County Fair

One of my favorite times of the year growing up was fair time.  Seriously, what could be more fun than being at the fairgrounds for hours on end, showing animals, winning prizes, and hoping beyond hope that you'll make some good money in return for all of your hard work.  It was a rewarding time where hard work payed off.  Nate hasn't been able to take part in any fairs as a contestant, but he is able to experience the magic of the county fair.  The small home town feel and eager anticipation of watching the cowboy's stunts brought a sparkle to this little boy's eye as he jumped out of the pickup Saturday night.

The End of Summer

I look ahead and see that summer is coming to an end.  I can't say I'm sad, but there is a melancholiness to the end of things.  Having two college students home for fall semester is fun.  Of course, Nate is here (age 10).  We're all getting re-aquainted and used to living together.  These two kids of ours are breaking away.  Our conversations center around challenging them to live Biblically, business entrepreneurship, relationships, future plans, marriage.  Conversations with Nate are all about honoring Christ in his deeds, small jobs he can do to earn a buck, how to treat others respectfully, what he needs to accomplish today, and friends.  Hmmmm...not so different are they?  I am always getting this feeling that things don't ever really change.  Marriage (loving and serving my soul mate), mothering (getting each child through the in's and out's of life,  homemaking (creating a clean, comfortable environment to do all the above), and desiring to do it all in a way that glorifies God and not me, is what my life is made of.  Things don't change much over time.  The process starts over again with the grandchildren....yes Lord, this makes me happy.  This is contentment to me. Summer coming to an end? That's nice.

Nate and Lisa at The Battleship of Texas, Houston, Texas

Fall Gardening (in August)

We spent our morning in our own "Mr. McGregor's Garden."  The dogs, Joseph, my Mom, and I worked hard in the morning (which was swiftly turning to hot day) to dig up the last of the summer garden and quickly work up the soil and fertilize it with our very own compost.  I kept having flashbacks from old golden books Mom used to read to us about kids doing gardening throughout the summer, rabbits handling big hoes, and the farmers who harvested much food for the winter.   Boy is it fun to do it yourself though!  I think any food that comes out of there over the next few months will taste 100% better after this morning's work :)

Our autumn garden begun.  Tomatoes and cucumbers planted.  We'll definitely be adding potatoes, lettuce, and spinach in the coming weeks :)

Our new friends in Kiev, Ukraine.  

Our Summer Adventure

There are many ways to have a bit of adventure in the summer.  Lots of Texans head for the beach for a few days.  Some head to milder climates or overseas for a little culture.  We are heading for a park on the Medina River tomorrow to picnic with the family and swim.  But, our real news is that Charity and I are heading around the world to do ministry.  We'll fill you in when we get back, but suffice it to say now that we are anticipating some major culture shock. We are also expecting harder living conditions than we are used to.  There is even some fear of what we may encounter.  Today, I resolve to think on what I do know about God.  He has given light, and I can use that light for good...and for the gospel.  That is my choice today.

"Instead of complaining that you have no more light, make good use of what you have.
Many groan over their inabilities, and yet they have never gone to the end of their
abilities: this is sheer hypocrisy." Charles Hadden Spurgeon  

                                                I pray we will go to the end of our abilities...

My Little Cowboy Nate

We have great neighbors!  They are the most precious family.   Texans from the "get go,"  they don't only put up with Nate but enjoy having him over to ride horses.  Of course, he thinks this is about the best way to spend a day.  I just received this darling picture from them.  Funny thing, after raising 4 kids who begged to ride horses (which we didn't own)....now #5 gets to just bounce over the fence and ride into the sunset (well something like that).

Comfort

Some days are just harder than others. Misunderstandings between friends or loved ones take away the peaceful calm that my heart yearns for. I sit down to try to make my heart happy in God, and He meets me where I am.  How long will I struggle with sin and pride and selfishness?  His calm reasuring answer? Until you arrive in "that paradise-land which is my true inheritance" quoted here from Valley of Vision.

"Thou art the blessed God, happy in Thyself, source of happiness in Thy creatures, my maker, benefactor, proprietor, upholder. Thou hast produced and sustained me, supported and indulged me, saved and kept me; Thou art in every situation able to meet my needs and miseries.

May I live by Thee, live for Thee, never be satisfied with my Christian progress but as I resemble Christ; and may conformity to His principles, temper, and conduct grow hourly in my life. Let Thy unexampled love constrain me into holy obedience, and render my duty my delight. If others deem my faith folly, my meekness infirmity, my zeal madness, my hope delusion, my actions hypocrisy, may I rejoice to suffer for Thy name.

Keep me walking steadfastly towards the country of everlasting delights, that paradise-land which is my true inheritance. Support me by the strength of heaven that I may never turn back, or desire false pleasures that will disappear into nothing. As I pursue my heavenly journey by Thy grace let me be known as a man (woman) with no aim but that of a burning desire for Thee, and the good and salvation of my fellow men."

