Author: joyfuldomesticity

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Life, Currently

Current Reads: My Life for Yours by Douglas Wilson, Face to Face by Steve Wilkins, The Complete Lord Peter Wimsey Stories by Dorothy Sayers.

Current Projects: Starting in on Christmas gift crafting. Lots of fun, but so far I’ve only made a good dent in planning and acquiring supplies. Now I actually get to jump in on the actual sewing and crafting, which of course is the best part. We’re also going to try to finish up some outdoor projects in the next eight weeks or so: finishing the back fence as well as the front porch ~ we’ll see how it goes.

Current Milestones: Steven & I are keeping up with our weekly family night & date night goals! Gabriel can tie shoes! Asher cut his first tooth! Tiny Ten is a wiggly babe!

Current Challenges: Managing the stomach flu making its rounds through the house. Figuring out how to maximize the 24  hours each day God has granted us. Trying to get back into the routine of early-morning reading & prayer time with my husband. Coming up with fun, delicious, new recipes that will help me attain my goal of at least one meat-free dinner a week.

Current Weather: Positively perfect! Sunny and warmish, but with a breezy chill. Precisely what September ought to be. 🙂

Current Music: Right now, it’s Up by Jamie Soles, and earlier it was Painted Red by JJ Heller.

Current Thanks: For my husband who works hard at his office job, then comes home to play hard with our boys, and work hard again with me in the evening routines, who sacrifices of himself for each of us. For my boys, who bring more joy to my life than I could imagine, and teach me so much about God, His world, His creation, and His story. For my parents, who have eagerly come alongside us, most recently when I was down & out with the flu ~ for not only their availability to help with our sweet boys, but for their enormous desire to do so, and the way they want to be involved in their everyday lives. For our church, and the community of people there who are seeking to grow in fellowship and faithfulness, and the ways we have been blessed to share in these things.

Current Photo Ops:

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Summer Sweetness

And while I’m not ready to divulge details or pictures or anything much pertaining to Tiny Ten… please know that YES, our Tiny Ten is growing and strong! The mercy of God in this is incredibly kind and beyond humbling!

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Let the earth bring forth grass

Take a look at the transformation our home had yesterday. What a true blessing!!

Psalm 147:7-8

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises on the harp to our God,
Who covers the heavens with clouds,
Who prepares rain for the earth,
Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.

Genesis 1:11-12

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

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Five Years as Mr. & Mrs.

Last week, we celebrated five years as Mr. & Mrs. ~ and what mercies the Lord has shown to us!

Steven and I were able to return to the chapel where we were married, as well as the hotel where we celebrated our reception. We had delicious food and drinks, fun walks around downtown and a beautiful park full of cultivated gardens, and time to simply relax & enjoy one another while reminiscing about God’s hand in our married life thus far & looking forward in hope to what He is yet to do.

I love my husband more than I can tell you. The respect and honor in my heart for him is immeasurable. Living with him, being his helpmeet, supporting him, sharing myself and my everything-else with him… it is all such a gift! It sounds cliche, but I couldn’t ask for anything more. And that’s simply the truth.

May the Lord continue to provide for us as we continue to live out our life together before Him, and as we uphold our covenantal vows by His grace. And may these first five years be simply a foretaste of the sweet delights the next fifty have yet to hold for our family.

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Asher Timothy ~ half a year

“Every time I look at the photograph of us in the delivery room–our eyes closed, lids swollen, faces pale and dreamlike–I think of survival and yes relief, but also a certain sadness. How terrified you must have been, jolted loose from your cave of water and my heartbeat, then pumped and squeezed roughly along by hard, rubber-like muscles. And then for you to emerge bloody and blue with the cord around your neck, the doctors hurrying to free you, the shock of light, the distress of your body being pulled every which-way. I wanted you on my belly…

It will be days, no, a lifetime before the sense of awe leaves me, for your birth, my son, is somehow connected to the heart of the universe where pain has presence because of divine decree. Jesus, Lamb of God, was torn by wolves of pain as we were, but his was unto death and more terrible because he took our sins upon himself. That was so you could have eternal life. There is meaning in our suffering, for we tasted in some way I cannot explain, the Lord himself. It is so for every child and his mother…

I love your hands, cloud puffs, pillows. Soft or not, the hands are bossy, going for my hair, nose, ribbon on my blouse–anything they desire the hands grab, to go of course into the mouth with its voracious gums.

There are also your cheeks, soft as dumplings, dimpling when you laugh. I love your laugh, proceeding first from the eyes, then spreading to your mouth in a grin that seems as big as you are–and on to the belly that shakes as you laugh, fat puppy’s belly, plush toy, marshmallow boy…”

~from “Sketches of Home” by Suzanne Clark, pp.43, 44, 45~

It’s true. That excerpt above pretty much nails it on the head.

