Love and lessons

This is a tale of a cat and a lesson that God taught me through his death.
His name was Furball (aka Geezer) and he was 20 years old. One of the few cats I actually planned to get as a kitten around 8 weeks old. He was with me for all of his years. Here are a few pictures of him....

These were taken almost 4 years ago. This next pic is one of Furball sleeping on my husband. He would balance up there for quite awhile.

He was getting pretty thin over the last year or two but always had lots of energy and practically ate us out of house and home!! His kidneys were getting weaker though and one day during the week of Thanksgiving this past year-he started becoming disinterested in food. In about two days he just stopped eating altogether. He would just look at me as if to say...I want to eat but I just cannot and walk away. This was pretty painful for me because I knew there was nothing further I could do for him and that his death would not be far away. Here are two pictures of him two days before he died....

He had gone deaf some years ago but I talked to him a lot and told him that it was okay to stop fighting. I even told him how much I loved him and told God how thankful I was for all the years He allowed this creature of his to be with us.That night I awoke to hearing Furball retching loudly. I got up to go comfort him as best I could. The retching just knocked him over and he just wanted to walk around. I ended up on my face on the floor sobbing my heart out and asking God to please end this and just allow Furball to die now.

God came to me in the midst of my pain and reminded me that it really was in his control and when the time was that Furball should die-God would do that-not me. God reassured me that He was with me and that He certainly knew about this small creature of his after all-He has put the breath of life in him and that breath would return to God. My task was to see my old guy through this and allow God his work. That was Thanksgiving night (Thursday) and Furball died the following Saturday morning. He knew he was loved till the end and it was a peaceful ending.
He is buried in a spot where I intend to plant a bunch of catnip this spring in his memory.
God gave me great peace that night when He came and spoke softly to me. I had never been able to accept my pets dying in the past-I have mourned for weeks on end. This time was different and God brought me to a place of better understanding of all He does and how little I really can do except to trust and obey Him.
God used one, old, tired kitty to teach me more of Himself and I find myself grateful even in the midst of the pain. I have lots of happy memories to make me smile.

Warmth in the winter

Recently we were blessed with a very bright and sunshiny day. I took a few pics of our feline friends and how they spend these wintry days.

Makes me wish for a BIG window and a spot for me to lounge in the sun!!
Soon enough, spring will be here and I can simply go outdoors to be in the sun.

Friendship

This is something that has been on my heart to write about. It has been a long time since I had a true friend I think. My lot in life has been always contacting others first, broken promises and just not being kept in the loop so to speak. Maybe my expectations are just to high and maybe I am just kicking against the goads. Just seems like a true friend should be more than this sooooo....

First I went to Webster to look up "friend" I found this...Someone whom one knows and likes. That's pretty basic. I know not just a few people that I would put in this category and a lot of these would be people whom I see only on Sundays. My next place to search out "friend" is the scriptures.

We find David and Jonathon where it says in 1Sam 18:1 that Jonathon became one in spirit with David and he loved him as himself. What a grand design of friend this is! We go further to 1Sam 23:15-18. Jonathon goes out to David (Saul is seeking David's life) to encourage him to find strength in God. It seems the two of them shared some deep thoughts and fears and encouraged one another. Proverbs has a lot to say about the fact that who your friends are says a lot about who you are. I don't get the idea that true friends abandon each other either--for any reason.
Jesus seems to be a friend to many. We find the characteristics present as he interacts with different people. He says that there is no greater friend than this...that a man would lay down his life for a friend.
I know that friendship is both a giving as well as a receiving. I think this comes together as true love.

The world doesn't know anything about true love. Friendships there are bought and sold at the drop of a hat!

That (true love) takes a relationship with God first before you can love others. We are called to love others as Christ loves us and that is a picture of what friendship looks like for me. A genuine love will show itself in many ways like....a phone call just to chat..a random card to say-I'm thinking of you, being aware of needs and letting others know of your needs, just listening, doing something for someone just because it is the right thing to do, a self-less attention to others, offering to take someone shopping or to a medical appointment, cooking a meal or cleaning a house. Just a few examples of how friendship might look.
We are supposed to show our love towards others and after all, actions are louder than words.
Again I believe that it all goes back to your personal relationship with the Heavenly Father. How much time do you spend with Him and in His word so you know what love looks like?

God has a place and a plan for each of us and for us to trust this is best would be called contentment. Ah, contentment, now that is something to hold on to. Are we just kicking against the goads when we are discontent with other people in our lives? If nothing happens by chance then perhaps things are the way God intends them and it is time for me to just be content and grateful in whatever and whomever God has for me. And by the way, nothing is by chance, God is the author of all things--nothing happens that He does not know about. Perhaps my lot in life has been discontent and God is teaching me contentment.

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Phil 4: 10-13

A Reminder

As the world grows darker and evil gains in boldness daily-how do we spend our time?

