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I saw the Wednesday paper on the check-out counter, noticed the sales fliers and added the newspaper to my purchases. “I need to check the Black Friday specials,” I thought and set the paper aside for later. It’s not “later” yet, but maybe it will be. Black Friday sales are “a thing” in my family. My mama loved to check the specials and decide where to shop at an outrageous hour of not-quite-morning. She thrived on getting the best bargains. Mama wanted a big pile of presents under the tree on Christmas. The day-after-thanksgiving sales made her huge stack possible. Pre-dawn shopping is not my favorite, but I’ve had a few Black Friday adventures. I enjoyed them because I was with family, but the crowds and the rush completely overwhelmed to me. Today, I’m staying home. The most important of Black Friday specials: Instead, I decided to ponder the Black Friday Special that changed history: A Messiah for 30 pieces of silver. It’s a sobering thought and one we’d do well to remember as we head into the shopping frenzy that, all too often, fills the Advent season. During this season, we celebrate the nativity of our Lord, the moment in history when God Almighty, King of Heaven and Earth, slipped into a coat of flesh and delivered Himself to the most unlikely of parents in the most unlikely of places. He arrived with His face set like flint toward His own Black Friday and never lost sight of it. We can keep our eyes on the real reason for Christ during the next few weeks, but only if we choose to do so now. The cooing baby in the manger matters only because the suffering Son of God chose the cross and the empty tomb that followed. We can honor Christ as we celebrate the Christmas season, but not if we expect it to happen by accident. It requires a conscious decision to do so. Today, let’s fix our eyes on the empty tomb and celebrate the One who loved us so much He came as a baby and kept going until the tomb was emptied and His people were freed. Joy to the World! The Lord has come! Let earth receive her King! If you’re looking  for an Advent devotional guide, here’s a great one: The Road to Bethlehem: An Advent Prayer and Devotional Guide It’s available in Kindle format ($0.99) and paperback ($6.00) (this is an affiliate link, so I may make a few cents if you make a purchase using the link, but it won’t increase your price in any way) If We’ve Been Liberated, Why Don’t We Live Free? When the Prayer of Desperation Becomes Through the Roof Prayer Thanks for sharing your time with me today! I’ve glad you stopped by. If you enjoyed this content, follow me on Facebook or sign up for the twice-monthly mailing list (below) to be notified about my future blog posts. Before you leave, would you mind taking a moment to pin to Pinterest and share on social media? It helps extend my digital reach in ways I can’t do myself. Thanks again! See you soon.

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text] Several years ago, I decided I needed a cat at the barn to control the massive mouse population, so I hired Spike and his mama. I deposited them in my tack room with a litter box, fluffy bed, and food and water. Mama Cat, without a moment of hesitation or repentance, ran up the wall, jumped onto the top of the freezer, then out the open window. I never saw her again. She left little Spike behind. He wasn’t happy without his mama, so I adopted a second kitten, Max, to keep him company in the barn and help him catch mice. The partnership didn’t work well. The two kittens lived in the barn until their little legs grew enough to carry them down the gravel road. As soon as they were able to make the trip, they followed me back to my house. I returned them to the barn. They scampered to the house again the minute I turned my back. On and on it went. Day after day. They never caught a mouse. I don’t know what happened to Spike, but he eventually disappeared. Max stayed but refused to catch mice or go to the barn. He had a tendency to wander away for days at a time but, mostly, he hung around my back door. When Max was a young kitty, a bed fell on him and he was crippled, or so I was told. By the time he arrived at my house, his physical recovery was complete. His mental/emotional recovery was not as successful. He wouldn’t snuggle, couldn’t purr, and he bit anyone who picked him up. We changed his name to “Biting Cat.” One of my veterinarian friends called him “the devil cat.” Both names fit. The problem of cat-dreadlocks Max had another problem. He wouldn’t groom himself. Instead, he opted for dreadlocks. Over the course of a winter, his dreadlocks grew so long it was hard for him to walk. “You should do something for that poor cat,” Sam (my neighbor) told me. “I’d have to shave him,” I insisted. “You better put him in a feed sack to hold him before you try that.” “Sam, if I put him in a feed sack, I can’t shave him.” We went back and forth. Finally, I convinced Sam to hold the cat while I used the clippers to shave off his dreadlocks. Max bit Sam before the clippers touched him, and he let the cat go. “You should sneak up on him while he’s not looking,” Sam suggested. We pondered that a while. Finally, I found some small, quiet battery-operated clippers. I stalked the cat and waited for my chance. One day, Max (AKA Biting Cat) was asleep in a chair on the patio. I tiptoed over, turned on my clippers, and raked his side. Several dreadlocks fell off before he awakened, growled, and ran