Christmas Reflection

Luke 2:6-7 “While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her first born son.  She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn"

 Rejected when he came to be accepted by all 

Born in a stable when he came to be born into every human heart. 

As the animals look on God performs a great miracle, perhaps the greatest miracle, the promise of salvation is born into the world in the form of a baby boy.  This long dreamed of salvation is accomplished by God, a poor girl and her humble and devoted husband in a stable.

If God came to dwell among men in such a lowly place as a stable, think of what he can do in your heart.  God’s love knows no bounds.  He comes to us right where we are, even in our own mess and especially when we have been rejected at the inn.  We have done nothing to deserve this love.  And as any parent knows, as a child of God, He, our father, will never stop loving us.  We cannot earn this love but we can say thank you for this wonderful gift that is unconditional love.  The greatest thank you we can give is to receive God’s love with a humble and willing heart.

Jesus is happiness and the fullness of joy.  If we are away from Jesus, we are away from happiness and true joy.  Christmas is an annual reminder to bring us closer to the source of happiness.  A reminder that takes on the unassuming form of a baby rejected by those at the inn but welcomed nonetheless in a stable.

This Holy night, His coming into the world, has been depicted in movies, plays, stories and songs.  With all of this entertainment surrounding the story of Christmas, it is easy to become enchanted with the story and forget that his coming makes demands on us to change our ways of thinking and our lives.

Are you one of the inn crowd or are you one of the stable few?

Will your commitment to Jesus continually upset the routine of your life, as it should?

Will your commitment present daily challenges to put on His heart and His mind?

This is a lifetime task.  I pray Lord for the courage to answer Your call.  I pray that Jesus will be born into each of our lives even knowing that His birth in our hearts requires change.

This is the truth of Jesus in our midst.  When we become convinced of His truth, we can live joyfully and enthusiastically the mission and message of Jesus’ birth.

Two thousand years later, you and I stand in awe before the event of His birth.  We can prepare for THIS Christmas and celebrate the great gift of the Christ Child.  We can be mindful that God loves us infinitely more than we can imagine.  We can look past the outward decorations and focus on the inward change.  We can sing Alleluia with the angels and praise God for once again Christ our Savior is Born in our hearts!

God Bless!

Hannah

The Farmer's Wife

No more mourning, time to be thankful!

I think I have been in mourning since the election results were announced last week.  The results were not what I was hoping for, but I still have faith that God will use this situation.  My human condition often keeps me from seeing the ways God chooses to use unlikely situations for His glory.

I am a little late to the party, but I have been meaning to post my 30 days of thanks.  At first I thought I don't want to post on Facebook every day, so I will just do a once a week update.  Well week one came and went without me posting.  Then week two came and went.  So here we are, day 16 and no posts from me about gratitude for the little and not so little things in my life.

Day 1:  I am thankful for my husband.  He is my best friend.  He is truly my better half and I know I would be completely lost without him in my life.

Day 2:  I am thankful for my daughter Nalley.  She is completely ridiculous and at 2 years old is testing every bit of patience I thought I had.  Her zest for life is contagious.  She is caring, compassionate and faithful.  She never ceases to amaze me whether it be genuflecting in the adoration chapel without prompting or making sure when she gets a snack that she gets one extra for Felicity.  She is a beautiful hope for the future.

Day 3: I am thankful for my daughter Felicity.  She is so full of life.  She is 13 months old and can't sit still.  She isn't quite walking yet, but her climbing skills are amazing.  She can destroy a room in about .2 seconds but then make you smile about it instead of being upset.

Day 4:  I am thankful for my mother.  She is a beautiful woman with so much wisdom, understanding and compassion.  She has become a friend to me as I have had my own children.  I am truly blessed to have her in my life.

Day 5:  I am thankful for my father.  He is a big teddy bear who is always there to protect me whether it be with a hug or a phone call or threatening a lawsuit (one of my personal favorites).  his unique brand of love has taught me so many lessons in life that will not soon be forgotten.

Day 6:  I am thankful to be an American.  Even though the results didn't turn out how I would have liked, I am grateful to live in a country that has so many freedoms like the ability to vote whether you are woman or man, black or white.  Peaceful revolutions every 4 years are kind of fun, at least more fun than a war would be.

Day 7:  I am thankful for farmers.  Food is so yummy and with out farmers it wouldn't be possible.  I am thankful to know some great ones myself but I am thankful for anyone who puts in the long hours it takes so that I can put a yummy dinner on the table every night.

Day 8:  I am thankful to be able to stay home with my children.  This was all I knew growing up.  My mom stayed home with us.  I didn't know some moms worked. Yes I was very sheltered apparently!  I am thankful that my husband provides so well for us that I get to stay home.  He puts in long hours to do so.  I put in long hours minding the budget in order to do so.  It is a balancing act that is sometimes not fun at all but in the end I hope I can be Day 4 of thanks for my children.

Day 9:  I am thankful for my in laws.  They are great grandparents to our girls and are always willing to help. I can't count the number of times I have been able to drop the girls off for just an hour or so to get groceries by myself or to get in and out at an appointment.  They are always available yet never intrusive.  I couldn't ask for better in laws.

Day 10: I am thankful for my extended family.  I have some great aunts, uncles and cousins.  I will never know what the holidays are like with just a few people.  Thanksgiving and Christmas are affairs with 70+ people.  The lessons learned from family are some of the first of our lives.  I learn cooperation and team work but I also learned to stand my ground.

Day 11:  I am thankful for my sister.  I have a best friend whose name is Laura.  We shared a room growing up.  When we were teenagers people thought we were twins.  We are 15 months apart in age and she is quite possibly the best role model a younger sister could have.  She has paved the way for me in just about every area of life.  And while at times this is/was irritating, I have learned to appreciate the troubles she went through that actually made it easier for me.  She is there for me whenever I need her even though with multiple kids involved it is usually a phone call or email instead of a physical visit.  I will never be able to repay her for everything she has done or given me but the best part is she doesn't expect repayment.

Day 12:  I am thankful for my sisters, all of them.  I have a wonderful group of friends who are sisters and sister in laws and even a few friends who are more like sisters.  I would be lost without each and every one of them.  They have been there beside me or to guide me my entire life and that is a friendship you just can't find anywhere else but with sisters.

Day 13:  I am thankful for my brothers.  What an interesting group of guys.  As different as can be but each one is loving and protective and would go to the end of the earth for the ones they love.  I am lucky to be counted in that group.  They have given me a lot of laughs, some great stories and a few headaches but in the end it is the love that lasts.

Day 14:  I am thankful for my past.  Can't change it, it is what it is and it has made me who I am.  All of those mistakes, all of those missteps, they have created the Hannah I am today.  It is fun to think what if but I  always find the answer to what if is different from the perfection I am living today.  I wouldn't trade anything for today which means I am thankful for yesterday.

