We live our lives the way most of America wouldn't understand. If you took away the technology we use for our business, you might be shocked by the simplicity of our home. We do have televisions, and the reality is they're rarely on. We don't have cable or even Netflix. We listen to the radio, a local Christian station, The Joy FM, and when we watch T.V. it's a lot of Bible-inspired shows or well-screened kid/family-friendly shows. 
   We spend a lot of time with Jesus. We read the bible, do devotionals and we pray. We spend a lot of time outside, taking care of our garden, our chickens, our little bit of land. We build, we design, we craft, and work and play and enjoy life. We are building a strong and faith-filled life for our family, and it's a life most people can't even imagine, but they should imagine it. They should want it. They should seek it out...it's going back to a simpler time and way of life, and it gives perspective.

   While the rest of America is out there running around like chickens with their heads cut off we are working to build a life dependant on God and not on this world. We don't want the many distractions that the world as to offer. We don't want them for us, or our children. We home school to teach our children the rich history of America, about God, and the other fundamental things they will need to know for life. Our plan includes making our children God dependant, and not victims to the world around them.
   What is a "simple life"? It's going back to the basics, going back to our roots. Jesus and family and doing things for ourselves. Not counting on others as much as we've been programmed to in the last 30 years. It's slowing things down and focusing on the important things in life, and that means teaching our children how to get to the next life. Eternity matters y'all...teach your children that fact before you let them spend hours and hours soaked into a video game that undermines good values. 

   Listen, I'm not on here to preach, but I think we need to rethink this "progressive" stance so many have taken. We can make progress without destroying the foundation of the world. If you follow me, and you support this blog, our business, and our Facebook page, this isn't any news for you. You know how I feel, and where we stand, but I think people are feeling kind of lost and they don't know how to turn back time and stop what has been put in motion.
     We haven't always limited tech with our kids or lived more self-sustaining. It all starts with a change. Start somewhere and get your focus where it needs to be (JESUS). If your children are young, they'll fall in line easily...some of the greatest humans in history didn't have a cell phone at all, let alone as a child. Let your kids be kids, and be involved in the process of their young lives. Create a FAMILY/GOD culture in your home, and stand up for what you believe. Do all these things to simplify your life and watch everything start to change for the good in your home.​

   If this struck something in you, and you have questions and would like to learn more about how to live a more simple life and lead your family to the Lord, reach out. We're here to talk to you! Until the next blog, you can find me doing something creative on our Facebook Page or hanging out in our Private VIP Group, CLUB CHARM. Come join us! Share this blog with a friend whom you think will benefit, and give us a like! ​

Until we meet again...love and prayers!
XOXO
Jen

    Y'all life is crazy. One minute your floating along all fine and dandy, and the next you can find yourself in the middle of some chaos you not only wasn't looking for but you definitely don't want! That's how this world works. The circumstances we are often thrown into can be earth-shattering, and really shake you up, but that's not the only thing that can shake you up. 
   What if you're on a path you recognize, you enjoy, you might even love. You have a plan in front of you and you're staying on track, but suddenly something happens. Maybe your actions or even your inaction cause it inadvertently, or maybe someone else is to blame. No matter the reason, you find yourself suddenly in unfamiliar and perhaps uncomfortable territory, so what do you do? What do YOU do?

   This has happened to me more times than I'd care to say, and when the waters get rough, and you don't know where to turn, I sure hope you're turning to the only one who can straighten it all out for you. His name is Jesus. 
  If you're feeling lost, deserted, looking for answers and nowhere to turn to, girl, don't you know it's always been Him? It's always gonna be Him. He has all the answers; He is standing in the gap for you. When the whole world falls apart, and you can't get your footing. I'm talking about when you've been swept off your feet, but not in a good way, call His name. Weep at His feet, listen to His voice, let Him lead you, allow Him to comfort you and don't you dare look away. Don't look to the left or the right, but look straight on at Jesus and REMAIN in Him because that's what's gonna get you through as a victor on the other side of your problems. That's what's going to change everything for you in your circumstance. 

    John 15:7 tells us "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." This doesn't mean God is like our personal genie, granting us wishes, it means if you eat, breathe and sleep the word. If you love Jesus, you follow Him and you OBEY Him, when a time of crisis comes calling (and it will) He is going to be there to pull you out of the miry clay. He will not fail, He will not falter. No matter what you're going through, He already knows, He has all the answers and He cares for you. ​

   One of the hardest things for some when they become a Christian is to distinguish between that mandate to "love thy neighbor" and "liking" people. I'll be honest when I was a young Christian I had some real difficulty with understanding if I was "doing it right". Falling in love with Jesus, for me, didn't automatically mean I fell in love with everyone else. I did start to love people in the way Jesus did, praying for their salvation, and witnessing to them about the Gospel, but there were still people that I just didn't care for. These people weren't large in number, but if I'm being honest, it was a few. I fundamentally loved them. I didn't, however, want to be friends with them, or even particularly like them. This gave me great guilt. I struggled almost daily with not liking some people. Over time, and through prayer with the Lord, I realized this was the enemy in disguise. He was using my own humanity against me. 

