Not a long post.....today was the Specialty Goat show, where Susannah showed her "geep"!   Josephine the Nubian/Boer/Angora cross goat (she's not big enough to merit that long lineage!).  I'll let her update later on the Seven Sisters Blog as to how she did!

Tomorrow begins the real insanity with Rabbit Show at 9:00 a.m., then the Dairy Goat Show at 4:00 p.m.    We have to be there before 8 a.m. for the girls to milk out their milking does!  Meaning, I'm going to bed very soon!

The big red van has a water pump issue, so we will play tag and ferry with our mini-van and maybe a friend pinch hitting for us to help bring the 10 of us to the fairgrounds every day this week!    Just another twist to the Fair Week Saga! 

And I had to pop in and say that we are up to 24 milkshakes from the Lions Club Dairy Stand!  

Only 76 more to go to hit our goal of 100!!!

And since we'll be there from 7:30 a.m. to about midnight...we should be able to get our daily quota in!  

I am so very grateful to the Lord for His protection!

This week has begun the official "4-H and Fair Craziness" for us!  This week is general project judging (well, it was Monday and Tuesday), setting up Llama tent and pens (tonight), Fashion Revue (tomorrow night) and Llama washing and checking in goats (Friday night), Fireworks (Friday night!), rabbit and chicken check in Saturday!  Then Sunday begins the animal shows--we have one Sunday then two each on Monday and Tuesday!  After Tuesday we really enjoy the fair! 

As you can imagine, there is LOTS of running back and forth, to and fro, with various children!  Monday we didn't all need to be at project judging until 3:00, so I took the only one that had to be at the 1:00 judging.  The plan was for Jessica to bring the rest in the big van and be there by 2:30 or so.  At 2:10 she calls me--the van won't start!  The children have to have their projects checked in on time or they automatically get knocked down a placing! So I hurry off to come home and pick up the one(s) that have to be there before 3:00--we live 20 minutes away!  I also put in an SOS call to goatgirl's mom to help transport the ones that woudn't all fit in my mini-van!  

We made it with a whole 5 minutes to spare!  The others came later.   Then, about 4:30, those projects were done being judged, so Jessica decided to take those who were done home, then come back.  

On her way home, on one of those infamous country roads, she had been praying that the Lord would protect them, as it is easy to be drifting over the middle of the road since the lines fade and don't get repainted very often!  Not too long after that, she is coming upon a hill and there are two vehicles coming towards her--one in her lane!!!  She slammed on the brakes and somehow got off the road a little (Susannah said they were headed for a pole, but Jessica was watching this other car!), the car that was in his right line went into someone's yard and the other one must have gotten over and passed between them!

She said she didn't know HOW they all got past each other!!!   Obviously she was pretty shaken up!

On her way back, she noticed the tracks the other car made in the yard--that car had missed these big rocks the people had in their yard, straddled and flattened both a reflector pole and one of those phone boxes everyone has on their property!   Later we saw it was taped together with duct-tape! 

It hit me the day after--I could have lost 6 of my children had they not been able to miss each other, or if Jessica had come upon them closer to that hill!

And had she been in the big van, she might not have been able to maneuver it so easily--plus they are notorious for rolling! 

So that little "irritation" of the van not starting was God's Divine Blessing of Protection!

Oh, thank you, Lord Jesus, for your Divine protection!!!

Psalm 91 was even more rich this morning in my quiet time!

As is this song by Wendy and Mary, He Who Dwells.

Dwell in His presence--abide in the shadow of the Almighty!

As usual, I am a day behind!  (Or maybe I'm 5 days ahead?!  )

I had a wonderful "revelation" in the Psalms last week and want to share it.

Psalm 25:7

"Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions:  according to Thy mercy remember Thou me for Thy goodness' sake, O Lord."

In the Jewish Tanakh, it reads:

"Be not mindful of my youthful sins and transgressions; in keeping with Your faithfulness consider what is in my favor, as befits Your goodness, O Lord."

The thing that really struck me this:

If I want the Lord to remember me according to His mercy, to consider what is in my favor......then shouldn't I do the same with others?!

To think of and remember others according to the mercy I want Him to show to me!!!!

Ah, too often it is "one weight for me, and a different weight for you" which the Lord clearly condemns!  (Proverbs 20:10)

We want a lighter "weight" when it comes to judging our actions and intentions, but a heavier one for others!   I liked how Coach Grant Taylor, the character in Facing the Giants, put it when talking to a player, "You can't judge your dad by his actions and yourself by your intentions."   

But too often I fall into that trap!  Oh, Lord, deliver me!

I am going to write out this verse and put it on my mirror.  I need that daily reminder that if I want mercy, I must show mercy.  (Matthew 5:7)

I pray you will show others mercy-- remember them, think of them, with the same mercy you want your Heavenly Father to remember you by, think of you with, and show you.

Grateful for His merciful lovingkindness!

Psalm 18:2-3

"The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

"I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies."

I've said before that I don't read a lot of the news, etc.   It's not that I want to keep my head in the sand, but you can get your focus off Him and onto "the troubled sea around you" and sink--really fast!!!

Many of the things I have seen in the past week are cause for "wild alarms", yet, my hope, my stay, is upon my ROCK.  THE Rock. 

Psalm 18:4 says, "The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid."

Do you feel like the floods of ungodly men are overwhelming?  Making you afraid?

Isaiah 59:19 is a good verse to remember!   "So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun.  When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him."

Psalm 18:17-18:  "He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me:  for they were too strong for me.   They prevented me in the day of my calamity:  but the Lord was my stay."

What a precious promise!!!

Again in Psalm 18, verse 36:  "Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip."

I don't necessarily think these verses mean we won't suffer, that we will be delivered out of all painful and frightening circumstances, but I do think it means He will be with us, that He will give us His strength.  That He will be our Rock, our Fortress, our Deliverer, our Buckler and our High Tower.

Proverbs 18:10 says, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower:  the righteous runneth into it, and is safe."

One of my desires is to study the names of God.  One of the sad things about the English language is that we have the same word for many different meanings.  For example, love.  We love our family.  We love the dog.  We love ice cream.  In other languages there are different words that mean love, but you understand there is a different word for each because there are different levels and depths of the meaning of "love"!

