Blueberries

June 20th marked the beginning of blueberry picking around these parts. I really wanted to go picking and since we leave Friday for vacation I figured I had to go without Erik. So I emailed a couple of friends and blueberry picking we went! Here are a few pictures. To get to the blueberries you have to take a tractor ride, Jotham was very excited about this UNTIL we actually tried to get on the tractor- when he said, "No, thank you, I don't like it." It is nice that he was polite. I had to pick him up and carry him on crying. You can see in the picture Karis & Jotham were a little nervous.

Thanks Jenn & Helen for coming out- it is always great to be with you and your kiddos.

Refuge

I live my life trying to control my circumstances so that I am not challenged. I make sure the kids nap on time. I avoid taking all of them to the grocery store. The list goes on. I'm sure anyone who reads this blog could add to the list of ridiculous things I do to "control" my world. Feel free to comment and let me know (because I'm sure I'm not even aware of half of it).

The other morning Erik gave me this verse:

"This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him." Psalm 18:30

I was immediately struck. Is God my refuge? Do I take refuge in Him? I realized that I am so busy trying to control that I miss the opportunity to find refuge in Him. God doesn't want me not have challenges so much as He wants me to find refuge in Him when those challenges come.

This morning I read Psalm 16 (great Psalm by the way). Verses 1-2 says, "Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;I have no good apart from you.”"

Again, I was struck. Do I really believe this, that I have NO GOOD apart from God? My life reflects the answer is no. When I don't get what I think is good, a break from the kids, not having to wait in line checking out in Walmart, my heart responds in anger. I am certainly not saying (while making lunch for demanding child), I have no good apart from you, Oh Lord.
But God is my refuge and I have no good apart from Him. Good is not a peaceful home, obedient children, errands without inconvenience. Good is God! God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

Peace

I've been thinking a lot about peace recently. Why I desire it or should I say crave it? And what exactly it means to me. The Random House dictionary has one definition that sums up my feelings, “freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc.; tranquillity; serenity.” And yet I live with 3 small children who create many annoyances and distractions. My home is rarely one of tranquillity. I wanted to get a Biblical view of what peace is so I read through about 100 verses that contain the word peace (there are 366 in the bible). There were many great verses that spoke to me and convicted me (too many to mention here). As I was reading I came to this verse in Ephesians.

Ephesians 2:14, For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.

CHRIST HIMSELF IS OUR PEACE. Peace is not found in my circumstances. It is not found in getting things done without distraction. It is not found in a quiet, orderly home. The fruit of my lack of peace in Him is annoyance, anger, lack of joy, etc. I want something (order, sense of accomplishment) and I’m not getting it. But I need to find my peace in him and not in the circumstances around me. For me that means, putting aside all the other wants and finding contentment and satisfaction in Christ. He has reconciled me to himself. I have peace with God because of what He has done for me on the cross. When I focus on this truth in my daily life, those distractions and annoyances don't matter nearly as much.

Summer Surprise

My wonderful husband just blessed me with an early birthday present- a new camera. Taking pictures of the kids with the old one was becoming more and more difficult. We don't exactly have the picturing posing kinds of kids. I LOVE the new camera. I've been able to get some fun pictures of the kids and also some great pictures of all the beautiful flowers that have been coming up around our home. I know nothing about plants so I can't tell you what but they sure are pretty.

Cia- updated

My Mom has been missing her grandchildren and asked me to post a recent picture of Cia. She is a sweetheart and we adore her. She is still battling recurring ear infections so if you think of her keep her in your prayers. * Since using the new camera I've gotten some cute pictures of Cia.

PeekABoo

A friend of mine just sent me this picture she took of Karis playing Peek A Boo. It is very rare for me to be able to get a picture of her smiling so I was very excited it.

Happy Birthday Grandma Susan

Today is my Mom's birthday and since I won't be able to celebrate with her in person I thought I take a minute to honor her on my blog (this might give her some more incentive to read it anyway). My Mom was born is a gift to those who know her. She loves to laugh and make others laugh. She is a very gifted woman but she particularly gifted in hospitality. My Mom is always having people over to her house. She is no stranger to cooking meals for 20+ people, having game nights for packs of people and having large groups stay overnight (and no I'm not just talking about my family). She does these things with joy and seems to thrive in all the activity. Her home is a place of comfort where it is okay to put your feet up or just drop by for a visit.

Mom, We love you and are so grateful for you.

Philippians and Doing Life

I’ve been reading and meditating of Philippians lately. I was thinking about these verses this morning and wanted to share what God's been teaching me.

Philippians 1:27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel and not frightened in anything by your opponents. … For it has been granted to you that for the sake of the Christ you should no only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I sill have. 2:1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant that yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Such a rich passage of scripture. There were some key things that stuck out to me:
1. The call that God has for Christians to live out their lives in community. We are be of one spirit, with one mind striving side by side. How blessed Erik & I feel we are to be a part of our church. We often come away from times with other couples and one of us will say, “I love our church.” And we’ll reflect on how kind God has been to give us other people to do life with.

2. As I was thinking about this phrase, “striving side by side for faith of the gospel and not frightened in anything by your opponents.” I was struck by how grateful I am to have other Christian moms walking beside me in this season. More than any practical bit of wisdom for mothering I need faith for each day. Faith that God is at work in my life and in my children and that He is, by his grace, drawing us closer to him. I can often think my opponents are 3 years, 2 years, and 5 months old but really my opponents are the lies I believe. Lies of unbelief. It is easy to become discouraged by the challenges of each day. It is easy to be weary. My husband and the other moms I walk through this season with are such an encouragement in Christ to me. They help me have faith for another day of constant demands and little appreciation.

3. And then this verse, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant that yourselves.” Humility is an area of my life that I am always in need of growing in. I am a very prideful person. And though I need apply this verse to all my relationship I was convicted this morning to not just think of this verse in relation to other adult but especially in relation to my children. The whole passage is about living our lives together. I spend more time living out life with them than anyone else. Do I consider them “more significant” than myself? Not really. Do I serve them endlessly? Yes but not with the joy I should. If I considered them as more significant my service to them would be an honor and joy, not drudgery. I would not find myself complaining as often. I complain and lack joy because I am looking to my own interests and not to theirs.

May God grant me the grace to apply these truths today and then again tomorrow, etc.