Here's to Victory!!! p.s. Stand Firm

Along with having cattle and horses on the ranch we live at, it also has it's own 70 acre private lake.  The lake was man made in the 50's by a creek that was flowing through the property and has been used over the years for recreation purposes by the owners- From the stories I've heard, lots and lots of water skiing and fishing has gone on over the past 60 years. 
This past Sunday afternoon found Matt, Eli, Ryan, Ellie, and I sitting around our dining room table eating lunch.  The dining room is close to solid windows that over look the lake (the lake is about 25 walking steps away from the house).  About half way through lunch Matt stopped eating and pointed to the air over the water.......
A Bald Eagle was circling the water and then diving towards the water trying to get something.  At first we all thought it was a fish because there was nothing visible.  As it circled and then swooped down time and time again over the spot we all stopped eating to watch.  It soon became clear that it was not a fish the bird was trying to get but instead a duck.  The duck would watch the bird's movements- just as it started descending on the water the duck would dive under the water, out of the Eagle's reach.  The Eagle was large and powerful- very intimidating..........the duck small- definitely appearing to be the weaker of the two.  As this went on, the eagle diving down and clawing at the water and the duck strategically doing everything it could to avoid those eagle's claws, I found myself getting up from the table and walking out onto our deck for a closer look.....It became clear right away that as the duck was diving and hiding from the eagle it was also making it's way quickly to the shore- In the water the duck had the tools of being able to dive deep, deeper than what the eagle could reach- it could also hold it's breath for a long enough period of time that the eagle had to make it's way back up into the sky.  On the land there is trees, leaves, logs, and other protection that would help this duck in it's endeavor to save it's life. 
The Eagle's attempted attack first appeared to be a hopeless situation for the duck, one that the duck would never be able to survive- Upon further inspection it became clear that the duck was more than equipped to handle this intimidating situation................

How often does life situations threaten to overwhelm us....How often do we feel like the small duck in the water being pursued by the intimidating eagle.........
If you are a breathing human being living with the realities of everyday life my guess is we have all to one extreme or another felt like that duck...........

Already feeling like we are drowning in our own circumstances...we're tired, wore out, done........then we get more devastating news.....the eagle sweeps down just as we pop our head up out of the water to take a big breath.........we're forced back under for another exhausting dive.....JESUS HELP ME!

'In this world you will have trouble' John 16:33 say's... 'BUT TAKE HEART!  I have over come the world.'

 

No matter how hard life seems right now God promises us that we have the tools to endure- The tools to press on- The tools to overcome- the tools to dive once again into the depths of that water and swim for shore..............

 

Satan wants us to believe that there is no hope- He's that eagle in our life that sweeps down with defeating thoughts.........'You'll never make it through this....'

God has equipped us for just this time- for just this hardship...He has over come the world so that it has no hold on us...the Lord has given us, as Christians, the divine power to demolish the strongholds that satan is trying to use to defeat us...........'daughter you will make it through this...I have given you strength (Phil 4:13) and provided a way for you to endure through this (1 Cor. 10:13)...stand firm daughter... STAND FIRM (Eph 6:13-18).

 

As the duck waddled up onto shore safe and sound and the eagle gave up it's pursuit I jumped up and down on the deck and gave out a victory cry- Arms raised and voice yelling 'WHOO HOO!!!'

 

Here's to Victory in Christ Ladies...

Stand Firm :)

 

May God Bless and Keep you,

Steph

my dining room

the view from our dining room

 

 

 

 



 



 

 

Facelifts and BMW X5's...mama likes!!

This post is not going to support natural aging...........sorry ladies-
Please remember that I rarely eat fruit or veggies because they give me the squirts, most of my food has been processed in pesticides, AND I can't eat things straight from the animal or out of the ground (eggs, milk, carrots, etc.)- 'Natural' and my body just have never seen eye to eye-
OK that being said, if you are aging naturally (w/o the help of creams and hair dye) then it is probably because you come from some amazing genes that do not gray in their 20's, have large pores that wrinkle pre-maturely, or puffy upper eye lids that threaten to cover your eye.........Don't judge those of us that were handed down bum aging genes (thank you to my ancestors before me, I was graced with the latter of the genes).

