A Feast for the Senses . . .

What more could a grandmother ask for? It has been a feast for the senses here lately. Smell: It is orange blossom season here in the country in rural central Florida. Every trip down the road, or even the driveway, means lovely, overwhelming fragrance like no other on earth. Little Rosie picked a small clump of blossoms and put them on the kitchen table the other day, and the fragrance is still pervading.

Taste: It is also strawberry season in our area. Every season, a Plant City grower calls homeschooling families to come glean before they plow the plants under, so this week the girls packed up their families and go pick for a couple days. What a wonderful reward! Gallons and gallons of strawberries in the freezer, as well as all you can eat fresh – what a treat! Especially for children who absolutely love fresh fruit. This year, Grandmother has been working on preparations for the older children’s competition in April, so Danny and I didn’t get to go along, but we were richly rewarded anyway – one child in each family picked for us., and our freezer is full, too. That’s Rachel picking in the sunshine above.

Hearing: As well as smell and taste, our ears have been treated to the wonderful sounds of grandchildren sharing and honing their God-given talents in music. In the picture above, Gracie and Callie are receiving a voice lesson from Miss Christi Bell, their homeschool-graduate friend. Christi and her sister Katie sing opera in Italian and are quite the polar opposites of our bluegrass playin’ youngin’s. Gracie and Callie wanted to improve their vocal quality, and it is a joy to listen to the lovely strains echoing through the house – quite different from the enthusiastic “Boil Them Cabbage” of Monday school!!

Touch (my heart): 15 yo Callie diligently bent over the sewing machine working with a spirit of excellence on her skirt and blouse to enter for competition. Not too many girls enter sewing anymore, but these girls want to learn every skill that will polish them as Proverbs 31 women – and that touches my heart.

Sight: 2 yo Joey trying to catch a racing lizard; 13 yo Mary quietly and voluntarily unloading Grandmother’s dishwasher; strong and sturdy Miller boys helping Granddaddy unload hay to the barn; 18 yo Kitty talking to baby sister Emma Jane; the blessing every day when the sun casts its golden glow on my little piece of Heaven.

Life . . .

It does go on. I am ashamed to note that it has been a long while since I got on here and shared. Last week was the local county fair week for the grandchildren, and that keeps everybody hopping, including grandparents. Wednesday last week was the whip popping contest, always a favorite around here. RG, our oldest grandson, won second place in his division, with some mighty strong popping!

We were pleased that the fair (finally) asked the children to play during the lull while they compile scores. The crowd loved it, and the children feed off the crowd, so they had a ball. Then, they were asked to play for the buyers’ dinner (the people who bid on the auctioned champion animals). The Lord has laid upon our hearts to use these opportunities to show the world His plan for families – happy, joyful, co-operative, productive families whose members love to be with one another, no matter what age they are.

So we were blessed when one of the big cattlemen in our county told the children he had been watching our family for a while, and he was impressed with what he was seeing. May the Lord continue to use these precious children as mighty arrows sent forth on His mission – changing the culture for His glory by creating a hunger and thirst in the hearts of people to see their families change.

My husband is a people person and has expressed interest in public office someday, but I have always preferred a nice, quiet life without fanfare and notice by the general public. Now, as the children find themselves somewhat in the public eye, it is my heart cry that they be reminded often of the admonition “ . . . be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear . . .” (I Peter 3:15) What a wonderful way to give an answer of the hope! The precious fruit that remains when multigenerational faithfulness plays itself out through the years. But oh how diligent we must be that it is always with meekness and fear, because this work is the Lord’s and is through no good thing which we have done. Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to be part of your great plan for families!

Home!

(That's my cowboy, above, at the Golden Pear dining room in the cute little town of Mayo, Florida)

What a sweet word! Home! We came in last night about 11 p.m. after a long hard drive down through Georgia. What a blessing my cozy bed is! We decided to come down through Georgia because I had found some acreage on ebay, and Danny wanted to try and look at it. The seller never contacted us, so we were left with only clues from the listing.

We attended a church in Hawkinsville GA, which is where the property is hidden from public view (TIC). The pastor’s message was a Biblical encouragement to us, but we found ourselves thanking the Lord for our little fellowship. I guess it is the way everyone feels when visiting a church. Thank God, He draws us to worship Him in the way He sovereignly chooses.

