Chicken Sandwiches

This week my parents decided to go on a vacation up to Canada with no cell phone service and minimal
 internet access. If there was an emergency, I was given a scribbled note left on the dining table with the resorts phone number on it in case anything were to happen. Today, I was boarder line ready to call them, not that there was an emergency or anything, but I was about ready to make these new chickens we had just gotten into chicken sandwiches.

I'll back track a little for you. A while ago, my mom wanted chickens so she convinced my dad to turn our old shed into a chicken coop where she then would take care of and love on these chickens. Since having them they act like little puppies and come running out to us every time we approach them. So as my parents planned out their trip to Canada, they asked me to take care of their chickens. My dad walked me through everything from letting them out in the morning to putting them back in at night. Seems simple enough right? Today I felt as if God was giving me a challenge to my chicken farming skills and I hoped I passed. This morning as I was driving from my sisters house to go let out our chickens, a big burly black bear ran in front of me. I slowed down, rolled down my window and watched the bear run into the woods. I kept driving and as I get home, I see that the chicken coop door was ripped open and corn was everywhere. I sprinted in fear that my mom's chickens were dead. I swung open the other door and counted as fast as I could. 12. Thank you Jesus. All 12 were there. I opened up their little doggy door to let them out and wander around as I sat for the next hour or so cleaning up corn from the ground. I'm not very handy so I didn't know how I was going to fix this door the bear had broken. I called my grandpa and he didn't pick up. I figured he was busy so I waited. I walked out to the mail box to get the mail and lo and behold the same bear runs across our road into the woods. I quick jumped into my car and chased after the bear like a mad race not sure what my next plan of attack would be. Instead I just wailed my car horn hoping that would scare it enough.
Moments later, the construction guy that had been working on remodeling our bathrooms drives into our drive way. I walk over to his truck asking if he could help me fix a door. I was so fortunate that he happened to come to our house that day let alone be a construction guy with all the right tools in his truck. I called the DNR and told him about our bear problem where about an hour later he proceeds to bring a bear trap out to our house and tell me what I need to do if the bear comes back. I felt like I was signing up for the army.

Everything seemed to quiet down. The chickens seemed safe, I was on the lookout for a bear, the corn was locked up and the door was fixed. I thought I would be done saving chickens for the day. Little did I know, a severe thunderstorm warning was issued with quarter sized hail and pouring rain. I thought the chickens would be smart enough to make their way into the coop when it started down pouring. I run out there in the down pour to close them in. I peer over the fence and see two chickens huddled in the corner trying to stay dry under the smallest branch possible. I was soaked and had to figure out a game plan as hail was on its way. I jump in the fenced off area and proceed to chase two chickens in circles until they finally decide to cluck their way into the coop and I slam the door shut. I ran back to the house in the pouring rain as I mumbled under my breath "if these were my chickens, they would be chicken sandwiches by now."

Perfect Timing

When it comes to waiting, I am probably one of thee most impatient people on this planet. I hate waiting for my computer to load, I hate waiting for a phone call or text back, I hate waiting for dinner time, and most of all, I hate waiting for what is yet to come.

I am a person of planning, organizing, creating and thinking strategically of ways I can make the future come faster. I have planned out my four years of college to graduate early. I have looked at companies and businesses to see which ones I can apply for after graduation. I have a book I've written on flowers, dresses and venues for my future wedding. It is never ending. But what is the future? When does the future actually arrive? I spent all of high school wishing I was in college. Now that I am in college, I am wishing I was graduated and starting my career and life. But I have to step back and realize that life has already started and in my past I was awaiting the future and now that the future is here I want to go back and fix my mistakes, start over and plan what I see my future as. But that is not my job. I am not the planner of my life. My Heavenly Father is the only true one that knows the path, both rough and smooth, of what my future may hold. I hope and pray for that perfect timing moment, but what I may see as perfect timing, God's timing may be completely different. I have cried out several times throughout my life "God, when is this going to happen?! When will it come??" Yet he has always replied to me: "Be patient Billie Kay, I will bring it in time."   Sometimes I get frustrated and angry wanting it to be on my time and not His. Although all in all, I have no clue where I will be in two years, five years, let alone ten years. I can plan, organize and lay out my map of where I want to be, but God can always change the blue prints of what I want and direct me on the path of where He wants.

There's a great quote from one of my favorite movies, Lord of the Rings, where Gandalf is speaking to Frodo where he is questioned why he is late where Gandalf replies "A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to."

