Thursday, December 31, 2015

Out With The Old In With The New


I would be delighted for you to visit my new site:

and thank you from the bottom of my heart
for reading this post
and all the previous ones for which you have so
graciously read along.
Tonight out at the Farmhouse,
 we hosted whatever family could drop in.
They came from near and far...
Indiana, Pennsylvania and Florida.
We prayed and ate and laughed
and traipsed out to the barn
in the shivering cold
to watch the donkey bray and roll around in the dust,
kicking and squirming to garner a few laughs.
We stood on the deck
hoping to hear the coyotes howl.
One of the deer sailed right over the driveway
with nary a misstep.
We told them it was Rudolph
just heading home.
So we closed the door on the fun
and the old year past
and with a sigh
realized that it was time to look forward
to new adventures
and new challenges
and new hopes
and dreams.
I also realized that the time has come
to make the switch
to update my online presence
and so I want to thank you from
the bottom of my heart for following along
just reading my random thoughts
as I have shared them since
January 1, 2008.
I will be so honored if you will join me
at my new sight
and just know how much I value you
and your presence and encouragement.
Thank you for all your visits these last 8 years.
It's been awesome!
Love, Hugs and Many Blessings for a Wonderful
2016.

~Rachel

THE LINK TO MY NEW SITE:

Sunday, December 27, 2015

These Things I Will Do

At the Farmhouse, 
I never put decorations on this particular tree. 
Just lights, 
only lights.
I have enjoyed the cozy glow.
I've loved it this way.
And in the night, 
in those pondering hours, 
all the colors, 
the sparkle, 
the different facets and reflections of light,
make me think of the days gone by
and the days ahead.
I can't change the past.
I can only hope to shape the future by living well now,
this very moment. 
We don't get repeats, 
or chances to make up for lost time
or past regret. 
On Christmas eve
 we took a gift to a person
we feared would have no contact 
with anyone on Christmas.  
Just this morning
a man told me his sad
sad
story.
The "story" was probably
a grand total of 10 sentences,
but those 10 sentences wrote a book in my heart. 
I was stunned.
I was almost rendered speechless.

I had never heard such a real life story. 

And once again I realized that we never know the 
pain that crouches just below the surface
of quick wit
or the grief hidden in a smile. 
I've heard of so much sorrow
this Christmas season 
as people have told me their heartache. 
And my heart has ached along side them. 
I wish I could rewrite their story 
with the stroke of a pen 
and the flourish of my hand
and make it pretty.

But a baby,
a baby came,
helpless,
and frail 
and he was laid 
right down 
in the middle of all our messes,
yes, 
my messes
my heartache, 
my darkness, 
and pondering.
And YOUR messes too.
Your heartache, 
and darkness
and pondering. 

But the baby, 
the helpless and frail baby,
was strong
 and
 HE was mighty.
And with the stroke of three nails
with a flourish
his hands
and feet
rewrote my story!
And he rewrote your story too!
You may not think it looks very pretty, 
but he wrote it to bring peace. 

Peace for me
Peace for you
Peace for all 

And as a new year dawns, 
I realize
"You and I may be hard pressed on every side,
but we are not in despair, abandoned or destroyed". 
2 Corinthians 4:8
So I will celebrate with joy. 
I will pray more intensely with thanksgiving.
And I will keep your stories close to my heart. 

Because your stories matter to me. 
These things I will do. 

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Who Is He?



 Who is he, this King of Glory?  He is the Lord Almighty.
Psalm 24:10

We must first believe in the baby in a manger,
before we can believe in a Savior on the cross. 

Sending Christmas Eve blessings to you.
Love,  Rachel



Tuesday, November 24, 2015

A Cornucopia of Thoughts For Thanksgiving

Recently, I was introduced to  BloomNation, and was inspired to share my Thanksgiving table decor.

I used a mix of dried hydrangeas and fresh roses along with pumpkins, candles and fresh pine sprigs.
Today it is fun to have a reason to show you the way the table is decorated at the Farmhouse.
You can read about this flower service at the end of this post. 
Thoughts for Thanksgiving:
There I stood, stunned, 
pondering the meaning of the text 
that had come through on my sister's phone. 
"I think she has died," read the text.
Quickly, my siblings and I began our network of communicating,
and yes, 
in fact,  it was true, 
without warning, 
my first sibling of nine, a sister,  was gone. 
These past few years have held deep heartaches, 
dark long silences,
feelings of despair
and hopelessness
 and death for our family. 
Since 2012, Philip and I have lost five precious family members. 
I've ached as Philip's grandmother adjusted to life
 after 75 years of marriage to his grandfather. 
I felt my heart twisting in agony as we received word that
my brother's son had taken his life.
We were stunned with the news that Philip's uncle,  
the strong one, the "party-maker" 
of our family celebrations,
had such a grim diagnosis, 
and three weeks later we told him goodbye.
And then, another brother's son, an avid bicyclist,
his first time in the mountains on a mountain bike, 
gone, quickly. 
And then my sister...
I've grieved as my nieces navigated their own difficulties
 now that both their parents are gone.
And life just goes on. 
There is much more. 
 There has been a lot of change and upheaval.
This isn't about pity or sympathy. 
EVERY ONE
who is living and breathing
is dealing with 
a hard wrestling story of life.
I see it in your eyes too, 

the longing for redemption,
for all wrong to be made right. 

