“Live like no one else, so you can live like no one else.” Have you heard that from attending a Dave Ramsey Financial Gathering? We have, and we have tried to live that motto out in our lives for years. Debt free-living. There is a time when we have to say no to ourselves, so that, we can later say yes. So… I’m excited to share a thought with you about an exciting new project in our lives! With a lot of prayer and years of conversation about it, we believe this is our time to say yes. Yes to us. Yes to our kids. Yes to dreams, Yes to possibilities.
What did we say yes to, you ask? We said yes to purchasing a recreational piece of property where hubby and I can go to get-away. A place where our family can also get away from life’s stresses and enjoy a campfire, quiet time, and nature. A place where dreams can be made, planned for, prayed over, and manifested, in the beautiful nature God made for us to enjoy. Is it all fancy? Nope. But it is a diamond in the rough. And I’m not afraid to rough it a little to have the enjoyment of simplicity of life.
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.
Instead, its easy for us to get our coffee in the morning and then get on the treadmill of life. We might even forget to make prayer talk with Jesus a morning priority, and we just hit the road running. Is that what you really want? Is it the way you really want to live every day? I hope not. I hope that you want more. More of the above. Plus, more family time. More parents time, more grandparents time. More down time. And the BIG deal???? Not feeling guilty for wanting or taking part in it.
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.
How can we get better at this idea of finding out own time and space to do this? For me, I am the type of person that can easily jump in to help someone with a project. I am a “helps” type person. But even as I sit at my desk to write this, I have just said no to a couple more things. It wasn’t because they were not good things. They were GREAT things. However, we have to be aware of what is most important. It’s not always about us, or, saying yes to please someone. There may be more in my life I have to say no to, but I will wait for that direction to come. Maybe we need to learn to be willing to step aside to allow someone else to step into our place, and allow them to maybe do an even better job than what we did. If we lead well, then we train or teach someone else how to track our path. And maybe, just maybe, the results might be that it leads to you walking around with less burden on your shoulders. We are our own worse enemy for carrying way more than we need to. You are the only that can make those changes for yourself.
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.
Let’s leave a legacy behind that our kids, grandkids, and our circle of friends want to emulate. It is my legacy. What do you want your legacy to look like?
Until next time…
~JoAnn
Dreams DO come true!!! Today, I wanted share with the you the importance of not giving up on a dream. We all have them whether we verbalize them or not. For myself, I speak them out whenever possible, but I also write them down. I have a book that I keep with my current year’s goals and dreams tucked away in it. Do you know that I was told in my prayer time going into this year? I was told that we would have a great year. But, it would also be a year of change. A great year? What does that mean? What does it look like? I didn’t get specifics. I just had to trust what He said was true.
All while these challenges and changes were happening this year, I felt God telling us to be faithful. New things were coming, but we must be faithful with our current situation. So we have. We have managed to do some of the things we wanted and most of the things we felt God calling us to do. We have made decisions together and asked God to lead us in those decisions. It hasn’t been easy. In fact, it has been really hard at times. Timing…there is that THING that we have to keep turning over to God. I am getting better at that, but I haven’t arrived. I am so grateful God is patient about that. We keep moving forward. We prayed that we would be faithful to accept and live in God’s timing. When it didn’t happen, maybe we just had to accept it won’t happen. When we get to that point of turning it over, then it allows God to work.
that we in turn can bless others that He brings our way. Yes. I believe that everything I have or will have comes from the Lord. I believe that with my whole heart. So every time I get in my car, I thank Him for it. What a wonderful way to be reminded of what God can do. I kept believing no matter what the circumstances looked like. He completely provided for our present circumstances. Everything that we are doing in our home as well. But we are to do something with it…use it for His glory. All of it. We are willing to do that. We are extending our gratitude by tithing what He has given us. I believe He likes to see us turning our life over to Him…in everything. I want my home to feel welcoming and a safe haven. I believe that is what God wants for our home, but He wants that in our lives as well.
Journeys of My Heart 