Vacation Chronicles: Finale!

Summer vacations are a great way for families to make "memories" that last for a lifetime. It doesn't necessarily matter where Ewe go, just as long as Ewe go together. Rest & Relaxation time with family and/or friends, will help "refresh" anyone's outlook before returning to life's routines. I hope that Ewe are enjoying our "Summer Break", & are able to take some time to rest with family this summer.

" Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen."

Leonardo Da Vinci

Leaving the "Jungle" to rest opens up all kinds of "Possibilities"!

Many relaxing vacations start with a "Quick" trip through the grocery store!

"The only rock I know that stays steady, the only institution I know that works is the family."  ~Lee Iacocca


Gathering the Family is exciting, once Ewe have decided what to wear!



Did Ewe say just one suitcase apiece?

In family life, "Love" is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony.

Eva Burrows



Some family vacation "Decisions" involve "Racking Ewer Brains"!

Others are much easier, like smelling some fragrant flowers!

 "If the family were a fruit, it would be an orange, a circle of sections, held together but separable - each segment distinct."  ~Letty  Cottin  Pogrebin


Each family member is unique & is placed there by God!

Each family member is designed to make a distinct contribution to the family!

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."

Jane Howard


"Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible -- the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family."

Virginia Satir



Whatever color shirt Ewe choose for "vacation" pictures, Ewe are still FAMILY!

The Truth be told, as Family, we love one another!



Sheep prefer to herd together as a safety precaution against potential threats! They look out for each other as a herd, (family) & also have the Shepherd to protect them.




Never travel trough life alone! Stick close to Family.



I "Herd" it's a good idea to hang together with Family!

It's a comforting thought, knowing Ewe have a place that Ewe belong. As Ewe travel on life's path today, treasure the people that the Good Shepherd has given to Ewe as a gift from above! 


"For as the body is one & has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ."  I  Corinthians 12:12

"Blood's thicker than water, and when one's in trouble

Best to seek out a relative's open arms."

~Author Unknown

Vacation Chronicles: Resting Take 3!

Summer is a time for many of us to take a much needed rest from the rigors of our daily routines & to "chill" with family & friends. Let's continue to explore the fascinating topic of REST! Rest is defined by Webster as,"1:repose,sleep specifically: a bodily state characterized by minimal functional and metabolic activities 2a : freedom from activity or labor." Plutarch once stated, "Rest is the sweet sauce of labor."


Resting helps Ewe to "Branch-Out" & see more of the beauty around Ewe!

Even though it's a "WHALE" of a task, we need to take time to rest.

One of our Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, once noted,"He that can take rest is greater than he that can take cities."
Franklin appeared to have understood how critical, & how difficult it was, for  human beings to rest.


Resting for me is floating on my favorite lake, with no schedule to follow!

Nothing like a good "Mud Bath" to help Ewe to "Rest & Relax"!

Saint Thomas Aquinas once stated, " It is requisite for the relaxation of the mind that we make use, from time to time, of playful deeds and jokes."



Rest to me is "Horsing-around" in  a good game of "HIDE & SEEK"!

Listening to my favorite Christian Groups is "Purr"-ty  relaxing!

Sir John Lubbock once noted, "Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time."

Say anything Ewe want to, but "Flying" is very relaxing for me!

Relaxation for me is shooting hawks for target practice on my days off!

The need for rest is captured beautifully in this Anonymous quote:
"Man needs a day of rest from the cares, toils, and trials of the six days of work in the material realm. He needs to reflect, meditate, contemplate, and to turn his eyes inward, as it were, rather than outwards." ~Anonymous

Resting & Meditating makes me smile more!

Taking time to rest & reflect makes Ewe happy on the inside!

One of the goals of the Shepherd is to lead the sheep to a restful existence. Well managed sheep are happy "Campers"!



Resting helps restore us & causes us to jump for Joy!

The Rest & Relaxation of my sheep is what brings me happiness!!

Travel lightly today, resting in the fact that Ewer Shepherd is carrying the weight of Ewer burdens for Ewe! Relax & enjoy the journey


"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And on His law he meditates day & night." Psalm 1:2

Vacation Chronicles:Resting Take 2 !

Summer is a time for many of us to take a much needed break from the school routine, & enjoy some rest & relaxation. I found an anonymous poem on this very topic that I hope Ewe will enjoy.
"Please help us to rest. Please help us remember that You are All There Is."

It's all about learning to rest in HIM!

Don't Ewe worry about a thing! God has everything under control!

"I place my list of things to do in your hands. Just for a moment, I
let it go. I place any thoughts about how things should be different in your hands. Just for a moment, I let them go."



Trust & rest in the Lord, even though He may work in mysterious ways!

I'm learning to rest & trust that Ewe have a Plan!

"I place any thoughts about how someone else should be different in your hands. Just for a moment, I let them go."


When we learn to rest & put things in His hands, it always looks different!

It's learning to trust & rest in His eyesight!

"I place any thoughts about how I should be different in your hands. Just for a moment, I let them go."

I'm resting in the fact that YOU uniquely crafted me in my mother's womb!

I can rest in the fact that YOU know what You are doing!

"Right now, just for a moment,
I allow things to be exactly as they are,
I allow myself to be exactly as I am,
And so I rest."

He knows what He's doing! Ewe can "Rest" in His plan!

I can rest because He is the one that gives me Value!

Sheep have the most fun when thy rest in the care of their Shepherd. Somehow they know that "everything's going to be alright", when He's around.


Life is good & restful,, even though these kids won't get off my back!

Rest assured my precious flock. Ewe know that I'm looking out for EWE!

