The Lord knows what we need and usually provides at just the right moment.  He knew I needed to read...

this: From Exhaustion to Rejuvenation
and this:  My Not-to-Do List
and He reminded me of this:  Strength for the Weary Soul

Taken together, the message I received today from these links was just what I needed.

Posted in Family Life

Life has been a bit hectic lately (what else is summer for?), but one of the most important evens to happen in the past few days was the birthday of my second son.  As of Sunday, we now officially have an 8 year old in the family.  And what a boy he is!  I am constantly amazed by my son's abilities.  His outstanding character quality is most definitely diligence.  He is truly the most hard-working child I have ever known.  He simply loves work.  And I love to watch him love it.  He tackles work with enthusiasm and doesn't quit until the task is complete.  It is such a joy to see how much joy he gets from serving others.  He is a true blessing and gift of the Lord.

(We call him "the chicken man" because from the moment we got our first batch of chicks, he took upon himself the responsibility of their care, and has been consistently faithful in fulfilling that responsibility since.)

Posted in Family Life

As I sat nursing the baby this morning, going over my lengthy to-do list in my mind, something occured to me which stopped my busy thought process dead in its mental tracks.  Looking down at the contented face of my sweet baby boy, I suddenly had a flashback to the time when my oldest son was still a nursling.  Though almost a dozen years have passed since then, it doesn't seem all that long ago.  I realized as I watched baby number five drawing his nourishment, still so dependent upon me, that much too soon another 12 years would have passed and he would be nearly as tall as me and beginning to show signs of becoming a young man, just as his older brother is now.  That thought caused me to want to stop and savor the precious moment before me.  Babies don't stay little for long.  Childhood is a fleeting time.  Sometimes the to-do list must wait--this moment will be gone much too quickly.

Posted in Family Life

It must be hard being second-born.  I wouldn't know personally--I'm the baby of the family (and was stereotypically spoiled to boot).  I have observed plenty of second-borns, though, and in particular second sons.  My observations lead me to the conclusion that it is not easy to be second-born.  First-borns, by virtue of their place in the family, are usually indepent leaders.  Second-born sometimes ends up playing second fiddle.  This is not necessarily a bad thing; God in His infinite wisdom places us each in the family we are in and in the birth order we have for a reason.  Without someone playing second fiddle, there would be no harmony.

  Years ago, I read The Birth Order Book.  To be completely honest, though I believe the author had some good insights, I think too many people would find it an easy excuse for bad behavior: "I'm the youngest, so I am a people-pleaser and have trouble with minipulating others.  I can't help it, it's my birth order."  (Incidentally, I have found myself thinking the previous statement, if not actually saying it.  See, I told you I found the book insightful though easy to use as an excuse.)

I have noticed that second-born sons are often quiet.  My own second son is by nature diligent and perseverent, though at times rather introspecitve and lacking confidence.  He has a thoughtful and kind spirit, but he often feels left out, even when he isn't actually being left out of anything.  This very morning, his older brother had an opportunity to be involved in a "big kid" activity, which he was not able to participate in.  This was quite a blow.  Apparently, having a brother almost four years older can cause much emotional distress.  The great thing about this second born son of mine is that he doesn't let anything get him down for long.  Within less than an hour, he was back to his cheerful self, making plans for what he would do with his brother and father when they returned.

Every lot in life has its ups and downs.  Best to take both the advantages and disadvantages as gifts from the sovereign hand of God, knowing He will use both for His own glory and to work His own will.  What an honor to teach and guide my children in learning that truth, even while I am learning it myself.

(Second-born really isn't so bad.  My son got to have ice cream and peanut butter cups while his brother was gone.  There aren't many disappointments in life chocolate can't fix.)

Posted in Spiritual Life

I am not a patient person.  The hardest part of pregnancy for me is having to wait for nine months to actually get to hold that little blessing growing inside of me.  I get extremely frustrated with my dial-up internet connection.  I bring a book with me everywhere I go, a habit I began long before I had children because I couldn't stand not having anything productive to do if I ever had to wait at a stoplight or the bank drive-thru.

This particular area of my life seems to be a place the Lord has been especially at work in refining over the last couple of years.  I've had to do a lot of waiting.  My husband has had many a pep-talk with me in recent weeks, reminding that God's timing is not ours, that we need to keep our eyes on the long-term vision, that He sees the bigger picture.  It is so easy for me to forget that.  I so often find myself asking why I can't have what I want right now.  Why does the Lord continue to ask me to wait?  And then I realize again that perhaps He is making me wait because I am still so bad at it.  Because, as my husband says, He sees the bigger picture and knows the end from the beginning.  He knows what is best for me and as His child, it is my job to simply trust Him and wait on Him.  Easier said than done, I'm afraid.

