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PRAYER MEETING with the COWS
I skipped down the path to the old barn where Daddy was doing the evening milking chores. I loved that whole scene: the soft glow from the old ceiling lights, the lowing of cattle, the scent of fresh milk, and the very essence of what farming with animals is all about. Born in Center County, Pennsylvania, I was four years old when my family bought a dairy farm in New York State. On that farm, my life was magical. Fields to roam, barns to explore, and the tightly structured life of a dairy farm all fit together into a cocoon of beauty and pleasure for me. And then there were…
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“Here All the Time.”
There are two ways to reach the rocky road that leads to the pasture. One is through the barnyard which usually means going through several gates; the other is around the top of the barn, past the double sliding doors, along the roof of the old stable, through a wooded area, and upward to the open pasture. I had been busy and was stuck in the mundane existence of daily life. My world had become smaller, duller, and ordinary. No great inspiration compelled me to do my daily prayer walk or even expect my regular quiet time to inspire me. I was experiencing a gray world, one of those times…
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Identity Confusion . . . in the barnyard
I stand at the gate to the barnyard and giggle. I have called and they are coming, rushing up the hillside from the pasture. The chickens are always first, assisting their little legs with flapping wings. Then comes Buck, the goat, running and bleating loudly. Donk, not wanting to look too eager, takes his time, stopping occasionally to check out the reason for being called away from his dinner of grasses. And then comes Jemima, the duck, quacking loudly and waddling as fast as she can, but far behind the barnyard crowd. Jemima is the one who tickles me. She, in no way, can compete with the others . .…
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A Divided House
I have two chickens and two cats. The chickens hang together; not surprisingly, the cats do not. Whenever I hear hisses and growling coming from the garage, I know Bob has probably invaded Missy’s space. Or, sometimes it is after he has intentionally stalked her and jumped out from the bushes as she walked by. Bob is having fun; Missy is never amused. But, in general, my little farm is quite the “racially” mixed environment. The duck, the goat, the chickens, and the donkey move about the barnyard in a happy little community. When I go to the barnyard, I will be greeted by the whole community at once: duck,…
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Why Would I Leave the CHURCH?
A better question might be: Could I leave the Church? This imperfect, sometimes questioning, sometimes unloving, always searching, yet redeemed soul. Could I be free to leave the Church No. I have been sealed by the Spirit, bought by the blood of Christ, adopted into the Body of Christ which IS the Church. And, God help me, why would I want to leave? I have just finished reading Searching For Sunday; loving, leaving, and finding the church. The author has recently left this world in a very sudden and tragic illness leaving behind two little ones and a devoted husband. As I read, I learned to love the searching and…
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A Confession
I confess I have acquiesced to something I never thought I would. Yes, Donq stands alone in the barnyard today accompanied only by two red hens. For several months, since we had placed the chicken house inside the barnyard to protect my two red hens, I have had to protect myself from the ire of one of the other occupants, Goatie Oatie. When I shut the chickens in the hen house one evening, Goatie seemed to think that I was giving them special attention and he wanted his share. With a little jump and a toss of his head, he warned me that he wasn’t happy. As the days went…
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A Sad Confession
I confess I have acquiesced to something I never thought I would. Yes, Donq stands alone in the barnyard today accompanied only by two red hens. For several months, since we had placed the chicken house inside the barnyard to protect my two red hens, I have had to protect myself from the ire of one of the other occupants, Goatie Oatie. When I shut the chickens in the hen house one evening, Goatie seemed to think that I was giving them special attention and he wanted his share. With a little jump and a toss of his head, he warned me that he wasn’t happy. As the days went…
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A Surprise Visitor
The wind howled outside, and icy snow pelted our double glass door. Judd and I sank a little deeper into our matching brown recliners and enjoyed the warmth of the wood stove. I had decided earlier not to go out in the snowstorm to check on the barnyard menagerie. I could see from the dining room window that the chickens (my two new red hens) had already disappeared into the coop; the absence of Donqui and Goatie at the gate was evidence they were already settled snug in their stalls. All was well and there was no need for my mothering. Yes, I could have shut the door to the coop, but who…
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One Hundred Years!!
I think it was the stately old barn that convinced us to buy the farm. Its age held a nostalgic appeal to Judd and me Though its old red paint had faded to gray, the barn stood steady and strong under the weight of hundreds of sweet-smelling hay piled on its top floor. As the local farmers came to reclaim the hay they had bought, the walls began to reveal not just cobwebs and dust, but memories: old harnesses, tools, and memorabilia. Painted on the south-east wall was a number: (1918). The significance of the number was a mystery, until Judd visited one day with old Chappy. Chapman’s Gas …
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TRANSFORMATIONS by Kay Bascom
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Ah!! I Remember . . .
Fifty years of God’s faithfulness in our marriage brings a reflection on Trust. A particular hymn we occasionally sing in church never fails to stir my heart with memories of gratefulness, joy, and amazement. At Philadelphia College of Bible we sang “Great is Thy Faithfulness”at every chapel meeting. I remember hurrying from my room, down five flights of stairs to the old chapel. Yes, my bed was made, everything picked up and neat. This was the time the dorm mom would visit every room for a room- check. Your bed better be made, and you had best be out of the room and down in chapel, or you would receive…
