God’s time | A Healthier Me...Homesteading Simple & Clean

Good morning, from the mountains of Kentucky. I hope you’re having a wonderful spring and enjoying the beautiful outdoors. I felt the Lord inspire me this morning to write a post about paths. I love when the Lord inspires me with one word, then encourages me to dig deeper into the word for a better understanding of why He is speaking the word to me. Many times, when a believer says the Lord is speaking to them, it opens up opportunities for others to ask questions. For me, some of those questions include; Are you hearing an audible voice speaking this word or words? How do you determine that it’s the Lord speaking this word? What if it’s not Him? I typically answer with, no, it isn’t an audible voice, but it very well could be. I also reply that the Holy Spirit allows me to know that it is the Lord encouraging me to dig deeper into the word or words. Finally, if it’s not or wasn’t the Lord, then what would be the harm in exploring the word(s), praying about it, and learning from them? God grows us in various ways. The key is that we have to be receptive, willing to hear, and sometimes see what the Lord is impressing on our heart… and then have a willing heart to do something with the word or words. Willingness produces growth.

Growing up in the Appalachian Mountains in a more simplistic time than we now know. There wasn’t always entertainment at our fingertips. We had typically five to seven channels on television if the cable was working correctly. Did that mean we sat in front of the television mesmerized, much like youth are today? No, indeed not. We didn’t spend time indoors when we were home from school unless it was raining or bitterly cold. Were we being punished? No, indeed not. We were typically outside exploring, playing, and enjoying the surrounding entertainment that God provided. We spent most of our days fishing or wading in the creek, creating mud pies, playing in our homemade clubhouses, and making our own fun with what we had available. Were we bored? No, indeed we were not. We enjoyed checking out books from the bookmobile that frequented our house during the summer months. As a child, adventures awaited us daily. Adventures lay within the eye of the beholder, just as they are for me today. Pray for eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to receive what the Lord is telling or showing you, then to have the wisdom to apply what He is saying.

I have enjoyed walking and exploring the beautiful mountains of Kentucky since I was a young girl. I still see a path that’s worn by those that sojourned before me and imagine who blazed the first path. Where were they going, and what did they find? Even today, I get lost in my imagination as I walk the path before me. The Lord has piqued my curiosity about the word path countless times. He allowed me to know that paths can be physical paths made by the footsteps of others and that paths can be the remnant of what’s left behind in annotations in Bibles. There’s something about the smell of a path through the mountains that entices me, just as the aroma that fills my nostrils from the time-worn pages of a bible. Both paths arouse curiosity and both have the potential to grow me spiritually, and opportunities to hear from the Lord. I am a firm believer that if we are receptive to our surroundings, objects, places, the word, and the people that He places in our paths, He will grow us. God doesn’t change, we do. I encourage you to dig deep, find that child-like faith, the curiosity of a child, and always the willingness to trust Him when He speaks to you. Again, the key to growth is the willingness to adhere to what the Lord is saying. It’s not about us, but all about Him.

*The annotated & highlighted path reveals the past…a spiritual timeworn bath left behind.*

I hope this short post has encouraged you to listen closely, and to not dismiss the repetition of a word or words that surface from various places, and to pray through the experience and allow the Lord to lead you to gain new knowledge, help someone else, or just satisfy a curiosity that lies within yourself. Life is short. Live it… live it for Him. Love life and above all love Him, and resonate His love toward others. God bless, from the mountains of Kentucky. As always, your comments and questions are always welcome.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5, 6.

Good morning, from the mountains of Kentucky. Let me first begin by saying, we are blessed! I am not just implying my family, I am saying and proclaiming for all that are reading… “we are blessed!” You might be asking how so, or why did she post that? Deep within, you need to know that if you are physically able to read this post or any other post, you are alive, thus… you have been blessed with another day. Even, if there are things going on in your life, and we all have those days and even weeks, or maybe seasons, if you are breathing, you are blessed. Secondly, accept this day and know Lord has your best interest and will take care of you, walk in it. Make this day count. For every day that passes, is a day that we cannot and will not be able to enjoy again.

