We've MOVED!!!

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to let you all know that we have moved our blog over to a Wordpress blog. Please join me over there!
Joy Light Life

Thanks everyone! Hope you are all having a beautiful Spring!!!
To God be the Glory.
Bethany Joy

My rather comical, unfinished, service dog training story

Hey everyone!

So I would just like to say that I have never claimed to be a dog trainer. I never desired to train dogs. I certainly never thought I would train a service dog. Service dog training takes roughly two YEARS to complete. This training comes from experts not horse training farm girls!
Well love will not only make you blind but it also makes you think you can do rather impossible things.  Daniel 'needs' a service dog, I will train a service dog. Simple right? Find a trainer, get them to help me train the dog, tada! It should be easy. Um, no.

So here is my rather comical, unfinished story of service dog training.
I picked out the perfect pup. Bought her the best dog food, which she refused to eat, a big ol comfy bed, which she used as a chew toy, and bought her a chew toy that she was not in the least bit interested in. This should have been my first sign that I didn't have it all figured out.
I went to California for three months and came back to find a full grow dog! Where was the puppy I left? Well she was right in front of me. This dog I came home to acted exactly like the puppy I left. Run by kissings, knocking people over (not realizing she was to big to jump on people now), impossible to walk on a leash, and just crazy. So I quickly signed up for petsmart obedience classes. Of course I checked to make sure they wouldn't interfere with the service dog training I hoped to have her complete. The trainer assured me it wouldn't. So we started those classes.
First class - Chloe tried to play with every dog in the store (which is quite a few). She slobbered the trainer's supplies while she wasn't looking. The other dog in the class tried to eat her. Oh and when the trainer tried working with her she completely zoned out. The trainer couldn't even lure her with a treat.. It was pitiful. Thankfully the next class was better. We slowly improved but the classes really weren't fit for a service dog. Way to laid back in the sense of training, and way to rushed in the sense of getting the dog to understand. It might be perfect for a pet but not for a working dog. I decided we would finish the class and end at that until I found a trainer (who I had been searching for day and night).
We actually missed her graduation... haha! I felt super bad about that but found it a wee bit funny.

I then started REALLY looking for a trainer. One man was had a bad record for stealing dogs and dog fighting, another was 85 years old and in bad health...really wish he would have been able to help though because he sounded perfect for the job. Everyone else simply told me know. What I was asking was unusual, unheard of, and just not allowed in their training programs. Impossible is what they would say. Impossible to train your own service dog, impossible to train a dog to be a service dog if it were not with the disabled person 100% of the time, impossible to work with a 2 year old boy, impossible.

The word impossible is what people often told me about Miracle. My trained, arabian gelding. Impossible to train your own horse, especially a horse like THAT. Haha, well it turns out this task was possible. Possible by a lot of prayer, God's grace, and amazing friends. If I could train my own horse without ever having a lesson before I could train my own service dog.

I still don't have a trainer but I do see God answering my prayers.
Service dogs wear a vest when they are working right? Well when you take this vest off they are off duty. They get to be almost like a normal dog.
I have been working with Chloe on this. Instead of using a vest I have simply been using her harness. Tonight she was running free, causing havoc, being her usual self when she ran by me. Now usually I would put her leash on, tie it around me as fast as possible, and then be dragged through the mud before putting her in her pen. This has been our routine for some time now.
TONIGHT though she ran up to me, let me put the leash on her and then proceeded to calmly walk with me around the farm. Politely greet my father (who she usually tackles), and then walk to her kennel. She finally got it! It was like our light bulb moment. As soon as I took the leash off she started up like her usual self bouncing around her pen as if to say, "I did it!"
To say I am proud of my pup is an understatement. I think we have just had a breakthrough! A miracle!

My tip to the unknowing person who thinks they should train a service dog.
1. Do not go out on a whim to do this. Study the breed of dog and what exactly you want to train the dog to do before trying to find a dog.
2. Do not buy the cutest dog buy the smartest, the one that matches the requirements for your service dog. As a puppy you kind of have to guess a little. My suggestion - don't get the craziest one of the litter!
3. Don't ever take Impossible for an answer. The word itself says, "I'm possible". With God all things are possible. With God an unsuspecting, horse training, farm girl can train a service dog.

