A tribute to my Molly Bear

It’s time to start writing some healing words about the sad event of August 23rd, 2014. 
I’ve been to the depths of my sorrow about the passing of my Molly Bear, but the climb out of that pit is also a journey of happy memories and crazy love for a pooch that stole my heart. 

Some people say dogs are men’s best friends.  
Molly was more than that. 

She helped heal me and in that, I found a soul mate. 
Sounds crazy to some who don’t understand the depth of a dogs goodness, but to others… 
you will understand exactly what I am saying. 

Molly came to me from God. No doubt about it.  
We live in the middle of nowhere. 
And one dawn on my way to work… I saw a dark lump in our one track dirt lane. 
This lane has trees and hills on one side, and a creek on the other. There is NO going around things. 
I thought this lump was a dead baby coon that someone had probably already hit. To be on the safe side, however, I stopped my Expedition and climbed out into the valley where the lane runs…and walked over to where this “lump” lay..
.
****

Let me stop here for a moment. 
I have some history here you need to understand..ok.. you may not understand, and that’s ok..but hearing it will help you “get” my frame of mind, at this time, in my life.

I hadn’t been on this land long. MId June and it was now late October. 
And the pain of my journey up until now, up until this place that gave me hope for healing and promise of love and acceptance… was still very very raw. 
I was on my way to a love of a lifetime,

but I needed to heal from an insignificance that tried to define me, or destroy me…

I felt abandoned by family, forgotten by friends, and lost without my children…
but decisions… that led me to the happiest place in my life, where I am now loved beyond measure by my husband,and where I have come to find a peace from God that passes all understanding…

were decisions that left scars and hurt and pain… 

Now, in late October… I was a mess. 

****
“IT’S A PUPPPPPPYYYYYY”, I exclaimed to the woods and that babbling creek… 
She looked up to me with those sweet brown eyes I would come to adore, and whimpered… slowly scooting her terrified little 5 week old self … toward my feet. 
I was instantly in love. 
I scooped this baby up and cried into her fluffy fur. 
“Who would have left you, here , in the middle of nowhere, little Honey Bear?” 

and then I heard the whisper in my heart…
“I did” … from God. 
Quiet tears continued to slide onto her little neck and back… and I cuddled her close and claimed..
“you are mine”  

Getting back in the truck I didn’t care that I might be late for work .  
I didn’t care that I had no where to turn around and had to carefully back down the lane from where I had come. 

I had a puppy. 
A God given puppy. 
A puppy that was going to hear my every ache, every joy, every sorrow, every happiness, 
Get soaked by tears
and cuddled until she would gently try to squirm away. 
A puppy who wouldn’t care my faults, 
who wouldn’t judge me my failures, and
who wouldn’t evaluate my goodness
or try to define my worthiness. 

She was just going to love me…
she was just going to rejoice in every moment I gave her…
she was going to delight in my presence and be ridiculously glad I was in her life. 
She was going to become a confidante. 
A Protector
My Champion, supporter, friend, a listener, and guardian angel. 

She took everything I ever said to her..and listened
and adored me. 
She wanted to please constantly and was a great High Fiver!! 
It didn’t matter if I had left the room for 5 seconds… she was glad when I came back. 

This dog was more than a dog…wanting a meal and a good game of fetch…
She was more than family… I have lived a life where at times, family have hurt me in unmentionable ways… 
She was more than a friend…who, sometimes turn on you.. or betray…

She was an extension of me. She was the container of all my secrets. 
The receptacle of many tears and
The observer of my moods… know just when to come place her head in my lap. 
I could cuddle her and hug and her and she’d never try to leave. 

She was Good. 

That is all. Just Good. 

And she helped heal me. 

And the sweetest Bear you would ever want to meet! 🙂  
So joyful, and had eyes that looked at you- really looked at you- 
and was also grateful YOU were in HER life. 

Molly, 
Your 9 years here were too short, but you did exactly what you were sent to do… 
and that is… 
to
remind me 
show me 
and display to me…

the kind of human I want to be…
One that would honor the memory of a good dog, by
being all that good dog got to be.

Ah, the pain is raw again..
Because the loss is great…
But I know you’re in a better place, Girl.

Thank you for helping to heal me.
Thank you for love and devotion.
For listening to every ridiculous word. 
For wiping every dropped tear. 
For enjoying your life, no matter what … 
and teaching me.. to enjoy mine. 

It will never be taken for granted or forgotten.
Your place in my heart is one of a kind…

and I will always Love you and treasure each moment you gave me. 

 

Shameless plug

It’s my birthday.

Go Me!

😁

That is all
Carry on

P.s
I am registered at Barnes & Noble
And
Starbucks

Ok,
Not really

But
Yeah
….

Love those places! 😉

PONDERING

Hi Friends! 

It’s late for me to be up , here on The Homestead, but it’s been a busy and full day and I’m just getting some down time. 
If I told you I was in “Ponder mode”…would you know what I was talking about? 

