Generosity in Scarcity

Guys, I need to talk to you about Jonas for a second.  Here is one example of what I really love about Jonas.

 Last Wednesday, Jonas lost his job.  Now, we've been here before (the 22 months of unemployment between Layla and Finn, for example, and the many other *gaps* in between contract jobs ending and starting, etc.).  While we wish this didn't happen, this is not life shattering and earth-moving.  We have been here enough times to now rest a bit easier that God HAS always provided for us, and he will always be with us, no matter what might happen financially in our lives. 

So, losing the job was not fun, but Jonas set to work diligently looking for a new job.  2 days after he lost his job he comes home to tell me a little story.  (Keep in mind:  my type-A, practical mindset automatically goes into "financial lock down" mode when we enter these times in life, right?  I can be talked out of it with a really good argument, but it's not where my starting point is for sure).  As Jonas was driving to do some errands that day he sees a guy on the side of the road, a guy see regularly trying to hitch-hike from around our house, heading north.  This day, Jonas stopped and picked him up.  He chatted with him and drove him 45 minutes north, out of his way for sure, so he could quickly make a bus in order to see his mother in a nursing home in Fargo.  Jonas bought him a meal, and then bought his bus ticket for him.  As he was telling me this story, you could see how happy Jonas was by how this all went.  There was a tangible need, and he was able to fill it.

I can't tell you how much I love that this response ("How can I give?  What is needed of me?") is the FIRST response Jonas has, even in the midst of unknown and financial stress for us.  It's so good for me, because while it's not often my initial response, I can get behind it so quickly when I see these actions done in real faith and joy.  This was not a chore for Jonas.  This was not a pain, something he made himself do because he still "needed" to act in faith.  Nope.  This was just Jonas doing life, being generous, putting first what mattered most.  This made him happy to do.

I was listening to a podcast by Timothy Keller today called "Generosity in Scarcity" and I was *yes-ing* and *amen-ing* all over that sermon as I was driving alone in the car.  Take a listen, if you like.  I think it was about 10 minutes in before I started getting vocal...haha. 

http://www.gospelinlife.com/generosity-in-scarcity-6023

This podcast brought back to mind the story above, so I wanted to share it, along with one other one.  

At this last job, 2X a year, Jonas had a month where he got an extra paycheck.  (At least, that's how things worked at his recently-ended job...but we only made it to one of those extra paycheck months).  Now, that's a big deal, right?  That's a lot of money!  There are a lot of ways we could throw that money right back into us, and our lives (vacations, stuff we want, paying down our mortgage maybe...so many options), and even pat ourselves on the back for being financially smart in doing so.  This spring, right before he got that extra paycheck, a call was put out in our church for a friend there who had lost his job due to serious back injuries, and disability would not kick in soon enough to stop mortgage problems.  So, to be clear...these friends might have lost their home due to no fault of their own, and we were working with extra cash.  There was no question as to what would happen.  Jonas signed over the entire amount to this friend, gladly, willingly...so thankful that God was able to use us to provide in that way.

As a wife, I can not TELL you how happy this makes me.  Jonas and I have different thoughts on many other topics in life, but being united on this one is endlessly helpful and reassuring to me.  I'm so grateful for a husband who does not think he is the ruler of his own life.  He does not think all of his money and all of his stuff and all of his time belong to HIM.  He knows where his gifts, talents, and health came from, and no matter how hard he works for what he *earns*, he still sees all of life as the true gift it is from God.  Guys!!!  This is PRICELESS!  Jonas is not about amassing as much wealth for himself as he can, doing all the fun entertaining stuff with *his* money in life, and then dying with it all still safely protected away from the undeserving people who might take it from him.  No, Ma'am.  Not our life goals, thank God!  

So, shout-out to my impressively generous, unemployed husband!  I'm not worried about the future right now.  I know what God has promised to those who are generous.  The best part about this most recent story, to me, is that Jonas gave out of scarcity, and that he delighted in doing so.  This was not all of the extra, leftover, that he decided he could give and still maintain whatever lifestyle he wanted to live.  Nope, this was a first-fruits action, given out of scarcity.  Those are the best.  