My mind often drifts back to a simpler time when life didn’t seem as hectic or as chaotic. The world seemed to be a more simple place. Sure there’s always been trouble, trials, wars, and bad things that happen, but that’s because we live in a real world where both good and bad happen. However, it seems to rein in a more bold abundance than in the times gone by. Is that it? Or, is that we, as a whole, are more connected to the media, social media, and here say, than we are to our savior and His word? Is it that we focus too much on what others are saying, or implying, than what the word tells us?

My heart is leading me in a direction to simplify life, my life. How so? By disconnecting from so much of the media. I don’t mean that I will live in a bubble where all is well and I will not acknowledge that bad things do happen. No, not at all. I mean, that I am being selective of what news I read, that’s right, read. I feel lead to spend much less time on social media, and more time in my prayer closet, in the word, and with the Lord, and with myself. I am doing some soul searching, meditation, deep and close reading, and also spending some quiet time listening to His voice.

I was reminded of how we, as a society, often overlook the simple things and become bored when things begin to calm down, or when there’s no fast paced gratification in most anything we attempt. Have we allowed the use of technology to rob us of the blessings of using our hands to create, our strength to labor, our eyes to actually read a book that we physically hold in our hands, and using precise measurements to create delicious dishes? Have we allowed the clutter in our lives to rob our desire of helping our fellowman? Do we care more for ourselves than the elderly widow who would love to have a home cooked meal, or someone to physically talk to? Have we allowed the convenience of instant almost anything to replace the satisfaction that we once felt by actually taking the time to complete a task?

*This is an afghan I’m working on for one of our grandchildren. This is the fourth of five that I’ve made with love and many prayers for each of them.*

What tasks am I speaking of? For such as a time as this, almost anything would fit into this category. Anything from baking a scratch cake instead of a boxed cake. From crocheting your own afghan for a friend instead of buying a thoughtless gift. Nurturing a plant from a seed with care and love, rather than picking the finest mature plant from a nursery. Growing your own herbs to dry, rather than buying a cheaper easier version from the store. Canning healthy produce for your family, rather than buying cheap imitations that are full of preservatives? It could be as simple as taking a break from browsing your phone, to watching a squirrel gather nuts. Reading deeper than surface reading the Bible. For such a time as this, this list could continue for far too long. We can’t make a total change overnight with simplification, but we can simplify our life, one habit, one deed, or one choice at a time.

I was inspired by our six year-old grandson to post this blog. While I prepared breakfast a few mornings ago, he was enjoying his pre-breakfast muffins and a cup of milk. He was a bit upset because his tablet battery was low and he wouldn’t have enough battery life to watch a cartoon that he wanted to see. Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of a company’s Christmas toy catalog lying on the table. Immediately he laid the tablet aside and asked what the book was for. I explained how his mommy and uncle used to browse the Sears and JC Penny wish-books for weeks circling their favorite toys in hopes of getting those for Christmas. They were making their choices known. Right away, he asked for a pen to circle his choice of toys, not just for himself, but for his brother, cousins, and friends. Grant it, if the item was given a circle and a check, then that indicated the ranking of interest for that particular item. All the while, he never mentioned being bored, or once stopped to watch his tablet. With excitement, he browsed the pages several times and later declared to his mommy that they too needed a book like Nan’s.

*Take time to enjoy something with substance. We need more Sears and JC Penny’s moments in life. Simplify things.*

With that being said, for such a time as this, I feel inspired to ask you today, to take time to stop and enjoy what our Heavenly Father has created for us. Simplify your life. Choose wisely how you spend your time. And above all, remember that He gave all so that we could have life and have it everlasting.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this post. It’s a bit different than many of my other posts, but I am a person of many diverse interests, from crocheting, reading, writing, gardening, thrifting, collecting antiques, baking, creating, singing and so many more things. Above all, I love to tell others about Him. God bless from the mountains of Kentucky. Feel free to follow and comment. May the Lord bless each of you abundantly.