Pure Bliss

“And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; It shall rejoice in His salvation.”

~ Psalm 35:9~

Sin – The Inevitable

Yes, unfortunately it’s something we all do and something none of us can avoid…

“For in a way, sin is like the layers of an onion: when one layer is peeled off, there are always more layers beneath.”
{Quote from The Light and The Glory by Peter Marshall and David Manuel}

I find this quote to be so true. Sin can be a real stumbling block in life, and there is no way around it. There’s always going to be a new one entering our lives.

Facing our sin is a real challenge. Satan finds the perfect time to tempt us, and then our human nature says “That sounds wonderful!” It may sound “wonderful” in the beginning, but as we continue to deal with what is actually sin, we find that we were very wrong.

Realizing our wrongdoings can be very discouraging, but aren’t you glad that we have a Creator Who is there for us… A God Who loves us… A Savior Who died for us? I know I am!

I sometimes find myself wondering where I would be without Jesus Christ in my life. I think about how blessed I am to call Him my Lord. Because of Him, I have been forgiven! Because of Him, my sins have been washed as white as snow! Because of Him, I am FREE!

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
~1 John 1:9~

“As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
~Psalm 103:12~

Lil’ Country Girl

Last week, Jessa asked Tyler if they could go horseback riding together. Tyler gladly accepted, and I was quick to grab my camera and follow!

Here are a few of the photos I captured…

 
Miss Fanny May

Tyler’s such a great big brother! :)

 

… Enjoying every single minute of her ride!

“The horse is prepared for the day of battle,

But deliverance is of the LORD.”

~Proverbs 21:31~

{I wanted to thank those of you who left a comment on my last post… The sweet birthday wishes meant so much to Jessa!}

Happy Birthday, Jessa!

 To my sweet and beautiful sister,

For such a long time, I dreamed about you and prayed that you would come. It’s truly amazing how God orchestrates everything in our lives. After much time of waiting…

And waiting…

God blessed our family with you ~ A beautiful, intelligent, and sweet little China baby!

The first time I saw you, my heart was filled with so much happiness! Finally… I was blessed with a little sister! Each year, I have become more and more grateful for you. We have spent so much time together, and the memories are so sweet!

{Jessa at 15 months old; photo taken in China}

Now today… You’re 5 years old! {May I add that time flies!}

It’s been almost four years since those elevator doors opened and I saw you for the first time. As I sat looking at photographs of you last night, the memories started flooding my mind… I was reminded of God’s love, and how He gives blessings to those who are patient.

 
{Jessa at 5 years old; photo taken today, September 8th}

Being your big sister has been one of the greatest things in my life, dear, and I will always love you… with all of my heart! ♥

Love Your Big Sis,

Jenna

Look Who’s Reading…

The other day, Little Miss Jessa read Go, Dog, Go! {a 64-page beginner book} to me! As she read each page, her face lit up with excitement!

Her words were filled with such enthusiasm… What a great accomplishment for  a four year old!

I had to share the big news with you all…

May the Lord bless you on this lovely Thursday!

Beautiful Lavender…

Miss Kelsey, at Flip-Flop Farmgirl, is hosting a photography challenge and giveaway over on her sweet blog. The theme is flowers, and I have decided to enter the following photograph…

If you are interested in entering Miss Kelsey’s photography challenge, you may click the button below!

{The challenge ends on August 24th}

I pray that you are having a very wonderful and blessed day, dear readers!

A Blessed Vacation

In early June, my family and two sweet friends visited the beautiful state of Georgia. We had a very blessed time together, hiking, swimming, visiting the zoo, and so much more!
Here is a little glimpse of our week in the mountains…

 

 As you can see, the flowers were absolutely magnificent, and truly
displayed the beauty of our Lord’s creation!

 
The beautiful Amicalola Falls

Visiting the Atlanta Zoo was a lot of fun! For those of you who don’t know, they have panda bears there {which happen to be my favorite animal}. Seeing pandas for the first time was such a wonderful experience!

 Meet Po, the baby panda,
and his mother…

 
We also visited the giraffes…

…As well as the gorillas.
They have the funniest personalities!

 The Reptile Exhibit was fascinating…

 … And maybe just a little bit frightening!
{Cottonmouth Rattlesnake}

Our last stop was my little sister’s favorite…

 The Flamingos!

 
A *very* happy little girl with her favorite animals!

Our vacation to Georgia was such a joy, and I am so thankful to God that He enabled us to go and visit!

“He stood and measured the earth;
He looked and startled the nations.
And the everlasting mountains were scattered,
The perpetual hills bowed.
His ways are everlasting.”

~Habakkuk 3:6~