Thursday, May 14, 2009

Grace is a free gift

I am completely and utterly bursting with gratitude!! Today was one of those days when everything flows and the abundance of God's grace and blessings is felt so deeply, that i am in utter awe of what a good God i have and what a great life i have been blessed with.

We started with amazing day with my 3 beautiful boys on the farm. We homeschool and the privilege of being home and caring for them and learning along side them is such a ride!! After i went for a morning run and was taken by the clouds and the surreal beauty of this spring day, we did our chores and then headed outside. We brought our school books and grabbed snacks and cushions and seated ourselves under the pecan trees. We spent time having bible study, then listening to poetry, reading about the apple tree for botany and the strawberry. Then read some Wizard of Earth Sea by Ursula LeGuin. The boys completed their cursive and printing work and their copy work and poetry memorization for the day all so smoothly. Then after lunch, we all took a nap. Got up and went strawberry picking.. Oh the joy of picking your own berries in may!! The boys were beside themselves with delight. Eating warm strawberries fresh from the vine is a memory like no other. They helped each other fill their baskets and talked about how the strawberry plant is a combination of the apple tree and the Rose bush.Nice to see they remembered something about our botany lesson from this morning. Eli is wanting to paint the strawberry plant and add it to his main lesson book. We grinned and ate berries and laughed and enjoyed being together. Then we packed up and went to panera for dinner. They got their favorites and as we sat down we offered up our thanks to the Lord who has blessed our day and our lives with each other and the amazing gifts we have been given.

How often do we really stop and think about the gifts here everyday for us. Just the simple gift of being home with the boys to see their joy and laughter in their exploration of their learning is amazing in itself. But to add to the joy and the bounty of the earth and the beauty of the sky and the day is just soul filling. It's hard not to want another and just stay present in this bliss!!
These are the days that remind me of why i homeschool, and why i have chosen the role of being a stay at home mom. Why i make bread from scratch, clean, garden, read and learn alongside my family.
This is what dreams are made of!! My Dreams, and God is soo Good!!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Waken in me a Gratitude for My Life

Waken in me a Gratitude for My Life
Oh God, complete the work you have begun in me,
Release through me
a flow of mercy and gentleness that will bring
water where there is desert,
healing where there is hurt,
peace where there is violence,
beauty where there is ugliness,
justice where there is brokenness,
beginnings where there are dead-ends.
Waken in me
gratitude for my life,
love for every living thing,
joy in what is holy,
praise for you.
Renew my faith that your are God
beyond my grasp....but within my reach;
past my knowing....but within my searching.
O Keeper of Promises,
composer of grace
grant me
glee in my blood,
prayer in my heart,
trust at my core,
songs for my journey,
and a sense of your kingdom.
adapted from guerillas of grace by Ted Loder
I was so very fortunate to recieve this poem during my stay at the Well of Mercy. A big thank you to Sister Donna and Sister Bridget for sharing this with me.
I hope it fills your heart with joy and hope! All Good Wishes!