Cold Weather Blessings

"Oh the weather outside is frightful..."

This song has been playing in my mind lately. Temperatures have been hanging out well below freezing lately. We've hit negative temperatures a few nights. Brr! When you live in an old farm house (built over 100 years ago) that lacks insulation in most areas, it is just flat out cold.

My dad (who lived here as a kid) always told us that he would bring a glass of water upstairs to bed at night and wake up to a frozen cup of solid ice. I never really believed him. Figured it was one of those "walk uphill both ways in the snow" type stories. Except now, with temperatures this low, I believe him!

With space heaters running full blast and a roaring fire downstairs, our upstairs temperatures have been in the low 50s. Too cold for us!  I can easily imagine it sinking cold enough to freeze water without heaters--especially if the fire died. So we've decided to have everyone sleep downstairs for now. 

Routines are off.  Quiet time is more difficult (everyone isn't in their own space).  It's been a small challenge.  But, instead of grumbling about it, I decided to make a thankfulness list.  God is very good, even when we are not enjoying the temperatures.

My Cold Weather Blessings

1. We are super thankful for our lovely wood stove.  We were able to purchase a really high quality, efficient one back when we had two incomes.  It keeps the living room toasty and most of the downstairs warm.
2. We are thankful that we live on acerage with timber. And that Bryan is able to cut wood for our needs. And split it. We do not need to worry about running out of wood during the winter.
3. Also thankful that we have a covered area in the barn to store all of the split wood.  We don't have to try and get it out of snow. 
4. We are thankful that The Lord provided us the means to insulate the downstairs of the house prior to temperatures plummeting. The last few years have been fairly mild winters.
5. We were blessed by my parents a few years ago with their hide-a-bed couch when thy upgraded. Bryan and I are now sleeping on this until the temperature gets back up to 20 or so.
6. My parents also blessed us with a beautiful wood bunk-bed set that we have in Owen's room.  (We are planning on making an enclosed bed for Owen eventually).  Now, we have four of our children sleeping in those beds.  Jayme, Jeffrey, Ellie and Sydney are sleeping in that room.
7. Since we are sleeping downstairs, and can listen more closely for Owen opening the stove, we are able to let him sleep in his favorite spot--on the floor right in front of the stove.  He's been sleeping about an hour longer at a stretch than normal! Sleep is always a blessing!!!
8. We're thankful that Simon was already used to sleeping downstairs.  No adjustment for him.
9. We're thankful that the kids love each other and enjoy each others' company.  We're spending lots of time in two rooms.  Altogether.  It could be bad.
10. We don't have a lack of blankets.  That's wonderful!  God is so good!
11. The made out hide-a-bed leaves an awesome fort area underneath.
12. We have a furnace installed in the downstairs that allows us to keep the bathroom and kitchen and playroom from completely freezing.  We don't like to run it because of costs, but we have it in case of emergency.  That's nice to know.
13. We can leave water dripping at night, and our pipes haven't frozen!  No water would be even worse.
14. The butcher was still able to make it out on Monday.  No more big, scary cows with horns around.  A freezer full of meat coming soon!!!
 15. We're able to play all kinds of unique games, like The Story Bowl, and our Nameless Game.  If things were normal, I probably wouldn't be as motivated to think of new game ideas that everyone can play.  We've even turned plastic cups into bowling pins and bowled together.  It's really fun! 

Even when temperatures plummet and it's cold, we are able to thank God and know that He's working everything out.

Is it this cold in your part of the world too?

Lessons in Thankfulness from a Broken Washer

About a week ago, our washer stopped working.  I'd been ignoring the signs that it was dying--popping error codes randomly, and taking forever to spin out--and just continued pushing it.  Finally on a Thursday morning, it gave a new error code.  And stopped spinning.

I took note of the code, and turned to Google.  Faulty drain pump appeared to be the problem.  But...it seems that often the trouble can be fixed by simply clearing away a coin trap that acts as a protector for the pump.  

