My Way!!!

                                          Bella giving a bottle to the calf.

                                          Kaya being Kaya.

    My two granddaughters came to visit last week for Spring Break. They are 3 and 9 years old, red-haired and high maintenance. Bella, the 9 year old, is famous for her "Bella Meltdowns". She is growing up. She didn't have a single meltdown while she was here.
    Her little sister, Kaya, however, was a stinker. If I would tell her that she couldn't have something or do something she wanted; she would either pucker up and cry or throw a temper tantrum. Clearly, she hasn't been told "No" much in her short life.
   If I asked her if she wanted to paint, or play outside, or get dressed-reasonable requests, she would say "No, Mommy do it. I don't like you".
    It reminded me of how I am toward God. If He closes the door on something I really want, I either pucker up and cry or throw a fit. I don't come right out and say that I don't like Him, but my thoughts and actions show that I am feeling that way.
    I've grown up somewhat. I know now that God's way is the best way, the only way. I'm not as rebellious as I was when I was younger; but I'm known to still have an occasional "Bella Meltdown" if I don't get my way.

    Lord, Save me from myself. Help me to always want your way in my life. Help me to keep my thoughts always on You and put You first in my priorities. Thank you for understanding when I have a meltdown, and for always loving me , even when I'm not loveable.

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect", Romans 12:2.

"No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus", Romans 8:39.

The Hare and the Tortoise

                                          Elizabetta is an alpaca

                                           Rosemary my pet sheep

                                           Thelma is a pygmy goat

                                            Sampson and Delilah are our LGDs

   My husband is a hare; he is a type A high energy person. I am a tortoise, slowly meandering around
most days with my head tucked in my shell. We have been so busy this almost spring on our farm. My husband's head has been spinning around thinking of all he wants and needs to do. I'm tucking my head further in my shell so it doesn't start spinning, too.
   We sold all our sheep except Rosemary, my pet, and Harriett, who doesn't shed any of her hair. We have 12 new ewes coming in May so we have to get the pasture ready for them-checking the fence, providing food troughs and water buckets.
   In the meantime, my husband the hare decided he would buy some alpacas-7 females and two  crias
and two herd sires. In April we will breed them, hoping for more cria next April. They are pregnant for 12 months?!?!
    I tried to talk my husband out of getting the alpacas but when his head is set on doing something, it's best to just step out of his way and let him go after it. Now that we have them, I'm in love-again! Their long necks are so graceful and they are peaceful like the sheep.
   We need to halter train the alpacas before the shearer comes in April to shear them all. Then we need to figure out what to do with all that valuable fleece. We have gone to a couple of spinning classes and have discovered that we have absolutely no talent for this. Needles and yarn have never been my friends.
   I need to take my Border collie, Grace, to agility classes; and all our dogs are due vaccinations and grooming. We now have a way to transport Sampson and Delilah; they have overgrown any type of vehicle except my husband's truck. He has found a ramp that they will walk up on to get in the truck bed. At least, Delilah has done this. Not Sampson our huge baby yet.
   We have 3 calves we are raising for meat and have had to bottlefeed. Actually we fasten buckets with long nipples onto the fence and they drink from this-twice every day. And our pygmy goat, Louise, gave birth to triplets. What cuteness!!! The 8 hens we bought for laying eggs have laid nary an egg. I've told them they are not at a resort. They are supposed to work for their accomodations.
   On top of all that our daughter and two youngest granddaughters are coming tomorrow to stay the week of their spring break. And then our oldest granddaughter and a friend are coming for their spring break next week.
   Is your head spinning yet? Mine is, just writing this. But it is almost spring (although we had snow and sleet yesterday); and a steady dose of sunshine will cure many ills. Depression?? I don't have time to let it settle in any more. And I believe (finally believe) that my God will never leave me or forsake me. "No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you", Joshua 1:5.
   My God directs my steps, delights in my life's details; and He holds my hand so that I won't fall on my back if I trip over. "The Lord directs the steps of  the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand", Psalm 37:23-24.
   I love this life that God has given me and I can't praise Him enough for making something beautiful out of my life that was such a hot mess and worse. "I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely", Psalm 63:6-8. 

Slow As Molasses

    "Slow as molasses" is an old phrase meaning painfully slow. Molasses pours out of a jar very slowly, especially in cold weather. This term is not used as much today since molasses is not used much by our modern fast-food families. It was used as a sweetener in days gone by (before we knew sugar was bad for you) as it is a rich, thick byproduct of sugar making. It was often used to make cookies and other sweet treats, back when mothers baked such things.
    "Slow as molasses" is the best phrase I can think of to describe myself right now. I have been sidelined for weeks with first the flu and then another round of snow and ice. I can sit for hours and watch the little finches fight over the spots on the feeders; or watch the alpacas raise their graceful necks to the sun as they munch on the crunchy coating of snow and sleet that covers our pasture.
    I am perfectly happy being slow this winter. Honestly, I've always been slow. I was never good at witty comebacks. It takes me awhile to process my thoughts and form them into words. I'd much rather give a prepared speech to hundreds of people than answer a question off the top of my head in a small group.
    I always thought slowness was bad; wishing I was the one to deliver that clever remark at just the right time; wishing I was the first one to know how to use the most current device. But that's ok. I'm ok. It's taken me 65 years to believe that I'm ok the way God made me. He made some of us to be the life of the party and some of us to speak life to one other person.
    I praise God for the life He has given me; the gifts He has given me; the sensitive personality He has given me. Even if sometimes I'm as" slow as molasses". Or as " slow as Christmas" which is a long 42 weeks away.
"O, Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your creatures", Psalm 104:24.
"May the glory of the Lord continue forever! The Lord takes pleasure in all He has made", Psalm 104:31.
"I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath! May all my thoughts be pleasing to Him, for I rejoice in the Lord", Psalm 104:33-34.