Are you properly clothed?

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Tuesday!   This morning I was reading in Colossians 3:12- 14, “Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”  Bam!  The words clothe with and put on, really hit me…..quite distinct commands from our Father….God’s chosen people…..wow dearly loved……clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, and gentleness and patience…not easy ones to carry out all the time are they…..and bound with love…..put on love….Really!!!??  Well, sure smacked me in the face, this command, the way God wants us to be with others, well it takes a little work….we have to be prepared, be connected to HIM through HIS word and prayer…If we are not prepared through a close relationship with our Father, we cannot clothe ourselves with theses virtues or put on love.  Saturday, Kim and I had to fix some fence in a lease pasture so that we could move a few fall-calvers there.  The pasture had not been grazed for a couple years, so of course it was very over grown, thick with brush and grass, weeds, over-grown trees….I grabbed some water while Kim loaded the four wheeler with tools and wire we would need….he was prepared for the job.  Me, on the other hand….I went in shorts, tank top, and no gloves!!!!  Thank heavens I had worn my boots, but I definitely was totally unprepared for the job….I did not put on or clothe myself properly…hence….I cut my hands on the barbed wire, and my legs and arms are covered in scratches and bites, blood on my shorts from my hands and I really was not as much help as I would have liked to have been…..because I was not clothed properly….I went out unprepared!  Father, yes I sure got your message for me this morning……I need to stay close to You so that my actions reflect Your love and give You glory.  Father help me to clothe myself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…..clothing myself in Your Love!  Father I am so thankful to be Your child….dearly loved! 

 

We love because God first loved us.  1 John 4:19.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.  1 John 4:12. 

Love you all!

Mending fences

Good Morning Friends!  Fabulous Friday, loved by HIM!!!!   A few years ago we had a really wet spring….so wet that the creek that runs through our property, filled to over flowing, breaking its banks and flooding a pasture.  The whole event was pretty strong, so when the flood waters broke loose they took down a quarter to half mile of fence bordering the creek.  I mean to tell you…plum flattened that fence, laid it down!!!!!  Now with the fence down the cows and sheep had total access to pastures on both sides of the creek…..not really the ideal situation.  Of course, my husband had good intentions of fixing the fence immediately…..however, life happens!  One year rolled into the next, big plans to get to it, but cows and sheep roamed where they pleased….each year more grass, limbs, leaves grew over the flat fence making a job that once would have been not easy, but very do able, now seemingly impossible!  Year in…year out….can’t tell you how many times I heard “I gotta get that fence up.”  So many times, that got to the point I really didn’t hear him….especially when he complained about the animals being where they were not supposed to be!  Tuesday when I got home from work, he was sitting on the screened porch, munching on chips and dip and sipping a nice cool beverage!  Remember how beautiful and warm it was on Tuesday, so I went in changed my clothes and put up my stuff so I could join him.   He shared his chips and even had a cold drink poured for me.  We chatted about our work days, enjoying our snacks, relishing in the beautiful spring-like weather.  I needed to take care of my critters, as I was heading out the door he hollered, “hurry up, we are going for a ride!”  When Kim wants to go for a ride on a week night he has a specific plan….something that can’t wait to have my attention.  Maybe a new tool in the shop, or the beginning of one of his creative inventions or maybe a set of twin lambs….well, I had no clue what he was up to on Tuesday.  As soon as I finished my chores we hopped in his truck and headed out!  First stop, the gate that leads into the pasture that had flooded….I hopped out, unlocked the gate and in we went.  Within just a matter of a few seconds I knew what he was up to!  No new tool, or baby…..the fence was up!!!!!  The whole length from one end of the pasture to other…..up…..in one day he had, with the help of a young neighbor, put the whole fence back up….one day….not even a whole day, he had done all his farm chores too!  I was quite impressed with his accomplishment and praised him for a job well done….we of course had to drive the whole pasture and check it all out, although not perfect the fence would definitely do its job now!  As we headed back to the house I couldn’t help but think how at times, we let the severe storms of life flatten us….our spirits, our moods, our finances…..flattened relationships…..we procrastinate…..let the messes in our lives get worse and harder to fix when we have the perfect tool with us all the time to get the job done!  Our Heavenly Father is there to guide us with HIS wisdom, support us with HIS love, wrap us in HIS comfort…..HE”S there 24/7……why do we procrastinate….allow ourselves to get depressed, emotionally and spiritually….we make ourselves sick with worry and heartache…..when like Kim, when he finally just did it, got the job done in a few hours…..we can get our fences back up by going to our FATHER, giving HIM our worries, letting HIM carry the load!  Oh Kim’s fence is not perfect nor will our “fences” in life always be perfect.  Life on this earth because of sin is just not perfect….but Praise God He sent His Son to die for us and promises to mend our fences until we get HOME with HIM!   Oh Father, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!  You supply all the tools we need to keep our fences up!!!!!

