Fall Is Coming To The Ranch

At last,

fall is coming to the ranch . . . 

Dewdrops: Discovering Abundance and Strength

Monday morning.

Before the wind.

Fog.

Billions of tiny dewdrops.

Dewdrops accompany God's abundance and provision and grace.

Yes.

{When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna would fall with it.  Numbers 11:9}

Nourishment.  {You are not abandoned.  You are not alone.}

{...in a land of grain and new wine; his heavens also drop down dew. Deut. 33:28}

"Like dew, grace is a surprising gift that cannot be handmade or manufactured." 

~ Priscilla Shirer

~ Gideon: Your weakness God's strength

{Now may God give you of the dew of heaven,

and of the fatness of the earth, and an abundance of grain and new wine. Genesis 27:28}

~ the dew of heaven ~

~ abundance ~

~ grace ~

~ His strength in my weakness ~

~ like a spiderweb ~

~ how strong it is . . . and yet how delicate ~

Dew.
It did not rain.
Yet, when I returned home,
my socks and shoes were squishing soaked.

Tiny dew drops.
Abundant moisture.

Washed feet . . .

{deep breath}

Oh my . . . I didn't see it until now...
as I walked, my wet feet caused me to want to turn back,
but now . . .

the dew of heaven

has

washed my feet.

And I remember this that I shared with my friend Michelle earlier this summer.
A fresh perspective on Jesus washing Peter's feet . . .

Michelle enjoys doing laundry for others.
The first response is to come to mind is often, "Come on over! I've got plenty."
But then, the thought of . . . "oh, I don't want anybody to see my dirty laundry."

And this is what I shared with her in all of my run-on sentences . . .
 and what has remained with me...
accepting grace...

Michelle, do you know how Christ-like that is? It totally reminds me of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. And Peter didn't want him to do it ~ said he should wash Christ's feet instead. When maybe, really, Peter didn't want Christ to see the mess between his toes and he was embarrassed, but Jesus was saying, I am the only one who can really get in here and do this and clean the places you don't want anyone else to see. And then Jesus told them to go and do this for others. Part of "doing this for others" is letting them see how Jesus comes into those places in our lives where maybe we are ashamed, but He comes in with love instead of "tisk-tisk-ing" and shaming, He cleans it all up. I'm totally seeing this story with new clarity this morning through the thought of letting you do my dirty laundry {even though you didn't while you were here, but you did mention that you loved to do it}.  Because Peter's reaction, is what mine would be, "Oh, let me do it for YOU" which is shrouded in "noble service", but what it really means is "I don't want you to see my dark and dirty places and admit that there are places that need cleaned that I can't even see, let alone, reach. And in the case of dirty laundry, that I can't keep up with." Which is such a part of the "house cleaning" shame issue . . . admitting with humility that I can't keep up with it all and it still gets messy every day and I don't invite people in, because I don't want people to SEE that I don't have all of it together all of the time. And that is just why I resist God . . . Christ . . . because it means admitting I have a need and accepting help with it. Which all totally goes against my pride and self-sufficient independence which is why vulnerability is so hard, but so freeing when we just let go and give way to it. WHEW!!! I did not expect to write all of that on FB!!! But there it is. {Guess I should and probably will write a blog about it.}

More dew drops:  Diamond Dewdrops

Black Hills, SD: Little Devils Tower Hike

We checked off several South Dakota hikes this year.

Little Devil's Tower was one of our favorites.

{Hikers: *SPOILER ALERT* photos of the hike ahead!}

I don't know if there is a hiker's etiquette about keeping secrets

like not telling the ending to a movie.

But if there is, and you don't want to see what's at the end of the path,

do not read this blog.

But if it doesn't matter to you,

proceed.

"LDT" is great for a family.  

It's a 3 mile hike with some adventure.

You will never see sights

of the Black Hills from the highway

like we have seen getting out and walking.

There are pockets of rose quartz and sparkling mica everywhere.

Along the bottom of the trail, we met lots of other families

heading to Harney Peak.

But when we got to the top of Little Devil's Tower,

we were the only ones there

and we could see Harney Peak in the distance.

It is hard for my mother's heart to settle down

at the top of a mountain

with your children trekking around

with no guard rails.

I have never seen such a view of The Needles before.

It really is a must-see.

The one little treasure

that you don't want to miss

if you do this hike is the

vein of rose quartz

that is like a pink jeweled stairway right through the rocks.

Look for this:

As we hiked back down,

we met a couple both gray-white-haired,

hiking leisurely to the top.

I said to Jim, "That's how I want to be at their age."

"Me too," he said.

That's what motivates me to stay in shape

. . . to see the world from my feet

 with my husband at my side, 

for as long as possible.

I know something good about you. Yes, you.

Lose My Soul by TobyMac.

{Click to listen}

We didn't watch the MTV awards this week.

We didn't have to watch it to see Miley Cyrus on news broadcasts the next day.

I have not watched the whole thing.

I have seen photos and the excerpts on news.

I told my kids, son and daughter, "DO NOT Google her or find her on YouTube."

But, even so, the kids know about it too.

If they didn't see the clips on TV, (but they did), they've also heard it in conversation.

So we talked about value.

We talked about how it is not ok to act like that and it is not ok to watch it.

I talked to my son about how he views women and girls.

I talked about God's design for sexuality.

I talked about God's design for food.

When we eat nutritious and follow God's ways with food we are nourished.

When we don't, we destroy ourselves.

And it is the same with sexuality.

The same with money, jobs, success.

