I'm lonely for summer;

For constant blue skies.

For sunshine.

For the smell of earth being turned over.

For the sound of a summer rain. 

My heart yearns for the glorious peaceful mornings basking in light.

My whole being longs to stand quietly in a pasture letting the warm breeze grasp at my loose hair strands. 

My hands miss holding life in a small, yet potential seed.

My eyes wait for the return of vibrant colors and magnificent sunsets.

My mind eagerly awaits the promise of deep thoughts while laying down in a grassy meadow gazing at the fluffy white clouds flit a crossed the sky. 

My nose longs for the sweet fragrance of blooming lilacs in the woods.

I miss the lake shore and the waves splashing on the rocks.

I miss capturing my brothers excitement over a seven pound Northern and spending beautiful days with family.

I miss talks that stretch beyond the setting sun and exposing a breathtaking starry sky.

I miss campfires and watching the mesmerizing flames shoot to and fro.

I miss the feeling of accomplishment after a long busy day of rewarding labor.

I miss the warm weather and the ability to run outside in a t-shirt without getting chilled to the bone.

I miss blue sky, reflecting off of the ocean. 

Lord, please grant your servant patience and contentment in this time....

the dead of winter. 

~memories~

Why do we have memories? 

Why do we remember some things, and yet not others?

Have you ever wished memories would cease to exist, that God would wipe your memory bank?

Do you ever look back on better times and wish they would return to the present?

"Say not, 'Why were the former days better then these?' 

For it is not from wisdom that you ask this."

~Ecclesiastes 7:10

Has there ever been a time when you get so low that you have no encouraging thoughts?

I have an annoying habit of overthinking. 

Only yesterday, I was rethinking/overthinking my past and the people I loved and lost. 

It's so easy to slip into this fantasy mode and allow sadness/regret to creep in.

But, not long after my mind wandered and my mood was disheartened, I was resolved to start thinking on whatever things are;

true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable. (Philippians 4:8)

First off, what my mind was consumed with wasn't TRUE. 

It was past imaginations, fantasies, pretentious living, and discouragement.

Fellow believer, these things are not truth's and should not even be given the time of day nor use of our precious energy to think upon such superficial thoughts!

HONORABLE: 

My thoughts could hardly have been considered God-honoring. Not once, did I see His goodness or recognize His grace. Ye, I was consumed by selfishness. 

JUST:

Also defined as PROPER and LAWFUL. According to the 10 commandments my thought process was unhinged and had dislocated proper rules of thinking godly thoughts.

PURE:

Now, in this area I honestly admit struggle. 

In this world,  modesty is considered nil and you can so easily see the most disgraceful images in public stores, online, and TV (main reason why I don't watch TV).

Lust, pleasure in passion and sexual activity before marriage is sadly the "norm".

Impure thoughts are so easy to have because some may think, "well, I'm not actually doing anything." But go read Matthew 5:28 and you will be inherently wrong. I do also believe the opposite is true, aka, 'any woman who looks after a man with lustful intent has already commit adultery in her heart.' 

LOVELY:

I don't believe it's talking about only feminine and beautiful, girly things here, guys😉

Defined as MORALLY or SPIRITUALLY ATTRACTIVE and HIGHLY ENJOYABLE.

What thoughts bring you lasting satisfaction? 

What things do you enjoy doing for the Lord, that is worth spending your thought time on?

COMMENDABLE:

 I never had considered that thinking about someone with an angry, conceited, or discouraging mindset only makes it harder to actually treat them kindly, lovingly and with encouragement in real life.  Think upon things you wouldn't mind being broadcasted to the entire world!

And finally in conclusion of the verse, 

"If there is excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise think about these things."

If there are things that bring Christ Jesus glory think upon those.

If you struggle thinking pure, focus you mind on scripture.

If you have a rough time with sadness, loneliness and hurt in your past, defeat the devil with the overwhelming goodness of God! 

His greatness, His power, His love, His mercy, His grace and the list goes on! 

Feast your mind upon the Almighty and soon your struggle with painful memories will diminish. 

Relish the Lord's many blessings in your life. The good memories, the fantastic moments you wanted to last for eternity, the times a loved one prayed for you, a moment when everything changed as you accepted Christ as your Savior.

".......and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."

~2 Corinthians 10:5

The power of observance

You find beauty in glorious majesties....

You see the pain in peoples eyes and experience joy at the sight of a blooming flower....

You know the meaning of a silent glance or a withering glare....

Your eyes are miraculous, intricate and far beyond amazing....

You see colors and watch sunshine splash the evening sky...

