Retreats, Popcorn and Deep Thoughts

Things have been moving right along at the House of Stone. The girls are getting ready for summer, asking for trips to the pool (I have yet to give in on that one), chasing down the icecream truck and spending quite a lot of time in the back (and front) yards. I'm reminded daily of just how fast they are growing.

Ellabee heads off to Kindergarten in the fall and I feel an impending sense of dread. I have five more months with her at home, with no schedule and no obligations and then she's out - on the way to becoming a young lady. I know, she's only 5 but it certainly feels that way. She is going to Westminster in the fall and one of their primary distinctives is a 12 to K focus. Meaning... instead of looking at the child and developing a curriculum around that, we look at the adult we hope they will become and develop the curriculum needed to acheive those results. I guess in reading about that and thinking through our parenting and our children, I hope about the women this little ladies will become but somewhat dread that time when we send them off into the world, down the aisle or wherever the Lord may lead them.

I've been reflecting on James 4 a lot lately. Not only is my firstborn about to begin the journey to school, etc but I'm looking at my first true class of seniors at Restoration. These are kids that though I've known them for only 12 months, they've become ingrained in my heart and on my mind. I think of and pray for them almost as much as my own children and I have so many hopes for the adults they are becoming. James 4: 13 - 15 says:

Now listen, you who say, "today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little hwile and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "if it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."

So many times, I make my plans, figure out my hopes and in doing so, invite God along for the ride. "Here is my plan God... come along if you like." When instead, I should say "God what is your plan. where would you have me. What is your hope for my children?" And then I'm looking at celebrating the baptism of a precious Covenant child tomorrow with dear friends who happen to be the parents. What's amazing to me is that his steps are already numbered. God knows what will happen in sweet Cobb's life. God knows what we will grow up to be. The mystery is that we are encourage to have hopes and dreams for these covenant children... even though the story is already written. It's a mystery... so much of life is.

And then there's the mundane. A last minute trip to a retreat for church that was an incredible blessing, the start of a bible study at church, eating popcorn in the backyard and ongoing frustration that I cannot seem to get it all done. If I sew, the house doesn't get cleaned. If i spend time with a sister in Christ, I end up dropping the ball on something else. Work, home. Children, friends. Husband, parents. It all runs together sometimes and I wonder if this IS god's will and path... and then I haphazardly pick up a book by Elisabeth Elliot... a choice made not because I wanted the book, but I forgot a magazine and was faced with three hours getting my hair done. I grabbed this one because of two things: 1. the title spoke to me, 2. I knew this author and was hesitant to grab someone with whose theology I'm not familiar...

Here's the opening quote from Keep a Quiet Heart by Elisabeth Elliot:

Do Not Rush. Trust. And Keep a Quiet Heart
I think I find most help in trying to look on all the interruptions and hindrances to work that one has planned out for oneself as discipline, trials sent by God to help one against getting selfish over one's work. Then one can feel that perhaps one's true work - one's work for God - consists in doing some trifling haphazard ting that has been thrown into one's day. It is not a waste of time, that has been thrown into one's day. It is not a waste of time, as one is tempted to think, it is the most important part of the work of the day - the part one can best offer to God. After such a hindrance, do not rush after the planned work; trust that the time to finish it will be given sometime, and keep a quiet heart about it.
- Annie Keary, 1825 - 1979

And then I'm reminded. The raising of young women after God's heart. The work I do with our seniors at RA. The house cleaning. The porch sitting. It's all a "haphazard" attempt a pleasing God... when in reality, i don't TRY at all. It's like God removes the pride and my ability to offer it by keeping me in chaos so that it is truly a work unto him. Offered from a broken selfish mess of a woman who is really REALLY seeking just to be at the feet of Christ.

Here are some pics from our week ... even they are haphazard!

A favorite snack at our house - POPCORN

Man's best friend? Nope, a friend of little girls, he is.

Liza and Maisy... on the retreat

spending time with Mary Holland at the lodge.

