Coming Home

I heard a delightful tune outside my window today. The wren has returned to the birdhouse. We have three wren houses and usually there are wren families in each of them. I don't really know if they are the same birds each year but I like to believe they return home. They are such small birds, I can't imagine how far they fly to winter over. It's another example of God's amazing creations.

The wren's song is so loud and strong for such a tiny bird. It reminds me that I should be singing praises when I am at home also. It is such a blessing to have a home to feel comfortable in. Yet, this isn't our real home, heaven is. That is when I will really sing the praises to God, as the wren does, when I reach our eternal home. That's when joy will exceed all other emotions, and we can celebrate being at home with Jesus.

"Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands" (2 Corinthians 5:1 NIV).

Well-watered Garden

"The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail" (Isaiah 58:11 NIV).

Our gardens are being well-watered today as showers settle over the state, pouring out their quenching refreshment upon the land. The plants reach upward accepting their nourishment happily, stretching their roots deeper into the ground, providing stability and strength against the rough winds that blow.

God created us to be like the well-watered garden. He promises to be with us always and to guide us during our lives. He will nourish us "like a spring whose waters never fail". He will guide us through the rough times and strengthen our frames. We need to be like the plants and reach upward toward Jesus, celebrating our nourishment and standing strong with deep-rooted faith so we can withstand the trials of life. Let the rain fall upon your face and rejoice in the renewal we are given so graciously. Stand tall and reach out to praise the Lord for his protection and love. He is our spring and His waters never fail.

Pen and Paper

"I have much to write to you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face" (3 John 13-14 NIV).

I love pens, pencils and paper. All kinds, sizes, and colors of paper. And all shapes and types of pens and pencils. I have a cupboard filled with paper. Everything from plain old copy paper to delicate stationary, reams of all purpose paper, notebooks, note pads, note cards, sticky notes, envelopes and a shelf of journals that I love.

I have drawers filled with pencils, good old #2 pencils that need sharpening, mechanical pencils of all colors with erasers and various sizes of lead. Then there are pens, too. Multiples of my favorite writing pens in black and blue ink. There are a few red pens and another drawer full of felt tip calligraphy markers in a rainbow of colors.

Perhaps it is because I'm a writer that I love these items so much. They are the tools of my trade. An extension of my being that allow me to take all my thoughts and transfer them to paper where I can say in writing all that is ready to be spoken. Pens, pencils and paper allow me to express, profess, expound and portray the silly little thoughts that go through my mind. Happy writing to you.

"My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king. My tongue is the pen of a skillful writer" (Psalm 45:1 NIV).

The Bird Nest

There is nothing better than preparing the grill for the first barbecue of the season! There is such anticipation for the juicy, sizzling meat. I'm the griller at our house. Usually because John doesn't have time. I love grilling also because there is less clean up. No dirty pans to wash. And the aroma is delightful while you wait for the meat to cook.

Our poor old grill is probably on its last leg. It sits out all year long and gets a beating from the weather. Last week I went out to check the grill and when I opened the lid a bird's attempt at a nest welcomed me. It was filled with straw and old flower stems and little sticks interspersed through the iron grates, and below, under the flame guard. I pulled out a 3-gallon pail of nesting materials. There was no neatly formed nest yet. I think the bird probably was frustrated with her location after she had chosen it. I don't know where she made her entry, perhaps at the lid handle.

But, I destroyed her hard work and made her seek a shelter somewhere else. I got the grill cleaned out and now we are leaving the lid open so she won't return. Maybe it is past nest building season, but there are no signs of another visit. I spoiled her perfect spot, all so we could eat burgers.

Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head" (Matthew 8:20 NIV).

A New Page

"If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31 NIV).

I'm my own worse enemy. For at least two years now I've been losing a war with food but that is about to change. Today I take a step forward to make a change in my life style and habits. I'm seeking professional help to direct me back to good healthy eating. I should have been able to conquer this battle on my own but I've been too weak or too stubborn. I just wasn't able to use all the good sense and tools I've been given in the past. I'm hoping having someone to be accountable to will help me finally make a for 'life time' adjustment.

I've tried lots of diets and plans but nothing seemed to stick like the ice cream has stuck to my body. With a clean fresh page today I try again. They will have one tough customer to bring to success. I'm hoping the investment of time and money will change my melancholy nature enough to be on a fresh new path toward healthiness. I've got all the excuses down and I'm ready to leave them behind. I want to learn a clean way of eating that will help me lose the weight I've gained and hold on to a positive way of life.

Change is never easy but I have to try harder this time. It's more than learning how to eat properly with smaller portions and better food. It's about becoming healthy and strong instead of weak and lazy. It's about moderation and better choices. It's about respecting my body and treating it right. It is about starting over and leaning on God to help me through this process. I'm pushing my reset button and asking God to walk this path with me. (Thanks to Pastor Scott for the visual).

Country Roots

Your roots are in the country when:

You save egg cartons for the neighbors.

You burn trash in a barrel.

You raise the red flag to mail a letter.

You don't have to mow when the neighbors do.

You have a barn yard.

Your sheep eat the grass.

You spread manure.

You get zoomed by a plane and it is a crop duster.

Your dog isn't on a chain or leash.

You don't pick up after your dog.

You wear boots after it rains.

You need a mud room.

Dust floats in your windows.

You rake rocks out of the grass in the spring.

You have a rain gauge.

Your kids experience life on a farm.

You thank God for every day in the country.

Chore Girl

I'm chore girl for a few days, a role I enjoy sporadically. John's out of town and the sheep need to be fed. They don't care who feeds them as long as they get what they are expecting. It's nice right now because the ewes are out on pasture and don't need any additional feed. There are a few ewes still in the weaning area and they are really hungry because they are being cut back on food. Then there are three separate pens of lambs all hungry as well because they aren't on an all-you-can-eat-diet. They are being fitted for open shows and eventually the fairs. Like beauty queens they have to watch what they eat.

The task I least enjoy about choring is feeding the rams. They are in the old shed because they destroy anything and everything. The older ram has more space and has freedom to move to an outside area where the waterer is. The young ram is in a confined space and has his own water bucket that gets destroyed after a few rams of the head. What I don't like is they are not smart animals. All sheep are the same. But the rams are worse. I don't get why they try to ram me when I'm the one providing their food. All I have to do is dump a scoop of feed into a trough that hangs on the fence. But it's not that simple. The older ram smashes his head at the trough as I try to get the feed into it. Doesn't he realize that if he breaks the trough he won't get fed. No, he doesn't. Another trough hangs in disrepair to prove that. All the while I try to navigate my scoop to the trough, the other ram is slamming himself into the fence, shaking the whole shed. I quickly dump the feed into the trough as he backs up preparing to land another hit on the fencing. Needless to say, the equipment near them is battered and broken. I'm just glad to get the door shut behind me.

"Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name" (Genesis 2:19 NIV).