The BarnPrincess is Moving

I know that I have just recently started obtaining followers, but I am praying that you will follow me to my new site.

thebarnprincess.com

Thanks to Blogelina I have free hosting for a year. All I had to do was sign up for her class "Profitable Blogging for Beginners."

If you are following me on Bloglovin' you will have to follow again under the new blog.

Limitless by Nick Vujicic

Review: Limitless by Nick Vujicic

I don’t know how many of you know the story of Nick Vujicic. Nick says that he is living proof that God can use anyone. You see, Nick was born without extremities. He has no arms or legs. Just one little foot, but he travels the world sharing God’s love with others and encouraging and empowering people.  I have read both of Nick’s first two books and they are wonderful so when I saw that he had a third book coming out I was eager to read it.

Limitless is a devotional and Nick draws on materials and stories from his previous two books. The devotionals are quick reads and are inspirational in the reading. He uses stories from his life and stories from people around the world to inspire and empower others to live the life God has planned for them.

I was a bit disappointed when I realized that this was a devotional. I am not big on devotionals in general. I have a few favorites like My Utmost for His Highest, but in general I find them a little shallow.

With that being said, I have to say that I am enjoying reading Limitless because it is full of stories meant to inspire. He gives practical advice along with Biblical encouragement. He points out that it is not what we can do ourselves, but what God does through us that is important. He encourages us that whatever we are going through God can use it to His glory. While not a book I would recommend for in-depth study, it is a great book when you need encouragement and inspiration.

Made to Crave—week 1

Last week I visited the blog Caravan Sonnet and saw that she and a couple of other bloggers were starting an online study using Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst. I have owned this book for a while and I have been struggling with my weight for even longer. I have started and stopped reading this book more than once. I am praying that by following their blogs and with your support I can finally stick with my journey to lose the weight.

Reading the Intro to Made to Crave, three things really stood out to me.

1.     “In my case, the number itself was not the issue. The issue was how I felt mentally, spiritually, and physically.”—Lysa Terkeurst

This stands out to me because I can relate to it so easily. For me the number on the scale is not the reason I want to lose the weight. It is just an indicator. How I have been feeling lately is the real reason why I need to lose the weight.

2.    The story that she used from Matthew 19 about the rich man.

For the past year, this story has come up in several different ways and in relation to several different areas of my life. Each area it has come up in it has been in relation to something that I have been making an idol of and putting ahead of my relationship with Christ.

3.    “God made us capable of craving so we’d have an unquenchable desire for more of Him, and Him alone.”

This statement struck me because it was like a sudden awakening. I have noticed in the past that when a person is addicted to something, it is because there is a hole, a craving for something…something more, something that gives them satisfaction and a feeling of completion…but that is a hole or a craving that can only be satisfied with God. When I read that statement, it was like blinders had been lifted…I had never applied that idea to my own life and I can see how I have substituted my craving for God with things from this world. None of which have brought me satisfaction.

So I am excited about this journey because I believe that the Lord is going to bring great things through this.

******************************************************

My Stats:

Weight today: 219 lbs

BMI: 42

Waist: 43 in

Hips: 53 in

*******************************************************

Chosen

One of the things that I have always struggled with is my self-esteem. As a child I was usually the last one chosen for teams at school. In junior high, I was the one who sat over at a desk alone when everyone else was sitting in groups. In high school, I was the loner who sat alone at lunch and was everybody’s friend yet nobody’s friend. I was the one everyone considered sweet and helpful, but not the one who was invited to parties or who my peers wanted to hang out with on the weekends. As an adult, I am still pretty much a loner.

A bit shy and awkward around others I have trouble knowing what to say when I am talking to people so I usually end up talking about myself…which isn’t a good way to build friendships.

I have never felt like I was part of the group or like I fit in anywhere…even at church.

I have never felt like I was special or like I was chosen…but the good news is that those thoughts and feelings were lies and…

I AM CHOSEN!

I am chosen by the One who sees beyond my awkwardness.

I am chosen by the One who died for my sins.

I am chosen by the King of kings.

I am chosen to be His child.

I am chosen to do His works.

I am chosen to do good things.

I may never be chosen by other people, but I was chosen by God.

And you are too! You are chosen by God to be His child and to do His works. You are chosen to do good things. You are His, and He CHOSE you.

Isn’t it great to know that even when we don’t feel loved and chosen by others that we are loved and chosen by Christ?

But you are a chosen woman, a royal priestess, a holy daughter, God’s own special possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

--1 Peter 2:9 (paraphrased)

“All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold.

In many-colored robes she is led to the king…”

--Psalms 45:13-14a

Bloglovin

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Happy Independence Day!

I am praying that everyone has a safe and happy Independence day!

Review: Trouble in Store by Carol Cox

Melanie Ross is alone in the world and working as a governess for a wealthy family in Ohio. When she loses her job as a governess, she is at a loss of what to do until she remembers a letter from her deceased cousin’s business partner informing her that she was her cousin’s heir and that she was welcome to come anytime she could to work with him. What she didn’t count on was him dying before she got there.

