Archive for December, 2012

25 Dec

It really is…all about the gift

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized.

We get together for breakfast with all our kids during the Christmas holiday.  We always enjoy that time.  Billy likes to be the main cook that day.

Our neighbors shared some of their homemade sausage…and some humongous biscuits with us.

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Since the wood stove was all stoked up, it made the perfect spot for the sausage to cook…..

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Meanwhile….Billy worked on preparing a nice helping of thick cut bacon….

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Our girls have been really busy lately….so we had plenty of eggs.

Man…it was smelling wonderful when I set the camera down…to pull the biscuits out of the oven…and well….I forgot to take anymore pictures of the food.

However…this is afterwards….and everyone was content….VERY….content.

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We usually open a few gifts.  The kids had helped with the tree …by making a pretty green chain out of construction paper.  I think it just may have been the best looking tree I have ever had.  Seems like these days…I would rather have these things that the kids do over all those fancy, smancy ornaments.

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Especially, since I sat in the floor with them….listening to all their little chatter as they worked.

We try not to get all wrapped up with gifts….(no pun intended)…..but we do have some.  It is always fun trying to find the things that the kids will really like.  Sometimes though, by the time I start shopping…I get overwhelmed with all that is on the market.  There are so many choices and all at different prices, all shapes and sizes.

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By the time it was all said and done….there were games that buzzed and beeped….and dinosaurs that could talk.  I usually try to get them things to make too, crafty things that require some thinking and doing.

There was one gift that I picked out for all three of them, back a few months ago.  It’s one of those things that as soon as I saw it….I thought they would like it.  I picked out a different color with different character pictures… that I thought would appeal to each of them.   I tucked the bag away in a closet…and…. almost forgot about it….until Christmas rolled around.

We were all visiting with one another as the kids finished opening their gifts.  One by one they started bringing packages over to me, so I could help them.  Of all the things…you know what it was.   All three of them wanted to open the gift that was just alike.  It was a little knee board for kneeling in the dirt…a pair of gloves…and a hand shovel.

Out the door they all three marched…..

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A few minutes later I happened to see these guys out the window….

I thought this was just precious….they were all looking for some dirt…somewhere under all those leaves.

I had to snicker.  It wasn’t how much something cost or didn’t cost.   It was probably the simplest gift they unwrapped.  It was just that they loved the gift….and it showed…because they couldn’t wait to use it.

Christmas is similar to that very thing.

God gave us all kinds of things in this world.   There are some neat things out there that catch our eye.  Things that buzz and beep and compete for our attention.  But there was this one gift that God gave to each of us…and although it is the same gift….it appeals to each of our personalities.    It…like the other gifts…didn’t cost us anything.  But was freely given to us out of love.  All we have to do is accept it…and be eager to experience all that it has to offer.

It always blesses my heart when I see the kids….really, really,  like something I give them.  It says in Scripture that even the angels in heaven rejoice when one is saved.  I think that sums up how much it pleases God too….when we accept His gift.

If we aren’t careful though we might tuck the cute Christmas story away and… almost…forget what it really is all about.

It is…. all about the gift…the gift of Jesus…given to us by GOD.  

Luke 15:10 (New American Standard Bible)

 “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Merry Christmas!

 

 

22 Dec

Praying

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized.

This week as I was busy going here and there….I stopped for some traffic to go past…it was then that I suddenly noticed a flag directly in front of me…. flying half mast.

Instantly, I knew why………..my heart sank.  I didn’t know it had much further to sink….

My heart has hurt and my stomach has been sick since the tragedy happened last week in Newtown.  It’s that looming gross feeling that you just can’t seem to shake.

I can’t get the families off my mind….so I pray… extra special prayers for them.

With Christmas just days away…. I ask you to please pray.

May God comfort them and wipe away their tears as only He can do.

 

 

11 Days before Christmas 2012
T’was  11 days before Christmas, around 9:38

When 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven’s gate.

Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air,

They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.

They were filled with such joy, they didn’t know what to say,

They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.

“Where are we?” asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.

“This is heaven.” declared a small boy. “We’re spending Christmas at God’s house.”

When what to their wondering eyes did appear,

But Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.

He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same,

Then He opened His arms and He called them by name.

And in that moment was joy that only heaven can bring

Those children all flew into the arms of their King.

And as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,

One small girl turned and looked at Jesus’ face.

And as if He could read all the questions she had

He gently whispered to her, “I’ll take care of mom and dad.”

