DIY 3 Ingredient Shave Gel

We all inherit things from our mom. Some great things and some not so great things. Maybe we inherit her hair or eye color. Or perhaps a few mannerisms were handed down to us. I for one got my mom's dark chocolate brown eyes (thanks mom, I love them). I also got the sensitive...skin that I denied that I had for many years. Not acknowledging a problem has yet to help me in any situation. Zero, zilch, none. Had I but faced the fact that I actually do have sensative skin I could have avoided so many confusing skin issues and painful mistakes when it came to what I put on my skin. Poor skin, I'm so sorry. 

Trial and error though. Live and learn right? And I am learning. I make a lot of my own beauty products for this very reason. I make my own face powder, makeup remover, dry shampoo, shaving gel, and other things. If I'm making it I know exactly what's going into it and therefore know what's going on my skin. Which has been a big game changer when it comes to breakouts, irritated skin, and other unpleasantness.

Having essential oils on hand to use it lots of my DIY's has been great! They pack a powerful punch for just pennies. Which is fantastic because finding ways to save money is near and dear to my heart (thanks again mom <3). Some products are great for people like me with sensitive skin, but they usually cost a small fortune. I love making things so why not use that to save some dough and my skin at the same time? I think it's a no-brainer!   

That brings me to the whole reason for this post today; DIY Shave Gel. Because sensitive skin is not restricted to your face. Shaving creams, gels, and other things you shave with are full of chemicals that have caused me problems for years. I thought it was just something I was going to have to deal with. Nope, I decided to find a better solution and that solution was to make my own. This recipe is so simple! I love it! So read on if you or someone you know has sensitive skin and could use some relief in their life. They will thank you, trust me. Or if it's you, your skin will thank you. If you (or your friends) are more of a visual person then you can watch me show you how to make your own in my YouTube video.

Here's what you'll need to make your own moisturizing, razor bump preventing, all around amazing (i threw that in there for fun ;) ) shaving gel.

-A container to store it in (a squeeze bottle works best)
-3/4 cup of unscented Aloe Vera gel
-2 TBS of Olive Oil
-2 drops of doTERRA's Melaleuca essential oil
-2 drops of doTERRA's Lavender essential oil

I used a funnel to add all ingredients to my bottle (which was a re-purposed shower gel container) and then I gave it a good shake. That's it! Super simple, quick, and you get to pinch a few pennies in the process (sorry pennies, it's nothing personal).

This stuff works like a dream and I can attest to how moisturizing it is. Does anyone else hate that uncomfortably tight feeling when your legs are too dry after a shower? I noticed after using this shaving gel for the first that I didn't have to apply my usual lotion rub down on my legs after my shower. They were already moisturized and silky smooth. Bonus! 

If you make this shower gel I hope you love it as much as I do. As always, thanks so much for stopping by! Come back soon!

Why Creating A Vision Board Was A Good Idea

It's something so many others have suggested I do. It's something I've meant to do for a while now. Create a dream board. I have to give multiple things credit for why it's taken me so long. Procrastination, the feeling that it had to be perfect and I didn't have the brain space to plan a perfect dream board, procrastination, the works.

However, I did it! I'm so happy with it and no it isn't perfect. I plan to keep adding to it as new things inspire me and are added to my list of things I want to do. It has pictures on it, words I adore, and  representations of things I love. It is filled with the things I crave more of. Time with family, adventure, experiences, trips, animals, flowers, and more. It's meant to remind me how much I want more of those things.

It's in our bedroom where I can see it often. I've yet to look at it and not smile. But what makes it more than a glorified collage? Don't get me wrong, I love pictures and the memories they hold. I have them hanging all over my house and sitting on every available counter space. But a dream board has more purpose than to displaying pictures. When I put it together it helped me figure out just what I did want. It reminds me of why I work from home, why I need to keep going even when it's hard, and why I do what I do. It is a visual reminder of the goals I have and plan to achieve.

So what's on my vision board? Glad you asked, let's dive in!

Pictures, lots and lots of pictures. There are pictures of me, Nathan, and David at the beach because it's our favorite summer vacation location.

I've got a few of us from Disney world because we LOVE our trips there and want to be able to go more often.

There are pictures of places I've been and want to go back to, but there are also pictures of places we haven't visited. Yet! Places Nathan and I dream of going and experiencing with our kids. I'm telling you, there are some breath taking places on this earth God created.
There are pictures of myself with friends because I crave more time with the amazing sisters The Father has given me.
I've got pictures of my animals on there too. If you know me at all that should make perfect sense (haha). They're the ones I want to come live with us, but we don't have the room for yet. My babies that still live on my parents ranch, but I miss them oh so much. I've also got a few pictures of pets we want to own in the future. I've actually got a lot of animal pictures on there...goals am I right?
I love flowers so of course a few pictures of bright hydrangeas, tulips, and others found their way onto my board. More flowers? Yes please and thank you!
Last, but not least is a picture from one of our picnics. Because they brighten my day and bring back wonderful memories. I've loved them for as long as I can remember. They make me happy so why wouldn't they get their rightful place on my dream board?

I've  got words that I love on there as well. One's like "Family, kids, create, friends" etc. There are words to inspire me like my favorite quotes pinned on there. I found most of them in magazines and cut them out. I just found some more I can't wait to find a place for on my board! That's the beauty of it, you can keep adding to it. As your dreams expand and you discover new things that fill your joy tank add them to your board and be inspired and motivated.

So who should create a vision board? Anyone! Everyone! We all have dreams and goals so why not take some time to figure out what they are and make plans to move in that direction. I work from home and that was my main reason for creating one. Because one day this business will fuel our plans, dreams, and goals. But you can create one to help you get that dream job, learn that new skill, save up for that winter house somewhere warm, get that degree you're dreaming about, earn enough for that mission trip, or whatever your goal is!
Creating a vision board can be as complex or as simple as you desire. It can be a cork board, some pins, and pictures. It could be a poster board, some glue, and magazine cut outs. You could even create a virtual one if that's more your style. Mine is string strung in a picture frame with mini clothes pins holding all the stuff. You choose. It is your vision board after all! Have fun, be motivated, get inspired, and stay on track! 

As always thanks for stopping by! Come back soon!

DIY Water Bead Diffuser-Easiest Essential Oil DIY Ever!

Hello hello! If this is your first time visiting my blog, welcome! I’m so happy you’ve stopped by! Lately I’ve been blogging about DIY’s that I’ve enjoyed putting together and sharing. It’s been a lot of fun to perfect, make, and share them with y’all and I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have! If you have then I think you’ll love the really simply DIY I have for you today!

I’ve had my newest DIY sitting on my bathroom counter and it makes me smile every time I see it. It was SO easy to make and cost me $2! Yay for Dollar Tree! Ready to know what it is?? It’s a Water Bead Diffuser! You just need 3 things to make this diffuser and make your bathroom (or any room you’d like to keep it in) smell amazing! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

-Water beads
-Glass container
-doTERRA essential oil of your choice

 -Let your water beads grow to full size then place the amount needed to fill up your choice of glass container
-Add 5 drops of an essential oil every 3-5 days for a fresh smelling bathroom (or wherever  you'll be keeping your diffuser)
-Add enough water to fill up about 1/8 of your container (AKA just a little bit of water for those of you who don't need specifics haha)

You'll need to replenish the water when you notice your beads are starting to shrink back to their smaller size. I add essential oil to the diffuser every 3-5 days. I've been loving Lime for our bathroom! It's a very fresh, clean smell. Try out a few and see which you prefer.
Here are a few of my suggested EO's for your water bead diffuser; Lime, Lemon, Wild Orange, Purify, Cedarwood, Cypress, Peppermint, Vetiver, or a combination of two of these.

