Looking forward.

Grant and I have been in the "waiting place" with the sale of our shop for the best part of two years now.

We have decided once and for all, if it was God's plan for us to sell it would have happened.  It is not a viable or desirable way to run a business "on hold".  A business like ours needs to continue to develop, to evolve and grow.  With this waiting we have been hesitant to spend money on it, as it would be a waste of our resources to invest and build something we would never get to benefit from.  

So with a heavy heart I rang the real estate fellow, and informed him at the close of the next weeks business week, it will be officially taken off the market and we will commit to another 5 years to building it, growing it.  Unless a miracle occurs next week of course! 

We have decided as a family not to buy small acreage at this point, as it is time, money and energy we will need to invest into the business.  We will instead, finish renovating this house and move closer to our shop, so we can spend as much time together as a family.  We will keep veggies and chooks still, and continue to develop Grants bugs business.  We hope to go deeper into our simple living journey, and that being further away from a large town will facilitate a slower, more intentional lifestyle.  We have been weighing up the pros and cons of staying vs moving in this decision.  And have tossed and turned throughout the various options as will show in the last few weeks of my blog!  But I want this blog to be a real account of how we live our lives.  An honest account, and some decisions are difficult to make, and that's OK.  This too-ing and fro-ing shows we plan things, think things through.  That we weigh them up and also that we embrace change. 

The boys will be able to walk down and spend time with Grant, we will be able to buy a house with a little more room to spread out in, and maybe even grow in for the same amount of mortgage we have where we are.  It is a country town, it is wider there, quieter there.  More our pace, it is simpler in many ways.  We will be living and working in the town, which feels right.  The boys will remain in the same school as it is only 20 minutes out of town.  A christian education is important to us and we really love the school they are in.     

We are going to enjoy going away in our little old van, taking the boys camping in cheap/free camping grounds.  We are a family that loves to be together.  So this is our focus going forward.

Much love,
Em
xx 

Contentedness and how to find it.

For the last few weeks I have been struggling with feeling dis-content.  Its not that I see our lives as needing more - our life is infact beautiful and Im very blessed!  Its just we are STILL witing on word about the shop sale.  We have been sitting in this awkward waiting place for this entire year so far. 

Funnily enough the book that comes to mind with all this waiting has been my sons book "Oh, the places you'll go!" by Dr Seuss...

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles cross weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...
...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or the waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

.............................................................
NO!
That's not for you!
Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying
You'll find the bright places

where Boom Bands are playing.

Ahh, waiting.  The people say they are very serious about buying our business, they are talking to lawyers regarding the business partnership, they say they want to pay full price.  There are many things that sound hopeful but the reality is we are still waiting.  The truth is a "maybe" means very little.  Even a "yes" in business means very little until everything is signed, things have called off and the contract is finished.  

But throughout this last few weeks I have been trying to search for that feeling of contentedness everywhere!  In scripture, in our friendships, in prayer, in sewing, in family and love and company of my family and friends.

And it dawned on me contentedness requires DISCIPLINE.  We are not content from the things we do in our life, thought they may help keep us focused.  But we are content because we decide to be and then we need to have the discipline to stick to it.  Sure enough slowly, slowly the feeling of contentedness has been creeping back into my heart.

Its not enough just to do simple things, because unless your heart is in the right place the simple things are no better for you in then the complex things.  For me I believe it is in the process of the simple things, the way in which they force us to change our thinking, the way in which the activity forces us to slow down and stop rushing, which is so good for our souls.  But even then we still have to choose to be content in our hearts.

Its easy to let dis-content slip in, but harder to push it out.  A little like money I guess.  It is hard to earn but easy to spend!  If we don't seal the plug, we can find ourselves working hard and an empty bank with nothing to show for it. 
 
Today the sun is shining outside, I have been busy working on some dolls the last two weeks and I have spent some time with a few of my very favorite people in the last few weeks.  My heart feels rested, and at ease.  Today we are getting stuck into beginning the structural elements of our giant veggie patch and garden re-design.  It will take us a while but I am excited to be starting,  The promise of spring and longer, warmer days around the corner always excite me! 

Anyway, the day is calling so I will leave you with a short piece of scripture that I find helpful to keep in mind.

Much love!

xx