Morning Musings

I have been working in my chicken houses this morning, getting ready for several thousands of baby chicks. Tomorrow afternoon we should see a sea of yellow with their deafening cheep, cheeping, while happily sipping water and munching feed.

While working, I’ve been thinking about those of you who have slipped in here to read. Often, I think about what I have written, knowing that some of it is quite heavy stuff. Not necessarily a place where you find humor or some place you recommend to a friend for hilarity. However, I hope some people take home a seed or two and God can use it.

My inspirations quietly slip into my mind at random times; in the chicken house, sometimes when I wake up, during morning prayer, or with my cup of coffee while reading the Bible. At times those thoughts expand, growing into an inspiration, while other times they fizzle aimlessly into nothingness, like a spent sparkler. Some, to be stuck in the file of bits and pieces or in my journal app to be looked at another day.

Somewhere between my mind, the English language, Word, spell check, deleting, listening, and retyping, listening again, I reluctantly post what I have written; it is what it is, for better or for worse. I could blame Word or spell check for the in capability to work out all the errors but that may be expecting too much. I’m pretty human so maybe I can place the blame on that.

I received an encouraging email from one of my second grade teachers. When I received it, I just smiled and the memories flooded my mind. She took over in the midst of the year when my other teacher received other plans for her life. I don’t know how many of you have a second grade teacher to give you encouragement, but it’s pretty special. I responded back to her with appreciation, with words indicating that a sower may sows seeds with a sewing machine instead of sowing them with a seed drill.  I only hope she doesn’t take the responsibility for not teaching me the difference between sewing and sowing. However, that all said, I am sure if someone I know quite well, could sow dress seeds and grow sewn dresses she’d be pretty enthused. So much for the English language. Which brings me to the point of encouragement.

Encouraging words can go a long way and last a long time. How long has it been since you offered an encouraging word to a son, daughter or spouse? How about the young Sunday School chorister, or the one who brought the opening, or the mom who tried to keep their child quiet during the long sermon. I am not talking about correcting encouragement, just plain and simple, “Hey, you did a good job! Keep it up!” I am not fishing for compliments either. The greatest compliment you could do for me is to tell someone how much you appreciate the job they are doing!  And now while I am talking about it, I am very thankful for all the work my son did for me on Saturday, getting these barns set up for baby chicks.