Lessons Learned

I had the distinct privilege not long ago of taking my niece out for a spin in my Jeep.  I'm a bit of a holdout when it comes to vehicle technology, preferring to drive a stickshift rather than the much more common automatic.  Not many of my sort left.  So, I was blessed when Kenzie said she wanted to learn to drive a stick, and especially blessed that she wanted me to teach her!

We headed out on the backroads where traffic was light, and found a roomy parking lot to start in.  After going over the basics, Kenzie gave it a first try.  The Jeep sputtered and lurched, and then finally stalled.  She tried it again.  And again, the same result.  Our heads were bobbing as the tires screeched, and the Jeep jerked forward and backward and stalled again.  Not one to give up, she tried again.  And again.  And again.  I was impressed with her resolve.

She must have tried at least a dozen times. And then something happened that surprised me.....she started to laugh!  It was a belly laugh that came from deep inside and pretty soon we were both laughing until tears came to our eyes.  

Now, I raised a son--a strong-willed one at that--and the last thing he would be inclined to do in such a situation is laugh.  I was frankly stunned by Kenzie's reaction!  She wasn't defeated, embarrassed or frustrated.  She laughed!! It was a delightful and surprising reaction.  

"She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future."  Prov 31:25 NLT

I learned alot about my sweet 16-year-old niece that day. I had seen her as a little girl, but now had a glimpse of the incredible level-headed woman she was becoming.  What a joy to laugh in the face of adversity!  And, as one might imagine, it wasn't long before she got the hang of the stickshift and was feeling confident. 

Kenzie learned to drive a stickshift that day, but I think I learned a thing or two myself!  :-)

Such a Gift!!

A couple of years ago, my old hand-me-down coffee table bit the dust.  The loose leg that I had been reattaching fell off once and for all, and there was no choice but to leave it for the trash man. For weeks and months I searched thrift stores looking for just the right table, and then spotted it on Pinterest! An industrial-style table with rough wood boards on a base made with plumbing pipe.  I love this industrial style; just perfect for my old house!!  So, I pinned the table to my "wish list" with the idea that some day I might find a table just like this.   

Pinned table

Lo and behold, last week I received the most incredible gift....a handcrafted coffee table made exactly to spec for my living room.  It was a gift from a friend of my son. He couldn't have known it, but this table is EXACTLY what I had pinned on my wish list!  Up close and personal, it's even better than I could have imagined! Solid and well-made. Custom-crafted just for me. Beautiful!!

My new table!

I spent the weekend admiring it and feeling such gratitude in my heart. It's a joy to walk into my living room....which now looks complete!  My niece and I sat on the floor at the table this weekend coloring pictures for "Grandpa" for Father's Day.  So sweet!!

Sunday I had several hours of think time (aka lawn mowing) and my mind kept considering how to thank this young man for such a precious gift. Maybe I could make a meal for him.  Or buy him some sort of gift to express my appreciation. No matter what idea I come up with, it just seems so inadequate.  How can I ever appropriately say thanks for such a unique and perfect gift?

The American Heritage Dictionary says a gift is "something that is bestowed voluntarily without compensation."  

Funny, it's not necessarily easy to receive a gift...it's rather humbling.  I want to DO something, and yet there's really nothing I can do. It's not unlike the precious free gift of salvation God bestows on those who choose to accept it.  It pleases the Lord to give it lovingly knowing there's nothing we could ever do to earn it.

Gratitude swells in my heart like a balloon, for the sweet and precious blessing of a gift. 

God's Promise

Simply beautiful! So grateful for the beautiful spring in NE Ohio

and the reminder of God's eternal promises. 

The Last Hurrah!

Winter's last hurrah came last night.  At least I hope it's the last one!  Another winter snowstorm, this time with high winds and several inches of snow. The storm took with it one huge branch from my massive white pine (Cleo, named by my niece).  I hear a chain saw in my near future!

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lion!

So, this ridiculous winter continues here in NE Ohio.....one of the worst I can ever remember.  Oh, how my heart longs for SPRING!!  I did notice tiny buds on the forsythia yesterday....can't wait for that burst of yellow! 

In the Face of Fear

I love it when God brings hope and insight in his word.

I opened the year talking about fear....and what I discovered in Genesis 3 to be the first emotion attributed to man (Adam).  And now I read the story of Jacob.

Jacob is by no means the perfect example of a man of character.  He certainly made errors in judgement.  And yet, in Genesis 32 is a turning point.

Jacob finds himself face to face with his brother, Esau, and 400 of Esau's men. Years before, Jacob had tricked Esau out of his birthright. Now, he faces the brother who had earlier promised to kill him and is "greatly afraid and distressed." What does Jacob do at this crossroad? In complete humility, he cries out to God for deliverance. He bows himself before his brother in regret. Ultimately, God bestows blessing on him and makes him the father of the tribes of Israel.

