Teaching that we're here to serve

Around here we believe in our boys working and working hard.

Three out of our four boys have jobs that put a little jingle in their pocket.

Tucker,14, cuts grass and weed eats.He takes care of all of our animals on the

farm, orders chickens, and is in charge of the feed for the rest of the animals.

Alot rests on his ability to be responsible.We taught him these things and

we expect him to be a working asset to our family.

When he does things for our farm he does not get paid. We have the

mind set that if you live here you do your part.He has a side job of

mowing grass and yard work in which he gets paid. This week he has been

bartering with family friends.Our friend Brock Ray (who has a hunting

radio show and hunting DVDs) is having a Videography school in which

men from all across the nation come and learn from the best how

to have their own video business.It's 5 days of intense learning and Tucker

is doing yard work for Brock in exchange for the classes.

He is being taught lighting, how to video weddings and anything outdoors.

They teach him how to start a business from the ground up.

This is huge for a 14 year old guy.The Lord has given Tucker a unique love for cameras

and electronics. We stress the importance of Tucker having

a job that will allow him to be at home with his family as much as possible and have him learning things that he can pass down to his children.

So this is an opportunity that the Lord has given Tucker

to put him on a path of providing for his family.

Cooper is eight.We expect Cooper to work hard and he does.

He helped his dad cement fence post just this

past weekend.He loves getting dirty and he loves working

along side his dad.His brother is teaching him about the farm

and the jobs that will be passed down to him.

He has a small rabbit manure business in which

he sells buckets of manure for 5 dollars.

(In case you didn't know, rabbit manure is incredible

for your garden.)

Cullen is five.

He has a small money making job of gathering eggs for his grandmother and walking them 1/2 mile to her house. Cullen is in the early part of his training but he is learning from his brothers

that this is just a way of life.

Every Friday Scott takes a different child to work with him for half of a day.He starts with the oldest and works his way down to the youngest.They have to carry bags for him and learn to talk to the customers. This is not always very convenient for Scott but he is determined to have the kids with him as much as possible. Teaching them any chance he gets that Men have to work.They have to be about the business of taking care of their families.

We say this to them over and over and over.

One of my favorite things to ask Cullen

is "Cullen, why are you here?"

I'm here to serve mom!

It's our job as parents to equip them with the tools to do this job well.We are all here to serve.
My boys need to be taught that, Lord willing, they will have a wife one day and children

who will need them to provide for them.

The boys aren't the only ones who

have an extra job.

Taylor, our (almost!)17 year old, works

for her dad two days a week by

calling his customers and taking orders

over the phone. She is learning

to bless her father by honoring him as she

talks to his customers.

We are teaching her that someday she will

honor her husband and work for him..

We as parents have to be diligent in finding ways

for our children to learn to work and work with

the attitude of service.

The things we are doing with our children

were not set in our lap, we sought these things out

intentionally and made sacrifices to make them happen.

This is not always an easy road.

We are constantly training our children

in attitude and disciplining them when needed.

Our children have to see us work hard

and be about our work with a good attitude.

They will not learn to serve well if

we are not serving well..(ask me how I know this)

A day in the life of my table

My table holds my best friend and her family

My table holds good conversations

from a couple that calls Australia

their home.

(Thanks John and Katie

for joining us for dinner.)

My son and his school work


My table holds puzzles and drawing pads
and a little girl who
loves to do both.


My table holds my clean clothes
and my fruit
and my fresh flowers
that my dear beloved
brings home.

The last minutes of the day
my table holds the
remaining amount of warmness
the sun has to offer.
It holds the memories of
our family. It holds many secrets from
the outside world and my table
has found a very fond place in
my heart!

A few of my favorite memories from this weekend

Our first Easter with the girls

Channie and Cullen

goofing around

I loved Cullen's look..

Now we got it right..

Taylor and Jo (her favorite):)

Our Anniversary dinner made by our children

Spaghetti kisses

Tucker working on Mama's fence.

