Travel

Quote from Japheth Jr. " Mom, in Uncle Skyler's country they talk different"

Yeah, somehow the little bit of Southern drawl that I had has disappeared and I don't think of it till we go to VA again . . . then it hits me . . .

Now I'm really excited about this trip . . . Once I chose to deliberatly stop dreading the travelling with five children\babies, ages five and under in a little minivan.

When the reality of crabby, tired, dirty (from all the snacking and drinks), and restless children hits and we still have all day to go ( we are starting Friday evening after work and going all night and all day except for a hour or two of sleep, and all the bathroom breaks we need) then I will CRY ALOUD to God and He will uphold me.

I promise, I will be sane when we arrive!!! God will see to that! I've proved Him over and over . . .

Upheld with His Hand

I’ve started memorizing some again.  Right now I’m working on Titus.  Ya never know when this will come in handy!  Maybe someday in prison for my faith, I’ll look back to these days and “Praise the Lord!!!” for each nugget of “gold” I was able to store away. Or maybe I will become blind . . .

But hey, it’s not just for these maybes.

Several weeks ago, Japheth and I were heading to Duluth for a quilt\sewing machine show.  You know how it goes trying to get the children ready for a babysitter, eat breakfast and pack for the day etc.  Anyway that morning neither of us had our devotions.  (Ok, I know we should’ve done that before hopping out of bed, but here’s my lame excuse.  I got up earlier than I thought I needed to feed Jaden and from there on it wasn’t a minute to spare from the others waking up and needing me for this or that.  Actually, neither of us had time to sit down and eat either.)  We weren’t very far along on our journey, when I wished for my Bible.  Not having put one in the vehicle, I suggested that Japheth recite something for me and I for him.  It was a sweet way on that date to share devotional time together.

And then this morning . . .  Do you have a problem with your children getting up too early?  Anyway we decided to stay in bed for our devotions rather than have the boys hear us get up and us have to tell them to stay in bed till seven (Sometimes we set the alarm so that they know when they may get up.)  But our Bibles were still downstairs . . .  So once again we recited Scripture for each other.

One problem . . . if this gets to be a regular habit I will have to be on the go constantly memorizing . . . Well, maybe that would be good!

Anyway a phrase from Titus . . .
“They profess that they know God,
But in works deny Him . . .”

Yeah, God speaks to my heart about preparation for our trip . . .  all the fretting, and worrying about getting everything done that needs to be done, and dreading the ride in, and back!

“Fret not, He’s watching over you,
The Lord will see you through.
You’re sure to stand the test . . .

Commit
and Trust

Delight
and Rest . . . “


Psalm 37 says so much . . .

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord
And He delighteth in his way.
Though he fall he shall not be cast down;
For the Lord upholdeth him with His hand.”

Family Ties

This is my MN brother-in-law, Jonny and his wife Jen.

. . . and Alisha Rose who is about four months.

They live a mile or so from us.

We enjoy their friendship. God is good . . . Family is precious!

Praising God Yet Again!

Have you read Margaret Penner Toew poem, "God Answers"? Here's just a bit of it.

"Neath the soil inn utter darkness there's a subtle silent stirring . . .

In the stillness God is working out the answer to your pleadings, . . .

When the fullness of the time - His time- has come
you'll have your answer . . . "

I have found this to be soooo true!

In His time . . . . years later after praying on and on or not even praying consciously, in the fullness of time, my answer comes. Soooo many things have blossomed this way!

I remember talking with God over each child . . . asking for grace and physical strength because I just didn't think I had it in me to care for a child, then another, and then another and so on. Do you know how God did it? No, He didn't take the "mountain" away, but day by day He gave me what I needed, not before, but it was there as long as I leaned hard on Him!

And some days I would wonder and say, "You said, Lord, that Your grace is sufficient, but why don't I find it true?" It was those times I wasn't leaning on Him as hard as I ought! But when I faced another mountain of a day, climbing those steep, rocky paths and CLAIMED God's promises, it was then that I proved Him true! Oh, the riches we have in Christ!!! The unspeakableness of it all as it washes over my heart anew . . . God is soooo good. And I speak that phrase with all meaning!

And so, today, I give you a recent testimony of God's strength being enough for me.