Day 15:  I am thankful for my friend Anne.  She has more courage than she knows and is more beautiful than she recognizes.  She is a wonderful wife and mother.  Her husband is lucky to have her and so are her boys. As much as you think I am your angel, you are mine :)

Day 16:  I am thankful for sunshine and for sonshine.  I always like to see the sun shining but I like it even more to see the Son shining.  I hope I am always able to see those moments uniquely crafted by God to show His glory.

What are you thankful for?

God Bless,
Hannah
The Farmer's Wife

I get what I need

Do you remember Collin Raye?  He is the country singer of the 90's with hits like Little Red Rodeo, One Boy One Girl, Love Me, Little Rock.  He is also the guy playing the guitar in the Fruit of the Loom commercial where they are walking down the school hallway... kinda funny.

He had kind of disappeared from the music world for a while, but now he is back!  His new CD is amazing and really quite different from his country albums.  Entitled Through it All, His Love Remains, it is a collection of 16 Christian/Catholic hymns and original songs.  The music is absolutely breathtaking.  And the fact that the CD is dedicated to the granddaughter he lost to a degenerative neurological disorder is heartbreaking.

Leron gave it to me as one of my anniversary presents and I listen to it daily.  He puts beautiful renditions of How Great Thou Art, Ave Maria and Amazing Grace with some originals like Undefeated and the title track Love Remains.  It is really hard to pick a favorite and like all good music, a different song seems to speak to me each day.

Today my favorite is I get what I Need.  Live Performance

I knew all the answers, the way my life should go
and when I used to say my prayers
I would tell God so
It seemed He wasn't listening
I thought He didn't care
but looking back it's plain to see
He was always there

I prayed for strength and i got pain to make me strong
i prayed for courage and i got fear to overcome
when i prayed for faith my empty heart brought me to my knees
i don't always get what i want i get what i need

i'm not saying that its easy
or that it doesn't hurt
when nothing seems to go my way
nothing seems to work
but these days i'm getting better at going with the flow
accepting that sometimes the answer to a prayer
is no

I prayed for strength and I got pain that made me strong
I prayed for courage and I got fear to overcome
When I prayed for faith my empty heart brought me to my knees
I don't always get what i want I get what I need

Every time I've had a door slammed in my face
In time a better one was opened in its place

I prayed for strength and I got pain that made me strong
I prayed for courage but I got fear to overcome
When I prayed for faith my empty heart brought me to my knees
I don't always get what i want I get what I need

No I seldom get what I want
But I get what I need

Undefeated  another really great song on the CD

http://hisloveremains.com/  read other reviews, hear snippets, buy the cd

God Bless!
Hannah
The Farmer's Wife

Reasons to vote

It has been a long time since I posted on here.   Life is crazy and I have been almost too overwhelmed to really be able to put anything coherent down in writing.

I listened to the news station on the radio the other day in the car.  I wanted to cry.  A 20 year old mother took her 3 year old (a sad situation in and of itself) to the ER because the baby had ingested multiple prescription pain killers.  The mother admitted, after much denying, that she intended on selling the drug.  Then the next story was about a deputy sheriff who had been arrested and fired from his job for downloading child pornography.  What is with this world we live in???

When we moved to the new house, Leron and I made the decision to forego television.  We didn't watch much and we had moral issues with about 99% of the programing anyway.  It has been a huge blessing!  I encourage each of you to think about it.

The lack of television has been a further blessing to not be bombarded with constant political ads, quite possibly the most negative thing on tv these days.  But with the election being only about 1 month away, I wanted to do my own PSA if you will about why you should make the time to vote this year.

I have always voted.  Primary, national, state whatever the election I always made use of my right to vote and did it.  During college I voted absentee and I even drove home to Zionsville one year to vote.  It is important to vote as a citizen.

So that is reason #1, because you have the right to vote.  That is the only was a democratic republic works efficiently is if you voice your opinion and let those in elected office react accordingly.

2.  There are major issues facing our country, this year possibly more than in any year in the past.  You need to know where you stand on these issues and where the politicians stand.  Get past the political posturing and look at voting records.  No politician is going to tell you something you don't want to hear, you have to seek the truth.

3.  If you are Christian, your religious freedom is being decided in this election!  Vote to maintain your freedom.

4.  There are those who cannot vote who need our protection in this election.  The unborn have rights and need to be protected.  Vote to protect the most vulnerable of our society.

5.  We need to pick good leaders and if good people do not vote we cannot pick good leaders.

So there 5 simple easy reasons to vote this year.  Your vote does matter.  Vote!  Vote Pro-life!  Vote pro-religious freedom!

God Bless!
Hannah
The Farmer's Wife

Nothing new? Not so much...

I haven't updated this blog in almost a month.  For awhile, I was busy and then something crazier happened.  I started questioning the value of what I was putting out here.  Cute stories of my children aside, was this blog really serving any purpose in my life or the lives of those who take the time to read it?

I have spent a lot of time thinking about this.  Wondering if my words had meaning behind them.  Were they worth the time?  Was there value being added?  Was anything being learned?

Then I started doubting whether or not I should be expressing my deeply help beliefs in this forum.  The crap that flies during an election year is crazy.  People who disagree with you can make you feel very small and insignificant.

My spine has grown back, and I will once again begin filling these pages with the truth.  Not the truth as I see it but the actual truth.  That thing so many seem incapable of seeing or acknowledging exists.  There are truths out there.  They have and will continue to exist even if you do not like it.

This is not about being politically correct or inclusive to the point of dismissing my own personal beliefs and values.  Many do and will disagree with what I will put on here, but that really will not stop me.  I will be respectful of those who disagree with me even if they are not respectful of me or what I share on here.

I am just one woman living in rural south eastern indiana.  I cannot do much but I can do this.  I can try to educate using this blog.  I believe many disagree because of a lack of understanding of their counterpart's argument.  Education can open doors, it can open your mind, it can shine light into dark corners.

Check back for light shining on life, marriage, and freedom just to name a few topics

God Bless!
Hannah
The Farmer's Wife

2 years ago

Two years ago I helped bring a miracle into this world.

She was perfect.  Small, 6 pounds 7 ounces and 18.5 inches, but perfect.

I remember everything about that day.  Not because of the pain (boy was there pain) and not because of the amount of time (almost 30 hours!).  I remember every moment of that day because there has never been another single day of my life that changed it so much.

Never have I ever loved someone so much in such a short amount of time.  Never have I ever been willing to do anything for another person before I had even seen their face.  And never have I ever felt so close to God as when I helped bring one of His beautiful gifts into this world.

Never has something so small held such a big part of my heart!

