Winding Down!

Well, we are winding down here in NC and will be returning home at the end of this week just in time for Sam's birthday. The Webbs were here with us this past weekend, and we had a delightful time with them. Go to Dana's blog to read all about it- she says it so well, why should I say it again!!

We have all learned some new things while here- the biggest I believe to be that Sam has taken up the guitar. He has the talent of his wonderfully musical Daddy because he picked up the guitar one day and was playing worship songs during Family Worship the next!!!! He also plays the drums. I am so excited for him.

Also, I am so proud and excited that I have learned to knit!!! I have always wanted to, but thought that it would be too difficult. I learned how to crochet from my Grandmother when I was a girl, but have never really tried to knit. I will have to post a picture later of my first effort.

Leaving you with some beautiful pictures of this place. We will head back to reality soon. I hope I can remember all of the cool stuff that God showed me when I get back to the dailies!!

Settling In

We have settled in now- we've been here for almost 2 weeks, and it really doesn't take long to get used to a place. Maybe having moved 17 times in 18 years of marriage helps! Our days this week have been good- filled with worship and some school work. We drove to Beech Mountain on Wednesday to sled. The Chamber of Commerce over there makes snow if they don't have any natural snow. The kids had a blast again and were on the slope for 4 hours!!


We made a quick stop at the original Mast General Store in Valle Crucis on our way home (we love the store in Greenville SC). They have all kinds of old fashioned candy there, and so we all picked a few pieces to hold us over to supper.


It has been really cold the last couple of days- it was 3 degrees when I got up this morning. The house is cold in the common areas, but the bedrooms are really warm, so I stayed there some of the afternoon (and yes I did take a rare nap!)

We are hoping that we can form some really great habits while here that will carry over when we get home- morning devotions and evening worship for one thing. I hope that the dailies don't get in the way of that when we come off of the mountain.

The first morning that we were here, I noticed several little birds in the bush outside our window, so I purchased some bird feed when we went to town. That night I sprinkled seed all around the deck outside the front window and placed a paper plate of seed on the railing. The next morning when we looked out- birds! Lots of them! Because it had snowed the night before, they made little tracks in the snow with their feet. They were beautiful, a wonderful picture of God’s creative spirit. We watched as they ate and as they even challenged each other if they felt threatened (we knew hat stance from watching our chickens!) As we had our worship time that morning, we sang hymn after hymn about God the Creator. Watching these creatures gave us an appreciation for Him and His creativity. It was a wonderful time of worship with Roger on the guitar, and each kid banging a pot like a drum. I provided the words through singing- boy was that a stretch with all of the noise! It was a joyful time- and I am so glad that we took the time to stop and adore him.


I have been reading several books on family worship while here. It is something that we have enjoyed over the years, but have not really made it a habit day in and day out until recently. We have always started our school days with devotions, but this is different. We read scripture, we memorize scripture, we pray and we sing. Boy do we sing!

I have been able to take some time to read up on family worship. It is not as difficult as it seems! Take a look at the side bar to see what I am reading- I encourage you to read these books and get started with family worship. It really is very simple and you can make it your own. Just start with- scripture reading, prayer and a song. It’s that simple- it doesn’t even have to take very long. We are thinking about adding catechism to our time so that our kids will have the doctrine that they will need to hang their beliefs on already in their heads as their hearts dictate action.So, jump in and get started! A new habit for a new year! And remember, if we don't praise him- the rocks will!!

Which way the wind

The wind is singing to me. We are on the tip top of a ridge with slopes downward on each side of the house. This morning the wind sounds sweet, a little bit like the ocean. It’s amazing how something so sweet and gentle one minute can change to angry and foreboding the next. The other night the wind was blowing up the ridge to the back side of the house in such a rage that we all thought the top of the house might go! The curtains that were closed in front of the windows were moving in and out and the house was creaking. It’s times like this that you really understand that you are not in control! And like the house that surrounded us with walls and protection from the wind, He surrounds us and protects us from all that rages against us from the world. He knew the wind would blow that night, and He knows the circumstances that we face even before we face them. I love the verse in Isaiah where Israel is described as chicks gathered beneath His wings. He is our stronghold and will never give way to the wind. We need only to cling to Him.

Psalm 9:9 The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

We arrive...