Our sweet boy, whom Gabriel calls Asher-boy and we often refer to simply as “the happy boy” (he lives up to his name!), has been our arms for half a year now. Wow. Our hearts are full.

For the first time, not long ago I was told (much to my surprise, I might add) “two little boys? you’ve got your hands full.” I brushed my surprise away, smiled, and said, “believe me when I say that I could not be more thankful or blessed to have these boys filling my hands.” Beaming and nearly brimming with tears, I kept walking through the grocery store.

I feel that, similar to Mary, I too am most blessed among women. Perhaps every mama feels this way. 🙂

Asher is 14 pounds of contentment, joy, rest, and determination all rolled into one slobbery, sweet, happy bundle of wiggly, squealy bliss. He lights up my world. He wins over everyone who sees him. And I realize that I don’t just have an apple of my eye ~ I have a whole tree of apples in there.

Amen.

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Gabriel David turns 4!

When you ask Gabriel, “who are you?” he will reply, “Gabriel David ~ beloved of God who is my strength.”
To which I say, amen & amen!

This little boy is SO beloved! Of God as well as of us. And it is so obvious that God IS his strength, in so many ways. Physically and spiritually. The way Gabriel’s faith is growing and flourishing and sending out shoots to strengthen others is just beautiful.

After a day full of fun food and playtime and being with people Gabriel loves, that evening we had family over for a Birthday Express party which was a hit ~ Gabriel loved it, right down to the pinata and wearable cardboard trains I made. The train theme was fun to run with (chuff with?), and we enjoyed sharing a light meal, playtime, and an ice cream sundae buffet together.

At four years old, Gabriel loves to ride bikes, swing on his swingset, go for hikes in the woods, examine dead bugs under a magnifying glass, sing at the top of his lungs, listen to music and dance or play along, read books, do schoolwork, and is so good at his memory verses & catechism. He still loves to cook and clean alongside of his mommy, and loves to learn handyman skills with his daddy & grandpapa. To see him growing & flourishing in faith under God’s kind hand is marvelous, and he is excited that Asher will have his first communion this week on Pentecost.
Gabriel is beginning to read and write, which he excels in and enjoys. His imagination is probably his best friend and most constant playmate: it amazes me.

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The Lord’s kind and tender mercies astonish us every day, and we are bowled-over by Him. Our little boys are both a constant source of joy and reminder of our Father’s good pleasure. It was fun to celebrate Gabriel’s life this week; he is an amazing little boy. We are so thankful that God placed this covenant child in our family!!

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Mother’s Day

I can’t hold all of my children today, but I am dreaming of them. Here I am with all of their names on my necklace and on their arrows in our quiver. I never thought I’d be mommy of nine!

How I love my precious littles! Gabriel (without prompting) told me this morning in the car that he can’t wait to get to heaven so he can meet God and his sisters. That boy melts my heart in so many ways.
He wrote me a Mother’s Day card for the first time. And he picked me wildflowers! (In addition to helping his daddy make me breakfast in bed!)

Here I am with my two redheaded miracles. My heart overflows with gladness. They rise up and make me blessed!!

Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her.
Proverbs 31:28

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Sharing With You

Some pictures:

A Scripture passage:

Colossians 3:1-17
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

A prayer:

Worker of wonders,
Continue to make my [family] righteous, so that [we] may have peace, quietness, and security forever. O Lord, be gracious to [us]; I wait for You. Be [our] arm every morning, [our] salvation in the time of trouble. For You are exalted, for You dwell in high; fill [us] with justice and righteousness, and be the stability of [our] days, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; let the fear of You be [our] treasure. Arise, O Lord, lift Yourself up; be exalted in [our family].
Help [us] to become [a family] who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes [our] hands, let they hold a bribe, who stops [our] ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts [our] eyes from looking on evil. Then [we] will dwell on the heights; [our] place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; [our] bread will be given [us]; [our] water will be sure.
Let [our] eyes behold You in Your beauty. Be with [us] in majesty, for You are [our] judge; You are [our] lawgiver; You are [our] king; You will save [us] (Isaiah 32 & 33).

~Andrew Case, Prayers of an Excellent Wife~

A quote:

“Our whole relation to God is rooted in this: that His will is to be done in us and by us as it is in heaven. …[O]ur first object ought ever to be to ascertain the mind of God.”
~ Andrew Murray~

A poem:

As the misty bluebell wood,
Very still and shadowy,
Does not seek, far less compel
Several word from several bell,
But lifts up her quiet blue–
So all my desire is before Thee.

For the prayer of human hearts
In the shadow of the Tree,
Various as the various flowers,
Blown by wind and wet by showers,
Rests at last in silent love–
Lord, all my desire is before Thee.

~Amy Carmichael~