So, what are you up to?

Hello readers!

Well, today has been- to say the least- absolutely wonderful.   My dear Mama had her -- birthday today!  She celebrated by sleeping in, then eating breakfast in bed (a tradition we started many years ago.. the birthday person gets breakfast in bed.), a "spa" treatment.  I whipped up some bath salts and sugar scrubs for her to use.   Becca bought some lovely nail polish, decorative nail stickers (just for the fun of it), and a CD of Casting Crowns.  Mama was able to just enjoy the day.   Bec's been taking pictures, so I will post those later on.


Other than that, my finger tips are wearing out... Any one know where I can buy some new ones?? lol!  I have been typing like crazy on a project that must be done by tonight! Yikes.  Any how, it isn't too bad.  Just getting boring. ;-)

The weather has been... interesting!!  Blue skies yesterday, and now it is snowing to beat the band.  You can barely see the corrals!  This is good... so long as the snow is moist!   Daddy came home early and made it safely through this storm.

So, what are you doing/have been doing?

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 30: A motto or philosophy

To be quite honest, I don't have a whole lot of mottos... nor do I have a set philosophy.  Don't know if I should be ashamed of myself or not.. ;-)

However, I decided that I would just post our Family Vision. :-)

"To Glorify God in everything we:
   Think- Keeping our minds pure for the Lord
   Say- Speaking kindly to others in a God honoring way
   Do- treating others with respect and love."


I really enjoyed this blog challenge.  Thank you to May Amelia for hosting this!!  I enjoyed getting to know a couple of other fellow bloggers through this venture.  

May the Lord bless you on this beautiful Sunday.

In Christ's Service,
Sarah E. H

Day 29: Hopes, dreams, and plans I have for the next 336 days

Yes, 336 because we are already 29 days into the year... lol!

I hope, dream, and plan to become a better follower of my Lord Jesus Christ;  I plan to graduate this fall;  I hope and dream to visit my dear friend in Illinois;  I plan on working on my home making skills to prepare myself for my own home someday;  I hope on becoming a better fiddle player........  Ok, this list could go on and on.. But I won't bore you with all of that!   I guess what I said is enough for now...


What are some of your hopes, dreams, and plans for the rest of the year??

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 28: A scar I have and it's story

I actually don't have many scars.... Guess I am just not the daring type to get into messes... lol!

However, I do have this one big scar on the back of my leg....  How did I get it?  Well, my sis and I were helping my grandparents clean their house.  My grandpa needed to move his big recliner.  I jumped in to help (wishing we had brought along our brothers! lol!).  Their house has an interesting heating system.  The whole underside is open.  It is like a tiny basement -very short one.  The heating until heats the whole underside of the house and the heat comes up through normal vents.  However, if you were to remove one of these vents, you could easily put your foot in and hurt yourself by falling through.  So, as he and I were carrying this recliner, I kicked up on of the vents with my shoe..  not knowing I did this, we continued-I was walking backwards- and WOOSH! Down I went.  Thankfully, the recliner fell on top of me and pushed my back against the wall, so I didn't drop too far down.  Still, I scratched my leg pretty bad...  Now I have a nice scar.. "Battle wound", as Joshua would put it! :-)


In Christ's Service,
Sarah

The best day on the ranch!

One of the best things that can happen on the ranch (besides no one getting hurt when working the cows) is when the first calf of the season is born.  This is always such a joyous part of the year.  Seeing all the little calves running about, or watching it when it takes it's first breath and looks wonderingly through big black eyes at the world around it.  They are so precious. 

Today, Josh and I were out feeding cows when I spotting something dark on a hill a ways out (cows usually go off by themselves when they are calving).  It was hard to tell if it was a cow or a cow bush- cow bush being the name that Josh and Dad dubbed all the bushes in the pasture... when you are looking for cows, it sure is hard to tell a bush apart from a cow at a distance.  Typically we think it is a cow, head across pasture (bumping our heads and jostling our heads in the process), and find out that it isn't a cow.. just a cow bush.  lol!  
   Josh got the scope out and said that it was our cow, it was on our side of the fence, but he couldn't see a baby.  We headed out to see what was up (I always enjoy getting to watch the birth.. such a miracle. Just another one of God's wonders.).  Sure enough, a little baby was lying on the ground.  Mama cow ran to the feed truck, thankfully, so Josh and I didn't have any trouble with her- they can get protective over their babies, and they should be.... just not when we are messing with it.. ;-)   Once Mama cow was happily eating some cake feed, Josh and I caught the calf, tagged it, and weighed it.   Beautiful little heifer calf (girl) out of #610 cow, weighed 65 lbs.
   I got a couple pictures with the cell phone, so sorry they aren't the best of quality. 

Isn't she so cute?!?!  Of course, they are even cuter in person... ha-ha! :-)

Hope everyone is enjoying a beautiful day!  The sun is actually giving off warmth, even though the wind persists on blowing... *sigh*.

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 27: A Physical feature I love

Hmm.... probably arms or smiles.  ;-)  Arms because you can hug with them, and smiles because are always the best thing to see every day. :-)

Yup! Not much more to say..... lol!  Hug any one?? ;-)  I always offer them with a smile! =D

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Lord ever be my guide- A poem

I am not much for poetry.. just don't have enough vocabulary (or the rich words any way) stored up in this brain of mine to make everything flow and make sense.. lol!  However, I do enjoy reading it.  The other night I was praying as I lie in bed, going to sleep (the best way to go to sleep is to pray! It seems I just rest so much better, closing the evening with the Lord) and these words came to mind.  At first I thought that I would write them in the morning, but something prompted me to write them right away.  So, I turned on my lamp, grabbed my ever present notebook and pen, and scribbled the words the Lord put in my head.

