Rhubarb & Rubbish

Abortion isn’t just a right-to-life issue. The act of abortion results from a series of acts of rebellion against God’s commandments, including how as a society, approach sex and marriage, how we view creation, and the way we support family, both nuclear and church families. Again, there are more reasons, but these are just a few that rise to the top as critical. Sex and Marriage I doubt I need to produce evidence of the increase in premarital sex, living together before marriage, or even choosing to partner but not marrying in our society. I’m a part of this statistic. I have had premarital sex, and I have lived with…

Introduction When I approached my sisters about writing a response to the current abortion debate, we were all a bit hesitant. Our mission at Rhubarb and Rubbish isn’t political, not even close. However, the more we discussed it, the more we felt we needed to put it out in the world. First and foremost, abortion is a biblical issue, as it deals with life, creation, and our connection to others. Second, all three of us have experienced harassment over our pro-life views at one time or another. Third, all three of us have recognized that in most cases that harassment stemmed from a lack of understanding of why we hold…

It is September, which means we are moving into fall schedules or readjusting to them. School, church activitiees, and holiday planning are here or else on the near horizon. I love fall. The cooler temperatures, the beauty of the changing leaves, the smell of crisp morning air, and the anticipation of cuddling by the fire. I celebrate all of these things. But, I also mourn. I mourn the loss of the daylight sun. I mourn the loss of time outdoors and the energy that comes from it. I mourn the loss of freedom for the children, as they move indoors and behind desks. I am reminded today, as I write,…

My husband and I had the great opportunity to celebrate the 25th wedding anniversary of our Pastor and his wife this past weekend. The celebration was a laid-back affair with cake and coffee, some fun guessing games, and a dance. My husband and I did get at least one dance in, something we rarely ever do. The following day I was thinking about the event and realized that my husband and I were one of only a few younger couples. The majority of the attendees were older, near retirement, or retired individuals and couples, particularly the attendees that weren’t family members. The realization had me wondering where were all the…

I recently read in my daily devotional that our earthly relationships reflect the state of our relationship with God (Welch, 2021). When I first read it, I thought, ‘Sure, that makes sense.’ Then I stopped, ‘Wait, what does that mean?’ The devotional discussed the impact of shame on our relationships, particularly when we disappoint others. I thought back to times as a child when I knew my parents would be disappointed when they found out about something I did or did not do—that speeding ticket, a lost class assignment, the garbage still sitting by the back door. Sometimes, okay often, when I knew disappointment would be the reaction, I would…

I’ve done daily devotionals for years, but I need to confess something about my efforts. I go through streaks of inconsistency. Sometimes I miss a day here and there. Other times, I miss weeks at a time. Sometimes I start a study and then my interest dwindles and I tuck it away in a cupboard. Even when I am being diligent, sometimes I’m just going through the motions. I read and say, “Yes, Lord. Good to know. I should work on that.” I used to think that my lackluster performance was due to the demands of life, the ebbs and flows of energy, and a lack of diligence on my…

Earlier today my sister called me to go over some plans for the week. I had an installer arrive at my house during the conversation and everything past that point, I can’t recall any details. Earlier this week, I was trying to draft an email while listening to a podcast. Good thing I proofed the email before I sent it! In both cases, and in many others in my life, I was and am not present. I know I am not alone and that many of you can resonate. We live in a busy world full of things that vie for our attention. Some of those things are regrets of…

I have heard the concept of being “clothed in righteousness” most of my life. And, I have understood for a long time that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross allows me to be righteous and holy despite my sin. However, I think you may be similar to me in that as I go about my daily life I don’t necessarily “get” the magnitude of what this means. I recently started a new daily devotional about why we hide (Welch, 2021). The very first day focused on the texts from Genesis 1-3. I was particularly taken aback reading 3:21, which states, “ And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of…

Opportunities abound us everywhere. There are opportunities at home, work, social situations, and education. Most times there are more opportunities than we can possibly decide which or what is best.  I just finished a great read that is a kick-off for a business learning book for my son. “Katie Bell and the Wishing Well” by Nephi Zufelt. Is a great read even for adults as a reminder of what we should truly be working for. As I read through the book, Katie Bell’s parents and grandparents were teaching her what the opportunity cost was to her doing business she was inspired to do in order to get rich. They shared…

