Yesterday was an amazing day of commerce around here. We are about to start on another summer of hay, but it's hard to load the barn with hay if you still have hay from the year before that you haven't sold. My husband called our Florida connection and within minutes he said he'd be sending out a truck to our farm to pick up a load. This company takes hay to Florida for horses down there and then bring back tropical plants. Cool idea and we get to be one of the suppliers to the fancy horses down south. Normally that's no big deal, except when you don't have help! My oldest sons would all be there, but they'd be loading hay after a long day at work and school and they didn't know at the time they'd be up till 11 doing it! My younger sons both had near misses this week and nearly broke their wrists doing what boys do, bike tricks and monkey bars. I've thanked God so many times for protecting them. I joke with them all the time, "I won't drive you to the hospital if you break your wrist. I'll be too mad!" Yet, despite the sore wrist, the 8 year old threw down 300 bales on his own. We sent him in half way through so he wouldn't over do it, though it's hard to imagine him ever over doing it. That's what he lives for! He is so strong I can hardly believe it. Only one of my daughters was going to be around.....so, to my shock, I ended up being involved. I hadn't loaded a trailer before. It's quite something when a HUGE semi-trailer pulls up on your property. But I put on my big girl pants and decided I would do it. All I have to say is, I appreciate all the times I HAVEN'T done hay before. My body woke me up so many times last time because of the aching I had from lifting over 500 bales of hay. I'm impressed how my kids have done it all these years.....
Earlier on in the week we'd given my son the chance to make some money on the side. If he listed and sold our old dryer online, he could have the money. He ran and took pictures and listed it within minutes. It didn't sell right away, but yesterday, just before they hay load left, someone came and picked it up. $60 for him! He was pretty pleased!
Meanwhile the kitten was still listed as well. While we were loading the hay, someone came and picked up the kitten, too - more cash in hand for the kids! When I asked my 12 year old if he'd had a good day, he said, "Yes! We sold the dryer, the kitten and the hay, all in one day! It was a great day!" I loved how so many things came together on the same day.
Last night I was struck by the awesome view behind our barn. Back in the day when they first built houses and barns, it was all done in a way to make the most of the space and the ease of the farmer, I guess. Keep the barn close to the house? Not sure. I don't think they ever thought of the view. When I looked out over the pond from the back of the truck, I realized our house should be where the barn is and the barn should be where our house is! Our view is great now, but it would be spectacular if I could somehow switch spots. However, that is not the case, but I was still able to enjoy the view. And while I stood there, it helped put things into perspective again. My mind is often, sadly, consumed by what isn't finished in our home, what is broken, what needs fixing....Perhaps that is because it is around me all day long...the unfinished flooring, the peeling paint, the smelly basement.....but last night as I stood there with the kids all around me, cheering me on (old lady helping with hay....they loved that), and then I saw the view, and then I watched all the commerce going on around me, from the selling of hay, to dryers, to kittens, I was immediately reminded of all the blessings I have. It was amazing. I have my health, so do they. We have the land to produce the hay, the animals to produce the kittens (3 more pregnant ones coming up!), the new dryer in the house allowing us to sell the old one, an amazing family economy and the relationships that come with that, a husband who knows how to somehow coordinate all that we are doing.....I am so ashamed that I get so caught up in the things of this world when I really stop and think about how those things don't matter. Before we loaded the trailer, we went around discussing the verse, "Where your treasure lies, your heart will be also" and we discussed what we all thought our "treasure" was. I admitted it was my house. It's not that all my money goes there. No, I wish! It's that I wish all our money could go there! You know what your treasure is based on not just how much you spend on things, but on how much you think about things. If I had a "thought bank statement", it would be embarrassing to admit how many thoughts go towards my house and not because I walk around in pride, though I do love my house, no, it's more of a pathetic sadness (read: discontentment), wishing I had this done, wishing I had that done......yeah, my treasure is obvious. It was a good wake up call to be reminded of my true treasure - things with skin on, my husband, my kids, our relationships, the intangible blessings of hard work and also the tangible ones such as the money made yesterday. Wow - what a great day when I think about that.
I thank God for the hard work He's given us through the farm. It is teaching all of us so much. On Father's Day when we went around and prayed for RM, one of the kids prayed thanking God for RM and how he had a vision to get us here and how much they love living here. I am so grateful, too. I'm also so thankful for how God is allowing us to use the farm to not just teach us valuable lessons in diligence, etc., but in how He's allowing us to use the farm to literally provide for us. From the smallest cuddly kitten, to the grapes and hay, it is a real working farm and I can hardly believe it. I often think back ten years ago to what I was doing in June - uh, nothing? Ok, I was going on walks to the park and the library and visiting friends and going on playdates and cleaning my house and grocery shopping, but that was pretty much it. My younger kids are going to be having a very different experience than the older set. I am having a very different experience the second time around with these kids! I am a completely different person. I don't even know what has happened to the other mom I was. It's book worthy, I'm telling you. This morning my old house is exactly the same, but I hope I am not. I hope I can remember that view I saw last night and the feeling I had as I stood beside my kids taking in the eternal moment. It is very quiet in this house this morning. I don't think I'll see anyone for awhile. I'm grateful for that, too. They're sleeping because of the hard work they put in late into the night. Talk about being troopers. Shockingly, I'm not in too much pain this morning. Perhaps the pruning prepped me for the hay. Who needs a gym........
Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Tuesday, 18 June 2019
A Weekend in the Life......
Somehow over the weekend we managed to finish pruning the entire vineyard. What a task. I was so amazed at how the entire family stepped up. From the youngest to the oldest, we were all in there. As we all pruned alongside one another, I would say as often as I could, "Thank you so much for being out here!" One child said, "You know, I actually don't mind! It gives me purpose for living!" Hmmmmm....I loved that.
As I pictured what all their peers were probably doing all weekend, I felt so grateful knowing mine were alongside me. I tried to soak it all in. I will say, I have very funny kids. Most of the time they have me laughing my head off. That helped pass the time. We also managed to have really significant conversations as well with the older ones as we had many hours to pass. I managed to sneak in a few great lectures without them knowing.
But honestly, it was only accomplished because so many hands were on deck. The youngest, already 7 now, was helping in his own way, looking for toads and bugs, but he was beside me, so that made me happy. The next little guy, 8, I tried to keep interested as well with pulling weeds and cutting tape, but he knew that was "busy work" and got bored right away. So I thought, why not train him how to prune? So I did and to my amazement he got it right away and became quite good at it. That was when I was reminded that kids need meaningful work, not busy work, in order to feel like they are actually contributing to the family economy. Great lesson for me. Did he stick with it all weekend? No. I did catch him wandering off a lot, but again, at least he was outside.
At the same time I had my 10 year still running the house inside. She did such a great job. We managed to eat, keep the kitchen, and prune, all because of what she was doing. In all the farm chaos, RM's dad had knee replacement surgery and shortly after had a major stroke. Amazingly, he seems ok, though we all know anything can change at any moment. No one can ever plan for these things or ever say, "Now would be a good time to have a family emergency." So we had to just deal with it, fitting in visits, making arrangements for his mom. It was a challenge. Somehow we also had a Daddy birthday, Father's Day and even installed a new washing machine and dryer....all this weekend. Busy just doesn't seem to describe us right now. But it is very satisfying as we know there is a greater purpose and that keeps us going.
Church was great, too. The sermon was on the last chapter of 2 Timothy, finishing off a series. Though it seems like such an insignificant chapter as it is Paul saying hi and bye to all the people he worked with it turns out it is a very meaningful chapter. It was a great reminder that God brings people into our life that stick by us like glue and then there are others that hurt us very badly that, as in Paul's case, we warn others about. I was able to reflect on that as that has certainly been the case in my life. So many great people, in my life, in my kids' lives and then others that have been hurtful. Yet the pastor's message was EACH person is there for a reason. There have been people that have come into our lives that have caused hurt. I know God uses everything, but it still hurts. Seeing how Paul handled hurt was an amazing reminder on how to handle these hard situations. He says, in 4:14, "Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth."