"Lord, take my heart and tuck it safely away,
So that from Your presence, I may never stray.

Let me always know Your Mercy and Truth,
Even long after the days of my youth.

May Your Power and Righteousness be the sword that I wield,
While Your Word, be ever my protective shield.

Be it ne'er too long after I finish my race,
that Your glory shall surround me when I see you Face to face."


In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 26: A Childhood Memory

My favorite childhood memory was when I became a believer.   To be quite honest with all of you,  I really wanted to become one so I could take communion (I loved grape juice!).  However, I remember that on the day of my baptism, something seemed to strike me with gradual force.  It was like I somehow realized that this wasn't something that just anyone did so they could take communion.  This was serious and I needed to treat it with seriousness.  I remember crying, I was so happy that I had chosen this path.  It was just like a small child who was trusting in God with no-questions-asked faith. 
   Since then, I really have learned that it is a serious route.  One cannot simply back out when the pathway is rough and treacherous.  There is only one way- forward.  However, we have a Helper to grab hold of our hands when we slip.  He will take care of us and guide us, if we listen, down life's path way.  We will stumble, and maybe even fall, but He is always there to help us back up to our feet again.  Our wonderful Saviour is guiding us slowly and gently home like a wee lamb.  He is our Shepherd. Our Guide.  Our Fortress.  Our One and Only God.
  I am ever so happy that I made that decision so many years ago and have decided to try to live it faithfully.  I have my failings, but I have learnt to look at it from a more serious standpoint than grape juice. :-)

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Oh, happy day! A random update on my life

Today was a good day.  I like it when I can call it a good day.  Sure, it might have been draining (emotionally and physically) but it was good all the same.  The Lord is good to us. 

We started up a Homeschool Drama group with Mom as director and Becca as assistant director.  We had our second meeting today.  Last week we just got to know each other in a few fun "ice breaker" games, then got to run over a few characters in the script we had chosen.  It was lots of fun.  :-)  Today we auditioned for the parts we wanted.  Everyone got amazing roles.  Each person fit PERFECTLY into their given place.  It was wonderful.  The Lord, as Joshua reminded us before we left, certainly blessed us with a wonderful group.  I will admit that a few persons there seemed extremely quiet and I wasn't sure if they were going to be able to project enough sound so the audience could hear.... alas!  Little did I know about these wonderful people!  As soon as they got up on stage they were amazing.  They spoke clearly and loudly.  It was SO easy to understand them..  Lesson learned for the day was NOT to judge others before you know them.  Any way, as soon as they sat down from their roles they immediately transformed back into the quiet little souls that they were before. 

I can't wait until the actual performance day.  The script we picked is comedy and extremely funny.   The gist of it is:
   Sanders, who is the director in a large theatre, finds out that his budget for his Cinderella performance has been cut- by 80%!!   When Mrs. Brakes, the producer, informs him of this, he is outraged.  How can he put on a show with hardly any money?
    Well, as one of the stage hands accidentally happens upon a conversation between Mrs. Brakes and Bonnie (the president of the Board of Directors),  she finds out that the two of them are planning a cruise to the Caribbean- using Sander's Cinderella play money to help pay for it!
    When the stage hand, Pepper, informs Sanders of this disgraceful plot, he is furious.  Use his money, will they?  Well, if they expect him to put on a play with only 20% of his original budget, by golly he will give them one!  Using several other inept stage hands as actors and actresses and cardboard boxes for props, he soon has his show underway.  But let's not forget the charming carriage Cinderella must ride in- A red wagon!
    On opening night after Act 1 has begun,  Mrs. Brakes, who is utterly horrified, tells Sanders that the money was to be used for a cruise for HIM and his wife!


So, as you can see, it is a rather fun and ridiculous play.  It has definitely been a blast doing it. :-)  I am hoping to get some pictures from next practice to share with all of you... if I remember to grab the camera!

Other than that, life has been going on normally..  Nothing too out of place.  I am still working on school, trying to finish up so I can graduate this fall.  Whew, that has been tough work, but I enjoy it.  Especially science!  Science has always been my favorite.  I love learning more about God's awesome creations.  It is just truly amazing and strengthens my faith in my God.  He is Awesome and Mighty.

Oh, I will let all of you know that we seem to be recovering from the whatever-it-was illness we had creeping around here.  We still have the sniffles, but at least we are getting a full night's sleep.  Becca, however, started coming down with it, so I would appreciate prayers for her.  Thank you to everyone who prayed for us earlier.  We really appreciate it. :-)

Now I best get off to bed!  Busy day tomorrow... hardly got any school done today, so I got some catching up to do.. not to mention an interesting project that I will hopefully share with you all (if everything works out!)

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 25: A recipe!!

This recipe is really quick and easy to make.  Perfect for those last minute get togethers when you need something sweet... ;-)

No – Bake Oatmeal Fudge

These no-bake cookies are made with oats and chocolate, along with optional peanut butter and other ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 ounces butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 to 4 tablespoons peanut butter, optional
• 3 cups oats, quick or old-fashioned
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

PREPARATION:

Place chocolate chips, peanut butter (if used), oats, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Combine the margarine, milk, and sugar in a saucepan; bring to a rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute. Combine the hot mixture with the oatmeal and chocolate chip mixture; stir well.

Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.

Enjoy!!!  Let me know if you try them! :-)

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 24: A movie no one would expect me to love

Inception.   Inception was a new sci-fi movie that just came out recently.  It was definitely a neat movie, though I did NOT like it when I first saw it.  I guess it just grew on me... "He knew you'd come back" (quote from movie) definitely describes me! I pondered over the movie and soon wanted to watch it again to try and figure it out.  I am really not much into sci-fi... that is, if it isn't too scary! 

The movie Inception was actually pretty good.  I can only think of a couple scenes where they cursed (surprise, surprise).  I am just going to go and edit it out of our copy, though, as the rest of the movie was amazing.  There were also a few scenes where a lady is wearing some clothes that aren't extremely modest... Still, not as bad as some out there!

So, no one would really expect me to like this movie, but I do! :-)

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Dancing with Jesus (repost)

This is a post I did on the Country Musings blog... I just thought I would share it again. :-)

As I was listening to the Butterfly Waltz by Brian Crain, I was inspired to just dance. By myself. All alone. However, was I? No. Someone was watching. No, this isn’t from some romantic movie where the gentleman catches the girl in a room by herself dancing, or writing, and he instantly falls in love, etc. Who was watching? Jesus.

As I sat there visualizing dancing with someone, but not knowing who, I started to dance with Jesus. My wonderful Prince Charming. The first one to win my heart.

Have you ever been walking in God’s beautiful nature and all of a sudden you are filled with an extreme joy? A joy that makes you break out into your biggest smile as tears roll down your face? You spread your arms open wide and let the sun kiss your face, while the wind blows your wisps of hair so that it tickles your cheeks. You twirl and just feel SO loved, safe, and secure that every worry you have ever had, every doubt, every sorrow is gone. You look into the great big beautiful sky and just thank the Lord from the bottom of your heart for this wonderful beauty.

God loves us so much, that He gives us a sense of security. Only, this isn't the kind of security where you are constantly wondering if a computer geek is going to break into your computer and steal all of your information. This is a security that NO ONE can shake, NO ONE can take away.

Have you ever been hugged where the person hugging you just seems to envelope you in warmth and love? My wonderful Daddy is a big man and every time I hug him, I feel so safe, so secure that nothing could possibly go wrong when I am in his arms. Imagine God. He rules over the universe! He made the Heavens! He made every living creature on earth. Not even one single tiny bird that no one pays much attention to half the time can fall without Him knowing it.

So, if I feel that safe in my earthly Daddy’s arms, what about my Heavenly Father’s? His arms carry me through every trial and every storm. His arms can even carry me through death, where my earthly Father’s can not.

I Love to dance. Polka’s, waltzes, jigs, reels, and any other dance that is somewhat historical (I don’t care much for the modern dances they do now a days!). Waltzes, when long, can get somewhat boring. However, when we are dancing with Christ, it will never be boring. In fact, we could dance for hours and hours and still beg for more! Life is similar. We have our years when peace prevails, and yet we have those years where it seems chaos every time you turn a corner. There are years full of joy and happiness, and there are years of sorrow and tears. Guess what? God is with us all the time, though! He is with us through every single thing we do. Every single thing. There is NOTHING we do without Him. He is the Master Planner.

Unless you really hate dancing, dancing makes any one happy. Now just imagine dancing with your first Prince Charming!

As we walk, remember those lilies. Even Solomon and all his glory was not clothed as one of these! If those lilies are so precious, imagine what a human, created in God’s OWN IMAGE, is to Him!

So, walk barefooted in the grass, let the sun shine upon you, let the flowers brighten your day, and remember Who created all of them! Jesus loves you SO much, you just can’t imagine! When you are down, or feeling sad, talk to Him. He is always listening. He is always there to hold your heart safely in His hands.

I will be praying for all of you, though I may not know your names, that you will have the love and peace of Jesus Christ in your hearts and lives. There is nothing so sweet, so special as having Christ Jesus’ love in your life.

I encourage all of you to live for Jesus and to remember to dance with Him through storm, trial, and sorrow. No matter what, remember He is always there, ready to envelope you in His love, mercies, and Grace.

Dancing in the Sunshine and the Rain,

Sarah

Day 23: A way in which I want to be remembered

I want to be remembered as a person who loved God with all her Heart.  Someone who listened to His voice daily and let His love shine through her actions.  I want to be remembered as someone who was compassionate, kind, gentle, caring, loving.  Someone who listened when someone was sharing a burden; someone who was willing to help out in any way she could. Someone who loved to laugh (that one is easy). Someone who did not seek glory or honor for herself, but sat quietly in the background glorifying God. 

That is how I want to be remembered.

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Psalms 27:4 & 5

"One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.  For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock."

I read these verses this morning in my quiet time, and they just touched me.  I guess I really needed to hear those today for some reason because I was "supposed" to read in Proverbs, according to my reading list, but "accidentally" flipped to Psalms... I guess I just didn't look at the title of the book very well!  Any way, I thought these verses were extremely sweet and comforting, don't you?

Have a blessed Sunday!

