Christmas Cheer

18 Friday Dec 2015

Posted by Kelli in Country Life, everyday stuff, fluffin' the nest, heart and soul

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You guys! I promise…I didn’t move to Mars. I am here…trying to stay sane. That is always a good thing…right? Right. So…are you needing a bit of Christmas cheer? I might be able to help with that. Let’s see here…

Oh wait…those were our Brussels sprouts from last light. But…..if you need a very easy side dish that is well…delish…here you go. Slice fresh sprouts…drizzle with olive oil, season to taste, and pop into a 425 degree oven until browned. Yuh-um.

So…we have been going to Christmas programs…running around like chickens with our heads cut off and all sorts of things that are Christmasy like that. We did celebrate our twentieth wedding anni in there. It was an amazing day. I felt very, very, thankful. (And full. We ate at Zio’s and laughed about all of the food that we ordered…um…for two.)

I waited until after Thankgiving this year to put out our decor. It was good…but I felt a little rushed. Other than that…we are enjoying the coziness of all things twinkly. (And the simplicity lover in me…is longing for Dec. 26th. Jk!!! Kinda. Okay…not kidding.)

I know that I am not on here a ton lately. To be honest…I have had some health issues this year that have symptoms of Interstitial Cystitis. It has been a long process…and if you know anything about that…it is nerve related and painful. (Nerves? What are nerves?). Anyway…I appreciate you guys constantly stopping in to check for a new post…even when there hasn’t been one. I would love for you to say a little prayer (or big) for me…and I would love to feel like blogging more often. Sharing the love of Jesus and the love of family…is my life. I want to do that for Him.

So…that is my story and I’m sticking to it. God is good…He sees us…and He hasn’t brought us out here to leave us. That is the best pot of Christmas Cheer…that we could ever hope for!!!

Love from my heart to yours!!!

Kelli

Broken Hearts

14 Saturday Nov 2015

Posted by Kelli in heart and soul

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compassion, Jesus, paris

From our dirt road… to the the beautiful French countryside, our hearts break with yours.

Today on Instgram, I shared these thoughts: “We hold hands with the broken because we know what broken feels like.”

Our compassion runs deep because we ourselves have felt this kind of pain. The courage that rises up in our hearts over injustice though…is more powerful than any act of violence…in any country.

We love you Paris…with the powerful love of Jesus.

From the Farmhouse,

Kelli

Adding a Touch of Cozy

14 Wednesday Oct 2015

Posted by Kelli in Farmhouse Style, fluffin' the nest, heart and soul, Uncategorized

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cozy, fall

When fall arrives…I have cozy on my mind. (Not leaving. #oldsong)

I pull out the throws and quilts, and search the thrift for more afghans.

I burn candles and melt wax that smell like fall. The mulled apple cider wax is our favorite.

Life isn’t always easy and very rarely feels perfect, but for some reason…adding a touch of cozy makes it feel so much better. I’ll bet that ol’ Proverbs 31 gal thought the same thing. 😉

If we can welcome our family and friends into our homes, offer them a warm blanket and a warm cup of something…cozy will be accomplished. I like that.

Happy Wednesday.

Kelli

Being Thankful

09 Friday Oct 2015

Posted by Kelli in everyday stuff, heart and soul, Uncategorized

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farmhouse style, thankfulness, thanksgiving

It makes a huge difference in every situation, this being thankful business.

It especially makes a difference when life is a bit bumpy.

Looking for brightness in the middle of the overcast…takes emotional muscle. It also takes dedicision making. Do we give into despair or continue to hope?

We have learned in our home that bad attitudes are banished by thankfulness. Wrong spirits are snuffed out by looking for the blessings of God. We have learned that a negative heart is not what He intended as a day to day countenance. It takes thought…but an attitude of gratitude is possible.

God wants us to expect good things. He wants us to hope in Him. He wants us to love others and not assume the worst. He wants us to be thankful. How do I know? It’s in His word. It’s not naive or immature to hope for the best and to live in thanksgiving mode, but it is childlike.

I hope that this little post has inspired you. Don’t wait until all of your problems disappear to be thankful. That is wishful thinking…because life is hard. If you and I can just grasp a thankful way of life (It takes practice.) in the now…we will have a life full of light and love.

Happy Weekend!

Kelli

Monday…Is What We Make It

05 Monday Oct 2015

Posted by Kelli in Farmhouse Style, heart and soul, Simply...living

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attitude, Monday

Are you a Monday person? Bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to meet the day with a smile? Or maybe you are more along the lines of…sitting on the side of the bed…near comatose. It takes all kinds.

The thing is…the way that your day turns out, my day turns out, has a whole lot to do with us. How do we meet the day and the challenges ahead of us? Do we give thought to our response? Are we ready with a smile and a bit of encouragement?

Truthfully…some days…it feels like that we barely have the strength to roll on out of bed. Even on those days though, attitude is everything. Don’t let Monday eat your lunch. You know why? Cause you want your lunch! You want to enjoy every last crumb. Monday…is what we make it friends.

Now…get out there…and enjoy it!

Kelli

How Are You Perkin’?

