Trust in the Lord

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.

The Lord spoke those words to me in a moment of despair.  Let me tell you what is going on since Ronnie left his job:

We have been blessed with checks we didn’t know were coming to us in moments when we needed them most.
Our dryer died.
Our bank account is negative $125 from a couple of deductions I missed, the crazy overdraft fees and a “you’ve been overdrawn for 5 business days” fee.
Ronnie’s check is a week late! (Hence the overdraft)
Our income tax return that was scheduled to be direct deposited today, has been rescheduled for Feb. 10.

So, I started to fret. To worry. To get down right anxious.
And for good reason. We have no money. In fact, negative money! We are running low on food. We have goats to feed, dogs to feed, children to feed.
I began to question what God was having us do and if we really heard Him correctly.
Then a new friend encouraged me, and God gave me the verse above.

Lean not on your own understanding
I don’t understand God, but He is not for me to understand. He is for me to trust.
I can do that!

Happy Birthday, Sofia!

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Sofia had her first birthday today. She absolutely loved the attention and the cake. I’ll post pictures tomorrow.
What did she get?
A pretty dress
A Winnie the Pooh
Caramel-her baby goat!
I promise, I’ll post pictures tomorrow!

Tee Hee!

Grammar Lesson, Part II

Than and Then? Oh, I get these confused all the time. Here is what Webster has to say about them:

then |ðen|
adverb
1 at that time; at the time in question : I was living in Cairo then | [after prep. ] Phoebe by then was exhausted | [as adj. ] a hotel where the then prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, was staying.
2 after that; next; afterward : she won the first and then the second game.
• also; in addition : I’m paid a generous salary, and then there’s the money I’ve made at the races.
3 in that case; therefore : if you do what I tell you, then there’s nothing to worry about | well, that’s okay then.
• used at the end of a sentence to emphasize an inference being drawn : so you’re still here, then.
• used to finish off a conversation : see you in an hour, then.

and

than |ðan; ðən|
conjunction & preposition
1 introducing the second element in a comparison : [as prep. ] he was much smaller than his son | [as conj. ] Jack doesn’t know any more than I do.
2 used in expressions introducing an exception or contrast : [as prep. ] he claims not to own anything other than his home | [as conj. ] they observe rather than act.
3 [ conj. ] used in expressions indicating one thing happening immediately after another : scarcely was the work completed than it was abandoned.

Grammar Lesson, Part I

They’re taking their goat over there.

Note the three words sounding alike here. They all have different meanings.

They’re – contraction of they are.
their – possessive adjective

1 belonging to or associated with the people or things previously mentioned or easily identified : her taunts had lost their power to touch him.
• belonging to or associated with a person of unspecified sex : she heard someone blow their nose loudly.
2 ( Their) used in titles : a double portrait of Their Majesties.

there – adverb

1 in, at, or to that place or position : we went on to Paris and stayed there eleven days | [after prep. ] I’m not going in there—it’s freezing | figurative the opportunity is right there in front of you.
• used when pointing or gesturing to indicate the place in mind : there on the right | if anyone wants out, there’s the door!
• at that point (in speech, performance, writing, etc.) : “I’m quite—” There she stopped.
• in that respect; on that issue : I don’t agree with you there.
• [with infinitive ] used to indicate one’s role in a particular situation : at the end of the day, we are there to make money.
2 used in attracting someone’s attention or calling attention to someone or something : hello there! | there goes the phone.
3 (usu. there is/are) used to indicate the fact or existence of something : there’s a restaurant around the corner | there comes a point where you give up.

Please use appropriately.
Thanks.

Jesus, The One and Only

So, Ronnie got me the devotional by Beth Moore, Jesus, The One and Only, for Christmas. So far, I’m on Day 5! I’m not very good at sticking to or finding time for my daily devotional. Please pray I’ll be more faithful to my Savior.