It is the same with God's names.  Such rich treasures waiting to be mined from learning His names!!!

I believe instead of spending time wringing my hands (and heart!) over the issues that are "coming in like a flood", I will spend more time learning His names, which represent His character to us.  I will lift up His name as a "standard" against the enemy tide coming in.  I will run to His name as a mighty fortress where I will not fear "them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul" (Mt. 10:28).  

Our souls are infinitely precious to Him--He died for us!!! 

When we see how precious we are to Him, we know that He has a plan.  The enemy has not taken God by surprise.  He wants us to run to Him in prayer, to pour out our hearts and fears to Him--the only one who can do anything about it all, anyway!   And in that place, He imparts to us His peace, sweet peace.  

And direction.  If He wants us to act on something, He will direct that--again, if we're expending all our energy to fight the enemy (one of his favorite ploys, remember!), then we have that much less energy to praise our God, our Rock, our Mighty Defense!   (Remember Jehoshaphat!)

And JOY!   Psalm 32:10-11  "Many sorrows shall be to the wicked:  but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.   Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous:  and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart."

How do we get that joy?  That deep, abiding peace and joy that is not dependent on circumstances?   How can we say, like Habakkuk, "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

"Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

"The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places."  Habakkuk 3:17-19

We can only get to the place where we will praise Him for Who He is no matter what, by spending time in His presence!

Psalm 16:11 "Thou wilt shew me the path of life:  in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

If you are afraid or tempted to be, spend time with your Savior.    "He shall not be afraid of evil tidings:  his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord."  Psalm 112:7

Where is your heart?  Failing for fear?  Or fixed upon THE Rock?!

It's been a crazy busy week--and it's going to get worse before it gets better!

But I didn't want to miss this again this week.

What am I grateful for this week?

My precious husband!

I was 20 when we married, and while mature in some ways, I was definitely immature in many others.  My husband is 4 1/2 years older than me, but he was and is also much wiser than me!  I sweetly and jokingly refer to him as my "resident wise man"!  (And sometimes, "My resident wise guy"!   )

God certainly gave me the right man!  He has been so patient with me, loving me when it was probably easier to get mad at me, serving me when he was tired from working all day.   He has always been a good daddy, helping with the children, changing his share of diapers, playing with them, training them.  He is a wonderful provider and manages our finances quite well (which is a HUGE burden off of me!)

He gives me freedom to pursue my interests, within reason.  He supports me in many areas, one of the biggest in the past two years being my exercising and losing inches.  He helps me keep my focus when the measuring tape doesn't show much or goes the wrong way!  He reminds me that in the overall journey, I am moving in the right direction!

And he loved me even when I was 7 sizes bigger and NEVER said a disparaging word to me (and he is Mr. High Metabolism Skinny Beanpole!)  

He has held me as I cried as we lost 14 of our precious blessings (and cried with me, too).   One of the tenderest memories I have of Noah Ross, our stillborn son born September 8, 1990, is him carrying the tiny casket to the gravesite.  He said that helped him to let go.  Not that he doesn't miss having an 18 year old son now.

He held me up when I wanted to collapse at Noah's funeral.  He held me as we waited out to see how our daughter who fell from the barn loft would do.

He held me when I cried at the slow loss of my dad.  And holds me now when I miss him.

The hardest, darkest hour of my life was when the love of my life was lying in an ER room, unconscious, me not knowing what would happen.   And being 8 1/2 months pregnant.

This time, he couldn't be there to hold me up, to comfort me.

I learned to lean on my Heavenly Father during that time.  But it was hard.  So very hard.

Yes, I have gotten aggravated at him at times. And yes, even since the accident!

But in 26 years of marriage, we have never had a fight.  Not because we don't face issues, but because he and I believe we've invested too much to hurt the spirit of our marriage having a fight about things we should be able to either defer to the other or work out in other ways.

That is more of a tribute to him than me as my personality would probably have NOT done well with someone else!!!

He is a sweet, gentle man, and I am so very grateful God has given him back to me. 

I love you, Dallas!

FOR TODAY June 9, 2009...

Outside my window... It is overcast but perfect temperature wise--for me, but not for the strawberries!

I am thinking... I am trying NOT to think about all that has to be done in the next month!!! 

I am thankful for... my shoulder feeling better (it's been out of place and causing some pain this past week!)

From the kitchen... Taco Salad

I am wearing... a pink blouse with a faded purple plaid jumper.

I am creating... Got my flowers....now to decide what goes where!  (Picture next week, maybe?)

I am going... already went strawberry picking, but will have to wait until next week as they are later than usual!

I am reading... Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas.

I am hoping...  to be able to keep my inward peace in the midst of craziness!

I am praying for... our church, for friends and their challenges, for my family.

I am hearing... Leah and Susannah discussing how many buttons to put on a nightgown, birds chirping.

Around the house... Some are out playing in the "town" in our barn, one little guy is laying down for a nap, three are sewing.

One of my favorite things... red, ripe, juicy strawberries!!! 

A few plans for the rest of the week:  More running for fair stuff, three graduation open houses this weekend and a blogger get-together!

Quote of the Week:

"A magnificent marriage begins not with knowing one another but with knowing God." 

                                                                                                       ~Gary and Betsy Ricucci

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Well, here are "before" pictures of the weed beds! 

(Don't let the daisies distract you!  )

Yes, the tall weed in the middle is a thistle!

Here is the weeded section!!!

Here are some of the weeds!! (There was a whole wheelbarrow load full!)

Waiting to be planted.....

Stay tuned next week for the "after the planting" pictures!!! 

Blessings on your day!

Our God cares about the tiniest details of our lives.

Yesterday I was due with our precious baby that I miscarried November 30.   I don't sit around and dwell on dates, but obviously it's there in the back of my mind.

We went to a graduation open house for the day and had a good time. 

Then God blessed me with one of those really sweet "hugs" He likes to give....when we least expect it and didn't even ask for it.

My dear friend who's birth I attended was in the area (with her family, of course!) as they are hoping to rent a house near here (well, maybe I am hoping more than they are!  )   We didn't know if we'd be back from the open house in time to see them.

Well, we were.

And I got to hold that sweet little baby!

Isn't God good, to care enough to orchestrate things to where I would hold a tiny baby right on the due date of my precious baby?!