In all the hard wrestling stories of life, 
we have a choice. 
A choice for thankfulness,
for thanksgiving.
My brother shared a story at my nephew's funeral
about a man who was struggling under the weight of a very heavy cross.
 It was gnarled and covered in thistles with rough bark
 making it difficult for his tired and aching hands to hold.
 As blisters began to form and his arms and legs trembled
while struggling to gain foot hold,
he tripped over the rocky path, and began to cry out,
"OH God! This is more than I can bear.
I can't go on.
 I've reached my limit.
I just can't take anymore."
Tears coursed down his cheeks.
His hair and body and clothes reeked with the toil of sweat.
God responded, 
"My son, I love you so much,
and just ahead you will find a little shed
under the shade of a large old oak tree.
 Stop there. Rest. Catch your breath.
Inhale the cool breezes. 
Inside the shed you will find many crosses.
You can trade your cross for one of those. "
With relief,
he reached the cool shade of the old oak tree.
Finding the door to the shed partially open,
 he wedged his worn and sweaty body
 into the small structure which held the other crosses.
 As his weary eyes adjusted to the darkness after the piercing sun,
 he was aghast to realize that those crosses for which he could trade,
 were much larger,
with grotesque and unbalanced shapes
and razor sharp bark and thistles.
In fact,  after looking them over,
he couldn't find a single one,
 for which he was willing to trade.

Actually, he felt his heart strengthen
and as cool breezes fluttered the leaves making the shade of the old oak tree, 
HE FELT THANKFUL, 
yes,  thankful for HIS cross. 
The other crosses looked absolutely
unbearable.
Though his cross was still heavy and the way was still difficult,
he chose to keep his cross.
It even looked slightly beautiful compared to the others, if he held his head at just the right angle while slightly squinting his eyes.
With a heart filled with thankfulness
 he thought, 
"I don't think it's quite as heavy anymore. "
So onward he trudged, faithfully keeping and carrying his very own cross.


I believe joy is a choice.
Hope and faith, love and trust...
  ALL choices.
Choices from deep within
all birthed on the treacherous
path of thankfulness.
Our choices guide us.
In choosing thankfulness,
we become...
what we choose...
...Joy, Hope, Faith, Love, Trust

Today I choose thankfulness
the path that leads to
Joy, Hope, Faith, Love, Trust

YOU ALL mean so much to me.
I desire for each of you to have a
Happy Thanksgiving .
I hope you have one of your most glorious days ever.
Choosing!

Founded in August 2011, BloomNation is a community marketplace for people to list and send unique bouquets from local florists across the county. Whether you are looking for a traditional bouquet of roses or a one of a kind design,  Bloom Nation let's you find and send the perfect floral sentiment from trusted florists in your area.

Monday, September 14, 2015

Four Totally Awesome Pictures of One Anonymous Pup

                                                               "Whatcha doin'?"
                                                             "Oh, just hangin' out.
  
                                                               It's a dog's life,
and someone's gotta live it!"

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Think About His Love...thoughts for a quiet time

Think about His love,
Think about His goodness.

Think about His grace
That's brought us through.

For as high as the heavens above,
So great is the measure of  our Father's love,
Great is the measure of our Father's love.

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Did You Know That Was There?

The words on this sign
are from
I Corinthians 13,
commonly called
"The Love Chapter."

You've probably seen it,
heard it,
and have it hanging in your bedroom.

So ya know
how you go
down the list
checkin' it twice...
(at least I do anyway)
sayin' "ouch"
OR
"oh yeah, I'VE got this in the bag!"

No?
Really?
You don't do that?

A few months ago
(it hangs where I can read it daily)
I was reading through this
checking
my heart throb
my heart pulse
my heart attitude
my heart adjustment
my heart longing...

...to be
all
I CAN BE...

To love God
and others
as I am shown
to love,

and there it was
plain as day
right at the bottom

I saw. ..
PERSEVERES!

"What?", I thought.
Since when did love start to persevere?

Silly me!

How did I miss that?
After all these years!
I mean I KNOW it does persevere,

but seriously, did you know that
 that word
PERSEVERES
was the last word in this series of verses?

I haven't been able to stop thinking
of all the ways to put that word
into practice.

Life just kind of helps us
 put it into practice too!

Doesn't it?

How do you think love...
PERSEVERES?

If I do not have love,
I am nothing.
So I will continue to
PERSEVERE.