Goodbye Little Lambs

Loading the lambs up for the state livestock show

One last goodbye, the girls are sad to see them go.

This little lamb we will be keeping!

The crocodile hunter in the ring, serious face as he focuses on the judges

His face, after he tucked that second blue ribbon in his back pocket!

 

Both sheep won first place in their class, as well as several other awards.  Not bad for his first year.  His ewe did so well he received several offers to buy her, and ended up selling her to a local man who plans to breed her, so she was saved from the butcher, much to the relief of the Queen.

Summer in the Vineyard: Wine to Gladden the Heart of Man

Did you know that the first year a grape vine is planted, the vineyard grower does not water it?

Instead, the roots are forced to grope deep into the earth in search of a water source.  The plant struggles to survive at first, but through those struggles, through the hardship, it grows strong and hardy.  A grapevine can live 50-100 years if well established.  

The branches stretch out, spreading, growing, and receiving nourishment from the vine rooted deep in the earth.  "I am the vine, you are the branches, if you remain in me."  John 15:5.  

Love,  joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness self-control

The Annual Call

Father asked a question at the Paraklesis service.  When you get the call saying your mother is dying, what do you do?  Does anything else matter?  Do you concern yourself with daily life and routines?  Do you explain, I am just so busy, I'll try to get there when I can, but you know how it is, so many other commitments, it's such a busy time of year?  No, you drop everything to be at her side.  You rearrange your schedule, you lay aside all earthly cares, do whatever it takes to be with her, to show her you love her.  Every August first we get that call.  Our Mother is dying.  Do we notice?  Have we changed our own lives and pace to be with her?  Will we come running to her side?  Or will we allow the world to pull us in a thousand directions?  The church gives us two whole weeks to come, to mourn, to offer our prayers, to be with her, to sing those beautiful hymns. 

Our Mother is dying, let us run to her.

Overheard

One way to know you have spent a lot of time at church (setting up our new atrium spaces) in the past few weeks is when your child refers to the foyer at home as the narthex!

One Amazing Day

5 trips to Memphis in the past 10 months

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10 nights in a hotel room with 2 friends

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15 days away from husband and kids

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56 presentations

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120 hours of class time

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countless past and future hours of writing album pages, discussing adaptations and 

making materials

1 amazing formation leader who joyfully shared her wisdom and guidance

4 different faith traditions

9 amazing women who shared this journey of spiritual formation

66 (catechesis aged) children (and counting) in our parish who make it all worthwhile

WE DID IT!!!!!  

Less than 8 weeks to go...

Sheep Shows

This past week was the first series of shows with the crocodile hunter's lambs.  He has worked hard raising and training them to be ready!  We found out that they were siblings, two of a set of triplets.  The female sheep weighs in at 96 lbs. now, and the male hit 125 lbs.

This is only the second time he has sheared the sheep.  I have a large bag of wool from the first shearing, and we are hoping to try out a little hand carding!  

The little ones get the chance to practice in the Peewee showmanship round, so Dimples took a turn leading one of the sheep through the ring, with big brother close at hand - that animal outweighs her by about 70 pounds!

Finally, the crocodile hunter's turn to show - his ewe lamb received first place in her class at county and regional, and his wether earned a second place ribbon for county and sixth place at regional.  It is amazing to watch these kids go into the ring with no halter and lead the sheep around just by hanging on to their neck!  

In Catechesis formation, we spend some time talking about sheep, to better understand why Christ so often uses them as a parable for us, and last year we read A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, but I have to say, seeing these animals first hand certainly drives home the many lessons of being called a sheep in the Bible!  They are some of the most hard headed and stupid animals, and truly need a great deal of care and attention :)  Thank God we have such a patient heavenly Father to love and care for us!