If our home page looks muddled, keep refreshing the page until it looks right.

It’s a new year (kind of), and with a new year comes a new blog theme!

“Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways…your children shall be like olive plants all around your table.” (Psalm 128:1,3)

I absolutely love the picture this verse paints, and since Jim and I are in the season of raising children, we are naming the theme of this blog after the verse. This is quite intentional, and perhaps even counter-cultural. In a culture where children are considered an inconvenience, we are choosing to believe God’s word that counts children as a heritage from the Lord, a reward, like arrows in the hand of a warrior, a cause for happiness! If I believe this about the children God has given us, then I can cancel the pity party that says, poor me, I can’t sleep in, travel the world, read a book in an afternoon, skip dinner preparation, take a shower in peace…you get the point.

And what’s up with the image of olives?? Let me share something that I recently learned about cultivating olive trees.

Apparently, there are two different methods of planting olive trees in the mediterranean part of the world. The first method takes a branch from an already existing tree and places it in a hole dug for the new tree. The branch is then watered and fertilized. Eventually the tree grows and bears fruit.

The second method also begins by cutting a branch off of a mature tree. But rather than planting it in the ground, it is placed into a soil plug and cared for in a nursery until it is strong enough to be transplanted. While in the nursery the little sapling is watered and fertilized. In due time the gardener sees that the plant is ready and he transplants it into the field. Eventually it bears fruit.

So what’s the difference between the two trees? The quality of the fruit.

Upon leaving the earth to return to heaven, Jesus commissioned His disciples (and us) to go and make disciples. So when I look at these little people under my care, I must seriously consider how I’m training (discipling) them. Am I giving them the bare minimum they will need to grow and bear fruit? Or am I tenderly nurturing them by teaching them God’s word, praying for them, equipping them for life so that they will bear great big juicy fruit?

Hence, the new theme, Growing Olive Plants.

With all the talk about airplanes in this house, it was only a matter of time before Ruthie began taking pilot lessons. Alas, the ranking of her instructor is questionable.

Bear with me, it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, hence three posts in a day. This one is just too funny not to share. You would be correct to say that the Johaniks are easily entertained.

We’d like to share some more dinnertime entertainment, brought to you by Ruthie.

I think this gives us a glimpse into her life with four older brothers (and a football-loving dad).

Lego style.

Between Jeremy speed skating around the house (United States vs. America…try telling him otherwise) and the boys posing Lego guys as olympians, we are all about winter sports in this house right now.

There’s downhill skiing:

Snowboard cross:

Speed skating:

(don’t forget the official)

Bobsled…or is it bobsleigh? Did they change that recently? A certain three year old corrects me whenever I call it bobsled. I just can’t bring myself to call it bobsleigh; it makes me think of Santa Claus.

Derek made an impressive ski jump, but alas, it was taken apart before any pictures were taken.

We played a rousing game of Uno the other night. Not wanting to be left out, Ruthie was on Derek’s team in the beginning. Judging by the look on her face, she is not too pleased with Derek’s cards. Or perhaps she’s working on her poker face.

In addition to Ruthie wanting to be part of the action, the dog-who-thinks-she’s-a-human-child found her spot around the circle.

Really. Molly joins in whatever the boys are doing. She even brings her own toy to play with. She knows all too well that her brothers don’t like to share their toys with her.

In our house, game night wouldn’t be game night without some good old roughhousing. So as soon as the last card was played, the wrestling match commenced. Dog and all.

I’ve never understood this trait in boys.

Chances are, Ruthie won’t either.

Things can get pretty intense between the four of them,

but somehow they end up better friends than when the night started.

Our family has made a commitment to memorize a verse from the Bible every week. This is easier for some than it is for others, let me tell you. It’s amazing how much useless information takes up residence in an adult’s brain.

We begin memorizing a new verse on Sunday, practice it and quiz each other throughout the week, then recite the verse after dinner on Saturday. If everyone can say the verse, then our reward is ice cream sundaes with all the fixings.

Simple obedience.

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)