I have been pondering my Savior....

and therefore I have not been posting a lot. I had the conviction from the Lord that I spent too much time getting blog posts together and reading blogs. I have therefore come to the realization that my real life is more important ;meaning spending time with the Lord, family and friends matters more than blogging. Then our camera cord went missing, so I have not been able to even post pictures. I believe it was the Lord telling me to lay off on putting together sewing/fun posts for the blog. I believe I want to have my blog do a 90 degree turn and focus totally on spiritual matters and to encourage ladies to seek the Lord daily and to focus on what matters most our relationships with the Lord God of the universe.

I have found that by not reading blogs every single day I can spend more time in prayer and Bible reading, getting school done, and spending time with my family and friends. Building relationships in the real world, instead of building up my blog to please my readers is my new goal. I feel as though I always felt I had to impress others with my blog, but now I feel that blogging should not be my first priority. I have read many blogs lately where bloggers were also doing the same and stepping away from the blogs for a little bit or just not posting or not going online in general as often as they used to. I have found I too was addicted to the internet! Which is not cool! Instead of going to my Savior first thing in the morning I was going to the computer! This is not healthy. Ladies I was always a mess if I did not go to my Savior instead of the internet. I found no fulfillment and joy after spending more time on the internet than with my Savior!

I should want to be more and more in love with my Savior and not more and more in love with another bloggers life style or how many things they sew or how great their garden is. I should not set other bloggers up on a pedestal, but go to God first for encouragement and then to other people. I was going to blogs for encouragement instead of my Savior. So ladies I would challenge you to pray more than you read blogs, to read the Word more than spending time on Facebook, and spend more time talking to a friend in person about God than doing emails or texting. But I have to say I have made a lot of friends through blogging. So don't throw it out all together, just don't spend hours of each day wishing you were one of those bloggers with the beautiful home or that amazing home sewn garment. Spend your days improving your own relationships in your real life. Blogs were my way of escaping the troubles I had, but now I give up those troubles to Christ and He gives me much more comfort.

Now don't get me wrong I still sometimes spend too much time reading blogs or on facebook, but now that I am aware of this I am trying to make amends and fight the temptation to let real life slide and spend too much time in the virtual world.And for the record blogs can be a great source of encouragement, I have been reading two particular blogs more than other blogs because they focus on Christ. They are a source of spiritual encouragement for me. I also don't believe its bad to post about your daily life, such as gardening, sewing, etc. I just feel the need for myself to focus this blog on what I need most, God.
I still enjoy reading many sewing, life blogs, but feel the conviction for my blog to be a spiritual encouragement blog.

I have been pondering these words from the WORD since yesterday and they are a comfort.
John 8:31-38
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave [2] to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

I have found that when I spend a good long time in my closet with the WORD and my God I am convicted of so many things and comforted by his words to me. These words I bolded above about being free because of the truth really stuck out to me yesterday. It also says in verse 34 that if you are a slave to sin you will not remain forever, but if you are free in Christ you will be with the Son forever. Praise God Christ set us free from sin through the cross.

As I tried to study for my voice lesson yesterday and sing, I was having difficulty singing the new way my vocal teacher is teaching me to sing. My voice wanted to go back to the old way of singing with my chest voice instead of my head voice. This is a great picture of when we become free in Christ we sometimes are tempted to go back to the old way of sin, but praise God Christ helps us learn how to trust Him and learn a new way of living free from sin.

I will leave you all with this song which has been a favorite of mine for a while to listen to to get my heart right before studying the WORD. I am so thankful for the Lord convicting me recently even more that prayer is really so important, I have always prayed to the Lord, but many a time I did not pray for fellow believers. I have been really encouraged by others praying for me, so I would encourage you ladies to pray for others as well. Pray is so powerful! As it says in the WORD it is sharper than a two edged sword and can go through joint and marrow. It can peirce through even the cold heart of one who is still dead in their trespasses and sins. Pray for that friend who needs the Lord! The Lord loves to hear prayers from His children. If any of you need prayer or want to email me please do at ra.stricker@gmail.com I hope this blog post is not harsh, this is my personal conviction that my blog should go in a different direction and that I should spend less time reading blogs and such. It has helped me to become closer to the Lord. Any thoughts on this would be great! Please comment if you have some strategies as to how to balance the internet with daily life or you were encouraged by this post.

