Hallelujah! We Are Not Alone

Root Beer is Megan’s 23-year-old horse.  No one has ridden him in around ten years, and he probably wouldn’t let anyone on him now if they tried. He's basically a big, spoiled pet.  He stays in our fenced area that is mostly wooded, with a small pond and an old barn. Our neighbor, Gloria, no longer has horses and has been gracious enough to let him roam in her pasture. A small iron gate separates us and any time it's closed, Root Beer stands near it longing to access the other side and pouting until someone finally opens it. Sometimes, he puts on quite a show as he runs into the pasture being vocal and throwing a few kicks along the way. I often wonder if he's showing his excitement or if he's letting me know just how frustrated he is with me for leaving him locked behind the gate for so long.     You would think a horse that has hay, is fed grain daily, and has a pasture all to himself would be satisfied. A recent Saturday mending fences proved otherwise. There...

It's amazing how much music can have an effect on us. All it takes is a couple of notes that immediately bring the words to your memory and before you know it, you're singing along with a song you haven't heard in years. I love all kinds of music but growing up in the 80s the songs from high school days seem to stick with me the most. Sometimes it isn't until years later that we actually pay attention to the words and realize that some of them may not have been the best to be singing along with. I was saddened to hear about the recent death of 47-year-old Christian Singer, Mandisa. She had many struggles in her life and spoke transparently about her battle with depression. Although struggling herself at times, she used her talent to help others through her singing. Songs like Overcomer, Stronger, Unfinished and  Way Maker will long be remembered.  When my dad was in the hospital during his last days, my friend, Vicki, sent several songs to my phone.  Some were downloads...

I went outside one cool morning to wash some buckets that I needed to return to a friend.  As I lifted a smaller one that was stacked inside of a larger one, I found an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail hiding in the small space between the two buckets. Since butterflies can't fly unless the temperature reaches around 60 degrees, it had found a safe place to hide until it was warm enough to fly away.  I recently finished a study on the book of Exodus and   I thought of Moses as he hid in the cleft of the rock. God had already protected him many times over and He had promised him that His presence would be with him, but Moses wanted to see God in all of His glory. Because no one can see the face of God and live, He placed him in the cleft of a rock and covered him with His hand for protection as He passed by.  How many times in our lives have we wanted something that God protected us from? Sometimes, we may be disappointed because things didn't go our way. God always knows be...

Unless you're completely out of touch with current events, you know that we'll be experiencing the Great American Solar Eclipse today. It will cover a long path across several states and we happen to live right on the line of totality. A little before 2:00 pm, our area is expected to experience over four minutes of total darkness. People have traveled many miles to be able to see this once in a lifetime event. Kristine’s Cottage has been booked for months and family and friends drove in from Mississippi to be here with us.  Solar eclipse glasses are available for purchase in almost every store. Festivals have been planned and t-shirts are being sold that proudly feature the name of the area you watched the eclipse from.  NASA will be broadcasting from nearby Russellville and a mass wedding has been planned there for hundreds of couples wanting to say their vows on this memorable day. We've been told about this event for a long while now and for the last several months our...

It’s funny how our perspective can change with age.  As a child, I loved to find dandelions in the yard. Grab one, blow hard, and watch the feather like seeds gracefully float away. Recently, our yard was full of them. Because they bring back childhood memories, I almost hated to mow them over.  As we get older, we tend to view them more like weeds. My son-in-law, James, works as a pest and lawn technician.  He said that a majority of their calls in the springtime is for dandelion control.  I thought maybe it was because of their sharp jagged leaves, especially since the plant's name means  "Lion's Tooth".  James said it's mostly because they spread so rapidly and when they die away, they leave bare spots in the grass.  For those that are meticulous about their lawns, I could see where that would be a problem.      Dandelions have been used in Biblical teachings for years. I've heard them used as references of resilience and how we shoul...