Y'all, I don't want to get into a theological debate here because that's not what this post is about, it's really just about guilt and how Satan uses guilt to control us. If he can keep your mind busy with worry, shame, and guilt, he can effectively take you out of play and make you ineffective in the kingdom. He clearly knows what he's doing, how to do it, and he does it well. Protection from that can only come from one place, Jesus Christ. Because we know that Jesus is the word, being in our bibles is the protection we need from Satan's trickery.
   When you have guilt, that is not a feeling of God. God doesn't guilt you, He doesn't have to. The Holy Spirit will convict you if you're in the wrong, and if you're praying regularly, you'll feel and understand conviction right away, but there's more to it and we need to understand that.
     Guilt is not from the Holy Spirit, but from Satan. Because guilt and conviction often seem so similar, Satan relies on our own confusion and uncertainty to tear us away from Christ and separate ourselves from His love. Satan is hoping we will embrace guilt, regret, and shame. He wants our emotions to take control so that we are paying more attention to them than we are to the truth of God. If we start listening to emotions and not the truth of God we may feel we are no good, and that we will do the same thing again and nobody is going to forgive us for our mistakes.
   Guilt says we are responsible for saving ourselves, and that because we can’t do it, we have no hope. Grace says Jesus has done all that we cannot, and that He is the salvation and hope for all.​

     Conviction is something actually very different. John 16:8 says, “And when the Holy Spirit comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” Conviction is a two-stage process: The Holy Spirit shows you your sin, and He shows you how to turn from it and walk instead in righteousness. No one likes to be reminded of how imperfect they are, so conviction isn't pleasant, but the more we see how undeserving we are, the more grateful we are to our Savior for loving us anyway. So conviction, as unpleasant as it is, is a healthy step to grow closer to God.
     The Holy Spirit exposes sin in our lives, not to guilt or shame us, but to change us. You can, therefore, be assured that if you're feeling guilt over sinful behavior, that is not of God, but of Satan. Shame says that because I am flawed, I am unacceptable. Grace says that though I am flawed, I am loved. Don't feel guilty for things you've done, instead repent and find healing and forgiveness in Jesus. ​
   It's been a few years y'all. I'm a Christian on a much deeper level than I was a decade ago. I have come a long way, and I love all people, but in fact, there are moments when I meet someone and we just don't jive. It doesn't mean I don't love them with the love of the Lord, it means, we aren't very compatible, and they're not my favorite. In fact, they're not close to my favorite, and I may really not care for them one bit, however it doesn't keep me from loving them, praying for them, and being kind to them. It also no longer guilts me to feel this way because I have exposed the enemy and his plan through scripture and prayer. 

   Have y'all ever had a dream, but sat on it out of fear or a reluctance to go against the grain? Although I've always been willing to be different, because Oh boy am I different, I wasn't always willing to follow my dream. I think every boy and girl has a dream when they're little, and sometimes they're lucky enough to have parents or someone else who fosters that dream. Sometimes that dream really is out of touch with reality, and then other times its actually God-driven. What's the litmus test that tells us which it is? I would say does your dream glorify God? If it does, then you're probably on the right track.
   Every since I was a little girl I've had a dream y'all. My dream was to be an encourager. I suppose the fact that I didn't have a lot of encouragement as a child made me want to be that for others. I  have always been a positive soul, and always had a call of God on my life, even before I realized it. Looking back I sure wish I had recognized it sooner, because He has always been chasing me. He instilled this dream in my very being, but even though I had this dream, I had zero clue how to accomplish that. Did I have ideas? Of course, I did, but did I get off track? Of course, I did! 

   My young self, who didn't know Jesus and had no clue about life, took off into adulthood by jumping in feet first and making life a whole lot of complication for myself. I had babies young, didn't have any real plan for a career, and just forget about following that dream, or listening to God. I couldn't even hear God at that point in my life, and still, there was a nudge that would not stop pulling at my heartstrings for more. I knew I had so much to share, and I also knew God had given me an incredible gift of words and writing, but did I put two and two together to come up with four, of course I didn't, well, not for many years.
   You see, I'm creative. I create, it's what I do. I'm an artist, a writer, a photographer, a designer, I love to create things and I'm not bad at doing it. That's been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, but when you're trying to fill a void in your soul because you don't know Jesus, it's all in vain. That was me for so many years and then about a decade ago that all changed and I met Jesus. I'd love to say that coming to Jesus moment completely transformed my life and set me on the path to His great destination for me, but I'd be lying. Yes, some people have that kind of God experience when they get saved and radically change and transform in literally moments, but that was not me. I did change of course, but the kind of transformation I'm talking about didn't happen overnight. Maybe God just knew how stubborn I am, or maybe I was just being stubborn, either way, it took me a bit to figure out what God was saying to me, how He was guiding me and where He was directing me. ​

  After some tug of war with Jesus, and trying to do things myself, I finally submitted to His will and started to do things His way. Just living my life, the way He designed me to be, and not taking one minute for granted. Shining His light for all to see and sharing the love of Jesus with them, and letting Him use it all for His glory. That's how "That Farm Charm" was born. Now it was actually "born" long before it was born on social media. It's been being birthed for about three years now, but by listening to Him, He has allowed me to take the things I love to the next level and touch lives through creation, but mostly because of and all for Jesus. 
   So if you were wondering, who is this girl, where did she come from, and what is this Farm Charm all about? Well, now you know a little piece of what makes me tick, why I do what I do, and how this all came to be. It's all for the Glory of God. He's in charge of this dog and pony show. When I die, I pray it's not me that is remembered, but Him and how He changed me. I am honored to get on here every day and share my life, my vision, and my Lord and Savior. I pray that along the way something I say, do, create or share will be an encouragement to someone. I know that it's all about Jesus, and I just wanna share Him with the world. 
   Welcome to "That Farm Charm". I pray I've been an encouragement to you. Chase your dreams, but don't do it for yourself, do it for Jesus. When you're in His will, and you're asking His direction He will never steer you wrong. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you! I know it because the bible tells me so! (Philippians 4:13). 
   Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for taking the time out of your day to read what I have to say. This place is  a little piece of the internet that belongs to Jesus, he just put me in charge for awhile. If you enjoyed this blog, please "spread the charm" to your friends by sharing it, and give me a like or leave me a comment below. 

Until tomorrow!
XOXO
Jen