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As a gardener, I can always draw many parallels between life in my garden and the seasons of life. 
A couple weeks ago after our garden was completely harvested, my youngest and I were busy planting again. This time, however, it was for a crop that would need a lengthy time to grow before being ready for harvest. My article over at Heart of the Matter Online today talks about The Long Season of Parenting as I considered the parallels of gardening and life once again. Take a moment to read, gather simple parenting tips to help you endure, and leave a comment!
Such good timing, too, as I was reminded yesterday of how parenting is extended way beyond the time when our children leave home. With other Americans around the country, I watched with shock as the tragedy unfolded at Fort Hood, Texas. Events like this have become much more significant in my life over the past year as I've become the mom of an army soldier. Slowly I've been learning about the sacrifice that soldiers and their families go through to serve their country and preserve freedom. As my heart fell into a rhythm of prayer for the rest of the day, it was interrupted in the late evening by another prayer need when my phone rang. Our college son was on his way to the ER giving me limited updates with a cell phone that went in and out. It was a relief to know before bed last night that he should recover without any problems.
Yes, our children grow up and leave home, but they are never ever far from our hearts or our prayers as we continue to be a part of their lives through the years!
Blessings,
Tammy ~@~
This week during our devotional time, we began the book of Job for our Old Testament reading. The first chapters are so devastating as Job loses his family, all his possessions, and finally his health. All Job had left was his wife....
His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"
He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
~ Job 2:9-10
One commentary stated that his wife was possibly spared to cause Job even more grief and suffering than the actual losses would have given him. Yikes! Ohhh, she's like a Proverbs wife alright. You know the one....quarrelsome like the constant dripping on a rainy day OR so quarrelsome that her husband would rather live on the corner of a roof or in a desert OR as disgraceful as decay in her husband's bones or foolish enought to tear her own house down. Yikes again!
Take a moment to ponder your wife life. Are you a wife whom your husband can have full confidence in? A supportive wife whether life is going well or filled with difficulties? A wife who is worthy of her husband's praise? Ohhh, I'm not talking about the Proverbs wife who took a life time to sharpen all her skills, but the wife of today. The kind of wife who has a tone of voice that her husband enjoys listening to OR a wife that her husband can't wait to sit by OR one who brings him good health OR a woman who is greatly satisfied in building up her house. Indeed, the kind of wife whose love and trust in the Lord gives her a pleasing countenance that blesses her husband and flows into the lives of others.
Overwhelming to consider? Perhaps. Especially when you are having *one of those days* in your household. Yet even small steps will bless the socks off your husband! Really!
May you be a wise wife whose smile brings joy to your garden whatever the circumstances!
Blessings,
Tammy ~@~
"The wise in heart accepts commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin." ~ Proverbs 10:8
There's been WAY too much foolish chattering going on around my household lately which tends to walk hand and hand with a disobedient heart. The combination wears on a mother's countenance until it's thinned to a narrow wisp of a thread. Ahhh, yes, I am chiding myself for not acting on it sooner, but today that wisp of a thread broke and the offending child with the unwise heart was granted many lines of writing the above Bible verse as a portion of the correction given by a calm mother.
The word is out! Mom is tired of chattering fools! Beware of consequences!
Perhaps the afternoon will be quieter as the warm sunshine pours through the windows giving me good light to do a tad bit of quilt work.....
Blessings,
Tammy ~@~
Over the past weekend I was blessed to enjoy a completely quiet house for a dark evening when the power went out and for most of the following day. The only sound heard during that time within my house was the paw paw on the door by the doors of our dogs wanting to come in and out. No TV, no radio, no CDs, people big or small, no nothing.
QUIET.
For many years I've lived in pretty constant noise. Never noticed it. The volume just gradually went up as our family expanded which was to be expected because we had a lot of different people doing a lot of different things all at the same time. As older ones left home, they'd come back for visits and mention how noisy it was. Hmmm, I must have grown a calm tolerance of household busy sounds.
And then as I've been inching slowly toward menopause my tolerance for noise has gradually inched away. It's not that I mind the actual sound. I mind what the actual sound does to my mind. Total loss of focus. Complete distraction. Those two combined mean I have a hard time completing a task.
"Whatever excites the curiosity, scatters the thoughts, disquiets the heart, absorbs interests or shifts our life focus from the Kingdom of God within us to the world around us--that is a distraction; and the world is full of them." ~ A.W. Tozer
Mr. Tozer aptly describes the word *distraction* although he leaves out the whole having a houseful of kids part. Plus he doesn't talk about the frustration that results or how the quiet gentle godly spirit a mother desires to have can leave the premises at times when the distractions become overwhelming.