I never cease to be amazed at His goodness towards me!

Thank You, My Wonderful Heavenly Father!!!

For Today....

Outside my window... It started out grey and gloomy today, but the sun peeked out by afternoon!  Now it's evening with a rosy pink sky. 

I am thinking... I am TOO busy!

I am thankful for... my sweet Godly girls!  (Boys still in training!)

From the learning rooms... We're gearing up for 4-H project judging the 29th and 30th, so that will probably be the bulk of our learning the next few weeks!

From the kitchen... we just finished supper!  Calico Bean Bake and cornbread-a favorite!

I am wearing... a pink blouse and my "Easter jumper" from a few years ago--multi-colored pastels with flowers.

I am creating... a plan for my front door flower garden (much later than usual!)

I am reading... Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas (another excellent book, by the way!)

I am hoping... to see my grandma soon--she's probably given up on me!

I am hearing... dishwater running, not much else as the others are outside....

Around the house... Susannah is doing dishes, Leah is helping, Anna is sitting behind me with her foot up--dropped a can of beans on it earlier (ouch!  ), the others are outside doing barn chores.  Oh, and Jessica is at a friend's house helping them get ready for their graduation open house!

One of my favorite things... is my girls making a "town" in the big barn again!  So nice to see them doing it for the younger set!

I am praying... for friends in transitions of different kinds, and for Christians to fall in love with their Savior and spend time at His feet.

A few plans for the rest of the week: grocery shopping tomorrow, then Llama meeting, hoping to get flowers tomorrow and planted before the summer is over  ,  maybe pick strawberries Friday if the weather cooperates, and go to two graduation open houses this weekend!

Quotes of the week: 

 "Marriage requires a radical commitment to love our spouses as they are, while longing for them to become what they are not yet.  Every marriage moves either toward enhancing one another's glory or toward degrading each other."    ~Dan Allender and Tremper Longman III

"The beauty of Christianity is in learning to love,and few life situations test that so radically as does a marriage."  ~ Gary Thomas

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."  ~Oscar Wilde

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Blessings!

I missed yesterday, but I can still be thankful on Friday! 

I am grateful for my grandma.   She is 92 now, but still sharp mentally.   I firmly believe her prayers more than anyone's are the reason I'm a Christian today.  She and Grandpa got saved later in life, when my dad and his brothers were almost grown.  My dad and mom didn't get saved until later, so I didn't grow up in a Christian home, although it was a loving home. 

I would go to church with Grandma and Grandpa occasionally, and even though I didn't understand a lot then and fell asleep during the sermon  I still am glad she was willing to take me!  She would "advance" as a Sunday school teacher so she could be teaching the class her grandchildren were in (my cousins and I were all close in age).  Wasn't that convenient?!  

She and I have had some wonderful talks since I became a Christian, and especially when I started growing more. 

My grandfather passed away in 1981.   My grandma came to live with us and about the same time I started dating my husband, a gentleman she had known through church started courting her!  (Even asked my dad's permission, too!)  Long story short--Dad gave his daughter away one day, and his mother the next! 

She has faithfully prayed for her family and others all through the years, and I am so grateful for her example.  She told me just a few months ago how she and my step-grandpa were challenged by my step-great-grandpa's habit of reciting Psalm 91 every day.  He had it memorized!  (He was 93 when I met him and lived to be 100!)   So Grandpa and Grandma set out to memorize Psalm 91 in their 70s!

Grandma was recently in the hospital, then in a nursing home for congestive heart failure.  She is doing better and is planning to live with my cousin, who is planning on taking care of them both (Grandpa has Alzheimer's now, which is so sad.)   I'm grateful that she is doing better and that my cousin is able to have them there.  I plan to go see her soon--the last time I saw her at the nursing home we had such a nice visit!   I told her then that I appreciated the Godly heritage I have because of her!

She prayed for me and my family, and I prayed for her before I left.  Although she is 92, she doesn't think she has "arrived"!   I would say she is a whole lot closer than I am, though! 

So today, and every day, I am grateful to my lovely grandmother whose love for Jesus has rubbed off on me!

What are you grateful for today?

T-Tapp is having some SUPER specials!

Here is Heather's Special, which would be enough to get started--PLUS there is a one-time 30% coupon in the book you can send in for future purchases!

Here is another Heather's Special---a bit more, but you get a couple more advanced workouts (LadyBug and Critter Crunch Floor--which is more of a clinic style, but lots of good tips!), and you still get the book, too!

If you are new to T-Tapp, I'm not sure how the second special works as you usually need to be in their database before you can purchase the more advanced workouts.  If you're interested, you could call and ask (their staff is super friendly and helpful!)  

 info@t-tapp.com

1-800-342-0717

There are also some super closeouts--most are VHS, but there is Basic Workout Plus and a combo of Basic Workout Plus and Step Away the Inches that are dvds with an old label.  You can see them here.

If you choose the first special, and wonder where to start,    you start with the Instructionals!  First Instructional 1.  Do that for at least a week (take one day off).  When you can anticipate Teresa's next words, you could move to the Basic Workout Plus portion for awhile.  There is NO need to be in a hurry to learn everything!

You could also do Step Away the Inches to alternate.  Let's say, after a week or so of Instructional 1, you could do:

MWF--Basic Workout Plus

T/Th/ and S if you want--Step Away the Inches

That's basically what I did for about 6 months and lost 4 sizes!

I would add their body brush for $10, if you're already ordering.  Skin brushing (along with dead sea salt baths and masks) has helped my skin tighten up, especially that belly!  And my stretch marks have lightened quite a bit.  Not to mention my skin is very soft! 

I usually recommend MORE to start because of the slower pace, but this is a really good deal, and if you just remember these three things, you can do it with this set!

1. The Pause Button Is Your Friend!  (You can take another water break or a longer one and no one will come and haul you off!)

2. You can do just 4 reps and still get results!  (4 reps in good form are better than slogging through 8 just to say you did them!)

3. Tuck your buns (belly button to spine) and keep the muscles as tight as you can!

Oh, one more tip--on plies, you can just hold the plie squat while you learn the arms portion, or if going up and down wears you out!   AND you can kick out between the sets!  Remember rule #1!!!

