In juggling the preparation for two weddings in the very near future (our oldest son’s, May 29, and one of our daughter’s, July 31), and beginning a new family corporation, people have been asking me, “How will you get it all done?”.
It reminds me of when our kids were young and I’d hear the same question:
“How do you do what you do? I sure couldn’t raise seven kids.”
My answer then was the same as it is now:
“I don’t get it all done, and sometimes I don’t even do a very good job of what I do. I just DO it” =)
We all have seasons in our life where we are completely overwhelmed with the tasks at hand. (And I fully believe God does give us more than we can handle so that we’ll be totally reliant on Him.)
There are some differences in my thoughts during this season of being overwhelmed. Time and experience have taught me:
*it might not all get done, and that’s ok
*no one will love me any more or any less if everything isn’t perfect
*I will still love myself even if everything is not perfect
*there are still adjustments to be made in order to “get it all done”
And the adjustment in priorities this time will be this blog. We’re not going away, but you might not see us on here quite as often while we work together to “get it all done” this summer.
Check back occasionally. We’ll give some wedding updates, force you to see pictures of the cutie grands, and maybe even have some gardening tips and pics.
Meanwhile, I'm working on NOT being overwhelmed.
~Robin
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Our Family Vision Statement
The Meadows’ family vision statement is:
Living, loving, learning, leaving a legacy of Christ-followers impacting the world.
It’s an easy statement for us to remember, and it is descriptive of many of our core values:
Life is school
Family
Leading our family to be Christ-followers
Deut. 6:6-8
These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.
Do you have a family vision statement? Share it!
Living, loving, learning, leaving a legacy of Christ-followers impacting the world.
It’s an easy statement for us to remember, and it is descriptive of many of our core values:
Life is school
Family
Leading our family to be Christ-followers
Deut. 6:6-8
These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.
Do you have a family vision statement? Share it!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Family Vision Statement-Q & A
How can you discover the vision for your family?
Think about these thoughts:
Your vision needs to be everlasting, and an on-going goal for generations to come.
What is your calling?
What is important to you?
What will you want to be remembered for?
What makes you come alive?
Next: write your thoughts down. Share them with your mate. Brainstorm and write different phrases.
Try to make it around 10-12 words.
Teach it to your family. Place it on your wall. Refer to it often to cast vision to your family.
What if my husband or wife doesn’t see the need to have a vision statement, but I really desire it?
Pray! Don’t nag, force-feed, continue making suggestions or get in a huff because they’re not on the same page as you. Pray!! Never discount the power of the Holy Spirit. Live your life with your own vision statement in mind. Be consistent to it. Pray!
What makes you or your family come alive?
Tomorrow, we’ll share our family vision statement with you.
Dirk and Robin
Think about these thoughts:
Your vision needs to be everlasting, and an on-going goal for generations to come.
What is your calling?
What is important to you?
What will you want to be remembered for?
What makes you come alive?
Next: write your thoughts down. Share them with your mate. Brainstorm and write different phrases.
Try to make it around 10-12 words.
Teach it to your family. Place it on your wall. Refer to it often to cast vision to your family.
What if my husband or wife doesn’t see the need to have a vision statement, but I really desire it?
Pray! Don’t nag, force-feed, continue making suggestions or get in a huff because they’re not on the same page as you. Pray!! Never discount the power of the Holy Spirit. Live your life with your own vision statement in mind. Be consistent to it. Pray!
What makes you or your family come alive?
Tomorrow, we’ll share our family vision statement with you.
Dirk and Robin
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Write it Down
Robin and I had never written our family vision down until a few weeks ago when we were asked to do it for a project we are working on. I don’t really know why we had never written it down. I’ve been around a lot of people who have written their vision statements and even some that lead seminars to help families with their family vision. But we just had not done it. We knew in our heads what it was but we had never written it out where we could look at it or show it to others and really understand what our vision is all about.
When we did it became clear why everyone should.
Interestingly, because we have been living it for years, it only took a few minutes to do it, and then a little more tweaking the next day.