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 22: A Website

Hmm.. There are lots of websites out there that I enjoy looking at/being on.  Many are wonderful for encouraging young women to dress modestly, while others are for people who want to live a life for Jesus. 
   So, I guess one of the better sites out there, would be The Rebelution.  "Teenage rebellion against low expectations".  This is a great site if you want to stand out and not blend into the world's ways.  My family and I were able to go to one of the conferences a couple years ago and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  It was probably one of the most encouraging conferences I have ever been to.  I highly recommend checking it out. 

They also have a Modesty Survey which I also recommend.  I do NOT recommend it for younger girls (or younger boys) as some of the replies to the questions asked can be a little detailed....  However, for those older girls who are striving to be modest, I would go here and check it out.  Obviously, take it all with a grain of salt.  All the answers are simply guy's points of view.  That doesn't mean they are the rules....  Still, you can get some great ideas, hints, tips, etc on that site.

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

PS Thank you to those who are praying for our family on the subject of getting over this bug thing we have... It is definitely appreciated!

Day 21: Something I do differently than most people.. and a prayer request

Hold my cards.  Yup!  I think I hold my cards differently than MOST people do.. I know of a few others that do the same as I do, but very few.  See, I hold my cards, from left to right, going smallest to largest whereas everyone else in my family and many people outside my family hold their cards largest to smallest.. :-)   So, that is what I do differently. :-)

What do you sometimes do differently than most people around you?

I would also like to ask for prayers for my family.. Several of us woke up feeling bleh today.  We have sore throats and are coughing really badly.  So far, it is my two younger brothers, my Mom (who had it several days ago and is recovering, but certainly not over it) and then myself.  We are all kind of croaking like frogs.. lol!  I don't know if it is just something circling around, or if it has to do with the wind that has recently been blowing and picking up dirt and pollen..  Any way, we have had quite enough of exploding heads and sinus's even though we have had it for only a few hours...  Hope it isn't contagious... maybe you should click out of my blog really fast! I might send it to you via cyber 'virus'... ;-)

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 20: A Hobby of mine

There are so many that it is extremely difficult to choose....  Let's see.... The thing I probably enjoy most would be sewing or driving farm equipment.   Sewing is lots of fun, especially when I can come up with different patterns on my own.  I like seeing things come to shape under my hands.

Driving farm equipment wouldn't really be called a "hobby" I guess... =P  But I do enjoy it!  Especially the tractor! :-)

In Christ's Service,
Sarah who is about to fall asleep from lack of sleep... cannot...function...on six... hours of sleep! lol!

Day 19: A Talent of Mine

Writing.  God has blessed me with the gift of writing, though I can't take any credit because God is the one Who gave it to me! :-)  I want to turn that talent around and bless Him.  "Write" now I am working on writing children's stories that have good morals in them.  I am also working on a couple of novels that are coming along slowly but surely.  I want all of them to point to God.  This is one way that I can be a witness for Him...

What are some of your talents?

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 18: A time when I felt passionate and alive

Right now! :-)  I feel most passionate and alive for Christ when I am serving others.  There is nothing that gives me more joy, especially when doing it in secret and not expecting at rewards.  Of course, I often times fail to do it 24/7, but I am trying to do it more.  Learning to not be selfish can be rather difficult, but with the Lord's help, NOTHING is impossible! Right? ;-)

One of the things that I am hoping to do very soon is visit children's hospitals.  Ever since I was little, I wanted to go to a children's hospital dressed up as a clown -at the time I was very into clowny things- to cheer up the kids.  I could make animals out of balloons, tell jokes, and share the gospel.  Well, when I talked to Mom about it (I think I was 7-8 at the time) she said that they wouldn't let younger children in like that. I had to be older.. around 18 she thought.  Well, I was discouraged and eventually pushed the thought out of my head.. Until a few weeks ago.  My friend and I were talking about what we needed to do with our lives while waiting for our husbands to show up.  We don't want to just lie around and do nothing with our time.  While one is single, we can take advantage and use it to serve others (as in, I wouldn't need to worry about taking care of my own kids, so I could focus on other ways of serving). So, we were talking and all of a sudden, the thought just came to me.  "I am almost old enough to go to the children's home!"  I got so excited I think my friend probably thought I went mad.. lol!
    I am really looking forward to doing that, if the Lord wills it.  If He does, then it will all work together and everything will fall into place. I just have to be willing to listen and take that step forward!
   So, my fellow Prayer Warriors, I would really appreciate it if you could pray for me that God would give me guidance on what to do with this.  My Mom and sister are looking into volunteering to go and rock little babies at the hospital (unfortunately I am not old enough or else I would jump for it!), so please pray that maybe an opportunity would come up.  Thank you!

Have a blessed day!  I may be coming back on here to post a rather exciting thing that is happening today.. ;-)  I am praying for JOY as I go about this...

Jesus
Others
Yourself  :-)

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 17: An Art Piece

I am not much into artwork, to be quite honest...  I have only been to one art museum- and that was several years ago.  Other than that, I haven't every studied art or anything.... I know, shame on me.. However, there is one artist who I really like.  Thomas Kinkade.  His pictures are always so beautiful and serene that just looking at one makes you wish you could jump right through the canvas and into the lovely scenery.
   Here are two that I found that I really liked:

I LOVE cottages.  They are so romantic, sweet, cozy and.... sweet!  I always wished I could live in something similar.  I don't want any grand fancy house when I get married.  Just something cozy and homey.  Something that my husband and I can just be happy together in.  This picture kind of reminds me of that.  I know I couldn't get something like this now a days, but it is still fun to look at it. :-)  I guess I have a bit of old fashioned-ness in me....  Actually, just looking at the picture I can see several different stories that might go along with it....
   What do you think??  What are some of your favorite art pieces?