So with that I end my unfinished, somewhat comical, service dog training story.
Have a great weekend!
To God be the Glory.
Bethany Joy

A "Fixer" And The Sovereignty Of God

What happens when you have a Tinker Bell personality and a Sovereign God? Well let me tell you my story, a story that continues today.

...He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ...

Philippians 1:6 

I find this to be so true in my life. I see Him working in me through so many different situations.
There was a time when if even a mouse (I enjoyed saving the little mice from our kitties when I was younger) died I would cry. When our first lamb died I was crushed, then our family milk cow died - crushed, then 4 kid goats died - you got it - crushed. Each time it was a lesson. I had such a hard time when each animal died because I couldn't control the situation. I wasn't in charge. God was NOT obeying me! How unfair, right? Haha..well I learned. Slowly, but I did. I finally learned that all I could do was my best and my best needed to start with God. I learned that each injured chicken and sick goat belonged to God and that He loved them too. I learned I could trust Him with the life of HIS creations.

...Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 

Luke 12:6

He wasn't done though. Life involves a lot more than sick and injured livestock. As a lot of you know, Daniel Justice Wood came into our lives. You could say Daniel is the apple of my eye. God did some amazing things to bring Daniel into our lives. I am not sure if it is possible to  properly convey to you how much I love him...He is my little brother, he dances with me through the kitchen as I prepare meals, he hugs my neck as he slowly drifts to sleep, he smiles and waits for me to kiss his forehead before nap time, when I call his name his blue eyes light up and sparkle...I know he loves me too. He does this with each of my family members.
Daniel was born with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy though. We knew this when we brought Daniel into our home but I don't think I really understood how DMD would make such an impact. Well, DMD didn't change anything - Daniel changed EVERYTHING. How could God create a child that would change my life so completely and then give that same little boy a deadly thing like DMD? What was I going to do if/when Daniel went back to Jesus? How was I going to react when Daniel could no longer walk? What was I going to do? Questions like this bothered me...haunted me. Each day God has chiseled at my heart, slowly, carefully, lovingly. He was being faithful even when doubt surrounded me.
He reminded me of Joy (our milk cow), the wounded livestock, the goats, and every other little animal that I had ever cared for. He was faithful then, why would I question Him now?

 ...Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. 

Matthew 10:29-31

Is this not true? I found myself looking through the Bible and actually looking for God not for pretty sounding words. Not for what I wanted to hear but for what He wanted to tell me. I started looking for a relationship with Christ. As I did this, I found God showing me that He had a plan for everyone's life. Just because there is a diagnosis doesn't mean He isn't still the same sovereign God he was before the diagnosis. I learned that everyone's life is numbered. He opened my eyes. I was being selfish and prideful.
I am happy to say that nearly 2 years later I can say "thy will be done", and mean it. Daniel hasn't gotten healthier, but God hasn't changed either. God is a sovereign God who we can trust with the simplest and most urgent matters. Nothing is too big for our God.
God doesn't have to heal Daniel. God's plans are better than mine. I may not understand them completely but I can confidently say that I don't have to fix this. This situation doesn't need pixie dust or a fairy tale ending because God already has it under control. I know He will let me know when I need to move.

Thank God we do not have to "fix" things ourselves! Thank God that He is sovereign! Thank God that He is God!

To God be the Glory.

