blest. . .

. . . be the tie that binds.

This is the hymn that we are studying in school right now.  To go over a hymn for several weeks helps the meaning to sink in a little deeper.  I LOVE verse 3:

We share our mutual woes,

Our mutual burdens bear;

And often for each other flows

The sympathizing tear.

What a promise!

My prayer is that I can be one who shares in the burdens and woes of those who are sorrowing.  May I ever be able to let sympathizing tears flow for those dear ones around me.

once more. . .

. . .another sobering reminder of what it means to be a parent.

The Esh family that passed away together in an automobile crash wrote this song:

Daddy, Will You Be There For Me?

Daddy, will you be there for me when I wake up in the night?

When I can not close my eyes and sleep, will you rock me, hold me tight?

Will you drive my tractor on the floor, pitch my balls and push my swing?

May I come to you with broken toys; will you mend my broken things?

Will you be there, will you love my Mommy, hug me every day?

Oh Daddy!

Daddy will you be home at night; teach me how to pray?

When you come from your work at night, Daddy then I want you near.

There are problems that are big to me, will you stop and give your ear?

I don’t care if you are rich or poor; I just want to have your heart.

I just want to know that you’re my friend; I will try to do my part.

Will you be there when I have a problem and I need to share?

Oh Daddy!

Daddy will you be there for me; will you really care?

Daddy, will you be there for me when I need someone to care?

When I face this life’s complexities and I’m ready to despair?

Am I more to you than anything, do you love me I’m your child?

May I come to you with broken dreams when I’m broken and defiled?

Will you be there, will you guide me will you help me to forgive?

Oh Daddy!

Daddy will you be there for me; teach me how to live?

Daddy will you be there for me when I face life’s setting sun?

When I stand before the judgment seat will I hear those words “Well Done”?

Will you have taught me right from wrong; will your teaching stand the test?

Will I enter into Heaven’s land with my Lord forever blest?

I’m depending on you Daddy and I hope you understand.

Oh Daddy!

Daddy you are my gift from God; take me hold my hand.

Daddy you are my gift from God; take me hold my hand.

. . .

I loved it, so I decided to try directing it more to myself.  This is what I came up with.  I want to remember all of this when I am getting to the end of my rope:

Mommy, Will You Be There For Me?

Mommy, will you be there for me when I wake up in the night?

When I can not close my eyes and sleep, will you rock me, hold me tight?

Will you plead with God to keep me safe, send up prayers on angel wings?

May I come to you with baby dolls; will you mend my dolly’s things?

Will you be there, will you love my Daddy, teach me how to mind?

Oh Mommy!

Mommy will you be meek and mild; gentle, good, and kind?

When you are busy with your work, Mommy I still want you near.

There are problems that are big to me, will you stop and give your ear?

I don’t care if you are rich or poor; I just want to have your heart.

I just want to know that you’re my friend; I will try to do my part.

Will you be there when I have a problem and I need to share?

Oh Mommy!

Mommy will you be there for me, will you really care?

Mommy, will you be there for me when I need someone to care?

When I face this life’s complexities and I’m ready to despair?

Am I more to you than anything, do you love me I’m your child?

May I come to you with broken dreams when I’m broken and defiled?

Will you be there, will you guide me will you help me to forgive?

Oh Mommy!

Mommy will you be there for me, teach me how to live?

Mommy will you be there for me when I face life’s setting sun?

When I stand before the judgment seat will I hear those words “Well Done”?

Will you have taught me right from wrong; will your teaching stand the test?

Will I enter into Heaven’s land with my Lord forever blest?

I’m depending on you Mommy and I hope you understand.

Oh Mommy!

Mommy, you are my gift from God, take me hold my hand.

Mommy, you are my gift from God, take me hold my hand.



. . .

God Sent His Son. . .

. . . to be our Savior.

He is the way, He is the truth, He is the life.

Was Jesus Christ who came to save the world.

He is the way, He is the truth, He is the life.

He gave His life that we might be set free.

He is the way, He is the truth, He is the life.

Rose from the grave that we might live again.

He is the way, He is the truth, He is the life.

He lives today, I know He always will.

He is the way, He is the truth, He is the life.

God sent His son to be our Savior.

