We continue to be amazed at how busy life can be when chasing three girls around. A couple of posts ago I said Lauren was through rodeoing for the year. Well, she decided to enter the Wrangler Jr. High Division of the National High School Rodeo Association. They have their rodeos the same weekends as the High School ones so her and Morgan have rodeos at the same places. So for the next month our Saturdays are busy hauling the girls to rodeos. The girls worked hard all summer in their mowing business to help fund their rodeoing and are having a blast. We love the fact that we all can go together and be there together and enjoy family time while doing it.
Mom and Dad are about ready for the Fall rodeo season to be over in October and have the winter off to rest up for the spring run. Lauren is playing basketball this year in Jr. High so I guess we will spend most of the winter watching her games. Oh well, we only have so much time with them and then they will be all grown up. We know there will be a day when they all leave home and we will long for the squeals and the road trips. Until then we want to enjoy them while we have them.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Less Can Be Better
This morning I read from Proverbs 15:16-17; "Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble. Better is a dinner of vegetables where there is love than a fatted calf with hatred." We live in a day and time when more is usually considered better. However, in God's economy less is often better. For instance these verses make it clear that it is better to live with humble means and fear the Lord and have the love of those you share it with than to have affluent means and have much trouble and hatred in ones life.
This principle has come to life in our family the past couple of months. When Jess resigned from the church we immediately lost the bulk of our families income. God faithfully provided a job for Jess building fence but the income is less than half of what his salary at the church was. We immediately began to trim our living expenses to fit into our new budget. There are things we are doing without but our faith is stronger than ever and love permeates our house. So even though we have less than we did we count ourselves blessed and better since our faith has been deepened and our love for one another intensified.
If you are reading this it is my prayer that you will desire God and love Him more than stuff. I pray you will find that even though the world screams "more is better" you will realise that in God's kingdom less can be better and less of the world and more of God and love is always better.
This principle has come to life in our family the past couple of months. When Jess resigned from the church we immediately lost the bulk of our families income. God faithfully provided a job for Jess building fence but the income is less than half of what his salary at the church was. We immediately began to trim our living expenses to fit into our new budget. There are things we are doing without but our faith is stronger than ever and love permeates our house. So even though we have less than we did we count ourselves blessed and better since our faith has been deepened and our love for one another intensified.
If you are reading this it is my prayer that you will desire God and love Him more than stuff. I pray you will find that even though the world screams "more is better" you will realise that in God's kingdom less can be better and less of the world and more of God and love is always better.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Fall is in the air
We have been having fall-like weather this past week in the Panhandle of Texas. 50 degrees in the morning and lots of clouds and cool days. The cooler weather has made fence building for Jess easier. He is coming home physically tired these days and not just mentally. He's slept better the past two weeks than he has in a long time. Donna and the girls are back in school and going full bore. Morgan's enjoying her first year in HS as a freshman. She had her first Tri-State High School Rodeo last weekend and placed 5th in the breakaway and drew a check. Lauren is through rodeoing for the year and is now playing basketball in Jr. High. Landry is loving school as usual.
God continues to be faithful in providing our needs these days. Jess has been able to work steady building fence and has been able to buy and sell some trailers and horses to help out financially. These uncertain days have deepened our faith and brought to the front of our hearts the words of Matthew 6:33 where Jesus calls us to, "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you". In the verses preceding this verse Jesus urges His followers not to be consumed with their material needs like food, clothing and lodging but rather trust in Him and He will provide for them. We are to instead be consumed with seeking Him and the righteousness He provides us and in turn He will provide our needs--maybe not all our wants--but our needs. We are so grateful to God for providing work for Jess and all our other needs.
Saturday we went to Dalhart for Morgan's rodeo and got to see our friends the Blanks who are now ranching at Clayton, NM. It was good to spend time talking and and catching up and hearing how life is for them.
We have come to realise over the years that one of the ways God enriches our lives is by giving us good friends. We have been blessed with some good friends that have shown their love and support to us in the good times and the bad and for them we are thankful.
God continues to be faithful in providing our needs these days. Jess has been able to work steady building fence and has been able to buy and sell some trailers and horses to help out financially. These uncertain days have deepened our faith and brought to the front of our hearts the words of Matthew 6:33 where Jesus calls us to, "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you". In the verses preceding this verse Jesus urges His followers not to be consumed with their material needs like food, clothing and lodging but rather trust in Him and He will provide for them. We are to instead be consumed with seeking Him and the righteousness He provides us and in turn He will provide our needs--maybe not all our wants--but our needs. We are so grateful to God for providing work for Jess and all our other needs.
Saturday we went to Dalhart for Morgan's rodeo and got to see our friends the Blanks who are now ranching at Clayton, NM. It was good to spend time talking and and catching up and hearing how life is for them.
We have come to realise over the years that one of the ways God enriches our lives is by giving us good friends. We have been blessed with some good friends that have shown their love and support to us in the good times and the bad and for them we are thankful.
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