The One True Love

This was a great post.  Valentine's Day isn't a fun day for many people, single or married, because it sheds light on our unfulfilled hopes.

 

 The other day I was sorting through some old papers and writings and came across my journal from way back when.  My age?  Sixteen!  It was so interesting to take a trip down memory lane and to see that I am very much the same person that I was back then.  I was surprised at how little had actually changed, including my desire to process things through writing, my handwriting, and even my writing style.  Reading over my New's Years Resolutions was striking...most of my goals back then are still my goals for growth even now!  I guess that means I haven't made much progress, or will always wrestle with the same weaknesses! 

 

 

In some ways I was inspired by my past self. 

Teen Lindsey was less jaded than Thirty-Something Lindsey.

Teen Lindsey seemed to have more faith, more energy, more zeal for helping others than I do now as a tired mommy of many young children.

And yet...it's nice to now have several of the answers to Teen Lindsey's questions about life, love, and the future.  In spite of my strong faith and confidence in the Lord, I struggled a lot with self-esteem and loneliness in following God.  I definitely lacked the confidence and perspective that comes with experience and age. 

 

I wish I could reach back in time and give Teen Lindsey a little shake and say, "Do you have any idea how precious you are and how irrelevant other highschoolers opinions are, and how much these hard choices now will bless your future life and marriage?  Stay strong!" 

 

 

Reading through my old journals, I saw longing, for love and acceptance...but in that ache for something more...I also found fulfillment in Christ.

There is longing in singleness and there is longing in marriage.

Being single is hard and being in a relationship is hard.

Our hearts are only truly fulfilled in the Lord.

We were made for more than romantic love. 

Romantic love is just a signpost, pointing us to the One True Love that lasts throughout all of life and througout all of eternity.

Today, I'm letting the "consumed" girl of my yesterdays remind me where real love is found!

Snowshoe Trek in the Mountains

 

My brother Grant hooked me up to some of his snowshoes and we took a little hike with our mom in the mountains a few weeks ago.  It's a lot more work than cross-country skiing!

Life

Playing Princess, complete with a little crown her sister made her out of pipe cleaners.

 

 

This last week I've discovered that:

 

I'm thankful Justus isn't a twin.

 

Having 4 kids is much easier than having 6.

 

Three little boys can make a LOT more noise and break a lot more toys than 2 can.

 

It is possible to cover our entire, enormous living room/schoolroom with paper scraps from little boys cutting paper. 

 

We have enough legos to blanket the boys' whole bedroom carpet.

 

No matter how compliant or quiet a kid is, they still take emotional energy, meaning that people who say, "Having 3 kids is the same as having 2" or "Once you have 2 or 3, you can have a few more and never even notice!" are WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!

 

If I don't menu plan religiously and do some bulk cooking once a week, I cannot survive my kids' relentless appetites.

 

I don't like meat (of any kind) enough to do a high-protein, low-carb diet and eat meat 5 times a day.

I like chocolate waaaaay too much to cut it out of my diet.

 

It's worth spending the money to go to the chiropracter if you are miserable.

 

Laughing so hard you can't stand up with friends is my favorite way to burn calories.

 

No matter how much laundry I do, one of the kids will always complain about something clothing-related, like their socks feel too big, or too small, they can't find clean underwear, or they don't like any of the clean shirts in their bin.

 

 

 

Saying Goodbye to Survival Mode--Day Six

Amanda and I on our 3-year "Friend-iversary" this summer standing at the spot at the park where we met!

 

 

Today's challenge was to find an accountability partner to help you reach your goals. 

 

I feel like my husband is great at helping me decide where I can cut back in my life and so I often run things by him when I get asked to do something to see what he thinks of it.  As a team, we strive to keep life manageable in the craziness of having 4 young children.

 

Though I don't call her by a fancy title, like "accountability partner" my friend Amanda and I get together regularly, communicate daily, and constantly talk about our goals, simplifying, minimalizing, homeschooling strategies, cutting back, saying "no" and our lives.  It is of ENORMOUS importance to have a friend or two like this in your life.  Having friendships with other women is such a blessing, an encouragement, and a help during these challenging years of raising children.

