i have no clue...

...what I am doing on this blog. I want to make it look "me-ish", but that just isn't happening. Hmm, what is "me-ish"? I love roses, pastels, vintage, Little House, The Waltons, quilts, coffee, family (but I'm not putting a picture of another family up there!), clean, shabby chic, rustic.

Yap, still clueless as to how I'm going to decorate my blog. I think the first place I'm going to start is simple - plain and simple. Then maybe I'll go from there. Yea, that sounds good.

Video: 5 Foundational Systems of the Home (Part 1) : Family Support Link Live!

This was so timely, as Big P and I had just been talking about this very thing. C.15 needs to learn how to do some cooking, but doesn't really "want" to. We'll start off simply. P.almost12 already knows how to cook but she just needs some tweaking and training. This is one of those areas that would be much easier with margin in our lives.

Video: 5 Foundational Systems of the Home (Part 1) : Family Support Link Live!

Thanks to http://atifamily.com/?p=738 for posting this as I don't get on the supportlink website very often.
pic: http://danielromanow.wordpress.com/2009/12/08/get-a-hobby/

Only what's done for Christ will last...

“Two little lines I heard one day,Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life,’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill, living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore, When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way, Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep, In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife, Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn, And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone, Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, “twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last. ”

— extra stanza —

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,if the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.

~C.T. Studd

Big P and I are about to start the process of pruning. Pruning is a very hard thing for me. I'm a go-getter and like staying busy. Busyness, however, can be an addiction just like anything else and it has, in many ways, become that for me. I long for the peace-filled days of doing our chores, schoolwork, farm activities, and laughing with my children. Many times they seem very very far off. I know they are possible as that is what God has called us to do. He has equipped us to minister to our children and each other and when the important things crowd out the vital - I feel like my equipment is malfunctioning. There are some things that we feel God has called us to do that just take a large amount of time a couple times per year. It's the things that take a large amount of time all throughout the year and to the detriment of our first calling, that really will sock-it-to-ya.

I think this poem says it all. What things are in our lives that are for Christ? What things do we tend to think we are doing for Christ that we are really doing for ourselves? For our glory? Probably more than in any other season I'm feeling the need to have margin in my day. I think margin is where we laugh the most. The most unhurried, most spontaneous, most peace-filled times are probably in the margin.

This weekend, while at the Texas Rubies Retreat, which I co-coordinate, I had a lot on my mind. A lot. When I was supposed to be listening, I couldn't think about anything but why I don't have margin. Why do I seem bogged down? Why do I seem short-tempered? I decided to make a list of every single thing we are involved in as a family, our children are involved in, and that I am involved in solo. When we first moved here I was so uninvolved in things outside the home. I had the most margin in my day and probably felt the most at rest and completely capable to do everything God has called me to do. What possessed me to fill it up and write in the margin?

Our goal is to raise our children for Christ and to equip them for their highest calling. Why do we get so sidetracked? We also want to be able to minister to those around us in big and little ways that show the love of Christ to them and to the world. Why do we tend to derail... often?

I'm typing up the list I made for both of us to have a copy. We will pray over these things individually and then pray over them together. I think it's going to hurt to prune that tree, but I know the fruit bore will be bigger, tastier, and more refreshing than the fruit we are bearing now.

picture from: http://www.treecrops.org.nz

poem & formatting: http://hockleys.org/2009/05/quote-only-one-life-twill-soon-be-past-poem/

From I'm Becoming Joyful: How a night owl became an early bird

This is my friend Patti. A couple of weeks ago I asked her about her early waking hours. I noticed the time stamp on the emails she would send to me. Wow. I know she was a student of the Word and was not forfeiting time with the Lord to send emails, so I asked. Sure enough, she goes to bed early and gets up early - just like a wise man... Early to bed, early to rise makes a man happy, healthy, and wise. (something like that). After adding her to my google reader, I found this in her archives. Very cool. I'm game.

This will actually work out great for me because I can go to bed right after reading to the big kids. Pete works nights so it will be quiet in the office for him. In the mornings I always seem to be rushing through my quiet time because I know little ones will be pattering little feet into the office.

Key to all of this will be going to bed early. Even deeper than that will be working hard during the waking hours so that I can crash in the evening and wake up refreshed in the morning.

I'm Becoming Joyful: How a night owl became an early bird

unveiling my sister's quilt

Finally, after squealing and busting at the seams... Here's what I have been working on. A quilt for my little sister.

I used the yellow brick road pattern based on several recommendations from quilty friends. Kimbo actually picked out the fabric. She didn't know what it was for, though. I sent her a link to the Fat Quarter Shop and said "which one of these do you like best" and she picked it. She had to go through about 75 fat quarter bundles! I coordinated fabric to make up the rest of the FQs since the bundle only came with 15 and I needed 24. I had the blocks done and then... nada. The Texas Rubies retreat has been taking up a large chunk of my time the last week and a half. Co-op before that.

On Friday morning (as in the day before the shower), I laid out all the blocks and started flipping and turning them around and around until I got it balanced and just the way I liked it. My mom came over to get the big kids to take them to her house for the day. She said it in all it's unsewn - spread out on the vacuumed floor - glory. Then I "went to town" and started sewing that afternoon. Big P took 3 of the little ones to the Discovery science museum in Tyler and I started boogieing (that spelling was actually in my word check!). I decided to "chunk" this quilt and see if it came out straighter. It did! I also felt that it went together faster! Recently I listened to a podcast on documenting your quilt - so I asked Pete to take pictures of me sewing it and such. He's become Mr. Photographer ever since I let him switch the Nikon D60 to Auto. Isn't he cute! :D

I wrapped the quilt in a Keurig box. Kimbo wants a Keurig - I wanted to tease her. It worked. But I figured she would like what was in the box more - so it was justified. There were tears. Happy tears. I knew everyone would be giving her stuff she wanted and needed to make their home a happy home (a fed hubby is a happy hubby), but I wanted to give her something that she would LOVE because I love her! I'm excited with the way it turned out and will be taking it to the longarm quilter very soon. We already have a pattern picked out for the quilting:

eeeeeeeeeekkkk

That's all folks. zzzzip!

i'm busting at the seams...

to tell you what I am working on. I cannot. Stay tuned, though.