In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 15: A song that makes me cry

This song, Above All, makes me cry every time I listen to it.  Jesus' wonderful love to me and his mercy on such a sinner- a worthless sinner- makes me feel so humble.  I need this song playing all the time so that if I ever get to prideful in anything, it can remind what I used to be.



Isn't God just amazing?  I loved just watching the ocean waves on the video and being totally awed by His awesome power!  He is definitely an awesome and amazing Creator.

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 15: A person I admire

There are many people throughout History I admire.  However, I don't know that I could pick any specific person...

So, the one person(s) I know I admire for sure, are my parents.

My Mom:

Mom and Josh on his 13th bday

My Mom is the best.  I couldn't be more grateful for the Mom God gave me.  She is so patient with my many struggles through life, helping me get through each one and pointing out Godly lessons in each one.  She has been my confidant and best friend since I can remember.

Mom with one of the kittens

 I always know I can come to her if I ever have a problem.  She is a Godly woman, a Titus 2 woman; a woman I very much admire and love and hope to be like someday.  She has done a very good job raising her children, pointing them to the Lord and letting Him work in their lives. 

Lovin' on the youngin's

She is so wonderful with little children. I admire how easily she can carry on a conversation with a 5 yr. old.  She is so talented in so many things and has worked so hard to pass those things to my sister and me.  I pray that I can be like her someday in my own home.

Mom giving the calves their shots

My Dad:

Daddy with his girls, taking them out on a date

My Daddy.  My knight in shining armor.  My protector from scary things.  The one who can hold me safely in his strong arms.  The one who loves me no matter what.  The best math teacher in the world.  He is my Daddy. 

Dad is the one who is very soft spoken and quiet.  When he talks, his words are so very helpful and wise.  He is funny and loves to tell jokes.  He teases me, talks with me, laughs with me, and teaches me.  I honestly don't know what I do without him.  God blessed me so much by giving him to me as my Daddy. 

My dad is one of the most honorable men I know. He has integrity, is honest, and works hard.  He is loving, caring, and gentle.  Dad's words of wisdom have helped me so much through life.  From his reading me stories when I was a little girl, to our midnight -or longer- talks about growing up, he has always been so wonderful. 

Dad Baptizing the boys- yup.. in an old stock tank!

I can always come to him with a problem.  I can ask him anything, knowing that he will ponder over it carefully, and always refer me back to the Bible and my Lord. 

Dad helping with the show heifers

Just the other night we stayed up until 1:30 am talking about life, growing up, relationships, and what a girl is supposed to do while waiting for her own prince charming.  I am so proud of how hard my Daddy works for his family.  How he is a strong leader, willing to listen to our questions and look for answers in the Bible. 

Branding calves

How he loves ranching, working with the cows and calves, and enjoys going over EPDs with us or other fellow ranchers.  He is my Daddy, and I am ever so grateful that God gave him to me.

I love you Dad and Mom!!!!!!!!

Mom and Dad, armed and ready for an onslaught of flies!

Your little girl forever,

Sarah

Day 14: A Vacation I would like to take

This one is definitely EASY to answer... I really want to go see a dear friend of mine; Samantha!!!  She and I have been pen pals for about 2 years now (I think we are starting on our third year, right, Samantha?). We have never met.  So, how did we become pen pals?  Well, it all came about through a Christian Girl's newsletter called "amie" (aw-mee).  They had a 'get a pen pal' type thing.  I decided to go ahead and sign up, thinking it would be extremely fun to "meet" someone through letter writing.  I am SO glad that the Lord directed them to match Samantha and I up.  We have been writing ever since and I have thoroughly enjoying it. 
    However, she does live quite a long way away from me.... about 1,274 miles, to be exact.. lol!  So, I am saving up my money to go and hopefully visit her during the Fall of this year.  I think it will be very nice because 1) our family hasn't gone on any long road trips in an extremely long time and 2) I would REALLY like to meet her in person!  :-) 
    So, I can't really think of any other vacation I would rather take.   Illinois, here I come!! ;-)

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 13: A Guilty Pleasure

Yipes!! I probably have several... chocolate, coffee, chocolate, ice cream, chocolate....  Yeah, you get it.. CHOCOLATE!!!

 But then, chocolate is just something that a woman can't live without, in my personally opinion.  Advice to any one.. if you make a woman mad, simply give her some chocolate and she will be quite happy again. ;-) lol!

So, Chocolate is my final answer....

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 12: A song I want played at my Wedding

I have to be totally honest in this post.  I haven't much thought about the song I want played at my wedding.  First off, I do have another person who will help with the planning of the wedding, but he hasn't gotten here yet, so I have to wait.  No use making plans without your partner!  Secondly, I find that when I dream of weddings and whatnot, I let my heart lose focus on my first True Love, Jesus Christ.  That doesn't mean that I don't want to get married, it only means that I want to wait on God's timing for that special day and special guy.
   As a young lady, it is extremely hard to not dream about these things. I mean, we were made to be wives, mother's, home makers, etc.  However, I encourage young girls to not let your dreams carry you away.  Although it is good to have dreams and plans for the future, make sure you don't lose your main focus.  It is so easy to do that, trust me.  So many times I have had to come back to the Lord on my knees to beg for help to keep my heart pure. I don't want to give my heart away to the wrong man!

