Were You Born In A Barn?!

As I was doing chores tonight, my mind was occupied with thoughts of the very first Christmas.

No, we don't know if it really was December 25th.

And I don't really care.

Those logistics and petty details of the story are not what matter.

The STORY is what is important...

Can you imagine a barn in your mind right now?

It wasn't as nice as the barns we have today though.

They were simple shelters for the animals to get out of the elements.

They were most likely drafty.

They had an odor to them.

Anyone who has been in a barn - any kind of barn - I'm sure has smelled something that wasn't pleasant.

It goes with the territory.

People always make the comment that THIS was where He was born.

In a BARN.

Like it's a bad place.

I'm not sure that the Inns in those days were much better...

I mean, look at the castles people lived in - drafty and cold.

I'm sure that there was a large gathering of people in Bethlehem at that time (remember, Caesar had ordered all people to return to the place of their birth to be taxed) so the inns were full of people.

People who were NOT happy about bring taxed; and having to make such a long journey to get there.

I'm sure there were many arguments going on and possible brawls.

Probably a lot of eating and drinking too.

The inn was not quiet.

And as far as odors go, I'm sure there was a stench from people who hadn't taken baths in months; and all that drinking and eating...I'll leave that to your imagination.

Would you want to give birth in such a place??

I think I would have PREFERRED the barn!

Our barn is newer than that barn of old but it's still a bit drafty - fresh air can circulate through that way.

Our barn has an odor - all barns do.

Our barn is quiet - once the animals have been fed, they settle right down.

Sure, it's not the most sanitary place.

Nevertheless, I'd say for back then, it was better than most for her to give birth.

She had clean straw or hay to lay on.

There was plenty of clean water - the animals didn't mind sharing.

If it was a chilly night, the animals would have helped as space heaters.

And as for the Baby's visitors, do you think the shepherds would have been allowed in the inn?

People may scoff at where He was born.

They may say that the innkeeper and the rest of the people were dreadful in turning the couple away.

They may say that if THEY had been around back then He would have had the best of the best; they would have seen to it.

But honestly, I cannot think of a better place for the Savior of our world to be born.

Wet Socks & Unhappy Toes

Have you ever had a hole in your boot?

If you haven't, let me tell you it is no picnic.

Sometimes the only way one finds this hole is when one's foot gets wet...INSIDE the boot.

This happened to me the other morning.

I was feeding calves when I thought I felt something weird inside my left boot.

It wasn't a definite wet feeling...my little toe just felt a little chilly.

I chalked it up to the drop in temperatures overnight and the thin socks I had grabbed that morning. I figured that my foot would warm up as my body woke-up and I moved around in the barn.

I went about dishing out the milk to the younger calves and making sure everyone had an adequate grain supply.

When I finally headed to the house for breakfast, I found the reason for my chilly toes.

I had water in my boot!

My socks were not sopping wet but they were not dry either.

I was glad that I was finished with chores and didn't have to wear the hole-y boots the rest of the day.

Have you ever ignored something?

Have you ever had something bug you, and instead of taking care of it you went about business as usual?

You might have even thought, It's not that bad...I can deal with this later...no reason to interrupt my plans just to take care of this little hassle....

No, my toes weren't cold enough to cause any damage like frost-bite.

Nevertheless, if I had gone all day with cold wet feet there might have been some sort of repercussions for it...

Can this apply to life on a spiritual level?

Is there something wrong that I know I need to take care of?

Something that might not seem very big but just isn't right?

I feel the prick of the Holy Spirit telling me that something is wrong, but I ignore Him.

I think to myself that I can wait.

I can take care of the problem later.

It's not going to make a big difference if I deal with it now or later...it's not THAT bad.

Maybe it'll even go away.

But it doesn't go away.

Instead a bigger mess can occur.

I was fortunate that I didn't have anything besides water inside my boot. If the hole was bigger or if I had had to do some cow work that morning, I could have had something else in my boot...I'll leave that up to your imagination ;)

(Cow work - sorting cows that need to go into a different pen, group, etc.)

Ignoring the problem is never the answer.

In reality it hardly ever goes away...

Reality: Fortunate for my toes, Mom keeps new boots on hand so I was able to switch them out for night chores.

Spiritually: Jesus has new "boots" on hand for me.

He wants me to take care of my problem right away; He is always standing by to help me do just that.

However, He knows that I won't always do what I'm supposed to do.

Therefore, He has made provision for "wet toes."

Hole-less boots = dry happy toes :)

Same goes for spiritual things.

Trust me.

(Photo curtesy of nathanrandall, "grandpa's boots" found on flickr.com, CC some rights reserved)

You Know You're A Homeschool Kid If...

...you only had to walk down/up-stairs from your room for school

...you wore pj's to class

...you sometimes had breakfast and/or lunch during class

...you went to the local library once a week and had your own library card to check out books

...your PE class consisted of chasing your younger sibling(s) around and/or barn chores

...you hardly ever had classes after lunch - you were done for the day by then! ;)

...you've ever been asked by store clerks: "No school today?"

...trips to the parts store with Dad were field trips

...you've ever been told by friends you live in a monastery

...you've never had to "take a note home to the parents"

...house chores were part of home ec class

...the signatures on your "diploma" all have the same last name as you

...all your school work was "homework"

...your yearbook doubles as your baby book

...a snow day means you got to go sledding!!! AFTER that morning's classes and chores were done

...you can count the days you got to "stay home" because you were sick on one hand (okay, maybe two)

...you never had a uniform to wear to school

...you only had a TV for educational videos, and those were limited (we were having too much fun outside!!)

...you got to sleep-in (if you're lucky haha)

...you always got out earlier than everyone else!!!!!! (thanks to those snow days, etc.)

