thankful

pumpkin harvest with WarneyPa and Grama Harriet

 a ripe chestnut ready for the picking

lighting and releasing the 'sky lantern'

explaining the 'rules' of frog racing

My husband and I realized that we have had bonfires with friends every night since last Friday with the exception of Monday night. Some have been at our home, some not, but all with good friends, family and usually a large amount of calories to be consumed.
Have I mentioned that we love fall?
We have been harvesting pumpkins, playing on hay bales, riding on hay wagons and racing frogs.
We have had a good week of school and have really enjoyed this lovely and warm fall weather. I think the kids are ready for colder temps though because it is as though I have to make them go outside which I don't really understand. Once outside of course they are happy to be there, but I think they are ready to hunker down and enjoy some inside time.
Well, my kids are awake now and are requesting a Mother's attention, so considering that I am the only mother on premises, I had better run.
This week I am thankful for...

~24 hour cough and cold medicine

~Apologia Science

~kids that love to read

~the smell of bonfire

~a perfectly roasted marshmallow and a perfectly simmered cup of cider

~dead mosquitos

~a good photograph

~a good conversation

~a good board game

~bed time

~family joined by marriage but connected in love

~my senior high kids

May gratitude and sweetness fill your heart and be the byproduct of your speech, life and love.

thankful.

tiffany 

a harvest of righteousness

Dog and I enjoying an early morning stroll

'For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,

there will be disorder and every vile practice.

But the wisdom from above 

is first pure,

then peacable,

gentle,

open to reason,

full of good mercy and good fruit,

impartial and sincere. 

And a 

harvest of righteousness 

is sown in peace

by those who make peace.'

James 3:16-18

I look out the window as the large tires beat the pavement in front of my home. The noise is almost deafening. The tractors, combines and semi-trucks heavy with harvest roll by frequently as the farmers are setting about their work harvesting the crops they have planted and cultivated all season. 

Having many friends that are farm wives, I am astounded by the amount of faith they have and they trust the Lord completely as they sow their seeds and pray for a healthy crop. 

As I think about my life, from it's cold beginning that Christmas morning back in '81 to the final minutes sometime in my future, I pray that my life will be frutiful. Truthfully, I think every living person has a similar desire, whether saved by grace or feverishly toiling in the strength of their own humanity. Even those locked behind bars that are considered violent menaces to society, deep down wished things had been different, that their lives would have been marked by peace and fruitfulness rather than pain and violence. I say this because we have all been created in the image of God--who is in Himself the very essence of all that is pure, right, peaceful, sincere, impartial, merciful, gentle and open to reason. The only thing separating me from all that God is and all that the Enemy wants me to be is what I do with the message of Jesus Christ and the grace the He died to freely offer. 

That difference will determine everything in the end. 

It will not matter that I didn't climb the corporate ladder or drive a flashy car with all the extras. 

It will not matter if I have a Ph.D or a GED. 

We will all have an end and we will all meet our Maker face to face.

We will all have a harvest to show from this time on earth, 

but whether or not it will be a harvest of peace and righteousness 

or a harvest of selfish ambition and evil practice

is entirely up to us. 

I pray that you will have the heart to seek God's face

and that together we will sow the seeds of life in righteousness

as we wait patiently for God to cultivate and grow a crop that is worthy to present to our King. 

Blessings to you. 

Tiffany 

train.

'Rather train yourself for Godliness;

for while physical training is of some value,

Godliness is of value in every way, 

as it holds promise 

for the present life

and for the life to come.'

1 Timonthy 4:7b, 8

Three years ago, my husband and I were in training for our first half marathon. 

For some, 13 miles is nothing, but for this tired mother of four, 13 miles might as well have been clear across the state of Minnesota. But, I felt like nothing in the world could hold me back. 

After laying flat on my back for sixteen weeks, taking medication around the clock and doing enough Sudoku puzzles to last a lifetime, I had shed my baby fat and felt as though there was no race too great and no challenge too hard, that I could not face it, race it and defeat it. 

Until....

I met my match. 

J retrieving a clue during our 10 hour adventure race

5th overall with a time of 10hrs and 13 minutes...

In many ways, this race caught me...us...off guard. 

I was the one that saw the e-mail about this race. I called my husband over and as he read over my shoulder he shook his head and dismissed it as another one of my crazy ideas. I pulled him back, spun myself around and looked him straight in the face--"Babe, we can do this. We can do this!" 

After some twisting, we signed up and continued training as we had been. 

Every time we thought of our upcoming 10-hour adventure race, we would shutter with excitement. 

Looking back, I am not sure there was anything that could have prepared us for the intesity of this race. The mud was thick and deep, the climbs were high, the roads were heavy with sand and the miles were intense. As we zig zagged across the rugged landscape and made our way in between potato trucks heavy with harvest, I cursed the wind that blew gusts in my face and pushed me backwards while my body strained to go forward. The canoe paddles offered relief to our exhausted legs, but soon gave way to aching arms as we raced to keep a good pace and finish strong. 

I cried the entire last leg of the race--all seven miles, as I peddaled into the wind and prayed for God to hold the gusts for just a few more minutes. He didn't grant my request, but He did grant strength to finish the race that was set before me. That was a moment that I will never forget. 

As I read this verse this morning with my kids as part of our Bible time, I couldn't keep myself from writing it on a note card and tacking it to the fridge. 

I love to train. 

I love the excitement of a race that is coming. 

I love the challenge of pushing myself to new heights all the while encouraging my kids to join in the action. 

The idea of training myself in godliness? Wow. 

As I have chewed on this intense truth all day long, the beauty of this verse has captivated my heart. 

Everything I can do is so temporary. 

I ran 13 miles two and a half weeks ago, but due to a strained tendon in my left knee, I couldn't run 13 miles today. 

Everything here is so temporary. 

houses. cars. money. muscle tone. hair color. 

And yet, often the temporary is what rules the eternal.
It is easy to put all of my energy into the temporary--cleaning the house, building up my miles...
and I neglect the eternal--time with God...time with my husband and kids....

We give God and righteousness very little thought. 

We regard the Bible as little more than a good book of history with some great stories and some good principles. 

We regard the everlasting covenant of "'Til Death Us Do Part" as something that is negotiable should our hearts lead us elsewhere. 

In some ways, there are aspects of life that are hard to know how to train for. 

When a child is diagnosed with cancer. 

When a husband leaves his family. 

When a wife cheats.

When the job is cut. the bills are late. the diagnosis is grim. 

But at the same time, God's Word still prods us onward....

'Train yourself for godliness...for it is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.' 

Train myself in faithfulness so when my heart is tempted to wander, His quiet voice will call me back.

Train myself in faith so when the phone call comes, my peace will not be shaken.

Train myself in obedience so when I feel the desire to rebel, His rod and staff will guide me back. 

Train myself in kindness and humility, so when those slimy words roll off my tongue, His conviction will cause me to apologize. 

As I walk with Him, I am learning that He is training me in Godliness. 

I have no idea what this race I am running has in store for me or whether or not He will calm the winds when they torment me in my hour of weakness, but I do know that He will give me the strength I need to finish the race that is set before me. As I train myself in godliness, His faithful and ever abiding love will sustain me as I run this race with integrity giving Him glory in all things. 

run hard. 

finish well. 

train in Godliness. 

tiffany 

weekly gratitude

"Look Mom--this one has kernels!!" 

The weather has taken a crisp turn and the leaves are turning as well.
The days end sooner and for some reason, crawling into bed a bit earlier just seems to be a good fit. We have been simmering cider and baking apple crisp. The frost covers the ground in the early mornings and the air has an extra sweet smell to it.
Fall is the best time of year.