Walk peacefully today & rest, with the assurance that EWE are well taken care of by a loving & responsible Shepherd! Happy Trails to EWE! 

"Take My yoke upon you & learn from Me, for I am gentle & lowly in heart, & you will find rest
for your souls. For My yoke is easy & My burden is light" Matthew 11:29,30


"Thou hast created us for Thyself, and our heart is not quiet until it rests in Thee"   St. Augustine."

"The 'REST' of the Story"!

Summer is a wonderful time to take some time to reflect, relax, rest, & enjoy some of the rich blessings that God has bestowed on us all. I'm going to do the next series of Blogs on the benefits of, & need for, rest & VACATION from life's routines. I hope Ewe are able to take some "time off" to enjoy them! Nobel Prize winner & missionary, Mother Theresa, stated, "If you find serenity and happiness, some people may be jealous. Be happy anyway."


Going on vacation means taking some time to do some "Serious Laughing"!

Making vacation plans makes me smile, thinking about some much needed rest!

Taking the time for the proper amount of "Rest & Relaxation" is critical to our entire being. The Bible also addresses the benefits of  quieting down."Be still & know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.: Psalm 46:10" 


Do I look stressed? Slow Ewer-self down & just Relax!

Slowing down & "Being Still", leads to more "Power Naps"!

When God created the earth, He worked for 6 days & took the seventh day to rest. An old proverb states it best;" He who aims at nothing hits it." Our need for rest needs to be planned, otherwise, it most likely will not happen! Ovid, an early Roman poet, wrote,  "Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop."


Rest for me is "Hanging-Out" on my favorite bamboo poll!

Kings need to rest too! Rest for me, is being near the one I love.

Notable Christian author & pastor Chuck Swindoll once stated," In place of our exhaustion and spiritual fatigue, God will give us rest. All He asks is that we come to Him...that we spend a while thinking about Him, meditating on Him, talking to Him, listening in silence, occupying ourselves with Him - totally and thoroughly lost in the hiding place of His presence."

Praying helps me to experience His rest!

Take time to rest & Ewe will soon discover that Rest is Refreshing!

In Psalm 23:2,3a, David writes, " He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul;" The Good Shepherd leads sheep to places where they can experience His Rest!


Look at this fine pasture! No complaints here.

Ewe know we are well-rested when the kids are calm!

As Ewe travel on today's path, take a few moments to rest in His Goodness. Ewe will find it to be very refreshing, as well as time "well-spent"!

"Come to Me, all you who are heavy laden, & I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

"Independence Day"!

The Declaration of Independence states, " We hold these truths to be self-evident,  that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Independence Day is an ideal time to reflect on our historical roots & THANK God for the freedoms we have enjoyed throughout our existence as a nation. It is also appropriate to THANK all the men & women who have served in our military, for the sacrifices they have made, & continue to make, to preserve our FREEDOM! As we celebrate with picnics, parades, barbecues, & fireworks, let's be mindful of the value & cost of Liberty. We'll also be taking a peek at some thoughts, reflections, & trivia of Independence Day, so sit back & enjoy the ride.

Happy 4th of July America!

Happy Birthday America! God has richly Blessed EWE!

Former president John F. Kennedy once stated, " Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty." Did Ewe know that initially, there were 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? They all knew that they were risking their honor, lives, & fortunes by doing so, yet they remained "ALL-IN"! There were 24 jurists & lawyers, 9 farmers & plantation owners, 11 merchants, & a mixture of physicians, ministers, & scientists. They were all fueled by the fires of Liberty.


I love the parades & the "SWEET" Treats!

When it comes to the 4th, I don't "Horse-Around"!

George Washington once stated,"The preservation of the sacred
fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered... deeply, ...finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people." The United States Congress made the "Fourth", a federal holiday in 1870.The choice of a national bird was debated, with Ben Franklin losing with his choice of a "Turkey" (bird of courage), to John Adams & Thomas Jefferson's choice of the "Bald Eagle"( majestic beauty & great strength,).



I'm no "turkey" when it comes to being the National Symbol!

At least Ben Franklin loves me & knows I'm a "Bird of Courage"!

Thomas Paine once said, "Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."Did Ewe know that the first "giant" public display of fireworks to celebrate "Independence Day" was held in Philadelphia, in 1777?

Lady Liberty on Display!

Liberty makes me want to be FREE!

Daniel Webster once stated, " May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country!" Another interesting trivia tidbit is that the popular summer "specialty" food back in the 18th & 19th centuries was "TURTLE SOUP"! Aren't Ewe glad that Ewe have the good
fortune to enjoy such "specialties" as hot dogs, burgers, ribs, chickens, etc., in the 21st century?

Liberty is "The Cat's Meow" for me!

We Love the Leftovers on the 4th!

Thomas Jefferson's words, " My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no Other people on earth enjoy!" The Fourth of July has another interesting tidbit of trivia. Did Ewe know that John Adams, the 2nd U.S. president, & Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd U.S. president, both died within hours of each other on July 4,1826? It also happened to be the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence!

Celebrating Independence Day is a real BLAST!

I'm a real Patriot, however, I'm not from New England!

Sheep enjoy the Liberty provided for them by a loving & responsible Shepherd. They clearly know their boundaries & celebrate the freedom made available to them .


Freedom is the Best! It's BAAAAA...D!

Perfect Love casts out all fear my little lambs!

As Ewe graze in Ewer fields today, walk in the freedom that the Good Shepherd has provided for Ewe. Also make sure to take time to especially enjoy the opportunities Ewe have to be with family! God Bless Ewe & Happy 240th Birthday to America!


"Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
 2 Corinthians 3:17