Bluebirds in Fall...

The other day as we were getting ready for market I noticed what looked like a Eastern Bluebird flying around the front garden. I thought surely not, not in the fall... but sure enough there were not one but two~ a pair I imagine! They were going over to the bird house that was meant for them, but get bullied out of each Spring by the sparrows... and again they were being harassed by them. They must have been migrating South and happened by our yard for a rest and bite to eat... either way, it was extremely special to me on such a busy day.  As I stopped to watch them for awhile, they were busily in the garden looking for bugs along with the Gold Finches eating sunflower seeds with the Blue Jays... it was really enchanting... a bit later the Bluebirds, Gold Finches and Sparrows were all bathing and drinking out of the same puddle in the drive way... we got rain all night! I thought about how nicely they were all getting along now compared to earlier with the bird house.  I think the difference was there is just one bird house compared to multiple puddles... (or 'muddles' as Evan calls them)... and food opportunities.   We can be a bit like that too, can't we? 

Everything is going along just fine, we're all getting along famously and then...  There are two friends competing for the same job position... or a family member just got another new car~ (the third in four years) while we drive the same old one we've had for the last eight years... or the neighbor just got a new roof and windows when ours are leaking and drafty... fill in your situation here...  We all can because we are all human and have wants and desires and dreams... we also have needs that sometimes we may not feel are being quite met accordingly by friend, family member or spouse...

What it all boils down to is vanity though... what we want that is.  Sometimes we just have to let go of the wants and understand that if we can't be content with the situation at present, we probably won't be content with the situation we think we want.  That's the way want's go... 'much want's more'.
As we trust Him with our life and allow Him to determine our path the consequences are sure to fit just right... that is with His perfect plan for us...

"The only way I will keep a pliable, obedient spirit in the larger decisions is to look to Him and to obey in the smaller ones."  Catherine Marshall

Until next time,
Jean

     

Judging Others

"Therefor thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest; for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things." Romans 2:1 KJV

Judging is a harsh thing, but we all do it. Whether it is the lady at the grocery store with the screaming child~ she just needs to da-da-da-da-da... or the homeless person standing on the corner~ there are tons of jobs out there buddy, read the paper!   It can be the sister in the church that just doesn't do things right or the brother that talks too loud. Judging is judging and it is wrong. 

So how do we stop judging others when it seems to be the inherent nature of mankind?  Well, that is not an easy question to answer, but I think it probably starts in each of our own hearts and the level of pride we have.  It seems the more prideful a person is the more judgmental he is on others.  The better we think we are, the more we are able to look down our noses at others and condemn them for their wrongs and shortcomings.  It is interesting to me when a person say's they are not prideful as they are ripping another person apart... 

I believe that a person who has been forgiven much will be a more forgiving person. I believe a person who has tried to forsake sin and live their life for the Lord is not immune from erring or making mistakes... we are all human and we fail... but it is the attitude with the failing... an honest look at oneself with a determination to keep pressing on and doing better with the Lords help or an attitude of, "Oh well, that's just the way I am..." 

The Christian life is not one of ease and fluff... but it is worth the effort...
When we feel like looking down, we need to keep looking up to Him that is faithful and will keep us from falling,

Until next time,
Jean






     

Hidden Treasures

"The human heart has hidden treasures, in secret kept, in silence sealed."  Charlotte Bronte

In life we have many secrets... I don't mean bad things, I mean the good ones that we cherish and share with only the closest of loved ones.  Secrets shared by husband and wife, by sister's & brothers, by the very dearest friends... secrets of those we would never betray. We all have secret dreams and hopes for our children, our futures, our retirement years...  things we hope to accomplish, goals we strive to meet, places we wish to go and so on could go the list. 

When you were a child did you ever do the 'blood sister/brother' thing- the 'swearsies' to always keep that secret? I remember doing all those silly childish things... but when I was a child it was for real, it meant something.  Our children come to us now with their hearts secret hopes and fears, they come with laughter and tears, joys and sorrows... in secret they come to us.  We must always respect their hearts pouring out, their sharing, their trust in us... and we must always keep praying, praying and praying.

As the song goes, "prayer is the hearts sincere desire"... 