My heart is all for having a partial face-lift now (the eye and forehead area) and a full blown one when I am in my early 50's.................My heart is also all for driving a BMW X5....smile......my facelifted face driving around in a black X5........................a little piece of heaven right there- wait....my facelifted face driving around in an X5 on my way to a shopping mall in the big city ........that there is a little piece of heaven!!

My husband loves him some budget- He also loves my God given face (or he loves him his budget so much he would never admit that my God given face is anything other than perfect) and assures me that a partial facelift is completely out of the budget................'What about the X5?' I ask batting my eyelashes that are partially covered by my bloated upper eyelids?

DREAM ON is his reply :)

I googled (which is my answer to everything not spiritual- for spiritual one goes straight to the Bible of course..........unless you 'google' the verse you are looking for :) :) :) what the best anti aging and firming face cream was- If a partial facelift is not in the near future than something MUST be done.... Just placed my order for Estee Lauder's Resilience Lift EXTREME (promises a difference in 24 hours)- I'll let y'all know how it works- If next time you see me my wrinkles are pointed more toward heaven than earth than you know it worked..............hee hee hee hee!!!

Potty Training Cows and Horse Tooth Brushes :)

To celebrate 11 days since moving to a small town and living on a cattle/horse ranch I am gonna share 11 things I have learned since this new adventure started...ready, set, go!!

• Every skunk in the beautiful state of Oregon lives in the 15 mile stretch getting to my house...these country skunk are not that smart as they seem to get hit.  It's like, once they are hit they give off a never ending stink smell...............swerve people..........SWERVE!
• The town I go to each day has 450 people....The gentleman who works the register at the country store is named Gabe- There are 2 restaurants...one is open for breakfast and lunch and the other for dinner.  We've eaten breakfast at the breakfast/lunch café and it was really good- You serve your own coffee and they have free Wi-Fi.....The Library is open 2 days a week for 4 hours at a time (this baffles me about our library's- they had the funding to build these big beautiful libraries but not the funding to keep them open 5 days a week...I think the cart went before the horse on that decision)
• It's cost's $26. every 6 months for your P.O. Box- I forgot to ask the kind lady at the post office what our new zip code was- I had to come home and google it
• Ryan is one of 12 in his class- There are 6 boys 6 girls....His new school has a total of 72 students...He left a school of (I am taking a numbers guess) well over a thousand students- When I asked him how he likes the smaller school He say's he really likes it (Praise God)
• We are 1000 feet higher in elevation than where we moved from....I googled this too because it seems so much colder in the mornings and evenings
• The principle of Ryan's school told me that most all people who live up where we live drive a 4 wheel drive vehicle...........I have a Honda Accord...........I wonder if this will become a problem in the winter
• One of the 4 wheelers here at the ranch delays going into gear- you have to rev it just enough (but not too much) to get it to go once in gear.....I learned the 'too much' revving almost the hard way (thought it was going to throw me right off the back)
• Cows are curious animals...they watch what you do and pay attention.....they are also uncouth and will lift their tail and take splatty dumps any and everywhere..........Can a cow be potty trained :)
• Hay will give a good dose of the hives EVERYTIME............WHY OH WHY (I wonder if I ate a few pieces if that would make me immune to having the hive reaction...I'm glad we have an epi pen cause I just might need it if I deicide to eat it.....also, I have heard if you eat a piece of poison oak you will never get poison oak again....things that make you go hummmmm)
• There was a small garden here when we arrived- I noticed the carrots right away and thought I would pick a few to try.  It wasn't the best presentation as they were filled with dirt when I pulled them up out of the ground- As I looked at all that dirt hanging off of them I started getting the same grossed out feel as when milk is close to expiration.  I brought them inside and cleaned them up- they sat on my counter for a day and it was then that I realized I could never eat them....straight out of the ground and dirty...no bueno' I prefer straight from the store and grown with pesticides
• So I took the carrots out to the horses because I figured they would eat them.  As they opened their mouth's to eat  I was intrigued by their teeth- my cousin Luke would have given them an even harsher reprimand than he does me when I sit in his dentist chair (not a regular flosser and have a strong love of sugar)...........I wonder if there is such thing as a horse tooth brush..........I wonder if cows can be potty trained and horses can be taught to brush their teeth............

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA!!