Hoppy Easter!

Easter weekend was lovely for the Stone family. We were able to stick close to home and enjoy time with each other. We hunted Easter eggs, had hot cross buns on Easter morning, ate Easter dinner together and went to church together. We also laid a patio together, finished planting the garden together and cut down some limbs... together.

Here are some pics from the weekend.

Decorating eggs at the Mac Egg Hunt

Hanging out with our pals in Woodland park after hunting some eggs.

Ellabee was ALL over the hunting part of the Egg Hunt.

The egg hunt ceased for Anne Bailey as soon as she realized that there was chocolate in the eggs!

Point us towards the eggs - we're ready!

The kids headed over to the neighbors yard to play too... as I was hanging with the adults I hear a muffled, "mommy, help me!". This is what I found.

Ellabee and Bennett had a fun time hanging out!

After the egg hunt, John and I laid our new patio for the back yard. With salvaged stones and some sand / pea gravel... we're in business.

back at the house, we started work on our Resurrection cookies.

beating the heck out of the pecans, like the Roman soldiers beat Jesus.

Mommy's first swing at Hot Cross Buns

Checking out what the bunny brought.

A Bit of Earth

“She ought to,” said Mr. Craven. “I thought her rather bold to stop me on the moor, but she said–Mrs. Craven had been kind to her.” It seemed hard for him to speak his dead wife’s name. “She is a respectable woman. Now I have seen you I think she said sensible things. Play out of doors as much as you like. It’s a big place and you may go where you like and amuse yourself as you like. Is there anything you want?” as if a sudden thought had struck him. “Do you want toys, books, dolls?”

“Might I,” quavered Mary, “might I have a bit of earth?” In her eagerness she did not realize how queer the words would sound and that they were not the ones she had meant to say.

Mr. Craven looked quite startled. “Earth!” he repeated. “What do you mean?”

“To plant seeds in–to make things grow–to see them come alive,” Mary faltered.

He gazed at her a moment and then passed his hand quickly over his eyes. “Do you–care about gardens so much,” he said slowly. “I didn’t know about them in India,” said Mary. “I was always ill and tired and it was too hot. I sometimes made little beds in the sand and stuck flowers in them. But here it is different.”

Mr. Craven got up and began to walk slowly across the room. “A bit of earth,” he said to himself, and Mary thought that somehow she must have reminded him of something. When he stopped and spoke to her his dark eyes looked almost soft and kind. “You can have as much earth as you want,” he said. "You remind me of some one else who loved the earth and things that grow. When you see a bit of earth you want," with something like a smile, “take it, child, and make it come alive.”

“May I take it from anywhere–if it’s not wanted?”

“Anywhere,” he answered. “There! You must go now, I am tired.” He touched the bell to call Mrs. Medlock. "Good-by. I shall be away all summer.”
- From A Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Our bit of Earth in Southside. Everything was planted this weekend (including my hanging tomato plants). The peas were planted a couple of weeks ago and I think you could stand outside and see them grow!

Was it a Sign?!?

On my way home today, literally 1/2 block from my house, I saw a cat... chasing a white chicken across the street (I could not make this stuff up if I tried). I think it was a sign. Don't chickens long for community too? I think the white chicken needs some hens down the street to befriend. Three hens to be exact (see below post).

Random Things

Come Lord Jesus... But before you come. I want some chickens. OK, I did some research and I can have 3 chickens in the city. I don't want a rooster, just three hens. We've already got some hens here, why can't we have 3 more? Besides, at 6 months, they start producing a egg a day. and they're hearty animals... something that the girls can't kill. Not that they've killed anything or something like that... but still. John said I can't have them. Well, he didn't say "no." He just said he'd divorce me if I came home with chickens.

I have really decided that I just want a farm, in the middle of the city. Not big farm animals, just chickens... and perhaps a goat... and then a garden. I did start the process of getting my garden ready for this season. I already planted my peas and now I have to go cover them since there's a cold snap tonight and tomorrow.