away. The next day, I tried a different technique. I patted him with one hand and shaved a section with the other. This worked better but was so awkward that I conned Sam into taking over the petting job. Because of the previous biting episode, Sam was skittish but agreed. Days went by as we shaved one patch at a time. The cat looked pitiful. Finally, the dreadlocks were gone. Most of Biting Cat’s hair was gone, too. His few remaining patches of hair looked even worse than the dreadlocks. Sam stared at the cat for a long time before he spoke. “I wouldn’t tell anyone that was my cat if it was me.” The shaving project was an educational experience. We repeated the shaving program every spring. After a few years, Sam and I grew more adept in our technique and Biting Cat grew accustomed to the spring shave. He let me hold him for a few seconds. He learned to purr and caught a mouse or two. This past Christmas, Max (AKA Devil Cat) had an unhappy encounter with my grand-dog, Bento, who wanted to play. Unfortunately, Biting Cat wanted to do what he does best. Bite. I’m not sure what happened next, but Biting Cat left in an angry huff and didn’t return for several weeks.  Another spring brings more dreadlocks I thought Max died in the winter cold, but no such luck. Sorry, Cat Lovers. I meant I was so happy this mean-spirited biting cat found his way back home. He arrived covered in dreadlocks again, yowling like a demon-cat at the back door. I dished out one bowlful after another of cat pate until he finally quit howling. Max apparently tired of his dreadlocks when the weather warmed up. He began to rub against my leg with his lumpy dreadlocks every time I walked outside. The first time, it surprised me so much I jumped off the steps onto the patio and barely missed crashing to the ground. He yowled and tried to rub my leg again as I went back inside. I wanted nothing to do with those freaky dreadlocks. Max needs a spring shave, but this is my first year without Sam, who moved to heaven not long before Thanksgiving. I’ve lost my cat-shaving partner. If anyone is interested in the job, which pays nothing but is good for a few laughs, (or a few bites) leave your comment below. Max needs more than a spring shave There is no way to describe how bad Max looks with his winter dreads. He’s in dire need of a spring shave, which will greatly improve his appearance. Cleaning up the outside of Max will make him more presentable, but it won’t help what’s wrong on his inside. As far as cats go, Max is grumpy and mean, even to the people who care the most about him. He bites indiscriminately before he stops to consider, “Is this the lady who feeds me very nice cat pate every day?” Max needs a spring cleanup on the inside, too. What he needs most is a change

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]My favorite kind of day is one in which I get a lot of things done. I love a long, written list to start the day, especially if I can end the day with every item marked off. I admit I’m one of those people who add to the list just so I can check it off. A completed list may not make a perfect day to me, but it’s a pretty great one. My schedule changed dramatically after my neighbor, for whom I spent several years providing ever-increasing personal care, passed away. Suddenly, I had some free time again and I hated to waste it. Instead, I wanted to use my extra time to get a lot more done and wondered if I needed more than a super-long to-do list. Maybe a secret productivity key could help. I found it in Mark 1. Immediately: The Secret Productivity Key IMMEDIATELY. Mark used the word forty times in his account of Jesus’ life because it describes how Jesus used His time. When He had something to do, He did it immediately. Jesus didn’t make a list, ponder how He would do it, or get distracted and do five or six other things before He got to the one thing He intended to do immediately. He didn’t stop to look up something on His phone and end up spending an hour there. How might the key impact my actions? 1. Awaken in the morning and get up immediately, instead of lying in bed, halfway between sleep and waking, wasting another fifteen minutes (or more). 2. After I finish using something, put it away, rather than leaving it where I used it. 3. Remove my clothes at night and put them in the laundry hamper instead of leaving them on the floor of the bathroom to accumulate until there’s a big pile. 4. Fold and put away the clothes as soon as they come out of the dryer or off the clothesline. 5. Work online at my specific task until its complete instead of taking a digital segue to something else. 6. Stop putting off and start doing. Immediately. Immediate in action Yesterday, I decided to give immediately a try. A bit of a fence needed repair because of a fallen log but my chain saw wouldn’t start. I considered calling someone with a functioning saw to help, but because of immediately I used an old hand saw to cut the log. It was hard work but took less time than walking back to the house to find my cell phone, calling someone, and waiting on them to arrive. I was tired after sawing and wanted to spend a few minutes congratulating myself, but I didn’t. Instead, I set to work on the wire and installed a new t-post. Afterward, I realized I needed to add a couple of staples to tighten the wire. What I wanted to do was let the horses out of the barn and take a break. I considered it but immediately came to mind, so I went back to the barn, put a few