Our Hope is in Christ

 As we see votes going toward the party of murder (abortion), marxism (BLM)/communism and immorality (LGBT)...we, as followers of Christ, can feel a sense of dread, depression, hopelessness. Heavy hearts weigh down our souls. But friends, be encouraged! This is not a time to despair! Our hope doesn't lie in a conservative political party (most of which are out doing much of the same garbage the liberals are....politics is just a game. A horrible circle of power). Our hope lies in Jesus Christ, alone! 

We may face persecution in upcoming days, months or years (John 15:20). The Lord said we would, as believers living a Godly life (2 Timothy 3:12). I think many of us have lived lives with a sense of comfort ~ not truly understanding Christian persecution. Of course, living peacefully is wonderful and desirable...but I believe God separates the wheat from the chaff during times of persecution. Are you willing to give up all you have? Are you willing to be tortured, ridiculed, and demeaned as Christ was? Are you willing to die...or watch your loved ones die while you cling to Christ? In Matthew 5:10-12 ~ the Lord tells us that those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake are blessed! 

It is time (if you aren't already), dear friends, to be in prayer and daily, reading God's Word in context. Memorize scripture. Put on the full armor of God. Memorization can be difficult...so try to do so in the form of songs. Those have always helped my family. Be ready to share the hope that is within you. It is a lost and depraved world. Your faith must be strong. Pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44). The world hates us and will continue to. This should not come as a surprise (1 John 3:13). But let us remember the promises of Romans 8:35 ~ that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Take heart! For Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33)! He is our true King! 

If you haven't been already...live your life for Christ (1 Peter 4:19). Honor Him as Lord. Praise Him! He knows us through and through....our failures and sins...and yet, He loves us anyway. We don't deserve it. We are righteous only because He made us righteous. He took our sin and shame...and imputed us with His righteousness so we can stand before a holy God and be blameless. Not one of us deserves that. Oh how great is our Lord. Always faithful, always true! How worthy of our praise (Revelation 6:9-11)! 

I pray you find encouragement and strength for your soul here today (Acts 14:22). Please feel free to share your heart in the comments below or by email. I will reply if you desire to converse! Every time your soul feels troubled in this political climate or any troublesome time you are experiencing, direct your focus back to Christ. He is our hope and we can *always* find joy in Him (Psalm 23). 

If you are looking for a great fiction book to read...I highly recommend Safely Home by Randy Alcorn. It details some of how Christian persecution is in China. It will challenge you...truly! The link above is for Amazon but you may find it cheaper on ebay! :o)  

Warmly,

Katy

"In all states of dilemma or of difficulty...

...prayer is an available source. The ship of prayer may sail through all temptations, doubts and fears, straight up to the throne of God; and though she may be outward bound with only griefs, and groans and sighs, she shall return freighted with a wealth of blessings!"

~ Charles Spurgeon

This past week has been a trying and exhausting one. The Lord has been so good to us though and I praise Him in the trials! Here's what's been happening. This past Saturday, my cousin got married. Devon had fun using her polaroid camera to take mini-pictures of couples! Here is the one she took of Chris and me...

Sunday was church...then that evening ~ I get a phone call that my mom had been out riding (by herself) and was thrown from her horse. She had a concussion and didn't know exactly where she was. This was at dusk and the idea of trying to find her seemed overwhelming as she could be one of a bazillion places when out riding!

God, in His beautiful goodness, graciously fixed this for us! As I am driving to her place (trying VERY hard not to speed) I get another call from Chris and my Brother in Law (who were ahead of me and communicating with my dad) letting me know that the horse had gotten back to the barn and that an acquaintance (while out filling up water at a spring in a field) had found mom on the ground. He thought (from a distance) that she was a turkey...but then realized that was *no* turkey. My dad, Chris and my BIL got there with me close behind. She was nauseated and in a lot of pain. We didn't want to move her for fear of hurting her more. We called 911 and the ambulance & medics arrived and transferred her to a local hospital (in the next town over). My sister who had arrived by then, my aunt and I followed the ambulance to the hospital. To make a long story short ~ she was transferred to a bigger hospital a few  hours away and we found that she had broken two ribs and punctured a lung (which was partially collapsed). She has been being monitored and cared for at that hospital and we are hoping she will get to come home soon (although she will still be down a while...needing to rest and heal).

