Almost Mid-Week...Preparing for Take off!

         

                                                The five masked children! 

                                                          Teen group on the back church lawn 

Sunday...gone. Monday...disappeared. Tuesday...today! Whew! It’s been a whirlwind off activity the last few days. Sunday was our first back-with-kids Sunday school class. We did not have a whole lot of children, as five of them were ours, but the time together was special. We are studying about Jonah. I never realized until I was studying for the lesson that when Jonah decided to flee to Tarshish, he was going 2500 miles the WRONG way! He did not just not want to go to Nineveh -he really DID NOT want to go! Yet, God still used the disobedient prophet and showed him great mercy. That mercy is the same for you and me. I don’t know about you, but I am praying often and fervently for God to have mercy on our land! 

Sunday night we had teen group. It was a humid and sticky night, but we all had a great time running around playing ultimate frisbee, roasting hotdogs and s’mores over the fire, sharing prayer requests and listening to God’s Word. I’ve missed these teens, and we were happy to see some of them again on Sunday night. 

Monday brought about a day off for Roger, some much needed rain, and lots of activities to get ready for our trip to Wisconsin! Emma packed about everything in her dresser for the trip, and Travis brought along a practically empty suitcase so he can bring “stuff” home! We are flying with Southwest, and since two bags fly free, we might as well have extra space. I don’t know about you, but nothing ever packs the same when we are coming home! We are looking forward to spending a few days with my family in Wisconsin. It’s been almost a year since most of our kids have been out to Wisconsin, so I’m sure it will be a delightful time. It’ll also be a crazy fast ten days! 

Tuesday. Our flight doesn’t leave until around four, but Roger’s parents were making a delivery in Maine about one and one-half hours from our house. It was kinda on the way to the airport, so we met up with them for lunch and then headed to the airport. It’s been a while since we’ve been able to see Rogers parents so it was good to have a few minutes to visit. 

Roger dropped us off at the airport early, so that’s where we are now...at the airport. We made it through security, even with the masks on! This was Garett’s first time wearing a mask, as he has not gone anywhere where he’d need to wear one. Garett hasn’t even been to Walmart since February. He hates shopping, so he’s only gone with Roger, church, and swimming,,,that’s about it! They all have plenty of snacks and water, so I’m sure that they’ll be eating their way to Wisconsin! I forgot that I had pepper spray in my purse, but I remembered before we went through security. I hated to throw it away, but such is life. Travis told me that he was so relieved that the beeping thing didn’t go off in security. He says, “I don’t like that because I feel like something is wrong but I don’t know how to fix it.” Ha. I know the feeling! Airport security personnel are not known for their friendliness to start with, but I’m pretty sure that wearing a mask makes them grumpier! All in all, we made it through security without any major hiccups and we are now waiting for our plane to take off. 

I’m not sure how you’re feeling these days, but I often feel like I am experiencing deep sadness and even grief for our nation. These are unsettling times, so I’m thankful that I rest in a God Who is unchanging, ever merciful and loving. I rest in that! 

We sang this song again on Sunday, and I have come to treasure the truths in this song. 

Here

Tired but Happy!

Tired but happy boys! (Dirty too) 

             

                                 

       

                                                    

                  This is about the only picture I have from today...but the table looked nice. 😀😊

Today was the day of the baby shower that I hosted at our house. I was reminded of how much I enjoy opening our home, and also how much effort it is to get ready! The house looked pretty nice, but I did tell our children to stop touching stuff! I made some meatballs for the shower last night, but they never made it to the shower...we ended up eating them for supper! It was a new recipe, and they were delicious! 

This morning started off with doing work around the house, making food, and preparing for the shower. Garett and Chandler asked if I could bring them to their job around ten, so we aimed for that. We stopped at a yard sale on the way (all of our kids love heard sales-except Garett!). I had to pick up some balsamic vinegar to finish off a recipe, so it was kinda a blessing that I needed to bring the boys to work. Then we came home, and I finished up the rest of the food and finished cleaning. The boys and Emma were going to a friends house during the shower, so that was a fun for them and a blessing to me! I’m thankful that Annah was willing to have an additional three children at her house for the afternoon! Back home again to do the last minute things, and I actually got to sit down for a few minutes. 

We had about sixteen ladies come to the shower, so that was a good turnout. It was a fun time of fellowship, laughter, food and fun! It was a privilege to have the opportunity to bless this mama and her new baby, and I’m thankful for each one that was able to come and be a part of the event. I am also very tired, and I’m hoping for an early bedtime tonight! 

After the shower, I went to pick up Garett and Chandler from their job...and they were happy to report that they had finished the job. They’ve been busy at it and their goal was to finish before they left for Wisconsin! It’s such a blessing that they were able to work for a Christian man and a friend of ours, and it was a good experience for our boys. Wyatt is anxiously waiting for his turn to go to work, but we keep reminding him to enjoy where he is now. Eventually God will provide the opportunities for Wyatt also. 

We wrap up a full week with rejoicing and tired hearts. We look forward to going to Wisconsin next week, and spending time with family there. 

Days of WORK!

