A Little Encouragement for Your Tuesday...

Contentment is a yielding to our Great Almighty, Holy King.

"God is the blessed controller of all things, the king over all kings and the master of all masters."

1 Timothy 6:15

He is the blessed controller of our circumstances, gifts, abilities, possessions, roles, and relationships.

We acknowledge His sovereign control by trusting Him for everything: what we don't understand, what we can't see, and what doesn't make sense to us.

When God becomes our total trust, we humbly accept our portion and our cup {Psalm 16:5}.

 We accept what He has allowed in our past.

We accept what He has allowed today.

And we give all of our tomorrows to Him.

 A humility grows within us that He is the loving controller of all life.

 When we have given all of our questions to God, when we're not grumbling about the past or anxious about the future, when our tomorrows are in His keeping, we are free to wake up every morning and say, "God, You've given me today as a gift. Show me how to glorify You in it."

Excerpt from the book:  Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. 

 Hope your day is filled with JOY!

Blessings,

Julia

Living with Less

The more you have, the more you are occupied.

The less you have, the more free you are.

~Mother Theresa

Don't you just love that quote?

It is so true.

Living in tighter quarters, I have learned to purge what is not needed every month.

We also have a rule that if something new comes in, something goes out.

It really is freeing to the soul and I think gives your home a sense of peace and accomplishment.

Not to mention your mind.

It is so much easier to organize and manage less stuff.

Period.
"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
Matthew 6:26

I do the same outside.

Today?

I am ridding my garden of unnecessary weeds...

The cleaning, and moving, plucking, tilling and pulling ...only makes room for freedom.

Freedom to grow {my garden included}!

Weeding out the excess...it just allows you plenty to give of yourself, to others, to your family.

Try it...you'll like it!

Here's to a weekend of less...

And to more quiet and greater time with the ones you love :).

~Julia

A Cheerful Heart

 Summer is officially here...even though I know it is still a few days away.

The warm breeze in the mornings, the kids playing in the pool, afternoons full and blossoming with cheerful voices and full hearts ready for a new season.

The earth warming and new starts emerging.

I love it.

Summer also brings on an expected increase in labor around our house.

Some days I start to feel like on top of all of my household chores, I have a boat load going on outside.

Then my brain gets that foggy feeling.

I am sure you know what I am talking about :).

I am a rather quiet person by nature, so I think having many things to do is hard for me.

 Elisabeth Elliot has a great saying, "Just do the next thing."

I say that to myself sometimes over and over in a day....and it makes the day flow so much smoother.

Just do the next thing.

Don't think too much about it....just DO it!

 Life has seasons and they can be up and down, but choosing to have a cheerful heart instead of a broken spirit takes grace.

When your plate is full and you feel overwhelmed, staying out of the dumps, even when your body tells you that you are in the dumps, can be difficult.

I want to be known as a person with a joyful heart...especially with my family.

So I choose joy among all of the hustle and bustle.

Because my one life is a gift... with all of the projects and work...along with the quiet and serene.

Each moment is a grace filled gift.

The tidying and the caring for and the growing are all good. Aren't they?

 Even with mundane jobs like dishes and laundry I see potential and then progress.

For as {she} thinks within {her}self, so {she} is.

Proverbs 23:7

The hay is up past my waist now, and irrigating takes a lot more energy just walking through the field.

It's good exercise, but whew! I am tired after a while.

The season starts out easy and progressively gets deeper, harder, more laborious.

 Then everything stills and we reap the reward.

In the midst of all of that work, I love the quiet...listening to the birds chip, the dizzy feeling watching the grasses flow in the wind...like the ocean waves. 

Smelling the sweet ripe grass and being with my kids.

 Isn't that what God gently does in our lives....allows certain things to happen and looks to see if we are leaning on Him?

Sometimes the work load increases and just when we think we have no strength left...His grace pours over us and we reap the blessings.

 A cheerful heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit makes one sick.

Proverbs 17:22

 Superman and I have a couple weeks left to help out with irrigating until it is time to cut.

I am glad I have such cheerful help!

 He comes to the rescue on his pedal bike when I need him :). 

 Summer is bursting at the seams and even though I know the work load is increasing daily, I am looking forward to all that it holds.

The garden is starting to pick up and I will have peas to freeze shortly.

Our pumpkins and corn are coming along nicely.

Potatoes, onions, and spinach are bursting with vigor.

 The kids are working with their cute pigs for Fair this year.

Their little pink noses beg for treats when I pass by.

Equipment is getting ready to roll.

 The roses are blooming and smell so lovely on a breeze.

 The bounty in God's grace...I am so thankful for it.

Working hard is truly a gift and something that we hope to pass down cheerfully to our children.

Praying you have a lovely day...and that if you are feeling overwhelmed by all that needs to be done, you can slow, "just do the next thing," and choose to have a cheerful heart for a full life!

~Julia

Cottage Berry Whip

This is a super yummy treat for the summer!

Almost like a sorbet, it's easy on the blood sugars and diet friendly... if you are watching that sort of thing.

The recipe comes from the book, Trim Healthy Mama.  I have really been enjoying it and the meal plan is amazing! 

Cottage Berry Whip

{From Trim Healthy Mama}

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup frozen berries

1 tsp. vanilla

dash stevia

Put ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Enjoy!

Have a lovely day!

~Julia

Old Family Pictures

My love for old family pictures runs thick through my heart...

I am slightly addicted to collecting photos, learning about the precious people before me, and discovering those similarities in characteristics.

I have been blessed to find a fourth cousin who has graciously been sending me pictures of the family. 

I love having these treasures to share with the rest of my family...and my children!

My Great Great Grandparents Mary Jane and Aaron...aren't they sweet?

