On serving

I can’t say that mothering has been the easiest for me lately.  In fact I’m finding that it’s been a whole new level of weeding out the ugliness from my heart. I’m hopefully being brought to a greater understanding of what it just might mean to be at rest with what God has for me, and to truly serve those He’s given me to serve.  I am definitely feeling the fiery refining process these days. I know God’s burning away the dross in my life but I just wish it wasn’t so uncomfortable.  But then again….that discomfort problem…I think that’s what got me here in first place.  I’ve been loving my comfort and that has got to go I suppose.  I can only cling to His promise that He will eventually create something much more beautiful if I hold fast to Him.  I am praying to that end. 

In this process I’ve often thought about all of the intense pre-marital counseling Sam and I received before marrying.  We had several sessions with our pastor, read countless books, were guided to discover deeper things about ourselves so that we would in turn be able to relate to our future spouse, and we had many people exhort us in the joys and challenges of marriage.  I think those things helped a great deal in preparing us for marriage and in setting our expectations right.  Of course nothing can fully prepare you, but we feel we received a lot of wise counsel and honest encouragment from those who had gone before us.  I almost wonder why in the world we don’t encourage pre-mothering counseling.  Seriously. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past several years of transition, it’s that expectations and perspective are everything.  The truth about mothering is that it is full of joy, but also heartache, of discouragement, but also encouragment, of endless selflessness, but also the incredible gift of giving so that another can grow, of dying to oneself over and over, but also of losing the root of selfishness that has made it’s home in your heart.  I’m waiting on that last one. 

I truly do love my children and husband and am praying that God makes me the wife and mother He wants me to be.  I have an incredible amount to thankful for, and I don’t want to be distracted from what God has for me each day.  And for that reason, in the midst of the fiery furnace I find myself in, I am choosing to put one foot in front of the other day each. 

Philippians 2:3-4
“Do nothing out of selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Stuff I am loving these days

- those flowers and that chair
- the kiddie pool that has become a permament fixture in our yard
- eating on the deck as much as the weather allows
- green, green everywhere!
- obsessively checking on each and every plant and flower’s growth daily
- the smell of fresh-cut grass
- windows open=fresh smelling house
- the hop toads in our yard and one little boy’s delight in them
- the absence of television watching….seriously…what is that black thing in our living room?
- giving under-doggies…over and over and over and over
- clothes hanging on the line
- the blooming iris and wild flowers and one little girl’s delight in holding them
- the chorus of birds at the start and close of every day

So much to love about these days!  Thank you Lord for the simple things you give us each day!

Memorial Day Weekend Family Camp

This past weekend Camp Forest Springs hosted its Memorial Day Weekend Family Camp.  I had the privilege of teaching the Bible class to the pre-school aged children again this year.  I am completely bummed that I kept forgetting each day to bring my camera!  I guess with these busy little bodies there wasn’t a lot of time for photo-ops anyway!  The 3 & 4 year olds are at such a formative age and it is always fascinating to observe these little ones learning how to participate in a class room setting (some of them for the first time), and how to interact with others their age (in an appropriate and loving way:).  I loved teaching them Biblical truths - it is incredible how much they really can learn and grasp even at this young age.  Their hearts are so fertile!  The theme for all of the Family Camp Bible classes this year is The Wonders of God, specifically as follows:

The Wonder of God’s Creation
The Wonder of God’s Word
The Wonder of God’s Power
The Wonder of God’s Wisdom
The Wonder of God’s Love

We will be learning and reminding one another throughout the summer to stop and reflect on the wonders of our great God!  To Him be the glory for the great things He will do in our hearts! 

Week in Review

This here folks, is our week in review.  That’s right….last Friday to this Friday.  Lots of pictures….lots of projects….lots of stuff going on!  Here’s a little re-cap. 

