My Best Friend...

I was sitting here thinking of the words I want to say,

but they just wouldn't come out right so I found a different way.

I got a piece of paperand I wrote this poem for you,

but there's no way to thank you for everything you do.

For always being nice to me and staying by my side,

for helping fix my problems and never leaving me behind.

For accepting my thoughts and feelings,though you do not understand,

for never giving up on me and being my best friend.

For making me laugh and letting me cry

and saying you'd miss me if I were to die.

Everything you mean to me you could never know

In all the ways you've changed my life I could never show.

The way you take care of me, you're my shining star

and though it's so incredible that's just the way you are.

Before I get too mushy it's time for me to go,

but before I leave this ink-filled page there's one thing you should know.

As long as we are living, no matter when or where,

if you ever need me just call and I'll be there.

I'll climb a thousand mountains and swim a thousand seas

anything to be there 'cause... you've been there for me.

My Farm

We live on a 200+ acre farm. It is only part of the Linkinoggor family farm. Soon my father hopes to buy the other 400+ acres of the original farm. As far back as I can remember, I have always had my jobs on the farm. When your little, your job is to collect the eggs. I thought I was a real farmer, lol, I would sing for all I was worth while I gathered the eggs into my little bucket. I would take them home to my mother and help her put them into cartons. Fresh farm eggs just make a good country breakfast.











As you can see we have cattle on our farm. About 100 head or so. One of my favorite memories of living and working on a farm is tha sound of my father calling cattle. I can't explain it, you just have to hear it yourself. He'd call and call and then you would hear the bull start bawling, then with in minutes, you could see the herd slowly making their way off the ridge. Cows slowly chuggin' along while their babies ran and jumped and played. They would gather round the feeders and feed troughs. I can remember my father showing me how you could rub their back just above their tails. They would stand there for as long as you would scratch and rub. I took this for granted when I was younger. I looked at it as a chore but now I see that it was a priviledge. I wouldn't trade one day of hard work on that farm for any man's money. The things I learned and experienced on our farm are things that you can't learn any where else.



Here are a couple of our babies. These belong to the "Danny Cow" and to the "Harry Cow". Yea we name our cows after who we buy them from. These little guys and gals are way too much fun. They either run and play and jump and kick, OR, they just lay in the sun and bask all day long. They are fun to be around. I love when we walk on the hill and see new babies that have just been born and cleaned up. You can't help but laugh to yourself while you watch them try and take those first wobbly steps. PRICELESS...

I thank God for my being raised on a farm. Through this I have learned the value of a hard day of chores, the value of a dollar, and the importance of each job finished and done well. I am truly blessed to have watched the different miracles of life and growth that are everso on going.

On our farm is where I have had some of the best talks with my Jesus. I walk to the highest ridge on our farm and just sit and talk to Him for hours about everything. I feel Him kiss my cheek with a gentle breeze. I listen to Him sing a love song to me through the birds in the trees. I tell Him all my cares and He covers me with sunshine to let me know He's there and that He will keep me. This is my favorite place to be on a starry night. It seems that you can reach right up and touch the stars. I lay there and watch Him wink at me over and over in that dark sky. Thank you God for all these blessings,... my farm, and my life, and my journey...

Those were the days...

I took some time yesterday and threw a softball around with my cousin Kenzie. It brought back so many memories. I remembered how I was always playing softball everyday when I was younger.
I can remember leaving practice and wanting to quit. I would leave mad cause I had a few bad throws or hits. I wanted to be the best ever...Never quite made it there...But i do remember long rides home after games. Scraped elbows, bloody knees, and on several occasions, broken pride. I remember squatting behind home plate and telling my pitcher to burn it in to me. I remember thinking "this runner is gonna bulldoze me".."gotta get low and tag her quick"...yep, those were the days.
When I would step up to the plate, the whole in field groaned..and the outfield backed stepped. The pitcher got nervous, for you see, at that time, I was the only left handed batter. "Never swing at the first pitch" I'd tell myself. "Don't settle for a walk"..."Crack it out there"...the sound of the ball on that bat, and i was gone, half-way to second before it ever came close to the ground. I'd round second and dive into third. After the dust cleared, nothing but a smile on my face waiting for my chance to steal home. Or..I'd jog to the dugout with my head down knowing I should've ran faster or dove lower. I didn't play cause I loved it...I played cause I couldn't live with out it...yep, those were the days...

