If 2018 Stunk

Christmas break has been very refreshing.  I'm finding myself with a healthier perspective.  Mama needs a break every now and then!

I realize that not everyone has wonderful holidays.  We're staring 2019 in the face and perhaps you're not feeling like the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31; their ain't no smiling at the days ahead. 

Maybe 2018 really stunk.

In my journey through Psalms, I found this plea:

"...Please hurry to my aid, O God..."

Evidently, there's nothing sinful about asking God to hurry up and help.  Maybe that's your prayer going into 2019.

Turning to Him afresh as your Helper and Savior and asking Him not to delay might just be the prayer your heart must utter. 

His nearness can make staring at 2019 no longer something to dread.

Dominique

Psalm 70:5

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

May All...

"But may all who search for you

be filled with joy and gladness in you..."

Psalm 70:4

I'm inching through Psalms, enjoying the honesty of the writer and the presence of God in this raw book.  I found this gem the other day and later realized that it had some cool Christmas implications. 

The shepherds and wise men doggedly searched and searched for Jesus, the King.  At the end of their search, surely they were filled with joy and gladness over this small King. 

I wonder what their lives were like after they found Him.  Though I've never been a fan of fiction set in Biblical times, I can certainly see why people write it.  I imagine how the shepherds' and wise men's lives changed afterward. 

Perhaps they excitedly spread the word to anyone who would listen.  Perhaps they talked of their miraculous story over their meals.  Perhaps they spoke with starry eyed wonder to their children during the dusky hours of the day.  Perhaps frantic ways gave way to peaceful countenances.  Perhaps they turned those days of stubborn perseverance over and over in their mind, marveling at the outcome of it.

This promise remains true for us today.  If we search for Him, we will be filled with joy and gladness in Him. 

Seeking Him is a lifelong pursuit that never lets up or gets old.  

That joy and gladness in Him is worth the perseverance and the single-minded focus.

Dominique

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A New Project

I've been trying my hand at a little glass-etching.  

I used our Ladies' Bible Study's mug exchange as an excuse.  

I'm pretty pleased at my amateur results!

Tis the Season to Wish You

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

May God draw you closer to Himself this year.

Dominique

Fellowship and Handicrafts

A friend of mine found out about a new knitters' workshop in our area.  She's an expert crochet craftswoman and we both like to learn new handicrafts.  We left our young 'uns in their Daddy's care, crammed down lunch at McDonald's and headed there.

Despite my GPS fear, we arrived at the correct destination in plenty of time. 

I think God must have directed our steps into the circle with the best teacher, because we both were able to walk away from our session feeling well prepared to dive into the rest of our project - a pair of fingerless mitts. 

What I loved most in the afternoon was the fellowship.  We talked about EVERYTHING.  We laughed.  We encouraged.  We had compassion on each other.  We shared heartfelt thoughts.  We learned about one another.  

And, because we were together, we didn't get discouraged when we had to ask for help numerous times.  

Now, I'm enjoying this venture into a new handicraft.  

I'm so excited that mitt #2 is in progress!  

Friend, snag a friend and try something new.  There's big time fellowship to be had over handiwork.

Dominique

Teaching Them... Everything

During this year's annual dog treat baking extravaganza, I focused more time and energy on making sure the younger Blossoms knew their way around the kitchen.  You can see a snapshot of that here.

I really want to make sure they aren't getting lost in the shuffle of giving tasks to the girlies that already have them mastered.  Above, though it would have been easier to have Blossom1 and Blossom2 sew the catnip sachets, the little Blossoms were so happy to work on their part of the girlie business.  

A large part of parenting and our educational philosophy is me/us simply remembering to teach all of them everything.  

Next up on my list, teaching them ALL how to wrap presents neatly and properly. 

Dominique

Not Getting Away

Sometimes the answer isn't getting away from your kids,

Sometimes the answer is getting outside with your kids.

Or so the Rugged Mountain Man has always told me.

Zero In

Today, I am thankful that I can be the one to say, "No, you can't do your reading with your sunglasses on... but the crown is fine."

There are other things that I'm thankful for lately too.  We have loads of Christmas festivities going on.  They've all gone well and we are enjoying the season with family and friends around. 

Christmas movies with cousins, tea with family and friends, welcoming Daddy home from the cabin...

Bowling with my brother, niece and nephew after a Bible Quiz match was a great way to spend a winter afternoon.  Aren't our feet just stylin?  I wish I could say I beat my teenage nephew.  Apparently I have only two modes - strike or gutter ball.  Not a thing in between!

Going to the ballet is a favorite winter activity that is sometimes coordinated with a Blossom birthday.  We've been wanting to see Nutcracker ballet for SO LONG.  December is the time to do it!