She was a daddy's girl right from the start.

And as she grows up, the two of them become even closer!  I hope they are always as close as they are right now.











Of course in her two years, she has never met a stranger.  She will smile at anyone, talk to anyone, sing you a song, laugh or just make a funny face.  If she doesn't make your day better with a simple look it would surprise me.

She is our precious gift from God.  She makes our lives better in so many ways.  I can't imagine our lives without her in them.

She sure has grown up a lot in the last year.  She is doing so many big girl things.  She can tell you the sound of just about any animal.  She can count to 10 with a little help.  She does all sorts of things to make you laugh. 

She does nightly pushups with daddy.  She can count to 50 like Ernest T Bass from The Andy Griffith Show.  She can sing a beautiful song.  She tries to play the flute just like mommy.  She helps me cook in the kitchen and helps me clean the house.  She even goes potty like a big girl.

She is an excellent big sister and is very concerned about making sure Felicity is happy.  She is a wonderful daughter.  We couldn't be more proud of the beautiful little girl she is becoming.

So to our little Nalley Jane girl, a HUGE Happy Birthday little bug!  We love you very much and hope you have a wonderful day!!

Nalley Jane

8/9/10

6 lbs 7 oz

18.5 in

1:06 PM

God Bless!

Hannah

The Farmer's Wife

(And Nalley's mommy!)

Do the potty dance!

So I know it has been forever and a day since I have posted anything on here.  There are a few good reasons for the lack of posts.  The most notable being I am mother to a 23 month old and 10 month old. 

After taking almost an entire week to unpack and get back into routine after a wonderful vacation in Gulf Shores, I decided it was time for a few changes around here.  On Tuesday, 3 days after we got home from vacation, I took the pacifiers away from the girls.  We had a late night and the girls stayed up almost a full 2 hours past their normal bedtime.  I knew they would fall right to sleep without needing the pacifiers.  That was all it took the next day they napped no problem and except 1 really cranky day neither has seemed to notice the lack of pacifiers!

Since that "parenting" milestone went so well, I decided to take the leap and start potty training Nalley.  I know many of you will say, "she is so young.  She is not even 2 yet."  But, I could just tell she was getting ready.  She would tell me when she had filled her diaper and she would try to help me change her diaper by laying on the ground and unhooking it for me.  Needless to say, she was very aware of how it all worked. 

I bought some "big girl" pants.  They are hilariously small and still look huge on my little teeny tiny Nalley girl.  She hardly weighs 20 pounds and doesn't have the cute little kid belly.  She has a six pack because she refuses to sit still or move at a normal pace, she runs everywhere!  So the smallest underwear I could find were 2T/3T sized for kids who weigh 27-36 pounds and have a 19-22 inch waist.  They are going to need to be altered!!  If anyone knows of any place I can get them in a smaller size let me know.  We also bought a little pink potty chair for her to use.

I knew this was not going to be a fun time.  She is stubborn and really likes things her way and hates change.  All of these characteristics are fantastic at times.  For instance, she like to put her toys away in exactly the same spot everytime and throws a fit if it is not put away properly.  But going potty in the potty is a huge change and she definitely fought me for most of the first day.  I would sit her on the potty and make her stay until she went.  She would cry and fuss and get off the potty but eventually she would go.  She would get very excited and clap her hand at her achievement but the next time was just as much of a struggle.  After one whole day we were both exhausted.  I could see the improvement.  Our time in the bathroom had decreased from over an hour in the morning to around 30 minutes in the evening with a lot less fighting, probably just from exhaustion.

We had made it through the first day with only 1 accident.  Tuesday was terrible.  We were both tired.  Leron was gone all day at a business meeting.  Felicity had had enough of playing by herself on Monday.  Neither girl took a good nap and Tuesday afternoon was accident city.  Nalley did seem very ashamed each time which I figured was a good sign.  Exhausted and frustrated, I went to bed Tuesday night bound and determined to not let one bad afternoon derail this potty train.  (I wonder where Nalley gets her stubborn streak??) 

If Tuesday was hell then Wednesday was heaven.  Starting right from when she woke up, she went to the potty, told me when she had to go, would only take about 30 seconds in the bathroom and would hurry away to keep playing.  I thought I was having a dream!  I think she pottied 12 or 13 times without a single accident and without any prompting from me.  So now it is Sunday afternoon.  She has been 95% perfect only having 2 accidents.  The first was when she was having too much fun playing with her cousins and didn't make it to the potty in time.  The second was last night and I take most of the blame for that one since we had a very off schedule and late evening.

Not sure how I got so blessed to have wonderful kids who make me look like a good mother but I thank God for them everyday!

God Bless!
Hannah
The Farmer's Wife

Dear Mom and Dad, Thanks!

Dear Mom and Dad,

Thank you for a wonderful family vacation. Thank you for putting up with a 12 hour car ride with the last 30 miles in bumper to bumper traffic.  Thank you for renting such a beautiful house on the beach that I could never have afforded on my own.  Thank you for assigning rooms for the week (even though most of us are grown it alleviated a lot of potential fighting).  Thank you for establishing rules for the week.  It is nice to know no matter how old I get you will always have my best interest at heart.  Thank you for ordering pizza the first night allowing me to relax and unpack without figuring out dinner. 

Thank you for going to the store with me the first night.  It was a crazy adventure.  Without you there I would have never gotten enough food and lets admit it with out me you would have never found the peanut butter, jelly or bread.  Thank you for building a sand castle with me and taking the girls into the gulf.  Thank you for buying a 2000 piece puzzle because lets face it a week relaxing on the beach (while the perfect vacation for most) just isn't really Leron's thing.  Thank you for requiring us to make dinner one night.  It definitely gave us a feeling of ownership over the vacation and encouraged us to do our part to make sure everyone had a good time. 

Thank you for taking the whole family to mass on Sunday.  It is great to know that our faith doesn't take a vacation.  Thank you for taking us out to dinner for an adults only night out.  Even on vacation, a night away from my kids was a welcome break.  Thank you for taking Leron to Fort Morgan.  It was by far the most fun he had on vacation.  Thank you for 7 days of family time and all the whining, complaining, temper tantrums, selfish behavior, antagonizing, outbursts, slammed doors, running out of rooms and fights that come with it.

With such a large family, it would be easy to say it isn't worth it.  It isn't worth the time, effort, money, discomfort, confrontation, or exhaustion.  But in the end, you said a whole week of good memories is priceless.  Thank you for putting family above everything else.  Your selflessness is an example I strive to emulate.  I hope one day I am able to see past all the obvious reasons why a family vacation would be a total disaster and see the joy, happiness and lifelong memories it will provide my family.  (Even though it most likely won't be a beach vacation, Leron is my husband afterall.) 