Travis announced to me yesterday that last week felt like a “lot of fun” and this week feels like a “lot of work”! Ha! I can see how he feels that way, as it’s just the way it’s been this week. Garett and Chandler have been faithfully working on a project for some friends of ours. They’ve been getting up early, working for a few hours, and then coming home. Yesterday they did some in the morning, and then some at night. They want to finish the project before leaving for Wisconsin, and Roger and I have been very pleased with their diligence. 

Yesterday, the kids and I, along with one of our Pastor’s sons, went to do some work for an older lady in our church. Actually, it wasn’t for her, but rather for a friend of hers that is also a veteran. I don’t think any of our children were overly thrilled with the thought of going to do several hours of yard work, but they did not voice their thoughts. It was a blessing to have Austin along, as sometimes having a friend along can make a job more pleasant. The kids and I spent several hours pulling weeds, moving brush, weed whacking, raking, oh, it was good hard work! Everyone was hot and tired after several hours, but they all stuck with it. I’m pretty sure Emma ate most of the snacks while her brothers were working! I rewarded the kids with some lunch from Burger King, and that all thought that was good pay! It was a good opportunity to show the love of Jesus through hard work, good attitudes, and a thankful heart for the veteran that had served our country. 

Garett and Chandler headed back over to their other “job” around six, and they worked for a few hours. Chandler ended up stepping on a nail that went right through his shoe. The boys have a phone, and they could’ve called me to tell me about the nail incident. Instead Chandler rinsed it out well with water, wrapped it up and kept working until the two hours was over and I picked them up. I’ll admit I was a little concerned about the nail, but the nail did not go in very deep. He’s done a good job of keeping it clean, and while it bothered him today, I think it’s mostly because he’s still using it. It’s not red, swollen or overly irritated. We will keep a close eye on it, but it’s just another day around here! 

We are having a baby shower at our house tomorrow, and I think that makes my children spend more time outside! I think they figure that if they’re outside, it’s less likely that mom will ask them to clean something! I’ve been busy with prepping food, planning a few things, cleaning and decorating. Travis did ask me why we were mopping the floors. “Everyone is going to get them all dirty again!” Sometimes, his thinking is quite humorous! 

It’s been a beautiful week here, but wow, we could really, really use some rain! We’ve been watering our plants and berry bushes every day, and the lakes and ponds are looking rather low. We are thankful for all the sunshine, but we will rejoice when the rain comes too. 

We are heading to Wisconsin on Tuesday. Roger is not coming with us as summer is a busy time of year for him. Our kids are very excited to see Nana and Papa and aunt Jen! I’m sure it will be a full and busy week and the ten days will fly by! 

I’ve removed the Facebook app off my phone this week. The negativity is getting to be over the top, and no one has nothing nice to say to anyone but especially if you don’t agree with them! Do I think it’s time to take a stand? Yes, I absolutely do. But wasting time arguing with people is not helping! Yes, I have opinions and deep, deep concerns, but I think my time can be better spent right now in much prayer and meditation on Gods Word. A friend sent me a message the other day reminding me of the song that “God sees the Storm from the Other Side”. I am so glad He does! He might not choose to spare our land or give us the mercy that I’ve been pleading for, but He does promise to go beside us. And who knows? Maybe God will chose to send a great and amazing revival through our land...that’s my prayer. 

I don’t know what the Coronavirus stats are in Maine today because I did not feel like checking! I already know that regardless of how few or how many cases that have been discovered that will be the headline and not the recoveries! I can read the news across our nation, and I gather that there are spikes in several states. If you’re already concerned that would probably be alarming, but the other side of the news is that the death count does not seem to be rising as quickly....less severe cases? 

We’ve been studying through Nehemiah as a church family, and I have been so blessed by that book of the Bible. Talk about a man faced with adversity! Yet, he prayed ...and he prepared! It was not just a call out to God for help and wisdom, but also a preparing of the people and setting a “guard”. That’s what my thoughts are on tonight. Praying, preparing and setting a “guard”. We serve the Almighty God, so let’s rejoice and act on that! 

Days of Summer

                                                                 Date Night! 

Today I struggle with finding the right words to even write...hmm...a right and a write?! My heart is just so very full as we look at events across our land. “America, the Beautiful” are you still? Just in the last week alone, rioters and acts of  violence have rampaged our country. Clearly, we’ve not taught history as mobs of angry people seek to destroy national monuments. I absolutely believe that we have made mistakes as a nation, but the solution is not to just destroy everything! Maybe the solution is to ACTUALLY Teach history?! It seems to me that a lot of the monuments being torn down actually have nothing to do with slavery or black lives but rather with anger, disrespectfulness and hatred. Did you know that if you don’t like or agree with a law, policy or monument there is a procedure process that you’re supposed to follow? News alert...if you don’t like something, you’re not supposed to be allowed to destroy it! 

For sure, the root of the problem is that we are all sinners. There is none righteous, and we are all gone astray (two different verses there). Because man is sinful, we need laws. When the laws fail to be upheld, chaos ensues! I don’t know about you, but that’s where I feel we are today-in chaos! I hold to the promise that God is not the author of confusion, and that He sees the bigger picture. He truly sees the storm from the other side. However, since I’m on the storm side at the moment, it’s my responsibility to cling to my Anchor (Jesus). I am also praying fervently and diligently that God will give grace to America, and that the “silent majority” (if there is one) will start standing and speaking louder! 

