A Work of heART

We are in a season of hard work....and loving it.

I would have to say that this is not an easy season - but it is a good season.

Our pastor preached a thought provoking sermon on the doctrine of vocation last week and it was so refreshing to be reminded of the need to live Colossians 3:23 in every area of life.

Whatever you do work heartily as to the Lord and not to men.

laundry

dishes

plumbing with friends

pouring concrete

raising walls

butchering

cooking

...as unto the Lord

Ann Voskamp wrote a post about 8 years ago titled One Piece Life.  The message of the devotion was about how all of life is sacred.  There is no separation from the mundane everyday tasks and that which would be considered holy.  We are thankful for the persective it has given our family but we need daily to be reminded of that fact.  As the weather turns cold, hours feel longer and the barn building project lags a little....

we ask that you would pray that we finish strong and 

that all our work would be as unto the Lord.

As Brother Lawrence writes, “Our sanctification does not depend as much on changing our activities as it does on doing them for God rather than for ourselves.”

An Addition Guarded by God ~ Samarah Jo turns 10

Samarah Jo.....just your name alone brings contented peace. 

 You see, you were given to our family after Jeff.  After Jeff and his twin who we can't wait to meet in heaven someday.  Fighting the fear of loosing a little one again was real and challenging as we prayed for an addition to our family.  The Lord gave us your sweet name before he even gave us you.  Samarah Jo "an addition guarded by God"  

Amazing, that He would have our fears so nestled in the palm of His hand that he would grace us with your name to rest with.  

And so we found out in January of 2003 that you would join your big sis and big brother in October.  Opening day of deer season to be exact!  The week before you were born your daddy and I were planning a hunting trip and if you hadn't made an appearance by the opener, this momma was going hunting.  You arrived in a hurry (thanks to a half a bottle of castor oil - if a little bit's good a whole lot's better right) and we welcomed you in the wee hours of the morning of October 10th, 2003.

From the beginning, you have been our firecracker, our dancing gypsy, our winner in every burping contest, our classiest dresser and our definer of the original in so many ways.

~our peanut who loves to snuggle~

~our mud lover~

~our crazy cat lady~

~our adventurous musician~

~ and our lover of all things dancing~

Samarah Jo - we love that you love others with your baked gifts~

~ and that you are always game for an adventures wherever it may be~

Our prayer for you is that this next decade of life, you would seek Christ first in all that you do, that you would use the gifts that God has blessed you with to glorify Him and bless others and that you would lean on Him and count the ways he has blessed you every day.

Happy Birthday

Love Mom and Dad

...and they danced ~

Psalm 149:3  Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!

Isn't there just something soul stirring about a great song?

Add a good old fashioned, boot-stompin beat and you just gotta dance!

Samarah Jo is convince that her daddy is building the dance floor for her wedding and not the floor of

 our barn.

There has always been dancing in our house since the children arrived.  We regret very few things in life - not dancing enough is one of them.  You just about can't dance without a smile on your face....or infectious laughter at silly mistakes.

There are precious few days to dance with grandpas....oh that we would't waste any opportunity!

And there are ways to bless others through dance that we pray we would be good stewards of~

Moriah dancing during worship at the

Nazarene Church in Leavenworth.

  

Now this post might seem a little lopsided with girly pictures...

The men in the family use their talents in other ways and might I say :-)

haven't been so blessed with the gift or rhythm and dance.  My point illustrated:

Ahh,  but they are supportive souls and willing dance partners if they are asked...

Think about it....will you regret not dancing more, laughing often and attempting things that are too hard? 

Watch for an invitation to an old fashioned barn dance in November 

T

Why We Hunt...

Tradition is defined as a long established or inherited way of thinking or acting.

Legacy is defined as anything handed down from the past.

Hunting for our family is both.

There is a special bond of teamwork, family unity and focus when we hunt together.  Some of our dearest memories are of grandpas hunting with grandchildren or great-grandchildren.  To pursue a goal together in this way cements memories for a lifetime.  What a blessing to have etched in the memory of our children the evenings all snuggled in the toasty wall tent listening to Great Grandpa play "Yankee Doodle" on his mandolin, or sitting on a frosty hillside during the coldest part of the morning - just before the sun rises - next to Dad.

There is so much more to hunting than dragging a lifeless animal out of the mountains as some would view it.  Hunting season starts in so many different ways, months before opening day......

~ with car conversations about the important differences between preservation and conservation

~with gun handling drills at any given moment

~with late night pillow talk about how to meet the needs and skill levels of all family members involved

~with tears and some sighs as we grieve the great grandpas who can no longer join us

~with friendly competition with any weapon we are shooting

~with debates around the dinner table about the most ethical and effective shot placement

~with hikes all together to prepare for the hunt

~with equipment sorting - "OK...who took mom's headlamp AGAIN"

~with holidays and birthdays when we add to the kids hunting gear collection with needed items

~who gets a range finder from her husband on our anniversary and is THRILLED?!

~with recipe collecting for new ways to use the anticipated harvest

~with the annual boot try on....my how feet grow in a year

You see, it is not just the hunt, but the living of a common goal that builds a lifelong love of something.

What is your family doing together to build memories, teamwork, heritage, legacy?  Go for it - the investment is absolutely worth the cost in time and energy.

Life is measured in decades, years, months, weeks and days.....but they all start with moments.  How will you fill these moments today with your family?