Wanting to dig right in, I found a tutorial explaining how to check the trap. It explained it clearly, and looked pretty simple. Except...I couldn't find the screws on it to remove the bottom panel.  

I began to despair. Laundry in our house happens daily.  Well, to be honest, it happens multi-daily.  In order to keep from being buried under dirty laundry, I wash at least two loads a day.  Owen's g-tube leaks onto clothes.  Simon spits up.  Owen floods the bathroom when he takes a bath.  Lots of laundry.  And I couldn't find two screws...ugh!

Thankfully, I have a handy husband.  He's been putting in extra hours at work, and even though the hour hand was clearly past the eight when he got home that night, he cheerfully tore the washer apart for me.  Those screws were hiding under our pedestal drawer. Oops!

Bryan followed the directions on the tutorial, and we found a bunch of junk on the trap.  He emptied it out, and then decided to clear out the hoses since he already had it apart.  The plumbing in our old house leaves something to be desired, and each hose he removed required a good bit of water to clean out.

Once everything got reassembled, Bryan and I eagerly turned it to a rinse and spin cycle.  Filled up with water just fine.  And then...error code.  Same one.  But then, on the next trial...it worked!  We decided to leave it unplugged overnight to reset and try again the next night.

I spent time that day researching the error again.  I found two other possibilities--loose wire and a bad pressure switch. When Bryan got home, he agreed to try, and found his multi-meter.  The power was spot on where it should be.  He also tested the pressure switch.  It was working.  At this point, it was rather late and he told me to order the part.

I did.  And then we waited for it to arrive.  During that time, I might have pouted.  And whined. More than a little... Until the Lord brought to my attention all of the good that had come from this situation.  I had to choose to be thankful.

So here are some lessons in Thankfulness from a broken washer:

1.  My husband was capable of diagnosisng and fixing the problem, so we didn't have to call an expensive repair man
2. My parents (who live across the road) gave us free access to their washer and dryer while waiting on the part.  I took them up on this...a lot!  
3. Because we had access to a washer (see number 2), we didn't have to pay the ridiculous fee of $50 for expedited shipping. We could just pay for normal delivery and allow the part some time to arrive.
4. It was the first time in several years that this washer broke.  And it was a FIXABLE problem!
5.  I learned the importance of not ignoring warning signs from appliances.  Error codes are not normal--even if they go away on their own.
6.  We learned how to clean out the coin trap.  We are going to start doing that on a regular basis.
7. Since I was going across the road to do laundry, I managed to not do it on Sunday.  And we survived.  And no one was running around naked.  I've always WANTED to not do laundry on Sundays since we're so busy from church, but always decided that we HAD to do it anyways.  I learned this past week that life went on just fine without it.  Going to keep that one up!
8. My husband put up with all of my diagnosing theories and patiently tried them all late at night for me.  I sure love him! And am very thankful for him.
9.  One day, when I didn't get over to get my laundry from my parents before nightfall...they had it all dried and folded...waiting for me.  Folded laundry.  What's not to be thankful for there?
10.  My mom had foot surgery a few days before our washer went out.  We were able to spend Friday with her doing laundry and visiting and cleaning, helping her out.

So even though I felt frantic at the thought of our washer being broken, the Lord worked everything out.  Seems to be a recurring theme in my life...maybe at some point I will learn from these lessons and stop being frantic altogether.  Choosing to be thankful does not come naturally to me....but I am learning!  And hopefully my children are learning alongside me and will not deal with this as much as I do when they are older!

Barnyard Blessings

In my recent Bible studies, I've been learning about complaining.  And mumbling.  And grumbling.  And about how we aren't supposed to do those things.  About how our tongue can get us in a lot of trouble.

The Israelites are the focus of my study.  My how they grumbled.  I can hardly believe their response in some situations.  They are receiving numerous blessings from the Lord and they still aren't happy.  Instead of manna, they want meat.  Instead of walking through faith with Moses, they desire the captivity of Egypt. It's like they just can't see the blessings.  They focus on what they want.  On how tired they are from all the walking.  On the sameness of life.  It's crazy! These are God's chosen people.  And they are mumbling.

