A little dreaming…

We are excited to try to grow a bean tepee this summer, along with a pumpkin patch so we can invite neighbor kids to share with us.

And here are a couple pictures of seedlings!

 
I apologize for the blurry photos, we have tomato, celery and onion sprouting!  I just can barely wait for chicken soup with that fresh celery!

linking with An Oregon Cottage for Tuesday Garden Party.

by Mae

by Petal Rose

by Chica

This past week has been a very emotional wordy one.  Deep scars in my heart have been rubbed in such a way that I began to think they had ripped right back open.  Rubbed so raw that I forgot to keep counting gifts and instead, counted the throbbings of pain.  So here is the end week efforts to remember that the answers, the healing, begin with gratitude.

#441-458 of 1000 gifts

Understanding
Time to play at the park
Friends who are praying for me during this difficult time of sifting through my thoughts.
A husband who keeps listening
Children who long to be HOME
Sweet sleep
Kitten affectionate purrs
A husband who tells me not to apologize.
The husband who listens and listens and offers a task to bring healing.
The same husband who tells me nothing will be wasted.
Extra days to be home, he will be here for the ballet recital.
And SURPRISE, the newly scheduled puppet show.
Builder will be home for one of each of the children’s special events!

Love Mercy, A Mother & Daughter’s Journey from the American Dream to the Kingdom of God. written by Lisa Samson and Ty Samson

Product Description

In Love Mercy: A Mother and Daughter’s Journey from the American Dream to the Kingdom of God, having lived a life of plenty in suburban America, Lisa Samson and her eighteen-year-old daughter, Ty, thought they were traveling to Africa to minister to the people and chronicle the AIDS crisis devastating the continent. Their trip, they assumed, would be missional, merciful, giving. Instead, they experienced a life-changing, soul-rattling journey. As mother and daughter are confronted with incidents of child prostitution, preventable illness, poverty, oppression, abuse, and death so prevalent it leaves no time to mourn … their journey takes a decidedly different tack. Love Mercy confronts us directly with the AIDS crisis in Africa—in particular Swaziland, which has the highest AIDS rate in the world and where the average life expectancy is thirty-two years of age. Offering two unique perspectives, Lisa and Ty share the questions they encountered on their journey and tell the stories of those they met along the way—from the children themselves, to adult AIDS victims, to the compassionate mercy-givers who seek every day to alleviate their suffering. Smiles in a place of aching sadness. Mercy in a place of heart-wrenching poverty. Two people transformed by God in ways, and places, they never expected, discovering that even in a land riddled with heartache … Christ’s love and redemption are ablaze.
 
 
So I’ve been slowly reading through Age of Opportunity by Paul David Tripp, and I took a little sideline to finish Too Small to Ignore by Dr. Wess Stafford.  And then I was sent Lioness Arising by Lisa Bevere, after which I stumbled upon Love Mercy.

A theme of poverty, abuse and neglected children, AIDs devestation of the guilty and innocent alike slams right up against my own past, as an abused neglected daughter who grew up to be “one of those girls” until God took my hand and heart in his hands and began severe mercy surgery.

And here I am, now, a child of the Most High God, redeemed, forgiven, much loved wife of one and mother of many precious daughters.  And I want to know, how to make my life count?  And how to lead my daughters to this question.  Love Mercy caught my attention.

The subtitle of this book is what really caught my attention, A Mother & Daughter’s Journey from the American Dream to the Kingdom of God. That is what I want, to pursue the Kingdom of God, and to show my daughters the way.

While this story was written about Lisa and Ty Samson’s trip to Swaziland, Lisa takes the reader to the beginning of the story, the place where God began to make her uncomfortable and moved her family from their home, to the place HE chose for them.  Lisa and Ty are each honest about their desire to follow God, but the pain and struggle involved in giving up those things that get in the way.

The story of the journey in Swaziland is beautiful, heartbreaking, hope giving.  It is beautiful to read the perspective of mother, then daughter, side by side.  Different, yet the same.  Thrilling to read between the pages of the life the FATHER is breathing into them as they seek to find where HE is in these broken, seemingly hopeless places.

This story ends with such honesty.  I appreciate this most about this story, the honesty that bring comfort to me that I am not alone in these struggles to find God in the broken places, and then to find that the broken places are so big and vast, and I am so limited and small.

What a gift that this mother and daughter were able to go on this journey together, and that they were able to find the words and courage to share it with us.

linking up with Life as Mom

I don’t have any “before” pictures, just these “after” shots.

We have always had larger outside dogs, but Shiloh is a different story.  She’s small, snuggly and pretty much likes to hang with us.  Since moving back to the city we’ve noticed she looked kind of rough and shaggy so Builder suggested I take her in for a bath and grooming.  Now, I’ve never taken a dog to be groomed, and didn’t think it would make much of a difference!

What a funny surprise to have them walk out this shiny, pretty, pup, with a pink bow in her hair (she promptly rubbed her head on the ground and removed it)…and she smells “good” too!

Imagine all the coos and awws and “pretty dog” chatter that flew around the van on the way home!

Mae has an indoor herb garden.  She is studing Botany this school year, using Exploring Creation with Botany by Jeanne Fulbright.  This has fueled an intense interest in gardening, especially herb gardening.

During Christmas break Builder took Mae shopping and came home with great shelves, that sits in the south facing picture window, and a lot of herbs, plants, pots & dirt.  Builder also installed a light fixture and put it on a timer.  He is a wonderful dad!

Last week Mae started our Tomato, Celery and Bell Peppers. Exciting!  Garden plans are starting…

And Mae made fresh mint tea for my upset tummy (lactose intolerant people should really avoid ice cream, even if it is her daughter’s birthday and a stop by Cold Stone Creamery was part of the celebration).  The tea was delicious and we’ve made many more cups!