The pattern is clear - Paul admits the harm against him, but let's God deal with that situation. He doesn't hold on to any bitterness or any sense of vengeance. It's God's deal. Then, though he was left alone and even felt deserted, he doesn't allow himself any bitterness there either as he says, "may it not be charged against them". I would have made charges! Wow! He doesn't let the faults of others stop him in his work. He looks to the Lord and to the Lord only for his strength, instead of depending on frail humans who undoubtedly will let us down. Then, despite the harm, the message of the gospel still got out and Paul, though attacked in some way, was "rescued". I went out in the vines later that day to finish up a row and as I was on my own reflecting on the sermon, multiple situations came into my mind and I found myself thanking God for what he has rescued us from and that I don't need to hold on to any feelings of bitterness. It was a great reminder to thank the Lord for standing by me, for strengthening me, for rescuing me and for allowing the gospel to go forward in spite of any hard times in my life or my family's life. God's Word is so great. The pastor couldn't have known when he planned his sermon that day that was exactly what I needed to hear. By preaching verse by verse and being faithful to his plan, he was covering all the themes we all needed to hear, me specifically.
One final great story....as my oldest boy is off to Angola this Fall, he's on a mission to make money, save money and raise money. To me it's an unusually high amount - perhaps because of the flights? I don't know, but he's a little overwhelmed at the moment. Earlier on in the week I had told the younger kids they could keep the "kitten" money for themselves this time (remember our kitten dynasty? Still going strong....). But then, we started reading a biography of the man who started the mission my son is going with SIM (originally Sudan Interior Mission). This man was 20 years old, one of 8 kids and felt compelled to go to the Sudan in the 1800s. He had no money and was very concerned about how he was going to raise it as well to go overseas. But things just started to come together for him as people started to give. I closed the book and I talked about how the similarities between my son and this man, Rowland Bingham, were incredible! Both were 20, from 8 kids, going overseas to Africa and needed money! Fast! My 12 year said, "Let's give the kitten money to him." My jaw dropped. My eyes filled up. "Great idea," I said. "Would you really be willing to do that?!" Yup, they were. When my son came home that night, my kids handed him his first $50 towards Africa. And another $50 the next day. They're planning on doing lemonade stands and selling things online, whatever it takes to help him. I love that power of Christian literature that moves people, like my kids, as the story is read. I think my older son was also very moved and now has hope that God is going to answer his prayers.
I have a "week off" now because my husband is spraying the vines so I can't really go near them. What am I going to do with myself??????
As I pictured what all their peers were probably doing all weekend, I felt so grateful knowing mine were alongside me. I tried to soak it all in. I will say, I have very funny kids. Most of the time they have me laughing my head off. That helped pass the time. We also managed to have really significant conversations as well with the older ones as we had many hours to pass. I managed to sneak in a few great lectures without them knowing.
But honestly, it was only accomplished because so many hands were on deck. The youngest, already 7 now, was helping in his own way, looking for toads and bugs, but he was beside me, so that made me happy. The next little guy, 8, I tried to keep interested as well with pulling weeds and cutting tape, but he knew that was "busy work" and got bored right away. So I thought, why not train him how to prune? So I did and to my amazement he got it right away and became quite good at it. That was when I was reminded that kids need meaningful work, not busy work, in order to feel like they are actually contributing to the family economy. Great lesson for me. Did he stick with it all weekend? No. I did catch him wandering off a lot, but again, at least he was outside.
At the same time I had my 10 year still running the house inside. She did such a great job. We managed to eat, keep the kitchen, and prune, all because of what she was doing. In all the farm chaos, RM's dad had knee replacement surgery and shortly after had a major stroke. Amazingly, he seems ok, though we all know anything can change at any moment. No one can ever plan for these things or ever say, "Now would be a good time to have a family emergency." So we had to just deal with it, fitting in visits, making arrangements for his mom. It was a challenge. Somehow we also had a Daddy birthday, Father's Day and even installed a new washing machine and dryer....all this weekend. Busy just doesn't seem to describe us right now. But it is very satisfying as we know there is a greater purpose and that keeps us going.
Church was great, too. The sermon was on the last chapter of 2 Timothy, finishing off a series. Though it seems like such an insignificant chapter as it is Paul saying hi and bye to all the people he worked with it turns out it is a very meaningful chapter. It was a great reminder that God brings people into our life that stick by us like glue and then there are others that hurt us very badly that, as in Paul's case, we warn others about. I was able to reflect on that as that has certainly been the case in my life. So many great people, in my life, in my kids' lives and then others that have been hurtful. Yet the pastor's message was EACH person is there for a reason. There have been people that have come into our lives that have caused hurt. I know God uses everything, but it still hurts. Seeing how Paul handled hurt was an amazing reminder on how to handle these hard situations. He says, in 4:14, "Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth."
The pattern is clear - Paul admits the harm against him, but let's God deal with that situation. He doesn't hold on to any bitterness or any sense of vengeance. It's God's deal. Then, though he was left alone and even felt deserted, he doesn't allow himself any bitterness there either as he says, "may it not be charged against them". I would have made charges! Wow! He doesn't let the faults of others stop him in his work. He looks to the Lord and to the Lord only for his strength, instead of depending on frail humans who undoubtedly will let us down. Then, despite the harm, the message of the gospel still got out and Paul, though attacked in some way, was "rescued". I went out in the vines later that day to finish up a row and as I was on my own reflecting on the sermon, multiple situations came into my mind and I found myself thanking God for what he has rescued us from and that I don't need to hold on to any feelings of bitterness. It was a great reminder to thank the Lord for standing by me, for strengthening me, for rescuing me and for allowing the gospel to go forward in spite of any hard times in my life or my family's life. God's Word is so great. The pastor couldn't have known when he planned his sermon that day that was exactly what I needed to hear. By preaching verse by verse and being faithful to his plan, he was covering all the themes we all needed to hear, me specifically.
One final great story....as my oldest boy is off to Angola this Fall, he's on a mission to make money, save money and raise money. To me it's an unusually high amount - perhaps because of the flights? I don't know, but he's a little overwhelmed at the moment. Earlier on in the week I had told the younger kids they could keep the "kitten" money for themselves this time (remember our kitten dynasty? Still going strong....). But then, we started reading a biography of the man who started the mission my son is going with SIM (originally Sudan Interior Mission). This man was 20 years old, one of 8 kids and felt compelled to go to the Sudan in the 1800s. He had no money and was very concerned about how he was going to raise it as well to go overseas. But things just started to come together for him as people started to give. I closed the book and I talked about how the similarities between my son and this man, Rowland Bingham, were incredible! Both were 20, from 8 kids, going overseas to Africa and needed money! Fast! My 12 year said, "Let's give the kitten money to him." My jaw dropped. My eyes filled up. "Great idea," I said. "Would you really be willing to do that?!" Yup, they were. When my son came home that night, my kids handed him his first $50 towards Africa. And another $50 the next day. They're planning on doing lemonade stands and selling things online, whatever it takes to help him. I love that power of Christian literature that moves people, like my kids, as the story is read. I think my older son was also very moved and now has hope that God is going to answer his prayers.
I have a "week off" now because my husband is spraying the vines so I can't really go near them. What am I going to do with myself??????
Tuesday, 11 June 2019
Officially Drowning in Vines....in a good way!
If we were ever wondering if we were drowning before, we're for sure drowning now. In vines. Lots of them. And weeds. Lots of them, too. And pressure to get it all done...."in a timely manner"....as our vine neighbour suggested to us last week. Yeah, we know. It's easy to say "get them done" when it's your full-time job, but when it's not your full-time job and you have 8 kids and you have 100 other things to do....it is no small task to "get them done in a timely manner".....I felt like suggesting to her that she come over and help us "get them done in a timely manner"!!!!
I told my mom this past weekend, we never, ever wake up and wonder what we should do. The question is what SHOULD we do and what will we NOT get done. Today I have a 100 loads of laundry that weren't done on the weekend as we had all of us out in the vines on the weekend. So that is probably where I will start...after I finish my coffee of course.
We are certainly packing things in these days. In my short-sightedness back in the winter, I booked our kids for a track meet on the weekend. What was I thinking? We had no time for that! But at the same time I knew the kids would love it, so I did it anyway. Most of the kids are fairly athletic. I have one that is Olympic-level in everything, so I pretty much booked it for him. No surprise. He won first in every single race by a long shot. It was the funniest thing to watch as he ran like Ussein Bolt. I'm sure he broke records that day. We will now have to work on keeping him humble.
