radicality

...reading The Radical Disciple, by the late John Stott:

"Life on earth is a brief pilgrimage between two moments of nakedness."

"We are all designed to be a burden to others. ...the life of the family, including the life of the local church body, should by one of 'mutual burdensomeness' ...Galatians 6:2 ...dependence does not, cannot, deprive a person of their dignity. If dependence was appropriate for the God of the universe [Christ's dependence on the Father], it is certainly appropriate for us."

"What then should our attitude be to ourselves? It is a combination of self-affirmation and self-denial--affirming everything in us that comes to us from our creation and redemption, and denying everything that can be traced to the Fall."

more beautifuller still

I woke up today in the arms of my love, after two weeks away working in Iowa. I missed him ...so ...much.

Now it is thundering out. I am meditating on the blessedness of a similar day three years ago, when the blue-eyed starflower that is Elanor Zeforah came into the world and, subsequently, our lives. Happy third birthday to my beautifulest beloved Norah <3

Quelling the frantic anxiety that threatens to surface because of impending obligations, I am thanking God for the tension He has sovereignly placed me within and the Help He has supplied.

July 27 2008

to live

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far."

-the apostle Paul, Philippians 1:21-23

No matter how much discouragement or failure is a part of your life (or mine), we can be certain that every day God allows us to live is to glorify Him, even if His glory comes by our suffering. If we are alive, it is to His glory. I really have no reason to complain about anything. If I am alive it because He has not yet completed His work in me, and there is still fruitful labor to be done.

the tide of time

my sister painted my nails and then picked these flowers for me in a ditch

I turned 27 today. My own mother wasn't even married when she was my age, and I have a college education, a husband, a daughter, and a home. I've lived on two coasts and traveled overseas, and I have seen the last Harry Potter movie. I worked in the corn fields with all six of my siblings today and now we're about to sing some praises with the guitar. I am blessed. Thank you Lord.

refocusing

I'm going to Iowa to help my dad and all six siblings detassel for two weeks. The first week will be sans Brett and Norah, and that is the longest I have ever been away from my nearly-three-year-old. I love Iowa, but I will miss my true loves more.

Reliance. Juggling my commitments means sacrificing my independence for dependence on God's grace. My natural tendency is to try to do it all in my own limited power and complain that others have it better off than me. But I hope to cultivate faithfulness and contentment in these weeks, and focus on the positives. And become others-oriented, like my dear husband is. Here goes.

poop deck

Four months and one day after we closed on our home and moved in, we can no longer say we are camping out: we finally have a fully functioning bathroom, complete with a shower. Luxurious, right?

Here are the incredible before & after pictures:

March 2011

July 2011

A clawfoot tub and pedestal sink have been my longtime dream, as well as the white trim, and I think the lemony yellow and sandy neutral combine to give this room a clean, bright feeling.

I still have to make tough decisions about where to hang my shelves and towel bars, but at least I can do my thinking after a cool shower. Ahhh. There is plenty of room for storage in the adjoining linen closet, so our toiletries are entirely accessible. I sketched out a floorplan of The Portage in case you're curious.


I don't know about you, but it still feels surreal to grab my towel and shampoo and not walk across the street...

sizzle and pop

June went out with a sizzle, and July came in with a pop (if a severe thunderstorm counts as a pop). I totally meant to post yesterday, but detasseling preparations delayed me. My next oldest brother and youngest sister are visiting for a week or so, and July 4th might hold a surprise in the home improvement before/after department! Keep your eyes pealed.

I really can't imagine a summer without detasseling (if you don't know what this is, I'm afraid no explanation can do it justice; my family's website is www.ivescleanfields.webs.com), but with farmer's markets, babysitting, church activities, and MOPS steering team stuff, as well as family plans and homemaking, I rather feel stretched thin. Thankfully God supplies the (mostly mental) strength to handle it all.

Brett delivers pizzas. Sol rallys funds/support for InterVarsity. Madi watches Norah splash in her new wading pool. I... find tart berries.