The Weekend Catch Up

Yayy! We finally bought a dehydrator. Been wanting one and hoping my parents would make the decision for quite awhile. So I'm kinda excited about it.

The first thing we put in were potatoes. Boiled them for about 10 minutes, shredded them with a cheese grater, laid them on the trays, and stuck them in. Super easy, but takes forrrrever to dry.

That day, my mom and I also made raspberry jam and canned them in a water bath. Apparently fruit like this doesn't require a pressure cooker. 

The day's final result.

We also have put in strawberries and raspberries the next day and the rest of the family has been working on cherry tomatoes over the weekend. All from last year's crops that's been stored in the freezer.

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On Friday I went to the Big Horn Outdoor Adventure Show at the fairgrounds with some friends. Vendors all over the place and raffles for guns, Guess-How-Many-Fishing-Bobbers-Are-In-The-Container games, drawing for a truck/Duck Dynasty cruise/Scotty McCreery concert (I just want that pick-up! *wink*), archery, air gun range, little fishing pools to keep the fish you caught, and demonstration show with real lions and tigers.

Fun people, fun stuff, fun day! :)

Afterwards we went to the movie theater to see the new movie God's Not Dead. 

Review? 

I give it a thumbs up. We should...no...NEED to be brave and take a stand for our Savior in any and every circumstance. Even when others think it's pointless and you may lose something near, dear, and important to you. Just remember...

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." ~Romans 8:18
"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good solider of Jesus Christ." ~II Timothy 2:3

 And Saturday was waking up right before dawn to spend most of the day at the fairgrounds with my riding instructor and others for a horse show/clinic. I didn't enter any classes, but just went to watch and help out and maybe pick up some pointers. I did get to ride for a bit in the arena as we waiting for the English division to be other with.

Excited for show season!
I'm going to say the burn on my face is mostly from the sun instead of wind, too. *grin*  

Summer is coming!

Do you can or dehydrate food?

Have you seen or plan on seeing God's Not Dead?

Five Ways to Help Us Control Those Evil Emotions

    Control can be easy or difficult depending on the situation. We all can control a vehicle and drive within the lines. For us equestrian folk, we can control a horse through bodily actions of command. But when we're behind the wheel of that vehicle that hits ice or on the silly horse that's spooking at everything, it can be hard to get that control back!

    The same applies to our emotions. They come and go, up and down and all around, strong and weak, quick and slow that all is depending on the situation at hand. Happy, sad, worried, excited, and the worst...anger. That seems to be the easiest emotion to find, doesn't it? Maybe that's why there is the well-known phrase, "Flying off the handle." Anger most commonly stems from us thinking we aren't being treated as we see fit. (Goodness...three references to self in one sentence...I'll just save those thoughts for another post ;] )

    Anger isn't the only evil emotion though. Judgment, hate, condemnation, envy, discontentment, and pride are also ones to be aware of!

    I by no means have it all under control! But...

Here are 5 Ways to Help Us Control Those Evil Emotions

1. Love Yourself!
As vain as it may sound, you are fearfully and wonderfully made simply because God created you. You won't be satisfied with others until you are satisfied with yourself. Always continue striving to better yourself by being occupied through learning, growing, or becoming strong mentally, physically, and emotionally. You nurture and give some extra TLC to a wilting plant so are you not much more better? Do what you need to do to enjoy YOU!

2. Analyze First. 
Is this really something to upset about? Is the offense big? Is it important? Complicated? Petty? For selfish reasoning? 
Jesus even overthrew the money tables in the temple and He had legitimate reasoning! Learn to detect when righteous indignation is real and when it is okay to express it.

3. Forgive Quickly.
Until you forgive in your heart for any action done against you, you will not have peace. Realize we are all but dust. Just silly humans trying to get by in this world. Good thing we have a King to guide us along, right?  
"For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." (Ecc. 7:20) Don't be harsh. Don't judge. Cultivate a spirit of forgiveness.

4. Remember God.
Think of all the times the Lord has had to shake His head at our stumbling and wait for us to come to Him. He's always there. Patiently waiting. Sometimes looking at things through God's perspective is a refreshing spin on things. (And makes you grateful, in which God gets even more praise!)

5. Choose Happy.
Yes, 
               it  
               is 
                                           a  

CHOICE.

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With God, all things are possible...right?

Thursday

Thursday.

