A few of my favorites.

...When I am feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things, then I don't feel so bad.

Sunshine and blue skies
Katniss' snuggles
Good strong Coffee with a shot of bourbon
Ruger's loyal company
Walking on the beach
Old books and hot tea on a rainy day
Watching "Grimm" and drinking wine with some of the best friends God put in my life
Singing with my siblings around my Grandma's piano
Trying new restuarants
Going new places
The smell of freshly plowed ground the spring time
Singing camp songs around a bonfire
Hugs from my Bolivian brothers and sisters
Riding motorcycle anywhere
Big jacked-up trucks (especially mine)
The smell of diesel fuel at the tractor pull
Watching the stars at night
Playing the piano in an empty church
Hiking and camping, experiencing the beauty of God's creation
Hoopy-hoppers with my sis
Driving a John Deere 2020 tractor
Sitting on the anvil, talking to my dear wise friend by the wood stove
Playing board games and doing puzzles
Visiting and laughing with my 93 year old Grandma V
Hugs from my little-not-so-little brother
The smell of freshly mixed tmr and the quiet calm of the dairy barn
The Vista in Sucre
The miracle of newborn animals
Driving down the open highway with my windows down and the radio up
Country music
Making homemade ice cream
Mudding with my bros
Making people laugh and smile
Fishing with Abby and Sarah
Hunting turkeys and deer
Flying, especially take-off
The satisfaction of a job well done
Learning new things
Surprises and fun secrets
Holding hands and long walks
Swimming in the river or ocean either one
Buckwheat cakes and sausage gravy
Old fashioned gentlemen that treat me like a lady even though they know that I can do it myself
Pizza, sweet potatoes, fresh fruit, kale and avocados, not necessarily together...

This is far from being a complete list but this is a glimpse of the blessings I have in my life.
Mostly, my favorite things are people and the memories I have with them. They are what keep me going when the going gets tough. They are the reminders that this path I am traveling is worth it. They are my sunshine when skies are grey. When I feel down and out they make me smile again. When I get off track and lose focus they point me in the right direction again. They are my team and I know I can count on them to have my back. 'Thank you' seems small in comparison to the difference you all make in my life. I can surely say that I am blessed.

Hiding...

Hidden beneath picturesque blanket of snow there are dormant plants, hibernating bug larvae, decaying leaves, and dirt that will turn to mud in the spring thaw. Other things we cannot see lie there, things that have the potential to harm us if tripped over or stepped upon.

We can learn two lesson from the allegory of the snow. The first is that life is like the snow. It can be intimidating, uncomfortable and unpredictable. We have the choice to ignore it, hibernate from it, hate it, tolerate it, accept it, or deal with it.  

The second lesson is that each of us is also like the snow. You see a beautiful surface, a mask if you will, but there are things in all of us, even in the "good" ones that are shameful, dark and unsavory. All of us are fully human and not a one of us are any where close to perfect. Some have more appealing redeeming qualities, but the cold hard truth is that everyone has made mistakes and bad choices formed bad habits and will continue to do so till time ceases to exist. We are incapable of fixing our selves or changing the humanity of our hearts. Our only solution is to accept our own raw, rugged, real humanity and to realize that it is the same instinctual humbling flesh that we judge our brothers for. Lay it aside and open yourself to receive and give the grace that covers a multitude of sins.

...Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow...

Days of recollection.

I am at a point of evaluation in my life. I am on the brink of a new direction. My thoughts turn back to the familiar, to the things I know, things that are tried, true and proven. Lessons I've lived and learned throughout the years, come to remembrance. There are many new and exciting experiences in the future, waiting for me to turn the page and embark into the unknown. I pause to reflect on what brought me to this moment and made me who I am. So many people, places and events flood my mind. Memories of yesteryear, that really was not that long ago, but seems so far away. A few short years past, I was working hard to achieve my dream of my own farm. My passion for agriculture has only grown, only in an entirely different direction than I had anticipated. I did not know that the things I had worked so hard for would be gone, nor that a simple mission trip would change my whole perspective in life. Little by little God has been working in and changing my life, preparing me to serve and make a difference in ways that I never dreamed possible. It is both exciting and a little scary, but I know who goes before me and where He leads he will provide. Quirky things about my personal preferences and talents are starting to make sense. A knack for Spanish, an adventurous spirit, a taste for spicy foods, love for the earth God has given us to care for and cultivate and an unquenchable desire to make a difference...they are not random or coincidental, rather they are instruments of confirmation that I am on the path that God has called me to walk. Slowly I start to see the puzzle pieces falling into place. I must trust Him for the future, knowing my Creator's plan is best. One step at a time, one day at a time.

Silver Linings.

This Summer in North Carolina the days were filled with sunshine. At first I was thankful for every drop of golden sunlight. In the morning I would receive the dawning sun with joy, tracing it's daily path through the sky till it disappeared into the chorus of dusk, till it's morning resurrection. The days passed quickly and as I quickened my pace to match the demand of the growing season. My spirit of thanksgiving faded without my realization. You forget about the things you have every day...till they are gone. One day I woke up and the sun had disappeared. Angry clouds marched across the sky and a bitter cold wind out of the northeast bit into my skin and down to the core of my being. In that moment I did not remember the months of sunshine and blue skies. Without thought I complained. This was not my idea of a good time and I mumbled and grumble while I clumsily fumbled about my tasks with benumbed fingers and chapped hands and cheeks.it seems silly now because I knew the summer would not last forever. I knew the cold days of winter would eventually come. I knew that life is not all sunshine and flowers. But while I was comfortable I failed to cherish those things, even though I knew they are temporary; relative to time, as everything in this earthly life. On the same note the seemingly bad things do not last forever either. The clouds bring much needed rain to a farmer's parched fields. the storm is followed by a magnificent rainbow, reminding us of God's promise from so long ago. Some things, like stormy weather, appear to be "bad", but when we see the big picture we see the benefits it brings. and we know that behind those dark clouds the sun is shining and unseen to us there is a silver lining.

What thy hand finds to do, do it with thy might.

I once dated a man, with whom I was afraid to hold hands. Not because I was shy but because I knew my hands were rough and callused instead of soft and smooth. I was looking at the scars and marks on my hands the other day. I am no longer embarrassed by their roughness, because I know the stories behind it. I look at the marks and I see the long days in the field and nights where I didn't get enough sleep. I see a steady hand on the steering wheel, gentleness to teach a goat kid to suck, and pat a babies back, and strength to pull ropes tight and hold boards in place to nail. I see fingernails that will never be manicured because they need to be short so I don't nick a vegetable, scratch a cows teat, or catch on equipment and get ripped off. I see places where I have scars from accidentally cutting myself when I intended to cut a plant stem, and I know I learned the hard way that a sharp knife is less dangerous than a dull one. I feel the bumpy ridge where the bones knit themselves back together when I got wrapped up in the collar chain of a cow I was determined to be more stubborn than even though she weighed at least 8 times more than me. I remember that day like it was yesterday and almost laugh at myself for not realizing how badly I was bleeding till I saw the look on my friend's face when he saw it. I feel the stiffness in my knuckles on the frosty mornings, ruefully reminding me of all the times I should have worn gloves and didn't. My trigger finger goes numb when I hunt, taking me back to a summer day in the blueberry patch when I tried to "fix" my flip-flop and folded the knife up on my finger. The wounds have healed and the scars faded. I currently have "reminders" that I am learning to respect the wood stove and the stacks of firewood that I need to keep the house cozy. 

I look at my hands once again and see that God put in me strength and willingness for the tasks that lie ahead, may I do them with my might.