To make her more comfortable when she gets home, my sister and her girls met us at our parents' home to clean and tidy it. We want it to be nice for her to just walk in and be able to rest with no stress. Church family, friends and loved ones have offered to make meals so we have the next week full of meals for supper set up! Such a blessing! It is a beautiful thing to watch people be the hands and feet of Christ!

While at my mom's, I organized her pantry (isn't that old door fantastic?). I didn't have my camera to take a before picture so I brought it the next day I went to her house so I could at least take an *after* picture! :) I just love looking at it (is that strange?)....

As I said before, my sister and her girls came down to help too. Audra found a little new testament to *read*...

Madelyn found this school picture of me from 11th grade. She kept going on about how adorable I was...and that I look the same! Ha! I'll take that! This was 18 years ago!

So, life has been a bit crazy in these here parts. So much to juggle and lots of running around. Speaking of running...in the midst of all this, I went out for a run yesterday and halfway through ~ wouldn't you know, I got stung just above my sock line. It hurt terribly and I limped home. I have put lavender essential oil on it as well as ice...but now my foot is swollen and terribly uncomfortable. It's not a huge deal but it sure did happen at the worst time! Ay yi yi! ;)

In other quick news....I have been homeschool planning (as we hope to start our school year this Monday coming up) and I have found a new way to organize our books. Each year I try something to see if it works...but I haven't ever been 100% thrilled with any of the previous methods. This year, I am trying this...

Each child has a vertical row...and each subject has a slot. Everything can be gotten (and put away neatly) with each use! Plus, I will have all books readily available to me each week as I am planning out our days! :)

I used my trusty labeler to label the subjects...

And since the organizer has taken the place of our printer, I had to find it a new home! It is now housed in our old television hutch in the old living room (which is now the school room/library)...

So, as you can see ~ we have been really busy lately. If you have made it to the bottom of this post, thanks for sticking with me! I gotta run though....it's late and I haven't eaten supper yet (my stomach is growling!).

Thank you for coming by and for your lovely comments and emails! They truly encourage me so!

Warmly,
Katy

Linked up at The WholeHearted Home and A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Good-Bye January 2016!

Can you believe we are saying good-bye to January 2016? Really thinking about it makes my head spin! I am looking forward to February though...and I love when it is a leap year. That extra day just makes me smile! 

Here are just a few pictures from the past couple weeks...

A family favorite supper (hamburger stroganoff over homemade noodles)...

If we go out anywhere (to family or friend's homes) I always pack my own food. I love my lunch bag...it is such a great size (and pretty too!)...This day, we were getting ready to go to sweet friends' of ours home. I took some of my canned green beans to heat up there to add to supper. While there, we played Bible Mad Gab ~ oh my! That is a *fun* game! I highly recommend it! :)

Remember that Pampered Chef stone I had posted about HERE (that broke while baking food in the oven)? Here it is...

The children wanted to learn how to play some different card games, so after dinner one evening, daddy taught them...

Jaxson being goofy...

Pa (Chris's dad) came over for a bit and joined in the games...

We have been keeping busy here at home....homeschooling, housework, running errands, and the like. Yesterday, I went to my sister's to help out a bit by watching the girls so she could get some things done. Her father-in-law is dying. It is a very sad time for their family. She was putting pictures together to be able to set up at his memorial service. I love to look at old pictures...but under these circumstances it is difficult. We are praying for all of them. If the Lord brings them to mind, I hope you will pray for them as well. Strength and comfort are truly needed right now!

