Heart Towards Home

Hello friends and Happy Sunday! We had our first snowfall of the season last night. Did you get any white stuff by you? The picture on this post is a view of our front yard. Note the cat footprints and probably deer too. 💕😁I didn't do the best job in taking it as it's quite cold and windy outside, so I ran out quickly and right back in. I kick myself for not getting a picture early this morning when the snow was on the bright red pear tree. It was so beautiful but has since melted.

I did purchase the Windsor tree from Lowes that I talked about in last week's community post. If you watched my coffee / hot cocoa bar" video that I posted yesterday, you may have seen both my new tree and my new kitty in it. Sidenote- I am happy with both of them. 😁 The only trouble is that my Petunia kitty's favorite game seems to be "how many ornaments can I knock down off the tree." I counted 10 on the ground when I woke up this morning. Amazingly she hasn't broken any of them yet. I really thought I had done a better job of securing them into the tree. But she's a feisty little one. I always tell her that it's a good thing she's so cute. Lol.

I am sad that my Chase kitty hasn't returned, but I am enjoying her so much. I weighed her today on the bathroom scale with and without me to subtract the difference. I won't tell you what I weighed, 😁but if my math was correct, she weighs 5.6 lbs. Considering that she's only 6 months old, I think she may be a good-sized kitty.
Speaking of good sized kitties, my husband saw a bobcat once again this past week on our property walking towards the woods. That's 3 times now for him and 0 for me. Maybe I'm too noisy or something. They never seem to come around when I'm around. 🙃 Hopefully someday!

If you have any prayer requests and would like to share them, by all means, feel free to. And if you'd like to keep the request(s) private, you can simply write the word "unspoken" and we can pray for your need in a general sense as God is aware of all the specifics. Luke 12:7 assures us that God even knows the number of hairs on our heads. Perhaps that verse sounds a bit odd, but I appreciate that God so clearly illustrates his interest in us using an example that we can wrap our heads around. Pun intended. God is not a "hands off" creator, as the deist believes. He is sovereignly involved in the interworkings and affairs of men. Yes, there is a free will that he gives, and hence man is responsible for his actions, but ultimately God is sovereignly working everything out for the good of his people and for his glory. See Romans 8:28

and Colossians 1:16
"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and FOR HIM."

So if anyone ever ask you why God created the world, tell them Colossians 1:16. 😊

Thank you for reading my posts and watching my videos. I do try my best to bring you interesting and inspiring content. I don't ever expect to be a big content creator, but I do feel so encouraged when you let me know that you like what I do. Believe me when I say that the pennies I make here doesn't drive me. (and thank goodness because I wouldn't even make it to McDonald's 😁) It's your appreciation! Have a wonderful week, my friends! ~ Rachel 🎄💕🦃🐈

6 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 46

Heart Towards Home

Hello friends and Happy Sunday - and Happy November! On October 31st, I put up my first Christmas tree. It's in my dining room. My Petunia kitten enjoyed "helping." She climbs up into the middle of the tree and paws at me through the branches while I work. It's very cute until you feel the occasional claw. 🙃

I was hoping to put up my second tree. It's a flocked tree with half the lights out. My intention was to cut out the lights and reuse the tree. About 15 minutes into the process, I realized that I was coughing on all the white flocking dust and really not getting far. I can't believe how they twist those lights into the branches! So I decided that it wasn't worth doing and threw the thing out the front door and opened windows to vent the dust. Saving a couple hundred dollars on a tree and then ending up with pneumonia isn't worth it. I think from now on, I plan to stick with trees that don't come prelit.

So this week, I'm on the hunt for a reasonably priced unflocked unlit tree for my living room. I can't do a real tree because we have electric heat vents there that could dry the tree and cause a fire. Suggestions are welcome! I have the Holiday Living Windsor Tree from Lowes in mind. It's under $200. I have not seen it in person, and my closest Lowes is over an hour away, but I may take a little drive and check it out tomorrow or Tuesday.