Although God is not a wizard, this quote reminds me of how He tends to work. He is never late, nor early, but he arrives precisely when he means to with perfect timing and he will work in ways we will never apprehend, leading us onto the paths of the unexpected.

Proverbs 19:21 "You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail."

Alone Time

I would say that I am an out going person. I like to talk and mingle with people and get to know who they are and how they tick, but this last week, being in a small town surrounded by nothing but trees and a wide open lake, I have felt nothing but alone.

During the school year in St. Paul, it was fun being in the cities, always having something to do and explore. Although there were times that I did need my time to be away from the chatter and sound of cars and go back to my small town in the woods where I felt silence. Don't get me wrong I love being home where all I can hear is birds chirping and boats buzz by on the lake, but I've realized lately how alone I've felt and in a sense, empty.

Last night I sat on my bedroom floor attempting to work on homework for my summer class but failed. My mind was turning and I was filled with emotion, bitterness and loneliness. I cried and picked up my Bible and just asked God "Please Lord, don't let me feel so alone, give me your word and Spirit so I can be filled again!" To be honest, I was hoping for some kind of revival, but I felt nothing and simply sat there. My sister came in around 11:30 and asked if she could sleep in my room. We laid in my bed and chatted like little girls, yet I still felt lonely even when my best friend was sitting next to me. I tossed and turned and didn't feel comfortable and laid awake till about 2:40 a.m. I knew that God would never leave me nor forsake me, but why in these moments did I not feel Him? Why did I feel so uncomfortable and utterly alone? I couldn't understand it.

It's now the next morning and I am currently sitting in the silence of my big empty home, with the coffee pot empty and my textbooks sitting next to me spread open across the table. I looked out the windows and stared at the lake, which mirrored the trees as if the lake were glass and I couldn't help but be reminded of the Lords gentleness.

Sometimes we expect God to appear in miraculous ways, bold and booming voices with lightening and powerful actions, that sometimes we look past the moments when he is there in the quiet and stillness of life with a small quiet whisper, calling out to us.



1 Kings 19:11-12 "The Lord said 'Go stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by'. Then a great and powerful wind came and tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper."

Happy Heart

Recently I finished up my sophomore year of college. (WOO-HOO!) I'm finally moved home and within the last two weeks, I have finally unpacked the final bin sitting in my room. I've also recently started a new job which God has completely blessed me with when I was distraught about finding a summer job. The kick off to summer has been a pleasant one and I'm happy to be home in my small town in northern Wisconsin. Although, now that life has slowed down slightly I couldn't help but try and keep myself busy like I once did during the school year. 

A couple days ago, I made a To-Do list and taped it to my mirror to clean the house, do the dishes, laundry, mow the lawn, workout and at the end, I put: be happy, stay positive, you are a child of the One True King. A dear friend of mine, towards the end of the school year told me that each morning I should wake up and say to myself "I am a Child of God." I kind of laughed about it when she had told me to say that out loud in the mornings because I already knew that I was a Child of God. I belong to Him and I didn't think I should have to remind myself of that. But lately I decided to take the somewhat of a challenge and say that to myself: I am a Child of God. For the last few mornings I've woken up, I have felt more positive, alive and awake with Christ dwelling in my heart, knowing that if the worst was to happen this very day, I would be okay because I am a Child of the High King. I felt compelled to clean more, work harder and trying to do things for others without being asked. Doing this I've noticed has made my heart happy because I know that God loves me with all that He has and He has simply blessed me with another day to breathe, enjoy the sun and the rain, sip my coffee, and be with the people I love for another day. 

Today I sit in a little coffee shop called "The Hideaway", where I'm sitting in the back corner of the shop tucked away, looking out the window and watching people pass by, writing my blog and drinking a large cup of coffee. Today my heart is happy because I know that it is secure in Christ where He dwells in me. Today we are all Children of the One True King, whether we are five years old, or 55 years old, we can rely on Christ knowing that He will always be there with open arms as if we are children running into our Daddy's arms, where He will always hold us with warm loving hands. 

Thank you Father for another day to breathe, be alive, and worship you. Give us the strength and desire to be positive and serve with whole hearts as working for the Lord not for man, being reminded that we are truly your sons and daughters where we know you will never leave us nor forsake us. 

1 John 3:1 "See what great love the Father has given us so freely, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we truly are..."