Today I write this article as a challenge to myself as well as to share my thoughts with all of our readers. I often can’t count how many times a day I use my phone to check for new notifications, emails, and texts. Yes, I do a lot of work from my phone as that is what my job requires. However, will the world end if I wait an hour or two? Or would it be more enriched with me spending an hour of depth doing something more meaningful? Yes, I love receiving a FaceBook like or an Instagram love as well as giving them to all of my friends.…

We should forgive others as the Bible says we should, but sometimes it isn’t easy. We need to forgive others if they have wronged just as God forgives us. When we forgive others it helps us to have a better relationship with them and with God.  Colossians 3:13 says, “Make allowance for other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”  This verse says a lot. We all have faults but we can’t hold it against them. We need to forgive just as God has forgiven us. We shouldn’t hold a grudge either because holding a grudge only leads to bitterness.…

I struggle to speak the truth in love. Why? I want to please people and keep the peace. I have done this since I was a small child. I want the people I am around and love to feel accepted and supported. The problem with this is that sometimes my silence allows those that I love to sin. And, without correction from other believers, we will keep on sinning. Recently, I had an opportunity to practice speaking the truth in love in a small way. I was visiting with an elderly relative and several other family members. The elderly relative made a comment that I looked like I had really…

Merriam-Websters online dictionary gives one definition of an idol as “an object of extreme devotion”. The online dictionary defines devotion as “religious fervor”, “the act of prayer or private worship”, and the “fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal”. I’m going to ask you a question and I want you to take a long moment to truly think about the answer. On a typical day, what do you spend most of your time devoted to doing or focusing on? If you answered God, good for you, you are in the minority. My guess is that most of us want to be able to honestly say that we devote…

The definition of patience is to stay where one is or delay action until a particular time or until something else happens.  We live in a world where we always want the latest new things. The internet and cell phones allow us to always have access, and with two-day shipping, we don’t have to wait. We live in a society where a lot of things are on-demand and accessible 24/7.   We often don’t have to wait or if we do it’s not for long. While some things are nice not to have to wait for, others it is perfectly ok to have to wait. We need to learn to wait…

We have all had those days.  The days when what we thought we were going to accomplish didn’t happen. Days where you are dog-tired at the end of the day. After all you have done, that to-do list never got completely finished. I can admit I used to make a lot of to-do lists. I was never able to completely check off everything on that list. At the end of the day, I felt overwhelmed that it didn’t get done. I was tired at the end of the day, thinking about what didn’t get done. I know God is watching us and looking at how we react or respond to…

Keeping to my theme of asking monotonous questions, my next one is “do I have to go?” This has been another hot question at our home. We all find our schedules full of events and obligations. This time of the year seems to be much more with confirmations, graduations, and more. My son, who needs lots of rest, asks this often for even basic things like getting to church on Sunday or when he is asked to run errands. I have found myself looking at work events or large family events and thinking that if we just had that night or weekend off it would be amazing. So yes, sometimes…

As we hit the height of summer travels, this is a question that is asked extensively from small souls in the back seat of our vehicles. The days of travel get long, the miles are endless and the memories are amazing! However, how many times are we asked “are we there yet” during vacation trips or sometimes just across town? I always reply with the standard responses…”almost”, “a few miles to go”, or “honey, we just started out.” I love this time spent on the road with my loved ones, but always am glad when this question isn’t asked. It has reminded me as well that some of my conversations…

During a conversation I had this past week, I was complaining about the weather turning warm and not having my central air conditioning connected to the house. We are in the midst of an outdoor landscaping project and the unit needed to be disconnected. As the conversation progressed, I laughed at myself and said, “Wow, how soft I am! Imagine what I would complain about 75 years ago living on the prairie in a clapboard house with no central heating except a pot-bellied stove and certainly no central air conditioning! Here I am in the 21st century, living in a first-world country with all of the modern conveniences at my…

A couple of weeks ago my mother and I took a road trip for some appointments. As usual, on the way, our conversation went all over the place but always centered around God and how we can live our lives more centered around Christ. In the course of that day’s conversation, we both confessed to each other that it was hard for us to meet God when we were experiencing deep brokenness, the times when we needed to meet Him most. In the end, we both decided that we didn’t like to “pray ugly”.  I’ve been thinking deeply about that conversation and why I won’t get ugly with God, the…

