Of Words and Roots

I just love being in the garden and it seemed extra special today. I felt close to God, close to my “roots”. Grabbing handfuls of soil and sifting it over newly planted seeds reminded me of God’s hand taking a handful of soil and making......me!

Let's ever remember the origin of man as stated in God's Word:

 “In the sweat of the face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken:  for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
I also love studying root words and the Word!

This year we learned the root words HUM and HUMAN while studying the excellent book "English from the Roots Up". We really enjoy and highly recommend this book.

We found it interesting to consider all of the following words which include these roots:

Humus:  earth; ground

Humanities:  Studies and interests of a cultural type which enrich the spirit of mankind

Exhume:  Take out of the ground; unearth; disinter

Humble:  Lowly; unpretentious; as, an humble person, meek

Humic;  Derived from the soil; as, Humic acid

Humicubation:  Act of lying on the ground in penitence; self abasement

Humility:  The quality of lowliness; meekness

Humiliate:  To humble; to shame; to abase

Humiliation:  Feeling of shame; degradation

Human:  Belonging or relating to man

Humanify:  Make into a man

Humane:  Marked by sympathy compassion for other human beings and animals

Humanize:  Make human; render humane

Inhuman:  Lacking the qualities of a humane being

Humanity:  The quality of being human

"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up"

 I find the words and their roots quite interesting! Maybe I'm a "verbophil"! (Yes, I like playing with words too!)

 Verbum (word) + philo (love) = verbophil J

I think it is a good thing to love words! After all...
"The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 
John 1:14

My Not so Typical Week

Last week was definitely NOT typical!! God poured out his blessings on this family so intensely! Not that He doesn't do that on a continual basis;  our every breath depends on His grace and His mercy! So much evidence of answered prayer and His Hand and Spirit working in one week was simply amazing!


The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad. Psalm 126:3


It went something like this:


Monday:  must have been rather mundane as I don't recall any special details worth mentioning. Probably got lots of laundry done as well as three meals, gardening, general pick up of house and property after the weekend...stuff like that.


Tuesday:  Hannah returned home from a long visit with our cousin Robert in South Carolina. Grace and Sarah picked her up at the airport and they returned with lots of goodies and groceries. It was good to have her back!

Jeff and Laurie, sister and brother in this life and in the Lord!

Wednesday:   We got a message that Jeff's sister Laurie and niece Maddy were coming for a visit. That got us to thinking that we might be able to pull together a family gathering to honor Jeff for his 51st birthday. In the end we had a wonderful surprise birthday party evening with Laurie & Maddy, his brother Brad and family, Daniel & Teagan, his co-worker Brett and of course, all of us! Brad BBQ'd hamburgers and everything turned out great. It was fun getting the house and food ready on such short notice. Of course, I never could have done it without my girls. I love spontaneous, impromptu happenings like that...everything always goes so well.

Here's Hannah (on the lower left)graduating
from her CNA training course

Thursday:  Hannah had an interview with the hospital in Portola for a CNA position and was hired on the spot! I am so happy that she found a job that will put all of her hard work and study to use right away! I know God will use her to minister to the old folks in the long term care unit as well as the people she'll be working with.

Grace's boyfriend Clayton and his sister Lorene arrived around 4:30 for a three day visit. After a short introduction Grace, Clayton and James rushed off to Reno to look at a truck James had found on Craigslist.

Sarah, Lorene and Grace

Clayton getting to know Grace and Seth:).

Tom , Katie and her famous Banana Cream Pie

Tom and Katie announced their engagement and set Oct. 7th for the happy occasion. We got the wonderful news that Katie had decided to be water baptized the coming Sunday. We rejoice to see God blessing  their lives.

Hooking up the trailer

Cattle round up

Friday:  Jeff went to work, as did James. The older young people went and moved our cows from one pasture to another.  Jeff's sister came over for awhile. The kids enjoyed some volleyball and croquet.  That evening Katie and the Kellingtons came to meet the Helmuths and we all played Volleyball. Finally, James came home with his new truck.


Our dear old friends and neighbors Nils and Helen Norden came for visit.  I was glad when Jeff challenged them on whether they are ready to meet the Lord.