Well, you’re probably not reading this blog to get my take on our nation, so I’ll tell you about our family. Roger had the day off yesterday and we spent the day doing errands, working around the house, and I was able to go to T.J. Max and use my gift card from my birthday. I had such a good time wandering around the store, picking up 500 things, and setting them back down. I did find some really good deals, and even bought a few Christmas presents. Chandler and Garett are working on a job for a friend of ours this week. They are cleaning out an old barn. It’s dirty, hard work, and just the perfect kind of job for our kids. Life is not all roses and fun jobs, so it’s good to have jobs that aren’t as pleasant.Regardless of whether or not you like the job, it’s a reflection on your character to do the job and do it well. I’ve been impressed with the two boys. They asked me to take them early in the morning (around 6:00am.) and they work for a few hours. They seem to be doing a good job and actually working well together. They have a few more mornings of work before they’ll be done with the job. Their goal is to finish it before we leave for Wisconsin next week. 

Roger and I went on a date last night. It was our first date in over twelve weeks...we went to Home Depot! Restaurants haven’t been open around here, and it doesn’t seem like nearly as fun of a date to eat your food in the car! We left the kids at home and went to the hardware store to get a few things for a project Roger is working on. While it was not wildly exciting, it was nice to have some time to ourselves without “ears in the cornfield” as my dad would say. Growing up I could never understand why my parents would stay out in the car talking while we kids went in the house. Now I understand! Our children are naturally nosy, so between the five of them, we often feel like we have “ears in the cornfield”! 

Roger was working today, so I took Garett and Chandler to their job. I went to get a few things for a baby shower that I am hosting on Saturday, and then came home. It’s overcast and foggy today, so I’m feeling ready for a nap. But instead we did a few pages of school, mowed grass, worked on the laundry, folded clothes, and cleaned! 

In closing, yes there are days when I am weary and my soul feels weighted down. However, I can also rest in knowing that God wants me to bring my burdens to Him. He cares about the feathers on a sparrow, so we can rest in knowing that He truly cares for us. 

                             Doing summer work is not their favorite, but we are working through it! 

Day #Play dates, Bad Attitudes and Poor Parenting...just keeping it real!

                                                 Pancakes for supper! 

                                                             Working on a class! 

                                                  Thankful for this dear friend

“When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast.” Here

If you’ve never heard this song, I highly recommend it. One thing that gives me great comfort these days is music. I often play it on my phone at home or take a minute to play a song through on the piano. I am thankful for friends to pray with, music to speak to me, the Holy Spirit to convict, and His Word to read and ponder. 

This morning I had plans to just putter around the house (yeah, right...who does that?!) I am hosting a baby shower at the end of the week, so I’m on a bit of a mission to clean up, throw out, and prepare for that. I am very much looking forward to hosting the shower, as I don’t think we’ve done that at our house here in Maine yet. However, Travis told me it was a bit early in the week to be cleaning for the baby shower. “Mom, we’re kinda messy, so it’ll probably get dirty before the shower.” Well then my son, you need to keep it cleaner! 

Anyways, as I was out for my walk this morning, I got a text from my friend, Ashley. She had a few things that she wanted to give to our kids (food!), so I asked if she was busy this morning. I invited her over for lunch and a visit. Our kids were happy to see her children, and they all spent the morning running in and out, laughing and playing. Ashley and I enjoyed the morning visiting together. It was a special morning to be able to talk through some of the recent events in our state and in our nation. We didn’t solve any of the problems, but it was such a blessing to have someone to share those concerns, and it was encouraging to talk to another mom of boys and know that we are both wanting the same thing- to raise up a generation that will be strong in the Lord, passionate about Jesus, and love Him fervently. I don’t know that the future holds. Looking at the recent events in our history is cause for great concern, but I do know that we need to the next right things for today. Love and serve Jesus. 

I took the children with me over to the school this afternoon, as we needed to move some stuff around in the preschool room. Since half the room is carpet and the other half is tile, it means that first we have to move all the stuff off the carpet to the tile. Then a man in our church graciously shampooed and cleaned the carpet for us. Today we needed to move all the stuff off the tile floor and to the carpet side. Once the tile floor has been cleaned and buffed, we can put everything back to prepare for the fall. (We are still waiting for directions from the state as to what the recommendations are for schools in the fall.) Please keep praying! Again, we rest in knowing that God is in control. 

Wyatt made supper tonight. He made pancakes, and he had fruit and yogurt to go with the pancakes. He did a good job with the supper, and there was nothing left. I mean nothing! Over thirty pancakes, three pounds of berries, and a large family size container of yogurt...and this is why we don’t eat leftovers. There is nothing left for leftovers even when we try to make a lot! These boys are growing! 