Siding Project
Rewind to last Friday.  There’s a family in Eau Claire (about 2 hours from where we live), who offered to donate their 6 month old siding (in fantastic condition and color…long story as to why they donated, but the deal was totally legit), to anyone to would take it down themselves.  We had previously gone to see it, liked it, and my husband stepped right up to the challenge…along with several other amazing friends who showed their love and friendship by helping with the large task.  It all took place last Friday, and now we have enough siding to cover most of our house (we’ll have to match it for aboug 1/3 of the house/garage).  For those of you who have seen our house, you know that since we’ve lived here it has been sided with three different colored materials, most of which is old, thus the desire for new siding to create a cohesive, purposeful look and feel:) 
Here’s Sam working on the siding.

For now the siding will sit oranized in this brilliant rack that Sam built behind our garage.  We aren’t ready to put it on the house since there are a few things that need to happen first, but we’re grateful it’s here when we need it!  Praise God for this unexpected provision!

Window Project

To continue the finishing of the basement, egress windows were the next step.  Last Thursday a man from the community here came and charged us a shockingly small fee to dig up the two holes for the location of the windows.  Sam’s parents arrived last Sunday ready to rock and roll. 

Sam’s dad, Randy, sawing through the concrete for the window opening

Hauling cut blocks out from the hole

A view from inside

Installing the windows

Framing in around the window in the inside.

Overall the window project went amazingly.  The holes were cut, and windows installed all by the end of the first day!  We’re so proud of the guys for how hard they worked.

The guys also had opportunity to pour the new footings in our basement - woo-hoo!  This will pave the way for framing to begin this summer.

Truman “helping” grandma prepare the garden for planting.  Sam’s mom actually did a TON of weeding and work in the garden!

After planting flowers and vegetables, we placed these pavers we’ve had laying around to make a little walkway in the garden - we even used some glass blocks taken out from the old basement windows to add something unique.

Truman sat entertained for quite some time each day listening to grandma’s ipod.

And this had some entertaining value as well.

Tava got attention too and realized she loves to swing. 

A sucker and popsicle at the same time?  Grandma MUST be in town:)

We made garden plaques with some plaster of paris and the kids’ handprints one day. 

They go perfect in my rock garden.

Bonnie and I got the garden in great shape.  We planted almost everything, except the vining items, beans and corn which we’ll do next week.  The weeds are mostly gone,  and cloches are out to create mini greenhouses for the sensitive plants.  Grow plants, grow!! 

Truman even got his first dentist appointment in this week! Here he is listening to the hygienist explain what she’s going to do.  He actually did really well for it being his first time and allowed her to polish his bottom teeth (then he’d had it and we knew we better stop).

The dentist came in to do a little check too.  Overall, he did great.  They recommend these early visits now just to get the kids used to the whole atmosphere. They don’t expect to be able to do a full cleaning, but we were glad he cooperated as much as he did.

Other things knocked off the to-do list? Trimmed a couple trees, played with kiddos, began pruning a humongously overgrown bush, wiped noses and bottoms, transplanted rhubarb (right….not the best time to do it, but this was intervention), put fence up around our young blueberry plants, fed hungry mouths all week, mowed/trimmed the lawn, organized and stacked the donated siding,  got gravel for the landscaping of the window wells, and got in a few campfires and had ourselves several banana splits ....all in a week’s time! 

A picture of the Smith work crew

Meet the Chos

The Cho family was here for the past year participating in the LTD (Leadership Training & Development) program.  They are originally from Korea, but have been living in Mongolia for several years and plan to return there to apply the camping ministry and leadership skills they’ve gained while at Camp Forest Springs.  We have loved getting to know the Cho family.  Truman has LOVED playing with their boys. Every time we would go out to camp for a meal, the Cho boys were usually there as well, and it was Truman’s pure delight to get to spend time laughing and playing with them.  We have been grateful for the Cho’s example of servanthood, their hard work ethic, their thankfulness, their humility and their faith in Christ.  They have been a joy to be around, and have been a blessing to many, many staff.

We were able to have them over for supper the last night they were here.  We enjoyed the special visit, even though it was brief.  What a privilege to meet these fellow believers in Christ!

(My apologies for the blurry picture…It was scanned in and didn’t translate too well).

Please pray for the Chos as they return to Mongolia and use their passion for Christian camping ministry to reach souls for Christ.