Bethany Joy

Spring Lambs and Beginnings

We had our first surprise lambs this week! Such cuties..
Elisha, my older brother, is their shepherd. He cares for all our sheep and recently decided to start selling them to the company our family hauls for (Azure Standard). We are excited about this for him! Although this new business adventure is all Elisha's, he has allowed me to work along side him in search for pastures, equipment, and livestock. It is such an honor to help my big brother as he gets started with this work. He is a wonderful caretaker of all our livestock.
When I returned from California last fall he informed me he had found a herd of sheep he was considering purchasing. Because he was going to leave to California that next week I needed to help make sure the sheep were of good breeding quality and that sort of thing. My mother and I went out to visit the farmer who had raised this herd and he shared with us about his livestock and how he raised them. It was very nice getting to know him a little! He was very helpful and after several phone calls we decided to purchase the sheep.
Elisha was pleased with them when he returned home. We both agreed he needed a border collie to help herd the sheep though so we started that search. My sister actually found out about a breeder that had a couple pups for sale. We were excited and after visiting the man we brought home a fluffy fur ball of energy. Cara loves Elisha! It is so sweet to watch the little pup and her master work with the sheep.
Like I said, this week we had our first lambs born. Although they needed a little help at first, momma and ramling are now doing well. We were surprised at how early they were born and are now anxiously awaiting the arrival of the rest of the lambs. If Elisha and I are right we should have 40 lambs this spring! How exciting...I can hardly wait! Cara (Elisha's pup) is watching that momma and lamb like a hawk. She loves he job and I would be surprised if she let those two out of her sight for more than a minute. ;-)

Looking forward to many more happy beginnings this year! 

To God be the Glory.

Bethany Joy

Horse training, dog training, and everything else...

Chloe has the habit of running off with no thought for the poor human that will have to try and catch her. Or perhaps she has put a lot of thought into this and enjoys the chase? Hm, I don't know. Either way, it takes a lot of work to catch that fluffy pup! A couple nights ago I decided to just open the gate and willingly let her run around like crazy while I fed the horses. She actually stayed. Didn't run off without me. Just STAYED! It was rather nice for a change. I told her "okay let's go" and she took off like I had expected she would. As I fed the horses Chloe would run around to me and see what I was doing. When I finished I called Chloe and she nearly knocked me over! I can be happy she came though. What a good pup! We plan to take our Good Citizen Test later this year. Our trainer thinks we have a good chance of passing! :-)

Miracle is getting to be a "old" horse. 12 or 13 years old now...Where did the time go?! Well, I haven't been able to ride the silly old horse because his bridle broke in the pasture. I'll be getting that fixed soon so that we can start riding again. I sure can't wait for those summer day horse rides and playing in his water trough!
Promise is also doing good. She insist on covering herself in mud or anything else that she finds any chance that she gets. What an odd little thing! It is fun to see how different my horses are. Miracle is rather spooky when it comes to certain things (like his shadow, the dark, anything that resembles cardboard, haha!) while Promise will gladly play with the tarps and conquer anything she sees as a challenge! This is good and bad. Good, because she doesn't bolt at the sight of a trash bag blowing in the wind. Bad because sometimes she thinks I am a challenge! I often wonder what have I gotten myself into but then she comes up and nuzzles me with her soft nose and I think it is all worth it. ;-)

My trips to VA, KY, TN, and Cincinnati Ohio are coming up. What are your traveling tips? I am so excited about these trips! We will be going to the Derby, several other events, and the creation museum. My mother and I will go to VA for a homeschooling/online marketing conference and then do some touring. I am pretty excited. I'll make sure to keep you all updated on my travels! It is bound to be eventful!

Have a great week.
To God be the Glory.
Bethany Joy

The Big Chair

It's been a really great week. It started with the birth of Emily Constance Yohn (my niece). She is just precious! Bekah and Jacob are so proud of their little girl. I don't think she could be any more perfect! She also has the most adorable pouting face. ;-) 

So that's how our week started . The next morning I woke up to the phone ringing. I then realized that Jacob was at home with his wife and baby girl...then I realized that the phone wasn't going to stop ringing until I either unplugged it or answered the call. I figured answering the call would be the best way to go. ;) Jacob will be out of the office for another week or so which means I get the "big chair" all to myself! I don't have to share. YAY! Well actually, I am really just enjoying getting to know our new customers. They are more like friends than customers (the chair is just like a bonus). My mother says "99% of our customers are the best people America has to offer. The other 1% are people that make us better." It is really true! Lucky for me, I haven't ran into any of that 1%! Everyone has been so happy for Jacob (they kind of like talking to him so I had to explain why he was gone) and really friendly to me. I have even been able to set some of our customers up with new drops. It is always a good day when I can call a customer with good news and let them know their drop was approved! 

