life & {gratitude list #818 - #851}

So, yesterday found sweet Abby Jane in the doctor's office,
getting her second broken bone casted ..... and one week before our big
vacation to San Diego. She was so sad.

She fell really hard off a bike Friday night. 

We were hopeful that it had just been a sprain, and waited out the weekend. 

Ironically, just this time about a year ago, she fell and fractured 

a bone in her left wrist. I felt the same in the Dr.'s office as I did last year.....

like we were crazy people for bringing her in. (NO swelling. NO bruising. And

more than half the time, Abby was moving it like NOTHING was wrong.)

And once again, I was completely shocked when the Doctor came in

and told us it was broken. 

This time, it was a bone in her RIGHT wrist. 

Not so sure how we'll be getting school work done as 

she writes with that hand.... and eats with that hand.... and does

about everything else with that hand. 

The Lord knows though. 

And I truly think Abby was comforted by that. 

I'm so proud of her spirit .... I just pray she will not 

move on to breaking other bones in the years to come!

Her track record is not so good. 

The doctor said she could continue dancing..... just no swimming. 

SUCH a bummer for her as that is what she was so excited about

being able to do on vacation. 

I reminded her that she was just going to have

lots and lots of time to help her Aunt with her new baby cousin!!

Would you pray for my sweet girl? 

.... that the Lord would use this trial in her life to grow her,

to make her more compassionate toward others in their pain,

to slow her down and enjoy just "being" and not "doing",

to TRUST in God's sovereign, GOOD plan for her life. 

So hard for a very active nine year old.

Despite the pain and disappointment, our list of thanks goes on:

doctors trained to treat broken bones
that the break was small

a sunny walk to remember God's promises
His mercies, new every morning

a coffee date with #4 and #5

#5's desire to include her brother on HER date

a CLEAN and trimmed puppy

the joy she brings our family

walks with the family

soaking up the glorious sun

all those dandelions! 

healthy bodies

the Northwest daffodil and tulip season 
God's creativity! 

sibling companionship

the sun .... and the rain ..... and the fog .... and the mist

refreshing time in the country

BEAUTIFUL snow-peaked mountains

watching my kids grow into young men and women

witnessing a covenant baptism

new friends in our home

planning for next year

my sweet, sweet man and

his unconditional love for me!!

snuggles in the morning

witnessing a marriage

listening to #4 read better and better

reading to the crew

web chatting with cousins

anticipating seeing their adorable faces again!

joy in the morning

prayer

our memory work:

"Who is wise and understanding among you? 
By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 
This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, 
but is earthly, unspiritual, dominic. 
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason,
full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 
And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace
by those who make peace."

James 3:13-18

kaua'i beauty & fall memory work

James 1:1-10

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect

and complete, lacking in nothing.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to
all without reproach, and it will be given him.

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one

who doubt is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything

from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation,
because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.

For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass;

its flower falls, and its beauty perishes.
So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits

Our curriculum has us memorizing the book of James this year. We are being VERY
ambitious and taking a go at it. I am continually amazed at how quickly my children can
memorize.... and how difficult it is for me. There truly is something about hiding
God's word in "little hearts". I figure the more I can get stored away in their
little minds, the better-off they are going to be later in life, especially
when tempted to sin or be discouraged. The Holy Spirit often brings verses
I learned, as a child, to my mind to encourage me.

I've been thinking on suffering a lot lately. We've been faced with the deaths of three friends
this past month. Though we were not incredibly close to these individuals,
we have friends and family who were. Our grieving has not so much been one of personal loss,
but one of empathy and the reality of this fallen, sinful world.

Compared to so many, I have not suffered very much thus far in life. God's Word says that
He uses suffering to sanctify us, to make us more like Jesus. My flesh and my heart cries
out against that. Sometimes it just seems so unfair that that is the reality. I want to grow.
I want to be like Jesus. But I don't want to suffer and I don't want to see dear,
godly men and women suffering. The interesting thing is, when I look at some of
these men and women, and hear their testimonies of what the Lord is bringing them through,
they have amazing hope, confidence, and grace from the the Lord.
It humbles me, and it gives me courage.
I know that if and when the Lord brings trials into my life, He is going to be with me.
Right now, I don't have the grace that I would need for those situations,
so there is no use trying to imagine how I would feel or what I would do.
I just know grace will come when I need it.

AND, as far as the little trials I am experiencing simply from being a homeschooling mom of five?
The Lord is using them to sanctify me. To make me more like Jesus.
As far as the spiritual desert that I sometimes feel like I am in?
The Lord is using it to sanctify me. To make me more like Jesus.
I know we cannot, and should not, belittle the "little trials" that we go through.
They are ALL a means, tools, in the hands of our dear Savior
to make us "steadfast.... perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

So Father, make us faithful. 
Give us daily grace to overcome our sin. 
May we bear fruit.
May we rely on You when things are difficult,
and not on our own strength. 
May we not be blind to what You are teaching us
through our little "daily trials." 
May we TRUST in you and Your good, sovereign hand,
that when bigger, "life-changing," trials come our way,
You will be with us, 
giving us the grace we need to endure
and to count it all joy.
Amen

To read the stories of some women who are going through "life-changing" trials,
.... and are glorifying God, and living triumphantly in their suffering and grief....
go here to read about Robin's journey after the loss of her husband,
and go here to read about Erin's journey with breast cancer.
...Two dear women who have become mentors for me as I watch and learn from afar! 