You glance longingly after those you love and stare passionately into the eyes of a lover....

You feel grief, express tears and anguish over a death....

You see the promise of new life in a birth, green grass and the cross....

You know the certainty of death in sin, failing health and leaves falling from the tree...

You look in amazement over the change of seasons and progression of time passing....

Your eyes are a blessings, yes so easily taken for granted

Eyes are powerful

Emotions like passion, hatred, love, hurt, strength and weakness can all be caught in a fleeting glance.

Eyes tell a story

You can establish an understanding of another party based on looks, stares and gazes.

You have a chosen color of the rainbow to set apart your eyes from another.

You see pain, sadness, mercy, tenderness, purity, hurt, joy, love, thoughtfulness and endurance.

......What would life be without the ability to observe?

It's 36 degrees outside!!!

Hey Ya'll-

It felt so warm doing chores today! I am loving it! 

A short video of morning chores in the chicken coop.

Daddy and Peter installed and started the heater in the coop a couple days ago! Its been alot warmer in there now and as soon as I rig up the lightening our odds for getting eggs will be greater! 

Rusty is a very energetic and outgoing dog. He's got to much energy, I tell ya.

 Homemade Chinese Lo Mein 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Monday, I went to the Comings to help, play games, go sledding, wash dishes and be goofy! 

ALL of the above were accomplished and it was a wonderful time!

That night gave great promise for a frosty morning 

and soooooooo.........

I joyously took these beautiful pictures Tuesday morning. 

 That night, after class, I set up the info table for Cru. 

I made smore's bars and typed up the "Local Churches" list. 

Afterwards, some girls and I went out for some fellowship and food! It's great encouragement to have to ability to hang out with girls and be around that spiritual example. 

(Amanda, with the glasses, Nicole, with the ballcap, Emily, with the gray shirt and myself)

 curly hair is so pretty! 

Prayer for healing for myself and family would be appreciated folks, sickness keeps rearing its ugly face. Being ill is taking its toll on the emotions and I struggle to be thankful and praise the Lord for my situation. Alas, my burden is not so heavy that He cannot carry it.

"The Lord preserves the simple;

when I was brought low, He saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you."

~Psalm 116:6 & 7

Proverbs 31 family? Above Rubies? Why my Mom is My best Friend?

Howdy Folks-

Do those titles make sense? I couldn't pick which fit best, so all of the above work! 

Read what I wrote this afternoon to get the jest of what I am referring to here! :) 

*****************************************

Not only can the woman who bore you be a great Mom, but a best friend too.

Quite often my Dad relates to my Mom as a Proverb's 31 Woman. He praises her and uplifts her (Proverbs 31:28) I never hear him tear her down or lord over her.

She is wise and always learning something new.

She can tell when somethings wrong and she will listen as you talk. As well as hold you while you cry. Mom's truly are amazing beings. They can vary in personalities, appearances, colors, skills, and backgrounds. And yet, all share the common bond of an undefying love for their families. 

Far above rubies is my Mother to me. Her unfailing trust in the Lord and her prayer life are admirable. I am so privileged to have her incredible example in my life! 

Friends will come and go, but your kinda stuck with your family!

Parents can be your best friends. After all, God chose them for you and He does know best. 

Siblings will have a lasting impact on each other and forever share the memories of growing up together. And after living with them for how ever long, you began to have this annoying feature added to your life😆.....Knowing Them.

See, 

You can tell when they are sad, you see their moods, you know when to leave them alone....and when to comfort them. You know when you've said to much and hurt them, and yet,  know how to cheer them up again and make them laugh. You know when you haven't said enough "I love you's", you watch them grow up and reminisce together about the good ole' days. You cover for them, you see their mistakes, you stick by their side, your their biggest critic and greatest encourager.

You know how to push buttons and make them mad, how to say "I'm sorry, I was wrong" and neither party can keep from smiling when Mom makes you hug each other after asking for forgiveness. 

My father is such a character! He loves his children as the Father who first loved us sinners. He has the best interest at heart for me and he cares how I spend my time. He takes interest in and pushes me farther in my spiritual gifts. My Mom has said many a time how she couldn't do it without my Daddy's faithful presence, leadership, guidance and love for her. 

His convictions come straight from a life of faithful obedience to God's Word, praying and waiting on the Lord. He only cares about what Christ thinks of how he lives his life and takes the responsibility  of his family within the gates of heaven seriously. 

I fully trust and value his opinion and direction when the time comes for a spouse. Because he knows my worth, he will be sure that that man is worthy of me. But not before coming to a very clear understanding that that man is a strong godly believer and leader!

