Thankful Thursday- Late again!

I am going to have to start writing "Thankful Thursday" ahead of time, or we may as well call it "Thankful Friday"! :) Thursdays always seem a bit busy.

Linda, the youth girl that works for me, comes on Thursdays, and we enjoy having her here so much that I never have a moment to sit down and write. She is such a blessing to our family. It's not the work, although it is certainly nice to have help with the housework, but it is her company that just blesses us immensely! She has such a sweet heart and joyful spirit, that being around her makes it impossible to not smile. She has such patience with letting the boys help her, and they think that helping her clean the house is one of the most fun things they could ever do! Seeing her so joyful in her duties, shows them that work really is a good thing, and I am so thankful to have a helper with that kind of attitude!


I am also so thankful for brothers who are the best of friends. I love watching Jacob and Joshua play together, and have serious conversations together, and genuinely enjoy the company of one other. These two rarely ever quarrel, and they seem to understand each other in a way that only best friends can. I am so thankful that they have each other!


I am so thankful for little boys who want to work! Sure, it's more fun with Linda, but they are usually such willing helpers anyway.


I am thankful for my baby dear. He went through a short spell of being a bit of a handful, but he seems to have left that phase behind and returned to being the most delightful little one. I think he would be happy to sit and rock and sing with me all day long! I am so thankful for a little one who loves to give hugs and loves to be hugged. We love our baby dear!


I am also so incredibly thankful for the visit I had with my dearest friend this past weekend! I am so thankful to have a friend who I can share so much of my heart with. I am thankful for my husband for allowing me to go and visit her, and for being willing to take care of the boys so that I could go. I am so thankful for my friend's family, who were all so welcoming and such wonderful hosts and hostesses!

In Christ's Precious Love,

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Saying Goodbye to my Bird Friend

*Photo courtesy of www.allaboutbirds.org*

Yesterday was a really nice day, but the afternoon brought with it a piece of sadness. Jacob called me over to the window and said, "Mommy, I think Rocco ate your bird!" Sure enough, there were pieces of him scattered on the ground under the window.

Several weeks ago, my beautiful friend started visiting me. He would come to my window and sit and we would have the most delightful wordless conversations. I so much enjoyed his visits! He would come and talk to me, and then go and eat at the bird feeder. I am sad to lose my little friend. I know it's a natural thing, for a dog to eat a bird, but I shall miss his visits!

Jacob said to me, "I know there's other birds like him, but I guess not others that will come see you like he did". Yes, he was a special little bird, at least to me!

With Love,

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Kindness is Contagious!

Children can teach us so many lessons, if we are willing to learn from them!

This morning's lesson: Kindness is contagious!

I was watching the boys play the other day, and one brother took a toy from the other. The wronged brother stopped, hugged the offender and said, "I forgive you", which then caused the one who had stolen the toy to return it to his brother.

Today, after our noon meal, Jacob started wiping the chairs. Joseph saw him and said, "You are doing my job!" Jacob told him, "I saw that you were busy and thought I'd help." Joseph responded with, "That is so nice to me!"

Then, just a few minutes after this, I sat down to rock Jamie. I couldn't find his blanket so Joshua says, "He may use mine! I want to be nice like Jacob!"

Kindness begets kindness. When we see another person being kind, then it inspires us to do the same.

The little acts of kindness from the children seemed to cause an overall attitude of kindness throughout the house. What an excellent reminder that our own actions can affect the actions of those we come in contact with!

Those who know me well, know that I can tend to be a little shy. Sometimes, my shyness can actually make me appear unfriendly. I get nervous, I forget to smile at people. This past weekend I went on a trip to North Carolina to visit one of my most dear friends. I was so nervous about flying all by myself! When I get into situations such as that, I tend to be very serious, interact as little as possible with others, and just focused on what I need to do. But, I think I was so joyful about seeing my friend that I was just beaming with smiles. I ended up sitting next to a music minister on the first flight and he asked me if I had ever flown before. I told him I had, but this was my first trip by myself. He said, "Well, just keep smiling like that and you'll find that people will be more than happy to help such a friendly face!" He was right! Everywhere I went people were friendly and helpful! Kindness really is contagious!

