I’m still here!

Hello, everyone!

I wanted to write a quick post saying that I have NOT disappeared off the face of the earth, and I am NOT quitting the blogging thing.

On the contrary, and I have been (and am going to continue) working on re-doing the blog, and I hope to make the blog and how I post more professional, and so that has taken up a lot of time, and I would rather not post while I’m in that process.

So hang on, and I will be back in a few weeks if all goes well!

God bless!

Claire Rachel<3

Being Thankful for the Small Inconveniences

Hi, Everyone! I am sorry that this post is so late! It is technically a new week, but we will just pretend it is still last week.  😉

It is really hard to think that the small inconveniences are things to be thankful for; it’s easy to stand them, because they are small. But being THANKFUL for them?

I honestly think God uses everything, yes, EVERYTHING in our lives to either grow us, or to grow those around us. Even the small, little annoyances.

The Bible says that whoever is trustworthy in the small will be trustworthy in the great. If we practice being at peace about the small inconveniences, won’t it be much easier for us to have peace in the big things?

I really think that God is giving us opportunities to grow, and become stronger spiritually. Isn’t that something to be thankful for?

Even in the small things that annoy us, we can remember that God cares about our spiritual state. He doesn’t just want to leave us where we are because we are “good enough”. God wants us to get as close as we possibly can to him this side of heaven.

 

Thanks so much for reading! I hope it was encouraging to you!

 

NOTE:

I will not be posting the rest of this week or next, but I am hoping to come back in March with some more fun posts. Thank you so much for reading!! ❤

God bless,

Claire Rachel<3

Thankfulness for opportunities to serve

Hi, Peeps! So I really am wanting to do the 52 weeks of thankfulness I promised to do at Thanksgiving, so I am going to try and continue to do a weekly thankfulness post, and I will try and do extras to make up for the ones I missed…

Have we ever stopped to thank God for the opportunities we have to further his kingdom? And furthering his kingdom doesn’t have to mean sharing the gospel with people; it could even be blessing a believer with your time and service.

But… have we ever thought about being THANKFUL for those opportunities? 

I think that this is a wonderful blessing from the Lord. Not only does he give us a purpose as his children, but He gives us things to do!

I think it’s interesting that before the fall, there was still work. Adam had to take care of the garden and animals, and Eve was created to be his assistant. It wasn’t until after the fall that work became hard and in some cases uncomfortable.

Working and serving God and his kingdom is a good thing… I think we can all agree on that. So why not thank him for giving us things to do with our lives, and the fulfillment we achieve from doing the tasks at hand?

 

God bless!

Claire Rachel<3

Ways to Prepare for being a Homemaker while You’re still a teenager

So Today I thought I would talk a little about preparing to be a Homemaker while you are still a teenager, kid or living at home. I know that I look forward to doing my own homemaking someday (Lord willing), and here are a few ways we can be preparing for that task now!

 

Help with the cooking.

So I know you most likely already do this ( I know I do), but it really is a very important skill. Cooking saves the money and health of your family. And honestly, its’s kind of fun seeing what meats and proteins you can get cheap, and then creating a meal around it!

Start developing good habits now.

Ok, so I know stuff like remembering to make out bed and go to bed early and drink enough water are things that our mom nags us about, but if we are going to be a productive adult someday (or even *gasp* a productive teen now), we will need to take good care of ourselves, and good care of the things we have… but let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that those things will come automatically when we *Poof!* become and adult. I struggle with this one A LOT.

Hope chest.

Ok, guys, I’m stingy. Like, REALLY stingy. I will buy things, but there is always that surge of guilt when I hand of a twenty dollar bill and get back $3.82. I don’t need yet ANOTHER cute wall hanging in my room. And yet I like shopping.

So something that I have started to do is stockpile for my future home. I know what kind of dish towels I want that they had at Walmart, and I really like the Pioneer woman’s butter dish. So why not spend money on things you are actually going to use, rather than more clothes you don’t need?

Now, you don’t have to have an actual hope chest to do this (unless you want one, which many people do. It is handy). You can just as easily find a box or five that these things can go in, or a closet, or do like me and try and find a really cool looking old fashioned trunk.

Develop useful skills.

Just like cooking, acquiring other skills you think you will want later can be a good thing to do while you still have time to do it! Try your hand at doing and making things you might want to try when you have your own home someday… it may come in handy.

 

I hope this was helpful, and if you have any other ways to start preparing for future homemaking, I would love to hear them!

God bless!

Claire Rachel<3

Thankfulness for the ability to listen to God

Greetings!

