If He Remembers the Birds at Christmas Time...and Gives Hay to the Lambs...

Even the birds are remembered at Christmas time!

Hannah tried out a recipe of birdseed and peanut butter, making shaped bird treats.

(Hint--top secret! They didn't stay together very well, but they still made good bird food!)

We have lots of feathered friends coming to the feeder my nephew Samuel made while he was here.

The other day we delivered a couple of these huge bales of hay to some friends.

They were just becoming the owners of two Dorset sheep, one of which, valued at $500, their oldest daughter won in an essay contest for writing about sheep.

It was no small task to get those 750-800 lb. bales of hay off the flatbed trailer.

One, two, three--heave!

Saturday afternoon after unloading the hay, we listened to stories about raising sheep in Maryland.

Our friend had been president of a Dorset sheep organization, and had helped organize a weekend sheep and lamb festival in Maryland

to which 80,000 people have come in one weekend.

We didn't know our humble friend had been so high up in the sheep world!
The next evening, their family and ours went Christmas caroling together.
The girls had baked cookies and arranged them on plates to give out to different neighbors.

This special basket was to go to the rancher couple at Red Ink Ranch where our children work. Marsha LOVES the girls' sourdough bread, so there is a loaf of that along with cookies, fudge, home canned pickled beets (which she also loevs), and lemon bread slices.

Getting ready to head out with guitars, mandolin, violin and banjo.

Here we are caroling in the twinkling lights at Marsha's.

And here is the basket the girls made for our friends the Hagertys--a cookie mix-in-a-jar, a cocoa mix jar, and a stack of peanutbutter cups, besides a dishcloth Hannah knitted.

Despite being in a bit of a pinch financially recently, the Lord provided so we could make lots of baskets of homemade gifts.

He Who watches over His sparrows and feeds the birds of the air...

(can you spot the dove in the top left corner behind the tree branches? It had been at the feeder.)

And He Who provides hay for the lambs and sheep,

He Who provided straw for the manger,

and a Lamb for the stranger,

will He not provide all that we need?

Not just food for a Christmas Eve dinner reserved for family only this year,

but so much more?

Dare we ask for more this Christmas season?

After the Christmas Eve service late that afternoon at a fellowship we slip into sometimes, one of the men there went around handing out packages of ground elk burger!

I loved getting that kind of gift rather than more candy!

But what I needed far more was a chance to be quiet, to lay aside the work and the preparations for a happy family time that evening,

and to be still and worship. 

To remember with others how the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

To make sure that in preparing to give gifts to our beloved children,

we do not forget the Child.

We took time, while supper was baking in the oven, to remember Christ.

Because of Him we can have joy all evening, watching children's eyes sparkle and hearing their happy squeals and laughter as they open their simple gifts.

(This package was for me, complete with wrapping paper that my children knew their mom would love, as I love cardinals.

Carrie had also tied these three flavors of her homemade chapstick together for me--strawberry, blueberry, and orange. Mmm!)

A gift basket to me from the girls--including a patchwork potholder, a set of cups, a dish towel embroidered by my sweet niece Amaris back in Pennsylvania, a molded homemade goat soap, a cookie mix, and a cocoa mix, a dishcloth and scrubbie knitted by one of the girls.

These are molded lotions that our pastor's wife, Holly Walker, gave me. 

Delightfully fragrant with lavendar, they feel so good!

Just pinch off a corner and rub on your hands.

 It feels so good to be remembered!

He Who remembers the birds and the lambs at Christmas time

will remember You!