However, just so I am not a spoiler, I will say that I do like "Pachebel's Canon".  :-)

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 11: A photo of me taken recently

Ok, here is a photo(s) taken of me recently.. lol!  Actually, because I don't really like getting my picture taken, I had a hard time finding some good ones.. so I thought I would share two. ;-)

Fairly good one...

One of me with my brother.. I am "dressing his wound" in a movie we did with my cousin.

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Huge Giveaway going on!

Polka Dot, over at Life is too short not to wear red shoes, is hosting a HUGE giveaway!  Click HERE to check it out.  She is giving away 26 different items, so that means 26 winners will be chosen.  Don't miss out!!

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Not as efficient as I thought...

Yesterday got off to a rather late start, unfortunately.  However, I was determined to make up for it.  After cleaning up after Brunch (breakfast so late it is practically lunch), I set to work on making some healthy snacks.  Trying to eat healthier this year, Mom and I looked into the benefits of eating 5 small meals a day.  That would mean, for us, eating a good breakfast, though nothing big, and then eating a snack in between lunch and breakfast to hold us over.  Often times, I think, we tend to eat a lot during meals because we know it has to hold us over until the next meal.  So, any way, I set to making some healthy snacks (I love snacks, but we never have any around...)- Granola!  I made some plain granola and soft granola bars with peanut butter and chocolate chips in them.  They are very good, if I do say so myself. ;-)
   Any how, I was feeling quite efficient, even with my late start.  I had cleaned up the kitchen, straightened a pantry, and baked some snacks.  Mom had told me that I would need to put on the left over veggie stew for supper that night.  No big deal.  Simply put the crockpot into it's base, turn on, add a few more veggies, and done!  As I set the crockpot down, turning the knob to 'high', I had a thought that said I should check it and make sure it was the veggie stew.  I quickly dismissed this because I KNEW this was the veggie stew.  So, I opened the bag of frozen peas, popped in a few more, and decided to not stir them in just yet (don't know why, just did).
    I went on with my day, read some more of my Bible, and was in the middle of exercising when Mom went into the kitchen to check on supper stuff.  Seeing that I had not stirred the soup, she graciously took a spoon and did so... much to my dismay when she cried out, "Sarah, what is this??!!"  I quickly asked what was wrong.  "This isn't veggie stew, it is Frito Pie meat!" (frito pie meat is like a chili.. hamburger and beans) 
     As you can guess, I was utterly horrified.  To think that I had put PEAS in FRITO PIE meat!!!  Oh, things just couldn't get worse!  We were unable to remove all of the peas, so we had pea-chili that night.  All through dinner I had to suffer the torment of everyone teasing me. ;-)  "'Peas' pass the butter"  or "Can you 'peas' give me another muffin?"  When the incident first happened, I didn't think it was so funny.  However, my Mom's wonderful philosophy "If you won't laugh, you cry- and that isn't much fun" came into play.  I eventually started looking at the funny side of it.
      While I helped to clean up, I started pondering what could be a Biblical lesson in this little escapade.  As many of you know, when something like this happens to me, I try to find a good lesson in it because it helps me remember.  If I find a lesson in something funny like this, then whenever I think of this funny incident, I remember the lesson.
     So, my moral to this story.......





NEVER add any ingredients to something you haven't double checked!!


Actually, although that is very true, that isn't what I was thinking.  I was thinking about listening.  See, when I was putting the crockpot on, I had the little urge to check what it was.  What disturbed me later is how quickly I dismissed that thought.  Often times I forget that God doesn't speak to us in a loud booming voice, but in a quiet whisper.  If we are still and LISTEN, we can hear Him.  If we simply go about our day, we will hear nothing from Him.
    This was especially true on a matter that happened recently.  As you may remember in an earlier post, I was talking about how a friend and I started up a writing club.  While relaxing to go to sleep one night, I was praying that God would show me what I needed to do.  I felt utterly lost.  I felt like I should be doing SOMETHING but I just didn't know WHAT!  As I prayed, a sudden thought hit me.  Here I was, asking and asking God to show me what to do, yet I wasn't listening for His voice! I wasn't listening for His answer. So, I stopped talking and just listened.  A small, yet powerful voice told me, "Write your books".  I, in my typical human fashion, immediately started asking questions. "How? I need help.  Should I start a writing club?"  All of these questions, and many more, flooded through my head.  As I listened again, I simply heard the same answer.  "Write your books."  Well, you know the rest of the story.
     So, as I pondered over my pea-chili, it brought back to mind that I wasn't listening.  If I had listened to that little voice telling me to check that pot, I wouldn't have made the same mistake.  Still, I have to say that I am glad I didn't listen because God was able to show me this lesson!
     When you are talking with a friend, it isn't much fun if they do all the talking, is it? I certainly don't enjoy it!  So, the same applies to us and God.  He is our Friend, our Best Friend.  When we talk to Him, we need to take a turn at listening.  He will talk to us if we give Him a chance.


In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 10: A photo of myself taken over ten years ago...

This one is hard.. only because I don't have any photos of myself on the computer that were taken over ten years ago. So, as I am typing this, I am trying to figure out how to scan a photo onto the computer.  Let's see if my plan works....