My kitty was kinda naughty today. While I was carrying totes in and out from the garage, she got out of the house. I looked for her and called and called. My husband finally found her chasing the squirrels on the front lawn. I always warn her that there are "hairy scary bad boys outside (our boy cats 😂) so she needs to stay inside with her mama where she is safe." But does she listen? Nope. Typical teenage girl. Lol. I'm just glad she didn't go far. I don't want her to get lost. I have heard of cats who don't want to go outside and I was hoping she would be one of those, but I suppose that's rare. I always say, "You can take the cat out of the wild, but you can't take the wild out of the cat." 😁

I'm really rambling today- and I apologize. I feel a bit off. My son has been sick all week and I keep expecting to come down with it, too. Maybe today is the day. 🤔

On another note, my dad's treatments are going well. He should be done with them a day or two before Thanksgiving. Thank you again to all of you who are praying for him! It's appreciated!

As far as other prayer requests go, I'd like to ask prayer for our country. I know there are many people who are missing paychecks right now. Hopefully, they get enough votes in the S€nate to open things up soon.

If you have any requests, please feel free to share them below. And as always, if you'd like to keep the request private, you can simply write the word "unspoken." We can pray for you knowing that God knows the request. Galatians 6:2 reminds us to... "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

Look for my Christmas Coffee/ Hot Cocoa Bar Video this week. I also plan to give some Christmas gift ideas in that video as well. So hopefully I will see you all again very soon!
I appreciate all of your comments and support! Have a wonderful week! Take care, sweet friends! ~ Rachel 😊💕🐈🎄🦃

1 week ago | [YT] | 52

Heart Towards Home

Hello friends! Happy Sunday! It took 2 tries, but I finally got my Thanksgiving video uploaded. I sometimes think it's my internet connection. Living out in the woods has its drawbacks. 🙃

Christmas is less than 2 months away, and I am very ready to start my holiday baking. I may have to bake some now and put them in the freezer. Do you make the dough and freeze it that way or bake the cookies and then freeze them? I usually bake them first and intend to freeze them, but then we eat them all. Lol. So I should probably just make the dough. 😁

If you have a prayer request (or more than one) feel free to write them below in the comments. I'd be glad to pray for you, and I know that others pray as well. For that matter, you can drop your prayer requests in the comments section anywhere and at any time on my channel. It's a blessing to pray for one another.
I hope you all have a blessed week! Take care friends ~ Rachel 🦃💕🐈

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 37

Heart Towards Home

I should have had my Thanksgiving video uploaded today, but it's totally stuck in upload now for hours. I probably have to begin again and hope for the best tomorrow. So frustrating! They have gotten stuck before, but not this bad. I did climb up on the hill behind our house once. But it's cold and getting dark. I apologize for the technical issues. 😔

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 29

Heart Towards Home

Hello friends and Happy Sunday! This week went SO fast! I don't even know what happened to Wednesday. All day Thursday I thought it was Wednesday until my husband came home from work and corrected me. I guess the old people were right- time does fly faster. Now I guess I'm one of those old people.

I ran into our neighbor lady at the store on Thursday, and she mentioned that they saw a wolf pup on their game camera. My husband said it explains why the deer have been sticking closer to our house. They must sense danger. I'm a little worried about our cats. I hope the wolves leave them alone. 😒 We have seen bobcats on our property, but I didn't know there were wolves.

Last night, I came home fairly late from shopping (yaayy I got to Hobby Lobby) I was so tired, I left my stuff in the car to get straight to bed. I hope I'm not the only one that does that. I guess that's the meaning of "shop till you drop." My boys (son and husband) decided to try out their new sleeping bags and sleep in a tent in our back woods. Sidenote- it's crazy how eerily quiet the house feels with only myself in it. But anyway, it rained quite a bit and in the wee hours of the morning they had had enough and came in the house. My husband said he felt like he was sleeping on some walnuts- and I don't doubt it.
I teased him that he's getting too old and soft. But it was a nice little father son adventure. 😄

I have my Thanksgiving video coming up- hopefully this week. Fingers crossed! Even if you don't decorate for Thanksgiving, I hope you'll have time to watch because there are a lot of inspirational elements having to do with joyfulness and gratitude in it. An attitude of gratitude is something I'm passionate about- although I often fall hypocritically short of practicing it.