I am not sure if I will let Jacob back into the office. He might have to fight for his chair back... and his desk. I really like his desk! ;-) 

My work is calling me back to...well...work.

To God be the Glory. 

Bethany Joy

Dog training, Horse training, and everything else

Since coming home I have gotten back in my routine of training the horses and my playful pup. So, I thought I'd update you on what I've been up to. 

Miracle- Really surprised me and has mellowed out a ton. My feisty Arabian is finally growing up. It is good to see that the work I have put into him has paid off. He does not tolerate my playful pup well so I will be working with him on that but I plan to ride later today! :-)

Promise- ah, where to start... She is a sassy little thing! She has a good heart but that only goes so far. I will be working with her on showing more respect and preparing her for the saddle work I plan to do with her when the spring rolls around. 

Chloe- Still as much a puppy as ever. She is now 65 lbs! The ladies at the vet office love watching her grow but couldn't believe she had grown so much since we were last in there. 

Yesterday, I took her to obedience training. She is totally A.D.D but that's okay.  She knew everything because I had already taught her those basic rules but she was to distracted to actually do what I was asking. So, I will be working on getting her to focus a little more before our class next week. I am super excited to see where this goes! 

Chloe checking out the trainer's supplies while she isn't looking. Smart dog! ;-) 

Yesterday we also found Elisha the border collie he has been looking for! It is so sweet to watch them together. It is a little girl who is currently nameless. He is working on finding her the perfect name. This morning "nameless" helped Elisha do his morning chores and followed him everywhere he went. She is not a fan of Chloe but that is fine because nameless is going to be a working dog and really just needs to bond with Elisha. 

Elisha has started his sheep business and will be selling to Azure. We are all pretty excited for him! I am hoping this dog will be a good help to Elisha as he cares for his flocks. He is a wonderful shepherd!

Elisha and Nameless

Christmas with Family and Our Travels

Hey all!

So, I’ll catch you up on our travels.

First we drove two days straight…no stopping! That was a LONG trip… We arrived at our grandparent’s home late at night, they greeted us on the porch. Their house was decorated in tons of Christmas lights, Santa decor, and everything Christmas. It was beautiful! We all decided to save the tour of the house for later and to instead snuggle up in our beds.

The next morning us ladies cooked breakfast with grandma, but not until we had slept in until an unreasonable hour. ;-) The rest of the day was spent catching up and relaxing.

A few days later grandma, momma, Sarah, and I woke up early to set up for Bekah’s surprise baby shower. It was so much fun! Bekah left with Jacob and momma that morning and by noon the party was set up at Victoria Rose tea house. Many friends and family attended the party so that they could congratulate Bekah and Jacob. Bekah and Jacob were completely clueless to what was going on so we had to explain a little bit. We all laughed about their surprise. It was such a beautiful afternoon!

Under a week to Christmas, we completed our last minute shopping and purchase all the goods needed for our Christmas Dinner. It has become a tradition to celebrate Christmas on Christmas eve. We started doing this because my father (who used to work for various trucking companies) could never get Christmas day off. Plus, my sister’s birthday is on Christmas eve and we wanted him to be there for it. We now own our own trucking company so his schedule is a little more flexible but we have kept the tradition because I am quite sure all the children would start a revolt if they were made to wait a whole 24 hours longer! ;-)

My brother, sister-in-law, and their baby –Gunner, arrived just in time to open gifts. Jed had just finished his route (he drives truck for our company and we didn't have a driver to take his place) and was able to pack and drive to California just in time. We were so glad when they all arrived!

We completed dinner, set the table, and enjoyed a wonderful time sitting together and chatting as we ate the delicious food prepared by our entire family. After we finished we all gathered in the living room. Before opening gifts we sang carols and read the Christmas story. Then my grandpa and brothers handed out gifts.  I loved seeing the surprise on my family member’s faces as they opened their gifts. We are all so blessed!

