The Motherhood Garden

I feel a little bit like my garden.  All winter it felt like my heart was cold and hard . . . filled with weeds.

Just like my garden. 

That is what happens when you ignore something.

As Indiana began to warm up, I found my heart thawing just a little bit.  At the same time, our garden began to transform with each day that we were able to spend outside . . .working in it.  Spending some time, attention, and care in it.

Investing in our garden, our soil.

With each soil amendment, my heart is getting nurtured.  Restored. 

I’m finding that I’m spending more time in my garden planning, preparing, weeding, and dreaming . . .and that in turn leads to more time in my heart doing the very same things.

A  crop is emerging. 

I’m so excited to discover what the produce will look like. 

What will my heart look like by the end of the summer?

The soil of my heart is being enriched with good doses of scripture (from my Precept Upon Precept study of Matthew), The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson with Good Morning Girls, 31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae, and Warrior Prayers by Brooke McGlothlin. 

Only in the introduction, the words of Sally Clarkson are lining up with the Holy Spirit’s teaching in the book of Matthew. 

If I am going to provide “authentic strength that comes from the true foundation of a biblical world-view and a proper understanding of the real Christ who is worthy of worship,” then I too have to have a strength that comes from a true foundation . . . a foundation firmly grounded in knowing the Word of God. I have got to have a faith that is the same and looks real day in and day out . . . steady in any type of weather, around any type of person, or through a variety of circumstances.

I have been affirmed that my ministry (besides my husband) right now IS MY CHILDREN.  And that is OK. 

I don’t have to do all the things at church . . .women’s ministry, children’s ministry, VBS, etc.  Though they are all wonderful ministries . . . I need to make sure that I am tending to my home well. 

-- That my children know if we get in the car to go to church, mommy isn’t going to be yelling the whole way at them and then put on a happy face once that foot steps down on the church parking lot. 

Consistency.  Unconditional love.  Grace. 

Modeling truth even when we are in the garden.  The real garden.  Patience just to plant a seed.   Not blowing up when the entire packet is spilled, or a plant stepped on, or when my plant markers are snapped by inquisitive little hands.  Or when try as they might, little hands can’t get tiny seeds into a tiny hole.  Patience.  Grace when teaching.

In Matthew, I have learned that first John came to warn that the Kingdom of God was near, One was coming who would baptize with the Holy Spirit.   Jesus came announcing that He was the Kingdom of God.  Jesus then taught His disciples . . . and finally the torch was passed on to Paul.  Teach about the Kingdom of God.  Teach about Jesus.  Jesus is the Kingdom of God.

By applying what I am learning through The Ministry of Motherhood, I found a growing Asher standing beside me wondering how I came up with the symbols in my Bible; so, I taught him.  Why did I put a crown around that word . . . kingdom?

Everything in me wanted to scream, “Go Away!!!!  This is my time!”

But held my tongue and we read through Matthew 3. 

Baptism.

“Mom, I really want to get baptized.  When can I get baptized?”

Thank you, Lord.  Thank you for using a little boy’s inquisitiveness to color in his Bible so that he would learn about baptism.  Affording him the blessing and opportunity of showing others that he believes in Jesus (despite ME!). 

And that in turn led to the Engineer getting baptized. too.

What if I had been harsh?  Shown frustration? 

Kind of like when you pull too aggressively to thin your plant transplants.  You kill both the good and the bad.

Thankfully, I listened.  I shared about the Kingdom of God with Asher.  What an amazing time for the nation of Israel!  1 Samuel speaks of the nation rejecting God being king over them . . . and now . . . here is Jesus returning . . . returning to be their King!!!!!  And though many rejected Him . . . many listened. 

Good stuff is growing here . . . good stuff. 

• Don’t forget to share about your quiet times here . . .
• Your children’s quiet times here . . .
• And sign up to be a part of my online group for praying for our sons collectively for 21 days . . . you do not have to have a blog to participate . . . only email or a phone at the very least so that I can encourage you. 

I am linking up with Jolanthe over at No Ordinary Moments for the Good Morning Girls and with the Homeschool Village to share how are gardens are growing . . .

By the way . . . here is a picture made from locally grown produce . . . but not my own . . . yet!

