Planting Seeds of Joy and Encouragement

A Small Daily Dose of Devotion ....

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34 (NIV) * I believe God is managing affairs and that He doesn't need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe everything will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about. ~Henry Ford ♥ .


Almost every day on Facebook, I try to plant a small seed of joy - a posted Bible verse. I know that many of you may not be my Facebook "friend" but maybe you could use a daily dose of encouragement too. This is a new feature that I am going to try to remember to add on my blog daily and if time allows (my time with God and my family always come first), I will try to expand on the post.

Country FarmHouse Blessings,

       ~*♥*~  Lori  ~*♥*~

Planting Seeds of Joy and Encouragement

A Small Daily Dose of Devotion ....

My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (MSG)

Have you ever felt like you were at the end of your rope? What should I do? Where should I turn? All of have had this experience in life.

Thomas Jefferson once said, "When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on."

When you feel as if you have reached your limit - the end of the rope - what do you do? Where do you turn. I know what I do - I turn to God. I pray without ceasing, knowing He is in control. I know through life that He gives me experiences - some good, some not. The "not so good" experiences are to make me stronger in my faith, dependent upon God and His strength.

What do I do? I look up at the sky. Have you ever really just looked at the sky - it goes on forever and ever, never ending. When I need to be reminded of "God's control in my life", the sky is a perfect reminder. God is the Almighty One - always in control. The sky reminds me of just how big God really is - His love for me. His grace and mercy for me. - A never ending Guide.

If God can make the universe and everything in it, can you imagine what kind of control He can have in our life if we just let Him? WOW! Powerful? You bet.

The next time, you are having doubts or your faith is wavering, look to the sky - imagine the sky as God's outstretched hands protecting you, watching over, reminding you that He is in control. * Have a Wonderful Day!

Almost every day on Facebook, I try to plant a small seed of joy - a posted Bible verse. I know that many of you may not be my Facebook "friend" but maybe you could use a daily dose of encouragement too. This is a new feature that I am going to try to remember to add on my blog daily and if time allows (my time with God and my family always come first), I will try to expand on the post.

Country FarmHouse Blessings,

       ~*♥*~  Lori  ~*♥*~

Planting Seeds of Joy and Encouragemnt

A Small Daily Dose of Devotion ....

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NLT) * Had a bad day: confess it and move forward. We all make mistakes! Don't be Discouraged! We become what we think ... Discouraging thoughts lead to giving up. We want to 'keep on keeping on'! Have a Wonderful Day!

Almost every day on Facebook, I try to plant a small seed of joy - a posted Bible verse. I know that many of you may not be my Facebook "friend" but maybe you could use a daily dose of encouragement too. This is a new feature that I am going to try to remember to add on my blog daily and if time allows (my time with God and my family always come first), I will try to expand on the post.

Country FarmHouse Blessings,

       ~*♥*~  Lori  ~*♥*~

Planting Seeds of Joy and Encouragement

A Small Daily Dose of Devotion ....

 Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 (NIV) * Don't Quit! Whatever you are facing or experiencing right now, keep going; depending on God. Don't Give Up! It's easy to quit, it takes faith to go through it! ♥  Have a Beautiful Day!

Almost every day on Facebook, I try to plant a small seed of joy - a posted Bible verse. I know that many of you may not be my Facebook "friend" but maybe you could use a daily dose of encouragement too. This is a new feature that I am going to try to remember to add on my blog daily and if time allows (my time with God and my family always come first), I will try to expand on the post.

Country FarmHouse Blessings,

       ~*♥*~  Lori  ~*♥*~

Planting Seeds of Joy and Encouragement

A Small Daily Dose of Devotion ....

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he... Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV) * Our thoughts are powerful - what we think, we become. Our attitudes reflect our thoughts. Right thinking is a necessity - good thoughts produce good actions. Prayer can help your right thinking - depend on God's help to change your thoughts and your attitudes will change also. * Have a Beautiful Day!

Almost every day on Facebook, I try to plant a small seed of joy - a posted Bible verse. I know that many of you may not be my Facebook "friend" but maybe you could use a daily dose of encouragement too. This is a new feature that I am going to try to remember to add on my blog daily and if time allows (my time with God and my family always come first), I will try to expand on the post.