The addition to our house is still being worked on by Chris and our BIL Dan (when time allows). I will be sure to share updated pictures when I can. They were working on wiring and some plumbing (for the washer and dryer) so those sort of pictures aren't very interesting! Next, the rest of the drywall goes up in the laundry room and entryway....then mud, sand, flooring and PAINT!!! Oh my, we are getting so close and I am just over-the-moon excited about it! I'm a little nervous though...I need to pick paint colors and figure out what sort of curtains I want to do....and my mind is blank! I suppose I should put pinterest to good use and get some ideas swirling around in my head! :)

I hope you are closing out your January with joy! As always, I so appreciate your comments and emails. Thanks for taking the time to visit! Have a wonderful Lord's Day and week ahead!

Warmly,
Katy

The Need for Prayer

My eyes are extremely tired right now (and it isn't even 8pm yet!). It has been a busy week...of course all the normal work of a wife and mama (which I am *thankful* to do because it is the role God gave me!) but this past week I have also taught spin class a lot (which I enjoy...but it is still exhausting) due to one of the spin teachers needing a sub because she had her tonsils out, and we have been in prayer a lot for family friends of ours.

Prayer girds human weakness with divine strength, turns human folly into heavenly wisdom, and gives to troubled mortals the peace of God. We know not what prayer can do. 

- Charles Spurgeon

If you are local, I'm sure you have heard of Seth (Xavier's friend from our homeschool co-op) and the terrible accident that happened with him. You can read about it HERE (it's been all over the news). We love their beautiful family (with six children) and were in complete shock when we heard about what happened. We were praying fervently and the Lord (He is SO good) spared Seth's life. If you read in the article I linked above, you'll know that they saved Seth's arm and have reattached it. The doctors have restored blood flow and now, we are praying for no infection. He's been having surgeries and truly staying strong through it all. In the name of Christ, friends and family have banded together to help take care of the family in the wake of all this (money, food, splitting and stacking wood for them etc.). It is truly beautiful to see the church be the hands and feet of Christ! 

Life can change in an instant, can't it? I know the feeling as it happened to us when Jaxson almost lost his eye. Long-time readers here probably remember that time with me ~ HERE is the post where I explained what happened. It was such a scary time but the Lord saw us through it and provided for us in SO many ways. We are forever grateful...as I know our family friends I mentioned above are as well. (I feel as though I may burst in to tears just thinking about it all...it is all so overwhelming...sad and GOOD ~ all at the same time!). 

You will observe that the desire to commune with God is intensified by the failure of all other sources of consolation.

 - Charles Spurgeon

If the Lord brings Seth (and his family as this is a strenuous and difficult time for them *all*) to mind I hope you will pray for him/them. God hears the prayers of His children. And may I, quickly, also ask for your prayers for a friend of mine, Marion. She lost her young son (only in his 20's) recently. I have been praying for her so much but just can't get over the grief and sadness she must feel. I want to fix it...make it better. But I can't. Nothing I can do will help her at this time except prayer. I will pray and intercede for her because our God is the ultimate Comforter. Only He can supply the salve her heart desires. Will you join me in remembering her as well? I truly appreciate it. 

Because so much has been going on (battling a cold at the beginning of the week, schooling, housework, cooking, teaching spin classes, sticker making etc.) I haven't taken an abundance of photos from this week. But here are a few to share...

Below are new winter hats I made for my nieces (Eloise's is the top one and Dinah's the bottom). I made Audra a new hat previously too! You can see that HERE. 

My silly cats make me smile. Pets are good for the heart. Chris found them both laying in the bathroom on the folded towels and told me to grab the camera...

Had a visit with my nieces today. My sister's Father-in-Love isn't doing well so her husband has been busy running to be with his dad and work and home....so I went over to their house so my sister could go do the grocery shopping while I watched the girls...

Audra was sleeping when I got there...so El, Dinah and I played Legos for a bit. When I got out the camera Dinah gave me a sweet smile without even being asked! :) A little later, Audra-girl woke up and joined the fun...

It is *so* sweet to watch these girls play together. They use their imaginations and play, play, play! It is really fantastic! I am so glad they have each other! What memories they are making!

Oh how I love this wee one. She loves to smile (with her cheesy-toothy grin...it's just perfect!) and loves her Aunt TiTi (which brings me such joy!)...

