Greetings and Salutations,

    Still have snow on the ground in our neck of the woods, but it would seem somebody doesn’t think we have enough.

    My day, once I have performed my daily ablutions, starts with doing my chores and taking care of the animals under my charge.

    I feed the cats and dog, make sure they have fresh water.

    I ‘nuke’ the bird seed (except for the Hummingbird feeder which I do change every few days) to keep them from sprouting up in the yard.

    I then take it out and place it in feeders and sprinkle some on the ground. 

    Easy, peecy, only takes a few minutes.  Sometimes I have to shovel a bit of snow, so it takes a little longer, but it still isn’t very demanding.

    Our farmers and ranchers don’t quite have it that easy.  While it has been a few decades ago Carla’s Dad raised cattle.

    Dad wasn’t always able to be there to feed and water the cattle as he had to work, as a carpenter, away from home.  Spending all week out of town and coming home (weather permitting) for the weekend and then back so he can start work on Monday.

    Mom, Norm and the five girls had to take the hay out and feed the cattle (Carla remembers doing it after school.)  No matter what the temperature or weather conditions were; rain, snow, hot weather didn’t matter, the cattle had to be taken care of.

    They didn’t have a well and the irrigation water (which they could get for the cows and personal use in the summer) was shut off in the winter.

    They had to drive the truck into in to town, 6 miles away, load up a large tank on the truck (I recall seeing it, I ‘think’ it was like 500 gallons) and haul it back to the ranch.

    They put some in the cistern house for their own daily use, dishes, baths once a week, washing clothes, etc. and then took care of the cows until they had to go back in and get more water.

    I never had that situation.  I have always had water by turning a faucet, using it for whatever I needed.  We were always on city water or we had a pump drawing it from a well.

    We did have friends, we would visit, that had a hand pump in the kitchen for household use – during the summer they would take their baths in the irrigation pond, and would bath during the winter using a tub on Saturday nights.  And of course, the outhouse out back, but that was as close as I came to ‘roughing it.’

    I think I like my way better. 

    But I appreciate and admire the families that grew up in such an environment, took care of themselves, their family and their animals, worked hard without asking for government support and made a good life for themselves.

    And, in doing so, made this country great.

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    God is not silent.  It is the nature of God to speak.  The second person of the Holy Trinity is called “The Word.”  A.W. Tozer

John 1:1-2  KJV  “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

² The same was in the beginning with God.”

    God speaks to us daily, some days we don’t realize it, but He does.  It usually comes when the Holy Spirit nudges us to do something for God, or reminds our conscience that we should not be doing what we are either thinking of or acting on.

    When we read the Bible He speaks loud and clear.  We sometimes get it muddled up because either we do not want to read what He is telling us, or, it seems confusing because we read it in bits and pieces and do not STUDY His Word.

    People say the Bible contradicts itself, it doesn’t.  In some places it summarizes something, while in another it elaborates on the same thing.  Without reading and comparing it can appear confusing, but when we study it we understand what He is saying.

    We may need assistance on how to find that information and we can use references and people who have studied the Bible far more that we have to help us – however, we must be sure that anything we read or hear that promises us that it will help MUST not speak against the Word itself. 

    And, unfortunately, there are many so called ‘spiritual leaders’ that do just that.

    I can remember a popular evangelist preaching at our church about a year or so after I accepted Christ.  I was a bit surprised at the content – can’t remember it now – but what I remember vividly is the answer I was given by the Pastor’s wife when I asked her if it were true.

    Her comment “I am not sure yet, I need to research the Word, myself before I will accept it.”

    The world has its own interpretation; and it comes in the form of leaders that what to twist the Word for their own benefit. 

    Unfortunately, that interpretation is much easier to follow, because it doesn’t demand the holiness that God does and it sucks people in because it is easier and less demanding on them.

    Following Christ is not an easy road to follow.  It is not for the faint hearted.  But we do have the Holy Spirit to help us along that road.

    Paul states this situation clearly:

1 Corinthians 2:12-14 KJV  “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

¹³ Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

¹⁴ But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

    So, as we prepare our day, let us not forget to schedule and spend a time with God, read His Word and listen to what He has to say to us.

Later, Art (-: