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Charlotte Ashley

My journey to Diamond Bound 4.0

Essential Oils· Wellness

29 Sep

Jordan Schrandt is a name I’ve come to admire over the past 2 years. She is the daughter to a Missouri ag teacher, and has a background herself in Agricultural Communications. So naturally with my ag teacher background, this captured my attention fast! Her story is soooo inspiring, and quite frankly, a tear-jerker. She is a successful business woman (multiple businesses; check out The Farmhouse Movement) and mother to 8 children, 5 of which she adopted through her marriage to a widower, who lost his first wife to cancer, when their youngest was only 3 months old. Now, for about a year I have been hearing of an event called Diamond Bound. I looked into it and LO AND BEHOLD, Jordan is the brains behind this event too! Amazing woman I tell ya!

I desired to go so bad. But I couldn’t justify it because it would be too much of an investment at this point in my business journey with Young Living (what I kept telling myself). Also, am I even on a journey? Can I even claim this? OH the thoughts that cloud my head, on the daily. This business has sort of just captured me and pulled me along with it, and is developing into something I never imagined! Only by the grace of God! I give it all to Him!

So back to Diamond Bound… while the desire was strong to attend, I kept talking myself out of it. After all, it is in a big city (Chicago) and cities scare me a little. lol AND I would have to fly on a plane (also scary a little bit). But I have some amazing ladies in my life that kept routing for me! Telling me over and over how much they would LOVE it if I were there with them! Tagging me when they would see a ticket for sale. Tagging me when someone was raffling off a ticket to the event. ANYTHING, to help me make the trip to Chicago! So, I entered said raffle two weeks ago. But the odds were REALLY stacked against me, as so many thousands of other people were entering as well. But I told one of the gals, “I will be in Chicago IF I win that ticket.” So I prayed to God for guidance and for a sign of whether or not I should go. I (notice that little ‘I’) decided, if I won the ticket, I would go and if not, that was my sign. Ha! That’s not too much to ask, right?! Well, I didn’t win. So, boom! Just like that, it was settled. Case closed. Not going to Chicago.

Two weeks passed, I had accepted that I would just be stalking my friends’ social media all weekend, to try and sneak a peek at the awesomeness that I was sure would unfold. The #FOMO was strong with me; but, I was content. Well… Thursday, as I returned home from running errands, I noticed a text message had come through from an unknown number. I opened it and immediately began BAWLING my eyes out at what I had just read from a total STRANGER:

Photo Sep 27, 3 39 29 PM

I had asked God, that if it was my time to go, let me win that ticket from earlier. I didn’t win it, but I WAS BEING BLESSED WITH A FREE TICKET NOW! And in HIS timing; not mine. Ugh. He continues to show me who is boss. LOL!!! So… being that I had already researched plane tickets and had one ready to snag if I had won that ticket 2 weeks ago, I double checked with Nicki that this was in fact reality. She confirmed it 100%, and that I just needed to make my way to Chicago! I immediately ran inside and bought the plane ticket! (previously had discussed all of this with hubby and stuff, too. 😉 lol)

Now Saturday, I have had all the emotions flooding my head. Causing doubt to arise. Did I act too fast? Was that reeeeally a sign? Am I being selfish to my family? ALL THE GUILT. I couldn’t take it; it was wearing me down. I just needed to stop, be STILL, and PRAY (something I’m working on HARD here lately– praying about everything!) So as I wrestled with God about all my guilts, I opened the Dove chocolate I had snatched on my way to my seat, popped it in my mouth and looked down at the ‘promise’ written on the wrapper. Y’ALL. Oh. My. Goshhhhh. Look at this: (all while I was diffusing Peace and Calming. lol!!!)

Photo Sep 29, 7 05 29 PM (1)

Twice now, I’ve been smacked over the head with a sign from the good Lord above. So, I’m excited to say, I’ll be headed to Chicago soon, to dig deeper into the world of essential oils. I’m officially claiming that I am in fact building a business with Young Living, by educating so many about wellness; because it’s a journey. And I want everyone to be a part of the generational change that is happening!!! There is SO much to learn and I can’t WAIT!!! I still can’t believe this is happening. Feel free to follow my adventures all weekend over on my Instagram stories (@charlotteashley). I am ecstatic to continue this journey and see where the Lord leads it! If you would like to also join this amazing community too (turns out, Nicki is a part of my oily community!), we would LOVE to have you alongside us! It would be SUCH a pleasure to walk with you!

And for those of you wondering about my photography business, I’m still photographing when I can, under other photographers, but after two years of wrestling with what to do, God has slowly closed the door on that season of my life. That doesn’t mean the door won’t re-open in the future, but for this season, the doors of Charlotte Ashley Photography have been closed. But not locked! 😉 And please don’t worry… I know I have a few sessions still up and coming; you have already booked, so you are good to go!

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Meet Charlotte!

