2024 NEW YEAR

JANUARY 2024   year is our 4* word

On January 1 do you feel like it’s a new year.  For most of us the feeling isn’t there yet. No worries your feelings are not always that reliable, right?  Yet if you begin acting and speaking about the plans for a new year. Your feelings are quick to catch up with the whole scene. My word for the year is REFRESH. For awhile I have been thinking about it and since I have been restoring lots of things I thought it might be restore but I think the HS wants me to use refresh because that seems more relationship wise and God wants us to foster good relationships with his creations. So to use it with the monthly 4* word. We will refresh upon a new year or refresh upon a mountaintop  and be joyful of the day. We can refresh upon a new chair in the sunshine. We can refresh upon a dusty violet, golden sunset?  How else can we refresh ourselves ?

refresh

Or refresh with some well needed sleep like these two cherished companions 

The amazing gift of eternity hangs on a thin wire of time and space. Happy New Year. 

Try this:  Light a candle and say this prayer for strength:  

All powerful and ever-living God, source of strength in our weakness, grant me perseverance in the struggles of life. Revive and refresh my faith and help me to feel the power of your spirit burning 🔥 within me giving me all that I need. Enkindle within me this fire 🔥 of your love so that I may share it with all. Amen

Pondering ? 🤔 Who has been a good friend and what makes them so?

2023. DECEMBER NOTE

 2023     DECEMBER    

4* word  note

Have you ever looked for a note or sign in the skies above?  I’ve seen cotton balls, hearts, and horse tails in the daytime clouds. What do you see in this big cloud?

In the nighttime skies, I pick out constellations that I used to teach to my students; like Orion and the V-shaped bull’s face, Canis Major, the winter W, are all in this picture. what do you see?

But,perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in Heaven, where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy ✨✨✨💫🌟

   Advent begins this month  National Christmas lights day. Take a drive and look at the lights. The days are short so the nights are long. 

December 6  St Nicholas Day

December 7 Pearl Harbor rememberance

Christmas card day

December  Winter officially begins on the winter solstice December 22.  Christmas caroling day  go caroling or go to church or just listen to Christmas music

Christmas Eve and Christmas are in sight as well. Hope, peace, faith and joy (thanks and praise) will be in our prayers and found among the moments of  silence found in new fallen snow and long starry nights.  So let’s keep our focus on the one who gave us His grace and peace through the Holy Spirit. Love the morning for joy & hope come in the mornings ..every early morning 🌤

I love to send and receive Christmas cards I don’t always write a note so here’s a funny, little one from Sash, the blue healer.  We need to laugh more so the note is written from her sassy point of view. hope you get a smile or chuckle when reading it  

A recipe for a joyful heart:

Remember the reason for the season:  Jesus Christ brought so much joy to our heart even when we didn’t realize it 

 Listen for bells 🔔 or sing along with Christmas songs 🎶🎶

Spend time with the ones you love (reading with or playing games are my favorite activities). 

Help someone who needs help or just remember the saying “it’s better to give than receive “ All these things will bring peace and joy to our hearts  

Merry Christmas 🎄 

Post question:  what is the difference between good things and good works?

2023 NOVEMBER REST

NOVEMBER 

4*word  rest

I am thinking about the word rest as a deep “soul rest”found in the book of Matthew it says “and you will find rest for your souls”   It is doing what you can and letting Jesus do His part. I think 💭 abide in me as I abide in you 💭 as we walk. 

Here are four ways to find that kind  of rest :

*spend time in prayer 

* listen to worship songs ( like Oceans by Taya)

* spend time in nature 

* meditate on the word of God

God children are cool

 

 Since all the pictures are black and white we can give thoughts to light and darkness.  Who gave us light?  What is evil?  Pure evil is the absence of the God of the Bible.  And when we put God aside, out of our lives, our country, out of our world. He will leave.  He will never force his presence on anyone and when God leaves, a great big V-O-I-D is left for evil to fill and flourish.  So how can we stop evil?  We turn to the light , His word, here is Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.  So let’s be in the light and say the good news.  

Lots of love and light and gratefulness to you and yours this season.

In the midst of darkness light persists
Mahatma Gandhi

So long autumn...

Happy Thanksgiving 

OCTOBER 2023 lamp

 2023 October 

4*lamp

Owlet

Autumn color

The light of a child’s heart 

October is here  The last of summer will be an Indian summer and calves will be shipped to feedlots, winter feed will be made and stowed away for the snowy months to come. Bears are trying to eat as much as they can before hibernating.  Watering tanks are checked for insulation and heating elements. Birds are flocking up and some have headed south.  The chickadees are tough and are checking around for some early goodies.  

The candles are being lit and inside light reminds me of fireside moments mysterious and rustic.  The days are getting shorter and snow top mountains peak through fog or clouds early in the morning.  By dusk I am remembering my favorite scripture: His word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”

Happy October 🍂

SEPTEMBER 2023

SEPTEMBER 2023  WILL

 

Roadside picnic 

Happy autumn 🍂 to everyone. I chose this picture because I wanted to be sure and thank God for the guardrails of life.  The super blue moon at the end of August and the sunlight rays beginning to lower ever so subtly brings in some reflection to the changing of seasons.