I bought clear, un-scented water beads (it’s very important to make sure they’re un-scented for this DIY) from Dollar Tree and dyed them with food coloring. This is totally up to personal preference. You can use them as they are or buy colored ones from somewhere like Amazon. I bought these from Amazon for additional water bead diffusers for our guest bathroom as well as a few other DIY's I've got planned.
I purchased the glass vase I used for this diffuser from Dollar Tree as well. It's worked great!

That's about it! This one is super simple, yet oh so practical. You can stop here or decorate your container by adding some lace, ribbon, or anything else you can think of to dress it up. If that's not your thing that's completely alright. It looks so charming as is!

If you make one and love it I would be thrilled to hear you tried this DIY out! If you have older kids get them involved, water beads are fun for all ages! Let them choose their color of water beads, a glass container, and what essential oil they'd like to use.

Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by, come again soon!

DIY Makeup Wipes

When it comes to washing my face at night I would love to tell you that I wash my face with my favorite facial soap, follow that up with a toner that makes my skin glow, and then finally follow that up with a moisturizer that makes my face dewy fresh. Also there's no trace of makeup left after all that. That's what I would like to tell you. However, I cannot tell you that in all honesty. Most nights I have to convince myself that I really, really need to at the very least wash my face. Sometimes I fail to convince because I also tell myself that it takes too much time, the bed is calling me, and who want's water running down your arms getting your sleeves wet as you blindly search for the towel. Come on, I can't be alone in this. However, I have found the solution! DIY makeup remover wipes! I use these nightly now even if I'm not wearing makeup. It's as easy as taking a wipe out, giving my face a quick wipe off, and then I apply my favorite moisturizer. So quick and easy and my face wonderful! Just in case you and I share face washing woes I'm going to tell you how I made these handy little face wipes. They're really useful in other ways too, not just your nightly routine. For example; put them in your gym bag for a quick face wipe after a work out, pack them when going camping, use it to take off your kiddos face paint.

The 3 essential oils I used are power houses when it comes to skin!
Lavender is great for any skin type, but especially sensitive skin like mine. It is soothing to minor skin irritations as well as reduces bacteria that causes acne.
Melaleuca is anti-bacterial, toning, and moisturizing.
Frankincense is rejuvenating to the skin and reduces the appearance of blemishes. My favorite way to use it though when it comes to skin is scars. I had a mole removed on my face when I was little and it left a decent sized scar. I've tried different things over the years to try and get the size to go down. Nothing has worked like essential oils, especially Frankincense. It keeps getting smaller and smaller along with my acne scars!

Here's what you need to put it all together:
-An airtight container (I use a small jar with a wide mouth)
-Cotton rounds
-2 tablespoons of water
-2 tablespoons of witch hazel
-2 tablespoons of fractionated coconut oil (using this instead of regular coconut oil keeps it from hardening in cooler temps)
-1 drop each of Lavender, Melalueca, and Frankincense.
Combine the liquids and shake to combine. Put as many cotton pads as will fit in the container and let them soak up the liquids. And that's it! They're ready to be used. I found cotton rounds that have a soft side and an exfoliating side. They work great, but you can use whatever is available to you.

Thanks for stopping by my blog guys! If you make them I hope you enjoy using them! I've loved using them!

The Practical Guide to Using Essential Oils With Toddlers

Using essential oils in your every day routine, like any other new thing, takes a little bit of practice to get the hang of. Once you get the hang of it though it's like second nature. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience here. And the benefits are so worth the little bit of effort put in to actually remember to use your sparkling new oils! Disclaimer: I only ever suggest using doTERRA essential oils because of their proven purity and safety. More on that at the end of this post.

What about when it comes to your kiddos though? There are so many ways to use essential oils on every member of the family that it can seem overwhelming. How are you supposed to learn all this new stuff?? Don't worry and please don't give up! As a mom of a toddler and another baby on board I completely understand your concerns. I'm going to give you simple and very practical (super important part) ways to get started right away using essential oils with your kiddos. Let's get started!

First let's talk about the easiest way to use your essential oils with your kiddos and that's diffusing. We have three in our house. One for our bedroom, David's room, and the living room. This saves me from having to move around a diffuser to wherever I'm wanting to use it. Therefore making it easier and more likely that I'll take the 30 seconds to get one going. All you gotta do is add water, drop some essential oils in, and let 'er run.
Based on the blend of oils you choose to diffuse (love how that rhymes haha) you're either supporting their immune system, calming, aiding in a better nights sleep, helping them focus, ect. I have a few favorite blends I'm going to share! Each is titled simply so you know what to use it for.

Next let's talk about how you can use the oils topically. Dilution is a good idea for any age, but especially when it comes to little ones and kids. Using roller bottles is a fantastic way to simplify this one. You're able to have a blend of oils diluted and ready right at your finger tips. I prefer the 5 mL size for the diaper bag or my purse and the 10 mL size for every day use, but this is definitely personal preference. Try both and see which you prefer.
Let's get really practical here. I'm strategic when it comes to where I keep the oils and roller bottles I use for our little man because I know if they're accessible I'm twice as likely to take advantage of their benefits and use them. I'll share with you the places in our home where I prefer to keep the oils that David uses.

I keep his most used oils in a drawer in his changing table. Once he is potty trained this will change, but for now this is the easiest place to access them. It's one of the only times he's still enough for me to use the roller bottles. Plus when he gets a diaper change before bed I can apply his "Sweet Dreams" blend and diaper rash spray (if needed) easily before putting on his PJ's.

I keep oils in our kitchen for easy access and so that I can put some on David while he's eating breakfast or lunch. This is a great time to use his immune boost roller bottle and if it's allergy season our roller bottle for that.

Last, but certainly not least, his backpack/diaper bag. I always keep oils in his backpack because I just never know when we might need them. This has come in handy more times than I can remember! I have a zipper pouch that I keep 5 mL rollers in and they include his roller for teething, another one for allergies, lavender for bug bites and scrapes, Deep Blue for growing pains or aches for mommy or daddy, DigestZen for upset stomach, Breathe for open airways, and Frankincense for just about anything else. I also keep Terra Shield bug spray and On Guard hand sanitizer in there. 


So there you have it! It really does become simple once you have a few helpful tools like glass roller and spray bottles. Trust me, they will make your life easier. I'm going to include my favorite recipes and blends so that you can have your own collection to use when needed! doTERRA also has this awesome line of roller bottles that are already diluted and ready to use on any age! How awesome is that? You can buy them all together is this kit! This is helpful for saving you some time, but also comes to the rescue for those of you who do not enjoy DIY-ing as much as I do. No problem, doTERRA has you covered. Now let's get to those recipes!

What I keep in his changing table:

Diaper Rash Spray (can also be used as an owie spray)
-2 oz spray bottle
-7 drops of melaluca
-7 drops of frankincense
-7 drops of lavender
Fill bottle he rest of the way with fractionated coconut oils. Shake well before each use. Use 2-3 times a day on any rash or owie.

Peace Touch. This is one we love to start our day with. The name says it all! Who couldn't use a little more peace? I roll some one David's feet them mine.

Eczema Roller
3 drops each of frankincense, lavender, and geranium. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Sweet Dreams

2 drops each Lavender (or Serenity if they respond better to that), Cedarwood, and Juniper Berry for 5 mL. Double for 10 mL.