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32

With Love in Christ,

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Count it all Joy- Part Two

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." James 1:2-3

The last post focused on the first half of this passage...counting it all joy when we face difficult times. I'd like to talk now about the second half.

Patience. Patience is a scary word for a lot of mothers, especially when we have children in the younger age set, and especially so if you have four of them in that age set who all happen to be boys!

Teasing aside though, patience is a struggle for most of us, and it is a virtue we all strive to achieve. I read somewhere that the word "patience" is in the New Testament 34 times (KJV).

Websters dictionary defines patience as the capacity, habit, or fact of being patient. I had never much considered patience as being a habit. One definition of habit is as follows: an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary. A habit is something that is acquired. How many times have I heard someone say that they just weren't born with patience! I'm sure there are naturally patient people, but I am certainly not one of them! Patience is something that can be acquired. We can develop a habit of patience.

I am someone who likes a plan. When I set out to do something I want a plan for how to get it done. So, how do we develop a habit of patience?

One synonym for habit is practice. I am sure we have all heard the saying, "Practice makes perfect!". We must practice being patience.

So how is a habit formed? It is said that it takes three weeks for a new behavior to become a habit. In order to start a new habit, we must know what it is that we want. We want to form a habit of patience. We must then commit ourselves to forming this new habit. We need to strive to be consistent in practicing patience. It might even be helpful to ask a friend for accountability in this. Be prayerful. Pray for patience, pray for opportunities for patience...but be prepared to be tried!

"Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience."

Why does the trying of your faith worketh patience? I was doing something on this. As I mentioned in the last post, I have been going through quite a bit of trials lately. I think patience is almost a necessity in persevering in faith. Faith often times requires patience, because we don't always see what we feel like we need to see right away. Sometimes we pray for something, and the answer is "wait". Sometimes we have to choose to believe something, long before we ever have something tangible to see.

Child training is one of those areas that requires a great deal of patience. We teach, train, discipline...and often these efforts seem fruitless. It takes time, it requires patience. We wait. We wait more. We continue waiting. Sometimes it feels like all we do is wait for our efforts to bear fruit.

When we face trials, this can become even more difficult. Patience is not easy, and it's even less easy when things are hard. I don't know about you, but when my heart hurts, I don't have any interest in being patient. I want it to all be better and I want it to be better now.

But just like how our bodies grow stronger through the hard work of exercise, our patience grows when it is tested through trials. Trials can be excellent for building character, if we allow them to be. It seems that trials tend to either cause us to strengthen our character, or they can defeat us.

"Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience."

In Christ's Love,

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Count it all Joy- Part One

This week has been hard...no, it's been really hard. It seems like every area of my life that could become a trial has become a trial. There's almost nothing that feels entirely comfortable. I think the only area of life where I feel completely secure, completely comfortable, is my relationship with my Father.

This isn't entirely unexpected. Whenever you set out to follow the narrow path, the adversary will throw every rock, thorny bush and pot hole in the way that he can think of. The more you dig in your heels, the more he challenges you.

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience."James 1:2-3

It hasn't much felt like "joy" lately. To be honest, joy seems to be the very thing missing. Maybe that is why I am finding it to be such a struggle.

I know I am on the right path, I know I am right where God has called me to be, and I KNOW that means there will be trials. So then why is it so hard to focus on the joy?

Count it all joy... How do we find joy in the midst of times where everything seems to be going wrong? I know I have said this before, but it really seems to me that it all has to do with our perspective and where our focus lies. We are by nature selfish creatures, and by our very selfish nature we focus on our own struggles. We think about how we feel, and what we want. Our feelings are hurt when others disagree with us, or don't approve of what we think, or don't applaud us when we do well. Our sinful nature tells us to look at what we don't have, to be sad for whatever we are missing. We see another's family, or marriage, or home or possessions or status and bemoan what we have. We spend so much time with our focus on outward things that we are missing the joy right under our noses.

