The Scared Chicken--Finding a Place of Refuge

A couple weeks or so ago, one of our chickens was chased and caught by one of the dogs. 

It seemed to go into some sort of shock after being grabbed like that, and the children brought the poor thing inside to recover.

Danny kept it right by him on the floor by the woodstove while he did his arithmetic!

With his pet chicken, Danny is gentle,
unlike he is with pesky squirrels that someone else had to get rid of in town!

Danny used his skinning and tanning skills with great relish, spending hours gutting, skinning, scraping, salting, and otherwise curing one squirrel hide after another as his town friend sent the squirrels to him.
He proudly showed his daddy after the hides were all done and hung on the wall.

But as I said, with our sweet pet chickens, Danny is gentle and merciful.

He kept gently stroking its feathers and offering it a little feed and water.

Little by little, the hen began to pull back together and started to move about and peck a bit of grain.

Today I read in my devotions from Psalm 103, one of my favorite Psalms.
"As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him.

For He knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust." (v. 13)

God knows all about the situations and circumstances that clobber us and send us reeling into shock. 

He knows our frame, that we are dust, that we are a bunch of poor weak creatures, not much stronger really in the flesh than a poor chicken!

He knows how necessary it is to have mercy on us and pity us and soothe our fears and calm our storms and rescue us from the enemy.

John Piper wrote recently,

"There is not only God’s general goodness that he shows to all people, making his sun rise on the evil and the good (Matthew 5:45), but also a peculiar goodness, as the psalm says, for “those who fear” him.

This goodness is abundant beyond measure. It is boundless. It lasts forever. It is all-encompassing. There is only goodness for those who fear him. Everything works together for their good (Romans 8:28). Even their pains are filled with profit according to Romans 5:3–5. "

Below is a picture Jonathan took Sunday of an owl in a nest.

Which reminds me of a lesson I read about an eagle fighting with a snake, 

"The eagle does not fight the snake on the ground. It picks it up into the sky and changes the battle ground, and then it releases the snake into the sky. 

The snake has no stamina, no power, and no balance in the air. It is useless, weak, and vulnerable unlike on the ground where it is powerful, wise and deadly. 

Take your fight into the spiritual realm by praying and when you are in the spiritual realm God takes over your battles.

Don't fight the enemy in his comfort zone, change the battle grounds like the Eagle and let God take charge through your earnest prayer."

Rosie and the Big Bull--and the Stubborn Mule

Things like this happen when Mom is not along on the ride.

Yeah, you saw that right.
(There is indeed a fence between, but it doesn't look like much of a fence for that big a bull!)

It is one of the biggest bulls you ever saw in your life, and Rose decided to see how close she could get since Mom was not along to sound some sort of alarm, just boy brothers and a boy cousin who was taking these pictures!

But then, what animal is afraid of Rosie, the animal lover?

I thought this might be a good time to post a humorous but thought-provoking devotional that John Piper sent out a while back,
titled, "Don't Be Like the Mule." 
Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. (Psalm 32:9)

"Picture God’s people as a farmyard of all sorts of animals. God cares for his animals, he shows them where they need to go, and supplies a barn for their protection.But there is one beast on this animal farm that gives God an awful time, namely, the mule. He’s stupid and he’s stubborn and you can’t tell which comes first — stubbornness or stupidity.

Now the way God likes to get his animals into the barn for their food and shelter is by teaching them that they all have a personal name and then calling them by name. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go” (Psalm 32:8).But the mule will not respond to that sort of direction. He is without understanding.
So God gets in his pick-up truck and goes out in the field, puts the bit and bridle in the mule’s mouth, hitches it to the truck, and drags him stiff-legged and snorting all the way into the barn.

That is not the way God wants his animals to come to him for blessing and protection.

One of these days it is going to be too late for that mule. He’s going to get clobbered with hail and struck by lightning and when he comes running, the barn door is going to be shut.

Therefore, don’t be like the mule. “Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle.”

Instead, let everyone who is godly come to God in prayer at a time when he may be found (Psalm 32:6).

The way not to be a mule is to humble ourselves, to come to God in prayer, to confess our sins, and to accept, as needy little farmyard chicks, the direction of God into the barn of his protection and provision.

Thousands of Burnt Acres and One Burnt Finger

Last week there were five major fires started in Colorado, and one was only about 40 miles from us, having started at I-25 and spreading clear to Peyton Highway--and jumping Peyton Highway!

And of COURSE, the children wanted to go closer, especially since Sam was heading to the fire station.

I decided to go with them to make sure they didn't get too close and burn up in the fire, :)

and even Jonathan joined us all in the van, because he couldn't bear to be left out, and we drove through Ellicott and on down Peyton Highway a ways to this Squirrel Creek Road, which had neither squirrels nor a creek anywhere in sight that I could see.

