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(Our memory verse from the last 2 weeks.)
Thank you all so very much for your condolences and your care for us. Of course the heartache and grief are huge right now for our family, but at the same time we are so grateful for the care that God has planned for our family. We have been overwhelmed with all of the beautiful flowers that were sent, the cards of support, phone calls of encouragement to “weep with those who weep”, the offers to help with our children, and all of the many things you have done that would make the list too long for a blog post. Many of you have just stepped in to care for our family in practical ways, both big and small, that we never even thought to ask for. Thank you so much.
A very good friend loaned me a book after our last miscarriage in October, and I have spent hours poring over it and reflecting on the words shared by the author. I have of course been re-reading this book, along with some scripture verses that were particularly helpful (Psalm 138:6-8, Psalm 139, and Habakkuk 3:17-19, to name a few).
One quote from this book has been with me constantly over the last few months, and I wanted to share it here…
…I have often asked why. Many things have happened which I didn’t plan on and which human rationality could not explain. In the darkness of my perplexity and sorrow I have heard Him say quietly, Trust Me. … He knows exactly what He is doing. I am clay. Let me remember that when I question God’s dealings. I don’t understand Him, but then I’m not asked to understand, only to trust. Bitterness dissolves when I remember the kind of love with which He has loved me – He gave Himself for me. He gave Himself for me. He gave Himself for me. Whatever He is doing now, therefore, is not cause for bitterness. It has to be designed for good, because He loved me and gave Himself for me.
- Elisabeth Elliot, Keep A Quiet Heart
The plague (flu) seems to have descended upon our house. At least descended upon Scott and myself. Oh dear.
Here are two great links, well worth reading. They are short and only take a minute.
Holiness and Humility from Amy’s Humble Musings. Very good. She has a wonderful way of wording truth.
Feminist Folly from Nancy Wilson. Also very good. The above comment on wording truth applies to this woman as well.
Something else. We are still looking at house plans, and have discovered this house. Dreamy! And even better, this house was featured in a book that we are looking at, Creating the Not So Big House. We were able to glance through it (the book, not the house) whilst on a date to the bookstore last weekend (thanks Mom and Dad!) and are very excited about it, so far.
In other news, we have moved Asher into the toddler bed. So far, he’s doing well, although he is dropping his morning nap which makes staying in bed a little harder for him. We’ll get it figured out.
Here he is, awake…
Awake…
Awake…
And he’s out. Sigh. Peaceful dreams.
Hope everyone is having a fabulous week!
We have recently discovered this song. I love the music, too…there is some banjo in there, and we love the sound of that around here. You can listen to an excerpt here, Track 4. You can also learn more about the music here.
The words are so excellent, and I just saw that the writer dedicated the song to his wife.
Whatever my God ordains is right
He never will deceive me
He leads me by the proper path
I know He will not leave me
I take content, what He has sent
His hand can turn my griefs away
And patiently I wait his day…
Here shall my stand be taken
Though sorrow, or need, or death be mine
Yet I am not forsaken
My Father’s care circles me there…
And so to Him I leave it all
-”Whatever My God Ordains is Right” from In A Little While.
This morning, I also found this little video. I have a feeling it’ll be a frequently-requested one once the girls get a glimpse of it. Might have to get the cd for the kids before too long…sounds like we might like these people.
Been busy with family in town, and futile attempts at cleaning out and organizing. Sigh. It’s so easy to make lists! But so hard to accomplish the items on them!
We had a great time with Scott’s family in town for New Years. There was a lot of reading,
and lots of playing,
(Ivy got The Little House on the Prairie paper dolls. I don’t know who was more excited about them…her or Mommy.)
(Asher sat for about an hour, intent on his new train and wooden toys.)
(Scott’s not in this picture, but he sure enjoyed video gaming with Jonathan. And that’s Asher, passing out a hug. He wobbled over to these two pretty often while the were sitting there, giving big snuggles and hugs.)
(We love to play games with the gang!)
and lots of thinking and talking…
(sometimes Charlotte will say out of the blue, “Mommy? I just love Aunt Abby.” Sometimes Aunt Mary’s name is substituted in there, too.)
Little Opa sat with Big Opa and talked with him for quite awhile.
We had a good time, Moonen family! We miss you!
So, are you all ready for the new year? Really? I am ready for Spring. It sure has felt like it here today, which doesn’t make me excited for the return of winter weather. All things in good time.
Ivy has been learning so many new things around the house the past few weeks. She helps in so many ways, almost like a little mommy herself. She is definitely more attuned to “mothering” things, like sheperding a toddling Asher and helping with housework. She puts things in the dishwasher, helps empty a clean dish load from it, too; she puts laundry away (including sorting and rolling socks! big accomplishment), switches laundry, gets things from various levels of the house and from the garage, and a host of other wonderful things. Her newest thing is feeding Asher a (very easy) meal. She loves it! A tiny task to everyone else, but in our family it is a huge help.
List of backlogged things I have been meaning to write about here, so I’ll go ahead and do it now.
:: I am excited to sew three big new projects this year. Wish I could share more, but the people these projects are going to read this blog, and we wouldn’t want to ruin a surprise!
:: I found this quote and thought it was great.
To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common — this is my symphony. -William Henry Channing
:: We got a Burpee seed catalog this week, and I took a minute to peruse the pages. Can’t wait to expand our garden in the spring!
:: On another sewing note, I am thinking about making Asher something to wear. The girls get all the clothing attention, don’t they? I just love this.
::
I just got done with this wonderful book, and I was so excited to get it and read it because it was recommended very highly by some women I greatly admire. (thanks for getting this for me, honey!) It’s by Ginger Plowman, who also wrote, among other wonderful things, Don’t Make me Count to Three. Also a very excellent, encouraging, challenging book.