staples in my pocket, grabbed my hammer, and headed back to the fence. I didn’t stop until the fence was finished. Then I let the horses out, put the tools back in their places, and took a break. Immediately continued It was a snowy day, and I wanted to spend the rest of the day drinking hot tea before a roaring fire. Instead, I made a pot of soup and, while it simmered, I resumed work on my blogging course. In the spirit of immediately, I kept at it until 5 pm. I took an occasional break to get a cup of tea, start a load of clothes, or switch them to the dryer. Immediately, though, I returned to my work, every single time. Yesterday, I studied my Bible, wrote a blog, cleaned out stalls, prepped the barn for the falling temperatures, repaired a fence, and finished four lessons in my blogging course. I also washed, dried, and put away a load of clothes, made soup and cornbread, cleaned the kitchen, and dreamed about my new blog (planned blog topics). I replied to emails, helped a missionary with a crisis, comforted someone in their grief from hundreds of miles away, and cast a vision for a new outreach. Before I was done, I had a clear picture of the new project and so much enthusiasm about how it would be done that I wanted to start the preparation immediately, even though it was way too cold for any more outdoor work. The price of productivity All of that, and more, before 5 pm. How was so much accomplished? Because I worked from immediately. I completed many tasks, but I still had time to text with my family, dream, cast visions, and plan because I didn’t waste time. I didn’t watch TV or YouTube videos, play games on my phone or scroll through Twitter, Instagram or SnapChat. With my to-do list as a guide, I simply did what needed to be done. If you’d like to use your time wisely and accomplish more than ever before, why not give immediately a try? If it worked for Jesus, it will work for us, too. I can’t wait to hear about your immediately day, so be sure to check back and comment about how it went. Have fun! “And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’ And they immediately left the nets and followed Him.” Mark 1:17-18 nasb Leannahollis.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This blog post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on the link to make a purchase, I may make a small amount of money (usually a few cents) from your purchase. It will not increase the price you pay in any way. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text] Thanks for stopping by and sharing your

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Dusk had begun to fall when I headed to the barn to feed. Just outside the tack room, I saw a deep indention in the soft, moist soil. A hoof print. I groaned. The fresh track could only mean one thing. At least one of the horses was out. I opened the back door of the barn. Two of my three horses trotted inside to their stalls. Belle looked at me from the other side of the fence. She was out of the pasture, and not at all happy about being separated from her herd. When “good enough” isn’t. After I redirected her to the stall, I walked the fence line to find the problem. I was almost to the far corner when I found it. Just before the New Year, Ryan and I worked that stretch of fence. I thought the wooden post, though not perfect, was good enough. It wasn’t. The post in which I’d put my trust was flat on the ground, the barbed wire still attached. It was no problem for a curious horse to step over the downed post and explore the adjacent ground. Belle had probably wandered a few steps over the fence, nibbled a little grass, wandered a few more steps. In no time at all, she was separated from the other horses. Later, she noticed her plight but was too far from the opening to easily return. Judging from her hoof prints, she’d paced back and forth in front of the barn, uncertain what to do. Prone to wander Robert Robertson’s 18th-century hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” uses a phrase that describes the human condition quite well. We, like Belle, are “prone to wander.” A missed quiet time here, a skipped church service there and before we know it, we’ve wandered away from our church fellowship and from a close relationship with our Lord. The purpose of the fence is to keep the horses in a safe place, with easy access to the shelter of the barn and the blessing of twice-a-day feed. The purpose of the restriction of our faith is not to keep us from something good or pleasurable, but to protect us from harm and give us easy access to the blessings of God.  Restoration requires surrender Belle could only be restored to the rest of the herd by surrendering to my direction and following me to the barn. In that same way, we will be restored when we recognize our situation and surrender to our Lord, who stands ready to lead us back to Him. Today, let’s do a proximity check. How close are we to our Lord? Our fellow believers? Have we wandered? Failed to follow in any area? Do we feel separated from God? If so, the solution is simple: repent and return. Recognize our plight and cry out to the One who longs to restore, then follow where He leads. “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his should form death and will cover a multitude of sins. James 5:19-20 nasb Leannahollis.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This blog post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on the link to make a purchase, I may make a small amount of money (usually a few cents) from your purchase. It will not increase the price you pay in any way. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text] Before you leave, would you mind taking a moment to pin to Pinterest and share on social media? It helps extend my digital reach in ways I can’t do myself. Thanks again! See you soon. Want to read more? Here are links to a few other posts: Will We Make Room for God in Our Lives? How to Trust God in Hard Times Repentance: It’s Not Optional On Being Beloved Daffodils: Harbingers of Hope  Repentance and the Benefits Package [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text] Here’s an in-depth, life-changing digital Bible study to help you grow in your Christian faith: (This is an Amazon affiliate link, which means I might make a few cents from your purchase but it will not change the price you pay) [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text] Want to know more about Leanna Hollis and her ministry of prayer and outreach? Click here to find the latest ministry newsletters Scroll down to sign up for her blog/writing newsletter. It also includes links to current ministry newsletters. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]The settings section of my phone lists my name. It’s correctly spelled every single time. Seri, however, has a little trouble with the pronunciation. Her “Leanna” often sounds nothing like my name. That’s been a lifelong problem for me. When I was a girl, the usual combination of “Lee” and “Ann” was Leanne, not Leanna. Sometimes, Leanne was spelled “Leigh Ann.” My name was uncommon. The efforts at pronunciation were even worse than the spelling difficulties. I’ve been called Leanner, Leeanne, Louanne, and Leander, among others. Because of the confusion surrounding my name, it’s precious to me when someone gets it right the first time. It’s also caused me to take note of others’ names and try to get them right. The importance of knowing names Yesterday, I spoke with a group of teenaged students. They aren’t usually the most welcoming group, and not often as responsive as I’d like, but I made an effort to learn everyone’s name. For once, their names “stuck” in my head. As I spoke, I called the students by name and invited them into the conversation. It caught them off guard, and they participated in a way they never had before. Not all their stoniness crumbled, but a little of it did. Some of the names were non-traditional and multi-syllabic. They weren’t easy names, but they were no less important to the students. Last evening, I pondered our time together. I’m convinced using their given name correctly made a difference.  This morning, I’m reminded that God knows our names. He never misspells them nor mispronounces them. He gets them right every single time.  When the Good Shepherd calls a sheep, it’s generally grazing, satisfying its hunger. A sheep is trained to stop nibbling, look up, and follow. It’s life and safety depend upon the promptness of its response. How to respond when God calls our name The difficulty in following Jesus is not whether He knows or uses our name. It’s not even whether or not we hear Him call us. He calls. We hear. We know we’re supposed to obey. The difficulty comes when He requires us to walk away from our grazing and follow Him. Will we stop our efforts to satisfy our own hunger and allow Him to lead us to greener pastures? To lusher grazing? To still water? He calls us by name. Our job is to respond. Instantly. Today, let’s listen for the Master’s voice and choose to turn from seeking our own satisfaction and follow Him. “To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” John 10:3 esv Leannahollis.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This blog post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on the link to make a purchase, I may make a small amount of money (usually a few cents) from your purchase. It will not increase the price you pay in any way. img class=”alignnone size-large wp-image-67205″ src=”https://leannahollis.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/respond-instantly.-PicMonkey-Image-488×1024.jpg” alt=”” width=”488″ height=”1024″ data-pin-description=”When God calls our name, we should respond instantly. Read here to learn why. #heknowsmyname #christian #disciplelife #faithlivedoutloud” data-pin-url=”https://leannahollis.com/when-the-god-of-the-universe-knows-our-name” [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text] Thanks for stopping by and sharing your time with me today! I’ve glad you stopped by. If you enjoyed this content, follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, sign up for the twice-monthly mailing list (below) to be notified about my future blog posts, or click here to get a 5-day free Bible study and the twice-monthly newsletter. Before you leave, would you mind taking a moment to pin to Pinterest and share on social media? It helps extend my digital reach in ways I can’t do myself. Thanks again! See you soon. Want to read more? Here are links to a few other posts: Will We Make Room for God in Our Lives? How to Trust God in Hard Times Repentance: It’s Not Optional On Being Beloved Daffodils: Harbingers of Hope  Repentance and the Benefits Package If We’ve Been Liberated Why Don’t We Live Free? Becoming A House of Prayer: 5 Simple Steps to Change Your Life[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text] Here’s an in-depth, life-changing digital Bible study to help you grow in your Christian faith: (This is an Amazon affiliate link, which means I might make a few cents from your purchase but it will not change the price you pay) [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text] Want to know more about Leanna Hollis and her ministry of prayer and outreach? Click here to find the latest ministry newsletters Scroll down to sign up for her blog/writing newsletter. It also includes links to current ministry newsletters. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Summer on a farm is a time of intense work but winter has its challenges. Harsh temperatures and inclement weather make every chore more difficult, but they’re an opportunity to learn how to find good in hard times. Horses, like humans, have distinct personalities. Toby, my first horse, has always been sassy and full of zip, but he’s slowed quite a bit. He’s more than thirty years old now, and his personality is a little more zap than zip. He’s slower to come up than he used to be and his final days are near. Toby’s especially slow about eating, and it shows in his gaunt physique. I added extra feed, wormed him more often, checked his teeth. No change. He’s always been thin, but he’s gotten thinner as the years have passed. “Just like me,” Sam, my farm manager of nearly 30 years, always said. “We’re both thin. It don’t matter a bit.” Most of the time, I feed the horses together in one trough at the edge of the pasture. The younger horses eat quickly. Toby chews on every bite. It takes him a while, and he’s often at the trough long after the other horses have wandered away. Hay’s always available, so he’s never without something to eat, but I worry about him. Finding good even in cold weather When single-digit weather came, I moved the horses to the pasture behind the barn and fed them in their stalls again. The first day, the young horses finished eating long before Toby. I waited a bit to turn them out, and Toby finished his grain. Last night, I dumped feed into Toby’s pan and ran my hand down his side. He was still lean, but his ribs weren’t quite as prominent. He gained a few pounds while he was in the barn. “Hey, Toby, I think the freezing weather has helped you, old buddy.” He kept his head in the feed. The cold snap brought low temperatures, ice, frozen pipes, and extra work, but the effort wasn’t wasted. Toby’s a little better. It’s a bit of good in the midst of the hard. How to find good in hard times  I’ve been through plenty of hard times in my life, but one thing’s been true of every difficulty. We can always find good in hard times IF we’re willing to look for it.           We all go through hard times. It’s easy to lose sight of the good in the midst of the hard. If you want to find good in hard times, consider these three questions. Your answers may change your perspective: What growth has God brought from my difficulty? How am I becoming more like Him because of this situation? How has blessing come from the hard? God is always at work, no matter what situation we face. If we look for His blessing, we’re sure to find it. “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?…But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:35, 37 nasb Let’s Chat: How have you found good in hard times and blessings in the midst of trials and difficulties? I’d love to hear your story! Leannahollis.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This blog post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on the link to make a purchase, I may make a small amount of money (usually a few cents) from your purchase. It will not increase the price you pay in any way. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text] Thanks for stopping by and sharing your time with me today! I’ve glad you stopped by. If you enjoyed this content, follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, sign up for the twice-monthly mailing list (below) to be notified about my future blog posts, or click here to get a 5-day free Bible study and the twice-monthly newsletter. Before you leave, would you mind taking a moment to pin to Pinterest and share on social media? It helps extend my digital reach in ways I can’t do myself. Thanks again! See you soon. Want to read more? Here are links to a few other posts you may enjoy: Promises of God Fulfilled When the God of the Universe Knows Your Name How to Trust God in Hard Times Repentance and the Benefits Package Will We Make Room for God in Our Lives? Contentment Regardless of Circumstances How to Memorize Scripture Repentance: It’s Not Optional On Being Beloved [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text] You’ve helped me reach around the world through your likes, shares, and pins. Thank you! Please keep up the great work. It makes a huge difference. Here’s a pinnable image for Pinterest. Thanks for pinning and sharing! Here’s an in-depth, life-changing digital Bible study to help you grow in your Christian faith: (This is an Amazon affiliate link, which means I might make a few cents from your purchase but it will not change the price you pay) </p [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_percent=”80″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ width=”1/3″][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Want to know more about Leanna Hollis and her ministry of prayer and outreach? Click here to find the latest ministry newsletters Scroll down to sign up for her blog/writing newsletter. It also includes links to current ministry newsletters. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]I opened my computer to write this morning and the only topics on my mind were single-digit temperatures and frozen water pipes. If you follow me on social media, you probably saw a few of my whining complaints that the pipes at the barn froze and I’ve had to haul water for the horses. I dread January because of the problem of the pipes. This morning, I flipped through blog posts from Januarys past and found that, several years ago, I had the same problem, only bigger. The pipes and automatic waterers froze back then, too. I hauled water just as I’m doing now. In 2014, however, I hauled water for cows and chickens, as well as horses. The amount of water I toted was enormous. The fix is in the box Why haven’t I solved this problem in the 28 years I’ve lived here? I asked myself the same question every day since the cold snap began. I’m ashamed to admit the “fix” is in the tack room of my barn, ready to be installed. A frost-proof hydrant is still in the box. A few years ago, all the water lines from outside my house to the barn froze. I did a little research and found my difficulties could be solved (or greatly diminished) by a different hydrant, with an underground valve. I bought one and Sam (who worked on my farm) used it to replace the hydrant at the garden. He thought something was wrong with the new hydrant, so I bought another to replace it. As it turned out, the leak was due to an installation error, so I ended up with an extra hydrant. My winter water problems would be solved if I’d installed the second hydrant in the hallway of the barn. I carried the hydrant to the barn and stored the hydrant there, but never installed it, partly because I forgot about it. Delay didn’t help When I saw the weather forecast for frigid weather, I remembered the frost-proof faucet. By the time temperatures plummeted, it was too late. The difficulties I’ve faced in the last few days are my own fault. They were also mostly preventable. I don’t have a good solution for the automatic waterers because of their distance from a source of electricity. The frozen water faucet, however, could’ve been prevented. Sam didn’t worry about frozen pipes because he had a plan that worked. He wrapped the pipes with towels, stacked hay around them, then covered them with a big rug. I thought Sam’s way made a mess in the barn and seemed iffy at best, even though it worked most of the time. This year, I used foam insulation caps over the hydrants instead. They weren’t messy, but they also weren’t enough. Sam knew that, but I didn’t believe him. I do now. The last second chance In a few weeks, the temperatures will improve, the pipes will thaw, the water will flow. I’ll have another second chance to have the faucet installed and solve my difficulties. Not every problem comes with a second chance, however. One day, Scripture tells us, Jesus will descend from heaven with a shout. We who are alive will be caught up and meet Him in the air. On that day, all the second chances will be over.  It won’t matter what we planned to do or whether or not we intended to follow Christ eventually. If our eternal destination is not secured when Christ returns, it will be too late. Let’s address the most important question of all for a moment. Where do I stand with Jesus? Am I a disciple or merely an interested bystander? Jesus never called anyone to sit on a pew or serve on a committee. He calls us to follow. If we belong to Him, that’s what we’ll do. Today is our second chance, so let’s use it well. Jesus is coming again. Live ready. “For the Lord Himself will descend with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16,17 nasb Leannahollis.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This blog post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on the link to make a purchase, I may make a small amount of money (usually a few cents) from your purchase. It will not increase the price you pay in any way. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text] Thanks for stopping by and sharing your time with me today! I’ve glad you stopped by. If you enjoyed this content, follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, sign up for the twice-monthly mailing list (below) to be notified about my future blog posts, or click here to get a 5-day free Bible study and the twice-monthly newsletter. Before you leave, would you mind taking a moment to pin to Pinterest and share on social media? It helps extend my digital reach in ways I can’t do myself. Thanks again! See you soon. Want to read more? Here are links to a few other posts: Biting Cat and the Spring Clean Up of Repentance The Prodigal Puppy and the Rescuer Who Brought Her Home Will We Make Room for God in Our Lives? How to Trust God in Hard Times Repentance: It’s Not Optional On Being Beloved Daffodils: Harbingers of Hope  Repentance and the Benefits Package [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text] Here’s an in-depth, life-changing digital Bible study to help you grow in your Christian faith: (This is an Amazon affiliate link, which means I might make a few cents from your purchase but it will not change the price you pay) [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_percent=”74″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ width=”1/3″][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text] Want to know more about Leanna Hollis and her ministry of prayer and outreach?

