Intentional Parenting

A friend sent this very interesting article in which the author makes a convicting observation about Christian parenting. It challenges you to evaluate your parenting objectives and examine your approach to see if you are falling short of the true goal to raise children who love the Lord and seek to live a life pleasing to Him through the grace granted by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. 

The time with our children moves too quickly that we need to be intentional in our child rearing. Training up our children takes time; time preparing our hearts and minds to do so and time with our children. Take the time to teach your children the standard by which to live and the source of the grace to do so: Jesus Christ.

http://infoforfamilies.com/blog/2013/11/13/how-to-raise-a-pagan-kid-in-a-christian-home#.UojhNNKWYVA

"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Deuteronomy 6:7

Autumn in Missouri - Update

As I anticipated in my previous post about autumn in Missouri, the changing of the leaves was amazing. They say 'a picture is worth a thousand words', so I decided to let the trees speak for themselves...

The Great Outdoors

One draw to country life is the amount of time the children get to spend outdoors. At our place in Texas, their room to roam was limited. I knew they needed to be outside more, but we simply did not have the space big enough for their imaginations. We tried to work into our schedule a weekly park outing, but even that was not sufficient for the energy of little children.

I have been pleased to see them outside for hours upon hours riding bikes, harvesting the plants in the garden, collecting eggs, chasing chickens that have gotten out, playing with the dog, and making up games at their little fort in the woods. They have given themselves little projects to clean up the walking path in the woods and lined a few more trails with rocks they have found.

The neatest little project is their 'log cabin' in the woods. Using felled limbs, they have made a little fort which is used for all sorts of settings: weddings, battles, and even a funeral for a little chipmunk that lost its battle with the cat.

A cedar tree is the location for a tree house. H and B like to enjoy some reading in their little refuge off the ground.

On school days, they all work hard on studies, finish their chores and are back outside picking up where their pretend world left off. Ironically, these playgrounds of their own creation get much more attention than the pre-made swing set in the yard.

It makes me smile to see them running around outside, soaking up all that vitamin D, burning off some energy, and building memories.

"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is His reward." Psalm 127:3

Property Search Update

For those who know our plans, you have probably been curious if we have made any progress on our home. We are still looking for the right piece of land.

Randy has made it his full-time assignment. He has diligently scoured the internet for properties, driven to look at them, spoken with owners and met with a real estate agent. We keep tabs on the market to see what may come available.

We know that the Lord has his plan for us and we are learning to find peace during the wait. As you can tell from the other posts, we have been more than busy. There is not a shortage of things to do here in Missouri.

We covet your prayers for guidance and direction in our search and the patience to let Him lead.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Autumn in Missouri

Growing up in Texas, I always looked forward to the fall because it meant an end to the stifling hot weather; a time when I actually wanted to be outside. Now that we are in Missouri, the transition to autumn is much more subtle. The temperature gradually grows cooler as the days shorten. Where jackets and sweaters may not be needed until December or January in Texas (if at all), I have already worn each of those many times. (This morning it was 40 degrees outside.) 

The leaves are already starting to change which is another highlight of fall. I can't wait to see the colors the native trees of Missouri will make this year.

The weather and the shorter days invoke a desire for fall foods like apples, pears and pumpkins. Soups and warm apple cider or tea always seem to hit the spot this time of year. We have already prepared our applesauce and ventured a round of pumpkin muffins. Soups are on the menu and a kettle of hot water is always close at hand. A cup of hot chocolate was our dessert the other evening. Quiet walks in the brisk morning air are a special treat.

I know the winter here will be keenly different than Texas, but I am enjoying this season between the hot and cold weather for as long as it will last.

"Nevertheless He left not himself without witness, in that He did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." Acts 14:17

Every part of the buffalo...or in this case, apple

Now that apple season is upon us, we knew it was time to can applesauce! We ordered a bushel and a half of Honeycrisp apples and set aside half a day to do it.  

In about four hours we turned 60 lbs of apples into 22 quarts of applesauce, 4.5 pints of apple butter, 1.5 quarts of apple juice and left a dozen just for enjoying.

While I have made applesauce before, I had never canned it, so that was a fun learning experience.

On the last box we brought the children in to help juice the apples and observe the canning process. It was great to see their enthusiasm to help and learn. There are many great lessons in the simple act of making applesauce: following instructions, volume measurements (quart, pint, and cup), and the law of thermodynamics (ie, don't put hot applesauce in a cold mason jar - this was a verbal lesson...no demonstration was attempted).

We truly used the entire apple. The peels cooked down with the applesauce and the cores were either eaten by the children or fed to the chickens as a treat. We saved the pulp from the juicing to use in a yummy bread recipe.

Apple season is just another reason I love autumn!

"My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye." Proverbs 7:1-2



Maclura Pomifera

Commonly called Osage orange, hedge apple, horse apple, or bois d arc (bodark) apple, the maclura pomifera has been a great flora discovery since we arrived in Missouri.