Patience, my mother always told me, is a virtue.  It is one I would like to have.  It is one I have had plenty of opportunity to work on developing.  I think, however, it is going to be a very long process.  *sigh*  I can see it's going to be a long wait.

Posted in Patriotism

The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.
John Adams

In the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior. The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity.

John Quincy Adams

Posted in Family Life

My little girl turns three years old today.  I can hardly believe she is already that old, and yet it seems like she has been in our family forever.  What a bright ray of sunshine she is in my life!  She is sunny, sweet, kind, and a true delight to all who know her.  She is a wonderful gift from the Lord, a precious blessing for which I am so very thankful.  It is a joy to see her grow and begin to become the person God means her to be.  She is very feminine, delighting in pretty dresses, babies, and all things little girlish.  She is dainty and delicate and simply delightful!

Happy Birthday to my precious little sweetie!

Posted in Just for Fun

Life at my house is nothing if not interesting.  Raising five children and being married to a man with a somewhat wacky sense of humor makes for plenty of opportunities for the unusual to occur.

I am often asked by people who get a taste of my husband's...ummm......unique (yes, that's the word--unique) sense of humor if he is like this all of the time.  The answer I often give (or wish I was clever enough to give) is "only when he's not sleeping or sick with the flu".  (If you are wondering about the above picture, those silver things are ice cream scoops, and the reason I am putting this crazy picture up on my blog is because my husband actually asked me to.)

He is training his children to follow after him in his zaney approach to life, which can be a bit unsettling for this momma who takes herself way too seriously at times.

God knew I needed someone to help me lighten up about things, so he gave me this man (and incidentally his children) who knows how to see the silly side of life.  Boy, is it ever good for me.

At the very least, my life is never dull.  At best, my husband gives me the gift of joy and makes our home a place of laughter and contentment.  It is a good place to be, and I am a blessed woman indeed.

Posted in Spiritual Life

 Obviously, it is very important to keep my harp in tune.  In fact, it is absolutely essential to the ultimate enjoyment of the music.  Anyone who has ever played a stringed instrument knows just how much the quality of the music depends upon the proper tuning of the instrument.  In the same way, Christians must allow the Lord to tune our hearts. 

 My very favorite hymn (and incidentally the first song I learned to play on the harp) is "Come Thou Fount".  The first line reads "Come thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace."  God wants to tune our hearts to His.  He wants to stretch us, just as the strings are stretched against the sound board of my harp.  Yes, the sound board strains under the pressure of the strings pulling against it.  The strings are under great stress.  But that is when they have the sweetest sound.  That is when the tone is clearest and the song is truest.  The song that comes forth from the strings of a well-tuned harp is bright and lovely and pleasant.  May our lives ring true like a finely tuned instrument of His grace.  May the pressure of the trials of life make the tone of our hearts clear and bright.  May the sounds that emanate from our lives be sweet and lovely and reflect the beauty of His work in our lives.

Posted in Encouragement

The Lord has blessed my husband and I in recent months with some very dear friendships.  We have made some new friends and renewed some older friendship we hadn't realized the value of before.  There is nothing like a good talk with a likeminded brother or sister in the Lord to lift spirits and renew outlooks.

One of the wonderful friendships the Lord has sent my way is with a lady who I have known for just over a year, but who I feel I have known forever.  Lyn is a blogging buddy who has become a real-life friend.  She and her family lived just two towns away from us, but we didn't "meet" until after she had moved all the way to Virginia and we both started blogging!  My family recently had the tremendous privilege of meeting this dear lady and hear sweet family face-to-face.  Her children played with mine, her husband and mine got to talk theology and politics, and she and I spoke of common struggles, both major (see her most recent blog entry) and everyday (she's raising a passle of little blessings, too).  What a blessing to know these wonderful people.

There have been other friendships the Lord has brought to us lately.  There's the hidden treasure of fellowship with folks we've known for years and didn't realize were just as lonely as we had been.  There are the friends who, though they live in the next state and we've only met in person once, have through prayer for one another become so very dear to our hearts.  And there are of course the oldest, dearest, closest friends who have become dearer and closer through shared vision and trials.

I know I've said before how blessed and encouraged I am by true fellowship with likeminded Believers.  Those who follow Christ wholeheartedly often walk a lonely road.  We need one another.  We need the encouragement and accountability of others who take the Scriptures seriously.  Praise the Lord for the gift of friendship.