A little more...

I am honored and humbled that you would be here, reading this blog.

Thank you for your care and your time and your investment in our lives.  We are so very thankful.

Humbly, I share this post with you, to offer just a bit more of who we are.  The Shears3, as we are oft called.  Daniel and I had a beautiful discussion on New Years Eve in which we examined different aspects of our lives.  As we took a step back and looked at our family as a whole, we decided upon three different values for our family.

Worship

Stewardship

Family


We desire to make these three values a part our daily rhythms.  We desire to seek out more and more what each of these mean and what each of these look like within a family setting.  Most days, we are far from blending these three just perfectly.  More often than not, our lives spread the fragrance of self-worship and foolishness (for isn't that the opposite of stewardship?) and independence.  Yet we praise God for we can never wear out His grace, as Pastor Kyle said the other evening in small group.   And each day we cling to what He has accomplished, yes, accomplished on the cross for us and we lean yet still deeper into the grace that surrounds.


I wonder what your family values are?  How do you and your family seek to incorporate them into your daily rhythms?



A daily rhythm for our family is spending time outside.  Even in the Washington rain, we strive to spend moments out in the open, beneath the all-encompassing sky, blanketed by His creation.  And isn't just stepping outside and taking a deep breath of air an act of worship?  To feel that fresh air fill and move and spread to all parts of the body: the very breath of life once again breathed into our lungs.  With our lungs filled, then we turn to all the world around that is too, filled with this breath of life.  The trees, the birds, the water, the hills all exist to bring Him praise.  In being outside, we join with the hum of creation to offer our worship and awed adoration of what He has done.  As my husband wrote in our family values:

"Out of a grateful heart we want to glorify the Lord. Worship is not primarily for our benefit, but the Lord's honor."

My Mom and Dad have said it to my brother and his wife, and they have said it to us now as well: "You belong in the 1800s!"  What they are referring to: grinding our flour by hand, grinding our coffee beans by hand, roasting our own coffee.  Indeed, these are so against our culture and the "normal" rhythms of the fast-paced $5 latte world in which we find ourselves.  But what if in this fast-paced way of life we have indeed lost the way to life? 

One of our family values is family itself and one action of valuing family is spending quality time together. As Daniel writes: 

"Time together will build unity and love."

In our family, we love "homesteading" together.  We enjoy making candles and soap together.  We enjoy roasting coffee beans and grinding flour, making our own yogurt, side by side, slowing down together.  And no it isn't the most efficient way to get a loaf of bread or to have a cup of coffee.  But where and when did we join efficient with quality?  Our marriage grows as we slow down.  Our relationship with our daughter blossoms as we slow down with her, and every moment can be a quality moment if it is rich with our attentiveness.  We find that "homesteading" slows us down. . .

 to enjoy the process and to savor the product.  Our time is made into quality time as we join together to produce something meaningful and something of value; by creating together, calling it good, and taking enjoyment in and of the creation, we are indeed reflecting the character of God.

Stewardship is yet another rhythm we hope to daily incorporate in our household.  Stewardship of time, resources, our lifestyle, our bodies, and the created world.  One way in which we seek to be good stewards: which cleaning products we use.  Yes this issue is small and of seemingly no consequence, but as Daniel wrote:

"Live intentionally.  Put careful thought into each decision."

and so Tirzah and I have been cleaning each week with homemade cleaning products.  I will share just a few recipes below, (Miss Druid, Mr. Sam will LOVE this! :))

Toilet bowl cleaner: just plain and simple: Baking Soda!!  (I have a new found love and appreciation for this ingredient) Truly, just sprinkle and scrub away.  

All-purpose cleaner: 

2 T vinegar

1 t borax

Hot water

a few drops of a mild dish detergent

10 drops of essential oil (I didn't do this, for they are expensive!  I squeezed a little orange juice in and it worked great)

In a 16 oz spray bottle put vinegar, borax and hot water.  Swish around until borax has dissolved.  Add the drops of detergent and fill the rest with water.  

And so, just a deeper glimpse into the life of our family.

J.R.R. Tolkien said,

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

So, here, now, as a family, we seek to commit this moment to worship, to family, to stewardship.