Trying to keep things balanced during this very busy time is hard. Going to that track meet was a sacrifice. But the kids loved it, so it was worth it. We always figure God will keep the weeds back a day if He has to in order for us to go to those things. I met one other lady whose husband was a farmer. He wasn't at the track meet because he was bringing in hay. I immediately understood her unlike any other woman that day. She was on her own because she wanted her kids at the track meet. She knew her husband couldnt' be there because they are farmers. Farmers do not have regular lives. I am still just getting my head around the fact we are farmers. I am? When did that happen? I'm a farmer, too? Married to a farmer? What?! That is insane! I didn't know that! I do not remember signing up for this! But, the truth is, I love it. We all do. It's just different for us. And I'm still trying to live and plan and book things as if I'm not a farmer because for some reason I missed the memo on that one! I am a farmer! Who knew?! That is why I automatically signed us up for the track meet. All the other farmer's wives don't do that. They know they are too busy this time of year. I'm still figuring that out. So next year, I will be smarter and not book all the field trips for spring and summer and oh yeah, fall. Ha! The only time we can go on field trips is in the winter?! Guess so!
Yesterday it rained! Yay! We didn't have to go out and prune! Oh no. The weeds are growing. Rain is a mixed blessing. It means we get a small break, but it also means 10x the work later. So I think I'm making myself clear - this is a crazy time. How do we keep from being overwhelmed? One day at a time. One plant at a time. One weed at a time.
If you drove by our place you would only see weeds. It doesn't look like we're getting anything done. I don't like that perception, but I can't help it if we get misunderstood. I know we're out there working on it. I know it's getting done, albeit slowly. I wish I could put a sign at the end of our driveway that says, "We're working on it!" But I can't. So I take all thoughts of wrong perceptions and neighbourhood pressure and press on. I take each dirty sock and put them in the basket and then wash them when I can. I take each dish that seems to endlessly pile up and wash it one at a time. I am trying to live in the moment and not look ahead beyond today. The verse that is in my head is definitely, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for today has enough trouble of its own." I'll say! I have enough to deal with today! I cannot dare think about tomorrow!
Meanwhile my husband now has another job within a job. He was given a temporary assignment for a few months on top of his other work. This is a good thing as they are compensating him for it, but it adds to the other work he already has! Man. We have a lot going on. If I try to get into his head space it makes my head spin. But again, what keeps us going and sane is constantly talking. We are good at that. We talk all the time. I think that is what is the key to any success we experience and the key to both of us staying sane. By communicating constantly throughout the day, over coffee each morning, and then again at night....we keep each other calm by listening to each other's fears, concerns, feelings, worries about the kids, the vines, his job, the workloads we're both under, etc., etc., etc......that is why we aren't nuts! If I had to handle things all on my own or he had to handle things all on his own, we'd both lose our minds and that would be the end of it all. We are somehow managing the insanity simply because we talk. We both recognize how important this is and make it our number one priority.
The other major benefit of this new venture we've taken on is how it has really pushed everyone to make things run smoothly. Last summer I wasn't on top of things as I had no idea what I was doing, so when I went into the vines to weed last year I didn't assign anyone to take over the house. I was somehow trying to manage both outdoors and indoors. Our house was AWFUL last summer. Dishes and laundry everywhere. This summer I said to my kids, "If I'm in the vines, you're on kitchen and laundry". Deal. So this past weekend, my little ten year old took over. I was so impressed with how she handled things! At first she wasn't so happy about her new assignment, but now she's not only keeping things clean, but she's pumping out all sorts of things out of the kitchen for snacks! She keeps baking up a storm and having a ton of fun doing it! The older kids that weren't outside did the laundry and that kept me from feeling those insanely overwhelmed feelings. There's always more to do, so that's my deal now. Then we had quite a few of the kids outside with us in the vines. We're all learning so much about growing vines. It is an amazing experience all around even if we are all somewhat overwhelmed.
Today it is sunny....we've already been out in the vines.....Slowly but surely we're pruning one row at a time The rest of the day will be busy with all the regular stuff and then tonight, back at it. Yesterday as I was in the vines, I found myself praying. I found myself thinking of the image before my eyes. I was praying against all the weeds that can come into my own life, my kids' lives. I'll pray that God will continue to prune all of us through this experience that we will stay close to the main source of strength and that He will keep us connected to Him. I have so many things to pray for it helps pass the time easily. I thank God very much for this experience. I think being overwhelmed can be a good thing as we'll only survive because of God. We'll never be able to say, "It's because of us!" No. If we see success in any way, it'll be 100% because of God.
I told my mom this past weekend, we never, ever wake up and wonder what we should do. The question is what SHOULD we do and what will we NOT get done. Today I have a 100 loads of laundry that weren't done on the weekend as we had all of us out in the vines on the weekend. So that is probably where I will start...after I finish my coffee of course.
We are certainly packing things in these days. In my short-sightedness back in the winter, I booked our kids for a track meet on the weekend. What was I thinking? We had no time for that! But at the same time I knew the kids would love it, so I did it anyway. Most of the kids are fairly athletic. I have one that is Olympic-level in everything, so I pretty much booked it for him. No surprise. He won first in every single race by a long shot. It was the funniest thing to watch as he ran like Ussein Bolt. I'm sure he broke records that day. We will now have to work on keeping him humble.
Trying to keep things balanced during this very busy time is hard. Going to that track meet was a sacrifice. But the kids loved it, so it was worth it. We always figure God will keep the weeds back a day if He has to in order for us to go to those things. I met one other lady whose husband was a farmer. He wasn't at the track meet because he was bringing in hay. I immediately understood her unlike any other woman that day. She was on her own because she wanted her kids at the track meet. She knew her husband couldnt' be there because they are farmers. Farmers do not have regular lives. I am still just getting my head around the fact we are farmers. I am? When did that happen? I'm a farmer, too? Married to a farmer? What?! That is insane! I didn't know that! I do not remember signing up for this! But, the truth is, I love it. We all do. It's just different for us. And I'm still trying to live and plan and book things as if I'm not a farmer because for some reason I missed the memo on that one! I am a farmer! Who knew?! That is why I automatically signed us up for the track meet. All the other farmer's wives don't do that. They know they are too busy this time of year. I'm still figuring that out. So next year, I will be smarter and not book all the field trips for spring and summer and oh yeah, fall. Ha! The only time we can go on field trips is in the winter?! Guess so!
Yesterday it rained! Yay! We didn't have to go out and prune! Oh no. The weeds are growing. Rain is a mixed blessing. It means we get a small break, but it also means 10x the work later. So I think I'm making myself clear - this is a crazy time. How do we keep from being overwhelmed? One day at a time. One plant at a time. One weed at a time.
If you drove by our place you would only see weeds. It doesn't look like we're getting anything done. I don't like that perception, but I can't help it if we get misunderstood. I know we're out there working on it. I know it's getting done, albeit slowly. I wish I could put a sign at the end of our driveway that says, "We're working on it!" But I can't. So I take all thoughts of wrong perceptions and neighbourhood pressure and press on. I take each dirty sock and put them in the basket and then wash them when I can. I take each dish that seems to endlessly pile up and wash it one at a time. I am trying to live in the moment and not look ahead beyond today. The verse that is in my head is definitely, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for today has enough trouble of its own." I'll say! I have enough to deal with today! I cannot dare think about tomorrow!
Meanwhile my husband now has another job within a job. He was given a temporary assignment for a few months on top of his other work. This is a good thing as they are compensating him for it, but it adds to the other work he already has! Man. We have a lot going on. If I try to get into his head space it makes my head spin. But again, what keeps us going and sane is constantly talking. We are good at that. We talk all the time. I think that is what is the key to any success we experience and the key to both of us staying sane. By communicating constantly throughout the day, over coffee each morning, and then again at night....we keep each other calm by listening to each other's fears, concerns, feelings, worries about the kids, the vines, his job, the workloads we're both under, etc., etc., etc......that is why we aren't nuts! If I had to handle things all on my own or he had to handle things all on his own, we'd both lose our minds and that would be the end of it all. We are somehow managing the insanity simply because we talk. We both recognize how important this is and make it our number one priority.
