Get er done!

Today at 11:01 AM

Good Morning Friends! Wonderfully wrapped in His loving arms, Wednesday!  Me oh my, Luke 1: 37, “For nothing is impossible with God.”  Took on a whole new dimension for me this past weekend!  My husband got hit by some kind of horrible cough, cold, sinus, chest, deep cough, headachy, body achy, tummy yucky sickness last weekend.  Well it started about Thursday, but by Friday at noon he was off the ranch and in the recliner….and that’s where he stayed until yesterday!  Now those of you that know him, know that is not at like him….not even a little bit!  So, Friday night when I went up to fill the seed buckets in the fodder factory, I knew I had quite a weekend ahead of me…..standing there alone, filling the buckets I let our Father know exactly how I was feeling about the weekend ahead……Saturday morning, I got up early, got on my work clothes, grabbed a tablet and proceeded to get detailed instructions from my sicky!   He carefully detailed how much fodder, each group of animals got (and how to place it on the truck),  how many buckets of wheat for the calves, bull, sheep….lambs get 50 pounds of pellets, fodder on top and fill troughs with alfalfa and don’t forget to water them….oh cows need half a bale of Alf alpha too….(we are talking a very large bale)…..suddenly he stopped….sadly shaking his head he said, “there is NO WAY you can do this!”  Again, this is not like him….he always thinks I can do and he always manages to get up and go, not Saturday.  Oh boy, I thought I am going to need some reinforcement for sure……So, as put on my coat, hat, and gloves and headed out the door I said, “Father……you are coming along aren’t You?”  Please!”  I was feeling really overwhelmed and unsure of what lay ahead of me…..first obstacle…getting the old feed truck started!  Great little 1983 Isuzu diesel with a little flatbed….has no heat, no defrost, driver’s side door doesn’t latch….and oh gosh did I tell you that to get it started you have to spray ether in the air filter first!  I got the hood popped, found the latch to lift it and then stood staring at all the parts…air filter…hmmmm….let’s see I should remember which one of these figga ma jobbies is the air filter….yep, think it’s this one…one little squirt Kim said that’s all…ok done, now let’s start it.  With a few rattles, bumps, and lots of exhaust we were up and running!  Thank you Father!  Axle (remember our new little dog) and I headed out….our FATHER right beside us…We took one chore at a time, one bucket, one bag, one flake….when I got to feeling like I wasn’t going to be able to do it….I took a deep breath, feeling HIS gently touch I continued…..Cooper, Katy, and Mommy came over and helped me for a while, wow that was wonderful….Mommy said, “what a workout!  I need to do this more often” as she flaked large chunks of alfalfa to the cows.  Late in the afternoon, after giving the lambs and calves their nighttime food, I pulled off my boots and jeans, slipped into some comfy sweats and started sorting the laundry….I was totally exhausted, my back, legs and arms throbbing, but I felt good….the job, big job, for today was done….I smiled as I thanked our Father for going with me…..”For nothing is impossible with God.”  Lesson learned.  Thank you Father for reminding me that if I take you along with me, no task on the ranch, at work, in my family, heart or mind is too much….With YOU we can “get er done!”  Thanks also Father, for getting Kim on the road to health, for the doctors, nurses and meds that You provide!

 

Jesus said, “Because you have so little faith.  I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you.”  Matthew 17:20.  Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:26.  The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.  Psalm.  29:11.  The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Deuteronomy 31:8.

Baskets of Love: Proverbs 18:16

Good Morning Friends!  Wise and Wonderful is our God, Wednesday!  Remember a couple weeks ago I told you about a Sunday school project that had little boys making bows to decorate baskets?  I was so proud of them.  Well last Saturday was our big day.  We met at church bright and early to bake muffins and cookies….yep the boys too!  After a short devotion we got to work filling the beautiful baskets with love….yes a harvest of love!  The kids had made note pads, wooly lambs, we had hot chocolate, tea, fruit, a pretty mug and lots of love.  After adding all the finishing touches we loaded into our cars and headed out to deliver the baskets to some older men and women of our congregation!  Our special friends did not know we were coming, but each one was so delighted to see the kids and tickled to get their special basket fixed for them by the kiddos!  Their faces glowed with joy….their words overflowed with gratitude.  After a couple of stops, I couldn’t help but notice how excited the kids were….not only the kids, but the adults that were with us!  Their faces….yep glowing….joy oozed from each of them as they told each person, “JESUS LOVES YOU!”  They would skip and jump their ways back to the cars to load up for the next visit…..they were giving……but in the process they, we, each of us “received.”  Oh we didn’t get pretty baskets full of fun stuff, what we got was worth much, much more than that.  We received the joy of “doing unto the least of one of these.”…the joy of “feeding His lambs” …..the joy of doing what pleases our Heavenly Father, following His will…the perfect joy…..give to others you will be rewarded with God’s love.  As Timothy said in his first book, chapter 1 verse 12….”I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that He considered me faithful, appointing me to His service.”  Take a minute to give today, you won’t be disappointed….you might even be excited at the joyous feelings that ooze from you.  We sang a song Sunday that says it all….”You can’t keep Jesus love in a box…….cause His love-ll’ come bubblin’ (or oozing) through.”  Thank you for Your love, fill our hearts to overflowing so as we are joyful we share that joy….giving it away makes us happy because You are happy!

 

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in al things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9 7-8.  Be sure to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.  1 Samuel 12:24.  Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  1 Corinthians 13:4.  We love because He first loved us.  1 John 4:19.  I have spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full John 15:11.  A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the Great.  Proverbs 18:16.

Love you all!  Thank you for the joy you bring into my life!

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

February 1, 2013

Good Morning Friends! Forever loved by Him, Friday!!!  My husband was out of town yesterday, so I had to feed all the dogs when I got home last night.  I had talked to Kathyrn in the afternoon and told her I would be feeding both kennels after work, well for heaven’s sake, when I got home she and Cooper, and Katy were there and almost done feeding….how sweet was that!   I hurried into the house to change so I could go out and help them finish; Kim called and said that the neighbor that had feed the big animals didn’t realize that we had feeder lambs that needed to be fed, so……honey you will have to feed them.  We just got them last weekend so he had to explain to me what and how much.  Kathyrn and the kids were happy to go with me;  first stop was the fodder factory to harvest one 5- gallon bucket of fodder….Cooper followed me out the door, but I was in front of him so I didn’t notice when he stepped full on into a mud puddle (remember Cooper is in a cast and wears that boot thing for a shoe).  I didn’t notice, but his Mom did and she was not happy….Poor Cooper, she picked him up, pulled off the boot, put him back in the car, and told him to stay there!  Oh my goodness, he was so upset, just cried and cried you know how it is when you are 3!  Of course, Katy went in to get the fodder with us, so that upset Cooper all the more!  We got our bucket full, loaded it in the car and headed up the hill to feed the lambs, once again, Mommy made Cooper stay in the car (it was cold and windy and he had no shoe…..).   And once again, Katy went with us and joyfully helped fill the troughs with hay while Cooper continued to cry…..a tare at Nana’s heart, pathetic, whimpering, whining, almost tears kind of cry……he never stopped.  No matter what I did or said to him he continued to cry.  Back at the house Katy came in with me to borrow some hot dogs for dinner and get a popsicle…..we could hear Cooper all the way on the porch.  I cut the popsicle in half, half to Katy and half to Cooper….NOT!  Cooper was way too busy being pathetic to even have a popsicle…a blue one at that, wrapped in a napkin so his fingers wouldn’t get cold….Oh my, now that is bad!  Poor Cooper…..later in the evening I couldn’t help but think how pathetic Cooper had been and how he missed out on fun times with me and all the animals because of it.  Cooper was simply feeling sorry for himself.  Ding Dong….I heard the bell……how often in our lives do we act like Cooper, feeling sorrow for ourselves, missing out on so many blessings…..so many happy times with friends and family…..even to the point of making ourselves physically sick because of our attitude.  Life does suck sometimes…..we do step in puddles…..get our boots wet….get stuck in the car…how we handle it makes all the difference…..If we snuff out the light of God’s love with a pathetic attitude we are only hurting ourselves….missing out on fun times with our Heavenly Father…..Let’s choose to be happy, positive uplifting…..not by ourselves, nope….can’t do it alone….got to Ride with our Heavenly Father….lean on HIM….give HIM the puddles and take the blessings!  “Don’t worry, be happy!”  Thanks Father for hanging in there with us when we step in puddles.

A happy heart makes the face cheerful.  Proverbs 15:13.  I have learned t 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.  Philippians 4:11-12.  I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.  Isaiah 41:13.  Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.  1 Peter 5:7.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6.  Let the light of Your face shine upon us, O Lord.  You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.  Psalm 4:6-7.

Love you all!

Kathie A. Johnson