I'm so glad to be married to this guy.  :)

First Day(s)!

Monday, September 11th, was our first official day of school.  We could have gone back the day after Labor Day, like the rest of the state...but...it was a kind of full week, so why add on so much, right?  Haha.  :)

So Monday was our first official day of homeschool for Finn and Layla, and preschool for Cora, BUT it wasn't a normal day.  Finn and Layla had a field trip planned already through Base Camp at Fort Snelling.  Once a month they have homeschool days, the the kids go and spend all day there doing things like building fires outside, building shelters outside, orienteering, rock climbing, archery, group games, etc.  So, day 1:  off with a bang, right??

Here was Cora walking into school on the first day of preschool.  She loved it, of course, and I got lots of giggles out of hearing her play by herself (since Layla and Finn didn't get home until after 4:00) for the rest of the day and role play some of the things she learned at preschool.  Too cute.

This child KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS.  Her first day out fit was all her, 100%.  

 After preschool Jonas took Cora to our park down by the lake for some running around time...

I asked Jonas to take some pictures before he left with the kids from Base Camp, so here they are.  Outside their main building, and then doing two of the last activities of the day:  archery and climbing.  (It was 84 degrees for the high on this day, September 11th.  It's a high of 87 today.  Enough now, summer.  Let it go.  Fall is here.  Leave gracefully.  No one wants to run their AC units in the fall. Everyone wants to wear their tall boots and sweaters and make soup now.  Be gone already.)

Finn discussing the finer points of shooting with a new friend...

So that was our official first full day around here....and it was so QUIET, haha!  When there is honestly no one else to entertain her, Cora has to find something to do...and sometimes she even DOES.  So odd.  It was a great first day for everyone.

Today, Wednesday the 13th, was our first official day of "book work" for homeschool with Layla and Finn.  I'm only going to do hard core book work 3 days a week, M/W/F, while Cora is in school.  Then on T/Th we're going to do all of the things that people *say* are just as important as book work, but rarely follow that statement up with  the dedication of their time.  So, I'm making a conscious effort to value the learning that takes place outside of the wall of my home, or outside traditional expectations for little kids.  This takes a little bit of un-learning on my part, as I'm a type-A rule follower to a T, but I'm learning.  And trying.  At least I'm trying, right?  Haha.  

Today was a really good first day at home with Layla and Finn...we got through a LOT of subjects in our dedicated 2.5 hours!  And I even managed to take pictures...for our second day.  Sigh.  SO CLOSE.  :)

SO CLASSIC.

I did not ask for this pose...this is NATURAL FINN...haha.

Getting ready! Preschool starts next week.

So folks, Little Miss Cora starts Pre-K next week!  She had her "preview" day yesterday, so she and I spent 1.5 hours there doing a mock run through of some of the fun things she'll get to do at preschool.

I'll be honest:  I chose her preschool based on the fact that it is 6 minutes from our home, and offered 3 mornings a week for 3-year-olds (most only offer 2 for 3-year-olds, then 3 for 4 and up).  I didn't even go look at it before I signed her up...haha.  It's preschool, right??  Sensory activities, songs, snacks, social behavior...did I miss anything?  ;)  I know she will love basically every moment of it, but I signed her up mostly because I 100% will not be able to homeschool the older two this year without it.  Straight up fact right there.  

She is SO excited to have her *own* school this year.  "And not Layla?  And Not Finn?  Just ME???"  :)  3rd child syndrome in full effect over here.  

God bless you, preschool teachers.  I could not do it.  

Stay tuned for pictures coming on our first official day of school, September 11th.  

Some sort of rice sensory bin that I am so thankful is not in my house...haha!

Attention to detail is not her *thing*, unless it's in observing select words in adult conversations she should not be overhearing.  :)  But check it out...the "tongue of concentration" from her older brother!!

This preschool is straight up out of 1979.  So funny to me.  

One of the last days of summer:

A few days ago Layla had a friend from Kindergarten over to play, and we went for a walk down to their favorite climbing tree, then on to the "rolling hill," and then down for an impromptu splash in the splash pad, and rock collecting by the lake.

Goodbye, Summer.  We'll miss you.  We LOVED having you around this year!