Hearts in Service

  I'm so thankful for a well-producing garden.  We have been enjoying wonderful meals the past few days.   I've been getting orders for different items in my craft business.   The selling of bread and jam at the market is going well. We've been blessed with family and friends.    Our sons both have jobs and are earning money.   We have a growing church and happy children.   We have developing friendships and are laying down roots in a new community. We have productive days and sweet rest at night. Bounty comes in many forms, doesn't it?

2 Samuel 22:29 ~ " You are my lamp, O LORD; the LORD turns my darkness into light." Isaiah 42:16 ~ "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." A few years ago, a freak windstorm blew through the area where we lived.  It only lasted about ten minutes, yet it brought down trees and limbs on power lines and we were without power for 7 hours. Of course, these things always seem to happen at night so we were in darkness for the first half of the night. I don't know about you but I really hate when the power is off.  We don't have a generator which means we have no lights, no flushing toilets, no heat in the winter, no means to cook, no nothing!  We can't read nor do any of the normal activities that fill our evenings.  I feel very unsettled and dow...

Family. You don't get to choose them.  They can drive you crazy at times.  But they also can be such a huge blessing in your life. We are enjoying Dan's brother and our nephew as they came for an overnight visit.  There has been lots of laughter, catching up, and activity.  The house went from utter chaos a few minutes ago to absolute silence as they all trucked out the door to go running at the local track. As I'm sitting here enjoying my coffee and the silence for a few minutes, I'm so thankful for the small moments we have to spend time with those we love.  I'm thankful that I got to see my nephew before he goes off to college again in a month.  I'm so happy that my children got to spend some quality time with their uncle and cousin.  As I went in to say goodnight to Emily last night she said, "I love Uncle Paul and Bryce."  "They are so peaceful to be around."    And as I reflect, I'm also thinking about ...

Proverbs 3:24-26 (NIV) ~ When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.

  Yesterday I watched as the bees buzzed from flower to flower collecting pollen.  They never lost focus in what they were doing and were busily moving from plant to plant.  Unless I got a bit too close for their comfort, they ignored both me and my camera.   Because bees stay undistracted from their task, we have beautiful flowers to enjoy each year.  As they go from flower to flower, performing the task of pollination, they are making the world a wonderful place.  Bees do their thing and unknowingly enrich our lives.   The same should be true of us.  As we go through our day and perform our tasks, our lives should enrich the life of another.   We should be living our life in such a way that we bring beauty to others.  Sometimes it's as small a thing such as saying a kind word or smiling at someone.  Other times, it may mean lending a helping hand.  But we should make a difference in th...

Galatians 6:3-5 ~ "If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load." Comparisons. We all do it to some extent don't we? We'll hear about the delicious meals that someone else cooks and start feeling unsure of our own culinary abilities. Or we'll read about what another person's husband did for Valentine's Day and start looking at the measly card our husband gave us. We'll read blogs that paint a glowing picture of someone's life and start feeling dissatisfied with our own. We compare our spiritual lives or ministry activities. We compare our children, husbands, looks, households, and spiritual gifts. And it goes on and on. I've been guilty of reading about how other people's homes are run and start feeling annoyed that my family ...

  Every Monday afternoon I make my way to the local farmer's market which is about a half a mile from my home to set up my booth.  After I get it all set up, I usually take a picture and post it to facebook to help advertise that myself and the other vendors are there and to generate some interest. Yesterday as I sat there and looked over my table of wares I was reminded once again of how much I enjoy being a stay-at-home mom.  Every single thing on the table showed how much I have grown into this role over the years. When Dan & I were first married, I had no idea how to do much of anything.  The meals were tasteless, the house was a mess, and I was consumed with working outside of the home. I remember mold growing on the walls of the shower in my first house because I never cleaned.  UGH!  My main goal in life was to make a name for myself and change the world.  To be honest, it was all about ME! Yet, as I look back over my life, ...

Psalm 135:1-3 (NIV) ~ Praise the Lord . Praise the name of the Lord ;      praise him, you servants of the Lord , you who minister in the house of the Lord ,      in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the Lord , for the Lord is good;      sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.   Pleasant words are hard to come by nowadays.  So many speak words of complaint, criticism and negativity.  Many people never make a conscious effort to praise God in every little thing.    I've been working on this aspect of my life for the past few years and it has helped.  I'm learning to sing God's praises.  To find the things to be thankful for in my life.  I'm learning to not see the negative side of things.  It's not always easy, but it truly is pleasant when I do it.   This week I'm thankful for blessings #2151-2165.   2151. Ever-changing s...

