Little Boys and Puddles...

"Hey! Now there's a puddle!"
 

What is it about little boys and puddles?  No offense to little girls out there, I'm sure they are somewhat attracted to them, but I believe puddles call out to little boys!  As most of you know, we live on a farm with five boys, and with this farm comes a lot of mud ~ and I mean a lot!  I remember when Kyle was just about Evan's age (5) and we were at a friends house.  It was raining and then cleared up... they lived on a farm too ~ with mud. We were washing dishes and there were our two little boys holding hands playing ring around the rosie... in a puddle. Yes it was absolutely adorable and I grabbed my camera and took several black and white photos that now adorn a very cute scrapbook page in Kyles album. It was too cute... even after we hosed em' off and gave warm baths.  Little boys...

Yes Ethan & Ryan have had their mud puddle events as well and many happy memories have been made in puddles... Evan and Aaron are in the making of these memories now too. I don't really mind, after all they are boys and they like mud and dirt... and puddles.  What amazes me though is how they can stand to be so wet and dirty... I haven't figured that one out yet... not even after five boys!  What are memories that you have with your children? What are the memories they are making right now?  I often talk about memory making... I think it because I like to journal and scrap book... all memory things.  I love the idea that they can go back into their scrapbooks and 'see' the memories. 

I love my children so much and I realize they will have many memories... I wish I could say just happy ones, but we are only human.  The good come with the sad... As a mom I wish I could protect them from every hurt that could ever happen to them... keep them under my wings and shelter them from the storms that will come in life.  I wish I never had to try and explain why something isn't good for them... that they would just trust and obey...

Trust and obey... I need to set the example of trusting and obeying my Father... showing that in everything I have put my desires before the Lord and sought His guidance in every decision that needs to be made... Oh to be able to do that faithfully... through my example I pray for each of them...

Until next time,
Jean




     

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








   

Life is a Training Ground

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness."   Matthew 5:6

"There is no way that any of us can talk ourselves into getting a "longing for God." Spiritual desire and hunger must come from God Himself! It cannot be whipped up."  Tozer

This was a quote from one of my daily devotions today that struck me. As I thought on this I became so aware of how blessed that I am to have that desire deep within my soul.  So often I have felt as that hart on the mountainside panting after the water brook, my soul has longed after Him. 

I remember as a youth, before I would have been a professing Christian yet still knowing and fearing God, although in a different way... I had a longing for Him... I just didn't know how to get to Him.   I remember as a small child talking to Him in the storms. So childish was I when I would ask Him questions and ask Him to answer in one lightening and two claps of thunder... then I would know the deep secrets I was asking of Him... but He always seemed to answer.  He never dismisses a child... one looking to Him for reasurance.   I remember driving after my grandmother died and wondering why... I was angry with Him back then...

...but after a long journey He brought my soul home to Him...

Now my life is a training ground... one where there are valleys and plains along with the mountain tops...  It seems like it's been a long time since I drifted in the clouds... but I know they are there... waiting for me.

"But it is a different story when we consider the spiritual life. No one but God through His Spirit is able to stir up spiritual desire among us. Those who have accepted a common state of spiritual living and have no deep desire for Him will never be stirred by human means." Tozer

Until next time,
Jean

Child of God, Child of Mine...

Children seem to be on a never ending cycle of trying to reach some new adventure... usually at my peace of mind's expense.  Whether it be learning to walk or drive... climb a tree or ride a horse... there is always something to be weary about it seems. 

I mentioned the other day that our son Kyle is now in drivers training... he is a fairly good driver and I am not really worried at all when he is behind the wheel with me in the passenger seat. I look at this young 'man' and remember when he just toddled about... my blond haired, blue eyed baby boy... now he is trying to shave... an he is driving... when I look at him I just can't believe how he is growing... into manhood.  He has a kind and gentle spirit... he loves little children.  Every time he comes home from school or playing outside he always looks for his baby brother Aaron... he will rock him to sleep or read him and Evan stories. Really all the big boys take pretty good care of the little guys.  It blesses me so much... but we do have those moments that it is kind of fun to make the little guys give a holler or a shriek...  "Boo!" from behind the wall! They scream and then they laugh... boys... children. 

These children are becoming young people and moving into adulthood... It isn't always easy to be in the passenger seat with your child.  We as parents have experienced a lot of things in our lives and we do know better, shall I say.  I think back to my youth and the incredibly stupid things I did and want to simply protect them from the dangers that I put myself through.  All I can say now is praise the Lord He had a plan for my life that included Him... Now the question we face as parents is how do we work this into our children's hearts... how do I without being over bearing and controlling protect them... Life's challenges again.  Children present some wonderful attributes... my life goal is leading them to the most important attribute... salvation for their souls... living a renewed life for Jesus...  what a challenge...