One of our children is really struggling with a bad attitude issue. Bad attitudes are a result of a heart condition so that is concerning to us as parents. Sometimes it’s hard to have the right response as a parent because I just want my child to “fix their problem” and “straighten up their attitude”. But I’m looking for more than an outward response, I want them to recognize that their bad attitude is something much deeper than the actions that come from that. Often it seems like parenting is getting harder and not easier! When they were all so little the consequence came quickly after the action (lying, disobedience, etc.) but now I’m finding that I want to discover why the response is happening. Why were they motivated to disobey, be unkind, disrespectful, etc.? I want to point them to Jesus, but often my flesh wants to respond in a way that does not help the situation. “be ye angry and sin not.” “A soft answer turneth away wrath” “let your speech be with grace”. Oh, yes, I still have plenty to learn in my own life! And so often the actions that I see in my children are the exact same things that I also struggle with in my life. Plenty to work on around here! 

Unexpected Blessings & Father's Day

Praise the Lord-it’s Sunday! Sunday has a whole new meaning for us now that we are going back to meeting in the church building. We will start back with children’s Sunday school next week, but to be totally honest, I have enjoyed the long morning before heading to church. It’s allowed for a run every Sunday, time in the Word, and breakfast all before the church service. (I can understand why church habits are so important!) The other side is that I think Sunday school is a special time to really dig into God’s Word, and it’s important for our children also. We will be gearing up for a special summer Sunday school series as we’ve missed out on Vacation Bible School. So, I know that once we reestablish the habits, it will be easier. I had the opportunity to sing along with some of the music at church today, and that was a special blessing. I’m also learning a lot. 1) I much prefer to have music to look at than slides to sing to! 2) Even if I know the songs, I do much better if I can sing through them ahead of time. 3) Music speaks to the soul (already knew that but today was a good reminder of that.) I was again blessed today through the music and the preaching of Gods Word. Our pastor is preaching on Nehemiah, and I’ve enjoyed the sermons in on Nehemiah. Talk about a man that faced opposition, fear and nay-sayers...yet he pressed on for the Glory of God! Don’t quit Christians! 

Yesterday was warm, no actually, it was hot! It felt like we were suddenly dumped into summer and the heat and humidity were both high! We did not go to the beach or the lake, as we had things that we needed to work on around home. Garett and I did trash, the boys created some pools in the back yard using tarps, and they spent time going in and out of the house. Travis realized that he had had a little too much sunshine as he has a bad sunburn on his shoulders. Roger came home from work exhausted from the heat, but yet he still went to pick up a bed that we had been given as well as a freezer (but not from the same people!). I had mentioned to my friend, Hannah, earlier this week that I was having such a hard time finding a freezer, but yet I would enjoy having one so that I could stock up on a few things -stock up- not HOARD! She stared at me for a second and then said, “oh, We have one you can have.” What?! I hadn’t even spent a whole lot of time even praying for a freezer as both Sams Club and Lowe’s said that they’ve been back ordered on freezers for at least fourteen weeks! It was an amazing answer to prayer, and one that I am very, very excited about! Then later this week when we were at Allison’s lake, Annah mentioned that they had been given a very nice king size bed, but they didn’t think that they wanted it. Annah asked if we would want it, and I’m happy to report that I said I’d ask Roger first!  So, Roger brought home the king size bed, frame, box spring, mattress pad and sheets on his way home from work. He and the boys unloaded that and then Roger and I went to pick up the freezer. It was a very, very late night, but both items were unexpected blessings! 

Roger was working today, so we did not stay after church for the picnic lunch this week. Instead we went to the airport to have lunch with Roger (and to pick up Travis). It’s not ideal-Roger working on Sundays, but we both know that this is just for a season. Since Roger spent the early part of the week with his brother, Nate, he worked the last half of the week. However, next Sunday we will all be planning on attending church together! (And then the next Sunday, I’ll be gone with the kids!) It was an interesting Father’s Day since Roger was working, but the kids all made him cards this afternoon. The boys also helped me take down the bed that was in our room, set up the king size bed and move the other bed all the way down to the basement. Now we have a nice guest room in the basement all ready for guests. Who’s coming?! 

Travis’s skin is blistered, and he was not able to go to church this morning as wearing a shirt was very difficult! Since Roger had to work today (Sunday) I dropped Travis off at the airport. He managed to put on a shirt when we came to the airport for lunch and for a picture, but he’s pretty much been shirtless all day. I feel really badly that he’s been so miserable, but we both learned a lesson to apply more sunscreen. I would probably do well to also invest in a water swim shirt for him. Chandler very rarely very gets a sunburn, and I don’t usually either. I did get a little red on Friday, but nothing that was too bothersome. I guess we all learned a lesson about easing into summer! (But summer here in Maine will probably disappear next week!) 

I’m thankful for Roger’s quiet leadership, hard working ethics, character traits of honesty and integrity and how he is trying to instill those in our boys. We fail....often miserably...at being parents, but Gods mercies are new every morning. We are thankful for children that forgive easily, enjoy life, and are a blessing to us. We are so blessed. Happy Father’s Day! 

More Sunshine and Questions...but no Answers

A tired little girl! 

