47 Years Ago Today

Forty-seven years ago today it was pouring down rain.  Forty-seven years ago today my grandma (the same one who has been sick and is still doing GREAT, Praise the Lord!) worked all morning getting her house cleaned up.  Because forty-seven years ago today, at my grandparent's house near St. Elizabeth, Missouri, my mom married my dad.

These picture are old and faded and grainy, but they are the only "in-color" pictures I have of that day.  My parent's wedding album is all in black and white.

Today I would ask that you join me in lifting my mom and dad in prayer.  Prayers for health and for God's protection.  Prayers for a good long life filled with happiness and the joy of the Lord which is our strength.

Happy Anniversary, mom and dad.  I love you both with all of my heart, and I am so very proud to be your daughter. 

Prepared

I woke up to a warm morning today.  My days of walking inside on the treadmill are over  (hooray!) and I am back to walking outside.  It was in the low 50s this morning and let me tell you that's a lot warmer than it has been.  (For those of you that are new to Down On The Farm, I have been walking 3.2 miles every morning, five days per week, for nearly two years!)

Sometimes when I get back to the house after my morning walk I sit down to catch just a few more minutes of shut-eye before the day begins, but not this morning.  This morning I PREPARED.  I went to the freezer, took out a roast, and put it in my handy dandy crockpot.  I put a package of beefy onion soup mix and a can of beef broth in and set it on "low."  Then, I got my breadmaker out, threw in the ingredients for a yummy loaf of homemade bread, and set the timer for it to be done about 6:00 tonight.  So my roast and homemade bread will be all ready for supper.  I'll add some green beans and a salad and, voila, DINNER!!

It feels so good to go to work knowing that I have something prepared for supper.  Too many mornings I rush out of the house and have made no preparation for the evening.  I get home from work and have that sinking feeling -- "what in the world can I fix for supper?"

Jesus prepared.  In John 14: 1-4 He said "Ye believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father's house are many mansions.  If it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to PREPARE a place for you.  And if I go to prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you until Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.  And wither I go ye know, and the way ye know." 

Jesus was thinking ahead.  He knew that one day His children would come to live with Him forever and He wanted it to be ready for them.   I believe the place He is preparing is perfect.  The Bible describes a crystal sea, streets of gold, beauty beyond compare.  But the Bible also tells us, in Revelation 21: 4-5 "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.  And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new."   Now THAT is something to look forward to.  No more worrying, no more sickness, no more stress.  ALL . . . THINGS . . . NEW.

Have you prepared to meet Him?  This morning I prepared for a meal that will last only a few minutes.   How much MORE ought we to prepare for eternity.  Eternity never ends.  Never.  That is difficult for us humans to comprehend but it is true.  If you haven't made your plans for eternity, please, ask Him to come into your heart right now.  You don't have to be at church.  You don't have to be kneeling with folded hands.  You just need to say "Jesus, come into my heart.  Forgive me of my sins." 

The Bible says "many mansions."  He has one for you too. 

Because It's Tuesday

Thank you, thank you for praying for me.  I think the Meet the Candidates evening went very well, and my husband and kids agreed.  All of the comments were very positive.  The election is two weeks from today, on April 6th.  I continue to pray for God's will in this election, and in every aspect of my life.

It is a beautiful day here.  The sun is shining and we are headed to the upper 60s for the high.  I can't wait to get outside and pick up around the yard and the shed behind our house and sweep out the garage and the porch.   But today, it is still too MUDDY!  I am on the lookout for a really pretty springtime flag.  I haven't had a flag hanging outside since Christmas and it is TIME!  I love driving home from work every night and seeing a pretty flag hanging there.

Continue to pray for our nation and for our leaders!