Just yesterday we visited my auntie Carol. I just love her! I had a little bit of a cold so I stayed in the house while my brothers and sisters ran all over their property. I think after the three hours of driving they had just a wee bit of energy to run off.  We spent and hour or so visiting with her before us children headed to the beach where we would later meet them all for dinner. The beach was great! I was so happy to see that there was not too many people (usually it is VERY crowded). There was a light breeze blowing and the light was reflecting off the coral blue water in the most glorious way! My first response was my goodness this is beautiful!!! Our God has created the most beautiful things for us to enjoy. 

I did not intend on getting wet. Maybe splash my feet in the water but I wanted to stay warm and dry. My brother-in-law decided it would be more fun to push me in though so my plans changed quickly. ;-) I then proceeded to splash through the water and race the waves with my brothers and sisters. By the time we packed in the car to head to dinner I was thoroughly soaked and we had a nice collection of sea shells.

 This evening finds me with a stuffy nose and a merry heart. The playing in the ocean was worth the stuffy nose though.

 Looking over the past couple of weeks I find myself saying “Thank you”. The Lord truly has blessed our trip! We still have a few more days before heading back to Kansas so I look forward to the memories we will make with my grandparents before heading home.

Have a blessed evening!

To God be the Glory.

Bethany Joy 

NICU Journey

My mother and I drove to the hospital to visit a dear friend who had recently given birth to two of the most darling little girls. They were SO small! I loved visiting with my momma's friend and holding those sweet babies. It was that visit that made me want to visit the NICU again. I realized how many babies were in there that had no one to pray for them. It might seem silly but that is really the reason I wanted to work in the NICU. I wanted to hold the babies, love on them and tell them how much God loved them too. So I set my dream before the Lord and told Him that if it was His will I would LOVE to work in the NICU and pray for those little babies.
When my momma and papa announced that for our Christmas project this year each of us children would be given 100 dollars to donate to any organization of company of our choice. We also had to donate our time and then at Christmas time share about what we learned. My grandma doubled the amount and donated some of her money too so that gave me 200 dollars to give.
With my first $100 I got two gift cards and wrote a note to the mothers. I told the director of the unit that she could give them to who ever she wanted but I suggested two people that I thought could use it.
The first mother- I had seen her every single day I came in. I loved seeing her love for her child. It was so sweet.
The second mother- looked rather rough and maybe even a little unfriendly but as I was cuddling another baby I learned more about her. She LOVED her baby for starters and she was doing everything she could to give her baby a better life than the one she previously lived. It was so special to witness that.
The other $100 went to the director to spend on any supplies that the unit might need.

What did I learn?
Lots of things! I learned that there is always work to be done so set clear goals for yourself and take one bite at a time.
I learned that the people who work on that unit have formed a sort of family and it is amazing to be a part of that.
I learned that the hospital has a lot of code words for things...It was really neat to learn those! I will never hear a hospital speaker and think the same. Everything has a meaning and purpose! Haha..even if it sounds silly..
I learned that my grandma has a very hard job but she is one of the most loved people at the hospital.
I learned the importance of working as a team. Something we do as a family but I never realized how important it is to do in a work place too. When people were working as a team things just seemed to glide along smoothly but when people got grumpy or selfish it is all stop and go. Luckily, I didn't see to much of that though. Like I said, the people in that unit love each other! ;-)

So here are some pictures! I was allowed to take pictures of anything I wanted as long as it did not show anything confidential...made taking pictures of the babies hard (you can't clearly see any of their faces) but I still had a lot of fun!

I learned how the hospital warms the baby's milk too!

The nurses are constantly caring for these babies. They make sure each baby is as comfortable as possible.

I LOVED it when the babies would hold my hand...it was so sweet.

This baby is getting some "photo" therapy...no it still means I can't take photos of it's face. haha!

I would sit and watch this screen each day I worked. I never was able to figure out what all of the different ones meant!

Baby!!!

Time to eat! No body mess with these babies when they are hungry..not if you value your life anyways...they don't mess around when it come to food! haha..

Toes! So so so small! The smallest baby I held was roughly 3 lbs. She felt like a feather!

