Maggie and James returned last night. Their first flights ever, saving infancy. They had visited arguably some of the most influential people ever in their lives.
The Hillerys.
These are the people we learned to butcher chickens with, castrated a large contingency of farm animals with, shared a LOT of food with, learned to bake bread with, shoveled a lot of manure with (literally and figuratively) and who, more than anything else, learned the fullest meaning of Grace with.
That they were able to go and visit them in their new home was true delight to me even if I wasn't along for the trip. Meeting them at the airport last night and hearing all of their wonderful stories was just a taste of heaven to me. That we would be so privileged to have friends like these ... thank you Lord! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
The sacrifice of Praise
"To bring the sacrifice of thanksgiving is to sacrifice our understanding of what's beneficial and thank God for everything - because He is benevolent. A sacrifice of thanks lays down our perspective and raises hands in praise anyways - always." A. Voskamp
Monday is Chinese New Year. I can honestly say that this is the first year that I ever paid attention to the date, which changes each year. We had hoped to receive our travel approval before the Chinese government shuts down for the holiday. We did not. That we didn't means that it will be yet longer before we get to go and pick up Ellie.
I understand fully that God "works all things together for the good of those who love Him". I know it may very well be in our best interests in a 1000 ways for us not to travel early in February as I had hoped (most recently - there were hopes for October, November, December and January as well). Still it is disappointing and the praise and thanksgiving I give just now is a bit of a sacrifice. (a small one albeit)
Monday is Chinese New Year. I can honestly say that this is the first year that I ever paid attention to the date, which changes each year. We had hoped to receive our travel approval before the Chinese government shuts down for the holiday. We did not. That we didn't means that it will be yet longer before we get to go and pick up Ellie.
I understand fully that God "works all things together for the good of those who love Him". I know it may very well be in our best interests in a 1000 ways for us not to travel early in February as I had hoped (most recently - there were hopes for October, November, December and January as well). Still it is disappointing and the praise and thanksgiving I give just now is a bit of a sacrifice. (a small one albeit)
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
In The Beginning....
It is difficult to start a blog. What do you write as an introduction to an imaginary audience? Yet there seems to be a need for an introduction of sorts.
I have thought about blogging for years, as a bit of a more intentional journal. I was thinking that if I thought someone could read it maybe I would write better or at least more carefully. The barn reference came from the season I was in at conception - we were immersing ourselves in the local foods movement by raising a respectable amount of food and had become good friends with people who were doing an even more ambitious job of it. The first thing I noticed about livestock is that they are not tidy. I know, that sounds a little obvious. I had been deluded by the pretty pictures in the magazines. The animals in the Mother Earth News must have been imported though, because the reality is a lot messier.
Which reminded me of life.
It is a LOT messier than I think it should be.
The interesting thing about barns is that the only ones that are clean, are the ones that aren't doing anything. For years I think the Lord has been trying to tell me the same thing about houses and lives too. Productive farms and barns are messy, productive and fruitful families are messy, life that is living is messy, not disorderly necessarily, but lives full of people and experiences are going to be, by their very nature, more chaotic than lives lived for a photograph.
And, if you are not careful, you can spend a lot of time "cleaning up" at the expense of living it up.
Anyway, at long last, I will begin this blog - fittingly so, as my barn is about to get quite a bit messier!
I have thought about blogging for years, as a bit of a more intentional journal. I was thinking that if I thought someone could read it maybe I would write better or at least more carefully. The barn reference came from the season I was in at conception - we were immersing ourselves in the local foods movement by raising a respectable amount of food and had become good friends with people who were doing an even more ambitious job of it. The first thing I noticed about livestock is that they are not tidy. I know, that sounds a little obvious. I had been deluded by the pretty pictures in the magazines. The animals in the Mother Earth News must have been imported though, because the reality is a lot messier.
Which reminded me of life.
It is a LOT messier than I think it should be.
The interesting thing about barns is that the only ones that are clean, are the ones that aren't doing anything. For years I think the Lord has been trying to tell me the same thing about houses and lives too. Productive farms and barns are messy, productive and fruitful families are messy, life that is living is messy, not disorderly necessarily, but lives full of people and experiences are going to be, by their very nature, more chaotic than lives lived for a photograph.
And, if you are not careful, you can spend a lot of time "cleaning up" at the expense of living it up.
Anyway, at long last, I will begin this blog - fittingly so, as my barn is about to get quite a bit messier!
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