Picnic

It has been a near perfect Saturday.

We slept late. 9:00!

And then sat by the fireplace, drank coffee with peppermint mocha creamer - mmmmm - and I made French toast with
powdered sugar and maple syrup for breakfast.

William worked burning off some dead weeds in the horse pen and repairing a porch screen door. I did dishes, made the bed and washed a couple loads of clothes.



Then this afternoon I threw a little picnic in a bag, made up 2 quarts of iced
tea - one sweet, one unsweet - betcha can't guess which one is mine :) '

William was easily convinced to take a break from the the screen repairing
and we drove down to the ranch.

We grabbed a grapevine wreath and a big red bow to tie on the main gate
for a "Merry Christmas" greeting to all who pass by.


Beautiful blue Texas sky. Only the sound of an occasional bird singing or fish jumping.

Lovely. Peaceful. Calm.

Thank you LORD for all our many blessings.



A whole day spent together.....definitely one of His blessings on us today.

Gwynie Pie

I managed to spend yesterday with limited technological intrusion. In other words, I checked Facebook and e-mail less often and didn't turn on the tv. I didn't even get many phone calls.

I spent some quality time and quantity time yesterday just being quiet. Being still. Being thoughtful. Being thankful.

It was a great day !

Of course when I take the time to "be still" and listen....I hear. And not everything that I hear is easy to take. But ---- everything I hear is necessary for growing me into the person the LORD desires me to become.

Sometimes, I think ---- I have sooooo far to go to "get there". Then other times, I look back to who I used to be and realize just how good God is. And just how much He loves. And just how much He delights in me. In you too.

Growing up just isn't easy.

Gwynie Pie

Ahhhh -- the quiet

I spent all day yesterday being a helpmeet.

Isn't that a sweet, old-fashioned word?

I really love it when I get the chance to help my husband

do something he really needs help doing.

He is a very competent man -- not "needy",

so sometimes it's tough finding something I can do

that will benefit him.

But -- today he and his co-workers will be having

a planning retreat and he is in charge of the food.

Ah ha!

That's an area where I can definitely help....

We decided on a sandwich smorgasborg,

made the list, and

I then ran around all day yesterday

gathering up all the ingredients for

the meal today,

assembling trays of goodies,

and baking the desserts.

Much satisfaction comes from accomplishing a task

with excellence.

Not perfection, just a job well done.

And early this morning

after we ran around loading everything,

"don't forget the croissants, they're on the dining table".

After my final instructions on assembling the

strawberry shortcut cake

After checking and double-checking

--- as William drove off with the car laden down with

all manner of tasty treats,

I realize how very much I am longing for the quiet.

And with the quiet -- the voice of God.

So, after several days of noisey and busy,

I'm just going to be quiet and still today

and

listen..........

Count Your Blessings

...name them one by one. Count your many blessings, see what God has done.

Several years ago, my good friend Richelle and I were given several opportunities to speak at surrounding churches about something dear
to our hearts - decorating for the holidays and how to keep the LORD
at the center of it all.

We had so much fun brain-storming and creating and we came up with
lots of fun ways to decorate emphasizing Christ as the center of the home.

One of my favorites, and one that both of us continue in our homes today is
the Blessing Rocks.

All through the Old Testament, God instructs His children to "remember". God wanted them to remember where they had been before He delivered
them. He wanted them to never forget all the great things He had done.
And many times they were instructed to build an altar of rocks so that the generations to come would, when they saw the altar, remember the things the Lord had done in their lives.

This is our modern day equivalent --- we got bags of river rock at Dollar Tree and for rocks that are a little larger, when you need more room to write, I have found bags of rocks at Wal-mart.

With a Sharpie pen, I have written on each rock just enough to trigger our memories and allow us to recall the miracles and blessings the LORD has brought into our lives.

On the large rock in the center of the platter, I have written Psalm 102:18 ---
"Write down for the coming generation what the LORD has done,
so that people not yet born will praise Him."