God bless,
Rebecca

We are not alone and God is always good!

I was able to start voice lessons with a new teacher today. What a blessing! She loves the Lord with all her heart and can help me to sing better and to know how the voice works and how I can improve. God is so good! I also found a dresser type thing at the thrift store when it was closing in 5 minutes for only 5 dollars. Praise God! God, as my Mom told me today in the car on the way home from the lesson, is always good even when we do not see Him. He is always doing everything for our good! Praise God for that! I am in awe of Him more and more.

In Christ,
Rebecca

Thrifting haul

Hey everyone! I thought I would do a thrifting video of some recent things I have found at my local thrift stores. Hope you enjoy! I could not figure out to how to not make it side ways. I know thats pretty tacky and sorry about that! Anyways, hope you are enjoying your summer vacation.

In Christ,
Rebecca

Tangled- Really encouraging rebellion and immorality

Hey ladies,

Over my vacation in Alaska, my family and I watched this movie that I have heard many christians raving about lately. I was curious, so we watched and I regret that my young cousin watched this movie. I read the review here- http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/uncategorized/mangled-stay-at-home-daughters-on-the-silver-screen/
and it really just confirmed how I felt about the movie. Rapunzel rebelling from her mother and running away with a complete stranger is not what we want our daughters or sons to be doing! Staying over night in a forest all alone with the complete stranger is also unacceptable. Now I am not saying that many of you who like this movie shame on you! I am just warning you that this movie can have influence on young women and men that is not going to glorify God. I watched the movie and it did have not have an effect on me to steer me away from my faith. But little children's minds are very much mold-able and can be swayed away from the Lord. So I have been rethinking a lot lately what I should be watching and what I would let my children watch when I have children of my own. I am finding that most everything these days has sensual or sexual undertones and rebellion undertones in most TV shows and movies. I found myself when we went to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3 a few weeks ago saying why is this the best the movie industry can do? Why is there not anything better out there to watch? I did not like the movie with all the bad stuff that was in it and no the" missionary guy" was not all that perfect either! Hey we are all sinners, but why did he have to go for the non christian mermaid?

My point basically is that I am finding that most anything I watch these days is not getting me closer to being holy and righteous or closer to my God. I am finding that lots of older movies are the way to go and TV shows. So I would encourage you all to monitor what you are watching and see if its edifying or Christ honoring.

In Christ,
Rebecca

Alaska Adventures Part 2

Hey everyone!

Well I am home from AK and I have so many things to share with you all. We had a wonderful time and the Lord was so good to use getting us home safe and sound Tuesday. Yes we flew on the 4th of July and missed the fire works, but it was a great day anyways. We hiked to the Thunderbird Falls and spent time with family before we left that day.

You part the waters Lord and calm the raging seas! Our God is amazing and controls everything even the waters! Water has always amazed me!

 My family and I climbing rocks in a river on our way to see the Gold mine called Independence Mine which was established in the 1930s and closed in the 1950s. It is located in Hatchers Pass, its just beautiful!

 The mine above, you can see the mess hall I believe where the miners stayed and ate.

 My cousin Mike just being himself. :)

 Me and Mike walking briskly in the rain to get to the mine.

Mike, Courtney, Beth, and I on the rocks in the river. Love my cousins and miss you all so much already!

The actual mine is really falling apart! It was amazing to see though! The mine was not even underground as you would expect a mine to be, it went straight through the mountain! pretty amazing they had to do some major blasting to do that!

Ducklings and their mother swimming in the lake where many float planes land and fly from in Anchorage, AK.

We even got to go to the Iditarod headquarters!

They even had sled rides on a rigged sled that worked on the dirt, but we did not get to ride in it. These huskies were not the actual dogs this family uses for their racing, but they are huskies. Pretty cute!

My cousin Mike had a baseball game and we braved the whole thing even though there was supposed to be showers. Praise God they stayed away the whole evenings! He did a good job and even though his team lost had a great attitude about it. :)

We went to the plane museum in Anchorage, AK near my grandparents house. We saw lots of float planes heading out that day! You can see one flying above.