(Okay, I had no idea I got the bird in the shot until I just posted this....cool!)   I am always moving, always working, and always feel responsible for something.  It truly is hard for me to just relax without feeling some weird sense of guilt like I should be "doing."  I'm not sure where that comes from but I've always been that way.   It even carries over into housework.  If I'm not working on some sort of a to-do list every day then I feel lazy.  If I sit down to watch a movie, I very rarely make it through the whole thing because I think there is stuff I should be busy doing.      Even this blog can become a burden at times, which is silly because I love to write.  But I can start to feel like I have to come up with some sort of inspirational post or else I have failed.  Ridiculous, I know.  That's why I decided that I'm not going to do the link-up for Frugal Fridays.  It has become another chore a...

  I live in such a beautiful area.  The sky is ever changing and wildlife is abundant.   The flowers in my garden are blooming and every week, new ones are popping out.  I'm in heaven with all the beautiful colors!     The soil is rich and black and fruit is abundant.  A lot of that has to do with being so close to Lake Ontario.  It truly is amazing to see hundreds of apple and fruit orchards, every where you drive.   I have tons of wild blackberries in my backyard and can't wait for them to ripen.     The apple tree is loaded with ripening fruit.   My garden is doing fantastic!  The tomato plants are loaded.   Kohlrabi.   Yellow squash.   Even with my weeding fiasco at the beginning of the season, it looks beautiful. I can't wait to taste the yummy goodness.  I'm loving the summer!

Peace. It's something we all strive for and wish we had. How can you be at peace when things seem to be in turmoil all around you? What if your world is turned upside down? Or you are dealing with conflict on a daily basis? Or when things don't go the way you expect or desire? It can be difficult to find inner peace when your world is being rocked! Yet these verses in Isaiah certainly give us the answer to this. Isaiah 26:3-4 ~ 3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! 4 Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock. Remembering to keep our eyes fixed on the One who is our rock helps us to find that peace. Taking our thoughts off the circumstances and placing them firmly on the Lord and His promises are key. I love the image of God as a rock - firm, sound, unmovable, solid - a boulder! Nothing shakes Him up. The things that we see as huge obstacles are nothing to Him. He ca...

Funny, organized, passionate, responsible, leader, and compassionate.  These are just a few adjectives that describe my friend, Lisa Buske. It was roughly three years ago that I met Lisa.  I've shared here when her first book, "Where's Heidi? One Sister's Journey" was released.  That book was about the abduction of her only sister, Heidi Allen, who has never been found.  In the book Lisa shares how the Lord has worked in her life through this tragic event. I was introduced to Lisa by a mutual friend and we connected at a couple of different conferences as well as online.  But who would have thought that we would end up in the same church?  That happened when Dan accepted the call to New Haven Community Alliance Church and we moved here in December.  I've enjoyed getting to know her better and seeing her every week and she has become a good friend. Lisa has just written and published a children's book entitl...

I have so many things that I'm thankful for in my life and some days I really feel overwhelmed with gratitude at the many ways the Lord has blessed me.  Does that mean my life is perfect?  No.  Do I have bad days?  Often!  Do I have to fight every day to be thankful?  Yes.  But the key is looking and learning to thank Him no matter what the circumstances and to find Him in the littlest of things.   I often complain more than praise.  I forget to look.  I forget to open my mouth and actually say, "Thank you." when I do see the blessings.  That's why I love doing this each Monday and even though Ann's blog no longer has the link-up, I want to keep on listing my praises.   This week I'm thankful for blessings #2142-2150.   2142.  Fresh baked bread, ready for the market.      2143.  New and unexpected flowers each week. 2144.  Presenting the creation account in a new and fu...

       My summer has been busy and it is speeding by very quickly.  In the midst of sewing, canning, creating, and making soap I want to make sure that I actually stop and enjoy each day.  I don't want to miss the beauty around me so I make sure I pause each day and just soak in the warm sunshine, the refreshing breezes and my beautiful surroundings.  One way I do this is through my camera.  I'm so thankful for God's beautiful creation from the morning mist rising off the field to the gorgeous full moon last night to chirping birds and beautiful colors. Take a time-out today and just enjoy all you can see, smell and hear around you.  You will be refreshed!