THE BEATITUDES

And [Jesus] opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:2-12

THESE LITTLE PIGGIES

...absolutely melt my heart!

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

Matthew 5:5

GRAPE HARVEST

We've been harvesting grapes...lots and lots of delicious grapes!

It's so rewarding to eat food from our garden...and motivating for us as we prepare the ground for the vineyard we intend.

There are so many wonderful biblical analogies about vineyards.

(Spreading wood chips!)

I think this endeavor will really bring God's Word to life for us all!

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken...that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

John 15:1-11

Thank you, Lord, for providing this grape harvest!

Please teach us to know more of you through the land.

"With the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard."

Proverbs 31:16

HIS & HERS

{Sometimes actions speak louder than words.}

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only."

James 1:22

"DOES THIS GLORIFY GOD?"

We really got into it the other night...just me and my kids.

We found ourselves immersed, in deep, for what would become nearly 2 hours.

And it was fruitful.

What began as a moment of disciplinary intervention became rich discussion about what God calls us to in His Word. We discussed the importance of "trying our BEST" to honor the Lord in all things, remembering that we won't be perfect, but we should be striving with our BEST efforts. And I asked them, "Raise your hand if you can honestly say that you are trying your BEST."

A myriad of questions unfolded as one at a time I addressed each child by name.

We talked about the gospel and how fortunate these children are to live in a religiously free country with Christian parents who are committed to sharing our hope in Christ on a daily basis (multiple times each day really). We discussed the accountability accompanying such things and landed on an important question to ponder daily, hourly, min by min as we traverse through life:

"Does this glorify God?"

In every single thing we think, say, do, eat, wear, watch, listen to... "Does this glorify God?" We should be asking.

Before we speak our minds, before we think that thought, before we watch that movie, sing that song, post that post, go to that place, hang out with that someone, eat or drink that food or drink, read that book, article, magazine, wear that outfit, spend money on that whatever, sign up for that thing, or...fill in the _______  ...we should be asking ourselves this most important question:

"Does THIS glorify God?

"Does this thing I'm about to do glorify God?"

"Is my MOTIVE in this thing I'm about to do to glorify God?"

"WHY am I doing what I'm doing?"

"WHO or WHAT am I glorifying with my actions?"

"If Jesus was standing here watching me, knowing my heart, the only audience I have...would I do THIS?"

(Note: He is.)

"Does that thing I just did glorify God?"...and if it didn't we should be quick to repent, that is TURN from the wrong and run as fast and hard as we can in the opposite direction. We should be brave enough and humble enough before a holy God who loves us...to do that.

He loves us. He forgives.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

1 John 1:9

When we choose to look at our every decision through the lens of this most important question,

we can see that if _______ glorifies God, then we should do it. If it doesn't, we shouldn't. It's as simple as that.

And so we embark upon another day in the life with this question on our minds...

"Does this glorify God?"

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do ALL to the glory of God."

1 Corinthians 10:31

MIDDAY REST

Rest...it must be important because even God chose rest after He created.

"And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done,

and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done."
Genesis 2:2

In our family, the little people still take naps. We've always valued nap time and as our family has grown both in size, but also in age span, we still continue this practice of rest most days. When the little ones go down, the older kids (and Mom and Dad) also rest, but in other ways. They might read a book or play an instrument or a board game together. I might retreat with my Bible or to pray. The kids might write a letter or a list, make a quiet tea party, or just think or pray somewhere breezy and solitary. When Brodie is home, he and I almost always come together for a time of conversation either in our rocking chairs out front or hand in hand strolling around the property. It's a time for us to intentionally reconnect and just...be. I love this quiet part of our days and wait for it expectantly.

"And [Jesus] said to them, 'Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.'"

Mark 6:31

It's a slow pace we keep, with Quantity Time here at home, a decided way to keep rhythm. And routine that includes ebb and flow allows for our days to foster security in relationships, an endeavor that midday rest encourages. How we cherish these days.

Jesus calls us to rest in Him both spiritually, but also physically and it seems that when we do,

we have so much more to give on both fronts...a good reason to savor and guard midday rest.

"I will give you rest."
Exodus 33:14

A DREAM FULFILLED

 

The text came through yesterday..."A neighbor has a pony to give you." Aida has always dreamed of having horses.

She especially wanted a pony to give the little ones rides. So, she made the call and we went to meet our neighbors.

 

 

The next thing we knew, they were walking home with their new pony!

 

 

And Aida's lifelong dream just came true...

 

 

Something tells me this is only the beginning...

 

"A dream fulfilled is a tree of life."

Proverbs 13:12



RETREAT = JESUS

We discussed it this weekend...moms need retreat. I need to retreat. Jesus needed retreat and He was God.

"But [Jesus] would withdraw to desolate places and pray."

Luke 5:16

I guess the thing that starts my thought process down a winding rabbit trail begins with defining retreat in this context.

retreat: (noun) a quiet or secluded place in which one can rest and relax

synonyms: refuge, haven, sanctuary, hideaway, hideout, hiding place, escape

All of the above sound like Jesus.

"You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."

Psalm 32:7

It's not as accessible for me these days, being removed from the city as we are, to venture off out of the home in hopes of an easy retreat. And this works out well, because my default methods to regroup from the hustle of a day can rest on other more sure things...namely Jesus. He is my retreat. Time with Him is satisfying. Leaning on Him is nourishing in ways other escapes could never be.

"For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish."
Jeremiah 31:25

Jesus sustains.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,

for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Matthew 11:29

The world tells weary moms that we need all sorts of things in order to find retreat, in order to recoup. And it's true that some ventures are worth our while. But at the end of the day, there is only One source of retreat that is fully reliable and able to fill without fail. When we choose to retreat with the Lord and His Word over other more temporal things, we'll never be disappointed because Jesus never fails and He is always available. He loves to meet us near when we find refuge in the shelter of His wings.

"He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness is a shield and buckler."

Psalm 91:4

So, on a busy afternoon when I've poured and poured and need to refill, I remind myself to retreat with Jesus. I do this with intentionality and pray that my children take note of what Mom is using to fill. I leave my Bible open at all times in my special spot at the dining table where it beckons I draw near easily and often. Sometimes I just sit with it there open and pray or ponder and ask the Lord to whisper to my heart. Other times I read a verse, chapter, or more and sometimes follow journeys through study notes to discover new things He wants to teach me. And I'm never disappointed. Jesus is all we really need and He is what we're all searching for.

"But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.

The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

John 4:14

Retreat.

"Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"
Psalm 34:8

Jesus did the same with His Father God and He tells us to imitate Him and it's a contagious sort of deal because the closer we get to Him, the more we desire of Him, and conversely, the less we look longingly toward the things of the world to satisfy. It's a win, win situation I can see and so I commit to my hiding place, my quiet, much needed, faithful retreat...Jesus.

"And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark,

he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed."

Mark 1:35

[more]

17 YEARS

17 years...11 children...countless adventures!

He gave me an avocado tree as a wedding gift 17 years ago, 4 years after we'd fallen in love. He wrote a poem with it expressing the formation from a seed and the fruit the tree would eventually bear. Nothing could be more true of the relationship he has grown with me and to think of him going to the efforts to pick out and plant our new trees just right is a precious sentiment to me.

Today we pray God's blessing upon our 2 new avocado trees (Mexican, because apparently they grow better up here).

As we water them daily and tend to our trees, planted just beside our children's fruit trees, but separate...in their own way...

we will prune and pray and invest. There is a harvest and I love the metaphors in our trees!

Brodie, I'm so blessed to share my life with you! I couldn't ask for a better partner, provider, protector, best friend.

Thank you for your Christlike, sacrificial love. I love you more with each passing year.

Happy Anniversary!

"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband."

Ephesians 5:22-33

I do.

THE LOFT

When we first moved into our new house with 4 bedrooms, we joked that we didn't know WHAT to do with that extra bedroom! We've always said that even if we had a huge house, our children would share bedrooms...because they want to.

Our new home is a modest size and our 7 girls share a bonus room style bedroom.

(work in progress)

Our 4 boys have bunks in their room.

(also still in progress)

Their daddy built their beds.

As we settled in, the 4th bedroom became a very used playroom/schoolroom (read: mess room)

and on most days was more of a thorn than a blessing. What to do?!

Hmmmmm....think, think, think.

And then it dawned on us/me...we could take out the wall and make an open space loft instead!

There are 2 staircases leading up both sides of the house and into the area which has sliding glass doors to the balcony.
We figured this would add a place to hang out as a family and a spacious, breezy feeling upstairs.

I give my husband serious credit in the "willing spirit" category. He is quite a guy, so on a day where there were other things on a (bucket) list, he and Brodie starting poking at the playroom/schoolroom wall instead.

Slow...steady...OK, fine go for it!

(Brodie loves deconstruction!)

SO. MUCH. FUN!

And so much more space...

...and light...

...and a calm family place to gather for devotions and movie nights and reading!

(before staining the plywood)

(after stain and poly, before staircase makeover)

Much better...and all of the STUFF is stowed away in the closet behind the couch.