Thank you again, maybe one of these days we will all chip in and send you guys on your own vacation although knowing you, you may insist we all go with you!

With lots of love and gratitude,

Hannah

Everyone on the last full day of vacation in our family shirts.

The back of the kid shirts in numbered order as we entered the family... Not pictured Dad is 0 and Mom is 1.

Michael (Platinum) 2
Laura (Pet Peeve) 3
Hannah (Farmer's Wife) 4
Leah (Crisis) 5
Rachael (Shortie) 6
Joseph (Adolf Hipster) 7
Matthias (Golden Child) 8
Gabriella (Princess) 9
Jen (Would you Rather?) 10
Brian (Prom Date) 11
Leron (Farmer) 12
 

We are pretty cute from the front too!

Just too cute!! Cousins enjoying their family vacation!

God Bless!

Hannah

The Farmer's Wife



A few random not really connected thoughts

Random #1

God has a funny way
of bringing you to your knees
to remind you to pray

I told a friend this the other day.  I am not sure if the words are original to me or if I have heard them some where else.  They are nice and rhyming which makes me think I didn't come up with that all on my own.

It is a simple phrase with a lot of power.  Sometimes in life there are no explanations, no visible upside, no better for the experiences.  A lot of times, the bad in our life is of our own making.  Amazingly though, God takes the pile of crap that is our life, uses it like manure to fertilize a field and produce an even more abundant crop next season.  So one year you may be the pile of crap but hopefully the following you will be a bumper crop.

Random #2

You know that feeling in the air right before a big summer storm rolls in?  I would love to have that feeling right now.  We need rain.  We need lots of rain.  We need rain for the corn, beans and gardens.  We personally need rain for our yard to ever start growing.  The dust bowl like landscape that is our yard is pretty pitiful.  The only green thing in the ground are pickle vines.  It is so dry in fact that not even many weeds are growing.  There you go, always able to find a positive!

Random #3

We closed on our in town house on Monday.  What a relief that was to get the whole process finished.  We sold it to a wonderful couple who are engaged to be married.  They haven't official set a date but are hopeful for next year.  Leron and I are hopeful that living across the street from a church will help bless their marriage.  Maybe that's why we ended up with two kids in two years... hmm food for thought there!

Random #4

I was hopeful for 2 blog posts before vacation, you get one with almost 4 random themes... that is almost the same thing!

God Bless!
Hannah
The Farmer's Wife

New Addition to the family!

People warned me this would happen.  They said if you build a new house this is naturally what happens next.  Well it happened.  After being in the house for right around a month... we bought a van! 

Oh you silly people thought we were expecting another child, sorry to disappoint.  I am still hoping that news is at least a year away.  We decided now was as good a time as any to buy a van.  It is not new but new to us which is fabulous.  It is a 2005 Honda Odyssey.  I have heard great reviews from honda van owners and after only a day and a half, I love it.  It drives like a car but hauls 7 people comfortably.  It's first big test will be when we take it with us to Gulf Shores in less than 2 weeks. 

 

Not sure I am ready for the craziness with all of these people... but I am sure it will be so much more fun than I can imagine plus awesome memories for the girls. 

Back to the van, the girls love it.  Well Felicity is still young enough she doesn't really care too much about anything, but after we got it yesterday, Nalley refused to get out of it.  Leron tried to undo her carseat buckle 3 times each time Nalley would re-strap it herself and beg for a ride.  Hilariously cute! 

Those girls do keep me busy obvious by the lack of blog updates.  I am hoping for 2 more before vacation and then after a week off back to at least one a week.

God Bless!

Hannah

The Farmer's Wife

Resolutions in June

There is something about a fresh start that gives people hope.  At the end of the year, everyone looks forward to doing things differently next year and makes, sometimes crazy, new year resolutions.  I am not sure why we have to wait until the new year to start making changes so I am going to be making some changes now.

Why is it that Monday is the best day to start a diet?  Or that the first of the month seems like the obvious first day for change rather than the 3rd tuesday?  I am not sure but as it is, it is June 1.  Things have started to settle down since moving.  We have all of the essentials moved and save one small load of window treatments at the old house, we are completely moved out of it, looking forward to closing in 2 weeks.  The chaos that has been moving across town into a brand new house took roughly a month and now it is wrapping up quite nicely, thankfully because I am not sure I could take it one more day!

The girls and I have pretty much figured out our routine.  You may be asking yourself what is to figure out they are little and you still live in the same town.  While that is true, I totally underestimated the amount of "training" I would have to do, especially with Nalley.  Little kids are awesome.  They don't come with instruction manuals but they at least give you time to teach them over a period of time. 

Nalley started getting very curious about her surroundings when she became fairly mobile around 8 or 9 months old.  With every new skill she learned or place she explored, I was able to keep up and keep her away from the dangers like covering electrical outlets after she got curious and tried to put her finger in one.  After almost a full year of this curiosity at the old house, she had pretty much learned her limits.  She could manuver up and down stairs, she knew which cabinets she could be in and which she couldn't, and she knew and loved her routine.  Moving into a new house takes that year of learning her limits and basically tosses it right out the window but it is even worse than the first time because now she has the mobility of a 2 year old.

Needless to say, the last month has been full of saying "no," "don't," or "stop."  On top of that there seems to be an endless list of things to do, clean, decorate, buy, put up etc. for the new house.  It has gotten so overwhelming that I don't know where to start so I have just stopped.  I stopped unpacking after we had enough comforts to live here.  I stopped hanging things on the walls until I had more energy or desire to decorate.  I stopped worrying about the fact that my windows have no window treatments.  Lets just say not having any neighbors does have its advantages when you have reached your limit.

So now I am starting again.  Starting fresh, taking it one step at a time and embracing fully our new, forever house and getting prepared to turn it into a home.  I am a big fan of Matthew Kelly and his 4 resolutions that will change your life.  He creates one resolution for each of the 4 parts of the human person, spiritual, emotional, physical and intellectual.  I encourage you to read his books, listen to his talks or check out his website.  So while I don't exactly have a specific resolution for each part of the human person, I made sure to try to improve each one.

First Resolution- Be more organized!
The chaos of moving really made me see how much I love order and organization.  In addition to that, we designed the new house to allow for organization with extra closet space, lockers in the laundry room, a customized pantry and a kitchen with enough storage that everything could just about have its own drawer.  So my first resolution is to use these built in organization tools, buy other organization tools, read my real simple magazines to try new tricks and just do it.
Part of this organization was to make myself a daily schedule.  Being a stay at home mom/working part time for our business results in doing a lot every day.  But most days, I feel like I am barely keeping my head above water and at the end of the day I can see nothing that I did to make life better for tomorrow.  Moving into a much bigger house has added a lot of cleaning to the list.  So I filled in a calendar with what loads of laundry, what extra cleaning task, what work item and even what meat we will be having for dinner.  Having something extra to do each day gives me something to look forward to.  I know it might sound crazy, but I am trying to train myself on how to live in the new house.