"Distractions must be conquered or they will conquer us. So let us cultivate simplicity; let us want fewer things; let us walk in the Spirit; let us fill our minds with the Word of God and our hearts with praise." ~ A. W. Tozer
Having some quiet time did allow me the solitude I needed to stay focused on a few tasks. There were no interruptions and I could simply move through the house putting this or that away and come right back to my project without skipping a beat. It allowed me to look closer at my house and consider areas that needed to be simplified. Areas that needed many more fewer things (isn't that a contrary statement!). And this quiet house allowed me to freely spend a time in God's Word, prayer, and song with no interruptions. Wonderful!
Having these mini breaks on a somewhat regular basis would be an encouragement to my well being at this point in my life. However, that is not the reality of my daily life. Adjustments need to be made to conquer distractions. To spend more time with the Lord in the morning as that does calm my heart and helps me to focus. To purposefully tackle tasks during the day. To continue to simplify our household and rid us of all the peripheral clutter that does distract and require time to maintain. And to steadily whisper and remind myself that I CAN do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!
May you weed out the distractions along your garden path in order to maintain a quiet spirit within!
Blessings,
Tammy ~@~
Last night after supper one of the older boys was sitting at the kitchen table with the littlest and had his iPod earphones split between him and her. He wanted to teach her a new song to sing, but she didn't really want to do that and instead just wanted to listen to some of his music. All of a sudden she started singing along. Not a strange thing to him or her since they both heard the music, but it was kind of weird to the rest of us who were in the kitchen.
Then this morning while I was walking there were TWO different people listening to iPods, one a walker and one a runner. All of a sudden one or the other would sing a line out loud and then it would be quiet. I'm sure it wasn't a strange thing to either one of them, but it was kind of unusual to the rest of who were walking the track.
I think our walk as Christians can appear the same way to those around us. As we read God's Word and listen to the Holy Spirit working in our lives, sometimes we may say and do things as God works in our lives that startles others around us who may think we're a bit strange or unusual or weird.
And you know what? That's okay!
"The power of the gospel changes him, shifts the basis of his life from self to Christ, faces him about in a new directions and makes him a new creation." ~ A.W. Tozer
Or even better....
"And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again.......Therefore, it anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" ~ Second Corinthians 5:15, 17
Which results in this.....
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." ~ Romans 12:2
Through God's grace with Him as our resource, we need to continually be growing, changing, and maturing in our faith in Jesus Christ. And in doing so you just may sing a song or two that someone else hears, actually recognizes, and encourages you by singing along!
Enjoy your day!
Blessings,
Tammy ~@~
For today November 2
Outside my window.....the skies are a continued cloudiness.
I am thinking.....that I really need to be more decisive as I'm going through bookshelves right now and should only keep books I've read that are worthy of these shelves AND books that I am committed to reading in the future. The rest of the books really need to be boxed up and moved out. They really do....
I am thankful for.....the time change and the return of getting up early in a quiet house.
I am wearing.....a denim skirt and a multi striped shades of green mock turtleneck.
I am hearing.....my husband talk to the dogs as he lets them back into the house.
I am creating.....a quick pink baby quilt.
I am going.....to stay home as much as possible this again week and hopefully avoid the illness that is going around our community.
I am reading.....God's Pursuit of Man by A. W. Tozer
I am remembering.....how life was in our early married days and how much better things are now, especially since realizing a while back that I can't change my husband as God is the only one big enough for that job.
I am hoping.....to do a simple craft with my girls that I saw this morning on a post called A Paper Harvest over at the HSBA Post
On my mind.....is thinking over yesterday's sermon in conjunction with the book I am reading about real authentic change found in our lives through the years as a believer.
From the learning rooms.....schooling is going well and I'm enjoying listening to my littlest with her simple reading skills which are getting better every day.
Noticing that.....when my life is more settled, my children are more settled. Truly, a mother does set the temperature of her home.
Pondering these words...."Our civilization cannot survive materially unless it be redeemed spiritually." ~ Woodrow Wilson
From the kitchen....will no doubt be some more applesauce.
Around the house.....coats and hoodies not hung up, but slung over chairs. This ever changing weather leaves us in limbo of never knowing what to wear when we leave the house.
One of my favorite things.....is the tickle of my husband's bearded hunting face. I'm glad it's gotten beyond the prickly stage!
A few plans for the rest of the week....schooling, Bible study mid-week, quilt sewing, and continued deep cleaning throughout the house. And yes, I'm still working on that wreath....
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you....
Here is a picture of our crabapple tree during a recent early snow. The day after it snowed, all the green leaves completely dropped off the tree. As of today, the tree looks lonesome with no leaves but tons of crabapples still clinging to the branches. I'm surprised we haven't yet seen the deer eating the crabapples off the tree.
