Brownies, Friends,and Cattle Prods

Your Girl Scout leader was right. Remember as a Brownie Scout singing this song?
"Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold."
God created and values friendship. Thinking about this theme reminded me of the many ways my friends, old and new, bless my life.

Old Friends:
Think back to childhood friends--my friend Robin was my best friend in Wellington, Kansas from Kindergarden to 8th grade, when my family moved. We walked to school together, sang in children's choir, acted out Nancy Drew mysteries, and had our first sleep overs. My high school 4-H friends and I attended events and encouraged each other. To this day, I can not eat lemon drops (the candy) without being back in the Kansas State Fair Encampment building with my friend Sherri, eating lemon drops in our sleeping bags before getting up early to wash her heifer for the fair, or do our judging event. (The lemon drops usually stuck to our sleeping bags) My college roommate, Joyce, got me in the habit of reading my Bible daily and shared adventures on campus and intramural sports. She also liked to sleep a lot more and even nap, which prepared me for life with my future husband!
All of these friends and more left an influence on my life, or taught me some life lessons.

New Friends:
Most of my "adult" friends have been at the schools where I teach or at my church. These ladies have helped me weather some of life's best and worst moments,-- disappointments and joys.
You never know when you'll find a new friend, even if it is only for a few moments.
I just returned from vacation with my best friends...my husband, two sons and daughter-in-law. After one week and 2400 miles together, I think we are still friends. While in Door County, Wisconsin I met some great new friends. I believe God puts people in our lives for a reason and no meeting is by chance. If you've read the Anne of Green Gables books by Lucy Maud Montgomery, you know Anne sees everyone as a potential "kindred spirit". I am an out-going person, so will talk to almost anyone. Because of this, I get to know a lot of "kindred spirits".
While shopping at an art store, I talked to Karen who was a recent widow. She told me how her friends had let her down a bit by not including her much in their activities anymore. I am really guilty of letting my friends down sometimes and talking to her let me see again how our actions--or lack of them--hurt others. We talked about reinventing one's life with God's help and I learned a lot from her about carrying on. I met another lady at the beach. We were in water up to our shoulders and I had admired her hair. She was probably in her late 70's and wore her blonde hair up in a carefully styled top knot . She was of Polish origin and told me about her life and how she loved to be in the cool water. She gave me tips about spots to visit and I was encouraged by her joy of life and that we could still be "beach babes" for a long time!
I met other great ladies while engaged in "charitable spending". I believe if I'm going to spend money, I should spend it where it will do the most good. Rebekah, my wonderful daughter-in-law, and I love to go thrift store shopping. We found some great bargains and souvenirs and some shops benefitting an Alzheimer's unit and the Developmentally Disabled. We also went to a church's Cherry Festival, a bratwurst dinner and baked cherry goods. I visited with the church ladies and congratulated them on a good job--the money raised was going for missions.
Each of those encounters has enriched my life, and given me new people to add to my prayer list.
One of my favorite "kindred spirits" encounters occurred when I drove our church kids to camp. Upon arrival, we found that one of the girls, who was very shy, was to be separated from our group to room with high school girls who were complete strangers. The girl was very distressed by this, and I asked the lady in charge if we could make an exception. Of course, this lady was very busy with registration and didn't think my request was necessary. Another lady standing there caught my eye. We walked away together and decided to move a bunk from one cabin to another so this girl could be with her friends. (I just couldn't leave her there as upset as she was.)

I don't even think that other lady and I exchanged names, but we agreed that sometimes the rules needed to be "modified". I have a great memory of us, two grown church ladies, tippy toeing across the camp grounds carrying a bunk bed. Much to our relief, we were not stopped or questioned, and our miission was accomplished.

So...I've covered the Brownie part of the title with the song, the friend part, and now for the "cattle prod".
Our county fair just happened and the kids showing their cattle or other animals use a small stick to poke or prod their animals to stand so that their best features will be seen. They also use the cattle prod to tap the animal on one side or another to guide it to go where it should go. If you really want an animal to get moving in a hurry, such as a horse, you use spurs.
One of my favorite Bible verses I used with my kids also reminds me what I can do with my friends:

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you seee the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25, NIV

We need our friends to prod us and spur us to use our best gifts and to get moving for God!! A good friend sees things in us that we often don't see in ourselves and can prod us to move in the right direction. (I just got to be with my sisters-in-law who affirm and encourage me--we all need that!!)

