Why I am not worried about another great depression October 8, 2008

Doesn’t she look like she has a lot on her mind for a three year old? Most of us do. Some of us have a more dim outlook on the economic future than others.

You can include me in that camp. No doubt some people think that they might have to hold off on designer jeans until the economy picks up while others wonder if there will be a repeat of the thirties standing in bread lines. You can count me in the second camp. I am not worried though. Even though I have two precious little girls to feed and a husband to offer moral support to in a tough economy I can say that I am not losing any sleep at night. Here’s why.

1. My God is the Jehovah Jireh – the God who provides. It might not be prime rib and a 3000 square foot house but all we have is manna from the LORD. We give thanks for our beans a rice.

2. For those with wisdom God says “When you lie down you will not be afraid, when you lie down your sleep will be sweet” (Proverbs 3:24). I do not fear President Bush or our congress and their foolhardy decisions but I fear God for the word of God says “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10) and “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). I have heard it said from the mouth of a missionary teaching young people that we should not fear God. They were obviously wrong because it is in the fear of the LORD that we find peace. Strange but true. God is not a fire breathing dragon; the fear the Bible speaks of is more a heeding of His word. It is similar to the fear of a just parent. We know they love us and deal with us with grace, but we know there are consequences for disobedience.

Get wisdom, get peace.

3. Maybe, just perhaps, the church will stop ignoring it’s calling to “bear one another’s burdens”. I am not talking about merely bringing a meal to a new mother (although this is a great ministry opportunity), but I am talking about housing the homeless, feeding the hungry, adopting the orphans, helping those without insurance, etc. In the case of another great depression the neediest of us will no longer be sequestered into the slums where others of us in our large houses with well stocked pantries can ignore. The needs are going to grow, and with it I hope and pray that the church and the gospel will too. It seems that in hard times the gospel has more opportunity to make itself known.

4. In our four years of marriage we have learned to “do without” many things and to make do with less. In many ways that I think are going to be necessary – we are already there. We eat food cooked from scratch, we wear used clothing, we hang our clothes to dry, I can sew, we stay home, etc.

5. God loves us and will not bestow upon us more than we can endure. That is not to say there will not be difficulties ahead and that we will be without suffering, but where we are weak He is strong.

6. Perhaps life might be less enjoyable and we will no longer long for some rest or relaxation on our couches or our beds, but for our eternal rest in heaven. Anything that causes us to long for and meditate on heaven is a blessing, not a curse. There is an Andrew Peterson song I love called “Little Alba” (I think that’s the title). Here are the lyrics:

Little Alba how’s the sun in south America
does it shine upon the faces of the poor?
Do they see in it the brilliance of the place that’s been prepared
dwell upon the hope of what’s in store
or are they just like me do they only see an opportunity to complain about the heat

and little alba how’s the rain in South America
does it fall upon the roof tops of the sick
do they thank the lord for coming up with such a great idea
and dream about a place beyond all this
or are they just like us do they gripe and fuss
about the rain and mud when they’ve had too much?

Cause I’m just a little jealous
of the nothing that you have
you’re unfettered by the wealth of
the world that we pretend that’s going to last

well I’m weary of the spoils of my ambition
and I’m shackled by the comfort of my couch
well I wish I had the courage to deny these of my self
and start to store my treasure in the clouds
for this is not my home
I do not belong where the antelope and the buffalo roam

Cause I’m just a little jealous of the nothing that you have
you’re unfettered by the wealth of
the world that we pretend that’s going to last
They say God’s blessed us with plenty
I say you’re blessed with poverty
cause you never stop to wonder
whether earth is just a little better than the land of the free

so I hope you’re safe and dry in South America
cause I’m feeling pretty good in Tennessee
may you never be so happy that you forget about your home
your home in the land of the free

New blog! July 29, 2008

So the first thing you may have noticed is a new theme! I don’t love it, but it is free and it satisfies my aesthetic sensibilities more than the other free themes.