Saying Goodbye to Survival Mode Challenge--Day Two

 

Today's challenge was to stop comparing yourself to others and to think of the characteristics you like about yourself.  So many women today feel like they don't measure up...to the air-brushed photos of models and actresses we see or gorgeous displays of talent we see on Pinterest or other social media, to the "celebrity Christians" we tend to put on a pedestal, or even to our own friends and neighbors.  It was very good for me to sit down and make a list of my strengths and to ask my husband what he considers to be my talents/gifts.

 

I often focus on my weaknesses, failures, or flaws instead of being thankful for the talents and gifts God has given me.

 

One of the gifts my husband sees in me is that I'm an encourager, which is the whole purpose of this blog! 

 

Today, my devotional reading from "Streams in the Desert" included this little poem which I thought went along perfectly with today's challenge:

 

Others may do a greater work,
But you have your part to do;
And no one in all God’s family
Can do it as well as you.

 

 

Self-Portrait in the Snow

 

 

We got several inches of snow on Friday night, and I loved how it piled up on top of the large ornaments we have on the bush outside our house.

 

About Me

 

When I come across a new blog, I like to read the background of the author

to gain a sense of who they are and where they are coming from.  This is mine!

 

My name is Lindsey.  I've been married to Josiah for 10 years.  We met in Bible college and ended up being friends after a theological debate inspired by a Christian t-shirt he was wearing.  As a teenager, I had really admired King Josiah in the Bible and had a poster about him on my wall.  Josiah was my favorite boy name.  Later on, when Josiah and I fell in love, this ended up being one those little "signs" from God that this guy was the right one for me to marry.

 

Josiah is a carpenter, working for my dad.  I am an at-home mom who works a few hours a week doing cleaning jobs for a law office and an elderly couple and I also tutor a Classical Conversations class.  I often get hired to do photo shoots for people, but I don't consider myself a professional photographer because I have limited equipment and don't have photoshop.  I love to read, take pictures, write, cook, bake, and organize.  Most people who meet me assume that I'm an extrovert because I talk a LOT and love social events, but I'm actually an introvert who recharges with quiet and alone time. 

 

Josiah and I have 2 boys and 2 girls.  As of this post, they are 3,5,7, and almost 9.  They keep us hopping!  We are often exhausted and uncertain in our roles as parents, but ultimately, these 4 little souls bring us lots of joy and are enormous blessings to us.  Parenting requires a lot of faith!

 

We live in my home state, gorgeous Wyoming, and have a fairly simple life.  We live in a friendly rural town where most folks enjoy walking, biking, or jogging in the shadow of the mountains.  My parents live within 1/2 a mile and there is a park in our neighborhood.  We attend a growing church that is filled with wonderful, Christ-seekers who model God's love and grace.

 

I am always trying to make our life less-cluttered.  We haven't yet succumbed to owning cell phones and we drive older vehicles and live debt-free except for the mortgage.  We also have a darling pet bunny named Magellan.

 

Our children are enrolled in Classical Conversations, a homeschooling co-op, and we all love it and are learning a lot!  It has been a blessing to me to have a regular "support" group in our homeschooling endeavors.

 

My in-real-life friends often join me for a cup of cocoa or tea and fruit dipped in chocolate fondue as we discuss our kids' crazy antics, our faith, and how to simplify our lives.  I love Chai lattes, Thirty-One bags, doTerra essential oils, quality chocolate, John Piper, detective/mystery shows, Olive Garden, cheesy Christmas romances, and stuff that makes me laugh (parody, irony, comedy, jokes, Tim Hawkins, etc.)

 

The blogs I regularly stalk are:

 

Moneysavingmom

A Homespun Heart

Tammy's Recipes

Becoming Minimalist

A Holy Experience

Art of Simple

Simply Living for Him

Half-a-Hundred-Acre Wood

 

So, there's a little peek into who I am!

 

 

Welcome to "Heartening!"

 

I am a simple pilgrim, on a journey to know God more and reflect His love to others.

 

I haven't always gotten faith right.

 

I haven't always been loving and encouraging.

 

I don't know God as much as I want to.

 

But, in this little corner of the web, this place named "blessing, strengthening"  

 

I am seeking to know Jesus more as I process His grace in my life

 

through writing, photography, and encouraging

 

thoughts.  I hope that you will find love and refreshment here! 

 

Thanks for reading!