As I write this article we are forecasted for a high of 47 today with rain. Hardly seems like spring is even here. Yet, most of us look to have Memorial Day weekend be our official summer kick-off. There are graduations, camping trips, and barbeques planned for many. We delight in the fact that the lazy days of summer are near. However, as most of us do, we pack too much into our summer.  Instead of jam-packing everything, let’s take a look at how to simplify our summer and have time to enjoy the sun and fun! Whatever you do, enjoy each and every day. Summer goes quickly so keep…

I love a good, quick read that offers insightful information or reminders of how we often complicate the simple things. As a person that has read and completed many of Dave Ramsey’s books, and courses and is a listener of his show, I have been able to see Ken Coleman become the person he is today. In The Proximity Principle, Ken offers three parts to focus on to get you to the career you love. They are people, places, and practices. He breaks down each aspect and gives simple steps to help an individual master the concept. I didn’t necessarily get this book to find the career I love. I…

My kids got out of school last week and now it’s summer vacation. I anticipate every year when school will end and my kids will be home for the summer. I enjoy the warmer weather and seeing them play outside. I enjoy the moments in between farming when they will talk my husband and me into playing a game of badminton. Rainy days get to be spent in the house with all of us catching up on things like watching our favorite show with some popcorn, reading, or maybe just resting so we will be ready for the next phase of farming when the weather allows.  The kiddos spend a…

Yesterday was a day when I thought I was going to the field to sit in the tractor to prepare the ground for the air seeder to plant. We knew there was a small chance of rain, but we did get enough that prevented me from going to the field. However, the day was not a total loss. I got some house cleaning and paperwork done. I also found some time in the morning to put a 100-piece puzzle together with my youngest daughter.  There are days when the unexpected happens (rain in my situation) that prevents us from doing what we initially planned. But we should look back at…

So, my most recent health diagnosis is drumroll please, Lyme disease. Yep, chronic Lyme seems to be the underlying cause of my past and continued health issues. COVID just happened to have pushed my immune system over the top and the underlying Lyme made itself very known. In some ways, I’m happy about the diagnosis. It explains a lot. In other ways, I am disappointed. From what I understand, Lyme never goes away. The best hope is to get it under control and the immune system working at peak performance to keep the symptoms at bay. Supporting the immune system involves optimizing sleep, reducing stress, supporting detoxification, and feeding the…

I grew up in the 80s, the heyday of Saturday morning cartoons. Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, and Elmer Fudd, to name a few. I’ll be honest in saying I’m not even sure if kids watch Saturday morning cartoons anymore. Cable TV is a thing of the past, and on demand, television provides access to their favorites at all times. They don’t need to wait for Saturday morning to come. In the years I raised my kids, Saturday morning cartoons were still a thing. I remember using their distraction as a time to catch up on household chores, sit a read a book, or plan for the week. Now, my kids…

A few days ago, I wrote about our decision to homeschool and the blessings that we have found. Today I want to touch on how in some ways I have found myself. Sounds strange that at almost 50, I am proclaiming to have found myself, as you may ask, what I have been doing for my whole life.  However, I am reminded that we are always a work in progress and sometimes it just takes a little longer. I have had days in the past year that, between work fatigue, homeschool fatigue, mom fatigue, and wife fatigue, I just shed a few tears. I wonder why God laid it on…

I thought writing this post seemed appropriate as we are nearing the end of a school year. I took the plunge to be a homeschool mom this year! What a decision, what a blessing and what a life changer for me. In this post, I will touch on how I got here and some of the blessings; and in our next post, I will share how it has changed me. The decision to homeschool actually was a long time in the making and a one I wish we would have done sooner. If I was true to myself, it is something that I have always wanted to do. There is…

Patience is defined as the ability to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting upset. I think we all have different amounts of patience. Some of us have a lot, and some of us, not so much. It also may depend on the situation at hand and the degree of patience. As a farmer, we need to have a lot of patience. We rely on the weather constantly and many other things as well. For instance, the weather we have had this April and into the first part of May has been extremely challenging, especially for those calving.  The verse I like to think of is James 5:7…

How many times have we heard that, or we have said that to our children? I have often thought that in various situations, life isn’t fair, and that’s not quite the way life should be viewed. Remember our Bible stories about how God created each and every one of us uniquely. So our situations in life are different from one another and unique. All of us have different approaches to how we do and process life. God has a unique and different journey for each of our lives.  God is merciful and has given us all a chance for eternity in heaven if we just believe and accept him. So…