One afternoon on a family walk, I finally asked what these fluorescent green 'fruits' were lying all over the ground. The long list of names listed above were given to these mystery balls. Finally, the elusive bois d arc tree was exposed heavy with these same 'apples'.

I had seen the dog with one and thought it was synthetic by the color, but apparently they turn this color in the fall. We busted one open to discover they did not seem edible or usable, but the dog loved to chew on it until he hit the middle where it seemed to give an off-taste.

At the time of the walk, I did not think much about it other than glad to finally identify a bois d arc tree. A few weeks later, a friend informed us that these malcura pomifera were great for repelling brown recluse spiders! Their home was infested with them when they moved in and once learning this use for the hedge apple, they placed them in the crawl space and in closets and other strategic locations. It cut their brown recluse problem down 90% almost overnight. The nice part is that they do not rot, but instead just dry out. They should last about 6 months and then will need to be replaced.

That was enough for me. The next day I had the children collect some unbruised osage oranges and bring them in. I placed them in strategic locations and have not seen any more brown recluses in those spaces. We saw some when we first moved in and then had a reprieve; however, in the week before the news, we saw a half dozen or more. I plan to collect a few more and place them elsewhere in the house.

Since I seem to have a mild case of arachnophobia, especially of spiders that could potentially cause necrosis, I have been a little worried about brown recluses which are common in the area. Scientific studies have found that extracts of Osage orange do repel several insect species, in some studies just as well as the widely used synthetic insect repellent DEET. Since using synthetic insecticides is not an option for us, it was a relief to find this natural solutiong...literally in the backyard!

I find it amazing how God has provided a solution in His creation. Everything has its place and purpose in God's design.

"And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." Genesis 1:31a

Silver Dollar City

Yes, this post is a few weeks late, but better late than never, right?

On a gorgeous mid-September day, we loaded up the children and headed to Branson for some fun at Silver Dollar City! For those unfamiliar with it, it's a great theme park with a setting in the mid-1800's in the heart of the Ozarks. It is built around the opening of Marvel Cave - the deepest cave in Missouri. We descended to nearly 500 ft below the surface to the base of the cave. The entire tour consisted of almost 700 steps! I am proud to say all the children made it the whole tour on their own two feet. It was a awesome sight and had an interesting history.

When we first entered the park the children were instantly captivated by a blacksmith working in his forge. By the looks of this guy, he did not just play a blacksmith on television. We sat and watched this man work for twenty minutes, at least. I'm not sure if the children or Randy were more fascinated by this guy's work. If you can imagine, we had to peel them away from the forge to go ride some rides.

The children enjoyed the children's section. M was finally tall enough to ride on most of them with an adult and a few on her own. She rode her first rollercoaster in the front car with Randy. When we made a turn I saw a big smile across her face which only confirmed our suspicions: she is fearless. :) H rode his first adult rollercoaster with Randy....and he loved it! He and I rode the 'ElectroSpin'. Imagine you are on a pendulum and gyroscope at the same time...all I can say is: Don't eat right before going on this ride. H handled it pretty well, but was not disappointed when it stopped. He decided he could wait about ten years before riding it again. He has already planned the rides he will ride the next time we go!  

 

 

A couple of lollygaggers



We interrupted the rides for a picnic lunch while watching the 'Sumptin Mo Stunt Show'. It was a perfect 'lunch' theater. The mellodrama was set in the old west with some pretty amazing stunts. The boys were getting into the shoot out scenes ready to jump in if more hands were needed rescuing the Mayor's daughter.

  

We ended our day with a train ride, but this was no ordinary train ride. I won't give it away, but needless to say everyone one enjoyed it...well, everyone except M who passed out about about the first 60 seconds. She was plum tuckered out.

The boys with cast from Sumptin Mo Stunt Show

It was a full day, but everyone had a great time. The weather was beautiful, we rode a lot of rides, toured the cave, saw the stunt show, and still left with things yet to do. I think it is safe to say we all look forward to our next adventure out to Silver Dollar City!

T-H-I-N-K before you speak

Several months ago, we had the privilege of visiting some friends and participating in a family Bible study. The topic made such an impression on me that I find myself reflecting on it often. I wanted to share it as it is a good reminder to all ages about how we should communicate with each other...especially those in our family and immediate circles.

Unfortunately, I have found that as we grow more comfortable around someone, we tend to show them less respect and use less care in our dialogue. This could be true between spouses, between parents and their children (in both directions), between siblings, even between friends and coworkers.

Perhaps it is because with those whom we are close to we feel we should be able to be more "honest". Is it factual truth that we are aiming to communicate or what we really think/feel? If the latter, honesty is not always the best policy.

I have been to several wedding showers where they provide an opportunity to give the bride-to-be marriage advice. I have found a common piece of advice that I like to share: "Don't say everything you are thinking." Thoughts and emotions come and go and it is best to be measured in our discourse to maintain love and respect in the relationship. Once words are spoken they cannot be unspoken. Even when forgiveness is granted, the sting of those words in the mind of the recipient may be difficult to forget.