Until next time,
Jean
    

Humility

"Talent is God given. Be humble.  Fame is man given. Be grateful. Conceit is self given. Be careful." John Wooden

I was washing my hands and I suddenly noticed that the knobs to a cabinet door were off and they along with the screws were laying neatly on the floor beside it.  Evan :-) .  He is 4 1/2 years old and is always looking at things and trying to figure how to take them apart. Ethan our soon to be 13 year old was always taking things apart when he was little as well. Ethan is our all around go-to guy when something mechanical needs repaired~ he & Neil work very well together when doing repairs.  Ethan has always been able to just look at something for a bit, and then figure out how it is put together and works.  He is very handy!  I don't think Ethan or Evan even think about the things they are able to do, they just do them.  I think that is part of being humble.  Yesterday Ethan & Neil repaired one of the hinges on my potting shed door, put a new 'handle' on it and Ethan later repaired the latch.  I was very appreciative for his help and I think he was grateful~ at least his smile seemed to say so.  After all, he was in the shed shop working on the trailer he is building with Evan :-) .   Neil & I  bought him one of those  plastic engine kits for his 10th birthday. He & Neil worked at this together, it was really neat because it worked with batteries. Ethan doesn't seem to take a lot of notice to his talent. I think it is because he has always been encouraged to be creative with it. If you went through the shop you would understand what I am saying. 

Each of us has been given a talent from God~ how we use it will depend on our blessings. To His glory or to our own.

Until next time,
Jean

Other's Above Oneself

"Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights." John Wooden

This morning Evan, Aaron & I were watching 'our' first Robins having a 'male' fight for the tree this morning.  This was quite interesting to both the little guys.  If you have ever watched a robin fight, it really is quite fascinating~ they seem to be caught up in a whirlwind, twisting and turning as their wings flutter and they peck at each other until they finally fall to the ground with one on the other. This onslaught went on for several minutes until the dominant male won out and the other flew off.  Yesterday we watched as two mean, stinky Starlings tore apart a nest out of one of my bird houses that a pair of house sparrows had built in anticipation for Spring. It was mean, downright mean.  I hate starlings and never feel bad when one gets 'wiped' out! Even cats won't eat them, they have a repulsive odor and just plain stink!  Today after school Ethan & Kyle took Evan out and filled all their bird feeders and hung out cobs of dried corn~ they are so sweet to their little brothers.  I love to watch them talk to him and explain what they are doing and to see him admire and look up to them.  I often tell the two oldest and even Ryan, that they have little brothers that are watching all they do and are looking up to them.  They need to set the right examples in all things. 

The bird fight and nest destruction were both sad to Evan, he couldn't understand why they were being 'mean'. I told him that is how I feel when he is mean to baby Aaron. He was quite offended not thinking he was ever mean to his baby brother.  But I reminded him of how sometimes he takes toys away or a book and so on. He looked at me as though he understood... that is until the next time he wants Aaron's toy tractor :-) !  It takes time & effort to be nice, and then when you are not being treated nicely it's even harder. But if we can just remember that golden rule in all circumstances, I think it would be a bit easier.  Without Him and His love in our hearts, it is much harder.

Until next time,
Jean

Got Mud?

Mud is a big factor around here in the spring, one we all can get a bit frustrated with. Taylor bought a sign that says 'got mud?' at a flea market last spring which now hangs in our back entry.  This is where we typically all come into the house. She is often the one that 'get's' to clean the back entry, so she felt very justified in putting this question out to, um, should I say 'the men of the house'.  The big boys do have this chore at least once a week, but they do all the outside in the cold chores and Taylor & I 'get' to do the warm & cozy inside chores.  Yes, I do mean 'get to'.  Here we go on perspective again.  I would never want to do Neil & the boys chores~ not any day of the week.  They 'get' to feed & water the hogs, clean pen's & put fresh bedding down, cut firewood, haul the trash out to the dumpster and do what I believe to be the 'hard' jobs.  Taylor & I get to do what I refer to as the 'cooshy' jobs, like cooking meals in a warm & cozy home, wash dishes with warm water, do laundry in a warm laundry room, rock the baby in a soft rocking chair with a soothing cup of coffee, flipping through magazines or a good book.  I am so thankful that Neil & boys enjoy their jobs and they in turn I believe are thankful we enjoy ours.  Now don't get me wrong, Neil & the boys also love to be in the kitchen, can & do switch loads of laundry, sweep floors, set & clear dinner tables, wash & put dishes away.  My men are very resourceful! Now, Taylor & I 'could' also load & unload fifty pound hog feed bags, run the tractor and clean pens~ if we really had too~ but thankfully Neil never asks me to do any of those things :-) !