After driving the back roads a while, we recognized that we were near where my daddy was born and grew up during the Depression, so we set out to find it. Find it we did. Hatley, Georgia, is just a spot in the road, and we had no way of ascertaining where the family homestead had been. My grandparents had a large acreage (to sustain their large family of 12 children) and farmed cotton and peanuts through the Depression. Daddy told about his mother and father’s hospitality to those of all races who were struggling during that hard, hard time.

As we drove the side roads, I could just see him and his younger brother traipsing across the fields, calling the milk cows in at the end of the day (that was their job on the farm). It was a nice side trip. Maybe someday, my elderly Aunt Mary Lee will let us look at all the family history she has compiled. We might be able to get a better idea of the location then.

We were met by several sweet grandchildren when we got home, and found out that the little calf born to Cocoa on Saturday had died Sunday afternoon or evening. How sad! Cocoa is our Herd Mama, the oldest. And she is the best mama. She has never had a problem calving. Eddie says the calf was frolicking on Saturday, but yesterday was laying limp by the barn. All we can assume is that it got stepped on by a large cow, or maybe the bull.

Pepper’s and Truffles’ calves died during birth earlier in the month, so this is three this season. That is not good. I think Danny is going to try and test our soil and water and see what may be going on.

The grandchildren had a couple of casual performances while we were gone – they said they didn’t do well without me, but I think that is just their way of making their grandmother feel needed. Anything will be appreciated today – it is my 60th birthday!

Well, we have enough fishing lines in the pond. Now to wait on the Lord and see what develops with property! Right now, I am just grateful to be back on our wonderful little 33 acres. Thank you, Lord.

Tennesee

We are here at Jason and Ashley’s home, enjoying Tennessee hospitality. The sweetest little girl has opened her arms to us, and nothing makes a grandparent’s heart gladder than to be welcomed by a precious little one. Baby Savannah is toddling around now, sparkling and smiling at every turn. She giggles and giggles when Granddaddy scrubs her hand over his beard.

Yesterday, we looked up the dream farm I had found on the Internet. It is only a half hour from here, and it was everything I had always thought a farm should be – except the price. It is almost 900 acres, there are three homes and a couple beautiful barns, it’s all fenced, there is plenty of nice pasture and plenty of woods for hunting, 5 springs and 13 ponds, the owner was a nice old gentleman, but he knows the price he wants and is willing to wait for it. Okay, Lord, this one is on hold til You make a move! We are needing to remember . . . “wait, wait on the Lord.”

The Lord willing, we will head home tomorrow and perhaps check out some of the properties we missed on the way up, although I have a feeling when Danny is ready to go home, straight home we will go. Thanks for the prayers for our traveling mercies. We live in a marvelous country, and it has been a treat to enjoy a little bit of it again.

On the Road

Danny and I are in Dothan, AL, tonight. We have taken the backroads through Florida, looking at properties and enjoying a less rushed trek so far. It has been pleasant. We stopped at Mayo, FL, a quaint little north FL town, for lunch at the Golden Pear, an old courthouse-turned-B&B.

When we got to Sneads (basically at the FL/GA/AL border), we called a realtor to show us some land we had seen. It wasn't what we were looking for, but he gave us information on several other pieces. Then we looked up some old friends from Christian school days and visited for a while. We went on to Graceville, just south of the AL border and took a chance on finding precious friends, the Lains, at home. They were. Mr. Lain is a student in Bible college in Graceville, and they love visitors from "home".

What a blessing to get together for supper and have a ball with them and their six children! If our own sweeties can't be with us this trip, then the dear Lain children were great substitutes! We laughed and shared and had a wonderful time. Since Mrs. Lain gets a little homesick for central Florida, we felt like we had done an act of kindness by stopping to bring a bit of home.

Our purpose in making this trip is to scope out a large property for our family. We are getting more and more hints that our area is transitioning from rural/agriculture to development. A new parkway is scheduled to come right down the state through our area. And CSX railroad is developing 1000 acres (or more) into a truck/freight train exchange thingie very near our community. And many of you already know the power line story. ::::: sigh :::::

The grandchildren love the agrarian life, so we want to prepare a place for them for when we are gone. The sad part is they also love rural Florida, which is becoming expensive by its scarcity. Tomorrow promises to be a packed day exploring as much of Alabama as we can cover before proceeding to son Jason's home in Tennessee. Lord, give us multi-generational wisdom and foresight! And a nice, large piece of moderately-priced acreage would be wonderful!

