Springing Forth!

Two sweet mallard couples are making their home at the spring near the barn.  The trees are sprouting forth their buds, with leaves getting bigger and bigger.  The flowers are shooting up from the ground and gorgeous blooms are taking shape, with some already come and gone. 

Fall is my absolutely favorite time of year, but Spring is a close second!  The vibrant colors and the cooler temperatures make for some wonderful days and cooler evenings. We are ever grateful for the beauty that surrounds us, and only a God as amazing as our great God could possibly paint the picturesque landscape we behold! 

Out walking, whether on the road, through fields, or hiking a new trail, we are exhilarated with the sights, smells and sounds which surround us.  How anyone could imagine or try to experience this life without the joy of Christ is beyond anything I see.  How one could go through the ups and downs of life we have on this land called earth, would be impossible without the loving grace of Jesus Christ our Savior.  

So, yeah, I'm still reading through Ann's book, One Thousand Gifts Devotional, and this paragraph from "Full-Bodied Grace, Devotion 48," jumps out and I read it over, and over, and over again...

                  "Jesus is about to let flesh be broken with nail, heart be broken with rejection, chains be broken with bleeding love.  And in His last hours before His earthly end, He doesn't run out to buy something or catch a flight to go see something, but He wraps a towel around His waist and kneels low to take the feet of His forsakers gently in hand and wash away the grime between their toes." 

I am afraid I would want to go see the mountains one last time, go sit under a large waterfall for a final moment, or view a place I have never been before.  But not Jesus, no, He is the embodiment of service, He gives in His final moments, gives of Himself as He always has, He is eucharisteo, He gives thanks.

And, I have seen this, seen this eucharisteo, "the eucharisteo that touches body and soul: hands and knees and feet awash in grace."  Our family has seen this type of service.  "Without the breaking and giving, without the washing of feet, eucharisteo isn't complete.  The Communion service is only complete in service.  Communion, by necessity, always leads us into community." 

We have been gifted and blessed by this Communion service from the receiving end, as we have been going through this journey with my dad and cancer.  There has been food, more than any of us could or even should desire, gifts of mowed yards or weedeating, gift cards, an entire barn-raising!  And, the love and giving up of continued intercessory prayers is unending.  Blessed, yes, we are blessed.  Thankful, grateful, full of this eucharisteo, this, "to give thanks," this "thanks-giving."  

Thank You!

Always Experiencing Him,
Jody

And, Spring is Here!

Our God is THE great and mighty God!  He is THE Great Physician!  Does God still perform miracles?  Do we believe He can still release His power of healing?  I believe He does and I believe He can!

I have been absent from this blogging scene lately because we have been at the hospital with my Dad.  Long story short, we are looking at pancreatic cancer.  He has a tumor on the head of his pancreas.  He has also been diagnosed with diabetes.  Type 1 or 2, is still debatable at this point, but he is on insulin.

Back here on the farm, the grass is beginning to regain its color, the fields are getting brighter, and the early spring flowers are blooming.  I just love going for walks on beautiful spring days, always so much to be grateful for.  Continually focusing on what Christ has done and is doing for us.

These pics are from a week or two ago; now the fields are even greener, and the red buds and dogwoods are in full bloom!  Absolutely beautiful!

By the time my sister talked dad into going to the ER, he was feeling so bad he did not care.  He was extremely jaundiced, which we did not realize until my brother-in-law noticed!  We were at the wonderful UT Hospital, and underwent an ERCP, to put a stint in the bile duct.  His color is very slowly getting better.

My dad is a very strong man, an extremely hard-working farm man.  A man who can fix anything, and if he can't, he will try and find out how; a man who everyone depends on, from getting rid of snakes, skunks, or raccoons, to helping with cattle, fixing machinery and vehicles.  He also is a man other men come to to talk with, to get advice from, and not only about farming.  He helps keep peace within families, and simply has a way with people others do not have.  Compassionate and caring is my dad, he always wants to be there for families who have lost loved ones, or in hospitals, he and mom always taking food by, talking with, and listening to their cares.  But, his health finally got the best of him, and we are now trusting in our God, and the doctors, to help him.

