Grateful Acres

My little clan has been classic, summer busy lately. After a much-too-busy week last week, we have made valiant efforts to be a little less so this week. I could tell my boys were a little out of sorts from all the fun, and I knew full well that I was too. {I'm discovering that I'm a bit more of an introvert than I thought!} We spent a day or two mostly at home, catching up on sleep and laundry, but something was still a bit off in my oldest. He wasn't his usual self, but I couldn't figure out what the missing piece was... I closely watched his attitudes and reactions, amongst the usual behavior corrections. Part way through the morning I pulled him in to my chest and squeezed him tight, " Little boy?"  Mommy I'm a big boy. "Big boy? Something seems a little off in you today..." I know, Mom, and I just don't know what :( "Well... if you figure out what it is, let me know and I'll help you fix it." kay. And off he goes t...

I've been talking with my kids about how sin destroys relationship. God's list of "do-not"s aren't for us to have religious rules to follow, but to guide us into hurting others less. If we skim over the 10 Commandments, the heart behind each of them is to protect the hearts of others: do not steal, do not envy, do not murder... I've been teaching my kids that when they are selfish or mean with each other that it damages their "buddy-ness", and when they are disobedient or disrespectful to me, it damages our relationship too. I've been guiding them into going back and repairing relationships when they realize that they have damaged them. A week or so ago I had a particularly rough morning with one of them, and the yuck piled up. As we clashed, worked it out, clashed, worked it out, each time a little remnant of "yuck" was left behind. I began to get discouraged, feeling the strain that all that discipline was putting on our relations...

When I was 18 I traveled half way across the world with my Uncle and his family to their home and mission field, Papua New Guinea. I was excited to experience such simple, beautiful, tribal life. I had arrangements to help teach a missionary family homeschool co-op, to help my cousins with their school work, to teach piano lessons, and to bring a handful of worship music to teach to the church. One of the nights that we gathered portions of the church together to learn the new songs is burned vividly into my memory. I was SO green and young (and probably sunburned), standing up front with my keyboard and small, shaky voice. My God was with me, and with a deep breath of courage I taught them: Here I am to worship Here I am to bow down Here I am to say that You're my God  It was so, so incredible to look out into their black, black open faces. The children sat in front, and their eyes were wide and receptive. As soon as they could pick up the tune, they sang out with their...

Her body was broken, but far worse her heart had been aching for far too long. She had felt waves of weariness, despair, unworthiness. She tired of praying for relief, and she faded into the crowd- unimportant, unseen, her beauty and value passed over. The deeper she fell into isolation, the deeper the enemy's lies penetrated into her heart. A Healer passed through the crowd that had swallowed her up. He weaved through the throng of people, and she watched Him. She knew He carried hope and power. She knew He was gentle and magnificent. As unworthiness washed over her again, she held her tongue and quieted the urge to call out to Him. Her hope had not completely died. Desperation pressed her to reach out her hand as He passed. She was desperate to simply feel His passing. She yanked back her hand and hid among the crowd again. She was tingling and warm, and assumed it was embarrassment for her bold move. Then the Healer stopped. He turned and called out to find the one that...

She skipped and spun with her arms in the air, complete with little elbow-dimples. Her dress frilled out around her in little white layers as she spun. Beautiful green eyes peered out from wispy brown hair and chubby, round cheeks. Grinning, she danced unashamed. Joy, simplicity, and beauty surrounded her. On Sunday morning (Mother's Day!) I thanked God for the children He is letting me raise on earth, and asked Him to give little Evelyn a Mother's Day kiss for me. During a dancing song at church God answered me, and gave me a Mother's Day gift I will never forget! I had my eyes closed, and for just an instant, God let me see my beautiful Evelyn! My movement began to slow, and then stopped. My whole body felt like it was holding it's breath, hoping to hang on to the glimpse just for one moment more... I was a little in shock- I hadn't expected this amazing, unforgettable gift! Evelyn is two today! Happy Birthday, beautiful girl! I KNOW your day was filled with ...

I used to talk with older-wiser-more-seasoned Moms, and wonder at how they could forget some of the details of the early stages of parenting. Most remembered in vivid colors their birth stories, the night wakings, babies first words, their kids' comfort items, a few foods their toddler refused to eat, and one or two horror stories of crazy things their kids did. I wanted to know HOW they taught their children to be obedient, HOW LONG it took to train them to do certain things. I wanted to hear about their break-down moments, what they did on desperate days, I wanted to soak up their recounting of how God taught them along the way how to do such a marvelous job of raising wild little beasts into godly men and women. I would think, "HOW could they forget?? How is it possible to NOT remember the pain of childbirth, the stinging scratch of tiny fingernails on hot, sweaty summer skin while rocking and bouncing a frustrated, crying infant, HOW do they forget the feelings of "...

I've forgotten much of the terminology, but some of my best childhood memories took place on sailboats. My dad and one of my brothers built a small one a few handfuls of years ago, and we took several family vacations sailing a big, rented one around the San Juan Islands. I love being blasted by the wind, I love leaning out the side of a boat to keep the wind from flattening it to the water, I love the sound the water makes against the sides, I love the bobbing of a boat that is not "under weigh"... I love it. If you've sailed before, you'd know that it's not the most... direct form of travel. Sometimes you're out in the middle of a lake, and the wind totally disappears. Sometimes the current of a river is going the wrong direction in relationship to the wind, and you can't get where you'd like to. Sometimes you have great wind going TO your destination, and end up rowing (or drifting) the whole way back. It is a beautiful form of travel (and rec...