Hello friends and sweet readers of this blog! It’s good to be back to my desk for some writing. Lately there have been so many thoughts flooding this brain of mine, that its been a bit difficult to get my thoughts sorted out. Some seasons in our life are like that and we just have to press through it, don’t we?
Here is some pressing through activities that I have found helpful to me:
- Daily quiet time – I am reading through the Bible this year, and even though I didn’t start until April, it doesn’t matter. It is a goal of mine with a year’s time.
- Reading – I have been so behind on reading and I enjoy it very much because I gain such great insights and enjoyment from it. I have again set aside time to read.
- Music time – Playing some tunes on my instruments. I have to break in my finger pads for playing the strings.
- Walks – even in the rain. A big umbrella helps and I enjoy the freshness in the air after a rain.
- Baking some bread – There is nothing like the smell of bread in the oven on a rainy day. Recipe
is below. - A get-away to nature – To really see what is around me and let my soul settle down. Our Cabin works great for this, but sometimes a drive can be just the ticket. I do that a lot too. Drive to the water, or to the mountains; whatever you enjoy.
- Create with photography – With My Story 365 project that I am doing, it helps me see in the present moment and make a message with a memory every day.
- Write a note and send by mail – yes by mail. I like receiving them and I think others enjoy it too and you never know what a note in the mail may do for the receiver that day.
- Let a person who has been an influence in my life know – Tell them, call them, send a card, but let them know how and why they have been such a great influence in your life.
- I enjoy, without guilt, doing nothing sometimes – That has been a difficult lesson for me. But I am learning to enjoy it very much… that special brand of slow.
When we take a measure of time to see it in positive ways, it changes how we look at the day. Even when things are at their most difficult, doing some of the activities above, can change your whole perspective! It can bring joy back in where a heavy burden has been.
Pick one this week that you can do for yourself. We are reminded this weekend of why Jesus died for us…and why He arose on Easter. Don’t let the devil steal that joy from you. Christ died and arose again so that you could have a life abundant and full of joy; even when things seem less than joyful. I know. He has done that for me this last week. I am ever so grateful, and I have dropped more than a few hearts in my jar this week!
Go! Walk the path of creative joy! Let me know in the comments what you do to enjoy life even amongst the rainy and difficult seasons on your journey. I would love to hear about them!
My Recipe:
Beer Bread:
- 3 cups of self-raising flour
- 3T of sugar
- 1-12 oz can of beer
Mix together and put into a lightly greased loaf pan. Bake at 350º for 55 minutes. Once out of the oven, run a thin knife if needed around the edge of the bread, and then drop out onto your surface. It’s ready for a yummy taste! It is just as good when it is not warm, and it also toasts well.
Until next time…
~JoAnn
I think we sometimes have this idea that our vision is stationary and doesn’t change, and if it does change, then it is lost. But I have come to know that it is how I SEE those changes, that then give me a new vision. It evolves into the next thing that I get to do. We are each given vision to see the world around us. HOW we see it can make all the difference. If I had stuck with my earlier vision, I may have felt defeated and disappointed in myself that I didn’t continue. But I would have missed all the other visions that God has placed in my spirit. I would have missed the people he has brought into my life. I would have missed the promptings to expand and readjust my vision of my life and circumstances. THAT would be a total loss of vision. Instead, I have allowed my visions to change and I have changed with them. I have gotten to do some marvelous things in my life.
around and ask for new eyes to see; a vision to open up to you. Watch out when it happens though because it will be life changing and life altering. You may find a new zeal in your life that wasn’t there before. It may move you to do things you haven’t ever done. It COULD even make it so you take part in activities that others think are kind of wild and crazy. I say this: “DO what you love, and do it every day.” It’s like drinking from the good glasses every day! Or…a different mocha cup!
vision of happiness. Yours is of course different depending on where you are in life journey. It doesn’t mean you can’t have a vision geared toward you. Would you do me a favor? In the comments here on the blog, share a part of what you feel your vision is for your life at this time? It may just be that you get through your day. It could be a new craft you want to spend time doing. It could be more family time. It may be doing something different on the job. Whatever it is, I would love to hear about it, as well as, how you see that coming to fruition. What do you see?