We talked much.

Here I am adding to her "publicity" by mentioning her once again.

But . . . 

Miley has me thinking this week 

how my heart breaks for our girls and how they view their value. 

And even us as grown women. 

We all have struggles with what we believe deep down makes us valuable 

and wondering if we are really, truly loved right here, right now, 

just as we are in all of our mess and "not-enoughs". 

We struggle to know who we are and the to live who we are. 

God is showing me His truth

 to my own heart about 

myself,

as a 12-18 year-old and as an adult, 

and my girls,

and Miley,

and all women.

Why have I given it so much thought?

Because the girls that were her fans are not her age.

They are not in their twenties.

They are 11, 14, 17.

They still pay attention when they hear her name.

Because, right or wrong, I allowed my daughter to watch her TV show,

listen to her CD's and

because I took my daughter to her movie on her 8th birthday

and sat there in a row of 8 year-olds

with tears running down my face

realizing how I was living a life of not being my true self.

That silly movie

brought freedom and courage to my heart

to be true to myself

and to allow God to change my heart

like he changes a caterpillar into a butterfly.

There is a message in that movie for the very girl that played the part.

And my heart breaks for that girl

trying to find herself.

And for being surrounded by people

that encouraged her to dress that way

 and act that way

 and be treated that way

and then broadcast

and exploit her 

as she is trying to establish her own identity

{not that it couldn't be argued that she was exploited before}.

She is a legal adult.

But she did not act alone.

Somebody along the way could have said

"No, this is gross, disgusting, disturbing, and depraved."

Instead, they were cheering her on.

Is she trying to use this to her gain?  Yes.

Are others using her?  Yes.

TobyMac, Kirk Franklin and Mandisa 

{click their names above to listen}

have been

singing clearly into my ears as I walk this week.

About gaining the world 

{gaining attention, fame, money} 

but

losing your soul.

I'm not only talking about losing it eternally,

but I am also talking about losing it 

right 

now.

I hear these song lyrics in my heart as they sing them in my ears. . .

And I pray that I'm an artist who rises above,

The road that is wide and filled with self love,

Everything that I see draws me,

Though it's only in You that I can truly see 

that its a feast for the eyes- a low blow to purpose.

And I'm a little kid at a three ring circus.

The paparazzi flashes, and that they think that it's you,

But they don't know that who you are is not what you do,

True, we get it twisted when we peak at the charts,

Yo before we part from the start,

Where's your heart?

Lord forgive us when we get consumed by the things of this world,
That fight for our love, and our passion,
As our eyes are open wide and on You.
Grant us the privilege of Your world view,
And may Your kingdom be, 

what wakes us up, 

and lays us down.

I don't wanna gain the whole world and lose my soul.
Read more: Toby Mac - Lose My Soul Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

*

I have had my own personal battles

about worthiness and identity

in the past and this week.

And God is speaking to my heart in all of it.

So this is for 

the girls,

the moms,

the grandmas,

and

for

Miley.

Right here.  Right now.

You are loved.

You are valuable.

You are a treasure.

Your heart is

 ~  worth protecting.

 ~  worth healing.

 ~  worth helping.

 ~  worth rescue.

You are a daughter of God.

Yes, you.

For God so loved the world 

that He gave His only begotten Son 

that whoever believes in Him 

should not perish but have everlasting life.  

For God did not send His Son

 into the world 

to condemn the world, 

but that the world 

through Him 

might be saved.

John 3:16-17

You are loved.

You belong.

You are established.

You are secure.

You are significant.

You are valuable.

You are so treasured.

A Man.

Saw you.

And gave up His life.

To rescue you out of

whatever pit you find yourself in.

I can hear Him say,

"I will rescue you!  You are worth it!"

"I will do whatever it takes to give you 

abundant life

fullness of joy

and pleasures forevermore."

It is so unexpected when I realize again and again

His love.

{Here is a video to make you SMILE BIG about this RESCUE:  And the little children shall lead us...}

And He did.

And when you ask for His help and trust Him and believe Him,

He picks you up,

washes you off,

shines you up,

loves you tenderly,

fills you with His strength,

and sets you up on your feet again.

To be yourself and to help others find Him.

In being who He made you to be, rescued you to be,

He is glorified

and

you

have

life

that you have always wanted

deep inside of you.

Unlike the world,

God doesn't use you to glorify Himself 

and then just cast you aside

like an empty wrapper or water bottle.

He fulfills you, loves you, builds you up,

restores you, breathes life into you.

When you belong to God,

in Him,

you find all that your heart seeks

about Him,

about life,

about yourself.

You can live

with

love,

courage,

grace,

kindness,

confidence,

hope,

peace.

Little Big Things.

I drove into the ranch last evening

greeted by nodding sunflower heads smiling at me.

I thought about how

I do not just love them because they are pretty and bright

but because they remind me

of a moment

in my life

when my eyes opened

to see here and now

and to appreciate it.

Something simple, but so profound.

My "perfect start" to a day is to do this:

To take a walk with the sunflowers.

To have my beagle scare up some turkey chicks just learning to fly

that hide in the alfalfa.

To use my camera to change my perspective.

To see the divine in the ordinary.

It is simple

It is abundant.

Which shifts my mind away

from the overwhelm and lack.

Psalm 16:11 says,

You have shown me

the path of life.

In your presence is fullness of joy.

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

This is just a little taste, a tiny glimpse...

or

maybe

it is a big glimpse of fullness and pleasure

right here, right now 

on the road home.