It’s not magic but it just clarifies what you have maybe known (or maybe not known) about the direction of your family. Since we have written it down I have looked at it for guidance and direction. Your vision statement helps to keep you on track. It can also help others around you to understand why you do what you do. I’m big on passing down to my family what is and has been important in our life. I also want my family to know the direction they might go to accomplish what God has called them into.
Maybe your family is about helping the poor, maybe you’re about loving and serving others, and maybe you haven’t even thought about a direction for your family.
What is your reason for being here together? There is one.
Have you got a family vision statement? Have you written it down? Do you think it’s important?
Dirk
When we did it became clear why everyone should.
Interestingly, because we have been living it for years, it only took a few minutes to do it, and then a little more tweaking the next day.
It’s not magic but it just clarifies what you have maybe known (or maybe not known) about the direction of your family. Since we have written it down I have looked at it for guidance and direction. Your vision statement helps to keep you on track. It can also help others around you to understand why you do what you do. I’m big on passing down to my family what is and has been important in our life. I also want my family to know the direction they might go to accomplish what God has called them into.
Maybe your family is about helping the poor, maybe you’re about loving and serving others, and maybe you haven’t even thought about a direction for your family.
What is your reason for being here together? There is one.
Have you got a family vision statement? Have you written it down? Do you think it’s important?
Dirk
Friday, May 08, 2009
Gardening with Kids
I went online to the library website and reserved a bunch of books both fiction and non-fiction on kids gardening. My boys have a lot of experience with gardening, but the books got them even more excited.
We had fun picking the lettuce that is now ready in addition to our swiss chard and spinach. Lettuce is an easy and fast grower that can be done in pots or in the ground (needs lots of sun) that kids can enjoy watching, picking and eating.
My kids' main interest in the garden is, "What can we eat?" Currently asparagus is about the only semi-clean vegetable that is producing in our garden. They chomped down on that and were asking for more!
A few weeks ago my boys planted carrot seeds. Kaden is checking them out to see if they're ready yet. Not yet, but soon! How exciting for them to see that their seeds are growing though. Most of their friends think carrots come in bags from the store called baby carrots!
Bush beans are another great seed to plant that kids love to pick (and of course, my kids eat them raw in the garden). Another favorite are pepper or tomato plants that can be bought at nurseries right now. (Good producers that kids love to pick). Again all of these things can be planted in pots, in your flower beds, or a small plot you pick in your yard as long as they get sun most of the day.
Kids can also get into digging in the dirt, watering, hoeing and picking weeds. Gardening is a great education tool and a good way to spend quality time with your kids while producing something to eat for your family!
~Erin
We had fun picking the lettuce that is now ready in addition to our swiss chard and spinach. Lettuce is an easy and fast grower that can be done in pots or in the ground (needs lots of sun) that kids can enjoy watching, picking and eating.
My kids' main interest in the garden is, "What can we eat?" Currently asparagus is about the only semi-clean vegetable that is producing in our garden. They chomped down on that and were asking for more!
A few weeks ago my boys planted carrot seeds. Kaden is checking them out to see if they're ready yet. Not yet, but soon! How exciting for them to see that their seeds are growing though. Most of their friends think carrots come in bags from the store called baby carrots!
Bush beans are another great seed to plant that kids love to pick (and of course, my kids eat them raw in the garden). Another favorite are pepper or tomato plants that can be bought at nurseries right now. (Good producers that kids love to pick). Again all of these things can be planted in pots, in your flower beds, or a small plot you pick in your yard as long as they get sun most of the day.
Kids can also get into digging in the dirt, watering, hoeing and picking weeds. Gardening is a great education tool and a good way to spend quality time with your kids while producing something to eat for your family!
~Erin
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Dear Mother-in-Law
We are so blessed to have Jon, Brad, Alexander, and soon, Abbi (May 29, 2009) and Cody (July 31, 2009) as our sons- and daughter-in-love.
There is just no greater joy in a parent’s life than knowing that someone else loves your own children as much as you do.
And that means that I am mother-in-law to three and soon FIVE lucky exceptional people who love my own children.
