Encouraging Deep Roots

Do you realize how fast time flies? Emily, my baby, is 12 years old today. It seems like just yesterday she was a toddler. Nathan turned 20 at the beginning of the month and Stephen is 18. Wow! I know many of you are in the same boat. As I look back over the past 20 years, I'd like to think that I made the most of each moment I had with them. However, I also know that I haven't always had that mindset. I've spent more time fixating on things that aren't that important. My husband, on the other hand, is wonderful at enjoying every single moment of his children's lives. I have learned so much from him. His family is more important than anything. As mothers we can get so caught up in the day to day activities that we often don't stop and really focus on our children. I find that I often need to step away from what I am doing and just spend some time listening to them as they talk. I don't want them to remember me as running around and telling them, "No...

Emily's new chicks are growing quickly and are losing all their baby fuzz. She took them outside for the first time today for about a half an hour. She kept close watch so nothing would get them. At first they hovered near the box and wouldn't go anywhere. However, after a bit they got adventurous. Then it got fun. All of the sudden one flew on Emily's head. They decided she made a good place to roost. This is her rendition of being Cinderella and singing to the birds! :-) They are certainly providing a lot of fun for Miss Emily.

Psalm 118:24 ~ "This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it." Making a choice. Every moment and day here on the earth is given by the Lord. Every day we are given a choice. We can choose to be joyful and look for the good in each moment or we can choose to be miserable. We can make a choice to rejoice in the small things or make a choice to grumble and complain. I'm making a choice to look for the blessings in my life. Does that mean I'm walking around with my head in the clouds? No. In fact, I have some pretty grim realities that are a part of my every day life. Things that most people will never have to deal with. Yet, I am making a choice. I am choosing to be joyful. I am choosing to acknowledge that God has given me this life and that it is a blessing. Choosing this doesn't change my reality but it certainly changes my attitude! Today I'm thankful for Blessings #406-425 ♥ Surviving an extremely hectic week. ♥ A wonderful...

I pulled out my copy of the Complete Tightwad Gazette last night and I'm glad I did. I haven't read it in a few years and it certainly provided some inspiration. I have always enjoyed the challenge to try and be frugal. I know some people would call it cheap, tight fisted, or a tightwad. In my case, it is because of necessity. For years we lived on one income and managed fairly well. People would say, "Oh nobody can live on one income in this area." Yet, we were able to do it and on a small income at that. However, when Dan's pay got cut in half and he lost his benefits, I went back to work so we could at least have medical insurance. I have to pay into the benefits so my check is tiny. Even with me working full-time, we are bringing in less income than when I stayed home. So I need to work even harder at being frugal to make ends meet. Here are some things I have done this past week to stretch my dollar. I've mentioned some of them before. ► I nee...

Count Your Blessings by Sheryl Gump So often we complain about the lives we live. Unsatisfied with each other having no joy to give. If only we could take a moment from our time to see all the hungry people who have not even a dime. Husbands complain about their wives and all the things they do, but have they thought about the man who has none to come home to? And as for the wives, have they ever stoped to think, what in the world they would do if they ever lost their link? We mope about our children, but do we realize how this world would be without those loving eyes? What we need right now is to take each other's hand give thanks for what we're given upon this wonderous land. So now let's count our blessings that we've been given from above always to remember the richest one is love. Today I'm thankful for Blessings #391-405 ♥ Fragrant smells in the air. ♥ Baby birds chirping up a storm. ♥ A family sabbath dinner. ♥ The beauty of lilacs. ♥ Nathan getting his fire ...

I enjoy blogging because I like to write and it has been a tool to journal things for my children to remember. However, it is so easy on blogs to present only the good and only the positive. You can make it seem like your life is perfect. Yet, life is not perfect and families are not perfect. I've really worked hard to be transparent here on this blog. I am not a perfect person and I struggle with many things. Yet, I want to live my life for the Lord and do my best to serve Him. I know that often people are more blessed when they see that someone does struggle yet still tries to honor God with their life. I find it helpful to see the process that someone goes through rather than just the end result. Yesterday morning did not start well. In fact, it was quite horrible. My fairy tale book expectations of Mother's Day did not match reality and I did not handle things graciously. In fact, I blew it BIG TIME! The problem when you allow yourself to give way to your emotio...

POSITION : Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma JOB DESCRIPTION : Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required. RESPONSIBILITIES : The rest of your life. ► Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. ►Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. ►Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. ►Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget re...

Do you ever feel like you are stranded and being battered by daily events? I've been feeling like that lately. Before you think that I'm depressed or down, I'm not. Just a bit overwhelmed. I have to keep reminding myself..."Breathe." "One thing at a time." "Get through this day." This happens every year around this time and it has to do with the fact that there are so many things happening all at once. It's like being hit with wave after wave of activity. Some of the things going on this week and next: * Track practice for Stephen every day after school. * Play practice for Emily every day after school. * Three doctor's appointments this week. * A mother's day dinner at church. * Mother's day (which I'm behind on getting gifts in the mail to our moms) * Work every day. * Figure out a solution to my garden pest problem (a deer or something ate my kohlrabi even with repellent around the perimeter) * Took Stephen to get a...

There is a large pond behind our church and Emily loves to go fishing there. She's the only one who doesn't need a fishing license so she takes advantage of it every chance she gets. Look at the large mouth bass she caught the other day! He went back into the pond. I'd much rather purchase my fish than gut it and cook it. :-)

Psalm 19:1-6 ~ The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. I was struck this week by the beauty around me. It has been such a long winter followed by a cold, wet spring. However, for a few days this week beauty just seemed to spring up over night. I don't always stop and just look and listen to all I see and hear. It's so easy to run around from one task to the other and forget to take it all in. God created all of this just for His enjoyment...