You can't climb a smooth mountain.

I heard this phrase today and found it rather interesting. I have been mountain climbing before. I loved it. It was hard but the view was outstanding once I reached the top. The biggest thought I always had while climbing was, how can any one deny that there is a God after climbing a mountain. The reason is experiencing Gods marvelous creation on a mountain is outstanding. I felt so small, and God felt so big. I think that's how it should be in life. Life can be like climbing a mountain. It's hard. Exhausting. There are many stones and twists and turns to climb through. But when I remember that God is bigger than me, when I soak on His presence , I know the view will be be amazing when I get to the top. I need to press on towards the goal. I won't deny it. Homeschooling 6 kids can be challenging and exhausting at times. But the nearness I feel to my heavenly Father gives me the endurance to climb this unsmooth mountain. If my mountain was smooth, I couldn't climb it. I would never see the view from the top. And I would never grow stronger in the Lord. Today I am thanking God for giving me an awesome mountain to climb. Rocky terrain and all.

An Offering of Service

1 Thess. 5:16-18 Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Jesus Christ. I wonder if you have ever been in a spot where you don't feel like you have anything more to give. Or maybe you have felt like really have nothing to offer another person. In this place you haven't felt very joyful. You also haven't felt very thankful. Lately I have felt challenged through scripture to praise God and give to others even when I feel like I don't have much to give. I have been reminded of the widow in 1 Kings 17. She was a very poor single mother, with a son who was dying. Elijah, a prophet, came to her one day and asked her for something to drink and a cake of bread. But this woman only had a little flour and oil left, she really only had enough ingredients to make bread for herself and her dying son. The woman went home and made bread for Elijah. I sometimes wonder why she did it. She had so little, she had a dying son, and she choose to give what little she had away. What happened next is so encouraging to me. Elijah told the woman that her oil and flour would never run dry. She would always have enough for herself and her son. Sometimes we too have to give all we have left away and in faith, God will fill us with all we need so that we don't run dry. All the while we are to be joyful and give thanks in all things because we know that our God will sustain us and fill us. This widowed woman also makes me think about how a lot of us must feel, we really have little to offer. The most amazing reality to me is that when we really have little to offer, but are willing to offer it, God will take what we have and multiply it for His glory. To further His kingdom. To bless others. To bless the giver. I pray that you will offer what God has given you, and experience joy in thanking the Lord for what He has given you.

Sweet and Sour

Today was such a beautiful fall day. So when we were done all our school work, we decided to go for a walk on the trails. The walk started off sour. One child was beyond grumpy and the baby was screaming in her stroller. Then I became irritated. So much for a nice walk. Fortunately I noticed my attitude haft way through the walk and decided to pray and change my attitude. I hugged the grumpy one, picked up the baby and the walk became sweet. Lovely. Enjoyable.

Perspective

Our kids are getting older. Every year they have a birthday, of course. Every couple months they need new pants or shoes because they have grown in inches again. Recently, Brendan turned 11. 11, I can hardly believe it. He is now allowed to stay home alone. He is now able to stay home and watch a sibling or two. I really can't believe he is in grade 6! He is also tall for his age. And because he is the oldest, he seems that much older than the other kids. And he is getting older, in age, in size and in school. The other night, my perspective changed. In our dining room we have a small couch. So while our family was sitting down for dinner, our little Claire decided she was hungry too. So I sat on the couch, in the dining room to feed her. This way I wouldn't miss the family meal. As the kids were eating and talking with Bryan I looked under the table and noticed their feet. My perspective from the couch was different than what I was thinking about how "old" my Brendan is. What I noticed is that his feet didn't reach the floor while he was sitting on his chair. I immediately thought about when I was a kid and could sit on a chair and not touch the floor, I used to love that. (I realize there are some short adults whose feet still can't reach, like my mother in law, but Brendan is by no means short). What I saw was that my "old" son is still a little boy. I called Bryan over to see the perspective I had gained. We both saw it, a new perspective. I know parents need to train their children and have expectations of them, but for me, at that particular dinner hour, I was reminded about how fleeting childhood is. I also realized how I have the tendency to push them beyond childhood maybe to quickly. I was reminded that my big boy is still a boy. I gained a new perspective. He is in a tender stage. The stage between boyhood and manhood. I pray God will give Bryan and I the right perspective.

