Family

One of my daughters posted this section from Wind in the Willows on her Facebook this week. 

The Wind in the Willows, chapter 5, when Mole catches a scent of something and starts feeling very emotional and not at all right and suddenly realizes why.

"Home! That was what they meant, those caressing appeals, those soft touches wafted through the air, those invisible little hands pulling and tugging, all one way! Why, it must be quite close by him at that moment, his old home that he had hurriedly forsaken and never sought again, that day when he first found the river! And now it was sending out its scouts and its messengers to capture him and bring him in. Since his escape on that bright morning he had hardly given it a thought, so absorbed had he been in his new life, in all its pleasures, its surprises, its fresh and captivating experiences. Now, with a rush of old memories, how clearly it stood up before him, in the darkness! Shabby indeed, and small and poorly furnished ... And the home had been happy with him, too, evidently, and was missing him, and wanted him back, and was telling him so, through his nose, sorrowfully, reproachfully, but with no bitterness or anger; only with plaintive reminder that it was there, and wanted him."
Sometimes I know how you feel old chap."

As a family we read to our children ever night into their teens from the Bible and a Classic book. By no means do I feel that we gave them a "Classical" education, but we gave them a love for books.

At Christmas we would revisit this chapter of "Wind in the Willows" from our Tasha Tutor illustrated edition.

My response to her post was, "The mice will be singing in just a week."

Her response, "Yes!"

As my children are all young adults (youngest will be 18 in Spring), I see our family has taken on a new dimension. 

"Home" is an interpretation of memories collected.

We live in four different locations now. and "Home" is also where they live.

Family is a broad subject, where as, it use to be in one location.

Meeting together as "the family" may now be only a twice a year occasion.

I look  at my cookie cutter collection and wonder to myself, "when will I make cookies with my grandchildren?"

I found this vintage turkey for my cookie cutter collection for 25 cents at a second hand store.

(compared to $4.95 on ebay.)

I am so thankful for my family and blessed by each location my children call home.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 (ESV)

October Joy Dare ~ 1 8

22 

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning
great is your faithfulness.

(Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV)

Time to write.

All the details about how to join are over here.

And the prompt this week? Could it really be anything else? — It’s Laundry.

GO:

Yep, His mercies are new every morning and so is the stack of laundry.

Today was the the one day a week that I wash my laundry 

and put in some fabric softener so that my hair doesn't fly all over.

My mother had the old way of doing things when I was young:

Monday wash 

Tuesday iron

I use my iron about every two months whether it needs it or not.

I haven't used an electric or gas dryer for most of the last 25 years, but I don't iron.

My clothes line is a wonderful place.

With my oldest now 22 years old, I remember many days...

....singing under the clothes line or just talking to GOD.

Now the three girls are off doing their own laundry at their new homes

 and often my son does his own laundry,

as well as, my husband washes his own too.

Do they you think they realized what a wonderful place the clothes line is too?

STOP

Johanna and Abbie's tie dye project (9/2011)

Airing out the Crazy Quilt I am restoring

October Joy Dare ~ 1 7

"This is the day that the Lord has made;

    let us rejoice and be glad in it."

(Psalm 118:24 ESV)

Oct. 26, 1987 - 26 years today

26 Reason to be Thankful.

11)      Mary

22)      Abbie

33)      Johanna

44)      Ian

55)      Reading the Bible together with the  kids

66)      Reading children’s classic with the kids

77)      “Blue Eyed Walking Bunhams”

88)      The Giant California Oak  Tree

99)      Carnival Glass

110)   Crazy Quilt

111)   Shooting stars on the water tank at Natural Bridges NM, UT

112)   Snowflakes on my tongue in a Montana winter (1988)

113)   Grasshopper pie with a 20 degree chill factor

114)   Ponies, Horses, Dogs, Kittens, Bunnies and a Unicorn (goat)

115)   Thanksgiving at Aunt Merna’s house

116)   6 foot long icicles Uphome

117)   Cattails and Pussy willows

118)   Dutchman’s pipe vines and butterflies

119)    Red shafted flickers, Rufus towhee, Nuthatches and Mocking birds

220)   AS degree

221)   Bowman Community Church

222)   SCOE

223)   Sacramento State University

224)   Humboldt State University

225)   Anderson New Tech High School

226)   Jeremiah 29: 11 (a hope and a future) 

October Joy Dare ~ 7

Day ~7 Joy Dare

I am praising my creator that HE can fix whatever is broken.