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]It was a beautiful summer day, full of joy and peace until sorrow invaded like a conquering army. The tragedy was devastating, and I wept as I adjusted the ropes that held the flag and eased it down the pole. I stood back and saluted, hesitated to leave because of the grief represented by the lowered station, still shaken by the news of yet another devastating horror. I can’t remember why the flag was at half-staff, but I remember the day I lowered it. The act of recognition lingers in my memory, but I’ve forgotten the grief. If I wrote about it at the time, I can’t find it now. My sorrow has vanished like dew on a summer morning. Do we all process a national tragedy in such a briefly intense way? Does it fade from consciousness so quickly for everyone except those personally affected? In 2016, we lowered the flag as we grieved Brussels, Orlando, Dallas, Nice, Baton Rouge. In 2017, it was lowered after Las Vegas and Southerland Springs. We didn’t lower the flag for every national or world tragedy in either year, yet the details of even those few are only vague memories now. Lingering with Loss It’s no wonder we fail to learn from the past. We don’t hold it long enough to make it a part of us. We don’t remember it long enough to process it, much less glean a lesson for the future from it. Instead, we post a “pray for…” on social media, light a candle, say a prayer, and move on to the next big news. Processing grief and passion should lead to heart-expanding memory. Those memories should change us as we go forward. What happened to lingering with loss? What happened to caring enough to allow growth in us, and letting our concern cause us to work for change in society? We’re great at bearing one another’s burdens for a moment or two, a day or two, but do we go the distance? Do we shoulder a load and carry it with our friends, our nation, our world until the burden is resolved and the sorrow is healed? We all do it. Lest you think I’m making accusations, let me be candid. I’m talking about myself. I’m as guilty as anyone. Last night, I cleaned out a drawer and found a rubber bracelet made as a reminder about the persecuted church. I’ve had it for years, and it’s been in that drawer almost the entire time. I was deeply concerned about believers suffering for the cause of Christ when I received the bracelet, but I wore it only a day or two. I’m ashamed to admit this, but I took it off because it didn’t look cute with my outfit. I never put it back on. I held the bracelet, still in a pristine state, and wept. It was a shocking reminder of how quickly my own concerns fade. I wonder…what if I’d remained as passionate about the persecuted church as I was the day I ordered the bracelet? Would people I love be fleeing for their lives if I’d remained involved? If I’d stood stronger for the cause of Christ? If I’d prayed more? Wearing a bracelet doesn’t change the course of history, but the passion represented by wearing it might. If we allowed the reminder on our arm to drive us to true intercession, it would make a difference, not just in us but likely in the world around us. Allow grief to change us for more than a moment Today, let’s take a few minutes to allow memory to flood our hearts and minds. About what issues have we been passionate? Whose grief moved us? How did we allow our grief and concern to change us? What did we do about it? Have we shouldered burdens all the way to the end, or left friends and family members dangling in their sorrow? Is there a cause about which we need to make a stand? Let’s resolve to take a stand about something that matters and pray it through.  We can make a difference, but not if we do nothing. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works…” Hebews 10:24 Leannahollis.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This blog post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on the link to make a purchase, I may make a small amount of money (usually a few cents) from your purchase. It will not increase the price you pay in any way. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text] Thanks for stopping by and sharing your time with me today! I’ve glad you stopped by. If you enjoyed this content, follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, sign up for the twice-monthly mailing list (below) to be notified about my future blog posts, or click here to get a 5-day free Bible study and the twice-monthly newsletter. Before you leave, would you mind taking a moment to pin to Pinterest and share on social media? It helps extend my digital reach in ways I can’t do myself. Thanks again! See you soon. Want to read more? Here are links to a few other posts: Will We Make Room for God in Our Lives? How to Trust God in Hard Times Repentance: It’s Not Optional On Being Beloved What Happened to the Power of Our Faith, 21st century Church? Life, Lipstick, and Leaving a Legacy that Lasts School Shooting: Stop Blaming and Start Helping[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text] Here’s an in-depth, life-changing digital Bible study to help you grow in your Christian faith: (This is an Amazon affiliate link, which means I might make a few cents from your purchase but it will not change the price you pay) [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text] Want to know more about Leanna Hollis and her ministry of prayer and outreach? Click here to find the latest ministry newsletters Scroll down to sign up for her blog/writing newsletter. It also includes links to