The Master's Handiwork Displayed

Russell saved a trapped Humming bird from the skylight on the porch

Mama was very happy to receive the first egg from her new flock of chickens yesterday!

strawberries and onions 

 raspberries

 lettuces 

 green beans

tour of our jungle garden =)

(please bare with me as I try to figure out my video issues) =D

Coming Soon!!!

What do you get when you cross an adorable, sweet black lab and a handsome, happy golden lab???? Why, adorable, sweet, happy puppies. That's what. =) 

ETA: September 4th!

ETD: 7-8 weeks after arrival 

 Henry the Handsome

 Mandy the Adorable

Limited time only. Offer valid while supplies lasts. See owner for details. 

Life's Too Short.....

to take for granted.

James 4:13-16 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead youought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil."

I was reminded this morning just how fragile our lives are and the fact that we are in no way in control of our days. A family from Texas lost their 19 year-old son and brother this morning after being in a water accident yesterday. Though I didn't actually know Jimmy, I have heard nothing but wonderful things about him and I hear repeatedly that he impacted a lot of lives for Christ and lived every day with an amazing passion and zeal for serving his Creator and Lord. I morn with my friend and Jimmy's sister, Rachel Brazell, and their family and friends in this difficult time. Please keep them in your prayers. 

Every moment of our lives is held in our Makers hands and He is the only one who knows when we will take our last breath. It is only arrogance, as James says, to think that we know what will happen in the days or months ahead, but all we can say is "if the Lord wills." We must not let ourselves get caught up in plans for tomorrow, but remember to live for today. 

I've been reading Elisabeth Elliot's book Keep A Quiet Heart and the other day as I read, this quote stuck out to me: 

"Today is mine. Tomorrow is none of my business. If I peer anxiously into the fog of the future, I will strain my spiritual eyes so that I will not see clearly what is required of me now." 

I had intended to post that anyway, but it fits really well with this. O that we might never take a single breath for granted, but always live with purpose and intentionality, ever impacting the world for Christ and "seek[ing] first the Kingdom of God."

You Can Only Withdraw if There's Been a Deposit

This weekend we were blessed to have some very dear friends come visit. In one of our many discussions my dear friend and I were talking about kids, respect, and obedience. She shared with me an analogy that she has heard recently that I found very helpful and encouraging. 

Humans, especially when they are babies and young children, were created to need love and affection. If a child had grown up in a loving home, their love tank is probably full. Children who have not had that upbringing, are more likely to have a very low or empty tank. With love comes respect, a kid that is surrounded by love respects his parents and wants to please them. When a parent asks something of a child they are making a withdraw, so to speak, from their tank. If the tank is dry, a withdraw will only lead to a messy frustration, but when you have made lots of deposits into the tank and it is full to overflowing, you can be confident that writing a check is safe. Of course you have to continue to refill the tank or even the fullest tank will soon be empty. 

For me this doesn't apply to my own children yet, because well...frankly I don't have any. =)  But it does however apply to my siblings. Having 7 and 9 year gaps between me and my younger siblings, I have authority in their lives, but I can't keep writing checks without making deposits into the account. If I want love, respect, and obedience in return, I have to make deposits first.

Making Memories

Thankful Thursday

beautiful sunrise

bowling and pizza with good friends

thunder storms that bring rain

anticipating dear friends coming for a long Skencer weekend

tea and talk with sweet sisters in Christ

beautiful summer flowers

two and a half months with my siblings home from college

Of Temptations, Milk, and Exercise

In family worship this morning, we read Hebrews 4 and 5 and there were some verses that stood out to me that I wanted to share. I'd love to hear your thoughts as well.

"For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:15-16

As long as I can remember, I've known that God knows everything and understands the difficulties we face, after all He has planned every aspect of our lives, but it is such a refreshing comfort to be reminded that even Christ was tempted "in all points" just as we are. He doesn't just understand because He knows everything, He understands because He can "sympathize with our weaknesses." Taking your burdens or troubles to Him is like talking to a friend who has had the same experiences.


The other verses were from the end of chapter 5.

"For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." Hebrews 5:13-14

Two things came to mind in these verses; first, it made me wonder how you discern the difference between milk and solid food as regards your understanding of the Word? Can a person who has been raised in a Christian home still be a babe in Christ? Perhaps there are new Christians who quickly are feeding on solid food. How do you know where you stand?

Secondly, being someone who thoroughly enjoys exercise, the words "those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil," caught my attention. How do you exercise your senses??? (and I don't think the author of Hebrews means your sight, smell, taste, touch, etc.). I think he is referring to you spiritual senses. Your discernment of right and wrong, good and evil. If we let our sensitivity to bad get worn down we won't be quick to turn away from it. I know how easy it is to brush aside the voice telling you you shouldn't watch a movie, or listen to a song, or purchase certain clothes. We like to push limits, we like to be on the edge, sometimes we just want to fit in, or be in the "know" when it comes to cultural media. It's so easy to come up with excuses that seem good and acceptable. So slowly we have inched away from the standards or rules we have set. We have let our senses become lazy and raw. We have caved. Just as we have to exercise to keep our physical bodies in shape, we have to exercise our minds and senses to keep in shape spiritually as well.