What I keep in the kitchen:

Seasonal Allergy blend for kids
If under 5 use one drop of each. If over 5 use 3 drops each of lemon, lavender, and peppermint. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Immune Blend
3 drops each of On Guard and frankincense. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Cough Support
3 drops each of lavender and Breathe. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Growing Pains
5 (if over 5 years old, 3 if not) drops of Deep Blue. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Sniffles
3 drops each of lavender and lemon. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Grouchy Pants

2 drops each of Balance and Wild Orange. Top 5 mL roller with FCO.

Breathe Touch

Keeps airways open. Very handy to have during seasonal allergies, a cold, or for snoring.

What I keep in David's backpack:

Teething

1 drop of clove oil in 5 mL bottle topped with FCO. Can roll directly onto gums or onto your finger and apply.

Lavender, DigestZen, or Frankincense roller bottle

I use 3 drops of essential oil in a 5 mL roller and top with FCO.

Diffuser Blends

Calming

3 drops each of frankincense, vetiver, and lavender.

Rise and Shine

2 drops of lemon, wild orange, and peppermint.

Immune Boost

3 drops each of On Guard and lemon.

Out like a light

3 drops each of Serenity, vetiver, and cedarwood.

Seasonal Allergies

3 drops each of lemon, lavender, and peppermint. 

Liquid Calm (perfect for those rainy days stuck inside)

3 drops each of Serenity and Balance. 

There you go! I hope this has given you some ideas and hopefully taken away some of the confusion when it comes to knowing where to start. If this list still feels too long just pick one of two diffuser blends and start there. The biggest thing I want you to take away is that doTERRA's essential oils work and they are so beneficial to everyday life. However, they aren't going to do anyone any good if they stay in a box untouched. So get those little powerhouses to work! They will not disappoint. 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog! If this was a post you found helpful I would LOVE to know! And if there are questions you have about essential oils and how they can benefit you and your family, let's talk! I love meeting new people! If you'd like to know more about essential oils (or you just want to know what in the world they are) then click here! 

And finally my spill on why I choose doTERRA's essential oils and other products over other essential oil brands and companies. Well, there are actually multiple reason, but the main one is purity. When I was looking for essential oils I was pregnant with our first child. I was looking for a more natural way to take care of my family's health and that would soon include a newborn. I needed to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that these would be safe to use. Today doTERRA is the only essential oil company that makes sure their oils have a CPTG ( certified pure therapeutic grade) certification. That means that every bottle they sale is safe to use because it's 100% pure essential oil and nothing else. No filler, no sythetic fragrances, no chemicals. All of the things I was looking to move away from. Every batch of essential oil gets this certification by going through a very stringent, third party testing. Like I said there are multiple reasons for choosing doTERRA, but that was the big seller for us. If you have questions about my other reasons for loving doTERRA please feel free to ask me!

Inexpensive Road Trip Activities For A Toddler-Dollar Tree Trip

I got so excited to go shopping today! And I wasn't even shopping for myself. Can someone say, "Mom life"? Or is that just me? We're Taking a trip to Missouri (🎵on the road again🎵) in a few days so we'll be in the car quite a few hours.

Being the first time mom that I am I scoured the inter-webs to discover what would make the trip as pleasant as possible with a very active 1 1/2 year old in tow. First of all I research things, okay. It's what I do. It's part of who I am. The person who likes to be the most prepared that is humanly possible ever. Alright so maybe that's a bit of stretch, but you get the idea. So I planned and executed. And by executed I mean I drove to our closets Dollar Tree. List and toddler in hand.   

I love the Dollar Tree! Who's with me? If you know the right things to look for you can find some major jackpots. Everything is a dollar!! A DOLLAR! It's magical I tell you. Our Dollar Tree isn't even that big and it's still great. Especially when your timing is just right. I don't know the secret to Dollar Tree timing...sorry. But it's right next to where we buy groceries so it's not that hard to just stop by and see if they have what I'm looking for.

Today I'm going to share with you what I found that's going to help keep our little man happy and entertained. AKA mommy and daddy will be happy and also entertained. Thumbs up all around!

My DT usually keeps these flexible baskets in stock and they are so useful for a variety of things. For this trip I'm using one to keep all of David's activities and toys handy and in one spot for easy access and so that nothing gets lost or squished. On past trips I've kept his things in a bag or nothing at all. Neither worked well at all. Things ended up all over the place and squished. I'm learning. 
I'm also going to put some diapers, wipes and a change of clothes in here for easy access during bathroom stops and in case he has an accident. That way I don't have to dig through all the luggage to find what I need.

I found these adorable little books for him to look at. He inherited my love for animals so I know he's going to be so excited to look at these! How cute are they?! They had several to choose from and I chose the three I though he would be most interested in. These are cardboard so they're very sturdy and just the right size for his toddler hands. Your DT might have something different, but I'm sure they'll have books. Like I mentioned earlier my DT is small, but most of them have kid friendly books.   

Next up, more animals! On the left is an activity book with two pages of animal stickers. David has had so much fun with stickers lately so I was super excited to snag a book that included them. It does say it's for 3+ which is understandable because you are technically supposed to match the stickers to certain spots in the book. David can't get the stickers off the page by himself yet so this will need to be one we use in a restaurant, the hotel, or if I'm sitting next to him in the car. 

David is a huge Paw Patrol fan (are you considered a fan at 1 1/2?) so I know he's really going to have fun coloring in this Paw Patrol coloring book. And I am a huge fan of the Playskool brand (can you be a crayon fan at 24?) so I'm really glad they had this big pack of crayons. For a dollar! I'm going to use one of my cookie sheets to tape a page down for him to color. Since it's rimmed it will also keep the crayons from rolling away.

Here's the tape I'll be using and it also came from Dollar Tree. It's super cute and Disney themed. I'll also be using this at the hotel to cover all the electrical outlets. Which will be much easier than unplugging and transporting the ones I'm already using here. Also washi tape won't leave a mess and will peal off easily enough when we leave.

Who knew DT had so much Paw Patrol stuff? Grab bags are so neat! The one I picked up has two coloring boards (those are the white pictures on the front), 3 washable markers, and 25 stickers. Dollar Tree had several to pick from, but I knew David would be most excited about this one. 

On the right is a pack of reusable stickers. I was so excited to find these because David hasn't really grasped the concept that once you put a sticker somewhere it's not supposed to come off again. Not so with these! Oh and it also comes with a reversible background to put the stickers on. 

We couldn't go down the toy isle without him noticing the large assortment of balls. I mean they really have them in all kinds of sizes, shapes and colors. We picked out this cute multicolored foam one. I'm thinking about attaching a string to it so that when he trows it (because what else is a boy supposed to do with a ball?) he can pull it back to himself. I think that's the only way we'll be able to avoid some frustration over trying to chase the ball down every 5 seconds.

Now before any of you fellow moms panic over the sight of glitter let me explain. I made David a calming bottle. This will be great for settling down before he goes to sleep. We'll be on the road during his nap time and bedtime at different points on the trip. To make one of these yourself all you need is an empty plastic water bottle, glitter, and glue to keep the top closed. Ours turned out really pretty and they're fun to watch as the glitter settles. I found a 3 pack of glitter and this craft glue at Dollar Tree.

