Saturday, April 27, 2013

Just a Little Seed

Yesterday I planted 72 broccoli seeds in our little greenhouse starter kit.  Each of them holding promise.  Each of these tiny seeds could, and hopefully will, produce large broccoli plants and some raw florets to eat and enjoy in the months to come.  These tiny, tiny seeds!


It never ceases to amaze me as we plant seeds, both in the garden and the field, here in Beranville, how God can take a tiny seed and grow it into a big, healthy plant.  It's a miracle every time!  I just love how God uses these very ordinary moments of life to show us His glory and majesty!


There are so many different directions that planting seeds takes my thoughts.  I could write about how God plants seeds in our hearts and causes them to grow.  Think of the story of the sower and the seeds.  Or about the seeds we help plant in others.  One does the planting, another does the watering, but we all have a roll and are important.  Doesn't matter who does what, as long as it gets done and for His glory.  Or I could write about how our thoughts are like seeds, what we plant in our minds will produce either flowers or weeds.  Or I could write about...what I'm going to write about.  :)

When I look at those tiny seeds I think of how amazing it is that God uses something so tiny, dormant, and seemingly insignificant, and makes it into something so grand.

"...God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise.  And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God...Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, "It you want to boast, boast only about the LORD."  I Corinthians 1:26-31

That little seedling seems awfully powerless, tiny, insignificant, barely noticeable.  Yet, the seed holds great potential.  If someone recognizes it's potential; plants it, waters it and nurtures it, it will grow into something amazing!  But it can become nothing on it's own.  

God sees our potential and provides all that we need.  But we have to realize that we're just little, helpless "seeds" without Him. 

Jesus said, "Healthy people don't need a doctor - sick people do.  I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners." Mark 2:17

Yes, we have to realize we're just little seeds, in need of the Master Gardener!  The world doesn't recognize our potential or give us what we need to grow.  We are powerless to live a holy life, one with significance and that bears fruit, without Him.  When we humble ourselves before Him, and submit to the process, He will grow us into something glorious!

P.S. I'm not talking just about salvation.  Although that's a very important first step, it goes beyond a one time commitment.  We must daily depend on the Gardener for our nourishment to grow to be all He created us to be.  It's a process of growth and fruit production.  :)

That's good news for this little seedling.  How about you?

Monday, April 22, 2013

Homemade Bubbles in a bowl and a Straw ~ FUN DAY Monday!

Welcome to:

On Mondays I share about fun things we do here in Beranville.  Then, later in the week, I try to share another more "serious" post about what God's been teaching me lately.  It's wonderful to see God at work in both the fun and the serious stuff of life...and most of the time those two intermingle in my world.  Probably yours too.
 
You know, you don't have to spend a lot or give your kids fancy gadgets or toys for them to have fun.  It's usually the simplest things that get them excited, prompts them to use their imagination and helps them to not only pass a lot of time, but to experiment and learn in the process.  Simply letting kids be kids isn't so complicated.

What I'm sharing today is one of those simple things:

Homemade Bubble (recipe coming up) in a bowl and add a straw.  It's that simple!

Let the fun begin!
First, big brother had to show little brother how it was done.
Really proud of his BIG bubble!
Little brother quickly got the hang of it...
Giggles in the midst of bubbles... 
Oopsie!  He sucked in a little of the bubble solution...
and had to wipe his mouth.  More giggles!
 
Big brother asked to make a "car wash".  I filled a spray bottle with water and he added a tractor toy.
 
Little brother added one of his Little People.  Shower!
The addition of water made even more bubbles!!
It was a little messy, but easy to clean up!
 
Little brother even gave himself a beard.
Ho Ho Ho! :) 
 
 
They had a lot of fun!
 
Easy Homemade Bubbles
(that aren't watered down and actually work!!)
2 1/2 C Water
1/2 C Light Corn Syrup
Mix. Microwave for 4 minutes.
Gently mix in 1/2 C Dawn Dish Liquid
 

I love it that my children find such joy in the simplest of things.  And that I do too, because of them.  They're never in a hurry.  They giggle without regard.  They never pass up an opportunity to explore and have fun!  I have a lot to learn from them.  Oh, to be more like a child! 
 