This would lead to another whole discussion, or maybe blog post, about standards about media.... =)

I'd love thoughts and comments! What do you think?

Taming the Tongue

It's amazing how one seemingly insignificant, overlooked, and under valued muscle can be so powerful! With our tongue we can taste buttery popcorn, salty nuts, savory dishes, scrumptious sweets, and sour fruit, but taste is not the only thing a tongue has the power to do. The tongue gives you the ability to speak, and boy is that dangerous! Words are innumerable. They can heal or hurt, they can sooth or sting, they can encourage or they can belittle, they can shift blame or accept wrong, they can edify or tear down. Words are POWERFUL. 

I don't know about you, but I know I don't give as much thoughts to the words that roll off my tongue as I should. Sometimes I wonder that I still have friends and family who love me, considering some of the things I've said. Being one who likes to talk a lot, this verse from Proverbs has made me stop and think if the words that I was about to say are wise. 

• "In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom." Prov 10:19-21

The Bible talks a lot about the tongue and the difference between the words of the righteous and the foolish. Here are some of my favorites. 

• "The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked." Prov 10:11

• "He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction." Prov 13:3

• "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness." Prov 15:1-2

• "He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him." Prov 18:13

• "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." Prov 25:11

• "Let another man praise you and not your own mouth; a stranger and not your own lips." Prov 27:2

• "If anyone among you things he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless."James 1:26

• "Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!" James 3:5
• "But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessings and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not be so." James 3:8-10

We are what we say "for out of the abundance of the heart the mouths speak" (Matt 12:34). What do your words say about you? 

Father's Day

One of the greatest blessings in my life is my father. He is faithful, honest, selfless, generous beyond measure, a hard worker, a leader, and most importantly he loves the Lord with all his heart and is teaching his children to do likewise. He is dependable and always around when we need him, never complains and is always willing to do the dirty work around the house. He's a family man and loves to spend time with his kids. My father's respect, love, and care for his wife have been a tremendous blessing to our family and he has set a high standard for what a real man ought to be. My parents, together, are the glue that holds us together in rough times, always there to encourage and support us. I would not be half what I am with out them both. So here's the be best father I could ever hope for. Love you so much Daddy. Happy Father's Day!!!

New Recipe

Potato bagels have long been a favorite of mine and I decided to try making some. I got my recipe from this blog. They take a long time to complete start to finish, but they turned out pretty tasty.

Suggested way to eat: hot out of the oven with thick slices of sharp cheddar cheese. =)

Life is About the Little Things Too

I haven't done a very good job blogging lately. I posted mostly thought provoking things so far, which I hope to continue, but part of the point of blogging is telling about the little things in life and the simple joys that God brings our ways. It's about making memories and finding joy in the the everydayness of life.

Some of the simple joys around here lately have been:
*reliable warm weather and sunshine, *playing volleyball and frisbee with friends, *spending time in the Lord's house with fellow believers, *having dinner with friends, *family bowling nights, *receiving encouraging emails and letters, *phone calls with dear friends, *looking forward to swimming again, *anticipating a summer of wonderful family trips and quality time.

What are the simple joys in your life?

Flashback Friday

Three little indians. 

Thankful Thursday

Ok, so the title maybe a little cliché in the blogging world, but I like it anyway and I'm going to use it. Regardless, I think it is important to express our gratitude to God and to other people. There is so much to be thankful for, but it is often so much easier to be negative; grumbling when things don't go the way we planned. It takes effort and intentionality to focus on the simple joys and blessings in life. When you stop to look, there really is a lot to be thankful for! Here is the beginning of what I hope will be a long list of blessings and things that make me smile. Join me in the challenge, whether in blogging, journaling, prayer, or just your thoughts, to spend a little less time grumping and more time praising God for the numerous gifts He gives us each day.

1. A beautiful, warm spring day
2. Sewing with my sister
3. Amazing homemade arrabiata sauce
4. Game night with my older siblings and parents
5. A brother with a great sense of humor
6. The beauty of life: grass, deciduous trees, and flowers
7. A multitude of friends who encourage and support me in my decisions and endeavors
8. The unfathomable grace of our Lord and Savior

Writer's Block? Says Who?

My mind draws a blank. I can’t write. A word or two, my fingers stop. What do I say? What can I write? Nothing worth anything comes to mind. Medieval Christianity. What’s there to say? It was full of missionaries, conversions, saints, and the beginning of the reformed movement. How can I stretch all that into500 words? Impossible. Every thing I learned, every book I read, deliberately rushes from my mind just when I need them the most. 