What does a cupcake have to do with the hospital? Well a lot! I found out that some of the world's best chefs reside in that hospital...well I don't know if they are the best but they sure now how to make good food! If I get sick, I am totally going to that hospital. ;-) I think this is a gingerbread cupcake.

So that's everything. I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into the NICU.
Have a beautiful day!

To God be the glory.
Bethany Joy

The End of California Visit 2012

How did this happen? Time has surely flown by quicker than usual. I can hardly believe that my time visiting my grandparents is over. It has been such a blessed trip and I cannot thank God enough for everything He has done for me on this trip.
So, do you want me to brake down this trip for you? I think I shall!

I first flew into California with my mother and two of my little brothers, Samuel, and Daniel. Daniel was ADORABLE! He loved looking out the window and clapping his hands. I do believe he is the cutest 1 year old ever.

I don't know how anyone could look out the window of a plane to a view like this and say there isn't a God. He must exist. After all, a view like this couldn't have created itself ;-)

We celebrated my little brother, Samuel's, birthday while in California. It was a ton of fun and he even bought a fish named "Mr. Purpy". He really loves his fish.

While I was in California we visited several organic farmers to interview them. That was quite a bit of fun! We even went to a farmers market. I really enjoyed watching all the people search for their favorite goodies.

I also had the opportunity to visit with my cousins and go to Yosemite. Yosemite was just breath taking. Nearly all of the falls were dried up but it was still AMAZING! My favorite view of Yosemite is from the very bottom of the valley looking up at the majestic mountains. Ah, yep...thats the best view ever. And, I also got to take a bunch of pictures of a little fawn and a herd of deer grazing near the road. The fawn was just adorable! I have never gotten so close to a deer before so that was quite a treat! To see the rest of the photos from my trip to Yosemite (including that cute little fawn), go to: Rejoicing In Life Photography  

I also had the opportunity to volunteer in the NICU. I had an amazing time. I learned a ton and really enjoyed learning more about the people that worked there. I loved holding the babies while singing softly to them, praying for them, and thanking God for them. The time I spent in the NICU was so blessed. I really can't say thank you enough to God for that opportunity.
It is really my hope that I left there leaving hope and a lot of joy. Each of those people in there are unique and precious to Christ and I learned that they really loved working together and form a sort of work family. It was sweet to see.

I'll post more details about my time volunteering in the NICU later. It will have to wait for another post. It's a rather long story. ;-)

So, now I'll be heading home in just four short days. You can imagine the packing I had better do! Haha... I honestly have never been more excited to get packed into a car with a fish and my grandparents.

Be Still My Soul

There is this lovely little song that my baby brother, Daniel, loves to listen to. It is part of an albumn called "Lullaby Scriptures, Hidden in my Heart". It has actually become one of my favorite things to listen to. Often this song comes to mind as I am taking a walk through the garden or holding one of the precious babies in the NICU.
"Be still, my soul. Be still and know that He is God." I just love that. It always calms my soul to listen to this song and be reminded of the wondeful promises of the Lord. 

Nature has a way of bringing that song to mind... Maybe its the peaceful sound of the breeze, or the songs softly singing their song.

The babies living in the NICU have a way of reminding me who God is. Maybe it is that as I sit and watch them slowly drift off to sleep, I watch their eyelashes flutter, I watch their chest gently rise and fall, and I feel their tiny hand holding my finger, I have slowed down enough to let myself be reminded. I love those kids. I love that God has brought them into my life and that He is teaching me more about Himself through them.

A Warm Cup of Tea

It was a chilly morning with fog resting on the hills and a light rain coming down. I decided that this called for a warm cup of raspberry tea. It's one of my favorite ways to spend a rainy day.

The Little Things

It is important to me to take time to stop, listen to the music of life, take a deep breath in, and look around. What amazing things I find when I do this! God has given us such beautiful gifts each day if we simply choose to look for them. Often we do not have to look far.
I was rather bored one day. I had finished as much math as my brain could handle, I had cleaned the house, and I needed something to do while grandpa napped. So I decided to take my camera and see if there was anything interesting laying around for me to take a picture of. Much to my delight there was! You may have seen some of these pictures on my photography blog already but let me share with you what really made me interested in these photos.

