New Blog!!!! Please Follow Me Here…

Hi Friends!

I have some exciting news!  I am moving over to WordPress.org and I want you all to come with me!  It is a work in progress and looks completely different than it does over here, and in a couple months it will be even MORE different when I get my new theme!  I am so excited!  I will still be writing about my faith, family and our homeschooling adventures, so no worries there!

My new blog name will be “Grace For My Journey!”  I have listed all my new information in a graphic for you.  Please come on over and follow me on my new blog and social media!  I can’t wait to start sharing with you all the things God has put on my heart for you!

See you soon and God Bless!

 

Best Year Ever!

Yes, that’s right… we are expecting this to be the “Best Year Ever” in our home (BYE for short).  I have never been one to make silly New Years resolutions because they are always dropped within a couple weeks and nothing ever really comes of them other than regret and disappointment in yourself.  I don’t need that 😉

However, this year my husband and I came across this course called “5 Days To Your Best Year Ever” by Michael Hyatt.  He designed it for “busy, high-achievers” like me… well at least that is how I would like to think of myself.  My past is spotted with holes of unrealized goals because life just “got” in the way.  In reality I haven’t found the right thing to keep me on the right track.  I had never learned how to plan, create real goals, and I had never learned how to put those goals into workable action.  That is where this course comes in and it has been amazing.

Yes, we just started this the first of the year, so no we haven’t seen the end results yet, but after all the work we have put into this I believe it will be our BYE because we now have clear have working steps for every goal and more importantly, our reason WHY.  I will be sharing about our walk throughout the year, as well as about aspects of all of my goals I have set for myself.  Some are personal and fun, others are serious!  All are good.  I may not hit them all… but I will never reach them if I never try and I never have a plan to work.

Here are my goals for this year… of course simplified for this blog. 😉

1.  To cultivate a stronger and more pure relationship with Jesus so I know His voice better and I will follow Him no matter what.
2.  To cultivate a more vibrant and Godly marriage.
3.  To pay down debt.
4.  To get healthier.
5.  To treat myself well.
6.  To read more books.
7.  To be a better mom and homeschool teacher.
8.  To revamp my blog and write again.
9.  To improve my hand-lettering.

Now of course my goals in my workbook are much more specific with great action and purpose. What I just posted is very general and if they were left that way wouldn’t get accomplished because they are ambiguous.  That is why I love this course, it gets you into the meat of the matter.

So, as I blog this year, the things in my life that fall into those categories will be on the list to share.

What changes are you making this year?  Like Michael Hyatt says, “Nothing great ever happens in the comfort zone!”

Here’s to our Best Year Ever!

Kitten Madness!

On April 10th several kittens were born… We were blessed to receive 2 of them.  Now I have had well over a dozen cats throughout my life and know a lot about them, but one thing I had never experience that I remember are multiple kittens.  I am sure we had them growing up I just don’t remember them.  Had I remembered I might have said NO… and yet on the other hand I would have certainly said YESSSS!

Here is a picture of our bundles of joy at 7 weeks old.

Now! Are they not the cutest things in the world!  They were spectacularly adorable!  Sisters and litter-mates they went everywhere together.  Which is evidence below!

The one on top, the tabby, is Chloe.  I totally and unconditionally fell in love with her.  She was my little snuggle bug.  The one on the bottom is Lilly and she and my daughter immediately bonded.  She is sweet and beautiful and definitely more grown up!  Chloe is a goof ball and silly and not real coordinated! lol  Lilly is beautiful, too grown up for some kitty games and extremely coordinated and catches flies mid air to eat them just so we are protected from those germy little creatures!

Fast forward to this week….

They are certainly kittens at heart, but as you can see they have seriously grown!!!  I have to constantly remind myself that they are still kittens!  So their phycho raging through the house at 100 miles per hour between legs and over couch backs and up curtains will soon end!  Right??? lol

This is just a little snap shot of some of the joy that has been deposited into our lives because of these kittens and we are forever grateful!  What joys are in your life and why are you grateful? I would love to hear your stories.

Be blessed!

Happy Anniversary!

Well life has been busy in our home due to lots of homeschooling, horse riding, drama and other extra-curricular activities that come with being a homeschool family.  Not to mention church, serving in different ministries inside and outside of our church, my personal business (Thirty-One Gifts) which I love and regular family life!

My Muppin’s school work got more intense this year and she is doing amazing.  It isn’t without it’s bumps and bruises along the way though.  I am just thankful that our fall this year has been incredibly warm and wonderful because she loves doing her work outside!

Even with all her hard work it amazing me she finds time to do some amazing things for her family… for example, most recently my and my husband’s anniversary.  She is amazing!  Let me show you why!

As you can see she went to a lot of work to draw and write poetry for us, but that wasn’t all!  She also performed a show for us!  Below is her show program, and inside it lists her poems she wrote for us and funny clips she performed.  She truly is an inspiration in our home.  And she was fabulous!

Here is her first poem.

“Happy Anniversary Poem”

Happy Anniversary, mom & dad.
I’m sure you’re very happy & glad,
Cause today’s a very special day,
for you & yours,
now you’re walking through another door.

So Happy Anniversary from yours truly,
C…. E…., now that’s pretty coolly!

She is pretty amazing isn’t she!  Here is another one she wrote and performed.

“I Love My Parents!”

I love my mom,
she’s a loving mom,
a caring mom,
a beautiful mom,
a funny mom,
the best mom…. ever…. forever.
She is a blessing!

I love my dad,
he’s a great dad,
a cool dad,
a handsome dad,
a silly dad,
the best dad…. ever…. forever.
He is a blessing!

I…. Love…. My…. PARENTS!!!!!

