don't compare...

It's come up rather a lot lately.. 
with a variety of people
in a variety of circumstances..
so I just thought I would clarify
something simple about me...
I don't compare
I don't like being compared to…
I don't care if your house is bigger or smaller
if you have more kids.. or less kids
if you have a huge bank account or are dirt broke
if you live in a dung mud hut or a mansion
If your home is cleaner or if it is messier
if you are healthier or sicker than me
if your kids have special needs OR if your kids are just have regular needs
if you have 80 kids or no kids at all
I don't care if you use electricity or if you choose NOT to
I don't care if you eat gluten or don't
I don't care if bake your bread or you buy your bread,
if you are a vegan or a meat eater
I don't care if you seem MORE blessed
or feel more burdened…
i will love you WHERE EVER you are at
in the midst of what EVER you are going through
because I am called to.
and if you are reading this,
then I call you, my friend…
when you don't do the same for me
when those comparisons keep getting made
it really causes me pause.
just saying

peace and love 
hugs and kisses
ho ho ho
and all that jazz

EDIT to Original Post (2 days after original posting)

This little Post sparked some interesting discussions on Facebook.. and in some of my circles of non virtual life… Any of you who know me even a teeny little bit, know I enjoy deep, rich conversations as much as I enjoy deep dark chocolate.  I tend to write with a poetic slant.. It's how I speak as well.  I write my world with rosy glasses. .because it's how I see it..

 If I haven't been writing in a while.. there are very few reasons… 

either

I am very ill

I am very very busy

or I am struggling to find my rosy glasses…

Today a friend wrote THIS note on one of my FB walls.. and I just HAD to share.. because she entered my little world, and saw what I was trying so hard to explain to others that I see… It felt like a huge hug… it was ESPECIALLY precious to me, because she is a new friend, but I ought not be surprised at all. for she is my sister in Christ Jesus.. and that.. that often makes all the difference…  hope you enjoy it as much as I did

Anika, as I was doing my Bible study today, I came across this quote written by Tozer. I thought of you because of your posts on comparison. I thought it was absolutely beautiful.

A.W. Tozer wrote this powerful piece rebuking the attitude of competition that is common among those in the ministry: "Dear Lord, I refuse henceforth to compete with any of Thy servants. They have congregations larger than mine. So be it. I rejoice in their success. They have greater gifts. Very well. That is not in their power nor in mine. I am humbly grateful for their greater gifts and my smaller ones. I only pray that I may use to Thy glory such modest gifts as I possess. I will not compare myself with any, nor try to build up my self-esteem by noting where I may excel one or another in Thy holy work. I herewith make a blanket disavowal of all intrinsic worth. I am but an unprofitable servant. I gladly go to the foot of the cross and own myself the least of Thy people. If I err in my self judgment and actually underestimate myself I do not want to know it. I purpose to pray for others and to rejoice in their prosperity as if it were my own. And indeed it is my own if it is Thine own, for what is Thine is mine, and while one plants and another waters it is Thou alone that giveth the increase." (The Price of Neglect, 104-105)

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  Anika i don't have words enough to thank you.. my heart and my tears weep with a thankful heart at your understanding of my heart.. This is SO very very lovely.. I will have to print it up to be able to dwell up on it.. In a culture that seems only to compete.. perhaps I am not alone in my desire to NOT compete, but to merely finish my race.. finish it well in Christ…for HIS glory… and so focused am I in the striving of that.. I can barely look about.. and when I do, I only have heart to help others, pick them up where they have fallen.. shout or whisper words that encourage.. use my heart and ears to listen to their story of success.. or agony of defeat… I have NOT the heart to compete… thank you dear friend .. thank you so very very much

  12 minutes ago · Like · 1

Life

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly"

John 10:10

He came that we may have LIFE

and have it more abundantly…

which can make one wonder..

more abundantly than? 

nope..

just MORE abundantly.

don't go comparing your berries to hers

your life to his

just know

HE came so you could have LIFE

and have it MORE 

abundantly

maybe your berry would have shriveled?

maybe it wouldn't even BE.

maybe it wouldn't be rich rosy RED

or wouldn't TASTE so vibrant..

whatever

it's so very much LIFE

and WOW in abundant flavor, color and abundance.

I get to do something wonderful sitting on my front porch..

I get to LOOK..

LISTEN

observe

and THINK..

I don't mean..

think about that math problem

I don't mean worry about this or that..

I mean think, the way the word 

PONDER implies..

I also get to PRAY

ponder & pray

listen and observe

WHAT have I observed?

life is delicate and beautiful

full of seasons and exciting things JUST ahead

that it is fragile beyond my wildest imaginings

that life is VIBRANT and striking in it's brilliance

no matter HOW short lived

and that it is WORTH the journey

worth the fight

worth the breath

worth the struggle

it just IS..

so no matter HOW hard the day may be

how hard the struggle ahead is

NEVER give up

NEVER quit

if you are going through hell

do what Winston Churchill said to do..

