New Mown Hay

Haying season is upon us! The corn is not yet all in the ground. Abe has been putting in long days...It has finally dried up enough to work the fields down.

One of the frequent poses I see my hubby in...completely natural to have the cell phone to his ear!!! He has had quite a challenge to coordinate everything, needing to be in two or three places at once. Thank God for cell phones!
He said a few days ago he was thinking on the verse that says:
"In Him we live, and move, and have our being."
It's good exercise right now to let go of what seems like it has to get done, to do the thing in front of you and trust God to be the Coordinator. Who sends the sun and the rain, again, after all?!?

Have you ever smelled fresh sun-dried hay?!? I wish there was a way to do a scratch and sniff for those of you who haven't! This is one of the aromas that makes me treasure my sense of smell!

Future hay-makers... yeah...girls can be farmers too! I have taken my turn at raking and baling hay in times past , sometimes with a baby on my back. Abe used to have a car seat bolted on one of his tractors too! Lately, with four, it seems I mostly shuttle Abe from a field back to his truck, and bring supper...etc.

By the way... our whole family still fits on one 4-wheeler, but it's pretty loaded down!

Sweet will be the flower!

For some reason when I saw this the other day, a line of a song came to mind...
"The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower."
I have noticed before that ants seem to like peonies. They are waiting in anticipation...
I have to think, there are many times in life when it is hard to wait, to trust and believe that "sweet will be the flower". We would like to help God "unfold the rose". In the same way that it will permanently damage a butterfly if you try to help it out of it's cocoon, it ruins the true beauty of the rose.

I ran across this verse the other day, and I have been savoring it.
Hosea 12:6
"So you, by the help of your God, return; Observe mercy and justice, and wait on your God continually."
He does not leave us to struggle alone.

"O, magnify the Lord with me. Let us exalt His name together."

Congratulations to the new Mama!

Until very recently, "Fluffy" was a "he".
As one of many kittens I had in mind this one was a "he". I never bothered to confirm if my memory was accurate or not... he got fatter and fatter recently and seemed to lay around a lot. One day, my niece LaCaysha informed me he's a "she"!
Being very tame and liking the garage, and sneaking into the house whenever possible, we were hoping this batch of kittens would be found early on. You see, we have another mother that has hers hidden very well! Weeks go by and we still can't find them! She's smart because we live in the woods and racoon are on the prowl.
Yesterday morning I stepped out the door and was just standing there when I noticed quite loud purring, like you would hear when a cat is right at your feet. Sure enough, just a few few feet away in the corner behind a bucket was Fluffy with kittens! I roused Damaris who then roused the rest of the girls.
We determined there were at least two...no, four! "Goody, one for each, they said!"
While they were watching, here came another one!


The girls can't remember ever seeing kittens this small! They are usually hidden too long and are then also very hard to tame.

The girls already have decided whose is whose and they have been graced with names. It's interesting to see how there is an immediate attraction to a certain one.
I am not particularly excited about what we will do with all these cats when they are grown. We have four right now, plus a hidden batch + the new five, which equals too many!
But...every little girl needs to experience kittens, as much as possible. There will be a way.

Believe It or Not!

This afternoon I was remembering bits from a song I learned years ago from my friend Faith (who is now my sister-in-law!). It had a huge impact on me then, as a single girl with a very unknown future ahead. I was told the author of the song went blind, and this was written out of that experience.
We are pretty much blind when it comes to knowing the future. Our only hope and security lies in knowing God, His love toward us, and choosing to believe in and rest in, Him. The truth in this song has never failed me.

Believe it for yourself and see what happens!

Oh, Rejoice In The Lord

God never moves without purpose or plan

When trying His servant or molding a man

Give thanks to the Lord, though your testing seems long

In darkness, He giveth a song.

Chorus:

Oh, rejoice in the Lord, He makes no mistake

He knoweth the end of each path that I take

For when I am tried and purified

I shall come forth as gold.

I could not see through the shadows ahead

So I looked to the face of my Saviour instead

I bowed to the will of the Master that day

Then peace came and tears fled away.

Now I can see testing comes from above

God strengthens His children and purges in love

My Father knows best, so I'll trust in His care

Through purging more fruit I will bear.

Come with me...

...Come with me to that scene in Jerusalem where the disciples are bidding Him farewell. Calvary with all it’s horrors is behind Him; Gethsemane is over, and Pilate’s judgement hall. He has passed the grave and is about to take His place at the right hand of the Father. The hour of parting is come.

Is He thinking about Himself in these closing moments? No, He is thinking of you.
You imagined He would think of those who loved Him? No sinner, He thought of you then. He thought of His enemies, those who shunned Him, those who despised Him, those who killed Him.
He gives His disciples His farewell charge, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature”. I can imagine Peter saying, “Lord, do You really mean that we shall preach the gospel to every creature?”
“Yes, Peter.”
“Shall we go back to Jerusalem and preach the gospel to those Jerusalem sinners who murdered You?!”
“Yes, Peter, go back and tarry there till you are endued with power from on high. Offer the gospel to them first. Go search out that man who spat in my face and tell him I forgive him; there is nothing in my heart but love for him.
Go search out the man who put that cruel crown of thorns on my brow; tell him I will have a crown ready for him in My kingdom, if he will accept salvation. There shall not be a thorn in it, and he shall wear it forever and ever in the kingdom of his Redeemer.
Find that man who took the reed from My hand, and smote My head, driving the thorns deeper into My brow. If he will accept salvation as a gift, I will give him a scepter, and he shall sway it over the nations of the earth. Yes, I will give him to sit with Me upon My throne.
Go seek that man who struck Me with the palm of his hand; find him and preach the gospel to him; tell him that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth him from all sin, and My blood was shed for him freely.
Go seek out that poor soldier who drove the spear into My side. Tell him that there is a nearer way into My heart than that. Tell him that I forgive him freely; and tell him I will make him a soldier of the cross, and My banner over him is love.” - Stephanie Grace Whitson

Never-ending Journey

As I was thinking of doing a post for Mother's Day, I heard this chorus playing on my sound system...

"It's a never-ending journey, to learn to love the way that You love me."

It seemed to epitomize the essence of motherhood.

I pulled up some pictures of special moments as a mother, from the past. This one was shortly after Abigail was born.

I highly treasure this picture...Damaris took it. I always wanted a picture of nursing my babies, from my point of view. I didn't coach her or even remember her taking it, but it was there on my camera! A special gift...

A lapful...and a heartful!

Hadassah...resting in the smile of God! This kind of light always makes me think of our Father smiling on us...

Many wonderful things can be said for mothers and about motherhood.
I thank God for mine.

Happiest of Mother's Days to each of you!
May you "walk in the smile of God" all through the day!