The key here is that there are things that each of 'need's to do to help the others.  We are a team and need to work together to get 'all' the jobs done. 

Until next time,
Jean  

All You Need Is Love

"Love doesn't make the world go round, it makes the ride worthwhile." Jones

I am looking out of the office window into what use to be my families small veggie garden.  It has over the last several years become one of my perennial gardens.  It is the home to our Asparagus, Rhubarb, Grapes, Blueberries and I am hoping this summer Raspberries.  It also has my Grosso Lavender and several Peonies in it.  It has several raised beds that hold Basil, Parsley and last summer I added some Sage.  I love this garden, not only for obvious reasons, but also for the happy memories it holds.  It is a 'small' garden and is easy to keep looking pretty & neat.  I always plant a row of Canna's facing the road, which is to hide the ugly late fall garden it becomes; Sunflowers go on the side that the neighbors field is and along the back side which faces our back yard & patio. Our older children have all worked in this garden and grown things... tomatoes, onions, carrots, flowers, pumpkins to name a few. But the most important thing that was ever grown there was love.

Quality time that is shared is love in the making.  Taylor & the boys love when I read to them,  I try to read stories that help their imaginations grow. They also love when we sit on the front porch and watch them play a ball game.  It's fun when mom gets out there and cracks one, and even better when dad get's in on the game.  They are busy boys with imaginations that seem to grow by leaps & bounds~ right along with their legs!  Taylor is a rose in bloom, a diamond in the ruff.  Love shared is worth it in the end. Love can make things grow...

Until next time,
Jean

Good Things

"Can we ever have too much of a good thing?" Miguel de Cerrantes

What a question to ponder I would say!  Now let's think about some 'good' things~ a deep and personal relationship with the Lord, health, food, shelter, clothing, love, family, a good church, friends, financial security~ I guess to name just a few off the top of my head.  I am sure as each of you thinks about this your list may be similar or completely different.  It all depends on what makes 'you' happy!

As I have said so often, happiness is a choice.  Yes, people and circumstances can definitely contribute in one way or the other in our level of happiness, but the final decision is still ours.  I always think of people who have truly suffered and thought about their legacies~ Corrie Ten Boom, Joni Erickson-Tada, Mother Theresa, to name a few.  These people chose to accept the situations they were dealt in life and make a positive stand with them.  They all chose to honor God in their sorrows and not blame Him.  This can be a challenge for some, especially if they don't know His perfect love. 

Today is sunny with lots of puddles, but I am feeling better, I still have a runny noes, but you know what?  The sun is still shining, I am going to transplant some more of the Heirloom tomatoes in the green house (my personal HAPPY place), I have six wonderful, healthy busy children and so much more!  Yes, there are lot's of 'things' I may want, but I have everything I need!

Until next time,
Jean

Tribulations in Life...

"When thou art in tribulation, turn to the Lord thy God." Deuteronomy 4:30

The other day on the way to market we saw a car in the ditch and almost covered with snow.  It did not look nice at all.  I am sure when that person got into the vehicle he/she never intended to end up in the ditch.  It had to be a sickening feeling as they slid and went thump. It  appeared that no one was injured and only the car remained in this unfortunate position.  There are days when each of may feel like we are in a ditch and can't get out, stuck in the mud shall we say.  Tribulations will come and need to be dealt with even when they are unexpected, unwanted and unasked for.  Something has to be done, but what we ask ourselves, what?  When your head wants to hang low... when your shoulders feel to weak to bear another load... when your heart doesn't feel like it can be broken again... when....

So often situations come upon us that perplex us to the point of just not knowing what to do.  We try with all our might to get things fixed or repaired on our own strength, when all we really need to do is cry out to the Lord. He cares and He hears, no matter what...

Until next time,
Jean

A Light Unto The World

A friend shared this with me.... I thought awhile....

The light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.
The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.
As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up.
He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell.

After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door.  She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects. He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'Follow Me to Sunday School' bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk, so naturally ... I assumed you had stolen the car."

Let your light shine,
Until next time,
Jean

Complainers...