The other major benefit of this new venture we've taken on is how it has really pushed everyone to make things run smoothly. Last summer I wasn't on top of things as I had no idea what I was doing, so when I went into the vines to weed last year I didn't assign anyone to take over the house. I was somehow trying to manage both outdoors and indoors. Our house was AWFUL last summer. Dishes and laundry everywhere. This summer I said to my kids, "If I'm in the vines, you're on kitchen and laundry". Deal. So this past weekend, my little ten year old took over. I was so impressed with how she handled things! At first she wasn't so happy about her new assignment, but now she's not only keeping things clean, but she's pumping out all sorts of things out of the kitchen for snacks! She keeps baking up a storm and having a ton of fun doing it! The older kids that weren't outside did the laundry and that kept me from feeling those insanely overwhelmed feelings. There's always more to do, so that's my deal now. Then we had quite a few of the kids outside with us in the vines. We're all learning so much about growing vines. It is an amazing experience all around even if we are all somewhat overwhelmed.
Today it is sunny....we've already been out in the vines.....Slowly but surely we're pruning one row at a time The rest of the day will be busy with all the regular stuff and then tonight, back at it. Yesterday as I was in the vines, I found myself praying. I found myself thinking of the image before my eyes. I was praying against all the weeds that can come into my own life, my kids' lives. I'll pray that God will continue to prune all of us through this experience that we will stay close to the main source of strength and that He will keep us connected to Him. I have so many things to pray for it helps pass the time easily. I thank God very much for this experience. I think being overwhelmed can be a good thing as we'll only survive because of God. We'll never be able to say, "It's because of us!" No. If we see success in any way, it'll be 100% because of God.
Monday, 3 June 2019
Back in the Vines.....Year 2
Felt a little bit like deja vu this morning......out in the vines, early in the morning, before work, with RM.....the pruning has started. What a task we have before us.
The past 5 days have seen the trellising go in. We ordered it by faith as we didn't see a lot of growth in the plants, but as each day passes, more buds show up on the plants, so we are hopeful we haven't lost as many plants as first thought to the cold winter and wet spring. It's actually quite exciting because now when we look out the window there is a real vineyard! It's so beautiful to look at and to think that it is our's is amazing! But, then, as soon as I get excited I get overwhelmed as there is so much to do and only a few of us to do it. However, just like last year, it will get done one plant at a time. This week the pruning, and then the weeding begins. Every minute counts, so the two of us went out this morning and tonight we'll train a few of the older kids so that more of us can go out this week.
These vines are sure keeping us on our knees as it was a risk financially, but so far so good. You can't help but draw on all the metaphors in the Bible about pruning as we prune the vines ourselves. The logic is to stress the plant so that is puts all it's energy into one or two buds, instead of all the extraneous ones. We take off all the unnecessary, but sometimes beautiful-looking leaves, in an attempt to have a stronger plant. We prune it back almost right down to the base of the plant which just seems so extreme, but then we see amazing growth almost right away. I'm supposed to be like that pruned plant. I know this, but I sure don't like it. I'm trying to see God's hand sooner and sooner. I'm trying to see God even in the emergencies of life. All the extra things in my life that I think I need that get taken away from me are all for my good and it is hopefully going to create great fruit in me perhaps not right away, but in the future.
Yesterday's sermon was about preaching the Word "with complete patience". What I liked most about that phrase was the idea that not just "patience" is required, but "complete patience" when it comes to sharing with others. I took the idea one step further and would suggest we need complete patience in all things where regular patience is all we want to try to exercise. We need complete patience in the outcome of the vines. We won't see any income for at least another year, maybe two. I need complete patience with my kids, definitely not regular patience! I need complete patience when it comes to trusting God for my future, my kids' future......Complete Patience is going to be my "go-to" expression this week, I can already tell.
It is now the first week of June and it feels so cold this morning, but I'm trusting it is eventually going to warm up. It won't be long before everyone is complaining about the heat!
The past 5 days have seen the trellising go in. We ordered it by faith as we didn't see a lot of growth in the plants, but as each day passes, more buds show up on the plants, so we are hopeful we haven't lost as many plants as first thought to the cold winter and wet spring. It's actually quite exciting because now when we look out the window there is a real vineyard! It's so beautiful to look at and to think that it is our's is amazing! But, then, as soon as I get excited I get overwhelmed as there is so much to do and only a few of us to do it. However, just like last year, it will get done one plant at a time. This week the pruning, and then the weeding begins. Every minute counts, so the two of us went out this morning and tonight we'll train a few of the older kids so that more of us can go out this week.
These vines are sure keeping us on our knees as it was a risk financially, but so far so good. You can't help but draw on all the metaphors in the Bible about pruning as we prune the vines ourselves. The logic is to stress the plant so that is puts all it's energy into one or two buds, instead of all the extraneous ones. We take off all the unnecessary, but sometimes beautiful-looking leaves, in an attempt to have a stronger plant. We prune it back almost right down to the base of the plant which just seems so extreme, but then we see amazing growth almost right away. I'm supposed to be like that pruned plant. I know this, but I sure don't like it. I'm trying to see God's hand sooner and sooner. I'm trying to see God even in the emergencies of life. All the extra things in my life that I think I need that get taken away from me are all for my good and it is hopefully going to create great fruit in me perhaps not right away, but in the future.
Yesterday's sermon was about preaching the Word "with complete patience". What I liked most about that phrase was the idea that not just "patience" is required, but "complete patience" when it comes to sharing with others. I took the idea one step further and would suggest we need complete patience in all things where regular patience is all we want to try to exercise. We need complete patience in the outcome of the vines. We won't see any income for at least another year, maybe two. I need complete patience with my kids, definitely not regular patience! I need complete patience when it comes to trusting God for my future, my kids' future......Complete Patience is going to be my "go-to" expression this week, I can already tell.
It is now the first week of June and it feels so cold this morning, but I'm trusting it is eventually going to warm up. It won't be long before everyone is complaining about the heat!
Tuesday, 28 May 2019
Celebrating a Different Kind of Anniversary
Yesterday was an anniversary in our life, but not your typical one. We were celebrating 18 years since God told us to move. What? Like I said, not your typical anniversary and the only reason I remember the date so clearly is because I journalled about it right away. I knew it was a date I wanted to remember and the way everything unfolded that day I knew I couldn't forget.
We had been living like nice, normal, decent people in a nice, normal, neighbourhood - or so we thought. We had moved in expecting our first baby and within 3 years were expecting our third. It was a more mature neighbourhood so there weren't any young families except us. The people living on either side of us had older children. We had developed a relationship with most of the people in the area and they were all friendly. The people living directly behind us had no children and though I tried to reach out to them, they were not interested in reaching back.
Soon the parties started. These people all knew each other, turns out. They'd lived on the street for years. These were not small parties. They were big parties. "Call the cops" kind of parties. We had young children sleeping. It was no fun for us. We were invited to the first one, but they got the idea this wasn't our kind of thing so stopped inviting us and instead starting telling us when the parties were happening so that we could make arrangements to leave town! Yikes.
When we bought the house we were a little overextended, but we had a plan. We were going to rent out the basement and the one half of the house. It was a good sized house and we didn't use those two spaces anyway. We easily found tenants and all seemed good. The problem was the neighbour behind us didn't like it. I guess he figured we were bringing down the neighbourhood. He started to make it clear he wasn't thrilled with us and looking back, I think he was trying to make us so miserable that we would want to move. Well, it worked.
He started turning his dogs loose. They would come into my backyard when I was out playing with the kids. I hated that. He would turn up his awful music whenever I was there as well. He hated the sound of kids playing and I hated his choice of music. I would look directly at him and he would completely ignore me. I would kindly say, "Is there anything we've done to make you upset?" He wouldn't answer me. I finally asked his partner if there was anything we'd done, but she feigned ignorance.