Now this last one has nothing to do with David's road trip entertainment, but I was too excited about finding this that I had to share it with y'all. It's a collapsible clothes hamper! We have a clothes bad to put dirty clothes in, but it doesn't work great for keeping dirty clothes in when you're staying somewhere a few days or longer. It's hard to get the dirty clothes into and usually ends up spilling a few items of clothing at some point. Hence my excitement to find this pop up one! It stands and will be so much easier to put dirty clothes into. It folds up into a small circle and tucks into the pocket on the outside which you can also use to put things in while it's unfolded. I think this is going to be so handy and well worth a dollar. 

Well that's it! I'm hoping David loves all the new activities and toy to play with and enjoy. I'm thinking this will also help keep him entertained at the hotel as well. I'm not going to give him all of these toys on the way there. I've divided them into two groups so that he still has new stuff to play with on the drive home. I also have plenty of things for him to snack on which I think is super important in keeping a toddler content. No body is happy when they're hungry, grown ups included. 

If you have a toddler and you're planning your next road trip I hope this has given you some ideas. If you have a Dollar Tree (or any kind of dollar store) near you, check it out and see what you can find to provide some entertainment for your kiddos! Thanks for visiting my blog! Come back soon!     

DIY Bubble Gum Sugar Scrub

Nothing says Spring like bright colors. I love them all, from the pastels to the vibrant!
After the winter months my skin always needs a little extra TLC. Removing the dry, dead skin so it can return to glowing. No better way to achieve both than a body scrub. The one I'm going to show you how to make today is a bright pink and blue "Bubble Gum" sugar scrub. It's so easy and quick to make and won't break the bank. This one cost me less than $3!

The things you'll need for this cute and colorful Bubble Gum Body Scrub are:
1 Airtight container
2/3 cup of white sugar
1 TBS of coconut oil
1 drop each of red and blue food coloring
5 drops of doTERRA Grapefruit EO
3 drops of doTERRA Ylang Ylang
1 drop of doTERRA Eucalyptus EO

I love the was this scrub leaves my skin feeling soft and rejuvenated! Plus the essential oil in it each come with their own benefits for your skin like cleansing, anti-inflammatory, calming, soothing, etc. They makes this scrub smell amazing on top of all the benefits to your skin! My favorite way to use it is in the shower on my legs. It makes my shave last longer and leaves my legs silky smooth and moisturized. I don't recommend using this one as a lip scrub because Eucalyptus essential oil is not one you can take internally.

I found this cute little jar in the dollar section at Target. Anyone else love the dollar section? Of course you do! Who doesn't love a steal on something cute?!
I used regular white sugar mainly because its cheap and I won't be eating it. I think the only reason I don't mind having it in my house is for the DIY's haha! I prefer coconut sugar or stevia when it comes to cooking with granulated sugars since they're both healthier alternatives. Anywho...that was a rabbit trail. #randomfactsaboutcali

I'm ok with using just regular ole food coloring, but if you prefer something more natural that will work just as well.

Aren't these colors just yummy? All the heart eyes over here! I love the pink and blue combo, they add so much fun! I know Spring is coming! I just know it! Give me all the Spring colors!

Mix the sugar and coconut oil together in your mixing bowl then add 5 drops of grapefruit EO, 3 drops of Ylang Ylang EO, and 1 drop of Eucalyptus EO. I only suggest using doTERRA essential oils since you'll be putting this on your skin. doTERRA is the only company that certifies their bottles are 100% essential oil and nothing else (like synthetic fragrances, fillers, or other chemicals. Yes you can actually put that in a bottle of essential oil and then sell that bottle).

Once you've done that separate in half. Put the other half in another mixing bowl. Add one drop of blue food coloring to one bowl and one drop red food coloring to the other. mix well then spoon into your container. I like to alternate the two colors so that you get layers. But you do you! It's a DIY so you know, do it yourself haha!   

That's it! You did it! Time to enjoy your Bubble Gum scrub and silky smooth skin. You've got scrubbing power from the sugar to remove dead, dry skin. You've got coconut oil to moisturize. Last but not least you have the 3 essential oils to purify, smooth, and make your skin smell wonderful. Grapefruit is the FREE oil of the month for March for people who are enrolled in doTERRA's Loyalty Rewards Program (which is also free) so if you're interested in getting it or other essential oils let me know! I'm always super excited to help someone else become an essential oil lover (which I promise you will become if you start using them)! 

I had a blast making this (I love DIY's) and I hope you do too! I keep it in my bathroom cabinet so every time I open the cabinet door I see these happy colors and can't help but smile. Enjoy and thanks for stopping by my blog!  

Husband and the Chicken Coop

Whew, it's been a while y'all. Life has been busy lately. And yesterday and last month and last year (I can say that because it's January) and today. Oh, you too? That figures, it seems like the "busy bug" has been making it's rounds.

Anywho, my creative juices have been flowing so I'm taking advantage of it and writing this blog post. Did you miss me?

Right now we're working on my chicken coop. Hooray! It's almost done and if you couldnt tell I'm here to tell you I'm excited! My dad, mom, husband and father in law have all taken the time to help me and I am so appreciative. They have no clue how much this means to me! As we've been working on the pen and other things around the house (we've almost been here 2 months. Eek!) I've noticed something. My precious husband and I do not fit your tipacal husband and wife mold. Shocker, I know.

If you want a tour go watch my Youtube video!!
https://youtu.be/swg-Be7Q14Y

So what do I mean by that? Well for instance my husband will ask me how to do things from time to time (because he's an amazing and humble human) that he's not quite sure how to do. Things he's fairly certain, because I grew up on a ranch out in the country, I know how to do. Or at least more about it than he does. My husband did not grow up on a ranch or anything close to it. He grew up in a fairly large town (especially for the south) in a subdivision. One with a big back yard I might add. I know how to drive a stick shift, dig a post hole, build a fence, ride a horse and move cattle, milk a goat (my friends owned them), feed chickens (again, friends had them not me), stack hay, hitch and  pull trailer (bumper pull and goose-neck), hook up jumper cables, and other things you need to know how to do if you're going to be helpful around livestock. Which I was. Daily. My parents taught me valuable things I needed to know because of the lifestyle I lived. Many of these things and others are still serving me.

Did I expect or plan to merry someone who grew up in a neighborhood less than 15 minutes from town? Not really no. Is he incapable? I'm going to go with "no" again. He's very capable and good at so many things. He's also a fast learner and very smart. He's quick to ask for my opinion and values my input. That is something that still makes my heart melt. He doesn't have to have all my "country knowledge" to be perfect for me. In fact I'm not so sure I would have liked a man trying to do certain things for me. Don't misunderstand me, I am not of the mindset that "Whatever a man can do I can do". My point is that I enjoy being outside and working with my hands. I like learning and knowing things that aren't your typical girl things. My husband is more than okay with this. He often does things around the house that aren't your typical guy stuff. I'm more than okay with that. If I wasn't I'd be cleaning out the old food in the fridge (gagging all the way), washing the dishes, cooking everyone's breakfast, changing dirty diapers and decorating all by myself. Along with other things that the wife typically does the majority of the time. The other evening Nathan asked, "Do you want me to finish nailing up those boards so you can get something done in the house?" Isn't he wonderful? He knows I get overwhelmed. I replied, "No, I don't want to go in the house. I want to finish this. I like nailing in boards." Poor guy, he tried.

