Tying Shoes & Trusting God

October 26, 2008

Untied Shoes

My lovely niece Sarah sent me this recently. It touched me and I thought you would appreciate it, too. So I’m letting Sarah be my guest blogger today. Enjoy …

I read a verse that made me laugh this morning.

It was in Isaiah 26:12 and said, “Lord, you have established peace for us; all that we have accomplished You have done for us.”

What a way for God to point out the humility I need to have! EVERYTHING I have ever accomplished was really God doing it. And it isn’t even the work through me like I used to like to think –  it actually was God doing it for me.

Like a little kid who needs help tying their shoes. It definitely is still their shoe that gets tied, but it is the adult who does the tying.

What a crazy humble God who lets me think I am doing so much when it is only Him doing anything.

By Country Gal | Posted in Deep Thoughts | Tagged , | Comments (2)

Home School Hot Dog Roast

October 18, 2008

We spent a very cold evening last night at our annual home school hot dog roast.

There’s nothing quite as tasty as a charred hot dog with a cold inside eaten on a ketchup drenched bun while sitting on a lawn chair balancing a plate of goodies on your knees.

There’s smoke in my eyes, ketchup dribbled down my shirt, and chips drowned in my baked beans.

I love it!

Maybe the food doesn’t meet gourmet standards, but the atmosphere rivals the finest dining establishments!

The kids are laughing and playing while the adults are enjoying the warmth of the fire, catching up on life.

There’s something about watching a bonfire on a crisp night that is relaxing and brings perspective. Your entire world is reduced to the glow of the fire and those people immediately around you.

You snuggle down in the warmth of your coat and hold hands with your honey while watching the embers and flying sparks against the pitch black night sky.

Yep…I love a campfire!

By Country Gal | Posted in Autumn, Deep Thoughts, Memories | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Sound of the Seasons- Autumn

October 15, 2008

home canned food

Have you ever “heard” fall? There’s an urgency in it’s voice.

As I sat on the dock listening the other day I could hear birds calling each other, reminding them to hurry on their journey south.

I heard combines running on 4 sides as once again the farmers race against winter to bring in this season’s crop.

There was the whirring of chain saws as neighbors added to their wood piles in anticipation of the cold weather ahead.

The grasshoppers were buzzing and crickets were chirping as they enjoyed the last warm days.

I sat and heard it all and I understood it.

This is a busy season for the gardener. The last of the garden produce is competing with the apples for my attention. Daily there is something in the canner as I race against the first frost.

But I knew that this season will not last forever. That killing frost will come and the world around me will be silent with the cold of winter.

There is peace in knowing that these urgent days will have an end. These seemingly endless boxes of produce will all be tucked away neatly into jars and sitting on my pantry shelves ready for my family.

And then the first garden catalog will arrive…

Eccle. 3:1 To everything there is a season…a time to plant and a time to pluck up what was planted…”


By Country Gal | Posted in Autumn, Deep Thoughts, Harvesting | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Feast or Famine

October 10, 2008

I had a lovely conversation with a dear friend today. She shared openly how, as farmers, they did very well last year, but it looked like this year they were going to barely break even.

We decided in rural America it’s often either feast or famine.

But in time, we’re learning to accept it.  We’re learning to be thankful for the blessings in the good years and trusting God to provide in the lean ones.

We’re discovering that God really does see the big picture where we see only a glimmer.  His provision and plan for us is perfect, whatever our situation may be.

“When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul…”

~ Horatio G. Spafford

Feast or famine, good times or hard ones, our God is still in control.

“…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” ~ Phil. 4: 11-12

By Country Gal | Posted in Deep Thoughts, Harvesting | Tagged , , , | Comment (1)

Our First Pear Harvest

October 3, 2008

pears in basketIt finally happened.

After planted 2 pear trees over 8 years ago, we finally have fruit!

We watched in amazement this spring as blossoms formed on the previously barren branches.

We held our breath as fruit formed from those blossoms.

We got excited as we watched the fruit grow all summer.

And yesterday we harvested our very first pear harvest.  We filled a nice sized box with large, luscious pears!

Do you know how many years my husband has threatened to cut down both of those non-bearing trees?  But he didn’t, choosing instead to give them just one more year.

And finally, this year we had our first harvest. It took eight years of growth, eight years of patience, and eight years of hard work, but we had fruit.

It reminds of the verse in Galatians:

“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” ~Galatians 6:9

Are you waiting for something today? Don’t give up.

By Country Gal | Posted in Autumn, Deep Thoughts, Harvesting | Tagged , | Comments (2)