I had no idea when I wrote the last post on this blog what plans were in store for us Langfords. I jokingly said that the blog was not under construction, only our life. Well, as it turns out, I was right and wrong.
The entire year of 2012 was definitely one of renovations for our life. My husband’s job situation drastically changed, we added a new member to our family and a couple of new critters.
As it turns out, it was time for some blog remodeling as well. Actually, the renovations drove me to a whole new home.
Come join me in our new space in this new year and new chapter in our life as it continues Off the Paved Road.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Under Construction
Under construction again! No, not the blog, though it desperately needs it.
My life.
It hit me at about 6:30 this morning that we are in the middle of a major remodel around here. Long held rhythms and routines are being upset, torn out. Pieces of our life that we have held like warm blankets of security are being stripped away. We are left feeling bar, insecure, exposed and uncertain.
Some dear friends are in the middle of remodeling their house. Their home is beautiful and welcoming. It is a wonderful warm place that I have spent many hours cooking and enjoying wonderful fellowship. When my husband told me he was tearing out the hardwood floors in their dining room, I felt some sort of pain. I asked if the floors could be salvaged.
Isn’t that so like us to cling desperately to the old familiar with fists clenched tightly, unable to receive and make way for what is new, useful and expedient for this time in our lives.
Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Not a Fan
I usually don’t like to read the mainstream “it” book that everyone is reading. I like to find the books that no one else has even heard of and read them. However, back in January when I was buying my books to read for the first quarter of the year, a friend suggested the current “it” book, Not a Fan.
Of course, I turned my nose up at the thought of reading exactly what everyone else was reading at the moment, but found the book so easily accessible and inexpensive at the bookstore that I added it to my basket.
My stack of books was placed on my reading table in my bedroom beside my big fluffy chair and somehow, that particular book kept getting shuffled to the bottom of the stack.
For the last couple of weeks my husband and I have been in the process of making a decision that could have a huge impact on our lives and the lives of our children. In fact, we have been so consumed with this decision that many other things, like blogging, have taken a back seat to the processing and prayer of making this decision.
Finally, a couple of nights ago, I found myself looking for some “mind numbing” reading so, I pulled Not a Fan from the bottom of the stack. Surely it wouldn’t be so thought provoking that I would actually need to engage to read it.
Needless to say, I was wrong and I was consumed. God had totally used my own pride to position that book at the exact place I needed it…in the middle of this moment!
Two things the author said grabbed hold of me and have not let me go:
“Following Jesus always costs you something.”
“I have noticed that there is always a moment like this for believers. They are put in a position where they must decide between being a fan or a follower”
These statements rang true so true with me. I remembered a YouTube video I saw a while back called the Fellowship of the Unashamed. It says in part:
I have stepped over the line. I am a disciple of His.
I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.
I am finished with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed vision, mundane talking and dwarfed goals.
I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary or negotiate at the table of the enemy.
I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go until he comes, give till I drop, preach till all know and work till he stops me. And when He comes for his own, he will have no problems recognizing me. My banner will be clear!
I want to be an Unashamed Follower.
In the midst of all of this, a family of followers that we love dearly, the O’Learys, brought their 6th and 7th children home from Ghana, Africa. Someone made this video for them.
The song playing is called “I Saw What I Saw.”
I saw what I saw and I can't forget it
I heard what I heard and I can't go back
I know what I know and I can't deny it
something on the road, cut me to the soul
your pain has changed me
your dream inspires
your face a memory
your hope a fire
your courage asks me what I'm afraid of
and what I know of love
I say what I say with no hesitation
I have what I have but I'm giving it up
I do what I do with deep conviction
your courage asks me what I am made of
your courage asks me what I’m afraid of
and what I know of love
and what I know of god
I suppose that I have said all of this to say; when we look at our world and see suffering, hunger, orphaned children, and broken hearts and ask God what He would have us do, His answer is never “nothing.”
With knowledge comes responsibility.
Of course, I turned my nose up at the thought of reading exactly what everyone else was reading at the moment, but found the book so easily accessible and inexpensive at the bookstore that I added it to my basket.
My stack of books was placed on my reading table in my bedroom beside my big fluffy chair and somehow, that particular book kept getting shuffled to the bottom of the stack.
For the last couple of weeks my husband and I have been in the process of making a decision that could have a huge impact on our lives and the lives of our children. In fact, we have been so consumed with this decision that many other things, like blogging, have taken a back seat to the processing and prayer of making this decision.
Finally, a couple of nights ago, I found myself looking for some “mind numbing” reading so, I pulled Not a Fan from the bottom of the stack. Surely it wouldn’t be so thought provoking that I would actually need to engage to read it.
Needless to say, I was wrong and I was consumed. God had totally used my own pride to position that book at the exact place I needed it…in the middle of this moment!
Two things the author said grabbed hold of me and have not let me go:
“Following Jesus always costs you something.”
“I have noticed that there is always a moment like this for believers. They are put in a position where they must decide between being a fan or a follower”
These statements rang true so true with me. I remembered a YouTube video I saw a while back called the Fellowship of the Unashamed. It says in part:
I have stepped over the line. I am a disciple of His.