Then He looked down on earth, the world far below,

He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe.

Then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,

“Let My power and presence re-enter this land!”

“May this country be delivered from the hands of fools,”

“I’m taking back my nation. I’m taking back my schools!”

Then He and the children stood up without a sound,

“Come now my children, let me show you around.”

Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran,

All displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.

And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,

“In the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT.”

Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA

( shared from CBS Connecticut WTIC News Talk 1080 site)

20 Dec

Seeing stars…..

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: .

The other day I had heard that it was going to be a great time to see a beautiful display of stars.  I made a mental note to be sure to take a look that evening.  The day progressed and….well….”the ole brain ain’t what it used to be”…. I forgot.  Around 8:00 that night I was puttering around in the kitchen and Billy went to the car to get something.  He came rushing back into the house and said…grab some coveralls and come see this!

If he says coveralls…then he thinks its cold….if Billy thinks it is cold….then it IS cold.  It dawned on me what the excitement was all about….. the stars.  I turned the stove off, hurried to the closet for coveralls….rustled through the drawers to find gloves.  Oh…wait…maybe I should get an extra sweater to wear under the coveralls.  It was about that time that Billy came back in and said….what in the world is taking so long?  He quickly grabbed a hat for each of us and out the door we went.  We loaded up on the golf cart and took a ride to the lake.  It was dark there…we were away from the street lights and the glow of any city lights.  We were pretty sure we would have a good view.

We unloaded from the cart, tilted our heads to the great big sky, waited and watched.  The stars were numerous and bright.  In just a matter of minutes I saw a streak of light shoot across the sky.  It was so fast I couldn’t even point to it before it was gone.   This happened several more times.  We counted each one as we spotted them.  We never could tell the other one where to look, before it would disappear.  But inevitably…. we would try.   Funny….the cold wasn’t a problem…seems that paled in comparison to the event unfolding.

I had only seen one shooting star before this night.   Billy and I had gone out for a boat ride, a date, the second time we had ever gone out together.  Over 18 years ago. We went to a cave opening… by water… and watched the bats make their great exit at dusk.  As we were leaving we came up on someone who had engine trouble…so we towed their boat back.   It became very dark….there were no city lights, no other distractions.  All that to say that it was dark…..and we were going slow……..so we had a lot of time to talk and star gaze.  It was then….on that date….that I saw my very first shooting star.  I remember there seemed to be a million and one stars in the sky that night.  I thought it was amazing that I just so happened to be looking in the right direction… at the right time… to see it.

I wonder how many times there had been some, but I never, ever saw them…..in all those previous years of  my life.  I just never really looked for them.  Too busy with other things that surrounded me…..distractions….and no real desire to look.

I went to see our granddaughter Layla  in her Christmas program last week.  I didn’t know that she was a “star”….in more than one way that day.  Of course she in turn made me beam as she reached through the only opening she had…at her face…waved her little hand and said…..hey ME ME!!!…when she spotted me in the crowd.

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There she is…with the shepherds.

As I looked as those precious stars and adorable shepherds….I thought about ” that”  night.  The night that Jesus was born.  I am pretty sure the shepherds were used to seeing a million and one stars in the sky…night after night.  I wonder if they happened to be talking and actually star gazing…on that particular night.   Or was it only after an Angel of the Lord came to them …when the Glory of the Lord shone round about them…..that they really noticed all the stars that were in the sky.

And what about the special star that was set in the sky…to show the wise men where they could find Jesus.  It must have been remarkable…surely others saw it….wonder why others didn’t come.  Maybe they weren’t looking for anything special or were too busy with their surroundings to notice anything really different.  Or just didn’t care to look.

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It was pretty precious seeing all these little ones portraying the Christmas story.  These angels were sweetly singing.

Scriptures tell us….the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and saying “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men”.   Now that is remarkable.  Can you even imagine.  It says that the shepherds were afraid.  I can certainly understand why.  Then they were told not to be afraid….that a Savior was born that day…and where they could find him.

I think that is pretty neat….because they didn’t let fear stop them.  Even the fear of what others would think of them….they just went….. they searched for Him.  Think about trying to explain all that to someone else.

Layla was one of the stars near the stable….but not the one directly behind it.

Before the children exited the stage…I noticed Layla quickly ran over to take a good look at baby Jesus….laying in the manger.

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I suppose curiosity got the best of her.

It reminded me of the first night I ever saw a shooting star.  I once again felt fortunate.  Fortunate that I just happened to be looking at the right time….to see this “precious star”….looking for Jesus.  It melted my heart that she just had to go see Him….for herself.

