29 April 2011

Alive and Well by Jordan Richards

This is a new song my son Jordan wrote recently. He claims he wrote it in the shower...and now his guitar is all wavy...

20 April 2011

The Wicker Basket


The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson.

Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could..

One day the grandson asked, 'Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book.
What good does reading the Bible do?'
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, 'Take this old wicker coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water.'

The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out be fore he could get back to the house.
The grandfather laughed and said, 'You will have to move a little faster next time,' and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the old wicker basket was empty before he returned home.
Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was 'impossible to carry water in a basket,' and he went to get a bucket instead.

The old man said, 'I don't want a bucket of water;
I want a basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough,' and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, 'See Papa, it's useless!'

'So you think it is useless?' the old man said.
'Look at the basket.'

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old wicker coal basket, it was clean.

'Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible.
You might not understand or remember everything,
but when you read it, it will change you
from the inside out.'

Moral of the wicker basket story:
Take time to read a portion of God's word each day;
it will affect you for good even if you don't retain a word.

Thought for Today:

God's Love is like the ocean, you can see its beginnings
but not its end.

I really like this story because I don't retain things too well
anymore...age may have something to do with it but I figure my brain just gets overloaded!
God isn't concerned about my brain anyway;
He's more concerned about my heart.

13 April 2011

First walk of the season...

I walked ONE WHOLE MILE down the hiking trail adjacent to our property. Things are still brown but I needed to get my slothful self out the door and get my system working. I'm trying to take it easy, starting with a mile and working up to two. When that's too easy maybe I'll speed up to a shuffling jog. I tend to go out and do too much at first and then I'm so sore I can't get back out there for a while. I'm also doing some crunches and some arm exercises with 5 pound weights. Starting low on the reps. Guess I'll have to fire up my Exercise Log blog to keep myself accountable and keep track of my progress! It's mid-April, so we could still have some snow, and it was pretty brisk out there this morning, but at least I won't get too hot. Up, up and away! :D

(Two year old photo.)

12 April 2011

April showers...

The rain is gently pitter-pattering on the steel roof of our log cabin and a small fire is burning in the woodstove. If I'm smart I'll go to bed soon, but I just had to visit Jody's messageboard and read a few blogs before turning in.



Only three more weeks of school and then summer break! I'll be working full-time at the deli for the summer, but I hope to fit in some reading and walking. Bob and I are planning to make a car trip down to Texas to see my folks in May, and we'll stop off to see kids in Oklahoma and north Texas on the way. Dear daughter Micah and her hubby, Adam, will do chores for us, bless their little pea-pickin' hearts!




Little grandson Nathan. One of the loved ones we'll see in Texas!

I'm off to visit a couple of blogs then I'll throw a couple more logs on the fire and turn in.

*yawn* :]