"Being in a hurry. Getting to the next thing without fully entering the thing in front of me. I cannot think of a single advantage I've ever gained from being in a hurry. But a thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in the wake of all the rushing.... Through all that haste I thought I was making up time. It turns out I was throwing it away.”   ― Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are
 
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Friday, April 19, 2013

Jump!

Today I'm joining Lisa-Jo Baker for 5 Minute Friday...

Not for comments or traffic or anyone else’s agenda. But for pure love of the written word. For joy at the sound of syllables, sentences and paragraphs all strung together by the voice of the speaker.

Just write without worrying if it’s just right or not. For five minutes flat with no editing, tweaking or self critiquing (seriously hard for me...and that's why I need to do it!).
 
Go...
 
I watch him jump.  Again and again he jumps.  Brave.  Braver than his momma for sure.  This momma who fears the water.  I marvel at his courage.  And I pray that as he grows he will continue to be brave when it matters most.  When HE leads him to take bigger leaps, that he will have the courage to jump!
 
 
 
So much life ahead and the possibilities are endless.  God has plans for this brave little boy.  I often pray that he (and his brother) will grow to be a courageous, bold and obedient man, without fear of others, seeking to honor the One that matters most.


 
He's on his way!
 
Then I think of his momma, me.  Do I let fear hold me back when I should jump?  Not just from the water, but when it matters more, much more.  Where is God calling me to be braver, bolder, more courageous today?  Where do I need to put my faith into practice...and just JUMP?! 
 
How about you, friend, where is He calling you to jump? 
 
God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called.  We are the called!
(I Corinthians 1:2)
 
Click on the link below to hop on over to Lisa-Jo's page to read what others had to write about "Jump".
 

Monday, April 15, 2013

FUN DAY MONDAY: Elmo Birthday Party!

Welcome to:

Hard to believe another week has passed...and it's Fun Day Monday again.  Of course, it's also hard to believe that 3 years have passed since the birth of our second little man, Noah, was born.  This past weekend we celebrated his 3rd Birthday in true 3 year old style...with an Elmo Birthday party. 

http://beranville.blospot.com

I'm an amateur cake decorator (obviously), but I had a lot of fun making this Elmo cake for my sweetie pie.  Just 2 round (gluten free chocolate) cakes, homemade red frosting that I tried to make look "furry", a little homemade orange frosting for the nose (used a tablespoon to pile it on), a tube of black frosting for the mouth and eyes and 2 large marshmallows that I flattened down for the eyes.  Simple, yet fun. 


http://beranville.blogpost.com
My little guy loved it...and wanted to kiss Elmo!  :)
P.S. His big brother was excited as him.
All ready for his BIG 3rd Birthday party!

http://beranville.blogspot.com


He liked being sung to!
He worked hard to blow out his 3 candle!
Surprised when everyone clapped for him! :)
Time to lick the frosting off the candle! :)
  My,oh my, how time flies!  It doesn't seem that long ago that we brought home this precious bundle.  Then again, it's hard to remember what we ever did without him.  Noah has added so much to our family.  He is sweet, thoughtful, loving, smart, full of life, huggable, cuddly and simply lovable!!  We are sooooo very thankful God chose to bless us (over and over) with Noah!

"Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.  Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth."  Psalm 127:3-4
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Have you checked out my other blog?  If you're interested in health, do it yourself personal care products, healthy food recipes, etc...you might want to check out Health In Beranville :)
 
Follow me on Pinterest...or sign up for e-mail updates in my right hand side bar.
 
Check out past Fun Day Monday posts here.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Here

Today I'm joining Lisa-Jo Baker for 5 Minute Friday...

Not for comments or traffic or anyone else’s agenda. But for pure love of the written word. For joy at the sound of syllables, sentences and paragraphs all strung together by the voice of the speaker.

Just write without worrying if it’s just right or not. For five minutes flat with no editing, tweaking or self critiquing (seriously hard for me...and that's why I need to do it!).
 
 
Today's prompt is "Here..."
 
