Ah! It’s been so long since I was able to journal here! I have been wanting to but life has made a crazy turn on me here and I have been busy!!

First I must write about the BEAUTIFUL day we are having here in Michigan. I was able to sleep in and when I woke the sun was shining through the crack in my curtains. I told Hope ( my roommate) this is going to be a beautiful day. Then pinched her nose. She loves it when I do that. She sleeps on the bottom part of our white day bed.

I tell you what gives me the best feeling in the world. Is having my room somewhat organized and clean. Especially when I am going all the time I usually drop and run. Everything ending up in piles. Not a good feeling at all. Today I have time off… so I said no to other things (which I would have loved to do ) and stayed home to take some “Holly” time. I am the only one in the house! I rare thing. Anyway, I have taken the morning to spend cleaning out my closet of clothes and winter boots and shoes and now I have so much room in there!!! Goodbye winter clothes. You would be surprised at how much space winter stuff takes up. I opened my windows and let the springtime air in. At first it was cold, but as the morning wore into afternoon it is a wonderful temp of approximately – perfect. ( I don’t know what the degree is) Probably 72.

I feel I have accomplished so much and therefore worthy of writing about. I need to run to the goodwill with clothes I haven’t worn in…. at least 2 years or more. But at least they are in a bag! I got to thinking while cleaning. I want to plant Lavender right outside my bedroom window. I have a room facing the street and one window faces the side of the house, so I am at the corner, and it would be perfect to add it right there at the corner. I love my little room because it gets the sunshine. The reason I chose it. Even though it is smaller then the other option…. less sunlight. I think it would be positively lovely to have a lavender bed. Last year I tried growing it and lets just say my manicured thumb is far from green. They grew fast and died fast. Yeah….

(Break in here ran to the dollar store)

Ok, I am back. I had to run to the dollar store for some laundry soap now that my clothes AND sheets are in the washing machine washing and spinning away I feel much, much better! ah…. I also put the kettle on to brew some good ole southern style sweet tea.

So anyway back to what I was saying … I love the idea of lavender growing outside my window. I just think that would be the neatest thing. Then when the breeze blows you would have the lovely scent of lavender filling up your room. Right now I have lit one of my favorite summer scented candles, and I do have favorite summer and winter scents. I love “clean cotton” from Yankee. I have had that one almost every spring. I put it out and it just reminds me of clothing hanging out on the line. I remember when I was young, mom would hang clothes out on the line to dry. I would go up and smell them…. they would get stiff and attract huge beetle type bugs. And while we were playing, we loved playing outside we lived way out in the country in big farm houses. But while we playing outside if big storm clouds ever came up on the horizon we knew we better tell mom and start grabbing the laundry baskets to take the clothes in before a big rain. The good ole days…

Right now I am sitting out on our little porch. I love porches. I am typing in the shade now.. I was sitting in the sun and it started really heating up! Praise the Lord!!!

Have you ever thought that the best things in life come free? I sure did today. I am just having a WONDERFUL day today. I feel like my heart is bursting forth with thanksgiving to Jesus. I like to think it’s not just because the sun is shining in my part of the world but it might be! I was made for the Sun! I like to think of my relationship with Jesus that way as well.

Today as I was cleaning… .I was humming to myself some of my favorite songs. One of them was “Coat of many colors” reminds me of my Mother Love you mom!! Anyway, there is a part in the song that says “One is only poor only if he choose to be…” while she sings about growing up in the smoky mountains not having any clothes yet having a loving family…. that really hit me. So many times I want nicer things. I want to be able to go to school and not have loans to pay back for it. I want a reliable car. I want to be able to go on trips and not have to work part time after school full time….. I think of myself not as poor but maybe a little close to not having a whole lot of extra! Hahah….. as I thought about this today I was hit with the lesson… that the best things in life, they come free. I am only poor or ( in my case, don’t have extra) if I choose to not have extra. Clothes lines on summer days, the sound of the washing machine workin away, sweet tea, sittin in the front porch, taking a walk, listening to the birds, planting springtime flowers, walking in a wide open field, the wind in my curtains, the smell of grass being cut, the smile on my Nephew’s face, sunshine…. they all come free. I just get to enjoy them. Maybe I do shop at the dollar store, I actually really love the dollar store, you can find some cute clothes there… and live from paycheck to paycheck but I am only poor when I choose to be. And I say God has blessed me a whole lot.

I hope that you have a great day today enjoying the sunshine… or wherever you are. I know I am. I think I here my tea kettle singing…. time to fix the sweet tea then head off to work.

