Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Paradigm Shift--- A life-changing truth has burst through to my mind.

I have had an epiphany.

A life-changing truth has burst through to my mind.

For sometime now I have been struggling with an issue. My mind and heart have been consumed with the thought of it.

Tonight, quite out of the blue, the Lord made a truth known to me.

If something is to happen in my life... whether or not a hope is to come true... it is all in the Lord's hands. 
He has made it very clear to me that He loves me so very much and KNOWS what is best for me. 

If He wants me to have something, it will happen. 
If it isn't in His will, it will not happen. 
Period.

No longer do I need to think I want, I want, I want, nor do I need to beat myself up for thinking it. I can go about my days joyfully thanking Him for what He has done for me and I can rest knowing that He lovingly has the very best planned for me (in order to bring Him glory-- which is what this life is all about.)

This is indeed a paradigm shift for me. --One in which once again God has broke through and showed me His awesome love for me.
It is so good to know Him...



Monday, August 22, 2011

On a new journey....

Being in the season of life I am is a bit scary, yet it is exciting too. Any new journey holds elements of both emotions-- apprehension over what is to come and excitement at the thought of something new.

I've gone from career woman to stay at home Mom to home educator and now my role is mostly one of homemaker. I enjoy my life. I do. Matter of fact, I think for the most part, I am living the good life.

I am not one who cares for material things (I have other vices, let me assure you.). As long as basic needs are met financially, I'm a happy woman. I am very content to do the majority of my clothes shopping at Thrift Stores. I love the challenge of finding something cute that fits.  At my favorite shop, all the clothes are 50 cents a piece. Fantastic. Even my limited budget allows that. Also, I enjoy gardening and freeze and can nearly all our veggies for the winter months from my one small garden. Throughout the summer, we eat a lot of salad made with fresh greens... I plan to plant some nice dark greens inside this fall to enjoy throughout the winter as well. (I had poor results with this attempt last winter but am determined to try again.) Wild game is frequently on my dinner menu, although I do enjoy a good beef hamburger on occasion. I would really like to raise a meat goat or 2 and some chickens for meat as well. Right now, I have 8 beautiful Rhode Island Red ladies that are getting older but still producing all our egg needs plus about an extra 2 dozen or so a week I either sell or give a way. So, with these needs met, I have no desire to go back out into the career world for monetary reasons.

Each day tends to be filled with opportunity and I enjoy a variety of activities. A good deal of my time is spent on household chores, cooking, and gardening, but I do have time for other pursuits as well....

Reading. Casually, yes, but mostly for research. I have an unquenchable desire for knowledge that I must always keep in check or else I would spend too much time learning about various subjects that have no real application to my life (Re: the life of Voltaire, nuclear fision, the Spanish inquisition, etc.)

Writing. I have had a few bits published and would enjoy pursuing that a bit more but at present I am content just writing little blog posts and notes in my notebooks.

Making all-natural soaps. My favorite is a coconut and olive oil soap with calendula blossums and clove bud essential oil. Smells amazing and is so good for your skin!

Baking bread. I love to experiment with artisan type breads and multi-grains. If I had a market for these, I would enjoy baking and selling a few dozen loaves a week.

Working with children and volunteering in my community. I love people! I so enjoy meeting new and different people, chatting with them and hopefully having the opportunity to share a little bit about my precious Lord and what He has done for us.  I look forward to being involved with a new children's ministry at my church this fall and enjoy working in the ladies' ministry at my church.

Kayaking and firearms. New passions... so fun!!

Making handbags from upcycled materials. It is so fun to go into a thrift shop and look at clothes and see a potential handbag. This is a creative-bent I greatly enjoy. Although, I mainly enjoy sewing in the fall and winter, having little desire for it in the warmer months.

So as you can see, my life is anything but dull...being a homemaker is fun, inventive, challenging, tiring, dirty, hard work, satisfying, fulfilling.... hmmm... maybe this new season isn't so bad after all.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Where do I go from here?

 

In less than three weeks, my youngest son will be married. In May, my oldest son graduated from college. He is recently engaged and will be married July 2012. 

Wow. 

It is not that I am not happy for my sons and these changes in their lives but I'm not sure if I'm ready for the transition in MY life. That may be a selfish admission but it is the truth.

Having become a mother for the first time at age 19, it seems as though I have always defined myself as a mother. Certainly this is true for my adult years. Although I would have planned on waiting a bit longer to start the journey of motherhood, I did expect to travel this road a bit longer than I have (with more children was my hope.) Many of my peers have younger children and are still in the thick of it, while I am at the end of the road. 


I went from being a single, working Mother to a cloth-diapering, breast-feeding, at-home Momma to a home-educating Mom. Those transitions were natural and I embraced them. (I loved being on the cusp of the home education movement. Others having blazed the trail before me. I have always enjoyed doing things a bit out of the main-stream.) But now.... 



How do I define myself now? What is my purpose? In this new season of life, what exactly is the next journey I am setting out on?




Saturday, August 20, 2011

Thankfulness - Eucharisteo


I have been reading
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.



Each page is like poetry...so deep..so thoughtful.

This book has struck a (deep) chord with me.
Making me inspect my thankfulness in a new light... 
Am I truly thankful to God for what He has so generously given me? 

"Charis. Grace. 
Eucharisteo. Thanksgiving.
Chara. Joy.  

A triplet of stars, a constellation in the black.

A threefold cord that might hold a life? Offer a way up into the fullest life?

Grace, thanksgiving, joy.

Eucharisteo.

A Greek word...

that might make meaning of everything?" p.33

Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Maine Woods, Simply Beautiful

I'm just back from a walk in the woods. 
Everything is so beautiful out there right now... 
From the lush green of the moss carpeting the path...to the rain drops sparkling on the ferns...to the dappling sunshine on the birch trees... 
~overwhelming beauty given to us from God.
I don't need to travel the world to see great examples of art and beauty. 
They are literally out my back door.
~~~~~~~~
Thankful Thursday