Simply Saturday is Temporarily Moving....

Simply Saturday is moving. For the next month, Lisa has graciously offered to host our Saturday gathering.  So this Saturday head on over to Lisa's blog The Army Chaplain's Wife to link up!

Simply Saturday

 

Welcome to Simply Saturday!  Would you like to participate?  Grab your camera and take a picture of anything that speaks to you of simplicity and/or home. Your post can be as wordy or as wordless as you like. You decide!  Then come back here and link up.  All levels of photography are welcome, so don’t be shy!

You are free to copy and paste the Simply Saturday button at the top of this blog.  And while your at it do you mind linking to my blog on your post, just to let others know where we are gathering! Thanks! :)

When I was 15-years-old, before I could join the church our family was attending, the deacons and the pastor had some questions for me. I clearly remember them asking me what my favorite verse was. At that time I didn’t favor one verse over the next. I didn’t have much use for God in my self-centered teenage heart.

I could have just used the old stand by of John 3:16, but for some reason I began scanning through the Psalms and found Psalm 86:11. It was as good as any, so I chose that as my “favorite” verse.

This little story doesn’t seem so amazing until you realize a few things.

At that point in my life I had NO desire to live for the Lord. I was just going through the motions, because that was what was expected of me. I chose that verse because in my mind it sounded “good”. It really wasn’t my favorite, because I didn’t have one.

What amazes me is that I remember sitting in that back room so clearly. That I remember that verse that in my mind didn’t really mean a whole lot to me.  Now 23 years later I can see how God was right there with me in that room even though I didn’t know it.

Psalm 86:11 and the verses that follow hold more and more truths for me as I draw nearer to the Lord. It is my hearts desire to know God’s ways. I want a deep, unfathomable connection with my Savior. My desire for an intense relationship with my Lord increases daily as I pursue Him. It has become my heart’s cry that I may know His ways.

I have been hit hard with God wanting me to have an undivided heart. And so I am laying down my blogging for a season.

HARD!

I know the Lord doesn’t want me to stop writing. It is how I communicate with Him. It is how I pour my heart out to Him. But, he does want me to put aside my blogging for now. It has become a distraction and way too consuming.

I am learning so much. Yearning, stretching, reaching, longing for more of my God. May I give him and undivided heart so that He can teach me His good and perfect ways.

 

****I would like your opinion on Simply Saturdays. Here are the options…1) Someone else could host Simply Saturdays until I come back to blogging or 2) No Simply Saturday until I return. What do you think?  And are any of you interested in hosting? Please leave me a comment today and let me know what you think.

Now let’s see what you all came up with….

Lay It Down

It’s 80 degrees in early April. The air is alive with the rejoicing of hundreds of frogs.  Breezes blow through my hair and across the pages of my journal.  The sun beats down hot on my bent head and God speaks.

Have faith, come to me. Lay aside your busyness. Put away the distractions. Give up all your idols. Lay it down at my feet.

Come.

Raise your face, meet my gaze. Seek me. Commune with me.

Look deep inside. I have started embers in your heart. They are glowing. Come to me, search me, know me.  Trust me with your life. The glowing coals I have place in you will burst forth. I will fan the flames and My light will leap from your eyes. Burst forth from your heart till it consumes you, filling you, soothing you, urging you on to live for me.

My love for you is absolute. I am your covering. Wear me and know me. I will remove the enslaving fears and anxieties in you. Surrender is key. Trust me. I am your strong tower, your help and shield.

Come, the time is now. Sing a new song.

For months now I have felt the Lord urging me to lay my blog down. To walk away. For the past 3 years I have struggled with blogging becoming all consuming. I have used it as an escape. I have craved it for popularity and acceptance. I have spent hours absorbed when I should have been caring for my children.

It’s time to walk away. To lay aside my writing, for now.  Will this be permanent? I pray not, I don’t think so, but I don’t know. Maybe it will be a couple weeks or a month, maybe more.

God is calling me to spend more time with Him.  He is calling me to return to motherhood as it should be, not motherhood plugged in. And I am finally answering.  Finally putting it aside, ready with open heart and listening ears for what He has in store for me.

The hardest part, for me right now, is that I will miss all of you.  I will check up now and then, but I won’t be visiting every day. Which in return makes me worried wondering if there will be anyone left to read my writings if and when I do come back. But, I know in my heart that having scores of readers isn’t really what it is all about. And my longing for SCORES of readers is what created this addiction.

So now that I have scared you off with all my honesty let’s do a little housekeeping…

I will host Simply Saturday this week and then I will make arrangements for following weeks. I’m not sure what that will look like, but I will let you know as soon as it is taken care of.

I love you all and I will miss you, but I am looking forward to this time of freedom in Christ!

Praying For Our Children

Days, weeks actually, had passed and I realized I hadn’t been seriously praying for my children. Oh, I’d give a little shout out to the Lord about the one who needed help with his attitude or ask for healing for a sick little one, but I wasn’t spending deep, quality time lifting my children up to the Lord. Life in my home was reflecting my neglect.  Angry words and bad attitudes were abundant. Even I had jumped on the cranky bandwagon. Instead of feeling at peace in my home, I was wanting to run at top speeds out the front door….

For more of my latest article head on over to At The Well.

Simply Saturday~ 04/09

 

Welcome to Simply Saturday!  Would you like to participate?  Grab your camera and take a picture of anything that speaks to you of simplicity and/or home. Your post can be as wordy or as wordless as you like. You decide!  Then come back here and link up.

