Hope

Lo and behold, we're in business girls! After 7 months of waiting we finally have ourselves some eggs.

Those two eggs couldn't have come at a better time for us. My husband and I are learning a lot these days about trusting God and His timing. We have learned that when the miracles don't come quick and things don't happen when we need them to, God is still working. The true reward is in the waiting... here we are refined. It's not about getting what you need when you want it, but being surprised by it when you least expect it.

Spring Fever.

I'm feelin it coming... Spring fever. As the days get warmer and the grass gets greener, I am reminded of the hope that comes with this new season.

It's that burst of color that comes out of something that seemed dead for so long. Spring is a reminder to enjoy all that is lovely and to embrace beauty when it is present, and to wait in hope for it when it is not. We must understand the cycle of life is so much like the changing seasons. We are constantly changing- and with that comes joy and pain. 

If you are in a season where there seems to be no beauty, trust that it is coming. Just like the new leaves on the old oak tree in the spring, new life always comes. It takes over all that has been dead and dormant and proves once again, that He is faithful.

Rest in that today.

Birds of a feather.

Meet our chickens. We thought the idea of these birds would be nice since we go through eggs like crazy during the week. The only problem is this- after hundreds of dollars in feed, their coop, and buying the actual chickens, we still have no eggs. After doing the math, we've realized it's going to take a lot of egg producing and some serious time to recoup our cash.

The chickens are interesting to watch and I have learned quite a bit from them. I never thought about the fact that since we bought them so young, they never had official training from their mothers. Chip recently bought a pair of two chickens that had been raised by their mom and the difference with the two types was a big one. The two new chickens have far better instincts than our current ones. The way they hunt, scratch, and peck for food is far more intentional and successful than our untrained chicks.

Within one week of merging the trained with the untrained, the original pack leaders have stepped down from their position and are now following and mimicking the two new birds. All ten of our chickens now have the same mannerisms. Despite the lack of production, they all seem to finally look like they know what they are doing. All it took were a few well trained birds.

This same idea is encouraging for me as a mother. Our kids, though they kick and scream, will have far better instincts and discretion because of our intentional training as mother hens. My hope is that my kids will be well suited and prepared when they start forming their own "packs" in life.

Here's to a well trained flock!

I'll let you know when the eggs start coming...

Noise.

Yesterday my oldest son said, "Mom it's Valentines Day, no texting today, okay?" I thought about it and wondered why he made that little rule up. He knew this day was about love and showing others that you love them. I always have my phone on or around me because of work and often times I let it set priority over those in front of me. My kids pick up on this. No wonder they are louder when I am on the phone, it's all starting to make sense!

My biggest desire lately has been to be intentional with these babies. Just because I have chosen to stay home with them doesn't mean I am really being with them. Today I took my youngest two to the museum. Often times this is where I get most of my phone calls returned and work done because they are content running around. I left my phone in the car and made it a point to have no distractions. It was so nice to leave that ball and chain under the seat so I could focus on the now with them. I had the best time with those two and I think they were angels simply because they weren't competing for mom's attention!

We need to get the idea out of our heads that everything has to have an immediate response. It is a little trickier with work I know, but boundaries have to be set. Maybe allow yourself a few hours during the day where your phone, computer, or television is turned off or hidden under a mattress. Let your close friends and family know you are taking a break from 9am-12pm(example). I bet this will allow for a more peaceful home when those you love sense you are loving them with all you got!

Twenty Minutes.

Sometimes I wonder if there were a video camera following me around all day, what would it capture? Would it capture me bending down non-stop to pick things up? Would it capture me texting, checking emails, and returning phone calls? Or what about moving around non-stop trying to race the minutes and multi-task like a freak? I hear laughing in the background, I keep cleaning. I hear crying in the background, I yell, "Work it out kids!". I hear questions being asked, I scrub the counter tops and focus more on the endless streaks than I do answering the question with full attention.

Stop.

I have come to the conclusion that 5 minutes of intentional time with my husband or my children, is far better than a day's worth of trying to incorporate them into my day full of meaningless tasks and goals I have set for myself.

I keep hearing it over and over... "Meaningless. When I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Ecclesiastes.

Time with my kids. Good times laughing, teaching, building and playing. Meaningfull to their little hearts and minds. My husband reading a book to me that I have no clue what it is talking about... meaningfull to him. Knowing that their hearts are full of love... meaningful to me.

This week I have a challenge for myself and for you... Twenty minutes of intentional time a day with those you love. No phones, no TV, no distractions. My kids chase after me all day because they just want to be with me. If I sat with them and gave them what their hearts asked for, they wouldn't be as whiny and needy! Listening to my husband for twenty minutes about his day, his ideas and just encouraging him... his heart would be full and ready to conquer and divide the tasks set before him.

Remember, this journey of love and motherhood isn't an immediate gratification deal. It is a diligent step of purpose and grace every day. It's not standing still and letting the day pass you by. It is getting off our phones and our butts, pushing our kids forward and teaching them so they aren't surprised one day at the curve balls the world will throw at them.

Start with just twenty minutes.

I hope you have full hearts this week and happy homes!

 

Design Mom

The very talented blogger Gabrielle of Designmom.com featured our home a few weeks ago... Check it out!

http://www.designmom.com/2012/01/living-with-kids-joanna-gaines/#more-15835