I'm trying my hand at farming right here in the heart of Southside. I've had to get a little creative in where I plant things and how we do it considering our dirt is red clay and shale... and I have about a 12 foot strip of sun... and then there's this issue of the fact that our backyard is 20 x 30 feet with a 14x14 deck in the middle of that. More to follow about how it's progressing. The peas are in (like I said) and the herbs are planted in my cool stacking planter. I have squash, peppers, zinnas and hanging tomatos to go next - but those don't go in until Good Friday.

Check it out - the perfect answer to my space problem. Basil, Thyme, dill and rosemary are planted here, mint is going on top when I find the seeds.

A new take on a container, raised planter garden. Paint buckets, with holes drilled in. Peas are in the ground with individual pea teepees. Mulch will go in around the pots to provide some insulation from the summer heat. Planting the rest of the seeds Good Friday.

In addition to our garden, I've been sewing a WHOLE lot too. It's an amazing blessing had has really confirmed me reducing some of my commitments this month. I'm working on some new designs for custom sewing... check in for more.

Finally, another confirmation that we're made for community. I've been longing more and more for it lately. The need to be with other women and men on this journey. I've wondered where this longing was born from. I now it's the deep desire of every man / woman to know and be known... but I thought it was just a societal thing that put it there. Today, when discussing whether or not we'd go to church (AB is fighting off a cold and we're all pretty whipped) and Ellabee chimed in, "But mommy, we have to go. That's MY community". Precious.

Some thoughts on Easter

We're in Easter week. PRAISE GOD! I am very glad (for another year) to see Lent go. I never paid much attention to the liturgical year until I became a mom... and I don't really know why the mom part and my paying attention to it are related, but I think it's because you become very aware of holidays and seasons. Everything is sensitized. The lows and the highs alike. I love the liturgical year because it gives just another analogy for us to explain the Christian life to our children. Why are there hurts? Why is there pain? Why joy mixed in? Who have we to fear? Joy comes in the morning. The theme throughout is waiting. Waiting for the next thing and preparing for Christ. So, we're here in Easter week... waiting for Christ... grieving his death and how we are the reason he was crucified... the silence of the three days and waiting .... and then the resurrection and the joy of that Easter morning. Praise God. Come Lord Jesus.

Easter Weekend, One Week Early

We had our first egg hunt of the season Saturday... I'm glad I was able to get the girls "Easter" outfits pulled together. They really aren't Easter specific, but well, they'll suffice.

Ellabee was a bit taller than some of the smaller kids, so she was able to get the higher up ones.... it didn't hurt that our friend Mary was going in front of her sticking eggs in the bushes for her to find.

Anne Bailey found her egg... and was overjoyed to find a prize inside.

ready for a day of Easter preparation

The only ONLY way I got a smile out of both at the same time... "hey girls, I know I tell you all the time to NOT TOUCH THE FERN... but go right ahead, stick your hands all in it!"

April Fools in the Heart of Dixie

I'm glad to see March gone. It had it's highlights, but all together a lot of individual stuff built up to make March stink. Talk about it roaring in like a lion - I feel like it continued to roar throughout the month. I'm so glad for April. April brings renewal and rebirth. The plants and flowers are ready to burst forth, Easter is near...

I headed on my regular routine on Wednesday (today) to the coffee shop. I saddled up to O'Henry's and got my Chai Soy Latte. There was a seat outside - YES! I plopped myself down and began to work... a trio sat next to me and the girl pulled out a cigarette - PERFECT. Her friend pulled up a chair and from a giant case she pulled a banjo - OK, now it's getting interesting. The friend with the cig pulled out her sketch book and their guy friend, an interesting cat with a bowler hat took the banjo and began to pick. The artist began to draw and I had an instant front row seat to some folk music. My day just got better.

And as I sat in the melody of the banjo... the cars driving by... the murmur of friends talking about their day, their struggles and their hope for today... it gives me hope for my April.