the best workers...

These three kiddos are the hardest workers you have ever seen!! This week the older members of the farm work pool are away on the Church mission trip doing their fair share of hard labor I'm sure. But here at home the farm work continues and these guys are champs. This week they have had the responsibility of 6 milking goats, 10 baby goats, one stinky daddy goat, 2 sheep, 80-ish meat chickens, 9 turkeys, 20-ish ducks/geese, 20-ish laying hens, 2 dogs, 3 cats, and 5 rabbits. Most of this work means water, food, and milking twice a day. Now it all may seem straight forward, but when the main caretakers of this menagerie are away things can go a bit crazy. This week we've had a dog that decided to bark for 3 hours straight in the middle of the night, the same dog run away multiple times (not unusual, but annoying), a surprise bunny birth, a mass breakout of 18 goats/sheep (you would not believe the what this group can accomplish!) , a turkey-pecking-child meltdown, and the most amazing reason why so-and-so animal doesn't have water. But these three have stuck to their responsibilities, put the animals first, and kept the farm running. They're more than a little dirty and a bit smelly from time to time, but they sure are sleeping well! :)

thanks Nathan, Claudia, and Chloe...you're the best!

blankie tradition...

I have finished it! Elijah's blanket is done. Considering that today was his due date and since there is still one minute left of this day, I'm right on time. Really I don't think he has missed it so far. Now it isn't perfect. The edges do curl, but after it has been washed 10 times that will disappear. It isn't perfectly square, but after it is chewed on, dragged around, slept on, and hugged it won't really matter. I love the color and the pattern is beautiful, but I don't think Elijah will appreciate these things. He may not even realize that Nene made it for him for quite some time, if ever. But all these things don't really matter. Now that both grandchildren have a homemade blankie it is a tradition. This tradition has been going on for awhile in my family, the blankie part not the homemade part. My mom would show up after each birth with a soft blankie with the satin trim. Some blankies made it for years and others would literally fall apart. One of the blankies had to be completely tied in a knot to make it last just a little longer. All were different colors, but all the same. We dragged those blankets everywhere and negotiated wash and dry sessions with crying three year olds. They were spit up on, pooped on, barfed on, dragged through dirt, used as capes, picnic blankets, and ships on the hard wood floors, they dried tears, kept the chill away, and wrapped up baby dolls. But mainly they were loved...just as a tradition should be.

2 happy birthdays...

Today is a momentous day...
My dear sister-in-the-Lord, Sarah, turned 30! 'Bye bye 20's and hello 30's', has been her mantra for quite awhile. I can only say that if you continue on your journey with the same biblical mindset that you actively pursue now, then your 30's will produce more contentment and blessings than you could imagine. Press on, dear friend, God is not finished with you yet!

and

I spent a good portion of today welcoming and holding our newest grandbaby on his birthday, Elijah Mark Berkompas, born early this morning! He is indeed a armful at 10lbs 1oz and 23 1/2 inches long, but a very content young man. My prayer for him comes from I Kings 17:24, "Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth."" May he be known for the Word of truth that comes from his mouth.

God's Sovereignty...

I did something today that I rarely do...I sat...in one place...and read a book, actually two books.  I've been told that I don't stay in one place very long. I even have this friend that will follow me around the house talking because I don't sit down. She says I'm running away from her, but I'm just trying to see if she can keep up. :) Anyway, the kids were all busy enjoying summer and I found my study books and dived in. It was a blessing to me!

Sovereignty: n. supreme and independent power or authority, rightful status

I have often heard of the sovereignty of God in reference to suffering, hardship, or the trials of life, but today I gleaned a new perspective. A broader look at God's rightful status as my creator and the love that he has chosen to display. A.W. Pink can say it better than I...

"Certain conditions were set before the Mediator: He was to be made in the likeness of sin's flesh; he was to magnify the law and make it honorable; he was to bear all the sins of all God's people in His own body on the tree; he was to make full atonement for them; he was to endure the outpoured wrath of God; he was to die and be buried. On the fulfillment of those conditions he was promised a reward: Isaiah 53:10-12. He was to be the Firstborn among many brethren; he was to have a people who should share his glory. Blessed be his name forever; he fulfilled those conditions, and because he did so, the Farther stands pledged, on solemn oath, to preserve through time and bless throughout eternity every one of those for whom his incarnate Son mediated. Because he took their place, they now share his. His righteousness is theirs, his standing before God is theirs, his life is theirs. There is not a single condition for them to meet, not a single responsibility for them to discharge in order to attain their eternal bliss. "By one offering he hath perfected forever them that are set apart" (Heb 10:14)"

Because of the nature of God and His sovereignty Christ died and was raised and because of that Gospel I am chosen, I am justified, and I am free! Free from man's requirements and additions to the gospel. Think about that for awhile. What things to do we do that we make requirements that God never intended?

The other book I read this morning, A Scandalous Freedom, by Steve Brown,  also moved along these lines. He says things in a much different way than I've read in a long while and it is refreshing. In his chapter on 'the Gospel we forget', he rightly states that the Church is the bride of Christ. And "..the gospel is God's gift to us- and yet somehow, in our efforts to be more than we can be, even when our motives were right, we have lost our way. We have become obsessive, bound, angry, judgmental, and neurotic Christians. I believe God intended something very different. He wants us to be free. In fact, he paid the ultimate price to make us free."

I think that if Christians, myself included, spent more time focusing on the gospel and what it REALLY means daily in our lives and the freedom it brings, the Church would look much different.

Sunday steak...

It's been a tradition in our house to feed Brian a steak for Sunday dinner. I figure that he works harder than any of us, so a steak dinner once a week is the least we can do. (This morning he even made us cinnamon rolls!) Tonight it was expertly cooked by our head-chef-Brian over a charcoal and apple wood fire.

The man can cook! Yum!

A happy man and his steak!

...however...tonight we all had a Sabbath steak feast. Thanks Brian for a great meal.

It's been awhile...

Okay, so it's been awhile since I've been here. Just about six weeks. Much has happened. I had to get out the calendar to remember it all. Let's see...
-Brian tried to break both feet at the same time. Tractor decks are VERY heavy. He's back to working the farm and most of the swelling and pain is now gone.
-Mom had hysterectomy surgery, recovered, and is now back to curves and life in general.
-Mom turned 70! and we gave her a wonderful bash with friends from Vancouver and Seattle. It was an honor to bless her and remind her how much she is loved.
-Conner turned 12!
-Kaylee turned 2! Love that girl!!
-Chloe turned 12! She's growing fast
-Braden is taller than me now and loving it!
-I was treated to a manicure and my first pedicure. Thanks mom!
-I went back into the boot.
-WE FINISHED SCHOOL FOR THE YEAR!!
-I'm out of the boot...but no better. Surgery is possibly in the future.
-We attended a very fun birthday party for a dear friend at the Olive Garden.
-We attended graduation at WPC and a fabulous ball hosted by the Penkins. Bernie cuts a mean polka.
-Amanda won first place in the needlework category for the Piecework Magazine heart ornament contest! It is beautiful!!
-Brian created a fabulous extension of my herb garden since my original one has been taken over by the strawberries.
-Brian turned older than me!! (at least for 6 weeks!) and received the coolest cigar gloves knitted by a very talented daughter.
-We've pulled enumerable weeds and created a very slick kick ball field for the 4th of July bash. (thank you B's) The rain today is a blessing for this household!

...but most importantly we have grown in grace and walked farther on this road of sanctification. We look forward to meeting our newest grandchild sometime in late July or early August and our week at the Oregon coast at the end of August. Other than that we have more weeds to pull and veggies to water and grass to mow and critters to care for.