Last year about this time, I wrote a post on finishing well. As a college professor, the dawning of May always brings thoughts of finishing well. I must admit that I am unable to finish well this year. Trust me, I have every desire to finish well. Unfortunately, my body isn’t letting me. I mentioned in an earlier post about my post COVID struggle. We are still investigating its roots, but one truth remains: I cannot function at 100%. I am attempting to complete the semester requirements as best I can, letting much of the household tasks wait, and have completely abandoned all my extras. My post from last year…

Living in the upper Midwest, I know that spring will eventually come. However, having had a blizzard followed two days later by a couple more inches of snow and icy roads making Easter travel hazardous, spring feels very far away. Not what any of us wanted or expected this Easter! I have many relatives who are farmers, and late spring storms can cause immense problems for calving and getting into the fields to prepare them for planting. In fact, these storms can be significant enough to make or break a farmer’s year. My husband, as a contractor, is also often at the mercy of the weather. The weather this past…

As a business owner, I am continually trying to do what is best for my business. As a multi-business owner, I am looking for ways to make one action work for all or more than one of my platforms. I am constantly bombarded by suggestions, emails, and theories on how to do this; you should be doing this, and of course, if you don’t do X, Y, and Z, you will fail. However, I have successfully made it this far, so I can’t be doing things wrong. However, this spring, as I have worked through a number of challenges, I have realized that no matter what I do in my…

I rarely find that our blog is one to be a place for me to complain. Instead only to help, heal and give inspiration and motivation. However, on my most recent trips to the grocery store and gas station, it truly leaves me a little blue. I walk down each aisle and wonder how did pricing change so quickly and in vast amounts? How did we become a society where it is now an everyday occurrence that the shelves are found empty and out of stock? We do live in America…the greatest country in the world we say. I have come home a time or two from the store without…

How often have you started to pray and then paused or just stopped altogether because you weren’t sure how to pray? You didn’t want to sound silly or maybe we think we need to have these fancy prayers that are well thought out and are almost like they are prewritten. We are trying to pray to God, and we certainly don’t want to sound silly. The thing is, God already knows us inside and out. He has seen us at our best and at our worst.   I have been trying to think of prayer more as having a conversation with God.  The Bible says we should pray without ceasing and…

What is gratitude? The definition states that it means to be thankful or the readiness to show appreciation or return of kindness. And the verse in Psalm 136:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” When we look around at not only all the things we have but the family we are surrounded by daily, we should always display an attitude of gratitude. God has truly blessed us with the greatest sacrifice of all, his son. God didn’t complain at all; he did it with a grateful heart.  Sometimes as we go about our day-to-day life it’s hard to have or…

I have struggled with my health since I was a kid: ear infections, allergies, asthma, endometriosis…to start the list. Somehow through all of these, I learned how to manage the illness through working with my doctor and some minor life modifications. However, this past September, I contracted mono. If you have ever had mono, you know that one of the key symptoms is fatigue. I had struggled with fatigue prior to this for a variety of reasons including allergies, asthma, genetics, and if I’m honest, an achiever lifestyle. Mono exacerbated that to the point that I need to slightly modify my busy schedule. Mono was tough, but I was unlucky…

What a whirlwind this spring has been already! I am loving the warmer weather, the fact the snow is melting, and the signs that I will soon be enjoying my back patio with a glass of wine or cold beer. However, in both my own life and those around me, I have had a constant stream of conversations in the last few weeks about how we are overbooked, tired, and feel like we are running on fumes. Yes, the common phrase people use often is “running on fumes”. It is a state of life in which we are tired and run down….barely making it to the next obligation that we…

Yes, it is a strange question that starts this article as one, I am a woman, and two, I am not having a memory lapse problem at the moment. My question arises out of my recently read devotionals. Due to the time of year and upcoming Easter holiday, many of the devotions I have read recently are diving into the days and time before Jesus’ crucifixion.  We read how Peter denied Jesus three times. Our lives are so full and busy that it is ever so easy to deny what Jesus is calling us to do or how he instructs us to live our lives….that yes, I feel like I…

As I sit here looking out my east kitchen window, I can see the sunlight. It looks like it is going to be another gorgeous day with lots of sunshine and warmer temps. I can’t help but feel the need to not waste any second and go out and enjoy it as I do my morning routine of chores on the farm.  Ephesians 5:15-17 “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” These verses are powerful. They remind us to…