And finally, Eloise was being quite the acrobat...so I caught her doing one of her "moves"...

I am still selling stickers and things are going well. It's not quite as busy as some shops are...but I am thankful for the business I get. My printer is being a bit of a stinker and leaving specks of color sometimes. I have cleaned the toner drums and tried to make everything right...but I'm still having issues. They are tiny defects but I reduce the price a bit since they aren't *perfect*. Thankfully, it doesn't do it all the time. I hope if you enjoy stickers, scrapbooking or planning (or maybe you have friends and family that do?) that you will take a look through my SHOP. I try to keep prices low and shipping prices low as well. I ship super fast too! It's something that I try to do from home just to help bring in a little income. :) I appreciate your support!

With Christmas coming up...for the planner/list maker in your life...an Erin Condren Life Planner (If you use my LINK you will get $10 off!) would make a GREAT gift....along with some stickers from my shop! ;)  Okay, okay....I'm done now! :)

Thanks so much for visiting. I truly appreciate your prayers for the friends I mentioned in the beginning of this post...and I know some of you remember me in your prayers and that blesses me. *Thank-you* friends! I pray your week has gone well...and that the Lord was glorified in all you did (as that is the prayer of my heart for my week as well...and *every* day). May your Lord's day be full of worship and rest!

Lovingly,
Katy

P.S. ~ My sister is having a giveaway for a pair of her custom-made baby shoes! They are so cute!! You should definitely go and enter HERE. She also reviews a milk bag in that post! :)

"Teach us, Good Lord, to serve Thee...

 ...as Thou deservest; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labor and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that we do Thy will. Through Jesus Christ our Lord."

~ St. Ignatius of Loyola

I have been reading "The Stay at Home Mom" by Donna Otto. (I am also reading "Let me be a Woman" by Elisabeth Elliot and "Amillenialism" by Kim Riddlebarger (for the 2nd time)...I seem to read too many books at once). It is just chock *full* of great info. It was written in the 90's so some of the statistics and things she writes in it are outdated, but the scores of wisdom penned on each page is just wonderful!

I keep my highlighter handy at all times while reading so that I may highlight things I want to remember! I will share a few of those with you here today so you can at least have a taste of the wisdom in what she shares...but if you can, I encourage you to purchase your own copy (It is incredibly inexpensive to purchase on Amazon). You could see if your library carries it...but if you can buy it I encourage that more because then you can underline/highlight as you desire and can refer back to it at your leisure! All quotes you see below are from Donna Otto in the book I linked to above...

"No matter what you say about Christ, your children will learn more about Him from you as they catch your contagious spirit for serving Him. In everything we do we should be leading them to Christ."

I desire to serve Christ...as well as my husband, children and those around me. I often find, though, to my chagrin that *self* always has a way of rearing its ugly head. Self, Self, Self. Oh how I despise the fact that I can so easily lose my focus on serving others and instead look into serving myself. It is a daily, annoying battle. But the Lord is teaching me...every day...each moment. Struggling with it keeps me humble and completely dependent upon Him. *He* needs to be my focus.

"As you seek to know Christ better, you will begin to imitate Him as you minister to your family. As you learn to sacrifice and suffer loss, as you learn to set aside your personal desires, as you are willing to pray for your children and put them first, they will see what it means to serve Christ. They will see the invisible Christ in your visible example."

"The greatest problem among women today

 is unhealthy comparisons."

Do you do that? Compare yourself to others who have more or less of this or that? If I just had...or if I just looked like...or if I could just...*on and on* we go...why do we do that??? All it does is make us discontent with the life we have.

"Yet, you have no reason to be discontent. The God of the universe created you individually and equipped you for your good and His glory. What a personal affront it is to Him to complain about how He made you by saying, 'If I only had...'"

"You must decide who will be the director of your life as a mother: the Lord or others around you."

I need to remember my worth comes from Him. He has made me His and now, I just need to follow His direction...given to me in His Word. I know I will always fall short of His perfection...thus why I *need* Him. Only Christ's perfection could save me (and you). I will continually strive to serve how He served and love how He loved.

