Good Mornings

Our days have been so full lately, we are thankful for the cool mornings when we can work in the garden.  All the little, quiet things are so beautiful and comforting.

It's nice to soak in the calm before the day begins.

And if you want to talk to the lizard living on the fence,

 he will listen.

But the Orb-weavers couldn't care less about you and your big black camera, as they wait patiently in their own personal constellation, 

or mend their nets,

or launch their own busy day.

But the flowers!  Oh the flowers always love to see your morning face,

And be seen by you.

When your day is full...

You gotta have your ducks in a row.

Garden Graces

The early morning is cool

And so sweet these days,

And the air is filled with birds singing;

The flutter of wings is everywhere.

The roses are pearled 

With dew before breakfast

And the delicate gossamer of silver webs 

Is spread out like a sheer sheet

On the deep soft grass.

The rabbits have been about,

Nibbling tender garden shoots

Or so the cockers say

As they tear out, nose down.

As we eat breakfast on the terrace

In the clear gold sun, the whole day

Spreads a breathless beauty before us.

The cats shake dew from their velvet-gloved paws.

The red and shell pink ramblers are opening

Out on the white-picket fence,

And the Silver Moon is budding

In clusters of pearl.

It will be a busy day of ordinary living:

Peas to pick, borders to weed,

Kennels to scrub, cockers to brush,

And chicken to fry for supper.

There will be laundry to hang

Between times and tasks,

And a walk to the mailbox with Honey.

A wonderful day for garden graces.

"Garden Graces" 

Written by Gladys Taber, c.1967

Of Weeds, Trials and Peonies

        In the past, we have often viewed weeds as sins or the cares of this life, as in the parable of the seeds in Matthew 13.  Today we had a sweet revelation that weeds could also be seen as trials.  Trials, like weeds, have a way of coming up.  They cause frustration, pain and weariness.  They take from your soil.  They damage your reputation of having it all together.  They cause your callused hands to reach out for heaven. And like weeds, they are of God's making. 

Yet sometimes the Lord turns our trials into the sweetest blessings, beyond what we could have imagined.  In fact, He promises to do this for his children!

For years, there has been a persistent weed in one of our garden beds.  We tried to pull it, cut it and wondered where in the world the dreadful thing came from.  This year, we just let it go.  In a sense, we finally submitted to the Lord's will of putting this trial in our lives.  Then, one morning, we noticed the weed was preparing to bloom.  We checked it every day, in hope that the bloom would reveal the identity of the plant.  Well, this morning it bloomed-  The most gorgeous, sweet smelling Peony!  Unbelievably beautiful.  How dumb we were not to know!  

In a similar way, one day, we will look back on our momentary afflictions and see the ravishing beauty of the eternal weight of glory Christ prepared for us in them.  

 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire- may be found to result in praise, glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.   1 Peter 1:6-7

What a perfect picture...

... of a quarrel: 

 One hard head rammed against another, neck arched, back tense and all over groceries.

Spring 2014 Babies

Yes, it's that time of year again!  We are excited to introduce to you the five baby goats born on our farm in 2014.  Having the buck on the premises made a huge difference... We are amazed that Buckeye fathered so many before he even turned one year old!  The Lord is an amazing Creator, and we praise Him for sustaining the lives of these little ones!

First to arrive were two spotted purebred Nubian boys.  

 

 

 

 

Next, our first Snubian was born!  Clover is a female Saanen/Nubian cross.  Her ears were pendulous like a Nubians when she was born, but now they stick out airplane style!

Lastly, twin Snubians Sugar and Honey were born.  Sugar is pure white with wattles, while Honey is more of a golden-tan color.  In this picture, Honey is taking a nap!

Sugar says "Hi there!"

A new start.....

Hello Friends!  It has been a very long time since we posted here.  We always enjoyed sharing a little piece of our world with you when we had time to post.  Thank you for your patience!

We have decided to switch to the private setting, that way we can share more of our lives more frequently.
Please comment- we love to hear from you!
Yours in Christ,  Jesse and Sarah