And then I start thinking...I'm just like those Israelites.  I've been doing my fair share of complaining lately.  About being tired.  About my husband being gone a lot because he's working overtime.  About Owen not sleeping.  About getting up to milk the cows. About life in general.  I take the blessings that God has given my family, and I mumble.

I complain that I have to milk twice a day.  Instead of enjoying each day, I'm eagerly counting down until the calves are weaned (at three months) and I can switch to my preferred method of once a day milking.   I complain about it being dark for both milking sessions now.  I complain that I have to pack the hay and water.  I complain about frozen water tanks...I think you get the picture.

Convicted...again.  That seems to be a theme in my life lately.  So, I felt lead to focus on all the good God has given us.  Today's blessings are in the barnyard, since that's the area of life that seems to be causing me to grumble the most right now.

Barnyard Blessings

 

 A husband who is willing to get his hands dirty.  He cleans the chicken coop out for me.  And chases rouge cows.  And is just a blessing in so many other areas!

Bryan in the freshly cleaned laying hen coop!

 

My cows.  I really am thankful for my cows.  They are Dexters, and smaller than many cows. Most important...they don't have horns.  (Those kind of scare me!)

My milk.  Creamy, raw milk sure tastes delicious.  I love knowing that it's good for the kids and everyone else in the family.

 The dairy products.  Milk and cream can be so useful!  White sauce, ice cream, cottage cheese, mozzarella, yogurt.  And I know I haven't even begun to skim the surface of possibilities! 

Our meat cows.  These are really scary to me.  (They have horns.  And are MUCH bigger than my Dexters.)  But...oh they will taste so good!  I'm definitely thankful for them. 

 Homegrown meat in general and eggs!  Store bought stuff is even scarier than those horns.  Pink slime?  Not in my hamburger! The chickens in the summer are a pain.  But they are tasty!

Opportunities to spend time with my kids.  When Owen is awake at 5 and I can't get him to go back to sleep, he gets bundled up and strapped into his wheelchair and accompanies on my chore mission.  He enjoys petting the cows and helping hold the bottles for the babies.  Jayme gets up and helps me in the mornings, and we have some great conversations.  These wouldn't happen as naturally if it weren't for our chores.

Ability to teach my kids good work habits. The cows need milked.  The animals need fed.  They need bedding and water.  By taking our farm responsibilities seriously, the kids will learn to have a great work ethic.

 Opportunities for creativity! Seriously.  When you are in the barn for an hour, you can get bored.  Sledding in the straw is one of the many ways my kids have kept themselves entertained.They sure keep me entertained with all they come up with!

 My milking parlor.  I've seen many pictures of homesteaders milking in the pasture or other less than ideal environments.  I have a beautiful parlor, and don't have to squat!

Time for prayer.  When it's quiet in the barnyard, it's a wonderful time to spend in prayer! 

 Time for singing.  The cow like music.  They don't complain if I'm off tune (which I usually am!)  I've been trying to practice all of the hymns we've memorized.  When the kids are out with me, we all sing together--making a joyful noise unto the Lord.

 Opportunity to practice memory verses.  When we're working together, I can ask one of the kids to say a verse for me.  We can take turns reciting them together.  We can play a game to see who can do the most.  You don't need free hands for learning like this, which is good when you're busy milking or feeding!

 Grouse Creek Farm. It really is a beautiful land the Lord placed us on.  I grew up here, and have so many memories.  I'm thankful to be back. We have a creek with a waterfall.  We have the remnants of a beaver pond.  We have forests.  We have fields.  So much to see and do.  Who needs to pay for entertainment when we have all that?  Thank you Lord!

There are many more barnyard blessings, but I'm going to stop there for today.  My goal is to focus on these when I feel like complaining.  I'll practice taking my thoughts into captivity and stop letting the blessings that God has given me turn into reasons to grumble.  I'll choose to learn from the Israelites instead of being just like them.