"For nothing will be impossible with God.”

(Luke 1:37 ESV)

"I will restore to you the years
    that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
    my great army, which I sent among you."

(Joel 2:25 ESV)

Love Restores

by Shine Bright Baby

Are you desperate, for someone to hear your voice

You've been reaching, but you can't get through the noise

Don't give up now, there is hope for you

Are you searching, for a Savior for a friend

You've been hurting, you're about to reach your end

Don't give up now, there is hope for you

His love restores, His words are true

What this world breaks, His hands make new

So do not fear, not anymore,

He can heal what's broken and torn

His love restores, His love restores

Are you praying, for an answer for a cure

You've been waiting, for a miracle thats yours

God is with you, wherever you are

He is holding, onto your heart

His love restores, His words are true

What this world breaks, His hands make new

So do not fear, not anymore,

He can heal what's broken and torn

His love restores

Nothing, nothing, nothing is impossible

No one, no one, no one is unreachable

Nothing is impossible

His love restores, His words are true

What this world breaks, His hands make new

So do not fear, not anymore,

He can heal what's broken and torn

His love restores, His words are true

What this world breaks, His hands make new

So do not fear, not anymore,

He can heal what's broken and torn

He can heal what's broken and torn

His love restores, His love restores

October Joy Dare ~ 4

Today I rejoice in the name of my Savior Jesus.

FIVE MINUTE FRIDAY

The prompt is WRITE:

GO

I want to write everyday to clear the cobwebs from my mind.

I write a note to a friend,

a pray request or

I write a pray to my kids.

Writing is what make me feel like I am alive.

If  I didn't write I would be holding it all in my head.

My head that is full of songs and worries.

What a troubling combination.

So, I pray the Lord will take my worries, my burdens and give me a new song.

My heart cries for a song of joy and release from the worries of this world.

After I have written the pray in an email or a text to a friend I push, "SEND" 

and there is release.

I wish that when I say a prayer I could push "SEND" and have instance release.

So, today I write the thought of my heart to share with my sisters at "FIVE MINUTE FRIDAY" 

hoping that one of them will be blessed that they are not alone.

Thank you Jesus for the gift of the WRITTEN WORD, the Bible.

Thank you for a written language,

so that I may write.

STOP

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." (John 14:26-27, ESV)

Just Say Jesus

by 7eventh Time Down

Life gets tough, and times get hard 

It's hard to find the truth in all the lies 

If you're tired of wondering why 

Your heart isn't healing 

And nothing feels like home 

Cause you're lost and alone just screaming at the sky 

When you don't know what to say 

Just say Jesus 

There is power in the name 

The name of Jesus 

If the words won't come 

Cause you're to afraid to pray 

Just say Jesus 

Whisper it now, or shout it out 

However it comes out, He hears your cry 

Out of nowhere He will come, you got to believe it 

He will rescue you 

Just call out to the Way, The Truth, The Light 

When you don't know what to say 

Just say Jesus 

There is power in the name 

The name of Jesus 

If the words won't come 

Cause you're to afraid to pray 

There is just one name 

Strong enough to save 

There is just one name 

There is just one name 

Jesus 

When you don't know what to say 

Just say Jesus 

There's still power in the name 

The name of Jesus 

If the words wont come 

Cause you're to afraid to pray 

If the words wont come 

And you don't know what to say 

Just say Jesus

The patchwork of life

October Joy Dare ~ 3

God's Great Dance Floor

Chris Tomlin

♫ I'm coming back to the start

Where You found me

I'm coming back to Your heart

Now I surrender

Take me

This all I can bring

I'm coming back to the start

I got the freedom

In here we feel Your heart

Your heartbeat for us

Take me

This all I can bring...♫

This is the song that I woke up to this morning on Air1.