And if that wasn’t enough!  You know, writing poetry, performing it, drawing pictures and stuff… she also created rings for us and gave them to us to wear as a reminder of our vows 19 years ago.  She is truly a blessing and I am honored to get to be her mom!  Her heart is so full of love that I can’t wait until she get’s to be a mom someday and share that love with her kids… I mean… I can wait… lol… I can wait a LONG time! lol

Poetry is copyrighted by this blog… please do not share without permission.

Suicide Prevention Month

It is National Suicide Prevention Month.  Please watch this… it is likely someone you know is thinking about suicide right now.  If you know someone who is withdrawing from life, struggling or hurting… Let them know they matter.  You never know how much influence you can have one someone.  Just one person listening can make all the difference in the world.  They did for me.

STRONG… Like a Girl!

The video, #LikeAGirl, is excellent about the strength and uniqueness of being a girl!  We have all used “Like a Girl” in a negative way, time to change the way we use the words that we say because they can be damaging without us even knowing it. “Like A Girl” is a good thing!  Watch the video below!

Now the question is, are you Strong Like A Girl???

Yes, this is my girl and she IS Strong… Like A GIRL!

You Were Made For More…

“I know the second that I came into this earth
I was made for more than heels & rocking cute designer skirts
I got a voice and though I’m scared
I feel my words carry worth
In my darkest valleys
I could see the sun above my earth
Reaching down just to rescue me from my insecurity
All of the abuse my step-father did when I was weak
Way too young to know that I should open up my mouth to speak
Now I see, all the years I lost trying find some peace
And when my father died I swore it was the end of me
But Jesus gave me hope beyond the pain of what my eyes could see
Now I stand a daughter of a Father who won’t ever sleep
Truth has spoken and now that truth is here to set you free”

Above is an excerpt from “Darkest Valley” Group 1 Crew

Thanks Group1 Crew for sharing such healing and honest words.

This is taken from one of my favorite groups to listen to when I need a pick me up.  This one happens to be more serious and the words above strike a painful spot in my heart.  I know the feelings that those words speak and I work tirelessly to make sure my girl has a different song to sing when she grows up.  Give your girls and boys another song to sing.

She was made for more! So were you!

Is your song different than it once was?  Is it a song filled with hope?  It can be.  You were made for so much more!  Blessings!

Does Your Daughter Know…

My girl is a blessing from God, nothing can ever take that away, no matter what happens! Do your kids know they are loved?

Abandoned

Abandoned, alone, what do I do?  My heart is beating so fast, what do I do?  It has been so long since she left.  I need help but no one is here and I don’t know what to do.  She is crying and won’t stop and I am scared that somethings really wrong.  She has needed a new diaper for so long and I don’t have a new one.  I tried to clean it but it isn’t helping.  She has red streaks going down her legs and her tears just wont stop coming.  God what do I do?  Something calms my heart for just a second, something brings peace.

“Sis you stay here, I will be back soon.  I am gonna go call dad.  He will come and he will know what to do.  Please don’t cry no more.  I love you!  Just play with your baby.  I will be back.”  As I kiss her head goodbye I feel how hot she is.  Fear jumps forward into my throat again and my heart beats faster.  I feel like I might be sick.

I turn and leave before I can change my mind.  It scares me to leave her alone but I have to call dad!  There is that peace again.  I am her big brother and it is my job to take care of her.  Where is mom?  Why isn’t she back yet?  I hate when she leaves us like this!

It is a warm sunny day outside and I am scared as I walk up the alleyway looking for houses that might let me use their phone.  It is a scary neighborhood and we don’t belong here.  Mom left us at a friends house but they haven’t been home for a couple days.  I just start asking people if they got a phone and it takes a while before someone lets me in to use their phone.  As I walk into their home my heart jumps into my chest again.  What if they are really bad people?!  That peace fills me again and I wonder if it is God.  I call my dad as fast as I can because I know he will help and I am right.  He is on his way.

I run all the way back to where my sister is and go inside and scoop her up.  She is still crying and must have been so scared but seeing me seems to make it all better.  I hold her tight and realize how bad she smells, nausea washes over me.  I must have not noticed before because we were together in this small home for so long, or maybe I just blocked it out but the smell is putrid.  I notice now though and it makes me want to be sick.

This is not the first time I have been abandoned, we have been abandoned.  It has happened before, many times.  My mom works a lot and likes to party a lot too so sometimes she leaves us with different people.  Some people are ok, others are scary.  This time the people just disappeared.  Maybe they were with mom.  I wish she would come back.

I sit down with my sister and just wait for my dad.  Peace…   I can tell God is with me, comforting me.   God loves me even when those that are supposed to love me forget.  Because of Him, I can cuddle up with my sister and love her and forget the reasons I was afraid.  Once I was abandoned, but now… I am now saved.  Peace…

~~~~~

This story is based on a true story that was told through the eyes of a frightened little boy that grew up too fast. This kind of thing happens all to often.  I hope this inspires you to see and do two things.  First, see the pain in children’s eyes… it’s there.  Help them. Don’t ignore it.  Second, if that kind of pain lingers in your heart from long ago like it does mine, remember, there is one who will never abandon you and He will always love you.  Let Him love you the way you should have been.

Arabians!

If you have been wondering why I have not been around so much! Here is why…

My daughter has fallen fully in love with Arabians!  She was in her first show last month and is about to embark on her second this month.

Before you ask, yes the tail is real!  He is a beautiful Spanish Arabian and she loves him dearly.

For her first time we were very proud of her!  As you can see, 2 first place spots and 1 fourth.  Way to go Muppin & Rico!!! I can’t wait to see what is in store for her this weekend!  I am so happy for her.  She has a love of horses and of writing.  Two amazing things to fill her life with joy!