I am gearing up for Christmas videos. It's been very hard not to put up Christmas decor.
I'm trying to wait until after the Thanksgiving video. But I confess, I started putting a few gingerbread things in my kitchen since I'm not planning to show my kitchen in my Thanksgiving video. Of course, if I change my mind about that, I'll have to take it back down again... because no peeking. Lol. 🫣

My dad's radiation treatments for cancer are "so far so good." Thanks to all of you who are praying. I appreciate it so much!
If you have any prayer requests, feel free to mention them below. I'd be glad to pray about them, and I know that others pray as well. I do continue to pray for the requests mentioned in previous weeks, so please don't think you're forgotten. Thank you for reading my posts. I know they can get long. It's more of a letter sometimes. I'll try to cut them shorter.
If you have time to write, drop a hello and tell me what's new and/ or what's going on in your life. I hope you have a blessed week! Take care, friends ~ Rachel 💕🙏🍁🦃🐈

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 39

Heart Towards Home

Hello friends and happy Sunday! 😊 I wanted to start off by thanking you all for helping me to reach 5,000 subscribers. I appreciate it SO much!!

When I first began my youtube channel, every time I'd get a subscriber, I'd tell my husband, "I got another sympathy subscriber." I just figured people felt sorry for me just starting out. And that probably was the case. 🙃 I have removed many of my original youtube videos because some of them were really bad. My camera was rough, my camera presence stilted, and my editing left much to be desired. I'm still working to improve in those areas with every video. It's a process- and so I appreciate your patience with me. I still film on a phone- at least it's a fairly decent one nowadays. Perhaps if I ever make 10,000 subscribers, I'll feel justified in getting a real camera meant specifically for filming videos. That said, it would possibly be too complicated for me as I am a simple girl.

I am working on a Hobby Lobby Christmas 'shop with me' video which should be out in a few days. I haven't done many shopping videos this year because there are so many out there - done by others. But Hobby Lobby has some new and exciting things so I thought I'd share.

I have not forgotten about the 'decorate and prep' for Thanksgiving video. It is coming up as well. It will be Thanksgiving specific. I wanted to devote one whole video to Thanksgiving Day, and decorating for it, because I don't think that thankfulness is emphasized enough in our materialistic world. (I am aware of how hypocritical that probably sounds coming from a girl with a house full of decor. 😬)
But I do wonder how much less anxious the world would be (myself included) if they followed the Bible's cure for anxiety which includes devoted thankfulness and prayer to God.

Philippians 4:6-7
 6 "Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Speaking of prayer, as always, if you have any prayer requests, please feel free to mention them below so we can pray for each other. There are several prayer warriors who read the comments and pray about the requests mentioned. What a blessing to pray knowing that we have a God who hears the prayers of his people!
Isaiah 59:1
"Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear."

Pray for grace to stay in God's will (it's the safest place to be) and stay thankful and prayerful! Have a blessed week, my friends! See you soon! ~ Rachel 🦃🍁😊🐈🐈‍⬛️

1 month ago | [YT] | 64

Heart Towards Home

Hello friends and Happy Sunday! I hope you had a wonderful week!
My late fall kitchen video came out today. It may seem silly to do two completely separate fall kitchen videos, but I enjoyed doing it. I think the kitchen is my favorite room to decorate.

I do want to mention some prayer requests on my heart. There is a sweet friend of mine here on youtube (I don't think she will mind my mentioning this) whose niece passed away quite recently. She left behind 8 year old twins. Please be in prayer for those little ones and the family. I cannot imagine the heartbreak of losing your mother so young.

My dad had his first procedure to prep for cancer treatments and had an allergic reaction in the process. Fortunately, they were able to give him something to counter the reaction. His actual radiation begins next week. Thank you for your prayers.