Surrender....

    18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 

    19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 

(Luke 15: 18,19 ESV)

http://www.karenehman.com/

Karen Ehman has a new book called "Let it Go". Her current ministry is to woman
who have taken it all on themselves...family, church, community...trying to be God.
That is what we need to Surrender.
All the busy work in our lives is just feeding pigs, if it is not what God wants us to do.
However, when you are raising kids and doing all the "mom stuff",
 most days it is just about hanging on.
Today I once again come to the throne of Grace.
I ask the Lord to sort out the motives of the past.
Most days I know that I have been doing the "Mom Thing"
with little though past the lights out at 10 o'clock.
I am so thankful that HE has turned my mourning into dancing.

Psalm 30

1 I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up

and have not let my foes rejoice over me.

2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,

and you have healed me.

3 O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;

you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.^a

4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints,

and give thanks to his holy name.^b

5 For his anger is but for a moment,

and his favor is for a lifetime.^c

Weeping may tarry for the night,

but joy comes with the morning.

6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,

“I shall never be moved.”

7 By your favor, O LORD,

you made my mountain stand strong;

you hid your face;

I was dismayed.

8 To you, O LORD, I cry,

and to the Lord I plead for mercy:

9 “What profit is there in my death,^d

if I go down to the pit?^e

Will the dust praise you?

Will it tell of your faithfulness?

10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me!

O LORD, be my helper!”

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

you have loosed my sackcloth

and clothed me with gladness,

12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.

O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

Then when the sunset I will continue to Rejoice.

October Joy Dare ~ 2

Morning has Broken
by Elanor Farjeon


♫ Morning has broken like the first morning;
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird.
Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning!
Praise for them springing fresh from the Word!

Sweet the rain’s new fall sunlit from heaven,
Like the first dewfall on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning,
Born of the one light Eden saw play!
Praise with elation; praise ev’ry morning,
God’s recreation of the new day! ♫



As I view the crescent moon this morning at 6:30 am this song flooded my brain.


22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;^b
His mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in Him.”


(Lamentations 3: 22-24 ESV)





Marsha-Mellow



Marsha and Guy D'orange

My cats were satisfied that I was feeding them, my singing to them was of no consequence.



Today I rejoice in another day to praise my Creator and Savior.

photo credit: Johanna Burnham Photography

October Joy Dare - Year 2

OCTOBER JOY DARE

Last year I did a joy dare in October. This was a daily blog post giving a reason to rejoice.

This year I am going to use reflections from a Women's Retreat our church had last weekend.

This is the day that the Lord has made;

    let us rejoice and be glad in it.

(Psalm 118:24 ESV)

Weekend before last my oldest sister and I went on a trip up the Oregon coast looking for light houses while traveling between our daughters in Arcata,CA and Eugene, OR.

Coquille River Lighthouse

In Crescent City we picked  up this little hitch-hiker, Ranger Bear.  He now travels with me. In up coming days  I will share the places and thought from my 2 week journey.

Today in the blog "the Better mom", Lisa Jacobson shares "5 fact my daughter really need to know." I will share this with my 3 daughters on Facebook. They are beautiful, precious, delightful, protected and love.
The great thing about these "5 facts" is that Jesus wants us to know these things about ourselves as his daughters.

I rejoice today, because I am a daughter  of the King of  Kings.

Palm 45

8 All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; 
from palaces adorned with ivory 
the music of the strings makes you glad. 

9 Daughters of kings are among your honored women; 
at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir. 

10 Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: 
Forget your people and your father's house. 

11 The king is enthralled by your beauty; 
honor him, for he is your lord.