If you are really paying attention, you may also have noticed a new name. I chose this name for many reasons, and I think it really sums up in my mind what this blog is about. I love dandelions. They are often passed over as nothing special, as ordinary and even a nuisance to a perfect stretch of grass. When in Iowa in the spring, the girls would always delight in their simple form; putting them in their hair when yellow; blowing the delicate pappus’ into the wind when white. These simple “weeds” God designed. As a woman committed to her family, I feel that like a dandelion, it is not glamorous, or a sought after “career”. No, it’s not a career at all; rather a way of life. A life I wouldn’t trade for all the accolades and self-fulfillment of a career.  In this blog, I guess it is my aim to share the delight and joy we share as a family. That I have indeed come to cherish as a Wife and a Mommy. For it is God’s calling on my life. It is simple, it is complicated, it is joyous, it is God’s design. He has given us so many beautiful moments. Moments we stumble upon as we walk through this life together, like we would walk through those Iowa fields and find those unexpected dandelions planted there by our Heavenly Father for us to delight in.

Soooo, I will resume this blog and hopefully pick up where I left off, sharing some of the Hensley family with family and friends. I have so many pictures waiting to be posted! Come back soon!

Bless your heart . . . January 24, 2007

You got a speeding ticket for going 85 in a 55 zone on 280, bless your heart

You recked your favorite pair of shoes in a rain storm, bless your heart

You stubbed your toe for the third time today on that blasted toy, bless your heart

Your favorite patent leather purse got stolen at the mall, bless your heart

Your child looks more like your husband than you, bless your heart

Your child pointed to a picture of Dobby (from Harry Potter) and declared “MOMMY”, bless your heart

Your hair turned green after swimming in that hotel swimming pool, bless your heart

Your child hides your remotes again, bless your heart

Your newest child will not stop spitting up on you, bless your heart

The last movie you saw in the theater was Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, bless your heart

You poured sour milk on your milk this morning and took a huge bite before realizing it, bless your heart

This has been a tribute to all those Scarlett O’hara’s out there that are dear to my blessed little heart. For those of you from the North (Canada that is) ‘bless your heart’ is a common phrase used down here and I just thought I would give you a little sampling of ways in which it might be used. (I don’t know if Miss O’hara actually used this phrase but it does seem O’hara-esque).

So it’s been a while January 16, 2007

My last post was a great inspiration and motivation to a more productive and joyful life. I did hit the ground running though as I had started on some of my goals before January 1st. For a while I was excelling in many of the goals I thought were probably too lofty. Simple they were, but difficult to achieve with two little ones underfoot and one husband in need of luv’n'care. I suppose the timing to set such goals was good. Ellie has been sleeping through the night. Both our girls have been enjoying good health.

I would suggest for anyone who has a tendency to procrastinate or who has desires but can’t quite seem to fulfill them to make a list of to-do’s. I always knew I wanted to finish Sophia’s quilt. But to have the thought that I will finish it and to write it down and to tell someone else that I will finish it, and soon, has caused me to work on the thing with determination. I even brought the thing in the car (as a passenger of course). We haven’t yet wasted a crust of bread. I have fallen short in a few areas, but tomorrow is a new day.

On another front, I must enlist all you prayer warriors out there to pray for us. Zac has applied to many programs for graduate school and now we play the waiting game. We would love to get in anywhere. Pray that we would. We would love to be able to afford it without borrowing any more money. Pray that we would receive a good funding package. Zac is applying for a scholorship. Pray that we would get it. We are eternally grateful to the LORD who already knows the outcome of this journey on which we will embark and who has our best interests in mind. Let us not have a moment of anxiety.

Happy new year January 2, 2007

Another blessed year and two blessedly healthy children are ours to celebrate with!

I have already accomplished one of my goals. To organize Sophia and Ellie’s room. This makes me extremely happy as the past few months have been wrought with procrastination and frustration at the lack of order in the room that most needs order. The first order of business was to make a place for everything. We picked up some clear bins in varying sizes at Lowe’s. Next was to purge the room all things that I perceived as garbage, and all things that need to be donated. The outcome was well worth the effort.

For lack of close relationships with godly women that I crave I have also made it a goal to read more books written by such women. Thanks to my amazon wish list and some willing buyers I have already started on this goal also. I have already devoured Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss. I not only love the content but I love the language. I probably read it too quickly to profit from the riches of wisdom found therein, but I will read it again this year as time and Sophia and Ellie permit.