Well.. I always think of Jesus’ Mother, Mary, when I hear the word, PONDER. 
After the Angel of the Lord appeared to her and told her of her pregnancy and life ahead as the Mother of God’s Son,
Scripture says, she took all of those things and PONDERED them in her heart. 

My heart is in ponder mode.  Nope. I’m not pregnant. 🙂 LOL  But… big things are coming and in a sense, being “birthed”  by God in my heart and life. These are the things I’m rolling over and over in my heart.  Now, If I spoke them all to you, that would no longer be “pondering” … so I’m not ready to speak them…
but it’s exciting and scary
and motivating and paralyzing  
all at the same time!
When God has called you , He will Equip you…and I’m counting on that. 
The “pondering” comes in to play with one of the questions I can imagine Mary asked:  “why me? ”  “Why choose ME?”  “Who is this Lord, You’re making ME? ”  

I keep thinking about the fact that, sure,  there really are some things I’m kinda “ok” at.  Ok, maybe even “good” at.. I mean, I got some skill!  LOL …
In fact, I can say with confidence that there are definitely some areas that I could ROCK… should the doors open for that possibility. Not bragging, just sayin’… there are thinnnnngs.  LOL 
But , in my life, I find that those are not often the doors that open.
Sometimes they do,maybe in “smallish” ways, and sometimes they do in little bit bigger ways too, but often,
never with too much permanence…and honestly, if those doors do open to me, I find they are usually there for me to walk thru to help EQUIP someone else, for the job. After all,
I KNOW how to do those things. I’m GOOD at some of those things. I’ve DONE those things before with success. And I CAN with CONFIDENCE accomplish what needs to be done.  EXPERIENCE is on my side. 
And… there is nothing wrong in that … being good at something, skilled and knowledgeable. Sometimes, it is exactly what is needed.
However, 

Let me ask you this:  Where is God in that? 
*ponder…

I mean, 
I don’t really need Him.  I “GOT” it. 
I can handle it. 
I can do it. 
I can ROCK it.
I’m not stretched, 
I’m not honed.
I’m not discouraged. 
I’m not worried, 

I GOT it… no prob. 

That’s why those doors don’t stay open with permanence.  That’s why those doors sometimes close before I even have a foot in them. 
Don’t let this scare you…
But
Maybe,
God wants you in the “freak out zone”

O,O

He wants you where HE is going to shine, 
Because YOU DON’T “GOT” it. 
Because you can’t handle it
Because you can’t do it. 
Cant ROCK it, 
Are stretched beyond imagination
Honed beyond comfort
Discouraged by your own failure..and worried to death… 

Because He wants YOU to WANT HIM so that HE is the ONE that is SEEN. 

*enter Ponder mode again…

Leaders that are good at what they are do, are good, because they have the skill necessary to do the job. 
Leaders that are GREAT at what they do, are GREAT, because they had to develop the skill necessary to do the job. 

I want God to DEVELOP me. 

Take me to the Freak out Zone..
He’s not going to leave me there…but, rather,
lead me there…
so that HE SHINES   🙂

Ready or not, here I go…

now.
Back to my “pondering” 

FOLLOW ME!

Right now, I’m in the midst of a lot of garden harvest! Tomatoes are going crazy, zucchini is out of control and the cukes are beginning to take off!
I’ll be posting more and more here on my blog as I get out of my garden and back into the kitchen, but for now…
you can keep up with me pretty well on Social media!
Twitter @HomesteaderKay
or on my Facebook Page, The Homesteader’s Pantry
or on Instagram : HomesteaderKay

Links and likes are at the very bottom of this blog roll….so, keep on scrollin and find me on Social Media!
I’d love to stay in touch!!!

Our Next Best Step.

What if …
we all just took
our next best step?
I mean… Say for instance, you want to lose 40 pounds. Instead of looking at that 40lbs as a whole big “chunk”… No pun intended… Lol…
What if you broke it into steps…
And then,
just looked at the next best one?

It’s dinner time. So, Eat a salad…

Next best step.

You think you’re supposed to write a book. Start journaling every day…

Next best step.

Or, I don’t know…
Maybe something like:
You’re thinking about purchasing a brand new car. Make the payment to yourself for three months, see if it works in your budget…

Next best step.

My point is two fold:
1) Don’t let the BIG picture, idea or move
Paralyze you.
Afraid to make the wrong move often leads to not making ANY move at all!

Take your next best step.

That step might just be a small notion or it may be a tremendous leap… But make it your next BEST forward motion!
Do something ! and concentrate on THAT… Not on the whole big concept.
Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day… And often, neither are our dreams.

Just make the next BEST step.

And 2)
Plan another step.
Again… Paralysis can set in if you let it. One successful move is not an automatic set up for success. Keep making your next best move!