Country FarmHouse Blessings,

       ~*♥*~  Lori  ~*♥*~

~*♥*~ Blogging 2011 ~*♥*~

Always be a first-rate version of yourself,instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.  ~Judy Garland

One of my goals for 2011 is to blog more consistently. I have always wanted to become a "better blogger" and it's not like I don't have something to say ... I can usually find something to talk about, it's finding someone to listen that can be the problem. I think quite honestly, I am just plain scared. What if I write and no one reads? Or I can't put my thoughts on paper (or in this case, computer)?

A very good friend once told me, "Just write what's in your heart, the rest will follow". I know that God has been leading me to journal/write more so I am just going to start. If you are still reading this, THANK YOU! and I hope to find a way to share my thoughts, my feelings, my story with you. My goal is to inspire others, maybe I have walked along some of the same pathways that you have; I can share my experiences and hopefully help guide you too. I hope you will walk with me (and please share your comments too) as I share my life as a wife, mom, daughter and a mamaw to my grandbabies. I will also share my FarmHouse recipes, FarmHouse designs, Life in the Country, Homestead Happenings (our homeschool inspirations, events and even the things that just didn't work for us), Decorating ideas and our Back to Basics lifestyle....

Come along!! Let's get started....

Who is Lori? * Jeremiah 29:11 - a Work in Progress * ♥ American Country FarmHouse Owner ♥ Child of God. Wife. Mom. Mamaw. Designer. Quilter. Loves to Cook & Bake. Crochet. Sew. Homeschooling Mama to Special Needs Teen. Fabric-aholic! ♥ I am a Country Farm girl who loves a good pair of jeans and a comfy pair of boots!! I try to start each and every day being obedient to God - reading and studying the Bible, doing my daily devotions - and then encourage and inspiring others to do the same and live their God-given Dreams. I like my Trucks BIG and my Tractors RED (it is my favorite color)! I have a love for old-fashion values and beliefs - including spending time with my family, living a simple life, gardening, recycling and most of all, remembering to ♥ Cherish my MOMents. ♥ I hope to inspire other moms and let them know that it's okay to "Be a Mom", Stay at Home with the Kids, keep house and be a loving wife!

I have been married for over 26 years to my very best friend. This in itself is quite an accomplishment because I wasn't EVER going to get married. My parents divorced and I saw what my mom had to go through - the good, the bad and the ugly. Marriage was NOT for me. Sure, I had prayed that God would send me a husband, but after my fair share of boyfriend-breakups (you know the ones that you were sure are the perfect man for you), I wasn't really sure that marriage was God's plan for me.

Guess what? God had other ideas and marriage was one that He was going to make happen. Make it happen?? Yes, after dating a very short time (3 months) and a motorcycle accident that almost cost my soon-to-be husband his leg, we were engaged. Six months later, we said our "I do's" with a small church wedding and a reception with mostly family and a few friends.
Twenty-six (plus) years, we are still together, as best friends, cherishing the moments, enjoying the journey, and most of all, walking along the path that God has chosen for us. 

♥ Making It Happen ♥

Stepping out of the "safe zone" and into the "faith zone" ... Trusting god each and every step of the way. We are moving mountains ... God's Journey is taking me places that I never thought possible ... and I would love to have you (and your friends) join me on this journey.

I can't promise an update every day (and most definitely not on the weekends) ... My promise to you is to share my story, thoughts and feelings as often as I possibly can. Thanks for joining me.

Country FarmHouse Blessings,

~*♥*~ Lori ~*♥*~

Country Girl Wish List

Making a List ... Checking it Twice!! This might be a good time to make a Christmas List or just a list of "Lori's Favorite Things"


A girl needs "country" transportation (shh - don't tell Nelli!) so let's start with this baby - a Yamaha Grizzly Special Edition...

2009 Yamaha Grizzly 700 FI Auto. 4x4 EPS Special Edition

Source: www.yamaha-motor.com

Yamaha Grizzly 700 FI Auto. 4x4 EPS Special Edition Home

Country FarmHouse Blessings,

♥ Lori ♥

Every Country Girl Needs...

Her Own Transportation

Everyone wants to know "Who's Nelli?" Here's my story....I have been driving a minivan for so many years that I was forgot what else is out there. I have always wanted a Yukon Denali (well for the last 2 years anyways). So one day last Spring, we went looking for a Yukon Denali. We were originally looking at a red Yukon Denali, but didn't really like it. My favorite color in trucks is BLACK so...

There sitting two cars down from the red one was a BLACK Yukon Denali XL - fully loaded. It has everything - Navigation, Heated Lumbar Seats, XM Radio, Power Sunroof, DVD entertainment system (we need something to occupy the tween when we are traveling) and so much more! Same price as the red one...hmm didn't take much to convince us to purchase this one.