...you didn't know how distasteful cafeteria food could be until you got to college

...you never did the traditional "school shopping" (you got your supplies later when they went on sale =)

...you never had a locker (until you used the gym in college)

...you were older than everyone else in your grade because you got to begin school at a later age (yippie!)

...when you got to high school you were able to choose the tougher ones first and leave the easy ones for last (despite the grade level)

...you and your sibling(s) had classes in the same room

...you were ever asked: "How do you socialize??" or "Do you have any friends??"

...you went to places on a school day to avoid crowds or long lines

...bullies at school got punished by your parents

...you have to clean your own science experiments up

...if you had something special you wanted to do you could work ahead on school work and take the day off

...most school weeks consisted of 6 days (another reason the school year was over earlier)

...you never had holidays off (especially if you were a little behind in your school work)

...you didn't only have friends your own age, but also your parent's age

...you've ever had class outside or in the car

...you could NEVER get away from those dreaded spelling words

...you've ever graded your own school-work

...you eat breakfast, lunch, and supper with your teacher and principal

...hearing the phone ring makes you happy 'cause you know you'll have some free-time while the teacher visits

I LOVED being homeschooled and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything!!! =D

(Photo curtesy of Lyn Lomasi, "Homeschool Materials on Bookshelf" found on Flickr.com, CC some rights reserved)

Sweatshirt

As I pulled my Southern sweatshirt out of my "winter clothes" box this morning, a thought occurred to me...

This is the first fall I've experienced in 5 years!

Sure, they have fall in Tennessee.

But nothing compares to a real New England autumn.

The crisp Northern air.

Vermont's Green Mountains and New York's Adirondacks turning into a brilliant painting.

Fields turning gold as crops mature and ready for harvest.

Ah yes, I'm ready to experience Vermont's seasons again.

Bring it on! =)

Late Laughter

I should be in bed...actually I should have been in bed long LONG ago haha

But I had to share this before heading off to dreamland.

A little laugh to brighten your day or night =)

...

This was an actual radio conversation released by the Chief of Naval Operations, October, 10, 1995.

#1: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the North to avoid a collision.

#2: Recommend you divert YOUR course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.

#1: This is the Captain of a US Navy shop. I say again, divert YOUR course.

#2: No. I say again, you divert YOUR course.

#1: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER ENTERPRISE, WE ARE A LARGE WARSHIP OF THE US NAVY. DIVERT YOUR COURSE NOW!

#2: This is a lighthouse. Your call.

(Photo curtesy of Gurumustuk Singh, "Laughing" found on flickr.com, CC some rights reserved)

Nostalgia

As I sit here watching the setting sun glitter off the raindrops hanging onto our picture window, I think about how much I love this place.

I've lived in one place my whole life. And I love that fact.

This place has a lot of history.

It was the Spooner Estate before my great-grandfather Briggs bought the property in 1927.

Since then, four generations of Briggs have lived in this old farm house.

Three generations have milked cows in what is now the calf barn - my grandfather built the milking barn back in the 70's.

Four generations have worked and harvested the expanse of land we own - although Dad has added some since he took over the operation.

Four generations have sweat, struggled, and strived to make this a well-running farm.

My brother and I are the fourth generation.

Will there be more?

Only time will tell, but we're planning on keeping it going as long as possible.

Great-Grandpa would not recognize the old homestead. But I think he would approve of the changes.

He would be shocked to see all the equipment it takes to run an operation such as this. They did everything with horses back-in-the-day, ya know.

However, I think he would be proud to know that his son, grandson, etc. have kept his legacy alive and well. I can't wait to meet him in Heaven! He was a remarkable man and I can see part of him in my grandfather.

With all the family history there's a lot of nostalgia in this place.

If I ever moved away I would feel like I left behind a piece of myself.

I can't do that.

I can't leave.

I can't leave the green mountains.

I can't leave the lake.

I can't leave the ponds and Otter Creek.

I can't leave the people.

I can't leave the memories.

Maybe someday I'll move away.

Maybe someday the memories will have to be just that, memories.

But for right now, I'm staying put.

Maybe this is where God wants me...

Steering Wheels...

The last time I wrote a blog was when I was in high school...

Over 7 years ago!

Times have changed since then and so has this girl.

Before I went to college I was shy, introverted, & didn't have a visible backbone.

No who knew me then would probably recognize me now...

I am still shy but it no longer defines who I am.

I sometimes go out of my way to talk to people because I understand that friendships are important and who knows, they just might have needed a listening ear.

As for backbone, I've heard the word "stubborn" used when people talk about my determination - if I believe in it I won't back down.

How did this little girl turn into the woman I have become?

Yes, maturity has a lot to do with it, but it's more than just growing-up.

I had to go thro some things to get me here. No, sometimes they weren't pretty and yes, there were times I thought I wouldn't, couldn't get through any more.

But God got me through.

He has always been there for me. Even when I didn't feel the need for Him.

Even when I thought I was too busy for Him.

Even when I would rather watch a movie then spend time reading His Word.

Even when I only came to Him when I needed or wanted something or had a problem I wanted Him to fix.

He was there.

This girl has finally come to her senses.

Without Him relationships fall apart.

Without Him love is nothing more than a Hollywood fabrication.

Without Him people don't care.

Without Him things don't work out.

Without Him life doesn't make sense.

No, I'm not completely where I want to be.

No, I don't have the man I want.

No, I don't have everything figured out.

But I have to trust that He has me exactly where He wants me to be and will continue to lead me in the direction I should be going.

Some things are harder to trust about (like the man situation haha), but it's a learning experience and I'm learning from my mistakes.

Who knows how long it'll take to get there...

But as long as He's in control, I know I'm in good hands.

I just have to let Him drive.