"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he shall not depart from it..."
                                                                 Proverbs 22:6
...what a promise
Until next time,
Jean

To Be A Mother

"There's no job more noble on this earth, than to care for those whom we've given birth."

"Mommmmmm, he won't give me my toy!!!"  "Mommmmm he hit me!!!"  "Mommmmm, she's teasing me!!!!" And so goes the life of mommmmmm!  Well it's not always that bad is it?  There are the times when we hear, "Mom, know how much I love you?"... "Mom, thanks for getting me that piece of fabric".... "Man mom, this is so good... what is it?" 

Mother's resume would read quite elaborately; we are professional's in many areas. To name a few~ doctor and nurse at the same time, counselor in every field of life, sometimes a coach~ but I usually hand that job over to dad, seamstress~ that job usually gets handed over to Taylor, chef, organizer & planner, home decorator, gardener, I leave the lawn care up to fellows in the house, and of course teacher. 

I believe first and foremost we are teachers. Our children learn how to do most things in life from mother.  The first and most impressionable years for most young children are in the arms of mother.  This is where they learn to share, to be nice, get dressed and tie shoes, ABC's & 1,2,3's, colors, shapes and animals... all in the lap of mother.  There is a saying though, "More is caught then taught."  This is the challenge I feel as mother most often in my duties.  Sometimes I am grumpy and not always as nice as I truly want to be... sometimes I get frustrated more quickly than I would like to... sometimes I am just having a bad day and don't feel all that nice... what am I teaching them then?  I realize no one is perfect and we all have those bad days, but love must shine forward. These little people need to know we tried and that they are unconditionally loved, not only when they are good, but even when they are not so good.  Our Heavenly Fathers grace and forgiveness shines on us and we as parents must let that love shine through onto our children.  May the Lord give us grace to carry on and love them to Him...

Until next time,
Jean
    
     

Good Things

"The good things of life are not to be had singly, but come to us with a mixture." Charles Lamb

Good things.... when you see this what are the first 'good things' that come to your mind?  I think of my husband, our children, church, friends, gardening and canning to name a few.  How very blessed we are to have  these things; even though they all can bring us both happiness and  sometimes sadness, what would life be without them?   I often find myself looking at perspective when I am writing and focusing on such thoughts. 

Today is cool and damp and really not what I consider a 'nice' day~ but it could be worse, there could be a blizzard going on outside.  Yes I certainly prefer a warm, sunny day that calls me to come out and go for a walk... play in the dirt... lay in the hammock...   I am never tempted in the slightest to drift outdoors in the cold.  So goes my days of doing the 'inside' stuff that needs my attention, but is much easier to hand over to Taylor on pleasant days.  I need both the sunny and cloudy to help me keep my priorities in the proper places :-) . 

Love is another good thing that we can both give and receive... Here is a poem that I received from Neil and I believe it sums up the good things...

Love is making it through the hard times, even stronger than before.
Love is not sweating the small stuff, because you know you have each other.
Love is compromising and juggling responsibilities, and seeing through to the heart of what really matters.
Love is finding a way to have some alone time together, even after the most hectic of days.
Love is doing the simple little things that make the other person feel special-
Time after time, year after year.
Source unknown.

Let's keep looking at the good things,
Until next time,
Jean

Parenting...

"A father's goodness is higher than the mountain, a mother's goodness deeper than the sea." Source Unknown

Being a parent is one of the greatest challenges as well as joys any human can know.  It brings with it a multitude of responsibilities including teaching, nurturing, admonishing and unconditionally loving to name just a few.  All these things are part of our daily lives from the moment they are born into our families until the day they leave the nest.  I have often said that I don't think I will ever go through that 'empty nest syndrome'. I don't know... It seems like each stage that they go through from baby days of crawling into walking into running and then the day of marriage taking them of to start a life of their own is something I look forward to.  Those future days to come, Lord willing... I don't see them as a loss, but as part of a completion to hopefully 'a job well done'.  A day that they can go forth on their own and live a life that will bring them happiness and fulfillment serving God in their lives. 

Children can cause us parents both joy and sorrow and I believe that can go the other way as well.  I pray that our children will know the love in our heart's for each of them all the days of their life.

"We never know the love of our own parents for us until we become parents." Henry Ward Beecher 

Until next time,
Jean

Forgiving...

