Treasures...

So, the people that we bought the farm from (when I say that, I always think I should reassure you that we are alive and kicking and that we didn't really "buy the farm" :)
Anywho- they left a bunch of stuff. I mean a bunch. It's like they took what they needed and walked out. I am reminded a little of Connemara, Carl Sandburg's home, that's a museum now. When Mrs. Sandburg left, she only took what she needed (she even left her purse on the chair) and it is all still in place! We are daily finding new treasures. Here's a few:

• a piano!!!!! I mean a beautiful Kawai piano. Nicer than any we have every had.
• a truck!! I kid you not! They did not want to move the truck. We did pay them $500 but a quick search of Kelley Blue Book shows that it's worth $3100!!!! YeeHaw!!
• a container of handmade quilts and quilt tops! (pictures to come)
• oodles of tools
• tables and chairs
• beach chairs
• some kind of grinder thing- hopefully for grain?
• books and more books
• pots and pans
• canning jars
• rugs
• a fooseball table
• hangers in every closet
• fencing
• 3 desks
• 2 desk chairs
• art work
• 2 refrigerators
• a HUGE wardrobe (perfect for pretending Narnia! minus the furs of course!)
• shelving
• a chipper
• a tiller
• loads of batteries
• a pantry full of organic groceries
• a fridge full of organic groceries (almond breeze "milk" anyone?)
• plants
• mirrors
• lamps
  
• LOTS of birdseed
• all kinds of other seed
  
• and Much more!

We are discovering new wonders every day. I will post pictures soon and keep you up to date on anything new we find!

It's a BIG week...

This past week, I turned 40, Roger and I had our 19th wedding anniversary AND we closed on the farm of our dreams! BIG doin's!!

First, I thought I would be old when I turned 40, but 40 feels great! I am really looking forward to this decade. I have 4 great kids and a wonderful Godly husband! Life is good and I praise God for his blessings in my life.

Second, 19 years! YeeHaw! Now that's something to celebrate! I am still as much in love with him today as on our wedding day, AND I know that I love him more. Time has given us a deep and abiding understanding of each other and who God made us to be. I am so thankful that we get to be that with each other! Praise Him again!

Lastly- we finally closed on our farm!! YAY! We are so excited about moving in next week. (The folks that we bought it from needed a couple of weeks to go to Virginia to buy another house, so we are in SC spending the week with Roger's folks)

Here are some pictures of the property:



I have my chicken order in the queue at Murray McMurray hatchery ( I think 25 will do)! Can't wait to host small group bible studies, church planting team meetings, families that don't know Jesus for dinner, friends that do for fellowship and worship. If you are in our neck of the woods, please plan on stopping by. We would love to see you!!

Out and about...

Oh How He Loves Us- David Crowder

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

That He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

This can only mean one thing...

That's right! You guessed it, we are moving again! What you might not know is that we have already moved once since coming to Illinois! That makes 4 moves in one year. The BEST news is that we have found a dream property and can't wait to buy it and live there! Now, for what to do during the 3-4 weeks that we will be homeless.... Always an adventure!!

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader!! WOO HOO! Can't Wait!!

Chronicles Of Narnia 3

Sacred Parenting

I have been reading Sacred Parenting- How Raising Children Shapes Our Souls by Gary Thomas the last couple of weeks. One chapter a day so that I can really savor it and understand what he is trying to say. (short lessons, as Charlotte Mason would say!)

I love the perspective that Thomas gives in this book. It's not about me or my selfish desires! When we first decided to have kids, it was all about us. We wanted, we decided, we timed it, and so on. The focus was on what we wanted and even what we believed we were entitled to- kids. Many years late (14 to be exact), God spoke into our hearts His desire for us to have more kids. He spoke into our hearts to say, "Let me be in control of every part of your life. Not just the parts that you want me to be in, but all!" What a different perspective. 16 months later, along came Isaiah! What a wonderful and merciful gift! And again, our perspective has changed. This child was born out of a desire to bow to our sovereign Lord, to glorify Him, to use our lives to make a difference for Him. And God gave him to us to shape our soul.

In Sacred Parenting, Thomas sums it up really well. yes, God gives us these children to bring to the throne of grace, but he also gives us these children to bring US to the throne of grace. Through them, we are being sharpened and honed, matured, and made ready for His service. It's undoubtedly the hardest job we will ever have. It's also a job that lasts our lifetime. It's a job that requires us to order our lives in such a way as to do the very best that we can- from God's point of view. And that requires a different perspective- that this life is not our own and that we must sometimes sacrifice and give sometimes until it hurts.

Thomas says, "Sacred parenting calls us to focus our brief lives on what will create the most impact for the future generations. We will soon be forgotten on earth, but we'll be remembered in heaven. Let us humbly accept this fact, and them embrace the sacred trust of children that God bestows upon us. We must reprioritize our lives according to our own relative insignificance, finally learning to think as God thinks... generationally. We are born, we die, and then we get out of the way. But those who hold parenting as a sacred journey, and treat it accordingly, will leave behind something wonderful and lasting."