Cooper riding the 4-wheeler

Lots of memories in one weekend!

What they didn't know then...

Today 18 years ago two people were united in holy matrimony.

They were married, stating the vow "for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health". They didn't know it then, but their life together was going to make a difference.

Their life, together, was going to be an example of Christ to all those whom they met.

They didn't know it then but their life together was going to defy their history, to rebel against everything they had been taught about marriage and family.

They didn't know it then.

But they know it now.

These two people are my parents.

Two people who's love for each other is vast and immeasurable. It sometimes seems like an ocean, never running dry; even when their times together are few and far between it still is full, the waves of it overlapping on the shore and spraying off onto us.

Their lives daily paint a picture of Christ and His bride. Daddy by loving Mama in the sweetest of ways. Not just flowers and token gifts but real love. Love that shines out of him and makes all who see them together know that they are in love. Love that comes home from a long day at work and sees the brown eyes that hold so much admiration, respect, and honor that stresses from the outside world visibly melt away when he hugs her and breathes in her hair and tells her that she is beautiful. Love that is there when she needs him to be, holding her hand and praying with her and washing her in the word. Love that knows how to make her feel precious.

Mama's love towards Daddy is one that I hope I can come close to one day. She is continually giving of herself for him. Submitting herself to his path for our family. I watch her as she greets him in the morning and night, Her love for him glowing out of her. She is constantly trying to better herself as a wife for his sake, making improvements in areas that I think she could not be any better in. She is a true proverbs 31 woman. At night, just before he gets home, she goes and dresses herself, fixing her make-up and hair just so. for him. She has this smile, this sweet, head tilting smile, that I know is his smile. The one she uses just for him.

She respects him, deeply, her love being a fruit that comes from that seed, and the seed taking root in Christ, her first love.

She is constantly showing me what a wife truly is.

Together, they could do anything.

They could have a vision that goes so much further than themselves, reaching to future generations to come, generations that they will never see in this life.

and they do.

They could go through numerous hardships and come out walking closer than ever, hand in hand, with each other and with their Saviour.

and they have.

They could rescue a dying child from a third world country and bring him back to a loving, Christian home.

and they did.

They could set themselves aside on a daily (minutely!) basis and pour themselves out onto us, their kids; guiding us and training us and keeping us on the path of the Lord.

and they do.

So many people say of couples who have been married for multiple years "They've had a happy marriage" and I say that my parents have had so much more than just happiness. They have had almost two decades of adventure of the truest kind. Adventures that lead you to places on a map that don't exist. Adventures that take you up the highest of mountains and down to low valleys. Yes, my parents have had so much more than just happiness and I think that their life as they see it now is much more than they could have ever asked for then.

So, today I would like to wish my parents a very, happy anniversary and many more loving years to come.

We love you!!

~Taylor for all of the White kids

The green house effect.

In a green house a seed is planted.

It's nurtured under the right temperature.

It's given the correct amount of light.

Until the seed cover pops off and

out burst a tiny plant.

Healthy, strong, and growing

under the direct influence of the house it's in.

The only problem is the greenhouse

has not prepared the tiny plant for

adversity.

In our community I see so many

kids, my own included, that are raised

in green house conditions.

Perfect amount of schooling,

Perfect amount of socializing,

Perfect amount of church,

perfect amount of friends and only

"like minded" friends.

We pay for our kids to go to the best

violin teachers, piano teachers, voice teachers...

Then they will, Lord willing, get

married to someone who has been raised in

the green house down the road under the same

perfect conditions.

They start their own green house and are happy.

Of course they're happy.

Their whole life has been about them being

comfortable in their green house.

My heart breaks when I think about

all the trouble we go through raising our kids in the

right conditions, teaching them bible verses,

making sure they learn all the right truths,

but..

They never feel inclined to make a difference in

the world.

