Little gifts from God

On Smiley's birthday, something (rather Someone) told me to notice the hen making a bee line for my wisteria bush. I had just let the chickens out of their sleeping quarters. When I went to check on her (Ma), she was sitting there and would not move when I went to check on her. I walked away thinking she must be sick, I'll watch her. Then I walked around the other side of the bush and this is what I saw... 5 eggs! Yipee! I didn't know they were ready to lay yet. That got me thinking about how much time the other one spends under the lantana out front. I think I'll look under there. Wow! I found 6 eggs there.
That put us in harvest mode. Everyday we were out looking under the bushes for eggs. Little brown fruits of labor. It also got me and John in overtime to get a coop for the girls to lay in. John spent a whole Saturday, with much needed help from Rob, and made a coop for the girls. After many hours of work, from John, Rob, myself and the girls, we now have a coop to find our gifts in. Each day it's like getting a gift from God.

Sit at home mom...

Isn't that what "they" imagine? That we just sit around and enjoy the lazy days of being at home? What a farce!
I recently went to a "Titus2" homeschooling/organization seminar. It was great, I realized I needed to be more structured at my home. Because after all we have all this time and nothing to do. Only in all my time I had things not getting done! So off to schedule our lives I went... It has been great, only I have to stay up late to get my computer time in. I don't have any daytime hours to squeeze it in.
How is it that you moms who work do it? I don't have time for all the things I need to get done and I am "at work" 24/7 or at least 4/7 days. I don't get to drive home to the comfort of family like the hubby does. I am always at work.
Anyway back to scheduling. It has been a challenge, the girls are like trained rats in a lab. They must do things like we have been. So to retrain them is against the grain. The first few days are fun, lets see what this is about. Then they get to wanting to go back to the days of not getting anything done. Those days are the hardest. Especially when I just need a restful day and they take advantage of my weakness.
Now to top off the change of a schedule, my 6yo has decided that she missed the 2/3 yo testing stage and she wants to try it out. My little obedient, mild natured first born has found a mack truck to push through the envelope with.
Father I am at a loss here. Give me perseverance to make it through this stage Reign is in. Help me to hold fast to the standard you have set and given to me to provide. Soften her heart to be changed and retrained to a woman after you, after your desires for her. Help me to know the right things to say and the right things to do to bring all these children to walk the narrow path. I need your help Lord Jesus. Amen.

Fireproof!

Last night John and I had a date night... with friends. We went to see the movie Fireproof. Since we have not been to a "movie" since we took our oldest daughter to see the Heffalump Movie, it was very nice. Great presentation of the gospel and of the truth of marriages. Anyway, I enjoyed the movie. Of course, it was not a $multi-million movie, but it was the gospel on the big screen. And it was a topic most people can relate to. Most (not all but most) people are either married or want to be one day. The movie mimics others I have heard on marriage issues, Marriage without regrets, by Kay Arthur, and Created to be his help meet, by Debi Pearl, are a few I remember. The former book, God showed me a new way of relating to my husband (well, fiance at the time) and the later, God changed my marriage or more over He changed me, again.

Isn't it that everyone wants to be loved in a selfless way. They don't always know where to find it, but they want it none the less. They look for it in other people, self-inhibition, rebellion, and intimate encounters of the sinful and defiling kind.
They also want change, most of the time it is the female wanting to change the man. Girls are attracted to the "bad" guy, it's that mother nature in us, we think we can love him into loving us. Or in some cases we can intimately love him into loving us. If I'm the best, he will want me.
Funny thing is that we get those things and more when we come to Christ. I know I've been there. When I finally looked for THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, I found the gift of the love of my earthly life. I let go of that desire to be the best and realized I couldn't be, only Christ is. I let go of the idea of changing someone and became the one changed. I yearn for others to know this in their lives. To know the unending love of One who wants to buy you back from that thought process, from that destruction: to REDEEM you, that is change you can count on.
Father may you change each of us today. If we need a major change, create the heart that is responsive, if a minor change, have your way in us.