Livestock at the Rodeo

I went to the livestock show with my daughter in law Shannon and four of my grandchildren - Luke, Emma, Bella, and Ivy.  We met some other friends there for lunch.  The petting zoo, which was inside this time, was by far the most enjoyable part.  The animals were aggressively sweet and what I thought was a child pulling on my jacket turned out to be a goat.  Shannon had to pry his steadfast teeth from my coat.  We fed them ice cream cones full of feed instead of the cold stuff.  They would grab the whole thing from us and then pursue us for more.  Enjoy our pictures!

Ivy is not sure about this.

Emma found a friend..

Kangaroos?

Bella is often found with a brush in her hand.  Born for cosmetology.

Ride 'em, Luke

Cool Green boys.

Three....amigos?

Funnel cake fun.

Dahns, Mitchells, Greens (minus Keison) saying Happy Trails!

'Wheat and Weeds' - In My Garden

My yard is in desperate need of attention, although EVERYTHING green is growing well, ha ha.  They are however...weeds.  Boo.  Actually, when I examine them more closely, there are acceptable plants in and among the unwanted ones, but look how big the unwanted ones are!  (I think I remember a parable about this.)

Okay, well nope.  Nothing redeemable here.

In this case, the dead is good.

Here we find the dead coming to life.

Somewhere in there is a gardenia bush.  Really, there is.

Needless to say, I have some real work cut out for me.  I should do it before Texas heat sets in.  It looks as if someone came along and dropped these unwanted seeds in my flower beds.  Only the owner of these beds (me) knows the difference between what lies beneath, waiting to return to bloom and what needs pulling.
The Master Gardener also knows which plants are His and which are not.  I will be doing well to care for mine.  He will ultimately and permanently weed His one day.
O Lord, may I be counted among the wheat in Your fields.

Matthew 13:24-30  "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'" 

Checking Out at HEB

So...I was checking out at HEB and a funny thing happened.  Funny things often happen to me at check outs.  What is that?  I like that they usually have young people working the registers because they try to be engaging and talkative.  One guy was scanning my groceries and one was sacking.  When it came time to pay, I slid my card through the machine.
HEB guy: Uh, ma'am,you just scanned your driver's license.
Me: I did?  Well that won't buy much, will it?
HEB guy: No.
Me: Do other people do that, too? (I am laughing.)
HEB guy: Um, no.
(Naturally, the transaction did not go through.)
Me:  Do you think it didn't go through because I scanned my license before my debit card?
He shrugged his shoulders.
I tried my card again and it worked and I walked out still laughing at myself.  Please tell me these things happen to you, too.  Isn't life funny?  ...I guess you had to be there.

The Beauty of Sin on the Cross

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that 

in him we might become the righteousness of God.  2 Corinthians 5:21

Ash Wednesday was this week and so lent begins.  I always thought of lent as being a Catholic term, probably because they were the only ones I knew that observed it.  I have since learned otherwise. The traditional purpose of lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer, repentance, and self-denial.  It usually lasts from Ash Wednesday until Easter Eve for believers.
Self denial and self control are not exactly traits that pertain to me...but I am working on it.  (Really, I am.) 
Jesus died on the cross, wearing my sin that I might be righteous as He is.  He who knew no sin became sin...for us.  That's you, that's me.
Focus on the beauty of that.  Spend these weeks before Easter thinking about our Lord Jesus on the cross, His burial, and Resurrection.  Sin and its penalty died that day.  Praise God.  Deny yourself.  Repent.  Pray.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Read your Bible. Serve people, beginning with your family...and yes, all of them.  End this season with a heart of love for our Lord who made salvation possible for all who will believe. Now, isn't that beautiful?

Jamming

I have shared with you before that my family are full of bluegrass pickers.  I took some video of them recently and wanted to share the jam.
My son Lee on mandolin and guitar, though not at the same time.
My brother Owen on dobro.
My brother Wilbur on banjo.
Tommy's brother Jimmy on guitar and mandolin.
Kasie on fiddle and mandolin.

Ladybugs in the Wine

Okay, my Sunday School class of first through third graders always brightens my day in one way or another...and on occasion, they darken it. Hmmm.  Usually it's the boys that are up to something.  This time it was the girls.  I have to say, it definitely made me smile.
Our church serves Lord's Supper on the first Sunday of each month.  We offer both wine and grape juice for those that have a preference.  The wine is in the purple cups and the juice in the clear.  I noticed a giggly bunch of girls gathered 'round the table. I went over and they exclaimed, "Mrs. June, there are ladybugs all over the girls' bathroom and we caught some!"  I responded, "I see you put them in the wine cups. I don't think they will live long."  Kristen commented on the fact that they will be inebriated.  I am thinking that at least the ladybugs chose the right restroom to hang out in, but then the boys informed me that the men's room had them as well. Anyway, I thought I would share my class with you (James was absent) and their ladybugs.

Happy Ladybugs

My little lovelies - Kristen in back of room.