Monday, April 14, 2014

Joy for a Woman's Soul

How does a woman find Joy?  How does anyone find Joy?

God promises to refresh our spirit.......but we have to open our eyes and our hearts!

As I started to pull my thoughts together for this blog post, I searched my many photos of flowers and architectural items because, other than my family, I love to photograph the unexpected and well, I just love flowers too!

I was looking for a photo that would capture....JOY!  This is what landed right smack in front of me..........
This photo is...in stackable order from top to bottom....Kiley, Robin (me!), Robbie, Nannie and Dad.  Five generations of joining hands, pulling together and as you can see from Nannie's grip...refusing to let go! JOY. 

I've had a dream, vision, call it what you want for the last 4-5 years or so to revive our women's ministry at church.  For years my prayer has been....God show me what I need to do to for this thirsty ministry.  Last week the direction changed a little....well it changed 'a lot a little'!

God - tell me what YOU want me to do and I'll do it.  In a matter of minutes, I'd taken over the Young Women's Sunday School class, talked about plans for the women's ministry and headed for home not even worried in the slightest how I'd manage to pull all this together. JOY. 

I picked up my Daily Devotional today and the message for today......The Joy of Being Me!...........I fling joy - beyond my next door neighbor's fence, clear across town and into the universe.  Then it curves right back around to me.  Sometimes with a whack on the head when I need it.  Sometimes with a thwack into my heart.  But it always comes back. No doubt about it.

Now back to the Young Women's Sunday School class...........If you are a young woman between the ages of 18-25, I invite you to come to our class.  You will be blessed!  You will be inspired!  You will laugh and possibly cry, but you will find JOY...because God promises it will be there.





Flowers.......just because!
JOY!

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Now residing with the Ward family.....Goadie Nell!

There was no question that I would have a painting of a cow in my kitchen!  Not a 'Guh-huh...Giddy Up Cow' and not one that looked primitive.  I wanted one that's different and well, ME!

I love Pinterest and started my search there.  I typed in 'cow painting' and looked at what seemed like hundreds of possibilities. 

Finally, with the scroll of a finger THE cow appeared!  I couldn't  tap on it quick enough to take me to the web-link.  All excitement, including the smile on my face and flash in my eyes immediately vanished with the words....NO LONGER AVAILABLE!


If you know me, you know I'm not a quitter.......I kept searching....found the artist....no luck!  Even found some other possibilities and all wonderful, but not MY cow.  I had to resign to the fact that this was not going to be an easy task and if this cow was meant to be in my kitchen, it would appear. 

In the meantime, I became friends with T-bone, Lola & Millie at the Meadow's Farm!  Love these three and their personalities.  Yes....personality!




I'd been playing around with many options for my cow painting and trying to decide whether to play around with the photos of my new friends and do a canvas wrap or one of many cool photo printing techniques on you guessed it....Pinterest!  OR.....try to paint it myself.  Hmmmmm....what's a girl to do?

Imagine my excitement when I was scrolling through Facebook early one morning when one of my favorite Facebook pages...Antique Farm House posted a giveaway......and it was MY cow!  I could hardly contain myself!  I wanted to order it right away fearful it would be sold out or something, but hey I've got just as much chance as anyone to win it too!

The drawing was in four days...I can wait!  I can wait!  I can wait! (I know what you are thinking....order the daggone painting and if you win, return the one you bought!)  I checked into that and this painting could not be returned.  No worries - I need to learn a little patience anyhow!  D'lawd it was killing me!

I didn't win!  But the winner was announced at 11:30am and by 12:00 noon she had started her journey to the Ward's home!

She is here!

She arrived and needed a name!  I already knew I was going to use the name 'Goad' somehow because Stephen's grandparents used to farm this land and yes, had cows! (That's why I wanted the painting in the first place).  However, I want her to have a clever folksy name.......Goadie came to mind immediately and I loved it!  But what else...she either needs a middle name or a last name....I prefer a middle name. 

I consulted Melvina (aka Cindy) for name recommendations and we came up with the following:
  • Goadie Maude (Mom had an Aunt Maude)
  • Goadie Ward
  • Goadie Gertie (Pap used to call someone Gravel Gertie!!)
I was just about set with Goadie Maude and asked Stephen what Grannie Goad's first name was......Nellie!  Oh My Goodness!  Are you kidding me! 

I didn't want her exact name....Nellie Goad....but decided to flip it and MY cow's official name is:

Goadie Nell

She is beautiful and exactly what I wanted!  Goadie Nell - Welcome to the family!

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