We all know a few of these unfortunately don't we?  How do we keep looking up when things don't always seem so wonderful?  My question often is,  "How do I prevent my children from becoming a 'chronic complainer'"?  One that is thankful for Brussels sprouts and just eats without complaining... or one that says 'my cup is still have full instead of my cup is already half empty'.  I have so little patience for a complainer.  My discussion yesterday about unconditional love really comes into play for me in this department.  I just look at all we have and how good we have it.  I wonder if the starving people in Africa or Russia would complain about the food put in front of them... I wonder if the child sleeping in a card board box in a Los Angeles alley because they have no home would complain about going to bed at nine o'clock.... I wonder if the widow would complain about her husband coming home late from work or just be thankful she has him coming home... I wonder.

Complaining  can become a terrible habit and the more one looks for the negative the more one will find it.  When we look for the good, we are sure to find that as well.  Today it is snowing so I must practice what I preach right now, and it isn't easy for me on days like this.  Especially when yesterday I walked to green house with no jacket.  But I try to be thankful for the snow because my children love it, and I love them.  It is all in our mind set isn't it?

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."   Philippians 4:8

Until next time,
Jean

Life's Happy Moments

"Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts." Charles Dickens

The sun is shining and the day is absolutely beautiful.  Neil & I went for a stroll in the green house to look things over and the plants are growing famously.  You add a few days of sunshine and some smelly fish fertilizer and wow, how things burst forward- or should I say upward.

This brings me to another type of growing, what we allow to grow in us.  I am a gardener through & through which means  I relate a lot of things to growing and what it takes to make them mature.  Love for instance only grows when we are happy, content, peaceable, respectful, friendly and most importantly lovable.  Love can't grow through anger and bitterness nor can it grow through disrespect and thoughtlessness.  Just as a tiny seed must be nurtured, so must love in any relationship.  Plants need four things to grow: a container of some sort with a growing medium, moisture and  sunshine. If I were to water the seeds with vinegar they would never grow.  The two main ingredients to a happy relationships are love & respect. Most ladies want to be loved and most men want to be respected.  These two ingredients make for a much more friendly environment and when applied liberally you watch things grow. It's not always that easy is it?  Not at all, but this is where the growing part comes in.  I once heard, "Feed what you want to grow and starve what you want to die."  There is a lot of wisdom in this and can be attributed to just about every aspect of life.

I find as I feed my Christian walk with 'good stuff' I grow upward and this helps with the everyday stuff that happens in life.  When I slack off and start starving myself of the 'good stuff' then I start on a downward slope.  Each day is a choice on what I will feed or starve.  It is for each one of us...
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

Until next time,
Jean

Sunshine and birdies and piggies and little boys...

The sun was shining today and as Evan & I were sitting talking over a snack I asked him if he wanted to go for a walk to the green houses while the baby was sleeping.  His eyes got big & happy and of course he did, he loves to be outside!  So we put some jackets on and went out hand in hand... 

 I was hoping I would be able to pick some fresh kale, but it appears that the chickens must have got in there and stripped all the leaves off of all the plants in the raised beds- slightly frustrating! But it was still a beautiful day to be walking hand in hand with my little boy. So we meandered over to the green house, I opened the door and uggg, the pigs had got out earlier and decided to go for a little jaunt through and literally turned over every pot (thousands) and tray (again thousands) that 'were' so neatly stacked under all  three rows of tables down the entire 48' of it.... what a mess!  But it was still a beautiful day to go for a walk with Evan. 

Frustrations in life will come, but when there is Jesus in the heart and your holding hands with the most adorable little four year old in the whole wide world, it's OK.

Until next time,
Jean

"Blessed are those that see beautiful things in humble places"

What is humble?  Can we find something humble in our everyday life... something so small and meager that no one would really ever notice it...  but you, in the smallness of life grasp this thing...
Life in it's fullness is truly humble if we can see beauty in things like the wing of a bird lifted up on the wind, or in the veins of a leaf, or the smile of a small child.  Intricacy and humility can be found in all these things simply because they call out to their maker God... Today we had some friends over to cut up their beef that they had raised the past year.  This will fill their freezer and feed their family until next fall.  It was so nice to be able to share our new butcher shop with good friends and just 'help'.  Over the last few weeks of getting our winter market set, we have received much 'help' from friends of the market!  What a humbling experience to be given out of love and a sheer desire to help.  Each of them giving of their time and resources, just because.... I hope that we can show that kind of love back to those we meet in the everyday that we call life.

until next time,
Jean