Cultivate 2021

Six Month Update on my Word of the Year

It’s been 6 months since I chose a word for the year - cultivate. I decided 2021 was going to be a time to work on and develop what I’ve already been given as well as to prepare for what is coming. This is my mid-year update.

January began with unseasonably warm weather so the kids and I took advantage and spent plenty of days outdoors on playgrounds. We brought home a new kitten. We were in a serious accident where both my vehicle and the other driver's vehicle were totaled. God was gracious and, miraculously, there were no injuries! We all walked away from that scene extremely grateful. God used the accident to help me sharpen up my prayer life. I began to seek Him more faithfully each day, spending longer chunks of time in the secret place where He shows me I am under His favor, and He shields me with His kindness.

Zane with New Kitten, Willow

In February, I rested as much as possible. I was struggling with nausea and exhaustion from morning sickness. I read lots of books, and my kids practiced serving by preparing simple meals and folding more laundry than ever before. Psalm 9:10 became the focus of my thoughts each morning. It says, “Everyone who honors your name can trust you because you are faithful to all who depend on you.” Not feeling well coupled with thoughts about whether we can handle another child, believing our house is too small, our vehicle is too small, our bank account is too small…brought me back to what I know I can depend on - what God's Word actually says. It says He is faithful. Faithful to complete the work He started, faithful to take care of me and supply all of my needs, faithful to shine on me and give me peace. What wonderful reflections to train my mind!

In March, there was a broken arm incident. My poor darling girl was helping me with my

Ella's Broken Arm

renewed fervor for homesteading projects when she fell. Thankfully it healed properly and she wasn’t resentful about it. We brought home baby chicks and prepared our garden for planting. The joys of springtime filled me with vitality and thankfulness for what God has done in my life.

April brought me plenty of work. I was busy with preparations for parties, the lawn started to need mowing again, and we were working hard at homeschooling. I meditated on Proverbs 13:4 which says, “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.” I managed a weekend away with a good friend which did indeed supply my soul with riches I didn’t know I was craving. Cultivating friendship is such a meaningful part of life.

Felicity's Quinceanera

The month of May brought my oldest daughter’s Quinceañera. It’s a special celebration for her fifteenth birthday. We celebrated what we have cultivated in her and how she has grown and matured. It was a perfect evening with desserts and dancing and laughter. She is a beautiful young woman who loves Jesus. Her heart is pure and tender. It was a delight to watch her care for her guests and be humbly surprised at the love she was shown at the party. It was a night we won’t soon forget.

In June, my oldest child graduated from high school. It was such a fun day, watching him cross the stage in cap and gown, smile with his friends, and celebrate with family over great food and conversation.

Adrian in Cap and Gown

Someone asked me how I was doing emotionally with my son reaching this major milestone of life. I think that person expected me to say that I felt a little sad or melancholy, or perhaps was experiencing regret for the things I hadn’t said or taught him.

While those things may be a tiny bit true, what I really felt was a sense of normalcy. It felt very normal for my firstborn to turn 18, complete school, and look forward to new goals. It was satisfactory to know he reached the place in life where he can call

himself an adult and move to the next stage of independence.

Another friend asked me what I was doing to prepare him to go out into the world. It dawned on me I wasn’t just now beginning to prepare him - that’s what we’ve been doing for the past 18 years. All this time, through all the ups and downs of raising him, we were preparing for this moment. We were cultivating in his soul the maturity he needed to go out and face the world. We educated, disciplined, nourished, and protected him in a way in which he would be able to make decisions leaning on God rather than us. We encouraged his dreams, helped him refine his skills and manners, tended to his emotional needs, and cherished who he was amidst a small crowd of unique persons living in our household. We made many mistakes and learned to admit them and ask for forgiveness. We shed tears over his moments of weakness and rebellion, and prayed he would learn his lessons. We did our best to bolster a relationship with him where we could each be ourselves, able to laugh and enjoy being together. The days were long but the years were indeed short. Psalm 127:3 says, “Children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord.”

I won’t stop being his mother now but it is changing drastically. He has his own life, his own schedule, his own responsibilities of work and figuring the next stage for himself. But it helps

me see that purposeful cultivation is well worth it. And I still have plenty more to cultivate. In a matter of weeks, a new little life will be here and we will begin the journey all over again.

The first half of the year has been challenging at times and absolutely thrilling at others. The greatest treasure has been to cultivate my relationship with the Lord. I feel like my meetings with Him are sweeter than ever. He knows me and I know Him and there’s nothing I cherish more.