Spring is Coming~~And an Update

Spring is coming! Oh, how glad I am! The bitter cold winds have softened and my children and I have been able to be outside a little more over the past few days. We were starting to feel cooped up in the house. I love the cozy feeling of winter, but there is nothing like the beautiful new springtime to refresh the heart. 

I joked with my Mom the other day that I would stay outside all day if I could . . .  I love the nearness of God's creation and the freedom of moving beneath Christ's great expanse of sky. I love walking through the paths around our home and thinking of what life may have been like here a hundred years ago. I love smelling the fresh new scents that are rising from the ground, always reminding me of the newness of life in Christ Jesus. 

The other day, I bought some new laundry line; oh, what a thrill! :-) I will wear stiff clothes forever if it means that they can dry under the beautiful blue sky :-). Sometimes, I will admit, I prefer a softer towel, but that is the price one must pay ;-). 

My kids are in their glory playing in the field and pretending that they are Mary and Laura from the Little House on the Prairie series (we read some of the chapter books over the winter). Poor Elisha; he has to play a girl's part, but at least Laura was a tomboy ;-). 

Lately, I've been burning a lot of wood and trying to clean up around our home. I always enjoy the way things look when they are neat and freshly raked, so this has  been a great enjoyment to me of late. :-)

My husband broke three ribs the other week and injured his knee, so that has been challenging for him, but thankfully he is feeling a little better now and able to get around a little more. I know that he is feeling better as he is starting to "argue" with me again over who gets to burn the scrap wood! (he loves a good fire). 

We are looking forward to planting a garden this year and my kids and I have our seeds ready. I used to grow a lot of herbs (easy to grow ;-)) but have never done much with vegetables, so we'll see how it goes. Thankfully, my sister and her husband have had a wonderful garden, and so I can ask them for advice :-) as well as my Pastor's wife, who has a beautiful garden :-). 

My heart is bursting to see the first flowers of spring come out of the ground and paint the yard with beauty and hope. Last year, we planted daffodils before the harsh cold set in and I am hopeful for their arrival this spring. The owners of our home before us planted many beautiful flowers, so it is a real delight to see what has sprung and what will spring out of the ground as it warms up. Last year, I was delighted by rhubarb and we made a couple of pies!

One of my furry friends :-)

Hollyhocks from last spring/summer

I am excited for my animal friends to return  . . . :-), especially my friend the toad, who I hope made it through the winter. The only "friends" who I hope will find residence elsewhere are the flies and the mice. We live next to a beef farm and the flies can really keep us busy trying to get rid of them! And we are working on plugging up all the holes in our old farmhouse, as I like little mice (they remind me of Beatrix Potter's stories :-)) but they cannot take residence again in my boot ;-). My daughter found a stash of corn in one of my boots this past winter--a little mouse must have thought that it was a cozy place to live! And wouldn't you, too, if you were a mouse? ;-) 

I've been planning how to fix up our attic as a place where guests may stay and my heart has been full for excitement for this project. It will be the first step, the Lord willing, in having a set-apart place for people to stay directly related to the ministry that the Lord has called us to here. Please continue to keep my husband and I and our family in your prayers --I believe that the Lord is going to do His perfect work here, in His time and that we will taste of the fruit of His goodness as we wait upon Him. He has shown me over and over this past winter that He will provide for us, that He will take care of our needs, and that He loves to show His power where there is no human way or answer. 

A sweet bird on one of our fenceposts

Last year, I saw the fulfillment of His promise and calling to me 17 years ago . . . I am waiting in hope for how He will continue to work in this place, and I hope to share updates this year as He leads and provides for us. I am still amazed as I look back at how His hand has worked in every little detail--He is the God of details--even in granting me the desire of my heart in preparing a home for us that reminds me of my beloved New England. And yet, my home is in Heaven with Him and He ever reminds me that this is a very temporary place. But I want this temporary place to be a reflection of His grace and glory--and that He would use it to bring rest and refreshing and lead souls to Himself. This is my prayer. And that He would use a weak vessel--strong through Him-- without great human resources to bring glory to Himself--I pray that He will. And the glory is His alone. May the Lord fulfill His vision for this place and ever keep me undistracted and focused upon Him. I covet your prayers, dear friends. 

I pray that each of you will find great rest and peace through our great God as we enter into this beautiful season of resurrection. May His joy dwell in your hearts through faith and may you press on to pursue Him in all that you do. 

A rainbow in the field across from our home

You might find me on these link-ups:

Inspire Me Monday, Literacy Musing Mondays, The Modest Mom, Raising Homemakers, Classical Homemaking, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries,  Testimony Tuesday, Tell His Story, Messy Marriage,  Imparting Grace, Thought Provoking Thursday, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The Weekend Brew, Counting My Blessings, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, SHINE Blog Hop, RaRaLinkup, Word of God Speak, Booknificent Thursday, Living Proverbs 31, Coffee For Your Heart Weekly LinkUp, You're the Star Blog Hop, Homesteader Hop, Fresh Market Friday, Heart Encouragement Thursday , Sitting Among Friends Blog Party, Fabulous Warm Heart Party, Oh My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday Linkup, Writer Wednesday Tea and Word