This has been a really nice week.
August was wicked busy so September has been a nice change of pace. We have settled into a lovely school routine and our Wednesday night church activities have begun as well. Our weekends have been unspoken for which has presented fabulous opportunities for trailer rides around our property, impromptu hikes through the fall foilage at the local state park and bonfires under the stars.
Soon, the snow will fall, the wind will howl and by Feburary I will be looking for job and house listings in the southerly part of our nation. But for now, I am thankful for the life that God has given me and I will choose gratitude even though there is a blizzard on the horizon...

This week my heart is full of gratitude for a great number of reasons. It is hard to choose just a few, but I will do my best so as not to bore you stiff (you're welcome).

~cars that are paid for

~cars that start (most of the time ;) 

~an early morning call from my dad telling me how proud he is and how much he loves me

~Citrus Wassail--the best cider ever

~the ability and the desire to homeschool our children

~a garden that is now no more than a fresh plot of black dirt

~dead skunks

~new friends that come for dinner and stay until late

~old friends that come when the house is a mess and my hair is greasy

~the ability to speak, see, move and breathe

~the words please and thank you and i love you when spoken from the mouths of my Littles

wishing you much joy and much gratitude,

tiffany 

weekly gratitude

3 generations of runners

WOOHOO for 13.2 completed miles!!

"My sis-tos have clothes for their dollies Mama, Georgey needs some clothes too..."

fall. it's the most wonderful time of the year. 

the first frost.
lovely now. talk to me in January. 

This week has been interesting. At this time last week, I was getting ready for bed and eager to pound some pavement for 13.2 miles. Pound we did! My two oldest girls, Elena and Hannah, ran with my dad. I am so proud of my dad. He quit smoking after my brother was killed. He had smoked for 35 years. Like many people do, he had put on a few pounds. He called me perplexed: "Tif, I have tried everything and I have not lost a pound. What do I do?!" I laughed. "Dad....you gotta run. That's the only thing that worked for me. Get your shoes out and get your heart rate up. It'll work Dad." He laughed.
Since then, he has run 3 5K's and has put on more miles than he has in his entire life combined I am certain. I always get choked up when we hear that starting shot. We run together for the first two miles until our courses split. I am so proud of my dad.

We had another week of school and I am loving it more than ever. I am thankful that this is the road God has blessed me to walk and I pray that I will continue to follow in obedience.

One of our dearest friends had a major health concern come up this week. In the midst of the pain and uncertainty, we sat in their living room and talked, reminisced, asked questions and held hands in prayer. The tears flowed. Together we claimed God's faithfulness in all things. It was beautiful.

AWANA started and with it brings the craziness of mid-week running, but it also brings the fellowship of great friends and time together in God's Word for every age.

Thursday we spent the night as a family in a beautiful state park near our home. We enjoyed a long hike and did stick fighting. One child laughed so hard she peed in her pants. It was fabulous. The air is crisp, the leaves are starting to change. The bugs are dead. It was fabulous.

It's Friday now and an unclaimed weekend is before me. A week of tears and laughter, running and rest are behind me. I am looking forward to another beautiful fall day and will do my best to savor every minute as though it was my last.

I am abundantly thankful for...

~bags of apples given by my sweet neighbor

~long showers with no one opening the door saying, "Mama, are you all done yet?" 

~sweat and tears

~a text message that makes me laugh so hard I have tears in my eyes

~a thank you note thanking me for friendship

~our dinner group on Wednesday nights

~Great Grandma

~scented candles

~my sisters in law

~early morning walks when the world is still asleep

~dead mosquitos

~prayer to a living God

happy weekending!

tiffany 

weekly gratitude

 time at the lake with sweet friends

and really good food. 

 lovely sunsets with happy children

and foggy sunrises

in our little corner of the planet

Although I needed my time away from the virtual universe, I am finding myself so eager, almost overwhelmed, with the desire to 'catch up' on everything I have yet to share with my sweet blogging friends (that'd be you....just so y'know ;)

Soon there will be a blog post with the much anticipated (from both sides) 'before and after' home renovation pictures. It has been a tough road and I can see why people fork out the big bucks to buy a turn key house. Although I don't know that we ever will just because we are gluttons for punishment and too stinking practical for our own good, I can see the attraction in buying a home with level floors, insulation and more than one bathroom to divide among six people. But, if we would have purchased a turn key home, we would not have the great before and after pictures to share or a genuine appreciation for an extra toilet.

