Come Spring

I wrote these words two years ago about some of my first impressions of Great Lent, the period of preparation leading up to the celebration of Christ's resurrection. We're now in the second week of Lent, and it's a new experience for me this year, as I'm able to partake a little more fully in it. (I had Raphael about midway through Lent last year.) We are called upon to deny ourselves (fasting), pray more, and to give (of our money, time, of ourselves.) It is meant to be a time of repentance, of humility, and drawing near to God believing His promise that He will draw near to us in return. The "mood" of our services is serious and penitent, leading us individually and corporately toward the Cross. 

Last week was very difficult. The kids seemed to be naughtier than usual and I found myself, for all my good intentions, impatient and frazzled. On more than one occasion I dissolved in tears, feeling like I was at the end of my rope. On Friday it finally dawned on me. We have not merely entered a period of time, but a battle. If we are earnestly, although feebly, endeavoring to walk more closely in the footsteps of our Saviour, then we should expect some opposition. I wondered silently to myself "Is it worth it? I think I was nicer to my kids before I entered this struggle."

It's March, and here in Oregon the weather is fickle. I've been enjoying the brave and cheerful faces of daffodils, crocus, and dutch iris popping up in my yard. We've had gloriously sunny days, days where I've pushed my long sleeves up and savored the sun on winter-white arms. We've had torrents of rain and gusts of wind. Right now the sky is blue, sun shines on the trees as their branches sway gently in the breeze; an hour or so ago it was snowing, and by the time I'm done writing this it will likely have changed altogether. In spite of the weather though, I've been itching to get out and work in the yard and garden, dreaming of planting seeds, tending them, and reaping the rewards of that labor a few months from now. Along with the sunshine, the spring rains, and the colorful bulbs, the weeds are already springing forth from the damp soil, eager to stake their claim. There is much to do to prepare the soil if I want to grow good things in this year. Springtime is not a time to be idle, but a time to prepare. 

Lent is also called "a spiritual springtime". It is time to seek God fervently, to struggle hard, to find the weeds, big and small, and by His grace, tear them out by the roots. It is a time to prepare the soil of our hearts to that the Holy Spirit can grow pleasant fruit in our lives. It is a time to turn our hearts toward Him and allow Him to soften us, to warm us, to cultivate His Life in us.  Gardens, left to themselves, do not produce much in the way of good fruit. I, like my children, need to be pruned, weeded, and watered. While this time is not an easy one, I welcome the struggle, for I trust that it will be worthwhile in the end. 

Spring is coming! Resurrection Day is coming too! Let us prepare our hearts to follow Jesus to the cross so that we may be raised together with Him! 

Do you observe Lent? If so, what preparations are you making in your own hearts and lives? I've enjoyed reading about how other families mark this season, and would love more ideas on making it meaningful for our children especially. A blessed Lent to you! 

Looking Forward

A big thanks to all of you who have been praying for us over the last few days. God answered our prayers and we are all doing much better today. Alethea, whom I was so concerned for yesterday morning, was acting like her normal self by last night. I praise God for such a quick recovery, because I really thought we may need to take her to the hospital for an IV. She is very thin to start with, and the two days without food really weakened her. She responded well to the fruit juice and broth, and by afternoon ate a little cottage cheese, which my nurse friend recommended as an easy to digest protein to help her regain muscle strength. At dinnertime I thought maybe she'd eat a little yogurt, but she wanted fried rice, and even asked for seconds! Praise God! Today the kids seem mostly back to normal, and Erik and I are still tired, but feeling much better. 

Here are a few other things that are going on around here:

• I've started reading the Little House on the Prairie books to the kids. Yeah! I've read Farmer Boy to Peregrine but wanted to wait until Poppy was older to read the rest. So far, we are really enjoying them. And while I don't want to give up many of my modern conveniences, I really think a simpler life is calling to me. 
• We are also reading Little Pilgrim's Progress, at Peregrine's request. His name means Pilgrim, and we've read this two or three times before. I'm so glad he likes it, because it's a good one for young and old. 
• I'm dreaming of gardening! I'm reading Gardening When it Counts; Growing Food in Hard Times at the moment and am inspired. I'm pretty much a wanna-be gardener, but am learning, and this book has tons of good, down-to-earth information. I'm studying my seed catalog with red pen in hand! I'm also very inspired by the Pathway to Freedom family and this challenge they're hosting. I'm far, far, from growing a significant amount our food, but am encouraged that even a small start is a start. 
• I love my kids. No surprise here, but watching them go through sickness and come through it and return to their normal active selves gives me a new appreciation and tenderness toward them. We are so, so blessed. 

The Space Bar-B-Que

Raphael has found his thumb.