Reading together 

 

Soaking up Vitamin D these days is especially important as is getting daily exercise and spending time in God’s Word. It is incredibly easy to get discouraged through the events happening around us, peoples responses’ to those events, and the turmoil and chaos that are threatening to forever change America and our future. I am deeply concerned for my children. I worry about the state of our nation for the past thirteen weeks, and how we tried to protect them. Sometimes my mind wanders dangerously and I can be swept under by waves of fear...wondering....will America ever return to some semblance of “normal”? Will our children know America as a free nation and a democracy or will they only remember it faintly and indistinctly? Will Christian Americans commit to raising up a generation of children that will stand for right and the principles of God’s Word? Will God spare our nation from the evilness, wickedness and destruction that are looming over us? Oh, I have many, many questions! But, I have to focus on my responsibilities for today. Those responsibilities include:  focusing on God and His Word, pointing our children to Jesus, standing firm in truth, protecting history and teaching it to my children, and praying, praying, praying! Oh, we serve an Almighty God!

We soaked up another day of sunshine here in Maine today! We spent the morning at the beach, and the afternoon at the lake! I’m pretty sure that our kids have each lost a few pounds this week from days in the sun, hours of activity, and energy expended! (I haven’t lost any weight! Ugh!) I wasn’t planning on going to the lake this afternoon, but the boys have a few new fishing items that they’ve been anxious to try out. And I’m happy to go to the lake to visit with my friend, Allison and today my friend, Annah, also. 

My favorite time to go to the beach is in the morning, and then leave around lunch time. This week we’ve been among the first five cars in the parking lot at the beach, but by the time we leave the parking lot is crowded! This morning we met our friend, Bethany, and her children at the beach. Bethany has four children, and three of them are boys. The ocean is absolutely frigid, but yet all the kids went in the ocean...brrrr! I stuck in a toe, and then I decided that I was not hot enough to get in that water! However, it was a fun morning for all of us. I enjoyed visiting with Bethany, and while we didn’t solve the worlds problems, we sure treasured our time together. Garett told me that this was the first year that he ever remembers going to the same beach three times in one week! True that! But when the sun is shining and the opportunity presents itself, we will go! 

Roger was able to spend some time with his brother, Nate, earlier this week. While we certainly missed him at home, it did provide the unusual opportunities to spend extra time at the beach and lake. Roger and Nate had a great time in northern Maine, fishing, hiking, boating, and staying in a very rustic Cabin. Our boys are looking forward to their turn to go with Roger on that type of excursion...and Emma and I will be happy for them to enjoy that. I don’t mind the rustic cabin, or the outhouse or no electricity (we’ve lived in a home like that before and have some great memories) but I also think this is the type of experience that the boys would probably enjoy more if mom did not come. And that’s okay! Our boys need to have adventures and experiences with just their Dad. 

I went to Wal-mart yesterday, and there was not even a line! Sometime in the last few days, our governor said that now Wal-mart can have 250 people in it at one time. Since we live in a rural area, that means no lines at Wal-mart! For the first time in over three months, it was fun to go to Walmart. Chandler, Wyatt and Emma wanted to come with me, so I let them come along. Our kids really haven’t been in any stores since early March, so they were thrilled to go check out the clearance aisle in Walmart. And while I’m happy that there are not any lines to get in Walmart, now the question must be asked...why Walmart and not the churches? If people can be allowed in Walmart based on square footage of the store, why doesn’t that same principle apply for churches? Why only groups of fifty or fewer no matter what the square footage of the building? And why are masks still mandated in a state that has only 488 active cases of Coronavirus? And since the CDC and WHO have contradicted themselves multiple times on the effectiveness of masks, why make them mandated? I totally get if you want to wear a mask...no problem...wear it!  But to make that a requirement of people, in the summer, in a county that has only two active cases, why? At what point in time do the American people get to decided for themselves what is safe? Yes, let’s protect the vulnerable by all means! I have many older friends that are very, very dear to me, so I want to protect them, but I also have to wonder at what point in time do we start to consider the lives, businesses, and livelihoods that have also been forever impacted by coronavirus also? No, I don’t have all the answers...but I sure have plenty of questions! 

In closing, I know that I serve a God WHO sees it all! I serve a God that delights in His children. I serve a God who cares for me, and for you. We will trust Him. 

   

Beaches, Lakes, and Sunshine!

“When my heart is overwhelmed, led me to the rock that is higher than I.” I don’t know about you, but my heart is very often overwhelmed these days. I love the words to the song that states, “In times like these, we need a Savior...Be very sure, Be very sure, your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock”! I’m clinging to my Anchor, and I surely hope you know that your security can be completely in Jesus. 

 Our nation continues to be further divided by the media, and people seem to be incapable of even thinking for themselves. If you’re white and silent on the whole racism issue than you’re  “white privileged”.  If you speak out and dare to say that you’re not racist, then you are labeled as racist....it’s so crazy! Now Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben’s rice and other companies are getting ready to relabel their foods in an effort to not offend anyone...yet the woman who represents Aunt Jemima was a woman who became a black millionaire. You’d think that someone would be proud of her accomplishment, but what do I know?! Clearly, not much! What I do know is that God made all races and He loves all of them equally. He’s a God Who is holy, just and kind, and wow, I am so very thankful for that! 

We’ve practically lived outside the last few days, as the weather has been beautiful! On Tuesday we met friends at the beach. On Wednesday we went to Allison’s cottage at the lake. Today we went back to the beach with more friends, and tomorrow morning we will probably go to the beach again. We are so blessed to live so close to the ocean. We’ve missed many of our friends, and we are thankful for the opportunities to be outside and enjoy the warm weather. Next week it’ll probably be around sixty degrees and rainy! (But we could use the rain too!) 

