Though the Wrong Seems Oft So Strong

I woke up this morning, with these beautiful words running through my mind.

Such peace filled my being.

Have you ever pondered these words?

 

This is my Father's world, O let me ne'er forget That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.

 

Oh, I needed that this morning. I thought maybe someone else would, so...

Short post... :) 

                                                  LaKaysha

My Own Memory Lane

I read Felicity's blog post about her own memories, and I began down my own memory lane, where life was so much simpler, and so much sweeter.
 I remember going to The Friendly Farm in with all of the family, and feeding the baby goats from my hand, and feeling a little nervous, while my Aunt Marita picked up one kid.
  Most of my earliest memories are from the ranch or New Hampshire.
I remember laying in a throw, giggling, while I stared up at my uncles Nolan and Marlon as they held the corners and swung me gently, laughing. I wasn't too happy when they put the other kids in with me. I was slightly selfish then... ;)
 Swinging on the giant rope swing in the Ranch's barn, Grandma smiling at me and giving me push while telling me to hold on tight.
 Playing 'house' in the room in the barn, mixing sawdust and water in old pots, while Felicity swept the concrete floor, and Marissa pretended to start a fire in the old stove.

This Saturday, the family had a barbeque, so we could spend some time with Mikey and Missy, who were visiting for the weekend.
 I watched the little kids run around the yard, playing "war" while Chancy and the boys captured them and dragged them off to their base.
 I was swept away into a different time, when I was one of those little kids being taken prisoner and carried away to the big kids base, which usually was Grandpa's shop.
Little Casey and Marissa were almost always the captains of the big kids, while Austin and I were the little kids leaders. Oh, where has the time gone? I wish I could go back and truly appreciate the time I had with Austin and Casey...

One year I went with my mom to drop Felicity off at Casey and Debby's for Little Casey's birthday party, and Austin came running out of the house, and bounced in front of the van window, asking if I could stay, too. My mom agreed, and I happily jumped out of the old van. We had a lot of fun building a fort out of tarp and wood, while the sun danced between the swaying trees. Such good times...

The most clear memory I have is the day my sweet, wonderful grandma finally left her cancer behind and went to be with our Savior. I was watching a movie, but I don't recall what it was, with the other kids, when Felicity came in, her head down, and her eyes red. She stopped in front of me, and whispered, "Grandma died."
  I couldn't believe it. I had known she would, but when those words were spoken, I couldn't get my mind around it, and I glared at my sister to show her that I didn't think she was funny.
 She had to be joking. It wasn't possible.
But I knew by her red face that she wasn't lying, and I jumped up from the Lazy Boy, running to throw back the blanket that hung in the doorway of the dining room where Grandma was staying. The sound of crying could be heard, and it was Uncle Clint who put his arm around me and told me that she was in heaven now, away from pain. That is the most painful, yet wonderful memory I have....

Things seemed so much easier in those old days of childhood...I miss them a lot.
But it has been a nice walk, and it felt nice to take that little stroll.

                                            God Bless,
                                                LaKaysha

Dress Up

Alright, I'll admit it. I still enjoy dress up.
 Although, I prefer to say that I simply appreciate the historical significance that clothes are.
For years, every October, we would have our Harvest Party and dress up in costumes.
 Oh, I loved that! I would start planning my costume in January, and came up with the most elaborate designs ever known to mankind.
 I still enjoy it, but the adults no longer join in on the dressing up, and "sadly", I am becoming an adult, so...
  I love finding a historically accurate outfit of any time era.
 Medieval, Revolutionary War, Regency Era, Civil War, Pioneer, Turn of the Century, Twenties, Thirties, Forties, Fifties, even Eighties!
 So maybe I am childish like some say. You know, the kind that will never grow up. ;)
But I really don't mind it.

Emily, Me, and Marissa at a Civil War Re-enactment

Daminika 1940's

Me, 1940's

Well, those are just a few pictures. I wish I had more, because I have dressed up more times.

Anyways, I was hoping sometime to put on a post about certain trends in different eras. But just for now, Bye!

                                                        LaKaysha



 

 

Different

Lately I've been realizing how different I am from most girls of today.
I thought it would be kind of fun to name off some of the things that aren't considered "normal" by today's standards, or at least "unusual".

1. I love the woman's styles of the 1930's, 40's, and 50's. They were so much more feminine than most clothing today, although I do love the maxi skirts that are in the stores.