He is the way, He is the truth, He is the life.

---

December 1st.  Can't believe another year is drawing to a close.  Today we start our count-down to Christ's birth. 

How will we count down?  Will we spend our month wondering what to buy for various family members and acquaintances?  Will we spend our month baking and cooking lots of delicious food?  Will we spend our month scurrying from one gathering to another?

Or will we celebrate in a NEW way?  Will we spend our month wondering what to GIVE to all those who have nothing and simply spending TIME with various family members and acquaintances?  Will we spend our month eating simpler and looking for ways to feed the HUNGRY?  Will we spend our month slowing down in devotion to our LORD and remembering EVERY DAY that we are REALLY just looking forward to the birth of HIS son?

---

What will my children learn from me?  A couple of weeks ago my son was gifted with a golf ball from an older gentleman.  He treasured that ball.  It even got a treasured position in his DRAWER.  (the one by the side of his bed that keeps all the various scraps that are VERY DEAR to his heart) 

One day at supper he was wondering what that ball was called.  When I told him it was a golf ball, he asked me if I saw what he did with it that day when he was outside.  I thought it was an innocent question. . .  I said, "no".  He used words and actions to stop our hearts. 

He told about how he dug a hole in the dirt for it.  Then he told us about the stick he had found in the yard to hit it with.  After all the animated details he stood up on his chair and demonstrated how he used the stick to hit the ball.  Just like a pro!!!

We asked, "HOW in the world do you know anything about golfing?"

The reply that sobered me right up was:

"I always see it on signs when we are driving."

We laughed, but I had tears welling up in my eyes.

If my 5 year old can learn that much about a simple white ball from simply "seeing it on signs while we drive", what is he learning from my day to day life?  I am NOT worthy of such scrutiny.

We always hear how our walk talks louder than our talk talks.  I am CONVINCED.  I am SCARED!  I am in NEED of God's grace.  I am wondering what kind of a world view I am giving my children.  We are together day in and day out.  They are rarely ever away from me.  Am I leading them to Christ?  Or am I leading them down a self-absorbed, too busy for God-Time path?  I feel pretty sure that what I do with my time this month will play a big part in how my two DEAR blessings will view Christ's birth.

Are they going to GIVE to those who have the least like HE did or will they WANT more for themselves and those around them who already have way too much?

---

p.s. if anyone has the music for the song at the beginning of this post, our family would LOVE for you to share it with us.

to God be the Glory. . .

Saturday flew by.  The last of the long days of last week.  Before we knew it, the time had come to make the drive to the airport.  With much excitement the Mommies and Kiddos loaded up in the van to welcome the Daddies back to this soil that we call home.  I wish we would have recorded the shouting and hurrahs from the Kiddos upon seeing the airport.  :)

Upon arriving, we met a Daddy and Boy that said they had been waiting for 2 hours for their Mommy to clear customs.  We thought it would not be us.  That things would be caught up till our plane came in. . .

Approximately 2 hours later. . .

There were bear hugs and smiles.  God brought them safely home!  This was our first experience with lost luggage in all of our flying, but we didn't seem to mind since we were all together again.

As we traveled home in the wee hours of the morning, we listened to stories of their trip and heard their laughter as they shared memories, impressions, and experiences.

Thanking God for safe travels, beautiful weather to work in, and the opportunity to serve.

To God Be ALL the Glory!

our family is growing. . .

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

                                                                             - Luke 13:34

Yesterday we got to witness one of the miracles of our creator.

Of course you can never PLAN for moments like these.  You have to be still and wait on the Lord.

I was in for a huge day of canning tomatoes.  It was middle of the morning when I asked Ethan to take yet another pan of tomato garbage to the goat/chicken pen.  He did NOT want to, and adamantly told me so.  Being the busy tomato canning mom, I just told him that was what he could do to help me out.  Grudgingly he went out.

It wasn't very long at all when he returned to the house.  He has been practicing whistling these days and I heard him going full force.  My thoughts changed very rapidly in the next few minutes.  The first thought I had was how thankful I was for the attitude change, the next thought was that it really didn't sound like his normal whistle, the next thought was why did he have our bird book out, and then he appeared.  He had in his hands a TINY little black ball of fur that was cheeping rather loudly.