Enter: Caleb Nelson and his son. When his uncle Alvin invited him to Arizona to help him run his store, the last thing Caleb was expecting was to be saddled with a partner. When Melanie arrives in Arizona claiming half of the store, Caleb is at a loss. He was already having trouble with someone threatening him. Now he had Melanie to worry about too.

I thought that this book was well written and a good book. The story got off to a slow start though and was predictable. The first half of the book seemed to mainly be build up and fill in to the actual story line. But about half way through the book it picked up the pace and turned into an enjoyable story that was funny and adventurous. While it is not a book that I would rush out to purchase, it is a good book for a lazy afternoon read.

Fun 4th of July T-Shirts

Every year I like to buy a new patriotic t-shirt for the 4th. This year since money is very tight I can't afford to buy one, but I can make one. I was looking for inspiration on Pinterest and found these great shirts. Most of them only take a little fabric paint.

Easy Patriotic Bleach Tees

Fireworks T-Shirt

FireCracker Tie Dye

I Heart America Shirt

Handprint Flag Shirt

Potato Stamp Shirt

Spray Paint Tank Top

Tie Dye Shirts

Saying "Yes" to God When It is Hard

Have you ever had one of those moments where you know that you were created for such a time?

The story of Esther is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. When Mordecai says to Esther, "And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" I get a sense of excitement and destiny, but what the Lord was asking her to do wasn't easy. She was laying her life on the line, but when she said "Yes" to the Lord, He made a new way for her and her people.

Last year I had one of those moments when I knew that I was fulfilling part of my destiny and receiving a call to help those who are brokenhearted, but for the last 1 1/2 years I have been fighting the Lord on this calling. and now I want to share with you the story of how I know what my calling is.

This is the story of a young girl whose life touched mine in a great way. I am going to call her Alyssa (although that is not her real name) and this is the story of how my struggle to help her has broken me and led me to my true calling.

Alyssa was a very troubled little girl. In many ways, she had been forced to grow up before her time. She was a huge bundle of pain and grief and she was only 5 years old. A 5 year old shouldn't be a bundle of pain, grief and anger. A 5 year old should be happy and mischievous.

Her behavior was out of control, and as her teacher, I was at my wit's end. I had even reached the point where I had gone to my supervisor & said that I couldn't help this little girl. I recognized that she had been through some type of trauma in her life, but I didn't know what it was. I just know that she was hurting the other children, she was hurting herself, and she was destroying my classroom.

But I also knew that this one little girl was loving and funny and adventurous. She just needed help that I didn't think I could give her...

About a week after telling my director that I didn't feel like I could help her, things changed with Alyssa and they changed for the better and all it took was holding her and praying over her as she cried.

It was nap time at the center and because of Alyssa's behavior and the behavior of some of the other children, I had 6 adults in my classroom.

To say that nap time in my classroom was chaotic was an understatement, but this day changed that...at least for a little while.

This day Alyssa was at her worst. She wouldn't lay down, and since I was the only one who get her settled, she was running around the room while I tucked in some of the other children for nap time. After I helped get everyone else settled I went and sat down next to Alyssa's cot. She was crying and screaming  and the adult who was trying to help her was not getting anywhere.

When I finally sat down with her, I gave her a choice. She could lay quietly on her cot, or she could sit quietly in my lap. She chose my lap, but after a while she decided to lay on her. Instead of getting on her cot though she tried to run through the classroom and so I blocked her and gave her the choice again. She told me, "NO!" and tried to run again, but I blocked her and then sat down with her on my lap.

She started crying and screaming. We sat like that for an hour...Eventually she stopped screaming and was just crying, and the entire time I just held her and told her she was safe and prayed for her. I was also crying with her. Not loudly. Just silent tears streaming down my face. She cried like her heart was broken, deep sobs, and I just held on to her.

The other adults in the room would come over occasionally and ask if I wanted them to switch with me, and while I admit that i would have loved for someone else to take over, I knew that at that moment switching places was the worst thing that I could do to Alyssa so I just sat there and continued to hold her.

And at that moment I knew that I was called to help children like Alyssa, and in the months that followed that calling was confirmed in many ways and at first I was happy about it, but as the months passed and I started suffering from compassion fatigue I started fighting the calling.

But now I recognize that I have been going through a stage of growth. I know that God has a plan for me. He has given me a dream, and even though He seems silent I am finding that I have to depend on Him in ways I never dreamed. I also know that I can't make this dream happen on my own and that He has to make it happen. I have discovered that this is what I was created for. It is a part of my destiny.

So I covet your prayers and pray that He opens the doors and provides me with what is needed. I know that I need more training and that takes money that I don't have, but He will provide a way.

What dream has God given you that you are fighting? Are you ready to say "Yes" and let Him make the way?