As I sit in my house I look around at the things in my home and ponder… Where is it we spend the most time in our home? Why is it we seem to have stuff sitting around (piles of papers here and there, stuff on the counters, etc)?  I look around at my table right now and it has piles of papers on it as I am currently doing bookwork. My counter is full right now with of course the usual coffee maker, kitchen stand mixer, and Tupperware containers full of baked goods.  I, like most people, want a clean, uncluttered home when people come to my home and…

I have a confession. I am really bad at being still. No, I don’t mean physically still. I can veg out with the best of them. The stillness that this Psalm is referring to is stillness or quiet calmness of our spirits, our souls. A peace that passes all understanding. Most days, I have to admit that I have a very restless spirit. A racy mind full of to-do lists, what-ifs, and I’m-not-enough does not a quiet spirit make! The quiet stillness promised by this verse actually comes from believing the second part of the verse, knowing God. Knowing God is both being aware of who He is, the creator,…

It’s been a while since we’ve featured a book review. The book under review today was recommended to me by several of my undergraduate students. A group of young women at my university completed a book study of Jennie Allen’s Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts. I wasn’t disappointed. Allen does a splendid job of addressing one of a Christian’s biggest struggles in staying true and in hope, our thoughts. Allen identifies a number of lies that we believe, being helpless, worthless, and unloveable. More importantly, each lie is actually rooted in what we believe about who God is. The solution? We choose to fight.…

This last month we celebrated Valentine’s Day. My husband and I have never been over the top with doing much for the day. We are not dependent on having to go out to a nice restaurant, I don’t expect flowers or chocolates for the day and my husband doesn’t expect anything either. We have known, as we have been together for almost thirty years, that at the end of the day the other will be there for them no matter what. That is a gift that can’t be wrapped and it is priceless. We also aren’t huge travelers. So many people we know are in the height of winter traveling…

Education…it is the only thing we do for a number of years of our life. We spend countless hours in a school classroom learning, memorizing, and more. We play, we make friends and life seems full of no worries. As we are told…we are being prepared for being an adult. Then we enter adulthood and we find that we know very little. Yes, we still know 2+2 is 4 but what about navigating buying a home, planning for retirement, starting a new career, and, of course, no one trains you to be a parent.  Over the years, I have held a number of positions in various jobs and have loved…

As we near the end of the month, I am anticipating warmer days coming up. Warmer days mean different things for each of us: some may be looking ahead to planning their garden, maybe it’s being able to start using the grill and sit on the deck outside in the evening or for others long days of working outside.  I am one of those that will have longer days being outside working as I am a farmer and a rancher (which I enjoy). With the longer days that just means another season is beginning (the season of planting and calving). I am truly blessed to have the occupation that I…

Recently, my sisters and I along with my girls, nieces, and mom enjoyed the weekend together just hanging out with no agenda visiting and playing cards. We had our phones and a few brought their computers, but for the most part we unplugged from technology.  Don’t get me wrong I’m not against technology, it is wonderful and has its place. But, how often are we to check the latest Facebook post or text message or how many times a day does our phone go off with a notification? I believe just like the earlier articles about Mary and Martha, we should be a little more like Mary. Mary focused on…

Earlier this week, I posted a transcript of a talk I gave recently on being a Martha (link). After posting it, I thought perhaps I should follow up with a post about some things I’m trying to help keep me focused and redirect me when I do lose focus. Here are just a few things. Lay Down My Burdens In Hebrews 12:1, the author states to “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (ESV). God never meant for us to carry more than our own load. His goal rests solely in us seeking him…

I apologize, this post is longer than usual. I recently spoke at my university’s chapel service and thought the message was one that others might need to hear. The transcript is below. Presented February 2, 2022 Martha and Mary’s entertaining of Jesus in their home is a story that I’m sure most of you have heard numerous times. It’s a classic, in so many ways, and there is a reason that it is repeated often. We need to hear it over and over again, to be reminded. So, here’s our reminder today. I chuckle when I read these verses, as I can imagine Martha running over to Jesus, flour on…

I love and am amazed at the internet, FaceBook, Instagram, and Pinterest. However, I don’t and never will do all the endless options of social media. I can’t keep up with the latest trend. Should I be on Snapchat? Is Twitter the right fit for me? Do I know what Tumblr even is? We live in a society that seems to not be able to live without the internet, instant access to social media, and a wealth of sources for information that I can’t even name. I find myself always going to the net to find information on our latest family’s health dilemma, how I should be marketing my business,…