That is exactly what the shepherds did.  Scriptures tell us that …as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, Joseph and the babe lying in a manger.  Just as they had been told.

A few weeks ago…I helped Layla hang a few ornaments on the tree at their house.  She could hardly wait until it was time to put on the star . Finally, it was time.  Her father lifted her up onto his shoulders… she eagerly… but carefully placed the star on the very top of their Christmas tree.

I helped secure it and took that time to explain what the star symbolized.  I couldn’t tell if she fully understood.

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So the other day when I saw her in her costume, I thought it was really neat that she was able to play the part of a star.  She was able to hear the good news of our Savior’s birth….and go check out for herself….what was in that manger.

I think telling others about Jesus is a lot like Billy and I trying to tell each other about the beauty of the shooting star.  It is impossible to fully explain.  I know I had to do like the shepherds did. I had to go….and see for myself what the Lord has made known to us…..through His Word.    I let curiosity get the best of me.

I started searching the scriptures..I saw things for the very first time….things that were remarkable.

Sometimes God shows me things when I’m not really even looking for them….but, I really see amazing things when I truly search… by studying His Word.  I have to focus on Him…and not let the distractions of things around me interfere.

God reveals himself to each of us even today…if we take time….. to look.

Just as He revealed Himself so many years ago.

Remarkable!

Jeremiah 29:13

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

13 Dec

Then there were six…..

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , .

It seems as if there is always something going on since we moved to the land.  The other morning I went to the coop and let the girls out.  I counted as they waddled out of their little coop opening.  Softly cooing as they scampered down the walk board, they are just full of energy in the mornings. I counted only six….as I made my way into the coop I looked for the missing hen.  There she was….pretty as a picture…sitting in her little hen box.

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She was working real hard, trying to produce an egg.  I couldn’t leave….I just had to hang out for a little while…hoping to catch it in action.   Sure enough, after a few more minutes, she laid an egg…right there for me to see.  I tell you…..it is just a little miracle.  Every time I see that happen I stand in total amazement.

I notice that the hen tends to stand over the egg for just a minute while the shell dries….causing it to harden.  It is the neatest thing.  She took her foot and rolled it over a tad, then exited the hen box.  She scooted down the walk board and headed to the feed.  By this time several of the other girls had come back into the coop….cackleing….as hens do.  It is too cute.   They all have such personality.  One of them likes to stand at my feet while I scoop out the feed and put it into the container.  She likes for me to put some in my hand and offer it to her.  She gets all excited when I lower my hand and let her feed from it.  I was a little scared to do this the first time…..thinking… what is going to happen if she misses the food and gets my hand?  Well….I found out…because that does happen from time to time…but surprisingly enough…it feels like a tug…it doesn’t hurt.  So that has become a regular thing and it seems that we both enjoy that time together.

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This is a picture from a different day…but our routine is the same.

I love it when the girls stop and give me a photo opportunity….such as this one.

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The other night after work I went to check on May, our goat.  She is nice and round…I do not know exactly when she got pregnant…but I have a general idea.  You can’t go on the fact that they are just…. Round…but taking that and my calculations into consideration….hopefully…. I am at least close to predicting the date.  So…I opted to pin her up so I could help her IF she needs it in the near future.  Besides, being pinned up is like staying at a goat hotel.  She gets a lot of extra’s…..I am not seeing her complain about the accommodations….if you know what I mean.

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This picture was actually taken back at the end of November…..before I put her up.  She’s a cute little Mama to be.

It’s been about a week since she entered the goat hotel.   Thus far, when I go over to the farm to take a good look at her….she just looks right back at me.  Nothing happening…..yet.  However…..I am anxiously waiting.

It gets dark so early this time of year…it makes it hard to check on everyone in the evenings.  Billy and I decided to divide and conquer…the other night after work.  I was to check on May…and Billy said he would put the girls up.

May and I exchanged “LOOKS” once again and then I headed toward the house.

Billy was still at the chicken coop.  I slowed the car down and saw that he was in the adjoining woods with a flashlight.  I stopped and observed….. up and over came one of the girls….her feet hit the ground running as she scooted as fast as she could to the coop door.  He stayed in the woods for a few minutes longer.  I didn’t have a good feeling about what I was seeing.  Sure enough, a few minutes later he came to the car and said….and then there were six.

When you see this….it is NOT a good sign.

