The Importance of Head Protection

I can still hear my Mama say, "You need to put your toboggan on, or you'll catch your death of cold." The connection between wearing a knit cap and preventing viral infections seemed iffy, at best. If I ever put that cap on, I don't remember it.

I've rarely worn hats, baseball-style caps, or knit caps. When temperatures recently dipped into the single digits, however, headwear became considerably more attractive. I dug in my glove-and-cap basket until I found a knit cap that must've been twenty years old. It was gray, had a hole in one side, and fit about like draping a piece of fabric over my head. It slipped off at least twice every time I wore it to the barn and required constant readjustments to keep it in place.

Yesterday, my gray cap fell off when I leaned over to scoop some manure from one of the stalls. That was the final straw. I threw the cap in the garbage. When I went to the feed store, I bought a new, bright red knit cap with a pompom on top. The style was most suitable for a child, but it fit my head and stayed in place. I wore it home.

I know the importance of covering your head to prevent heat loss, but I've never bothered with it before. This week, I've reconsidered my decision. Today, I'll wear my new cap to the barn and, likely, to the office, as well. I'm tired of being cold, so I've decided to protect my head. My Mama would be so proud.

There's another kind of head-protection that's even more important than wearing a cap in cold weather. We're constantly bombarded by worldly words, opinions, and images from social media, news outlets, books, television, movies, and music. When we allow these influences into our mind, they have a significant impact on our thoughts and our actions. 

The responsibility to guard our minds and hearts is ours alone. We're not accountable for what's available, but we are accountable for what we choose to do with it, and how we allow it to change us. Does it make us more like Christ or not? If not, why do we choose to fill our minds with it? 

Today, let's take a serious look at the influences we allow into our minds. Would Jesus choose them? If not, should we? Let's be sure to protect our heads and our minds.

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence, and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things." Philippians 4:8 nasb
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: Resolution Check: How I'm Doing on Getting Things Done

You might also enjoy: 
Making a Choice and Choosing a Path
Pigpen Parables: The Place of the Piggy Heart
Intentionality: Changing Wanna Be Into Got'er Done

The Method in the Madness and Learning from the Land

A dear friend commented about yesterday's blog:

"I remember reading about the frigid temperatures of the past and thinking, 'Why doesn't she just sell those farm animals, freeing herself of all that work?' Hauling water by wagon to those animals was beyond me. But, through the years, I've learned that's part of who you are."

Many people feel the same way about my animals. Yes. I know I could have an easier life if I sold whatever is causing my current challenge. Easier, however, does not always mean a richer life.

I didn't grow up with livestock or horses, but there was always a picture in my head of black and white cows on rich, green pastures. When I arrived at the farm for the first time to "take a look," I saw the picture in my head in living color, alive and breathing in the field. 

I was home.

Within a few months, I had a farm, chickens, guineas, a horse, and a farm hand, Sam. Toby (pictured above), now 30+ years old, was my first horse. He taught me to ride and jump ditches. He quieted my fears. Once a week, I rode across the land on horseback to check fences and pastures. I soon bought a second horse, and Sam rode along. Those were some of the sweetest days of my life.

Before long, I had cows, a bull, and calves. I love cows, and their slow, gentle meandering. I love to see their babies running and playing in the fields. 

I sold my cows a few years ago, and I've regretted that decision many times. I'm not ready to tie myself down to cattle again, but I miss them.

My husband left the animals to me most of the time, but Ryan loved them as much as I did. The year he learned to ride the horse alone, he spent most of the summer riding. I took sandwiches to him so he could eat lunch on horseback.  He and Toby were inseparable. 

Ryan joined 4-H and our fun really began. He showed cows, horses, goats, and pigs. It was a wonderful time of life, and we both grew up in many ways during those years. He still rides the horses in pretty weather when he's home. 

What I seldom talk about is the picture that's still in my head. Long before I came to the farm, I envisioned a place where women could come to retreat for a day or two, get exercise taking care of small animals, and learn about health, and life, and faith. I envisioned families coming to camp in tents, long before "glamping" was a word.