"Be strong, stand still, and listen to the voice of the God who created you and called you to stay at home. Do what you can do in the way you can do it. Don't compare yourself to anyone. Don't worry about your identity now that you are a stay-at-home mom. You are a child of God, and He can use everything you are to minister to Him and to your family. Rest in your identity in Christ. Receive the full measure of His love because "perfect love casts our fear" (1 John 4:18). The fear of failing in your new role will vanish as you trust in Him and rest in Him."

"Fill and nourish your soul with high notions of God which yield you great joy in being devoted to Him."

{{Sigh}} 

It all makes perfect sense and seems so simple...and yet, when the trials of life pop up, it's terribly too-easy to veer off the path of serving others and onto the path of self. This is a place where I need to spend a lot of prayer and study in my Bible.

"So I find it to be a low that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliveer me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin." 

~ Romans 7:21-25

New (to me) books!! Yay!

I pray your heart is encouraged here as we learn to serve our families and neighbors with loving hearts to honor our Lord! May we continue to strive together to please Him in all things and put ourselves *last*! May you know you are not alone as you struggle to be the best wife and mama you can be! :)

Warmly,

Katy

*Home* and More...

"The God Who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that the should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us.......The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a Man He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead."

~ Acts 17:24-27 and 30-31(all emphasis mine)

In my daily bible reading (working through the book of Acts right now) I came across these verses which I already had underlined from previous reading of this book...but soaked them in again. I really felt it upon my heart to share them on my blog...and so here I have. What book of the bible are you currently reading in?

We are trying to unwind a bit from this past weekend's busyness and celebration! It seems after a birthday party or bigger event, I need a few days to recoup! Are you like that too? Yesterday, it rained quite a bit...so we spent the day indoors...doing some normal housework/chores, a bit of organizing and some relaxing as well! The weather cleared up some and I got a nice run in (while Xavier rode his bike beside me!). Today, it rained this morning (so Madelyn and I did some organizing in the school room) but as it started to dry up through the day, the children went out to ride their bikes while I mowed. We got housework done, laundry out to dry on the lines and then went out to my great-aunt's home to mow (She went to visit family in Florida for a few weeks and we are missing her greatly!). 

I was so excited one day, a week or so ago, to find this beautiful valance at a local store...on clearance for $5! I just love it and think it looks nice on our front door...

A corner in my home...

I spend some time each day planning out my days. I like order and organization. Of course, all my planning ahead is dependent upon what the Lord wills. To keep things mapped out and notes jotted as reminders, I feel it helps to keep me on track. As a wife and mother, I feel I need to make the best use of my time. Planning my days (with room for flexibility) helps me to be a good steward of that time. It also helps me to remember to do things and never miss an appointment or important date...

A view of my front porch at night...

Normally, egg-washing is Madelyn's job...but she spent a couple days at Grammie's house working on things for her birthday party this past week so I took over egg-washing-duty. Aren't they beautiful?

Jaxson made me laugh when he came to me with this crocheted beard/face warmer and his dad's sunglasses and hat on...

A friend of mine just lost her younger brother in a car accident, less than a week ago. I believe he was only 31. My heart is heavy for her. I have been praying for her and her family who loved him so much. Some of us friends have been trying to take care of them as best we can. It is such a difficult time...but there is hope! My friend and her family are believers! There is nothing better than having *the* Comforter as your Lord. He will carry them through this. If you will, please remember Jess and her family in your prayers. She and her husband have four daughters as well (who saw their uncle as an older brother type) who are hurting terribly right now. In Christian love, will you pray for this sister in Christ and her family? I would really appreciate it.

We are unwinding a bit, after a busy day, here at home. Chris had to go to a church board meeting right after supper (lasagna)...so we look forward to his return this evening and all heading to bed. Another day awaits us, Lord willing, in which to glorify Christ in all we do. It's always good to get a good night's sleep.