We arrived at our Sabbatical on Monday with only a few minor distractions. The battery in my car was dead when I went to start the car, so a trip to Joey Watkins Automotive was in order. Thankfully, the AAA guy came really quickly. Next, I had to take our dog Tory to the Dyess’ for R and R. Tory tore her ACL last week- don’t ask! Apparently, that happens a lot in dogs. Finally, after loading two cars with everything that we thought we would need for a month, we were off. The drive took 5 hours with an hour for lunch. My friend Dana and her kids went with us since Roger was leading worship in Texas until Wednesday night. When you are traveling with 5 kids ages 4-14, an hour lunch ensues. Everyone must go potty when you get to ChickFilA and everyone must go when you leave!!
We arrived in Blowing Rock North Carolina to two days of pouring rain and wind that we thought might take the roof off of the house that we are staying in. We are on TOP of a ridge! Good thing the brakes on my car are good shape! We have been so completely blessed with a very comfortable home with gorgeous views. We have already spent time just watching the cloud formations move around in the valley below us.
We were very excited on Wednesday night when the rain turned to snow! It was so beautiful- the kids loved it and had a great time throwing snow at each other. (Except for Ella (age 4) who stood in the front yard crying because she had snow in her eyes! We helped her out and all smiles again!)

Thursday afternoon the Webbs left for sunny and warm Georgia, and we took ourselves to Wal-Mart for sliding equipment. (In Maine we learned that it is sliding- not sledding, which makes a lot of sense because we very rarely use a sled!) The kids spent a great afternoon sliding down hill on various pieces of sliding apparatus.


Roger joined us at the end of the session, and then we headed back to the house to show him where we will be staying.Friday morning, I used the magic words to get the kids out of the bed- “anyone who wants to go sliding must get up now!” I have only seen Sam move that fast once before and that was with a promise of a ChickFilA breakfast! The sliding was even better after a night of icing, and they all spent the better part of the morning going down the hill.


We are so glad that Roger made it here safely, and he is decompressing now and getting relaxed after a busy couple of months. We are so looking forward to rest and relaxation, but mostly to the contemplation and study of God’s word without the usual distractions. Family worship and devotion times have been super, and we all feel better connected to our Lord after only 5 days.

Books. Books. And more Books!

Okay, we are probably a little over the top, but when we start packing for a month, our first thoughts are- which books to take? We need school books, devotional books, fiction/fun books, bibles, books to study up on different topics that interest us, journals, read alouds, cookbooks, and some that I am sure that I have left out. Our family enjoys reading! Bennett read when he was two years old (not by any doing or teaching by me-he just did it!), and he has never looked back. He recently read the entire new Eragon book in one day! (Me wonders what kind of retention he could possibly have?!) To put it mildly, we all Love to read. Take a look at our collections in our retreat house- oh and did I mention that when we went to the Library today, they were having a used book sale?? Yep, now we have more books!! We may need a moving truck to get back home!

Sabbatical

sabbatical (from the Latin sabbaticus, from the Greek sabbatikos, from Hebrew shabbathon, i.e., Sabbath) is a rest from work, a hiatus. Our family is blessed! My husband is the pastor of a wonderful, loving, and godly congregation who gifts us with a sabbatical every two years. We have been at the church now for three years, so it is about time that we took advantage of this perk!
Tomorrow we leave for our month of spiritual retreat and rest. A family in our church has offered us their mountain home in Blowing Rock NC for the month of January, so we will be in a beautiful place hoping for snow! We are so excited about having our batteries recharged and being able to seek God and His will for our upcoming year.
We will update you from the road- though we will have to drive for an internet connection. I pray that as your year begins, that you will be able to take some time to seek His face as well!
Grace and Peace!!

He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake. Psalm 23:2-3

It's foggy outside. So thick and dark that you can only see a few feet ahead. I remember the first time I watched the fog roll into our backyard off of the ocean in Maine- I thought something was on fire. It was thick, swirly and dark. My South Carolina upbringing had never seen anything like it. Today, it's more familiar, not just outside my house, but in my heart as well. Swirly, confusing, dark- it feels like I could lose my way. But for one thing- Jesus. He is the light that calls me forward. I don't have to be able to see any further ahead than the footstep that I am on. He leads me, and He knows where we are going. I must not lose sight of Him in the circumstances that swirl all around me. Just as Peter began to sink into the sea when he took his eyes off of Jesus, I would be lost and not know which way is forward. Praise be to Him who leads us well, who loves us well, who takes us by the hand and shows us only what we need to see when we need to see it. Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." So, His way is so much better than my own. His future so much better than anything I could ever dream up. He knows and even PLANS my future! How blessed are we to serve a sovereign King who loves us that much!

Happy New Year! 2009!!

WOW! It's already 2009! I don't usually make resolutions, but I do stop and take stock of the year past and think and pray about the year ahead. I pray that you find your joy and peace in Jesus this year- no matter the storm, no matter the circumstance, no matter the day!