However, we could see an orange glow in three different places ahead of us.

At this point, in the distance we could see the flames leaping along the horizon.

Far to the west, we had already passed this scene, with clouds heavy with precipitation over Colorado Springs, but not over the plains where the terrible fire was making record-breaking progress across the tinder try prairie.

Here are the orange flames ahead of us another place,

Suddenly, Jonathan pulled to a stop near a left turn, and the children started looking out our windows and yelling that there were sparks and flames right near us! Here we thought the fire was way ahead of us somewhere, and we were right in the middle of a section that had already burned. There were more than one fencepost still smoldering, and the wind was fanning the coals into flames.
Jonathan said that we should have brought shovels, so we could throw dirt on the fires.

This is just one spot of fenceposts being fanned into flame by the wind.

I said that since we hadn't brought shovels we should just get out of there!
Instead, Jonathan, who has quite the need to experience as much adventure, excitement and danger as possible, turned left at the crossroad, and we stopped at the side of the road, surrounded by all manner of sparks and embers, glowing in the remains of trees, fenceposts, and sheds or house.

This photo simply does not do it justice. Think smoke, coals, embers, sparks flying in the wind, and a van with a gas tank underneath it just waiting for a freak spark to land and blow us all up.
I was only too glad to get out of there, back toward home, past this area of prairie where the antelope had been peacefully grazing as we went by earlier.

Meanwhile, Sam had left in a brush truck from the firehouse and headed off to spend several hours waiting for orders, getting refueled, and seeing that another fire engine was refilled with water two different times. We didn't hear from him till after 10:00 next morning when he showed up running into the house to look for a needed certificate. He was supposed to head down to help fight the fire in another direction this time as part of the state wildland fire fighting, not just local, and he had to have his certificate which he had earned just in time a couple weeks earlier.

He has been taking wildland firefighters training, hoping to sometime get to go help fight major fires, even out of state.

Well, he got a start last week, and this is he and his truck heading off. Later he texted that he was at the National Race Track where the firefighters had set up staging, and was still waiting for orders.

We didn't expect to see him for perhaps a couple days at the rate the fire was raging out of control, but the wind died down some, and with all the helicopter and airplane help and over 200 firefighters, he ended up getting to come home later that evening where we eagerly listened to his stories.

 Just a little earlier, Carrie had sold her next to last puppy, and this last one we allowed to stay a while indoors so it wouldn't be lonely.

It promptly konked out on the kitchen floor where it remained throughout the excitement!

Sam was needing a shower and a hair cut, so I set about cutting his hair while he finished telling stories. He had been telling about a fire truck that got stuck in sand, so an excavator came to pull it out and it got stuck, too, and then a third big machine had to come pull both of those out!

Another fire truck from Pueblo swerved to miss a vehicle and rolled over a couple times. 

Sam himself had to spend most of his time waiting for orders which sounded rather typical, but he did get to help deal with some hot spots.

Sam's involvement in this volunteer work has added to our family's adventures and also to our prayer time. Twice in the last couple days Sam had to dash off on a medical call which had come in as "Cardiac Arrest." We prayed for the patient. One call came 1 minute before the family arrived home from church. After he dashed off, we discussed what I'd read recently about an old fashioned doctor who used cayenne pepper for his heart attack patients, and never lost one.

Not one.

Cayenne pepper brings about instant circulatory response, etc. (Google or research it for yourself.)

Of course, the firemen aren't allowed to do any such thing, so of course, all we can do is talk about the olden days and simple remedies that today aren't allowed. Instead there are tons of paperwork and waiting for the right medic, transportation, etc.

When Sam returned, he said he was on his way but had gotten cancelled because it was too late. 

*****

Well, thirty or forty thousand acres burned in this nearby fire (not including the other major fires in the area),

but it was in my own house at my own oven that I got burned the same week!

 I had turned the oven on to bake apple crisps before I remembered that something had bubbled over another time and created a lot of smoke. So I turned the oven back off and started scraping the charcoal out from the bottom of the oven.

Forgetting that the heating element was still hot,  I grabbed it with my bare hand to lift it up so I could scrape underneath.

Yeah, that hurt!

I ran and ran cold water over it while my dear Rose ran for our aloe very plant which doesn't look all that beautiful but which we keep for burns like this.

I slit an aloe vera leaf in half and held it over the burn for a long time.

It wasn't very long before the pain had eased up to practically nothing.

I was amazed!

I couldn't help thinking of the verse of song,

 "There is a balm in Gilead that makes the wounded whole."