2. I LOVE history! Every single date and era gets imbedded in my mind, and I rub my hands together with glee each time I learn something new about America. You might say I'm just a bit passionate about these things. ;)

3. I like old country. None of that Miranda Lambert and Lee Brice, but real, clean good country  music, like George Strait, Lionel Cartwright, Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Donna Fargo, Eddy Arnold...yeah, the list goes on.

4. Now here is one that gets a lot of people's attention. I love old rock music.
No, not the scream rock where people shout and jam out, but the old original rock from the 50's, where a lot of the "rock" music was slow and sweet love songs like Ricky Nelson's, "Wonder Like You" and the Everly Brothers' "Dream".
The music had so much more moral and value back then.
Almost always the guys married the girl.

5. I like the old movies. From "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" to "Old Yeller", I would much rather watch them than those new mixed up love stories any day.
Movies that both children and adults can watch are much more enjoyable and edifying for all of us, and I'd rather have my kids watch "Johnny Tremain" for history rather than some lame library "educational" dvd that talks to the children as if they are three instead of twelve.

6. Books. How many girls do you know these days that enjoy reading "Sherlock Holmes" and "Uncle Tom's Cabin"?
Or Louis L'Amour's old westerns? Nancy Drew? Hardy Boys?
I still read some books that are considered childish by most people, as Nancy Drew is in the children section at the library.

7. Frank Sinatra's crooning voice relaxes me much better than Scotty McCreary's ever could. Crooners of the 30's and 40's had such moods when they sang.
 Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire are favorites, too.

8. Cowboys and bob-wire. (yes, bob-wire, not Barbed-wire. There is such a word)
I LOVE the old west and cowboys.
Spurs and chaps.
There is something so free about being in saddle, or sitting around a fire, beneath the twinkling stars.

9. Cabins and big fireplaces.

10. Big porches, picket fences and a porch swing. I guess I'm just an old-fashioned girl stuck in a very new-fangled world. ;)

             Just some thoughts!

                                                             Vaya Con Dios,
                                                                    LaKaysha

Just a Story

"What was Grandma like?" she asks as she bounces on your knee,
You smile down into her eyes and answer her little plea.

You speak in gentle, earnest tones, of the sweet woman you knew,
How she loved little goats and great big skies of blue.

The honest smiles and great bear hugs, she'd always have for you.
The trips to her beloved ranch, the trips to the zoo.

"She was a wonderful person." You say, with a great deep sigh.
And one lone tear slides from your blinking eye.

For to you, Grandma was your grandma, your own special one.
A woman who filled your happy days with love, peace and fun.

Yes, to you Grandma was the dear angel, who has gone home to glory.
But to the little girl on your knee, she is just a story.
                                  
                                LaKaysha Stenersen

Just Some Thoughts

I'd like to share some of my thoughts in the Civil War.
I know that this can be a touchy subject, but I'd like to share some personal feelings.
Many people have heard me argue about this troublesome time in our nation, and I'm sorry if I ever got a bit too passionate.
God has convicted me in some of these things, and sometimes I get carried away. I really don't know why I have such an interest in the Civil War, but it is something I truly enjoy learning about.
It was a truly sad time in our nation, and I'm not prejudice about the South, nor do I mention it to start a hot argument.
Some people do think it's simply fun to get into a nice, fiery debate over which side was correct, but that isn't ever my intention.
It's something much too sorrowful for me to do that.
There is something so deep, so sad, in the way that brother had to rise against brother, father against son, to take up arms and kill people they love.
When people mention the Civil War, I don't see glory and honor, although there was a lot of that ,too. I see sorrow, like I see every time I look into President Lincoln's eyes. I see pain, like I see when I read first-hand accounts of the war. I see grief, like I see each time I see a mother who has lost a child.
Many didn't come home from those bloody battlefields, many lost an arm, an leg, their eyesight, their hearing. Many were permanently disabled from serving their nation.
And there is more than just their physical injuries. Have you ever killed another human being?
You can't even imagine the pain and regret those poor men had to face each time they thought back to those horrible moments.
War is a terrible thing that no one should have to endure, and when we look back on the Civil War, it should be with compassion, not hate.
Thankfulness that you never had to take up arms against your own.
Forgiveness for your enemy, and pride for all those poor men.
Just some of my thoughts on this December afternoon...
Merry Christmas!
                                                                            LaKaysha    