Eat your salad for dinner and plan tomorrow’s dinner while you are successful at today’s!
Don’t wait for tomorrow to be here and allow the sabotage of cravings to plan your dinner!
See?
Next best Step

Write today’s journal post and end it with a question you have to answer in tomorrow’s journal post!
See?
Next best Step

Make your “fake” car payment to yourself this payday, and then budget into the next pay period your insurance premium.
See?
Next best Step.

Plan it.

So… What are you trying to move toward? Your dream. Write it down.
What can you do today that is a step in that direction? Just something, anything… Write it down on the calendar THIS week.
What is the next potential step? Plan it.
Write it down on the next best day on your calendar.

Your dream is realized by moving toward it…
One next best step after another.

NEW !!!

Ok, Homesteaders!!!  The Dips page has been updated!

Come visit this page to see all the delicious dips, from savory to sweet, that you can enjoy from The Homesteader’s Pantry.

And keep in mind, these are not just PARTY foods, these are PANTRY foods!
Great as appetizers or as a little something to get you through until a late supper, after school snacks, work lunch, munchies, a side dish…

Great with veggies, crackers , chips , or pretzils… these NEED to be a “go to” for you.

Thanks for shopping!

Ah, SHUCKS!

‘Tis the season!!!  The season for CORN… and whether you like it cut off the cob, or nibbled off the cob, this seasoning is going to take it to… as my Pastor says, “a whoa’ ‘notha level!”
It’s mouth watering, lip lickin’, yet no fuss, and marries perfectly with the sweetness of the corn.
You gotta #getsome :  CORN ON THE COB BOIL

HInt’s of garlic, salts, red pepper, onion, and … honey!  Yup.

Sweetin’ the sweet… then lick your lips and thank me.

Seriously, tho… you’ve been having normal ol’ sweet corn all summer haven’t you?
Come on now, bring a change to it that you will love with your dinner, and want as a snack!

Corn ON the cob not a big hit in your home, but love it straight from a freezer bag, or even just cut off the cob.. well, this is great for that too!

It’s one little packet that can change up something you already love, and make it even better!
I promise!

Corn often gets a bad rap. Overused, hard on specialty diets, high in sugar, and full of GMO’s if you don’t buy organic. WELL>>>
don’t gasp, but corn has GOOD properties in it as well!
For Instance,
#didyouknow  :  Corn is really high in potassium, and potassium is good for improving blood pressure
#didyouknow  : Corn is high in antioxidants. More rich in them even, than wheat, rice and oats.
#didyouknow  : Corn contains carotenoids, which help protect the eyes from damaging rays.

Ah, Shucks! Bet you didn’t know that, huh!

Get some and try this new mix out! Do your health some good, while making your tummy happy!

It’s grilling Season!

Ok Homesteaders, whether Country or City… We all love our grills! What are your favorite things to grill? Talk to me about them! I’d love to share some new rubs to change up your repertoire a little bit!
For instance…. Philly style steak seasoning. ER mahhh Gerd…. Mmmm

Seriously….. This is ridiculous good on steak, chicken or pork! In fact, it’s soooo good you may find yourself licking your plate! And don’t try to tell me I’m the only one! I know better. I’ve been witness to such adult shenanigans. Yes, I’ve seen other grown adults turn from the table and sweetly say,”Oh, here, let me take my plate to the sink for you!”…To actually catch them in mid lick as they are turning from the table.

Yes. Unashamed.

It is that worthy!

Goood Morning Monday! It’s a new day!

It certainly is “a new day!”

It was a very busy weekend, getting a website up and running! For some of you it may not be such a big deal but for me it involved a lot of research and equipping myself with knowledge I didn’t have in order to do it! Needless to say it was an adventure!

I hope you take time today to look over the site and then let me know what you think! I still have some pages to fill-in and I still have some pages to add – for instance there is going to be a specials page and price list…. But the exciting part is, there is eventually -and I hope sooner rather than later , if I can figure it out …lol…

going to be an online store where you can actually just go choose the mixes you want and check out!

I’m excited about this and I’m praying that God takes it exactly in the direction He wants it to go! However, This website is about more than food… It’s about feeding people.

Feeding People… Yes,  good food , but also healthy tips and honest faith! I’ve always loved to cook and build recipes and feed people delicious meals… But God has been redefining my desire to feed people lately and those areas include learning about and teaching the LIFE that is in our food and also learning healthy tips to extend our life here on this earth and help give it that “more abundant” promise.

And certainly not last, He has been redefining “feed people” in the area of His Word , calling me to speak it out, write it down, teach it, preach it and share it. It’s this last part that’s a little scary to me -after all, “who am I?”…but I’m trusting Him for this direction and I know he will equip me for what He is calling me to!

So, my friends,  welcome to The Homesteader’s Pantry… I hope you like it here!

FOLLOW ME!

…a shameless plug to have you follow my blog/website! 🙂