Beautiful Fall

October 22, 2015October 21, 2015 | Heather Britain

Well it’s that beautiful time of year again! Fall, autumn, cornucopia of beauty, robustness of season, splendor of God’s canvass, essence of beauty itself, glory of the Lord, all of nature declares God’s glory, hmmm…I can’t think of any more creative ways to describe fall at the moment.

Early-fall started out to be challenging for me. A lot of mud and muck flung at me from a few directions; however, it all seems to be working itself out and the truth seems to be shining its way through more and more thank the Lord! He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Psalm 37:6 NLT

Mid-fall has just been beautiful. I got re-baptized on the 4^th of October! I have no words to describe how amazing and different I felt when I came up out of the water, just that it felt sacred and beautiful on a visceral level. I’m so glad I followed through on God’s call to do this.

I’m reading a new book that is nourishing me in all the right ways at this time. Girl Meets Change: Truths to Carry You through Life’s Transitions. The words in this book are marinated in God’s word, and they are simmering in my soul. During my lunch breaks I’ve been walking through Lander City Park praying, speaking scriptures, and saying affirmations over my current circumstances/mountains. I walk along doing this while admiring God’s autumn essences called Mother Nature. It’s the perfect temperature full of colors and natural beauty. You can’t beat that for a prayer sanctuary. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy! Psalm 96:12 NIV

The God based affirmations I wrote for my current circumstances were inspired from reading this book and are helpful in grounding my situation in peace by driving home biblical truths and trusting God has an amazing plan for my life. I just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other and encouraging my heart to keep believing God is working something amazing out for me even though I feel like I’m stuck in neutral spinning my wheels in one place with this situation.

These fall walks in the park have been reminding me of my mom too. She passed away a few years ago. This was both of our favorite time of year. I remember going home on the weekends and just her presence was a healing balm. Whether I had a good day or a bad day, she was always my number one fan and always in my corner when life started pushing me around. Mom was very creative, crafty, and had a very festive heart. The house was always decorated from fall to Thanksgiving through New Year’s and had a warm loving ambiance. What I would do for one more conversation with her over a cup of apple cider or cocoa. How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. James 4:14 NLT

God willing, my dad is flying me down where he lives on the coast of Texas near Port Aransas to spend Thanksgiving this year. This will be a real treat since it should be warm no coat weather there and it will still feel like fall instead of winter to me. It will be good to spend time with my dad.

I will end on this note: A few falls ago, I became somewhat fixated with the word gratitude. It strongly rose up on the inside of me and I read everything I could on the subject. I started carrying a pocket sized leaf cut out of some type of metal with gratitude engraved on it. I guess the Holy Spirit was trying to tell me something. Too bad I wasn’t blogging back then. The word gratitude makes my insides feel like a kid a Christmastime! I do practice thankfulness year round; however, this time of year it just seems to come alive and take on a life of its own. How could it not with all this autumn beauty declaring God’s glory! No wonder fall has always been a favorite time of year! I just had to throw this tidbit of info in for good measure. Seeds of joy burst forth for the lovers of God! So be glad and continue to give Him thanks, for His holiness is seen in everything He does. Psalm 97:11,12 TPT

There are still several weeks of fall left. If anything super amazingly cool happens I will write an update!

The Lord be with you all!

Throwback picture of Britney many falls ago.

ASK FOR PERMISSION Heather Britain and Blessed At All Times, April 2015.Unauthorized use and/or duplication of written material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Summertime’s Lessons

September 10, 2015September 10, 2015 | Heather Britain

Summer sure flew by…I spent a lot of time with family, friends, cooking some of my favorite dishes, reading some awesome books, and joining a new shooting club with gals who like Glocks and to shoot them!

However, one thing that really rose to the surface of my consciousness is that life is all about connecting, relationships, and people. I’ve read several books pointing out this truth and always knew it to be true in my heart; however, this summer I got a good dose of real time experience with it.

