flowers for your birthday

c. Emily Barish 2013

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Romans 15:13

Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you!

rejoice and be glad

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again:Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7

How wonderful are those truths.

Happy friday, my friends!

P.S.I'll be eighteen day after tomorrow...

California wild poppies and lupines circa 1995 by my mama

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

Add caption

          Here are some nearly vintage photos of my darling big sissy Hannah, Valentines Day 1999. I love these photos! She was so cute! (Still is, but she's almost twenty...a little less cute, a little more beautiful now.) And I'm pretty sure a pink dress, rosy cheeks, happy smile, and a chocolate lolly are a recipe for a pretty 'sweet' love day!

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 xoxo,Emily

in honor of a veteran

my grandpa David,circa 1970. photo by my beautiful grandma Janie.

Thank you to my beloved grandfather  for his military service to our great land. My grandpa's vision, knowledge, and love for God, family and his Country are so evident  in everything he does and has done, including serving in the Air Force. I am so blessed to be his grandaughter and we are all so grateful for his example of bravery and patriotism.

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

We LOVE you, Gramps!

Note: I fully intended to post this ON Veteran's Day, but ran out of time. After debating whether or not to post it late, I decided I would still post it for him.

Thoughts for Sunday

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you.
John 14:27

















There are times when our peace is based upon ignorance, but when we awaken to the facts of life, inner peace is impossible unless it is received from Jesus.When Our Lord speaks peace, He makes peace; His words are ever "spirit and life.'' Have I ever received what Jesus speaks? ''My peace I give unto you''-it is a peace that comes from looking into His face and realizing His undisturbedness.
--Oswald Chambers

This was so what I needed to read this morning. How faithful is our Lord!

Have a beautiful Sunday.

xo
Emily

daily verses

I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Psalm 34:1

Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
1 Peter 3:16

A joyful heart is good medicine but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
Proverbs 17:22


These were our Bible verses for today. They are such sweet encouragement!

Contentment in the New Year

 Say not, ''why were the former days better than these?''
 For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.
 Ecclesiastes 7:10

2011 is gone. Gone, and can't be brought back, ever.
Funny thing about it, I don't mind. Funny because it seems I've spent much of my life trying to hold onto things that are completely out of my control--like time,childhood, not wanting anyone to grow up, not wanting to forget sweet memories,being afraid I'm not cherishing each moment as I should, and the like.

This year, however, I've begun to realize that each day little things change, and oftentimes for good.
New chapters begin ever so slowly and the story doesn't end all at once. I'm learning to look at things in a new light. Taking delight in my LORD and the life He has given me...not trying to live in the past or looking anxiously towards the future. I praise God He has brought me to this realization, because it's freeing. My Father in heaven knows me and he has every moment of my life in His hands. So I don't have to hold onto things because HE already is. 

And that is wonderful.

''...Be content with what you have for He has said, ''I will never leave you nor forsake you''.
Hebrews 13:5

Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.
1 Timothy 6:6-7

''For everything there is a  season...''
 Ecclesiastes 3






Happy New Year, and may God bless you all.


P.S. Excitement: my papa bought us an amazing Christmas gift--a Canon Rebel. Yes, a DSLR!
That is a fulfillment of a dream. Can't wait to start posting pictures!

siblings, snickerdoodles, and thankfulness

Last week, my little brother and sister ( the two littles pictured below) wanted to bake cookies. Not just any cookies, but Snickerdoodles, our family's beloved easy-to-make-and-to-bake cookie of choice. These cookies are delicious--so much so I've been temporarily 'banned' from making them to preserve the health of our family...these cookies are not particularly healthful...not at all actually...and they seem to have the habit of making themselves addictive. With most recipes, I try to make them healthier by using less sugar, but with this one...not a chance. If it a'int broke don't fix it, right? With these cookies that is most assuredly true.

It is such a blessing to bake with little siblings. I loved helping the 'littler' one add the salt and mix it up, and watching the 'bigger' one take off and measure everything to the T...spoon (hey, I just couldn't resist).