Being a "Martha" type, not only do I treasure good times with my friends, but also times that we can accomplish something for God and to help others.

Here are some ideas of practical and fun things you can do with friends to show God's love for others.
* Have a prayer group. I had several ladies over for these this summer..we tried iced coffee at our last one.
* Volunteer together. Choose a worthy cause and sign up to help. Sometimes we need the "encouragement" of someone else to do what we know we need to do!
* Make your own mission--whether cooking for people and keeping meals in the church freezer for those who need them, cleaning, organizing, shopping for others, planning child care, etc. We all have lots of people who need a hand around us--get your friends together and choose to bless someone!
*School will be starting soon. Get together with friends and go thrift store shopping, or trade items from your kids' closets for back to school outfits.
*Make your own support group to poke, prod or spur you on to accomplish something--cleaning out closets, exercising, improving eating habits, working on a bad habit, praying more.
*Meet your friends for a prayer walk--get your fresh air and exercise while you pray for your town as you walk. Good for your health, too!

Thank God for old friends, new friends and kindred spirits. Pray for those He puts in your life. Get your friends together and have brownies , then spur or prod each other on to good works!

Free Spirits

Free Spirits
--A Spiritual Epiphany on the back of a bike.
See this picture?? I rode a tandem bike with my son, Josh, a few weeks ago. It was Mom's Weekend at FarmHouse Fraternity at KSU and Josh decided we needed to ride a bicycle built for two. Back to the picture--imagine an old-fashioned tandem bike instead. A young, good-looking, athletic, coordinated and adventurous college man(my son) in front,with a mild-mannered, middle-aged, uncoordinated Mom(me) in back with speed and falling issues--and as it turns out, control issues!! (In truth, that was no surprise)

The only similarity to the picture above was that our bike also had two wheels. Actually, I was pleased that Josh signed us up for the ride. Then I got on the bike.

We had no helmets.
Riding in back, I couldn't see where we were going and had no way to control where we went.
I had no brakes--I was at the mercy of my son's "need for speed"!

I knew I was in trouble as immediately after mounting the bike, Josh takes us swooping down the driveway into the street--much faster than I felt necessary--I screamed just a little.

My son said to me: "Mom--I've got this--you just ring the bell and hang on!"
As I pondered his words, and rang the little bell on my handle bars,we were riding in streets, up onto sidewalks, and careening around corners on the KSU campus. We passed several Boy Scouts and their leaders. I wanted to yell: "I am not prepared, I am not prepared for this crazy ride". (I expect they knew that, hearing my little exclamations as we sailed around another corner and down a curb into the street!)

Between moments of fear, I really did enjoy the ride. I felt adventurous..and (gasp) free, and I did enjoy ringing the bell. I wondered about that, though--was ringing the bell's purpose to warn people that we were coming? Or was it to say "Look at us and this cool thing we're doing"! (I'm sure Josh wanted me to ring the bell to alert everyone how cool this was.)

As we pedaled uphill, the chains began an ominous clanking and the gears kept slipping.. After listening to me whine about this, Josh consented that we could get off. He tinkered with the chains and gears and fixed the problem. Just in case, we walked the bike up hill and rode it down--a sucessful solution and we arrived back at FarmHouse unscathed and having enjoyed (mostly) our ride.

I have Josh's words written on an index card over my sink:
JUST RING THE BELL, AND HANG ON!!!
It occurred to me that God is saying these words to me, also.

When life seems like a crazy, unpredictable ride, He says:
"I've got this--you just hang on and ring the bell. Let people know we're coming so they can see what I (God)will do.

This is incredibly freeing to me. I have to finally admit that there is only so much I can do, or am responsible for, and the rest is up to God.

As for me, I am often not prepared. Just like my bike ride, I don't know where God is taking me, and I don't have any way to slow events down--or speed them up. We may go down some hills, or have a rough climb up--but God is still in control and He tells me to just hang on--and ring the bell, to have joy and rest in His care even in the middle of a wild ride!
I am also free to be what He needs me to be and who He made me to be--a Free Spirit! I can dare to do small and big things for Him.
Without Him, I am a wimp, a coward, a scaredy cat. I have fear issues--fear of failure, fears about what other people think of me, even personal safety fears. I have to force myself to do some of the seemingly outrageous things I do because I know I have a BIG God who tells me He will be with me and give me what I need. I push myself sometimes (not often enough) to dare things for God that I cannot do in my own strength...saying yes to God, counting on Him to cover for me.
Saying yes to God is very freeing, even exhilarating...but you never know where it may lead. I would say it is not for the timid (like me), but that's the whole point..it is. II Timothy 1:7 tells us:
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline."