Nathan has never tried to change who I am. He married me for me. He loves me just being me. He is the first person to give me that kind of freedom. Does he know how to do everything? No, I don't know of a soul who does. He knows how to do many things that I don't. Knowing that he is humble enough to ask for my help makes it so easy to ask for his when I need it. And even when I don't. When we were dating he wanted to ride horses together and for me to show him how he could improve. This was just one of many things he showed interest in that was important to me. Lots of people want to warn you that people change after marriage. That they stop trying as hard once they've "got you". And sure, this can easily happen f you let it. Nathan has not stopped. He still shows interest in all my crazy ideas and supports me in my endeavors. Nathan loves basketball. His favorite team was playing last Saturday on a channel we pick up for a change. You know where he was? Not in front of the TV. He, his dad, and me were working on my chicken coop. He doesn't even like chickens y'all. But he sure loves me! That I know without a doubt.

There are lots of points to this story. Take your pick. The main one though is you do not have to fit the "typical" in your marriage rolls. We certainly don't. We are not perfect and I'm getting better at not pretending to be. We are learning what God's plan is for OUR marriage, OUR life, and OUR family. One day at a time. Blessings friends!       

Not My Kind Of Love

What if God’s love is not like our love. What if He loves in a way we often don’t understand. How do we know He loves us? There sure are a lot of bad and ugly things happening in this world. Where is God’s love?

1 John 4:9,10 “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 

Could you do that? Could you send someone you loved more than anything to be a sacrifice for not just the people who would love and serve you, but also for those who hated you and would laugh at your pain in loosing this precious one you loved? And could you turn your back on them in their pain and suffering to show your love for everyone else? No sir, not me. No way. In fact the thought makes my blood boil and tears come to my eyes. I could not and would not do it.

God did. The Creator of the universe loved you, me, and everyone else who’s ever lived or ever will live enough to do that for us. That is how He loves. That’s His love. He is the God of love. Over and over again the bible tells us of a steadfast love of God, one that never ceases. A love that we can’t be separated from by suffering, anxiety, sorrow, pain, persecution, or weapon.

So what about humanly love? What does our love look like? We’d never let our loved ones hurt if we could prevent it would we? Of course not! That’s crazy. If I love someone I want them to always be happy and never have to hurt. When someone loves me they want the same for me because they would never hurt me themselves. If you’re nice to me I love you. If you’ve had a hard day and you’re short tempered with me my love might go down one notch, but I still love you. I might not like you very much, but I can love you. If you don’t talk to me anymore except for when you need me to do something for you because you got yourself in a mess, well my love is going to keep going down a notch each time. We all know you’ll promise to spend more time with me and at first you might, but you’ll slack off again until you’re in trouble. I might run out of notches to go down and then your out of luck. I’m not feeling the love anymore. Or maybe you claim to love me, but when someone starts to make fun of me you don’t stand up for me. You just stay quite and let them drag my name through the dirt. When you need something though you’re back at my doorstep. Or what about when I ask you to do something for me out of your love for me and instead of doing it you lie to me in the form of an excuse.
Human love is conditional. We can deny it all we want to, but it’s the truth. Can we love unconditionally? Yes we can, but not with our own humanly love. Only through the love of God can we love unconditionally. We do all of this to God and yet He loves us still. That is not conditional.
I fail Him, I don’t stand up for Him, I don’t talk to Him, I don’t spend time with Him, I lie to Him, I come crawling back only when I need Him, and I do it all over and over and over again. We all do. We love with a humanly love.
His love is not conditional though remember? He still loves me! Even when I do all the things that would lose my love if they were done to me. Unconditional, steadfast, merciful, love. The love of The Father.

So do you really want God to just love the way we do? I don’t always understand His love especially when I see horrible things happening to people I KNOW He loves. It’s above understanding. His love is not like ours and it doesn’t work like ours. I know that’s hard to comprehend. However, I do know that He loves us and I have faith in that. I do know that one day I wont see anyone suffering or hurting. One day I will not have to worry about failing Him. One day I’ll never have to come crawling back because I’ll never leave Him. One day I’ll be in heaven and I’ll live forever with my Savior and King. Oh hallelujah what a day! That day is close and it’s coming fast. I’m so ready, come Lord Jesus come!              

Blessings, Cali

A Mom's Contribution

I’ve never felt comfortable with the mommy cliché “My contribution to the kingdom of God is to raise the next generation of Christians.” It never set right with me, but I wasn’t quite sure why. I thought that maybe once I was a mom myself I would suddenly grasp the meaning of the saying and similar phrases. Yet now that I am a mom I find myself disliking it even more. I had to ask myself, “Would that be my only purpose as a follower of Christ who is also mother?” It still didn’t line up with what I knew a life of following Christ should look like. I hate to say it, but it sounds like a cop out. Just this thought hurts my heart, but what if one or all of my kids do not become Christians? If my sole purpose was to raise Christians then I would have failed.  Do not misunderstand me please, I have the highest respect for mothers. Especially now that I’ve seen first hand what it takes to be one. I know that it is by no means an easy job. It’s hard at times, tiring and often stressful. So let me get to the heart of what I’m trying to convey.

I’m a mom and I have the opportunity to witness to people on an almost daily basis. I go to the grocery store, I have a Facebook account, I get the oil changed in my car, I go to the post office, I go to the gas station, I eat at restaurants from time to time. We all have opportunities, whether we choose to take advantage of them or not is our decision. Not just the opportunity to share the gospel with others, but also to encourage fellow Christians. That’s something we’re all called to do as God’s children.
2 Timothy 4:2     Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
Encouraging people is one of my favorite things to do! The Father has put a love in me for encouraging young women, wives, and young moms. God has also placed me in a position as a youth pastor’s wife to also minister to young people and I am loving it! There are plenty of opportunities out there no matter what your stage in life is right now. With all the technology we have now days we have absolutely no excuse. We can all make a difference in this world right where God has us. In this season. All of us are probably pretty darn busy, some more than others. Maybe there isn’t an opportunity staring you in the face like your deadlines are. So go and fine one then! They are out there, I guarantee it. Whether you’re a mom or not this applies to you, because if you are a child of God you have a job to do. You have a faith to act on. You have a mission. So start today and get out there. This world needs Jesus.

Blessings,
Cali     

What A Small World

Why do we ever doubt God's love for us? Why do I ever doubt His love for me? We doubt that He loves us or that He  even cares. We doubt that He is interested in the small details of our life. We doubt. I doubt. Yet our Father sends us sweet and gentle reminders that our doubt is unfounded. That He cares deeply about every part of our life. Why shouldn't He be? He did, after all, create it. When I am reminded of this it makes me want to shout, "Oh my goodness people! He loves us so much! Every time I come to this earth shaking, life altering conclusion it knocks me flat on my back. It blows me completely away! GOD LOVES YOU! HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH! So very much. And it's amazing. It's powerful. It will change your life."

I just witnessed one of these reminders of His love and it brought me to tears. Like ugly crying in the car where no one see's you type of crying. I praised God for caring enough to line up things just right so that my faith could be strengthened. Just read on, it might make you cry happy tears too.

As many of you know I worked at a wonderful place called Lake Forest Ranch in summers 13, 14, and 15. During my second summer I met a little girl from a children's home and there was an instant conection. I honestly had no idea what drew her to me, but I was thankful God saw fit to let me get to know her. We both cried the morning camp ended and she had to leave. We wrote each other back and forth a few times, but eventually lost touch. I worked at LFR the following summer and prayed hard that she would come back so I could see her again and find out how she was doing, but the previous year would have been her last to come as a kid camper. The children's home would have to send her as a youth camper and I wasn't sure if they sent their youth. But still I prayed. One evening I was sitting on the work truck's tailgate with my fellow wrangler watching the kids go about their evening activities when I saw a girl that I recognized. I called out her name in the form of a question. The next second I was running to meet her with a long hug. I sent a silent prayer of thanks to God. We reconnected that week and I learned more about her heartbreaking story. A lot of it I had already suspected, but hoped I was wrong. This sweet child let down her wall just enough to let me see the things she normally pretended did not hurt her anymore. The look in her eyes and the few tears that slipped out told me differently. We cried again at the end of that camp and again we lost touch. I tried to find her, desperately hoping that we could get in touch again. I hit nothing but dead ends. Still I prayed. 

