Redemption

"Redemption does not come so easily,

for no one can ever pay enough

to live forever

and never see the grave."

I remind myself that I'm truly not enough, and I will never be enough.  

Redemption from my sin was something I could never accomplish on my own.  

Thank You, Lord, for redemption - the redemption You gave, 

the redemption You paid for.

Thank You for the peace that comes from knowing that redemption is mine.

Dominique

~ A spring and a water crossing on a hike near our cabin.

~ The quote is Psalm 49:8-9, New Living Translation, and it bowled me over when I read it on Saturday morning.

The Framework of It

"In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus."  

(I've talked here and here and here about my other favorite morning quote.)  

Around here, mornings are only sometimes gorgeous sunrises and cuddly Blossoms.  Other times, they look more like rounding up ducks that mysteriously got out, discovering dog puke in the carpet and corralling hungry children kind of mornings.

No matter the day, my standard morning has this framework:

~ Make my bed.  It just makes me feel better and makes my room look cleaner.

~ Dress for the whole day.  I don't usually feel like getting dressed or putting on makeup, but that's the time I have to do it, so I do.

~ Drink delicious black tea.  I love lots of varieties, so whether it's Chai, English breakfast or Earl Grey, I have a hot cozy cuppa something in my mornings.  Sadly, Blossom4 likes to steal some of it once it has cooled off, so the phrase "good to the last drop," doesn't really apply to me.

~ Spend time with God - to read His Words, to pray, to listen, to think, to mull, to be still.

~ Journal.  I jot down thoughts, reflections, concerns, verses, events, feelings, desires, disappointments, sins, hopes, dreams, revelations, whatever comes to mind.  And, if I can think of nothing to write, I write at least one sentence that begins with, "Today I'm thankful for..." 

Dominique

PS - The ironic thing about this pic is that it's actually a sunset.  Never let the beautiful internet fool you.

If We Had Tea

If you stopped by and had tea with me today, I'd welcome you in.  I'd take your coat and draw you into the kitchen, amidst the deep-throated barks of Jake and Rory and the squeals and giggles of the Blossoms.  Most folks elect to settle around our kitchen island when we have tea together. 

Once our hands are hugging mugs of our favorite cuppa, the conversation meanders.  We chit-chat about your Thanksgiving and what your kids thought of the recent snow; we might even talk about yesterday. 

Yesterday was an exhausting day.  A million details and logistics were being juggled by the Chief Domestic Engineer of this place (me), since the last two weeks were very busy with no really break in the action. 

And the Blossoms have a million questions about every thing that's upcoming.  Because there were so many balls in the air and so many details to discuss and so many Blossoms asking me questions thirty times a day, I'm really make an effort to keep them in the loop at breakfast.  You could call it a morning meeting, I suppose.  It's a really simple step that helped this mama not be overwhelmed by questions, details and all the things I must handle and figure out.

Why is this important to me?  The girls can't contribute and help, unless they know details.  They are people, valuable people.  I never want them to feel that I'm too tired for them. 

I'm super thankful for mercy.  I had a couple stops to make yesterday and when I stopped at my favorite bargain Amish store, I used my last check.  This is only a big deal because there were butchered chickens to be picked up next at the Amish butcher. 

I was mortified when I realized that they did not accept cards and I truly had no way to pay to pick up my meat.  Since I've done business with the butcher on numerous occasions, he let me take my chickens and send the check in the mail.  For a busy mama, this small bit of mercy meant an awful lot.  When I receive these moments of mercy, they are concreted in my mind.  I am immensely grateful and, hopefully, graciously ready to extend them to others. 

Friend, in every day, busy or calm, we can drown in the details and the mistakes, or we can see the mercy and share it.  

Keeping

I want to be very present and very intentional as a parent.  I'm finding this to practically be many moment by moment decisions in a day.  My days, just like so many others', are full to the brim.

Being a stay at home mom is really about being mentally at home too.  

Keeping my brain on what's going on in our home, 

keeping my thoughts in tune to what's going on here, 

keeping my eyes really open to what the girls are doing and what I want them to be doing,

keeping my work, efforts and energy focused on the home and family first...

These are the little steps of being a mother and keeper of the home and doing it with excellence by grace.

Dominique

A Christmas Read-Aloud

Last year, in an attempt to find something festive for our lunchtime read-aloud, I stumbled upon Nancy and Plum, by Betty MacDonald.  We thoroughly enjoyed this story, to the point that Blossom3 keeps asking me to find the sequel online.  (There is no sequel, although Betty MacDonald wrote lots of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books.)

This year, with the first snow forcing piano lessons, Ladies Bible Study and the girls' Bible Quiz practice to be cancelled, we hunkered down for the kind of snow day that becomes a little epic in family lore.  Excitement was high at lunch time and as much as I'd intended to start another "regular" read-aloud, I couldn't resist the festive air about us.  I snuck away from the kitchen and googled "Christmas Read-Alouds."

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson caught my eye.  Thanks to Kindle, my book was in my hands in a matter of seconds and I sank into my chair with a favorite lumberjack plaid blanket tucked in around me.

We giggled over the first few chapters.  Then, after supper, when cleanup was lagging a bit, I cozied into my blanket and delved again into The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.  This time, Daddy was joining us.

This book was one of those rare read-alouds that appeals to the whole family and has an excellent message too!

I caught Daddy laughing out loud.
The girlies were delighted.
Mama loved filling in the voices.

Christmas music played in the background.  Sleet pelted the windows after night fell on our snow covered micro farm.  The Blossoms filtered into the living room, absorbed in the story.

We finished it... Now what will we read for the rest of November and December?!?

That was supposed to be our Christmas read-aloud!

How can we possibly top this humorous, yet touching look at a family of tough kids hearing the Christmas story for the first time?!

If you have Christmas read-aloud suggestions, send them my way!

Dominique