Mary Jane's family were fresh out of France....Aaron came from a long line of Amish and then German Baptist ministers.

They look so in love.

I have read letters that my Great Grandma Hazel wrote to her parents and you could feel the closeness.

Hazel Mae was my Great Grandma on my Dad's side.

She is the one person I wish I could have met...beautiful inside and out...my Dad's cousins still shed tears because they miss her so.

She was that kind of person.

She loved no matter what and showed every grace in the face of adversity.

Facing many trials throughout her life, she handled them as if she was thankful for the present...good or bad.

She lived with less and gave more... and knew that you can't live for tomorrow, but today is a treasure!

I love that she has taught me so much, yet I never had the chance to place my tiny arms around her waist as a child.

We named Lily after her...they share the same middle name.

I think there is even a resemblance and their birthdays are exactly a month apart.

My Great Aunts {Hazel's daughters and my Grandpa Jack's sisters} riding their horses together.

My Aunt Mary {on the right} cracks me up. Her hair was always perfectly bouffant.

Aren't they the cutest?

{My Dad at age 1 with my handsome Grandpa Jack.}

My Grandpa and Dad were shining examples of what a Father should be.

They cared deeply, they looked into your eyes when you talked to them, never let us acquire things the easy way, and showed us the value of work.

I married a man just like them :). 

{Grandpa Jack on his horse Pip.}

{My Great Grandparents and family.}

Like a bridge of love, tying the generations together, I know that what these people passed on is perseverance and an undying love of family.

They weren't perfect and made many mistakes...I am sure.

But who is perfect?

Not me.

They knew toil and hardship, worked calloused hands, faced death from war, mistakes were made, and lives  were made wonderful because of their timeless faith and love and ability to look for the good in all of that.
They rose above hard times and pain and were thankful for what they had.
What they had was simple and enough.

My Uncle told me he and my Dad used to love spending summers with my Great Grandparents, Hazel and LeRoy as teenagers.
They lived in Idaho during the 1960's in a very small house with no running water and a wood cook stove.
My Uncle said you would never had known that they were tight on money.
They lived rich with nothing.

{My Dad and his Grandma.}

My Dad and Uncle remember the meals being delicious, the beds being comfy, and that the time was something that molded them into good men.
Goodness does not have to come from money or acquisitions.
It comes from building one another up...loving deeply...and choosing joy because it is all there in the grace.

This next weekend is Father's Day.
 I am so very thankful for my Dad and all that he instilled in us.
He gave so much of himself and spent enormous amounts of time with his kids and grandkids.
I am so very overcome with love for the man I married. His love for our children is immeasurable.

{My Dad as a baby with his family.}

I am thankful for my Grandpas, Great Grandpas, and even my Great Great Grandpas.
They all gave us something wonderful.
Faith...

Tender hearts, hardworking ethics, and perseverance.
The ability to be thankful for today.
You can't live out your tomorrows, but you can live today in thankfulness.

Wishing you a day of grace and appreciation for those that came before you...

~Julia

Make Your Own Canning Jar Cup with Straw

Aren't these cutest things ever?

I love Ball canning jars and thought this was the best idea for summer.
This handy dandy portable cup with straw is perfect for car trips, parties, or just to use at home!

I have seen them many places...so this is a copy cat idea.

But here is my take on how to make them!

I made several and they were super easy, fast, and my kids love their new cups.

You will need:

canning jar and lid {blue Ball jars sold HERE if you can't find them  locally}
3/8th drill bit....or a nail and a pair of needle nose pliers
1/4 inch rubber grommets {sold at hardware stores...or HERE}
*the inside of the grommet (or sometimes called a gasket) measures 1/4 inch

First you will need to drill a hole that is 1 cm wide on the top lid.
You can safely drill a hole by holding the lid tightly and letting it overhang halfway over a sturdy table or surface. 
Drill in desired spot.

If you don't have a drill, you can use a hammer and nail to make the initial hole.
Then use your needle nose pliers to gently make a 1 cm opening.


Make sure the underside has all metal around the hole pressed flat.
You could also trim with small wire cutters.
It just needs to be flat!

Now insert your grommet.

It's that simple!
It might take 5 minutes to put together.
*I wash the lids with soap and water, dry thoroughly, and haven't put them in the dishwasher.

Enjoy your perfect portable summer cup!

~Julia

Farm Chicks Show 2013

We took a little girls' trip to Spokane, WA yesterday for the Farm Chicks Show.

Just the four of us: chummy, best friend~cousins, sweet  Nannie {my Mom}, and of course, me!

We laughed and talked and snacked all the way to the show and then plopped ourselves into a surreal amount of vintage goodness.

Oh my...it was overwhelming, but tantalizingly fun to feast your eyes upon all of the treasures.

It's kind of like walking around and dreaming a little dream at each booth. 

Which, by the way, was a never ending trail between the hundreds of vendors.

Serena Thompson does an incredible job with the show!!

I think I will just let the pictures do the talking...

{which are less than perfect...I was quickly snapping shots between all of the people!}

 I have no idea what that iron orb was used for, but isn't it beautiful?

 The chairs and dresser were panted in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint {French Linen}. 

I was pondering that color for my kitchen hutch and it was nice to see the color in person :).

 These gals were wearing gas station attire...near and dear to my heart as we have four generations of mechanics/engineers in the family! I didn't realize I caught this sweet lady mid~ bubble blowing! Haha! Isn't she cute?

At the end, I think we were all out of gas!!

Filled to the brim and overflowing with ideas.

I hope this brought a little inspiration to your day, too.

If you have ever considered going to Farm Chicks, do it. The experience was well worth the $8 admission and an absolutely fantastic visit.

Blessings on your day...

~Julia