Life serves us lots of burns, floods, fires, storms, cardiac arrests and major heartaches.

But there is a balm much better, much stronger, much sweeter than aloe vera.

It's the Balm of Gilead that makes the wounded whole!

Our Fun Date--and The Improper Care and Feeding of Husbands

Last week Jonathan had suggested I go on a date with him Friday evening when he had to travel 45 minutes to Castle Rock on an errand. As it turned out, we both knew Friday evening was a TERRIBLE time to eat out or travel the interstate between here and Denver, we all had so much to do that weekend with expecting two sets of company, housecleaning, meal planning, and helping our older children do their taxes, that I asked if I could have a rain check on the date.

And my wonderful husband said, "Of course we can!"

The great thing about it was that six days later, we got to have our date, neither of us had to go so much as a mile out of our way, and we didn't even have to pay for our meal!

I found a gift card that my brother Gabriel and his wife had left with us for Guadalahara Mexican Restaurant which is in Falcon where I had to go late yesterday on an errand.

I called Jonathan to ask about a date, and he was very happy to meet me there! I started to get excited, and I was even more excited after running into the library while waiting for him, and discovering three books by Dr. Laura Schlessinger on the sale shelf for just 50 cents or $1 each!

This one was called, The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands, with the first chapter titled, "The Improper Care and Feeding of Husbands."

What a perfect addition to our date at the restaurant, where I didn't have to worry about how my cooking turned out!!!! :) :)

I showed Jonathan the story Laura Schlessinger told about, of a wife who didn't like to cook, and so she fed her husband peanut butter and jelly sandwiches a LOT of the time! 

Needless to say, Dr. Laura was not very impressed with this wife's attitude.

Regardless of how a person feels about Dr. Schlessinger, we all have to admit that she gets some very good points across in very hilarious ways, besides telling true stories about people who call into her radio broadcasts, stories that you would never believe except that they are true.

So there we sat at Guadalahara, munching fresh corn chips dipped in spicy salsas, ordering one combo plate of our favorite Mexican entres for $12 It was so huge we shared it together and had plenty, (leaving enough on the gift card to come back again another time!) and laughing about Schlessinger stories--and taking pictures--because you know Anna. Anna just HAS to have pictures of all sorts of everything to put on her blog. 

Laughing about Schlessinger stories and taking pictures of western horseshoe napkin holders and saltshakers for his wife is much more to Jonathan's liking than coming up with new ways to say old but wonderful things like "I love you," and "It was fun being together tonight."

I could tell my  hubby was very  happy. We laughed about the funny things I'd read in the first chapter of this book while waiting for my hubby, and we paid for the delightful, filling, and delicious meal with a gift card, left a few dollars for a tip, and sneaked a big fat kiss after I got into my van to go home.
And when we got home we discovered that the seven children and one cousin had also had a delicious meal of meatballs, roasted potatoes, and corn and Easter egg candy that Jonathan found the day before at 90% off. We all had a wonderful evening!
And I would recommend this book after reading just one chapter.
I'm taking the others along next week when we fly to Florida on another Mission Helps trip.

Puppies Waiting for Their Treat

Our children are doing a good job of training our new puppies. Not only are the puppies learning to fetch, but they are learning to SIT.

The children find that treat-giving time is a perfect opportunity to train the puppy to obey.
How our puppies love special little bits of ham or bacon fat or other tempting tidbits, and how we love to treat them!
But we use the treats to train.

I don't know about you, but I can't stand crazy, untrained, yappy, unhappy dogs whose owner yells and yells and kicks them and fusses at them and calls them names but can't get them to obey.

I do  like dogs who have been properly trained (without the kicks and yells) to listen to and love their owner.

Obedience takes training.
And training takes time.

Puppy training teaches us a lot about child training, and even about how God deals with us.
And I wish so  much that I could make this sound as good as John Piper or other popular bloggers, but I am just a simple mom with some simple thoughts and pictures.

Dog trainers train so their dog will have good, obedient, positive character and behavior.

Parents train so their children will learn obedience and good character. 

God trains and disciplines "for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness."
Even Christ "learned obedience through the things which He suffered."

 One of the big disciplines is learning to wait. That is so hard!

The puppy sees that piece of ham fat, and every instinct and every bone inside his body is telling him to jump for it!

But before long, he learns that he will NEVER get that treat if he jumps and runs and acts crazy.

He must obey the master's voice if he wants the ham.

He must set his royal little hiney down upon the ground and be still and wait.

And as soon as he is sufficiently still, as soon as he has submitted his will and is perfectly obedient--

here comes the ham sailing through the air!

 We know from God's Word, that He has wonderful things waiting for those who wait for Him.

"Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant?...Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon His God." (Isa. 50:10)

 "Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You,

Who acts for the one who waits for Him." (Isa. 64:4)

Lord, may our poor little efforts at teaching little puppy dogs to wait

remind us of Your desire for us to wait on You obediently,

wait in surrender, knowing that it is not just about giving up what we want,

but simply waiting on You to give us what You know is best for us,

what is good for us,

and what is delightful to us!

For we know your promise, "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

God has more than bits of ham and puppy dog treats waiting for us.

He has eternal benefits that reward our waiting upon Him in whole-hearted obedience.

Pursue Contagious Joy

Here is a poem my sister Dorcas recently sent me by Annie Johnson Flint who wrote a lot of beautiful poems including "He Giveth More Grace." This following hymn is called "The Jesus Way," which Dorcas said she has been enjoying playing and singing..

Dorcas also sent this beautiful photo of an apple blossom with the poem.

The Jesus Way
"Oh, there's many a thorn on the Jesus way, 

Many a thorn I know;

There is grief and loss and the pain of the cross

Wherever my feet may go.

But the Lord will heal all the wounds I feel

When the thorns have pricked me sore;

And He's planted a rose where the briar grows,

For He's walked this path before.

Oh, there's many a storm on the Jesus way, 

Many a storm I see,

When black is the cloud and the wind is loud,

And waves go over me.

But the Lord Himself is in my little ship,

And the storms obey His will;

At the word He hath said, "Be not afraid,"

My heart and the sea grow still.

Oh, there's many a foe on the Jesus way, 

Many a foe to fight;

And all the day we must watch and pray

To keep our armor bright.

But the Lord forever will be at my side

The tempter's wiles to meet;

Tho' the foe be strong, and the strife be long,

He can never know defeat.

*******************

And here is a thought I read recently which I thought was worth sharing.

"If we feel greater personal satisfaction and self-esteem because of our new disciplines, but it’s not positively impacting the people around us (but perhaps even coming at their expense), then our resolutions are not saying anything positive about Jesus. Joy that isn’t overflowing isn’t loving. And joy that is not loving is not Christian — and isn’t worth what we think it is (1 Corinthians 13:3). Pursue contagious joy, sacrificial joy, overflowing joy.

The admonition is not to abandon resolutions or personal discipline or healthy habits of dieting, exercising, and sleeping. Not at all. By all means, pursue personal health, growth, and maturity — just not for your own sake. Make and keep resolutions that produce love and not just self-improvement."

Marshall Segal in DesiringGod

Others Quilt; I Can't Even Mend!

My hat is off to all those wonderful ladies out there who can make these beautiful quilts.
I can't even mend the binding on the edge of my little daughter's blanket!

True, I try hard, but either I don't think right about how to do it, or the tension is wrong, or the sewing machine isn't threaded right or otherwise doesn't work right.
So there I am, having pinned the binding in place where it had come off, trying to sew it.
Soon the thread breaks and I have to start over. 

I had to start over five times before I got that binding sewed. 

Then I needed to fix a little top for Hannah by sewing a little panel in the low neck, and hemming the sleeves after shortening them. 

That took at least two tries, too. I won't bore you with details. 

I am just letting you know that we moms definitely have different gifts--and I am so glad you have yours.

Some of you love to quilt or scrapbook or decorate your house or plan delightful parties or garden or research family lineage. 

I write--emails, newsletters, blog posts, stories, philosophical and analytical questions.

God has a place for each of us and our gifts and abilities, and how good it is when we don't just use them for ourselves, but use them to serve others.

I appreciate how Janet Albertson makes such beautiful quilts for family and friends;

how the Sturtevants scrapbook to share their prison ministry;

how Heather Dickinson blogs to share their life with others;

how those at IHC convention this week are preaching and singing and playing instruments to the glory of God;

how Will and Darlene Byler use their administrative skills to lead Mission Helps;

how my sister-in-law Anita used her creativity to plan our wedding shower where the ladies gave me  all manner of sewing notions, including this pair of scissors from Anita, engraved with our names, sewing scissors I've used all these years and still used that day when I couldn't even mend!

No matter what our gifts, we can love and respect each other. 

"Show respect even to people who don't deserve it; not as a reflection of their character, but as a reflection of yours."--Dave Willis

(I found these on Facebook and thought they were good enough to share.)

"We can be strong, thoughtful and have deep beliefs without being unkind, manipulative, or disrespectful. This does not mean be a doormat, it means you can stand firmly in your truth with lovingkindness." - Barb Schmidt

So while others quilt and preach and sing and garden and research and cook and campaign and hunt and fish and make maple syrup,

I blog--and may we all bring sunshine into the lives of others!