Reminiscing

Lately I've been missing the old days of yesterday, especially at Christmas time
I thought I would just share some of my memories with you.
I remember going to Grandma's at Christmas time was a pure joy for all us kids, and getting there, the house would be warm, Uncle Casey's voice would be singing from the cd player, and the adults would be gathered around the kitchen, mashing potatoes, and seasoning the gravy.
When it would come time to open gifts, we would all gather in the family room, while Grandpa read aloud the Christmas Story to us wide-eyed youngsters.
The gifts never really mattered. We were always happy with whatever we were given, because they were from Grandpa and Grandma. The pure happiness of being together was clear to us even then, at such a young age.
At home, John Denver would play from our stereo, while we jumped along the couches in our Sunday dresses.
The holidays were always filled with music when I was growing up. Either we sang, or a tape or cd would sound about the house. There was always music. Always.
Grandma loved singing, and guess that's where most of the grandkids get it.
I really miss her this Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
                                                                LaKaysha

Just Practice

I have been trying to learn how to describe the surroundings of a setting and make the reader feel like they were there. I decided to try it with my two favorite settings....
Am I learning?
 
Mountain
The sun was bright and merry as the flowers scented the air with their perfume. The lilies arrayed with glory greater than that of King Solomon seemed to laugh with the joy of the Lord, dancing their praises in the breeze.

The wind blew gently through the trees branches, singing soothingly to the tall grass, making it sway and wave like a grassy sea.

The mountains stood tall with the power of Nature’s God, seeming to be as a castle’s wall, sheltering all the wildlife in their shadows. The snow glistened atop their tall peaks, shining with far more radiance than that of diamonds.

A lone elk stepped from the shadow of the forest, to bend his majestic head toward the lush grass. His strong back stood tall and ready, displaying the strength of his Maker.

Meekly, a rabbit hopped into the meadow, wary of it's surroundings as it nibbled on the vegetation of this mountain land.

Birds dipped and flew through the blue sky, watching the hawk as it screams the Lord's song through the air.

The peace and tranquility of this paradise seemed be in the wind’s song, filling your heart and your very soul with the joy of the wilderness, the happiness of simply being alive in this beautiful world we live in.


Seaside
Crash. Splash.
The waves crashed against the rocks, sending their misty spray into the sea air, moistening your lips and filling them with the taste of the salty water.

A seagull soared overhead, sending it’s cry echoing through the sky as it lowered it’s slender neck.

It then dipped gracefully, riding the wind with the freedom of the sea.

Waves tossed and rolled in the icy blue, sparkling like a pirate's treasure, a tribute to it's King.

The sun rose over the blue water, filling the sky with a pink tinge as the clouds parted, revealing the joy of the morning

Standing tall against the horizon, a lighthouse sits empty, a mere shell of what it used to be.

One would never know the lonely structure was once a light in the storm, leading many a sailor home from the stormy sea.

Through the years it slowly dimmed, till at long last, it was boarded up into darkness .

And now it waits, alone and unlighted, for one to come and bring light to the sea once again, and lead the lost ones home.

                                                             LaKaysha

Ten Random Facts About Me

I haven't written in a while and I can't think of anything at the moment so here is ten random facts about me:

1. I LOVE music

2. I secretly always loved soft, pink dresses with lace, but have never owned one. :)

3. My favorite footwear would be cowgirl boots and church shoes

4. But I prefer to be barefoot as much as possible

5. I love WWII and the Civil War

6. History is my favorite subject

7. I'm scared of chickens and lightning (ya, chickens) :P

8. I have many heroes and people I respect but I guess narrowing them down to three it'd be
 Roy Rogers, Abraham Lincoln, and my Grandma

9. I love dresses and skirts

10. When I'm wearing pants it can only be one thing. JEANS. :D

                                                               Vaya Con Dios,
                                                                          LaKaysha

Stress and Anxiety

Well, if you know me, you'd know that I sometimes tend to stress over things a bit too much. Maybe you have this problem, too. Lying in bed at night, worrying over the days events, and how "I should've done this, and I should've done that," and then stressing over tomorrow's activity and all those "what ifs".
There's a passage in the Bible that always seem to be speaking directly to me, as if God was gently reminding me of what is truly important.
It's in Luke 10:38-42.

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word.
But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, "Lord dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me."
And Jesus answered and said unto her, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

"Thou art careful and troubled about many things."
That seems to describe me pretty well. The gentle, soothing way He says, "Martha, Martha," seems to warm my whole being.
He really does care about how this moody, rather over-dramatic, teenager feels.  
I pray that God will help me to be more like Mary, and that I'll learn to leave everything, totally and fully to Him. God bless you all this beautiful day! :)
                                                                                                 LaKaysha