The "Heather Specials" are good until June 25, 2009.   You can always save your change!  That's how I originally bought the Total Workout and Step Away the Inches!  

Remember the T-Tapp motto:  Less Is More!

Finally, here is a link to a wonderful video montage of Charlotte Siems, mom of 12, who went from a 22W to a size 4 in less than two years!  From Couch Potato to WOW!   She is a real sweetie! 

View Charlotte's Video. (It takes Windows Media Player.)

Happy Tappin'! 

I just finished reading The Beautiful Fight by Gary Thomas.  (Christianbook.com says it's no longer available, but Amazon still has it--Christianbook has a look inside feature, though!)

On the heels of the Ron Auch books I have been reading, this book is a good companion!  Now, Mr. Thomas may be a bit less conservative than me (I wouldn't be taking my daughter to an American Idol concert!), but that doesn't mean his thoughts on our relationship to Christ and truths about our Christian walk are off at all! 

One of the biggest things I'm taking away from this book is that we focus too much on the Incarnation, and not enough on the Ascension.  Yes, the Incarnation is what brought us salvation--Christ coming in the flesh and dying in our place.  BUT--it was when He ascended to His Father that the Father sent the Holy Spirit to indwell us and empower us!

He didn't leave us to figure it out, to "try to be holy" in our own strength--praise God!  Because we can't!!!!

I loved this quote:

The highest motivation for striving to grow in holiness is to honor the God who has saved us.   p. 176

A BIG hearty AMEN!

A few more quotes:

Jesus didn't come to say, "Don't worry about being transformed; I'll love you anyway.'" That's how some mischaracterize His teaching, conveniently forgetting His words, "If you love Me, you will obey what I command" (John 14:15), and "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).  Instead, Jesus came to say, "I have paid the price for your past and future disobedience, and I have released the power for you to be transformed from the inside out.  What was once impossible has become possible.  What was once burdensome now becomes a delight.  You are no longer a slave to your sins.  I have set you free, and in my freedom you are free indeed."

The reason I like the word God-empowered is that it reminds me that we need power.  Christianity is not just about being forgiven; it is about being given the power to change:  "The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power" (1 Corinthians 4:20).  ( pp. 229-30)

He shares the process of transformation in chapter 14 "What If It's Not Easy?" on pages 208-209.   I won't quote it at length, but I will give you the first sentence or so of each "step".

The process of transformation thus begins with the fear of God, recognizing that He is Lord and that, as Lord, He has the right to do whatever He thinks is best, regardless of our opinion, comfort, or complaining. 

Transformation then takes root with the virtue of humility, the constant recognition that we need to grow, that we never arrive, and that there are always further lessons to be learned.

Transformation is next strengthened with surrender, the joyful acceptance of God's providential direction.

Added to this already difficult task is the essential requirement of perseverance.  Transformation is a longtime process requiring vigilance and rededication.

And then, finally, we must embrace gratitude--not just for what God has done but also for what He is doing and what He will do.

This book has been such a challenge to me to make myself pliable in the hands of my Potter, so that He can transform me into what He wills, what will best reflect His glory--"splashes of Glory", as Mr. Thomas calls it!  We are here to reveal Christ, not have a good time, not have all the comforts our little hearts desire, nor to have everyone praise and lift us up.

He has some rich quotes at the beginning of each section and each chapter....here are a few:

Sin is a ceaseless, undying power in our life.  A ceaseless, undying power must come against it.  And there is only one such power in the universe--only one, which has a chance against sin:  the power of the living Christ.   ~Henry Drummond

The greatest ethical challenge is so to live that men don't glorify you for living that way, but God.  ~John Piper

I hope these glimpses have encouraged you today to continue the beautiful fight, allowing Him to transform you by His power!

Blessings!

This week I am very thankful for God's protection on our lives!

Of course, we all know that there are countless times we aren't even aware of that He sends His angel to encamp around us!  But then there are those times when we get a glimpse of His tender loving care....and sometimes we don't find out until the next few days just how close we came!!!

A week ago, early in the morning, I heard thunderstorms coming closer.  It was about 2 a.m. and I got up to unplug the computer.  In the process, I stepped in a mess our dear little shih-tzu, Pooh, left, and cleaned it up.     

I noticed the wind had picked up, so I went to the door.   I saw it raining--horizontally!!!!  At times, the houses across the street were blurry as if I were looking through a wall of water!  The trees were whipping around...I considered getting dh up and maybe the dc.....

I did hear the sound of a train, but we live 1/4 mile from the tracks!   However, in hindsight (or hindhearing!), I didn't hear the whistle.   Things slowed down a bit, so I headed for bed, and before I got the kitchen light shut off, the electric went out!   For almost 4 hours!

I slept fitfully after that, with the storms coming and going and everything so quiet (and dark!).

The next day, we headed for a town 20 miles away when we saw a huge chicken house just 2 miles from us had about 1/3 of it gone!  It was all over the field across the road!!!  Just 1/2 mile farther, some friends' barn was...well, it wasn't!  Just half the loft and part of a wall was left!  (This is the third time their barn has been hit!).   A little farther, and we saw 3 huge pine trees snapped in half.   Yet a little farther and a tree was uprooted in someone's front yard!

They aren't calling it a tornado.....but we firmly believe it was!  goatgirl was awakened and heard the "train" sound, too--but she lives 5 miles from us, so they hear the whistle from time to time, but not the rumble!  We both heard it at the same time!  It basically went right down the middle of the 5 mile stretch between us!

So we are VERY thankful to the Lord for His protection!  We didn't even know weather that severe was a possibility! 

And to show you that God cares about the tiniest details and all of His creatures...our friends whose barn disappeard had a dog who had just had 8 puppies the week before in that barn.   She was fine as well as all the pups!

Not only that....but there were kittens in the loft--the half that was still there!  And they were fine, too!

Praise Him for His bountiful protection--we hardly even had any limbs down! 

What are you thankful for today?  (Hopefully nothing as dramatic as a major storm going through 2 1/2 miles from your house!   )

Outside my window...  It is a lovely day!  78 degrees, a nice breeze, sun and blue skies!

I am thinking... how incredibly blessed I am!

