Be Still and Know

Before After
(I know.....but spiders terrify me! It was above my back door. It might have dropped on my head when I went outside and caused me to have heart failure. Besides, I didn't do it, Rick did.) Angry Snapping Turtle Dewy Web in the Grass Tadpole Close-up Tadpole Town Hall Meeting Fire Ant Hill Number 7 ,000,000,000

*These pesky monsters are overtaking pastures, fields and yards all over the state. It is a constant battle to keep them out of the yard. The number of ant mounds in the pastures are un-countable. They are next to impossible to get rid of. Why two of these little hellions marched onto Noah's ark is beyond me. If you've never seen fire ants in action...be glad. They are fierce, fast, furious, and they sting like ****! (you may interpret that however you wish)

May I Help You?

Music Director Mantis Purple-Tinged Grass Droplets Brahma's Like Togetherness This Took Real Talent (it's perfectly centered under the fence!) Wow...its been a zoo around here lately. The last few weeks have been some of those times where I've had to MAKE myself BE STILL. Believe me, when I don't make that time, I do not function well. Ask my family. Life just sometimes takes over and everything is going on super-warp speed, then BAM! The wall appears out of nowhere and when I hit it, it is with a force that knocks me down. I'm wondering what the heck is going on and then it occurs to me - I am not spending time "listening" - being still before Him.

Roaming on the ranch with my sweet dog, Buddy, camera in hand, breathing in the beauty and fresh air is only one way that I "listen". Nothing calms my spirit and clears my head like being reminded of how awesome and powerful my Creator is. I never grow bored or tired of seeing all that God has created and granted me the privilege of enjoying.

Just today, Buddy and I were lazily cruising around the ranch in my mule, when I noticed little black squiggly things in the overflowing brook of one of the pastures. Tadpoles! Polliwogs! I've been watching for them all summer! It's been so strange...I have not seen a single tadpole all summer. Usually they are everywhere and I've never seen them this late in the year before. You see, one of my favorite summer projects is to "grow frogs". It is fascinating to watch the transformation from tadpole to frog. (and now you're saying to yourself, "This poor woman obviously has no life.") Quite the opposite my friends. This is my life and I happen to love it! I am blessed to be able to enjoy a new adventure every day! Last year when I grew frogs, they were like my children. I was so proud of them - "Look! Lieutenant Dan has new legs!" He was the first to hop off to explore the new world out there. Forrest and Jen-nay were the last to hop away. It was truly fascinating. Meet the family from last summer...

Lt. Dan's New LegsJen-nay, Forrest, Forrest Jr., Bubba and Lt. Dan

Trust me, if you've never done this, you are missing an amazing nature experience. I've done the whole "ant farm" thing, watched a caterpillar transform into a butterfly...you cannot replace these experiences. Ask my children. They have done these things too, as science experiments in school. I like to think that these small moments of their childhood have left lasting impressions on them to not get so caught up in today's world of electronics and technology. Our world is in technology overload and these beautiful experiences are being missed by our younger generations. I'm all for texting, twittering, video games, Guitar Hero, Wii, etc., but I find myself more and more, observing people who do this obsessively and wondering how they can possibly function or hold down a job. When do they find time for their families? For friends? For work? For God? I know I'm a dinosaur, but young people...you are missing out on the simpler things in life! Your mind is going in so many different directions, trust me, your brain and body are going to rebel at some point. I blog and I Facebook periodically. I even text now and then, but I have promised myself that I will NOT get caught up in twittering. I really don't care if Suzy is going through Starbucks' drive-thru for a French Vanilla Mocha Chocolata Ya Ya... Please hold me accountable. Should I ever get caught twittering - get me some help.

I encourage you to stop, look, and listen to the world around you. Hopefully, you will hear

.

.

.
.

.

.

silence

.

.

.

.

.

.

and then,

.

.

.

.

.

.

God's voice encouraging you to spend more time with Him, realizing that He created the beauty and wonder around you for your pleasure. He loves you like that, you know?