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It literally made me sick to my stomach.  Apparently something reached through the fence and attacked one of the girls.

I’m not sure why the other hen was on the outside of the fence when Billy arrived.  Possibly she got frightened when the other hen was attacked and flew over.  Billy said she was trying so hard to get back into the fence.  She ended up alright…but the other hen….not a good ending.

Possibly you remember that we lost our rooster and a hen while we were on our Mission trip a few weeks ago.  The hen disappeared, leaving nothing but a mound of feathers.   The rooster lost his head….and many feathers.   This latest attack was another one where the head was taken off…..but she was left….laying in a pile of feathers.  I spared you from having to see that part.  I buried her before taking this picture.  It is a very sad thing to have any of our critters die….especially like that.

I made the girls stay in the house the next day.  The coop is big enough for them to meander around….but they would rather be outside.  I just couldn’t think about having to bury another one.  I was also in hopes that whatever had been lurking around might go away if the hens weren’t out for a day or so.    Meanwhile, I have been thinking about how I can better secure their surroundings.  I know these things are going to happen from time to time…but I sure DON’T like it.

I suppose when you have animals…you have to take all the good excitement along with all the bad excitement.

Even though I never was able to name each hen….because I still can’t tell them apart….I find that I still get attached to them.

Hopefully, we will just have  good excitement for a while.

I am on a quest to find more girls to add to the coop…and another rooster.

And I will be busy…. securing their area….trying to make it as safe as I can.

Ah….the ups and downs of farm living.

All life is beautiful…..precious…..and fragile.

10 Dec

Thinking about Mary…..

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: , .

I went to a baby shower this weekend for our daughter Holly.  She is due in February.    Her body shape is showing that the time is drawing closer.  Hard to believe…. seems like she just shared the ultra sound picture with us the other day.   Amazing how early they can tell if it will be a girl or a boy.  You couldn’t really even tell she was expecting.  Now she is experiencing all the normal pregnancy issues, tiredness and trouble getting comfortable.

Everyone is different and every expectant mother will experience some things the same and some things differently.  But most mothers can recall many things that they went through….even many years after child birth.  I found it to be the most wonderful miracle I have ever been able to be a part of.  Amazing how you can fall in love with that little person…before you even lay eyes on them.  Before you have a personality to put with them.

With the Christmas season, I couldn’t help but think about Mary, the mother of Jesus.  I suppose too…. just coming back from a mission trip… made me think about possibly similar conditions in which she might have lived.  No running water, no electricity… she would have experienced those things for sure.  Many people even today all across the world still experience those conditions.

We gathered together Saturday with great excitement over our new little fellow that will be joining us soon.  There were gifts of cute clothes, towels and blankets just waiting for his arrival.  We had blue punch, cupcakes with blue icing, and lots of finger foods as family shared in the celebration.

I wonder if Mary had a baby shower?  Did her Mom, Aunts, cousins and nieces gather together for a celebration of Jesus’ arrival?

Did she have someone make her some cute little boy clothes…or a handmade baby blanket?   We don’t know for sure…scriptures do not say…and where scripture is silent we need not add words.  It does make one think though.  There are some things that scripture does tell us.  When Mary was first told that she would carry Jesus…she was told about her relative Elizabeth.  Elizabeth had not been able to have any children.  The angel informed Mary that Elizabeth was expecting.  Mary went to see Elizabeth and found that she was six months along with John (the Baptist) just as the angel had said.  Scripture tells that when Elizabeth was greeted by Mary…..John the Baptist gave a leap for joy inside her womb!   How exciting!!!

The circumstances of an angel coming to a virgin girl and declaring her to be the chosen one to carry the Christ Child was probably not celebrated outwardly from the village people.  Maybe there were many days when Mary felt excluded or slighted by her friends and possibly even family members.  Not to mention Joseph.  Scripture tells us that Joseph wasn’t too sure about all of this news either.  Then it goes on to tell us that an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream.  The angel explained the details and told him that it was alright to take Mary as his wife, then he understood.  Still….there were probably whispers and smirks that both had to endure.

Holly is entering the last stages of her pregnancy…they are already preparing to stay home and have a quiet Christmas.  No traveling…the doctor would rather her not.  Now…I think about Mary…she had to travel by animal or foot no less…right at the time of her due date.  WOW.  I cannot imagine how she must have felt.