What a contrast!  In his fear, Adam hid from God, blamed others, and eventually was cast out of Eden.  Jacob confessed to God, confronted his fear, and found favor and reconciliation. 

"Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."  

Wow.

"Where are you?"

A dear friend gave me a new devotional for Christmas: SOLO, An Uncommon Devotional.  It’s unique….designed not necessarily to teach you to study the Bible “but rather to develop a conversation between you and God.”  Lectio divina: reading, thinking, praying and living scripture.

Each lesson takes time, which is likely why I’m only on the second lesson.  And maybe it’s going slower for me, because I’m drawing so much from my time.  What joy!  It’s been a long time since I was so expectant in my quiet place.

Lesson One took me to the 3rd chapter of Genesis.  The beginning of man.  Adam.  And Eve. The serpent deceived Eve, and Eve in turn drew Adam into the deception. Then, the Fall. 

And then the line that jumped off the page for me:  "God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And [Adam] said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid...…and I hid myself."

Now, I’m no theologian, but as far as I can tell, this is the first emotion attributed to man in scripture.  FEAR. 

In my previous post, the first one in many months, I confessed that worry had overwhelmed me lately.  And isn’t the root of worry really FEAR?  And so, what do we do?  Pull away.  Go silent.  Hide. 

Wow!  I’m not sure I have my mind around it yet.  But God is teaching me something here.  And I’m keen to hear him, to not miss whatever it is that he’s beginning to teach me.  

To be continued... :-)

The Seasons – They are a-changin’

“There isn't enough room in your mind for both worry and faith. You must decide which one will live there.”

This quote was recently posted to Facebook by a friend of mine, and it pierced my heart. While it certainly wasn't a conscious decision, worry has won the battle in me for months.  Personal challenges and concerns have consumed my mind.  And when that happens, faith loses, crowded out by anxious thoughts.

What's crazy is that often the things we worry about never materialize! So the worry is for nothing.  And in the meantime, it saps energy, motivation and focus...which is why I haven't posted anything on this blog for more than a year!

So, while I'm not a big fan of New Year's resolutions, this January is a new start - a new season.  It's time for faith to once again take up residence in my mind, NOT worry.

Smells Good! Tastes Even Better!!

 

It's been quite awhile since I posted.

Decided if I'm going to jump back on here, I'm going to post something that makes me smile.  How about a homemade hawaiian personal pan pizza?!  YUM!!  This was not only yummy, it made the house smell good.  I love a warm toasty oven on a chilly Sunday!! :-)

TEST POST

Testing new Blogger design.  

Crockpot Apple Butter

One of the mainstays in my fridge is apple butter.  Since I was a little girl, there has always been a jar of apple butter in the fridge.  There is nothing like warm toast or a bagel spread with fresh apple butter.  My comfort food.  :-) 

My grandma's recipe is a crockpot version, which is yummy and easy to make.  I cooked up a batch this past weekend, enough to share a taste with coworkers.
 

Here's the recipe:

12-15 apples (peeled, cored, diced) 
2 c. sugar 
4 t. cinnamon 
1 t. ground cloves 
Cook in covered crockpot on high for 6-7 hours; remove cover and cook an hour and a half; stir occasionally.  Mash while warm (hand mixer, blender or processor).  Makes 4-5 small jars.

Goodbye to Old Friends

Time to say goodbye to this ragged old pair of work boots.  WAY past time to get rid of them, actually.

A good friend of mine (who happens to be a farm girl like me!) has been encouraging me to get a pair of "Ariats."  It's the top name in equestrian boots... riding boots, fashion boots and work boots.  However, frugal as I am, I couldn't imagine spending $100 on a pair of boots.

Enter ebay!!!
 

I found a beautiful new pair of Ariats for less than half price. 

The crazy thing is that I'm having a hard time parting with the old ragged pair!  Funny how it is with something familiar.  You get so comfortable that you don't want to let go.  I moved the old pair to the porch for a few days and, finally, this morning, carried them out to the trash.  Silly.  Why would I want to hold on when I have this beautiful new pair of boots.  Some lesson there, I'm sure.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

The ladies in my bible study have been raving about a new recipe for homemade laundry detergent.  Easy to make, economical, "green," and a little goes a long way. So....I finally gathered the ingredients and made a batch this afternoon.  
 

• 1 cup Borax
• 1 cup Washing Soda
• 1 bar Laundry Soap (I used Fels Naptha)

The most difficult task was grating the bar soap. It was time consuming and a little more work than I expected.  AND, I was surprised at how fragrant the Fels Naptha was. Overwhelmingly fragrant, actually.