I stare out the window watching the landscapers toss shovel after shovel full of dirt as they dig a hole for a new tree. They’re all Hispanic. How many of them are here legally? Four men carry an aspen to its resting place. It’s leaves quivering and quaking in the wind. Despite the gushing air, the rays of sun and clear blue sky beg to be enjoyed with a blanket, pillow, and book in the grass. A wet tongue and the soft sweet eyes of my companion bring my mind back to my confines within the walls, the computer screen staring at me with it’s blank expressionless face. The empty page begs for words. The soft background music attempts to help me focus, but with summer so close and the end of school only a paper away, how can I focus on anything? My siblings come home in a week; six days for one, eight for the other, but who keeps track of those minor details???

Ah yes, summer, I still have to decided what to allow to fill my days? I want to stay busy and productive, but I want to relax and enjoy the beautiful warm days of my favorite season. Gardening? Yes. Reading? Yes. Babysitting? Ehhh... maybe, but how much? Teaching swim lessons? Maybe. I still need to talk to Caity about that. Being a mother’s helper? Again, maybe. So many uncertainties. So little set in concrete. My graduation party, only nine days away. I have yet to figure all those details out either. *sigh* My thoughts drift back to the one thing keeping me from the freedom of being truly done. Enough of this. I was trying to clear writer’s block. Obviously that’s not my problem. My blank page suffers only from a lack of motivation and the right words. The desire to be elsewhere is my current enemy, not a lack of things to say. Once I start it will come. It always does. 

Imitating Augustine

I decided to post the draft of the paper I'm working on in hopes of getting some comments and feedback. The goal is to convey what Augustine's mother's life was like. I decided to write it from a different perspective than a normal essay and look at her life from Augustine's life and try to imitate his writing style. I'd to hear what you think!  =D

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Oh Lord my God, I cannot express in words the sorrow that fills my heart. I know You have ordained all things in Your Sovereign will, and yet I grieve at the loss of my dear and faithful mother. She devoted her life to You. So clearly do I remember her last request, the final words spoken by those dear sweet lips as she bid farewell to my brother and I, “It does not matter where you bury my body. Do not let that worry you! All I ask of you is that, wherever you may be, you would remember me at the altar of the Lord” (Confessions book 9ch 11). So I come before You now, O God, and recount her goodness and Your mercy in my life. 

Even from an early age in her parents home she praised You and loved You with her whole heart. In her youth she sought to do Your will and felt remorse for her sins, something that I never understood until this last year. “It was You who taught her to obey her parents rather than they who taught her to obey You” (Confessions book 9 ch 9). As a child she was rebuked by a servant girl who caught her secretly sipping wine and called her a drunkard, my mother repented of her sin and promised never to drink again. My faithful mother never ceased to be a pious woman always seeking to do Your will. 

Though my father was a pagan Roman official and did not love You, my mother ever showed him Your love and patiently submitted to him. My father was known for his hot temper and frequent unfaithfulness to my mother. She forgave him daily and lived according to St. Peter’s wisdom to wives that they “be submissive to [their] own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe [their] chaste conduct accompanied by fear” (1Peter 3:1). In truth it is because of my mother’s beautiful demonstration of faith and love that my father turned his heart to You in his last days. 

From my youth I paid no heed to my mother’s constant teaching as she shared the gospel with me. She longed that my heart should be tied to Thee, O Lord, and yet I enjoyed the worldly pleasures of sin and had no desire to submit to You. I longed, yes I burned with passion for all that was evil and wicked in my mother’s eyes, because it was wicked in Your eyes also. Though I chased after sin as a dog chases a hare, yet my precious mother in her faithfulness and love never gave me up for lost. This “chaste, devout, and prudent woman, a widow such as is close to Your heart, never ceased to pray at all hours and to offer You the tears she shed for me” (Confessions book 3 ch 11).  Oh, that there were more such devoted and loyal wives and mothers in this world! Oh, that all children might know the comfort and love such a mother can bestow! Oh, that I had recognized the beauty of her faith from my infancy! 

I grew weary of her presence as she followed me on my journey to Rome and then on to Milan, and even deceived her to keep her from pursuing me. Yet Lord of all Wisdom and Knowledge, You knew this would be the making of me and I would, upon reading Your word, be forced to see Your truth and fall on my knees in grief for my sin. When I ran to her to share my joy, “she was jubilant with triumph and glorified You...for she saw that You had granted her far more than she used to ask in her tearful prayers and plaintive lamentations” (Confessions book 8 ch 12). You had drawn me to Yourself as well as given me the desire to be fully in Your service. “You turned her sadness into rejoicing” (Psalm 29:12) 

It as with great grief and sorrow that only a short year after my confession, You called my mother to be with Thee. She found “no further pleasure in this life” for it would seem in her later days she lived only to see me turn to You. Great is Your faithfulness to me, O God! Your grace is unfathomable, that You would give me such a mother, such a jewel to watch out for me all her days. I will never cease to praise You for her life and lift her up before Your throne. Praise and glory be to Thee, O great and merciful God, for the life of my mother Monica. Amen.