Meet the Candidates

I mentioned several weeks ago that I am running for our local school board.  I have done very little in the way of "campaining."  But tonight the Community Teachers Association is holding a "Meet the Candidates" night.  Each of the board candidates was sent three questions and we will be given two minutes to respond to each question.  Ladies, I would ask for your prayers today.  I want the Holy Spirit to speak through me this evening.  My desire is that tonight, others would see Jesus in me. 

Yesterday our Pastor spoke on the importance of putting God first in our every day lives.  Not letting the things of the world overshadow the eternal things. Yes we are in this world but we are not of this world.  So please, if you would, pray for God to use me tonight, in some way, for His glory.

And for those of you who are wondering, there is still no change in my Grandma.  She is still feeling good and exhibiting no symptoms of the cancer the doctors told us she had, praise the Lord!  However, trying to provide 24 hour care has been exhausting.  I am sad to say that very few family members have stepped up to help and those few of us who are helping are worn out.  The nursing home is literally across the street from my grandma's house but, of course, she doesn't want to go.  Please pray for His will in this circumstance. 

The Small Stuff

A few years ago there was a book called "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff."  While I did not read the book, my understanding is that the book reminds us that so many things in our life that seem so BIG at the time, are really not big at all, and we shouldn't make a big issue out of something trivial and be upset about it.  I have found this to be true in my own life.  I can't tell you how many times I have really been upset over something that amounted to absolutely nothing, something I can't even remember now.  I think that is why God tells us to "be anxious for nothing."  Notice He doesn't say "be anxious only over the big things."  He says NOTHING.  Because to God, NOTHING is too big or too difficult.  He made the universe.  He set the stars into motion and separated the land from the sea (no, I do NOT believe in evolution.  I believe that "In the beginning God created!").  I need to remember that nothing in my life is too hard for Him, and to give Him everything.

Today, I must tell you that I made something wonderful out of something that most would consider "small stuff."  I have been married for 24 years, and am only on my second ironing board.  It has the same cheap-o ironing board cover on it, just like the first one I had.  You know, the kind that if you iron something thin you can see the little holes in the ironing board coming through :)! 

Well, today, I bought myself a REAL ironing board cover.  And it is PRETTY!!!!  Amazing how something so mundane, so inexpensive, can make your day.

Isn't that just the cutest thing ? ? ? And you can see the price, $9.99. 

So today, for just a few dollars, I treated myself to something pretty and practical.  I can't wait to get home and put it on my ironing board.  I thank God that I am easily entertained.  Seriously.  Some might laugh at me, but I really am proud of my new ironing board cover.  I think God wants us to enjoy the simple things.  He doesn't want us to sit around waiting for the big stuff, but He wants us to appreciate all the small stuff He sends into our lives.  He says to give thanks for everything.  So today, I thank God that He is in the small stuff.  Thank you Lord!!!!!

A Grandma Update and a Conversaton

First of all, I am thrilled to report that my Grandma Flo is doing great.  That is to say, there is no change in her condition.  I spent the night with her Tuesday night and she didn't go to bed until 11:30 p.m.  She is still weak, and she tends to ramble when she tells stories, but she still has no pain and is still eating.  We are so thankful to God for this.  So, let this be a reminder to each one of us . . . none of us will leave this earth until HE calls us home.  The doctors are not in control, God is.  Amen.

Now, onto the conversation.  As the title to my humble blog implies, I live on a farm.  This does not mean that I am a farmer.  My husband is the farmer.  Farming is his life.  I am the wife of a farmer, which is not exactly the same thing.   So this morning, about 11:30 my husband calls me, and this is our conversation:

Me:  Hello.  Him:  Hey,on your lunch hour, can you run over to Cedar City MFA and pick up clover seed inoculant for 500 pounds of clover seed?  Me:  Huh?  Him (speaking slower this time):  I need you to go to Cedar City MFA and pick up clover seed inoculant for 500 pounds of clover seed?  Me:  Will it fit in my car?  Him:  It's not 500 pounds, you add it to 500 pounds of seed, should be just a couple of little bags of stuff.  Me:  Oh, O.K.  Him:  Thanks, bye.

So, at lunch I went to Cedar City MFA, walked in there like I knew what I was talking about and bought clover seed inoculant for 500 pounds of clover seed.  Total cost of the inoculant:  $36.00.  Feeling like a real farmer:  priceless.

Grandma

My Grandma Flo, my mom's mom, is 96 years old.  My grandpa passed away in 1991 and Grandma has lived alone since then.  Oh, she's not as spry as she once was, and my mom and a couple of my aunts keep a pretty close eye on her and help her out a lot, but she's in pretty good shape for 96.  A week ago today my Grandma fell at home.  My aunt found her, barely conscious, on the floor at 7:00 a.m.  The ambulance was called, all the kids were called and I saw Grandma about 8:00 a.m. at the ER.  She seemed fine to me, knew me by name, asked about my kids and my husband by name.  We all assumed she just took a tumble and couldn't get up.  That they would check her out and send her home.  By noon, my Grandma had been diagnosed with advanced cancer in her colon, kidneys and liver and given a few days to a couple of weeks to live.  By 4:00 p.m. that same day, my Grandma was back in her own home, surrounded by all who love her.  Since last Tuesday, we have been taking turns staying with her as she can no longer be left alone.  She is weak, a little bit confused, but considering her diagnosis we feel we are truly blessed.  I would ask for your prayers for my Grandma Flo.  She loves the Lord, and I know I will see her again.  Please pray for peace for her.  That through whatever comes these next few days or weeks that she would continue to put her trust in God.  We pray that she will not suffer.  We ask that God take her home peacefully.  I ask that you pray for my mom and her siblings.  Obviously, our entire family is devastated.  But we know that God is in this, and that He will see us through.  I will keep you posted.  Thank each one of you for praying.  It is deeply appreciate.

Cole Henley Griffith

A few weeks ago I told you about a very special day in my life -- February 15, 1996, the day our beautiful daughter, Alex, was born.  Well today, I am going to share another very special day with you, March 5, 1993.  That was the day God gave us our son, Cole.  It was a long day for both of us.  Early morning induced labor (ugh), long day of very little progress in dilation (I think I made it to a "3"), a little tiny heart that stopped beating (praise God he is perfectly normal), an emergency c-section, and at 5:45 p.m. God blessed me with the most awesome son any mother could ever have. 

We are so proud of Cole.  He is a good student, a leader in his school, a Christian young man.  He loves working on our farm.  He is a hard worker, respectful to his dad and I, the kind of son any parent would be pleased to call his own.  And on top of all that, he's just pretty darn cute.

So today, Cole, I say to you that I can't believe you are 17 years old.  I love you tremendously, and am so thankful to God for allowing you to be my son.  My prayer for you is that you always put God first in your life, and that God will pour our his Spirit upon you in a mighty way.  I love you so very much and am so proud of you!

THE WINNER!!!!!

Last week I posted about a giveaway for a Beth Moore Bible study audio cd set.  I offered chances to win to all my followers and to anyone who left a comment.  So last night, I cut out lots of pieces of paper, wrote the name of each follower and the name of each person that had left a comment.  I prayed over them, asking God to give this Bible Study to who HE wanted to have it.  I asked my beautiful daughter, Alex, to draw a name and the winner is . . . . . .

MISSOURI GAL!!!!!

So, Missouri Gal, if you will e-mail me your address to robbing@brydonlaw.com, I will send you your prize.  I know you will be blessed by this.

And a great big THANK YOU to all my fabulous followers and to those who left comments.  I absolutely love hearing from you.  I also appreciate the many prayers that have gone up on our behalf, and all the lovely comments you left.  Comments that encouraged me and strengthened me.  God has brought Godly women into my life thru this blog and I praise Him for it.

I pray for each of you, that God will bless you and your families.  Thanks again!  I'll try to have another giveaway soon!