Aha!! It worked!!!  I had so much fun doing one, that I decided to do two!! lol!

One of me at 6 months:

Me at age 5 or something.... Definitely over 10 years.. that was, let's see... 12 years ago, to be exact. lol!

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 9: A Photo I took

Ok... I am not much of a photographer, though I do like grabbing up the camera now and then. :-)  Unfortunately, since all of my "nicer" photos were taken by my Sister's nice, fancy Nikon, they are all on her laptop and not on the desk top I use... :-(  Still, Here are a few others I have taken (sorry, just can't do one!)


These are pictures of when we had a "flood" at our place... 4 inches in 1 hour!!  It was a lot of rain! Why are these so cool to me?  It is WATER!!!  Rain is an amazing thing in NM!!! It is dry as anything out here most of the time, so rain is a blessing at ANY time.. yes, even if we are in the middle of working cows... better than having dirt blowing in your eyes! lol!

The last two are some that I took when we had some snow.. The first one was taken just recently.  I am looking through the lilac bushes towards our house... the second is of a tree in our backyard during a snow storm....

Sorry for the randomness of photos... lol!

In Christ's Service,

Sarah

Day 8: A Thank You letter to someone who has changed your Life

I pondered over today's post all day yesterday and today... but only One has CHANGED my life....

My Heavenly Father,
   I thank you for giving me a second chance.  For giving me salvation.  For picking me up out of the dust and seeing who I really am.  Thank you for letting me into your Kingdom as your special daughter, your Princess!  Thank you for your unfailing love and mercy.  The love letters that you have written to me make me feel so special, humbled, and loved!  Each word brings peace to my heart and calms my troubled spirit.
   I thank you, Lord, for giving me strength for each and every day. Strength to bear my trials, mercy to forgive others, and grace to forgive myself.
   God you are amazing!  Thank you for the gifts you give me every day.  It is all around me!! Birds, flowers, trees, the sky, a sunrise, a sunset.  All of these display your wonderful love for me!  Yet I know that this love is undeserved. Your dying on the Cross for me blows me away, Lord.  How can I fathom the depths of your love?  I am so unworthy of the precious gift of Salvation, Lord, yet You give it to me freely.  How can I ever thank You?  Take my life, Lord, take it a use it for Your glory.  Use me as a candle to burn Your light to others.  I am Yours, O Lord.
    When I am afraid, thank you for taking me into Your arms.  When I am suffering, thank you for carrying me.  But ultimately, thank you for bearing the cross so that I could be with You for ever and ever, even after this world ends.
    Your tender love and mercy to me is everlasting. I shall never be able to repay you, but take my heart and make it Yours.

The unworthy Sinner made into Your princess,
Sarah

Day 7: Five things I couldn't possibly live without

 am trying the new timer thingy on this blog post.. we'll see if it works! *wink*.  I have it on timer because tomorrow will be extremely busy. Up early to get to some cleaning in the house, shop, barn, corrals, etc.  We have someone who is coming to look at the ranch to possibly buy some acreage. Please pray that God's will be done in this matter and that He will give us peace about the decisions.
Ok, so five things I couldn't possibly live without:
1: The redeeming love of my Saviour, Jesus Christ the Lord.  Without Him, I would still be wallowing in my sin; an ugly, filthy, dirty little sinner.

2: My wonderful family!  They love me so much. They have helped me through my struggles by reminding me of God's Word and His promises.

(Christmas photo several years ago)

I don't know what I would do without them, especially my wonderful parents who have raised me in a Godly home.

(from top-12 o'clock- around clock wise- Caleb, Joshua, Me, Becca -who took pic-, Mom, Dad)

3: My friends!  God has blessed me with so many encouraging, Christian, Godly friends that I truly don't deserve.  So many of them know me inside-out and have loved me through it all. I am truly blessed...

(My friends at my 16th birthday)

4: Music! I LOVE music.  Music helps me get through the day, especially ones that have such wonderful, meaningful words to them that remind me of God's goodness, Mercy, and love!  I also love playing my fiddle.. if I don't play it for a long time, my fingers start itching for that wonderful feel of flying over the strings in a fun jig or reel.

(Photo Courtesy of a very good friend)

5: Laughter.  Laughter is definitely part of me. 

I love laughing, any one who knows me could tell you that right off the bat.  If they think of me, they think of me laughing. It is just who I am, but I love it. I love it because God created that laughter and when it bubbles up inside of me, I feel God smiling along with me.  I love taking walks and laughing with Him over my funny little quirks in life.  Laughter is what definitely helps me throughout the day.  Without laughter, I am sure that I could become one unhappy person.  HOWEVER! Have no fear! My dear brother will make sure that I never go a day without laughing!

(Taken of Josh several years ago)

He can keep me laughing over anything, at any time.  When I am in a grumpy mood, Joshua saves the day! He comes in and makes a funny face while saying something, or tells a joke he made up.. anything.

(I totally love this pic of my "Mr. Big Foot"!!)

He can cheer me up like no other.  Love you Bud!

Ok... guess this post could've been shorter.. oh well!!

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 6: A moment I wish I could relive

This one is kind of tough... There are so many moments in my life that I wish I could go back to, maybe change things... but what we did in those moments, helped to shape us to who we are now.  If I had done things differently, things wouldn't be the same right now.