Upon a glance this is simply a purple flower...but if you take the time to stop and look closely you will notice some very fine details. First, the vibrant orange pollen. Now look at the little bits of orange coloring in the center of this little flower... it makes the pollen "pop" a little more. And that lovely blue has a way of pulling more color out of those soft purple petals while the blurred green background sets the perfect stage to show case this little flower.

This vibrant yellow flower is just a puff of delight to me! The way it seems to capture the light in it's very petals amazes me. My grandmother tells me often, any garden with a dash of yellow is always the pettiest and I find that to be true. Yellow is a very cheerful color!

The white rose. Notice the traces of pink throught it's petals, the way the petals seems soft, and light seems to elluminate each petal. So much beauty and detal in each petal is what I see in this photo.

This is a from one of the beautiful trees on my grandparents property. The tree's branches are often completely covered in this pink fluff and makes for a beautiful thing to behold.  Look at the way the light hits the petals and how soft they seem in this picture.

Isn't it wonderful?! Look at how many different shades of pink and red are contained in just one flower!

The flowers in this photo are less than pefect, you can see the time and the hot summer have had their toll, and you can see a tiny creature working dilligently to provide its family with food for the winter. What I liked about this photo is that it reminded me of how fleeting life is and the words of James in the Bible.

What makes each of these photos important to me is how great our God is. I see God's handiwork in each of these photos and that is what makes them important to me. He thought about the colors blending together and how they would seem pleasing to the eye. He also thought about the importance of pollenating the plants and how we would need a little bee to help us out. He thought about the wonderful aroma of the roses and how their petals offer us many healing benefits. He thought about each and every single one of those things and so much more and I don't want to take it for granted.

Have a great evening friends!

To God be the glory,

Bethany Joy

Volunteering @ CRMC: Day One

I started my day by reporting to Mrs. McCloudy, she sent me to Mr. Cruz, and from there I went to Ms. Rose, the unit clerk. It was a wonderful first day! I learned many things about the NICU that I hadn't known before, I learned how the doctors on the floor wanted everything done a certain way, I learned many little random facts about the hospital (for example, they don't like card board sitting around), and I got to see many precious babies. I learned that Ms. Rose has a sense of humor...quite a funny thing she is! She was great to work with. She made things easy to understand but kept things moving along. At the end of the day she was happy with the work that we got done and we both look forward to seeing each other again soon. 

I also got to learn more about their codes...All hospitals have "codes"  that they use to announce things over the intercom without disturbing patients. I remember my mother telling me about it when she was a nurse. Now I get to memorize each and every single one and the "plan of action" too. SO much memorizing! I also have to learn where everything is... The good news about that is that I will spend most of the time in one unit (the NICU) so I don't have to remember quite as much.

I met two other volunteers, both already knew each other because they attended the same medical school. Both were Asian and quite silly! We worked together for about 15 minutes before they had to leave for a class at their medical school. Almost the entire time they were giggling about something. Most of the time I couldn't understand what they were saying but nonetheless we enjoyed working together.  

My favorite part was when Ms. Rose and I were doing inventory and we went down to L&D (Labor and Delivery). The mommas there looked so sweet...holding their babies for the first time. The looks on their faces were priceless.

After I finished doing inventory we made some family care packages (with blankets, hats, and a note), some crib cards, and that completed my day. I was very thankful that everyone was so friendly and helpful. It made my first day very enjoyable. :-)

Thank you everyone for praying and offering words of wisdom and encouragement. I appreciate it! :-)

To God be the glory.

Bethany Joy

Rose Petal Blessings

It has been a wonderful week here in sunny California. My grandfather and I trimmed the rose bushes a couple weeks back and now they are covered in the most beautiful array of colors! Tomorrow the gardner will bring some fall looking flowers and plant them along the walk way. I am looking forward to seeing what he has planned. He has done a wonderful job caring for the rest of the yard.