This paragraph was rather convicting for me. The context is on the importance of keeping a home neat and orderly, with an emphasis on Christ-centeredness at the same time we’re doing all that cleaning. Emphasis mine.
“Self-reliance presents a great danger. Having a clean, organized home does not make for a more righteous or godlier woman. To think that it does is to glorify in oneself and one’s own ability rather than in Christ alone. It’s to suggest that somehow our barometer of holiness and perhaps even our salvation are measured by our own achievements. It’s tempting for those of us who feel we stay on top of things to place our value and worth in our daily accomplishments, but this misconception substitutes self-reliance for God’s grace. A good indicator that our happiness and satisfaction are wrapped up in self-reliance is how we feel when self-performance fluctuates. In other words, when we have a productive day, our confidence soars; when we do not have a productive day, it dwindles and brings us down emotionally. Our confidence should not be staked in who we are and what we have done, but in who Christ is and what he has done. To place our own abilities and accomplishments as the determinant of our worth is to place an idol between us and God. It’s to base our salvation on ourselves and our own performances, rather than on the redemptive power of the gospel and the blood of Jesus Christ. … [But] to proclaim oneself a failure by lack of achievement is to [also] assume that achievement is our means of approval. … [Our acceptance before God] has nothing to do with the work we do or don’t do, but the work that Jesus did and continues to do in and through us.” -p 209
And a great quote I got from a friend this week.
“What to do with your preschoolers? Cuddle them. Talk to them. Answer their questions. Play games. Read picture books. Let them help bake bread, sort socks, and plant the garden. Make play dough. Sing silly songs. Feed the birds. Scribble with crayons and sidewalk chalks. Experiment with finger paint. And just watch: Amazingly, as they grow from infants to toddlers…they will acquire an ever-expanding vocabulary and amass an astonishing fund of knowledge. In comfortable everyday fashion, they’ll learn to count to ten, absorb the names of shapes and colors, memorize nursery rhymes, and the words to “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” and the alphabet…Chances are they’ll learn more in an afternoon spent making mud in the sandbox than they will from even the best-designed curriculum…Kids grow up fast. Cherish these early years while you’ve got them. Henry David Thoreau could have been speaking to the parents of small children when he touted the beauties of daily living and the importance of taking time to pay heed to the marvel taking place about you. ’It is a great art,’ Thoreau once wrote, ‘to saunter.’ Such is my advice for the preschool curriculum: Saunter. Hold hands and giggle while you’re doing it, and bring some bread along to feed the ducks.”
– Rebecca Rupp, Home Learning Year by Year
Scott made a swing for the girls in our back yard and boy, is it popular! We are having to deal with some sharing issues over this swing, and this is happening constantly but it’s good practice.
It’s been one of “those” weeks so far. Why does it seem like the spilled milk glasses, owies, meltdowns, new teeth, shopping trips that try the patience of anyone, and exhaustion all come in the same week? Typical of my life: I hollered “Good morning!!!!” (loudly) out the back door to our neighbor… and it was 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Sigh. I have bumped my head almost every day, dropped nearly everything I’ve touched, forgotten important things at the store, and can’t seem to get caught up on anything this week.
We got the new Caedmon’s Call album from a friend, and one of the songs is great. It’s titled “Sacred” and I’ll take a few lines from it and put them here: “this house is a good mess / it’s the proof of life / no way would I trade jobs / but it don’t pay overtime / could it be that everything is sacred? / teach me to run to You like they run to me for every little thing / Lord make me like a stream / to feed the garden…”
I need to think about this for awhile: “Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace.” — Jerry Bridges
God’s grace is evident to me in many, many ways. I am grateful for chubby hugs, sleeping babies, drooly kisses, quiet afternoons, a successful trip to the store (complete with compliments on obedience from kind elderly ladies), and a vacation coming up in a couple days. God’s grace also looks like it might be in the form of a spontaneous accountability meeting tonight with a good friend, over cheesecake (mmm) and coffee. Just don’t tell these people about the cheesecake.
We’re back! And had a wonderful time. What a beautiful area, Deep Creek Lake. Best quote of the trip: Charlotte saying “Mommy? What’s that big black thing?” “That’s a mountain, honey!” Don’t see many of those around here, nope.
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The nights were chilly and dreamy, stars were bright, and the house was comfortable. Our week was filled with secret paths; playing in the woods; collecting blackberries, fern fronds and leaves; sitting by the fire with friends; beautiful scenery; and walks. Perfect. Fall can now begin.
We try to collect quotes and articles that speak truth, especially in a provoking way. Occasionally we come across something that is worth writing down, and I found one in an old file this morning: Martin Lloyd Jones says, “I must never ask myself in the first instance: What do I feel about this? The first question is, Do I believe it?”
Not sure yet how that will apply to my day, apart from a reminder not to react to situations with my first impulse (usually based on emotions) but instead to preach truth to myself (a verse, the gospel). “Do I believe it?” Do I believe that what I am doing is much bigger than what I see around me? Do I believe that God is good in every situation, whether I can see encouragement or not?
My cup of coffee is ready (we got this brand from Trader Joe’s…very good). The day begins!
Does anyone have a quote that is just really great?
Accept, positively and actively, what is given. Let thanksgiving be the habit of your life. Such acceptance is not possible without a deep and abiding belief in the sovereign love of God. Either he is in charge, or he is not. Either he loves us, or he does not. If he is in charge and loves us, then whatever is given is subject to his control and is meant ultimately for our joy.
-Elisabeth Elliot