Second Resolution- Have more energy!
If only this was something you could just will and it happened!  Unfortunately, it doesn't work quite like that.  So I am taking matters into my own hands and eating better and working out more.  I am going to start (again) eating a paleo diet.  Paleo is basically low carb on crack.  It cuts out grains, starches and any processed foods going heavy with meat, veggies and fruit.  Some paleo literature calls for cutting out dairy and I might get to that step eventually but for now I am keeping cheese in my diet.  In addition to eating better, I am going to get to the gym more.  I had been going at least 1x a week and working out with a trainer.  I only went 2x the whole month of May.  While I wasn't just sitting on the couch eating potato chips instead of going to the gym, real results of increased energy and a more pleasing number on the scale come from consistently hard workouts.  So I am hoping to get to the gym 3x a week (one time being a session with my trainer) and continue to be more and more active with the kids.

Third Resolution- Have more me time!
Being a mommy and wife is a very rewarding job, but there are times when it is draining.  I am not the best mommy or wife I can be and there are things I can do better.  In order to be a better wife/mom I need to first focus on me because I can't give out something I don't have.  The first thing I am doing for me time is gym time.  That will be at least 90 minutes a week plus the drive to and from the gym of alone time.  Second, I am going to use the quiet time to read a book like when the kids are napping or before bed or before everyone else wakes up in the morning.  Third I am going to pamper myself at least once a month.  This is going to come in the form of a shopping trip for me, manicures, pedicures or a girls night out.  Just this little bit of extra focus on me will allow me to give so much more to the ones I love.

Fourth Resolution- Be a better wife and mother!
My girls are growing up way too fast!  I need to take the time now to spend as much time as I can with them.  Dinner prep can wait to read a book or have a dance party with my girls.  I am hoping that I can get all my "work" done during nap time or after bedtime so that when they are awake, I am all about my girls.
I also want to spend more time with Leron.  Our relationship is strong but we have also been through a lot in three short years of marriage.  With everything going on in life, it is easy to let our relationship with our spouse get pushed to the back burner seeing no immediate need for attention.  It is hard to see the value in taking time for your spouse.  It is easy to say a dinner at home is the same as a dinner out or that there is no money in the budget for a date night.  It is hard to put effort and energy into maintaining a relationship when there are so many other things that require effort and energy.  I am going to spend my effort and energy on Leron because he is worth it and our marriage is worth it and our girls deserve parents who are so in love it will disgust them when they are teenagers!  I am hoping to have one date night every other week.  Just Leron and I, no kids, no distractions just time to be together.  I am not sure what these dates look like yet but I am already looking forward to them.

So there are my resolutions for my new year starting in June.  What are your June resolutions?

God Bless!
Hannah
The Farmer's Wife

My Response to Viral Video

There has been a video shot in Greensburg that has gone viral.  In the video, filmed at a Christian Church, a little boy no more than 5 or 6 years old paraphrases Romans 1:27 saying “ain’t no homo gonna make it to heaven.”

I felt compelled to respond to the video and the comments it has been receiving.  First, no one can get to heaven by his action, inaction, faith or lack of faith.  Only by the grace of God can one get to heaven.  Second, homosexual activity is immoral but so is heterosexual activity outside of marriage.  A sin is a sin, sin being something that severs our bond with God.  Even if we were to rank sin by severity, both homosexual acts and heterosexual acts outside of marriage would fall under the same category of sexual sins.  Third, Romans 1 paints a grim image for any sinner not just homosexuals and as humans we are all sinners, all undeserving of heaven, God’s love, grace and forgiveness.  It is because He loves us that we live.  If we had to depend on our limited human understanding of love for life, we would all be doomed.

  Starting at verse 18 (quoting from the New American Bible translation), “The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness.  For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them.  Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made.  As a result, they have no excuse; for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks.  Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened.  While claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.  Therefore, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies.  They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever.  Amen. 

“Therefore, God handed them over to degrading passions.  Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another.  Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity.  And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to their undiscerning mind to do what is improper.  They are filled with every form of wickedness, evil, greed, and malice; full of envy, murder, rivalry, treachery, and spite.  They are gossips and scandalmongers and they hate God.  They are insolent, haughty, boastful, ingenious in their wickedness, and rebellious toward their parents.  They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.  Although they know the just decree of God that all who practice such things deserve death, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”

I think it is this very last verse of Romans 1 that we should pay extra attention to.  “They not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”  There is a lot of debate about homosexuality.  Is it something learned?  Is it genetic?  Can you unlearn it?  Could you truly be happy suppressing it?  And on and on and on it goes.  Homosexuality is immoral.  That is a simple fact.  You can dislike that it is immoral because, as quoted above, you are “vain in (your) reasoning” but it will still be immoral.  It is also immoral to condone homosexual behavior.  It is a distinction to be made that loving your neighbor does not equal approving everything he does.  Hate the sin but love the sinner. 

As Christians and believers in the word of God, we have to sacrifice a lot to walk in the light.  We give up pleasure of the flesh for the permanent pleasure of heaven.  We give up acquiring large quantities of stuff here on earth so that we may be filled with God’s grace and radiant light in heaven.  Our lives here on earth are not meant to be enjoyed.  They are supposed to be full of hardship.  If life were easy, we would easily slip away from God, seeing no reason to pursue the tough life that a true Christian leads.  I hope and pray that you can all be filled with the grace of God and be given strength, fortitude and persistence to live this tough life with humility.

God Bless!

Hannah

The Farmer’s Wife

Technology and Music

Yesterday, Leron and I went to an Amish produce auction.  I bought 18 perennials.  I can't wait to be able to plant them and make my front flowerbed look less like a dirt pit.  My mother in law bought 115 quarts of strawberries.  These aren't just any old strawberries.  These are the most juicy, freshest, reddest, most delicious strawberries you will ever taste. 

On the way back from the auction, it was a good 1.5 hour drive from Batesville, Leron was musing on the value of being Amish and living a simple life.  It got me thinking a little.  For 2 weeks after the move we were without internet and landline phone service.  It drove me crazy being so disconnected.  We haven't yet installed any type of television service (we don't plan to either).  Now we are far from Amish for several reasons like the computer I am currently typing on or the radio I am listening to or the electric lights I am using in my house or the electric stove I used to turn those delicious strawberries into jam this morning.  I came to the conclusion that while they are most definitely a dedicated and hardworking people, I don't think you have to be Amish and completely divested of modern conveniences to be dedicated and hardworking.