Spending time with family and friends is always a desire of mine; however, I also planned on having a good time this summer riding my mare. I was getting a good start in late spring in that direction, then all of a sudden she got injured towards the end of June. This meant no riding, barrel racing, or pole bending, which is the bulk of my summer activity. Riding her at the end of a long day really lifts my spirits, gets me mentally and physically exercised, and gets me centered in the present moment. Due to where one of her injuries was located, it took two months to heal. There was a time in my past this would have really threw me off and upset me to the point I felt I was “missing out on life”.

However, God had other things for me to focus on this summer. After some praying to Him and “shaking off” the initial frustration of the situation, I was able to appreciate what God had in store for me next. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 (NIV) God opened up time and opportunity for me to enjoy the company of my family more than ever this summer. I got to know and fellowship with church friends and do other things I wouldn’t normally have been doing because I dedicate so much time to riding and horse activities. God had me making real connections. Connections that mean something. Connections that have purpose with people who are more real and genuine than the ones in the world I’m usually exposed to.

Below are just a few of my summer fun memories!

image-10-09-15-11-03-5 — 4th of July parade in Jackson, WY with my Dad.

image-10-09-15-11-03-7 — At the beach with my daughter.

image-10-09-15-11-03-6 — On a hike to the Sinks with my church family.

image-10-09-15-11-03-2 — Shi’Lii’ my horse and an August summer sunset.

image-10-09-15-02-01 — Listening to a gospel concert with church family at City Park.

Although I don’t like to see my horse hurt, I can truly be grateful for the goodness God worked out of it. During the time it took for her to heal up, I spent cultivating relationships. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (NIV)

These relationships will outlast any prize that can be won by competing on my horse. They will outlast the “I have to cram in as many horse related activities as possible” attitude. If this attitude gets out of balance, it can distract me from whom and what is really important. And they will certainly outlast the many shallow acquaintances that come with the territory of any activity or sport that involves money and competition. It feels good to invest my time and energy into the people and activities that really matter in life!

There were also the other usual type of ongoing lessons this summer such as establishing boundaries with people who disrespect me, clarifying misunderstandings, and discovering with a sad heart that I didn’t have as good of a connection with a specific someone as I thought I did.

I also had to say goodbye to my dog Eddie at the end of this summer. For us single people who go home to an empty house, our animals are a source of comfort. They are a source of comfort to many people whether single or married. Losing her was unexpected and saddening. But I take comfort in the scripture saying, There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die…Ecclesiastes 3:1-2(NIV)

And yet with all these lessons, this was one of the best summers I’ve had in a few years. I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 (NLT)

It’s knowing God and having nourishing and lasting relationships with the people who truly matter that make life beautiful in the midst of life’s lessons!

Springtime Blessings

June 11, 2015July 17, 2015 | Heather Britain

What can beat a mixture of family and nature for springtime blessings? Not much in my opinion. Here is a throw back photo of my daughter at springtime in the past.

And what a relief to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God! Genesis 33:10 NLT I thought the picture to the left was perfect to go along with this scripture. I love this scripture because it’s how I feel every time I get to see my daughter’s beautiful face or even talk to her on the phone, although when I get to see her it’s under much better circumstances than when Jacob said these words to his brother Esau.

I spent this past Memorial Weekend 2015 with my daughter. I can hardly put into words how rejuvenating the time was…beautiful weather, springtime flowers, humming birds, good coffee, bible reading, and quality time with my daughter. Oh, how I’d love more times like this with my baby girl. Nothing compares to the loyalty and genuineness of family. Just being present in an environment like this makes a person thrive spiritually. No matter what we’ve both grown through together, we both want what’s best for each other and want each other to succeed in life. Her presence in my life is such a blessing. I get so filled with Holy Spirit Joy with our visits. Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him. Psalms 127:3 NLT

I know at some point in the next few weeks I’m going start missing the friendly family environment that so fills me up with joy. Feelings of lonesomeness will hit and I’ll have to be double diligent at encouraging myself with God’s word, my blessing journal, riding my horse, and fellowshipping with a few gal pals. I’m so looking forward to my next visit with her!!!

My daughter at Grandma & Grandpa’s house in springtime past.

Below are some pictures I took of Springtime 2015.

I will bless and praise the Lord with my whole heart! Let all His works throughout the earth, wherever His dominion stretches, let everything bless the Lord! Psalm 103:22 TPT