Living with a humble smile

 

Whether it’s the sunflowers 🌻, sweater weather, apple picking, 🍎fall festivals, huge corn and pumpkins 🌽growing in patches large or small, hay or wheat 🌾🌾harvesting, leaves 🍁🍃falling in the breeze, or the start of college football, September brings the autumnal equinox.  A season of gathering for sure.  

The word “will” brings to mind many different times in life as Dad would say when we were younger  “where there is a will there’s a way”  when you were older and independent One might have said “time will take care of it” , or “there will be a time for every season,” in our prayers “not my will but Your will be done,” what does will bring to your thoughts?  Reflecting upon times, talents, and treasures this month, how will we use them and how will they be remembered are pivotal 💭 thoughts.  

Sunshine Smile 

2023. August. Long

August 2023 long

Summertime is here with longer days, more light, warm temps.  Montana has so many beautiful mountain lakes to climb, with wild flowers, and wildlife to watch for; when reaching the top of a trail and looking back over your travels, sometimes it seems like a long trail so one is gifted with a humble heart and a thankful spirit.  Summer seems long when dreaming about it in April yet when the weekends start rolling by it can make one feel like they won’t get all their summer goals completed.  Work is abundant too during summer, getting hay up and winter feed stored away is a priority for sure. What matters most is that you’ve made some more memories, we are blessed. Let’s take the long road with a habit of gratitude 🙏 

Did you know   Canis Major with the bright star, Sirius is the brightest star in the summer constellations. The stars and the Milky Way have been so beautiful every evening this summer   Gives new meaning to God’s word being a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. It is so fun to stare up at the ✨ 🌟 on a summer night.  I hope you have a starlit evening this summer as well  

‘Classic BC ‘painting 

     We have had a lot of sun ☀️ (Sunny days) and thunder (evenings) this summer. So much to be thankful for. 🥰

Mom’s fave psalm 23

I am going to Try waking up each morning and saying this little prayer (inspired by Bethany Hamilton)

Dear God, I thank you my heavenly father with Jesus Christ your son, you have kept me this past night from all harm and danger.  I pray that you would keep me this day from sin and every evil and that you may also be pleased with all that I do today ; for into your hands I commend myself my body soul and spirit. Let your holy angel be with me so that the evil foe has no power over me   in Jesus name 🙏

Summer’s sky changing

July 2023.

True.  JULY 2023. 🇺🇸

Summer poppies 

What comes to mind when you say the word true?  (True blue, true love, tried and true, true friends, ). Thinking about what is true to you can be fun …

 “Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are good  if there is any virtue and if there is anything praise-worthy - meditate on these things “

Things to do in July :

* ride a horse and listen to so many sounds: to the birds, the swishing of the grass, the wind or breeze, don’t forget to breathe and smell the air, plants , wildflowers and trees. Thank a 🐮 cow 

* Plan and go on a picnic or visit  a national park 

* Do what you love and work hard at it even on challenging days

* clean out an old closet or trunk and enjoy the memories

*. Honor a veteran or hang our flag on your entryway 

     What’s that something that puts a spark in your heart and lights up your steps right now for me it’s working my dogs. They are becoming sheep herding pros.  It’s always been horseback riding and usually in the summer water sports which I still love. Working hard on the farm or ranch has always given me stamina to do the things I love. Many thanks to my parents. How about you

  Rustic with flax blue eyes 

  Let’s not forget to look for help from Jesus... also, it is still hard for me to imagine being as obedient and steadfast as He was to overcome all the challenges of life and death here all for us; so I remember this verse “He is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.  “ I hope you see many things that light up your life like sparklers in the night✨🐾

Summer classic 

Bailey painting 

“Therefore since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses let us also lay aside every weight and sin which cling so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the father our God” Hebrews 12;1-3

 

JUNE 2023 RAIN OR REIN OR REIGN

June 2023 

Word/ words of the month

rain /rein /reign

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater. Isaiah 55:10. A blessing for sure. Thanks to God.   The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad…psalm 97

Painted tiles by Bailey 

I guided them with human kindness, with loving reins. I acted toward them like one who removes a yoke from their neck I bent down and fed them   Hosea 11:

7 GREAT THINGS TO THANKFULLY DO IN JUNE

Dig in the dirt (maybe 🌿🌿🌿plant herbs) 

Take a walk in the 🌧 rain or 

Walk in the early morning to see the wild birds 🦢 

Go strawberry 🍓 picking 

or make strawberry rhubarb pie 

Drink and dine outdoors (some favorites iced tea,steaks, 🌽 

Hike for wildflowers 

or a night walk to see the ✨ and moon 🌙 

Build a stone 🪨or rock project 

Make summer blue Jean patches 

Summer officially begins June 21 also the longest day of the year. Summer and sunshine ☀️ go hand in hand and I for one will appreciate the sunshine and the extra daylight hours we receive this year   God is always present to strengthen us and enlighten our paths psalm 84. You can see I’ve been reading psalms lately 🤩

Choose to follow the light🌤🌖🌤