An injured shepherdess is not particularly a happy shepherdess...

Any good shepherdess knows that she needs a staff, but two staffs and an air cast? Pleeeeease. This is too much. This shepherdess is injured and sentenced to crutches. Although I have learned many new tricks like closing the refrigerator door from a across the room when JoJo leaves it open, and pushing my stubborn donkey out of the way at feeding time, and flinging shoes into the laundry room, these stupid crutches are getting really annoying. I had decided to invent more “mom appropriate” crutches… maybe include a horn for annoying people that won’t give me enough room, and a bell for help when I need my husband’s attention (I’m sure I’d wear that one out pretty quickly), a hook for grocery bags, a handle for JoJo to “hold my hand,” maybe a retractable garbage picker upper, and maybe “stealth mode” so I can sneak around a little better.

I was at the grocery store the other day and was picking up a few odds and ends. I really have gotten fairly good at carrying things and crutching around. A lady offered to carry my things to the counter for me. I began to bristle with thoughts of being dependent and needy. I smiled the fakest big smile that I could paint across my face and said, “Oh thank you for your kindness.” Then a man offered to walk my bag out to the truck for me. It was ONE silly bag AND he opened the door for me. “Oh thank you,” I said. As I climbed in the truck and thought back on the last 15 minutes I was steamy mad… then I laughed. If I had not had crutches, I’d have been furious if no one had offered to help me carry difficult items to the counter. If I had been free of injury, I’d expect the man to open the door and get offended if he didn’t.

Isn’t that just so “woman”? My husband (and yours too) would say that we are fickle. We aren’t. The root of the problem is fear. With crutches, I’m afraid of being coddled and dependent. I feel helpless and out of control. Without crutches I’m afraid I’m not being noticed for the feminine creature that I am. Every woman is the same way. (Go ask a four year old girl if you can help her with her latest adventure, you’ll get a big fat “no” and then tears when you don’t help her with carrying a difficult object through the house). (By the way, Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge is a must read!)

So what Eve set into motion years ago, has cursed our future. You’re probably saying “Well then too bad the rapture didn’t happen on Sunday of we are all cursed.” The great thing about God is that He will you use even the most terrible and sinful act for His glory. Don’t ever forget that truth! I’m trying not to forget as I sit here with a hurting foot. I’m trying to teach my child that truth as she sits here mad that I have a hurting foot. So find balance today between being a strong, take-charge mom and being a feminine, gentle creature. After all you were made in God’s image! Find a balance as you walk this yucky, sinful earth today.

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

Parable of the Lost Sheep

"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For i tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that didn't wander off. In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones be lost." Matthew 18: 10-14

You know a good shepherdess of the Kingdom just HAD to have a lost sheep story to learn from. A few months ago, I had my chickens pecking about in the yard, when my daughter's dog went out and began to chase them. While trying desperately not to practice my excellent marksmanship skills on her, I put her in a kennel and began to access the damage. There were enough feathers strewn about to fill grandma's feather bed. I was just sick. My human heart began to work feverishly going over all my pity party thoughts... "it would be my luck that JUST as my hens started laying they'd all get killed," I shouldn't have had chickens to begin with because of the dogs," I never really wanted that stupid dog anyway... MY dog doesn't chase chickens."

Then I heard a "cluck." Oh what a marvelous sound! My heart began to race as I ran to the porch and began to follow the "clucks." There they were. Huddled safely under under the porch. A few hours later, they all came out and after further inspection were unharmed. At that time, I realized that I was missing a chicken. I searched all over the farm for her. No sign of black feathers, or anything else that looked like she had been killed, but where was she? I sat on the steps and started to pray to God over my lost chicken. I was praying selfishly at first. I know the Holy Spirit was sorting my thoughts quite similarly to the way I sort my mail over the trash can. Then He reminded me of the Parable of the Lost Sheep. My selfish, "help me find my chicken" prayers, turned to prayers of thanksgiving. "Thank you God for letting me be important enough to FIND me. Thank you God for my child being SO important that her angels ALWAYS see the face of God. And thank you for reminding me that even a chicken can teach this shepherdess a lesson."