One day the music seemed just a little louder than normal. A little raunchier than normal. Again, fully ignoring me. RM was home, so I said to him, "We have to say something to him." He went and picked up our two year old and walked over. He went expecting to have a nice chat and clear the air, but he ended up getting blasted by the guy. So we weren't wrong! He did hate us! I think his main reasons were that we had gotten the tenants, so in his mind we were bringing down the whole neighbourhood. Perhaps it was all the swear words and the obvious rage and yelling to get off his property. Not really sure! But all we both knew was when he came back and told me how the whole thing had unfolded we stood there literally crying and probably at the same time said, "We're moving".
I was expecting a baby in 6 weeks. I was really hoping we could move somehow before the baby came, so we kicked it up a notch and started searching like crazy. We did find a place eventually that we bought on our actual anniversary. That particular anniversary also jumps out in my mind as I was in the hospital with my 5 week old newborn who had somehow contracted viral meningitis when he was born. So we spent a week in the hospital as he recovered. It was quite a tumultuous time. We didn't move before the baby was born, but within a few months we were out.
So many miracles happened during that time and so many lessons were learned. This is why it is also an anniversary of sorts. Before we knew we needed to sell, I had been getting a sense from God that I was supposed to relinquish my home and where we lived. It was one of the most beautiful areas I had ever lived. It was by the lake near downtown. I could walk everywhere. There were big beautiful trees and beautiful parks everywhere. I would often pray thanking God for where we lived and then I would always follow my prayer with this phrase, "Please don't make me move." That's probably where things started to go wrong. I was loving my stuff, my life, my house and I didn't want Him to take it away from me.
During that time I had come across Richard Foster's book on prayer. There was a chapter in it called the "Prayer of Relinquishment". He suggested a prayer to pray saying that sometimes God gives you back what you release to Him. Sometimes He doesn't, but either way it is a necessary prayer to pray. I prayed it very reluctantly, but I knew I had to. So I started going for walks with the kids and each time I looked around loving where I lived I would pray, "Thank you Lord for where I live, but if you have a better place for us, I'm willing to give it all up.....but please don't make me move!" So I was trying to pray the right prayer!
Shortly after that prayer was when things started to go south. First with our neighbours and then even with one of the tenants. It didn't matter what we did. Something always went wrong. She had major water leaks in her room and she was always unhappy. Our other tenant was a "rent angel", we called him. He never lived in our house one night. He simply paid to have our house as a mailing address. He traveled a lot and we think maybe we were a cover up for a secret side of his life! So strange! But he always paid on time!
So between the parties our neighbours held on a regular basis, the angry people living behind us, the upset tenant in the basement, not to mention we were feeling the financial pressure of owning a big home, we finally gave in and said, "Lord! We get it! We'll move!" We actually joke that God kicked us out of the neighbourhood. In a way it had to be that way. It had to be something that obvious or I would never have been able to see it. I would have tried to make it work for years I'm convinced. So that is one of the miracles - God answered so obviously.
Then, we asked our neighbour down the street who was into a new hobby of tearing down old houses and putting up new million dollar houses if he wanted our's. He said no. We were so disappointed, but then when we were in the hospital with my newborn he reapproached us and said yes! We were so thrilled! In just a matter of a few years we had, with no intelligence of our own, made a major profit on our home as our property had grown in its worth in a very short time - "ugliest home in the best neighourhood" would have been our award! The best part of him taking our property was that we didn't have to do a thing. Not one thing. He was going to tear it down, too, so that meant I had no cleaning to do, no renovating to do, nothing. With 3 children under 3, that was such a gift. It was God's deliverance.
The house we ended up buying was also amazing. God took us to a street called "Stillmeadow". From the pit of despair, He literally moved us to "Psalm 23 Street". This street was full of lovely people who loved us for 7 years. We are still in touch with these neighbours. One mom that I became friends with even got saved! I had 3 more babies there and we had a "peace on every side" experience there for sure. It was a new home so it didn't need constant renovations unless we chose to do so. It was the perfect size, the perfect layout, the perfect location. It was such a gift to us. We literally outgrew it as our children would spill onto the street, the neighbour's yard, the bedrooms....I was asked if I ran a daycare one time.
This is why it is an anniversary for us. That day when all seemed so despairing, we prayed. God answered our prayers in the most amazing way. He taught us the most amazing things during that difficult time in our life that we could have only learned through the most difficult ways.
Yesterday, on the day of the anniversary, I read in my devotional book about trials. This is what it said and this is what made me go back down memory lane all day:
"Do you find yourself at this very moment surrounded with needs, and nearly overwhelmed with difficulties, trials, and emergencies? Each of these is God's way of providing vessels for the Holy Spirit to fill. If you correctly understand their meaning, you will see them as opportunities for receiving new blessings and deliverance you can receive in no other way."
And that's exactly what happened. Did I love going through the trial? Not exactly, but I did wonder at the time how God was going to work it all out. Did I see it as an emergency at the time? Yes. I hate emergencies with my whole heart. But I am learning to stop seeing everything as an emergency. They always work out. I just have to stay calm. I tend to panic, but I am learning that helps no one. When I choose to trust Him instead then the miracles start to happen. We 100% received "new blessings and deliverance" that could have only come from having gone through this experience. That trial taught us so much, including a big lesson on real estate! Because of that experience with the man who bought our house, we went and did the same thing he did all those years ago. We learned to price houses with boldness. When we built our house, we built it with him in the back of our minds. We were always thinking, "What would he do?" As a result we sold super high when we did sell the house we built. We credit him for what we learned from him during that time.
So yes - 18 years ago, we got told to move. Since then we've moved more than once and we've had multiple trials along the way, a few emergencies here and there, but we've learned to see them as "God's way of providing vessels for the Holy Spirit to fill". And that's what I'm celebrating, that I've learned so much. I'm celebrating 18 (well more than that of course....He's been faithful my whole life, but 18 in this case!) years of watching God move in all the trials. If you go back in my journals, then today I'm probably celebrating another anniversary of God's faithfulness. Truly every day is an anniversary of sorts, isn't it?
Now we're on the farm. Are all the trials magically gone? Hardly. Every day seems to bring a new thing to trust the Lord for. But yesterday when we were considering all the many things to pray about, I was reminded of the day and the significance of it. I was able to look back and say, "Yes. God brought us through that really hard time so many years ago. He can do it again, can't He?" So any new trial that pops us does not need to put me in the pit of despair. I just need to reflect and that's the whole purpose behind anniversaries anyway - to reflect, thank God for His faithfulness and then remember all of that so that when new ones come we can rest, trust and not panic. We sat as a family and I shared the story with the kids. We all went around thanking God for what He has done and will do with our family. Not your typical anniversary for sure, but one I won't forget.
We had been living like nice, normal, decent people in a nice, normal, neighbourhood - or so we thought. We had moved in expecting our first baby and within 3 years were expecting our third. It was a more mature neighbourhood so there weren't any young families except us. The people living on either side of us had older children. We had developed a relationship with most of the people in the area and they were all friendly. The people living directly behind us had no children and though I tried to reach out to them, they were not interested in reaching back.
Soon the parties started. These people all knew each other, turns out. They'd lived on the street for years. These were not small parties. They were big parties. "Call the cops" kind of parties. We had young children sleeping. It was no fun for us. We were invited to the first one, but they got the idea this wasn't our kind of thing so stopped inviting us and instead starting telling us when the parties were happening so that we could make arrangements to leave town! Yikes.
When we bought the house we were a little overextended, but we had a plan. We were going to rent out the basement and the one half of the house. It was a good sized house and we didn't use those two spaces anyway. We easily found tenants and all seemed good. The problem was the neighbour behind us didn't like it. I guess he figured we were bringing down the neighbourhood. He started to make it clear he wasn't thrilled with us and looking back, I think he was trying to make us so miserable that we would want to move. Well, it worked.
He started turning his dogs loose. They would come into my backyard when I was out playing with the kids. I hated that. He would turn up his awful music whenever I was there as well. He hated the sound of kids playing and I hated his choice of music. I would look directly at him and he would completely ignore me. I would kindly say, "Is there anything we've done to make you upset?" He wouldn't answer me. I finally asked his partner if there was anything we'd done, but she feigned ignorance.