                                                                                                            

Admonish the young women to be homemakers . . .

Last night, my mom "admonished me to be a homemaker" as it says in Titus 2.  But it wasn't in the way you'd normally expect . . .

The broken faucet in the kitchen sink was an untimely problem added to this busy week.  Left as the only one who had any time last night to do it, I was asked to think about trying to fix it myself.  Home Economics - Family and Consumer Sciences taught me many things, but it failed to teach me this.  Thanks to google, the pictures on the instructions, and a little compare/contrast of old and new it all turned out ok.  Nate made sure to provide some pictures for me to share.

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

An Update on Mr. McGregor's Garden

My Beautiful Tomatoes! 

Let's Pretend

Joseph and I used to pretend all the time.  I remember growing up, one of the most popular phrases coming out of either of our mouths was "let's pretend that . . ."  We'd pretend that we were cowboys, soldiers, firemen, pioneers, veterinarians, pirates and so forth.  One of our favorite things to do was to take all the blankets we could get a hold of and set up the dining room chairs, table, couches or whatever else we could convince mom to let us use and make a tent/house.  It was grand fun!

The other day we went for a picnic and got stuck in a rain storm.  We got to "let's pretend" for real this time!

What are you able to build with your blocks?
Castles and palaces, temples and docks.

Rain may keep raining, and others go roam,

But I can be happy and building at home.

Let the sofa be mountains, the carpet be sea,

There I’ll establish a city for me:

A kirk and a mill and a palace beside,

And a harbour as well where my vessels may ride.

Great is the palace with pillar and wall,

A sort of a tower on the top of it all,

And steps coming down in an orderly way

To where my toy vessels lie safe in the bay.

This one is sailing and that one is moored:

Hark to the song of the sailors aboard!

And see, on the steps of my palace, the kings

Coming and going with presents and things!

Now I have done with it, down let it go!

All in a moment the town is laid low.

Block upon block lying scattered and free,

What is there left of my town by the sea?

Yet as I saw it, I see it again,

The kirk and the palace, the ships and the men,

And as long as I live and where’er I may be,

I’ll always remember my town by the sea.

Block City by Robert Louis Stevenson

Floods and Gentleness

I don't think this has ever happened to me before. I have had the entire weekend to myself.  It's just a very quiet house, 2 dogs, 1 cat, Jesus, and me. San Antonio and the surrounding areas (where we live) are experiencing flash flooding conditions. The family is scattered all over the country today, and I'm staying home from church. Like I said, this kind of quiet is unheard of, unexperienced, not understood by me.  But...nice, very nice.

I will livestream our church service later this morning, but while I enjoyed my morning coffee I listened to a sermon on Titus 3 by Mark Zhakevich, Charity's shepherd in CA.  I was especially touched by his teaching on gentleness. Everyone we interact with should experience gentleness from us if we call ourselves Christian. Too often, this is not what I do. I don't take the time to be gentle. My type A personality can be demanding, harsh. I need gentleness.  There should be no restrictions on my gentleness.  It is for everyone, believer and non believer. As I teach, relate, work, nurture others...I am to be gentle.

Gentleness takes time. Gentleness takes patience. I have to slow down enough to think about what I am saying and how I should say it. It is not natural, it is only through the Holy Spirit that I learn this fruit.

The best thing of all I quote from Pastor Zhakevich: "People will be attracted to your faith as they watch your gentleness to one another." yes! that's what I want! Make me gentle, Lord Jesus.

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." Colossians 3:12,13 ESV

May 25, 2013 San Antonio

Schools out, schools out, teacher let the mules out . . .

I was at the mall yesterday with a couple of sweet friends having a wonderful time.  The funny looks we received, the fun we were having, and the smiles from some braver passerby's reminded me of this quote by C.S. Lewis:  

"Critics who treat adult as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly.When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up."

Letters from Nate

One of my favorite things in the world is getting a letter from Nate.  I found this under a bunch of papers about a week after my mom and Nate left back to Texas.  Sweet surprise :)  Love you too Natey boy.

Family Sunday Dinner

I'm thankful for our family this Sunday....the joy of my life.

Little Cow Pokes Western Shoot

Bonanza - NaturallyPhotography from Charity Jacobson on Vimeo.

This slideshow has an old vintage song to go with it, so I hope your sound works!  ;)  Sorry, the resolution on the slide show is not high-def, but the boys cute personalities shine through anyway.  :) The boys had a grand time playing cowboys last week up in Blanco... for OP's birthday we did a special photo shoot.  :) I own a small business as a photography boutique, and if you would like to see or follow the adventures and misadventures of all of the Bueno family (Mary Beth, the kiddos, and Mario) as well as some fun photo shoots for clients, please stop by my blog, too!  Mary Beth (Jacobson) Bueno Naturally Photography Blog If you happen to do the facebook thing, you can also add/like me to your newsfeed ;): Naturally Photography on Facebook