Gardening Girls

Warm weather has officially arrived in Georgia. This means the garden needs to be tilled and the seeds need to be sowed. Who is there for this task? The Stock girls.

Master Gardener of the Stock Household: She is all smiles as spring time is here. Beautiful, I'd say!

Gardener in Training, Lydia. She has lesson one down: Playing in the dirt is fun!

The gardeners are at their work. Tilling dirt and pulling weeds.

Here is some of the finished product... a row full of peas.

An extra picture of the curious Lydia discovering the dirt.

Learning Your Name

Lion-Yo-yo-Duck-Ice cream-Airplane

Strawberry-Train-Octopus-Car-Keys

A Quarter of a Million

On this day in history, my 99 Honda Civic has passed the 250000 miles or (402336 kilometers for our international readers). I have owned the car since 2005. Back then it had roughly 54000 miles. Therefore, I have put 196000 of those 250k on it. This averages out to 39400 miles per year. Truth be told, most of those miles were on the front end of my ownership as I was driving down to see and visit my girlfriend, now wife, Mandy. It was 100 miles round trip from my house to work to Mandy's and then back home. I took that trip at least three times a week. If I remember right, I put upwards to 55k that first year. Now, after two different timing belts, two sets of tires, and a whole lot of times filling up the tank, the Honda is still running good. I want to thank Honda for exhibiting their God-given able to design and make a reliable and fuel-efficient car. I also want to thank the Lord, by his most holy, wise and powerful persevering of this car keeping it running all these years. May it run for another 250k!

(Note: I did not take the picture above, but it is of a 97 Honda Civic.)

Gratitude

By: Mandy

"My tongue has had a razor edge and my eyes have rolled haughty and my neck has been stiff and graceless and I have lived the filth ugly, an idolater, a glutton, and a grace thief who hasn't had time for the thanks."

Many people in "my circles" have read or at least heard of "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. My friend, Erika, is letting me borrow her copy and I have to say (although I'm only through half of it) this book is going to be life-changing. I mean, I hope so. Basically Ann chronicles her ordinary, routine-filled life of laundry, wiping kids' noses, meal prep and clean-up, etc and has that whole "is there something more?" moment. Can it be exciting to be a child of God in "regular life?" Do we have to see 1000 places before we die? Do we have to complete a bucket list? Or can we revel in an extraordinary God in the ordinary? She comes to the conclusion that she lacks gratitude...thankfulness...eucharisteo.

So, what does she do? (And I love this) She makes lists. She starts listing things she is thankful for. An open window in springtime. The leaves swaying in the breeze. A child's laugh. Etc...to a thousand little things the first year! As she does this she realizes her heart is changing, growing more humble, more alert to God orchestrating everything, and more in love with Him.

Now, I'm no Mennonite farmer's wife with six kids (as Ann is) but I do struggle so much with pride, thanklessness, purposeless-going-through-the-day. What if I made lists? I started one today. I do not intend to blog it every week (as some of my friends do); it might just camp in my journal for now. But I do hope the Holy Spirit uses a little list to help me to see gifts all around me...and more importantly, the Giver of Good, Life, Salvation, and Joy Everlasting.

Here are my first 10:
1. Territorial bumblebees in our backyard
2. Lydia's thighs
3. The way my friend Jen laughs at her husband's jokes with love in her eyes
4. Our support goal: exceeded!
5. Tilled soil
6. "May-men!" in church
7. Erika bringing me this book
8. Sarah cooking pancakes on the griddle
9. Chris reading a book to Lydia
10. 3-year-old Halle pulling 3-year-old Ellie in a wagon

Doxology

The melodic line of the doxology within some sweet guitar. On the guitar itself, it is an Olson Guitar, one of the brands which will be in heaven. Enjoy!

Bull Riding

The Stock girls know how to have fun! There is a party all morning and night. Today, the party includes a wild, bucking bronco, mommy, and a nerves of steel bull rider, Lydia. They say that riding is a risky sport and has been called "the most dangerous eight seconds in sports":

The ride begins... Lydia is holding on tight. She wants to make it the full eight second!

The bull is throwing her best stuff at Lydia! She is staying cool!

Hold on! Only a few more seconds!

This is too much fun!

Lydia, world famous bull rider, has done it again! And the prize... a mommy kiss!