Any advice for someone trying to stop complaining?

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Lazy Learner

On Sunday, I became convicted that my time with God was becoming just a box to check off my daily schedule. I've been asking the Lord for wisdom and guidance, and yesterday felt compelled to learn more about studying His word. I'm very thankful for what I learned!

I started in 2 Timothy 2:15.  "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." The word study is the one that's been getting me in trouble.  I was READING God's word.  I was not STUDYING God's word.  There's a big difference.

With my handy Strong's Concordance, I looked up the word study.  It was 4704.  In the Greek, it means to make effort, to be prompt or earnest, and to be diligent.  In my hurry to read my four chapters a day and check off the boxes, I had lost sight of the effort part.  And the diligent part.  And pretty much the whole meaning of the word. 

I was a lazy learner.  Doing a quick reading meant that I had no idea just a short time later what I had read.  It reminded me of myself in high school and college.  I maintained a great average--4.0 average with my master's degree. But I don't think I actually learned anything.  I certainly didn't put out much effort.

High school vocabulary tests were a joke.  I would review all of the words, meanings and spelling a few minutes before class.  I'd take and usually ace the test.  And then I'd forget.  Everything.  I didn't put forth the effort needed to actually learn.  I didn't really study. 

All the way through college it was the same.  I think I can count on a single hands the number of times I actually cracked open a textbook to study.   I look at all the knowledge I could have gained.  But I chose to be a lazy learner instead.  I did the bare minimum for me to get the grade I desired.  Looking at my transcripts, you'd think I worked hard.  I didn't.  And my bad habits continued into my time with the Lord.  Until He opened my eyes to my laziness.  My sin. 

I studied two verses yesterday.  Just two.  But I learned and remember and reflected a whole lot more than I ever did reading chapters at at time.  I'm still learning.  Still trying to break bad habits.  I'm sure it will take a while.  But I'm so excited to actually be studying God's word.



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Wouldn't It Be Easier?

The Lord has been hard at work with me and my life.  It's hard to exactly explain how, but I just can feel Him at work.  The work has been centered along the lines of an easy life.  And how that is NOT what we are called to.

 Yes.  I realize that life would be EASIER if our family size didn't keep expanding.  Yes.  Life would be EASIER if Owen didn't have Angelman Syndrome.  Yes.  Life would be EASIER if I didn't milk cows and live on a farm.  There are many other examples...I'm sure you get the picture. 

But just because life would be easier--does that mean it would be better?

NO! That is my answer.  Easier is not better.  It's just easier. We weren't called to the easy life.  We're called to walk with the Lord.  This means a life with ups and downs.  But no matter our elevation at each and every moment, we can rest securely in the fact that He is with us. 

All of His recent work in my life really became clear to me in the middle of the night as I was up with Owen. Did I mention that he doesn't sleep much?  2:00 am has been his wake up time recently....but I digress...It was at this hour of the morning (night?) that I had one of those light bulb moments. Things began to make a little more sense.

I was responding to an email on my phone as I snuggled with Owen trying to get him back to sleep, and wrote this...

"The Lord has been working on us as parents through Owen. He is challenging, but has been good at forcing us to grow more and lose some selfish traits that we probably would have clung to without him. "

I realized at that point that an easy life is a life not living to our full potential.  It is through the hard times that the Lord polishes us and conforms us--making us more like Himself.  Rejoicing in the hard times is difficult.  But the Lord carries each and everyone of us and knows the beginning from the end.  Everything that happens--even when things aren't easy--are for our good as believers.   

Yes, there are times when I wish that life was easier. I might even complain about it. (Something I'm really working on!)  But I am learning to be grateful for the purging the Lord has been doing on me through hard times.  I rest in the fact that the Lord has my whole life in His hands and I can trust Him to carry me through.    

5 of our 6 blessings--thank you Lord!

 

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