Anniversary #17

So, last year we had a lot of flooding around here. The river that runs past our town was very high, and those who live along the river were struggling to keep their homes on the side of the river, rather than in it. We found out that a friend of ours was having this trouble, and my husband and I went and filled sandbags for an afternoon, then hauled them to her house and got them settled. It was hard, dirty, hot work, but you know, it was so much fun. There is something heavenly about working hard with people you love, and especially to help someone in need. You end up dead tired, and with sore muscles you never knew you had, but happier than you've been in a long time. So, her house stayed on the shore, she was very grateful (though she had done far more work than any of us), and she hoped to do something for us someday. Well, she has this little house that she rents out where we stayed a few years ago for our anniversary. It is along the river and is a beautiful, peaceful little place. With our financial woes being what they are this year, she has offered to let us stay again for our anniversary. Somehow seventeen years have passed since we got married, which seems unbelievable until I look around me and see these seven awesome children (and I do remember giving birth to each one). It will be lovely to spend some quiet time together. We hardly get to talk these days, and when we do it is over money. UGH. So, I am off to spend some time with the greatest mortal man I know.

Spring has...almost...sprung

I love Spring. I love the sunshine after the long, dark, cloudy days. I love seeing the dark circles of soil expand around the trees as the rain and sun do their work in warming the earth. I love walking outside to do some trivial little thing, and hearing the birds singing again. I love the prospect of planting delicate little things in the garden that will become beautiful, healthy plants that will help to feed my family. I love planting little seeds in soft, fluffy soil, and setting them in my windowsill, waiting for my little "babies" to come up. I could go on and on. It seems that the longing for Spring has to grow to the extent that I won't mind all the work that goes along with it. I could make a long and depressing list of all the things that need to be done, now that the snow is going away,

but for today, I want to relish the good. Luckily it is raining today, so I don't have to worry about all of those things. I had better go finish my mending pile before the mud goes away.

Remember Me?

The last thing on earth I need is another thing to feel guilty about. I am not getting to this as often as I had hoped, but there is nothing to do but go forward.

Our lives are so good, in so many ways, but we have never worked this hard. Never. I look back to when we had a few kids and lots of church responsibilities, and a house and yard to take care of, and a steady paycheck, and we thought then that we were being stretched. We thought there was no way we could handle more of anything, and we prayed and worked earnestly to be able to keep up with it all. Compared to now, that was a cakewalk. Somehow, the Lord answered our prayers for help and our abilities and capabilities have all increased to where we are able to handle much, much more. We have a much larger family, more church responsibility, no steady paycheck, and are working harder than we ever knew we could. And yet, though many things remain difficult, our lives are so good. We have wonderful, stupendous, beautiful children. They bring joy to us every day. It is just a shame that they are growing so fast. We have a business that is staying alive and has much potential for growth (and we are having fun with it along the way). We look forward to it providing a good living for our family. We love serving in the church, and love our little branch. Because we live far away from our families, they are our family. We love living in the woods on our little homestead, and though it is a lot of work (which we are being reminded of as the snow slowly melts and reveals all that needs to be done), we love the work. We love our lives.

Let not your heart be troubled...

So, you know that scripture in the New Testament that says, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" ? (And yes, I purposely put that question mark outside the quotation marks because that statement should not have a question mark attached to it.) I have learned, and I am still learning, that is a lot more easily said than done. When my life is going along swimmingly, it is easy to put into practice, but when it is not.... Our lives have been really difficult for the last few months, and for the last few weeks especially, I have had to consciously make the choice, throughout each day, to try again to not worry. I have to try to take deep breaths to calm my aching heart. And I usually have to call my husband who will remind me for the 35,692nd time that everything is going to be just fine. It is hard to be a good mom when you are worried. It is hard to be a good friend when you can't see past your own needs. It is hard to be a patient and supportive spouse when you are desperately trying to be a decent person yourself.

I don't mean to sound gloomy. Maybe I should write posts in the morning when I am fresh, rather than in the evening when I am worn down. Life is not easy. I look forward to achieving another plateau where I can look back and think, "That time was really hard, but I am grateful for all the wonderful things I learned from it." For tonight, I will go pray and thank the Lord for the good things in my life, which are many, and try not to worry about the rest.

Better Late Than Never

Ok, well, how long have blogs been around? Quite a while, you say. Yeah. I have resisted for a long time, partly out of attitude, and partly out of lack of time. But, I am now going to repent and take my turn. As I said in my little profile, over there on the left side of the page, I am ready to start recording some experiences of our lives that are turning us into the people God wants us to be. It is not an easy journey. Really. But there are moments of joy, little promptings and reassurances that bring peace, miracles that show the Lord's mercy, and lessons we are learning that will make it all worth the journey. I'm not sure how often I will write, but since I have always been a lousy journal-writer, and because I am really trying to repent, I will try to do it often. So let it begin....