For starters!
I’m so excited to share with you a review that was recently written up with Old Schoolhouse Magazine on our Family Book Savings Club! Please check it out!
In addition, we also have a couple of podcasts we’ve been on recently. The Liberty Sentinel podcast with Alex Newman had me on October 6, around 36 minutes in! And we were also on with Amber Pike’s Kidmin podcast. So thankful and excited to be on both of these podcasts! Please give these a listen!
Beautifully imperfect family
This is Columbus Day weekend and although lots of normally scheduled events have been canceled, we still have a lot going on around here. We have family visiting as well as a couple of my kids coming back from college. It’s pretty wonderful and beautiful, despite the rain and cooler weather. But of course, along with the wonderfulness and beauty of it all, there are always some aspects that can be a little difficult to navigate.
Same, same but oh so different
It’s funny how we can raise these children of ours in the same house with the same rules, but they are never carbon copies of each other. God always keeps us humble and on our toes (at least, that’s the case for me!). At the end of the day, we can never really claim expert parenting status. But the LORD in His sovereignty put each of these miracles in our home (and yours), on purpose, to be raised by my husband and I (or you parents out there!). God is sovereign and intentional, even when we question or don’t understand what in the world He’s up to.
God is faithful, even when things are broken
When I’ve thought about it, I am amazed how anything functions as well as it does. Each of us are broken and very imperfect, raising little broken and imperfect children, to live in this broken and imperfect world. BUT GOD! If you stop and think about it, none of this makes a whole lot of sense EXCEPT for God and His faithfulness. We would screw it all up and then some, if left solely in our hands. James is 100% right: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows,” (James 1:17). Not just some, but EVERY.
All that family of ours, whether that’s close or extended, may be eclectic and frustrating, but mostly a blessing. The incredible thing is that God uses it all to provide good gifts to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Including those prickly, hard to love family members that may not know the LORD.
Lord of the Rings
I think that’s why Lord of the Rings is such a classic book. Tolkien was able to weave in all of the characters not just to create an incredible story, but to show how in the end, everyone (both the good, bad, and the in-between) was used ultimately to bring in the peace that was sought after and hoped for in the beginning of the story. It was (and is) rarely easy or simple to understand, though. Especially in the moment. As it says in Fellowship of the Rings:
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
We really aren’t in control of much. Of course, we are capable of choosing to do what’s right instead of what’s easy (or as Gandalf puts it above, we can decide what to do with the time we have). However, we rarely can control many of the situations we find ourselves in or the reactions of others in our lives. But when we remember the miracle it is that we have a fairly functional world that we live in, I’m reminded that we can trust the God Who holds it all together for us.
Trusting God always
There are way too many things that I don’t understand, and I believe, will never understand this side of heaven. But I’m thankful that I can still trust God. A big part of that trust is having grace for the broken people around us. There’s always going to be one thing or another that will drive us crazy about those closest to us. To be clear, I’m not arguing for an “anything goes,” fatalistic kind of attitude. I’ve learned (and am STILL learning, God help me) that we are commanded to stand firm on the non-negotiables of the Word of God as well as have lots (and lots and lots) of grace.
Just think about the 12 disciples! Could they have been more different? Can you imagine the potential for sheer disaster among these young men hanging out together with Christ? But I love that Jesus welcomed and embraced each one of these young men, faults, differences, and all. He even welcomed one who He knew would betray Him. Just like Gollum in Lord of the Rings, Judas had his role to play within the sovereignty of God. And at the end, it all worked out for God’s glory and our good.
Family is messy and can sometimes be so hard. But family is also beautiful and breath taking and the best thing EVER. I don’t know why the LORD has blessed me this much. I can honestly say, I don’t deserve it. Yes, it’s hard but it’s also really fantastic. God in His mercy and grace gives us so many incredible gifts because He is good. He’s a little terrifying and not always gentle, but wow. He is good. Praise God for His blessings.
Click on the images below to purchase either Lord of the Rings set or an incredible book about Tolkien and C.S. Lewis
ANNOUNCING
New and improved Family Book Savings Club!
We have been working hard to put together an awesome resource that includes awesome family friendly Christian books! Get a month to month, pre-paid discount on books for your entire family. Cancel any time!
Click the button below to find out more!