On the smaller rocks I have written blessings from the LORD such as "$20 miracle money, Safeway". We were grocery shopping with extremely limited funds and I was trying to get the most for my very few dollars. I turned away from the cart to pick up an item and when I turned back around a crisp 20 dollar bill was laying on top of my purse. There was no one close around and neither the kids nor I had seen anyone, yet there was a wonderful provision of money at a time we needed it most.

"Devin, Heart surgery, 1996" The LORD brought him through that very serious surgery and healed him in a miraculous way.

"Dana and Blake" God brought our daughter and her husband together in a very unique way that only He could have done.

And the list goes on and on. It's just such a sweet way to remember what the LORD has done in our lives --- His healing, His provision, His direction ----and every time we remember, it's just another opportunity to give Him praise.

Love Letters

Love letters.

Aren't those two words, just standing there alone, so very pretty?

In all my cleaning over the past several weeks, I came upon a big box stuffed full of cards, letters, notes. To William and myself. From friends on birthdays. From our children on special occasions. From people saying a thank-you. Or a "Hi there, how've you been?" And there were lots of cards and letters and little scrap paper notes to "us", from "us".

I started going through them, making a pile a all the ones we had written to each other.

Now I didn't keep every single card ever given. The early years are not well represented. Maybe I wasn't as sentimental back then? Or maybe we were just trying to hold it all together back then and I figured I would never want to relive those times. That could be it. :)

Reading them carried me back to where we were at the time, where we lived, how old the kids were then, events that happened along the way. Very nostalgic. Cried a lot. Not gonna read them again any time soon.

But..... so sweet. It stirred all kinds of gratefulness to the LORD for His goodness in our lives. He brought us together and kept us together, despite our best efforts to do otherwise.

My heart is just so full of love for my wonderful husband. And so full of gratefulness and love for the One to whom we give ALL glory for every good thing that ever happens in our lives. He is so amazingly, awesomely good!

Soooo - do you have love letters? Where are they? Why not get them out, tie a big beautiful ribbon around them and set them out somewhere in your home. Remind yourself today of how far the LORD has brought you.

AND if you don't have a stack of love letters...why not write the one you love a love letter this very day.

Love and hugs,

Gwynie Pie

37th Anniversary

Today is our 37th wedding anniversary!

For dinner tonight, I made Greek pizza, from scratch,
in honor of the many pizzas (out of a box) that
William and I consumed during our dating years.

It turned out pretty great. I'll post the pictures and recipe
tomorrow.

After dinner, we were looking at our wedding pictures and
I decided I had to post at least a couple of the "less goofy" ones.
These were actually taken by a professional photographer....
Yikes! As I recall -- he might
have been a wee might tipsy.

Well, crummy pictures aside -- we have been so very blessed!
We realize it is only by the grace of God and his mercy that
we can say we are more in love today, with each other AND
with Him, than ever before. We give Him all the glory and
praise for everything He has given.

Gwynie Pie

Loving the rain !

This is the "welcome" verse at the front door

of our house.

A few weeks ago I selected this verse,

thinking more about

"the storehouse of His bounty"

part of the verse,

and the abundance of my life

and how the LORD

has blessed us,

than the

"send rain on your land"

part of the verse.

HOWEVER ----

as always in this dry part of the world,----

we've been praying for rain !

We'll take it, whenever it comes....and

PRAISE THE LORD

for it !!

Soooo, how cool is it that He has blessed

us with such wonderful

refreshing

rains !!!

Everything that is supposed to be green --- IS !!!

For West Texas in August,

that's saying a whole lot !

I LOVE IT !!!

What a GREAT God we have !

Gotta go mow ---

:)

Gwynie Pie

It's Already Tuesday !

My husband is leaving this Saturday for a week long mission trip to Guatemala.

I am so excited for this to be happening.

It is truly an answer to our prayers.

William had the privilege of going on his first mission trip

to Guatemala in January 2008, with the entire staff and all the lay elders

from our church.

This was truly a life-changing experience for William

and he has been looking for the chance to return ever since.

We began praying for this opportunity for him to return

almost as soon as he got back and we believed

that the LORD would make a way for it to happen.

When the trip was offered and sign-up began, we knew William needed

to put his name on that list, believing that the LORD

was going to provide the money ($1600), even though we

weren't seeing "the how" with our physical eyes.

We just believed the LORD had said "Go" and

He would make a way.

Through a series of wonderful and sometimes surprising avenues

ALL the money has been provided and our faith

has been rewarded.

Don't ya love it when that happens?!?

And

Don't ya love it when the LORD confirms

that the path you are moving down is The path

He has laid out for you

"for such a time as this"?

One of the most amazing ways the LORD has provided all this money,

almost half of it,

has been through William's second "job".

He is an ordained and licensed minister.

His 1st job is working at Hospice of San Angelo.

One of the "hats" he wears is that of part-time chaplain.

So he gets asked to preside at funerals

and also to officiate at weddings.

Well, he was asked to preside at two funerals a couple of months ago,

both in the same week.

(And just a couple of weeks from one of the

financial deadlines for the money for the trip to be turned in.)

Now, understand.....this is remarkable on so many levels....

first of all, sometimes he gets paid for these services, sometimes

not....in any case, it is a ministry on his part and he is always glad to help people out,

money never being the object.

Also, for weddings, a minister can be more specific and just tell

the couple "my fee is $___".

But, for funerals -- he has never had a fee nor expected any payment, but is sometimes

pleasantly surprised by $50 or $100

from the family.

So, imagine the surprise when in the course of this week of two funerals,

he is handed $750.00 !

THAT was from the LORD !

The LORD put it on these families hearts to give William such a generous

amount and he turned around and turned in the amount

that was needed for the next financial installment

for the trip -- $750.00 !

Now THAT'S God !!

And William had the privilege of then further ministering to this sweet widow by

telling her how he was using the money she had given.

That her gift to him was going to be used so that

he could go to Guatemala and help build

houses for four widows there.

Sweet !!

God is good !!

And I am so excited that William gets to go wield a chain saw and a hammer

and help build these houses.

He gets to return to see the apple trees that he pruned last trip, now

producing their fruit.

He gets to hand out plates of food to the people that come for

what is the only meal they'll have that day.

He'll no doubt play a little basketball or soccer with some kids.

And, if I know him, and I do....he'll be holding some babies

at some point in the week.

Please pray for William and the entire mission

team from Paulann Baptist Church,

as they are leaving on Sat. morning and returning

the following Friday.

God is going to do some great things...

both in the hearts of the people there

and

in the hearts and lives of the ones He is sending to them.

With great excitement and anticipation --

Gwynie Pie

The Handiwork of God

I pray you are all having a very blessed Good Friday !! Seems like the perfect time to share a Spectacular sunset as we enjoyed it from our front porch

Absolutely breath-taking !

The handiwork of GOD !

Gwynie Pie

SATURDAY SUNSET

Later that day..... as William and I were driving home from big town tonight, I saw the sun setting fast in the rear view mirror. I remembered that I had dropped the camera in my purse as I walked out the door earlier. (You just never know when you might find a subject that needs its picture taken, ya know?) So, I got him to "stop the car!!" and I jumped out and snapped this. I just love being able to see both sunrise and sunset -- a real treat!

Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!!

Gwynie Pie

SATURDAY SUNRISE

It's really dark at 6-something in the morning! I stepped out of the back door for just a few seconds (it was also really chilly!) and snapped these two pictures. Hope you can see how the entire eastern horizon was glowing --- Beautiful!!!

Part of the beauty of living out in the country AND in this part of the world is this !!! nothing between us and the sunrise.

Have a Spectacular Saturday!

Gwynie Pie

DREAMS

I've been "dreaming" a lot lately! Sorting out what's from God and what's from my own overactively and fertile imagination is quite the challenge. As I have prayed through all of these possibilities before me, I have pared down my list of New Year's goals for 2009. As I began to look at what was laid out before me, items fell out naturally into 4 different categories. : Physical, Spiritual, Knowledge/Skills and Just for Fun, although some items probably overlap into more than one category. I am listing these Dreams from the Lord here for a couple of reasons. First, I want these goals written down where I can see them and be reminded of them every day. I want to have them in front of me so I know where I'm going. Like having a little GPS/roadmap of goals for 2009. And second, I want to be open in my life and invite accountability from my friends. Also I wouldn't mind your prayers as I set out to accomplish what the Lord has laid out for me this year. So, here is the list --

Physical goals --

• 1. Lose x number of pounds this year. The Lord has given me a number and I will likely be sharing more about this area as the year goes along. Whereas in decades past, my desire in losing weight was to look good in a swimsuit for the summer or to fit into some skinny dress for a special event, these days I just desire to live every year, day and moment the Lord intends AND to be healthy! To Live Out Loud!!!
• 2. Train to participate (whether by running/jogging/walking/shuffling) in the Jingle Bell run in Fort Worth in December 2009. This is something I would love to "run" with my daughter, granddaughter and any other family and friends who want to join us.

Spiritual goals --

• 1. Read thru the Bible this year along with many from my church, Paulann, who are taking the challenge. On this Day 26 of that process, my life has already been enriched. There is nothing, nothing like Truth -- God's Word -- to enhance and empower life!!
• 2. Memorize 24 scriptures over the course of the year. Beth Moore, on her blog, has challenged her fellow travellers, to memorize a new scripture every 1st and 15th of each month. Here's how it works: search out what scripture the Lord is pointing out in your life, then write that scripture down in a journal, notebook -- I keep mine in a 5 by 7 index card spiral. Then keep that scripture before your eyes for the next 1/2 month -- read it, repeat it, write it, say it and meditate on it! I've always used the excuse "I just can't memorize" when it comes to scripture memory. But, the Lord has pointed out to me that is not true. I manage to memorize all sorts of other stuff that isn't of any consequence in my life AT ALL! (song lyrics, names of tv characters, quotes) OOOOhhhh - busted!!! So, here I go ............
• 3. Do 2 meaty Bible studies during the year. I need the consistency of having "homework" on a daily basis and I need the consistency of interaction with other women in a Bible study setting. "Iron sharpens iron" and we all need to keep sharp!!

Knowledge/Skills goals --

• 1. Start and keep a blog. In starting this blog, I am realizing a long time dream of having a forum to write down "the thinks I think". I always said it would be a process primarily just for me -- therapeutic, like a diary, and IF someone read my words and IF someone liked them or related to them, great. And IF no one read or enjoyed or even cared about my blog, so be it! After all, it was just for me anyway. HA!!! Putting your thoughts on a "page" and putting them out there is, I am finding, a really weird and sometimes scary thing. I find that I am waaaaay too susceptible to what someone else thinks of me, way too insecure to just truly not care what you think. And ya know, I think that is another goal I've just unearthed. :) I think this goal would better be listed under "spiritual" but since I'm on a roll, here goes --- It is my goal (and definitely God's dream for me) to become so totally secure in who I am in HIM, that it truly doesn't matter so much what someone else thinks!! Really, we all could have that as a goal, perhaps. Especially we women! I fear we are, many of us, too wrapped up in what someone thinks of us and how we live our lives. I'm gonna work on this!!
• Back a trailer -- yes, I know. How can a girl grow up in the country on a farm and ranch and not know this basic of life? Well, my Dad always did the backing up of the trailer. Then my husband did it. Now my kids do it. I just never learned how. I've tried it a couple times, took out a fence post or two, cranked the steering wheel so far we nearly jackedknifed in the pasture :) and then got out, went around to the passenger's seat and let someone else do it!!!! for gosh sakes. BUT, I want, no I need to learn to back a trailer!!!!
• Learn to play my guitar. Now I have always, always, as long as I can remember, wanted to play a guitar. My husband surprised me with a guitar on my birthday a couple years ago and I completely panicked. When he presented it to me, he had me close my eyes and hold out my arms and he laid it across them and then "surprise! open your eyes!" I know he expected more joy and excitement on my part. But I just sat there with a "deer in the headlights" look thinking "Awwww, no!!!!!" I mean, I'd been talking about how I would just love to play the guitar and how that really was something I wanted to learn and I really thought that would be on my "bucket list"(if I had a bucket list) and blah, blah, blah. And THEN there is a guitar in my arms -- Busted, dude!!!! In effect, he called my bluff. And I was so undone by it, it went back in the case and I've never even touched it since. Can you believe that! What a weeny!!!! Soooo, gonna pick that baby up and learn to do something? -- a nice chord perhaps? :) Gonna be livin' LOUD!!!!

