Just came in from cleaning out the chicken coop, putting fresh straw underneath in their hidey-hole, and generally tidying them up. I sat on the bench out there, and Milk came and hopped up in my lap. She and I watched the sparrows eat chicken feed. Peaceful and sweet to be out there. I do love birds so. And keeping an ear out for the Owl, who showed up yesterday, but hasn't been by today. YET.
Thinking about things.
Oldest daughter's best friend has a brother (who I briefly mentioned a few months ago), who got into a compromising situation while drinking which resulted in a baby, who was born last week. Darling little boy named Jackson. The interested parties are having paternity tests done this week, and we're all silently waiting on pins and needles. Silent because the friend's younger siblings (there are ten children total) are unaware of what's happened, and our youngest don't know either. It'll impact everyone in some way or another. Daughter's girlfriend is so shamed by this that she is making herself miserable. Sort of like us with having sons living with girlfriends, seems if you've raised them right, this shouldn't happen.....but it does. Sin is out there whether you want to recognize it or not. But I understand the reality of a baby is different than not having a baby. The child is proof of the indiscretion, whilst horsing around can be shrouded in having a good time, without paying the piper, so to speak.
Makes me tired. And you know, all of these kids know better.
I was reading a blog earlier today, and the woman was talking about her two sons. They're Godly young men, apparently behaving, and both have a strong Christian witness. She talks about reading to them, devotionals they'd have, church-going, etc. Credits the way they were raised with how they'd turned out. Well, yeah, but only to a certain degree. You really can do everything in your power to raise them up in the fear of the Lord, but after that, they're on their own. And you can't beat yourself up when they stray. I've cried myself dry over our children, their sin and their apparent enjoyment of the same. Tears me up. We did all the things that other mother did, but at least now, some of them aren't following that teaching. I'd tell that mom to be very, very thankful. Not to take it for granted, which I don't think she does, and to cherish her sons' faith. What a gift. I just might have to wait a bit until the kickback occurs.
I was reading a blog earlier today, and the woman was talking about her two sons. They're Godly young men, apparently behaving, and both have a strong Christian witness. She talks about reading to them, devotionals they'd have, church-going, etc. Credits the way they were raised with how they'd turned out. Well, yeah, but only to a certain degree. You really can do everything in your power to raise them up in the fear of the Lord, but after that, they're on their own. And you can't beat yourself up when they stray. I've cried myself dry over our children, their sin and their apparent enjoyment of the same. Tears me up. We did all the things that other mother did, but at least now, some of them aren't following that teaching. I'd tell that mom to be very, very thankful. Not to take it for granted, which I don't think she does, and to cherish her sons' faith. What a gift. I just might have to wait a bit until the kickback occurs.
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Drinking a hot cup of Darjeeling and eating a heavily frosted and sprinkled Christmas cookie from the pile the girls made today. About to get up and maybe make a quick little pot of potato soup for the festivities at church tonight. Not very motivated. Might take cookies instead, just as an offering. We always take stuff, and with consistently being involved doing, it'd be a nice change to back off a bit. The least one will be Mary in the Pageant. One family with four little girls moved away this summer, so the number of children available for the play have dwindled, but my goodness, it's sweet.
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Oh, and it seems like our dog, Romeo, has had, as Gary puts it, a Come to Jesus experience. Since he hit his back and wigged out a couple of weeks ago, he's a new man. His disposition, which can be sort of scary, has quietened quite a bit. Can't explain it unless his brief attack of paralysis affected his brain. He'd been pushing it, over-barking when someone's at the door, which is nice in a guard dog sense, but when it's the family who's coming in, it gets a bit much. He's not known the meaning of the words self-control. Now he's actually nice, and pleasant all the time. A change for sure.
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And in further Christmas news. Gary said last night that he wanted me to have Julia Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. He said that if I'd order it---being that ordering can be tricky, and considering that there are two volumes put out in different years---it would be his present to me. He's already given me a poetry book, so he didn't have to do this, but I'm proud he brought it up. Hard to find that cookbook in used bookstores. Darn near impossible, and I've been looking. Next hard book to find is the Latin Vulgate with the English translation alternating the verses. Gary was reading that CS Lewis had written that it's a wonderful way to learn Latin, by reading the New Testament in Latin/English verse by verse. He already downloaded it on his phone, but I'd prefer a hard copy. Fun to look, especially if it's difficult to locate. I could go to the Catholic bookstore to get it, but that's way too easy.
Yak, yak, yak. Got to go now. You take care.
