Summer is ending....

I am writing this from my phone because I'm not able to get on the computer right now...

Anyways, I went down to the Detroit Lakes beach today while the sun was setting... soooo beautiful. Very interesting to see this beach empty. During the summer the sand and grass is filled with children playing, people tanning, and families & friends laughing. I love the activity that goes on every summer.

I am not gonna type anything too long... because for some reason when you write this on the phone it just seems to take so much longer. So goodnight everyone. And sleep good. :)

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Lazy Afternoons...

My favorite day of the week is the day that my hubby has off & we don't have anything planned... This doesn't actually happen every week... but when it does its my favorite day.

This afternoon was beautiful... the weather perfect... the sun just right. So what do we do? Go play Yahtzee in the backyard of course!

We had coffee...

And just enjoyed our time together... and we're still enjoying our time together. And that is why this post is so short. Loves!

Loyalty. Love. Dogs.

I thought that I would take pictures of one of the most loyal companions in my life... my dog.

I got Brindy when I was in 9th grade. She just turned 7 this last summer, and she's amazing.

One of the things that I so admire about my dog is her loyalty, her love for me, and the fact that she always wants to be with me. I am reminded of God's love for us...

No matter how many times we ignore God, do things on our own, or shrug Him off... He so appreciates and loves every moment we spend with Him! My dog follows me around the house, wants to go everywhere I go, and just loves sitting with me. 

I don't think people realize how much God just wants to BE with us. To be included in our lives. So often I hear people say that they've messed up a lot lately so they have some cleaning up to do before they can go to church. WHAT?!?! How backwards is that? And its not even about GOING to church... its about going to God. He doesn't give us a list and say "Here, stop smoking, drinking, swearing, having sex outside of marriage and THAN we'll talk." No. He loves us JUST as we are. Wants us to be His friend. We were created for RELATIONSHIP. 

God will always rejoice over every moment we spend with Him. He doesn't lecture us... He loves us. He wants to be our friend. And He wants to be included in our daily lives. :)

So, from Brindy and me, have a good day! And include God. He just wants to spend time with you.

Milk & Cookies

One of my favorite snacks... MILK AND COOKIES!!

Whenever I have milk and cookies I am ALWAYS reminded of my Grandma Huff. She makes the BEST chocolate chip cookies ever... and even though she has given me the recipe, it never tastes like hers do! 

Secret ingredient: Grandma Love. Meaning.... my cookies will never be as good until I have grandchildren.

Anyways, nothing too inspirational today, just thought I'd brag on my grandma. :D

Have a wonderful day! 

The Beauty of Rest

So much for 365 huh! I started and already missed two days. Haha. Guess I'll just have to make up for them. It was a busy weekend... but anyways, here is some of what I have been able to look at for the past two weeks...

I guess Autumn just reminds of how amazing our God is... (doesn't everything?!) I know that many areas around the world are not able to experience Autumn as this Minnesota girl is privileged to. But this is what it reminds me of....

Autumn is a time for the trees to rest, to rejuvenate themselves. According to sciencemadesimple.com the leaves turn colors and begin to fall because winter is coming (obviously)... During the winter it is too cold for photosyntheses to occur. There is not enough water or light. So, the trees begin to pull back on their "food" supply to the leaves. The trees REST and eat off the "food" they've stored during the summer. 

Going through life we come up against times when there is just not enough to keep us going at the rate or in the way we have been going... thats when REST comes in...

Psalm 116:6-9 (Message) says 'God takes the side of the helpless; when I was at the end of my rope, He saved me. I said to myself, "Relax and rest. God has showered you with blessings. Soul, you've been rescued from death; Eye, you've been rescued from tears; And you, Foot, were kept from stumbling." I'm striding the the presence of God, alive in the land of the living!'

Psalm 37:7 (Amplified) says 'Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him'

Do you see anything similar in these two verses? There are so many other verses to go along with this as well. God doesn't want you to be struggling and working and laboring through life. He wants to take care of it! He wants you to be resting in Him. The amazing thing is... the more you rest in Him, the more you can get done!

Think of it this way; When you are told you HAVE to do something, how willing are you to do it? Are you looking forward to doing it? Or are you just excited to be done with it. BUT, when you are doing something that you DESIRE to do, or that you are doing FOR someone, than you are generally pleased in doing it, knowing what the outcome will be. 

God created us for relationship. He did not create us for working. Yes, there are things that He has in our path for us, things to achieve and do. But what I'm saying is when you are RESTING in Him, you feel happy to do things FOR Him. 

One of the dictionary's definitions of rest: be placed or supported so as to stay in a specified position

We are being supported by God! He is holding us up when we're resting in Him! It doesn't mean that we're doing nothing and laying around all day. It means we are stable in Him.

What's it Worth

I believe I'm going to start a 365 PhotoBlog. Alongside my small thoughts. So, photos everyday, usually with some form of inspiration. I'll be trying different editing techniques, if you are ever interested in any prints or products of my photos please feel free to contact me! :)

On Wednesday my AMAZING husband brought me the most beautiful roses. 