Later that night, we were talking and hubby wanted to know what I was going to call it. After all, it's not a minivan, or a car, or a truck...so what to call it? SUV just seems like such a long name. I decided to call her "Nelli" - so much better than saying - go get in the vehicle or that thing in the driveway :-)!

So Meet NELLI....

A Daily Dose ...

A Daily Dose ....

Good Morning. Coffee! Taking the dogs out today, I noticed the flower beds need to be weeded; thought about the WEEDS in life. Things in life that are negatives; that crowd out the good things. Friends who make us feel uncomfortable or obligations that weigh us down. Is it time to WEED your life? Learn to say NO. Spend time with others who are positive examples, bring out the BEST in YOU. WEED Negatives, PLANT Positives!

As I was looking around at all the weeds this morning, I just couldn't help thinking about all the weeds that we carry in our lives. How many times we let the negatives in our lives overpower the positives.

It's not hard to be weighed down by negatives, just turn on a TV or open a newspaper. How many times have you felt overwhelmed by all the negativity in your own life? I know how difficult it can be - work, family, friends ... while many of these things can be a positive, they also sometimes bring negatives into our lives.

A couple of years ago, I made the decision to weed out the negatives. It is exhausting to go through day after day dealing with all the negativity in life. First decision, cancel newspaper subscription. I can read the news that I need online, but when the newspaper was in front of me, I felt the need to read it front to back, each and every section. By reading online, I can keep informed of the issues that are important to me.

Of course, we can't cancel family members ... and it seems that most families have at least one member that has nothing nice to say. This is what I have learned to do, first they can't make you upset unless you let them. In one ear, out the other. Don't take to heart what they are saying about you, others or even life circumstances, it's just their way. Deal with them in a positive way, you might actually see some changes in them the next time that you meet.

As I consciously made the decision a couple of years to change, I found that when someone said something negative, as long as I said to myself "delete" and put a positive in its place, it was easy to go through the day with more positives than negatives. I am human too and it's not always easy to practice what I preach, but the more I practice, the easier it becomes.

Eleanor Roosevelt said "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Make a list of the negatives in your life ... as you are writing down the negatives, look for the positive. Try to practice this continuously, even in your thinking.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

Hear a negative, say a positive! Think a negative, "delete", think a positive!

Country FarmHouse Blessings,

♥ Lori ♥

A Daily Dose ...

A Daily Dose ....

(I am going to try to start something new. I try to write inspirational messages every morning on Facebook and I would like to carry it into the blog with a little more depth. It can be hard for me to get on the computer first thing in the mornings, usually I use my BlackBerry, as I do a daily Bible Study, need to work out, take care of our special needs teen, etc.)

Good Morning. Coffee! QUIT! Why try anymore? How many times have you wanted to GIVE UP? Did you pray about this decision or are you acting on emotions? Followers of Jesus will say it doesn't make life easier. God puts us through trials; He wants to bring us closer to Him. When you are at the bottom, the only place to look is UP. Up to GOD. Life is Hard. Don't QUIT; PRAY! LISTEN! SEEK Him! Are you looking up today?

God does not want us to give up. He might have a different path for our life than what we want, but He will show you the direction to go if you will just listen to Him. If we are trying to walk through a closed door and it is not the direction God wants for our life, He will make it very difficult to open that door.

God wants us to follow Him along the path that He has chosen for our life. Some of us may have to take a curvy, winding road to get on that path; others may walk a straight road. I believe that some of us need to sometimes make a complete u-turn to find the path that God has chosen for our lives.

Just because we are following in God's direction, it doesn't mean that life will be easy. Sorry! God will give us trials and valleys in our life. Why? He wants to bring us closer to Him. He wants complete faith from us, like driving in the fog on a very dark night. You don't always know what is in front of you; a curve in the road, another vehicle, maybe even a farm animal, but you keep on going to reach your destination. That's what God wants and expects from us.

To receive guidance from God, we need to start with prayer. Make no decision without praying first. Read the Word. God will guide you as you read His book of Law. Be still and Listen. Spend quiet time with God daily. Take a walk, find a comfortable chair, whatever works for you and then open your heart and mind to Him. God will lead and guide you in the direction that He wants for your life.

Stay with God! Take heart. Don't quit. I'll say it again: Stay with God. Psalm 27:14 (The Message).

Look UP to GOD Today! Start your blessed journey with Him.

Primitive Country Blessings,

♥ Lori ♥