The other morning I was in a rather unpleasant mood. The children were chattering and I am sad to say that I was intentionally not listening even though I know some of it was aimed at me. Finally I noticed Jacob tugging on my sleeve. "Mommy, mommy." I turned to listen to him. "Did you know that while I was upstairs I was thanking God for you and Daddy?" Ouch. It was like a dagger right to my heart. Here I am feeling sorry for myself because I am tired and grumpy and my son, whom I was a little irritated at, was thanking God for me.

I am most guilty at becoming battle weary and losing sight of the joy. It may actually be my biggest shortcoming. I can fight through the battle and persevere with an unfaltering zeal. But, I do it without the joy.

We have a saying we use in our home when teaching obedience: Right away, All the way, and in a Joyful way. Without all three, it is not obedience. Without the joy, would good does my perseverance bring?

Joy is the evidence of a heart that is right with God. When I don't have joy, I know it's because my heart is not in the right place. Sometimes we obey and stay on the narrow path with our heads, and our hearts are wandering off elsewhere. When our heart is right with God, it is nearly impossible to not have joy. You cannot rest at the feet of Jesus, without feeling joy and peace.

Count it all joy!

Sitting at the Feet of Jesus,

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Our Week in Review

This week has been busy and full of challenges. We have been doing a great deal of thinking and praying, trying to discern what was best for our family. You see, Jacob was right on the line for the age for starting school at the church school, and we have been trying to decide whether or not to start him in first grade this year. After a great deal of praying, we felt God was impressing on our hearts to homeschool him again this year. It was a very difficult decision because I know there was a part of him that wanted to go to the church school. But after talking with him about our decision, he is actually excited to continue homeschooling.

"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Deuteronomy 6:7

Anyway, here is a summary of the rest of our weekly happenings. :)

Mother dear made corn filled heating pads for each of us. They are nice and warm in our beds on cold Winter nights!

Baby dear, so soft and sweet. He's learning and growing, it's really so neat! Baby dear likes to sing us a song, "Dis da da day! Dis da da day!" (This is the day! This is the day! That the Lord hath made!) We love to hear his cheery little song, we know he will soon be big, it won't be long!

"Father, we thank Thee, for the bountiful food You provide for us!" We were blessed with 12 pounds of delicious mozzarella cheese! Today we made grilled cheese sandwiches and the combination of fresh cheese and homemade bread was beyond delicious! I think I will shred some of the cheese and store it in freezer bags to have on hand for homemade pizza.

I absolutely love rocking my baby (toddler) to sleep. I love the weight against me as he cuddles in, the way he smiles when I wrap a blanket around him, the way he looks up at me right before putting his thumb in his mouth and the contented little snore as he drifts off. I love rocking my baby.

Big brother works on his school work. A diligent scholar is a blessing to his parents! We have been finishing up our kindergarten school work in preparation for starting our first grade books. So exciting! Our next year's curriculum has been ordered. Joshua and Joseph are also looking forward to getting their preschool books.

In His Precious Name,

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Thankful Thursday- albeit late!

Yesterday was a busy day and there was no time to write a post, but I wanted to take a minute to remind myself of the many things I have to be thankful for. And so, it is Thankful Thursday on Friday!

I am thankful for new glass milk jars! A dear friend was able to get the farmer that she buys from to sell us ten brand new glass milk jars at cost! What a huge blessing!

I am thankful for my growing box of sewing patterns. It feels so nice to be able to make things for my family to wear.

Titus and Hannah dropped by for a visit and brought a bag of apples for the boys. I am so thankful for little boys who appreciate such simple sweet things as a delicious apple for a treat!

I am thankful for the farmer who plowed the entire road leading to our house, and our lane all the way up to where our vehicle was parked AND all around our mailbox. What kindness!

I am so thankful for my big boy, who still loves to cuddle with me. I know he won't always be little, so I want to remember to cherish these moments while I have them.

