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Expectations: Day-to-Day
Contributed by Carrie Guthmiller As I go about my day-to-day life, I have to-do lists that I need to, have to, and would like to accomplish each day. Each of you reading this has your own day-to-day to-do lists. As you read this article in the back of your mind you may even be thinking about them. Our to-do lists are our expectations of what and how the day should look like. I would like each of you to take a step back from your to-do lists and day to day expectations for a moment and read this verse: Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you declares…
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Right expectations.
Webster’s Merriam Dictionary defines expectation as anticipation, assurance, or something expected. I have alternatively heard expectations referred to as “premeditated resentments”. Have you ever expected your spouse to do something and they didn’t? Or your coworker to hold up their end of a project and they didn’t? Or your child to pick up their room and they didn’t? Our reactions often include resentment, disappointment, and frustration. But, is it wrong to have expectations of our spouses, coworkers, children, or others in our lives? No. In fact, God’s word clearly defines expectations for a number of roles including spouse, employee, and parent. The word also outlines expectations for how a believer…
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Changing Leaves: A Devotional
Contributed by Jessica Clemens We have experienced an amazing fall here in our area. After a warm, dry summer, we continue to enjoy summer-like days and have an extended growing season in our gardens. We typically have had a frost or two by now or even a hard freeze on most years. The forecast, for now, looks to be at least another two weeks of great weather meaning I will be canning well into November! As much as I am enjoying this fall, I know that each year will be different and things are always changing. Like the leaves that begin to change colors in the fall to prepare for…
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How Do You Know When You Have Reached Your Goal?
As we head into starting a new school year, I am reminded of the sometimes endless charts we try to run our lives with. The book log, the chore chart, the goal chart, and soon we will have the weight loss chart after the holidays. Some charts require adding a sticker for each item. Others we see the results of new clothes or a trip to buy new books. Each of these provides a measure of accomplishment and a milestone that we can share with others. However, do we know how to measure successes biblically? We go through many actions and activities without the thought of who or what we…
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The Road Map is There
Earlier this month we took a quick trip over Labor Day weekend. We had an amazing time getting away from all the craziness we have in our everyday lives. We didn’t travel far but we did at times use the GPS to find our next stop. We live in a time that we rarely use a fold-out map anymore. However, having the ability to understand a map and how to use it is so valuable, otherwise, it is easy to get lost. Our walk with God and having an understanding of how to use our Bible is just the same as the road map for travel. Our Bible has all…
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September Devotional: Work in Progress
It is amazing to me that we are already in September…not sure where this year went already. Before we know it we will be opening holiday gifts as time does fly. Our lives are similar to the calendar year in that they go quickly. One day we are young and full of energy and the next we are facing the struggles of old age. However, the one thing that remains constant is that we are a work in progress. In Jeremiah 29:11 we read “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a…
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Connecting with Adult Children: Be flexible, creative, and intentional.
Of the three of us ladies at Rhubarb and Rubbish, I am the only one that is an empty nester. The three kids are all in their early 20s but doing various different things from living in another community, raising their own children, and buying houses. All three are busy working and living, while I am still busy working and living. As you can imagine, connecting regularly presents challenges. For my son, who lives in town, I am usually guaranteed to see him once a week at our Friday night family suppers with my parents and sister and her family who live in town. Friday night suppers were started a…
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The Love of Friday Night Suppers
Earlier this month we celebrated recapping our third annual family camp. Shortly after our first camp, there were a few family members in the same community that wanted to keep recreating the amazing time we had. We decided to try having Sunday family dinners after church like we did growing up. We were successful for a few months and then became totally derailed. We found that we had events to go to and just wanted to be home to prepare for the week ahead. We missed the concept of getting together and thought “let’s try another night.” We opted for Friday nights as most often none of us had much…
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Intentional Memory Making: Make time and seize the day.
Last week I told you a story of a regular life activity that created memories for me as a child and the importance of just remembering to be with each other in the Chasing Headless Chickens post. This week, I’m going to address intentional memory making. Every day is an opportunity to intentionally make memories, but some days and events call for a little more intention. As I am writing this, I am reflecting on this past weekend. My entire family, minus a couple of people who had to work, traveled between two and two and half hours to where my daughter lives to watch her performance in The Adams…
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Making Memories While Chasing Headless Chickens
Imagine with me a moment—the summer heat rising off the gravel roads, bright blue cloudless skies, green and gold fields for miles around, a white farmhouse and barn with a variety of tractors and farm equipment haphazardly lining the drive. Now…add in the sound of dying chickens and the screams of a couple of kids about 5 and 7. Ha, gotcha! I know you were thinking of iced tea and a porch swing while eating Grandma’s fresh-baked rhubarb crisp! But, that isn’t in this story. When my oldest sister and I were small kids, my parents would go to my paternal grandparent’s farm and butcher chickens. They butchered enough chickens…