Nathan just took our youth group to LFR for summer camp. It's been wonderful to see former fellow staff members and watch our youth get to know the place Nathan and I love so dearly. He was there as an adult leader and David and I went back and forth from there to my parents' house. We knew one of the other adult leaders because we were on staff with her for several years. I got to talk to her a little bit on one of the days I went to camp. She asked me did I remember a little girl that was a camper here several years in a row and then she told me her name. Now you have to understand, I gave rides to thousands of kids over the course of three years, but I knew exactly who she was referring to and my heart lept. I told her enthusiastically that I did! She said that her sister and brother-in-law were adopting her. I was speechless for a few moments as excitement shot through me! I could have broken down and cried. I told her how I had been trying to find her and she assured me that she is doing great. She said she talks about me often and how she came to the barn as many times as she could to ride. I have no doubt in my mind that this precious soul will be loved by her new parents, sibling, aunt, grandparents, and other family members. God is so good.

You all better believe I cried on my drive back to my parents house. Why do I ever doubt? Why do I ever doubt that He cares for me? That He is personal and interested in the smallest details of my life. He loves me enough to make sure that former staff member and our group, out of all the camps from this summer, were there at the same time to let me know that the little girl that touched my heart in a huge way was being adopted by her family. God could have provided for her, taken care of her, placed her in that new loving family, and never let me know. And that would be ok. He would still be good and merciful and righteous. But He did let me know! He gave me the answers I've been searching for. He gave a beautiful gift and I'm so thankful. I want to see her again as soon as possible, and that is possible all because my Father cares about me. He cares about the small details. He loves me so very dearly. He cares! He loves me so much! He loves you so much! He does care about you and every part of your life! I just can't even get out the excitement I have felt all day! Just...know you're loved!!! Ok?! Alright, that's all folks. But seriously, He loves you.    

Just You Wait

"Oh you think you're busy and stressed now? Just wait till you get older and have a job, bills to pay, a house to look after..."?
Have you ever benefited from a conversation like this? Yeah, me neither. Let me ask you something else, have you ever been the one telling someone something like this? Unfortunately I have. I've been on the recieving and giving end of it. Maybe you have too. We think by letting this poor young soul know that they certainly don't have anything to complain about, we have improved their outllook on their situation. Or maybe it's not them we`re thinking about at all.

Please don't think I am condoning complaining because I'm not. Complaining is wrong and it's a sin. We all do it. What I am saying is we miss an opportunity when we choose to respond in this way. What if someone isn't complaining. What if they are letting down their walls just a little bit. What if they're looking for some encouragement or a sliver of hope. What if all they want to hear is, "It's worth it". And instead we tell them it's not worth it. It's not worth growing up. The change isn't worth it. What you're feeling right now is not true and it isn't legitament.

Do you want to know why younger people feel stressed, stretched thin, and overwhelmed at times? Because they are! They are. What they are feeling is real and it's not made up. Sure, they don't know what it's like to have bills to pay, a house to keep up, or a family to care for. But that's just it! They haven't experienced those things yet. They are the busiest they have ever been not the busiest they will ever be. They can look at the lives of their parents and other adults in their lives and realize there's a differnce. But they only know what they have done so far.
Hopefully one day they will have a family, a home, bigger responsibilities. Wouldn't you rather they looked forward to it instead of dreading it?

There is enough negativity in this world. There's more than enough actually. Be someone who encourages the younger people in your life to live a full life where they are right now. But to also look forward to what's coming. I love being married! I love being a mommy! I love having a life together with my family and friends! I love where I am right now! Is life always a piece of cake? Of course not. There are hard days. There are painful days. There are days when I have to make decisions I really wish I didn't have to make. But life is good. Every day is a new chance to see where God's taking me on this adventure. 

I doubt I have had my last conversation like this with someone. But my hope is that as time goes on I have fewer and fewer. I want to encourage those around me and build them up. I may not be able to stop all the negativity in this world, but I can stop adding to it. So can you. I leave you with this encouragement from Ephesians.

Eph. 4:29
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

And to you young people (Yes I know, I'm young too):
1 Timothy 4:12
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

I Hope this has encouraged you! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog! Blessings.

Yes, But Is It Worth It?

Please tell me I am not the only one who has a coversation like this with the Lord, "Ok, what do you have for me today? Who do you want me to witness too? How can I be the Light today?! Oh right...I'm going to be around people who are probably already saved...ok then. Then who is it that you need me to minister to?" Then the thought that follows is, "It's probably something hard and really not fun isn't it? It's probably going to be unpleasent isn't it? Something super simple like helping someone I don't want to be around." I then I say, "Oh well. That's what God promised us this life will be. He never said it'd be easy..." yata, yata, yata. Do you think that sounds appealing to someone who does not have a relationship with Christ? I can answer that for you in one word. No. No! It doesn't.

Hey! You should be a christian! 

Why?

Um... well...Oh! I know! Because if you don't you'll burn in hell for ever and ever while I'm sipping lemonaid with Jesus. You want to go to heaven instead right?

Yeah that sounds great and all, but don't you have to like, do hard stuff?

Well...yes. Sometimes I do.

And don't you have to miss out on a lot of fun things because they're "Bad"?

Yeah sometimes. But I still do fun stuff!

Right. Just not the kind of stuff I think is fun. No thanks. I'll live my life and you just live yours. That Jesus stuff is not for me. For all you know you could be wrong. Once you die you could just go in the ground. End of story. If that's the case I'd rather just live while I can. Without having to worry about what I can and can't do. Besides, I'm a good person. Sure I may not be the best, but I'm certanly not the worst.

What?! No! Just...no.

So many times we as christians are missing the point! Does the conversation I just presented you with convence you that you need Jesus? Or that you made the right choice as a follower of Christ?

Why do we endure the uglyness of this world? Why do we choose to do what seems hard to the rest of the world when we could be doing other things? Why do we continue to push back when the world says, "I have what you really want"? Why do we choose to look different from this world when it would be much easier to just go with the flow? 

Philippians 3:7-12, 14

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

I press on. Press on towards the goal for the prize. The surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. He is worth it. He knows what's best. God has a plan! He knows best! He has my best interest and his glory in mind. Are you getting all this? Is it soaking into your heart and your mind? We serve a God that cares about every detail of our life and journey because it's right where he has placed us. He's so personal! Oh my goodness he loves you so much! Why on earth would we sacrifice knowing him, bringing him glory, and being loved by a perfect Father for the temporary gratification this world could give us? It's not worth it. Without God life is empty and hopeless. With him it's worth living, it's full, and it has purpose.

Now here's my challenge to those of us who are folowers of Christ and children of God; live like it. Live like the sacrifices are worth it because they are. Live so that others will say, "I want the peace and true joy you have". Live like this world is not your home and you are looking to what is coming next because it's worth the trials here. 

My hope is that you are encouraged from reading this post. I hope you are stirred up to live the amazing life that God our Father has set before you. Don't be ashamed of the life you have chosen. Walk out in faith! 

Blessings,

Cali Sims

Yours, Mine, and Ours

I love my son. I do. He's only been here 5 short months and already he's such a big part of our life. I love him so much that the thought of not having him with me hurts my heart and brings tears to my eyes. Now, I'm not trying to be morbid or make anyone sad. But I know the fear I have felt other parents have also felt. I have wanted to go to other mothers and ask, "How do you do it? How do I keep the fear of losing this precious person that is my child from overwhelming me?" How do these people, at a young age, not just fall apart when they lose a spouse or child? I'll share with you something that was revealed to me this weekend. My son does not belong to me. My own life it's not even mine. No matter what I do I cannot keep my son here with me if Jesus wants David with Him. And whether I choose to acknowledge it or not, David belongs to my Lord. 

“Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭1:20-22‬ ‭

Job tore his robes and worshiped. He worshiped! All his children had died and all his possession were gone, yet he worshiped. He knew that all those things had been given to him by God. He also knew that God could take them away as he acknowledged here. I've been given a family, a husband, and a son by my Heavenly Father. He could choose to take them away, and get this, it would be what is best. I trust him for my future, for my husband's future, and for my sons future. He is the only one that can see the big picture. Like we are able to see the whole story of Job, we know that everything works out for his best in the end. God has already seen my story and everyone else's from start to finish. I want my life to bring glory to Him. That's what I'm here for! Everything is His, even those things that He has given to me for a short time. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

You want to know something else? God loves my son more than I could ever hope to. He knows what is best for me, my husband, and my son. I have given God my life. I have surrendered my wants, needs, comfort, everything to my Savior. It is nothing more than what He deserves! He gave everything for me so that I could have eternal life with Him instead of what I deserve. I'm so thankful for everything that He has given me this side of heaven! I pray He gives me the wisdom to use it all to His glory. 

Thank you so much for visiting my blog! I hope this has encouraged you! Blessings! 

Cali Sims

A Blast From The Past

Sometimes I reminisce. Ok a lot of the time I reminisce. It's part of my daydreaming personality. Little things throughout my day can be triggers. A smell that takes me back, a word said, a sound, many different things. And sometimes it's easy to think, "Wow, now that was when things were easier." It's true, I often think back to my days of working at my beloved summer camp. Days spent on horse back working alongside my dad. Afternoons spent in my hammock with an enthralling book. Evening coffee with my friends at our favorite coffee shop and hangout spot. Where we had long discussions and I laughed so hard I cried. Midnight car rides. Spur of the moment trips. Last minute spend the nights. Nights spent having a heart-to-heart with my sweet mother long after the others had gone to bed. Riding my horse whenever I wanted to or felt like it. Sitting with my kitty doing nothing at all. Watching the rain from my back porch. 

In those days there weren't as many bills. No house of my own to clean. No baby to depend on me for their every need. No family all my own to cook for and care for. No business to run. Definitely not as much responsibility. 

It's so easy to look back and think those were the easy days. But in reality, they had their struggles too. Each season has its struggles. Back then I wondered when or even if I'd ever get married. If I'd ever have children. If someone would ever love me that way. I wondered what I was doing with my life. Was I doing things that mattered. Was I making a difference in the bigger picture. I had heartache and hurt. I had struggles and failures. I made mistakes and I had regrets. I cried and I lost. It was hard too. 

But that's easy to over look when wearing the rose tinted glasses of retrospect. Especially on days like today. Days when my house is a wreck, the dishes are piled a mile high in the sink, the dishwasher is full and so are the clothes baskets, the baby has been crying, supper didn't get fixed, I didn't get a shower, and I'm more exhausted than I have ever been...ever...in my whole life. 

And then my husband comes home. The one that God gave me. He takes the baby because he knows I've had a long day. Doesn't even mention the lack of supper. And I look into the big dark eyes of my son. The son that smiles and coos at me. Holds my finger and falls asleep. And it's all worth it. Everything. 

This is a season. Like the time I reminisce about was a season. And they are fleeting. Make the most of each season. Some are painful. While others are so filled with joy you think you might just die of happiness.

 

I thank God for all the seasons in my life. Because through every single one of them I have seen His faithfulness a little more clearly. Gained a better understanding of His love. Received grace upon grace upon grace. He's so good. He's so faithful. He's so loving. And He's with me in every season. 

So Celebrate the seasons you look back on fondly! It's ok to miss them. It is. Just don't become discontent with where He has you now. You learned all that He wanted to teach you in that season. You moved on. Learn what He would have you learn in this season.  Celebrate the now! It is good! Its hard, but it's good. It's painful at times, but it's good. It's exhausting, but it. is. good!

*big sigh* I hope this was as helpful to you as it was to me haha! Sometimes it just helps to put my thoughts down. Blessings all! 

Don't Waste Your Time In The Pasture

Let me just start off by saying how thankful I am for our Sunday morning bible fellowship class. I learn and  gain so much encouragement each week! It has really been a huge blessing to my husband I. If you aren't in some type of small group with fellow believers where everyone is asked to share their thoughts, wisdom, insight, and even questions please look into it. My faith and walk with Christ has been greatly strengthened because of it.

Anywho! How about that title? Are you wasting time in the pasture? Let me elaborate a little. This past Sunday we talked about David. His anointing to be king, his entrance into the kingdom, and his battle with Goliath. In first Samuel 16 we read about the Lord telling Samuel to cease mourning over Saul since He had rejected him as king. He tells him He has chosen a new king and Samuel is to go and anoint him. Evidently David's father Jesse must not have thought much about this whole thing because we find David in the same place he was before, in the pasture tending the sheep. But because he was in the pasture tending the sheep someone in Saul's service knew David could play the lyre. They had heard him play and knew he had a good reputation. So Saul sent for him. David would play for Saul when the harmful spirit would torment him and the spirit would leave. 

At this point in our class a very good point was brought up. Why music? What about David playing the lyre made this harmful spirit depart? It's a picture of light versus dark. David was full of light. Ever since the day Samuel anointed him the Spirit of the Lord was upon him. Where there is the light the darkness cannot stay. David's presence and God's Spirit inside of him drove the darkness away.

This was something I had never thought much about. But it is a wonderful example to us. Light and darkness are both powerful things. Step too close to one and you will be consumed. Which would you rather be consumed by? Do your actions line up with your answer to that question?

The next part of David's story is about his battle with Goliath. But was it really a battle between a boy and a giant? The whole battle, as our teacher pointed out, is very anti-climactic. The whole battle between the two last two verses. Two verses! This wasn't a battle between a boy and a giant. It was a battle between gods. Goliath was cursing the name of the living God while promoting the gods of his people. And that sickened David. In his mind that gave him no choice but to face this enemy. If he truly believed in the God this Philistine was so blatantly blaspheming he had to do something about it. 

An excellent point was brought up. We always try to relate to David in this story. We can do anything, conquer anything, be anything. But David is not the one we are supposed to relate to here. It's the people of Israel that were shaking in their boots on the sidelines. They were never meant to fight this battle. David was. David was the substitute deliverer. And just like the people of Israel were never called to fight that battle, we aren't called to fight ours. Jesus, our Deliverer has already won. Has already conquered. He has overcome our every sin and shortcoming. He tells us in John 16:33 "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have over the world." 

All that time David was in the pasture tending the sheep, playing his lyre, defending his flock from a lion and a bear, God was preparing Him. God was the only One to see him there. David didn't waste his time in the pasture. David knew God delivered those wild beast into his hands, "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the hand of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." David knew that his time in the pasture had served a purpose. 