You are free to copy and paste the Simply Saturday button at the top of this blog.  And while your at it do you mind linking to my blog on your post, just to let others know where we are gathering! Thanks! :)

It's been a busy week here in the country....Much to do, much going on and this country gal has been in a constant state of motion.

So, this week I'm sharing some pictures of a quiet tea party spent one afternoon a couple weeks ago. We really need to have another!

Although the events that happened this week were good, I know I'll be glad for some quiet, simple afternoons next week.

How about you? What did you come up with this week for your Simply Saturday photo?

I will be away from my computer all day today...hopefully all will run well with the links and I will catch up with all of you on Sunday!

WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????????

Mr. Hollywood was sharpening his typing skills last week when he entered this title for a blog post. I know! He’s on fire, right! I just can’t seem to stop him! It seriously may be time for him to get his own blog!

Anyway, I had visions of this snappy, cute little post to match his amazing title, but then last week happened. Leaving us saying,

WHY!!!!????

We were getting ready to go on a little trip. A last hurrah before my ever popular hubby had to head back to work. The boys and I were finishing up some school and Joel was at the doctor’s getting his stitches out.

My youngest son happened to glance out the window (really not by chance since he is my sky gazer during school hours) and he saw the neighbors Great Dane in our yard.  I sent my oldest out to shoo him on home.

I began to wonder what was the matter, since the shooing process seemed to be taking longer than usual. Then my son burst through the door saying there was a black dog in our rabbit barn.  He couldn’t get the dog out, because every time we walked in the barn the dog growled fiercely at him.  I quickly threw on a coat and ran to the barn where I saw a dog crouched under one of the rabbit hutches baring his teeth at me. He growled the sort of growl that makes your skin crawl and your gut roll.

Long story short, the dog eventually came out and we were able to go in.  Sadly it was not a pretty scene.  Our newly bought Mini Rex buck’s (just 4 months old) feet were chewed up severely and he had either a broken hip or a broken back.  Our dear friend Charlie (also a Mini Rex) was completely missing one of her back legs. One of our Californians had a broken back. Others had minor nibbles and missing nails.  When it was all said and done we had to put three of our bunnies down.

There were a lot of WHYS!!!!???? that day.

A lot of anger.  A lot of tears.

And a perfect moment to teach.

That day provided me the opportunity to teach that it is okay to be angry. Even Jesus was angry. But, it is not okay to let our anger harm others or ourselves.

I was able to teach the importance of forgiveness. Even though we were upset over the death and wounds inflicted upon our rabbits, we needed to forgive our neighbors. It wasn’t their intention to harm our livestock.

It provided another opportunity for teaching the importance of being responsible for the animals in our care.

This day was the perfect opportunity for us to shine for Jesus. In all honesty, I’m pretty sure I didn’t do this perfectly at all times through this drama, but thank goodness my kids are good at listening to my apologies (sheepish grin inserted here)!

In the end, our neighbor came down, apologized and offered to pay for our loses.  Joel accepted their apology and thanked them for the offer of money but refused it.  I guess what touched me so much is the fact that our neighbor was profusely sorry and kept mentioning how sorry he was especially after all we had done to help them out recently. You see his wife has MS and his granddaughter (7) who also lives there with her parents has stage 4 cancer.  We have helped out where we can, showing God’s love and praying for them daily.  With the damage to our rabbits, God had provided an awesome opportunity for us to share the Lord Jesus Christ with them. 

Even though that day left us saying WHY, it taught so much! Isn’t that so much like God!

I Stand Accused…

I’m SO domestic!

Over the years I’ve heard from friends or acquaintances the words, “You are so domestic” or “What a Becky Homecky!”

Most often I take this as a compliment, but there has been a time or two when I had to squint one eye and scratch my head to try and figure out where they were going with that statement.

In my book being domestic is GOOD!  I feel feminine and strong, accomplished and helpful, capable and blessed to be domesticated! ;)

What, you ask, makes people proclaim such things about me?

I’m a cook and a baker.

I’m a gardener.

I’m a canner.

I’m a cleaner.

I’m a crocheter and novice sewer.

I’m a laundress.

But, most importantly…

I’m a Momma!

If all of these things make me domestic, I guess I’ll take the nomination!

 

And….if your interested…

I’ve added 3 new card sets to my shop Sycamore Lane.

Simply Saturday~ 04/02

 

 

Welcome to Simply Saturday!  Would you like to participate?  Grab your camera and take a picture of anything that speaks to you of simplicity and/or home. Your post can be as wordy or as wordless as you like. You decide!  Then come back here and link up. 

You are free to copy and paste the Simply Saturday button at the top of this blog.  And while your at it do you mind linking to my blog on your post, just to let others know where we are gathering! Thanks! :)

 

I love old, antique, floral teacups! 

I don’t actually drink tea out of them, since when I’m having tea I like a big ole’ mug full, but I do love to place them around the house.  I have one on top of a stack of old books. Another I have placed on one of my shelves of my Hoosier cabinet. Two more grace the ends of a shelf.  I just tuck them in here and there for a touch of antique-femininity! 

I’m thinking a tea party with my daughter, using these “fancy” cups would be right up her alley.  We could put on pretty dresses, lay a lovely blanket in the grass, make up some edibles and invite a few dollies and her brothers to join us for a beautiful spring time tea!

I think we’ll just have to do this! But, not until we get temps that are above the 40’s!  This momma doesn’t relish the idea of a cold, uncomfortable tea time!

What did you find in your home this week that spoke of simplicity?