Last Weekend, and Then Some!

It's been a long time since I wrote. I'm not very consistent with this am I!! (sorry!)

The Lord has been teaching me a lot lately. Mostly on waiting on Him for His perfect timing. I know that God has everything all worked out, but it is rather hard to wait, and wait well for His will to be made know to you! I know that God's plan, is worth waiting for! A verse that has really helped me is:

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6.

Last weekend, we went to Willmar and had a Bluegrass jam at a music store. We had a great time and learned a lot form a lot of experienced musicians! Talk about a humbling experience! :o) We are going to go there at least twice a month and jam!

This weekend, my family is going to Itasca to go to a 3 day Bluegrass Festival. (If you haven't noticed, my family LOVES Bluegrass! ;o) We are heading up there early Friday and will be getting back home late Sunday night. We haven't been on a family vacation for a few years, so we are all really excited! We definitely need some family time! Hopefully, all our dogs won't miss us to much! :o)

Well, got to go and do something productive!

I Have Graduated!!

Here I am at my table

On Sunday I had my graduation party. It went really well! I had a ton of fun. I got asked the question, "So, what are you going to do now?" a lot! In the fall, I am going to start my studies on becoming a Certified Family Herbalist. I am really excited to learn more about it. All this summer, I am going to show some of our dogs in dog shows around here.

At my graduation, one of my cousins was asking me if I had a boyfriend. (All of our relatives ask that. They must think it's kinda strange for an 18 year old girl to not have a boyfriend and has not gone on a date! Whoda thunk! ;o) It was the perfect opportunity to share with him all about courtship. We had a wonderful talk. I hope it got him thinking.

Don't you think it's amazing the way God orchestrates things in your life? We just met a family through the internet that lives 1,287 miles away! We are so blessed to have met them. We have so much in common. Hopefully, we'll be able to meet them in person some day soon!

Well, that's a little update on whats going on in my life. I have a really bad cold, so I think I'll go and lay down! When you're not feeling well, it's always a good time to do some extra reading and having a lot of quiet time with the Lord.

Waiting For My Issac

Our family just got done reading the book "Waiting for Her Issac" By: Mr. & Mrs. Stephen B. Castleberry. It's a courtship story that is more about a young woman's journey towards a deeper relationship with GOD and what she learned along the way, with the underlying story being her courtship. A lot like the girl in the book, the Lord has been challenging me to take bigger steps in my relationship with Him. Learning to trust Him for everything, and not on my present circumstances. While I am "waiting for my Issac" I need to be challenging myself everyday to take up my cross and follow Him. It's not always easy, and some days I struggle to bear my cross. But I have great joy in doing so, knowing that whatever I am going through now, will pale in comparison to what I will have in eternity. So, as I take my journey to a new level with my Lord and Savior, I know it will not be easy. I must dye to self each and every day. So with the Lord's help, I press on.

If you would like to read some courtship stories, I highly recommend "The Courtship Series" By: Mr. & Mrs. Stephen B. Castleberry. They are wonderful books that have helped me a great deal.

Here is another wonderful courtship story. Enjoy!
One of My Favorite Love Stories Doorposts of Your House

Graduation Pictures

Here are just a few of my graduation pictures. My sister, Kristina, is an amazing photographer. You can visit her webiste http://kristinaautumnphotography.weebly.com . I hope you all enjoy!

A Milestone

This is where I am in my life right know, the cross roads. A big 'milestone' is here. Graduating from Homeschooling. Then, there comes the question that everyone asks you, "So, what are you going to do now?" I used to answer, "I'm JUST going to stay home." Then I thought, "I'm not JUST staying home. There's a lot that I'm doing." I am answering my calling by following GOD's Word of what young women are to do. I am prepareing to be a wife and a mother, the greatest calling a woman has. I'm serving the Lord any way I can through my family and community. Since I don't believe women should work out of the home, I also work in our family business. We raise and breed yellow Labrador Retrievers. I am also writing a book about living a more agrarian life. So, now my answer is "I am staying home and serving the Lord any way I can and am preparing to be a wife and a mother."

As I have reached this milestone in my life, I have realized a lot of things. My relationship with my dear Lord and Savior has deepend to a new level. My beliefs and convitions have become my own. The Lord is always so faithful to bring certain things into your life just when you need them the most.

Some News

Nothing much going on here lately. We have been waiting for our dog, Angel, to have her puppies. She's over her due date. Her temperature has dropped (which indicates that she should be going into labor within the next 12-24 hours.) Hopefully, she doesn't have any complications and she will have them before the weekend is over.

We just purchased a new stud dog. His name is Cedar. (I'll have to post pictures of him when I get a chance.) I plan on showing him in Dog Shows and Obedience Trials. I hope he's a fast learner, because when he's with me, he's got to learn a lot! ;o)

My Grandparents are coming over tomorrow for dinner. Hopefully, Angel doesn't have her puppies while they're here, because there won't be a lot of conversation! :o)

My graduation party is coming up on May 15th. There is a lot of planning to go into that. I still can't believe that I am graduating this year! Some things just don't seem possible. I am however, very happy that formal schooling is done. That gives me a lot more time to pursue things of interest to me. What are you all interested in? I would love to hear! Please, don't hesitate to leave a comment and tell me what you think! In my next post, I'll fill you all in!

What a Difference!

Lately, I have been really studying certain passages in the Bible and wanting to know what God wants me to do. One of the biggest ones was 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 which says: " But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of every woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying having his head covered, dishonoreth his head. But every woman the prayeth of prophesying with her head uncovered dishonorth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for the woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the mane created for the woman; but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power (a symbol of authority) on her head because of the angels. Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman, but all things of God. Judge in yourselves: is it comely that the woman pray unto God uncovered? Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. But it a man seem to be to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God."

Have you ever read a passage of scripture before and it never stood out to you? Well, this was one for me. As I have studied this and prayed about this for days, I feel that this passage of scripture means that when you do not have authority when you pray, (such as a father or husband) that you need to cover your head, as it is an outward symbol of submission. I have struggled with this passage before, but until know, I have never felt any conviction to take this for myself. Now that I have, I fell such a peace, following the Lord with all that I am. Really taking the whole Bible, and not just the parts that you want to take, is the only way you can live. I have found that out these last few weeks, and what an amazing difference it has made in my life!