I also have to apologize. I promised to post some photos of the gifts I made but in my hastiness I have forgotten to take pictures! I made some aprons. Two halter-style aprons and one manly apron for Zac’s dad. Maybe one day I will be able to take some photos.

My husband has informed me that he is wasting away, so I must go and fix him something to eat.

UPDATE: I thought I would add just a few resolutions.

1. Waste less food

2. Pertains to #1 – Eat more leftovers before they go bad

3. Spend less money on things that get lost or broken (crayons for Sophia – not a good idea)

4. Read more substantive material (i.e. no more magazines)

5. Have a plan for every evening meal

6. Finish Sophia’s quilt

7. Make sure Ellie gets a bath at least every other day

8. Stop putting my foot in my mouth with extended family

9. Watch less television (three hours a week max. and I must be doing something productive, like working on Sophia’s quilt)
10. Be a better wife

11. Be a better mother

12. Be more patient

13. Memorize more scripture

14. Eat no sugar for the next four days (haven’t had any yet and it is almost 7pm-yay!)

15. Exercise more (not to lose weight but to be more fit and healthy)

16. Do all my daily chores, besides supper and laundry on Monday’s, before lunch

17. Learn to balance my checkbook

18. Make a few extra $ for our family

19. Do my work with “a happy heart” (Thanks for the motivation for this one Liz!)

20. Plant some flowers and have them bloom

21. Keep the clutter of the desk and table

22. Write more letters to friends and family

23. Commit more time to charity (I can’t really spend much time outside the home, but I can make things and donate them)

24. Write more letters to my Compassion child Louis

25. Keep the kitchen clean

26. Pray more

27. Practice more hospitality

So there it is. There are many more ways in which I can improve but those are between me and the LORD=)

This is kind of cool December 6, 2006

I thought this was interesting because it was mostly right. Especially about learning best with visual aids and demonstrations. And I love to create things. Your Dominant Intelligence is Spatial Intelligence

You’ve got a good sense of space and how the world around you looks.You can close your eyes and “see” images. You have innate artistic talent.An eye for color and shapes, you’re also a natural designer. Since you think in pictures, visual aids and demonstartions help you learn best. You would make a good navigator, sculptor, visual artist, inventor, architect, interior designer, or engineer.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Thanksgiving activities et cetera November 27, 2006

I have just been informed by my husband that I ought to capitalize the first letter of all the words in my title.

Anywho, thanksgiving has come and gone and for most Americans the Christmas season has begun. Not in our household. No, we have been enjoying our Christmas tree, Christmas music, and Christmas texts from the Scriptures since OCTOBER. It is kind of strange having decorations adorning our home when there is no snow outside or frost on the windows. I have always enjoyed endured at least a foot of snow and sub zero temperatures long before the decorations dared to show themselves. For many people Christmas is nothing more than decorations, presents and rich food, and for many Christians these things may serve as a distraction from the real ‘meaning of the season’. In all honesty I can say that this year, despite our love of all things red and green we have not totally failed in meditating upon Christ and the meaning of Emmanuel.

For the past few months I have been plugging away at the book of Matthew, which I highly recommend. Not just the reading of the book but reading it or another gospel book long before the Christmas season arrives (on November 24th of course). It has helped me to set my mind on Christ so I am ready for distractions, so they are not so distracting. Zac and I have also been reading through some ‘Christmas’ texts together. Time well spent.

These last four weeks before December 25th I have much to do in the way of handmade gifts. Since we have been married we have had to streamline our budget. This has been a blessing and an exercise in practicing contentment. In an attempt to give meaningful and nice gifts I have endeavored to make things for the many people in our lives. We don’t do this exclusively but we do make it a part or our gift giving. It is a tradition I am sure we will continue even if we ever have a more flexible budget. The first year I made some heating/cold bags with removable flannel covers. Last year I made oversized tote bags. This year I am making . . . well I can’t tell you because you the reader may be a recipient. It is not that exciting but it will require more sewing skills than I have currently. I have to draft a pattern. Why not buy one you ask. Well that is part of the streamlining the budget thing. I also enjoy a challenge. No challenge, no fun. I will keep you posted with photos of what this mystery gift will be.