everyday joy

Our mom's group is going through the book, "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp, and though this is the second time I've read this book, I am being blown away by some of the content and how deeply it is speaking to me.

I am going to share a few quotes with you today.

"Grace, it means "favor," from the Latin gratia. It connotesa free readiness. A free and ready favor. That's grace. It is one thing to choose to take the grace offered at the cross. But to choose to live as one filling with His grace? Choosing to fill with all that He freely gives and fully live-- with glory and grace and God?" pg 18

"I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little." Philippians 4:11-12

"The greatest thing is to give thanks for everything. He who has learned this knows what it means to live...He has penetrated the whole mystery of life: giving thanks for everything." Albert Schweitzer pg. 33-34

regarding change- "Sometimes you don't know when you're taking the first step through a door until you are already through." Pg 45

"A nail is driven out by another nail; a habit is overcome by habit." pg 49

"Now, in the Bible a name... reveals the very essence of a thing, or rather its essence as God's gift... To name a thing is to manifest the meaning and value God gave it, to know it as coming from God and to know its place and function within the cosmos created by God. To name a thing, inother words is to bless God for it and in it." Alexander Schmemann pg 53

"If you think of this world as a place intended as a place intended simply for our happiness, you find it quite intolerable: think of it as a place of training and correction, and it's not so bad." C.S Lewis pg 55

"Joy is the realest reality, the fullest life, and joy is always given, never grasped. God gives gifts and I give thanks and I unwrap the gift given, joy."

"The brave who focus on all things good and all things beautiful and all things true, even in the small, who give thanks for it and discover joy even in the here and now, they are the change agents who bring fullest Light to all the world. When we lay the soil of our hard lives open to the rain of grace and let joy penetrate our cracked and dry places, let joy soak into our broken skin and deep crevices, life grows." pg 58

The above quotes are all from Ann VosKamps book, "One thousand gifts." These quotes are from only the first 3 chapters. It is a powerful book. If you like what you read here now, go get her book, or check out her blog

 http://www.aholyexperience.com/.

blessing upon blessing upon blessing

They are piled high. The blessings we do not deserve.
I am so greatful.

These days are full to the brim of things to be thankful for.

I sit down to spend time with God and the "thank yous" come pouring out.

I am blessed!

This past week was a busy harvest week, with birthday celebrations to finish it off.

I was surrounded by people who wanted to help me with the kids, people who shared many thoughts and prayers for a good harvest, people who wondered how it was going for me cooking, homeschooling, housekeeping and preparing for the birthday party. People cared, and I was thankful.

I was blessed by the presence of those who come into my home and life and do what needs to be done. My mom is one of those. My birthday is in the middle of harvest... and every year she comes here to serve me and my family in the middle of this crazy season and works her butt off to show us that she cares. We appreciate every load of laundry she folds, floors washed, meal prepared, kitchen cleaned and story read. One of her great gifts is in doing what needs to be done. This was such a refreshing gift to me, one I really needed.

 Because my husband and I have birthdays back to back, we are always overwhelmed by the kind words people send our way. I know it is somewhat obligatory that people tell you they love you and that you are wonderful on your birthday, but I will take that any day. It feeds my soul to hear those words.

Like a plant in need of water in a dry land, I was watered with care by those who love me. Not an overwhelming downpour, but the kind the soaks in and lasts a long time.

And as I reflected on this past year for my husband and I (because our birthdays are one day apart), I saw incredible growth for both of us. In this year we've had some battles, we've climbed some mountains, we've celebrated milestones and momentus occasions. We've grown and we've learned. We are older. I feel older than I did last year. This past year has aged me, in good ways too.

But at the end of it all, I can say that the Lord has heaped blessing upon blessing upon blessing on us. We do not deserve this life. We do not deserve His blessings and yet He is pouring them out so freely upon us. He delights in us. Sigh... isn't that a wonderful image. The creator of the universe smiling with joy as he touches us with His presence, His mercy, His grace, His love, His forgiveness, His joy, and the gifts He freely gives us in the form of those we love.

And so I look at the dishes on the counter knowing I fed those hungry mouths healthy food, and I preserved apple juice and tomato sauce for my family to enjoy this winter. I see the remnants of good learning done, creative play enjoyed, gifts given and projects still to be tended- and today rather than feel defeated by what lays ahead of me I am joyful. Because thankfulness results in joy. Joy comes from thankfulness.

Do they know?

Some thoughts from "Sacred Parenting" by Gary Thomas that have been impacting my thoughts lately...

"I want my children to think of me as their chief encourager, apart from the Holy Spirit. I desire that, regardless of how the world receives them, they will know that at least two people- their mother and father- will always delight in them. I pray that they believe without a single doubt that raising them has been one of the greatest blessings God could ever have given to us.