Now, most of us have or have had mother-in-laws. Unfortunately, and usually for very good reason, the term doesn’t bring great feelings of endearment.
And I don’t ever want to be one of “those”.
So, today, I’m asking for your advice.
If you could tell your mother-in-law any piece of advice on how to relate to you what would you say?
(There is a qualification to leaving your comment. It must be positively stated. We don’t want you to go hating on your mother-in-law, now, do we? ;)
~Robin
There is just no greater joy in a parent’s life than knowing that someone else loves your own children as much as you do.
And that means that I am mother-in-law to three and soon FIVE lucky exceptional people who love my own children.
Now, most of us have or have had mother-in-laws. Unfortunately, and usually for very good reason, the term doesn’t bring great feelings of endearment.
And I don’t ever want to be one of “those”.
So, today, I’m asking for your advice.
If you could tell your mother-in-law any piece of advice on how to relate to you what would you say?
(There is a qualification to leaving your comment. It must be positively stated. We don’t want you to go hating on your mother-in-law, now, do we? ;)
~Robin
Sunday, May 03, 2009
How Do You Measure Love?
Ever find yourself measuring how much you are loved? 
Maybe your measure is the number of people reading your blog.
Maybe it’s the number of times your husband or wife tells you they love you.
Maybe it’s whether or not your family cleans up after themselves.
Maybe it’s when life is going well.
And when those things aren’t happening, we just don’t feel loved.
Why do we do that to ourselves, to our family?
There is only one true measure. The capacity for how much we are loved is really only measured by the truths and promises of God’s word. His love for us has no limits!
Why don’t we believe it? Why do we search in places that will leave us disappointed and let down?
Ps. 103:11 – How great is God's love for all who worship him? Greater than the distance between heaven and earth!
Eph. 3:17-19 - Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
YOU are loved more than you’ll ever understand. Believe it!
~Robin
Maybe your measure is the number of people reading your blog.
Maybe it’s the number of times your husband or wife tells you they love you.
Maybe it’s whether or not your family cleans up after themselves.
Maybe it’s when life is going well.
And when those things aren’t happening, we just don’t feel loved.
Why do we do that to ourselves, to our family?
There is only one true measure. The capacity for how much we are loved is really only measured by the truths and promises of God’s word. His love for us has no limits!
Why don’t we believe it? Why do we search in places that will leave us disappointed and let down?
Ps. 103:11 – How great is God's love for all who worship him? Greater than the distance between heaven and earth!
Eph. 3:17-19 - Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
YOU are loved more than you’ll ever understand. Believe it!
~Robin
Friday, May 01, 2009
Weekend Gardening
This weekend in the OKC area, it looks to be cloudy and rainy. It's great weather to get your flower and other plants into the soil or pots.
It's also a great time to fertilize or sow seeds.
I hope to get the green beans and cucumber seeds in.
Yesterday, Jacob helped me get more fences into our new garden plot. Growing pole beans, cucumbers and tomatos on fences is a great way to keep them up off the soil and makes for easy picking.
Now is the time to prune any flower bushes that have finished flowering. Alway prune AFTER flowering.
Plant your caladium and elephant ear bulbs now.
Potatoes looking good after the frost got them.
Spinach almost ready to pick!
"Milk carton" Columbine from last year.
Erin and I are keeping these two cuties (the little ones) this weekend while Brad and Ali head to Florida for a week!
What are you doing this weekend?
~Robin
It's also a great time to fertilize or sow seeds.
I hope to get the green beans and cucumber seeds in.
Yesterday, Jacob helped me get more fences into our new garden plot. Growing pole beans, cucumbers and tomatos on fences is a great way to keep them up off the soil and makes for easy picking.
Now is the time to prune any flower bushes that have finished flowering. Alway prune AFTER flowering.
Plant your caladium and elephant ear bulbs now.
Potatoes looking good after the frost got them.
Spinach almost ready to pick!
"Milk carton" Columbine from last year.
Erin and I are keeping these two cuties (the little ones) this weekend while Brad and Ali head to Florida for a week!
What are you doing this weekend?
~Robin
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