Have a great Sat. night

Hee Haw!!!

Sometimes It's the Attitude that Follows...

Our ladies Bible Study at church is going through the book of Jonah- The teacher titled the Study 'Jonah...Navigating a life interrupted'.  For those that do not know much about the book of Jonah in the Bible it is about a Prophet (a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of
God) who ran from what God asked him to do- Jonah is the only prophet that God spoke to directly and he is the only prophet (in the Bible) that ran from what God asked him to do.  God wanted Jonah to go to a certain city and preach against it- He wanted Jonah to tell the people that if they did not turn from their wicked ways than His (God's) judgment was going to come against them (to read the whole story click HERE).  Jonah had no desire to do what God was asking because he despised the city God wanted him to go to- He did not want to see God's forgiveness come to the people.........To make a long story short, after running and then repenting from running from God 'the Word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.' (Jonah 3:1-2)
 The results of Jonah's obedience was one of the biggest revivals in recorded Biblical History.  The people of Nineveh repented and trusted God..............Upon seeing the people's reaction, Jonah was mad...
'But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing... I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.' (Jonah 4:1-2)

Jonah was given a second chance to do what God had asked of him...........after getting the second chance he then had a choice to obey or not

He choose obedience.......

While obedience is a choice that most often requires physical actions, sometimes a true test of the heart comes not in the act of obedience but with the attitude that follows the obedience...........

Jonah choose anger as his attitude..........

'For out of the overflow of the heart his mouth speaks' (Matt 6:45)

On May 17, 2009 Our family moved to the Island of Kauai because we knew God had called our family to live there...
We obeyed...
My precious boys choose a great attitude about the move and embraced living on the islands
My precious husband choose a great attitude about the move and embraced everything about island life
Soon after moving, I realized just how out of comfort zone it was (and was going to be for me) and choose an attitude of anger and emotional fit throwing....

About a year after we moved God laid another life change on my Matt's heart (a life change that God had laid on my heart almost 11 years prior).........Adoption
We obeyed....
My precious boys choose a great attitude about the possibility of having a baby sister
I choose a great attitude 
My Matt choose fear.............the fear of spending our savings account to pursue adoption
Soon after our adoption process started Matt realized just how out of comfort zone our adoption was going to take us financially and tried to run as fast as he could in the other direction.......

My life interrupted by the calling to live on the Island of Kauai
Matt's life interrupted by the calling to use all of our savings for our adoption
 
I defiantly boarded an airplane departing Kauai and arriving in Oregon on June 10, 2011 with the intention of never returning.........
Matt defiantly said 'no' to our adoption............

Every last dime of our savings account was used for our precious Ellie's adoption- An adoption that God called our family too- None of us could imagine not having Ellie in our family..........For Matt it was a HUGE learning lesson about submitting our finances to God- He is the owner....we the stewards.
As the plane left the Hawaiian Islands that June day I didn't even look back- It grieves my heart to tell you that, at the time, I was so angry at Matt I (thought) I couldn't have cared less whether he ever returned to Oregon (where I would be).

That was 2 years ago.....

For the past 2 years the Lord has allowed our finances to be tight.....He has taught us (especially Matt) that our finances are not our own but  are God's- part of submission is that we give where God asks us to give....

For the past 2 years the Lord has allowed my Matt to be gone 80 hours a week....He has also allowed us to move 3 times in the past 2 years.  I have gotten a good ol' fashioned dose of what life is like emotionally on my own....what raising 3 kids is like, pretty much on my own....what, when you choose to make a decision on your own (my choice to leave Hawaii) life looks like....

Earlier this year, Matt and I started forging our way back.
Forgiveness was sought along with a deeper understanding of what God was asking of Matt and I-
Matt to focus more on his family by working less and to trust God with our finances-
Me to not just follow where God leads but to have a happy heart in doing so- Choose Joy instead of anger.........

Once this was settled between God, Matt, and I my automatic assumption was that the Lord would call us right back to Kauai- to the very place where my husband longs to go back too and where I had failed in my attitude so miserably. We pursued and the right door never opened.

For now, God has other plans.........