Because we have the Holy Spirit's power, we can be "free spirits". We don't have to be timid scaredy cats anymore!! My daughter is a counselor at Echo Ranch Bible Camp in Alaska right now and observed that saying yes to God put her there, covered with spaghetti, oatmeal and applesauce the other night in the camp's giant "crud" war. They fling crud or food at each other to demonstrate how it is when we're covered in the crud of our sins--then they go into the Pacific ocean to wash the crud off--being forgiven and clean! I could also list some very unlikely situations and places saying yes to God has taken me, and yes, sometimes there is crud involved--but it's worth it, so go for it!!
When we celebrate the freedoms we have in our country, be thankful for the freedom we have in Christ--to be forgiven, protected, loved, and used for God.

On the Home Front --

Celebrate the Fourth of July--look at last July's blog for more ideas, but I plan to include sprinklers, sparklers, and watermelon in some way. Put out your flags; wear red, white and blue; read the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution out loud;and pray for our country. Remind others and yourself that freedom is never free--it has a great cost, whether in sacrifice of those serving in the military, or because of Jesus' death to insure our freedom from sin and death.

Stand Up!! Have you read all the articles lately that tell us that sitting is bad for our health?? This stands to reason, (pun intended)but it is bad news for a reader like me. I do read and walk sometimes, but it is a little distracting!! The more you sit, the bigger your waist measurement--so we need to stand tall!!

You bought It, now Use It, part II. I challenged us last month to use our inventory of beauty, cleaning and food products instead of buying more, an idea I got from the book, Living Well on One Income, by Cynthia Yates. I've been working on this and actually cut our grocery bill in half. It does lead to some creative meal planning, however! Embrace this challenge--it has to be good for your budget and your brain--and stand up while searching those shelves and freezer spaces! Making smoothies or popsicles from left over frozen fruit is a good way to use some of your inventory. One of our favorite summer treats is frozen fruit salad. This recipe is pretty loose because I vary it depending on what fruit I need to use!! In a big bowl, mix 1 can of frozen orange juiice, and 2 cans of water. Add some frozen lemonade or lemon juice. Slice some bananas (about 3 or 4) into the mixture and add sliced and cut up canned peaches and maraschino cherries. Freeze in smaller covered containers or in muffin cups for individual servings. Thaw a little to serve. You can vary the juices and fruit combos. Left over veggies can find their way into chef salds.

You can't be a Free Spirit if you can't find your car keys..or checkbook..or shoes! On these hot days when it's nice to stay inside in the air conditioned house, choose a drawer/cabinet and declutter. For example, I have a cabinet for glasses, pitchers and tea. I do not know why, but I have 12 boxes of tea. I have cleaned out this cabinet over and over, but can not bring myself to throw away perfectly good tea even if I do not like it or use it!!! I've tried to like green tea, honest I have, but I've decided to brew it and then mix it witih fruit juice and chill. I keep harping on all of us to use it or lose it because we do feel freer and operate better if we can find what we need!! One expert estimated we spend about about an hour a week looking for misplaced items, and spend untold amounts of money replacing what we already have but cannot find.

Set your Spirit free with some good books The Bible, of course, is the original free spirit book, but I have some lighter reading books to recommend also. I found a series of 3 books by Lisa Wingate: Tending Roses, Good Hope Road and The Language of Sycamores, which all deal with young women who receive lessons in forgiveness and second chances. If you have younger children, (ages 5-10) the Mrs. PiggleWiggle books by Betty MacDonald are great to read aloud, as are the Beverly Cleary books. Here are some of our family's favorite summer reads for ages 8-15: any of the Henry Reed books by Keith Robertson, Gone Away Lake and Return to Gone Away by Elizabeth Enright, and really good stories dealing with early Kansas/Oklahoma life by author Alberta Wilson Constant are the books Those Miller Girls and Miss Charity Comes to Stay. Read aloud each evening on the porch, on the couch, in the car, wherever...but read together!!! (The book, Rain, by Peter Spier is wonderful for preshoolers-early elementary.This would be very refreshing as it shows kids on a rainy day--we can hope!!)

Celebrate all the ways we are Free Spirits--dare to do some fun little things, dare to do some meaningful big things for God and others!