Study in God’s word is a must. Prayer is another must as we need relationship with our LORD to understand that which truly pleases Him. His word is full of warriors who shed blood and lives for Him as well as suffered harsh treatment and death because the world hated them.

Do we keep up in knowledge while staying under the radar of the gov’t so as to avoid penalties? Are we willing to pick up a sword and physically fight if our LORD commands it of us??

As a part of Christ’s body, when does discretion become foolishness? When does fear of what others will think bind us so others cannot see that light?

God does not give a spirit of fear—indeed—His Spirit indwells us so that we may be salt and light to a dark and decaying world.

Narrow is the road and there are few who find it. The delusion grows so great that even the elect shall be deceived were it possible.

Relationship with the Heavenly Father is the key. Do you know Him? Better--does He know you?

Of maters and taters!! Birds too!!

We have been busy learning how to weave tomatoes!! This is the new method we are using instead of staking or caging our tomatoes. So far so good and it looks nice too. Oh, and did I mention that we are using weed mat too this year?? Makes it a little easier for us to keep up with weeds at least in a few select places of the garden!
I was able to start all of my squash seeds last week in the green house and transplant the summer squash out yesterday and the winter squash will go out early next week with weed mat!
I have been able to harvest some broccoli and I have it for sale just here at the stand.
Gene was able to get a third large planting of sweet corn out this week for Sept harvest. We may plant one more yet for Oct too. The first planting of green beans should be ready for picking in mid-July.
Below are some pictures of our early taters and weaved maters! It is a little hard to see but there is bright orange string that runs along the poles that are in the mater rows. When they get bigger, I'll post a picture that shows this better.

This last picture is a closer one of the potatoes! We are so grateful as to how healthy these guys look. Can't wait to get some spuds to eat!
Next is a picture of the first batch of Dark Cornish birds I started in April. They are in a chicken tractor that I parked in a big patch of long grass and added a temporary fence to give them more scratching room. They seem to be growing well and are very active.

Till we meet again.

God's gift

I had the most beautiful gift from God this afternoon and I'd like to share it with you.
As I headed for the greenhouse I noticed a bird nest that had been blown out of a pine tree in the fierce winds the night before. It was laying on the ground. I could see one dead little bird and when I turned the nest over I found another one, dead also. Sadness in my heart, I set out to clean the mess up and I noticed something in front of the greenhouse door. It was shiny green and pulsing.
Realization settled in and I knew I was looking at one of God's tiny creatures-a humming bird! One little wing stuck out to the side and the pulsing was the tiny little bird's breath. I immediately wanted to help it so I gently picked it up and cradled it in my hand. I couldn't even feel the weight of it because it was so small!
Now, I must say here that I have 5 outdoor cats that are terrific hunters and I had not yet fed them their supper. They were close on my heels as they were hungry and they know very well who feeds them.
I headed for the front porch with my little charge and got my hummingbird feeder down. I got her long pointy beak into the syrup two times. I could feel her tiny feet grip my skin and her wings buzzed as she looked up at me! The whole time I was begging God to help me with this little creature of His.
I thought I had better head out to where there were NO cats to let this bird try to fly off so I left the porch. To my dismay several cats followed me. I realized that I would have to trust God and so I voiced one final plea and opened up my hand. That beautiful little bird buzzed off and stopped about 5 feet away from me and turned in mid-air and hovered there looking at me! She then flew off into a huge catalpa tree that is in full blossom and disappeared from sight!!
I had solid goosebumps and a tear of gratefulness ran down my cheek as I thanked God for allowing me to help His small creature. The only picture I have of this is in my mind but it is not one I will forget for a long time.
All Praise and glory be to God.

The blessing of rain!

We finally got rain last evening much to our delight and to God's glory. We had gotten some green beans and sweet corn out earlier this week and those seeds needed just what we got.
Our 90 tomatoes and 60 peppers are not complaining either!!

The sweet taters and other taters are looking very well this morning. I had been running the hoe in the onion rows and let me tell you, that ground was hard!! I didn't even finish because it was so hard and my hands were hurting-darn those blisters!! This rain will make for some nice hoeing in the next couple of days and I plan to take advantage of it too.I should be able to get more plantings of beets in and maybe get started on the carrots as well. I actually took some pictures of what we have so far to share with you.

The big green stuff is our rhubarb and you can see tater plants further out and next to them in the hills and very small at this point are the sweet taters. That white tank clear in the back is our water tank for our irrigation. That will be our next big project-getting drip tape and weed mat down very soon. We are trying to make the weeds more manageable without turning to chemicals. They fast overwhelm the two of us.

Taters again and garlic is the tall green stuff behind the white barrels.

A type of evening primrose that is pink and even the dog kennel is surrounded by posies! I have a carpet of viola's this year with some hosta and some lovely blue iris.

Till we meet again...

The Lord Bless you and keep you;

The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

Num 6:24-26