One of the things I love the most in music. I love playing, writing, and listening to music. I love being able to hear what God has given us to show us his beauty.

But have you ever thought about what a gift it is to be able to listen to God?

The ability to talk to the God who created us, the God who knows us in and out, better than we do, is a great and wonderful gift. But not only can we bring our thoughts to him, by reading his word, and listening to other wise Christians, God can speak to us, letting us know what he wants for our life.

You know that feeling when you read a bible verse or something and it just perfectly fits something you are dealing with? Or maybe you prayed about an answer to something you were worrying about, and a specific passage gives you the peace you needed?

We sometimes take it for granted, because, I mean, that’s what a good Christian is supposed to feel, right? The people in the Christian movies have those moments, and so it SHOULD come natural, right?

You know what I’m talking about. There it is again: this is how it SHOULD be for a “good Christian”. 

But what if instead of something that “just happens”, it is a true gift from God? What if those times are just a glimmer of the kind of relationship we were meant to have with God before the fall?

I hope that we can remember that moments hearing what God has to say to you is a true gift from God.

Until next time,

In service to the King,

Claire Rachel<3

 

~ Writing Prompt ~

Hello!

Sorry I haven’t written in over a week! Life. It can be a crazy thing sometimes. 🙂

Anyway, I am going to do a writing prompt (since I haven’t doe one in forever).

 

Leela watched as worried people scurried around, grabbing anything that could serve as a light. Some retrieved flashlights out of purses. Others lit old fashioned lamps that were supposed to serve as table decoration. And still more yanked up the tiki torches from the ground where they were stuck. This was going to be such a good idea, she thought. Why did this have to happen? As the hectic crowd and their lights faded into the various paths of the vast park, calling the small boy’s name, Dr. Hause put a hand on Leela’s shoulder. 

          “Aren’t you going to go out and help?”

          “Oh, I…. I think enough people have gone… don’t you think?” she answered shyly.

          “Oh I don’t know… it only takes one person to find another. Who knows, you may be the one. Besides, you know about something no one else does…don’t you?”

           Her eyes grew wide. “I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

          “Leela,” he answered in his fatherly way, “You and I both know that you blocked off the one path you wanted no one to go down, and for good reason. But it is such a time as this that you may have to set aside that fear, for the sake of someone else. Are you willing to do that?”

          Leela turned to look at the spot she had blocked off purposely so no one could see the entrance to another path in the dense, dark woods. Bad memories were kept there. Horrible ones. But she remembered the boy who was lost somewhere… and he just might be…

          “But surely he wouldn’t go in there. That is blocked off!”

          “Blocked off enough that an exploring little boy wouldn’t be able to get in?” He asked coyly, remembering his own childhood.

          She looked again at the place.

           “Must I?” she asked.

          “I don’t know… what would God want you to do?”

          She knew what God wanted her to do… but could she do it?

          Dr. Hause picked up the last remaining lamp from one of the tables, and proceeded to light it as he said, “You know, God doesn’t ask us to do things that are out of our ability… they may see hard, even impossible. But God wouldn’t ask you to do something if he didn’t know you could.” He held out the bright little lamp in front of her.

          Her shaking hand lifted to take the lamp by the handle. “Thank you.” she said, and walked over to the large board and stands covered in various forms of decoration, and moving the large objects, entered the place she never hoped to see again.

          The lonely path was as dark and dank as she thought it would be. As she slowly crept along, every noise would make her jump. The memories of loosing her little brother in these woods on this path flooded back into her mind, so that she couldn’t push them out. 

          “God…” she whispered, “please help me… I’m not cut out for adventures!”

So, what do you think?

God bless!

Claire Rachel<3

Modest, Feminine Fashion Inspiration for Winter

Hello, lovely ladies!!

So today I am doing a kind of post that I have ALWAYS wanted to do. I love fashion, and they have always been my favorite kind of posts, so here for the VERY FIRST TIME am I posting a Fashion inspiration post!!! WOOHOO!

So first, I would like to explain a little about my style.

I have never found a name for my style, therefore you could safely say I am VERY PICKY. I like semi-oldfashoned/feminine/farmhouse/modest style. I DO wear pants, but I try to keep them not too tight, and I always try and wear something frilly and feminine with my outfits.

Sometime I will do a post about my style, but for now, here are some pictures that have inspired my style, and I hope they inspire yours!!!

 

 

Old fashioned knit sweaters and flannel plaid shirts are two of my favorite kind of shirts for winter. You can do a ton with both of these, and they really can be old-fashioned and cute.

