Winter... it's here.

"He Is Always By My Side", Photo by Jean Smith

"People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy." Anton Chekov

"Sun In The Sky", Photo by Jean Smith

Wow... that hit's close to the core for me.  I have a few books that I like to look in for quotes that fit with my writing for the day... and this is the one that stuck out to me! God works through anything when allowed!  Well, I am happy... it's the first day of winter, and as you all know my saying, this is my personal count down to Spring... that's how I make this a happy day for me.

"Peony", Photo by Jean Smith

There is a covering of soft, wet glistening snow on the ground this morning.... I guess that's appropriate for today with it being the first day of winter. The wind is howling and whipping and I guess that fits too.. We'll have the shortest amount of sunshine today, but from here on in, the days will grow longer, the sun will move closer and each day it will feel warmer on our faces... until all too soon, my Spring will come. 

"Spring Beauty", Photo by Jean Smith

 Happiness... what makes you happy?  Of course flowers for me... among other things... but today I am focusing on flowers.  I guess I am going to do something a bit different with Wren again... a photo essay of flowers... I hope you enjoy all the magnification photo's I took this past summer in my gardens... and to see how the Son makes me happy...

"Perfection Didn't Just Happen", Photo by Jean Smith
 

Come winter, I'll still have my sunshine!  It doesn't really matter if the sun is shining outside if we have the Son shining on the inside... but today, I still want to focus on flowers... He gave those to me!

"His Heart Bleeds", Photo by Jean Smith
 

Until next time
Jean

"Simple Beauty", Photo by Jean Smith
 

 

Strenth and Weekness

“For my strength is made perfect in weakness.”  2Corinthians 12:9

"God will have no strength used in his battles but the strength which he himself imparts. Are you mourning over your own weakness? Take courage, for there must be a consciousness of weakness before the Lord will give thee victory. Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up."  Charles Spurgeon

With having five sons this is a challenging scripture to impart into their minds... after all they are men in the making.  Kyle and Ethan especially are young 'men' and like to test their strengths against one another. They will often wrestle and challenge one another to races and so forth... very normal 'boy' behavior. 

Teaching this 'weakness' mentality to growing young men as a mom is also a challenge. There is the example thing again... I need to concentrate on being an example to them.  Yesterday  I took Kyle and Ethan out hunting. While we were getting ready to go, I realized that I had 'misplaced' something of great value... I prayed, but I just couldn't find it.  After a bit of looking around and more prayer, I finally came across it.  Suddenly Kyle came in from looking in the truck and said, "Did you find it?"... "Yes," I said, "I did!" with tears almost filling my eyes.  Kyle said, "I prayed Mom!"  Oh the faith of a child... or young man!  So we left then and I dropped off my two young men at the side of the road for them to trek into the woods... we prayed that they would get something and off they went. I watched them go and they turned back and waved... they will never truly know or understand the love of a mother... but I have to focus on the example of showing the love... Christ's love.

Christ was a man with the same like passions the scriptures teach us... yet He never sinned.  Where did his strength lie some may wonder and ask... it lied in His Father above.  He was challenged with every temptation that we know today, yet He never sinned.  Jesus is our example to live by today... He is the one that we can turn to in our times of temptations... we just need to remember to look up as He did... our perfect example.  We do not need to stumble and fall... we just need to be remained focused on our walk with Him and not anyone else... just my own.  To remain focused on that is where the challenge lies, at least for me. I believe though, that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me... and so can you!

Until next time,
Jean








   

The Sparrow

"Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young ..."Psalm 84:3

Last evening after we got home from market and had a yummy corned beef & bagel supper we all went outside to enjoy the beautiful evening.  Taylor and the big boys were playing a leisurely game of ball while Neil & I with the little boys watched from the front patio.  The early evening sounds were so pleasant.... the robins saying good night... the spring peepers 'peeping' from the pond announcing their awaking... and a pheasant rooster calling on a mate in the distance... then the crack of the ball on the bat and the smack in the catchers glove.  The sun was going down and the evening sky was clear, the rose, purple, blue and orange of the sky were a rainbow only God could create. 

This morning the skies are blue with some fluffy white clouds, the robins are saying good morning and all the other morning birds are saying it is going to be a beautiful day.  Neil is in the kitchen frying up some of our breakfast sausage patties... the scent of Cheeky Monkeys organic breakfast blend is brewing and smells like morning...the children are getting dressed and ready for church.   We are planning to go to a friends house for a bar-b-que picnic after church today.

It is a peaceful morning....
Until next time,
Jean

What do we know?

Often times when we are driving down the road my boys will see a semi or truck coming and be able to tell what 'make' it is.  They are correct most of the time.  This really amazes me and I always ask, 'how did you know that?'.  I get a silly look and they tell me, 'Well look at the shape of the head lights, or the grill or tail lights'.  I have not a clue!  The other day I was in the green house looking over things and seeing what had sprouted.  Neil came in as I was pulling out some 'seedlings'.  He asked why I was doing that and I said they were weed seedlings.  He asked how I knew that.  I looked at him with that same kind of look the boys give me.  I thought about this and as I pondered I realized that all of us know about the things we care about, like or find interesting.  We look to increase our knowledge on those things and spend time involved, if possible, with them.  I know a lot about gardening; Neil and the boys know a lot about trucks, chainsaws and machinery. 

When people 'see' me what do they 'know' about me?  Do they know that I love Jesus and gardening?  I hope so.  I hope that my actions speak louder about my love for Jesus than anything else.  I hope when people see me, they can see Him shining in and through me.

Until next time,
Jean

Gardening is a joy....

"Home is where your garden is, where you can sink your toes into the cool green grass and the children can chase fireflies on a warm summer night..." adapted from Marty Ross, Country Garden's Early Spring 2012issue, pg. 28

Yes this is my heart exactly!  I am so very blessed to be able to 'garden' for a living... to be able to go out to the green houses and 'play' in the dirt in the dead of winter...  Come to think of it, I have so many blessings in my life.  Have you ever stopped and taken a sheet of paper and wrote down all the things you are so happy to have, be able to do, people you call friends & family?  I had one of our children do this a few years back, some 'unthankfulness' was shining through.... anyway, when this little chore was completed and compared to the 'don'ts and can'ts' in life, things didn't really seem soooo bad!  We are all like that sometimes, human nature likes to creep in and throw a few curve balls into the really blessed life we have.   Life is full of challenges, disappointments, losses... it always will be!  But everyday has even more good.... we just have to look for it.... through all the other stuff! 

My garden is where I 'get away' from it all, or a seed catalog, or a gardening book  or magazine.... but more often then not, I can get away best when I am on my knees.  Where do you get away from the cares of this world? 

until next time,
Jean

The moon....

This morning Evan and I were snuggled up on the couch and we were looking at the moon.  It was so big and bright.  I love to look at his expressions when he sees all of God's wonderful creations and tell him how He made the stars and the moon for us to have the night light.  Our favorite thing to say to one another is, "I love you all the way to the moon & the stars".  He just smiles and holds on even tighter.  I still tell the older ones this as well, they just look at me silly, but I know deep down they are happy I still tell them....  We all like to be told we are loved.  It gives a sense of belonging and can bring cheer to the weary. 

Today the sun is shining bright again...  blue skies and sunshine just makes the heart seem glad.  Neil & Evan are working at cutting firewood today.  When the boys get home they can split & stack.  My friend Pat was over yesterday and helped Taylor & I with some sewing projects.  I made my February market apron and Taylor made a tote bag for a friend's birthday.  Today we are at the regular chores that are part of the normal daily grind, but the sun is shining!  That just makes it all easier to do! 

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

The Dandelion...

I was snuggled in on the couch with baby Aaron and a cup of coffee and I all of a sudden noticed something yellow on the lawn.  A dandelion.  I usually sigh in the Spring when these burst out everywhere, but this time it was rejuvenating and warm!  I was blessed with a splash of color in this colorless winter world.  What a difference 'perspective' makes! 

Speaking of perspective I am always harping on Neil & the boys for tracking in mud .... I know that probably shocks some of you, (LOL)!  Anyway, I was on the computer checking emails & making labels for this weekend and Neil brings me his devotional and says (with an innocent smile) 'read this when you have time'.  So of course I stopped and read it.  It was on perspective!  A widow had recently remarried another farmer and was having  several other 'farmer's wives' over for afternoon tea.  In walks the 'new' husband tracking mud all over the kitchen floor.  After returning out of doors (and leaving the mud)  a few of the wives said they would shoot their husbands if they did that in their kitchens.  The newly married  widow said she use to always harp on her deceased husband for doing the same thing, but then when he was suddenly killed in a farm accident and saw only the empty boots at the back door, she often wished for that mud to be tracked on the floor. 
Oh for wisdom....

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