hope

A Call to Quiet; The Future of This Space

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It’s been brewing for quite sometime – it’s been overflowing in my mug. That tug at my heart strings calling me to a season of quiet- a season to learn, absorb knowledge, and pass it onto my kids. Can you relate?


With our upcoming move there will inevitably be a lot of change and a whole lot to learn. These changes don’t worry me any much but rather, bring about an exciting challenge. If there is one thing I have learned over the years it is God doesn’t do “comfort” but, God certainly does “rock the boat”. When we are challenged we grow and we seek Him more- we have to trust, and make the conscious decision to be present in our daily life.

With the noise of the outside world these days of being fully present in our lives has proven to be quite a challenge. Take a drive to a nearby restaurant – take note how many times you see someone having a conversation and now take note of how often that same individual glances at his/her phone during that conversation. Take note of how many ‘selfie picture’ takers you see sitting in the corner booth – or how many people you see whipping out their phone just to capture the perfect mouth watering plate of food picture. Then there is my personal favorite – take note of the child sitting in the high chair with a tablet in hand just to keep him/her ‘quiet’.

We have become a society of ‘quiet‘ not because we are learning and growing; but, simply because we are no longer talking. We have become quiet but, all the while we have become so very loud. 

We no longer only look to those around for acceptance we look to the world. We are constantly searching for the ‘pat on the back‘ saying “well done sister, that apple pie looks amazing”, “wow, you look gorgeous“, “nice deal“, and on and on…

I say all of this not to shame you as I too am guilty of such behaviors. We all are!

Here is the thing, that constant tug of my heart and so much of our move to the country is far more than a ‘just’ a move – there is a purpose and a challenge being set before me (and, you!)

The purpose – I no longer want to be the one ‘just‘ sharing my “berry crisp” in picture form on the world wide web for all to see – I want to invite you to my home; open my door, sit, talk , laugh, cry, and yes, share it over berry crisp (by the way if you aren’t signed up for the “Homestead Happenings” you should be – I shared that recipe last week ;-). 

This upcoming journey is a call to be quiet over tea without the noise of the world and buzzing of electronics, a call to be present in each day, a call to open our door, learn, and grow together.

So what does that mean for this space – it means anytime I write in this space it will be from the heart, it will be a truth, a tug of the heart strings message, a story dug up from my well. This space will be reserved for family and friends to ‘gather around our table‘ without physically being there. It will be a place to continue to learn and grow together- without the burden of not feeling ‘good enough‘. It will be a place of raw truth, pain, and the journey that makes us who we are called to be. 

(Also for the latest in “Homestead Happenings” SIGN UP HERE (its free!) I promise I don’t spam your in box – no one has time to read 100 emails from me (ha, I don’t have time to write that many anyways) Its simply a way for me to connect to you better and bless you with “little inbox surprises” periodically from my homestead to yours….you know things like berry crisp 😉



Reflections of Grace

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It is November my friends; can you believe it? I hope you all enjoyed the 31days of Food Intolerance’s series (even though I missed a few…oops). I would love to hear from you; do you have any questions or want to learn more, please let me know.

This month I will be putting my family to some real life challenges and you are going to be journeying with us. It is the month of “Giving -Thanks”. I am very excited to share with you on Monday just how we will be putting things in motion.

Since Friday is my day of “rest” in a sense. I will be linking up with Lisa-Jo Baker and some other friends (yes, they are real people…I officially met many of them in(RL) What a blessing it was to squeeze them and not have a screen between our words. Join me as we write for 5 minutes, unedited, on a given prompt. Today’s word; Grace

Go….

Being a Mom it can bring out the best in us and the worst. Our patience is tried in so many ways. We are pulled in every which direction between; meeting our families needs and seeing that our personal needs are met too.

We train.

We teach.

We learn.

We live.

We judge.

We fall short.

We stumble.

We fall.

But…we get back up. God is there with us always. He stands at the top of the mountain cheering for you when you might feel as though you don’t deserve it. His grace surrounds you and the door to forgiveness remains open for those times we are less that obedient. Keep true to yourself and who you were created to be. Know that there will be bumps in the road but there is always a hand on the other side waiting for you to reach out. 

Beauty in Hope

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The fast approaching holidays often become somewhat of a stress since we have multiple children which suffer from various food sensitivities. It does require a certain level of planning in order to normalize life. 


I often find myself in this massive web (so fitting since today is Halloween). A web of fibers spun out of fear. The tug and pull of each strand is a tug on my heart. I struggle with feelings of isolation, frustration, and anger. Why can’t things just be normal for my family? 
Why can’t we just go to a family gathering and eat all of the traditional foods? Why must I pack my house to be in the company of others?  Why can’t we just go to a restaurant as a family? I’m left with two choices; let the web engulf me or find resolve.

I begin to unravel; we spend an endless amount of time trying to be normal and trying to fit in. Normal is just that; where as uniqueness brings forth beauty. Instead of trying to fit our square family in the round world. I begin to think outside the box. I struggle with the feelings of loneliness; but, more so it is clearly selfishness. I am the one disappointed that once traditions are nothing but a past and I am the one spending endless hours in the kitchen in order to see that all of the traditional holiday experiences are safe for my children.  I do this to eliminate the risk of cross contamination and potential use of wrong ingredients from well meaning hosts. My selfishness is directly driven from fear; a fear of a relapse but with good reason. 

Still unraveling…

Although, my actions are fear driven and well intentioned. There are still options. I have the option to stay home and make new traditions with my family. I can still recreate the “traditional” meal in order to partake in an extended family/friend atmosphere. I live in a land that has more than enough. It is my job to see that what I am given becomes the beauty it was intended to be. I have been given a blank canvas to recreate, make a new, and spread good news. I am an artist. No, my friends I can not draw. I can however, cook, create, invent, inspire, and encourage others in similar situations to do the same.

If you find yourself in a similar slump of loneliness; think beyond the ordinary and create something new. That might mean creating new traditions, recreating meals, or being in the company of those in similar situations. Think outside the box and be the good new; life does not end with a diagnoses but rather creates an opportunity to be the gift to others, the gift of hope.