The picture's still in my head, a vision yet unfulfilled. The animals are a part of who I am, but they're also a part of what I still expect to do, one day in the not-too-distant future.

Part of that vision is already a virtual/digital reality, as you share my adventures through the words I write. Selling the last of the animals and leaving the farm would mean giving up my dream. One day, I believe it will be an actual reality.

I'm willing to wait. 

I recognize that the life I've chosen is not the life most women want, and that many people can't understand. For me, this life is not just a choice, it's who I am. 

I see God in the animals, the azaleas Sam and I planted, the lake, the fish, and the grass in the pasture. I see God here, and that means everything to me. It's my refuge, but it's also a place of worship for me. 

There's nothing holy about my land, but holiness begins to happen here, because I leave the noise of the world behind and focus on Him. I'm refined here. I sort out the issues of the day here, and there's no where else on this earth that happens with such depth and efficiency. 

I'm never closer to God than right here on this farm. I commune with Him as I muck out stalls, feed horses, and haul water. What's more precious than that? Nothing.

In 1989, God placed me on this land. He put the dreams in my heart, and He's made some of them a reality. I love this life, with all its challenges and hardships. I don't have the kind of life many of my friends have, but, to me, I have so much more. The dream continues to unfold, and, as long as God allows, I'm hanging on for the ride. 

It's the sweetest place I know. 

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4 esv

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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The Frost-Proof Faucet in the Box and the Blessing of Second Chances

The photo above is my first photo of the farm and was taken on a walk over the land with Sam and my banker-friend, Steve Taylor, when I was exploring the option of buying my property.

Guest Blogger: Choosing Garbage Over Gourmet

We have a very smart chocolate lab named Jake. Jake can do several tricks and we think he can sometimes talk. However, Jake has a problem with not only getting into our garbage, but also our neighbors’.  

Jake’s morning meal is a special  mix of “Heavenly Harvest Holistic” dry dog food, a can of sliced chicken & gravy with added Omega 3, & his daily vitamins.  These special ingredients help him with a skin problem he tends to have and gives him much needed relief from rashes & itching.   

One morning, I looked across to our neighbors' house and caught Jake in their trash. Jake’s breakfast stood untouched as I marched him to the pen to stay for several hours.   

How silly it was for Jake to dig in garbage when he had a great meal waiting for him---a meal meant to nourish him and help keep him healthy.   How many times, though, have I “dug in the garbage”? How many times I had looked for solutions on my own, when God has already provided what I needed?

Jesus is the living water and He has already provided Himself so we will never have to thirst again.  Yet, when we try to find our own solutions, instead of seeking Him through His Word & in prayer, we are guilty of digging cisterns that leak.  

Jeremiah 2:13 – “For My people have committed two evils:  They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And have dug their own cisterns, which leak and will not hold water.”

  

Prayer -- Help each of us to drink deeply of the Fountain of Living Water and that we will “splash over” into the lives of others.

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*photo above is of my son Ryan's dog, Bento. I didn't have a photo of Jake :).
Please like and share to extend our digital reach.

In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The Caregiver Chronicles: When Short Becomes Long

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If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Middle East, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

Making a Choice and Choosing a Path

We met at the park in Blue Springs recently for a political meeting. In the midst of chatting as we waited for the meeting to begin, someone noticed that the fire pit area under the pergola had been vandalized. 

It hurt my heart to see such a mess. What was the point? Nothing but destruction.

Several of us hurried over to straighten it up and repair the damage. "Who would do this?" someone asked. We didn't know, but a verse came to mind. "The enemy comes only to steal, kill, and destroy..." 

It took a while, but we managed to straighten everything back up, rebuild the fire pit, and re-stack the wood. 

It was easy to recognize the destruction that resulted from the vandal's decision. What's not as easy to recognize is that we constantly face decisions with the potential for devastating consequences somewhere down the line. 