I mentioned in a blog post back in August that our house went up for sale....It went sale pending 3 or so weeks later and closed yesterday.  In the meantime that all of this was going on, Matt got a call from a cattle ranch about 45 minutes outside of our hometown- They were looking for a ranch manager- The job was ideal in the aspect that it would give Matt more time with our family and that he was very qualified for the position- It was not ideal in the fact that Ryan would have to switch high schools, our family would have to make yet another move (3 in 2 years), and the ranch is rural...I knew the rural part could become an attitude barrier for this city loving mama...........

Heavenly Father thank you for your life's interruptions and for the second chance you are giving Matt and I to glorify you- Matt to glorify you with our finances and spending time with our family....me to glorify you with my attitude in living on a ranch....far out in the country........far away from the city...........I love you dear Lord Jesus :)

Lost...A fun Hawaiiain Memory...

This post is for my boys.....whose hearts are still on an island 3000 miles away

In 2009 our family moved to the island of Kauai- We had the opportunity to care take at a large recreation ranch.  This particular ranch had been the setting for many movies before we arrived and continued to be scouted by producers while we were there.  During our stay several Box office hits were filmed on our island- one of which featured the ranch we were care taking.  During the filming of the movie a lot of security was brought in- For several days neither Matt or I could drive into the ranch but had to be escorted in by the security team.  On one of the last days of filming, the security team was busy guarding the actors that were on set- That afternoon I had picked up my boys from school and had met Matt's aunt and uncle (who were visiting) to bring them into the ranch.  As we stood around waiting for someone from the set to drive us into the ranch I noticed a man that seemed 'in charge'- I could tell that Uncle Ted and Aunt Lorraine were not enamored with all of the Hollywood dramatics going on so I thought I would go to what looked like the man in charge and ask him how long we would need to wait before being escorted.  It was at that time that everyone decided to break and (one of) the producer said he would drive our family down in his truck. During that ride down the hill my aunt Lorraine passed out a New Testament to this gentleman and we invited he and his wife to a BBQ that we were having that weekend with our Pastor Doug, his wife Tyla, their kids, Matt's mom and dad, uncle Ted and Aunt Lorraine, and our family.  I gave the gentleman our phone number and told him to think about coming- talk to his wife- and if they were up for it give us a call.
It was a wonderful day spent at the beach- BBQ'in, swimming, and just hanging out- In the conversation throughout the day we learned that he had been a producer for over 20 years....he had been one of the producers of many shows/movies that we had heard of...one of which was the TV series Lost......such a fun memory from our 2 years in Hawaii.

p.s. the below picture was taken by Uncle Ted as we were walking down the hill to get a ride from the producer...George Clooney is short.....a google search said George is 6 ft....such a lie...I am 5'8 and I was quite a bit taller than him- Maybe he wore those man high heels when they were measuring him :)  hee hee hee hee!!!!

Ferret..........FOR REAL?

We're all about hospitality over here.........I'm about the people and Matt's about the food.......give me some people and Matt some food and it's epic hospitality..........our hospitality does not just stop with people- I am an Auntie to my nephew and niece's dog Jax- He will come over and socialize with Oklie (our dog) & Ellie.....We've babysat guinea pigs and have even watched fish (sorry Ruby, I swear Eli did not kill your fish- it was just unfortunate coincidence that it died while he was watching it...oops!).
I'm not sure who passed our hospitable home info out but somehow through the animal grape vine it was shared................
You know on those Disney Cartoons when you see the animals barking through out the town 'spreading the news'- an orphaned ferret heard and decided to 'check us out' is how I am guessing the next part of this story happened... :)
Several months back, our neighbors house sold- While it was in the process of being sold, a handy man came in and did a significant amount of work- spending several weeks at the home.  During the course of those weeks we would see him off and on- Towards the end of job we happened to catch each other in passing...........'Did you know you have a ferret living under your house?  I've seen it come and go several times since I've started working here (at the neighbors)...It was actually in the garage (at the neighbors) and I chased it out and watched it run under your house....'
I did that 'oh, wow....I will have to let my husband know- thanks' reply.  He then said 'You know, they can do quite a bit of damage under there if you guys don't do anything about it...'
Uh-huh my head nodded...
I was secretly thinking...'Seriously...a ferret...whatever....'
Fast forward 3 or so months...........Sale Pending House............Professional Inspection Ordered by the Buyers....
The home inspector was thorough- Putting on this intense white suit to go under the house (I think he even put on a mask over his mouth).
When he came back out from the 'under the house' inspection he made a bee line for Matt and I- He started off with (it was a 96 degree day) 'The nice thing about being under your house is that it is as cool under there as it is in your house........usually it is really hot under homes....'
Then he whipped out his camera and said 'I think you guys should see this'

