Building Our Homes Together

“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”  Isaiah 43:19

Good morning, Ladies!

I am so excited to be a part of what Linda (Prairie Flower Farm) is doing.  Linda is such a great teacher, often not even realizing she is teaching ~ but we are learning, aren’t we?!!!

This is the first Wednesday of

Building Our Homes Together Wednesday

You may visit Prairie Flower Farm to learn more!  You will be blessed.  You can also join the fun, as we learn and labor together.

Many of us *know* Linda, but we may not necessarily know each other.  So, I thought today, I would spend sometime telling you a little about myself and my family.

My name is Cheryl and (along with my family), I live on a small homestead in the east central part of Oklahoma.  As a matter of fact, we live where the hardwoods of the east meet the tall grasses of the prairie.  If we go one direction, we see rolling hills that later turn to mountains.  If we go the other direction, we the land flattening out and tall grasses standing under the open skies of the prairie.  I never tire of seeing the beauty of both.

We have three grown children, who have blessed us with eleven grandchildren.  The oldest is nearly twelve, the youngest is seven months…..imagine stair-steps!

We have never experienced the (dreaded) empty nest syndrome.  When our youngest was a junior in high school, we *acquired* two baby boys.  They are now 14 and 15.  Plus two of our grandsons live with us.  So, at 63 (honey is 64) we are still raising four young men, ages seven to fifteen.

This is a gift from God, however some days it is a bit overwhelming! *Smile*

Something I have learned:   

You can’t do it all, so quit beating yourself up!  Television (and even the blogging world), can lead us to believe we are the only ones who’s house is not perfect, who’s children aren’t angelic, who never ruins a …whatever…

Keep in mind, these things are staged.  You don’t see the “mess” the camera isn’t focus on.

Build your house to be a reflection of who you are, of your family and most importantly

Your Heavenly Father. 

In your home, you are developing a partnership between yourself, your spouse (if you are married) and  

God.

It is a tremendous opportunity!  But it requires upkeep.

Let God be the “Senior” President ~ you can still be Vice President.  Manage your home as if you were doing it for the LORD 

~ after all, you are!

When you can’t get everything done, remember people are more important than “stuff.”

"A good laugh is sunshine in the house!"

William M. Thackeray

Or

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."

Proverbs 17:22

Years ago, I hurt my back and for months I could hardly get around.  It still bothers me today, but here is the method I used to get back on my feet concerning my work around the house.

I would set a limit of what I would try to accomplish.  If it was dishes, I would wash all the pots and pans….before I gave in to sit back down.  Some how, getting the pans out of the way made a difference.  The next time I got up, I would do all the cups and glasses.  Soon there would just be a few plates and the silverware *soaking* in hot soapy water in the sink and it only took a few minutes to finish the job.

If it was laundry….I made myself stand and fold five things…washcloths and socks didn’t count as part of the FIVE.

It would take a few tries, but soon the dryer was empty.  Before long, I could fold the entire load.  Because walking and carrying things out front, put a strain on my back, I learned the boys could put stuff away and with a little encouragement, they could do a fairly good job.

God was teaching me and I was teaching them.

The point is, don’t give up!  You may feel overwhelmed (I still do at times), but this too will pass, if you trust HIM and just do what you can.

In the Song of Solomon it talks about “the little foxes stealing the vine.”  And it is true…it is the little things we put off, that become overwhelming, stealing our peace.

It may be that newspaper that should have been thrown away before it became scattered or the stack of mail that you should have sorted last week…don’t let the “little foxes” take over!

And when you get caught up, come on over….there is plenty of corners around here to keep us busy.  Plus we can visit, laugh and pray together!

I am excited to be a part of this!  And I am so looking forward to getting to know each of you. 

Remember:  This is a link up!  Visit Prairie Flower Farm to find more "Building Our Homes Together" posts or to join the fun!

Blessings on each of your homes.  May they be filled with sweet things of life.

Cheryl