I am thankful for the infectious laugh of little Joe. You almost cannot hear him laugh without joining along!

Above all though, I am thankful for my heavenly Father, who loves me so much when I am so undeserving. Even when I fail Him, over and over again everyday, He continually pours out blessings and love on my life. I will never be able to comprehend the magnitude of His love for me. I think of how much I love my children, and am reminded that as much as I love them, it is merely a drop in the bucket compared to how much He loves me.

With Love and a Thankful Heart,

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Dealing with Discouragement

Discouragement is something that we all face at one time or another, and most likely we will face it more times than we'd like to admit. I've been facing quite a bit of discouragement lately, and it has really caused me to think about the ways we handle it when it comes along.

When discouragement knocks us down, we really have two choices. One, stay down, roll over and let discouragement win. Or two, stand up and fight back. We can choose to turn discouragement into motivation.

Lately I have been feeling like every time I turn around, there is another disappointment trying to knock me over. Have you ever seen those blow up things with the weights in the bottom? You know, those things were you hit it and it falls over and then bounces back up again? That's exactly what I have felt like. It has been just one thing after another. Some small things, some big things, but it has all been enough to leave me feeling worn down.

It would probably be easier just to let the discouragement win, but, as my husband so lovingly said the other day, "We're a resilient bunch!" So, instead, I am turning this discouragement into motivation. When others say that I am not good enough, I am taking that as a personal challenge to be my best. I may never be good enough for some people, but I know that my best is what my Father wants from me.

Motivation can be a beautiful thing. Disappointments can also be a wonderful gift...if we allow them to be. Without failures, without disappointments and discouragement, we can become complacent. Complacency is a dangerous thing. When we become too comfortable with our situation, we begin to start letting the little things slide. We stop being so diligent, because after all, we don't have to. Everything is peachy...

Then discouragement comes along and shakes us out of our complacency. Do we give up, or do we dig in and turn things around?

Yes, discouragement, disappointment and even failure can be a gift. Years ago I heard a saying, "If you are comfortable with where you are, then you probably aren't doing much for God". When we are growing in our faith, when we are doing God's Work, the adversary will not be happy with us. He will do everything in his power to derail us, to make us want to give up. He will throw every disappointment our way that he can think of. He will attack us where he feels we have weaknesses.

What are we to do then?

First, we need to check where our focus is pointed. Are we focused on things eternal, or are we too wrapped up in the world's desires? "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them." 1 John 2:15

Once our focus is on the right place, we need to trust God to carry our burdens. "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 1 Peter 5:7 Sometimes I think that we believe our discouragements are too little to matter to God. But He doesn't say "Casting all your BIG cares..." He says, "Casting all your cares..." I believe God cares about even the little discouragements in our lives, and He's waiting for us to trust Him with them.

Often times this is not a one time deal. Many times we have to cast our cares upon Him again, and again, and again. We may have to give him the same discouragement every five minutes. If you are the mother of young boys, you are familiar with that feeling! Sometimes it is minute by minute of casting the same cares upon Him!

Once we have given Him our discouragement, we need to let it go. That's not always easy. If you are someone who needs to feel "in control" like me, then it's really not easy. But Scripture says that we need not to worry. "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" Matthew 6:25

The thought of being able to give my discouragement to God is freeing. God cares enough about me to care about my hurt feelings and disappointment, and to me, that is a very encouraging thought! Use that encouragement to motivate yourself! If God cares enough to carry our burden, then we should care enough to pick ourselves up and do good!

Choose to turn discouragement into motivation.


In His Precious Name,

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Oh, Christians!

It has been on my heart to write about this issue for a little while now, but I don't particularly enjoy writing about contentious subjects. Thus comes procrastination. It has been nagging at me though, so it is probably time to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys!).

Several weeks ago one of our the ministers at our church preached a sermon on friendship. He made an excellent point, "Christians have more reasons to be friends with each other than any other group of people because we have the most important thing in common...a love for Christ." This should, above all else, bind us together. Are we not, in fact, brothers and sisters in Christ?

