a destructive relationship & lessons learned

Two highland cows, T-bone and Steak joined our field a few weeks ago.

These cows happen to be high spirited. They watch our every move with intense stares. When we walk in the field we aren't just looking out for mud paddies; we also keep a careful eye on these cows. They give us the feeling like we might be the "dead meat."  Our seven year old put it perfectly when he declared, "Don't wear any red around these cows!"

Our little pig doesn't understand their power, their threatening glares, their haughty attitudes. This pig has been lonely and follows their every move staying close by. Unfortunately the cows have their own club and have not taken kindly to the pig. The cows focus in on the pig, bend their muscular necks and give the pig a good head butt. The pig squeals as he flies through the air. After falling, he lays on the ground dazed, slowly gets up on all fours, shakes his head as if to clear it, and then walks right back to the cows. Nervy or foolish, I am not sure, but I stand by the fence with a hockey stick ready to protect the pig for the next round.

 "Why" I wondered out loud to our boys, "does that pig continue to put himself in harms way? Why does he want to near the cows knowing that he will get hurt?"

The boys figured the pig was so lonely he didn't care what happened to him as long as he had company.

Watching this has turned out to be a good word picture for our boys.

We learned you can be so desperate for friendship, you would be willing to do anything for that "friend." Even if it is foolish. Even if it is hurtful or harmful. Even if it is sinful.

When you are desperate for friendship it doesn't take much to compromise your faith and values just to feel accepted. You can get hurt over and over again, just like that pig squealing through the air, but you get back up and go right back to the source of the pain; rather than the Source of Comfort, the One true Friend.

We learned feeling lonely is hard. There are different times in life loneliness may be more profound.

Someday a girlfriend may break up with you and loneliness is so intense you may feel tempted to go for a "rebound" relationship. (I am learning you get further with boys by inserting sports lingo in the conversations. Rebound is about the only sports term I know...so I use it a lot!)

You may even be married and find yourself in a difficult, lonely marriage. What do you do with your loneliness? It could be tempting to find something or someone to fill that void.

We learned there are many lonely people, some even in our daily lives. Are there any classmates who need a friend - a good friend that encourages truth and stays away from harm. Would a cheerful smile, or a kind word brighten someone's day and take away some of that loneliness?

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Our pig quickly put on some weight and became bulkier giving the cows more of a challenge. We also added three new piggies to the field. The pig now has some friends, he even seems to have a smile on his face. However, our cows' smug attitudes have not changed. We will continue to be cautious of them!

meet Mabel the goat

Liam turned 10 in the beginning of April and got a goat! This is our first time having a goat around the homestead and we quite like it. Mabel welcomes us when we come home with her baahing. She has not had much attention in the past so she is skittish which makes it challenging to get her on the lead to take her for walks around the property. The first time we had her on the lead she took off with Liam struggling to keep hold of her. The goat sprinted underneath trampoline and Liam had to let go before he got seriously injured. He ran around the trampoline, managed to grab hold of the lead and fell to the wet, muddy grass as Mabel dragged him through a puddle. Liam held on for dear life, while we laughed until we hurt. Liam was a good sport through it all!

Mabel spends as much time on top of the dog house as in it.

BOOKS

We finished studying "Forever" by Paul Tripp in our ladies bible study.

This book will change your perspective on life! "Once you believe in forever and live with forever in view, not only will you understand things you have never understood before, but you will live in a radically different way than you did before." Before each lesson we watched a dvd with a session from Paul Tripp and then broke out into our discussion groups. There is more information on his website:paultrippministries.org.

I highly recommend "Forever" for any bible study or just for personal reading.

"And God Came In" is a comprehensive biography of C.S Lewis' wife, Joy Davidman. Joy referred to herself as the world's most surprised atheist. I enjoyed learning even more about C.S. Lewis through his wife and their marriage. At times I thought the author was too comprehensive.  He gets bogged down with too much information and too many names in the first few chapters. I skimmed over that and enjoyed reading the rest of the book.

I love medical terminology and stories so this book is one that caught my eye. This book surprised me with its great depth. The author sketches the lives of over 30 different doctors starting with the disciple Luke up until present. He writes of their spiritual journeys, their inventions, and of their determination to help those who were suffering. Many of these doctors gave up opportunities of great wealth in order to serve. They were true examples of enduring under hardships, disciplining themselves to make careful use of their time and studies, but most of all, obeying God's leading.

Brian Ivie, producer behind "The Drop Box" writes of his upbringing, his struggles, his passion to produce movies, and about his conversion while producing The Drop Box. I appreciated Ivie's honesty in his book but thought the book lacked. Names and references to movies are abundant in the book and in the end, I think that dates a book. It could of been a better book if he taken more time to write it and had a better editing team.

Topics such as anxiety, anger, beauty, bragging, complaining, doubt, joyfulness and much more are written in this topical guide for teachable moments. Kara Durbin puts the topics in alphabetical order complete with definitions, bible verses, discussion questions and action points. This book is a wonderful resource for all parents.

Be a part of this BIKE-A-THON!

Every year hundreds of determined bikers head off to the beautiful Niagara Parkway on the first Saturday of June. The bikers have raised money supporting a clinic in South Africa. This clinic provides services and care to those suffering and dying from HIV and AIDS.
The bike-a-thon is worth every bit of effort and time. The atmosphere is energetic and exciting. Meeting new people and seeing old friends is a pleasure. The scenery along the parkway is beautiful and the day is a rewarding one for all of the riders.
Please join us on JUNE 6 to help raise money for such a worthy cause!
We look forward to seeing you there!

Register for the Bike-A-Thon Here