What is it that makes a rose beautiful? I mean... why can some places charge hundreds and hundreds of dollars for a dozen roses, or you can run down the street to Walmart & buy a $10 bouquet? I understand that there are some things that are better... but hundreds of dollars worth of a difference better?!

What I'm trying to get at here... is that we do to roses what we do to people. We give them a price, a worth. And for what reasons? Because one person has grown up in a better city than another? Because this person grew up going to an amazing school, while that person had to drop out to help take care of their mom? What gives one more worth than the other?

When God created us He didn't put a price tag on us! When Jesus died on the cross for our sins he didn't have to pay a larger sum for one person and a smaller sum for another. He died for our sins as a whole. Paid the whole price. Covered everything. Nothing lacking, nothing missing. Our God does not hold one person in higher esteem over another. Our Father is just and fair. The Bible says in Acts 10:34 "... God is no respecter of persons." He does not give one person more value than another. Why do we?

The thing that gets me the most... is that the people that we deem "useless" are the ones that God seems to have gone for in the Bible. Look at all the major "heroes" of the Bible: Moses - major stuttering issue, not to mention he murdered a man. David - avoided going to war with his country (that he was king of...) saw a naked (married) woman on a roof, committed adultery, then killed her husband by putting him on the front lines of a battle they were bound to lose. Peter - had no idea when to shut up, was considered an idiot of his society, denied Christ. But you want to know why I think these people did the most amazing things for God? BECAUSE THEY TRUSTED HIM! They knew there was no way they could do it on their own. They had failed time and time again, and here comes God, and He says He has a plan for them. They realize they have worth!

I'm not saying that if you are an amazing person who has achieved much that you have no chance doing anything for God, oh it is quite the opposite. What I am saying is that we need to realize that we cannot do anything without Him. Sure, we can accomplish goals and maybe get somewhere in life. But all for what? Lets realize that God has a goal for us, He has a certain road He wants us on. And we need to realize that the road He has picked for us isn't a road that leads to destruction, but a road that leads to LIFE. :)

A rose is beautiful, created by the Father, worth so much. So are you. 

Life... Before Death.

As I was driving home today from Detroit Lakes after dropping my husband off at work, I was listening to the local christian radio station. They were going through their little "Thank You for your support" thing and mentioned the folks that were supporting today's programming. It was a family that had lost some loved ones in a car accident and had been encouraged by the radio station in knowing they'll see them again, and looking forward to that day.


Now, this got me thinking... Not saying that I don't look forward to seeing my loved ones that have gone before me... but how often do you hear people talk about how excited they are to go to Heaven? I myself am extremely excited... but I've always felt kinda like I wasn't "Christian" enough because when people would talk about how excited they were to go to Heaven I was always like "YEAH!" but at the same time I'm thinking... but I know I'm too young now... I'm excited to be living life here!  Today I was having a conversation with my amazing God... and I realized that I'm not waiting to go up and be with Him when I die. I spend my time with Him now! 


I read a book by Shane Claiborne called The Irresistible Revolution (which I HIGHLY recommend to anyone not exactly pleased with the state of the church) which has an amazing statement in it. Here is an excerpt (I've made some quotes bold for emphasis):

'If you ask most people what Christians believe, they can tell you, "Christians believe that Jesus is God's Son and that Jesus rose from the dead." But if you ask the average person how Christians live, they are struck silent. We have not shown the world another way of doing life. Christians pretty much live like everybody else; they just sprinkle a little Jesus in along the way. And doctrine is not very attractive, even if it's true. Few people are interested in a religion that has nothing to say to the world and offers them only life after death, when what people are really wondering is whether there is life before death.                    'As my teacher Tony Campolo used to ask, "Even if there were no heaven and there were no hell, would you still follow Jesus? Would you follow him for the life, joy, and fulfillment he gives you right now?" I am more and more convinced each day that I would. Don't get me wrong. I'm excited about the afterlife... And yet I am convinced that Jesus came not just to prepare us to die but to teach us how to live. Otherwise, much of Jesus' wisdom would prove quite unnecessary for the afterlife. After all, how hard could it be to love our enemies in heaven? And the kingdom that Jesus speaks so much about is not just something we hope for after we die but is something we are to incarnate now. Jesus says the kingdom is "within us," "among us," "at hand," and we are to pray that it comes "on earth as it is in heaven." No wonder the early church was known as the Way.' (pg. 117)

Honestly, I'd love to type that whole chapter, but I know it would get too long. I really encourage you to buy the book and read it and apply much of what he says to your life. 


Anyways, back to the reason I wrote that part. How many of us are truly living at peace? The "Kingdom of Heaven" is to be at true peace with ones self. Not just in Heaven... but here on Earth! God is showing me daily what it means to 'abide in Him'. I truly allow Him into every area of my life. And I can HONESTLY say that if there were no heaven or hell, I would choose to accept Christ as my Lord and Savior and live every day walking in the steps He's set before me. Because HE is the reason that I am at peace. HE is the reason that I'm not concerned about finances, living situation, or anything else that this life throws at me. I live through Him, He lives in me; A contradiction that makes more sense to me than anything in the world. 


So that is my [not so small] thought for the day. And you can be expecting these much more often... daily hopefully, for it is becoming a part of my devotion time with my Father.