I Take Joy

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What’s Needed When Embarking on Motherhood

The train moves slow.

The children, all six, dangle happy out windows. I fumble for our tickets.

Look for answers I can’t find.

The train lurches and I reach for a seat and a boy grins at me trying to hold on. When did all their limbs become long?

When did I turn and miss that all the days are the destination?

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Two brothers stack, hands on shoulder, leaning to see down the track. I grip a seat and watch them, watch it all passing by in shades of green and indigo and always shadows.

Our firstborn, he sits near the back of the car, hand propping chin, pensive, pondering. Man-like. This is what the youngest of six asked for her sixth birthday: to ride a train.

I can feel it even now, how it shuddered when we pulled away from the stop.

I ask if I can sit beside her and she breaks into nodding smile, pulls up onto the Farmer’s lap, and my hand brushes his knee and hers and all I want to do is cup the face of him who began this ride with me, hold his face gentle between my hands and beg: How do you turn trains right around? How did we get here already? Why does it all speed by in a blur? Or is it me who is doing this to life? I need to know this.

How do we get back? Continue reading…

Pork Roast a la Sally- Discipleship a la Feasting

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Strange to see how a good dinner and feasting reconciles everybody!
Warm smells of onions, apples, thyme and roast fill our home with delectable temptation as my sweet children come through the front door. Usually bread is rising and the yeasty aromas mixed with the lovely herbs of roasting pork is enough to calm frayed nerves, soothe exhaustion from a day spent in busyness. And all of this speaks to my children and their friends of a sanctuary where all will find life and peace.
When people ask me how I influenced my children to love God and to love home, I often try to come up with something deep, spiritual, insightful and wise and hopefully I have learned some principles of wisdom that have influence my children’s hearts.
Yet, often, I have realized that it is the times shared over meals, the time filling our hunger with wonderful tastes and smells and delight that has wrought as much pleasure and comfort–all of this, that has reached the depths of their hearts for Christ and His ways.
The colors God made, the pleasures he wanted his children to enjoy, the tastes and smells and sounds and life itself stirs a heart alive, inspires a soul to hope in the beauty of the life shared moment to moment each day. This week we have had a celebration of an engagement, two birthdays, mother’s day a week late and lots of eating. But the fellowship and laughter and conversation around the table has set memories for years to come.
The food was the frame that set up the picture of our days shared. I thought I would share with you my own roast pork concoction–so very easy and so very satisfying and impressive.

The Heart of A List Maker

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I am a list maker. It can’t be helped. I keep track of life through pages and pages of notebooks and to-do lists and half- used journals. Upon our recent move, I was faced with three, yes three full boxes of  leather bound tomes to lug to our new apartment. The movers might have given me a few eye rolls, but these babies are my treasures! Here’s why: I will never scrapbook. I get itchy just thinking about how to print my bazillion photos from the last 12 years. How on earth could I ever catch up and write stories and create borders to match at this point? I can’t. I’ve tried.

Continue reading…

More Featured Blog Posts

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The Gift of God’s Word

  As a sentimental softie, I am often struck by gifts that carry great personal meaning. I long to leave a legacy of faith, steadfastness and love for my children both in word and deed. The first time I traveled with my husband away from our … Continue reading...

Tips On Memorizing Scripture With Your Children!

Tips On Memorizing Scripture With Children!

How can a young man keep his way pure?             By keeping it according to Your word. With all my heart I have sought You;             Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my … Continue reading...

What Elderly Tennis Players Can Teach Us About Motherhood

I play tennis. Post-kids, I play a couple times a year. But there was a season in life when I played ALL. THE. TIME I was possibly a bit obsessive. My family stayed in a condo every year for the 4th of July. They'd head to the water. I'd hit the … Continue reading...

Don’t Listen to the Grey Questioner

"Stop Doubting and Believe" John 20:27 Recently I have been reading  a delightful old book to my son, Jack,  called "Sir Knight of the Splendid Way." It is one of our favorites that I have found myself wanting to re-read to him so he would remember it. I … Continue reading...

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When a Band Aid Is Not Enough

  We had been looking forward to Mary's games all week. Our family had special plans to see Mary play then go out for a nice dinner together which for a big family is a big deal...at least financially. My oldest daughter was bringing her boyfriend. My … Continue reading...

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Deepening Friendships (Upon Leaving My Friends)

It's late at night and I've just returned from a visit to an Urgent Care center with my son who was showing some troubling symptoms. On my way there, one of my close friends got wind of what was happening and within moments of sitting down in the waiting room, … Continue reading...

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Happy Mothers Day

Being a mother is one of God's most gracious gifts! I Samuel 1:27 "For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:"   Whether you are a mother through birth or adoption, whether God has allowed you to be … Continue reading...

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