We spent the morning at the beach, and then came home to do a little school work, chores, and life at home. I am trying to take a few classes this summer, and one of them is on peacemaking in relationships. Ironically enough as I was trying to listen to the lecture, my children were outside hollering at each other! I did not reply in the most peace keeping way as I hollered back at them to pipe down! (Clearly, I need to take this class!) 

Today the MDOE was supposed to offer further instruction from the state as to education plans for the fall. Last I looked, we were still waiting! I have spent much time in prayer today pleading on behalf of our children and our school. 

I have a lot more on my heart and mind, but for today, I’m just going to wrap this up with a bunch of pictures. 

So thankful for this friend! 

Beach day with this cutie! 

 

Day# Float Planes & Beaches!

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. In the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness...” The words to this Scripture passage and song keep running through my head the last few days, and it’s been a good reminder that no matter what- God is good! 

We’ve been enjoying summer here (for at least a few days!). We could really, really use some rain, but we will rejoice and play in the sunshine. Yesterday Garett and Chandler had the opportunity to go with Roger’s boss on a float plane ride. The older boys were ecstatic, and the younger two were practically in tears! It was a good reminder to point them to the Word, “Rejoice with those that rejoice.” It was a hard concept for them yesterday, but we had a good time while the older boys were away with Kevin. We are so thankful that Roger works for such a wonderful boss who is willing to take our children with him on float plane rides. Our children need men and women of character, integrity, and hard-working to invest in the lives of our children. We are so blessed that Roger has a job with such a great boss. 

Yesterday, I spent some time putting together a chore chart (yes, I am THAT mom!) and school summer packets for our kids. I’ll admit no one was thrilled about the chore chart or the summer packets, but it sure makes my life easier to have it all laid out and lined up. We divided up the chores for each day from sweeping, to meals, to laundry, to cleaning the bathroom, to mowing the grass. It’s not a whole lot per day, but when it’s assigned by day, it’s much easier than trying to remember who did a chore last! It eliminates a lot of “It’s not my turn” or “I did it last time”. We are a work in progress! 

Today we spent the morning at the beach. It was the perfect temperature for the beach this morning as you didn’t need a jacket, but you didn’t feel like the sun was roasting you. We met a friend at the beach (Hannah and her three little ones) and it was a morning well spent. The kids tromped all over the beach, digging holes, and playing happily. We looked like two moms that had moved to the beach. Hannah had brought along some dump trucks and diggers, our boys had shovels (real shovels!) and Emma had dragged along some of her baby doll stuff! It was a menagerie of assorted things, but a good time was had by all. I always enjoy spending time with Hannah, and we never run out of things to talk about. 

I had a meeting this afternoon to discuss plans for Children’s Sunday School this summer. Everything is different this year, and since we can’t have VBS, we are working at coming up with other ways to minister  to our children. One thing’s for sure, we cannot be lazy in raising up the next generation! I don’t know about you, but the last eleven weeks have just increased my resolve and commitment to try to raise up children who love and serve God. We must be diligent, prayerful and purposeful! 

Maine news; 40 additional recoveries today. and nine new cases. What I want to know is why do the headlines lead with “Nine additional cases” instead of “40 New Recoveries”? My opinion is that the media thrives on people being fearful, so yes, by all means lead with the negative news! We are continuing to pray for God’s wisdom as we await guidelines for the school year from the state. I wish that whether or not schools would reopen would remain in the hands of the local school districts instead of the state. I’m not a fan of our state’s leadership at the moment, so I’m very prayerful about decisions that will be made that could affect our little school. Please pray with us! However, as I’ve stated before God is still on the throne, and He is ever interceding on our behalf.

Rejoice the Lord is King! 

A friend shared this song with me. I have come to treasure the words and the truths in this song. Jesus, Strong and Kind.  Here

Day: Flag Day & Sunday

• Flag Day! June 14, 1777 was the day that the Continental Congress replaced the British Symbols with a new design. It is a day set aside to honor our flag and the freedoms that are represented by our flag. Hmm...seems like a vast part of our nation could use a history lesson on that! At a time in our lives when people are working hard at destroying parts of American history, I’m thankful for a land that has been free for the over 200 years, I pledge to do my part to preserve our country. My allegiance lies first to God, the Creator, and secondly to this land- America. Recently, when I was out running, I heard this song for the first time. It seems very appropriate for today, and perhaps one day, I’ll use it in a Patriotic Program. Here

Sunday! “All Hail the Power of Jesus Name”, “Here I am to Worship”, “Lord, I lift Your Name on High”, “There Is a Redeemer”- these are just a few of the songs that we sang today in the church services. I played the piano for another area church, and while it sometimes makes me nervous, it is a blessing. This church is a bit larger in number than our church, so they have two services. One service was a nine am. And the next service was 11am. I was at the church building by 8:00am to practice for the worship service. Then the first service was at nine am. and after the first service, I came home to pick up our children, and then came back for the second service at 11am. After the second service, we went to our church property where several families were gathering for a picnic lunch on the back lawn (bring your own picnic, of course!). It was a bit of a long morning with all the moving parts, but I wasn’t late to any of the services, the children were fine and they were able to attend a church service, we had lunch and fellowship, and I survived playing the piano! God is good! The church that I played the piano for today is always gracious and kind -regardless of how I mess up! 

