Thankful roots lead to branches of gratitude

Today we chose to do a craft.  If you know me AT ALL, you know this was a stretch.  I don't like 'crafty' stuff too much.  (we did refrain from glue and glitter so really it was small stuff)  We made a gratitude tree. We filled the branches with things that our family is thankful for.  Being here at home with them is definitely high on my gratitude list.  Happy Thanksgiving from the Tolar house!

 

Makes a Mama proud

I do realize that pride can be a real problem and is quite simply the root of all our problems...BUT, there are times as a Mama you just can't help yourself.  She makes my ♥ skip a beat.  Can you find her?

**2nd from right ;)

Falling more in love...

“I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts,
who tremble at my word." Isaiah 66:2b NLT

"How precious to be reminded that as Jesus Christ was the 'fleshly revelation' of the personality of God, so between the covers of your Bible is the glorious 'written revelation' of the personality of the Lord God" ~Kay Arthur

I just love it when (not my) plan comes together

Last week O and C had mini reports to write in history.  They just luh-huh-huv to write reports! SO they each chose a person whom we had recently studied.  C chose Susan B. Anthony and O chose Sam Houston.  He really loves Texas history and gets excited about any study of the Alamo (must be his Texas birth or something ;-}).  Anyway, they researched, whined, and researched and whined, drafted, proofread, and whined...you get the idea.  I wasn't sure they learned a thing! Since O works fairly independently, I knew very little of the information he collected.  The reports were completed and handed over to me, Thursday afternoon...Hallelujah!!  I decided to grade them later as we had a very busy weekend on hand.

Now lest you think, I'm a rock on teacher mama...let me just tell you how God makes me look goooood! 

We have sweet friends who got married in Houston this weekend, and Tony officiated the ceremony.  We left for Houston Friday morning all excited.  I have been in Texas for almost 14 years and other than driving through Houston East to West (from MS), I have not been to Houston...certainly not driving South on I45...until Friday.  The kids crashed out and napped.  When we got to Huntsville, I was carried away thinking about the penitentiary etc.  Then we embarked upon a MONSTROSITY of a monument of who but SAM HOUSTON!  and O was snoozing in the back seat! 

SO today when we traveled back North we stopped and visited old Sam!  And now we have actual photos to accompany our report.  O is pumped about his photos, and I look like a savvy, expert planning homeschooling mom...Thank you, God!

Love these three ♥

So glad he 'picked' a good one ;)

Wowzers!  He's a tall one, that Sam!

 

♥♥♥ Psalm 37: 23 The LORD directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.(NLT) ♥♥♥

Prolific Fall after all

This past summer's drought had us all in a tizzy to say the least.  Worst drought in years...I was sure the Fall would be a sad situation.  Don't misunderstand me, it is quite sad in that so many have lost so much.  I am speaking for myself and my family situation. 

Tony stressed and struggled over hay prices, when or whether or not to even plant grass for the fall.  The outlook was bleak and the forecasters gave us little hope.  He sold cows...sad day.

We continued to pray for rain.  I blogged about how hot and desolate.  I worried...

I continued to water pumpkins all summer.  I posted and blogged about them...so excited!  Only to see NOT MUCH evidence of actual fruit.  It was just too hot...no pollination equals no punkins :(.  I was about to give up, feeling embarrassed at the pride I'd had over this pumpkin patch.  I gave it to the Lord (in reality they're His anyway, not like I can actually cause the sun to shine and make something grow...) .  I realized that my job was seed planting, careful watering, weeding when necessary, and patience (which I needed an extra dose of).  SO I waited, and waited, and continued to water feeling as though it was pointless in the EXTREME heat.  BUT alas...as with most things...God showed up and showed out...again!  Oh some 45-50 pumpkins later, I realized what I knew in my heart all along.  ONLY God makes things grow...pumpkins, grass, people.  

Boy did He show out...The rains came--a little at a time and ...Tony's fears of feeding hay early were subsided when he was able to turn the red cattle out into DEEP, lush, green grass.  Tears flowed at God's graciousness and provision.

 

Through it all He grew us...in our faith in His ability to provide and His sovereignty in WHEN and HOW He'd come through.  We vowed to trust Him no matter what.  The testing grew harder, but with every day our faith increased and when the rain came and the cooler temps came to stay, we were overwhelmed with relief and renewed faith. 

1 Timothy 2:6-7 says "6 The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.7 Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything."  We received our share of the crop...by His Grace and thus, we give Him glory!

Water IS life

The drought in Texas hasn't been this severe since, well, a very long time!  I've never seen drought like this having grown up in the deep South where the humidity levels rarely go below 50%--have mercy!  SO, to say it's dry is a gross understatement.  Our rainfall totals are so out of whack! 

Today the kids and I took a ride across the ranch to look for insects for our science class.  What we saw was very disheartening.  It's what Tony sees everyday.  Our 'water' is so scarce.  The ponds (aka tanks) are drying up, the creek has ceased to flow, and the lake is the lowest I've ever seen it.  

creek bed

lake

pasture

We are parched, dry and in constant danger of fire.  We've seen fires in  the past, however our water supply wasn't as threatened nor was the supply of fire fighters who are already fire weary.  It seems overwhelmingly hopeless, and we aren't even in the worst area.  Many are in much more dire situations, and our hearts break for them.  Rain is what we need and lots of it.  BUT...that isn't in our control.  

Our faith has been tested in ways we haven't experienced before.  I didn't say our faith was shaken...just tested.  I realized this week that this parched, dry, desperate landscape is a great deal like our hearts and souls without the 'Living Water' Himself.  When we go a long time without drawing close to hear His voice and let Him 'water' our souls...we are dry.  I have been dry.  This Living Water is the only thing that soothes my thirsty soul...not my friends, Facebook, or even my dear precious family.  It's HIM, JESUS, the Living Water that brings refreshment, coolness to my life and then to others lives.  I cannot bless one single soul on my own.  I have nothing...no water that lasts and no way to share.  Only through Him can I  'flow rivers of living water.'  

He will water this earth with the water that will quench it's thirst when He sees fit.  We will wait and trust that 'His ways are higher."

8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

And in the meantime, I will remember that drawing  near to Him will quench my dry weary soul with the Water that can make me never thirst again. 

14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. (John 4:14)

This truth allows me to be thankful in the dry times for signs of life and reminders that His grace is what carries us through.

Pumpkin progress

Just a quick update...they are growing and well! The picture is about a month old...They are HUGE now. We are starting to see small little ones...YAY!!
Still praying for rain, but watering them in the meantime.

"Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;...Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who provides rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains."(Psalm 147:7-8 NASB)

It will come....