One day the music seemed just a little louder than normal. A little raunchier than normal. Again, fully ignoring me. RM was home, so I said to him, "We have to say something to him." He went and picked up our two year old and walked over. He went expecting to have a nice chat and clear the air, but he ended up getting blasted by the guy. So we weren't wrong! He did hate us! I think his main reasons were that we had gotten the tenants, so in his mind we were bringing down the whole neighbourhood. Perhaps it was all the swear words and the obvious rage and yelling to get off his property. Not really sure! But all we both knew was when he came back and told me how the whole thing had unfolded we stood there literally crying and probably at the same time said, "We're moving".
I was expecting a baby in 6 weeks. I was really hoping we could move somehow before the baby came, so we kicked it up a notch and started searching like crazy. We did find a place eventually that we bought on our actual anniversary. That particular anniversary also jumps out in my mind as I was in the hospital with my 5 week old newborn who had somehow contracted viral meningitis when he was born. So we spent a week in the hospital as he recovered. It was quite a tumultuous time. We didn't move before the baby was born, but within a few months we were out.
So many miracles happened during that time and so many lessons were learned. This is why it is also an anniversary of sorts. Before we knew we needed to sell, I had been getting a sense from God that I was supposed to relinquish my home and where we lived. It was one of the most beautiful areas I had ever lived. It was by the lake near downtown. I could walk everywhere. There were big beautiful trees and beautiful parks everywhere. I would often pray thanking God for where we lived and then I would always follow my prayer with this phrase, "Please don't make me move." That's probably where things started to go wrong. I was loving my stuff, my life, my house and I didn't want Him to take it away from me.
During that time I had come across Richard Foster's book on prayer. There was a chapter in it called the "Prayer of Relinquishment". He suggested a prayer to pray saying that sometimes God gives you back what you release to Him. Sometimes He doesn't, but either way it is a necessary prayer to pray. I prayed it very reluctantly, but I knew I had to. So I started going for walks with the kids and each time I looked around loving where I lived I would pray, "Thank you Lord for where I live, but if you have a better place for us, I'm willing to give it all up.....but please don't make me move!" So I was trying to pray the right prayer!
Shortly after that prayer was when things started to go south. First with our neighbours and then even with one of the tenants. It didn't matter what we did. Something always went wrong. She had major water leaks in her room and she was always unhappy. Our other tenant was a "rent angel", we called him. He never lived in our house one night. He simply paid to have our house as a mailing address. He traveled a lot and we think maybe we were a cover up for a secret side of his life! So strange! But he always paid on time!
So between the parties our neighbours held on a regular basis, the angry people living behind us, the upset tenant in the basement, not to mention we were feeling the financial pressure of owning a big home, we finally gave in and said, "Lord! We get it! We'll move!" We actually joke that God kicked us out of the neighbourhood. In a way it had to be that way. It had to be something that obvious or I would never have been able to see it. I would have tried to make it work for years I'm convinced. So that is one of the miracles - God answered so obviously.
Then, we asked our neighbour down the street who was into a new hobby of tearing down old houses and putting up new million dollar houses if he wanted our's. He said no. We were so disappointed, but then when we were in the hospital with my newborn he reapproached us and said yes! We were so thrilled! In just a matter of a few years we had, with no intelligence of our own, made a major profit on our home as our property had grown in its worth in a very short time - "ugliest home in the best neighourhood" would have been our award! The best part of him taking our property was that we didn't have to do a thing. Not one thing. He was going to tear it down, too, so that meant I had no cleaning to do, no renovating to do, nothing. With 3 children under 3, that was such a gift. It was God's deliverance.
The house we ended up buying was also amazing. God took us to a street called "Stillmeadow". From the pit of despair, He literally moved us to "Psalm 23 Street". This street was full of lovely people who loved us for 7 years. We are still in touch with these neighbours. One mom that I became friends with even got saved! I had 3 more babies there and we had a "peace on every side" experience there for sure. It was a new home so it didn't need constant renovations unless we chose to do so. It was the perfect size, the perfect layout, the perfect location. It was such a gift to us. We literally outgrew it as our children would spill onto the street, the neighbour's yard, the bedrooms....I was asked if I ran a daycare one time.
This is why it is an anniversary for us. That day when all seemed so despairing, we prayed. God answered our prayers in the most amazing way. He taught us the most amazing things during that difficult time in our life that we could have only learned through the most difficult ways.
Yesterday, on the day of the anniversary, I read in my devotional book about trials. This is what it said and this is what made me go back down memory lane all day:
"Do you find yourself at this very moment surrounded with needs, and nearly overwhelmed with difficulties, trials, and emergencies? Each of these is God's way of providing vessels for the Holy Spirit to fill. If you correctly understand their meaning, you will see them as opportunities for receiving new blessings and deliverance you can receive in no other way."
And that's exactly what happened. Did I love going through the trial? Not exactly, but I did wonder at the time how God was going to work it all out. Did I see it as an emergency at the time? Yes. I hate emergencies with my whole heart. But I am learning to stop seeing everything as an emergency. They always work out. I just have to stay calm. I tend to panic, but I am learning that helps no one. When I choose to trust Him instead then the miracles start to happen. We 100% received "new blessings and deliverance" that could have only come from having gone through this experience. That trial taught us so much, including a big lesson on real estate! Because of that experience with the man who bought our house, we went and did the same thing he did all those years ago. We learned to price houses with boldness. When we built our house, we built it with him in the back of our minds. We were always thinking, "What would he do?" As a result we sold super high when we did sell the house we built. We credit him for what we learned from him during that time.
So yes - 18 years ago, we got told to move. Since then we've moved more than once and we've had multiple trials along the way, a few emergencies here and there, but we've learned to see them as "God's way of providing vessels for the Holy Spirit to fill". And that's what I'm celebrating, that I've learned so much. I'm celebrating 18 (well more than that of course....He's been faithful my whole life, but 18 in this case!) years of watching God move in all the trials. If you go back in my journals, then today I'm probably celebrating another anniversary of God's faithfulness. Truly every day is an anniversary of sorts, isn't it?
Now we're on the farm. Are all the trials magically gone? Hardly. Every day seems to bring a new thing to trust the Lord for. But yesterday when we were considering all the many things to pray about, I was reminded of the day and the significance of it. I was able to look back and say, "Yes. God brought us through that really hard time so many years ago. He can do it again, can't He?" So any new trial that pops us does not need to put me in the pit of despair. I just need to reflect and that's the whole purpose behind anniversaries anyway - to reflect, thank God for His faithfulness and then remember all of that so that when new ones come we can rest, trust and not panic. We sat as a family and I shared the story with the kids. We all went around thanking God for what He has done and will do with our family. Not your typical anniversary for sure, but one I won't forget.
Tuesday, 21 May 2019
God Fills in the Gaps
This was the devotional I sent to the homeschooling moms this morning. It just shows how God knows all my concerns about my kids and how he sends people into my life at just the right time.....
God Fills in the Gaps -
Again, reflecting on another speaker from OCHEC, Linda Crosby, I was reminded of how we need to be more reliant in our homeschools on God. That might seem obvious. You might think to yourself, "But I am reliant on God already!" Then, why do we worry so much about how we're going to teach this subject, or deal with homeschooling highschool or all the other myriad of questions we haunt ourselves with? It's because deep down we do not rely on Him 100%. We are full of doubts and concerns.
This has been the case in my own life as well. Not being a super science-y type of person, but having an engineering husband, I just assumed that my husband would take over in that area of our homeschool. What I didn't account for was that he had to go to work! It's fairly challenging for him to sit down and teach a science course when he isn't around all day. Yay for science textbooks! What he will do is answer questions when he comes home, but that still didn't take away how I would handle it once the kids got older. This is where God started to fill in the gaps. Where I was weak, we noticed God started to make a way.
First we discovered Virtual Highschool. Not only did this online, accredited school help our children get any credits they needed if they were to pursue post-secondary, it also took the burden off of me to try to teach my children subjects that were out of my skill set. The bonus was that it came with 24/7 tutors that could answer any questions my children had, even basic ones like, "How do I start this question?" I was so grateful. Yes, it did cost some money, but they were still able to work at home and they discovered the power of independent learning and how to become self-motivated and self-pacing which will be a skill they will need all through life.
