Tag Archives: christian life

Grandmother

Posted on by

Visiting with my grandmother is not something I get to do very often. She lives almost two hours from my home.

I’m always grateful when Mom, or Paul have some time for me to make the trip with them.

Watching someone you love so much age, can be difficult. Grandmother struggles with confusion quite a bit these days. She laughs and we chat about family and friends, but I can tell, she has a hard time remembering little things that used to be so much a part of her life.

Growing up, I spent a good deal of time with her. If I wasn’t visiting, I was on the phone quite often. She was just fun, ……and comforting. I guess that’s how grandmother’s are, aren’t they?

I know life never stands still- not even for a moment. My own children remind me of how quickly time is passing- but, so does my grandmother.

She is a beautiful person. She has always been steady as a rock, strong and reliable as she cared for her own mother, and others around her.

I’m thankful for the memories I have of her and with her, the moments with her I have now, and the parts of her I see in my own mother.

January 10, 2011

Posted on by

Winter has visited our home again!

As we visited with our church family yesterday, ice literally began to fall from the sky! Before the end of the evening, everything, everywhere was pretty much covered in little ice pellets.

Paul was on his way home from Maryland, on a business trip. It took him quite a bit longer to get home than we had expected. He said there were accidents all over. I’m glad he took his time to get here, but boy, was I glad to see his face walk through the door!!

Today, we’re still just iced over. I think traveling will be almost back to normal tomorrow, but for today, we’re enjoying a quiet family day.

The children and I have played some games, Paul is working on school, and we’re not really doing a whole lot of anything– it’s nice for a change!! :D

I hope you are warm today, sweet friends!!

With my love,

January 3, 2011 (Still catching up blog posts!)

Posted on by

Life here continues on….

it seems that daily something new and exciting happens.

I was talking with Paul last night about how surprised I’ve been this last year.

For whatever reason, years ago, I pictured this season of my life being much slower. I had always thought that as the children grew, I would have more time for sewing, writing, etc., etc. I’m finding that’s not true at all! In fact, it is much busier….

This has been a season of being at home (for the most part), for me.

Gone are the days of lessons, and extra-curricular activities that used to take me from my home almost every day of the week. For a few years now, we’ve been a one car family and that has meant I’ve stayed at home more than I did at one point in my life.

I know to many, this would be a horrible thing, but I’ll admit, I’ve rather enjoyed it! I’ve spent much more quality time with my children and really seen them each develop individual talents and skills that I’m afraid would have been hidden had I have been still running here and there.

With that said, you would think without a full schedule, I would have more free time, but I’m finding the more I focus on things here, the more I realize new things to be done, and more memory-making opportunities.

I’m thankful to God for this focus. I’m sure, without His leading, I would still be out and about during the week and I can’t fathom the opportunities that I would have missed…especially during this sweet time when my children are all still at home. I know this is not to be the case for too many more years.

So, here are the updates for my family (I know I’ve not shared a lot lately)…

TOMORROW, we will find out what our new little babe will be…boy or girl.

We are EXCITED!!! No one really cares what baby will be, but it will be
nice to know.

Paul has finished yet another quarter in his schooling. He’ll be done with his bachelor degree before the end of this quarter year.

I’m so proud of him, but I’ll admit, when he told me what he was doing a few years back, I was skeptical.


Our part of helping Paul is keeping his office quiet while he studies. Not always the easiest thing…..

He is still holding a 4.0 GPA. He is scheduled to begin law school as soon as he graduates.

Courtney, now works from home, for a very good friend of our family. This opportunity has been a blessing, and is allowing her to stretch her wings a bit.

She will also be working to help organize the business of another family friend. I think this will only be temporary, but again, a good opportunity.

She and I have spent some special time together since she graduated. She has long wanted to take cake decorating classes and in November, we enrolled and completed the first course. We went on to take the second in December and are currently enrolled in the third.

I’ll post pics, as I’m able, of our little creations. It’s been a great blessing to spend this time with her….we have had time to just chat and she’s been driving me back and forth to some classes, preparing her to take her driver’s exam.

Joshua, has been working for a new friend for about a year. This could be considered an administrative assistant position. He’s filed paperwork, receipts, made property management phone calls, etc., etc. What an awesome opportunity this has been for him. We are thankful that his employer is a Christian man- and the skills that he has been teaching Joshua are things I would have never dreamed would be available to a young many his age.

This job has been flexible and paid well. Joshua is working now towards the 30 CLEP exams he would like to take before entering college for his degree (we hope at some point this year). We’ve wanted him to avoid student loans, and this has been a wonderful provision.

Our other children are growing, growing. It seems that each and every day, someone needs shoes, or new jeans– they are all growing so tall. I think it won’t be long before I’m looking up to each and every one. Courtney and Joshua are already taller than I am, but now, Jacob and Matthew are creeping up quickly.