Hey, hey friend! :) I'm so glad you're here! God gives me all the strength to navigate this crazy, beautiful life of mine; and this is my attempt to keep it somewhat documented and organized! My family and I believe we are called to be stewards of the land and try our hardest to live a biblically-based, holistic life. You'll discover a whole lot about nature, photography, and being a creative entrepreneur if you poke around a little bit on the site! Enjoy. More about me...

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This time 2 months ago, we were living our best Mo
This time 2 months ago, we were living our best Montana lives! 😍
#the406life #406 #visitmontana #montana #sc💜mt #homeschool #getoutside #mountainviews


Last weekend we spontaneously took off and made wa
Last weekend we spontaneously took off and made way to Gettysburg, PA! Gus absolutely LOVES history and has been wanting to do this trip for a while. We knew we better fit it in before he’s too much older, and it was one of the only weekends we had open. 🤪 On the way, we stopped in Lexington, VA as well to visit some cemeteries he had researched. We saw the memorial for General Stonewall Jackson and also the museum and mausoleum at Washington and Lee University where General Robert E. Lee and family were laid to rest. 

Once we made it to Gettysburg we spent 1.5 days exploring the area. We spent most of our time at the National Military Battlefield and Museum. 

On the way home, we also stopped by Antietam Battlefield and Appomattox Court House National Historic Park. 

We basically hit the road with only the goals of making it to Lexington and Gettysburg. All the rest fell into place as we drove and researched. 😜😅 We found some AWESOME AirBnB’s doing it that way, though!!! Near Lexington, we found the coolest glamping/tent situation nestled on a 100acre organic farm and animal rescue. And while in Gettysburg, a barn apartment! Both were 5 ⭐️!!! 

#howwehomeschool #travel #homeschool #historystudent #historylover


These boys placed 10th out of 81 boats last year!!
These boys placed 10th out of 81 boats last year!!! They also do not have a bass boat nor forward-facing sonar technology like a lot of them fish with, but they still pulled in fish and made it count! They practiced hard, researched, and learned how to lead in their own ways, with each other, in the boat.

We are entering the 2nd year that Providence Athletic Club (PAC) has had a fishing team, so it’s in its developmental years. PAC’s mission and purpose is to provide competitive level sports opportunities in the Columbia, SC area for home-educated athletes (grades 6-12), while developing both physically and spiritually in a Christian environment.

Each boat has to have a volunteer boat captain, who puts his/ her own time and money into boat insurance, fuel hauling the boat all over SC, and then also making sometimes 60 mile runs or more (round trip) in the boat once on the water. We would like to help raise some money to be able to pay these individuals back for their gas expense at least, so we are seeking sponsors for our anglers.

If anyone knows me, you know this is one of the things I hate to do the most- ask people for money. 😅 But I also know not everyone is like me and people love to help, as well. 💜

The anglers also wear jerseys with sponsor logos, who contribute $200 or more, but any amount will be greatly appreciated. The jersey design will be much different this year than the one pictured, giving the sponsors more real estate on the jersey. So, with all that said, if you would like to sponsor these two fine, young men, please let me know. PAC also is a non-profit organization, so it can be a tax write-off.

Thanks for reading if you made it this far. 😁 #bassfishing #southcarolina #sponsors #homeschool @basscatboats 😁


🌻🍉 Summer Photo Dump 6 🍉🌻

Mid-July we
🌻🍉 Summer Photo Dump 6 🍉🌻

Mid-July we got the family together out on the river! We got all set up on a sandbar for the day, to be able to just chill- have a picnic and let the littles play their hearts out. Well… that was our hopes at least. 🤦‍♀️🫠 About an hour later, ALLLLL the boats showed up (group of friends) and just beached it right where we were swimming with the kids. I will never understand this… I am just of the mindset if you missed out on the sandbar, you missed out. Not… “well, we’ll just squeeze right in here on top of y’all.” But whatever. 😵‍💫 AmIright? Is that not the unwritten, understood law of the river rats? 🤣

#riverrats #riverisland #muddywater #sweetsummatime


🌻🍉 Summer Photo Dump 5 🍉🌻

Beach days
🌻🍉 Summer Photo Dump 5 🍉🌻

Beach days are the best days!!! We were able to make 2 different day trips to the coast this summer. 

1. We are thankful for sweet friends who allow us to crash their family camping vacation for a day! 🤣 

2. And we are thankful for another group who are willing to up and haul their families to the coast for a day, too! 🤗

#beach #beachdays #vitaminSea #sweetsummatime


🌻🍉 Summer Photo Dump 4 🍉🌻

Two of my
🌻🍉 Summer Photo Dump 4 🍉🌻
 
Two of my fellow Clemson forestry/ wildlife pals and I managed to take that girls’ trip we had been chatting about for a while! It was so good for the soul!!! We went owling at night, and just looking for all the critters we could find. 😁

#ClemsonAlumni #CAFLS #clemsongirlsbestintheworld #owling #nature #getoutside #exploremoreً



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