"For every tree is known by his own fruit..." Luke 6:44

"True love has weak eyesight.  Faults are not seen and imperfections are not noted." adapted from "Forever in Love" published by Word Publishing. 

Forgiveness is not always as easy as one would hope it to be.  We think to ourselves, 'Well of course I forgive that person for such and such a thing, after all I am a Christian, right?'  Well, lets face it, we are also humans prone to do the 'wrong' things and it is always easier to preach than to practice.  But when we look deep into our hearts and try to discover what we are all about, it can be eye opening!

Children are a prime example of true forgivers.  It always amazes me how quickly children will move on after a pretty heated battle and think nothing of what just occurred.  I think that is why Jesus said that we are to be childlike in our faith.  Children just believe!  Children will quickly fly off the handle and then just as quickly land back down on the wings of peace.  Our four oldest children all set very good examples for me in the area of forgiveness... and I am very thankful for that.  I make a lot of mistakes and I too fly off the handle... but every time I go to apologize they are always very quick to forgive.  I think that is a character trait that needs to be continually fostered in their hearts and in our own.  I think that as they grow older and they can always see Neil & I ask for forgiveness from each other as well as them, it will help them to do the same when they become adults. 

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

Time

"Time is...
Too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice; but for those who love, time is not."   Henry Van Dyke

Taylor & the older boys were showing Aaron & Evan a herd of deer in the neighbors field the other morning.  Their eyes were so big as they watched them dig around and then quickly dash off.  Small children are so fascinated & awed with the simplest things in life.  We adults on the other hand typically make life harder than it really needs to be.  When life is lived for self I think things can get more complicated and it's joy can be lost.  When we give ourselves over to making others happy I believe their can be an abundance of peace in one's heart. 

As I look into the everyday of life and think about how very short it is, I stop and look at what really matters. I need to continually evaluate the choices I make and decide what stays & what goes.  We gauge most everything we do by the amount of time it takes and if it is worth our 'time' to do it.  This goes for our job, relationships & hobbies just to name a few.  The next step is to evaluate  the worth this has in our life~ whether it be uplifting or deflating.  Decisions need to be made, although not always easy, but definitely necessary.  The choices we make today will effect the rest of our lives, either positively or negatively, so choose wisely we must do!  What do we do when these situations arise in our lives?  Some stagger along hopelessly, some simply quit, while others look up....

Until next time,
Jean

"A house without books is a room without windows" Anonymous

I found this quote interesting as I looked at our book shelves and studied our small library.  I thought about some places I have been in that had no windows, and as I recall they all seemed very cold & eerie.  I love windows and I love them open with full view of all nature happening around me. 

Our children love to read and be read to.  Even Aaron, our eighteen month old will bring a book to 'anyone' who's outstretched arms offer cuddle story time. Our children also enjoy when I read a 'family' time story.  Right now we are reading 'My Side of the Mountain', by Jean George, it is a boy book for sure.  The boys sit an listen very attentively as I try to make them feel like they are in the story.  In the winter we often play board games or get a puzzle going that everyone helps with. Making soft pretzel's on Sunday evenings is another welcomed activity, not to mention eating them. Our supper time can be a 'feast' of information on the days activities of who, what, where, when and why.  There is lots of lively interaction and sharing during our family devotions as well. 

 As I think on how busy our life get's and all the things that we need to do, quiet family time is so special.  I know it is for the children as well. 

Until next time,
Jean
What do you and your family do together? There are so many things that families can do together to be closer and to get to know each other better.  This week lets focus on family... 

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

Time & Examples....

It's amazing how time seems to go faster and faster.  I remember as a child 'older' people always saying, "Yup, the older you get the faster time seems to move."  I use to think that was just an 'old persons' saying.  I no longer believe that because now that I am an 'older' person I hear myself telling my children and others the very same thing.

Now I have an 18year old and an 18month old with a few in between!  Those of you who know us know all the in between's!  Yesterday Ryan was in the greenhouse with me and he seeded some Parsley as I did several other herbs.  He is already going to be 10 next month!  He is such a big helper and always willing with a smile, especially when I throw in $1.50 for helping :-) !  He's an entrepreneur and can see the value of earning, now I just have to teach him the value of saving.  Saving over time amounts to something, splurging for a quick smile amounts to very little.  The question I find myself often asking is how do I instill this in their 'joy for a moment' minds.  Taylor is definitely getting the concept and Kyle is starting to contemplate.  The others are shall I say a work in progress. I am a shopper to put it mildly so I guess the best way to teach is by example. 

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