I have written about our sweet kitty Max, or Sir Maxwell as the kids liked to call him. We are avid cat haters to be honest. My husband sees no real value in their existence over all and I have never been able to disagree with a solid argument.
Until last summer.
Little Maxey Kitty made our house his home and was determined to turn two cat hating people into cat appreciating and even cat loving (although my husband still denies it) people.
He succeeded.
He was more like a dog than a cat and even our German Shepherd/Husky Brody came to enjoy his feline companionship (which is truly remarkable since he has single-pawedly done away with other attempts to own barn cats....). However, just after his first birthday (according to our speculation), he became ill and was unable to move properly. He needed to be quarantined due to the holiday weekend and our inability to take him to the vet. His symptoms resembled a few known to Rabies and we couldn't take the chance. After spending two days in a dark and isolated part of the garden shed, I couldn't take it anymore and brought him out into the sunlight on the soft grass. My husband scolded me, but held his tongue when he saw Max's joy in the sunlight. He moved slowly and awkwardly through the grass, walking as far as he could before collapsing. He got up again, as though to thank me for the soft grass and the sun on his face, but it didn't take long before he lay down again, this time for good. We all knelt around this little furry creation and wished things had been different. He was such a sweet kitty. Although I felt stupid for grieving for a cat, he had become a sweet member of our clan and we all enjoyed his presence.
Due to the nature of the possibility of Rabies, we had to bring his body to the vet to have him tested. It was an agonizing two days as my mind contemplated the possibilities of a positive result. We had all been exposed--the kids, the neighbor kids, the chickens, the dog, friends, the youth group....... Who else had contracted this deadly virus? The more reading I did, the more fearful I got.
Yesterday the call came. He tested negative for Rabies. Praise the Lord!
He had been vaccinated, but being a country cat, there is always the possibility in spite of our efforts to prevent it. Rather, he had contracted bacterial meningitis, which is rare, but that means nothing to our family. Rare seems to find us.
So in spite of missing our sweet kitty and his goofy antics, we are thankful that we are healthy!

This weekend the girls and I are going to enjoy our yearly tradition of the Dick Beardsley Half Marathon and 5K. The girls will run the 5K with my dad, while I run 13.2 blessed miles. The pre-race jitters have already set in and I am hoping that swinging a hammer and carrying full laundry baskets will count for effective training. Miles will tell.

Rather than rambling anymore, I will share a small sampling of the happies in my heart....

~my morning walks with God when the world is still asleep and the sun is just peeking over the horizon

~a negative test result for Rabies

~a beautiful tiled shower with three shower heads and enough room for our entire family 

(not that we would ever try...) 

~the ability to lace my shoes, open my eyes, and run until I hurt

~the blessing of a husband that provides the means for me to stay home with our sweet children

~the desire to home school and the ability to do so

~pony tails and a husband that thinks they're sexy

~classic rock and roll that helps the miles roll by

~great friends

~bonfires

~fireworks

~Biolage shampoo 

~garden fresh veggies

~home made salsa

~Thomas the Train sets that occupy a busy 4 year old boy

May God bless you and yours this weekend!

thankful.

tiffany 

just a second...

Badlands of North Dakota
Medora, ND
August 2011

Hello sweet friends!
Thank you for not giving up on me.
I am eager to share my life with you again and have truthfully missed sharing yours.
I posted a little note on my other blog: www.4months4years.blogspot.com and hope you have a minute to stop on by.
I pray you are enjoying this sweet season of crisp night air and settling into a new school year routine.
May God bless you and direct you.

Blessings,
Tiffany