The Event ~ Worry

Worry is an event ~ an unpleasant event.  An unpleasant event that strips valuable time and resources from my day.  An unpleasant event that fills my head with negativity.  An unpleasant event that weighs heavily on me and creates an unnecessary burden for me to carry.  An unpleasant event that stirs trouble in my soul and mind.  An unpleasant event that causes me to want to be a control freak, which makes me an unpleasant person.   Worry can be a daily event that wears a person down. 

So why do I worry?    And what do I worry about? 

I think I worry most about my children.  Why?  Is it because I love them so much, I don't want them to suffer through trials,  and I only want absolutely the best and most perfect of life for them, and when it is anything less than that, I worry?  I worry about my husband ~ especially when he doesn't come home from the field or somewhere in the time frame that I expect him.  What bad thing has happened?
I worry about the future ~ I worry about the kind of society my grandkids will have to survive in (in a time when I will not even be around anymore!)  And I worry about their safety in a world filled with kidnappers and murders and drugs and peer pressure.   

STOP!  This is all useless negativity.  First of all, my children are all beautiful, well educated, capable, hard working, selfless, giving, thoughtful, and loving.  They can take care of themselves and only need my love, not my worry.  My husband is the best event that has ever happened to me, and the most meaninful daily event in my life.  God is in control of all of them, not me. 

So when I was reading my latest issue of Guideposts magazine, I was severely hit in the head when I read an "Upside Quote"  ~ "Worry is like praying for what you don't want!"   OMG  If all that "mind time" went into prayer instead of worry, my entire family would benefit.  That quote has stuck into my mind and nearly rid me of that wicked word, leaving a prevailing peace.

After all, comfort and prosperity have not enriched our lives as much as trials have, when I consider that trials draw us closer to God.  And as the song goes, "Just a Closer Walk with Thee,"  is what I most desire for those I love most.

It is my understanding that God will never leave us or forsake us and He will walk with us through the trial.  In the middle of our worst trials, we can hold onto God’s promise that He will always be there for us – even when He remains unseen and unfelt.  That promise is sure.  I expect God to remain with me and my family in any storm, lead us through it, and make us stronger and more faithful and better off because of it.

So my goal is to let go of worry and let God work according to His will in our lives.  Can I let go of all these pretentious fears?  I don't know.  But I'm not going to worry about it. . .  Just give God the glory for enriching my life through the family he has blessed me with. 

The Event ~ The Tree

This is a tree.  The reflections are the event. . .

When my Dad died in 1998 (14 years ago now, already), we came home from the funeral in Montana and found a small two-foot potted tree on our back steps.  The attached card reflected the tree was a gift from my work place, Farmers Irrigation District, in honor of my Dad.  In the years since, the tree has grown into a magnificent, stately, living memorial.  It's a beautiful tree, and everyday when walking past it, I think of my Dad.  If this tree were not here, my thoughts and reflections of life with Dad would be few and far between. I appreciate the significance of this tree and the memories within its branches!



The Event ~ Reaping the Red Beet Harvest

My little tiny small garden is producing a small harvest.  So far I have picked 3 huge cabbages, cucumbers to eat fresh, an abundance of zuchinni, of course, romaine lettuce, only 1 red tomatoe so far (lots of green ones show promise!), and a small harvest of red beets.

I like to raise red beets maybe every two-three years, because the only time we eat them is with hamburger pie, also known as Shepherd's Pie.  So hopefully one season's canned red beets will last at least two years.

Red beets are really easy to preserve.  After plucking from the garden, cut off the tops within 1" of the beet, hose down outside before taking to the kitchen, cook in boiling water till the peelings slip off, probably a good half hour, remove and submerge in cold water, slip off the peelings, cut off the tops and tails, quarter, and reheat thoroughly in water/vinegar/sugar/pickling spice as follows:

About 10 cups more or less quartered diced red beets
2 1/2 cups vinegar

2 1/2 cups water

3 cups sugar

2 Tble pickling spice tied in cheesecloth     

When tender and hot (30-30 mintues) pack into jars and seal!  Enjoy.