It’s an odd thing to look up to your children….. but I love it!! :D

This afternoon, they are out cleaning out the chicken quarters. Time to compost hay and lay down new bedding.

I guess that’s it for me today.

Thank you so very much for your continued prayer for our family and your very thoughtful notes of encouragement. You are each precious to us….

With my love,

Jessica’s 13th Birthday

Posted on by

It’s still hard to believe that Jessica has turned 13.

For many years, I wasn’t sure this young lady would see her 13th birthday.

If you are new to my site, Jessica was born with multiple, serious heart issues that eventually led to her having a multiple seizures each day and a heart surgery that can only be described as a miracle to our family.

Amongst the many things we are thankful for this year is the celebration of her 13th birthday….really, a celebration of her life.

Paul and I decided long ago that a 13th birthday should be symbolic and memorable. We want our children to know at 13, there begin to be some added responsibilities and items which we wish them to begin to learn.

The following are a few pictures from Jessica’s party. Courtney took these…aren’t they beautiful?!


Our birthday girl:

A birthday girl with her sister:

Good friends:

Opening gifts:

Treat bags:

Pumpkin Muffins:

Apple Tartlets:

Cinnamon Scones (we served with homemade apple butter), and Cucumber Sandwiches:

Jessica:

Lemonade Ring:

Tables dressed for guests:

Homemade Invitations:

Teacups:

Fruit and Cookies:

Tea:

What a sweet group of ladies were in attendance. I hope they enjoyed visiting in our home as much as we enjoyed having them here!!

Announcing…..

Posted on by

I’ve been feeling a little under the weather for the past few weeks. Nothing too bad, but definitely not normal.

We thought it was probably time to confirm what we suspected:

It looks like baby Lambert #11 will be joining our family in 2011! God is so good!

Everyone here is excited. The younger children are already debating whether we need a new baby girl or new baby boy. Paul and I are grateful to God for this new little life.

I just wanted to share our news with our online family….

with my love,

September 30, 2010

Posted on by

I *detest* car problems.

In 2003, we were hit by another car that totaled our 15 passenger van. Since then, we’ve pretty much been a one car family.

Generally, this doesn’t cause too many issues. Paul works an awful lot, but he and I enjoy store trips together each week. (Consider it a purposeful date, LOL!)

I’ll tell you, one of my favorite “dates” has become dropping by the SAM’s….we can stock the cupboards and share dinner for $5.00. You can’t beat that anywhere!

There are times I would like to get out and go this place or another, but during this season of life, I’m really at home more than not, and I’m blessed with great friends who either don’t mind coming to my house to visit, or don’t mind picking me up when they go places.

Going back to the topic, this morning, the car died. Again. This will be the second time in about three weeks that we’ve had it serviced.

–Just one of the drawbacks to owning an ancient antique car…but, it’s paid for and that counts big for us!

In the coming weeks, we’re looking at adding a second vehicle, but this week, we’ll just get her patched up again and hope for the best. ; )

Back to the point again (I am too easily distracted, I think!).

God is so faithful…so mighty….so caring- I think we forget to look for His provision, but it’s ALWAYS there. He NEVER fails.

Here are just a few ways we’ve seen Him at work this morning:

  • The weather was just beautiful! Not bad when you are having to deal with car issues.
  • Paul will be paid tomorrow and was just paid for a job he’s been working earlier this week. God provided the extra work before we even knew we would have a car expense…AMAZING!
  • We were on our way back from caring for a dear friend’s homestead when it stopped running. Because the animals had already been fed, we didn’t have to worry about them immediately.
  • We were scheduled to pick up a rental car this morning for an upcoming trip Paul has planned. When he arrived to pick it up, they gave him a rental van…(perfect!), until our car is returned. We can still run all the errands we needed to run and it won’t cost us a dime!
  • A very sweet, neighboring family was on their way out the door this morning and didn’t mind a bit giving him a ride to the rental place (they are a big, big blessing!).
  • As soon as the car broke down and Paul and I got out of the car, a woman stopped to ask if we needed a ride home…she was playing a local Christian station and lives near my friend we had just visited.
  • People do business a little differently in a small town. The wrecker service had us leave a hidden key and check. He came by picked up the car and it’s now safely at the garage for service. Paul wasn’t terribly late for work like we were concerned he might be– that in itself was a relief to him.
  • The garage, will most likely have the car repaired within a couple days and can you believe, they are actually reasonable about billing? Unbelievable!
    God is faithful, my friends!

It would be so easy to want to just go take out a car loan for a new car…that “I want it now” mentality kicks in and it’s hard to wait– but in ALL cases, it always works out better to be patient and wait to pay cash.