Poppy is quite pleased at having rolled her own tortilla!

Peregrine encounters a bear!

Once upon a time, a very long time ago, I used to post on my blog. I always envision summer being full of lazy days, but somehow it fills up quickly. Here's a bit of what's going on in our lives, as well a few random ponderings.

• Is anyone else baffled, every year, that by the time the weather warms up swimsuits are already on clearance and back to school sales are in full swing? Let us enjoy our summer, okay, Marketing People? 
• As a follow-up to this post, I've been spending a lot of time going through our stuff and putting it in boxes for a garage sale, and listing items on Craigslist or ebay. It feels so good to be paring down. And we're putting the money toward following a dream of ours! More to come on this topic in the (possibly) near future.
• The summer Erik and I were engaged we used to drive out of town and watch sunsets and hold hands. Those were simple pleasures, and we're seeking to unclutter our lives so we can recapture the joy of those things. (And if summer sunsets would happen a bit earlier we might be able to fit one in before bedtime!) Heartathome wrote an interesting post recently that linked to a broadcast that is worth listening to on rediscovering joy in our lives. 
  
• We enjoyed our first camping trip of the summer, and the very first ever with Raphael. We went with several other homeschooling families, and a wonderful time was had by all. The last night there was a terrific gust of wind and a treetop came down in the site directly across from us. Thankfully no one was injured, and it was with sober and very grateful hearts that we saw it the next morning. It could have easily killed any of us, and had been where there were lots of children running about all week. I know God protects our lives, but it's good to be reminded of it like that sometimes. We hope to get in a couple more camping trips this summer/fall.
• Remember when I stocked the freezer? Well, I'm so very glad I did. It's so nice to have some quick-to-prepare dinners on hand. Erik was very impressed the other night when I said I'd make spaghetti with meatballs and fifteen minutes later it was ready to eat! It was as simple as warming up the sauce, dumping in the meatballs, and cooking the pasta. Hooray for make-ahead meals! 
• Raphael is a full three months (and six days, but who's counting?) old now. I'm always amazed at how quickly they grow. He's worth dedicating a whole post to, but can I just say how thankful I am for this little guy? He brings such joy to my days. 
• We're enjoying strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries from our garden; also sugar snap peas and baby carrots. Most of our plants went in fairly late this year so it will be a while before our veggies begin to produce. And on the topic of gardens, why is it that weeds grow so much faster than the things you want to grow? I've been thinking about how this seems to parallel life too. Sinful habits seem to be so much more easily formed than godly ones. And harder to get rid of.
• When watching movies on our computer we press the space bar in order to pause it. Today Poppy told me to "press the bar-b-que" instead of the "space bar". Space bar-b-que anyone? 

(Not Quite) Wordless Wednesday

One of these days, or weeks, I may get back to posting a bit more regularly. In the meantime, life is happening and here are a few pictures to prove it:

In spite of the fact the summer already feels like it was too long ago, we're still enjoying the harvest from our garden. This is a frittata I made the other night using fresh eggs (thanks to our lovely hens, Stella, Janie, Marigold, and Penny), onion and bell pepper, tomatoes and basil. The only thing from the store was the cheese. We had it with baked potatoes on the side, also from the garden! It makes the homesteader in me quite happy to serve a meal such as this!

Some kids are bit odd, if you know what I mean. Our dear little Alethea, methinks, is one of these. Erik jokingly asked the kids the other day who wanted to cuddle with a gallon of milk. She did, and as you can see took it very seriously. This is also the girl who takes to bed with her the typical stuffed animal, a sippy cup of water, and a wet washcloth. Yep, a wet washcloth, and she cuddles with it, and sometimes reads stories not only to Bear, but also to Water and Washcloth. Like they're entities or something. Female ones, of course, because all inanimate objects and animals are in her world. Do any of your kids have a security Washcloth?

And this is what happens when you have too many baskets of laundry waiting around to be folded. You find creatures inhabiting your laundry and hope you pulled out the things that tend to wrinkle. (You probably didn't, but the creatures are rather charming, so you don't really mind the wrinkles.)

Someday soon I hope to actually sit down and write a little something. I think about it, but for some reason haven't done it. Soon, perhaps....

Green is the Color of Hope

Some time ago I wrote about new life springing forth in the garden and the hope it gave to me- hope that Spring follows Winter, and that Life comes out of Death in the upside-down Kingdom. This season continues to be one of healing and hope as we move forward. I wanted to share these garden photos that, to me, are promises of Hope and reminders of the triumph of Life:

Tomato Blossoms

Blueberries

Baby Kiwi

Raspberries

Tomatillo Blossoms