We’ve been enjoying this new summer tradition of picnics on the back church lawn on Sundays. It’s been an informal time of fellowship and food, while the kids play on the playground, or play soccer or frisbee. We’ve missed fellowship for eleven weeks, so it’s good to take these Sundays when the weather is nice to enjoy each other’s company.  We are still missing some of our dear members of our congregation as they are just not comfortable coming to church yet. However, many of them faithfully get dressed and ready for church every Sunday and come and listen to the message on the radio in the church parking lot. We are looking forward to the day when we are all back together again. 

This week looks to be full of summery type weather! It looks like several days of sunshine and warm weather, and we are praying for some rain this weekend. We are looking forward to having some friends over this week (some of my dear preschooler students) and we are planning a morning at the beach with some friends later this week. While we may not have parades, festivals, fairs, and other fun summer gatherings, we will make the most of warm weather and great friends! 

This afternoon we did a science experiment. We made “Elephant’s Toothpaste”. Provided that we get to return to school, Renee and I would love to include hands on science experiments. Experience has taught me that it is always best to experiment first to make sure that said experiment will work! However, the kids had a great time concocting the experiment, and it was a good object lesson also. As the “toothpaste” spewed out of the bottle, it was a reminder that when we say harmful words they can’t be taken back. 

I am planning to take the kids to Wisconsin at the end of this month. It’s important that they get to spend some time with their grandparents, and they’ve missed them. We were able to get a good deal on plane tickets about a month ago, so I will be flying out to Wisconsin with the kids. It’ll be a different flight experience as now masks are required. However, Roger was talking with his brother, and his brother made the comment that masks can be taken off if you are eating or drinking. Our children overheard that conversation, and Wyatt immediately announced “that’s great! I’ll just eat the whole way to Wisconsin!” So our children are planning out their snacks and which food takes the longest to chew and swallow- it’s sure to be an interesting trip across the country! I am thankful that we are flying this year, as there is still so much uncertainty across much of our nation, and a 21 hour trip was not something that I was excited about doing! My sister, Jen, will be coming to Wisconsin as well, so the kids are looking forward to seeing her also. I’m sure it will be a very busy and full ten days! 

Maine News: For the fifth consecutive day, no new deaths have been reported. Today there is an increase of 36 new cases, and the number of active cases is 520. There are plans to quadruple the testing for Coronavirus in the upcoming days. Meanwhile, the state is supposed to determine education plans for the fall this Thursday. This is an urgent and often prayer request for me as it concerns school for our children. Please, please pray that wise decisions will be made, and that our students will be able to return to school in the fall in a school building, in a desk. I know that God is faithful and that He is the doer of hard things! 

A few days ago we  were “all in this together” referring to Coronavirus and its affects on our states, economies and people. Companies blared out ads stating, “Do your part- stay home”, “Order Online” etc.  And many businesses offered free meals or coffee to healthcare workers and first responders. Now the headlines are blaring, “A Nation Divided”, “Two Opposing Sides”, etc. Kinda crazy, isn’t it?!  The whole “Defund the Police” idea is based on the ideology that man is moral and wants to do good. The people screaming that they don’t need the police to rule them are a lot of the same ones that are burning buildings, destroying history, ruining other people’s livelihoods. I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but you don’t have to be around people long to realize that we are NOT morally good. The Bible declares “there is none righteous, no not one.” Yes, there are people that are endeavoring to be good, responsible American citizens, but since we’ve failed to teach history and capitalism in our schools and colleges, we are reaping the benefits of that. I get that there are corrupt policemen, again there are corrupt people in every career...goodness, there are even corrupt pastors and missionaries! I have a cousin who is in law enforcement as well as several friends, and my heart aches for them and their families. The vast majority of law enforcement people are American people that are trying to do their job and do it well! It’s sad to see the way that hatred has been spewed at them, and that in the name of “justice” some law enforcement  people have been hurt or yet others have had livelihoods destroyed- that’s not right! I’ll be the first to admit that our judicial system has made errors, and that there are problems within. But wow! The hatred, bitterness, and ugliness that has been spewing out of people makes me weep at times for the course of our nation. We must be diligent to pray, earnest in asking God to send revival (and to start it in me), and to raise up a generation that can stand firm in the Lord. 

 Roger and I have worked hard to keep our home a haven for our children as we protect them from much of the world’s divisiveness and just evil that is happening right now. Part of that means that we do not always discuss the news or other events around our children. That’s not to say that they don’t know that things are happening. We had a long talk the other night about how we cannot allow our anger and bitterness to rule us (as seen in the riots across our nation). When we went to the Freedom Rally a few weeks ago, I asked Emma if she wanted to make a sign for the rally. She said she wanted her sign to say, “Stay Safe, Stay Home.” I about had a cow, but then realized that she was just repeating what she had heard via YouTube ads, or even kids program ads on the internet. We had a talk about yes, we had done that. Back when nothing was known about the virus, and everything was uncertain we had stayed home. However, now our freedoms and liberties are being infringed upon, and that is not right. I’m sure I used WAY too many big words for her, and she lost interest in the conversation about three sentences into it, but still I could not let the opportunity to explain a few thoughts to her.