Yes I did not dress in sweat shirts and jean skirts and capris the whole time I was there, when there was opportunity I wore my vintage heals and circle skirt. :)

We sang and played the piano and harp at the nursing home where my grandmother lives a few times while we were in AK. I enjoyed it a lot and it definitely gave me opportunity to share the Gospel through the songs I have written and many hymns as well. I enjoyed talking to the elderly there. They are so sweet and appreciative and many love the Lord in AK! what an encouragement!

My mother playing while my grandfather led the music for the church service at the nursing home Sunday morning.

All the residents who live there singing and worshiping the Lord together.

My mother learned how to play the harp this year with the help of my sister and their harp teacher. She plays so well!

Beth of course played and many people said it was so soothing and praised the Lord along with her.

Thunder Bird Falls in Wasilla, Ak. It was so beautiful in person! can't capture it with a camera.

My cousin found some roots just his size on the hike. :)

My parents, they celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary in June and I just love them so much! They have encouraged me so much as they trust the Lord together on this earth.

And to complete the trip, the last day we were there in Anchorage, Ak we saw a beautiful rainbow! 

 

 

 

What a marvelous sign from the Lord that there will be no more pain and that we have hope in Him!

Alaska adventures

My family and I have been having a lovely time here in Alaska. We have been able to see a lot of lovely places and be with family each day here. Praise God for His creation and family that proclaim Him as Lord.Above is a picture of the Exit Glacier. We hiked up to it while we have been here with our family.

My family and I above in front of the Glacier and then I found some pretty wild flowers to photograph as well. I was excited about this photo above! I love the colors of the glacier up against the fushia wild flowers and green leaves. :)

All of the family together in front of the Glacier above. It was fun being able to see so many things with them all!

The mountains here are so beautiful! I still can't get over it. How fitting it was to worship our Lord in front of His creation. It was a lovely day and it was a treat to be able to be in his creation with family. Above and below you can see we had hiked from down there to where I was standing to take the photos. It was magnificent! I hope you all are having a lovely summer and more photos coming when we get home from the trip probably later in the new week.

In Christ,
Rebecca

Battle of Vienna 150th anniversary

Hi everyone! I have been very very busy as of late enjoying these summer days that seem to be going by so so quickly! We did the reenactment that was really close by our home right before we left to see my family right now in Alaska. So here are some photos from the event of me and my family. It was just my family and I for the weekend event because the rest of our living history group had other commitments such as family passing away and adoption. So it was different just our family setting up both of our flys and tents. But it was a great experience and a blessing!

My sister Bethany above quilting with one of our friends. This is the quilt I made with her this past year and now we are quilting at each reenactment we go to little by little.

Me again in front of our encampment cooking some apple fritters. They are sort of similar to pancakes, except much thicker. They stand alone and taste great for a great snack or lunch or breakfast. We were able to try out our flat cast iron skillets for the first time over the open fire. We use them all the time at home over our modern gas stove, but this was the first time over the open fire out of doors. I love doing cooking demonstrations and many people did not even know much about using cast iron and the curing process or that you need to grease them with butter or coconut oil or lard in order to cook with them. I love teaching about how they lived in the 1860s!

Some little boys that came to the event with their parents and grandparents bought some of our signal flag sets at the event. They seemed to enjoy getting their photo done by yours truly. :) It was fun seeing them learn to signal with my dad!

You can see in the front of our encampment our table where we sold many homemade goods we made from scratch. Such as soaps, linens, aprons, and bonnets, and the signal flag sets. You can buy all of these items off of our website called Vienna Woods Historical Reproductions. Its in my favorite websites list here on my blog.

You can see my dad in action above teaching some children and their mom about the telegraph and how it was the main way of communication between the lines of battle during the civil war. Besides letters it was the main way to get messages between the different troops. You can go to our website called The Magnetic Telegraph Co. to see more photos, its also in my favorite websites list on the side bar. I will be posting photos of our alaska adventures as soon as I can! The internet is pretty slow here so its slow going getting them all uploaded to blogger. Soon, I will get them up!

Hope you all are being encouraged and the Lord is giving you many times of seeing His promises kept.

In Christ,
Rebecca