We all have periods of being lost. Some of us are truly lost and do not know God. More often I think we are lost in the sense that we have lost touch with our Father, and our Christ, and our Holy Spirit. Sometimes for weeks or months, and sometimes for just moments in the day. God has put such an amazing "system" into our lives to help us walk this treacherous earth. A Holy Spirit inside of us to guide us, a Savior to die for us, and a Father to love us unconditionally... even when we are saying choice words about an obnoxious yellow dog that has chased our chickens' around. Every single person and every single second of our lives are important to God.

After much searching and learning about my Father's heart and the pain associated with losing just one of us, I found Betsy the chicken. She was playing dead in a bush. We walked back to the flock and reunited her with the others. Betsy's story doesn't end there, however. Three weeks ago, she began to sit on a pile of eggs. How fun that would be the week before Easter! But yet again, farm life "happened." About a week ago, she got an injury from one of the other dogs who was looking for chicken feed and eggs and found her on the nest. He just scratched her up a bit while trying to get her eggs... goodness knows if he had wanted her dead, she would have been instantly. (He is a 125 pound Rottweiler with a heart of gold). Two days later, she went on to chicken heaven. She sat her eggs the whole time, and then as if she knew we'd care for them, she died at the same time that she usually leaves the nest to eat. Josephine and I ran to the store and got an incubator and had a crash course in being a mother hen.

I now had 8 "lost sheep" in my charge! We checked fertility and viability (pretty cool... it's called candling and you put the eggs up to light and check the air sack and in lighter colored eggs you can see the baby chick). We discussed that it would be a miracle if they survived because of all that they have gone through and because we broke all the rules of incubation by tossing them in without regulating the temperature for half a day. We prayed over them. We turned them 4-6 times a day. We candled them daily. ...until yesterday. At 18 days, you stop so they can get in position to hatch. And then we waited... and waited... Early this morning, Frau (yet another dog) ran to the incubator as if to tell us something was happening. Over and over she broke out of her room and ran to the incubator. And over and over again, I checked the eggs... nothing. Then I saw it. The first little crack in the eggshell. (Still not hatched, but we'll post pictures and keep you up to date)!

Betsy's story didn't end at just being found in a bush or even when she went to chicky heaven. I know, I know, it's a chicken. But aren't we all like Betsy? We leave a legacy. We are all lost, those of us that believe are found, and then we leave a footprints on everyone we meet. Philippians 1:6 says "being confident in this that God who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ." Our Father loves us enough to search for us and long for us, but is our job to do his will, no matter the cost. We must have a willing heart, once found, to let God complete His beautiful work in us.

Walk in pure joy today on Christmas

At 3 a.m. on Christmas morning, while all other moms where nestled peacefully in their beds, I was in the pastures. I was mad and resentful. I was a little nervous... not of being alone in the dark... that part was quite peaceful. I was was scared of the unknown. The unknown event that lurks around every corner when you are caring for and managing animals. I've witnessed a horse harmlessly roll to itch his back and 45 minutes later have to be put down because he twisted his intestine while rolling. I've found my daughters pony too weak to stand in the quiet hours of the morning. I've had to lure my blind horse to safer ground when she became disoriented in the pasture. I've walked into feed to find my childhood horse shivering in shock when a tumor became too much for her body to bear. Terrifying moments and emergencies fill my mind. In the quiet of the Christmas morning all I could think about was the "what ifs." What might lurk around the corner to harm this peaceful day.

As I looked up at the heavens and saw the bright stars, I prayed desperately for God to protect these unpredictable creatures and spare me, if even for a day, the sick sinking feeling in my stomach of one of them in danger. I began to give them hay and slowly walk them to their paddocks. In the dark it took a lot of talking and comforting for the easily startled beasts to trust the path I chose for them. In the darkness of the morning, my horses went from startled and nervous, to calm and content. My nerves settled and I became overjoyed by the calmness of the morning. The crunching of hay and gentle snorts in the cold where a joyous sound... the sound of safety, security and quiet that could only be appreciated because I had experienced overwhelming fear of the unknown.