I am thankful for... Jesus dying on the Cross for me, so that I could receive Him as my Savior 30 years ago today!  I'm also thankful that HE is in control, whatever goes on in the world.  I'm so glad I can walk through life in this world with THE King of Kings!

From the learning rooms... the usual....Anna is looking at goatgirl's math program....we might be changing again! 

From the kitchen... haven't talked to the cook yet!

I am wearing... my yellow blouse and a green floral jumper (very spring-y looking!)

I am creating... a BIG mess in dh's shop!  Going through stuff for a garage sale. Not much time to be creating anything else right now!

I am going... to see my grandma this evening.

I am reading... The Beautiful Fight by Gary Thomas. 

I am praying... for Christians to return to their first love relationship to Christ and to realize the vast power we have in prayer.

I am hearing... munching....

Around the house... The older girls are at lessons, and goatgirl is staying with us for the day.  Right now they are all finishing lunch.  Isaiah is still eating, too, but Noah is on the couch behind me looking at books.

One of my favorite things... is watching my little guys play--they're just too cute!

A few plans for the rest of the week:  Groceries tomorrow, work on sorting for the garage sale next weekend (YIKES!), cello recital Saturday.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Can't resist sharing two--they go together!

Not sure what he was pretending, but it was too cute to pass up!

Quote of the Week:

"They became changed men themselves before they went out to change others."  ~William Penn

Blessings on your day!

"Hear my prayer ,O Lord, give ear to my supplications:  in Thy faithfulness answer me, and in Thy righteousness."  

"I stretch forth my hands unto Thee:  my soul thirsteth after Thee, as a thirsty land. Selah. 

"Cause me to hear Thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in Thee do I trust:  cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto Thee. 

"Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies:  I flee unto Thee to hide me. 

"Teach me to do Thy will; for Thou are my God:  Thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

"Quicken me, O Lord, for Thy name's sake:  for Thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble." 

Psalm 143:1, 6, 8-11

"But mine eyes are unto Thee, O God the Lord:  in Thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute."  Psalm 141:8

Where is our focus?  On world events?  Swine flu?   Are we trying to figure out what we can do? 

Are we fearful?  Worried?

Should we be?! 

That last verse, Psalm 141:8 makes me think of the story of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20.   King Jehoshaphat instituted a lot of reforms when he became king.  Scripture records this statement about him, "And the Lord was with Jeshoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim; but sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not after the doings of Israel."  (2 Chron. 17:3-4)

In chapter 20, the children of Ammon and Moab came against him.  What did he do?  Did he wring his hands and pace the floor?   Did he call a meeting of his choice generals to discuss a game plan for defense?

Verses 3-4 tell us.  "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.   And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord:  even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord."

Amazing!   Not a call to arms, but a call to prayer!!!

Later in verse 12 he voices the same statement as the Psalmist, "O our God, wilt Thou not judge them?  for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do:  but our eyes are upon Thee."

There is SO much being thrown at us today.  In all areas, it seems, the foundations are slipping and things seem to be running amuck.  It's easy to feel helpless, angry and/or frustrated.   I can hardly e-mail or call or write my elected officials about one topic before I'm made aware of several more that could possibly impact me negatively (and not just me, but all of society!).   How can we keep up?  And sometimes it would seem nobody really cares what their constituency thinks--they vote the way they want to anyway.

I'm sure every generation has seen many things take place that made them think, "Surely Jesus' return is imminent!"   But then life goes on, and we get complacent again....for awhile!

Of course we who love the Lord should be looking for and longing for His return, just as an engaged young woman anxiously awaits her wedding day!   But we might not long so much for the trials and tribulations we must endure until He comes!

It is quite easy to get our eyes off Him and onto the world events taking place (and at a rather rapid pace, I might add!) and be anxious--but not for Him!   We worry about the economy, health concerns, our rapidly disappearing rights, whether the Illuminati really are controlling the world, weather craziness (we had a tornado go through here last week--I'll be posting about that next Thursday!  )....there are a host of things to occupy our thoughts, make our hearts quake in fear, and simultaneously get our eyes  everywhere but where they should be.

On Him.

King Jehoshaphat's story has encouraged me SO much!   The Ron Auch books I've been reading have so focused me back on prayer.   How many times have we said, "Well, all I can do is pray."

WHAT are we saying?!   "All" we can do is pray?  We should be saying, "YES!  I can pray!" 

I think we have gotten into a rut of running through our daily list of needs and wants, that we forget what prayer is really for--communicating with our Creator, Savior, Redeemer and Heavenly Bridegroom!

Can you even imagine a bride-to-be who can't see her bridegroom until their wedding a few months away, calling him up and saying, "Now, John, I would really like you to be sure to find a nice place for us live.  And don't forget to take care of the tux rental for the wedding.  Oh, and could you till up some space for a garden?  I'd like to plant a garden after we get back from the honeymoon.  Speaking of the honeymoon, could you please be sure to get a great view of the ocean?  And I would really like to fly so we can get there sooner.  I need to go now--oh, and I love you!  Bye!"

What kind of a relationship is that?!  It's not!!!  And yet that is how we treat our wonderful Savior, Who died to restore our relationship to Him.  And all we can think about is how nice Heaven will be while we sigh and toil and think everything here depends on us doing the right things.

(Can you hear Jesus saying, "Martha, Martha, [insert your name here!] thou art worried and troubled about many things....)

It doesn't all depend on us doing a single thing.  It depends on us being with Him.   Working with Him.  Walking with Him.

"But one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Can you imagine?  No matter what happens in this world, our relationship with Christ, our ability to pray and converse with the Creator of all the universe can never be taken away!  So shouldn't we be spending more time with Him now, in this moment?

Remember the Lord appearing to Solomon, and saying in that famous passage 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

We like to quote that verse, but I'm not sure we really understand it.

We get all focused on the "heal our land" part, and sometimes think we have to do a lot of it.  But did you notice what we are actually supposed to do?

Humble ourselves.

Pray.

Seek His face.

Turn from our wicked ways (that's repentance).

Then He hears.

He forgives.

And HE heals.

He wants us to seek Him, just for Him.  Not for His gifts alone. 

What ever happened to Jehoshaphat?  Did he come up with a grand scheme to route the enemy?

Weellll...he didn't.  But God did!  He told Jehoshaphat through a prophet, "Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's....Ye shall not need to fight in this battle:  set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem:  fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you."

What an amazing "battle plan"!   And Jehoshaphat worshipped God after receiving this word!  

You can read in 2 Chronicles 20 about how God's plan worked!  And how Jehoshaphat appointed singers to go out before the army to praise the beauty of holiness and to say, "Praise the Lord; for His mercy endureth forever."!  

Singers!  Now who'd have thought of that?!

God! 

In all that is going on around me, in all the turbulent and troubled news reports (which I don't read all of them, by the way, preferring to keep my focus on Him!), in all the "what ifs" and things that could make my heart melt into a puddle of fear.....I choose to keep my eyes on Jesus.  As I spend more and more time with Him, just basking in His presence, adoring Him, loving Him and praising Him, the less these things move me.  I am not as anxious as I once was, because I know God can do more through a yielded and quieted soul full of Him than an anxious and fretful soul that is squeaking by on fumes.  If I try to "do things" out of a heart of fear, I will not hear Him and could actually be expending energy He wants to use elsewhere. 

We cannot legislate morality.  We can't make everybody behave because the right people are in charge. 

But we can be Jesus to a hurting, dying world.  We can show them a better way.  We can turn the other cheek.  We can have the quiet assurance that "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me"--He has it ALL under His control.

I can walk with Him, touching Him by faith and letting Him fill me, permeating me with His presence so that I can anoint all I touch with His presence.

If I must suffer for righteousness' sake, I want to make sure it's HIS righteousness and not my self-righteousness!  I want to point others to Him--if they look to me and my "standards" or my "beliefs", they may have something to refute or mock or pick at.  But if they must look to Jesus, then they must make a decision of what to do about Him.  I want to be the clean vessel He flows through, not clogging up the flow with my bright idea of how the battle should go!

There's a time to write, and fight, and stand. 

But first we must be on our knees and praising. (and singing!)

Let's take the events going on around us as a call to prayer!

Today (or laaate tonight!) I am thankful for....

my silly, sweet daughters, who stayed up until 3 a.m. to finish a new jumper for me for Mother's Day!

And for the one who didn't stay up late, but cut it out and then got up early Sunday morning to finish it by hemming it!

And for the wonderful cards I got, the coupon for molasses cookies, and the lovely vase of lilacs in my master bath window!

And for the one who is a mama's helper to another family these past two weeks--I really miss her!   (Miss you, Jessica!)

And for the cute little boys that fight over every tractor, truck, firetruck...both just have to have the same thing!!!  

But I adore them just the same!

I am so grateful that God has blessed me and allowed me to be a mother!  There was a time when I didn't think we would have any children.  God was closing all doors--natural, adopted, foster.  

I am grateful for the 14 He took Home with Him--they are not "lost" but I will spend Eternity with them!  Because of Him!

Yes, I have much to be grateful for this week!  

The wonderful blessing of FAMILY!!!

What are you thankful for today?  This week?

FOR TODAY... May 12, 2009

Outside my window...  It's dark!    50ish.  The nights have been cooler, even frosting last night.

I am thinking... that I should be in bed!!!

I am thankful for... my sweet daughters who stayed up late Saturday night to make me a lovely Mother's Day gift of a new jumper!   And for the sweet notes and cards I got as well as the vase of heavenly smelling lilacs (my favorite!) in my master bath window!   They also cleaned up the sewing room (it is now safe to walk in there!) as well as started weeding the front flower beds.

From the kitchen... just the dishwasher running now!  We had a yummy supper of individual meatloaves, green beans, cheesy potatoes and sweet potato rolls!

I am wearing... a pink blouse with a blue floral jumper.

I am creating... I already "created" it but am now tweaking it--a song I wrote and hope to sing sometime soon. 

I am going... nowhere tonight! 

I am reading... The Beautiful Fight by Gary Thomas.   I think I've found another good author like Ron Auch!

I am hoping... to see my grandmother tomorrow.  She's 92!  She is probably one of the most ardent pray-ers that prayed for my salvation almost 30 years ago!

I am hearing... the tick of the cuckoo clock in the sunroom and the swish of the dishwasher running.

Around the house... all are asleep! 

One of my favorite things... Did I mention how much I love lilacs?! 

A few plans for the rest of the week:  The girls and I will sing and play for our local nutrition site tomorrow, then Thursday is Llama Club meeting for the 4-H-ers (and my other driver is away being a mama's helper!), then hopefully Friday I can start going through stuff for a garage sale.  On Saturday my home-ec club (oops, sorry!  "Extension Homemakers" Club!) is going on our "club trip" to a small town 30 minutes away that has gobs of antique shops.  We'll meet together for lunch in between our browsing...and I hear tell there's a wonderful place that sells really good chocolate....I'll let you know what I think! 

Quote of the week.... "Christian family life is a journey of maintaining God-sight and cultivating God's heart for our spouses, our kids, and our families."  Gary Thomas in The Beautiful Fight , p. 72

Here is picture thought I am sharing:

(shhhh!  I'm snitching one of Susannah's photos!)

Blessings on your day!

I hope everyone isn't getting tired of me talking about The Heart of the King by Ron Auch!   Again, this book has blessed me in so many ways!  I just finished it today--176 pages, one for each verse.  And I'm going to go through it again!

The reason I love Mr. Auch's books is that they focus on our relationship with Christ.  Not "doing things for Christ" but "being with Christ". 

That is what the Christian life is all about.  That is why He died--to restore that relationship so we could walk and talk with God as Adam did.  That is what He wanted all along--to have fellowship with us!!!!

How it must grieve Him that we want to hand Him a list in prayer, go on and "do things for God" more than we want to just spend time with Him!

Can you imagine handing your husband a "Honey-Do" list, and THAT was the main sum of your relationship with Him?!  It wouldn't be much of a relationship, would it!!!

Psalm 119:176 says, "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant; for I do not forget Thy commandments."

Some thoughts from The Heart of the King:

"There is a reason why we are called sheep and why Jesus is called the Good Shepherd.   Sheep don't have a lot of common sense......We need to be led.  we don't even know enough to stay on the straight and narrow path.  We need a shepherd who will continualy and gently guide us.

"In this verse, David is expressing how we would be naturally lost without a shepherd....He is expressing a complete dependency upon his Shepherd.