Once finished, the bar soap ended up looking a bit like grated cheddar cheese. Kinda strange when you put it all together, as the consistency is so different. 

In any case, because the fragrance was so strong, I decided to start with one load of towels.  If the perfumey smell was too much, at least I wouldn't have to wear it!

So, I just pulled the towels out of the dryer and there is no perfumey smell at all!  As a matter of fact, I wonder if I should go back and add the optional essential oil for fragrance.  All in all, it made nearly 4 cups of detergent and it only takes 2 TBSP for a standard load.   Looks like I'm in business with my own homemade laundry detergent!! 

Thanks to Savvy Brown for the recipe and instructions!  Click here for more info:  Savvy Brown's homemade laundry detergent

Winter

It's been a delightfully mild winter in NE Ohio, just a couple of dustings so far.  And we're almost through January!!  Here's hoping it continues...only 61 days til Spring!!

End of Summer Bounty

So...... friends and family are tired of seeing the poor, forlorn bat when they check to see if I've updated my blog. I decided it was time to replace him with a lovely photo of veggies.... the last of my Dad's bountiful garden. 

It's been a busy summer, with little time for blog posts. While I love the summer days, they are filled from start to finish with work. Thank the Lord, I enjoy the work! But the days come and go so quickly.

In any case, fall is officially here with shorter days and cooler temps. Maybe more time for blogging... we'll see.

After Sunrise...

Oops!! Looks like this little guy didn't quite get back into the barn before the sun came out. And he was so close.....

Bath Time

I finally decided it was time for a real good bath for Samson.

I've tried, quite unsuccessfully, to wash him in the bathtub, and have been meaning, instead, to take him to the local groomer.  Of course, it's never convenient to get him there and I'd rather not spend the money...  so a recent 80+ degree day provided the perfect opportunity. I ran up to the discount store and bought a kiddie pool and some doggie shampoo.

Here is the sweet, unsuspecting victim...

And here is the scene of the crime...(of course, I couldn't get a picture as I was holding his leash and washing him at the same time!) 

Wouldn't you know it... as soon as he was perfectly clean, he had a nice, good roll around the yard -- rubbing his shiny clean coat all over the grass.  Sheesh!!

Once we were finished, he decided he'd keep his distance for awhile.  Bet he won't be so unsuspecting the next time!! 

P... U ....

Caught something in the Havahart cage.

Uh - oh!

Are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'??

Just Dandy!

The last couple of weeks have held a fair share of difficulties.
...a computer virus, which disabled my PC for a few days.
...storms and rain, much more than usual for the spring months.
...a significant challenge (and accompanying motherly anxiety) for my son's fledgling business.
...and a mower repair service in no hurry to return my riding mower.

No big deal, really. Just your standard everyday challenges. But, that explains the gap (again!) in my blog. Ugh.

The lack of a riding mower, and an abundance of rain, have created the biggest challenge. It means mowing two acres with a small push mower. In 2-3 hour evening segments, it takes me all week (11 hrs last week)... just in time to start over again! And I'm no spring chicken anymore!!

I will say, though, that my brain works overtime when I mow. I think. And I pray. And I think some more. This week, as I mowed, I had plenty of opportunities to think. LOTS of time to think. And my mind went to dandelions...

There they were, aaalllll over the yard... creeping taller and taller and poking out their silly yellow heads. I couldn't wait to get them mowed down! And then I remembered something...

My mom thinks they're lovely. :-)

Dreaded weeds I can't wait to get rid of, and my mom sees them as little splashes of God's lovely color on the earth. She doesn't see a difference between dandelions and any other flower you plant and tend and cultivate. As a matter of fact, the fact that they spring up on their own and don't need to be planted makes them that much more a delight to her. LOL!!

My mom.

She sees beyond the natural to the supernatural. Beyond the troubles to the truth. The truth is that dandelions are sometimes more colorful than any flower in the garden. A burst of sunshine in an otherwise plain 'ole green field.

Mom made the comment to me recently that she even finds those dandelion puff balls fascinating. The little seeds are carried off on the wind to settle and grow somewhere else. Once more, God's unique creation. And my mom's always-rosy perspective.


Maybe I should draw on that perspective in times of challenge. Maybe not having the computer gives me more time to connect with friends. Maybe push-mowing the lawn provides good exercise. Maybe life challenges give me more opportunities to trust God.

Maybe a dandelion isn't a weed at all.

What a Difference a Day Makes

Lots of storms have come through My Canaan over the years.... snow storms, rain storms, wind storms.... but nothing like tonight. Without warning. First, heavy rain. Then pounding hail. Finally wind like I've never seen or heard before. Sounded like the house was going to come down.

My neighbor said it was a tornado.

Praise the Lord for watching over us. Once again.

Home is safe. And God is good.