blackberry cobbler saved by the gun!

now that it's blackberry season, i want to share my favorite blackberry

picking story.

every july, my family hauled hay at our ranch -- ugh.   the heat.   the 

heavy haybales!  the sickening fear while pulling hay out of the blades!!  

the idea of inadvertently grabbing a snake instead!!!

the only redeeming part was my mom's delicious blackberry cobblers.

picking the berries, however, was also dangerous, as there were so many
snakes lurking in the bushes.

in fact, snakes were so prevalent that my dad let my 12 year old brother
carry a handgun to protect us.  that is probably his happiest childhood

memory . . . and my most horrifying.

"seriously, dad?  you're going to let that crazy little kid carry a gun? he
will kill us all!"

one sweltering morning, we were picking blackberries, when "boom!"
wyatt earp had fired his six shooter and nailed a rattlesnake, who was
considering a strike at my mom's ankle.

as i stared in horror at the dead snake, i thought, "we almost didn't

get that cobbler."

love,

lea

"bring forth fruit worthy of repentance."  luke 3:7,8

tiny beauty

as hailey and i were descending the beautiful forest trail, she suddenly
stooped to the ground and pulled out her camera.  my head was in the
clouds and the mountain peaks, but hers had found a treasure smaller
than her toe.

"you'll come to learn a great deal if you study the insignificant in depth."
odysseus elytis

"God chose the things the world considers foolish in order to shame those

who think they are wise."  1 corinthians 1:27

love,

lea

too heavenly minded to be any earthly good?

i have grown up hearing the phrase, "you're just too heavenly minded
to be any earthly good."  of course, they weren't saying that to me!

it is confusing, though, to think we could possibly be that way.  if
someone has truly set her heart "above, where Christ is seated at the
right hand of  God. . . and her mind on things above, not on earthly
things," then she will do as Jesus did.  (colossians 3:2)

He was of tremendous earthly good.

He loved little children, prostitutes, and tax collectors but had no
patience for religious people who lorded it over the humble and
judged the sinners.  He went about doing His Father's business,
healing and restoring bodies and hearts.

He told us to seek His kingdom, to stop worrying so much about
tomorrow, and to not judge others but to pay attention to the  log
in our own eyes. (matthew 6 and 7)

sheesh, how will i have time to worry about everybody else's sins,
when i have so many of my own, which brings me right back to
being "too earthly minded to be any heavenly good." :)

now that's something i do very well.

love,
lea

boys, boys, boys!

in the past few weeks, i have mixed up three boys' names.
not my own sons, of course, but the ones circling around my
girls.  i can no longer even remember which boy is 'friends'
with which of my girls.

"mom!  that's bobby, not billy!  he's here to take hailey out
to dinner, not me!!   sick!!!"

the trouble is, they seem to think that i can keep track of
'friends' from two and three years ago.  that is simply not
possible for my small mind.

"mom!  that's billy, not bobby!  he used to like sunday, not
me!!  ew!!!

(billy?  bobby??)

so, from now on, when a new boy walks in the door, i will
give them a test like, "hey bud, would you please bring the
groceries in from my car?" (the ones YOU will be eating.)

if he does, i will try very hard to learn his name, but if he
can't pass my daughter's test, i won't try very hard to
remember it.  :)

love,
lea

"rejoice, o young man, in your youth, and let your heart
cheer you . . . "  ecclestiastes 11:9

snakes on a plane!

dear emily,

this is a "sabbath" repost for the weekend.

remember the commercials for the movie, "snakes on a plane?" i don't
know anyone who actually watched it, but i have lived it.  most anyone
who has flown with a baby understands just what i mean.

the fear rises as you stumble down the entry ramp toward the cabin
door.  you smile nervously (with your ticket between your teeth) at the
skinny young flight attendant who is not happy to see you carrying your
15 pound baby, his 25 pound diaper bag, dangling his pacifier from your
pinky.

you are praying that your seatmate is an understanding and helpful mom,
maybe even your own mommy. . .

6 ABC
7 ABC
8 ABC

 . . . but, instead it is a pair of bifocals, glaring at you.  the expensive
pinstripe suit and snakeskin shoes defy you to disturb the very important
work being done on their laptop.

your sweet baby is picking up on your increasing stress and is already
getting a little fussy and hungry.  the thought of nursing him with an
uptight executive sitting next to you, makes you want to wean him.

then, horror of horrors, your precious baby throws up all over mr.
reptile shoes, who hisses with displeasure.

your baby, however, is now content and sleepy, and you no longer
care about any snakes on the plane.

love,
lea

"can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion
on the child she has borne?  though she may forget, I will not forget
you!"  isaiah 49:15

they're heeeere!

dear emily,

this is to make you feel better about your little ones' clutter.
unfortunately, it just gets bigger! :)

entry hall:

mud room:

living room:

kitchen table:

"Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; You have
made my lot secure.  the boundary lines have fallen for me in
pleasant places; surely i have a delightful inheritance!"
psalm 16:5,6

love,
lea

to do or not to do!

i just read a sweet encouragement from debbie at heart choices.
like many of the amazing blogs i read, this one sparked a thought.
some of you have explosions of incredible insight, but i am  just
thrilled with a tiny sputter.

there is a story about a young boy, robbed of speech and thrown
into the fire and water by a demon.  the disciples were unable to
deliver him from this terrible torment because of their unbelief.

Jesus displayed His sympathy and love by asking the father about
the history and condition of the boy.  the father said "if you can do
anything, take pity on us and help us."

"'if you can'?" said Jesus, "everything is possible for him who
believes."  immediately, the father exclaimed, "i do believe; help
me overcome my unbelief!"  matthew 9:14-29

jesus took the boy by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he
stood up.

i need help with my faith, too.  but my constant cry is, "Lord, i am
willing.  help, me to overcome my unwillingness!"

to do what i should do . . .  but don't want to do.   to NOT do  what
i shouldn't want to do . . . but still want to do:  that is my question!
i will leave the "be-ing" of shakespeare to the more mature.

i am obviously still a baby,
lea