Fighting Discontentment

About a year ago, I read a book by Jerry Bridges Respectable Sins: Confronting The Sins We Tolerate.  Convicting?  Oh yes!  He addresses many of the sins that we don't even call sins: impatience, discontentment, irritability, anger, anxiety, frustration, unthankfulness, etc.  Wow, I see those things evident in my life way too much.  His point of the book is that we have to call those emotions what they are: sin.  We can't brush them off like they are no big deal, but remember they are sins against our Holy God.

One of the sins that has came to mind the most after reading the book is the sin of discontentment.  For me, it is a sin that creeps up on me and before I know it, I am not happy with life.  Anyone else feel this way?  I begin to think that the grass is greener other places.  Thankfully, the Lord doesn't leave me in that sinful place, and the Holy Spirit begins to convict me and remind me that I have nothing to be discontented about.  It is so easy to focus on worldly things instead of focusing on the gospel. 

What helps me fight against discontentment?  Preaching the gospel to myself.  When I begin to think about all that I have in the gospel  - my sins completely forgiven, a perfect life lived for me, an eternity with Christ - what do I have to discontented about?  Nothing!  No matter how things are in this life, all will be right in the next life.   Praying for persecuted believers.  I live in a free country where no one will arrest me or kill me for owning a Bible or worshiping privately and corporately.  When I begin to pray for those believers who are facing unimaginable horrors just because of the name of Jesus, I weep because of my sin.  Who am I to deserve what I have?  Recalling all my blessings.  The Lord has blessed me with a godly, wonderful husband who loves me deeply.  My boys are such a huge blessing to me and they are so healthy - what an amazing gift.  I also have wonderful parents, extended family, and all the comforts of the modern world. 

When I look at the above list, I am reminded once again that I have nothing to be discontented about.  Life is not always going to be exactly the way I want it because we live in a sinful world.  However, because of the cross there can always be contentment in my heart. 

One last note, if you haven't read Jerry Bridge's book, you should!  

New Life

No, I'm not pregnant, but we do have new life in our garden!  Some people requested that I post updated pictures, so here they are. 

These are the three square foot beds, front to back: corn, beans, and tomatoes/flowers.

This is our corn.  We planted it at the end of April, beginning of May.  Looking good!

We have 2 rows of lima beans and 2 rows of green beans.  They should be ready to harvest in about 3 weeks!

There are 8 tomatoes plants in the middle and then flowers in the corners.  The flowers haven't done as well as we wished.  Any thoughts on how to make them look better?  We planted a lot of tomatoes and I'm the only one who eats them, but I will be sure to eat them all - I love tomatoes!

Josh loves gardening and Thomas is right there beside him telling me, "I helping daddy in the garden."  It is amazing how much we have enjoyed having a garden.  I'll admit Josh has done the majority of the work at this point.  I do water it on occasion, but he really loves to work in it.  I foresee that I will have a larger role when it is time to harvest and put up the produce. 

We are also in the process of starting a compost pile.  Here is the beginning of the work and a cute picture of Thomas. 

Familly Conference

Last weekend our family had the wonderful opportunity to visit sweet friends in Paintsville, KY.  Josh was invited to preach at FBC Paintsville for their first ever Family Conference.  Our good friend Wil Owens serves as the pastor there.  We met Wil and his wife Summer almost two years when they visited our church while searching for a church to pastor.  They are such a godly, delightful couple and we became fast friends.  They didn't think they would be at our church for long, but ended up worshiping and serving along with us until February '09.  We have missed them dearly since they left and were so excited to have the opportunity to visit them. 

Although it was a fun trip, it was also a very busy trip.  Josh preached in all 6 times in three days!  He was exhausted by Sunday night.  Our kids did very well, even through many missed naps.  We even got in a trip to Butcher Hollar!  If you listen to classic country music, then you know exactly what I'm talking about.  It is the home where Loretta Lynn grew up and she references it in her infamous song, "I'm Proud to be A Coal Miner's Daughter."  Josh loves classic country, and even though it wasn't much to see, at least he can proudly say he has been there! 

We pray the time we spent with the Owens and FBC Paintsville was encouraging and glorifying to God.  They are transitioning to a family based ministry and the conference was a tool to teach parents that they are the primary disciplers of the their children.  The church's purpose is to come alongside of families and equip them to teach and train their children. Of course the church also supplements what the parents are already doing at home, but the church isn't the primary place children learn about the gospel.  It is a completely different mindset than what Josh and I both grew up with, but we believe (as does the leadership at FBC Paintsville) that this is the biblical way of parenting.

This is the link to listen to the sermons Wil and Josh preached at the Family Conference: http://www.sermonaudio.com/source_detail.asp?sourceid=searchandsee

Below are some pictures of our time in Paintsville!

