lorrieorr.com

Capricious spring. Snow in April is almost unheard of in this part of Canada. Now, while I’m longing for the warmth of the sunshine on my back, cold winds stab, find their way through my clothing with unerring aim.

Snow fell on the weekend, lovely fat flakes that would have delighted me in December. Now they seem ridiculous, like a elegant woman chewing with her mouth open.

Spring will come. I have unshakeable hope.

“The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.” Psalm 104:19

My life is so busy just now. I’ve taken a temporary position as a French teacher. The regular teacher is on a medical leave. I know that this is just for a few months, so I can handle the increased load.

I’m learning that multi-tasking is highly overrated. Or maybe I’m just getting older, but it seems that I need time to adjust from one role to another. I usually do this in the car, driving from one place to another. Driving to the church I’m the women’s ministry director and think about that. Then I drive to the school and get my head into the teacher space. Going home I focus on what needs to be done there. Writing, well, that’s what’s being neglected. And I hate it. I have ideas, thoughts, but no time or energy to put into writing them down.

I can be a writer and a women’s ministry director. I can be a teacher and a women’s ministry director. But I can’t be all three.

In the midst of all this craziness, the verse that has come to mean the most to me is Matthew 11:28

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Rest - more than physical rest, I need rest for my soul. And so I go to Him, relax in his presence, weep or talk or laugh or just rest. And I come away assured of his love and know that he will give me strength to carry on.

We celebrate harvest in the fall - the hard working of the spring planting and summer weeding and watering. But autumn is not only a time to gather in the harvest, but a time when seeds are scattered to bloom next year.

I walked by the bog the other day and saw these bulrushes bursting with fluff. I’m not a botanist and don’t know if these are actually seeds. But other plants, like my cosmos, bloom for a time, then go to seed. The seeds scatter and next spring I’ll find tiny cosmos plants all over my yard.

I find this encouraging. Harvest and planting can occur simultaneously. Writing is a lot like that. Sending out queries and articles must happen at the same time as the acceptances (and rejections). The best thing I can do as a writer is “go to seed.”

Where will the road lead? I’ve been thinking about obedience and passion. I see so many book and article titles about discovering my passions and going after my dreams. In the Christian arena there is much talk about finding out your strengths and talents and allowing them to be used by God.

I’m in full agreement with using whatever I’ve been given for God’s glory. But sometimes it seems to me that the emphasis is on my goals, my passions, my strengths and how my plan for my life can be used by God.

Goals, dreams, even talents and strengths can and will change. When my husband and I first married, our dream was to purchase an acreage, build a home and never move again. But somewhere along the line, God intervened.

“Nope,” he said, “I’ve got something much better for you.”

And so we’ve moved 19 times in 30 years. From northern British Columbia, to Texas, to the Amazon jungle, the Andes highlands, and back to Canada. Moving was not part of my dream. I am not passionate about moving. I don’t feel that moving is one of my talents.

Although I am passionate, in varying degrees, about many things, my one overriding passion is to follow Jesus. I don’t know where the track will lead, but I know that he’s laid it ahead of me. I need to stay on the rails.

Along the way, he gives me new dreams. Wonderful goals, intense passions. And when I’m obedient, he makes them come true.

I signed up as part of a blog tour for Mary E Demuth’s new book. Health issues and unexpected company prevented me from posting more.

My children are older than Mary’s, yet I felt myself nodding in agreement as I read her book. My husband and I spent 21 years in Ecuador where we served as missionaries while birthing and raising our three children. So much of what Mary wrote was familiar to me.

Authentic Parenting in a Post-Modern Culture is not a theoretical treatise on parenting. It’s a hands-on, practical guide to navigating the waters of modern parenting. And it also tells a story. Mary and Patrick’s heart for their children is revealed through the stories and examples Mary shares.

I’ve purchased several copies of Mary’s book to give to women with young children. As the women’s ministry director of our church I’m also planning to recommend the book to our MOPS group, and our young mothers’ Bible study.

Here’s where you can purchase your own copy.

The book we’ve been discussing, Authentic Parenting in a Post-Modern Culture, by Mary DeMuth is available now. You can purchase your autographed copy directly from Mary at the link above. I encourage you pick it up today!

Be sure to check out the other blogs that participated on the Authentic Parenting Tour last week. For a complete listing of the blogs participating in the six week tour, visit here.
A Latte and Some Words
Chat ‘n’ Chew Cafe
~christa~
Experiencing the Journey
Fictional Journey
Haruah - Breath of Heaven
I Wish You Enough
Leanna Ellis
lorrieorr.com
Margaret Daley
Partners in Prayer for our Prodigals
Raindancer’s Map of Memories
Robyn’s Ramblings
See Ya On the Net
Sometimes I Feel Like a Piece of Bologna
Sormag Online Tours
Spaghettipie
The Authentic You
The Spiritual Mom
Why Didn’t You Warn Me?
Write from my Heart