Cattle, wheat field, Oklahoma and flip flops!

Such as this week.

I was in the house all day. (yeah, I know...no big surprise there! ;)) Anyway, I took out several loads of trash out to the dumpster and noticed the cows out behind the garden on the wheat field. Dad has been running cattle out there for several weeks, so it wasn't anything new to see them there.

I walked back in the house and proceeded to finish what I was doing and then it dawned on me. There's cattle outside, behind the garden, on the wheat field. Didn't Dad just tell me last week that he took the cattle off there and wasn't going to run them back out there???

Maybe he changed his mind. I looked out the kitchen window only to see the temporary fence he had up at one time was down. Uh oh. And Dad? Well, he was in Oklahoma for the day. So, why did the cows choose today to get out???

So my call to Dad went like this, "Are there supposed to be cattle on the wheat?"

Dad, "No."

Me, "Well, guess what? There are now! Where are you at? Are you on your way home?"

Dad, "No, I'm still a couple hours away. How many? They must have gotten through some fences. You're going to have to run them back in the corral."

Sure, just run them back in the corral. Most people find it hard to believe I live on a farm or that my sisters and I used to help Dad work cattle. But, it's true. Admittedly, it's been years since I've done it and as one person so accurately announced in church one Sunday morning, "There's this young lady living at Quincy's farm who doesn't help him with cattle." Well, guess what? That's about to change! ;)

I had walked outside while I was talking to Dad and Austin was in the yard (our next door neighbor) with his dog. Help was in sight!!!! I asked him if he would be able to help me round up the cows and get them in. His response, "Sure!"

I went back in the house for sunglasses and shoes. I've been grilled since very young to ALWAYS wear closed toe shoes when working with cattle and horses. Hmmm......shoes. I briefly debated this dilemma. I don't own tennis shoes. And I'm not wearing my good black boots out in a filthy field and corral. Soooo......it's gonna have to be flip flops!

Austin and I walked out into the corral and discovered that the cattle had broken through a gate, which would require repair to hold them back in there once we rounded them up. Austin said he could fix it (thank goodness!), but he needed wire and a post. Ok. Another call to Dad to find out where he kept that stuff.

Gate mended thanks to Austin. Now, to get the cattle. They happened to be clear at the opposite end of the field and I decided that we were not walking all the way out there to bring them back. Austin commented to me that now was the time he needed his horse here. Yeah, I agree. The next best thing? Dad's four wheeler! Worked splendidly!

Thankfully Austin has worked on a farm before and is familiar with repairing fences, herding cattle and driving four wheelers. About the only thing I did was call Dad multiple times as he was explaining to me the what and where with fences, gates and cattle.

I'm thankful I caught the cattle out there before they wondered who knows where. And so thankful Austin was here. He was just getting ready to leave when his dog came over to play with Lady and at that moment I walked outside. Perfect timing! If I would have noticed the cows out five minutes later, Austin would already have been gone! Praise God He worked through everything!

And....the flip flops worked! I still have toes!! ;)

Really?! I really thought I was losing my mind!

My goal is never to lose my mind. But there are times when it seems like that has happened. Like this particular moment.

I had been walking back and forth between the kitchen and schoolroom several times, my mind on a million things running through my head when I saw this on my way out of the kitchen. I took a few steps back thinking, "Did I put that can of Mt. Dew there?"

On my last trip through the kitchen I had just opened a can of that favorite drink of mine, but I didn't do that with it, did I? And no one else in this house touches that stuff!

I turned to look at Dad who was sitting on the couch and saw his smiling face! Ahh, ha! The culprit! He's trying out some tacky tape to hold up fabric for my wedding reception and he's testing the weight. And it's working--that can has been up there for five days and it's still in the same exact spot!

Sometime I may question his methods of operation, but the end result is always just as I want/need it to be! So in figuring out the best way to drape fabric and lights for the reception--I'll leave it entirely up to him! He knows the effect/picture I'm trying to create and I have no doubt he'll know just how to do it!

To stay up-to-date on the latest wedding events, check out my wedding blog!

A beautiful snowstorm!

This is the first really significant snowstorm we've received--with really COLD temps. Like -2 with a wind chill way below that! Brrrrr!!!!! Watching the snow fall, was beautiful--they were such large, pretty flakes swirling around in the air! We ended up with six or seven inches.