24 Thursday Sep 2015

Posted by Kelli in Country Life, Farmhouse Style, fluffin' the nest, heart and soul, livin' a little healthy

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coffee, fall decor, storms, sunshine, target

How are you perkin’ today friends? Is it slow going? Or are you blazing a trail…full speed ahead to Friday? I seem to be plodding a bit lately…but that is better than being totally still, I am told. I have been drooling (not literally) over this beautiful collection of coffees this morning. Due to some bladder issues over the past several months, I have had to give up my morning cup. Never fear though, my friend Brenda and I have found a solution to our acidic problem and it is on it’s way to us in the mail. Acid neutralized coffee. Who knew? Now we do.
Well…enough of that…are you guys perkin’ in the fall décor department? I have had a few thing out for a while. I may get a second wind and find a few more in a day or two. I’m waiting about getting anything fresh for the porch. It’s still pretty warm here…so real pumpkins would have to sit in the sun, on our porch, for quite a while. Isn’t it so fun though? I noticed that my husband’s aunt had her “shocks of fodder” out at their house. That is cornstalks…for those that weren’t raised in the country…or around their grandparents. lol! It looks so pretty and so “harvesty.” Spell check loves that one.

I found that little “hello fall” sign at the Dollar Spot at Target. Isn’t that fun? I totally agree. Oh…and in other news (random) I am getting excited about the new iPhone that is coming out tomorrow. Lots of times now I shoot blog photos with my iPhone because I love the camera and it’s so easy. The new one has an even better camera…and that makes the creative eye ball in me…twitch with happiness. Hopefully it will be bug free…as the word on the street is always…”If you get the latest phone it will have bugs.” Sheesh…spoil our fun whydon’tcha! Anyway…if you have a Target (back on track) go check out all of their fun stuff. Or…if you are like us…drive and hour and a half…and eat lunch at a really good place while you are out of town. #countrylifeperks

Sometimes when I decorate for fall…I just throw a bunch of faux “punkims” in a basket and call it good. It makes me feel happy every time I walk by and see them.

The last little tidbit that I wanted to leave with you comes from the quote above. If you aren’t perkin’ too steady, or too strong, or to fast, hang in there. Sometimes our boats rock and pitch and make us feel sea sick. The thing about that is…the Master is right there with us…and I read this morning that no weapon formed against us…shall prosper. The Master is with us on these little side paths…but this is not our destination friends! Hang in there…sunshine and a bubbling percolator…are just up ahead!

From my heart to yours,

To Be an Encourager

18 Friday Sep 2015

Posted by Kelli in heart and soul

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encourager, farmhouse life, others

To be an encourager. What a delightful calling. What a wonderful lot in life.

I knew an encourager once, that had a son that married a very young girl. Then before long…a baby girl was born. It was crazy and hard…and hard. The encourager didn’t let the circumstances keep him from his life’s work though. He went to town and bought a bunch of dresses for the baby girl, his granddaughter. He was a quiet man, but his acts of encouragement spoke volumes and still do, even though he is in Heaven now.

This encourager that I knew, continued to help his son’s family. He would drop by with groceries…and sometimes those little, white, powdered sugar, donuts that they loved. To the little girl, he looked like a knight in shining armor. He looked ten feet tall.

This same encourager was the type of man that would see a woman with several kids, and she might seem down on her luck, so he would slip them a bit of money. You see, he grew up that way, with his momma and siblings. He knew how it felt.

Would you believe that this man passed these traits onto his own son? The son that started out so hard with his own little family, took on the very characteristics of the father. The son became the type of man that made people believe that they could accomplish their dreams. He would declare things in faith, that he believed others would become. He also became the kind of man that would see others in need and share with them…because God had blessed him so very much. His heart grew so big….just like his father before him…that God used him in countless ways. I remember him telling stories of the ways that God had dealt with his heart to give to others…and tears would flow from his eyes, as he obeyed.

This is my heritage, Dirt Roaders. That very thought is so humbling and almost to big for me to comprehend. Life has not always been easy, but to share DNA with people that wanted to see others succeed makes me so grateful. I want others to make it. I want them to prosper. I want their kids to prosper. I want to share what God blesses us with, by helping those in need. Life is about so much more than what we can acquire ourselves. There is so much more depth than that. If I can just carry on that legacy and encourage those around me…I will feel that I am being used of God.

Pardon the powdered sugar on my fingertips,

Life in the Slow Lane

17 Monday Aug 2015

Posted by Kelli in everyday stuff, heart and soul, livin' a little healthy

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healthy living

Does that sound like a dream? Does it sound dreamy? Are you like “Kel…what planet are you from?” If you are a mom with lots of little ones running around…you might have just given a big ol’ eye roll.

Life in the slow lane doesn’t have to be a life of ease on the beach somewhere. In the middle of this crazy, chaotic, sometimes really hard life, it is your choice to switch to the slow lane…or not.

People that drive in the fast lane all the time…are always on the defensive. They don’t have time to gaze out the window…because they are always passing people. (We tease the Mr. and tell him that he thinks that lane belongs to him.) On the other hand…folks in the slow lane…are just enjoying the journey. They are also enjoying their regulated blood pressure.

I know that life is busy. Yesterday we had three church services to attend…and my husband ministered at two of them. Before all of that…early in the morning…he got a cow in the squeeze chute and gave her shots. (Ox in the ditch.) I’m not complaining or bragging…it’s all for the Lord. Even the cow…because ultimately she belongs to God. I am just saying that we understand…busy.

Fast forward to after church last night. Where could you find us? We switched over to the slow lane. We were at the Tropical Sno booth. Why? It was time to take a break. It was time to slow down a bit. This is a learned way of life. It doesn’t usually come naturally. It’s easier to stay busy and in turn wear ourselves thin. Switching to the slow lane…is actually using wisdom. Did you know that Jesus totally approves of that? He does.

So…sweet one…that is burned out, tired out, cried out, whatever…take a little time for you today. Be kind to yourself. Ease over into the slow lane for a bit. Take a deep breath and let go…even if it’s just for a few minutes. Heaven approves…and really…that is the main thing.