Technology is a tricky thing.  It is first introduced as a way to make our lives more efficient, like the telephone allowing communication faster than telegram or letters, but then it becomes something we can't live without.  How many of you have handwritten a letter recently?  Now the telephone has morphed into cell phones, texting, smartphones and being 100% available all the time.  Becoming this dependent on technology makes us less dependent on ourselves and those around us. 

We no longer need to entertain ourselves because we have television, internet, movies, dvds, and the radio to help us out.  I like to think back to a time when people learned music and played instruments to entertain themselves.  The episodes of The Andy Griffith Show with the Darlings are some of my favorites for the amazing pure music they create.  It wasn't about having a perfect voice or amazing fingering technique.  It was about creating a beautiful sound. 

Can you imagine a world without music or dancing or art?  With all of this distraction caused by technology, I am seeing less and less attention given to these wonderful things.  Music and art was a large part of my life growing up.  I owe a huge thank you to my parents for taking me to music lessons, buying instruments and music books and listening for hours as I banged on the piano, blew on the flute or belted out a tune before I got the melody down.  I am sure it was less than pleasant at times. 

I hope my girls enjoy music as much as I do.  We have dance parties all the time and I have them sing to me in the car when we are running errands.  If we have to disconnect from technology to allow for time to enjoy music, we will do it.  That is one huge benefit I am looking forward to living in the country.  We do not have to pretend to get away from it all.  We truly can get away from it all, disconnect, relax, listen to the corn grow while sitting on the front porch and "play some back home come on music that comes from the heart, play something with lots of feeling cause thats where music has to start."

God Bless!
Hannah
The Farmer's Wife

God's Time

After a short and unintentional hiatus due to moving and a lack of internet, I am back to blogging at least once a week.

Can you think of the last time you weren’t waiting for something or someone?  When you are single, you are looking for Mr. /Mrs. Right.  When you are engaged, you are waiting for that wonderful wedding day.  When you are pregnant, you are waiting for the baby to make its grand entrance.  But we also wait for the smaller daily things.  We wait for a red light to turn to green.  We wait for the commercial to end to return us to our TV or radio program.  We wait for a phone call, email or text.  We wait for the repairman or installation guy.  If you are like me, you hurry through the grocery store just to wait in the checkout line.  Most days, I wait for the girl’s bedtime for a little peace and quiet.  With all this waiting, it is easy to wonder if God is listening to those big and little prayers for time to speed up.

Building a house is all about waiting.  We waited until we had the time and money to get started.  We waited for the weather to be dry enough to start excavating the basement.  We waited for our builder to finish another house before starting on ours.  We waited for each stage of building to be completed, knowing each stage brought us closer to our goal of living there.  In the past few months, we have waited for the finishing touches to be finished.  This seems like the most painful waiting.  Small, seemingly minor details that I have been mentally obsessing over for months seem to drag on at a snail’s pace.  And then is the day you have been waiting for and time ceases to exist.

When you meet Mr. /Mrs. Right time seems to stand still, the past seems insignificant and the future seems infinite.  The engagement seems like it flew by as you are heading down the aisle in a white gown.  After 9 months of pregnancy and several hours or days of painful labor, the doctor hands you your baby and the pain disappears.  A few days later a nurse is letting you walk out of the hospital completely responsible for another life, and then you blink and are celebrating her first birthday, then high school graduation then her wedding.

My 26^th birthday was Monday, May 7.  I thought the last 4 birthdays were pretty awesome.  When I turned 22, I was celebrating my first real job, my first apartment and being a college graduate.  When I turned 23, I was celebrating being engaged and busily planning our wedding.  At 24, I was pregnant with Nalley and couldn’t imagine my life getting any better.  Then at 25, I was able to celebrate with Nalley while being pregnant with Felicity, certain my life was about as close to perfect as possible.  26 topped them all.  I doubt this year will be as notable as any of the previous years, but the actual day will be one I remember always.

At 8:00AM, we received an offer for our house in town.  At 1:30PM, we received our occupancy permit for our new house in the country.  This unique timing got me thinking about how amazing God is.  In His infinite wisdom, He knew the perfect gift for me was a little peace of mind, a little less stress and a big deep breath.  This timing is easier to see on the big things like home sales, but it is there on the small things too.  Red lights lasting just long enough for your favorite song to come on the radio.  While waiting for an email, you notice an opportunity to catch up with friends on facebook.  While waiting for bedtime for quiet time, the kids take an awesome nap.  I am sure there is some God timing in waiting for the phone install guy but after waiting on 2 different days only to receive bad news, I am having a hard time seeing it right now.

God is amazing.  When we don’t receive something we ask for in prayer, it is not because He isn’t listening.  It just isn’t time yet.  Dream big, pray bigger and wait for God’s perfect timing.

God Bless!

Hannah

The Farmer’s Wife

What do you say?

I saw a TV commercial recently about smartphone beta testers that really bothered me.  Maybe you have seen the one I am refering to, there is a girl who sees two friends on the sidewalk and asks the one how she and her boyfriend are doing.  The friend immediately breaks into tears refusing to talk to the girl who asked the question.  Then the girl, speaking to the camera, claims that any time her phone didn't update her with her friends most recent status she was not just being insensitive, she was being a beta tester.

This little exchange bothers me for so many reasons.
1.  I haven't bought into the whole smartphone thing and I am not sure they are such a good idea
2.  There are things you shouldn't put on facebook
3.  It is not insensitive for someone to ask a question about how your life is going.
4.  Expecting someone to know everything about you because you posted something on facebook is not the same thing as communication, a relationship or a friendship.
5.  Getting upset because someone asked you a question you didn't particularly like is not mature nor the proper way to respond. 

As a society it seems we walk on egg shells more and more every day.  We are afraid of not being politically correct or offending someone if we voice our opinion or stand for something.  We live in a world that would prefer you stand for nothing so it attacks if you stand for anything.  Politicians are a great example of saying nothing with a whole lot of words.  If you ever actually listen, they say nothing, never answer a question directly and constantly hedge their bets.

When did we become such cowards?  When did it become so much more important to not rock the boat than to stand up for what you believe? 

I am not exempting myself from this either.  I am full of fear about confronting someone with unpleasant news or a stance I know is contrary to their own.  I worry I will offend someone if I point out a flaw in their argument or disagree with their facebook post.  Being a Christian means getting beyond this fear and worry and spreading the good news about Jesus no matter how unwelcome it may be.

So, what do you say?  When someone is acting in a very unChristian manner, what do you say?  When someone posts on facebook something that is ridiculous, untrue, hurtful or just unnecessary, what do you say?  When someone is living their life contrary to the 10 commandments, what do you say?

