to embrace ! I learned God closes one door to open a new amazing door full of blessings !!! When 2015 arrives I can't continually go back to visit 2014 ! I must embrace 2015 knowing God has it !!!! I must break out of the cage because the grass and flowers there are dieing and I will to if I stay stuck there .... 

Instead I want to stand on the promise of the last part of the verse ! The Word of God will stand forever !!!! 

That's means there is nothing I will face in 2015 that God will not be right there with me !!! So my new year resolution will be to BREAK FREE and enjoy the life God has given me !!! I am blessed beyond word ! I plan to blog daily through the upcoming year ! If I miss a day it's because I was soaring in the blessing Jesus has me for that day !!!! Pray each of you have a year full of love and blessings that fill your lives with joy !!!! I know mine will be because I'm breaking free 💖

Shellie 

Our First Day !

School Day Adventures !

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: Proverbs 1:5

I love this scripture !!! As a Mom my goal has always been to teach my children daily ! In life lessons and school ! My most favorite lesson have came from my heavenly Father !!!

There is has never been a day that passes He doesn't teach me something !!!

Today is our first day of Homeschooling for the year 2014-2015 !

Christian is a freshman this year ! Where has the time gone ? I am so proud the beautiful young woman she has became ! She was so excited to begin !

Our first day went smooth ! Just as I expected the day ,took a little longer to complete than in years past ! I am excited about this adventure and all the things we have chosen to use for our curriculum. 
I think my favorite part of our day today was our Bible lesson ! The reminder of no matter what the circumstance is God is good always ! Also our aprons we made for our future cooking class this week ! I hope you enjoy the pictures below ! Sewing isn't her favorite past time ... Like her Mom , but I think she done a awesome job! We used shirts that I got from my nephew Josh ... It was a nice thought, that he would be apart of school ... Her favorite part about today was English .... She wrote a beautiful poem about butterflies !!! She is a very gifted writer ! 



early morning talks lead to hope

I woke up early this morning after my sweet husband left to do somethings at the church .... I took advantage of the quite around me ! The girls are all still asleep my Grandmaw is still resting ... I headed outside to feed the chickens ! That's when the talk to began !!! 

My sweet Jesus started speaking peace to my spirit ! It was weary from sleeping on the loveseat so my Grandmaw could have my bed .... From the dreams that I had chased away again all night .... My physical and spiritual me is exhausted ...

So when He spoke I listened so eager to commune with Him this morning and He whispered HOPE ! He reminded me that the house was still quite that I should return inside and spend time with Him in His word ! He had Hope for me ! 

So I did just that I brewed some coffee set down with the Word of God and listened to what he had to say to me ...

He spoke to me from Psalm 62:5 

He reminded me HE alone is where MY HOPE comes from !!! Not man or wordly thing, just Him !!! I really needed to hear those words this morning ! 

He has my back ! He will be fighting my battles ! I just have to let Him !!! Hand it over and say have it !!! I have done just that !!!

I look forward to a day of joy !!!

I love when the house is still and I get to have a early morning talk with my savior !!! 

So I have decided that I am going to set a goal to rise before anyone else does in the morning so I can have these early morning talks with my Savior !

Please help me pray I can do this !!!

Many of you may have woken up fighting a battle ! It's never to late for a walk and talk with Jesus !!! He wants to carry your burdens .... Let Him !!! The day is so much better when we let Him lead !!!

Remember that this is the day the hath made I will rejoice and be glad in it !!!

Praying each of you have an amazingly blessed day !

Changes

Changes 

 To every thing there is a season , and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die ; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up which has been planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal ; a time to break down and a time to build up; A time to weep , and a time to laugh; a time to mourn , a time to dance ; a time to cast away stones , and a time to gather stones together ; a time to embrace , and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get ,and a time to loose ; a time to keep , and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; A a time to keep silence , and a time to speak ; A time to love, and a time to hate ; a time of war , and a time of peace ;Ecclesiastes 3:1-9

He hath made everything beautiful in his time : also he hath set in the world in their heart , so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end . 

Ecclesiastes 3;11

This verse has spoken to my heart in volumes the past few days !!! In more than one way !!! the world around us is on the verge of change from the smallest of things we take for granted such as season changes ! It won't be long and the world around us will burst into color to show my heavenly Fathers creativity ! The air will become cooler day light will shorten ... times will change ! I am so ready for this ! Fall is my favorite season !!! 

However it has made me ask some very serious questions to my self ! Are there things you need to change ? and the answer was yes and no ! 

I the light of loosing my nephew more like my little brother has made me stop to think !  Life isn't promised tomorrow ....