Yesterday, I somehow thought would be a good day to do up my waiting tomatoes. I didn't really want them sitting in my freezer waiting for next week when I get back from a very special weekend (Ladies Retreat) andthen the next Friday we leave for VA for a week and a half. (For those interested we will be spending most of our time with Loren and Kendra, in Ferrum and plan to attend the church in Floyd on the 23rd.) I just wanted them done and out of the way. I made spagetti sauce again . . . It takes so long to cook down even with adding tomato paste! But it's done, all 18 quarts.

I also had some laundry pilling up to be done . . . you just can't let urine saturated clothes and blankets sit around too long.

The daily round of bottle feeding, pamper changing, owies to kiss, encouragement to shower, discipline to bestow, arguements to settle, questions to answer, etc. is always there no matter what goes on.

My husband was also having a birthday, his thirtyeth mind you As cell groups were planned that evening I wanted to share a birthday snack\party for him. So a cake was in order, and I tried a new reciepe of some taco cup thingies which he said were a winner.

On top of this all I did not eat anything since breakfast . . . Remember the Bible says not "if" you fast but "when" (and I say this only for you to understand how much God's strength upheld me this day!)

And the phone kept ringing . . . arrangements for traveling etc for this weekend and all kinds of other odds and ends.

God enabled me to not get frustrated, not to worry about getting everything done . . .

HE EMPOWERED ME!

And I can only say it was His strength, just as He's helped me through each day recuping from cancer, adjusting to being a newly wed, being pregnant, adjusting to becoming a Mom, having more babies, fitting into a new community, learning to train children, etc.

God is THE ONE!

He can truely satisfy ALL your hearts needs, and empower you for His work! (And homekeeping is His work!)

He is my ALL in ALL!!!

I SING HIS PRAISES!

And today I look back . . . God has given me my hearts desires! I prove that promise to be true also!!! Though I still dream and desire more . . . It is there, I know it, beneath the soil, sprouting and in His time it will come.

"In my weakness He is strong;

In my need He leads me on.

When I come to the end of all I am,

And when I place my trust in Him,

That's when His strength begins . . . "

-Part of Mike Harland and Cary Sshmidt's song, "In My Weakness"
Sung by the Soundforth singers on their cd "A Quiet Heart"
who by the way sing, "We Are Not Alone" which haunted us all at Krystal Yoder's funeral.
"Bear" otherwise known as Keith Yates thougth that adjective described it as well as it could. He had us play it over and over and over!!!
They also sing "Be Still My Soul" in the most becomeing melodious way!!! Our top two favorite songs right now!

"Ask, and it shall be given, seek and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you . . ."
Just don't expect it to happen overnight . . . though it could!! Our God is God of the impossilbe!!!

"Morning Glories!"

"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed.
Because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness . . . " Lam 3:23

Good Morning to all my friends out there . . .

God is so good to each of us . . . sometimes this feels so much like a one-sided thing and that's ok. But today, please, tell me how God has been there for you . . . I so long to know, to hear how my Awesome God did another great thing be it little or big in our minds. I LOVE to hear stories about God, that are in the here and now, that are in my life and yours . . . That glorify His name . . . That tell of His might . . .

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord.
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High!

To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning

And Your FAITHFULNESS every night!


. . . For You, O Lord, have made me glad through Your work;


I will triumph in the works of Your hands!" - Psalm 92:1-4

Do you need more prompting?

"Sing out the honor of His name;

Make His praise glorious . . ." Psalm 66:2




"Tell me the stories of Jesus, I love to hear . . . "

Tomato Fun

This is very helpful for us this year . . . I wish I would've made use of this organizing tip before.

Don't laugh but . . . this is on the back of our bathroom door!!!

I know, I didn't really want it there, but it's the best place for it considering the layout of our house . . . We HAVE to have them in the warmth! (We live up North) It cannot be on the garage door. And our "coat closet" is too full with jackets and shoes and boots . . . Maybe we should say 1 per person (just kidding) The children are always getting them wet or dirty and they need extra till I get the "worn" ones dry or cleaned.

Someday we plan to expand the house to have a bit more room for this kind of stuff. Until then we merrily make do.



Yesterday we did 15 pints of salsa.

Today we tackle spaghetti sauce, my kitchen crew and I!

Actually I was hoping Jaden would be happy in his jumper . . . but today he was not. He had to be in on the ruckus.

Here we are just starting. The three oldest are taking the tops off. "Spiders" they called them.

Wayne plays with everythng from tomatoes to kettles to little gagets . . .

The mess has begun . . .

The start of a good day!