Noble Calling

Today, the grandchildren played an hour-long "concert" at the Hardee County FL Pioneer Days, with about 450 people in the audience. It is a blessing that they are getting to be a little more natural on stage, as before each performance, we pray that the Lord will allow us to portray to the world what He intends the family to be. I believe the children are grasping that vision.


The "Little Cousins" were a special hit -- that's Abby, Markie, Benny, Margaret Anne, Andrew, Rosie, Rachel, and C.J. They get up and sing Roy Rogers/Dale Evans songs in their western outfits, and the audience always loves it.
The director of the event said he had never seen this audience give any group a standing ovation, but they did today. Some of the girls (older, as well as little) are refining their yodeling skills, and it was a hit. Okay enough proud grandmama!



In the next few days, I would like to post the compositions written by the older grandchildren for their competition coming up in April. They have all worked diligently on these, and my husband and I (as well as their parents, of course) are so blessed to be able to see into their hearts a little bit. The first essay is by sweet Callie (pictured above) and gives us a peek at her heart for motherhood.

THE NOBLE CALLING OF MOTHERHOOD


Mother, whoever you may be,
You may think long and earnestly
Of your high calling. Pondering
The undreamed honor of the thing;
Learning how God, through you, would plan
To be well known to every man.
And through your arms would gather fast
The whole world to His heart at last.
Faye Inchfawn


Yes, the calling of motherhood is a noble and high calling, and yet this role has been degraded and belittled in these times in which we live. Many women have bought into the lie of feminism that the role of a mother is not important and that motherhood is secondary to their careers. These women have not been taught how vitally important it is to be a mother, and they misunderstand the glorious opportunity they have to raise a Godly remnant. Many women today are complaining about motherhood rather than finding the joy and contentment God intended for them. “ There is no higher calling, no greater privilege than being a vessel of life and later a teacher to souls which will live forever,” implores Mrs. Beall Phillips in her book, Verses of Virtue.


From the time a mother finds out she is expecting a child she is filled with joy and anticipation. She is careful to take good care of herself and her child. She has many hopes and dreams for her child. The natural tendency for a mother is to have the baby’s best interest in mind. When the child is born, this is only the beginning of a life-long journey of commitment. This is where many women fall short. They feel pressure to get back to their jobs and allow others the privilege of raising their children. The mother’s choice will have an influence, positive or negative, all the days of her child’s life.


The responsibilities of a mother are great, but the rewards are greater. A mother is to be a teacher of her children. First and most importantly, as stated in Deuteronomy 6:6-7a, she should teach her children the Word of God, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children…” The rewards for obeying this command are respectful and obedient children who have a heart for Christ.


A mother also has the unique role of being the nurturer to her children. The Webster’s 1828 dictionary describes a nurturer as one who promotes growth, education and instruction. A mother nurtures her children by causing them to grow in physical and spiritual stature. She promotes their education by either schooling them herself or placing them in a good Christian school. The education of children goes beyond just book learning. The mother can find great joy and satisfaction by sharing her interests and hobbies with her children.


Lastly, a mother nurtures by providing instruction as part of daily life. The Bible says in Proverbs 1:8-9a, “My son . . . forsake not the law of thy mother: For (it) shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head….” At times, the mother may grow weary of instructing her children, but the ornament of grace it produces is God’s reward to her and the child. Sometimes instruction involves correcting the children, and the mother should be consistent in her correction.


In addition to the mother’s role as teacher and nurturer, she is also a comforter. In the Bible, the Holy Spirit is like the mother. The Holy Spirit guides and comforts the Christian as the mother guides and comforts her children. Children need the mother’s comfort. It makes a child feel loved and secure.


In conclusion, the mother’s role is a unique and special one in the family. God has given her the ability to bring a life into the world and to nurture and care for that child throughout its lifetime. A woman who loves her role as a mother will be a teacher of the Word, a nurturer of her children in many ways, and a comforter to them. If she is faithful to the noble calling of motherhood, “Her children arise up, and call her blessed . . .” (Proverbs 31:28a)