Happy Flag Day! Happy Sunday! Rejoice the Lord is King! 

Day: Summer...Fun, Experiments, and Adventures!

Picnics, lake swimming, pool swimming, biking, running, and ice cream! I’d say summer is here at our  house! 

Yesterday God provided a beautiful day for the year end celebration for some of our school students. The temperature was perfect for an outdoor event, and the whole event was very relaxed. We had about 36 total people (students, staff and helpers) at the event. The students were happy to see each other, and it was a morning well spent. We had a short chapel time, and I have missed hearing the students sing. It was a special blessing to my heart to listen to them sing. 

After the morning event, the boys had a friend over to our house. They played outside, and later in the afternoon we took their friend, Calvin, home. Chandler stayed home as he had been struggling with a migraine most of the day. He came right home from the school event and climbed into bed for nap. Since we were taking Calvin home to his cottage on the lake, and Chandler did not want to go, I know he was not feeling well! Chandler very much enjoys fishing, and he really had a migraine if he was willing to stay home! Poor kid! The rest of us went off to take Calvin home. Garett and Calvin went fishing, while I visited with Ginger, and the other children swam in the lake! Brrr! It was a great afternoon, and I enjoyed visiting with Ginger. It’s a special blessing to have other mom friends that have boys around the ages of our boys, and I appreciate the opportunity to “pick” other moms brains for ideas and encouragement. 

Chandler woke up this morning feeling much better, and we spent the morning cleaning up around our house and yard-a never ending project! Garett had just loaded all the trash into the van, when my friend, Claire, sent me a text. She was asking if the kids wanted to go swimming for a bit, but only until 11am. It was about 9:15am. I asked the kids if they wanted to go swimming...of course! Garett said that he would take the trash out of the car so that we could go swimming, and then we could come home and he would help with the trash again...yes, he wanted to go swimming! So, off we went to go swimming! It was a spur of the moment trip, and I’m not usually like that, but every once in a while, it’s a good thing! It was a fun morning of swimming, and then we went to see Roger at the airport. Someone had given the business some lunch food, and so the boys were happy to be invited to eat lunch! As we were sitting there at the picnic table, Roger taxied up in the plane. He had a few passengers, and one of the passengers came over to the kids. He gave me twenty dollars and said that it was to take the kids to Dairy Queen for ice cream. You should’ve seen five sets of eyes light up! The kids are very much looking forward to having an ice cream treat! 

Chandler was busy this morning with a magnifying glass, an apple and a piece of wood. I know you’re thinking...what in the world? He polished the apple, and then placed it under the magnifying glass. While it never ignited, he did get the apple to start smoking! Weird! Then with the wood, he managed to get a small flame, and yes, this was on our porch under some supervision! I’m thankful that he likes to create and “see what will happen” experiments. Sometimes, I wish he wouldn’t make quite such a big mess doing things, but he is learning! 

Garett also learned a valuable lesson this week...he is not a bike mechanic yet! He recently purchased a very nice bike, And he has been extremely responsible in taking care of it. He thought it had a “clicking sound”, so he took something apart, and then something else...do you see where this is going? Well, pretty soon he couldn’t get it all back together. He watched several YouTube videos, and Roger helped him with it some too, but it’s a problem with a cable, brakes and gears. The bike needed to go to a bike shop. Garett was so bummed out, but it was a valuable lesson learned to  not “guess at what the problem is”, and to ask Dad about it first. However, it was a small victory in that Garett admitted that he had made the mistake and that it was his fault that the bike couldn’t go back together. Actually, this is a big victory! Oftentimes, I feel like explanations go around in circles around here as everyone tries to shift the blame! We are a work in progress. 

Tonight was Garett’s night to make supper. He made spaghetti, meatballs, garlic bread, and peas and carrots. He did a good job, as it was a lot of pots to watch. However, his brothers told him “thank you” and that the food was good! And it was a delicious supper. 

Tomorrow I will be playing the piano for another church. I’m always a bit nervous about playing the piano at other places, so I’d appreciate your prayers. Also, the Maine DOE has said that the state will decide when and if students return to school in the fall, and not the local school districts. Please pray that  we will be able to return to school in the fall, at the school building. This is a big prayer request for us. 

I had a conversation with one of our teachers today. I had heard some positive praise about her teaching, and I wanted to pass it on. As in any profession, sometimes the negative gets passed on but the praise seems few and far between. I was happy to pass on what I had heard, and it totally made her day. It was also a reminder to me to be sure to praise and give out sincere compliments. It’s so easy to complain or to be negative, but yet a “word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver”. I also enjoyed the opportunity to pray with my friend and fellow teacher. It was so good to pray over so many of the shared concerns, and I am forever thankful that God does not get weary of hearing from us! 

God is faithful! Thankful that we serve a God who sees and knows all. I don’t know about you, but the recent events that have happened across our nation is disheartening and discouraging sometimes. I am thankful that God knows exactly what the future holds. The end of the story is that HE REIGNS!