KEEP GOING

friends 

just keep going…

To quote the Great and Wise Winnie the Pooh

"Always Remember

you are Braver than you Believe

Stronger than you Seem

Smarter than you Think

and 

LOVED

more than you know"

This post is dedicated to Baby A

who is hospital fighting to live an abundant life

to his parents in the trial they have found themselves in

and

to Marilyn B.

a beautiful soul, wonderful friend, mother, wife, sister, daughter,

who is in surgery this very moment

receiving a new kidney..

and

 to the blessed soul who donated theirs.

and to EVERY fighter

LIVER of LIFE

but mostly

to the GIVER of LIFE

our 

LORD JESUS CHRIST

Hunting update

Some of our Hunters

got a bit MORE into the whole

idea of 

CAMO

than others

I love when we have hunting parties come to Blessings Farm

it means great stories

lots of laughter

lots of cooking

and superb meals..

and I … I forgot to take enough photos..

THAT said..

no deer were harvested YET

and thankfully no injuries either

but

PLENTY of food was eaten

PLENTY of good chat had

plenty of laughs

plenty of memories

many thanks to those beautiful souls who attended!

mostly muddy beginning

have I mentioned lately 

how much

puddle ducks

LOVE mud?

how they make it

if they can not find it…

well..

they will.

They'll sip and spit their water on the ground

till everything 

and I do mean EVERYTHING

is just

gross…

ducks..

are very 

very 

silly

Opening Season...

This upcoming weekend is what is known as 

Opening Weekend

in the Hunting World…

at least, it's Opening Weekend in Wisconsin..

Opening for Rifle..

Bow has been going on for some time..

Opening weekend is an exciting time..

It's a busy time

and it's a VERY ORANGE time..

you are thinking …

ORANGE?

yes.. 

ORANGE!

like this

and like this

even littles wear Orange..

even pets can…

we are on the look out for a vest for Zeus actually..

Orange IS the Color of Choice

Blaze Orange actually,

because it is SO visible

and reduces ones chances of getting SHOT

when out and about..

See hunters are looking for the slightest movements

and they are trained to notice BLAZE ORANGE

We here at Blessings Farm

take Hunters Safety VERY serious.

We hope any of our readers that hunt will as well.

Hunting is a sport

it has real risks

and it provides food for our family.

Like other sports it isn't easy.

Many years we have seen that freezer empty,

many, have been full.

It's a difficult sport.

Hunting requires respect

from little on,

we teach the children

that fire arms of any kind are meant for

providing

or protecting.

They aren't toys

they are tools.

If they are "playing"

are they playing at righteous behavior?

or criminal behavior?

these are real conversations that take place in our home,

and our children have to answer for their actions..

or they do time..

yes for now it's time OUT..

because later

we don't want anyone EVER to see jail time..

or worse still 

anyone to be out OF time because of carelessness

and flippant behavior towards a firearm.

The way we treat things for life

is often the way we were raised to treat things.

We never want to take for granted how tools of any kind can cause 

SERIOUS injury or death.

Home Depot has wonderful toys that mimic the real tools

the children see in our Garage.

Sawing a brothers arm off needs the SAME conversation as play shooting a brother..

We use the Saw to provide something for the family

or to build to protect the family

sawing people is NOT ever ok..

so the SAME question would be asked..

"are you playing at righteous behavior, or 

are you playing at criminal behavior?"

as they get older, they understand

playing at, is the same as practicing…

I play on the piano

I practice my lessons on the piano..

the two are much the same..

all that to say,

we take these things seriously,

but we do enjoy the sport of hunting very much..

and home repair too!

oh.. and piano playing!

here Buddy is learning form,

and whilst he is using his air soft or nerf,

he is thrilled to be included in the group.

He  is learning things like staying out of the line of fire,

wearing ear protection,

how to sight in,

and that all these adults take this seriously..

NOT like in the movies.

Hunting requires learning to BREATH

learning to control your body between your breaths

learning patience

learning focus

it's SO much more difficult than it seems..

all our first time guests say that.

ALL of them find it shocking how much they need to 

calm down

focus

control their breathing

relax

control their entire bodies

and how relaxed they feel when they are done

it's important to be accountable for EVERY single bullet

and look for shell casings

practice means more control..

it means better chance of a clean kill

rather than wounding an animal and causing suffering…

practice means you are comfortable with your firearm

and will handle it with better care.

there tend to be less accidents amongst persons who practice using

their firearms regularly.

Fear of using, caused increased adrenaline which alters your breathing

increases your heart rate and can lead to making 

dangerous mistakes.

Hunting is a great sport.

It is NOT nearly understood enough,

or respected.

It IS about conservation, 

culling the herds so there is less disease.

It is about feeding families too.

Learning HOW to hunt, and how to hunt safely is so essential to the conservation movement.

Hunting is NOT for everyone.

Treating it as the sport it is,

remembering that it is about conservation

not about ego's 

will help the cause of the hunter.

Taking hunter safety

even if you do, just as a refresher course can go a LONG way

in furthering our freedoms to hunt.

BE safe out there!

Don't drink and hunt.

Don't Hunt on land with out permission.

KNOW where your hunting party is at all times.

Wear your Blaze Orange at all times.

Set your ego aside 

and be the hunters in the hunting community 

that we need

to help reach the hearts of folks who really don't understand 

what we are doing.

Practice year long.

Keep your gun clean,

and have it checked by a gunsmith if you have ANY concerns …

If you are unsure HOW to clean,

talk to a local gunsmith, 

a GOOD one will be willing to teach you,

or clean it for you for a price.

Your gun should have come with paperwork explaining how,

and youtube is a great resource..

cleaning of any firearm needs to happen after 

each time you use it…

But if you are doing a hunt ,

I do believe cleaning after the end of the hunt.

If you are a deer stand sort of hunter, 

consider a safety harness,

too many lives are lost from falls.

for information on hunter safety

please check out these links

hunter-ed.com

hunter safety course

WI DNR Gov 

and HERE

is a GREAT 

must read list

of safety tips

10 Safety Tips for ALL Hunters

Autumn Walk About 2013

Blustery day

dramatic grey

contrasts

whisping

brilliant

bright

and bold

shocking

energizing

fluffy

entranced

gold and crispy

poofy

dark

light

and ready to pierce you

slice you

be aware

golden yellow globes

fluff

a bit of horizon

brilliant surprising springy green

just a wee walk about

Hide and Seek Nature Hike

Part of the Fun of Nature Hikes

at Blessings Farm

is you never KNOW what random Idea might

take hold.

One such idea ..

occasional Hide & Seek…

(take note of funny cat who always comes along on walks)

In the photo below..

I see one blaring (in my opinion) contrast..

do you see it?

Look closely..

in the FAR left clump of brush..

there is a triangular

light color..

it does NOT blend the way the rest of the clumps do..

I went to investigate.. 

silently 

because I don't want to be the ONE

who ruins the fun!

yep.. it was the triangular shape of a hoodie

it's Princess

and her pup

she's working hard at helping to train up Zeus

and having a blast doing it

the two of them are best of pals

This girlie

loves her puppy

LOVE the happy photos!

do you have a dear pal like our Zeus?

a special pet like Poirot

that follows where ever you go?

we'd LOVE to hear about it..

feel free to send photos!

the Blessings would LOVE it!

reflections..

Looking back on the past couple months…

reflecting on the summer to autumn change of color

I can't help but stop

and Give THANKS

it IS the "thankful" month after all..

A time of reflection and 

a time of thanks giving...

One thing that I am thankful for..

is friends.

Spending time with people we LOVE

that LOVE us

and want to spend time with us..

thankful for friends who take you on boat rides

and are ok letting your three year old

feel like he's driving…

and are ok when you believe it..

and feel anxiety..

and laugh with you over it

thankful for friends who have an open hand and are SO generous

thankful for smiling young faces

that make you SO look forward to watching 

THEIR lives unfold..

because they are already SUCH terrific people

thankful for squishy smily faces

for RED, a young pupil

eager to learn

here in our home/school

for FIREcracker! 

and her zesty personality!

for lovers of kittens

joyful loving smiling 

and creative young people

thankful for every single smile

bright eyed smile..

you don't know what you are missing

till you are blessed with such a smile..

thankful for cousins

and kittens

and love

thankful for adventures!

for 

imagination..

because to the unobserving eye

one would THINK these children are playing on my trailer

but 

when one has imagination

you would NOTICE

these young folks

are SAILING THE SEAS!!!

can't you see the paddle!

thankful for time to bond with family…

cousins and best buddies

it's a BLESSING believe me

Thankful for a fabulous husband

who has just the BEST of friends

both 

of the mankind as well as canine

Thankful for friendships,

old and worthy of keeping always

thankful of friendships young

and full of adventure

and promise of more adventures to come

thankful for nature walks

so so thankful

and wheel chair rides with friends

thankful for families willing to be family

with us

thankful for friends and neighbors

who feel like family

and are so eager to help where EVER it's needed

thankful for fresh smilie faces

friendships we hope to have for years

]

Thankful for Buddy and Smiles

and all the fun they have

every chance they get

thankful for Uncles who are 

eager and willing to play 

with little boys

and their imaginations

thankful for family

the love and joy and support they bring

thankful..

so thankful 

for their LIVES and that they SHARE 

their stories WITH us

thankful for examples

of patience

kindess

perseverance

and love

that my Tante always displays

SO thankful for an Aunt who IS

so very much her own person

and so very much 

a person who can love you JUST where you are at..

what a great teacher

What great blessings in just a few short months…

so so thankful...