Spring Beauty and Spring Memory Work

Philippians 2:3-16

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,

but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 

Each of you should look not only to your own interests,

but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God

something to be grasped, but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself and became obedient to death -

even death on a cross! 

Therefore God exalted him to the highest

place and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, 
in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - 
not only in my presence,
but now much more in my absence -

continue to work out your salvation 

with fear and trembling, for it is God who works

in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become

blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked

and depraved generation, in which you shine like

stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life..."

I realize that spring is practically over and summer is upon us.

We are planning to school through June, as we started the school year late

and have taken off quite a bit for family time. Love the flexibility though!

I hear it is pretty cool and rainy in the Northwest through June,

so I think July and August will be prime summer months for us.

We hope to do some family hikes, camping, fishing, bike riding.

So much to do and explore our first summer here!! Hope we can fit it all in....

The curriculum we use, My Father's World,

has us closing the school year with

this Philippians passage for our memory work.

So practical for the children and their mama

as these last school days get long and tiresome.

:: O, that we might "shine like stars in the universe"

as we "hold out the word of life!" ::

Winter Memory Work

 The memory work that our curriculum has us working on this winter
is the very familiar 1 Corinthians passage.
::Love that is is conjunction with Valentine's Day::
~and that our kids are hiding God's word (their "sword" to fight their sin)
in their little hearts~

May this encourage you dear ones, and remind you that you are loved,
and that you are to love.
We are sending Valentine wishes your way.

1 Corinthians 13:1-8
And now I will show you the most excellent way.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love,

I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,

and if I have a faith that can move mountains,

but have not love, I am nothing. 

If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,

but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,

it keeps no record of wrongs.

 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

12 Wonderful Years

Elisabeth Noel, my firstborn, turned 12 today. 

Nannie and Poppie are here visiting,

and we had a special morning opening gifts,

and having a big french toast breakfast. 

Ellie was born in Georgia, and my folks were 

there at her birth. Nannie shared remembrances of that day. 

I was induced, and after a difficult time, had a c-section. 

Nannie shared how she was worried about me but so thankful to see Ellie-

all 9lbs, 2 oz. of her through the nursery window! 

Uncle John drove over from UGA that night to see her.

It was a difficult time, as the c-section was unexpected, 

and I was emotional and in pain. 

I didn't understand why I couldn't

see my baby immediately, but had to be in the recovery room! 

Ellie spent the first night in the nursery, and I remember the sweet time I had 

alone with her the next morning when I was feeling better. 

Elisabeth, her namesake and my best friend, 

drove over from S.C. to see her. 

It was all a wonder!

 We were able to celebrate Ellie's birthday this past Thursday 

with BOTH sets of Ellie's grand-parents,
at Num Num and Papa's house. . . 

In fact, we realized that Nannie and Poppie
have never been to one of Ellie's birthdays! 

So, this was a first on two accounts. . .

having all four grand-parents together to celebrate for the first time,
and having Nannie and Poppie with her.

It was very special. 

Num Num prepared a WONDERFUL dinner,

served on pewter dishes. . . that come out only for birthdays!
The table was beautiful,

and we had ice cream cake. 

Ellie and daddy's FAVORITE!! 

At the dinner table, we talked of what a godly heritage these children have! 

Poppie commented on how AMAZING it was that

all of Ellie's great-grandparents loved the Lord

and served Him in different ways.

And Ellie and her brothers and sisters

are reaping the benefits of those Covenant promises!! 

It was a VERY sweet time. 

Ellie is growing to be such a beautiful young lady! 

She has a very creative side to her. . . 

often reminding me of my younger days- drawing and painting,

playing the piano, and reading, reading, reading. 

(I will say, I think she exceeds any abilities I had!!)

It has been so fun to watch her read my very favorite childhood books

and be able to discuss them with her! 

She LOVES music, like her dad, and

adores "dates" with us - whether it be shopping with me,

or riding her bike with dad while he jogs. . .

I was anxious to take the picture below. . . all five with both sets of grandparents,

because I was thinking "this may never happen again!"

But after thinking about it rationally, 

I realized it WOULD most likely happen again. 

We are so very sad to be separated from those we love -across the country

(we are ESPECIALLY missing Uncle John, Aunt Heidi, and Cousin Chase)

BUT we are sure of God's perfect, good plan,

and are resting in that. 

Each season we have been through has been sweet,

and this is a very new and exciting one for us. 

 My prayer for Ellie is that she would continue to grow to be a godly woman,

who loves and honors the Lord. . . 

that He she would use her God-given talents for HIS glory,

and that she would have a servant's heart. 

I will be praying this (our winter memory work) for her:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers (and sisters!) in view of God's mercy,

to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-

this is our spiritual act of worship.

Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-

his good, pleasing and perfect will.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you:

Do not think of yourself more highly that you ought, 

but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, 

in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

Just as each of us has one body with many members,

and these members do not all have the same function,

so in Christ we who are many form one body,

and each member belongs to all the others.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.

Romans 12:1-6a