There are a lot of people with unspoken requests- myself included. That said, perhaps most- if not all of us have matters that trouble us that we'd rather not share out loud. So we pray for each other as God intended. Sometimes, prayer seems pointless in the sense that we know that God already knows everything. And yet, we remember that prayer is a necessary means through which God works his grace, healing, and guidance. And so we continue to "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
James (Jesus's half brother) writes in James 5:16, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

If you have any prayer requests or unspoken requests you'd like to share, please feel free to write them below in the comments. There are some dear folks in the Lord who will pray for the requests mentioned, as do I.
Thank you again for stopping by to read my Sunday post. I hope it encouraged you. Have a blessed week, sweet friend! 💕 ~ Rachel 🍁 😊 🦃🐈‍⬛️🐈

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 44

Heart Towards Home

Hello friends and Happy Sunday! October is right around the corner! Unreal! I am planning to have at least one - possibly even two more fall videos out. I am redecorating my kitchen for late fall and also making some changes in my dining room as well. I know it's a bit much to decorate over again for the same season, but decorating is a welcome distraction for me which I need right now.

My husband had a birthday yesterday. We went to a nearby state park, and did a ton of walking/exploring- so much so that I teased him that he was trying to kill me. Seriously though, it was the perfect day and very enjoyable. People were still swimming at the beach, which surprised me a bit. But we Wisconsinites are a hardy bunch, I suppose. 🙃

We also went to a little antique / thrift store. It had a little bit of everything from old military gear (which my son and husband dove into) and even some home decor. I found a few things.

Tonight- also, for my husband's birthday, we met our oldest daughter and granddaughter for supper. (which is why I'm so late in getting this post out today)Without any bias whatsoever, I can honestly say that my granddaughter is, in fact, the cutest and sweetest baby girl ever!! 😊💓

I hope you take some time this week to soak up the changing fall colors and praising our Creator who continually shows his handiwork all around us. From the intricate detail of a simple thorn bush to the vast sky above, nature reflects the divine wisdom and care of a Creator. It's a comforting reminder that our heavenly Father, who is concerned with such detail in the natural world, will take care of the details in the lives of believers as well.

Matthew 6:28-30
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

As far as prayer requests go, please pray for my dad as he begins radiation for cancer in October.
I have an unspoken request. Thanks for your prayers!

If you have any prayer requests, please feel free to write them below. I would feel blessed to pray for you, or your loved one, or whoever the request is for. Technically speaking, the Bible says we are to pray for our enemies, too. That said, the older I get, the more it seems that the enemies are closer to home. It's a scary truth, but I am thankful for a God who promises to work out all things for the good of those who love him. I believe that verse, but my patience (or lack thereof) gets in the way. Sorry for flipping the subject back to myself, but Romans 8:28 has been my reason for going on right now. This year has been hard. God is faithful!

Thank you for taking time to read my posts and watch my videos. It means a great deal to me! Take care, sweet friend! ~ Rachel 💕🍂🐈‍⬛️🐈

1 month ago | [YT] | 57

Heart Towards Home

Hello friends! Happy Sunday! The verse I chose today sheds some light on why (according to the prophet Isaiah) God (sometimes) allows righteous people to be taken. Rather than use my own bumbling words, please allow me to quote the very eloquent minister Matthew Henry, who was a great theologian from the 18th century. I often refer to him as "my favorite dead guy" 🙃since I have learned so much from his writings (commentaries) on the Bible. Whenever I'm questioning the meaning of any Bible verse, he's usually the first one that I turn to for clarity. As a matter of fact, you may have noticed the set of green books on my open book shelf in my living room. They are his commentaries.
In regards to Isaiah 57:1, he writes...

"They are taken away from the evil to come, then when it is just coming, (1.) In compassion to them, that they may not see the evil (2 Kings. 22:20), nor share in it, nor be in temptation by it. When the deluge is coming they are called into the ark, and have a hiding-place and rest in heaven when there was none for them under heaven."

We cannot comprehend the sovereign will of God. His thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:8-9) But we trust that He is good, and He is faithful! Deuteronomy 7:9 says...

"Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations."

