by Tessa | Faith
I spent some time reflecting on the past year as I made my Life Plan for 2014Â and our sermon yesterday was a review of some of the congregations blessings over the past year. I’ve had “Count Your Blessings” stuck in my head all day. So here are some of my favorite memories and blessings of 2013 (in no particular order):
- The birth of my third son. What an unbelievable experience! He is 7 weeks old now and has made such a seamless entry into our lives.
- Hiring a close friend to work with us on the farm and having him and his wife and kids move just down the road. I love having a friend 5 minutes down the road and their whole family has been such a blessing with the extra help on the farm, support for when I had Baby Bear, and friends for my own boys to play with.
- A bountiful harvest. There is something to be said for irrigated fields. We have never, in all the years we have been farming, seen such an amazing harvest. And God protected our fields from the crazy weather too!
- A new brother-in-law. It wasn’t the prettiest process but my sister-in-law’s new husband is a wonderful addition to the family. And he brought with him two incredible new nieces, who I hope will learn to love our family as much as we already love them.
- The best family Christmas in the last decade. After many years of … upside down Christmases, Hubby and I both truly enjoyed spending time with both sides of our family as well as having more intimate celebrations with our own three boys.
- A new vehicle. I can’t say enough how much I love our GMC Acadia. Not only is it perfect for our family’s needs, it is a truly beautiful machine on the inside and the out. It is the first new vehicle I have ever owned and I feel so blessed to call it my own.
- Miracles and progress on the farm. We went through quite an adventure with moving a whole herd of cattle plus all the machinery last winter and much of this year was spent trying to figure out the new system and farming rhythm here. It wasn’t always easy and it was a steep learning curve but God answered our prayers and we are finally feeling like things are headed in the right direction.
- A church family that completely enveloped my family into their fold. We weren’t able to attend regularly throughout the year (partially due to farm work and partially due to our own fatigue after a long, hard week) but the congregation continually greeted us like we were old friends, with no judgement. It is very exciting to be at a place in our lives when church attendance can become more regular and we are able to leave feeling refreshed in both heart and spirit.
- Growth in my marriage. After 9.5 years of marriage, Hubby and I are closer than we have ever been. It is truly a God-thing to grow closer in spite of the busyness of the last year. Or perhaps it is because of it. I love being on the same page as him when it comes to goals for our family and the farm.
- My own spiritual growth. I’m actually excited to read my Bible. My post partum depression (from after my second son was born) has been defeated. I’m singing in worship again. But most importantly, God has convicted me of the importance of pursuing Him, for both my own sake as well as my family’s.
This year had led our whole family on an adventure of ups and downs and has taught us, once again, that God is in control and the only way to make it through any season of life is to fully rely on Him.
What are some of your favorite memories or blessings of 2013? How are you allowing the lessons you’ve learned in 2013 shape your 2014?
Linked up at:
Time-Warp Wife Ben & Me
by Tessa | Faith
Welcome to this week’s Word on Wednesday post. Join me for a reflection on a piece of scripture and how it can be applied to our daily lives.
There are so many wonderful disciplines that Christians can benefit from but the most important Christian discipline is to “read your Bible, pray every day and you’ll grow, grow, grow.” Do you remember that kid’s song? It constantly runs through my head when I start to wonder how people develop such a strong walk with God. It’s such a simple instruction and, yet, so many of us don’t do it. In fact, studies show that more than 80% of Christians don’t read their Bible daily. I wonder, if the same people were polled, how many would admit to reading the newspaper or their Facebook or Twitter feed daily?
If you want to read your Bible in a year, it would take less time than watching your favorite show every day or staying caught up on your social media or current news events. It really comes down to choosing your priorities. A simple 15 minutes every day in the Word can revolutionize your faith life. It’s not the same as an in depth study but it’s a great start. Even a baby step forward is better than no steps forward at all.
Up until a couple years ago, nearly the only time my Bible was ever opened was at church. I tried to read it more often but it was never really high on my priority list. According to this verse, God could have given me over to a depraved mind. I’m glad that, instead, He safeguarded my heart and mind! It’s taken me about two years to get into a really good habit of staying caught up on my Bible reading plan. Now it’s time for me to look into doing a more in depth study of the Word. And to set up my children so their minds are safeguarded through scripture intake as well.
If you’re ready to make God’s word more of a priority, here are a couple of great sites that can guide you:
Good Morning Girls: Good Morning Girls exists to inspire, encourage and equip women all over the world to get into God’s Word through our online community. GMG has multiple online Bible studies, resources and videos created with YOU in mind and all for FREE!
Rachel Wojnarowski: To inspire you to live out extraordinary faith in Christ by providing everyday real-life solutions. To encourage Bible reading and prayer in personal relationship with God and to recommend tools and technology that will grow your faith, as well as the faith of your children.
YouVersion Bible App: YouVersion is a simple, ad-free Bible that brings God’s Word into your daily life. Read the Bible, study the Bible, subscribe to Bible plans, and take the Bible with you.
For those of you who consistently get into the word, what are your favorite resources or methods when it comes to Bible reading?
If you’re still working on making this a habit, what is one thing you can do to take a step forward in this journey?
by Tessa | Faith
Welcome to this week’s Word on Wednesday post. Join me for a brief reflection on a piece of scripture and how we can apply it to our daily lives.
I read a lot. The Bible, blogs, articles online and in hard copy, books, text books, and nearly anything I can get my hands on. Mostly non-fiction at this point in my life. I always have enjoyed reading. I love how it relaxes me and works out my brain muscles all at the same time. I love learning new things through my reading and feel like I’ll never be able to read enough to fill up my mind.
It seems that King Solomon had this thirst for information as well, in spite of the wisdom he was granted from God. Apparently it is a natural human tendency. We want answers. Well, this verse holds the answer. You can seek all the knowledge and information in the world but there is really only one final result of this quest: the number one thing we can learn to do is to fear God and keep His commandments. That is the purpose of life. Such a simple conclusion, and yet, such a complex command. So we need to read God’s word to find His commands so that we can fulfill our duty.
by Tessa | Faith
When I tell people I’m homeschooling my kids (I often don’t bother telling them we’re unschooling because that requires even more explanation!) they often ask, “So have you started teaching him yet?” or “What are you supposed to be teaching him this year?”
I’m going to start responding with telling them that the primary responsibility of myself as their educator is to teach them about the Lord and His word and will for our lives. Is there anything else more important? Sure, we could send them to school and still teach them that but wouldn’t they catch on much better by seeing it witnessed in our day-to-day life and business proceedings? Scripture doesn’t tell us to teach our kids their multiplication tables. It demands us to teach our children all about Him.
So step 1 for any parent, homeschooler or not, is to fill your children’s hearts with God.
Linked up at:
by Tessa | Faith
Welcome to my Word on Wednesday post!
This is a verse that I have been reflecting on. I used to be the “young” one that this verse talked about. I still am young, comparatively speaking, but having children has allowed me to see this in a different light. I am the mom; the authority figure; the one who should have all the answers. But I don’t. And I’m not afraid to admit that to my kids. In fact, I’m fully aware that sometimes their ideas are better than mine. They see things differently than I do and it gives them an interesting perspective.
I also remind my boys that people are watching them and their example. My oldest is really starting to understand that he is setting and example for those around him (especially his younger brother). He and I have had a number of conversations about how it’s important to always allow God’s love to shine through us. We have an agreement: we are allowed to call each other out when we are not being gentle or showing love by our words or actions. I’m setting an example too, both in our family as well as in the way we conduct business. It’s helpful to have an accountability partner, especially since his eyes are so innocent and he knows better than to accept my excuses.