I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.
I am finished with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed vision, mundane talking and dwarfed goals.
I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary or negotiate at the table of the enemy.
I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go until he comes, give till I drop, preach till all know and work till he stops me. And when He comes for his own, he will have no problems recognizing me. My banner will be clear!
I want to be an Unashamed Follower.
In the midst of all of this, a family of followers that we love dearly, the O’Learys, brought their 6th and 7th children home from Ghana, Africa. Someone made this video for them.
The song playing is called “I Saw What I Saw.”
I saw what I saw and I can't forget it
I heard what I heard and I can't go back
I know what I know and I can't deny it
something on the road, cut me to the soul
your pain has changed me
your dream inspires
your face a memory
your hope a fire
your courage asks me what I'm afraid of
and what I know of love
I say what I say with no hesitation
I have what I have but I'm giving it up
I do what I do with deep conviction
your courage asks me what I am made of
your courage asks me what I’m afraid of
and what I know of love
and what I know of god
I suppose that I have said all of this to say; when we look at our world and see suffering, hunger, orphaned children, and broken hearts and ask God what He would have us do, His answer is never “nothing.”
With knowledge comes responsibility.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Gratitude List
Living a life of gratitude...
#19 smell of toasting grains
#20 the first moment that a prodigal turns back toward home
#21 boys becoming young men
#22 old verses taking on new meaning
#23 bible pages wrinkled from the moisture of tears
#24 Rooster tails changing color in the sun
#25 smell of hay
#26 6 year old rocking to sleep
#27 unexpected moments of quiet
#28 wagons of hay
#29 the look in thier eyes when they really "get it"
#30 confidence in a Daddy voice
#31 goodnight prayers
#32 the logic of a child
#33 church family
#34 love notes from little girls
#35 little boys feeding chickens
#36 spontaneous worship with friends
#37 children waking with worship in thier hearts and praise on thier lips
#38 beautiful rainbow families
#39 God plans, unexpected roads in life
#19 smell of toasting grains
#20 the first moment that a prodigal turns back toward home
#21 boys becoming young men
#22 old verses taking on new meaning
#23 bible pages wrinkled from the moisture of tears
#24 Rooster tails changing color in the sun
#25 smell of hay
#26 6 year old rocking to sleep
#27 unexpected moments of quiet
#28 wagons of hay
#29 the look in thier eyes when they really "get it"
#30 confidence in a Daddy voice
#31 goodnight prayers
#32 the logic of a child
#33 church family
#34 love notes from little girls
#35 little boys feeding chickens
#36 spontaneous worship with friends
#37 children waking with worship in thier hearts and praise on thier lips
#38 beautiful rainbow families
#39 God plans, unexpected roads in life
Tea Time
Last Saturday I got to spend some special time with my girls...having a tea party. Those who know me know that I am not a girly-girl. Tea parties are far outside my realm of expertise.
Being the advocate of biblical femininity that I am, you may wonder how I can not be girly. Though girliness and femininity can and often do go hand-in-hand, I believe there is a difference in the two.
My daughters are not only feminine but very girly. So, I am striving to create times and activities for us to be girly together. Last weekend's tea party was my latest attempt.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Going Bananas
I love the produce guys in our local Ingle's grocery store. After bananas have been on the shelf for a couple of days, they bag them up in these great bags and sell the entire bag for $1.49. This is an especially good deal considering that bananas usually cost around $0.59 per pound and this bag is usually between 5 and 6 pounds of bananas.
Whenever I find these bags of treasure sitting out in the produce section, I grab them all!
The bags sit on my counter for a couple of days as the bananas are usually still a bit green and quite suitable for eating. After the green is gone from the stems, I peel and freeze all but one bag. I put three bananas to one quart freezer bag because this the the amount needed to make our favorite banana bread. This is also the amount we use in a family size run of smoothie mix.
The one remaining bag of bananas sits on the counter for a few more days and is slowly used in banana bread and banana muffins. Yum!!
Whenever I find these bags of treasure sitting out in the produce section, I grab them all!
The bags sit on my counter for a couple of days as the bananas are usually still a bit green and quite suitable for eating. After the green is gone from the stems, I peel and freeze all but one bag. I put three bananas to one quart freezer bag because this the the amount needed to make our favorite banana bread. This is also the amount we use in a family size run of smoothie mix.
The one remaining bag of bananas sits on the counter for a few more days and is slowly used in banana bread and banana muffins. Yum!!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Homeschool Valentine
What an awesome opportunity to thank all of the other homeschool blogger moms out there who have encouraged me for the past couple of years.
For a long time we were the only homeschooling family in our church and until we found our current homeschool co-op, we knew very few other families in our area. The only homeschooling contacts I had were online.
Over the years I have gleaned everything from curriculum advice to moral support from some of the greatest moms out there.
You all have been the jelly in my peanut butter homeschool sandwich and the chocolate chips in the cookies of my homeschooling days!
Thank you all so much and Happy Valentines Day!!
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