quiet confidence

"Prayer rests in the quiet confidence in the nature of God - a holy longing and expectation that if you wait upon him, he will make my path straight. He does this by voicing his will to my heart and then extending faith to obey his leading."

i came across this quote in an email regarding prayer for a student ministry. it really spoke to me and i regret that i cannot give proper credit.

everyday gift: words to ponder

wordless (well, almost) wednesday

flowering bean plant, S's science project

everyday gift: something green in january

dear old raggedy ann

i never really set out to collect dolls. it just sort of happened. i inherited my grandmother's dolls, some very rare and beautiful dolls from the early 1900's. and i have now acquired my mother's dolls because of her lack of storage in her condo. in a series of future posts i plan to display these special dolls since i have no place to display them in my home. but i do treasure them! there is something about a well loved doll that makes you believe she is alive and returns the same affection to the little girl who cared for her. it is easy to understand why such a theme runs through so many story books...and i just might believe it is true...

"Oh, Children!" Marcella cried, one day, as she came running into the nursery where all the dolls were sitting, "we are going to move, so you must all help me get ready. We must put all the doll clothes in the little trunk and pack everything nice and neat so nothing will get lost."

The dolls thought this would be great fun and they would have enjoyed jumping right up and helping, but Marcella did not know that dolls can run around and talk and do all sorts of things.

But, dear me, how the thoughts flew through their little heads and how they wished that Marcella really knew they were alive instead of just pretend. "Why!" thought Raggedy Ann, "wouldn't she be s'prised, if I should suddenly jump up and start packing our clothes in the little toy trunk?"

Marcella would have been surprised. Sometimes she did think that the dolls had moved around in the night after she had gone to bed. And, indeed, that is just what they always did...

from Marcella: A Raggedy Ann Story by johny gruelle

the inscription reads, "Judy Lynn, from Betty 1948"

what a sweet gift from a big sister

my mom's Raggedy Ann doll from the 1940's

a gift from her sister Betty

"curly"

a hand-stitched treasure, given to my mom by her mom in 1949.

everyday gift: the special love between girls and dolls

uninvited

the chickens have had a few unwelcome callers this month! after 4 years of keeping laying hens, this is the first intrusion we have encountered. so you can imagine mark's surprise when he tried to move a sitting hen out of the way to collect the eggs and found an opossum hissing at him instead! thankfully, he was not bitten and we are thankful that it was not B collecting the eggs as usual!

this one ventured into the garage and S snapped this picture. although i consider an opossum on the same level as a rat, they are rather fascinating. take a look at his interesting foot!

leading a quiet life

i found another verse to go along with my word of the year:

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life,
to mind your own business
and to work with your hands...
I Thessalonians 4:11

ahh, the elusive "quiet life." it seems that i am always 3 errands, 2 loads of laundry, and a phone call away from the quiet life i am longing for. but i am working on saying "no" to non-essential things, making the reading of God's Word and prayer priorities over the dozens of daily "emergencies", and trying to find a quiet heart in the midst of a busy life.

"to mind your own business." this part made me laugh out loud! yes, i need to mind my own business. don't i have enough stress dealing with my own issues without taking on everyone else's?

"and to work with your hands." funny how i never noticed this verse before. but i know how being busy with a project can be like therapy. it can distract me from a problem i may be brooding over, it can calm emotions. and if i am focused my own project, how can i meddle in someone else's business? *smile*

i do like to be busy with my hands. these are some dishcloths i have knit over the past few months while reclaiming wasted time spent waiting...waiting for piano lessons to finish, waiting for soccer practice, waiting to pick up the kids after school...and instead of feeling impatient and rushed, i have enjoyed the time working my needles and yarn into something beautiful and useful.

B learning to knit, working her first project

to work with your hands

everyday gift: knitting with B

powdered sugar snow

this morning B looked out onto the deck and exclaimed, "powdered sugar!" and indeed, the light dusting of snow did look like the powdered sugar we sprinkled on our french toast! i thought the snow looked so pretty on our dinner bell, although the picture does not do it justice.

everyday gift: powdered sugar snow

a fresh start

january 1st. a fresh start.

last year i choose a word for 2008, a word that would be a focal point, a goal, a theme of sorts and that word was listen. i must confess that half way through the year i was not thinking so much about my word. but now as i contemplate a new word, i have been thinking back, wondering if listen was in fact a good word to sum up the year. surprisingly, i see many ways that i have had to listen.

we, as a family, have faced some big changes and decisions and i have really needed to listen to the evolving needs of my kids. C has entered into his teen years and has begun to assert his independence in new ways. this can be a turbulent transition time, and we have seen our share of that, but i am learning to listen to C. i have tried to understand his feelings and needs so that i can adjust my parenting and help him to become the independent and responsible adult that he is learning to be. listening in this circumstance has indeed been a challenge for me when what i want to do is lecture and correct. ( moment of transparency. please be kind!)

S left our home school for the christian school for the first time this year. another big change. i have tried to listen to his needs so that i could offer encouragement as he faced his own challenges. leaving our home school with just one has meant a change for B and for me. this has enabled me to listen to B more than ever without the competition of her brothers around. it has been a very positive year for B to have me all to herself during school time for the first time ever. and a positive year for S as he confidently and successfully joined the 5th grade class.

mark and i listened to God's leading this past spring as we decided to leave a church for a new one. it was a decision that we have thought about for several years now. it was very difficult to leave the church we have been involved in for so many years but we have found confirmation in many ways at our new place of worship and fellowship.

so that leads me to my word for 2009. related to listen, it is quiet. as in quiet time. quiet heart. just quiet. in order to listen to God's voice and leading, to the needs of my family, and to the needs of others i need to quiet my heart and my mouth (*blush* another moment of transparency!) i am recommitting myself to spending time in God's Word each day. i need to quiet the fears and worries of my heart with trust and faith, i need to quiet my words and listen in my relationships. i want to quiet the noise around me and have a quiet spirit which blesses those around me.

i am pondering these verses which express my prayer and desire for spiritual growth in coming year...


a quiet inner beauty which will bless others:

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment,

such as braided hair and wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.

Instead, it should be that of your inner self,

the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,

which is of great worth in God's sight.

I Peter 3:3-4

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a quietness which listens for the voice of God:

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

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a quiet heart which trusts in God's love and protection:

The LORD your God is with you,

He is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

He will quiet you with his love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

everyday gift: a fresh start