I wish there was an easy answer.  Some will shut down if you publicly chastise them, so maybe sending a private message or an email or calling is the right thing to do.  Some won't listen no matter what you do or say or post.  Sometimes the only thing you can say is a pray for them. 

For the past few months, I have prayed for more courage and strength and the right words to say when situations arise.  It is not a fast transformation from timid to courageous, but the gradual steps are bringing me closer to God, making me stronger, bolder and at the same time more loving and understanding.

I pray that you can find the right words when the time comes for you to speak up.

"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me. " Martin Niemoller

What do you say?

God Bless!
Hannah
The Farmer's Wife

This Week

I am finally realizing how good I did during Lent to update this almost daily.  There are a billion and one excuses I could give for why I haven't posted recently, most of them center on being too busy living my life to tell you about it and I am a very boring person so "living my life" really means folding load after load of laundry.  Since I have had nothing super exciting and worthy of a blog all to itself this week, I will do a weekly wrap up of my thoughts and activities this week.

Highlights of this week were definitely getting closer to getting the house finished.  I am disappointed that it isn't done today but so much progress has been made this week.  We meet with our builder this afternoon to do a walk through and make a list of all the little things that still need to be done.  My birthday is a week from Monday and I really hope a new house is my present!!

I also got to go to my little (well younger) brother's rugby game in Columbus.  It was so much fun to see some rugby.  They lost which is never fun but they played hard.  It was a nice little adventure for my and the girls.  Being a teenager I am sure he would never say this, but I think Joe enjoyed us being there to support him or maybe it was just for the snacks I brought, either way I love being able to support my family.

This week I have struggled with understanding why people do what they do.  There are people I just want to scream at and shake and slap some sense into but I don't mostly because I know it won't help.

To get me over my frustration are little gems like this one, that make it all worth while... Thank you Mom

I hope you have had a good week and enjoy your weekend!

God Bless!
Hannah
The Farmer's Wife

The Greatest Joy of Womanhood

Have you ever thought about the difference between joy and happiness?  They may seem like the same thing.  Society uses them interchangeably.  According to dictionary.com they are synonyms.  So what is the difference?  I bet if you thought about it awhile you could identify times in your life when you were happy and other times in your life when you were full of joy.  I recently heard it explained like this, happiness is an emotion that is temporary and can be caused by all sorts of external stimuli whereas joy is a state of being that is permanent and from God.

I could get way off my original topic here and dive into why this explanation makes so much sense in what seems to be a modern society so lost and searching for happiness in all the wrong places.  But I won't for now, that may be a post in the near future.  What I want to focus on today is the joy of womanhood, specifically the greatest joy of womanhood.

Now, I am sure you can think of a few songs off the top of your head that describe the happiness and power of being a woman.  Two that top my list are Man, I feel like a woman and I will survive.  What I love about these songs is that while society is telling us that women are just as good as men, these songs are praising women for being women.  A woman is not good because or only if she can do everything as well as a man can.  A woman is good because she has a whole set of skills that only she can do.

And that leads me to the greatest joy of womanhood: the act of bringing forth life.  Based on my previous explanation of joy, in order for it to truly be joy it has to be from or of God.  Also, in order for it to be the greatest joy of womanhood it has to be something that is unique to woman.  While I wish that just putting those two things out there as explanation was enough, today's society makes it abundantly clear that we have completely lost sight of both of these things.  I am not sure one is any easier to explain than the other and they are intertwined so thoroughly.  God gives life.  God created the world, everything in it, on it and above it.  He created man and woman in His own image and instructed them to be fruitful, multiply and subdue the earth.  Simple enough but overlooked by many, even those considering themselves Christian. 

God created us man and woman.  Each gender has unique characteristics that the other gender does not possess.  These differences should be celebrated.  A woman is not less than a man, she is different from a man.  It is a good thing that women cannot do everything a man does.  Women are different than men and it is a good thing.  I consider myself fairly fit and strong, but Leron can still out lift and out endurance me any day and he doesn't even go to the gym 3 times a week, workout with a personal trainer or read articles about nutrition, proper exercise or health.  He could also eat a cheeseburger and large fries and wash it down with a sugary drink 2 times a day for a week and not gain a single pound.  If I ate that, I would put on 1 pound a day.  He has strong hands that make him perfectly suited for doing the rough stuff, tending to cattle, tilling the ground, building things, fixing machinery, and protecting his girls.  I have nimble hands that are perfectly suited for doing the soft stuff, holding my babies, bringing comfort with a touch, cooking, sewing, doing hair and creating beautiful music on a piano or flute.  I don't want his job and he doesn't want mine.  We are not made to be interchangeable.  While he may be able to bring comfort with a touch, he is better at protecting in the first place.  And while I may be able to shoot a shotgun, I am better at preparing the food after it is shot.  In our house, we celebrate these God-given differences.

God instructed us to be fruitful and multiply.  Wow, so much to say about this one.  I will be blunt and honest and probably offend many with what I am going to say, but it is the truth.  Be fruitful, right there black and white in the first chapter of the first book in the bible.  With its prominent location, why is it so often overlooked?  Be fruitful and multiply.  Be fruitful and multiply, very simple.  That means no birth control, no condoms, no vasectomy, no tubal ligation (for procreative reasons only), no homosexual acts, no abortion.  Every time you engage with your spouse (yes, only your spouse) you need to be open to the transmission of life.  Be fruitful and multiply.  The Catholic Church in particular has come under attack recently for its stance on birth control especially with the release of the HHS mandate on birth control, sterilization and abortion coverage in health insurance plans.  All Christian churches teach the bible, and there it is in the bible no birth control, sterilization or abortion.  You can think that the Catholic Church is out of touch with the modern world.  If you think this, you are more right that you even realize.  The Catholic Church is out of touch with the modern world and for good reason.  The modern world is screwed up and backwards.  The Catholic Church is in touch with God's world.  The Church is in touch with God's way, not man's way.  The Church will not conform to the newest trend in society because the Church is bigger than society.  The Church's firm stance on so many "controversial" issues makes it an easy target because unlike a politician, it doesn't change its view to fit the occasion.

God created us man and woman with unique characteristics and He instructed us to be fruitful and multiply.  Which leads me back to my point, the greatest joy of womanhood is to do God's will.  By doing God's will we will be woman and fruitful.  The greatest joy of womanhood is to bring forth life.  I sincerely hope you can see the dignity of a woman and see how it is everything that she is.  The joy of womanhood is to be a true woman.  Not an almost man or an empty vessel to be used for physical pleasure, a full woman with the potential to give life.

God Bless!
Hannah
The Farmer's Wife

The Future

I have spent the last few days spending time with family, celebrating the wonderful Easter season and deciding what the future of my blog should be now that Lent is over.