At 3 a.m. on Christmas morning, while all other moms where nestled peacefully in their beds, I was in the pastures. I was no longer mad and resentful. I was no longer nervous. I was no longer scared of the unknown. I was consumed by peace and joy and excitement because it was Christmas morning. In that moment I realized why God chose the lowly shepherds to be the first to witness His arrival to Earth. Those humble shepherds felt the sickening fear when the Angels appeared. This unexpected event that could scare, kill, or maim their precious sheep. Luke describes them as "terrified." Terrified... a helpless way to feel when you are caring for animals. The angel of the Lord said, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." (Luke 2:9-10). Those shepherds fully appreciated this great joy because they had experienced the fear. They understood the peace because they had endured the fatigue. They had been treated by society as inferior, ignoble, and subordinate. God put them in a place of favor, honor, and dignity. They were honored as the first to see Christ the King lying in the manger. They experienced being inferior, so they truly appreciated being favored. They had experienced fear, so they welcomed and embraced joy.

At 4 a.m. on Christmas morning, I climbed into my bed and snuggled under my covers knowing that it's okay to be fearful, and tired, and stressed, and even terrified because it's those experiences that have allowed me to truly know the Joy and Peace of Christ's birth. 50 years after Christ's birth, our Lord's brother reiterated this to believers by saying, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4). Walk in pure joy today on Christmas as a birthday present to our King.

Merry Christmas to my NEW blog!!!

My D6 Moment

If you aren't familiar with D6, you must visit the site http://www.d6family.com.  The website says "D6 stands for Deuteronomy 6:5-7 which commands dads and moms to take everyday opportunities to impress God’s Word upon the hearts of their children. D6 is foundational to raising spiritual champions for Christ."  I think of it as the practice of taking advantage of every opportunity we can to teach our children to be Christ-like.  I also think it's important to impress those principles on other children as well.  We are given a lot of opportunities to teach other children the importance of living a Christian life in very simple ways.  

So what is a D6 moment?  It's when you child surprises you by reminding you of the principles of Christ that you have instilled in them.  What a God given blessing to be reminded by your child to focus on Him.  It makes the pain of stumbling feel okay when you see that your child is becoming a child of God in every way.  Now you know how it is... you place this fabulous principle into your family's lives and then when you should be doing it most, you forget.  You lose sight of the Father and you just plumb forget to be a princess of His Kingdom.

My family has been focusing on 1 Thes. 5:17, Pray without ceasing, and Gal. 5:22, the fruit of the spirit.  I feel that these are two basic principles that we all should take to heart.  Applying those to a 2 1/2 year old's life can be quite tricky at times.  We take a virtue of the fruit of the spirit each week or so and talk about how we can be kind or loving or patient.  It has really helped her difficult situations to remember God's truths (like sharing her toys or not harassing the dogs).  We also have started to pray together anytime we were stressed, upset, whiney, happy, joyful, etc.  And almost anytime that we get in the car, we say a prayer. Being in the car with our children, is one of the few times we have their undivided attention!  I don't allow dvd players and that type of thing in the car, because I want to have one on one time with JoJo.  

So on to my D6 moment...  So our morning started like any other.  I had done my barn work (the horses were SO unruly) and headed back to the house so that Jason could shower and head to work.  As I began feeding our many dogs, my sweet and joy-filled JoJo slowly started turning into a little monster (over nothing of course).  Next on the list... feed store.   Josephine and I were going to head to the feed store to get our weekly feed supply (for 21 horses) and run farm errands.  For some reason, my horses, my dogs, and my child were having a meltdown, and I was losing patience very quickly.  

We pulled out in the truck, and as I got out to close the gate, JoJo squirted her juice box all over herself and began to cry.  As I opened the car door and heard her crying, I wanted to just melt right there in the driveway.  The words "Calgon take me away" were ringing in my head.  Evidently, JoJo saw the despair in my face as I hesitantly climbed back in the truck.  Surprisingly she got very quiet and so did I.  I had the feeling like maybe if I didn't look her in the eyes, she wouldn't scream bloody murder. (Moms, come on, you know that feeling).  That's when it happened.  She said, "Thank you God for the sunshine...  you pray with me Momma?"  I quietly burst into tears and said, "yes, baby, I'll pray with you."  She continued her prayer, and then I continued mine.  And then she sang "Jesus loves me" and said "Amen."  There's nothing more encouraging,  comforting, and joyful than seeing God's face in our children.  

Praise God for our children!

Praise God for His grace!

Praise God for His unfailing love!