It's All In Who You Know.........

This morning I had a job interview. I was so excited to actually get a call back, I have learned it is not a good time to be an unemployed teacher! The school I interviewed at requires a bit of a commute so I decided I better make a "dry run" as if I were heading there for work to see what the traffic is like, and the trip in general. So I set out this morning and arrived with plenty of time on my hands.

I found a place to get some coffee (shocker!) and wanted to use the time to pray about and contemplate my soon to be interview. I recently had been going through the Psalms for my quiet time, but decided to head over to Ephesians this morning. I read these verses:

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,To the saints in Ephesus,the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."
Ephesians 1:1-3

I started thinking about what it meant that I have been blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. I began to make a list of things that come along with that "blessing". The list became quite long and encouraged me as I was about to go to my interview.

Through this journey of looking for employment I have been worried about my lack of connections. Why in the world would someone consider a teacher from out of state with "no connections"? As I was listing these blessings this morning the Lord gently reminded me of the promise that these blessings bring and that I had forgotten that He is the only connection that I need for me to be where I need to be! I know I can't sit around and throw my resumes outside and hope they blow onto the doorstep of that special school.(although somedays it does seem windy enough!) There is work to be done on my part. But, I was reminded and encouraged that my fretting and stewing and wondering how I would ever get a job without connections is not needed because I have the connection of the blessings that flow from Christ. I have the connections of all connections...the connection that will trump anyone!

Well, the interview went well. I now sit and wait, but not in fear or worry because.......... I've got connections!

Blow Bubbles In Your Chocolate Milk

Kathryn was awarded 3rd place out of 337 entries in the Missouri State Poetry Society Writer's Winter Contest 2010 Youth Division. Congratulations Dear Kathryn! Take a moment to enjoy her award winning poem.

Blow Bubbles in Your Chocolate Milk

Sometimes it’s the small things,
that tend to make our day
like hugs, whipped cream, or nice things
that, to you, people say.

And sometimes doing things
that may seem juvenile
can really make the difference
in your mood, and make you smile.

Things like playing royalty
with a trailing cape of flowing silk.
things like blowing bubbles,
in your chocolate milk.

Things like placing buttercups,
right up to your nose
and things like playing in summer-soft grass,
and squirting someone with the hose.

Things like blowing dandelions,
right up into the sky
and things like innocently watching
caterpillars inching by.

These things we don’t do as often
as we sometimes, maybe could.
There are always the problems: stress, work and time
But otherwise, we say we would.

So, take some time to be royalty
with a flowing cape of silk
and keep in mind to blow bubbles
in your chocolate milk.

by Kathryn Yoder

Pulling Weeds and other life lessons!

Now that Spring has arrived it is so wonderful to watch how uniquely it unfolds here in Missouri. Yes, Spring is Spring, I know! However, being in a rural area and being surrounded by farms makes Spring's unfolding very different.

First of all we have such a variety of trees in our yard that watching them bud, bloom and blossom has been neat. It seems like everyday I look out the trees have drastically changed. We went away for an overnight trip and just in that 24 hours the appearance of Spring vibrantly mulitplied in our yard.

The farm life scenery has also changed. While we have no "animal life" at our house (except for the extrordinary amount of mice we have trapped in our garage since our arrival and though they "once lived".....well,you get the picture) and we do not plan on getting any, I have enjoyed seeing all of the little baby animals suddenly emerge and fill the scenery. The fields have flourished with new life.


Spring also chases away the deadness of winter. When we arrived here it was so bitterly cold and bare. But with the arrival of Spring it has given me a fresh look on how beautiful it is here in Missouri. I have readily welcomed the green grass, the appearance of unique birds, and even the presence of Spring chores. I always get a refreshed feeling when I clean off a flower bed or wash a screen or window.We have a lot more to "clean up" now with our new house, and while it seems overwhelming at times, there is a feeling of renewal and pleasure even with just observing a freshly mowed yard.


This past weekend we worked outside. We successfuly cut out/off a GINORMOUS root,resurfaced a once landscaped area in hopes to plant grass, and weeded an entire side of the house. As I was weeding a very neglected flower bed, I was reminded of how much work it takes to "keep up" a yard, especially if it hasn't been cared for some time. It is so much harder to clean out and clean up something that has been neglected or let to itself. I found myself losing interest or being sidetracked because there seemed to be so much to do. But when I would take time to look at what I had already done, it encouraged me.


The Lord continued to bring to my mind the my need of daily renewal. Praise the Lord, I need not wait for a Spring season, nor until the weeds overtake me to be renewed. Sometimes I may even need cut back in order to produce fruit. And some days I may need to stop and look back and see what the Lord has done so that I may be encouraged to see how the Lord has worked in my garden.


PSALM 51

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

I like it when the Lord uses something like weed pulling to remind me of Him!

Turning 6!

I'm 6 tomorrow..........Yipee!

