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“We can always find something to be thankful for, and there may be reasons why we ought to be thankful for even those dispensations which appear dark and frowning.”
~Albert Barnes
I was looking up quotes hoping to find some way to open this post and found one that I don’t think could describe 2020 any better….The world may be very dark right now, but there’s always something to be thankful for…even the not so good things like Squirrels getting into the garden…
We discovered Thursday morning that the squirrels were getting to our corn 😡. So after breakfast we went out and not only harvested the corn, but ALL the produce that we could! We’ll be pretty busy the next several days preserving all the spoils! It wasn’t until earlier this year when we started watching other homesteaders on YouTube that it finally clicked. I may not live on a farm, or even land that’s been in the family for generations, but I do live on homestead! It’s been interesting this year in particular coming to grips with that term and exactly what we’ve accomplished. The produce we’ve canned, the squash we’ve frozen, the birds we’ve raised, and the bunnies we’ve added.
As much as I dislike living chickens I can’t wait for the day when we can raise another batch of meat birds. They seriously taste 100 times better than store bought chicken. As the seasons begin to change I’m really looking forward to soup season. I can’t tell you how much I look forward to making a huge pot of vegetable soup using only things that we’ve either raised or grown (excluding spices–our herb garden didn’t do that well and garlic takes 2+ years to actually grow).
This week was the first week of college for Bradley and Billie Jo…And we survived!! That in and of itself is huge let alone the fact that the house isn’t a wreck is even better! We even had time earlier in the week to Walk 4 Water!
Our church has been involved with the work of Healing Hands International and Walk 4 Water for 11 years. Due to all that has gone on in 2020 we had to do a virtual walk. Each family or person participating would choose their own time and place to walk.
We decided to walk at a local Nature Preserve and take the dogs. This was the first time we ever took Jasper anywhere other than the Vet. They both loved it, but you could tell when they got tired. They’d walk a little slower and a little closer to us. Normally when we do Walk 4 Water I’m taking pictures of everyone. Racing ahead of the group to photograph and trying to capture the event. This year I got to walk. We went in the evening as the sun was starting to set. The light was absolutely beautiful! If I had taken my camera, we never would have gotten out of there before night fall…But beyond that, walking at the nature preserve caused me to stop and really think about what the people we’re helping go through…
It was hot and muggy! It didn’t take us very long to break out into a sweat. The terrain was uneven and somewhat slick in spots. We went uphill, downhill, and around curves. There are people in the world that walk on terrain like that EVERY DAY…4 or more miles to get dirty, unhealthy water that makes them sick!
I had the pleasure of going home in an air conditioned vehicle, drinking cool, clean water. It really gave me a better perspective of what we we’re doing and why. And how big of a difference we are making in the lives of others. Simply by walking…
In reality the few things that I’ve mentioned here are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to things I’m thankful for…In recent weeks I’ve seen God answer prayers years in the making, doing good simply because He can, and providing for His children.
Yeah, 2020 in some ways is the nightmare that just won’t end. But in another way, maybe it’s woken us up to what’s really important, to who we are individually and as a people, and allowed us to really make some meaningful changes in our lives.
Like I said on Tuesday, If you feel comfortable commenting PLEASE leave a comment stating something that you’re thankful for or something good that God has done in you’re life recently. I’m always encouraged reading about the ways that God is moving in the lives of others…Let’s keep this going!
Have a great weekend!
Until next time,
Bailey Sue
Thanks for sharing Gods blessings. Our little garden has done almost nothing, but we have been blessed by others who have started their bounty and have been busy canning this last week. More produce coming this weekend, so we will be busy again! God always blesses us!