Boots and jeans are always cute, although the only Uggs I have are for outdoor snow boots. 😀

I LOVE patterned maxi skirts, but I don’t have one yet; I’m waiting to find the perfect one! 😉

 

Don’t forget Old Faithful: leggings and scarves. 😉

Another idea is to take a more springy dress, but some boots, tights, and sweater (maybe a scarf too), and viola! You don’t have to buy another winter dress.

 

One thing I really like are boot cuffs; and if you know how to crochet or knit, they are fun to make!

Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you can’t wear your favorite (ahem… bright) colors…

I got a slouch hat for Christmas, and, needless to say, I   L O V E  the way slouch hats look…..

 

 

Well, I hope that it has been fun looking through some of my favorite styles! I hope to do more outfit posts in the future. Also, tell me what kind of posts you would like to see from me!

Thanks!!!

In Christ,

Claire Rachel<3

 

 

Be Thankful for the Ability to Worship

Hi, Ladies!!

Ok, so let’s take a bet (if we were betters) on how many weeks I’m going to miss for my thankfulness posts!! 😀

But putting my failure to keep up with that aside, I would like to talk about the ability to worship today.

Worship is a very important part of our walk with the Lord.Our central purpose is to freely and willingly give him glory and praise. That is why we were created.

But God gives us so much peace when we give thanks to him.

When we choose to fill our prayers with something other than requests, and we truly mean the words we sing on Sunday morning, there is something beautiful that God places in our hearts, And that flows into everything we do. 

Isn’t that something to be thankful for? God could have just said, “Ok, do this, because it’s what you are supposed to do.”

But instead, he grants us the knowledge and the peace of doing what is best; we can truly feel it. 

 

I hope you all are having a wonderful day, and until next time, remember to be thankful for the ability to worship!

God bless!

Claire Rachel<3

Herbrews 12:28

“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.”

 

 

 

Journaling Ideas for Becoming Closer to God

Greetings, gals!!

Today I am going to talk a little bit about journaling.

I honestly have a very hard time journaling. I feel bad when I am not consistent, so I give up easily.

But as I have gotten older, I have learned that just because you aren’t a consistent journaler doesn’t mean you shouldn’t journal. 

Writing what is in your heart, or what beautiful things you want to say to God it very important.

So, as a very inconsistent, very unperfected journaler, here are some ideas for how you can turn those beautiful notebooks in you drawer that are currently collecting dust, into books of heart-felt words to God.

#1: Journal Scripture.

Just because the word from the bible are from God and he has herd them before doesn’t mean you can’t tell write them and mean them for God. Scripture is holy and perfect, so what better words can we find to say to The Lord?

 

#2: Journal Prayers.

I know that when i just try and journal my thought’s to something called a “Diary”, I look at it a month later and think, “Man, that sounds stupid!!” Can you relate? 😉

But writing down our prayers and what we want to say to God can be very meaningful, and we can look at it again and again, PRAYING it again and again. I find that when I write down my most heartfelt prayers, God gives me the right things to say.

 

#3: Get pretty journals!

I don’t know about you all, but I believe that God is a God of beauty; so what greater way to glorify him then writing down things about him and to him in a beautiful book?

I personally am ALWAYS inspired by beautiful covers that have pages just waiting to be filled.

 

To wrap up…

Journaling may not be everyone’s thing, and that is ok. But it is important to remember that God values our words. And journaling is a wonderful way to keep our words to him sacred and memorable.

I hope this has inspired you to do some journaling, and until next time, keep worshiping the Lord!!

 

Proverbs 3:3-4

“Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.”

 

God bless!

Claire Rachel<3

Making God the most important

Hello, dears, I’m back!! (ok, so it wasn’t a couple weeks, but it was long enough. 😉 )

Since I posted last, the Lord had really lated on my heart that making God the center, and trusting him in EVERYTHING is how you can live life to the fullest.

And this is one of those times when I’m not even saying this because it’s what a Christian girl should say; I’m saying it because it actually does help! 

When you choose that you are going to live a day for the Lord, come what may, you really, or at least it has been my experience to have complete peace about what you are doing. When God is front most in my mind, and I have already given my day to Him, my bad attitudes melt, and my insecurities suddenly don’t have a reason to exist.

I think deep down we all want to be “good Christians” and we forget that while it takes hard work and intentionality on our part, God’s mercies are new, and he WANTS to give us peace; all we have to do is except it.

I hope you all had a great day, and I hope you can stay warm!!

God bless!

Claire Rachel<3