Work Is Like Breathing

It's amazing to me how the Lord can put something on your heart and then have it confirmed everywhere you look. And so it began that way within the last few weeks.

Work. A few weeks ago it was my turn in our raw milk co-op to go to the Amish. I always leave there inspired and this didn't disappoint. Now there was my new found desire to grow or at least get some birdhouse gourds this year and run a long string of them for Martins. Or my reassurance that a woodstove outside in a screened porch to not heat the house is totally doable for cooking in the Summer. There are always loads of those things. But this time was different. I was left feeling a desire to work.

It was 7 in the morning and everyone, including kids were outside planting gardens. One farm had kids the age of my oldest son outside by themselves with no adults pounding in tomato stakes in a huge garden. 3 yos carrying buckets of milk to the house. WORK. Done by everyone. Not a frown in sight. No one was spared. And then we came to the farm where in the midst of work there was smiles. Children laughing with each other. THAT was play. That was time to be together.

Work there was like breathing. Everyone does it not because they "have to" but because that's what you do. SO much gets done. More than I can possibly imagine.

I prayed about it. The Lord brought me to verses in the Bible, then days later Clay read the same passages during family devotions. And when I was on the brink, Katie posted this post. It was everything the Lord had been working in me. Everywhere I turned there it was.... idleness. The Lord convicted me wherever he could.

So tomorrow it begins. I'm finishing off the week as a no internet week. It should have started today. But uh... my flesh got in the way. But like Katie, I'll post the difference it makes in this week. And uh... no tv for me either. I wish I could say it's never a problem for me, and it usually isn't but the need to commit to it is there. But it goes beyond internet and tv. It's about idleness.

Proverbs 31:27
She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

My goal is to abolish idleness. Now that doesn't mean no rest. I'm going to attempt to quelch the idleness that takes over my days. How easy it is to be read verses in the Bible and then push them to the side. That Proverbs 31 verse has been read by me 1,000 times and I've felt the sting of that word idleness 1,000 times. But little to no change. So here it is.

I'll be posting this week even if it's just a little note. Well maybe it may be too tempting but we'll see. Hehe. I may know myself too well.

A new favorite blog

Lately I've found so many "must-reads". I love reading blogs. Just when you feel like you're reading every good blog there is, you find a new fabulous little treasure. Eclectic Culture is one of those treasures. Why didn't any of you tell me about it sooner?

This blog is a journal of a normal homeschooling Christian family. Normal looking in every way. They wear pants and blow dry their hair, normal. They felt called by God to buy a farm smack dab in the middle of Amish country. They gave away all their electronic goodies, packed up and left the world they knew.

Their story and adventure as they deal with living totally off grid, getting to know their Amish neighbors, doing things like working for days with their neighbors cutting huge chunks of ice to fill ice houses and the women working in the house together to make the meals, just all of it is fascinating in every way. She definitely leaves most of us out here in homestead land quite jealous! Me at least. I admit to being somewhat obsessed with the Amish and the choices they make for their lives. I definitely learned things on this blog already that smashed a lot of my preconceived notions about the Amish.

Here's the link to a welcome post of sorts. It has the link to the beginning of their journey.
http://eclecticculturefarm.blogspot.com/2009/01/welcome.html

Go read. I started from the beginning and read post by post. It was a nice way to spend the evening with everyone asleep except for the sickie lethargic baby doll. Pray these sickies go away soon.