Savor the moment

One of the things that can be difficult about living on a farm is that the work is never done.  There is always more work to be done.  Weeds constantly grow in the garden.  Animals need constant care.  There is always something to be planted or harvested.  Things need maintenance.  I'm a list person.  Quite often, I'm adding items to my To Do list much faster than I can strike things off.  My list seems to grow faster than the federal deficit.  Well, okay, not quite that fast.

I definitely need to work on stepping back and enjoying things, savoring the moment, as life passes quickly.  Trace Adkins sings a country song called "You're gonna miss this" in which he sings:

You're gonna miss this,
You're gonna want this back,
You're gonna wish these days
hadn't gone by so fast.

These are some good times,
So take a good look around,
You may not know it now,
But you're gonna miss this...

I need to remind myself to enjoy the simple pleasures of life - to take a step back and live in the moment.  A boy and his dog - now there's a simple pleasure.  Benjamin has a puppy named Promise that we rescued from the Animal Shelter.  Each afternoon Benjamin plays with her and Promise runs, barks, chases chickens, jumps on us, and chews on everything in sight.  She's a happy dog.


Benjamin with his dog, Promise



Just a swingin'

How long has it been since you've been on a swing?  They aren't just for children, you know.  They don't require batteries - just someone to give you a push.



Enjoying a nice sunset casting long shadows

How about enjoying a nice sunset?  Each day I should take the time to observe all the things going around me that daily chores and constant activity causes me to overlook.

Smiles, everyone, smiles. (Taken a couple Springs ago)

Enjoy your family.  Relish the smiles and laughter.  Kids grow up so fast and then move away.  Laura is home from Hot Springs, Arkansas where she's been attending Leader's Academy for ten months and then working on staff at the Summer Camp there.  She will be starting college next week.  It's the first time in a while that our whole family has been together under one roof.  Russ will be graduating from high school in May 2013.  Life changes oh so quickly.

King Solomon, in the book of Ecclesiastes, says,

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

² Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
“^]Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

³  What advantage does man have in all his work
Which he does under the sun?
⁴ A generation goes and a generation comes,
But the earth remains forever.
⁵ Also, the sun rises and the sun sets;
And hastening to its place it rises there again.

He says in Chapter two that he built houses, planted vineyards, made gardens, parks and ponds, possessed flocks and herds, acquired gold and silver and treasures, filled his life with entertainment, and had concubines (this idea wouldn't go over big with my wife!).  He said that all that his eyes desired, he didn't refuse them.  You'd think that he would be happy, but then, being the wise man that he was, he says:

Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.

King Solomon concluded that there is nothing better for a man to do than to eat, drink and find satisfaction in his work, because these are gifts from the hand of God.  In the New Testament, Jesus clarifies that we should be attuned to eternal matters though.  We should enjoy life to the fullest, but we should consider the spiritual first and foremost:

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? See All...



Rays of the sun over the clouds in the western sky

 Check in tomorrow.  We'll look around in the garden, harvest some peppers that look to be about ripe and maybe pickle a few jars of fresh sliced jalapenos!