Another interesting way that God filled in the gaps for higher education came unexpectedly through my brother, a fairly recent believer who loves creation and science. One day he took some time at a family event to speak with one of my kids. He was amazed at how conversational this boy was at such a young age (thank you homeschooling!) and how much he understood about creation and the scientific side of creation. At some point in their conversation my brother challenged him with an assignment on how God and science do not contradict one another. I had no idea this conversation had gone on at the time, but soon after my brother started to email my son and myself and presented him with his first assignment. My son was so excited to get that email! I was so excited to get a copy of it! I watched in absolute amazement how my young son ate this up and studied about it and quickly wrote my brother back with his answers to his assignment. My brother then followed up with a "prize" (burgers for everyone!) which was a nice incentive as well. Two more assignments followed shortly after that, again, my son ate up. He was able to present them this past week at the NHEA Learning Fair which was another unique way for him to put all his short assignments together in one larger assignment, so God has also used NHEA in that way to also facilitate more learning! It's amazing how God just takes over where I am so worried.
I thought about this later during Linda's talk. If I had given those exact same assignments to my son, I don't think he would have embraced them nearly as much. My brother is young, hip and cool. Me, not so much (at least in my mind!). To get those assignments from the cool uncle made my son feel so special. I think God knew exactly what he was doing when he sent my brother into the picture. If I had asked my brother to give my son those assignments, he would have absolutely been willing, but it came from his own thoughts (or, I should say, God's prompting....) What ended up happening is that my son pursued knowledge and ended up discovering so many interesting facts about creation. He found out that all the world's theories about evolution and the big bang theory just don't hold water. I am so grateful for the way God stepped in and used someone outside the immediate family to fill in where I could not. I have seen this over and over in other children in my family, too. Where I am weak musically, we have found fantastic music teachers. Where I am unable to provide the work experience they need, another mom has stepped in and given them the exact work experience I could not. Where I have felt worried about a certain child, my own brother or sister has stepped in to guide and give advice that was listened to with a little more openness.
All this to say, this can be and probably has been your experience to some extent already. The homeschooling network of friends and family is meant to support one another and step in where you feel you are weak and at the same time use your strengths where others are weak. As a giant body of Christ, He fills in the gaps through others, through unique situations, through curriculum, even through cool uncles. Do not be overwhelmed with fear and worry about HOW God will fill in. Instead watch for how He most definitely WILL fill in any gaps you are concerned about. Linda kept trying to remind the homeschooling moms and dads that day that if God has called you to homeschool He will provide all that you need and when you need it. What a great reminder for all of us.
Monday, 13 May 2019
A Weekend to Remember
This weekend could not have been more packed. While everyone is recovering from lack of sleep, lots of driving and tons of celebrating, I'm just wondering what's next?! I wish EVERY weekend was like this last one! In my mind it was the IDEAL weekend!
It started really on Wednesday when two of my kids headed up to Peterborough for the beginning of wedding celebrations. That was super fun for them as they got to help set up for our friend's wedding. We've known this girl since she was 12 and now, at the young age of 21, she was getting married to a super guy she met at camp. My daughter was one of the bridesmaids and we were one of the few friends invited to the wedding. She kept it very small and mostly family so we felt very honoured.
We joined the party on Friday morning, leaving the younger four at home as, sadly, they didn't make the cut! But they were staying with close buddies and I think that made up for it!
I had anticipated crying at the wedding for sure, but had no idea how the waterworks were going to actually play out. I'll never forget the first time I cried at at wedding. It was my cousin's wedding. I knew her a little, not super well, but we had been invited as a family. When she walked down the aisle I found myself so emotional. Thus began the new pattern for me and weddings. When everyone stands up, I can't believe what that triggers in me. I think it's the significance of standing, as we honour the bride and her family, in this case, her mother, who walked her down the aisle. Her dad should have been the one, but he missed the opportunity of a lifetime due to bad choices he's made in his life. I cried because of that. I cried because her mom was still so close to her daughter that she was the privileged one. I cried as I saw so many other significant people crying. How can so many emotions come to someone all at once?! It's almost better to just take things at face value and not project so much significance on to the whole process. Why can't I just say, "Look! There's someone walking down the aisle in a church!" But I can't. No. Not me. I instead have to see all the meaning behind it all which has me leaving the church feeling like I cried for hours. And that was all in the first 2 minutes of the wedding. It was going to be a long ceremony. And it got worse....or better, I suppose, depending on how you look at it!
When the ceremony was over, there was much to celebrate. It was so beautiful. The reception was also full of tears as so many speeches were made. Can I just say - I LOVE SPEECHES! I know there are people out there who think they should be banned, but not me. I love hearing how people know one another. I love hearing how siblings love one another. When the groom got up to thank his brothers, he fell apart like I've never seen a groom fall apart. He was crying so hard, his wife had to read his speech. It was actually such a beautiful moment. Everyone was laughing so hard as he tried multiple times to get his emotions together, but he just couldn't. It was at that moment, I knew she had married an amazing guy, who loved his family so much. Speeches show the heart. My friend's speech to her daughter also had everyone in tears, but another amazing opportunity for her to vocalize her love for her daughter.
There are weddings that cost thousands of dollars and then there was this one. This bride did it all on her own (with the help of a few friends of course). She made it so pretty and so simple. All her decor was very low cost, but it made the little community hall in the backwoods so adorable. There was no alcohol, no dancing. Yet to me, it was the perfect event. It was all done by 8:30 and people could go home and be in bed by 9! We had 3 hours of driving ahead of us, but it was perfect! The bride and groom didn't have to be exhausted and could actually be on their way to their honeymoon right away! I think it will be hard to convince my kids to do this, but I'm going to highly recommend it!
Saturday was my mom's surprise 80th with 50 of her closest friends and family from many aspects of her life. She was taken aback for sure, but felt loved and appreciated by all. This was again one of my favourite types of events as I got to be with my children, except for my oldest writing a piano exam :( and I was able to introduce them to all sorts of people who wondered who they were. It was a wonderful time of visiting and chatting with all my parents' friends who are also long time friends of mine.
We did a couple of things that were very fun for my mom. She had given me a few outfits that she used to wear when she was younger. We had 3 of the granddaughters "model" them down the "catwalk" of the room and she then described each one and how she had been given it or where she wore it. A literal walk down memory lane for her. Then the highlight of that day was when all the grandchildren introduced themselves and then said one word that described my mom. This was the ideal way to have a short "program" without the hours of speeches we would have all wanted to give. My personal favourite was when my youngest boy who had been outside during all the words the other grandchildren had given, somehow had a sense to walk in at the very end. He then proceeded to the middle of the room and I said, "Ok, Brock, introduce yourself...." He stood and confidently concluded this part of the program in one sentence that summed it all up, "Hi. My name is Brock. I'm 7 and the youngest of the family and I JUST LOVE GRAMMY SO MUCH!" It was the perfect ending! Everyone ooohed and awwwwed. Each grandchild had said so many great words, "Inspiring", "Encouraging", "Super spunky", "Funny", "Gracious"......they went on and on.....there were more than one person in tears as they listened to her be described by these sweet small, medium and large kids!
The party continued on for several hours at my sister's place which was perfect as there were places to play outdoors, downstairs and all over the house, but so much went on just on the couch, all cuddled together with everyone's chairs in a circle around that with so much talking that it was almost deafening at times with all the cousins, aunts and uncles in multiple conversations. It was amazing to take it all in.
Throughout the whole wedding, Grammy celebration and then dinner later at my sister's........there was this theme, this sense of spiritual legacy, God's Hand, His kindness and blessing felt so deeply. At each event there was an older grandparent, or my brother-in-law/pastor, and then my dad, who gave a meaningful prayer at each event. A non-believer would have noticed this perhaps and wondered if it meant anything at all or if it was just a tradition, but to a believing watcher, it was asking the God of Heaven to come down and personally touch and intervene - for the married couple and their future life, for my mom and her remaining years, and then later for our families by my dad for all of us, that God would continue to protect and guide. It was so amazing to see that thread throughout each event.
