Where are the cows?

Good Morning Friends!!  Thankfully HIS Thursday!   Kim has been trying to buy about 10 more cows to finish out his herd for several months.  Gosh, prices are so high and they are really hard to find too.  So, last week when he heard about a special sale in McAllister on Saturday we couldn’t help but get a little excited.  We knew that it was mostly a bull sale, but there were supposed to be some cows/heifers also, so yep we were anxious.  We got up real early Saturday morning and got all our chores done so we could leave around 10.  I stoked the fire to last all day because we didn’t think we would be home till late and left the pumpkin/turkey lights on too…..I was packed and ready for a day at the sale barn (I just love those sale barn burgers) and excited that Kim might finally get his cows (he has been driving me a bit crazy)!  It was a beautiful morning, the drive was gorgeous,  trees flaunting their phenomenal fall colors, the warm sun dancing happily through the fluffy clouds and the company…..my favorite sweetie what a great day!  We arrived early, pulled on our jackets and headed to the lots to get a sneak preview of what we had hoped to bid on.  We could tell as soon as we stepped in that there wasn’t an abundance of animals.  We walked up and down every row….one after another……bull after bull….where are the cows!!!  We finally found two or three pens of heifers…registered at that…but that was it!  Wow!  What a let- down….dang, we had worked ourselves into a state of anxious anticipation and now nothing….With our bubbles burst and our heads hanging we headed to the car….no need to hang around there!  Now what??!!!  Poor Kim, once again he faced the disappointment of not completing his herd…..We were quiet as we hit the road  home….I did talk him into stopping at a couple antique stores so I could brose and we had lunch, but then headed home.  We were sleepy when we got home, so we sat in our recliners and looked for a movie to watch….we both dozed off….the silence was broken by the shrill sound of Kim’s pager…..he jumped up as the voice from Central Dispatch said Lula Fire….you need to respond…unattended death…..We looked at each other, oh how he hates those calls….he responded and headed out the door.  I said a prayer for the family  and went to the office to do something.  It hadn’t been too long when I got a call from him…..his voice was serious, “Kathie can you come sit with a wife who just lost her husband?”  Oh my gosh I thought, oh how sad….can I?  “Kathie, Vera needs you.”  At that point it hit me, a dear friend and neighbor had died…his sweet precious wife of 62 years was all alone.  “I will be right there!”  I headed out the door, crying….poor Vera….oh I will miss Waymon….precious man, poor Vera.  I drove as fast as I dared, Kim greeted me on the porch where he waited for the ambulance.  “She’s on the couch, on the phone, go on in.”  I embraced her, she cried…..At that moment I knew why there were no cows at the sale!  God had a bigger plan for our day…..His sweet child, Vera, needed hugs……God was in charge of our day…..how could we ever have doubted HIM!  Father, help us to trust and believe in Your plans for us and to joyfully obey.  Help us to always reflect Your love in our actions with Your children.

 

“For I know the plans I have for you,”  declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11.  The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.  Psalm 33:11.  “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.  As the heavens are higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9.  As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Colossians 3:12.

Love you all!

January 25, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Faithfully, firmly following HIM Friday!  “The Lord is my Shepherd…...”  Everyone recognizes the first line of the 23^rd Psalm and most likely this awesome Psalm stirs things deep in each of us.  For me…..well, since Kim and I have been raising sheep, our Good Shepherd has taken on a most intimate meaning to me.  Last Friday, most of our 200 plus sheep and their lambs found a hole in a fence and decided to change pastures….without permission mind you!  Well, they couldn’t just go somewhere and mind their own business, NO….they had to go right to the pasture with our cows and their calves.  Now, this might not seem like a problem to some of you, but it makes it nearly impossible to feed…..The sheep, greedy girls, want all the food…..and it’s important that the cows and sheep get the proper amount…..Kim works hard to make sure that they are fed properly…..getting the nutrients that they need….not what they think they need.  Well, on Saturday Kim asked me to help him get the sheep out of the cows pasture.  While he got the four wheeler to herd them up I walked through some isolated spots that a few wayward ewes had found themselves….I walked them out of the pen and down the alley way out into the pasture.  Kim was going to herd them all up and move them through an open gate into another pasture.  The gate was right next to the alley way which has no gate……So, if you know sheep at all, you can just imagine how easily they might veer off the path to the open gate and head towards the alley way which would not be a good thing!  My job as my little red-headed shepherd’s helper was to keep them out of the ally way.  Now that might seem simple to most of you, but not the case with sheep….Oh no, one must be very careful in the process; if I stood too close to the gate they would head in an entirely different direction….most likely scatter and have to be herded again (that does not make a red-headed shepherd happy), but if I stood to far back they could get in and run me down…..being a shepherd is not all it’s cracked up to be……a tough job at times.  I finally decided to crotch down in the alley way and sit real still……I watched as Kim veered back and forth gathering them, making sure no one was left behind…..a couple of times he had to stop and pick up a lamb that had lost its mommy or couldn’t keep up……he was patient but firm with his special “Yip, Yip, Yip” gathering call…..as I sat there, enjoying the nice morning, my thoughts turned to the 23^rd Paslm….to our Good Shepherd…….Oh gosh, we sure do make it difficult for HIM at times….how often we head through the holes of sin wandering into “pastures” that are not good for us…..where we might mingle with people that are not good for us, head down alley ways of self-destruction, depression, greed…..like the lambs we can’t keep up….could be left behind in our sin…..but our Good Shepherd, is patient yet firm with us…..He guides through the right gates and leads us to safe pasture…..If the sheep will listen to Kim’s “yips” he will lead them to safety and provide them with everything they need…….Hmmm, oh my……..just like us…..if we will just listen to our Good Shepherd…..He will take care of us…..provide us with everything we need……and He’s always there with open arms to pick us up when we can’t keep up…..to comfort us, love us, forgive us….Thank you Father for never giving up on us.

Jesus said, “ I am the Good Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd lays down His life the sheep…..I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me."  John 10:11 & 14. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. 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 them.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil; 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

Love you all!