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What’s Needed When Embarking on Motherhood

May 22, 2013 by  · Leave a Comment

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? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Family LIfe, Intentional Living

Pork Roast a la Sally- Discipleship a la Feasting

May 22, 2013 by  · 4 Comments
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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.
Filed Under: Cultivating A Life, Events, Family LIfe, Intentional Living, Mealtimes, Uncategorized

The Heart of A List Maker

May 20, 2013 by  · 16 Comments

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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.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

The Gift of God’s Word

May 20, 2013 by  · 17 Comments

 

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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 children, I left personal letters in our file with the will and trust papers.  I couldn’t bear to consider what they would feel if tragedy struck us both without a written record of my deep, deep love for them.

A few years ago, I heard a mother share about giving each of her children a Bible when they reached adulthood. This is a special and meaningful gift.  But she also mentioned that she wrote in the Bibles, took notes, and highlighted special verses.  This got my attention!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Tips On Memorizing Scripture With Children!

May 17, 2013 by  · 6 Comments

Tips On Memorizing Scripture With Your 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 heart,
            That I may not sin against You.” ~Psalm 119:9-11

I’ve always loved the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, who, when she visited her cousin Elisabeth who was also miraculously with child, couldn’t stem the tide of scripture and praise that came bubbling up from her young soul. What a picture of being full to overflowing with the Lord (in more ways than one!) and what an example to all of us of what we surely need to be filling our own hearts with.

You’ve probably listened in awe yourself to a child reciting scripture at some point–whether at some church awards ceremony, a homeschool event, or maybe at the end of your local VBS week. It’s pretty awe-inspiring to hear little lips quoting verses, passages, even chapters! And recently Ann Voskamp, Beth Moore and many others have spearheaded movements among many adults to follow the little one’s example–a wonderful reminder, to be sure. Why is it, I wonder, that we encourage our children to do so many things we ourselves don’t do? Ahhh, but that’s another post. ;-)  

When my older children were younger children (it seems many moons ago!) memorizing scripture was part of our homeschool curriculum planning guide, and so it was quite easy to remember to actually do it (ahem). Life has gotten topsy-turvy since then, and I’m sorry to say that memorizing scripture has been moved to a back burner. I thought perhaps some of you sweet mamas out there might also need some encouragement and ideas to help you as you endeavor to add scripture memory to your own family habits, so here are a few tips and thoughts from our house to help along the way! [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cultivating A Life, Family LIfe, Intentional Living, Mealtimes