With all that said,

 I want to share my personal thoughts on how the godly family is to be.

I firmly believe God orchestrated the family as 

Husband (male) & Wife [(female) Genesis 2:18-24]

+a heritage of children (Psalms 127:3, Genesis 9:1) 

Husband, being the head and leader. Bread winner. (1 Corinthians 11:3, 1 Timothy 5:8)

Wife, submissive to her husband. Helpmeet. (Genesis 3:16)

Children, obedient to parents, trained up in the way that they should go. (Proverbs 22:6)

God has been so gracious to me and has supremely blessed me beyond my wildest dreams!💙💘

Winter chills

Good Morning Ya'll-

Nice, crisp winter temps today! 

Needless to say I am missing summer, BIG TIME!

I went back through my pictures to remind myself how nice and green summertime is! These photo's were taken at my first farm internship about 20 miles from here. 

Chores are challenging with it so cold outside. I have to find a different plan for keeping the water thawed for the hens......its almost worthless to go and water them cause it literally freezes within the next hour 😞

I started classes this week! So far its been really nice and we've gone over a few songs that are new to me and one in particular called "Northern Lights" by the Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo. Its Latin words too which is certainly a change for me. But the song is super pretty! 

Here, you can listen to the song! 

We will have two concerts coming up to sing for, that's exciting! 

Writing papers, studying, being diligent to my commitments, discipline, practice, motivation, reading, singing, playing piano, chores, walking, late nights, eating well and dressing for the cold weather.

These are just a few of the things I find myself doing of late. Praise the Lord for helping me learn to be a better doer then a procrastinator! 

MY GOAL=

"Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy." ~Psalm 33:3

+

"The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion." ~Proverbs 28:1

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Egg in a hole, with buttery, crusty bread, avocado and crispy bacon! Delicious breakfast! 

 I'm making crispy almonds from Nourishing Traditions children'c cookbook. Soaking and dehydrating the almonds helps make them easier for the body to digest. 

I love crispy almonds with raisins as a good snack. You have your protein and a natural sweetener.

I took the training and passed the exam for applying for the MN Cottage Food license! I will check with my local court house to make sure I am within the county's laws and then send my registration in.So I can hopefully sell certain products from our home kitchen. 

I have been doing some doodling to figure out a logo to use on my products. And I am also looking into some online marketing tips from a few experienced friends. 

Snow is pretty!

How is everyone's winter going?

Please comment below if you enjoy reading my blog. I sure appreciate the encouragement!

Till He Comes,

Emmygirl

What's up!

Hey Ya'll!

How is life been for everyone?!  Is it cold for ya too? Temps were in the -5 degree range tonight.

Cold, black coffee! 😀 Just the way I like it! 

Chores included shoveling this morning. WE GOT SNOW! 

I also shoveled more snow up against the coop to keep it better insulated. 

Our cat likes being in with the chickens and the hens don't seem to mind having her around so she stays in the coop. Taking car of any mice issues we could incur. 

 Momma has been baking away this afternoon and made a plentiful days work of bread! Yay! Sandwiches! Its a delicious crusty bread too! Here is a link to the recipe!

http://theelliotthomestead.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Poster-23.pdf

So a new thing that happened in my life was starting college. Now technically, I am not a full time student. I am only taking one credit and applied as a non-degree student. But with the application comes getting alot of things set up for the new semester and taking advantage of what NDSCS in Wahpeton has to offer. My first class started today and I am really hoping/praying it helps me become more bold in my singing ability! I am taking concert choir.

Later this evening I attended CRU. It was nice to spend time with some like-minded people and mainly getting to know some girls 😄💗 Lord willing, it looks like some possibilities of ministry have opened up with that group and I eagerly await the Lord's direction on where He is taking me next!

I'm very excited to see how the Lord has been working on my life and working everything out for His glory! I am simply amazed at how He has allowed me to bless others with my gifts and to also provide the opportunity to do so! He always amazes me with His enduring love, faithfulness and guidance for my life. I serve an amazing Lord! I have so many blessings too.....not only is Christ allowing me to go to college but He also is providing for my every need so far and I know HE will continue to do so for His honor and glory in the future too.

BLESSINGS:

A running vehicle, money for various needs, a well working phone and laptop, the knowledge of logic, good Christian radio (Heaven 88.7) worship songs, a bible, cute journals, fun gel pens, water to drink, books to read, time to study, learning to better manage my time, a warm jacket, girlfriends, snow!, a home, sleep, prayer, mismatched socks, organized room, my family and a cozy bed. 

What are some of your blessings today?

Till He Comes, 

Emmygirl