I've been wasting my time in the pasture lately. Looking for what's coming next. Wondering when this season I'm in is going to come to an end. But I don't want to waste any more time here. God has something to teach me here. I'm not done here in this pasture. He has something He wants me to learn. He wants me to grow. He is preparing me, shaping me, molding me. Now, all those things are not always pleasant. However, they are necessary for growth and preparation in the life of a christian. 

So how are you spending your time in your own pasture? Are you wasting the days and training there by looking for what's ahead? Live in today. We aren't promised tomorrow. And what will tomorrow be worth if you didn't learn what He wanted you to learn yesterday? 

Thank you for reading! I hope the Lord has used this to encourage you in some way. God bless!    

A Wedding, A First, And A Reminder.

This past Friday Nathan and I attended a beautiful outdoor wedding. The weather was perfect for it! Lights glowed softly up above us in the fading evening light. The bride and groom stood in front of a huge mirror decorated with draping greenery. You could see there every reaction. The smiles, the nods, and the occasional tear.

I didn't realize till half way through the ceremony that this was the first wedding Nathan and I had attended since our own wedding. On the way home later that night we both commented on how different it was to attend a wedding now that we're married. I've been to and in my fair share of weddings. I love them! The ones I've been to have always been happy and festive. There are always people to see and joys to be shared.
When I would go as a child I would wonder how it felt to be that beautiful bride in white. I would wonder what must she be feeling as she glides down the isle to marry the man she loves? What would all of this feel like? What is it going to be like when I get to have a wedding of my own?

Friday night I could not stop thinking of our own wedding. How wonderful it had been. I watched the bride walk down the isle with new eyes. I knew now what she was thinking and feeling. The excitement that flows through you is like no other! It's something completely new and you just want to savor that moment. You look down the isle and see your groom smiling at you and everything else just sort of...fades away. And you realize this is the moment you've both been waiting for. You are finally getting married! And yet, it doesn't seem real. But it is! It is so very real. It is so very wonderful.
Nathan said for him he watched the groom Friday night and wondered what thoughts were going through his mind. What was he feeling at this moment? He remembered he himself standing there waiting for me to walk down the isle to him. It really was a completely different experience from this side of the fence. Yet no less wonderful. I had sweet things to be reminded of instead of things to be longed for. I had a sense of knowing what the bride would feel when she attended her first wedding as a wife herself. I had Nathan beside me to smile at knowingly. It felt good. I like this wife thing! ;)

Knowing what it feels like to be engaged and so badly wanting to be married, I've gotten a small taste of what Jesus feels right now. Oh what longing! You are so ready for what you know is going to happen to finally happen! But Jesus doesn't even know when He'll get to come for His bride. He doesn't know yet His wedding date. Only the Father does. So think how much more intense that must be! You are longing, waiting, wanting for this marriage to happen yet you don't know when. You just know it will. There is a very powerful, very long awaited love in the heart of our Groom. Our savor is ready to come for His bride when the Father gives the go ahead. And it's soon!
Matthew 24:36-44 "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day you Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let the house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

I hope this has been encouraging to you! God bless!        

Lay It Down

And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" Luke 9:23-25.

Daily. Let him take up his cross daily. Not just a one time thing and you're set. Not just a whim of a decision and you won't struggle again to sacrifice yourself. No, it's a daily decision to realize this life is short and fleeting. That there is so much more to come! It's a daily dying to selfish desires. It's dying to (and here comes the kicker for me) stubbornness over what I want. What I had planned. What I saw as the best way.

All that is rooted in the fact that deep down I still don't trust God with my future. Which if we're being realistic isn't mine at all. Oh no. I gave that right up many years ago. A decision I have never regretted. Because it's the only place where true joy and peace abound!
Back to the point at hand, it is rooted in distrust, selfishness, and pride. I don't trust that God knows what will really make me happy or satisfied. What will really be best for me. In my pride I think I know what that is and what it looks like. But who am I kidding? I can't see the second in front of me. I haven't gotten there yet. Much less the weeks, months and years down the road. God can! God knows! And He does care. He does want what's best for us. He knows what will bring Himself glory. Is that not my purpose here on earth? My short and limited time here is for His glory. But I can't bring Him glory if I am so focused on my wants and my plans for my life. That blurs my vision. That is when I've taken my eyes off of Him. When my gaze is no longer heavenward. The focus goes to me. And oh what a breeding ground for all types of sins. I lose faith, I worry more, I trust less, I lose my joy, I endanger my relationships, I become very unthankful. The list goes on and on, but I'll let you fill in the blanks.

Let's be honest. No one thinks of the act of denying ones self and thinks, "Hmm, that sounds fun, I think I'll try that today!" No! It's sounds hard, painful and very not fun. But we find so much peace there. We escape all the nasty things I just mentioned. We can be at rest knowing we are right where God want's us and that place is wherever He want's us to be. Doesn't that sound peaceful? Don't you want someone to take those burdens and worries you've been trying to carry? This is what Jesus has to say on the matter;
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matt. 11:28-30.

God bless you! I hope you find this encouraging in your (daily) walk with Christ.

Our Hidden Idols

We've been talking about the story of Gideon at church lately. Recently I started incorporating it into my reading at home. I love the story of Gideon! I believe I got that (and my love of coffee) from my sweet dad. When I read  through the story of Gideon the other day I decided to back up a little bit and get some of the back story. I started in Judges chapter two and scanned my way to chapter 6 where we find Gideon's story begin.

I'm always struck by how the Israelite people can so quickly forget all the many things God has done for them. They continually spit in His face by putting idols before Him. They are ungrateful so quickly after God rescues them over and over again. You would thing they would learn something from this seemingly unending cycle!
It is at this point I realize how much of a hypocrite I am. That usually follows all the condemning I like to dole out on ole Israel. To quote Romans 2:1 "Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same thing." Ouch. That gives no room for escape.
What idols do I set before Him on my list of importance? How many times a DAY do I forget the mercy He shows me constantly? How often do I cheapen His name by not doing the hard thing by standing up for it?

This really challenged me to dig deep and see the ugly truth. To see what I was putting before Him. What idols I had set up as more important than He. To find out what things I had been putting before Him in my affections. And then, like He always does, He takes me back and showers me with mercy. How wonderful it feels to have Him in His rightful place in my affections, praise, and glory! It sets all things right. It is something we have to continually do. A continuing heart check. Because we are humans. Sinful humans whom our Father shows grace, love, and endless mercy.

It can be any number of things, even good things, that we put before Him. I'm not going to make a list and try and guilt you into discovering the idols in your life. I'll leave that up to our heavenly Father. I simply ask that you ask Him to reveal what they are. Be free from those things that could be holding you down! And live in the freedom of true worship and relationship with our heavenly Father!

A lot of times I want to give myself some slack because "I didn't purposefully make an idol" out of something and intentionally worship it more that God. That fact does not matter what so ever. Not in the least. It is a poor excuse for allowing something to steal away our affections from the One who most deserves them.
The definition of worship is; "Reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred."
The definition of sacred is; "Devoted or dedicated to deity or to some religious purpose; consecrated."
For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse."
We have no excuse. We, as children of God, have been given a first hand look at what mercy is. We have been loved beyond what we though possible. We have been forgiven the unforgivable.

So restore that rightful place of worship, honor, glory, sacred, worthy, to the One who deserves it most. And watch as He allows it to overflow into ever facet of your life. Go worship the Father! Go live the life He has designed for you! And remember, He loves you! He deserves your praise and thanks.

God bless!