Any time spent with these two kiddos is time well spent, and I loved baking with them. They've got talent!

Not to mention they're pretty cute and kinda sorta amazing. ( =

(Yes, I do love my siblings a LOT. And NO, they're not for sale.)

Freshly baked beauties! Want to learn how to make em'?

Snickerdoodles

        2 cups all-purpose flour

        2 teaspoons cream of tartar

        1 teaspoon baking soda

        1/4 teaspoon salt

        1 cup ( 2 sticks) butter, softened

        1 1/2 cups sugar

        2 eggs

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line or grease 2-3 cookie sheets ( it is helpful if you use a couple cookie sheets because you'll need to either have several sheets OR wait until the sheet cools down before you put the next set of cookies into the oven. Make sense?).

Now, whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda,and salt until well mixed.

Next, beat in a large bowl (an electric mixer is quite handy at this point) the butter and 1.1/2 cups sugar, until creamy (and, I might add, delicious). At this point add the eggs and beat until well blended.

Now, slowly mix in the flour mixture until completely combined and the dough resembles...well, cookie dough.

Shape the dough into roughly 1.1/4 inch balls (it's very approximate-don't stress about it and I order you NOT to reach for the ruler) and roll into a mixture of:

       about 1/4 cup sugar and 3-5 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

arrange on a cookie sheet with 2-3 inch spaces between each cookie ( they WILL spread, so make certain they have plenty of room).

Bake for 12-14 minutes, turning the cookie sheet once midway through the baking process to insure they bake evenly, until the cookies are light golden brown. Let stand briefly, then remove to a rack to cool. One batch usually makes 3-4 trays of cookies.

That's pretty simple, right? 

This little face is so dear. Thank you, LORD, for my sister.

After all our baking work was done, we went out to the garden to enjoy the fruits of our labor. As I took the above picture, my heart filled with wonder and thanks to the LORD.

I am so, so thankful, and He is so, so good.

Love,

Emily

Every good and perfect gift is from above...

James 1:17

                    

she is TWO!

This is the little girl who captured my heart the moment she was born two years ago.

The first day I met her. November 2009, born at home.

What a rose!

Summer 2011

She keeps us laughing!

With mama.

Sleeping Beauty.

Making tea!

Me and my girl. 

Wearing the mama's baby dress (handmade by Great Grandma Bertha).

 So precious is she!

Oh, sweet baby!

This was taken with real film! My mom is an amazing photographer.

This is my baby sister.

My heart swells with thankfulness to Jesus that He made her my baby sister.

I love her more than words can say. I love her so much I think I might just burst.

Today is her birthday.

Happy Birthday, my little lady of loveliness.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Your doting sister,

'Eminy'

Wonderful are Your works;

my soul knows it very well.

Psalm 139:14b

eleven eleven eleven

Today is 11.11.11. 

This won't happen again for one hundred years.

That is pretty amazing, if you think about it.

So think about it.

For everything there is a season, and a time for everything under heaven...

Ecclesiastes 3:1

REJOICE!

Rejoice in the LORD always: again I will say REJOICE!
Philippians 4:4

a letter to my mama on her birthday

Isn't this orchid gorgeous? I love photographing flowers.

Dear Mama,
Happy Birthday! I love you so much, how can I express it? You are the most wonderful, godly mother, and you are so fun! Thank you for all that you are! I praise God for you, and all you do  for Him and for others, always so selflessly. How do you do it?
Thank you for training us in the knowledge of Christ, and teaching us that everything's about Him.
 My mama, I love you and I always will.
xoxo (xoxoxoxoxo...),
Emily

May the LORD, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand       times and bless you as He has promised.
Deuteronomy 1:11

over the rainbow

 A favorite song of mine...this just makes me happy. A joy to listen to, and just so infectious to sing! I always feel so free and beachy hummin' this tune.Who can resist Hawaiian music?? Not my family, that's for sure!

                                         

''Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.''

Genesis 9:16

                                            Enjoy!