Using an acronym of the work THINK should help us all 'think before we speak':

Is it True?
Is it Helpful?
Is it Inspiring/Encouraging?
Is it Necessary?
Is it Kind?

This is a great lesson for children to learn and apply to their interaction which each other so when they are adults it will already be a natural filter to their words. Like so many other life lessons, they are much easier learned as a child than as an adult. Children's hearts are fertile soil and manners malleable clay. Perhaps that is why Christ said: "And said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

This may not be the exact passage referenced during the original Bible study, but, nonetheless, I think it is fitting:

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
Ephesians 4:29-32

Farmer Boot Camp

Remember all those wonderful virtues of country life enumerated in the last post? Well, my idealistic vision of country life was put to the test in the second week of our life in Missouri which I affectionately refer to as 'Farmer Boot Camp'.

Some friends live nearby on a beautiful farm with cows, horses, chickens, sheep, cats, dogs, and even fish! They had not been on a vacation in a very long time and decided to get away from their farm life for 10 whole days...but the chores don't stop even for vacation. That's the reality of farm life! I don't think they have kennels for dairy cows or daycare for sheep, so they found several willing friends to help with the chores while they were gone.

When my sister-in-law asked if we would be willing to help, we jumped at the chance. The first three days were training and then we were paired with another couple on our assigned days to do the milking and morning chores.

It was surreal: two weeks prior we were in our apartment in Texas in a sea of cardboard and now we were in a dairy parlor in Missouri learning the fine arts of milking a cow.

During the training days the milking cows were already in the corral next to the parlor; however, on the first day on our own, we arrived and realized WE had to bring the cows up to the parlor. Well, there is no time like the present to learn how to sort and herd cows. Unfortunately, most of our exposure to cattle work came from television, so all we could do was whoop and holler and wave our hands hoping the cows responded the same way they did on TV. We managed to make it work, but I just have to say...cows are dumb. Of course, in all fairness, the cows probably had the same opinion of their surrogate farmers.

We had several opportunities to 'problem solve' on the fly; most of the time it was a cow moving in the wrong direction or in the wrong place or not moving to the right place. I learned cows don't have a reverse gear. The first time we sorted the milking cows from the rest of the herd, the bull just turned away like he knew not to come. "That was easy! Ok...I can do this." The next day, the bull had other plans. Despite my whoopin' and hollerin' and arm wavin' the bull kept coming towards me. I decided not to play chicken with the bull and I moved first. We got it a figured out somehow and got the chores done, but I'm not sure we ever had two days alike. I suppose that, too, is another aspect of farm life. While the list of chores may be the same day to day, the addition of animals' unpredictable behaviors keep things interesting. 

By out last day, we had worked out a good routine to get all the chores done. It was a little sad to leave the busy farm life, but the part I miss most is hanging out with one of the coolest cow dogs I've ever met (granted that is a rather short list), but he was a good dog. I can't wait to see Rocky again!

I really enjoyed the experience and the opportunity to play farmer for a couple weeks. I even think I could manage a single dairy cow eventually at our future home...although I'm still working on convincing Randy of that. :)

By the way, I also learned why they call it HOT wire...twice. :P 

"Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase." Proverbs 13:11

Adios, Tejas!

After much prayer and discussion, our family relocated to Missouri!

Many factors weighed in on this decision, but our strong desire to raise our children in a rural setting was a major consideration. With the limitless education in being good stewards of God's creation, having a stong work ethic, and all the things country life can teach, we prayed for years for an opportunity to do so.

Thankfully, we have not relocated only to become an island in the middle of the Midwest, but have come to an area with family and a community of dear friends.

It is strange to me to think just three weeks ago today, the children and I loaded up the minivan to make the big drive up Missouri way. It was a bittersweet day, as we left one home and headed toward our new home, a new adventure, a new way of life.

Let me start at the beginning of this adventure...the setting: a U-Haul truck somewhere in eastern Oklahoma; the main characters: two brothers who spent 11 of the last 24 hours loading this truck; the temperature: 110 degrees in the shade. What would a relocation story be without the moving truck breaking down?!? The truck lost power somewhere between Here and There, OK. However, they made it to the shoulder safely. The Lord was gracious and sent a brief rain to cool things down while they waited for several hours for roadside assitance to come. Right about dusk, Help came in a rusty Chevy pick-up. He jiggled a few wires, checked a few things and it started right up. Help followed them to the nearest large town where they found lodging for the night.

Last tank of gas: $76
Moving truck rental: $500
Brother bonding moment on the side of the road in OK: Priceless

Despite the time delay, they arrived safely in Missouri the next day where they were met by a troop of gracious friends ready to help unload all our belongings. The children and I had an easy drive up the following day.

While we miss our family and friends in Texas, we have a peace that we are where the Lord would have us be at this time and look forward to moving toward our goal of our own home in the country.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11