Give Me The Summer....

Give me the summer....
Give me time to plunge deep into the river with my boys,
Give me hours to lay in the sunshine on a sandy beach.

Give me the summer....
Give me long hot car rides on days when the pavement glitters like glass,
Give me tall buildings overhead and museums.

Give me the summer....
Give me picnics and barbecues and reunions with old friends,
Give me family and solitudes.

Give me the summer.....
Give me devotional times out on the front step in the early morning,
Give me delicious grand babies and firefly evenings.

Give me the summer...
Give me long conversations and even longer books to read,
Give me tents and campfires.

Look for me in the fall. When the days grow shorter and the nights are colder,
When the school books come down off the shelf,
And the kitchen smells like stew,
I will blog again.

Summer Sounds

I woke up this morning to silence. The busy mating rituals and territorial calls of thousands of birds has stilled somewhat, and the quiet lazy mornings of summer are settling in. It has rained during the night and every thing is gray and moist. There are cars passing by on the highway but even they are muffled by the wet pavement. I love these mornings. I was out early and hoed the garden, trimmed the grapevines, and tended the flower beds. Now I sit at the computer with a cup of Cafe Lib (the coffee addiction was cured almost two years ago) and wait for the boys to wake up. The skies are ominously gray so it will be a good day for cleaning closets, washing floors and curling up with a good book.

I need to choose a good devotional book to read through too. Summer is less scheduled and I tend to let my devotional life slide a little. I read a few chapters here and there from my Bible, play some good Christian music in the morning and try to convince myself it is enough. After all, family time is important, right? But I need to seek God's face at every step of my life. I need to diligently guard my heart, nourish it, strengthen it. The boys and I are going to study Daniel over the summer. We will haul out the commentaries, listen to some sermons by John Piper (http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/by-scripture/daniel) and just plain read the book through several times. I like to take on a summer project like that. It helps keep us focused and stresses the importance of daily time in God's Word.

No pictures today. Just this.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 

 

A Love Letter To My Children

My beautiful family

Ahh, my family. You are lovely. Each one of you a special unique gift from God. You are my first thoughts when I wake each morning. Even before the sun comes up, I lay in bed and count you like pearls on a string, and hold each of you up to God. In the evening, it is the same. I fall asleep breathing your names, one by one.

And I see you. I watch your precious faces as you live out the lives God has given you. There is so much happening just now. You are buying new homes, raising children, marrying, reaching out to others, going to school, growing up. There is so much going on.

I knew when I had seven children, that life would be busy, exciting, full, for me and for all of you...because life is like that.

So you bought the houses, and there are repairs to be made. There are walls to paint and windows to fix, plumbing to update and rooves to shingle. There are missing eavestroughs and old doors, yards to cut and sheds to repair.

There are children to tend to. Noses to wipe, meals to make, lives to shape and mold and fret over...love to bestow at all times, when they stamp their feet and when they smile up at you with their glorious shiny eyes and strawberry red lips. There are tired pregnant days to go through and morning sickness.

There are jobs to train for and work at. There are clients to loose and gain. There are long hard hours in hot weather. There are new plans to make and new experiences to try. There are new neighbors to meet and old ones to leave.

There are new churches and comfortable old churches and new and old friends. There are lives to plan and decisions to make and choices...lots of choices.

There are bikes to ride and places to go and stretching and changing to do.

There is life with all its ups and downs and turns and corners, sorrows and joys.

And it is busy...so busy.

In the midst of it all, we have an anchor. A strong solid friend who loves us at all times. In Deuteronomy 31:6 God says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave or forsake you." Psalm 136:1 tells us, "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His steadfast love endures forever."

I know, because I have been there, that sometimes the busyness consumes you. Though you love God and long to serve Him, life gets in the way. You say a quick prayer in the morning as you run down the hall to start your day, either soothing a child, trying to get to an appointment on time, or trying to catch up where you left off the day before. You read the Word, but you don't really have time to let it sink in. You hurry to solve your own problems because you just can't wait on God.

I lost so many battles, struggled with so many tears, came up empty so often when I didn't rely on Him.

If I can give you a bit of my wisdom I've learned from my own life, I want to urge you (In the words of A.W. Tozer) to follow HARD after God. Long for Him, weave Him in and out of every corner of your lives. Let Him be the breath that sustains you, the first place you turn, the focal point of every minute of every hour of every day. Dance with Him when the days are glorious and you can't contain your joy. Cry with Him when sorrow overwhelms you. Share Him with everyone you meet, Let your lives speak His name before you even share the words. Let Him love you and comfort you and carry you.

I am so proud of all of you and who you are becoming. Your love for God is evident in all your lives.

As you pass through this journey of your own, know that I am praying for you daily. God has blessed me greatly with such special children and children-in-law, and grandchildren.

                                                                                   Love, Mom

2 Moves and a Wedding

Spring has flown by. The busyness of life has made it go that much quicker! Our children have been on the move. Two of them have changed locations. Our son and his wife and girls have relocated to the country, and our Ottawa child has moved with her husband back to our hometown. Both families are expecting a child. And last weekend, there was a wedding. One more child leaving the nest. Long grown and a big part of our daily routine, he has left a space that will seem empty for a while. But he has married a great gal.