Did you know that ferret's will eat your ducting- not just nibble but eat HUGE holes in it........all over in it!
Did you know that those holes will cause your power bill to be upwards of $300 because you are loosing so much air under your house.........
Did you know that the poor buyers were so freaked when they saw the pictures of what was going on they immediately ordered another professional who worked only in heating and air to come inspect (to see if the ducting could be salvaged)
Thankfully it could be and it is all fixed!
Next time the handyman next door comes to me and says 'Did you know that you have a ferret living under your house'
I will respond with 'A Ferret......FOR REAL' and then get right on fixing the problem.

Thankfully, as of today, our house is still pending :) :)

Still a Bit Complicated BUT...

'And We know that God will use ALL things for the good of those that love Him, who have been called according to His purpose' Romans 8:28 

38 years ago today, Sept. 16, 1975, I was born.  It was a complicated birth- not physically speaking but emotionally.  My mom and dad were struggling- my dad struggling with a choice he made to marry my mom- he had already been married, divorced, and had a child with the woman he considered his first love. My mom struggling to hold on to the man that was not only the father of her 2 girls- but the man who she thought of as her first love. 
Shortly after I was born my dad choose to trade the struggle of staying for the freedom of going....

'For we know that God will use all things for the good...'

My dad remarried and had 2 more children.
My mom remarried a man who had 2 children.
It became complicated once again- now 4 people who were broken with 7 children involved trying to navigate through the baggage of the past along with the weight of the present
2 divorces followed.

'For we know that God will use ALL things for the good...'

After my mom's second divorce she heard about a church in a town about a half hour away- just shy of my 8th birthday we, as a family of 3, walked through this Non-Denominational Christian Church's doors for the first time never dreaming that within a short time we would make a life altering decision, all 3 of us accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

'For we know THAT GOD WILL USE ALL THINGS for the good of those who love Him'....

Baggage, Broken, Bitter- how can that be used for the good?

My mom remarried for the 3rd time a Christian man who was marrying for his 3rd time, he having 2 grown kids
My dad remarried for the 4th time a Christian woman whom had been married only once before with 2 kids of her own.
7 marriages 9 children

This time it was complicated with a twist, Christ was involved in the complicated.

My mom and pops have been married for almost 30 years..both Love Jesus
My dad and step mom have been married for over 20...both Love Jesus
My oldest sister Anne has been married 10 years- her life has been complicated...5 or so years ago she gave her life to Jesus, she now has Christ involved in her complicated
My second oldest sister Jodi has been married for almost 15 years, she and her family love Jesus
I have been married to my Matt for 19 years, we love us some Jesus!!
My younger brother Chris has been married for over 10 years, he and his family love Jesus
My youngest brother Levi has been married for over 10 years, he and his family love them some Jesus too!!

Soak this in with me on this 38th Birthday of mine-
My mom and dad, having been married 7 times, produced 5 children with 3 different parents, these children from broken parents and broken homes all, during the course of their life, have accepted Jesus Christ, The parents accepted Christ, the new spouses of the parents accepted Christ.

Yes, we are all still a bit complicated, our story does not sound ideal...BUT

Our Heavenly father took this broken story- broken lives- and broken hearts and did exactly what He promised- through all of the broken He drew us gently to Him- each and every one of us.  Instead of seeing our story as overwhelming or dysfunctional beyond repair Christ took the broken pieces and restored us individually and as a family and most importantly let HIS glory shine through.  I love you Lord Jesus and thank you.

If this blog post finds you with a complicated life- seemingly beyond repair- Don't you dare give up hope- The Lord has a plan for you and will turn your bad, no matter how awful it is, into good- He will use every last ounce of that 'complicated' for His Glory and your good, He promises :)

'And We know that God will use ALL things for the good of those that love Him, who have been called according to His purpose' Romans 8:28 

left to right- my sister, Jodi & Anne Loree, my dad, me, My brothers Chris and Levi