Thank-you for coming by for a visit. I hope you have enjoyed your time here and I hope you will return!
Warmly,
Katy

"It is a wonderful thing...

...how God effects His purpose while still the creature is free. They who think that predestination and the fulfillment of the divine purpose are contrary to the free agency of man know not what they say, nor what they affirm.....Man walks without a leash yet treads in the very steps that God ordained him to tread in as certainly as though manacles had bound him to the spot."

~Charles H. Spurgeon

Daily, along with reading the Scriptures, I have been spending time reading Spurgeon as well as JC Ryle's commentary on the book of Matthew. Oh how I have gleaned much from it all! Their words make me think back to a time when women were dressed and covered (not wearing bikinis, skimpy short-shorts and low neck shirts ~ I am truly aghast at women who claim to be followers of Christ that dress horribly or let their young daughters dress in ways that even 50 years ago would have been unheard of!) and people spoke with more class and dignity. Are we trying to attract the attention of men or God?

Now, don't get me wrong....hearts were just as corrupt back then and terrible things happen in all generations. But oh how my heart aches (especially as I raise these blessed children of mine) when the acceptable dress of young ladies is basically *anything* they want....even if it hugs their bodies, barely covers their bottom or shows a large amount of skin. How can this be acceptable? And not only that...but abortions, casual sex, blasphemy, homosexual "marriage", transgender issues, and the evolution/creationism debate is enough to bring me to despair and perpetual tears. 

Most (even those who call themselves Christians) don't read or know their Scriptures...they have liberal views that although the Bible says opposite their beliefs, they still believe *it* is wrong and they are right. My heart has been praying, crying out to our Creator. 

He is handing us over...this is what everyone wants...our nation has cried out for homosexual "marriage" (which can't even be called marriage because marriage is ordained by God...created by Him and *never* meant for perversion), acceptance of transgender "feelings" (I'm sorry...but your feelings don't make you male or female...your body parts do), women's "rights" and abortions...it makes me feel so discouraged. We, as a nation, are just getting what *we* asked for. :(

Do you want to know what *encourages* me throughout it all? It is knowing how GREAT our God is. He is mighty, merciful, patient, slow to anger, kind, never changing, omnipotent and loving to His children! He is in complete control of it all.....and *that* is what I rest in...Christ is all...in all!

*Our healing lies in His stripes. Our life lies in His death. Our pardon lies in His having suffered the punishment due to us. Our eternal life is in the fact that He once died for us and that He now lives to make intercession for us. "Christ is all."*

~Charles Spurgeon

So I find rest in Him, live to please Him as best I can and pray....I pray hard for the people of this world. I will continue to pray until my last breath. There is hope...because our Savior lives, there is always hope for this evil world. :)

Our lives have been busy here at home. Among housework, schooling, yardwork and many other responsibilities...we have been busy as bees around here!

I have been doing some organizing of cupboards and other areas in my home that have needed some improvement...

I have also been canning as the beans have continued to become ready...

My mother-in-love had bought me these pint and a half jars... (Aren't they neat? You process them just as you do quart jars)

The children and I went for a walk/scooter ride one evening...

The neighbor's horses...

My precious girl...

And we're home...

And so, this post has been a little bit heavy and a little bit light. Thanks for hanging in there with me as I share my heart and my joys!
 Let me cry out to you mamas really quick...please stop letting those baby girls of yours (of all ages) dress in skimpy outfits, short shorts and bikinis!! Don't expose them to the men who want them only for their bodies. Cover them and let them develop their character in Christ-like behavior and servant-hood. (Also, be sure you are a living example of true, feminine womanhood). Raise your boys in the admonition of the Lord and keep them away (as best you can) from lustful sights and thoughts. Guard their hearts and minds. 
Modesty is an issue of the heart...but if your heart isn't right ~ your modesty will never be right either! I hope and pray this post will reach the eyes and hearts of so many who need to hear it. It's so easy to just go with the flow...following the trends and fashions and behaviors of the world. But as Christians, we are called to do the opposite. We are to be sanctified (set apart) in Christ! 
Living for Christ, Katy