Just For Fun --

• Float another river. I have a goal of floating all the floatable rivers in Texas. There are quite a few. Honestly, I don't really know exactly how many. But, I've only floated 3 of them so far. And I need to be floating somewhere this summer if that goal is gonna be achieved in my lifetime. Ahhh, so many rivers, so little time..........
• Learn to kayak/canoe. It looks like so much fun! I'm really not much for boating in general, I guess. Speed boats, ski boats, bass boats, peerows -- non hold much fascination for me. Now a yacht -- there a boat I could get into!! HA!! Really, to float/paddle a kayak or a canoe just seems to me to be very "basic" somehow. Very simple, very soothing, very primal ----
• Ride a horse. Now I have ridden a horse before, but only a couple of times. Not pleasant or fun in any way. It was a brain-jarring experience actually and much flapping and flailing went on. But, I love horses so much and I am enough of a romantic and a country girl, that I want to try it again.

So, there it is!! My Goals and God's Dreams for me for 2009! Wow!! Gotta go, kids.....time's a'wastin'.......................................................................................

"I KNOW!!" I practically screamed. William, my husband of 37 years ( let me tell ya, this man has endured many such outbursts ) opened his mouth to speak, but of course, I interrupted his thoughts and continued screaming and squealing!!!! "I know, I know, I know, I know!!" I declared, "I know what to do with Little Tractor! Let's not get rid of it, let's keep it and paint it pink!!!!" Bless him! Sweet man! Do you know his response was simply a smile and an "Okay! why not?" And ya know what? He really meant it.....



We've been thinking what to do with my Papaw's old Ford tractor. It's one of those cute little gray and red numbers, all pale and faded, with peely paint. Made decades ago, it really has lost most of its usefulness. The Little Tractor isn't big enough or powerful enough to really plow a field. And it doesn't have enough umph to carry heavy loads like a newer, revved up lawn tractors would. Kind of a clunker of a piece of farm equipment, mostly just in the way. Time to be put out to pasture. Which is exactly where the Little Tractor has been for the last couple of decades. Just sitting out in the weather, waiting for rust to set in and do its worst. We've tried to sell it several times. We've tried to kind of rehab it and get it back in the ag game, so to speak. Still it sits!! So, we were kind of kicking around the idea of just donating it to an organization that could in turn sell it and keep the money as a donation. Not a bad idea, I guess. Except.....here's the deal -----



I love Little Tractor! I really do! I have wonderful memories that revolve around that tractor. My earliest recollection of Little Tractor is one of sitting on my Papaw's knee and my dog, Corky, a not so small English spaniel sitting on his other knee, while he plowed up the spot for the garden. I was probably all of 2 years old! All of my own kids have played on and under and around Little Tractor. And each of them has driven Little Tractor way before they were old enough to drive a truck. We all have many memories associated with Little Tractor, most sweet but some bitter. One day when my daughter was about 6, she plopped down on the tractor seat to just sit a while and play-like and a whole nest of yellowjackets that had been building under the seat, rose up and bit her on the bottom. To this day, I've never heard that kind of shrieking and crying. Mamaw ran to the rescue with a bottle of laundry bluing liquid in her hand and sloshed it on Dana's backside, immediately calming the pain.



By the time the kids were all in their teen years, my Daddy had renamed Little Tractor. Once after someone had tinkered around with the motor and revved it up a bit, Little Tractor seemed to have a new lease on life. One of the kids asked him "Granddaddy, does it run?" "Does it run?" my Dad said laughing,"Why, it runs like a spotted-assed ape!" We all fell out laughing over that one and of course, Little Tractor had a new name from that day on.



Many guests of our farm have taken little tractor for a spin up and down the country roads. One guest I remember loved driving Little Tractor because it took her back to her own childhood on the farm. All of us have loved Little Tractor. It's just always been here on the farm. It really belongs here, I think. Surrounded by the people who love it. Not on an auction block for a few dollars! Which brings me to how I started this blog....painting Little Tractor pink.



Now whether I actually DO paint Little Tractor pink ??? Well, we'll see..... I mean, how exactly would one go about painting a tractor anyway???? Hmmm??? Also, I can almost hear the question "Isn't Little Tractor a boy?" To which I say no, no she is not!!! How do I know this? I will tell you. I know this because Little Tractor has never been pushy or boisterous. She has always been genteel and well-mannered. She has always been reserved with a quiet spirit about her. She has never, ever been the big, loud, dirt-clod kicking, smoke-belching kind of tractor that does the jobs that require brut strength. Her area of expertise has been plowing gardens and straightening end rows. Grooming, if you will. Nurturing. She's really been good at nurturing. And because of all these qualities and because of such neglect in latter years, I firmly believe Little Tractor would enjoy a nice coat of yummy pink paint. I think Little Tractor has always secretly dreamed of being an eye-popping, head-turning tractor. She's got a dream! And I'm gonna make that dream come true!



Little Tractor and I have a lot in common I think. I, too , was made decades ago. And I, at times in my life, have felt a bit pale and faded, with peely paint. At first glance, one might think I've also lost most of my usefulness. And I know there are times that I feel like a clunker. Some of my agility is gone and I see newer, revved up models all the time that are doing all the things I used to do and either can't do anymore or just flat don't wanna do.

Now Little Tractor doesn't really, really have feelings nor does she dream. You do know that, right? I know that! Really, I do! I, however, do have dreams. Dreams that the Lord God has planted in my heart. And as those dreams have taken root and started to grow, I know I am coming back to life. I've been resusitated. I'm once again excited about my life! I'm thrilled to greet each new day! I am stepping out in faith in my prayers and believing for the things God Himself has promised me! I am practicing those things I want to get really good at -- giving and praying and loving. And I'm taking captive all those things that don't have a place in a Believer's thoughts. I'm learning to be grateful, truly thankful, for all that the Lord has allowed into my life. These things, these Dreams were planted in my heart by the Lord Himself and because He gave me these Dreams, I know they are a done deal!!! When God desires something for us and we grab hold of that something and desire it for ourselves, it is as good as ours!

By now you must know that Little Tractor and her coat of jazzy pink paint is very symbolic. A symbol of so many things. Of achieving God's Dreams for my life. Of getting a second chance(or sixth or fourteenth). Of seeing the Lord restore the years the locust(or rust) have eaten. Of living the last remaining years of my life oh, so much better than I lived the first many years of my life. For every year of my life since I can remember I have yearned to live bigger and louder than I've ever had the courage to live. Well, one of the Dreams that the Lord has just recently given me, is That Dream -- the one of living out loud!!

So here it is -- my desire for you, if you have read this far, is for you to start asking the Lord to give you His Dreams for your life. Ask Him. He has such Dreams for us - more than we can even imagine -- and I believe He so desires for us to make His Dreams our own.

I'm excited about writing this blog. I believe it is a small part of living out loud! Thanks for reading! I welcome your comments.