Farming, Family, and Faith

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 98: Today, I am grateful for the sweet gift of a book about farming, family, and faith. 

I found this book on my doorknob today. It was a gift from a dear friend who has been an encouragement on this gratitude journey from the very beginning. (Love you, Diana)

"Lessons from the Heartland" is exactly what this book was about. I am more than half way through the book and it is not a "political book", although her reluctant entry on to the political landscape is a part of her story. It is her life story up to this point. 

I was stunned when I started reading it. There were so many parallels between her life and the way Matt, April, and I were raised. I think it was the first chapter where she shared about going through her Dad's truck after he died. Like my Dad, it was his office on wheels and it was where you could learn a lot about the man.

Her family was like our family. Our Dad's could be tough. They were determined to mold us into Jesus loving, law abiding, caretakers of the land. They were, also, wise, frugal, and kind. They intentionally seeded grit in their children.  The Mom's were hard working and empathetic. We benefited from both. So did Kristi and her siblings. 

Her dad expected them to work. Mine did, too. I "walked beans" days before my wedding. Dad was not as concerned with my hands staying soft and manicured as I was, but it did result in a bit of a tan. I respected my father... and I walked the beans. If we were home and work needed to be done, we did it. Farm life is all about teamwork. 

Krisiti and her Dad would butt heads. She even left the farm for a while when working together was too much for both of them. She still talked to her Dad every day. The love never waivered between them. As she recalled their last conversation, I remembered mine with my Dad.  

Our Dad's were determined to teach their children to be critical thinkers, unafraid to stand alone. I laughed at many of the stories, because they were our stories, too. They even raised baby racoons. 

The tales she tells about farm life resonate with any of us  who grew up in  a small town or on the farm. Friday night football game are where the social life happens. People show up when you are in trouble and they are there for your celebrations, too. It is not always an easy life, but it is a good one. 

Today, I am grateful for the sweet gift of a book about farming, family, and faith. 

Coqui Frogs

 

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 97: Today, I am grateful for coqui frogs.

I think little frogs are so cute. There are so many different kinds of frogs. They are diverse in color and size. They live in different habitats. They have a unique sound that they make. I am enamored with the Coqui frog.

St. Thomas has Coqui Frogs. The tiny tree frog that does not have webbed feet, but little pads on their feet that help them stick to trees and other surfaces. They are one of my favorite sounds on the island along with the sounds of the Caribbean Sea. 

They sound more like  a cricket or a bird than a frog. Only the male sings, He sings during mating season. Native to Puerto Rico, they have made their way to Hawaii, Florida, and the Virgin Island.

They are considered invasive but I love the lullaby they sing. Much like crickets or cicadas, their chirp is loud. Some find it annoying. I think it is a part of nature's choir. 

"Let Heaven and Nature Sing!"

Today, I am grateful for coqui frogs.

Life In A Seed of Hope

 

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 96: Today, I am grateful for life in a Seed of Hope.

Life is profoundly unpredictable. We never know when there will be a big "plot twist"... it is what I have come to call the "curve balls" that come our way. 

"There is so much life in a seed of hope." 

I find seed's amazing. They seem hard, dead, and lifeless. Yet, add the right amount of water, light, and good soil and you will discover that it comes to life. It will always be a miracle to me. 

"I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow." -1 Corinthians 3:6

There are some days our souls really need to witness the miracles. Other days, we find our hearts light and merry. What is seeded in our souls today? Is it hope? Hope is a beautiful things. It is precious and priceless. 

Today, I am grateful for life in a Seed of Hope. 

Heavenly Homecomings

 

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 95: Today, I am grateful for Heavenly Homecomings. 

April 5th marks the anniversary of  Dad's Heavenly Homecoming eleven years ago. How can it be that long... and yet it feels like yesterday. I still remember the last phone conversation just a day or two before he died. 

His last day on earth he spent with his two favorites - Matthew and Mama. 

Dad and Matthew moved tractors and implements to get ready for the first day it would be "fit" to plant. They drove around to the different farms and made a plan. They knew which field to plant if it was wet and which one to plant first if we were short on rain. They both delighted in looking it all over with fresh eyes as they did every Spring. 

He went home for lunch with Mama and took his daily power nap after lunch, except on that day, he woke up face to face with his Lord. How incredible it must have been for him! As the song says, "I Can Only Imagine." 

Bless the Lord, Oh My Soul (10,000 Reasons) was one of his favorites. He called it "a farmer's song." We sang it at his funeral. It was a newer song back in 2013. It is still the song that seems to show up on my best days and on my hardest days. 

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still, my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore
Forevermore - Matt Redman, 10,000 Reasons

Oh what a day of rejoicing it must have been when Mama joined him, too. 

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. -Psalm 103:1-2

Today, I am grateful for Heavenly Homecomings. 

God is our Source

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 94: Today, I am grateful God is our source. 

"Human history has a long, terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy." -C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

C.S. Lewis always makes me think. The quote reminds us that only God is our true source of happiness. 

You see it all the time. Celebrity lives that are a mess. When the truth comes to surface, it is often associated with tragedy. No God, no peace; know God, know Peace. 

Money cannot satisfy. Craving power is even worse. The hunger for power is insatiable it seems. Discontentment runs deep in the souls of those who reject a relationship with God. It is a true tragedy. 

"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." - Romans 15:13

 Today, I am grateful God is our source. 

Tulips

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 93: Today, I am grateful for tulips.

I love spring blooms. They pour hope into the early days of spring. They are brave and resilient. The tulip is one of those flowers. 

I was admiring the daffodils on the way to work today and thought... the tulips will be next. The crocus has come and gone. The daffodils are in bloom. The tulips are waiting their turn. 

The picture is actually stuffed red and yellow peppers filled with something yummy. 

As I pondered a scripture for today, humor took over. Tulips never complain. They simply bloom their little hearts out, even if the weather turns erratic. The two lips on our face are a different story. 

"Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." -Ephesians 4:29

Mark Twain always said, "It is better to remain silent and thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." Yes, our two lips can be troublesome. 

They can be encouraging, too. What would a kiss be without two lips? The struggle is to use them wisely. 

Today, I am grateful for tulips... and two lips.

God Has A Room

Daily Gratitude Year 12 - Day 92: Today, I am grateful God has a room. 

What do we do when we come up against the unknown? Do we attempt to control the situations, or do we give it up to God? The struggle is a human one and it is real. 

I had forgotten this story of Corrie Ten Boom's first days in the USA. 

I was at the end of my first week in America and practically at the end of my money. The clerk at the YMCA had told me I could not stay there another week. Where should she forward my mail?

"I don't know yet. God has a room for me but He has not told me where yet."

I could see by the look on her face that she was concerned about me. Then she handed me a piece of mail which she had overlooked. The letter was from a woman who heard me speak in New York. She was offering me the use of her son's room.

I gave the amazed clerk my new address after thanking God for His care.

But my God shall supply all your needs. . . Philippians 4:19

Thank You, Lord, that we may know that our need is never greater than the Helper.
-Corrie Ten Boom

I cannot imagine how strange it must have been for her after surviving the horrors of life in a concentration camp. I think one of the things that oozed out of Corrie was God's peace and calm. I think it is one of the reasons I love her so much. She knew she could trust His plan, even when she didn't know what the plan entailed. 

"Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!" -Psalm 14:1

Today, I am grateful God has a room and a plan. We can trust His hand.