A warm landing

 I search the sky for rain and know we're gonna be locked in for a few days. The heavens don't disappoint me. The rain comes. We find the shelter of our home to be a safe dwelling place. Books being read and little ones needing me all over the place, the feeling of being needed is such a sweetness. Knowing that right now, this very minute, I make their world a warm landing. I create in my home a place of peace and rest or a place that is filled with unknowns. I want them to understand that my home will always be a place of peace and comfort but never a home of rest. We should always be about Gods business and with that comes work. Teaching my children to love and nurture is a huge part of the journey that I believe is one of the most important journey that I can teach them.

Teaching them that no matter who walks through our doors they are welcomed and we will love. Keeping our doors locked and never letting people in will never teach our children, or ourselves for that matter, that all we own and all we have belongs to Christ.
Our new days, when the sun slowly warms the soil on this farm, the comfort of fresh food and hot rolls. The sweet love of brothers and sisters.
They all come from a gracious heavenly Father who pours out good gifts. We need to pour those gifts out to others so that they can say, " God intervened and sent me help". Sometime our homes will be God's good gifts to others, sometimes our food. Sometimes our money.....We have to get into the habit of giving of ourselves completely. Poured out like the rain. Taking chances and saying, "it's all Gods anyway". My time, my money, my home are all His anyway..So unlock your doors..and be ready to be blessed by God and blessed by the very people who come through those doors. You only think your blessing them when in reality they will bless you more.

The rain watering. The sky black. My house full..I'm tired most of the time. I always try and eat healthy and get in my exercise, but I have to admit when night fall hits I dream of my bed. I long to get everyone tucked in and then find myself asleep early. I can't wait for the next gift day. Tomorrow. What will I accomplish, what will I let God accomplish through me? Will I love big?  After years of practice I'm learning to truly not sweat the small stuff, as corny as that may sound. I've been through "big stuff" and the pleasure I have in raising my children gives me great reasons to rejoice and share what I have. The people that complain the most are the very people who haven't been through the big stuff yet. All the big stuff is used by God to work His righteousness into us and carry on when burdens bare down. When the day to day come back around you lay low because you realize you are low. You tend to keep your mouth shut more because you realize you don't have all the answers  You love the simple things, the simple days because you realize how fast things could change. The big stuff makes you long for a simple life.

Nothing I do today is more important then teaching my children to love and to love well. Sometimes, loving others requires hard things, getting rid of our own selfishness, and our rights to comfort and time, but before long God will move us to a new position and require more out of us then we ever dreamed we had in us.

What we've been doing with our hands

There once was a good boy...

"A good boy generally makes a good man." Said the mother of Washington, "George was always a good boy." Here we see one secret of his greatness. George Washington had a mother who made him into a good boy by Gods grace, and instilled into his heart those principles which raised him to be the benefactor of his country, and one of the brightest ornaments of the world. She, in a great measure, formed the character of the hero, and the statesman. It was by her own fireside that she taught her playful boy to govern himself; and thus was he prepared for the brilliant career of usefulness which he afterward pursued. We are indebted to God for the gift of Washington; but we are no less indebted to God for his inestimable mother. Had she been weak, and indulgent, and unfaithful parent, the unchecked energies of Washington might have elevated him to the throne of a tyrant;or youthful disobedience might have prepared the way for a life of crime and a dishonored grave.

There are, it is true, innumerable causes incessantly operating in the formation of character. A mother's influence is by no means the influence which is exerted. Still it may be the most powerful; for, with God's ordinary blessing, it may form in the youthful mind the habits, and implant the principles, to which other influences are to give permanency and vigor.----The Mother at Home by John Abbott

It's time we look at our children and do more than wish they would act a certain way. We, as mothers, have to stand on the hill and look at the battle before us and fight for our children. Fight for loving, kind children who love the Lord and love us and yes, even love their brothers and sisters. We have to do something about the mess that seems to be forever before us. We have to clean out our homes of disobedience and disrespect while there is still time. We are in a battle and this world wants our children and we have to fight. We can't grow weary in doing good. We can't grow weary of teaching and praying and begging God for guidance.
We stand guard over our homes and over the souls that will carry Christ to the next generation.This takes a lot of time and work. We will get dirty and some of us will want to give up. We can't, we must press on.

Yes, some of our children will choose a different path and walk away from all of our teaching and walk away from God. This is when a faithful mother stands before the throne room of God and He says, "Be still and know that I am God."  The consciousness, however, of having done one's duty, divests this affliction of much of it's bitterness. (John Abbott)

Our jobs as mothers will do much concerning the next generation. We have to be busy about our most important task. Don't get caught up doing things that do not benefit your husband or children. Stay true to your calling. It's a big one.