It hasn't been easy updating my blog everyday.  There isn't that much interesting stuff in the life of a housewife/stay at home mom in Batesville.  But I have enjoyed the therapy aspect of getting my thoughts out of my head and down on paper.

I plan to continue the blog adding to it at least once a week or more frequently if a fun story comes up or I have a brilliant thought.  (Those tend to occur when the house is clean and I get plenty of sleep, so not too often!)

I hope you continue to check in, leave comments and follow me.  As always, any ideas or suggestions for topics are encouraged and welcomed!

God Bless!
Hannah
The Farmer's Wife

Open the Eyes of my Heart

This was just too beautiful not to share.  It is a great way to sum up my blog from this Lenten season.  I hope you enjoy the video.

Open the Eyes of my Heart

God Bless!
Hannah
The Farmer's Wife

Holding Back

I think in one way or another we are all a product of our environment.  I don't want to get into a nature v nurture debate but I truly think that if you're exposed to a positive behavior or idea long enough you will start doing that behavior.  Likewise, the exposure to negative ideas and behaviors will also be repeted.  So I can't really blame Leron for the particular quirk that sparked my thought process today.  The blame really falls to my father-in-law Lee. 

I have nothing but love and respect for Lee.  He is an extremely caring, hardworking, loving husband and father.  He has definitely taught Leron many lessons on being a good man, husband and father.  I am thankful that my girls have a man like Lee in their lives who will protect and defend them.  And his intimidating stature doesn't hurt with the whole defending thing!  So with all these positives you may be thinking why blame him.  That's a fair thought that I answer with one word; hoarding.

Lee saves everything.  Now he is not so bad to be on a tv show, but I really think if he didn't have MaryLou he might get there.  He stacks magazines on top of a cabinet because the cabinet itself is so full of more magazines.  He helped re-do the girls room.  We took the wooden knob off of a closet door.  Lee got a little tin can, put the knob in it and instructed us to save it because you just never know when you might need a knob just like that.  Leron told me he picked out the best gift for his dad's birthday coming up in June.  The bad news, we would have to get two of them or Lee wouldn't use it.  Why two?  One to use, one to keep.

It is this mentality that Leron has acquired from his dad.  Save it, hold it back, don't use it yet.  I can't tell you the number of times I have gotten Leron tools that he just won't use because they are so nice and new and he doesn't want to break them.  Have you seen these new Heinz ketchup cups that you can pour or dip?  Leron got some of those with his lunch from DQ today.  Did he use them?  Of course not, he kept them because he might use them later.  He will get new clothes and I might as well buy him two of everything because he won't wear it otherwise.

These quirks really do make me love these guys more.  It is what makes them unique and interesting.  But this holding back got me thinking of what I hold back.  Am I giving my all every day as I cook, clean, do the laundry, run errands?  How many days do I end the day with the list of things I didn't get done today that I hope I get done tomorrow?  How many times have I held something back from God afraid to use my gift or talent for his glory? 

There seems never to be enough hours in the day to get done what needs to be done, but what if there were no more tomorrows?  I am not sure if I stood in front of Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates tonight I could confidently say I gave my all.  I am not sure the gifts that were given to me weren't buried.  So I hope for another day, pray for strength, confidence and courage and wake up to try harder.

What are you holding back from God? Your spouse? Your kids? Your family? Your work? Yourself?

Lenten Daily Challenge: Forgive an offense you may have suffered and let God by the final judge

God Bless!
Hannah
The Farmer's Wife

Final Preparation

We have begun the final week of Lent.  Easter is just around the corner.  We are getting ready to celebrate at our house...

How are preparations coming at your house? Do you have decorations up, baskets out, eggs ready to be dyed and hidden?

How about your heart?  Is it ready to receive Jesus this Easter?

Lenten Daily Challenge: Notice someone who may be hungry for love or attention and satisfy that hunger.

God Bless!

Hannah

The Farmer's Wife

Mega-Millions

I was noticing on Facebook a lot of posts about people buying tickets for tonight's extremely large lottery.  I didn't purchase a ticket but it still got me thinking about what I would do with the money.  That is a whole lot of money and could totally transform your life forever if you wanted it to.

I wouldn't want it to.  I enjoy living a simple life.  Growing up, I had no idea (and still have very little understanding of) how much money my parents made.  I knew we had everything we needed and occasionally we got what we wanted.  It was a wonderful way to grow up.  It taught discipline and responsibility and the value of a dollar.  We weren't given an allowance for chores done around the house, getting good grades or watching the kids when mom and dad went out.  Instead, when I wanted to go to the Friday night high school football game or a movie with friends my dad would hand me a twenty dollar bill and say bring me the change and there was always change.

I babysat a lot.  My first gig was a few times a week over the summer when I was only 9.  I can remember thinking I would make $100 that summer and that was a big thing.  As a teenager, it seemed either Friday or Saturday was spent babysitting.  I loved to play with the kids and have a good time.  The money was a bonus.  I saved it.  I have never been a spender.  I have always thought about the future and that there might be something "more" worth it down the road.

I am still a saver.  We live comfortably within our means.  We don't dress in designer fashions or drive brand new cars.  We have some nice pieces of furniture that we happened to get very lucky to buy at a deep discount from the local furniture manufacturer's annual sale, but most of our furnishings are second hand, rather worn or an accumulation of college and post college single life.  So there could be a long list of things that we could buy with several hundred million dollars, but there won't be.

If I won the jackpot, I would continue to do exactly what I do now.  That's the sign of a truly happy, fulfilled person right? 

I would continue to be Leron's wife, Nalley and Felicity's mother and a resident of Batesville.  We may farm a few more acres with some better equipment but we wouldn't get those acres by out bidding those who have farmed them for years and the equipment probably wouldn't be brand new.  I would give a lot away to charity and the church.  I would set up scholarship funds for a variety of interests I think are awesome like music, art, foreign language and travel.  I would still grow a garden, cook my own food and clean my own house (at least most of the time).  I might trade in my camry for a minivan.  We would probably have more parties, but we are going to do that once we have more space anyway so that doesn't change anything.  I would make sure that my parents and in-laws could retire comfortably although I am not sure they would want to.  I would make sure my kids could go to college and have a little fun money but I still think it is good for them to work for it.

Nothing is going to change.  I didn't buy a lottery ticket.  So I cannot win, but I am going to wake up tomorrow morning smiling as if I just won anyway.  I learned at a very early age that money does not make you happy nor can it buy happiness.  Money is so much less valuable than we have made it seem.  There are so many more important things to have ahead of money.  I am blessed to say I have many of those things.

Lenten Daily Challenge: Eat a pretzel as a reminder that Catholics used to fast from milk, butter, eggs, cheese, cream and meat.
Rosary Special Intention: For who ever does win the lottery

God Bless!
Hannah
The Farmer's Wife