Reflection Sunday For Me

Little Ellianna will be having surgery again. here is a note from her Momma.

  Tuesday was her check up with the neurosurgeon, and as we suspected, the pressure inside her head has been increasing again.  Her temporary shunt is done being useful, but her brain has not been able to take over the job on its own.  We hoped this would not be the case, but always knew it was a possibility.  Her doctor has lots of experience with this and is very compassionate and skilled in his care of her.  We will be going back on Monday to have an ultrasound to see exactly how much fluid has collected in her brain, and then surgery will be scheduled for sometime within the week.  She seems pretty uncomfortable the last few days, which is probably from a pretty bad headache.  We are doing our best to snuggle her and love on her and make her as comfortable as possible.  Our church was very gracious in helping us arrange to have her dedicated before her surgery, so we will get to do that this Sunday, which is actually her due date:)  We will update all of you as surgery plans fall into place, and hope you will be praying even these days before.

Love to all,
Hannah

Please pray for their family.......thank you so much ladies.

Good Morning dear sweet Ladies,

As you know we are going to be HOME for the summer. We will still be working in some form, but none the less.........at HOME. I look back on the last 9 months and have seen the golden thread that my Father has been weaving through my precious families lives. My heart throb has always been to be a stay at Home Momma and I was able to until last year. Yesterday I saw why I loved being HOME so. Our son's were planting soybeans. My Phil was a hopping just like he always did for his Daddy......... when they farmed together. He was the one that got the tractors serviced and repaired........worked on the combine.......and what ever else needed to be ready for his Daddy to just get in the tractor and take off. Another job for my honey was to get the seed ready.......filling buckets and every half hour going and filling the planter so the guys could just keep going. He didn't stop all day to hardly even eat........that's just the way he is when it is planting time. I loved the interaction between son's and Dad. The Lord let me be a part of it yesterday watching and being reminded that Grandpa Jack was missing and very missed. I am looking for the gifts the Lord will give this summer. Ya know He is the giver of the best gifts. I will probably see it more clearly. I used to take it for granite before I had to leave the home...........I don't ever want to again. 

 Anyway.......I came in the house. Our girls were sitting on the couch folding patterns for me and  listening to a young Pastor on the internet from Mars Hill Seattle on Biblical Womanhood. A Mother's Day sermon. To see them on their "own" watching a sermon on Saturday, blessed my heart. We used to get to do that a lot more before we worked. I have been praying for the college and my whole family to love the Word and to obey it. At the college I use my time praying a LOT. I look back and that was a good thing.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, o those who are called according to HIS purpose. Romans 3:28

When I started working I felt like I was loosing my identity as a Mom and helpmate to my husband. I know that we live in a fallen world and that things are not always going to be the way we want. When I worked in the college kitchen I felt like was a prisoner. I know that might sound strange to some, but I did. Now I know that I was really a  prisoner of not the work place, but a prisoner of the King of Kings. He IS the one that provided the work so we could pay our bills and He is the one that is helping us to keep the farm together. So now as we take a break from the college......I hope the girls and I can get our HOME in order.........and then go back and be servants of the King. Last night I had 2 of our new daughters in the kitchen with my girls who love to cook.........again isn't the Lord so precious to have given us jobs that we were already good at? "Keepers of the Home" feeding our sweet man.......amazing ladies. All four girls were giggling and laughing and cooking Ding-dongs in our little farmhouse kitchen until  late in the night. I loved it........I would have missed it had we not gone to the college so the Lord could introduce us to some of HIS sweet girls. Now I am encouraging the girls to be HOME interested. I can be an influence to these precious ladies.  Our girls will never go to college.......that is not their interest........they don't want to go to just get "knowledge"......they want to be what God planned for them. To be a wife and momma......that may sound old fashioned.....but it was God's design. Our girls feel very secure that the Lord will provide them husbands. I am seeing all the years of bonding together and enjoying each other's friendship and now doing that in the college kitchen. Do I think I have all the answers.......absolutely not.......but I do know the one that does........and He will help our family step by step as we continue to seek HIM. He NEVER leads His children a stray......but it has to be His Word and no other. I hear some of the philosophies that are being taught today....... how sad right in our CHRISTian colleges. I am thankful I have a Honey that will ask the Lord for help.......and you know what........the Lord will answer. HE ALWAYS DOES it can be found in His word. I don't want any of you to think that I think we are perfect.........far from it.......we have botched many things in our lives.......and will continue. But there has been forgiveness........and we have been washed  and cleansed by the blood of the Lamb............and set off again to do His work........Him knowing full well that we will make mistakes.......but the wonderful thing is......He makes them beautiful........because it is all about Him.

But seek first HIS KINGDOM and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS and all these things will be given unto You. Matthew 6:33

As I look back on the last 37 years of marriage.........I begged the Lord to let me stay home and raise our children. He did and I praise Him for that.......now it has changed for us.........but He hasn't changed........He has a work for us to do and He is letting us do it as a Family. I thank Him so. I don't want to miss it......but I am so thankful He is letting our cup be filled up a little bit this summer......so we can go back out.....and do what He has called us to do.......and that is to go out and teach HIM to all the nations. Right now our "nation" is the college............pray that we can submit to His calling.......thankfully it is together. It is truly a miracle.

Heart you precious ladies and thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the encouragement and prayers sent our way. I always felt so bad that I couldn't come and comment as often as I wanted to. More times then not I would write long comments on my comments back to you all.........only for them to be all lost when I clicked. UGH! I will be coming to see you this summer via blog. Can't wait!

This is to make you laugh! The wind was blowing so it makes me look like I have big bloomers.

Hugs to you and know that I am praying the Lord is meeting your every need! I am going out in my nightgown and cowgirl boots to wake the girls up out in the cabin.......so they can get ready to go worship their Father.......what a precious life the Lord has given me. I love HIM!

I want you to also know that I know that circumstances in our lives don't let us always get to stay at HOME. I know there are lots of momma's out there that would love to stay home and can't for whatever the reason. My heart aches for you..........I do pray. 

Linda

P.S. If you haven't signed up for the party please go to my last post before this one and sign up please. It is real simple!