Prayer Requests

  • The car problem would be found and resolved quickly
  • Tiffany…still awaiting final diagnosis on cancer
  • Renee, Cancer
  • Rest…it’s just been a painfully, long week

Today I’m Thankful

  • A protective hubby who didn’t want me venturing out by myself this morning…I may have been stranded all alone!
  • God’s provision everyday of my life
  • As if the week hasn’t been stressful enough- “Mr. Three” put a LEGO man arm up his nose this afternoon. *Sigh* If I could count the number of things we’ve pulled out of ears and noses….

  • A little project I started with Jacob this morning:


    • I hope we’ll be able to get it back together!!

  • A very industrious older daughter who has been happily cleaning the house all morning
  • One more…Josie (our sweet kitty) seems much better today

Today’s Scripture Meditation

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ…”- Philippians 1:9-10

With my love,

It’s Been Said….

Posted on by

I wasn’t going to post another quote this week, but I really loved this one and thought it might be an encouraging word for one of you ladies!

“I think part of our frustration, as first generation Christians, may come from wanting for ourselves (understandably) what we were not given (a Christian heritage). We must rejoice that, in God’s mercy, He has set us apart, and chosen us to pass on a godly legacy to the next generation. Prayerfully, our children will …stand on our shoulders and grasp what was out of our reach; likewise, future generations.” — Stacy McDonald

Prayer Cards

Posted on by

Another new project:

As I was thinking over some goals I have for our family, prayer was a “biggie”.

I want to teach the children to pray over those we know not just when they are having their prayer time in the morning or before bed, but as we go through our day.

I went through our address book and talked to the children about families we might like to remember as we pray.

Our church has a saying in the bulletin each week, “pray without ceasing”. This is really the theme I wanted to carry to this project.

We made an index card for all of these folks:

I even placed a few blank in the back in case someone asks us to be praying for something specific.

I asked the children to color the cards and decorate them (more to make this project special to them too….).

They are now housed in a painted index card box on the dining room table.

We can pull a card at each meal and pray over someone we know, then the file card gets re-filed in the back of the box until we make it through all of the cards.

The children seem to be really excited, and I am too!

My Mom has offered to paint the box for us to match the new dining room. I’m *really* excited about that…this is the one she did for Courtney’s recipes:

I’ll keep you posted how this is working for our family.

If you have a prayer request you would like to include, we would consider it an honor to pray for your family!

Hearts at Home

Posted on by

Hearts at Home Fellowship

  • August 10, 2010

  • 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Please bring something to share for a potluck lunch, and a craft project you might like to work while we visit.

Water and paper products will be provided. Well-behaved children are always welcome.

Contact me at:

Tracy(dot)Lambert(at)LinesFromTheVine(dot)com for directions, or if you have questions.

Please RSVP to let us know that you will be attending (we need to have a firm number of those attending). Feel free to invite anyone that you think might enjoy the meeting.

See you soon!

July 22nd, 2010

Posted on by

I started this week with grand plans…

We’re finishing two (count ‘em TWO) websites. One is just for homeschoolers, the other for our church–

We’re almost done with the church site, and the other at least has a header graphic (thanks to Courtney).

One of my biggest plans, was to finish really fleshing out family goals for the older children in our home.

It’s always funny to see where each year will lead– last year, I felt our family focus was aimed more towards hospitality. We invited folks over for dinner, and tea, and tried to form better habits where letter writing is concerned.

This year, we seem to be really learning to plan our time more efficiently, and to set goals.

Paul and I have two graduating seniors this year (if you know us personally, be expecting an invite in the coming months!).

I’ve been focused on helping them to set goals for their own lives– much more than a “to-do” list, but rather something that will focus on their plans for things they want to accomplish prior to marriage and perhaps even further into their adult world.

We’re starting small, one year and five year goals- what types of projects they would like to try, things they would like to experience, Scripture they would like to memorize, etc., etc.

For now, they’ll be written into a composition book so that we may make notes and keep records. We’re still trying to decide how we will eventually organize these written plans.

It’s meant to be a list that Paul and I can pray over and perhaps provide assistance as needed to obtain these goals.

What a joy it is to have older children–Paul and I were certainly not expecting how exciting and what a blessing they would be during these years.

In the coming weeks, I’ll try and share some of our goals and plans for these children in our home.

I would hope it would be of help to those of you thinking towards the important teenage years!!

Prayer Requests

  • The coming months in our home- we are making very specific plans, in many areas. We would appreciate your prayers!

  • Paul’s cousin, Lisa
  • My feet!

Today I’m Thankful For

  • New Shoes!

  • Onesies on clearance this morning…and in cute colors!

  • Big, ice-cold bottles of water on super hot days! (Thank you, Pauley!)

  • Sewing projects, cut out and ready to stitch

  • A new book that arrived today from a recent canning class.

Today’s Scripture Meditation

“But what about you?” he asked, “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”- Matthew 16:15-16, NIV

With my love,