Today, I was delighted to collect the rose petals that had fallen from the roses and set them aside for me to dry later. I look forward to using them for teas, tinctures, and balms later. I enjoyed playing around with the roses this afternoon and taking a few pictures.

A California update: Most Beautiful Love

What a blessed daughter I am! The life that the Lord has given me is good. Over the past three weeks I have had the most wonderful opportunity to be with my grandparents. I was supposed to be here caring for them however, they have been so well that I have not needed to do hardly anything to help them. I think the Lord has placed me in one of the most wonderful spots. Here in the sunny land of California, in the rather busy city of Madera/Fresno, I have the opportunity to sit and watch as my grandparents live their lives and unknowingly show the most beautiful example love. 

When my grandfather was in his hospital bed rather exausted from the hip surgery, my grandmother bent over and tenderly ran her fingers through his gray hair and whispered a sweet prayer of faith, love and healing. When she had said amen she told my grandfather that she loved him and then he replied in a deep but most sincere and loving voice "I love you too.." At first I wanted to take a picture of this most precious moment but before I could reach for my phone it dawned on me.. You can't capture such a love as that with a phone camera. This love has been tested and tried, it has gone through many battles and come out stronger and closer not only to each other but to their dear Savior. That moment I had te honor of witnessing is a moment I will forever cherish. 

Let us never take for granted the blessings He has given us. Lord help us recognize the blessings you scatter through our day. In hospital rooms, at our office, or when we are simply sitting on the couch resting, never take these moments for granted. 

To God be the Glory.
Bethany Joy

Catching up once again...

Life is always happening. It never stops. Never slows down. Instead it seems to fly by even quicker than we had planned. I love to sit and watch the livestock from the rocking chair on the front porch and just take a moment to breathe. Lately, it has been my favorite place to sit. Tonight I would like to just fill you in.
Lord willing, tomorrow evening will find my mother, Samuel, baby Daniel, and myself on a plane heading toward California. We are quite excited to take this trip and see my grandparents again. They are such a blessing to our family!
On Thursday I had the joy of doing a photo shoot with some dear friends. I just loved spending time with them and capturing photos of them together.
My rather playful puppy, Chloe, is still every bit in training. She is smart and beautiful and I believe she will make a wonderful service dog.
Miracle is quite well. He is maturing quite a bit and has started acting more like the trained and well behaved horse that I know he is.
Promise is every bit the baby. Bekah is excited to work with her while I am away. I am sure Promise will enjoy the change and love the attention. I am thinking she will be a great horse for dressage. She just has that "look".
Well friends, I believe that catches you up. I hope you have a restful evening.
To God be the Glory.
Bethany Joy

Texas Trip

Well it looks like I have an awful lot of updating to do. We'll start with our trip to Texas.

Texas:
We started our journey very early in the morning. I think it felt extra early because we stayed up rather late the night before. The bright side of waking so early is that we saw the sunrise before we pulled out of the driveway. It was breath taking!

We then drove several hours before stopping for breakfast.. It was so nice to stretch our legs for a minute or two. We were packed into the car so very tightly! It made for some very interesting and funny conversations.



After filling our tummies we packed ourselves back into the car and buckled up. Daniel and Josiah were my buddies for the trip. Daniel was quite some fun!

We met with our friends for dinner and then rested for the rest of the first evening of our trip... When we woke up early the next morning we packed everything up and started getting ready to leave. As we drove that day we saw many beautiful things!

When we arrived to our rental home later that evening we were SO happy. The trip was great but we were glad not to be in the car.

The house had many enjoyable traits...Like the play-set. It was so much fun to hear about Sanuel and Matthew's adventures as they played together!

The days leading up to the Reformation of Food and Family conference we did some sight-seeing. We went on the river walk, we visited the Alamo, we saw some breath taking caverns and even some pretty fish...

We then prepared for the conference. I actually forgot to take any pictures until the last day. The event was wonderful! We made many new friends. I look forward to the next time the Lord allows us to meet. It was such a blessed time of fellowship.

To God be the Glory.

Bethany Joy