Saturday:  Plans were to get up early and attempt to hike to the top of the Sierra Buttes. We didn't get up early but most of us (not including me) did make it to the top.  Clayton, Lorene and Grace traded off carrying baby Abigail in a back pack. At one point due to supposed near starvation the group was "forced" to devour little Abby's banana flavored "graduate" puffs. Thank God for His provision!!:) I probably would have made it had I not forgotten my hiking boots :(. Most of the trail was covered in snow. My silly but brave, daughters (excluding Hannah who brought shoes) and Lorene tried to hike it in flip-flops which proved impossible so they made it in bare feet! They report that the numb feet really helped them when it came time to transverse over areas of manzanita. :) 
Back home we enjoyed coffee that never tasted so good and rejoiced that we had had the fore-site to stock some pizza's! :)

Kiss from Mom

Seth's Baptism in the Feather River

Sunday:  Up and at it early, since either Sarah had mis-set her alarm clock, or someone had played a dirty trick, we prepared for church at home followed by Seth's baptism at the river and a potluck fellowship meal. We had a wonderful time in the Lord rejoicing in Seth's new relationship with Him and our friendships with one another. I think there were around 50 people here for that. What a blessing! Some of the young folks went for a photo shoot at the Beckwourth Cabin. More great times playing volleyball and croquet followed. Clayton took Grace for a 5 mile walk later that evening which about wiped her out. After that, at around midnight, he and his sister left to drive back to South Dakota. 

Clayton and Grace at the photo shoot

I say that was our  "not so typical week" but, God is always blessing His children isn't He? One thing He's showing me is to pray, pray and keep praying for He indeed answers our cries! For far too long I've been a skeptic, obediently praying, often because there is no other hope, not in Faith believing.  It's kind of like what's happening with me in the garden. For many years I'd plant seeds, because I thought I should at least try to have a garden, not really thinking they would sprout but always surprised and overjoyed to see the fruit.  I'm learning to plant in Faith, knowing that God will give sunshine and water and that there will be growth. I wonder if God gets as much pleasure from pulling out the weeds of doubt and sin in my life as I do pulling the weeds in my garden?

                      
                 The LORD will indeed give what is good,
                 and our land will yield its harvest.
                                           Psalm 85:12

Aspirations

   There are so many things I want to do..so many things I want to be. I'd like to be good at whatever I do and that takes time; time to study, to learn ,to practice and to become proficient.

I want to be a great photographer (I can't even find my camera) and take pictures with focused subjects and blurry backgrounds.

I'd like to be a midwife, helping people bring their children into the world safely and peacefully and joyfully.

I want to grow a bountiful, beautiful garden with plenty of food for my family and friends

I'd like to get some Icelandic sheep and raise them for fun, fur and meat.

I'd like to get a spinning wheel and learn to spin...especially wool that I've harvested

I'd like to have a soap and candle company and sell beautiful soap and candles in little gift shops and farmer's markets.

I want to read and understand and remember the old testament. I want to memorize lots of the New Testament.

I want to write a gospel tract called Lies/Truth to pass out to high school and college kids.

I want to witness on the college campus and invite the kids to a home-cooked meal.

I want to go away for the weekend with my husband and just enjoy each other but not miss or worry about the kids.

I want to lose 30 pounds (at least) and be able to keep up with anyone else in my family hiking or bike riding

I'd like to bake different bread than everyday bread, like sourdough, french, bagels or english muffins

I want to have a beautiful flower garden (with no weeds) and a lovely yard where I can spend time with my family and friends

I'd like to paint with watercolors and try charcoals too

I want to be the best teacher I can be; organized, patient and competent. I want my children to love learning!

I'd like to share what I've learned in fellowship with other like minded women, especially to encourage young women to be faithful wives and mothers...that God will reward their service.

I want to go back and erase the mistakes I've made but I can't, so I want to make the best of the time I have. I'd like for my relationships with others, esp. my husband and children to be the best that they can be.

I remind myself of the song..."There never seems to be enough time to do the things you want to do once you find them"

The main thing I really want is to please my Lord Jesus. I want to hear him say someday "Well done, my good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord"  By His Grace I will keep my priorities straight. I will each day do the thing that pleases Him. And if little by little He grants me some of the desires of my heart I will rejoice that He saw fit to do so. I do not deserve anything. I have no right to "my time" or "chasing dreams". I have enlisted in His service and my first and foremost calling is to love and complete my husband and to teach and train my children to Love the Lord our God with all of their Hearts, Minds and Strength.

Lord, you said you would give me the desires of my heart. That means that you will put the right desires in there.  Help me to do what's important to You.  My times are in Your Hands.