Quote of the day.

We are studying the solar system in school this year. One of the questions in our book was, "why does God love earth so much?". Keegan immediately responded with, "because His kids live on it". I LOVE that response!!

The Voice of Truth

After talking on the phone with an old friend about how Keegan was doing I started thinking over the emergency situation we faced last week. I started thinking about the "what ifs". What if I had been outside, what if I had called him to come inside for the night earlier, what if I had said yes to watching a. movie after supper instead of no. What if...at times I feel responsible, like if I should have been watching him closer maybe the accident wouldn't have happened. But then again, I can't be right beside him all the time. And I can't keep him in a bubble. So instead of fretting over something I can't change, I prayed. I prayed that God would give me peace. That I would be confident knowing that He knows my heart. He knows I diligently watch and care for my children. And that when I cannot be fully present beside them, He's there. An amazing thing happened after I prayed. I had been listening to the Christian radio station and a song by Casting Crowns came on. The song is entitled "The Voice of Truth". These were words I needed to hear. The chorus says this, "the voice of truth tells me a different story. The voice of truth says do not be afraid. The voice of truth says this is for My glory.". So I won't be afraid, I won't blame myself, and I will believe that all of this is for God's glory!

The Fall

So Keegan once again proved himself to be a risk taker. After doing a crazy stunt on his bike he ended up in the hospital for 2 nights. Our precious son had a severe concussion, a burst ear drum, a basal skull fracture and 2 stitches. This fall has made him bed ridden for the last week. This experience has been very Traumatic and stressful for the whole family. Keegan will be fine. He will recover. But it will take time. We have definitely seen God's hand in Keegan's life, and ours this past week. From kind doctors and nurses, to loving family and friends. Keegan has had thoughtful visitors who bring him gifts and love. He has also received surprises in the mail. We have had many e-mails and phone calls. Once again we are overwhelmed with the blessing of family and friends who love Keegan and us. We praise God for these things, and for the very fact that Keegan will be fine.

The Whine

Wow, I do not get along with the whine. The whine that comes from my sweet children's mouths. All 6 of them have cute little faces, and when they are sleeping, they look so innocent. But that's the trouble, when they don't get enough sleep they get really whiny. And when there are 6 of them, that's a lot of whining. To be honest a couple of them have, what seems to be, naturally whiny voices. And a couple of them are too little to have developed the skill. But man, I do not get along with the whine. I try. I try to stop it. But it seems to be a loosing battle. I need a good method to stop the problem. But maybe the only thing that will stop the problem is age and time. Until then, I will pray for patience, and a cure.

Summertime!

Celebrating life. That is what we talked about last night in our ladies bible study. Celebrating every day, I'm thinking that's a very good way to live each day. Our days are numbered and I have been considering what people will remember me by. So I am going to intentionally celebrate each day. Here's what I can celebrate today: ~ hearing Sally (Aliah), Peter (Josh) and Keegan play house in the front yard~ ~ watching Brendan teach Josh to ride a 2 wheeler~ ~hearing Hudson talk and repeat words and call Claire "bear bear"~ ~ snuggling with the sweetest little bundle of beautiful babyness~ ~sitting on the deck, in the sun, with a delicious coffee without being interrupted for 10 minutes~ ~ learning to rest, be thankful and soak in fellowship with my Lord~. Life is sweet. Life is busy. In the midst of it all, I am going to learn to celebrate it each day.