What Does Your Closet Look Like?

Where do you go to hide?

To find a place of quiet . . . of rest . . . a refuge . . . a place in which to hang your prayers on the clothes line or toss your sins into the laundry basket to be washed?

What does that place look like?

This thing . . . this quiet place can be called a Quiet Time, devotions, a personal time of reflection, or time with the Lord.

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 

Matthew 6:6

What do you call it?

What does yours look like?

With all the buzz going around about 31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae, and the launching of the Good Morning Girls study of The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson . . . it dawned on me . . .

Does everyone know?  Do they know what “we” do?  We women who are friends with Jesus?

“We” have lingo . . . journals . . . coffee . . . . tea . . . . a special nook or chair . . . . but is that normal?

I used to not “know” how to have a quiet time . . . how to have the things that I need so that I could just sit . . . sit and talk to God . . . even have what I envision as a cuppa chai with Him.  There was a day when this concept was completely foreign to me . . . absolutely bizarre.

Even my kids kind of wonder . . . they have always thought quiet times were a time to play quietly in their room. 

Yes . . . right Asher.  Right Ezra.  Right Gabe.  Right Naomi.  But I am preparing you for something better.  I’m teaching you how to be by yourself first.  To be comfortable with the silence . . . so that you can really hear from The One who really matters. 

So . . . I think we should share.  Can we peak into your “quiet time?”  Can you take us into your prayer closet? 

Don’t clean it out.  Be real.  You can see the toys strewn across my altar.  The used water glasses piled up beside my bed. . . perhaps the dog in her kennel, so as to protect my Bible.

(The location of my quiet time if it is late at night.)

For the past several months I haven’t had  one place where I consistently read my Bible.  We moved last August . . . and I have struggled to find my place of respite. 

Sometimes it has been the kitchen table.

Sometimes it is the coffee colored couch.

Sometimes my quiet time is homeless.

Until today. 

This chair is in my bedroom.  It used to be my mom’s or my grandma’s . . . some woman I love at least.  My daughter was born in this corner.  Above me resides the Engineer’s and my marriage vows and beside me a place to wedge my coffee or chai. 

I can prop my feet up.  I can look out my window.  But I am tucked in a corner . . . and I love that.  It’s like my own den.

If I get around to it, I plan on ordering an instant water heater, or something like that, for tea.  I saw my friend, Sarah tweet about it.   Because if I go downstairs to make coffee or brew tea . . . any hope of a quiet times goes down the toilet.  My computer will distract me. 

Yes, I lack that much discipline.  I’ll be honest.

To make it happen, I keep everything together.  That is a must.  Because if I have to go searching . . . well, I will get distracted.  Very distracted. 

I have a binder.  An old college binder.  I made the cover really fancy . . . it is attached with packing tape. 

Yup.  Classy.  But it works.

Inside my ancient binder are my Bible study tools . . . 31 Days to Clean, the Good Morning Girls schedule and S.O.A.P. notes, the Mission of Motherhood, Warrior Prayers, a pen, and my study of Matthew.  Stacked neatly on my binder are colored pencils (which is a must for any Kay Arthur study) and my NASB Inductive Study Bible. 

My journal should be there . . . but if I blog, I typically don’t feel the need to journal. 

I want to add my Thanksgiving journal to the pile . . . but it usually sits by my computer.

The less things to keep track of for my quiet time . . . the better.

What about you?  Can we peak? 

Here are some things to think about . . . and perhaps share:

• Why do you have a quiet time?
• Who taught you how to have a quiet time? 
• What “must” you have so as to not be distracted? 
• Are you children around? 
• When do you have your quiet time?
• Where do you have a quiet time?
• Do you listen to music?  Who?
• Must you have a beverage?

Please link up and spread the Word!  Be sure to link up using your exact URL post and be sure to mention where your readers can find out about how to have a Quiet Time!  (Here is your link:  http://www.granolamom4god.com/2011/05/what-does-your-closet-look-like.html

Thanks! 

P.S. If two Linky’s show up, use the first one.  I can’t get the 2nd and sometimes 3rd Linky deleted . . . even when I edit my html code.  Sorry!

 

---

You are next...
Click here to enter

Get your own Linky Tools here...