Sometimes it's a lack of passion,

Sometimes it's a lack of knowledge that

there is a lost and dying world right outside

their safe green house but more often

it's our fault as parents.

We are passing down our laziness.

(The sins of the father)

We struggle to live out our faith and so

our kids will struggle.

Yes, they will thrive

in our greenhouse and most of them will pass down a

great greenhouse life to their children but

we have to pass down a love for all of God's people.

We have to be willing to stand with our children and help

a lost world.

We have to pass down a passion for the orphans of this world,

the homeless, the widows. Yes, we have

to grow strong plants for the next generation but we cannot

forget the passion of Christ. Teaching our children

to love children and to love being keepers at home

is what I'm about but I also want them to be about

the orphans and the needy

that are not growing in a green house. I can only teach that

when I come out of the greenhouse and go with my

children to the battle field.

It's all in vain if we raise up an army and our

army is never sent to the battlefield only to the

green house next door.

I wonder...

I wonder

how

I send him out every morning

clean and put together.

Every morning

30 minutes

later he comes in

dirty and happy.

I wonder how sending

a three year old into

the babies room can

have him coming out looking like this.

It makes no difference to me.

Clean or dirty I'm just

glad he's happy.

I'm thankful for his words that

have finally found their way here

after two years.

The words that I thought would never

come are living amongst us now.

Words like:

"mama said to share"

"I love you mama"

"I sleep in your floor?"

The victory of his words,

bringing Glory to my Father.

Welcome Home,

Jo's words

we're so glad you're here.

I love finding him..

I love finding him.

Walking around in my day

and I find him

in boxes,

cubbie holes,

and linen closets.

He's usually writing, coloring or drawing

me a special picture.

It's usually pictures

of his thoughts.

His dog,

His brother,

His love,

He sketches his thoughts

that

I love to interrupt.

I could write a book
of his thoughts.
So simple is his
love. So very real
the things he puts
to paper.
He loves big (like
his daddy).
I love not knowing where
I'll find him at today but I know
wherever he is, he is
deep in thought.
He's just that way!

Nothing is common...

God is glorified everywhere

in your everyday life.

Thanking the Lord for a sweet Gift

Happy Birthday

Channie Mae

She is regarded around here as a princess.

That's her daddies fault.

He adores his little "flower" and

he makes sure all the rough and tough brothers

knows if they make her cry they answer

to him..

They are gentle with her in a way

that makes me smile though and makes

me wonder why all little sisters

are not regarded as the gifts they should be.

Brothers growing up

just knowing

that

girls are special.

Makes me wonder why all daddies

don't take the time to make

sure all little girls know

that they are a priceless gift.

Living in a large family doesn't

stop my man

from making sure

all the girls in his life know

he adores them and treasures them.

The true gift lies years from now

when my little men grow up and have

wives and daughters of their own one day.

When our little Channie Mae

grows up searching out a husband

who loves her as much as her daddy

and brothers love her

and when she finds him

the gift will be passed down.

The gift we give her on her birthday is small in

comparison to the gift she has been given from her

Heavenly Father.

Life.

Protection.

Mercy.

An earthly father who adores her,

Four wonderful brothers,

Three loving sisters,

and a mom who for the life

of me wonders how

the Lord can be so kind.

Living out the kindness of

the Lord.

2010....

Lessons from the farm:

When you live in the country

you find ways to barter

with your friends and neighbors.

We have friends who

needed a rooster

so we bartered

for their fresh

sorghum.

Great trade but..

We have to catch our end

of the deal..



and it was not easy




Gray was not going to go

willingly

In the end our guys

caught the big gray

rooster..

He's going to a new home

and we have fresh homemade

Sorghum.

I love bartering

but

remember this:

Running down a rooster

is hard work.

Give Me Your eyes for just one second

Give me Your heart for

the ones forgotten.

Give me Your eyes

so I can see what I'm missing.

Give me Your arms

for the broken hearted.

I want to see the world

through Your eyes Lord.