I could post pictures. I could fill this blog with house pix and wedding snapshots and adorable photos of the grandchildren. However, each of our grown children have their own story they are writing, and although I watch and often actively participate, it is their story, not mine anymore. A new chapter, so to speak. I will keep my story more about the activities and daily living of those of us here at home.

Baltimore oriole in the woods beside our house (Photo by Patrick)

Apple blossoms (photo by Patrick)

Dandelion (photo by Patrick)

Stix, our nearly 3 year old tree frog

Our pumpkin plants

We have mysterious frogs around here that are missing yellow pigment, and look blue

Iris in my 'Wild' garden (photo by Patrick)

Buttercups (photo by Patrick)

Rob and Patrick swimming in the river (57 degrees)

My peony..first bloom in six years! (photo by Patrick)

That said, here are some pictures of spring out near our village that I have personally enjoyed.

Busking Midst The Busyness

Summer has hit here early. We are done school for the season and it seemed like a good idea to go do something fun! Our boys have never experienced the summer fun that occupied our older children for several years (and lined their pockets with some hard cold cash) so we took them to a near by Dandelion Festival and let them try their hand at busking. They took to it like a duck takes to water! The first place they played was a small bakery called, Grahame's Bakery. From there we wandered downtown and they set up at Butler's Victorian Pantry on Main St. in Kemptville. They did haul in some money, but the experience was the thing that pleased them most. I think they will be trying this again.

That leads me to the busyness. Our oldest son and family moved this weekend to a lovely house in the country. Thankfully all that was required of me was some munchies so that was easy. This weekend coming, our daughter and husband move down from Ottawa. Weekend after that our son is getting married, and then the following weekend we will hopefully have a new grandbaby. Lots to get this summer going.

When I think about how God is watching over our evergrowing family, I marvel at how He numbers even the hairs on our heads. I have a hard time keeping everything straight. Good thing He knows and is meeting our needs even before they are on our tongues. He is the God who sees around corners and orchestrates everything so wonderfully well.

"The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.
The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever."

Psalm 121:5-8

We are doin' a lot of 'going out and coming in' lately. I am so thankful that God knows all about it and that I can trust Him to guide us. 

Here comes June!

Mother's Day and Life

Spring, inside and out.

 I love fresh flowers in the house. Daffodils now, lilacs soon, daisies, buttercups, lilies, a path leading through the seasons. These were from a friend which makes them extra special.

The Muddy Nation River

 I thought this was a small creek running through a nearby field, my boys played in it, caught crayfish, chased turtles. Then someone told me it had a *grand* name....The Nation River! Wow. Can't always take things at face value. This river reminds me of a lot of people. First impressions may seem like there isn't much to be impressed by, but like rivers, they can surprise you!

My Spot in the Sun

 Morning devotions. I'm not always as faithful as I should be, but this is my favorite spot to read during the warm weather. A cup of Cafe Lib (I quit drinking coffee 16 months ago), my Bible, a good devotional book, and the morning sun! Great place to meet with God, undisturbed.

In my dream world, I always have time to hang the laundry instead of using the dryer.

I finally got outside with a load of laundry the other day. It doesn't happen as often as I'd like, but I'm trying. After I hung it, I noticed the reflection in a large mirror that my son was temporarily storing outside. Looked somewhat *Alice in Wonderlandish*. Yes, that would be in my dreams. the time to hang every load of laundry that I yank out of the oversized washer. (And the ambition).

Oh, what was that in the title? Mother's Day? I love it. In the past it was always Kentucky Fried Chicken at Mac Johnson Conservation Area. It looks a little different this year. Families are growing, lives are busy. Some of the kids are coming to do garden work tomorrow. Some are dropping in Sunday, but I feel the love from all of them. I am so blessed to be the mother of such great children, and children in law.

Life In The Every Day

I have seven children. The oldest was 18 when the youngest was born. Our house was a hub of activity and the sink was always full of dishes and the line full of clothes. It was busy. Some nights I sank into bed after feeding the baby and fell asleep in less than a minute. Some days my husband and I passed in the hall with one child or another in tow and shook our heads and smiled. Did I say it was busy?

Our youngest is 11 now and the kids are all pretty much self sufficient. They can do laundry and they load the dishwasher. They make their own beds and sometimes, their own meals, and there are only 4 of them at home, soon to become 3.

 June is approaching and our daughter from Ottawa and her husband are moving back to town. They are having a baby in the fall. The weekend after they move in, our second son is getting married. Not long after, our oldest son and his wife are having baby number three.

Busy...it has new meaning. I am no longer wiping bottoms, and spooning cereal into little mouths. My house stays reasonably clean. But my mind is busy. There are dates to remember, things I need to tell them, visits to be made, kindnesses and cautions to share....and I pray. The list of things I pray grows longer and longer. When they were little I prayed for health, for willing hearts that longed for God, and I huddled them all around me. Now they have lives of their own but they are still deeply entwined in mine and the prayers cover so much more. I can no longer keep them all at arms length but I can follow them with daily prayers and I can hold them up to God each time one of them comes to mind....and I do. It seems sometimes more busy than the physical labors...but just as I loved raising my small children, I love this time of my life. Mothering is a life long vocation and I am grateful God has called me to it. 

Psalm 127:3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.