The first taste of alcohol that leads to a lifelong struggle with alcoholism...

The everyone's-doing-it choice that leads to unimaginable pain and suffering... 

Even something as simple as a "cheat" on our diets, repeated over time, can lead to undesired health consequences, one cookie, one serving of fried food at a time.

I love the NLT translation of John 10:10: "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." 

Jesus' desire is to give us a life of abundance and joy, but we only have it if we choose it. The problem, of course, is that having the life Jesus promised requires more than one decision. 

We gain our lives one choice at a time, and every decision has a down-the-road consequence. If we could only see where they would lead, perhaps we would choose differently. 

Today, we will have many choices, all of which have potential outcomes, so let's choose well. Life or death. Joy or destruction. The path is clear. The direction we follow is up to us.

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Please like and share if this blog post has touched your heart. It extends our digital reach in significant ways. Thank you.

In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post:Why We Need to Stop Doing Nothing

If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Jordan, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

Leaving a Legacy: Choices That Last for Generations

I've finally come to the Ten Commandments in my chronological Bible study. Several of the women in my class bought a copy of The Chronological Bible, but I decided to stick with the Bible I've used for two decades and the notes I've accumulated in the margins. Today, I was glad I did.

We'll have a little word study here and then I'll put it all together, so bear with me.

The notes in the margin of Exodus 20 include a few notes from a sermon by Doug Tipps in January of 1977. (copied from the margins of my previous Bible) When God said "You shall not", the "you" in Hebrew is second person singular. It means that God is not just speaking to a multitude of people. He's speaking specifically and personally to each person. 

In a way, "You shall not" actually means, "Leanna shall not." Put your name in the place of the second person singular "you" and read these verses. It's sobering.

In Exodus 20:4, the word for "visiting" has a neutral root that has no emotional content. God "visits" us and reacts to what He finds. He sees us and responds to whatever life choices we have made.

The root word for "iniquity" means to twist or distort and conveys the idea that, when we sin, we twist or distort the perfect image of God He created in us.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at verses 4 - 6.

"You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to those who love Me and keep My commandments." Exodus 20:4-6 nasb

When we choose to sin, it changes us. It leaves a twist or distortion in us that persists. 

Sin always leaves a scar. 

Those sin-scars may not be long, purplish, snakelike lines running down our face, but there are scars in us, even if they are visible only to God. 

Sin-scars leave an impact that can be felt for generations. 

When we sin, we impact more than ourselves. We impact our children and grandchildren, as well.

That may be hard to believe, but consider what might happen if I decided, in a moment of utter stupidity, to try a highly addictive drug. There's a history of addiction in my family and I, too, could become addicted. The cravings for the drug might drive me to do desperate things that could ultimately cause me to lose my home and property and alienate me from all those I love.

What would that do to my son? To the grandchildren I hope to see riding horses and playing in my pastures someday?

Nothing good would come of it. That's for sure.

We can easily see how a Big Bad Choice might leave scars for generations, but what about something like gossip? It's not less a sin, but is, perhaps, less visible. That, too, can lead to destruction of reputations and alienation of friends that lasts for generations.

Our choices matter.

The choices my parents made impacted me in significant ways. I am partly a product of my environment during my "growing up" years. My son is partly a product of those years, as well. Even his children will see something of the sequelae of my choices and of my parents' choices.

What, then, are we to do?

When temptation comes, and it will, considering our children and grandchild can help. Do we want the sin-scar this choice will cause? Do we want this choice to impact generations of our family or not? 

What we do leaves a legacy. It's our choice whether that legacy will be for good or for evil. 

What kind of legacy will we leave? The choice is ours, and it's one we make every day of our lives. 

Choices matter, so choose well. Their impact lasts much longer than we know.
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Kathy McKinsey wrote a beautiful article for Friday Night with Friends, New Beginning. If you haven't read it yet, you can click here. You can read more by Kathy at her blog. 

In case you missed one of this week's posts, here are the links:  The Wounded Deer and the Unsaid Words, Being Angry Without Sin, Starting Over: It's Not as Easy as It Seems, Behavior That Demonstrates Belief, Answered Prayer: The Bulletproof Vest, Bringing Good from Tragedy: Wives of Warriors Make a Difference, and Friday Night with Friends: New Beginning, and The Temperament Test and Married Oneness

#TenCommandments #choices #choosewell #leavealegacy #legacy #thousshaltnot #JesusChrist #disciple

FIDO (Facilitating Interactions for Dogs with Occupations) and choices

My son text'd me with the most amazing news today. His wearable computing group project (FIDO) was presented in a paper to the International Symposium on Wearable Computing in Zurich and it WON FIRST PLACE!!!!

Of course, I'm the mom and I'm pretty sure they could not have done it without Ryan the Wonder  Boy. Oops. He's 21 now. Ryan the Wonder Man. Anyway, I am totally thrilled for him and the rest of the group. And for the professors, of course.  I'm also (without a doubt) delighted about how it will dress up his resume/CV when job hunting starts in earnest.

Like any helpful mama would, I've been thinking of all kinds of things they could do for their next project. I suggested a collar for my cows to move them from one pasture to another by remote control, especially in rainy weather. Ryan is far too practical to indulge my silliness, and he has given me a full list of all the reasons why it's not a good project.  When I grumbled, just a little, he told me, "It wouldn't be buzzword compliant, but it would be easier to set up an outdoor loud speaker in each field and train them to that." Training them to move is not the issue. Rattling a bucket of feed works really well. So does whistling and yelling, "Come on girls."  Even Maggie the Wonder Dog can move the cows, which is a fairly amazing feat. Loudspeakers, buckets, and hollering, however, are not at all cool.  I want something edgy and exciting.

That desire for edgy and exciting has  made me an innovator who is not afraid to try something new. It doesn't all work, but it often does. Generally speaking, it's been a good thing.

It has, unfortunately, gotten me in more trouble over the years than I am willing to admit. (I was young and stupid once, too.) It is one thing to try something a different way because the usual way isn't working or isn't filling the need. Doing something just because it seems taboo and exciting is totally different, and often just plain dumb.

Listening to the advice of those older and wiser could have saved me a world a woe. But I often didn't. Obeying the truth in Scripture (where consequences are clearly explained) would have taken me a different direction. But, for years, I wouldn't. Being young and invincible, I didn't expect consequences to come my way, or for choices to take a toll. But they do, and they did.

Proverbs 14:12 pretty much sums the problem up. "There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." (NASB) The crazy thing is, sometimes the way seems wrong, and we take it anyway. How dumb is that?

That brings me back, as usual, to making choices and how those choices affect us and the ones we love. Here is your chance to consider whether the choices you make are wise and leading to the life you want, or the edgy, exciting, probably shouldn't kind of choice that will only bring grief and trouble in the end. Choices are not optional, but dumb ones are. The question tonight is whether or not you will make choices that bring you closer to the life God intended for you.

All these years after my stupidness, my son is giving advice, and, believe it or not, I'm paying attention. Even more surprising, I'm doing what he recommended. Forget the loudspeaker though. I'm sticking with a bucket and a hearty holler.

Best Choices

An 18-wheeler passed me on the other side of the four-lane.  Emblazoned across the side panel was an ad.  "BEST CHOICE" it proclaimed.  I've recently been thinking about choices and where those choices lead us, so "best choice" caught my eye. The "best choice" they were advertising was a brand of ice cream. Imagine that! I really like ice cream a lot, and it is a good choice for dessert, but I'm not sure ice cream is exactly what I'd call "best choice".

Andre Crouch wrote a song some years ago about choices. "Jesus is the answer for the world today. Above Him there's no other. Jesus is the way."  Jesus.  Now that is a choice worth making!

If you want to make the best choice you possibly can, in any situation, in every situation, choose Jesus and His ways.  That's the best choice of all.