 

Just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.  2 Corinthians 1:5.  Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  Romans 8:18.  Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.  Psalm 55:22. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  Isaiah 43:2.  The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in Him  Nahum 1:7.  The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.  Psalm 29:11. 

Love you all!

 

April 23, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Totally wrapped in His loving arms Tuesday!  Last Saturday I was on a mission! I desperately needed  half a day in my house!!!!  So, I gave up breakfast with Cooper and Katy and headed outside to get my ranch chores done quick as I could, so I could get in my house and get to work….oh my what a mess I had.  Well, Kim and I worked hard and believe it or not I was back in the house by 11:30 and got right to work.  I was going gangbusters.  About 30 minutes later Kim called…..Oh boy I thought…..wonder what’s up.  He was frantic to say the least!  “Get the 4 wheeler and get up here now!  Sheep are out and all over the Beagles, going crazy, they’re acting crazy!”  I grabbed my jacket and a bottle of water, who knew how long I would be gone….started up the 4 wheeler and headed up the hill.  Kim meet me at the cattle guard and waved me to follow him, he was fit to be tied.  We went to the intersection at the top of the hill, our property on one side, the Beagles on the other.  Jumping out of his truck he hollered at me to stand in the road and make sure they went towards home, he headed down the side road to stop them, turn them around and head them home…..I stood in the road and waited and waited and waited……oh gosh, I thought this is not good….thinking he might need a little help, I said a little prayer.  Finally, I could hear the 4 wheeler, the sheep (about 150 with lambs) making a ruckus, and Kim hollering at them and me.  “Don’t let them go up that hill (if they got up the hill they would be out of my reach and would head the wrong direction…not good).  Well of course 5 or 6 head right up that hill too steep for the 4 wheeler and besides Kim was busy trying to keep the rest from doing the same thing.  No other choice, I had to head up the hill, glad I had on my good boots…..I got up just fine, before they got away….headed them back down and then….well let’s just say getting down the hill wasn’t quite as easy as getting up.  Kim was right; they were acting crazy, like they had been locked up in a dirt lot all winter, and the green grass had them crazy when actually they have eaten lush green fodder all winter…..150 sheep plus lambs acting crazy is not a pretty site on CR 1600 on Saturday…yes we did finally get them on 1600, but it wasn’t easy, Kim got stuck and they headed into the trees….finally got them out of the trees and heading down the road now….would they turn in where they were supposed to….could I keep them out of the neighbor’s yard……could I warn traffic in time to slow them down……I jumped in the truck and turned on the hazard lights just in time to slow down a car…..well we lucked out…..they turned in the right gate and headed out to pasture!  What a relief and Thank you Father!  We headed back to the house for lunch, shaking our heads, wondering what in the heck we were gonna do with them…..crazy sheep.  I didn’t think much more about them until Sunday morning in church when Pastor read the Gospel lesson from John 10:22-30.  Jesus was talking to some Jews that needed some proof that He was the promised one….He said I already told you I am, but you don’t believe because you are not part of My flock……”My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”  Oh my gosh, it was all I could do to not burst out laughing right in church!  I thought not always…..they don’t always listen or follow!  My thoughts returned to Saturday and our crazy sheep…..they had everything….green pastures, fresh water, dogs to guard them, mineral on demand, green pastures….and what did they do….tore up good fences and took off….no clue what was out there….no regard for the dangers outside the pastures….Oh no……Father…how frustrated you must get with Your sheep….us….when we tear down the fences…and head out to the unknown without YOU…..not listening to Your voice….not following You….looking for the greener grass when You provide us with everything we could ever need…..Protect us, forgive us, love us, comfort us, heal us…….Father, forgive us when we don’t listen to Your voice, help us to hear and to follow You.  Remember this song…”I am Jesus Little Lamb, Ever glad at heart I am…..”

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.  He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before m in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil’ my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  Psalm 23.  The God of peace be with you.  Philippians 4:9.

Love you all!

Kathie A. Johnson