Yep, Dad's still out there keeping an eye on cattle!

What's most important this new year?

When a new year starts, I mentally start taking note of what I want to accomplish. Which usually turns into a month by month list of what I hope to accomplish. Admittedly, by the time December rolls around, some items will be completed, others totally scrapped and many new ones added.

But as I was thinking of those things I want to do this year, I was reminded last Sunday of what needs to be my first and foremost goal as 2011 starts--to glorify Christ with my words and actions. As Pastor Kirk challenged us to fight the good fight of faith, he made mention of several things which stood out to me.

--Understand who you are in Jesus Christ. God has created me in His image. He loves me. He knew me before I was ever born. Jesus Christ has offered a way of salvation and forgiven me. As I was writing these notes in church Sunday morning, Dad elbowed me and showed me his own scribblings. What did he write down? "Remember who you are." I laughed silently and smiled. How many, many times do I remember leaving home (no matter where or when, no matter how far) and Dad telling my sisters and I, "Remember who you are. You are a child of God." Ahhhh, yes. So true.

--Walk in the good works that God has for you. He created me to be a servant for His purposes. To serve others. To minister to others. My goal here on earth is to serve Christ. To be willing to follow what He would have me to do. As I glanced at Dad's notes, I knew I would find the second half of the phrase that Dad has continually told us girls, "Remember what your purpose is. It is to serve Christ." Yes, that's exactly what he had written down. :) Ephesians 2:10 - "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

--Make disciples. Not only is God working and growing in my life, but I'm also supposed to pass that knowledge that He's teaching me onto others. Part of that is praying for opportunities and open doors and taking advantages of those situations that He puts in my path to share the Gospel, teaching His Word or be an encouragement in the lives of others.

--Glorify God in your life. Yes. In my words. In my actions. In my thoughts. In EVERYTHING I do. No matter how small or large, how simple or complex, how temporal or eternal...I'm to glorify Him. Colossians 3:17 - "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus..."

--Excel still more. No matter where I am and what I'm currently doing or involved in, I should be pushing myself, setting goals to achieve to increase my knowledge and understanding of Jesus Christ even more. Never staying at a plateau, but aspiring to continue in the work and ministry which He's given me the ability to do. I Thess. 4:1 - "...we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God."

--Present your life as a living sacrifice to the Lord. God has richly given to me and in return, I should render myself; all I am, all I have, all I can do to Him. Keeping in mind that I am to die to sin day after day and live to righteousness more and more. Continually. Romans 12: 1-2 - "...present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

--Deny self. So easy to say and know, but oh so hard to do! My example to follow? Jesus Christ. He willingly laid down His life for me. He willingly obeyed God the Father, even when His human nature fought it. I should have a willingness to obey His commands, serve others, do what He's called me to do, follow His ways and not the ways of the world. Not just once. Daily. Hour by hour. Luke 9:23 - "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."

--Servants of Christ. I am a servant of Christ. What's the definition of a servant? One who serves. Willingly. One who exerts himself for the benefit of another. Again, who is my example? Jesus Christ. And what was Jesus Christ? A humble and willing servant. Matthew 20:28 - "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

--Must have a discerning spirit. What I see, hear and do should be aligned with God's Word. His Word is the ultimate source of Truth and the basis of what I do should be compared with His Word. God's Word is living and powerful and needs to be in my heart and mind for It is the true discernment of truth versus falsehood.

--Strive to become like Christ. Jesus Christ is my ultimate example. My eyes should be fixed on Him. Unwavering. Unmovable. Just like driving and following that white line in the road. Gluing my eyes to Him and not allowing anything to deter me from that line of sight. Nothing. Ephesians 5:1 - "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children."

What should be my most important goal for 2011? Exactly what is written above. In fact, I want to be reminded of that everyday. I want that to be my challenge week after week; all fifty-two weeks of this year. Right now this list is hanging on my mirror in my room where I see it every morning. Where as I'm getting dressed, putting on my makeup and doing my hair, God can use those words in my heart and mind to remind me what's most important in life.

Last year brought many changes into my life that weren't on my original set of goals for 2010. And this year will bring some changes I'm planning and others that I'm unaware of, but through it all my purpose must remain the same -- to glorify Christ in whatever I do, whatever situation I'm in.

Just like my Dad says, "Remember who you are. You are a child of God. Remember what your purpose is. It is to serve Christ."