Anyway, day 5 is about Christmas Day or The Birth of Jesus. One paragraph that hit a chord with me was this one:

The most concentrated list of Old Testament feasts appears in Leviticus 23. The chapter describes seven different feasts. In verse 5 we read, “The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.”
The first month falls, according to the new moon, over the last half of March and the first half of April. The timing has significance to all of us who have carried children in our wombs. In the Jewish calendar, the fourteenth day of the first month is called the day of conception. If our God of perfect planning and gloriously significant order happened to overshadow mary on the fourteenth day of the first month of His calendar, our Savior would have been born toward the end of our December. We have absolutely no way of knowing whether or not He did, but I would not be the least bit surprised for God to have sparked His Son’s human life on one Passover and ended it on another.

Isn’t that a beautiful word? In a time when so many Christians are giving up the celebration of the birth of our Savior because of the ‘commercialization’ of Christmas, isn’t it refreshing to know that our calendar could be correct. Imagine that! God ordaining the celebration of the birth of His Son. Have we forgotten that everything good comes from God, and that it is the evil one who would twist all that God has created into something perverse?
It is just like that deceitful lion to commercialize and demonize a one godly celebration of the birth of God’s Son. He doesn’t want us to celebrate! He doesn’t want joy and carols and laughter!
Did you know, also, that Christmas Caroling is a Christian tradition? I didn’t. Not until Misty told me about it. Seems Christians used this time of year to sing carols to their neighbors to share the gospel with them! How about that! A way to reach the lost and teach them the real meaning of Christmas.

Come on guys! Let us celebrate Jesus. Let us enjoy the seasons that God has given us. We don’t have to be a church that looks grim and hopeless. We have The Hope. The Life. Let’s act like it!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Well, when Ronnie quit his job, I knew we were in for some much needed time together. This has been a great 10 days, so far. I laughed more today than I have in years. Really.
The children are happy. We’re working together to build some stuff for the farm. We are more creative together, and I just love spending time with my best friend.
It’s different now that he’s not the manager of that branch of that rental car company. He isn’t constantly tied to the phone, texting and answering calls that may be important. Or, having to drive to the office to trade cars. Or, working after hours to get things done his employees should have done at ten that morning.

Ah. No. This is much better. Relaxed.

On another note, we have a goat due to kid any day. She is having contractions-I can tell by her facial grimaces. She raises her upper lip-like she’s smiling-in discomfort. She’s been up and down all day and much more territorial than usual. Oh, her name is Faye. She is the Brown doe with the white triangle on one side. You can see her at my other blog, I posted pictures yesterday.
We built a kidding pin for her today and got it completed and bedded with hay. She was laying in there contently when I checked on her tonight around 9:30. I hope she doesn’t kid in the middle of the night. I want to be there with her and help her if she needs me. Plus, I want to bottle feed the kids-makes them friendlier.
I’ve finally gotten our new little buckling, Abraham, to think I’m his momma. He was under me this afternoon-looking for milk-and I thought it was Mocha. Nope. Abraham! Yay! Abraham thinks I’m his momma! He knows I have the milk! He only drinks about 2 ounces at a time. Odd. Mocha drinks about 14 ounces 3 times a day! I should probably feed Mocha less!

Well, its been a long, rewarding day. I think I’ll retire for the night.

God bless!

New Years Resolution

Did you make one?
I didn’t.
But, if I had, it would go something like this:
Trust God like I have never trusted Him before.
Believe that the Creator of all things CAN create all things.
Have faith that God can do the impossible!

HDTV

We didn’t get a converter box. Or a new Tv.

Oh No! We are going to miss all that TV!

Please! Why is the government paying for everyone to have access to TV, and why does everything have to go HD anyway? I mean, I’m not against progress, but this all seems fishy to me. They are giving away coupons for you to get the free converter box for the HD programming. Does anyone else think this is another way for the government to get into your home?

What do you think?

I started a website for our farm where you’ll be able to see all our animals and any animals we will eventually be selling.
It is called Open Door Farm. What do you think?
Find it at www.opendoorsfarm.wordpress.com

Wrong Camera

Okay, so I thought I didn’t get any good shots of Christmas, but I was looking at the wrong camera.  Oops!

Here are the Christmas Day photos: