Child-like Devotion

It's 8am and we've been up an hour and a half. Yep, that's right, my girls don't sleep in. Me, I'm a late-night owl, always have been, and this early hour is a stretch for me. My oldest daughter is usually the one waking me up... I think that breaks a mom rule somewhere along the way. I don't EVER remember being up before my mom. We are already done with breakfast but I'm not saying we're all out of our pajamas yet. My mind is spinning with what I need to accomplish today. Laundry, clean, work outside, finish up a couple projects that have been laying around for far too long. Of course, this means my girls need to be real angelic, like perfect child are, so that I can get all these things accomplished before midnight. Oh, did I just put those two words in a sentence together?? Angelic girls?? HA! Well, it is certainly a good thing that I'm not a perfect mama because let me just tell you, this mama needs a lot of grace. I mean a lot.

Both my littles are pulling at my dress, they want up they say. Well the one says it, the other just motions. Go play, I say. Look at all those fun toys in the living room, those babies, books, etc. Just find something to do. Disagreeing eyes star back at me. Oh sigh.... really?? Why do we have all these toys anyway?? So we find a job to do together, while I inwardly rebel. Over the course of the morning, my littles follow my EVERY step... to the bathroom, to get a drink, outside to water flowers, upstairs to hang up laundry. I 'sacrifice' a few moments of precious time to read a couple books. Wiping noses, getting drinks, fixing lunch, changing diapers and helping one go to the bathroom..... Lunchtime is here. I have certainly not gotten very far on my list. Naptime... whew, I think I can make it. I long for a few minutes of time alone. Time not spent guiding, directing, re-directing, correcting. Just a small break please Lord.

And then God shows me.... and tears flood my eyes. It's this kind of devotion he wants from me. He wants me to pull at his robe, to look at him with love in my eyes. He LONGS for me to follow him around, for me to ask him EVERY single question I can think of. He wants me to follow every footstep, to be lost without him, calling for him when I can't see him. He wants to direct me and to help re-direct me when I go astray. He wants to be everything to me. These two precious souls love this mama, this imperfect mama. How can I not love HIM--perfect being??? His patience for me is endless, his love, everlasting. Oh that I would curl up in his lap, that I wouldn't take one step without knowing he is near.

I am broken... all my impatience, my 'sacrifices' of time... are selfishness. I know I am not God to my girls. I don't want to be. But they are young enough yet that I am the most important person on earth to them and they LONG for my affection, care, attention and affirmation. They desire to be near me, to share life with me. Every single day. Even when I act ugly and impatient. They have no idea that I have other work to do, that the other work takes time. Oh Lord, please forgive me... It is not a sacrifice to spend time with my girls, rather, a privilege. Help me Lord... to give my day to my girls after first giving it to you. I am here to take care of them at this time. The day will come when they no longer need me, when they no longer even desire to tell me every single detail of their life. But I have today with them. Help me embrace it! My other work will pass away but their souls will not. Help me guide and direct them to you... Days come when we mamas get tired and weary, bear us up to your side and remind us gently of just how much you have done for us. Our work is nothing compared to your sacrifice... Help me long to be near you, just as my girls long to be near me, to seek your approval, your attention, your affirmation. Mold me, Jesus, one mama in thousands...

Contentment

It hit me like a ton of bricks. "I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me,  but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have LEARNED in whatever situation I am to be content." Phil. 4:10-11 Why has it taken me 27 years to see that word, learned?? The definition of learn-to acquire knowledge of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience. Seriously!? And all this time I thought Paul was a super apostle, that when God returned his sight and saved him, he received everything he needed to be the perfect evangelist. Great news people, learning is something we do every day, all our lives long. If Paul can learn this, then I can too. I just pray that as we learn to be content with what gives us and where He places us, that we don't let ourselves become complacent! Keep your fire burning in us Lord....

January started the year off with a bang! We have had several visitors this year and everyone came within a few days of each other. It was a busy several weeks but we had so much fun! Dwayne, Trent and Clint spent four days in the mountains teaching about the soil. All the meetings were well attended and the people were so excited about what they learned. After their group left, Doug Flora's stayed with us a few days before going to help on the GB team. This was our first time with their sweet family and their first time here. We didn't give them a lot of time to catch their breath!They were real troopers. A few days after they left, Brett and Tina and her family came to stay with us for almost a week. They helped us do so many things around here, poured some concrete, moved our water tank up higher, planted grass; they more than earned their keep:) I can't believe I'm looking back on all of this as a memory already. Time flies....

Happy Birthday Justin!

Fun with the Flora's!

Ava and Bryce

Playing at the beach

Thinks she is big stuff!

While Clint's parents were here, we spent a few days in Soliette finishing up Massouk's house. We are pretty excited and so was Massouk, that he can finally have a place to stay every night! Thanks everyone who contributed... we can't say enough how much we appreciate it! After they finished up his house, they worked on building a pen for the goats. Now the goats stay in the pen everyday, all day and Massouk brings grass from the garden to feed them. Massouk had wanted to be baptised for several months now and it finally happened in February. It still thrills my heart to remember that day! He loves the Lord so much....

The finished house and goat pen!

The back side of Massouk's house

The hillside is where the grass gets cut to take to the goats

'Helping' Grandma

This is what was really happening! (notice the socks and shoes-this
girl begs to wear them on occasion. Bet this isn't the story you other moms
are hearing right now is it?!) 

Before baptism

Angels are rejoicing!!

Clint's days continue to be very busy. The program has switched its focus from coffee, to soil conservation and a goat farm.  I see less and less of him here at the house as he's out and about organizing and planning. He really enjoys going in the mountains and helping teach the farmers about soil conservation. So far, we have been blessed with godly, hardworking employees who really work hard. In the near future, building the goat barn will commence.

At the nursery

Nursery-Vetiver grass-the kind used in soil conservation

As for the rest of life lately, I'll let the pictures tell the story of the highlights... Celebrate Jesus!

Sweet Mia

On our way to Soliette

Big truck on it's side-part of the traffic jam

Playing in the cupboards

Majesty.....

JOY!

Worms... the reason I sift my flour!

Happy 2nd Birthday Onyl!

This is how we get our drinking water...

Playmates... on a rare occasion!

Erica and Ava

Trusses for the goat barn that Layne helped weld

Buying a pair of sandals---he had to finish sewing them before giving them to Clint. 

Grandpa and Mia

Happy 1st Birthday Mia Gabrielle!

This girl didn't want her hands dirty--she barely touched her cake

Yep that's right-two cupboards! This is a big deal people, I
still walk into the kitchen just to look at these beauties!

Much better than my grandma's gold, tupperware silverware container

Busy days--three under three... We got to babysit Onyl
every morning for a week!

~Family~

Traditions

Tis' the season to be busy... we race around getting gifts, making food, wrapping gifts, listening to Christmas music, and going to numerous family gatherings. "Will this season ever end??" we wonder as we gaze at new recipes we want to try and different things we want to do as a family. The sad answer is 'Yes!' This season does end and then we move on to the next busy season--it never ends. Christ is still laying in the manger, longing for us to worship His birth, to celebrate HIM, but we race right by. I am guilty of this!!! Every year I think I will be more focused on Him and the significance of the holiday, but each year I sadly fall short. These last couple of weeks I have been thinking a lot, (ok, maybe worrying a little) about what traditions I would like to do every year at Christmas with my little family. I remember getting the box of Christmas decorations out every year and the joy that came with setting the nativity set up. It never diminished with each year that came and went. What can we do every year that will be meaningful to the girls and something they will look forward to? Living where we do, you would never know it's Christmas--very few lights, no Christmas music(besides in our house!), no shopping, no snow, no nativities by the road. There are very few signs of the holidays here. As I was contemplating this yesterday, it hit me like a ton of bricks.... it's not the traditions that I should be looking forward to or that 'make' Christmas for me. It's CHRIST that makes Christmas! Now the question for me is, what can I do to help make the birth of Christ real in my girls' life? What will help make the Christmas story miraculous to them? How can we share with others this gift given to all of mankind?? "And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger." Luke 2:7 "And he called his name Jesus" Matthew 1:25b

I've said it once, I'll say it again, I'm so thankful for winter! Mind you, I would never say that as long as I lived in Ohio, but here, the cooler weather is just what we wanted! Just when I thought I wouldn't be able to bear the heat any longer, winter arrived. With winter comes visitors!! My sister and her family came and spent two weeks with us in November and Ava learned how much fun cousins really are. I told Tonya it could be a vacation for her, I didn't have much to do. That, however, was not the truth. We were busy the whole time. Not all was work, we squeezed in several fun things, day trips, market, etc. Looking forward to some more visitors in January and February! Ava, Mia and I flew home with Jesse, Tonya and their family and spent a quick nine days in Ohio. Some loving friends blessed us beyond measure... we were able to spend sweet time with my parents and family. After being gone for eighteen months, it felt really good to go 'home' again. Of course, along with the happiness of seeing family and friends again, our hearts also ache with sadness that we had to tell Pat goodbye. Lord you know best, but we will miss him...  However, we rejoice knowing he is where he longed to be!!

Darv's, Jesse's and us sharing dinner after a trip to Basin Bleu

Ava and Kiana Siebel

Eating snow!

So bundled up... she could hardly move

Clint stays busier than ever.... the coffee nursery is still growing and looking pretty good. In addition to coffee in the nursery, there are also tomatoes, green peppers and numerous kinds of trees. Looking forward to lots and lots of fresh salsa soon! Several weeks ago, Clint started a soil conservation project in the mountains. The first couple of classes consisted of lessons on vetiver grass, the kind of grass used to retain the soil. The next several classes they took turns planting grass on each of the participants land. Now that is done and we wait for God to make it grow! While Jesse, Travis, and Dallas were here, they went in the mountains a few days and cleared a couple different established coffee fields. Clint hopes to use these fields as visual aids to other program participants. 

And now for photos of the Pink Palace! I said in my last post I would share pictures of our home and now I finally will. One thing Tonya helped me with while she was here was painting the kitchen and guest bathroom. We now have two gray rooms in an otherwise totally pink house. 

From the road

Kitchen--gray!!

Looking in kitchen from living room

Living room

Other end of living room---office:) 

Master bedroom--HUGE!

Girl's room

Laundry room and pantry--yes, I have an automatic washer! I am spoiled!

 There are still so many projects to complete it feels like it will take years before we are finished. We lack curtain rods, shower rods, clothes rod, bed frame and we don't have a lot of things on the walls yet. For a place that feels like home, it does feel a little bare! But little by little things are getting crossed off the list. Recently completed are some amazing pantry shelves--these mean a great deal to me since I still have no kitchen cupboards!

Thanks guys! Around the corner is the washer...

Recently installed on our roof are a couple of solar panels---terribly exciting! We have two small generators that charge our batteries; we have no street power. With the price of gas around five dollars a gallon, it shouldn't take too long to pay off the panels. 

Enjoy celebrating the birth of our KING this season!!!

                                                             ~~~Merry Christmas~~~

Ava 2 1/2 yrs~~~Mia 8 mo