Thank you for stopping and visiting my daybook today. If you'd like to read other daybooks or perhaps do one yourself, stop over to Peggy's at Simple Woman's Daybook today.
Have a wonderful late autumn day!
Blessings,
Tammy ~@~
Remember my post from yesterday about NOT liking such dark mornings?
Ummm, how about dark evenings?
I was able to experience both yesterday, MUCH to my dismay!
When my husband was talking about the need to go up to our cabin at the end of the week to pull all the docks for winter, after a tad bit of encouragement from me, he agreed to take the kids with him for an overnight. Imagine my immense delight! Several hours of a quiet house all to myself!
When they left home mid-afternoon yesterday, my first task was to get the kitchen in order so I could settle on my own personal cleaning tasks such as MY BEDROOM and DESK which are both overdue in getting straightened. So, with the windows open on such an unusually balmy but blustery day, the dishes were washed, the countertop clutter was put away, the kitchen floors were vacuumed and washed, the dogs were fed as well as myself eating a sandwich, and as I was starting to work on completing an article due for deadline the phone rang. After chatting with a son for a few moments, suddenly there was a loud explosive BANG! The dogs both barked and the lights went off. Complete darkness surrounded me. A nearby power line had quite evidently become a victim of the winds that had become much stronger after supper time.
:::::sigh:::::
Fumbling through the darkness to the working phone in my bedroom, I called our power company to report the outage and slowly maneuvered around the room to locate my flashlight and then candles. It didn't take long to realize that all the plans I had made for the evening were worthless. Either the plans needed electricity in order to run the vacuum or scrub down a bathroom OR they needed good light to sort through papers or work with fabric.
:::::sigh:::::
After a couple of hours of attempting this or that, I decided I may as well head to bed as there'd be no warm bubble bath available to finish my night.
During the night I was awoken by startled dogs and a loud truck coming down our driveway. Turning around by the house, the utility truck went back down our driveway stopping about halfway to the road (we have a longish driveway) and proceeded to get their spotlights and chainsaws working. About twenty or so minutes later, the house came back to life with a crackle. After making the rounds through the house to turn things back off which had been suddenly extinguished with the power outage, the realization hit me.
No one else in the neighborhood had been without power which would be why I could a scattered light here or there through the dark woods. Because of the obvious location of the problem, our house was singled out by the tree that fell on the line.
And I crawled back into bed with this verse on my mind:
"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." ~ Proverbs 19:21
It is moments like this that I realize how selfish I can be. Yup, having several hours of a quiet house all to myself as I made my plans were perhaps not the Lord's purpose for that time. Why would they be? He wasn't even penciled into my plans until today for an extended morning devotional time.
Talk about a reality check! It's not about God serving me. Ever. HE is the great awesome Almighty God and Creator of all things. To bring glory to Him as His child means having a servant's heart toward Him. Always. And to desire and seek relationship with Him. Continually.
Hopefully as the weather has changed with the roar of the wind as yesterday's blustery balmy has turned into today's blustery snowy, my heart attitude has also made a dramatic change.
"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." ~ Proverbs 16:2
Off to see what the Lord's purposes may be for me today amidst the continuing flickering lights now that I have spent time with Him, time with you, and can get busy on tasks before my family arrives back home this afternoon.
May God grab your attention in a powerful way in your garden today!
Blessings,
Tammy ~@~
It's not often that I'm anxiously awaiting change and even begin pleeeeeading for it to happen ....
BUT IS THIS TIME CHANGE EVER GOING TO GET HERE?!?!?!?!
Honestly, my body is beginning to go into its January hibernation. Yup, only three months early. Yikes! The heavy darkness in the morning is directly proportional to the heavy lids found on my eyes in the morning. And there is nothing harder on an early bird than when the early bird is no longer getting up early. It throws the entire day off. Kaput! Gone! And before I know it I'm yawning and thinking about a late afternoon nap! Yikes again!
Just be thankful you aren't living in my home and having to listen to my mumblings to myself about the silly clock and time and darkness and SOON and darkness and time and....
Don't forget to set your clock back an hour ON SATURDAY NIGHT before you go to bed!
Blessings,
Tammy ~@~
A couple weeks ago after our garden was completely harvested, my youngest and I were busy planting again. This time, however, it was for a crop that would need a lengthy time to grow before being ready for harvest. My article over at Heart of the Matter Online today talks about The Long Season of Parenting as I considered the parallels of gardening and life once again. Take a moment to read, gather simple parenting tips to help you endure, and leave a comment!