HAMBURGER PIE

1 lb hamburger browned with onion
Salt & pepper to taste
1 can french cut green beans, drained
1 can tomato soup

Mix all together, heat through.  Put into serving bowl.  Top with layer of mashed potatoes.  Sprinkle shredded cheese over all. Heat in oven till cheese is melted.

Now I like to take my red beets and mash them right into my individual serving of hamburger pie!

An eating event to savor.  And a family favorite!

The Event ~ Two Weeks With Ben

It's always our pleasure to have one of our grandkids stay with us for an extended stay.  This time we have Ben for two weeks.  Not his first time to stay with us, as he has been here several times.  This time he was here during fair time.

We took him to his first rodeo.  He really liked the bull riders.  It was very touching when the rodeo started off with a somewhat long prayer directed to our heavenly Father, God the almighty,  praying for the safety and protection of the rodeo participants and the animals, asking in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.  Wow, you don't hear that much in public anymore.  And then time to honor the military as well.  Those moments just send goose bumps throughout.

Another night we took him to the carnival, which he said was his first carnival, and let him do a few rides.  The carnival was packed with people which was a little surprising I thought.  It's nice to see people turn out and support a small town carnival once again. 

Ben and I also went to the fair parade in Mitchell.  We have lived here for 26 years, and I think this was the first fair parade I went too!  It was refreshing to see people turn out for a small hometown parade.  The candy that was thrown out was way more than I've seen at bigger parades.  Ben filled both big pant pockets and my purse with candy and shared with two little girls who were not big enough to quickly gather up hands full of candy.  The moms of the two little girls commented on what a nice boy he was and how nice of him to share his candy.   The first thing he did when we got home was divide it up into 7 little bags to share with his brothers and sisters!

We enjoyed time playing frisbee, which he was really good at.  Ben was excited to mow the lawn with the riding mower.  He got to do that twice and did a really nice job.  I just let him go round and round till he got it all, in slow gear of course.

BEn also helped me can cherries and peaches.  He took the stems off of 40 pounds of cherries, and he helped slip the peelings off  the peaches. 

He spent his days with Grandpa mostly, went swimming with a friend, and spent some time at Great Grandpa's house too.  His chores were to give the steers hay every morning and every night, which he did diligently.

Ben likes to help out,  But,  Ben is a real storyteller,  a bs-er to be exact!  He doesn't stop to think about what he says.  Much of what he says is not true.  I don't want to call him a "liar", but he has a habit of  exagerating  and "knowing all the answers".  He is just a kid who wants to know so much and be able to do it all, that he thinks he can do it all and he thinks he does know everything, and he doesn't think twice about saying so! Ben even admits he knows more than most people, and knows more than his Dad and Grandpa.   He loves to be helpful and gets a grin from ear to ear when given praise and recognition.  His words of appreciation, with a smile from ear to ear,  were repeated over and over again when we took him to the different events.  In the eyes of a young boy, he was thrilled and thankful to be taken to the carnival and the rodeo and the fair, and allowed to mow the lawn, etc.

He hurts when Grandpa teases him or makes fun of the way he talks.  Ben has an "r" speech impediment which drives Grandpa nuts.  But he probably got that from me, as I still have trouble with my "r" words. 

We worked on him not saying "cheater" everytime he didn't win at some silly little game we were playing, like who is first to buckle their seatbelt, but rather saying "good job. . . ".  He did a good job at that too!

Ben discovered he LOVES liver.  I fixed it one nite as "beef steak", and he thought it was awesome and begged to have it again the next nite.  So the second week I fixed it again.  He really wants me to take his Mom some of that meat and show her how to fix it!!  Ha-ha - that's funny!

Ben is a charming young man to be around.  We loved having him, as we do each of the kids.  Ben, we enjoyed having you and we love you and will miss you.  Someday when you are much older you will read this and get that big smile on your face!  Now I just have to get a picture of Ben and me together!