On a lighter note, I am very close to having my 'fall living room' video finished- and I'm pretty excited to show you how it turned out. As a matter of fact, I am currently sitting in the living room recliner, and enjoying the happy glow of the fireplace, the lights, and the candles. To my left is my view out the window where I have not yet spotted any of my morning deer friends munching on their breakfast apples from our trees. But they will likely be around soon. I do think I hear a mourning dove off in the distance.

Please be in prayer for my dad as he is struggling with prostate cancer and is experiencing a lot of pain right now. His treatments start in October. Thank you!

Please continue to pray for the Kirk family. Tomorrow is the memorial. Pray for safety for everyone who will attend.

And as always, if you have any prayer requests, please don't hesitate to mention them below- or simply write the word "unspoken" to keep it private. God knows the request.

I know I don't say it often enough, but I really do appreciate each of you who read my Sunday posts and watch my videos. I hope my channel is a blessing to you! Have a wonderful week, sweet friends! 💕🙏😊🍂🐈‍⬛️

1 month ago | [YT] | 57

Heart Towards Home

Hello friends! Happy Sunday! God is on His throne. Long post today. Along with the autumn church sunrise scene, I carefully chose today's verse in honor of Charlie Kirk. It is true for every believer in Christ. "Their works follow them" even after death.

This is not a political post, but it is a devotional one. It was an emotional week for me as I reflected on the very violent and public assassination of an innocent man. In that tragic moment over 3,000 young people witnessed his death and millions more saw the aftermath. I won't even get into the evil ones celebrating this horror, (nor will I engage them) but I will say that one of my favorite posts about him reads, "May we all be so successful and effective that our enemies celebrate when we die."

Charlie pointed people to Christ using truth, patience, and logic. What a great legacy!
I was encouraged to see that his Instagram alone grew from under 2 million followers (before his death) to over 10 million followers since his death- in less than a week. More people than ever are watching video clips of him giving the gospel of Christ and sharing truth! Amazing! I bet the devil didn't see that one coming. And that gives me such comfort and satisfaction. 😊

John 1:5 says that the light shines in darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. 🔥The fact is that God always, ALWAYS wins! Oftentimes, it appears (at least for a time) like the devil is winning. But he isn't. Rest assured of this...the devil is on a leash. And God holds the leash. At the end of the day we know that the light overcomes the darkness. And that Light is Christ.
John 8:12  "Then spake JESUS again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Christ Jesus has defeated sin, death, and Satan through his death on the cross and his glorious Resurrection.  All of those who turn from their sins, believe the Bible, and trust in Christ for forgiveness have no need to fear death. But beyond that, they can actually mock it - just as the apostle Paul did in
1 Corinthians 15:55 & 57 where he says...

"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Charlie Kirk did not die. He simply got a change of address. For that matter, none of us will die. We will merely change location. When God created Adam and Eve, he did something very special to them that he didn't do to any of his other creation. The Bible says, "He breathed into them a living soul." Genesis 2:7.
I pray that every one reading this, will consider where their soul will spend eternity.

Hebrews 9:27 says, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. "

If you have not turned from your sins and followed after Christ, the Bible says that you are in a state of rebellion against God. Christ's blood does not cover the sins of the unrepentant heart.

Luke 13:3 says, "Except ye repent, ye shall likewise perish."
We don't know if we will live one more day, one more hour, or another 70 years. Get right with God while he gives you breath to do so.

Isaiah 55:6 "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near."

Matthew 16:24-26 "Then said JESUS unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."
"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."
"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

As always, if you have any prayer requests, please feel free to mention them below. I would be glad to pray for the requests mentioned, and there are other believers looking on who pray as well. If you'd rather the request remain private, feel free to simply write the word "unspoken."
If you have any questions about what it means to be a Christian, I'd be happy to answer them. I also have an email address in my bio if you would rather keep the conversation private.
Thank you for reading my posts and being part of my little space here on youtube.
If you have time, let me know what's going on in your life today/ this week. Have a blessed week remembering God's faithfulness. Until next time~ Rachel 💕😊🙏🐈‍⬛️🐈

2 months ago | [YT] | 61