I can vividly remember that July evening as I waited for a dear friend, Julie at a local restaurant to celebrate her birthday. While I love my time I spend with her that particular night I was a little distracted. Just twenty minutes before I had taken an at home pregnancy test and realized that we would be adding another Yoder to our family in just 9 short months! I remember finally having to spill the beans to her as I could not contain myself. It certainly put a twist into our conversation as she looked just about as shocked as I felt.

We haven't looked back since! Eleonore Grace Yoder came into our lives exactly on her due date, waking me up at approximately 12:01 AM on April 6th. She was to be delivered by C-section that morning. But for all of you who know Ellie, that exciting labor experience was just the first of many lessons this precious child has brought to our lives. Ellie, as we like to call her, has been a bundle of energy and I like to think of her as "God's personal lessons wrapped up in a ball of fire"



With Kathryn and Julia we certainly had learned (and are still learning) the normal lessons of parenting, the things you would expect to learn as a parent. So we thought when we had Ellie, while it would be an adjustment, we were set and ready to go...you know...been there, done that! But Ellie's arrival for me was not about being able to flesh out my "awesome" parenting skills, but rather her presence in my life teaches me daily about who God is and more importantly my desperate need for Him! I really can't imagine what our family would be like without her! I can't imagine what I would be like without her.



THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MY ELLIE-BELLE!

~ You never are wondering how she is feeling. You could say that she wears her heart on her sleeve. It can be trying sometimes (like in the middle of church). But it has reminded me of the importance of the training of her heart. Being able to express yourself is a strength (that is what I tell myself anyway!) and I need to help her funnel that gift in the right direction!

~ I love it when she greets me after I have been gone (even just to the grocery store) or I especially love to watch her when Eric comes home from work. She makes you feel important. When you are greeted she uses the knock you down kind of hug!

~I love her laugh. It is contagious. You can not help but smile and usually laugh along with her.

~ Oh the drama! While it can get pretty dramatic here with three girls, I am referring to the dramatic productions that take place here regularly! Her biggest hopes is for Daddy to build that stage downstairs! It is all planned out, just hasn't come about yet. It is obvious that the child needs no stage to perform...just an audience or even a mirror!

~ I love the nicknames she has made up! Daddy is --Boochee Boy! Mine is --Momeroo! Her terms of endearment are usually followed by some big hug, or affirmation. She often looks at me and says, "Mom you are so beautiful!" Even though at times her words may not be affirming :0) she really does have a tender heart!

~ She is usually the first to say thank you or to notice something I have done. Recently when she came home from school she looked around and said, "Mom, you cleaned today. It looks really nice, thanks!"

~ Everyone LOVES to snuggle with this kid! She was born to snuggle! Whether it be in the morning, the evening or while I am cooking dinner. When we first were reunited with Eric after being apart for 6 months, she would look at him and say.."Stop what you're doing and come snuggle with me Boochie Boy!" Of course Daddy pretty much melts at the sound of that.

~ She is a prayer! Whatever prayer request I mention to her she is so faithful to remember each time I pray with her, or sometimes at dinner she will do an amendment to our prayer if someone left out something!

~ She exhausts herself trying to keep up with her sisters. While this can promote a little tension in her life, it is sweet to see how much she admires them. We always say she is a "big" girl in a little girl's body!

~ She likes to try and use big words. She doesn't always get them out right or use them properly. But it is a hoot! My recent fave was when she tried to tell me her sister was MANIPULATING her! It came out something like nipmanlating! She had to say it over and over before I realized what she was saying. Imagine...the QUEEN OF MANIPULATION not be able to say it right!

~She makes me enjoy the little things. I am convinced I didn't do that the first time around! She makes things like automatic hand dryers in public restrooms seem like the coolest thing in the world. Being that she is turning 6 (yikes!) I certainly am reminded of how quickly time goes!

~We make up games all the time. My favorite one is the question game. We just ask questions like What's your favorite color? food? etc. I always end it with "Why do I love you so much?" She usually tells me I love her because God tells me to love her! One time she asked me if I loved her even when she was bad. When I told her I did she asked me if God told me to do that too!

~ Probably the most conflicting thing I love about Ellie....and I say conflicting because it is not always my favorite thing!...is the way the Lord uses her in my life. It is no secret that the Lord uses our children to help us learn and grow. He has used and continues to use my three children to teach me many things about Himself and other important life lessons. But, I can not tell you how many times the Lord has used Ellie's actions (both the good and the bad) to speak directly into my heart...about me, about things I need to learn, about areas in which I need to grow. It is as if her purpose in my life was to teach me things I would have otherwise not been humbled enough to learn. That is why I call her my "God's personal lessons wrapped up in a ball of fire"



So, happy 6th birthday Ellie! We love you and can't imagine how boring our lives would be without you! You put the pep in our step and certainly add spark to our family!