And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Genesis 1:28

Dominion. As servants of the King of Kings, we are called to take dominion of the earth for His glory. We are to be fruitful and productive, to multiply, to subdue. We have been chosen as His representatives, His ambassadors. No matter how big or how small the area is in which He has placed us, we are called to be faithful, to serve Him with our upmost abilities and manage well the resources which He has given. 

The past two weekends have been opportunities for our family to put these thoughts into practice in the outdoor department of our little realm. Clearing brush off of the land behind our house was first on the agenda! With a team of enthusiastic workers, including our friend Wes who was spending part of spring break with us, the action began. For almost three days, we could have been found pulling, tugging, weed-wacking, chain saw-ing, and burning mountains upon mountains of brush, vines, and trees (as well as spending additional time repairing the equipment that we managed to mangle in such intense labor). There was great joy in working together… laughter was often heard throughout the process and especially at the end of the days when we were utterly exhausted (sleepy sillies, as we call it Smile).

Not many photos were taken because of the busyness, but here are a few that were captured:

IMG_3958Tractor-fixing

Pausing for a quick pose... :)IMG_3963

At the end of the day, dinner around the remains of the giant brushfire was quite the treat!Efficiency at it's finest!

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This weekend, we set about to accomplish a few more spring-time, dominion tasks. Pressure washing the house, bleaching the front porch, planting raspberry bushes, blueberry bushes, and cherry trees, and more filled the hours. Over the past two weekends, especially, we praise the Lord for safety, for a high level of productivity, and for so much joy in it all!

Pressure-washing buddies!Scrubbing the porch

At our house, there is typically at least one person "holding down the fort" inside while the rest of the Team works outside -- what yummy snacks she provided!Helping with the porch project

The dynamic trio that cleaned a quantity of leaves and junk out of one of our ditches!Believe it or not, this lovely picture was following a highly intense dog training session. (Somehow, watching her master plant blueberry bushes made Poochie extra naughty... :/) Thank you to our persevering, ever patient trainer!

So, be encouraged as you face the tasks the Lord has put before you this week! It doesn’t matter where you are or what your sphere of influence – whether it be your family’s kitchen, a difficult music piece, a brief computer project, or a thousand acres of farmland – you, as a servant of the Most High, play an important part in the Kingdom work. Seek to manage well, taking dominion of what He has entrusted to you for His glory.