Gathering Up Containers

At the auction on Saturday, My Sweetheart said, someone bought some pails. Some 5 gallon pails. A farmer can never have enough pails. There is always a need for a pail. It can by used for gathering up spills, throwing odds and ends into, holding dog food. I'm always on the lookout for ice cream pails- empty, clean ice cream pails. I never have enough ice cream pails in my house. In the summer I use them for when I make slush. They're perfect for transporting cookies. I use them for cleaning too. In the summer we keep an ice cream pail full of water, on the deck, for the dogs. If the pail gets empty though, Lady will usually carry it off. And then Bentley will grab it from Lady and chew it to bits. I don't know how many useless, chewed up ice cream pails we find around the yard. When it comes to defrosting the freezer I am always scrambling to find whatever containers I can to put on the freezer shelves- cake pans, tupperware bowls, baking sheets - there are containers put 'just so' to catch the ice drips. Those containers have to be continually emptied when the freezer starts to thaw or the water would overflow on to the porch floor. This morning, during my quiet time with the Lord, as I was reading in Romans, this verse jumped out at me - "We can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit." (Romans 5:5) I was so encouraged when I read that. In all my scrambling to gather up containers for menial, yet necessary tasks around the home, I can always find enough containers. There is a limit to the cookies I bake and take, there is a limit to the amount of ice water that the freezer will thaw, there is a limit to the amount of dog kibbles that will fit into an ice cream pail, BUT there are NEVER enough containers to hold all that God generously pours into my life through the Holy Spirit. I hope and pray that you want all that God wants to pour into your life. I pray that you won't be able to find enough containers for that amount of generosity. And what God does pour into lives is all good! No messy spills! No grease! Oil perhaps- oil of joy from the Holy Spirit, but not any disgusting, dirty oil. No dog food, but better food- the Word of God for sustenance. Forgiveness? There definitely are not enough containers for the amount of forgiveness God lavishes on those who ask! Further, in the same Romans 5 chapter, I read, "Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented Himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. BUT God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him." (vs 6-8) Accepting and believing in Jesus is just the beginning of the "ALL that God generously pours" - there is no limit to God's love, forgiveness, grace and mercy. We just need to stand with open arms and accept all that He wants to pour out on and in us!

Coveralls, Cookies and Kittens

Life on the farm, as John Denver sang, is not, on this farm anyway, kind of laid back. We aren't early to rise, early to the sack kind of people. Nor are there cakes on the griddle when the sun comes up. Goodness! That sentiment might have been somewhat commonplace in the 1940's or 1950's - depending on when Charlotte's Web was written- all idyllic and serene-like, but now? No. Now it's seeding time-the time of year that when the sun is shining, and even when it has been set for hours, the farmers around here are very busy. Some farms keep their operation running 24 hours til the work is done. Our farm isn't that big, and even if it was bigger, we don't have the manpower to work around the clock. The alarm clock is set for 6 am. This farm-wife (hate that term) stays in bed until her alarm goes at 7:30. No flapjacks for My Sweetheart- poor guy. He has to settle for toast, or cereal;whatever he fancies whipping up for himself. And then he's off! Off to fuel up, grease up, load up and go. Seed, seed, seed until Dear Son relieves him after school. Then, while DS is seeding, My Sweetheart occupies his time with spraying or land rolling, or myriads of other stuff that needs doing and that I won't do. DS typically works until 10:30 or 11ish- My Sweetheart works as late as need be. Midnight is common; although 1 night last week, after being up since 6am- he crawled into bed just before 2. We almost look forward to rain- for when it rains we rest- for a while anyway. This weekend has been one of rest. The rain started Friday. Just in time to make a mess for the auction. The farmer who we bought land from last year was having his auction this weekend. And My Sweetheart was looking forward to going to that auction. Saturday morning- the day of the auction, dawned- well, not bright and cheery, but rainy, very rainy, and snowy. Perfect auction weather! No farmers would be out seeding on a day like that - they would ALL be able to go to the auction. So, shortly after 9 am, My Sweetheart, dressed in true cold weather farmer fashion, left the house donned in his long underwear, t-shirt, pants, 2 pairs of sock, shirt, bunnyhug, coat, toque and rubber boots. DS was excited to go too- he opted for his coveralls and winter jacket and toque. They picked up My Sweetheart's Dad in town, then headed out to the south farm for the auction. DD and I were enjoying a nice, leisurely breakfast before heading to the city to have lunch with my good friend and DD's good friend, City Girl. Then, after lunch City Girl's mom and I were going to hang out while the girls went to a cookie decorating class. And an hour before DD and I were going to head to the city my cell phone rang. It was My Sweeetheart. His feet were freezing. Could I please head out the auction site with his winter boots on my way to the City. Well, sure I could. I figured out how long it would take me to navigate the muddy roads, and would leave here in plenty of time! So, DD and I headed to the garage. Just before opening up my door of the car, I glanced down. There was a box right beside my car. And in that little glance I noticed the new little kittens- 3 little fluff balls. Fluffy Cat had just given birth-in the garage of all places. Oh well, I'd deal with that later. I must get those boots to My Sweetheart. I was enjoying the drive- until I turned off the highway and headed south. Good thing the road wasn't any longer than it was. It was solid grease. By the time I was off THAT road- and I was going fast at 5 mph on THAT mud, I was a nervous wreck. Then I had to manuever on the gravel road. ALL the farmers were at the auction, and EVERY truck from miles around was lined up on the grid road- on both sides. I felt like I had just enough room to squeeze my litle car between the rows of trucks and pray that I wouldn't slide one way or the other. I finally made it to the lane of our south farm yard, that was also lined up with farmer trucks, and I was met by DS and My Sweetheart. I had never seen DS so dirty. The mud went up to his knees of his coveralls. And he wasn't feeling good, so 'could I please drive home?' I thought I would be able to bypass that nasty little road off the grid road on my way to the City, but no- I had to turn right back and head back the way I had come. Back on that nasty little stretch of very greasy mud. Well, eventually we were back in the yard, I dropped off DS, and then DD and I were on our way! After lunch, dropping off the girls, spending the afternoon shopping, and then picking up pizza for supper, DD and I were on our way home! Today, Sunday, has been very restful. Today has been our 'laid back' country day. Today was a no-church Sunday for our congregation, so we slept in. We had a leisurely brunch. My Sweetheart and DD gathered up Fluffy Mama and her 4 babies- she had another one when we were in the city- took them out to the pole shed to be with Black Mama Cat and her babies. We watched a movie. We enjoyed the time together. We relished the pause in the midst of a very busy season.