Ok, I was just reading my dear Brother Kyle’s blog the other day and noticed his post about this book. I had to go out and get it. Of course, in my stop at the Christian Bookstore I found so many books I wanted. One of which I did purchase and I will also post here later … very good book. But this one….. Crazy Love, was the reason for my going. This book is by Francis Chan. I have enjoyed Francis’ videos online. You should look them up if you haven’t seen them.

This book gives you a fresh new look at what our relationship with God should really be like. I love books about loving God. Ever since I was young (younger than I am now) I have realized the most important thing I can ever do is love God. As that is what God said Himself. This is one book that takes me farther along in that pursuit. I want to love Him so much more than I do. I want to have a CRAZY love for Him…One thing Francis said I wanted to share here… “He doesn’t need us at all…. yet he loves us and doesn’t stop wanting a relationship…. we DESPERATELY need Him yet we act like we can take Him or leave Him”. Wow. He points out that our relationship with Christ needs help. We need to really awaken to a deeper love for our First Love, Jesus, once again.

Go to his website… www.crazylovebook.com and watch the videos there. I watched one last night I think it was called “awesome factor” about how small we really are! I was speechless when I got done watching it…. speechless. Which, I think, was the point.

May we all enjoy the deepest love in the world with the only one worth giving our all for…

I have always loved Nancy Demoss and her heart for truth. I noticed, as I visit her website often, that she has a new book out with another author Dannah Gresh. “Lies Young Women Beleive” Visit the “Lies Young Women Believe” website. www.lieswomenbelieve.com

Get this book! It’s up-to-date and directly deals with issues young women face today.

I want to share a little tip that has helped me in my quiet times with Jesus in the morning. I try to pray as well as read my Bible, (of course) and sometimes if I haven’t made it up early enough to beat everyone else it’s a little hard to think about praying so… writing my prayers down is something I have tried to do for a while. Though I am not as faithful as I want to be I have done if for a few years now.

I love these little journals. They are called “Moleskine”. My dear Brother Kyle got me my first one for my birthday. And I loved it. I like the mini size one. It’s perfect size for me. I have so many thoughts prayers in this little black book. I love to take it out and look through them. I am revived in my walk. And lately tears came to my eyes at how GOOD God has been to me! I have written out prayers when I was going through very happy times in my life and… at one of the hardest times in my life when I so needed His direction. I have prayers from the green hills of New Zealand and to driving through Mexico on a bus (and you can tell by my messing handwriting as I wrote out a prayer).

These are so special to me now! I look back and I am encouraged when I doubt the faithfulness of my God I am rubuked by my own words and by God’s hand of faithfulness always on my life. I would love to write a few out here one day. So, whatever you do to make your quiet times special I think you should have a journal and write out your prayers to God. It’s so worth it! Jim Elloit did this and his writings and openess always encourage me. I am amazed at God’s work in his life. I would never have known half of the awesome work God did do in His life had he not taken the time to write them down. I am glad he did. He is my hero.

Get a journal and write your prayers down! It will AMAZE you at the faithfulness of your awesome God! And how many prayers He has answered in your life. Yes it will because He is faithful.

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear Children. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Eph. 5:1-2

Just think! We have the opportunity today to live in such a way that we are a beautiful aroma to God. Just like Christ was when He gave Himself as a sacrifice. The sacrifices today we have to make will not go unnoticed! They will be like a beautiful flower before the Lord, giving off a beautiful aroma He loves.

Jane Austen lovely classics we love are now airing on PBS! I would love to watch them but we don't have that channel.

I am interested in getting these new movies soon. Of course my Mom's all time favorite is the PBS version of "Pride and Prejudice".

If you would like to see the line up of these classics see there webpage.

Also, for those of you single girls out there, who don’t have much to do (cause after all we are single! Hahah that’s the beauty of it!) you can now rate “The Men Of Austen” You can see all kinds of stats on them like how much they make per year, their interests, where they live, how much they make…. you know the important things. Though I will admit looks won out for me and I voted for well… I guess I will keep that a secret. You vote and let me know and then I will tell you who I voted for. It was a close tie for me.

I am looking forward to seeing “Persuasion” and possibly “Northanger Abbey”. And make sure if you have PBS to make it a girls night and watch them and then let me know how you liked them.

I’ve called you to be royalty, My princess.
You don’t have to conform to the wordrobe of this world to feel good about yourself. Remember, what you wear initially defines what people think about you. I want your wordrobe to honor Me. You don’t need to dress to get attention – I can make you more beautiful than any fashion designer because I specialize in internal and eternal makeovers. Your favor and beauty radiate because you are a reflection of Me. Keep in mind that those who design clothes to expose your body do not love your soul like I do. My love, let your wardrobe reveal my Spirit – not your flesh. So robe yourself today like the royalty you are.

Love,
your King and your eternal beauty

(Taken from His Princess by Sherri Rose Shepherd, former Mrs. USA)