We have been given so much.  And then there is more given.  Fruit for the picking, boxes of fruit for eating, freezing, jelly making & apple buttering.  Jars of purple sweetness and peachey goodness for the sharing and spreading.  All this at the end of a summer of highest heat, fire and smoke, dry dry winter that came before.

counting, always counting, to #1209

Snuggling on the sofa
Lids popping in the next room

Hurrahs when the pop sounds
Beloved playing geography games with his daughters
Extra set of hands in the home
Generous neighbors
Free apples in the fridge
Bowl full of neighborhood peaches
The anticipation of a family drive tomorrow

The beauty of nature’s gold

The job God has provided, which provides for so much

Glimpses of the forest dwellers
a funny sister

this opportunity, to join the community singing the song of amazing, rich, millions of grace ~ Ann and Laura

Father God,

Two years ago you laid 2 precious children on the heart of our family.  Lesbia and Bryan.   Builder and I didn’t know at all the work you would do in us, in our 3 daughters when we made the decision to sponsor these children.

As we wrote letters to them, and prayed for them, our family ministry grew.  We began to see how each one of us can be involved in the life of a child far away, how we can be a blessing and an encouragement to the child’s family and become a partner with the ministry leaders in their communities.

Father, this changed the way we look at so many things.  It has adjusted our dreams and goals, helping us to see where we are building our own kingdom and strengthing our resolve to seek Your kingdom.

Thank you for bringing this opportunity to us, the opportunity to change the world, one child at a time, the opportunity to see beyond ourselves and build into something eternal.

with gratitude,
Michelle

are you interested in investing in the life of a child living poverty?  please click here.

sliding on the skateboard thingy

once a year

back to school pictures for Mae

all of my daughters and Grandad

my handsome harvest gatherer

this little cutie tested for her purple belt

a week with Beloved home on rotation has been full of very fine moments.  Linking with Amanda and with Amy.

Three weeks into “back to school” season I realized I really needed to get a handle on the kitchen.  After taking a week to plan, I spent a whole weekend in the kitchen with helpers coming and going.  One freezer we stuffed full of casseroles and gallon bag crock pot meals.  In another freezer we stashed snacks and breakfast foods.

The next week…a hot meal each day.  So my gratitude list has a lot of practical items this week.

through 1203

The heater in the van!
Morning glories on a crisp chilly morning
Freezer full of meals
Dual crock pots working
Kitchen helpers
Hot meals after busy days
Jars of purple goodness cooling on the counter
More to harvest
Bowls of tomato red
Family fellowship
All 5 around the table
Quiet drives
Practice dreaming

linking with Ann and Laura

Summer came along and many things took a back seat.  Looking over my goals and updating each month was something that happened most casually.  It is very encouraging to me as I set my September goals to see that “habits” kept things from coming a complete stop!

In September I plan to:

Read:
God’s Smuggler by Brother Andrew
False Intimacy and The Red Badge of Courage
 Swallows and Amazons, our family read aloud

Personal Goals:
Increase full pushups to 15, decrease girly pushups to 10 (for 25 pushups daily)
Ab routine,  continue100 crunches
Swim 500 3 days weekly
Complete my evening “must dos” each night before bed
     wash face, lavendar steam
     read to kids
     pray and bless each child
     read a few pages before sleep

Homemaking:
grape jelly
jalapeno jelly, we have grown an abundance and our youngest likes most things spicy…so we’re going to try it.
Salsa

Reorganize kitchen cupboards.  Our gluten & dairy intolerant daughter has moved back home.  She needs room for her “food.”

Business & Ministry
Bottle our first batch of Home Brewed Vanilla extract
3 Blog Posts week, if fits
Write to each of our Compassion sponsor kiddos

 savoring a  fine moment from the week

gifts through #1190

Dinner made by 13 yo hands that gathered from the garden, chopped the veggies and added them to the dishes
Peaches from the tree
Sunflowers bobbing in the breeze
Smiling moon
Heavenly blue morning glories lift my eyes
Easy lunches
1^st week back ended with hope
Spur of the moment fellowship
The blue moon, 2^nd full moon this month
Excited ballerinas, Clara & Party Girl friends
Another letter!  2 in 1 week!
The knowledge that God is in all the spaces, bumps and turns
Blessing words from a friend

choosing joy and linking up with the gratitude community,
michelle

Ready for Drive In Movie Night at AWANA

Lesvia Herlinda

What a great end of the month mail week we’ve had.  First the letter from Neema, and Friday a letter from Lesvia.  On all of our paperwork she is “Lesbia” but in this letter more than once she wrote her name with the “v” instead of a “b”.

The letter is written on a “Mis Suenos” (My Dreams) letterhead.

Dear Sponsors, Benjamin & Michelle
I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  It is a joy to write to you again.  I want to tell you that I would like ot visit different places from my beautiful country Guatemala, especially Atitlan Lake.  I would like to meet you and to give you hugs and to laugh with you.  I would like to be like my uncle Cesar Ponce, because he is a policeman.   I would like to play the flute.  In these last months, we have learned Bible verses and color pictures.  I want to thank you for the pretty letters, drawing and stickers that you sent me.  I ask you to pray for my family.
I say goodbye with love, wishing you success in your daily activities.  May the Lord bless you.  I was forgetting to thank you for the gift that you sent me.  I ask the Lord to bless you abundantly.

Lesvia.

This letter is the first from Lesbia that allows me to feel like I am getting to know this girl just a little bit.  I love that she wants to meet us, give us hugs, and laugh with us.  Hugging and laughing are two things we love to do!

Builder and I talk often about visiting our sponsor  kids, and this letter just makes that desire all the more intense!

I’m linking up with other Mail Call writers over at Blogging in the Boonies.

As sweet Mae continues to work hard preparing for the Pre Pointe written test and that long time dream…pointe shoe fitting and first pointe class!!  we have looked around the web at a few sites and videos, learning more about all things en pointe.

Nutcracker audition have passed and we have a twirling, giggling Party Girl again this year.  Her sweet friend Emma is cast as Clara.

Carpooling has started up, WOW what a blessing!

Our enrichment classes have started up, with me teaching 3 hours on Wednesday afternoons.  The semester is off to a rough start, but the staff worked really hard in my classroom last week (location & technical issues) and I have hope that things will smooth out this next week.

Petal Rose tested for, and tied on, her BROWN BELT!!! 

A lot of reading has taken place this month, compared to the very busy June & July.

Marme’s reading God’s Smuggle and False Intimacy.
Mae’s read Call of the Wild and White Fang, and continues to savor The Two Towers as well as all of her “assigned” reading.
Petal Rose is greatly enjoying Little Britches and reading through The World of Captain John.  She is trying to gather the courage to read the next chapter of The Two Towers (Shelob’s Lair).
Chica is finished The Horse and His Boy and dove right into Prince Caspian.  She is also reading Jack’s Insects and The World of Columbus and Sons.

The garden is producing a steady crop of green & yellow summer squash, the tomatoes are ripening and the sunflowers are dazzling.