DD baked and decorated these cookies today, using skills learned in her class yesterday!

Fluffy Cat's Kittens - 1 day old!

Black Mama Cat's 3 week old kittens!

Roots

I have, in the past, been perplexed as to why there has been so much genealogy in the Bible. Whole chapters have been devoted to censuses, family histories going back generations. I heard, just a few weeks ago, that, in the Jewish culture, genealogy and family history is very important. And so that explains that.

In the past few years I have become increasingly interested in my roots, my family history. I am fascinated in the 'stories behind the stories'. Why did my great grandparents leave their homelands to venture across the ocean and arrive in Canada? What were they leaving behind? Who did they leave behind? why did they choose to settle where they did? What was life like for them 100 years ago? What was life like for their parents and grandparents?

Now, thanks to the internet, and thanks to the help of a woman in England named Rhonda, I have uncovered some history- some background to my Dad's maternal family- the Goddard family.

I had some basic information to go on- I knew my Great Grandfather's name, where he was born and when. I also knew my Great Grandmother's name and the date of her birth. So with what I knew, and an email address I found while doing some googling, I made some inquiries and in the past few days have been thrilled to find emails full of information from my new friend, Rhonda- a woman who works in a library in England.

It turns out that my Great Grandfather, William, was born in 1873 to his parents - George and Emma. I now know that My Great-great Grandfather was a farm labourer. Great Grandfather, William had an older sister, Emily, older brothers John and Albert, younger sister Ellen and younger brother James. I know that Emily, when she was a young woman, was a servant. Now, after watching Downton Abbey, I feel like I know a little bit about what life would have been like for Emily. I find that fascinating.

I found out that my Great Grandfather, William, was baptized as a baby at Wanborough.

Great Grandfather, William, married Edith Mary Duffin on April 14, 1900. Although she was born in Bristol England, her and her family lived in Pewsey, Wiltshire. Her parents were William, a gardener and domestic servant, and Annie. Edith Mary was the eldest of 4. Her sisters were Alice Winnifred, Amy Blanche and Annie Elizabeth. I am pretty sure that my Grandmother was named after her aunt. I didn't know that before today. And that makes me think that My Great grandmother must have dearly loved her sister, Amy Blanche, to name her daughter after her. I wonder what it would have been like, growing up with 3 sisters. I wonder if there were some 'little women' moments in that household. I will never know, but now that I know about these people, I can imagine!

Rhonda, the helpful lady in England, will continue to correspond with me as she uncovers more clues for me. And as I find out more I will be sure to write about it.

I am now reading and researching all I can to find out more about this branch of the family tree. In the near future DD and I will, Lord willing, hop a plane for England and walk the countryside where my ancestors walked, see the sights that they might have seen. And I will thank God for my roots.

Investing in My Future

"It sure must be nice to be married to a farmer!" My Sweetheart joked with me as I headed out of the house last evening while he and Dear Son were working on some piece of farm equipment and Darling Daughter was busy at the shop vacuuming out the old farm van getting it ready to get dirty again. "You can tell that to your mom!" he added as I was driving away. You see, it's a long standing joke between Mom and My Sweetheart that he has a pretty cushy career, being able to take days off here and there, go on winter vacations, take the camper out in the summer, sleep in on days when it's blizzarding... She always says, on such occasions, "It must be nice to be a farmer!"

I had decided that I would accompany Mom, last night, to her weekly BINGO game. I was going gambling with "Grandma!" And since I didn't win anything last night I decided that what I had 'invested'- all $7 to play 3 cards- was an investment in my future. My money was going, I'm assuming, into the upkeep of the senior hall, so that when I have reached my golden era alongside My Sweetheart, we will have a place to hang out.

My Sweetheart and I will be able to go to potlucks, card games, movie nights, cribbage tournaments (if he ever, like he promised me when I was pregnant with DS, learn to play cribbage), exercise classes and so on and so on. The senior hall should still be standing because I invested in my future last night!

But what about my eternal future investment? That's been taken care of too. It didn't cost me anything- no membership dues. But it cost My Saviour everything when He hung on that cruel cross at Calvary for my sins. "He died for us, a death that triggered LIFE" (1 thessalonians 5:10) - abundant life here on earth, and eternal life when His precious gift of salvation is accepted. "Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. BUT God's GIFT is REAL LIFE, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master." (Romans 6:23- Message translation)

My future investment is secure, not only at the Senior Hall, but more importantly in Heaven.