One of the things I vividly remember about my pregnancy was how swollen my feet would get.  I was a cosmetologist and stood up all day on concrete floors, I continued to work up to a week after my due date.  At the end of the day I would go home and elevate my feet on pillows, trying to get the swelling to subside.  It wasn’t terrible…it just wasn’t comfortable.  The very thought of having to walk miles and miles or ride on an animals back for hours upon hours is just mind boggling to me.  Mary must have been a very strong woman….physically.  She must have also been very strong emotionally.  She had left her home…and her family.  That meant that she would have this baby….her first child on top of that….without the moral support of her family being by her side.  Yes, she had Joseph…..and I can only imagine that he must have been really nervous.  No cell phones…to call a doctor…or her Mom for advice or just to hear some words of comfort from someone with experience.  She must have been a very strong woman Spiritually too.  She had trusted the Lord thus far, surely she felt the presence of the Lord with her at that very difficult time.

An Angel appeared to some shepherds tending some sheep…..we know that they believed what they were told…because they hurried to the stable.  They found baby Jesus lying in the manger.

However, we really don’t know who was there to help Mary or Joseph with the delivery…the very moment he drew his first breath.  Possibly it was just the two of them….experiencing this miracle that they were told would come to pass.  They knew even without the technology of an ultrasound ….that they would be having a son.

I remember the moment I had my son…instantly the pain was gone….and the sound of his cry was the most wonderful sound I had ever heard.  I couldn’t wait to see the face of this one that I had been carrying inside.  Like most mothers, I thought my baby was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen, from head to toe.

I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Mary immediately smiled and anxiously awaited a peek at Jesus as soon as she heard his cry too.  It must have been a very special moment for her and Joseph as they thought about all that had transpired over the past few months.  And all that was still to come.

Most mothers think their babies are perfect….the difference with Him was that  He truly was perfect…..He was God’s One and only Son.

Have you ever noticed when mothers all gather together to talk, they often share special memories about their children.

Perhaps that is why this Scripture verse is one of my very favorites……………Luke 2:19 …But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

In a lot of ways she was a normal mother…but in other ways she was not.  She was chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus  Obviously a very special person to have been entrusted with God’s only Son.  Mary and Joseph were blessed…. for they were chosen to be the earthly parents of Jesus Christ.  What a huge responsibility.

God gave the world the most perfect gift ever given.  Given not only to Mary and Joseph…but to all of mankind.

But….as with any gift given to us… we first have to accept it.

4 Dec

Time Together…..

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized.

We headed to the beach this past weekend and asked Billy’s parents to go with us.  It was beautiful weather and we really enjoyed the time together.

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There was some R and R ….(rest and relaxation)….

Also some sight seeing….

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We took a drive to look at some of the Christmas decorations.  This tree was HUGE.

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And so were these ornaments.  I thought they were so neat looking and although the Palm trees are not what one usually thinks about when thinking Christmas….. I absolutely love them…….all year long.

I like to take pictures all the time.  I try to always have something to blog about.  I am sure that it gets a little old to Billy.  I suppose that is why it occurred to me while I was going through our pictures of this trip that I am a very fortunate woman.

I especially thought it was sweet that my husband stopped the car and let me take a few pictures for the blog voluntarily.  As we drove around we happened up on this chess set.

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Pretty cool huh?  It was at this stop…that I realized just how considerate of a husband I have.  He not only stopped and let me take some more pictures…but he immediately got out of the car with me so you would be able to see just how big this set was by having a  person to show the scale of the object.  Then he proceeded to move to this big checker board.

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My mind quickly flashed to a couple of trips ago when he also gave me this nice photo opportunity of this big fish

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And this one

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of him riding a sea turtle….

It is the little things that we do for one another that mean so much.  I was able to get my pictures, but more importantly he does those things because he wants to make me happy.  And it does…it always makes me smile.

Billy’s parents have been married for 65 1/2 years.

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They do most everything together.  Scrabble is one of their favorite past times….and they are GOOD.  Man… they put me and Billy to shame.  But we still enjoy taking the challenge.

I have seen through the years how they both give and take to make the other one happy.  I hope Billy and I will remember to always be willing to give a little as we go through our marriage.

On our way home we stopped at a restaurant to eat.  The waitress asked his parents how long they had been married.  She said I just thought you both looked so happy.

I laughed and told Billy that she didn’t ask how long the two of us had been married….maybe we didn’t look happy.  We laughed.

She is probably like us…. thinking that it is very rare that a couple gets to celebrate this many years together.  One can’t help but notice.

I am so glad that we had this weekend with one another….and I am glad they wanted to spend that time with us.