Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Small beginnings...


Small beginnings...  Even though I don't have wee babes anymore, my life is still full of small beginnings.  New readers, new learners, new concepts, budding believers...  Some days I fall prey to despising the small beginnings, viewing them through impatient eyes, wanting bigger results, looking to the future and possible greener grass.  Yet as James says, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'"





What's the Lord's will for my life?  This question comes to mind often.  Sometimes unsure of my place in my husband's ministry, I'm quickly reminded of my ministry.  It's wrapped up in three growing girls.  They are my ministry.  They are my disciples.  This came as a revelation to me over nine years ago when reading one of Sally Clarkson's books, The Mission of Motherhood, in which she compared the intimacy Jesus shared with His disciples to the intimacy a mother shares with her children.  The daily walking and talking, the training, the living... even in the small beginnings.   





It may come in the form of picnics outside, the making of omelets, and watching the 24th flip of the day.  It's in doing life with these precious girls and others around me!  The rewards may seem few at the moment, but the legacy, I pray, will be great!  "Our children are messengers that we are sending to a time we will not see." May our impact be great.  May we be intentional with our priorities, looking for those teachable moments.  May we understand the urgency.  

"The greatest waste in all the earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day." - Billy Graham



May we see our lives as more than full-time babysitters, but instead as disciple-makers, paving the way for future generations.  What an incredible and amazing calling!

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Musings for March


This was one of my many blessings in February - watching the sunrise at Fort Caswell with some of the most precious women I know.

A Recap of my Five for February:
1.  Finish organizing the school room and hang pictures.  No more clutter!
2.  Finish A Chance to Die by Elisabeth Elliot & read half of Cleaning House by Kay Wills Wyma (A Mom's 12-month experiment to rid her home of youth entitlement).
3.  Write 5 letters (real ones with stamps) to other women who may need encouragement.
4.  Take portraits of each of my girls (plus valentine pics).
5.  Focus on words of grace for my family.  

Once again, not 100% complete, but still progress.  

- I don't think I'll ever finish organizing the school room.  Some of you will understand...  

- The biography of Amy Carmichael was deep... but I finished it and so thankful to have read it.  Very powerful book!  

- I'm almost a third of the way through Cleaning House.  Already I'm taking mental notes.  Practical and thought provoking.

- Writing letters is often one of my good thoughts that never gets done.   They say it's the thought that counts... I don't think so.  So, all glory goes to God that envelopes were addressed and stamps were found amid the clutter in my kitchen.  (On a side note, it doesn't have to be snail mail to encourage a friend.  A simple text, an email, or message on Facebook or Instagram can make anyone's day brighter.  I've been on that receiving end several times this month and you ladies know who you are.  Thank you!  You truly don't know how uplifting your words were!)

- My portraits were simple, just up close at a park.  Valentine pics thrown together last minute to arrive to grandparents... late, once again.

- Changing my focus to grace will never be completely crossed off a to-do list.  This will forever be a daily desire, a daily dying to self, and giving of the grace that I do not deserve.  




Musings for March:
1. Teach at least one essential oils class.  Nervous, oh my!
2. Plan (with my older girls) a ballerina/pirate party for my youngest (who is turning 4!!!)
3. Focus on discipling my girls (with an emphasis on Bible memory).
4. Let go of some things of the past... (more may be shared in the future.)
5. Spend as much time outdoors as possible (more bike rides, park visits, picnics, and maybe getting back to running 4 miles again... maybe.)



Enjoy this free spring printable (as I certainly will!)