I think one of the biggest moment(s) that I wish I could relive are times with my Bampa.  Many of you know that he passed away after a long and painful struggle with pancreatic cancer just almost two years ago.  Unfortunately, my Bampa was not a believer.  We tried talking to him, our friend's tried talking to him, but he always just said that he wasn't interested in those things.  Because we took care of him at home those last few months, we had many chances to talk to him.  I know my mother did, when it was her turn to be at her post, helping Nana with him.  For the first couple of months, nothing changed too drastically, except that he lost a lot of weight.  Towards the end, though, when he was bed ridden, I wish that instead of sitting by his bed holding his hand and saying prayers in my heart, that I said them out loud, or perhaps have been bold enough to try talking to him more.  I often got discouraged whenever he refused talking about Christ and His redeeming blood.  Whenever I got a rebuttal, I tended to clam up and not say any more, being afraid of... I don't know what.  Although I know that at one point the Holy Spirit came through me and I said something I probably never would have said on my own, being afraid of offending him or something, I wish I had done more than that. I wish that I had prayed for more of the Holy Spirit to help me instead of just praying for his salvation.

Through my tears of writing this, I realize that although I wish for something more during those moments, wishing to relive them, I am glad that God has shown me something through it.  By not being able to share with my Bampa because of my cowardice, I have learned to try to share the Gospel at any chance I get.  That doesn't mean that I succeed every time, that the words pass my lips, but at least I know what I need to do and know that the Lord will give me strength and courage to do it.

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 5: A Favorite Quote

Well, I am taking a quote from the BEST book ever.... The Bible!!!  I figure that if God said it, it counts as a quote, right??

Isaiah 41: 8-14   (sometimes when I am afraid, I like to take 'Jacob' or 'Isreal' and change it to my name)
   "But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, Descendant of Abraham My friend, You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth and called from its remotest parts and said to you, 'You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you. Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'  Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored; Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish. You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them, those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.  For I am the Lord you God, who upholds your right hand, who says to you, 'Do not fear, I will help you.'  Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel; I will help you," declares the Lord, "and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel."

This is such a great reminder to me that no matter what troubles I get in, or whatever temptations, trials, or suffering I go through, He is always there! He will uphold me and keep me steady, tearing away my enemies. Isn't that such a wonderful thought?

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 4: My Favorite TV Show

Well, first off, we don't have TV.. We have the screen, so we can watch movies, but we don't have stations or any thing...  However, we have been able to get TV shows on DVD or Netflix... so, mine is probably George Burns and Gracie Allen show.  They were an extremely funny couple on TV and fun to watch.  She is kind of the Amelia Bedelia type on the show, but an extremely bright person in real life.  Of the ones I have watched, I am pretty sure they were clean....

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

You must check this out!!

If you love the movie "Sound of Music", then you are going to LOVE this new site I found!!  Edelweiss Patterns!!  It is run by a young woman, Katrina Casey, who has a passion for sewing (not to mention talent!) and is sharing that passion and talent with others through her patterns.  Right now she has the "Liesl's Dancing Dress" up for sale.  She did an excellent job recreating this scrumptious dress...

Who wouldn't love twirling around in that lovely dress, dancing the night away to the Laendler???

Her next pattern, which will be released soon, is "The Baroness's Evening Gown".  Ooh, I can't wait to see it!  So, click on the website's name and go check it out! Edelweiss Patterns.

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 3: A favorite book

Once again, another tough question! There are so many good books out there... Actually, this one was fairly simple.  My all time favorite book has to be "Christ Commission" By Og Mandino.

(From the back of the book) "In front of eight million TV viewers, "The Greatest Mystery Writer in the World" bragged he could prove Christ was actually stolen from the tomb and never really rose from the dead...if he were given just one week back in ancient Jerusalem.  That night, author Matt Lawrence got his wish.  A knock-out punch took him right out of this world and landed him in the Biblical Judea in 36 A.D., just six years after the execution of Jesus at Golgotha.  In relentless pursuit of his investigation, Lawrence walked the same streets Jesus walked, visited the same places... and found himself facing the same dangers. Eyewitness reports might lead him to a discovery that would shake the world- but will he live long enough to tell the 20th century that he just solved the greatest mystery of all time?"

Definitely a must read!!

In Christ's Service,
Sarah

Day 2: Favorite Movie

For day two of the 30 day challenge, I have to put up my favorite movie.  I am really having a hard time with this one! I am still sitting here trying to decide... Pride and Predjudice?  Inception?...... ok, I think I decided.  My all time favorite movie is.......*drum roll*

Pendragon: A Sword of his Father

This movie was done by home schoolers... and it was really good!!  The message in it was really good, and the filming and acting was really good!!  Totally blew me away. My brother and I having gotten into movie making mood lately, so this was extremely encouraging and inspiring!

Good Guys

Bad Guys

And Damsels!! 

Just Can't go wrong with that.. lol! ;-)


Please keep my mother in your prayers. She is flying out to California to help some friends drive down (they are moving down here-back down here, actually. They used to live here, moved to CA, and are now moving back!) Any way, I guess she had an hour delay in Pheonix, AZ, so pray that all will go well with her and that she and the other family will be safe driving down.  Mr. will be driving the moving truck and Mrs. and Mom will be driving the big van with all the kids.  They are scheduled to arrive tomorrow.  Thank you!

In Christ's Service,
Sarah