The people are free to use it, but the messes have been minimized to the maximum since simplifying this way.

I love simple.

And we love our new loft space. Such a large difference and all at no cost. Totally worth it!

We still need to finish out the electrical changes and patch up the drywall...and eventually lay down flooring.
But, for now, we have open space upstairs which has become our new family hub. We love it!

Thanks for your servant heart, Brodie! You amaze me with what you can figure out and accomplish for us!

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Mark 10:45

STAIRCASE MAKEOVER

We bought our new home knowing there were a few projects on the short list that would better accommodate our large family + visitors, the staircase being one. We noticed right away that as people came over, we would tend to gather by the front door like sardines...which was further complicated by the shape of the staircase immediately as we walked in:

(FRONT DOOR ENTRY BEFORE)

It occurred to us that if we removed the turn at the bottom of the staircase we could not only buy ourselves almost a foot of space from the front door to the bottom step, but also eliminate the spindle wall upon entry. In the process, of course we minimized and simplified along the way, including taking out the carpet (ahhhhh....). I much prefer hard wood floors...especially with all that we track in here!

Anyway, here's to documenting a bit of our staircase makeover:

First, we took out all the carpet.

(I'll admit the look in my eyes is potentially too excited here.)

Then we slowly disassembled the bottom steps in order to reuse most of the materials.

Next, Brodie built the framework for the new steps using what we had...

...and then added simple railings.

Next, we added wood siding and stain.

Last, we removed the upstairs guard rail and created a new banister to match the stairs.

(After a few modifications (and the baby gate) it's now really sturdy!)

And there you have it, staircase makeover.

 

(SIDE BEFORE & AFTER)

   

(FRONT BEFORE & AFTER)

In time, we will add wood flooring, but for now we have stained the plywood. It works.

The view from my devotion spot here:

Simple.

"Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust.

Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul."

Psalm 143:8

CULTIVATING A HOME FULL OF THE REAL RICHES

He plays our life's soundtrack on black and white keys while she carefully chooses the right crayon for her next masterpiece on paper.

Their sister hangs clean linens on a laundry line in the sun while some of the others build a bedside table together as a team.

A couple are napping and others are digging for "fossils" out back while I finish a project of my own.

I stroke the brush to the rhythm of his tender tune and I soak in the sounds of our home.

They run and play and laugh so loud that neighbors acres away can hear. They say it's been a while since those sounds have wafted through their trees and it conjures up memories of their yesterdays, a sentiment worth contemplating, I decide.

I make note that today will someday equate to memories of our own, so I hold on tight to now.

And chickens and dogs and horses and music are part of their everyday fun as we purposefully employ slow living, as we choose to draw near to God and love HIM and His people, as we develop our taste for eternal things which squelches love for things of the world.

"Do not love the world or the things in the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
1 John 2:15

Oh, that our love for Christ would extinguish the flames of the flesh.
Oh, that our love for others would propel us to sacrifice self.

"By this we know love, that [Jesus] laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?
Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth."
1 John 3:16-18

And flower crowns, butterflies, dirt, and tree swings lengthen their days of innocence...I can see it in their eyes.

As I reflect, it appears that these are the days.

We ponder what we can do to make HOME a vibrant, magnetic place.

How can we draw them in? What can we cultivate here that fills them with desire to be near,
so that opportunities abound to pour into their hearts? We want to be the pourers.

I see my boys becoming men and my girls longing for motherhood at home and it's in these moments of reflection

that I thank the Lord for bringing us here to this new place, for providing a way for us to flourish and thrive.

It's this awareness that reminds me why He's brought us here...to cultivate a home

filled to full and overflowing with what my dad used to call the real riches (Luke 16:11).

It's a life of investing in eternal things and

creating an environment that nurtures those goals.

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

Colossians 3:2

It's a simple little life.

"That we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior."

1 Timothy 2:2-3

It's these creative juices, the resources available, the TIME to saturate and just...be...that equate to the fullness of home I love most.

It's the relationships that require our time

and we're passionate to spend it with them.

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."
Ephesians 5:15-16

Prayerfully it's these opportunities that continue to knit our children's hearts with ours coupled with their desire to be present here with us. After all, it's when they're WITH us that we get to be their biggest fans, their loving disciplinarians, their closest friends and confidants.

And then...we get to point them to Jesus in every single thing we do.

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

1 Corinthians 10:31

May God be glorified in our every pursuit, for that is our highest aim, as we're prayerfully and intentionally,

sacrificially and thoughtfully cultivating a home full of the real riches.

(Thank you for the family photos, Kari!)

"Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!

You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
    you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots around your table.
Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord."

Psalm 128:1-4