Yes, these events were fun. Yes, they were emotionally charged, but more than all of that they were so significant spiritually. In each situation, God was present. The marriage was a picture of how God loves His Bride, the church, so much that He was willing to die for Her. Throughout the whole day God was given the glory for His role in their lives and how they want Him to be the center of their marriage. That probably sounded so strange to the non-Christians present there that day. In our family birthday celebration we weren't so much having a birthday party just for the sake of having a birthday party, but we were celebrating the life God has given my mom and how she has used to her life to give Him glory, how she represents a spiritual legacy to the future generations. And prayer, so much prayer, throughout the two days. God was called into each event so many times. His presence could be felt constantly. His blessing was poured down.
How am I supposed to start this week as a normal week?! So much living was packed into two days. By Sunday we were all in comas and I let the kids sleep in as long as they wanted. Mother's Day was not perhaps the same as usual, but it didn't matter. We had a great time reflecting with each child as they stumbled out of bed and then finally all together before some of them had to go to work. We prayed again as a family thanking God for His grace in our lives and how obvious it was that He was in this whole weekend. It was just an amazing experience.
The reality of doing laundry and cleaning is hard, but it was fully ignored for days. So as I go throughout all the regular stuff today I will be just thanking God for how He filled my gas tank up with all the wonderful conversations, the memories that were created, the prayers that were prayed and the relationships that were made....Life is so full and rich and filled with meaning. I am so grateful for the celebrations that give us these opportunities to stop and just appreciate one another. Besides the fact they are so fun for me (that is a big bonus), they are also so meaningful on so many levels. I don't know if that is possible to appreciate without a spiritual lens, so I'm grateful for that, too.
It started really on Wednesday when two of my kids headed up to Peterborough for the beginning of wedding celebrations. That was super fun for them as they got to help set up for our friend's wedding. We've known this girl since she was 12 and now, at the young age of 21, she was getting married to a super guy she met at camp. My daughter was one of the bridesmaids and we were one of the few friends invited to the wedding. She kept it very small and mostly family so we felt very honoured.
We joined the party on Friday morning, leaving the younger four at home as, sadly, they didn't make the cut! But they were staying with close buddies and I think that made up for it!
I had anticipated crying at the wedding for sure, but had no idea how the waterworks were going to actually play out. I'll never forget the first time I cried at at wedding. It was my cousin's wedding. I knew her a little, not super well, but we had been invited as a family. When she walked down the aisle I found myself so emotional. Thus began the new pattern for me and weddings. When everyone stands up, I can't believe what that triggers in me. I think it's the significance of standing, as we honour the bride and her family, in this case, her mother, who walked her down the aisle. Her dad should have been the one, but he missed the opportunity of a lifetime due to bad choices he's made in his life. I cried because of that. I cried because her mom was still so close to her daughter that she was the privileged one. I cried as I saw so many other significant people crying. How can so many emotions come to someone all at once?! It's almost better to just take things at face value and not project so much significance on to the whole process. Why can't I just say, "Look! There's someone walking down the aisle in a church!" But I can't. No. Not me. I instead have to see all the meaning behind it all which has me leaving the church feeling like I cried for hours. And that was all in the first 2 minutes of the wedding. It was going to be a long ceremony. And it got worse....or better, I suppose, depending on how you look at it!
When the ceremony was over, there was much to celebrate. It was so beautiful. The reception was also full of tears as so many speeches were made. Can I just say - I LOVE SPEECHES! I know there are people out there who think they should be banned, but not me. I love hearing how people know one another. I love hearing how siblings love one another. When the groom got up to thank his brothers, he fell apart like I've never seen a groom fall apart. He was crying so hard, his wife had to read his speech. It was actually such a beautiful moment. Everyone was laughing so hard as he tried multiple times to get his emotions together, but he just couldn't. It was at that moment, I knew she had married an amazing guy, who loved his family so much. Speeches show the heart. My friend's speech to her daughter also had everyone in tears, but another amazing opportunity for her to vocalize her love for her daughter.
There are weddings that cost thousands of dollars and then there was this one. This bride did it all on her own (with the help of a few friends of course). She made it so pretty and so simple. All her decor was very low cost, but it made the little community hall in the backwoods so adorable. There was no alcohol, no dancing. Yet to me, it was the perfect event. It was all done by 8:30 and people could go home and be in bed by 9! We had 3 hours of driving ahead of us, but it was perfect! The bride and groom didn't have to be exhausted and could actually be on their way to their honeymoon right away! I think it will be hard to convince my kids to do this, but I'm going to highly recommend it!
Saturday was my mom's surprise 80th with 50 of her closest friends and family from many aspects of her life. She was taken aback for sure, but felt loved and appreciated by all. This was again one of my favourite types of events as I got to be with my children, except for my oldest writing a piano exam :( and I was able to introduce them to all sorts of people who wondered who they were. It was a wonderful time of visiting and chatting with all my parents' friends who are also long time friends of mine.
We did a couple of things that were very fun for my mom. She had given me a few outfits that she used to wear when she was younger. We had 3 of the granddaughters "model" them down the "catwalk" of the room and she then described each one and how she had been given it or where she wore it. A literal walk down memory lane for her. Then the highlight of that day was when all the grandchildren introduced themselves and then said one word that described my mom. This was the ideal way to have a short "program" without the hours of speeches we would have all wanted to give. My personal favourite was when my youngest boy who had been outside during all the words the other grandchildren had given, somehow had a sense to walk in at the very end. He then proceeded to the middle of the room and I said, "Ok, Brock, introduce yourself...." He stood and confidently concluded this part of the program in one sentence that summed it all up, "Hi. My name is Brock. I'm 7 and the youngest of the family and I JUST LOVE GRAMMY SO MUCH!" It was the perfect ending! Everyone ooohed and awwwwed. Each grandchild had said so many great words, "Inspiring", "Encouraging", "Super spunky", "Funny", "Gracious"......they went on and on.....there were more than one person in tears as they listened to her be described by these sweet small, medium and large kids!
The party continued on for several hours at my sister's place which was perfect as there were places to play outdoors, downstairs and all over the house, but so much went on just on the couch, all cuddled together with everyone's chairs in a circle around that with so much talking that it was almost deafening at times with all the cousins, aunts and uncles in multiple conversations. It was amazing to take it all in.
Throughout the whole wedding, Grammy celebration and then dinner later at my sister's........there was this theme, this sense of spiritual legacy, God's Hand, His kindness and blessing felt so deeply. At each event there was an older grandparent, or my brother-in-law/pastor, and then my dad, who gave a meaningful prayer at each event. A non-believer would have noticed this perhaps and wondered if it meant anything at all or if it was just a tradition, but to a believing watcher, it was asking the God of Heaven to come down and personally touch and intervene - for the married couple and their future life, for my mom and her remaining years, and then later for our families by my dad for all of us, that God would continue to protect and guide. It was so amazing to see that thread throughout each event.
Yes, these events were fun. Yes, they were emotionally charged, but more than all of that they were so significant spiritually. In each situation, God was present. The marriage was a picture of how God loves His Bride, the church, so much that He was willing to die for Her. Throughout the whole day God was given the glory for His role in their lives and how they want Him to be the center of their marriage. That probably sounded so strange to the non-Christians present there that day. In our family birthday celebration we weren't so much having a birthday party just for the sake of having a birthday party, but we were celebrating the life God has given my mom and how she has used to her life to give Him glory, how she represents a spiritual legacy to the future generations. And prayer, so much prayer, throughout the two days. God was called into each event so many times. His presence could be felt constantly. His blessing was poured down.
How am I supposed to start this week as a normal week?! So much living was packed into two days. By Sunday we were all in comas and I let the kids sleep in as long as they wanted. Mother's Day was not perhaps the same as usual, but it didn't matter. We had a great time reflecting with each child as they stumbled out of bed and then finally all together before some of them had to go to work. We prayed again as a family thanking God for His grace in our lives and how obvious it was that He was in this whole weekend. It was just an amazing experience.
The reality of doing laundry and cleaning is hard, but it was fully ignored for days. So as I go throughout all the regular stuff today I will be just thanking God for how He filled my gas tank up with all the wonderful conversations, the memories that were created, the prayers that were prayed and the relationships that were made....Life is so full and rich and filled with meaning. I am so grateful for the celebrations that give us these opportunities to stop and just appreciate one another. Besides the fact they are so fun for me (that is a big bonus), they are also so meaningful on so many levels. I don't know if that is possible to appreciate without a spiritual lens, so I'm grateful for that, too.
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