Proverbs 17:17 a and b

"A friend loves at all times." 17a This half of the verse is a very well known proverb. It makes me feel warm and happy. Thinking about all the friends I have been blessed with, and how loved they make me feel. The encouragement I receive from them. The way they make me feel so special. They are truly blessings from the Lord. Friends. So needed. So wonderful. So blessed. 17b says "a brother is born for a time of adversity." This got me thinking about sibling rivalry again. The bible clearly states that brothers (and sisters) are born for a time ~for a time~ of adversity, or another definition, trouble. I think God intended for there to be trouble among siblings to get them ready for adulthood, when they are surrounded by people they don't necessarily enjoy being around. If they get used to dealing with their siblings who cause adversity, in a respectable, loving way, they will hopefully live in community with their neighbors and coworkers as adults. The verse say ~for a time~ because isn't the beautiful thing about siblings that you become good friends when you are older. I remember not always getting along with my brothers when we were younger, but now now we are older and love them dearly. The time of adversity is short. Here's to my newest ray of hope in my dealings with my young children. The sibling rivalry will soon end, and they will enjoy each other as friends. So now I will direct them towards loving each other and making good memories they will cherish as adults.

A quote I read that made me think.

Have your heart right with Christ, and He will visit you often, And so turn weekdays into Sundays, meals into sacraments, homes in to temples and earth into heaven. ~Charles Spurgeon

Date Night Kid Edition

The newest Z initiative is a date with each child alone once a month with one parent. The child gets to pick a free activity to do with either mom or dad. They can go swimming, or biking, or fishing (with dad of course, moms more of a biker) or whatever they can come up with We worked out a schedule so that Bryan and take turns with each child. Tonight was the first night. It was my turn with Keegan. We had FUN. He choose to bike down the trails. It was great to go with him alone. We also said that the child could pick a special treat at the end of the night. Keegan picked ice cream. A boy after my own heartOur hope is to make each child feel special and loved. They are all one of a kind and worth treasuring.

Siblings

Today started out rough. Our two boys in the middle seem to have it out for each other all the time (well most of the time). Sounds familiar right? Sibling rivalry, that's what the experts call it. I call it frustrating, tiring and a little annoying. Well today I got frustrated and shouted. I felt bad. I am suppose to be their loving mom who guides them gently. This got me thinking, one of the reasons children are placed in a family is to be trained and raised so that when they are grown they can live effectively in community. Our family is a starting community in which they learn to accept each other for who they are. Even when they don't get along, they need to learn how to like each other. In communities each person has a role, and ideally, each person is respected. So here's to living in community. Here's to accepting each other as God created us. Here's to giving and receiving grace when we fail. Here's to another fresh start, and accepting the fact that we may need to start fresh many, many more times in the days to come. Here's to the power of prayer and the strength of God to raise and train all these siblings.

Contentedness

Philippians 4:11 "I have learned to be content in every situation." This is what I have been reminding myself lately. When the dishes pile up, I will be content with the 6 hungry children I can feed. When the house feels upside down, I will be content with my creative kids. When people make rude comments about how many children I have, I will be content living fully in God's will for me. Being content in the small daily stuff is where it's at. Being thankful in the small stuff is what brings pure joy. It's the dailyness of life that provides the choice to be content. Philippians 4:11 is what I am reminding myself of this week.

Blog Title

Have you ever noticed my blog title? 4 boys and 2 girls. When I started this blog our family consisted of 3 little boys and 1 sweet baby girl, and a mom and a dad. Hence the 4 boys and 2 girls. Well time went on and we were blessed by another son. My cousin in law jokingly said that we needed another daughter to make the title of my blog come true. I did not want this. But God had other plans. A little less than 3 months ago we were blessed beyond measure with our 6 th child, a girl. So now this mom and dad have 4 boys and 2 girls. Wow. 6 incredible blessings. I honestly never thought I would be blessed beyond measure like this. We have more children than we ever thought we would. And we definitely have more JOY than we ever thought we would as well. This is the verse that encourages me regarding our family. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.". I am truly thankful that the Lord's ways are different than my own. So my blog title, little did I know 4 years ago that it would be the perfect title today!!