It's here that I live.  It's here that I love.  It's here that I worship.  It's here that I care for the lives He's given me.  I moved to this place I call Beranville eight and a half years ago.  Never dreamed I would live in Iowa.  But here I am. 
 
I'll be honest, there have been days when I've wonder how I ever got here, and why here and why now.  Whenever those thoughts cross my mind God gives me a gentle, or sometimes not so gentle, reminder.   I come across that person I would have never met had I not come here.   And I remember the opportunties He's given me here that may have never come had I stayed there.  Chances to minister and be ministered to.  And I am thankful.  Over and over, I'm thankful. 
 
What if I had never come here?  What if I had never met the Iowa farmer that I love and married him?   Or had the two precious children that have come from that union?  I'm so thankful that He brought me here.  His plans are so much better than ours.
 
I'm here for a purpose...and you are there for a purpose.  Do you see Him in your "here"?   

Monday, April 8, 2013

Fun Day Monday: Easter Fun...and play dough in the vehicle!

 
Welcome to:

The boys and I had a lot of fun around the Easter holiday.  We did Resurrection eggs and read several different versions of the true Easter story, including straight from the Word.

We colored eggs which is always fun, but to make it even more interesting I wrote rhyming word pairs on the eggs with a white crayon before they dyed them.  This made it fun (and education...which this homeschool momma loves!) because as the colored the eggs, the words showed up, then our big kindergarten got to match the rhyming pairs.  Rhyming eggs were fun.

 
We made gluten-free cut-out cookies.  They are yummy!
 
 
 
 
Then we headed down to Indiana to visit Grandma (my mom) for an extended weekend.
 
On the way down the boys played with play dough in the van.  Sounds like a mess, doesn't it?  Well, it wasn't, not at all.  And it was great way (esp for my littlest guy) to some time during the 8 hour trip.
 
 
I just provided a smock, a pie tin, a clump of play dough and a Ziploc baggie of appropriate toys.  Will do this again!
 
We had a great time in Indiana.  And the boys enjoyed 3 Easter egg hunts before the weekend was over.
 
 
They were so excited about their baskets on Easter morning. 
 
 
We went to Grandma's church on Sunday morning.
 
 
It was a FUN and Great Easter!!
We looooved spending time with family and friends...esp Grandma.
And I'm thankful that we know the REAL reason we celebrate!
Hope you celebrated for the same reason!
 
1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead... (NIV)

Friday, April 5, 2013

After

Today I'm joining Lisa-Jo Baker for 5 Minute Friday...

Not for comments or traffic or anyone else’s agenda. But for pure love of the written word. For joy at the sound of syllables, sentences and paragraphs all strung together by the voice of the speaker.

Just write without worrying if it’s just right or not. For five minutes flat with no editing, tweaking or self critiquing (seriously hard for me...and that's why I need to do it!). 


Today's prompt is the word "After".

Here goes...

I lived my life the way I wanted...and now I was paying for it. 

I grew up in a Christian home, Christian school and made a commitment to follow the Lord at a young age.  Still, in my early twenties I turned my back on what I knew was right.  I started doing things my way and leaving God out of the equation.   

It seemed fun at first.  But sin took my further than I wanted to go and kept me longer than I wanted to stay.  I ended up broke, empty, lonely and miserable. 

One day I got down on my knees.  With my face down in the carpet of my little bedroom I cried bitter tears.  I lifted my head and hands to the sky and cried out to God.  I told Him that I couldn't live life like this anymore and that I wanted to live instead for Him.  I had said it before.  This time I meant it.  I knew it.  God knew it.  

After that...when I got up off that floor that day, everything was different!

No, everything wasn't magically better.  I still had stuff to deal with and changes to make.  It was a process.  But it was different because I was different.

I look back at before and wonder what I was thinking.  I see all that God has done in my life after.  Where I was and where I am now.  I praise Him unendingly!! 

No, I'm not where I want to be, I have so much growing to do.  But, I'm not where I was either.  I Praise the Lord for the after!

Do you need an after?!  What's stopping you?  Make a real change/commitment today...and have an "after" story to share.  You won't regret it!