I would like to share first about the things I need to change ! First of all forgiveness ! We all are guilty of holding on to things we need to let go ! I have struggled with this my whole life ! loosing Josh made me realize that unforgiveness keeps us from enjoying our loved ones ! Josh and I were OK when he passed but there had been a time when we were not ! we both were guilty of holding on to things we should have let go from the beginning ! I am just glad we were OK before he left this world ! I did however make me think about something God forgave me ! I didn't deserve it but He forgave me ! Grace !!!! I am not saying you should continually place yourself in relationship with someone where your continually hurt ! I am saying though grant forgiveness !!! Cut the ties that bound you to hurt ! Forgive quickly ! life is to short to hold a grudge ! 

The next thing God showed me, was to be myself ! Be who he created me to be ! Not my Mom , sister , friend , movies star, or anything other than me !!! He created me to be fearfully and wonderfully made !!! I am not suppose to look or act like anyone but me !!! After dealing with a loved one who has serious body issues ! I realized that we live in a cruel society ! That thinks we should all look like barbie ! Not that there is anything wrong with barbie ... Yet realistically we are not suppose to look like her ! God didn't make me to be a size 2 .... I don't have perfect hair and I can't do things some people can ..... Yet He did make to look exactly the way I do ! I am am a confident attractive woman who loves her amazing husband , I have two beautiful girls from the inside out !!! I love to homeschool and spend time with them ! I  can sew , create things out of nothing , I love kids ministry its my calling ! I love chickens ! tea parties ! spending countless hours playing with kids ! The list is endless ! God made me to be me !!! I should never look to the world to find beauty in myself and self love !!! I love who I am !!! I want my girls to do the same ! I find it sad that young people are wearing girdles to hold their stomachs in which there isn't a stomach to hold in ! They have eating disorders because someones idea of beauty is pushed on them ! When they are already beautiful they way they are!!! They don't need change to fit in !!! God made ME to STAND OUT !!!! I am thankful for that !!! 

The next thing I want to share will be the last I share about change .... I think its important though .... Never be pretend to be what your not or try to live beyond your means just to fit in with someone else , or to be accepted ! You see if the only reason we want to be around some is because what they have to offer us ... We never truly loved them for who they are .... We shouldn't want to spend time with someone because we think they have money , or not be kind and not friend someone because they have less than you !!! Because you see if they don't love you or you don't love them  for who they are!  No matter what you have to offer they will always make you feel worse about yourself instead of lifting us up.... I have never really struggled with this but I want to make sure I never ever do !!! Because I have seen the devastation it leaves behind !!! It leaves you hopeless with no where to turn !!! Its a downward spiral that become quickly out of control !!! 

When I started  praying about these things God was showing me, I asked him what I needed to keep ! He showed me several things! He showed my never change the love I have for my home ! Never be sorry for putting them first ! He showed my it ok to say NO ! To cut things and people out of my life and my families life that are toxic , hurting us , or destroying us ! He showed to stay true to my style ! Its who I am it shows the creative person He made me !!!! He showed me not to change the never grow up attitude lol !!! i asked why I loved the reply ! I called you to reach kids ! I need you to think young ! Its ok to stand up for what's right ! stand my ground for Him ! Tell my story he brought me from it ! Just because people want to be ignorant I shouldn't be ashamed ! For He brought me through it I am saved by His wonderful Grace !

Change can both be easy and hard ! My life has been in change for months now !!! We are still trying to find a new normal ! To find a homeschool group of friends , To adjust to loss of someone so special ! To get used to dear best friends being far away ! Also being closer to family whether they are blood family or by choice !!! We are changing daily !!! I can say I am honestly thankful for it though !!! Because I have realized that with out change nothing would ever be born !!! I thankful for new adventures !!! I am blessed to set down and blog today ! I am blessed to be on the journey He called me to !!! he promises He will never leave me or forsake me !!! He walks with me ! Are you ready for the changes your facing ? Or the changes that may be coming your way !!!  God will be right there embrace it ! Don't run from it ! Remember somethings are only for a season .... Others are forever .... 

One day someone will have to write my obituary .... I want to make sure that its about the me God created me to be ! Not the me the world wanted me to be !   

So I choose to embrace the change !

our new adventure

It has certainly been awhile... I have missed sharing with everyone ! So I thought I would take a moment to share my heart ....

We have now been in Gold Hill now for 4 months ! It has been a true blessing to know you are in the center of Gods will ! We are in love with our new church and church family ! 

We have already seen God do great and mighty things ! 