We just got home today from another procedure, an EUS, where the doctor took a biopsy, and we will find out Monday exactly what we are dealing with and begin a course of action.

I asked our many friends today to pray for a miracle of Biblical proportions.  I know our God is able to accomplish that, but I also recognize God has a plan.  His plan sometimes is different than ours, and I pray we will trust His will, no matter how difficult it may be for us here on this earth.  As hard as it may be, we can still praise Him in the storms of this world. 

"Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
In that day you will not question Me about anything.  Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.
Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full."  John 16:22-24

I am praying for God to allow the Holy Spirit to pour out His power on my father, and to "also help our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."  Romans 8:26  

I ask for Jesus to intercede on our behalf; in Luke 22:32a, Jesus says, "I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail."

Knowing Jesus is praying for me, interceding for us, is enough to give us a peace that passes all understanding.  Even in our struggles, the trials we encounter, we can have a joy that is only found in having a relationship with the God who created all, who holds our lives in His Almighty hands.  There may be tears, but we still depend on the One who gives and takes away, and has prepared a place for us, that is beyond all our comprehension. 

"Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  

If you ask for anything in My name, I will do it.

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."  

John 14:13-15

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights."

James 1:17

"For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

Romans 14:17

So, I pray your last couple of weeks have been uneventful, unless filled with exciting news!  I would love to hear how your days have been, and if by chance, you are struggling, I would love to pray for you as well.  

Remember, our joy is only attained by remaining in God alone, and abiding in fellowship with Him.

Always Experiencing Him,
Jody

Spring's Around the Corner!

As I write this, it is pouring rain down on us, but the past few days have been glorious!  We had been needing to see the sun, feel the warmth on our faces, and be reminded, spring is just around the corner!  God never allows us to get bored, and always knows just what we need! 

The kids have been wanting to get their hammocks out, and this was just the weather they've been waiting on.  

So, if you happened to drive by, which some did, you would've seen 4, yes, four, hammocks strung up across our creek!  What a sight!  It was perfect!  They took books, and bags, and enjoyed God's amazing creation on this beautiful afternoon!

The cousins stopped by and we gave them all a turn sitting with Sarah.  It was the easiest hammock I could help with.

I love this pic of all 4 across the creek!  We are so blessed to live where we do.  God has placed us right where He wants us, and we are very grateful for His provision.

So relaxing...Oh, the beauty of it all!  

Julia had cleaned off our table on the front porch from all the winter gunk that had gathered, and it was the perfect time to sit, read, study, and listen for God to speak through the view, the breeze, and most of all, His Word.

The joys and blessings of God are abundant, and I am ever thankful for all He does!  I cannot keep from counting His graces each and every day!  

"I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, 
I will not be shaken.

You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever."
Psalm 16:8, 11

What did you do on these exceptionally gorgeous days?

Hike?  Work?  Gardening?  Simply enjoy God's beauty?

I'd love to hear!  Remember, to get these posts delivered to your email, just enter your email address on the right hand side of the blog and subscribe.  It's as simple, simple as that! :)

Always Experiencing Him,

Jody

A Few Warm Days

"The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice."

Psalm 97:1a

A few weeks ago we had beautiful, warm days, with lots of sunshine, and cool breezes.  It was simply lovely.  We opened out windows to air out our stuffy, germ-filled house, to let the wonderful, fresh, fresh, fresh, air in.  Oh, so lovely!  Yes, out comes the Claritin, but whatever it takes :).

Napping in the warm sunshine, feels so good...

We took a walk in the woods behind our house, and had a wonderful time just being outside together.  I do not like pics of me, but here you get one, I don't want our children to some day not know what their mom looked like, well, maybe I do, but not really :P  Yes, cut all my hair off and trying to lose some of that weight, ugh...enjoy the rest!

My dear hubby and me...

Yep, that's me!

My nieces and nephews had been over for a visit, and Jenny took them down to the creek in front of our house; they had a ball!  The water was still oh, so cold, but they loved it; Jenny did too!  She's the fun, crazy one, like her aunt, my sister!

Yay! For flipflop weather!  Love it!

Which season is your favorite?

Do you enjoy being outside?

What do you do when the weather gets warm?

Always Experiencing Him,
Jody