Rest Day

Morning sunshine splashes down over the green pasture. 

I savor my footsteps as I call out each Jersey's name fondly. 

I breathe in the lilac fragrance wafting through the gentle breeze.

The whisper of the wind in the trees calms my soul.

Its Sunday, rest day.

The sun blazes on as the Lord's day progresses.

Relishing a scrumptious fellowship dinner at church and 

enjoying the jaunty ride back home. Jesting as we go.

The afternoon sounds are pleasant to the ear and cheerful to the soul.

Sounds taken for granted. How blessed it is I can hear!

The church raising its voice in song....

The chipper birds twittering back and forth....

A whoosh of fresh North Dakota air...

The rumble of quad's racing through the countryside...

The thunderous roar of a spooling diesel gives me happy chills....

Hens scratching for fat grubs & grains..letting loose their cackle of annoyance at a fellow hen for disturbing her peace & quiet....

The soft ripple of the lake water on the shore.....

A guitar playing softly.

Its Sunday.

Rest Day.

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt though labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.

~Exodus 20:8-10

Erased

To the ones with broken hearts, 

to the lonely inside, to the hurting we can only imagine.

To him, who steps up to take his father's place, to her, 

who can only dream of a mother's touch, to 

the young, left confused and pained.

To those who've experienced a loss so great no one could fathom, 

to them who still stand proudly, to those

left weeping.

To us, they leave an example.....

Of, 

bravery, hope, pride, love & great loss, freedom,

placing others higher than themselves, 

valiance, blood, hard work and courage.

Let us never forget.

Their memories, 

their legacy, 

their sacrifice.

Written for:

Memorial Day 2017

Simple and easy BONE BROTH for on-the-go families

You’ve probably heard how good bone broth is for you. 

The health benefits are HUGE and you know it would be a good idea, 

but you don’t really know how to start and a busy lifestyle prevent long tedious times in the kitchen.

I was in your position. I wanted to be healthy and drink bone broth on a regular basis.

I have a busy farm & school life too and need lots of energy! I heard bone broth would help.

I read that drinking it is good for your hair as it builds and grows healthier hair follicles 

with mighty collagen, amino acids & minerals!

Sooooo…...after observing someone else…….

I’ve figured out a real easy way to start drinking bone broth daily!

Simple.

Step 1- Pour desired amount of bone broth into a small saucepan 

and heat only until you see steam coming out of the pan.

Step 2- Season as desired. I like garlic granules and salt.

But you don’t have to be as boring as me, haha.

Step 3- Pour into a glass or a on-the-go thermos and enjoy on your drive to work or school!

Store the bone broth in fridge for daily use.

Skimming off the fat is optional for me.....I think it has a much more smooth & delicious taste with it. Plus, its a good fat and those are good for you!

YOU CAN DO IT!

Faithful Servants

He rises early every morning to faithfully milk eight cows.
He starts the morning off with some warm, delicious bone broth.
He is encouraged to know the health benefits of drinking it on a regular basis.

  Have you ever observed someone and been amazed at how they can be so faithfully committed to a goal, dream or business?

She teaches faithfully. She homeschools her children. It can be a exasperating process for her and very normal to get the "I don't know!" exclamation. Things are tight but you would never know it by her cheerful countenance. Her trust in God is admirable. The devil is striving to make her fail. Her faith in a God she cannot physically see renders the devil incapable of making things to hard to handle.

He studies. He has his nose in the Scriptures daily. Learning, growing, guiding. He finds deep intellectual conversation inspiring. He has a regular routine of devotions and leads his family in worship to the Lord.

She expands her horizons when she is challenged to cook differently then cultural norm. She is faithful to provide simple, delicious & healthy meals for her family. She runs out of ideas at times and gets discouraged, but you would never know it because of her thankfulness expressed in the food she serves.

   These are the people who can inspire those of us who desire to be faithful to something as well. Their influence in our life is powerful. We see how they stay committed, even when its hard, challenging or discouraging at times. They are by no means perfect but the gift of faithfulness has been given to them.

All of us can be faithful to something, but the true test comes when trials start. "Commitment  means staying loyal to what you said you were going to do long AFTER the mood you said it in has left you."

What is something you want to be faithful to? What do you know God is calling you to do but hesitate because it is a big commitment?  Proverbs 16:3

"Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established."

I want to encourage you to take that step of faith! If it is of God, you can rest assured He gives no bad gifts. Whether it be learning to budge your money, a healthy lifestyle change, an attitude change, new job, or a new adventure, with Christ all things are possible!

Now, if you've taken that step, I want you to know things will in no way, now become easier. "Things will get worse before they get better."

Generally, you have to work hard, endure pain and maybe even hate it before you begin to see the good in everything. 

And this would be where encouragement comes in. 

You see those faithful people on a regular basis, so find something to say to uplift them. You will never know how much they will appreciate being noticed for their hard efforts.  Proverbs 16:24

"Gracious words are like honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body."

Milking with Peter

Cool, crisp morning at Bartlett Farms, Bottineau, ND

I wake up at 6 and head downstairs to start some coffee. 

I glance out the window at a beautiful lit sky, the sun is just beginning to rise.

I'm here for a couple weeks to do the milking while Peter takes a recharge vacation!

I began shadowing him last night for the evening milking and was a little intimidated by the many steps and procedures to milking 8 Jersey cows. (with some part Angus and Brown Swiss in there too)

But I believe this to be a great challenge and possibly be a way to get out of my comfort zone (cows have been a little scary to me due to their large size and some with attitude 😉)

Peter begins with cleaning & sterilizing the milking equipment and shows me how. I am learning to jump in quickly so to hopefully, catch on more quickly to the routine of things.

We then trudge down to the barn and I get things set up while Peter gets the 1st group of cows to milk. He made a handy step-by-step picture guide for the duties in the barn regarding the milking procedure. Hopefully, I don't forget any of the steps 😉

I am learning and trying to memorize each cow and her favorite stanchion in the milking parlor.

After finishing the 1st group, Peter leaves to haul the milk up to the milk room. While he's gone I try figuring out how my system will work for milking. I run each different procedure and step over in my mind trying to make sure I don't forget any important steps. 

When Peter gets back, he helps me finish up. Giving me tips and telling me what to do in whatever the case may be. I listen all the more intently because aside from some slight previous background with cows I don't know a thing about cows or cattle. 

The cold has awakened my reality of the harsh conditions the Bartletts have to work in and care for milk cows in the winter months. Life sure is not easy peasy in the winter!

Our breath, along with the cows comes out like a steam engine! Peter comments to me, "You can tell how cold it is by how far you can see your breath in the air!"

As we're in the milking parlor together Peter tells me, "I should write a book about artctic cow care."

"You should!" I tell him. What someone else could gain from his experience and wisdom when it comes to the daily routine of milking and caring for cows in the winter would be invaulable!

Its' mind boggling for sure, but amazing to know. Its been a goal of mine to learn and be confident in knowing how to care for and milk cows. I'm glad for this oppurtunity to do so. 

Eat Real, Eat Healthy! :) 

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