Imagine our delight in a show that was exquisite and music that was ethereal!  Getting to see a few friends dancing on the big stage too?  That was fantastic!

I was pleased that they all behaved very well during the performance.  Two plus hours is a long time for a five year old to sit very quietly. 

Afterward, we dashed off to the church Christmas party.  There was laughter and praying and smiles and hugs.  I'm still hungry for second and third helpings of that Buffalo chicken dip.

In a time of hustle and bustle, I'm choosing to zero in on the blessings.  Contentment only grows that way.

Dominique

Another Moment

Another moment in the mess lately has been Christmas card making:

Sure the dining room is littered with my "favorite" annoyance - paper scraps - but all the crafting and the concentration and the creativity is swell.  I'm trying to stay focused on that instead.

Contentment seems to be found in focusing on the blessings I choose to see.

Moments in the Mess

Motherhood is often very full of mundane and messy moments.  

Messes mess with me, so I've been endeavoring to pick out the moments of blessings amongst it all.  

Here's one for you.  In this noisy household, I adore hearing Blossom1, Blossom2 and Blossom3 playing Christmas music.  

It's something the Rugged Mountain Man and I have been looking forward to for a long time.  When I hear those festive melodies, I smile.

Friday Lessons

While this week still feels a little too fresh to glean the lessons from, I need to do it.  I probably needed an attitude adjustment on more than one occasion over the last few days. 

When Daddy's away for hunting, things are harder and that is the truth.  We did try to make the best of it though. 

Lessons I've learned this week:

Quality time with the Blossoms is worth it, even when I'm fighting to smile through it. 

Blossom3 and Blossom4 were thankful for something as simple as baking a batch of cookies together.  In the end, it was so worth the mess. 

Early to bed, early to rise is best. 

Benjamin Franklin is still right.  This is something we generally do, but the holiday late nights were creeping in already and it hasn't really been great for us.  I'm glad that we're trending back to our consistent bedtime. 

Crankiness begets crankiness. 

If mama was struggling with her attitude, it's safe to assume that almost every body else fed off that bad attitude.  I'm not saying I've figured out how to stop the cycle, but there were times we needed a real reset this week.  Recognizing that mama is a human, just like all the little humans is humbling.  I'm pretty sure they already know mama isn't perfect though. 

Don't be so easily offended!

Why is it that when we're in need of an attitude adjustment, it seems that everything anyone else says or does is meant as an insult?  It's not!  Recognizing that is good for me.  I want to abound in forgiveness so "slights" roll of my back!

Looking at the end of this week, I'm thankful for another chance to grow, 

another chance to change, another chance to show love to my family in every day life. 

Dominique

Pics are from a favorite hiking and hunting spot; one that boasts working beaver dams!

Lookin' Festive, Learning Fully

It's beginning to look a little festive around here.  

With a busy and Christmasy week, the girls and I really had to work together to keep things running smoothly.  

I was constantly thinking ahead to the next thing and planning out what they could do to help and get ready.  

We as parents can't feel guilty for making our kids help.  

This is how they learn to serve each other.  

This is how they learn to be a part of a team.  

This is how they learn to obey.  

This is how they learn the value of work.  

And I can't do it all.  Neither can you, but I'm sure you've already figured that out.

I'm finding that what makes this principle successful, is letting go of perfection.  

Man, that can be tough.

Whatever I hand off to the Blossoms today, isn't going to look like I did it, but they'll learn something from it - whether it be a life skill or a character trait.  

That's what I'm going for.  

Dominique

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

A Few More Thoughts from the Book of Job

The mysterious book of Job scares a lot of folks, but let us remember that the same God who oversaw and inspired the writing of the Scriptures is the God that will help us understand those Scriptures.  

Let's settle into a quiet(ish) spot and dig in!

At one point, I found that Job rejoiced, 

"But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives and He will stand on the Earth at last." 

Job 19:25

His faith had been revealed to him.  He was looking forward to the redemption that we sometimes find commonplace.  Job looked forward to that redemption so much that it dwarfed the major chaos going on in his life at the time.  

Peering at your salvation does that.  It's the surest way to bring perspective into our lives.  

Dwell on your salvation from eternal punishment and separation from God 

and suddenly, the little earthly details are so very small again.

Job knew what to celebrate - that His Redeemer lives!  

Is this what I celebrate today?  Is it truly?? Or do I celebrate obedient children, a compliment or a nice outfit?  When Jesus paid my debt of sin and satisfied God's justice, He gave me something to cherish and celebrate for all time.

Job knew that Jesus, the kinsman redeemer, did not forsake him when all others had.  

Oh, the peace that comes from knowing that Jesus does not forsake me!  It renders my spirit unshakable!

Friends, delve a little deeper into the Bible every day.  God is always faithful to teach us through it.

Dominique