The day after Wednesday and day before Friday. (In case you forgot, of course *wink*)

Kind of a just a mediocre day for me. Friday and Saturday are usually always filled with activities, Sunday is always very busy being filled with church services or ministering at the nursing home, Monday is usually a recovery day from the weekend's running around and get some home stuff done, Tuesday and Wednesday I'm really ready to get stuff accomplished, then there is Thursday...blank and with no purpose. 

I don't have my own house or family, but to get in the habit of cleaning, cooking, and other duties now while it's not as demanding...I do think it is a crucial habit to get into if one has the hopes of being a homemaker for her family later...but I'm finding Thursday to now be the Cleaning Day. Sure, everyday is a cleaning day, but I'm not mopping up the floors everyday! I'd like to have a scheduled cleaning list..each day doing something different, but this is seeming to work effectively...using it just as the day to wash the rugs, do a bit of a deeper clean in the bathrooms, and mop, mop, mop. The laundry room, in front of the door, bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchen, dining area, and hall are all hardwood or linoleum. Good grief.

Plus, then the house is inviting for my uncle who comes over on the weekends and then I can have it already checked off to do my own stuff.

My body (and even mind) thanks me.

And having something with a handle makes life so much easier, just so you know. This little expense was literally one of the best decisions. 

Also, with it being Thursday... it's Throwback Thursday!!
One of my favorite pictures!

My grandparents lived in Texas while we lived in Idaho and they usually made an annual trip to see family and just go on vacation. Hats, fishing poles, chairs... the whole thing. I always looked forward to fishing with grandpa. ♥

I might as well add that we have about 7-8 inches of snow from this week and bitter temps. Every one in the area was just sure we would have a harsh winter, but this is actually the most snow we've had all year, I believe. And actually sticking around for awhile. Doors and windows are freezing shut and the roads are real fun. Saw a -2* after midnight last night, but saw reports of even getting to -5*. Only hitting the teens today.

Have you found any daily cleaning habits that work well?
What's a favorite memory?

Snow? Sun? Clouds? Ice? What's going on where you are?!

A New Day

Every day is a gift. The sun comes up and the sun goes down. We may not see it through stormy clouds, but it is still there, shining forth its light.

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."
~Psalm 118:24~

It's a new day. It's a beautiful day...and we have the choice on how we are going to spend it. We are given one day at a time, so we must choose wisely. 

Our days are unknowingly numbered. 

"Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."
~James 4:14~

It's a continuous process to learn how to make the best of each new day. There are triumphs, there are challenges, and there are failures...

and each outcome is perfect.

It's okay to have a bad day. It's okay to have a slow day. It's okay to not get it all done. It will soon be a new day with a new beginning. The thing that matters is that we continue forward every day and don't let the past put us down. 

A bad day, doesn't equal a bad life!!

Even through the periods that are weeks, months, years long of hard, unorganized chaos..

your new day does not have to start overnight.

Slowly add on a new, simple chore before turning out the lights for a refresher the next morning.

Get those dishes done. 

                         Run a vacuum over the living room. 

                                                                      Clean off the table. 

                                                                                            Sweep the laundry room.

You WILL get a new day.

The Declutterification Process Has Begun!

Clutter: transitive verb. To fill or cover with scattered or disordered things that impede movement or reduce effectiveness (taken from the Merriam-Webster dictionary). 

Second drawer in the kitchen...CLUTTERED.

 

First off, I'd like to know how does one have that many lids for only this many plastic containers?

It's small things like this that are so easily neglected and end up becoming something completely ridiculous and out of control. It seems to be much easier to just throw things in the drawers or make piles on top of the desk. Of course, until its too late. And there is so much clutter that it takes more time to sort through the mess to find something. Then all the work and time spent in doing so often brings discontentment and frustration and any ambition to keep up with other chores soon slowly dissipates.

But, when you get up and decide to take charge of a situation, you find that you are able to conquer more than just the task at hand. 

The same goes for our Spiritual walk. By making it a point to say a prayer each morning before we start our day, there is an energized feeling that the rest of the day will be peacefully beautiful if we just take that time with the Lord.
"I can do all things 

through Christ 

which strengtheneth me." 

~Philippians 4:13

So...deciding that the drawer madness needs to stop, I managed to give almost every container a lid (with extras to spare) and still had a full plastic AND paper bag that went to the dumpster. 

Also, re-purposed that neglected salad spinner to give more room in the other cabinet.

Time to tackle that medicine cabinet next!

What de-cluttering ideas have you found to be refreshingly helpful?