Note by Note

Good morning, friends! I know that it's only Tuesday, but I wanted to share something that's been on my heart. Yesterday I stumbled across a music video that reminded me of the persecuted church. We don't often find ourselves facing opposition for our faith, do we? We live our lovely, peaceful lives in the States; we tithe to help Christians under fire; and, at least in my case, we attend church every Sunday without thinking about the people who don't have churches.  I was reminded that every day, all over the world, people are coming under fire simply for believing in Jesus. They don't have their own copy of God's Word while I have at least ten in my house. They can't gather with other believers while I see them every week. It's sobering, isn't it? Have you ever stopped to think about it? Do you know if you would be willing to die for Jesus' name? Yesterday, I had to admit I don't know.  I am not brave. So many times I've been given the

Grab that cup of tea, or coffee, or even some hot chocolate. Curl up next to the fire. Brrr, it's cold outside. Look, sunshine! Is that a squirrel romping around the maple tree? I wonder what he's thinking, if he's hoping it'll be warmer soon. Happy Friday, friends, and I'm so glad it's finally here! What do Fridays mean to you? For me, it means the end of the school week. It means hours at work Saturday before coming home to a house of sunbeams. It means a good book Sunday afternoon while my family watches All Creatures Great and Small. It means fun, family, and rest are just around the corner. But first, it means cleaning day.  Yes, it means that we have to vacuum and scrub and dust our lovely house. It means itchy eyes and an avalanche of sneezing if I happen to be in charge of dusting. It means a sink free of toothpaste when I finish cleaning the bathroom. It means a floor with no sand once my brother is done vacuuming. Oh, it means work, but it's teamwo

A chilly breeze tugs at the oversized coat I threw on as I look toward the overcast sky. Just as the cornfield catches my gaze I slide on the refrozen snow and nearly do the splits down the front yard. And just as I regain my balance... the ball of energy on the end of the leash decides to pull me downhill with him. Hello, and welcome to Rachael's life!  Two weeks ago my family welcomed a giant schnoodle puppy into our family. While we all love Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy with all our hearts, taking care of a puppy is a little bit like taking care of a baby: they need attention. And they need to use the bathroom. A lot.  Oh, and I think he and my cat are scheming up ways to utterly destroy my house slippers. 😄 One thing is certain: if there was ever a dull moment in our house before, there isn't one now. The constant chewing of not-puppy approved items; the insistent barking that begs our much older dog to come play; and the frequent romps in the cold outdoors make up about half of

  Hello there! Welcome to Note by Note! I'm Rachael Anne, the brains behind the blog, and I'm so pleased you've stopped by! Pull up a stool (pardon the books) and pour yourself a cup of tea.  Well, here we are! Since I've been waiting for about a year for my life to get less busy so that I could fully commit to writing and blogging, and since that day will probably never come while I'm still in school, the Lord told me that if there was ever going to be a time to start it's now.  And so here I am with a half thought-out plan and not a whole lot of time to devote to this blog. My prayer is, no matter what, my words will be encouraging and Jesus' name will be lifted up. 1 Timothy 4:12 tells us, "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and purity." For the season of life that I'm currently in, this has been one of my theme verses.  I am in no way a model of perfection. Jesus