And yet, it also seems that no other group finds more reasons to disagree than us as Christians. Head covering sisters look down at non-head covering sisters. Mainstream Christians accusing conservative Christians of being legalistic. One group of Mennonites snubbing another because their dresses have patterns, or suitcoats have buttons vs. hook and eye closures. Baptist churches in bitter divide over issues such as hymnals. The list could go on and on.

I don't mean to imply that none of these issues have any weight. I certainly have my own set of beliefs over many issues, some of which are rather strong. But, I cannot understand why it is that these issues can cause such bitterness, and just plain meanness amongst Christians. Are we not called to love one another? To treat each other as neighbors, as family? Why then, oh Christians, have we become so mean?

Over the last few weeks, I have witnessed some shocking behavior amongst Christian friends. I have seen such judgmentalism and hurtful words spoken amongst people who should have every reason to love each other. It is truly heartbreaking.

I have had my heart broken over such things many times. When we had left the Mennonite church over a year and a half ago, I had friends who turned their back on me, and treated me as if I had leprosy, or said hateful things. I was so shocked by it all that I felt pushed even further away. I developed almost a distaste for things that I knew were godly, simply because I couldn't imagine that the God I so deeply loved would condone such meanness. It took me some time to get past my hurt feelings, and eventually I came back to God's path for me, but, this doesn't always happen. So many Christians have been turned away, simply because the rest of us cannot be kind.

I have come to the conclusion that the biggest stumbling block in a Christian's life is other Christians. We, as a group, are the most detrimental thing to one another. Why is it that we cannot see that our harsh words wound each other? Why can we not love each other in spite of differences? Why can we not overlook these differences to see the One that binds us together? Why do we care if one brother eats pork, or another wears flowered dresses? Yes, these might be convictions that really and truly matter, but it is not our place to treat each other unkindly when we do not agree. I feel that bears repeating... It is not our place to treat each other unkindly when we do not agree.

Christians, oh Christians, are we not called to love one another?

We are called as Christians, to have Jesus' likeness shine through us. When the world looks at us, they should see His love. Are we so focused on what we think is right or wrong that we forget to love those who are sometimes unlovable? Would you show Christ's love to the cashier at Wal-mart with the lip piercing and dyed hair, or are you too busy noticing that she doesn't meet our "standards"? Does she not deserve the love of our Father just as much as the innocent looking Amish girl or the clean cut missionary's son? How many of us treat someone like this cashier with the same Christ-like love as we do someone we view as "just like us"?

I think it is important to surround ourselves with likeminded believers, who help us to build up our faith, and strengthen our walk. But, we cannot surround ourselves only with people who believe just as we do. We have to have room in our circle of friends for those who we are called to witness to. We have to allow people to grow in their faith. How will they ever grow if we decide they are unworthy?

During the aforementioned sermon a few weeks ago, one of our ministers talked about the fact that as God works in our lives, and we grow in our faith, we develop more and more levels of conscience. We have to have Christian charity for those who have not developed the same level of conscience that we have. We have to make ourselves available as examples and true friends to each other as God works in each of our lives.

I know that my faith came to the place where it is now via baby steps. I did not wake up one day as a plain dressing, headcovering, homeschooling Mennonite helpmeet. I am pretty sure that if I had learned about all of this at one time, I would have surely given up and said "I can't!" I had to learn gradually, as my heart was ready for each step. What if someone had decided I was unworthy of God's love, because I believed in modest dress, but wasn't so sure about headcovering?

Christians, oh Christians, let us show love to each other. Let us show kindness, and true charity to one another. Let us love each other, as God loves us, despite our differences, despite our shortcomings. There is not one among us who is perfect, who has it all right. We are human, we will fail each other more times than we can count. God loves us even though we do not deserve it, and will never be able to do enough to merit it. Do we not have the responsibility to show this love to each other? Christians, oh Christians, I believe that we do.

In Christ's Love,

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