The Quintuplet Principle

Hope. A single word that can bring a small spark of peace to our hearts. Each resolution we make, every goal we set or dream we have, everything we do has an element of hope that comes with it. 

But Hope doesn’t work alone. To just hope for something, yet do nothing to achieve that goal, relegates Hope to the world of dreams and fairy tales, quickly to be covered up and dissolved in the fog of neglect. In order to reach any goal or resolution we make for ourselves we have to apply the Quintuplet Principle. God first, always. Then comes Faith, Hope, Love, and their brother, Work.

Listen in and learn more about the Quintuplet Principle, how it works, and how you can easily apply it to any resolution, dream, or goal you make.

Transcript

Hope. A single word that can bring a small spark of peace to our hearts. With each new year that comes, we express that one word each time we make a resolution. I will lose weight. I will save money. I will find someone to love. 

Throughout the year, new reasons appear to make us grab on to Hope – a new job offer or the ability to quit working altogether; we hope there is enough money to pay the bills; we hope we can finally make the changes we have been wanting to make. Each goal we make, and prayer we offer up, is carefully wrapped in a gossamer paper of Hope. 

But Hope doesn’t work alone. To just hope for something, yet do nothing to achieve that goal, relegates Hope to the world of dreams and fairy tales, quickly to be covered up and dissolved in the fog of neglect. In order to reach any goal or resolution we make for ourselves, we have to apply the Quintuplet Principle. God first, always. Then comes Faith, Hope, Love, and their brother, Work.

Hope herself is the light at the end of the tunnel. Work is the blood, sweat and tears we shed laying the track to reach that light. It takes physical, emotional, and mental effort, as well as sheer tenacity, to see a dream turn into reality. That one word, ‘tenacity’ says it all – determination, courage, guts, heart, perseverance, diligence, doggedness. Persistence. Nerve. 

Blend all of these attitudes together with the glue of work, and you can accomplish most anything you set your mind to doing. Faith kicks in her share with constant encouragement. She gently whispers in your ear, “Keep going. You can do it!” And let’s face it. Without Love, anything you do is like having a ball and chain tied to both feet, as well as your hands and heart.

The Quintuplets are our constant companions around here. Our biggest goal is to find a way to use the Farm and The Farm Wife as a means to provide enough income so The Country Boy can stop working off farm. To do this, we have had to put everything we have to give into this goal. 

Before we make any plans, though, our hearts and thoughts will be placed in the hands of God, who assigned us to be stewards of this farm. 

We keep in mind I Corinthians 13:13, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Paul tells us in James 2:17 that Faith without works is dead. And let’s face it; to love someone isn’t the fairy tale version of a commoner and a Prince. 

Real love takes hard work and dedication. Then if Faith and Love without works are dead, doesn’t it stand to reason that Hope falls into the same pattern? It does. These four are brothers and sisters in spirit, and when one falls, so do the others. And without God, things can fall apart in a heartbeat.

The same thing applies in any endeavor you undertake. In order to make any plan or goal succeed, you have to want to do it. To make it succeed well, you need to back up that want with love. This farm, this simple life is my passion. I want it and love it enough to do what it takes to succeed. 

From there, we put our faith in action and create a plan. Everything on this farm has to be treated with respect – from the animals, land, and gardens to the structures, our home, neighbors, community and ourselves. And respect is a part of love. Our love and respect of this simple life on a farm helps us to know what we can do, and what isn’t viable. And without being willing to do the work, we know any goal we set will not be met. There is no fairy godmother with a magic wand to make it happen.

Each of the Quintuplets have a healthy dose of patience as part of their personalities. If you have faith, you know you have to wait for God’s timing. Hope requires a slow step to make sure you are headed in the right direction. 

One of love’s qualities is patience, and Work is blanketed with it – to do the best job possible, you need to take it slow, think things through, and as the old saying goes, ‘Measure twice, cut once’. No matter what you are doing – whether it is in your relationships, your work, or setting goals, you need to use the patience that each of the Quintuplets have to offer. 

Here on the farm, we do our best to apply the Quintuplet Principle to make a success of our life. That fence isn’t going to build itself. My plans for a new bee yard need a few extra supplies that we don’t have. And finding the perfect Jersey for a milk cow will take time. All of these things take financial discipline and a good bit of sweat to complete. And we will depend on God to give us the strength and tenacity to do the work. But it is up to the Country Boy and me to get the jobs done. And we are ready.

Have you ever stopped to think about what it really takes to reach your goals? Are some of your dreams starting to fizzle out? If so, maybe you need to take a moment to look at each one through the eyes of the Quintuplets. 

By applying this principle, you may be able to weed out those goals and dreams that aren’t as important as you once thought and begin to use these five to start fresh in accomplishing those that are. 

God first. Faith, Hope, Love, and their brother, Work. You just can’t go wrong by applying this Quintuplet Principle. 

 If you want to learn more about the topic at hand just visit my website at www.thefarmwife.com/ . 

If you have questions or just want to stop in for a visit, you can do that through email at thevirtualporch@gmail.com. And be sure to subscribe – you don’t want to miss a single conversation. I'll be sitting on the porch every Monday morning waiting for your visit!

Thanks again for stopping in. I will see you next week on Living a Simple Life with a Back Porch View. And while you are waiting on the next episode, grab that glass of refreshment, pull up a rocker, and sit back for a while. It’s time to relax and enjoy!

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