"Fortunately for us we have a Good Shepherd.  Jesus, our Good Shepherd, continually, gently, compassionately, corrects us.  How fitting for David to finish this great Psalm with a focus on the One who perpetually seeks us out.

"Our Good Shepherd seeks us out.  This is the One who deserves all our praise.  This is the One to whom we owe our life!"

I am so grateful He does seek us out, especially when I go down the wrong path.  He doesn't let me go, saying, "Well, she'll learn her lesson!  I've told her and told her."  He gently, compassionately seeks me out.  I might  not listen, but the consequences I may suffer are not a big "I told you so!" from God!  They are the results of the path I've chosen.  It grieves His heart that I choose to go away from Him instead of trusting His leading and following.

I'm sure you've heard this analogy before, but there is a difference between "driving the sheep" vs. "leading the sheep".  When we drive the sheep, there is fear, trampling, bedlam......when we lead them, it means we've developed a relationship with them to where they trust us, and then we just need to "speak the word" and they follow.

Christ is the ultimate Good Shepherd!   He longs to spend time with us, so we can get to know His voice.  Then when He speaks the Word, we just follow.  We can trust our loving Shepherd to guide us in exactly the right pastures for us.   Maybe it looks scarey, maybe it doesn't look exactly like what we had pictured, but with our hand in His, we trust.   And then we find out that "In His presence in fulness of joy" (Ps. 16:11) and that He has led us "beside still waters" and "in green pastures".   Sweet, nourishing pastures!

From The Seven Spirits of God by Ron Auch:

"Human nature hasn't changed much during the intervening centuries.  As Jesus calls us to surrender our dreams of an earthly kingdom, we, too, feel uncomfortable.  Yet He continues to beckon uncompromisingly, instructing His followers to die to self, to all their selfish aspirations for life.  He wants us to be able to say with Paul, 'I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me' (Gal. 2:20).  He doesn't want to be number one on our list; He wants to be our entire list.   Jesus doesn't want to be our number one love; He wants to be the only love of our lives.  He becomes this through our own willful dying to self, surrendering control of our lives and letting Him establish His character in us.  That is what the fullness of the Spirit means:  demonstrating all seven qualities of God by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit."  (pp. 21-22)

This is one of my favorite hymns, I Am His and He Is Mine.

I didn't get to post yesterday, because....well....of the reason I'm thankful!

I was thinking about a few different things to post about yesterday morning.  I got a call at noon that my friend who is due in a few weeks needed to get things going for her labor due to having high blood pressure.  Of course I had been praying for her, that all would go well.  They lost their last baby, and I can so feel for them as we lost a baby boy at 38 weeks 18+ years ago.  So I knew how very special this baby was to them (not that they all are, but I'm sure you understand what I mean!).    I wanted all to go well for her!

So I headed up to the birth center, and bless her heart, nothing much was happening!   Later in the evening, she had to take the "wonderful" castor oil cure!  (bleh!)   She was such a trooper!  That started things to get a little more serious, but at 10:30 ish p.m. she was still not in a regular pattern.  

Well, at 12:15 a.m., baby was here!   God blessed her with a fairly quick delivery, and really, much easier than one might expect for natural induction!  (I'm sure my friend might say differently!   )

I didn't ask permission to post her picture, but take my word for it--she's beautiful!

So, for today, I am VERY grateful to God for helping my friend through her labor and delivery and for protecting her sweet little baby girl!   Mama, Daddy and big sister were doing well, too, when I left early this morning!

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for Your precious care and help, and for blessing my dear friends with their beautiful baby girl!

What are you thankful for today?   Please post a comment and let me know! 

Blessings!

I had been asked if I'd share what I am planning for our Bible Time (that I mentioned yesterday).  Of course, I can't do that in just a few sentences!    I have to share my heart about it!

I have been wanting to revamp some things with our Bible time.  I didn't want it to be soooo boring the younger children were dreading it.  Neither did I want to cater to them with fun and games time.  And I wanted it to be not just focusing on the Word of God, important as that is, but on the God of the Word.  If you've been around my blog much at all, you know that I "preach" about relationships.   A LOT!  

I cannot save my children.   I cannot impart to them my salvation.   I can, however, lead them to the Living Water.   And then make them thirsty enough for it they just have to take a drink!

How do I do that?

By sharing the overflow of my relationship with Christ!   As I spend time in His presence, I develop His character, His heart for others.....my constant prayer is that He would so permeate my life that I would anoint all I touch with Him.   Just Him.  

So I wanted our Bible Time to reflect that.  I had been asking God to please show me the "pattern on the Mount" so to speak, as to what He wanted for our family.   My only hesitation in sharing this is that someone may take it lock, stock and barrel without praying about it and then it will become a tool that doesn't fit well in their hand!   Please bathe in prayer and ask God what He wants for you.  If He led you here and you feel this is your answer, that's fine.  I just know how prone I am to try to copy something thinking that's from the Lord when I really didn't seek His mind on it at all!

This came from...you guessed it!   A Ron Auch book!  Swept Away by His Presence is another awesome book, and in the later chapters he talks about how he has helped churches start what he calls "Morning Manna" prayer meetings.  I'm not going to give all the specifics here, but I will share what I gleaned from it and the tweaks I've made for us.

1. Prayer

We first pray for God to be with us, to guide us and protect our time together. 

2. Hymns

We do this already, but I am changing it a little.  Our 7 daughters each have a laundry day (obviously a few double up to get it done during the week!), so on their laundry day, they get to choose a hymn to sing.  Noah picks one on Monday, when Cassia does his laundry.   So we usually are picking two hymns to sing.  Yes, ALL the verses!  We also sing through the hymnbook.  I will go to the piano and pick out the tune if we don't know it, but we usually sing a cappella.  (I'm not a good enough pianist to play AND sing!)

3. Bible and Confession

I plan for us to read a Psalm together, share from that and our personal quiet times what the Lord is showing us, then read the chapter of Proverbs for that day.  After that, we will pray and confess whatever the Lord has prompted us that needs to be confessed and/or for His help in doing what He is calling us to do from what we read.

4. Intercession

Here we will pray for the needs of others as well as make petition for our needs.  We will follow the guidelines Mr. Auch created for the churches he does this for. 

Monday--government--city, state, nation

Tuesday--families

Wednesday--World Missions

Thursday--Lost souls, revival

Friday--the Sunday service

5. Praying in the Harvest

This is also from his guidelines, which he got the idea from Rev. Larry Lea.  It is based on Isaiah 43:4-6.  Basically it is facing the different directions and praying for the needs of the community in that direction as well as salvation for lost souls. 

6. Thanksgiving and Worship

Here we will sing our "Hymn of the Week"--a hymn I pick that we sing every day, so that we get more familiar with it.  We will also share thanksgiving to God and praises here, as well as worship Him just for Who He is.

We'll have a short break so they littles can stretch and get their Grapevine Studies notebooks, then we will do a short lesson on that and end with our Scripture memory.

I may change some things around, but that is my ideal for now.  I think it will take about an hour, with the break and allowing some extra time in case one segment takes more than its allotted time!   Which would be wonderful, by the way!

My breakdown, if you're interested, is 15 minutes for prayer and hymns; 10 minutes to read the Bible and share and have time of confession; 10 minutes for intercession/petition; 5 minutes for praying in the harvest; 5-10 minutes for worship;  then 10 minutes or so for Grapevine and Scripture memory.

This will first be tried tomorrow morning, so maybe I'll let you know how it goes!  I have no doubt it will take longer to start with, that the enemy will fight it, and we may spend as much time getting the little guys to learn to sit still  but it will be worth the effort! 

I am convinced more and more that time in His presence is THE most important thing I can be doing--both for myself and with my children.

No other way will we all learn to "Be still and know that I am God".  In reading Taught by the Spirit, (yes, another Ron Auch book!) I am learning that the battle is HIS.  The battle for our nation.  Our churches.  Our marriages.   Our children.   Read about King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:12-17.    What did God tell Him?

"Ye shall not need to fight in this battle:  set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem:  fear not, nor be dismayed;  tomorrow go out against them:  for the Lord wil be with you."

And what was Jehoshaphat's response?  Worship!!!  "And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground:  and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jersualem fell before the Lord, worshiping the Lord."

And then see what he did to "prepare for battle"!   Verses 21-22:

"And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth forever.  And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten."

"Worship is powerful, it confuses the enemy, and nowhere has that fact been demonstrated more clearly than in that battle.....True worship will so confuse the enemy that he will destroy his own followers." (Taught by the Spirit, p. 148)

"In our spiritual warfare, God uses our worship to accomplish very special purposes.  He uses worship to get His work done in the world.  Prayer, on the other hand, is what God uses to get work done in us. Worship changes the world.  Prayer changes us.  But in order for this to happen, the garment of praise must go on after the sackcloth.  If we reverse that, putting on the garment of praise first, we never bring ourselves to repentance, we ensnare ourselves in a worship of worship, rather than a worship of the one true God."   (Taught by the Spirit, p. 148)

Mr. Auch contends that the greatest way to defeat our enemy is to become more like Christ, because that is the opposite of the devil.  And we become more like Christ by spending time in His presence.

I feel that if I can help my children to grasp that, it will be more powerful than memorizing whole books of the Bible, than knowing theology forwards and backwards, or than the most eloquent singing and preaching they could do.   Time with Him must come first, or all our Bible reading, memorization, study, etc. will be in vain.  If it doesn't make me more like Christ, it is all in vain. 

Yes, I know, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink!"

But you know the rest!

You can salt his oats!  

This is how I plan to "salt the oats" and make my children thirsty for a drink from the Living Well that never runs dry.   The Living Water that is the only kind that will truly satisfy!

I tell people "You must be what you want your children to become."  Too many times we think the right Bible curriculum or class or whatever will do it.  No, it is a relationship, and it must come from us first.  As they see us drinking deeply and often from that well of Living Water, and then our lives overflowing with the fruits of the Spirit from being in His presence, they will want that same love.....joy.....peace---who doesn't want peace in this troubled world?  It doesn't come from changing our circumstances but from changing us!   Having His presence within brings peace in the most turbulent storm! 

Then we and our children can "Be still and know that He is God".  Then we can "stand ye still" for "the battle is the Lord's"! 

I hope that encourages you to seek Him and His "pattern on the mount" for your Bible Time.   As for me and my family, we don't just want to know about God--

We want to know God!

May He guide you as you seek His face!

FOR TODAY.... May 4, 2009

Outside my window...  It's a beautiful day!  Well, it has gotten a bit cloudy, but it's mostly sunny and in the 60s with a nice breeze.

I am thinking... I am not ready for the start of 4-H fair season--sort of "started" on Saturday when they weighed and tagged the goat wethers!   Two months from today we check in the animals!!! 

I am thankful for... His mercies which are new every morning!

From the learning rooms... Ah, spring fever and Mondays are hard!  The usual (math, language arts, copywork) and I'm excited to try a new approach to our Bible time--but that will probably be tomorrow!

From the kitchen... Susannah's Soup, Broccoli-Cauliflower Casserole, Sweet Potato Rolls

I am wearing... one of my white polo shirts with cutwork on the collar and sleeves and my green floral jumper.

I am creating... some new ideas for practice for my piano students.

I am going... to see my grandma later today, I hope.

I am reading... Actually, just finished another book by Ron Auch!  Swept Away By His Presence is another gem!   I just can't highly recommend his books enough!   It was through this book I got my ideas for our Bible time.   I also just found Gary Thomas, another great writer!  I'm reading The Beautiful Fight right now.

I am hoping... that my dear friend who is expecting any day has a wonderful delivery--and that I can make it there!  

I am hearing...  The Vivaldi Double (Concerto for two cellos--or celli!) in the living room.  Susannah and Cassia always practice it together when they get a chance!  Now for one of our pianists to be able to play the accompaniment! 

Around the house... Jessica and the boys are out loading wood on the trailer, Cassia is practicing cello, Bekah is finishing some chores, Charissa went outside (I'm not sure if it was to help or not...), not sure about the others!

One of my favorite things... sweet little dark purple violets!

A few plans for the rest of the week:

Teach lessons, take Jessica to be a helper at one of my friends' house for a week and a half, get my flower beds weeded and ready to buy flowers on Saturday.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Have a blessed day!