Butcher Hollar

Josh proudly posing at Loretta Lynn's home

The kids on the front porch swing

Sweet Josiah at Butcher Hollar

Thomas and his buddy, Haddon

My sweet friend Summer!

The Owens Family

Reunion!

A couple of weeks ago, our church had the pleasure of having a wonderful couple who are workers in East Asia visit us!  John & Rachel (you can see her blog linked on my blog list) are also wonderful friends as well, and we were so privileged the Lord gave them an opportunity to visit us.  They are home for a very short time, and it was only at the beginning of the month they emailed and said some dates had become available for them to visit us.  Even though it was a busy time for us (it was the same week Josh went to Together for The Gospel), we absolutely could not pass up a visit with them. 

On Thursday evening, the team (and their families) who went to visit them last summer had dinner with John and Rachel and their girls at a local restaurant.  It was a great time of catching up with them and also receiving more details about people they had shared with last summer.  All of the kids had a wonderful time playing together after dinner too (I think their were nine children, 5 and below, between us). 

We had John and Rachel and their girls over for lunch on Friday and it was a sweet time of fellowship.  I was struck with how we don't know each other all that well (other than through visiting them in East Asia and once before in the states); we really are united through the gospel.  We are on the same page theologically and it that really does unite your hearts together. 

Friday night there was a potluck dinner at the church and then John and Rachel shared with us about their work in EA.  I am so glad that some of our church family was able to meet them and hear about how to pray for them as they labor for the sake of the kingdom. 

It was a short visit, but we are so glad they were able to come!  Below are some pictures of their time here. 

Potty Training Help

I am in need of potty training help from all you experienced moms out there.  Thomas is 2.5 and we have been potty training for about 6 months or so.  We haven't really followed any method, but just take him to the potty every so often (about every hour) and if he does something, he can have one M&M or a jelly bean.  He has always done well pee-peeing on the potty, and in the past few weeks he has gotten even better at telling me when he has to go (he just tasted jelly beans around Easter and I think that is the motivation for wanting to go to the potty!).  In the past few weeks, I have also noticed that he has developed the ability to wait for long periods of time to go potty.  For instance, we can go out for two to three hours and when we get home, he is still dry!  He has also stayed dry during naps and even once stayed dry all night! 

My dilemna?  He will NOT poo in the potty.  We have tried bribery, but it doesn't work.  If you ask him where he is supposed to poo, he says, "In the potty."  He does know when he has to go, because he wants to be alone now and if I happen to catch him in the act he says, "Mama, I'm pooping right now."  I would love to transition him out of pull-ups and diapers, but I just don't think that is possible until he can poo in the potty.  I have tried training pants, but he doesn't get upset if he gets those dirty.  I'm hesitant to go straight to underwear because I don't want to ruin them. 

Seasoned moms, what would you do?  How have you handled this with your children, especially boys?  Everyone told me boys were hard to potty train, but I really have no idea if that is true.  Please help!

The Family Circus

I came across this cartoon a couple of weeks ago in the Sunday paper.  I loved it because I think it does sum it my job and so many other in my occupation who feels the world doesn't understand or appreciate our job.  Hope it brightens your day! 

Square Foot Gardening

This year Josh and I decided to try out square foot gardening.  Neither one of us have ever gardened, but both of our grandparents did and we wanted to try it.  I'm not sure what Josh's reasons for doing it are (other than to get dirty), but I have a couple:

1. Eat Fresh Produce - There is nothing like fresh corn and tomatoes from the garden.  Nothing in the store can compare. 
2. Saves Money - Seeds really are cheap and square foot gardening is so economical that it will save us money.  If you've read my blog for any length of time, then you know how much I enjoy saving money!
3. Better for us - We don't have to worry about the food containing harmful chemicals or pesticides.  I read an article in All You (a magazine) a couple of months ago and was surprised of how many foods are shipped from overseas or from across the country.  It just makes sense to grow your own food if possible. 

We decided to do square foot gardening because it is easy.  No gardening tools required and no expertise needed.  A guy in our church introduced us to the idea and we bought the book All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew.  The author lays out step-by-step instructions and give you the benefits of square foot gardening versus single row gardening. 

Thankfully, the guy in our church who introduced us to the idea has also helped us get started.  He built us three 4x4 gardens and then helped us fill them with the right soil.  We could have done it without his help, but we are always so thankful for anyone's assistance! 

We have planted lima beans and green beans thus far.  In a few weeks we will plant, tomatoes, corn, and okra and maybe a few flowers.  Josh is so excited about the garden and loves to go and look at it!  He and Thomas water it each night and are anxiously waiting for the first sign of life.