My Valley...

My life is full of mountains and valleys. It seems lately that there have been nothing but valleys ahead of me. This is where I learn to trust and draw my strength from God. I stumble and I fall, yet His hand is always there to pick me up, dust me off, and help get going again.

I used to try to run through my valley, thinking if I did that then it wouldn't take as long. I couldn't have been more wrong. I have found that "slow and steady wins the race". I had to have help figuring that out.

In my valley I cursed and I spit...I kicked and I hit. I blamed everything on everyone and couldn't see the big picture. All I could see is what was happening right then. All i could see was this dark scary lonely valley that was slowly swallowing me alive. Now when I look back I can't help but see how green my valley was. Thank you for my valleys Jesus. For in these I have learned that they are what make the mounntain top worth every mile.

"When there's a lesson for learning, He'll take you aside To walk in the valley close by His side. Up on the mountain sweet blessing He gives, But down in the valley is where we learn to live."

My Father...

Yesterday was my father's birthday...he is 55 years young <3

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY...I LOVE YOU :)

God took the strength of a mountain, The majesty of a tree,

The warmth of a summer sun, The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of nature,The comforting arm of night,

The wisdom of the ages, The power of the eagle's flight,

The joy of a morning in spring, The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity, The depth of a family need,

Then God combined these qualities,

When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete, And so, He called it ... Dad

That's why I run

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" Hebrews 12:1

"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain."

1 Corinthians 9:24

I run every morning at 5:30.(or at least I try to...) This is my time to let everything go. This is my time to clear my head and just run for all I'm worth. With every step, I try to let one more weight fall off my chest, one more burden fall to the asphalt and shatter. I feel my heart beat in my throat and my forehead, my knees hurt and my hips ache, i want to stop, but no. Pain is weakness leaving the body....

When i run, it's just me, God, and the road. I think about all the expectations that weigh on my life. I think of the letdowns and the disappointments on my shoulders. I think of my short comings and failures. There's not a road long enough to cover them all. When i run, those all fall away. I shed them and leave them laying where they fall, hoping that the wind or the rain will carry them away. I leave a trail of sorrows and broken dreams that now lay by the wayside. I feel a sense of relief when i take that last step. For, by the time I've finished my run...I'm free.

Just Me

From the time I was little, I knew I was great

'cause the people would tell me, "You'll make it--just wait."

But they never did tell me how great I would be

if I ever played someone who was greater than me.

When I'm in the back yard, I'm king with the ball.

To swish all those baskets is no sweat at all.

But all of a sudden there's a man in my face

Who doesn't seem to realize that I'm king of this place.

So the pressure gets to me; I rush with the ball.

My passes to teammates could go through the wall.

My jumpers not falling, my dribbles not sure.

My hand is not steady, my eye is not pure.

The fault is my teammates--they don't understand.

The fault is my coaches--what a terrible plan.

The fault is the call by the blind referee.

But the fault is not mine; I'm the greatest, you see.

Then finally it hit me when I started to see

that the face in the mirror looked exactly like me.

It wasn't my teammates who were dropping the ball,

and it wasn't my coach shooting bricks at the wall.
That face in the mirror that was always so great

had some room for improvement instead of just hate.

So I stopped blaming others and I started to grow.

My play got much better and it started to show.
And all of my teammates didn't seem quite so bad.

I learned to depend on the good friends I had.

Now I like myself better since I started to see

that I was lousy at being great--I'm much better being me.

Rain!

Wow, what a flood. Jokingly I told my weebie buddies to pray for a flood. It worked! lol...God sent an abundance of rain to our already saturated lil countryside. Result?, Highest waters seen in about 3 years...I have to admit, I love rain. Even tho rain clouds darken the days, rain brings forth newness. It revives and refreshes. It awakens life and causes amazing growth. God always gives us exactly what we need. Things have never looked so green and alive!

The tide is high, but i'm holdin' on...

Yes, the tide of my life is high, but i am holding on. I am so thankful for the ones that I have to hold on to. I have an amazing support system and am beyond thankful for that. I am learning that life is not always going to go in the direction that you have planned. It WILL go in the direction that God has planned. I know I need to learn to just stand still and let God move. I am struggling, but I am hopeful. No time for floating...it's sink or swim...and i'm paddling for all i'm worth.