It will change until the day I pass from this world into my heavenly home. That is a really great way to live in freedom…a vision that excited me! You see the picture to the left is me with a Tootsie Pop out camping and staying in a cottage; something our family did a lot of growing up. That vision has always been a live in me, and now I am establishing that vision for my family; our cabin. Yes. Having vision IS important and can be life changing for generations to come.
I thought it was a good example of our life, and so with a teachable moment, I told Ethan a story… “Life is kind of like that Ethan. It make look like there is no hope in sight. Nothing is going right, there is a lot of stress, sometimes hurt feelings in the process. We may have lost something important to us. It can feel just like this fire that you thought was going out. But when the bellows gave wind to the embers, they became coals of fire, and then became flames once again. In my case, it is God who gives wind to the embers. He helps me see the good. Encourages me to have faith. It may also be a friend who calls or texts at the right time to encourage me. Or, it can be someone who comes my way and for whatever reason, is led to help me. It is kind of like your dad’s car situation. God worked out something for you both that you weren’t expecting. That person gave wind to what seemed like a dead situation. So when things look grim, and you see no light at the end of the tunnel, let the winds around you give your heart a little firing up. Fan the flame of hope for something better to come along. God IS faithful to me, and He will be faithful to you. He wants us to trust Him completely.”
This week I was reminded once again about life; daily life. We don’t often think we are going to wake up one morning and get news that turns our life upside down. But it happens. We don’t think we have to worry about our health because we feel pretty good, and then something shows up and changes everything. We think we will always have our family around us, and then there is a transfer and a move. Life is one change after anything, and it requires us to be life changers.
We never expect the difficult things that come along, but we seem to remember those far more than we remember what is GOOD in our lives, or what great things have come our way. It may feel like it’s the end of the world when our season of challenges come, but it will eventually come to be something we can handle. We wake up every day, and each day that goes by becomes a little bit easier.
So with that being said, I invite you to watch for my group “My Story 365” on Facebook, and I will share maybe once a week if I can here on the blog, to highlight some of the photos I take. If you would like to learn more about how to take better pictures yourself, I’m happy to help in that area as best I can. I don’t pretend to the a great photographer, but I can sure tell you how to improve your basics! I love seeing others take up their cameras to capture those wonderful life moments!
It’s so easy NOT to take a risk. It can be scary stepping out. I think too often we get so tied up in the culture of our lifestyle, that we forget to come away for a while. Sit around a campfire. Roast marshmallows. Make s’mores. Read a good book in front of a wood burning fire, (We have one outside and inside there! Happy me!), play a guitar, Uke, harmonica or whatever you may play, or just enjoy music from our play list without doing anything else while we listen. Enjoy the sky, eagles we see, the mountain ranges, take walks on the trails just to see where they go, and enjoy the deep green of luscious trees that are so much a part of our area.
It’s been a learning curve for me to come to this point. That is for sure! You see, sometimes we might see something exceptional that someone else has done, and how easily we forget that they have made a tremendous sacrifice of some kind to get where they are or have what they have. Sometimes we let a little envy come forth. However, even though it has taken a lot of time and living differently in order for this purchase to come to fruition, we couldn’t be happier to have made this decision.
I realize you might be saying, “Well, that is good for you. You don’t have the obligations I do. My kids are small, we don’t have a lot of money, or we aren’t in a position to do that.” I would say to that, change some things so you can eventually BE in that position to take advantage of the opportunity! Start now. You are the only one that can change it. It may not look like our project, but make it your goal to plan for your own place to go! It has taken us a long time to be in this position, and we have had to make many, many sacrifices to do so. But it’s possible!! So if you don’t see me writing a lot, this little piece of heaven might be why. I will have fun dialing down, being off the grid, and having the ability to do some of the things that I haven’t had time for. I am also kind of excited to have a quiet place to study uninterrupted. And… even more fun, I have another place to decorate… a very creative project for me! All those extra items I wasn’t sure how to use here in our little Bungalow, will now have a new place to live and be comfortable.
I believe we will make great memories at Big River Cabins, and it is my hope that we leave a legacy of, living a good life, behind for the kids. It is our desire to live as a positive example to those around us. At least that is our goal. Let’s remember that people around us watch our example. What do they see and learn from you about Jesus and His provision for your life? What do they learn about daily living by watching you? Yes. That question has kicked me in the backside when I think about it too. Isn’t God great?? He cares about every little thing that concerns us.
I promised local readers that I would post this recipe for them, originally from the website: Table to Soul. You will love them!
That title sounds like a great way to start the New Year, doesn’t it? I am living out some of that by setting the goals I have written down for this year. It helps me sort through priorities for my life and that of my family. But how willing are we to do what it takes to put first things first? Are you willing to give something in order for something better to be given to us?
a hard time sharing what we believe with someone for a couple of different reasons.
the grid. Spend time with the family and encourage them to unplug while they are visiting. DO something instead. Enjoy nature more. Camp, trips, BBQs. If I desire change, I need to be part of the change.
is calling Christians to be equipped. That means to know the Word for themselves; not only to help themselves, but to be aware of how they can help others by knowing the Word of God. I can’t help others if I’m not living it for myself. God has made it clear to me that I have to dig in more this year and with His help, get to know Him more personally than my previous years. I find myself really excited about that, and what He has to teach me.
I have found that I have had less and less time for it in recent years. So this year I am making more time for the things I love. Music, instruments, and singing. It has always been the thing that speaks so deeply to me.
even teaching a basic photography class. I love helping others see the world a bit differently and photography does that. But even to capture moments with family and friends and see results that they are happy with gives me pleasure.
won’t reach each one, I rarely do, but I love having them to remind myself of where God is taking me, and to look back in a year and see what God has done in me. I am not sure of my path here on the blog either. All the time it takes in writing is something I am talking to the Lord about. Is it about me, or Him? I am praying about how God wants me to move forward in terms of my blog, and other areas of my life; or if He DOES want me present here and to be used most for Him. What I DO know is, He will guide me if I listen.
Have you ever had one of these times where you know God is showing you a video on a day in the life of yourself? Here is a humbling one for me that I will share with you. Sometimes sharing my mistakes may help you not make the same ones. 🙂
He allowed me to come back to the front of the line with the second paper work. I then paid for the postage and completed the transaction. Happy to have that done, I went out to the car to go home. When I got in the car, I didn’t see my cell phone with me! I looked in my purse, and didn’t see it. You know how it is ladies. What do you do next? You dump it all out on the seat just to make SURE you didn’t miss it. Well…I didn’t miss it. It just wasn’t there. I was sure I had my phone with me…I always do when I go out. However, it just wasn’t in my purse or the car. So I went back in and looked around. Now, I was SURE I remembered setting it on top of my box to fill out the second paper. So since it hadn’t been turned in, I thought someone must have taken it. I tried calling it from my watch, the PO worker even called it for me so I could go out in the car and see if it dropped there. Nothing.
I had left it at home on the kitchen counter! Amazing how I “saw” it on my box. I even had someone lined up to blame. I am in to judgement now. Now I had a BIG forgiveness times two. to ask God to for. I could have just asked him in the first place to help me and He may have gently reminded me, or I could have asked to have peace about it and ask Him to allowed it to BE at home. Nope. I went off in fear and worry and accusations.
That title has some special meaning to me of late. Why? Because we are moving, and we hope that we are moving forward into a better situation for our fun years! It is sometimes hard to navigate those seasons of change.
So when I think I can’t pack another box, I stop for a while and give my back a rest. We get away from it for a mocha or ice tea. We ask God to give us the strength to keep going, and smooth the way for us. I take out my notebook and plan decor for our new home. That always lifts my spirit. What will be the name of our new place? How do I want it to look? We have always moved what we had and made it work for our home. This time, we want to invest in items that fit this home in particular. That will be very enjoyable for me!
So… October for us is a change of season not just in weather, but in our lives. This was a “suddenly” in our lives. We had to adapt. We have this idea that we have to know all the answers ahead of time. God’s timing isn’t like that at all. So will I believe Him? Will I trust Him? Yes I must. I have experienced too much of His grace and provision to ever think He won’t take care of this also. October 15th, I will look forward to your success in this venture. I pray over our Bel Aire home for the next owner, and that this home gives them as much joy as it has given us. I am thankful for all the wonderful handiwork that my son did in this home to make it special for his folks. Bless him Lord for that. It gave us an edge in this market. See, God is in ALL the details!
