For laughs

If you haven't already seen this, it will have you laughing for the next hour! :)

I'm Forever Grateful

I have tasted and seen that God is good to us. The nearer I draw to Him, the more wonderful He becomes. I am forever grateful for Jesus, and that His Holy Spirit is shaping my heart to find full sufficiency in Him! He is teaching me that it is true: "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face; and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." This new joyful appreciation is foremost on my heart this Thanksgiving!




Secondly, I am so grateful for the situation He has placed me in: a wonderful family (though I say so myself) raised by God-fearing parents. Living on land I love, with plenty of breathing space. I love the life we lead! The life God has blessed us with.



There is a goat waiting to be milked when I wake up in the morning. The cats have been keeping a weather eye out for me all morning, and quickly gather mewing round the milking stand. The pup races over from where she's been digging for moles and I shoot a stream of warm milk at each of them, which they adeptly catch in their mouths. (Sweet Thing is the most accomplished). Then there is hay to be thrown, and I happily relish the sound of their gluttony as Snowy, Charlotte, June, and Giselle stuff their faces. During the day, among the various duties, I also have access to such things as a gorgeous piano to play, a song to sing, great books to read, Snowy to ride if I wish, encouraging and inspiring email notes from friends, good country food to cook, and BJ to be goofy with. Come darkness, it's time to go out to milking again. The air is calm and quiet, tinged with the sweet smell of woodsmoke. The stars shine out brightly, and the moon shimmers through the limbs of mighty oak trees. Sometimes I remain silent, taking time for quiet thought. Sometimes I sing hymns at the top of my lungs. It's the perfect ending to any day, in my humble opinion. I give thanks to God for His salvation, and for blessing me with this simple-joys filled life. It is so far and abundantly more than I deserve! And I thank Him for you, all my bloggie friends, who are an inspiration to me as I read your encouraging comments and see in your own lives evidence of God's handiwork. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

A 2nd Sweet Thing saga

**the first can be read here and it's conclusion here**

Sweet Thing was in the woods with John Paul when it happened that one of the full grown large hunting hounds scared the daylights out of her, and she took off running away for all she was worth! The main problem: they were in the woods across the road, where Sweet Thing had no clue where she was! So once again, we had lost her. Oh we went looking for her, but we could not find her! Once again, she was lost!

That was last Saturday. We continued to seek her, BJ and Daddy, and later BJ and I, searching and calling for her in the forest into which she fled. Without success! We sadly joked that maybe the mean old man had taken possession of her again! :)

Today, BJ had a piano lesson, (with a lady just up the road), and I drove him. On the way home, we drove past the house of................... the old man. And what do you suppose we saw sitting in his yard!

"He's got her again!!!" I shrieked, staring in disbelief and nearly running my truck off the road. A passionate "Grrrrrr!!!" escaped from BJ's lips.

"Not again!" was my foremost thought! We'd had such a time re-claiming her the first time... how were we ever to do it again?? Squeezing the steering wheel in resolve, I exclaimed to BJ, "I'm going to sneak over there and get her!" The man's house sits near the woods. I designed to creep up through the woods unseen, and call Sweet Thing to me, thus reclaiming our own without having a week of argument with the old man again.

Upon reaching the house, I changed into an appropriate color... black. BJ found my plan risky and rash, but his loyalty outweighed his reluctance, and he embraced his role as accomplice by donning camo. Together we dashed across the road, squeezed through a gate, dashed across a pasture, squeezed through another gate, and were then in the woods. Heading left, we followed the wood-line down to the old man's house. On all fours, I crept up on a mound of dirt and weeds, and peered through the brambles. I could not tell if the man was home or not; the garage doors were shut. I softly called to Sweet Thing; she was lying next to the house, about 50 yards away. She lifted her head, and I called again. She jumped up and turned in circles. I raised up so she could see me, and called once more. Ah, then what I'd feared all along happened... she broke out wildly barking! I quickly ducked back down behind the weeds, but with one eye still watching the house. Nothing stirred, though Sweet Thing continued her barking incessantly. I assume that he was not at home, or else had the TV up too loud.

My evil plan would have worked so well, save for Sweet Thing turning out to be an utter chicken! She was excited to hear herself called, but didn't have the guts to run to the person calling her. BJ suggested that she may need glasses. I called and called, but she did nothing but bark. I should have foreseen this. This is, after all, the same dog who, a few weeks ago, fled in willy-nilly terror when I walked up the driveway with the newspaper in front of my face.

Alas, for this would have been a much more thrilling blog post had the evil plan actually succeeded! In the end, we returned home empty handed, and instead, Daddy drove over there and picked her up. I guess the old man will come home and wonder where that dog got to! But although it seems sneaky to have fetched her home without notifying him, I do think that it was the best method, all things considered. All things considered, it was the most peaceful method!

Barn Dance video- Taylor version

Here is our video from the Alexanders' barn dance:

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/SrHtbDecXdeqKRzt

If you enjoy that, you'll also like this one:

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/kxztbrzVJKhs1tXL

Rest in the Lord

"Trust in the Lord, and do good;

Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

Delight yourself also in the Lord,

And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord,

Trust also in Him,

And He shall biring it to pass..."

"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him..."

Psalm 42:3-5, 7a

-

This is my battle cry as I trust God with my love story. And my comfort amid any doubts is this precious passage:

-

" 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,'

says the Lord.

'For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts than your thoughts.' "

Isaiah 55:8-9

-

I grasp concepts by thinking in analogies. My analogical rendering of the above is that I become enamored with Burger King, thinking it can't get any better than this and this is what I surely need. God, on the other hand, plans and has prepared The Texas Roadhouse for me. (Ha! Maybe not the best analogy is you don't like steak! :)

A jolly good weekend

Saturday morning, I was with Rebekah, turning pages as she accompanied a flutist. (The night before, she had been accompanying more flutists... those kids had a serious lack of stage etiquette training! They didn't know to bow when there was applause, and just stood there like a deer in the lights of an 18 wheeler! One poor fellow suddenly realized that he should bow, but did so right behind the stand, and then while he was bent over, peeped up at us from under it! I scribbled a poem and passed it to Rebekah, causing us both to become amused; then I tipped my chair forward as she whispered something about it in my ear, and the chair almost dumped me. We pretty much totally lost it then, and sat writhing with silent laughter for the next several minutes. Yes, it was late!) Back on topic- my friend Allie picked me up Sat. morning and drove me home, where we, Sam, BJ, Mama, and Daddy boarded our van and set off for the Alexanders' long-awaited-much-debated barn dance!

Upon arrival, I hopped out and immediately saw who I supposed to be The Gentleman from Virginia. But I made a quick dash to the house to change into dance attire since we'd arrived too late for most of the volleyball. When I came back, I was quicky surrounded by all my devoted followers snapping pictures and asking for my signature.

The barn loft was purrrrrfect for dancing! And I think our group will go down in the callers' book as the most uncoordinated of his experience. (However, he's down in my book as the most complicated explainer in my dancing experience, so we're even). Despite the coordination inadequacies, we had fun! And even more so when the caller gave up (hehe) and we started an independent Virginia Reel! Don't faint... but it was my first time dancing it.

I loved meeting everyone whome I've met on here, and re-meeting those that I'd only briefly met before. It's so unfortunate that so many miles lie between us, cause I think I could easily get thick as thieves with the Wilson girls, Rachel and Sarah, Butler girls, etc.! :)

Thank you, Alexander family, for hosting a most splendid evening!

For the record, Meredith, I like the house.