I wonder: If someone were to interview our kids and ask them," Do your parents find great joy in loving you?" what would they say? Would our kids have the sense of cherished affection that Paul's spiritual children felt, or would they feel more like a burden than a blessing? One of the greatest gifts a parent can give to his or her children is to ENJOY them, CHERISH them, to LAUGH with them, to give them the satisfaction that we feel so very thankful to walk this life with them. " 

Some comments my oldest has made recently has made me wonder, "Do they know that they ARE my joy, my love, my life, my priority?" When I saw the the above picture on pinterest today, it made me think that my kids may feel more like an inconvenience than like my joy. This is not my intention at all... and it is another thing I need to work on in this journey of parenting...

I am going to write each of my boys a card or love letter... 

"I am full of joy over you." Romans 16:19

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy." Philippians 1:3-4

"Indeed, you are our glory and joy."1 Thess 2:20 

"Your love has given me great joy" Philemon 7

Unexected joy!

Recently I have had a couple days that things just didn't go the way I planned.

One day I took the kids to the spray park thinking it would be just the thing we needed to burn off some energy and enjoy the nice weather.

That didn't happen, it was a bit windy and the big boys did not want to go in the water. After awhile the kids managed to have their own kind of fun, once I ignored the complaining and started reading my book they began to play... this is what I saw...

Levi was the only one who would actually go in the water!

And then today... it was beautiful so while the boys napped, I took out our turtle pool, and proceeded to fill it. Even boiled water to add to it. Then I noticed a huge leak. Plan #1 failed. As a back-up plan I decided to take the boys on a bike ride. Well, my middle son wanted to ride on his bike on the gravel roads for the first time. This didn't take long to be very challenging since there is lots of loose gravel right now. And the mosquitos came out in full force. Plan #2 failed. When we got home I tried everything to get them to play something together, but they didn't want to do anything I suggested. Plan #3 failed. I went upstairs to clean the kitchen and get supper ready. After a few minutes I hear shouts... and

Of course, I come outside to find this on my deck.

Totally unscripted, unplanned, unexpected joy. Through the window I hear giggles and laughter. Brothers being silly and having fun together. There is NO water in the pool, just the tiny bit that did not leak out. They made the best of this situation and had a load of fun.

These are the moments that I am thankful that we had them so close together and that they are indeed eachothers best friends.

Sometimes things don't go as we plan them... but in the midst of those moments, keep your eyes open for

Unexpected joy.

I could BE the joy!

This is absolutely amazing. Every mother needs to read this!
From pages 193 and 194 of "One thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp


" God calls me to DO thanks. To give the thanks away. That thanks-giving might literally become thanks-living. That our lives become the very blessings we have received.
I am blessed.
 I can bless.
 Imagine!
 I could let Him make ME the gift!

I could be the joy!

I scour pots and grin silly: I can wash feet here by washing dishes. My heart can enter into communcion anywhere and anywhere my hands can encact thanksgiving. The tap water runs hot over my hands and I rinse steel. The world gleams. Christ's ministry began with His miracle of turning water into wine at the marriage feast in Cana. And at the close of His earthly ministry, Christ turns from the wine of the Last Supper back to the water, the water for washing of feet....

Scratching a stubborn pot furiously with a wire scrubby,  I remember it again, what I once read of liturgy. That liturgy has its roots in the Greet word leitorgia, meaning 'public work' or 'public servant.' The meaning! This life of washing dishes, of domestic routine, it can be something wholly different. This life of rote work, it is itself public work, a public serving--- even this scrubbing of pans- and thus, if done unto God, the mundane work can become the living liturgy of the Last Supper.
 I could become the blessing, live the liturgy!
I rinse pots and sing it softly, "This is my song of thanks to You..."
In the moment of singing that one line, dedicating the work as thanks to Him, something- the miracle- happens, and every time. When service is unto people, the bones can grow weary, the frustration deep.

 Because, agrees Dorothy Sayers, "Whenever man in made the centre of things, he becomes the storm- centre of trouble. The moment you think of serving people, you begin to have a notion that other people owe you something for your pains... You will begin to bargain for reward, to angle for applause."


When the laundry is done for the dozen arms of children or the dozen legs, it's true, I think I'm due for some appreciation. So comes a storm of trouble and lightning strikes joy.

 But when Christ is at the center, when dishes, laundry, work, is my song of thanks to Him, joy rains. Passionately serving Christ alone makes us the loving servant of all. When the eyes of the heart focus on God, and the hands on always washing the feet of Jesus alone-- the bones, they sing joy, and the work becomes worship, a liturgy of thankfulness.

"The work we do is only our love for Jesus in action," writes Mother Teresa. "If we pray the work... if we do it to Jesus, if we do it for Jesus, if we do it with Jesus.... that's what makes us content."



The stuff memories are made of

Yesterday I saw my children living in pure joy. No holds barred kind of joy. Nothing could hold back the smiles, laughs, squeels, or could make their bodies hold still. This was the kind of day that memories are made from. This is the kind of thing that we don't do very often- why not? The load of laundry and dirty bathtub are more than worth it.

I wish I could approach life with that kind of wreckless abandon!

We have had a bit of rain lately... and so we let the kids go out and have some fun!

He kept having to empty his boots so eventually he just decided to go without

Wet, wet, wet!

Daddy's method of pre-cleaning

Due to the rain, our camping was moved indoors! Very excited children

.