I love our new home ! We have have started new adventures in the few short months we have been here ! Amber is officially a high school graduate ! Christian is now a high school student .... My babies are no longer babies .... They are beautiful young ladies I see God preparing for their adventure everyday !
Jody bought me chickens !!!! I never thought I would really get some !!!! I love them !!! Tom, Lily, Buttercup, Ruby, Powder, and Maybelle have became very special to me! I love waking up feeding them and seeing how much they have grown ! I have learned so much in the short time we have had them ! Patience would be at the top of that list lol ! 
I guess you could say we have settled into our new life quite well ! I love being near our families again reuniting with friends and making new ones ! Reconnecting with our God children ! I can remember when our ministry was first starting .... How hard it was just to let go follow God and let my husband lead our family ! When we both realized God was going to move our family from our home town to the NC mnts. How scary it was ! How hard the adjustment was behind closed doors .... Because what the last thing you want a new church to think is that your not happy where God placed you ! When in fact I was happy I just missed my family and friends !!! 
I must say though that was the best thing that ever ever happened to our family !!! We learned to depend on one another to be a true family ! to listen to God and follow His leading in all we do ! So when He said to go this last time we were able to follow His call so easily ! 
My favorite book series is the A Life of Faith Series Millie Keith ! One of my favorite passages from the first book is said by dear aunt Wealthy Stanhope ! Life is not a tea party but an adventure to be lived ..... 
I love my new adventure ! 
I miss my friends in the mountains ! I have many dear ones !!! that I love dearly ! I love that we take time to email , facebook , call, and visit ! I know we will do these things for years to come ! I love hearing about their adventures God is sending them on ! 
Please pray as we continue ours !!!! As we start a new school year , try to find a new homeschool group, grow our new ministry here, and make continue in this new chapter in our life ! I look foreword  to  sharing our days to come with you guys ! Blessing to all of you .....

Plum creek day 8

 Chapters 22 & 23

 

Today we opened with devotion and prayer !Our devotion today was all about not seeking revenge against those who wrong us ! This was a fitting topic for us since our family has been dealing with some bullying issues .... Our Scripture came for many sources so I am going to list our resources so you can look them up for yourself in the Bible !  Proverbs 25:21-22 ; 14:22 ; 20:22 ; 14:22 ; 6:16 ; 10:23 ; 24:17-18 ; 26:18-19 ; Romans 12:19 ; Mathew 18:22 ! I know this allot however the Lord has allot to say about vengeance's being His !!! Laura wanted to seek revenge against Nellie for embarrassing her and being very mean to her at her party ! Even one of the other guest suggested that Laura should have smacked Nellie ... Laura replied that she need not worry she would get her back just wait and see ... Laura was true to her word and did just that ! This led us to discuss what the Lord has to say about the things !!! Its wrong to seek revenge !we should pray for our enemies !We discussed how the Lord would deal with them and in the mean time kindness from us would hurt worse than any action we could retaliate back with !        

 I truly loved our chapters today !!! Nellie hosted a party for the girls at school to attend ! It was a great deal to be invited to such an event !Ma bathed the girls Saturday morning dressed them in fresh clean dresses and ribbons!The girls were in aw of the Olsen's home !!!! The luxuries they have that the Ingalls didn't have captivated Laura !!!The girls were invited to play in Nellie's room ! They were astounded at the little Noh's ark play set , the little toy soldiers , & Nellie's porcelain doll.

 It wasn't till after Nellie brought out a box holding her wax doll that Laura was in total aw at what her eyes were seeing ! When her hand reached out to touch her blue dress ! It was then Nellie screamed at Laura for touching her doll ! Laura was so embarrassed she sat in a chair looking at books till it was time for cake and lemonade ....

 The girls were at their very best ! Using etiquette and manners during their visit !!!!One thing I remember most is that at this point in Laura's life she had never tasted lemonade ! I loved her description !!! The following Saturday Ma let Laura and Mary throw a party at their house ! All the girls came from school including Nellie !!! Ma scrubbed the floors and shined he windows ! The girls enjoyed showing the girls their home ! Everyone loved it ! Everyone was mannerly except for Nellie ! She was very rude to Ma and told her that she didn't wear her best dress to a country party ... This made Laura seek revenge ! I wont spoil what she did !However I had to chuckle ! Ma set the table with her very best white table cloth, placed a blue pitcher full of flowers in the center of the table, and she served vanity cakes and cool cream ! Their party was a great success ...

 We had an awesome school day !!! We had our spelling test ! We are finishing up our Fanny Crosby book ! It has been amazing ! We made our own vanity cakes ! They weren't what I expected !!! They were fun to make though ! We will be planning a tea party of our own in a few weeks to brush up on our etiquette and manners ! We are excited this will be our first tea in our new house !We both feel like Nellie is a bully .... Sissy made a no bullying poster !We had an amazing day !I would like to end on a personal note ! Be aware of whats going on in your child's life !The words of others can lead to life changing things ... Eating disorders and suicidal thoughts are just two of the things that can stem from bullying .... Spread the word to stop this behaviour and encourage your child to open up and let you know if they are o wittiness some one else being bulled! As always thanks for sharing your day with us !