YAY!  We have tried letting our hens sit at different times, but with no success.  Ethan said that when he went to empty the garbage, he saw this little chick with one of the hens in the pasture.  Of course all of this brought a screeching halt to the tomato canning.  After Elisa got her turn to hold the little peep, I took it back out to try and find the mom.  Of course, I know NOTHING about baby chicks and how they interact with hens.  I couldn't get any of the hens to acknowledge that she had sat on this little fella and hatched him out.  So in the house went the chick to wait in a box while the kids and I ran to the farm store to buy a heat lamp and chick feed.  We got home and set up a comfortable abode for this chick.

I resumed canning tomatoes.

Ethan asked Elisa if she wanted to go with him to check for more chicks.  She said yes.  They left the house.  Whew!  Now to get this job of mine done.

In they came.  "Mom!"  There is an egg down there that has a hole in it and I can hear something pecking around inside of it.  Okay, even though I didn't really believe it, I had to wash my hands and go check it out.  They were right!

What an awesome experience for the kids.  We went in, washed up, and ate lunch.  Before nap time we went to check the egg one more time and it was cracked the whole way around and we could see the chick trying to get out.  After naps, we went to check and sure enough we had a new chick.  That made two little black balls of fluff.

The hen that was caring for the newest chick was a black furry-headed one instead of the silky that hatched it.  I thought that if she was being such a good mother, we should bring the one out of the house and let her take care of it too.  (that way I wouldn't have to)  It was amazing to watch her take it into her care.  She pecked it at first and really was quite a snob.   The baby tried several times to get under her protection and she wouldn't have it.  She sat down and tucked the newest one under her and then took some time to relax.  The baby that we had brought from the house was pretty persistent, so when the hen was nice and relaxed, he tried one more time.

He walked up to the hen and shoved his little head into her chest.  She tucked her head over him and tucked him right under her with the other chick.  How sweet.  We all enjoyed watching them for a while. . .

. . .and then Ethan & Elisa enjoyed spending time with Grace.  (she is starting to like them QUITE well!)

---

What a wonderful day!  (yes I did get all the tomatoes canned that I had started and yes, I still have a 1/2 bushel left to do today)  It was good to be reminded that if we want to see God, we have to do it in HIS timing and not ours.  I could have planned a day like that for 2 weeks and it wouldn't have worked out in the same way!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,

Praise Him all creatures here below. . .

i'll be praying for you. . .

. . .do we mean that we will pray for smooth sailing for that person?  Or do we mean that we want our dear ones to have these promises sealed in their hearts?

---

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

- Isaiah 43:2

And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

-Zechariah 13:9

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

-Romans 8:18

For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

-2 Corinthians 1:5

But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

-1 Peter 4:13

---

. . .pray for me, and I'll pray for you!

a lovely day. . .

today is a lovely day at home.
no van.
not allowed to drive.
no tests (for today).
rain (which happens to be one of my favorites).
time with the kiddos.
time to read.
time to be inspired. . .

Radical by David Platt from Taylor Robinson on Vimeo.

. . .hope you are too!

i need this reminder.

all to often i find myself

"living out a christian spin on the american dream"

when  i would rather be

"worshipping the Jesus of the Bible"!

Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.    -Luke 18:22

so, i have this friend. . .

. . .that is holding me accountable for memorizing scripture.  What a blessing to have friendships like this.  Yes.  I fall flat before her.  Yes.  She watches as I pick myself up and ask for more time.  I absolutely cherish my conversations with her.  What encouragement!  I thank God for friendships that help me grow closer to him.

Tonight at Bible Study, we discussed JOY.  In all the studying that I have done, I can only come to one conclusion.  That is this:  to have true JOY is only attainable by having an intimate relationship with my SAVIOR.  So whenever I seek happiness, I am seeking the wrong thing.  Happiness totally depends on circumstances around me.  If I want to have JOY, I only have to seek HIM!

Right now I am praising God for giving me relationships that help me seek HIM more.  I can't be thankful enough for ALL my friends that encourage me in my WALK WITH THE LORD, but especially right now I want to say thank you to my friend for memorizing with me, because. . .

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  - Romans 8:6