Graze: To feed on growing grasses.



The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.

-Ps. 23:1-6

Growing up on a farm, I used to watch the cows, sheep & horses graze in the pasture. Each morning we would open the gate to the barnyard and they knew there was freedom from that small pen they were in. They also knew there was nice green grass beyond the barnyard. Once the gate was open, look out because those animals wanted to get where the tall, green grass grew – the pasture! They would take off sometimes even running up the old fenced lane that went up over the hill through the cornfield to the lush green pasture on the other side of the farm. There they would graze for a while then lay down and rest for a while then graze some more. They did this all day long. Come evening we would go over to the pasture’s edge and call the cows – 'come boss, 'come boss. They would gather at the pasture gate. Sometimes we would have to go round up a few stragglers and when all were accounted for, we’d open the lane gate and back over the hill they would go to the barnyard for the night. The next morning was the same routine, day after day. What a life, huh?!

Oh that we could just graze and rest in shady green pastures all day long! But we can rest and graze in God’s green pastures and restore our souls . . . The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. (Ps. 23:1) I believe God wants us to slow down and “rest” and “graze” and “feed” on His Word. Life throws so many things our way and we are so busy – busy doing good things. But are we running on empty a good share of the time? Are we feeling stretched to extreme? Are we content with who we are in God’s divine providence? Slow down and take some time to just leisurely graze, rest a while, then graze and feed on the good things God has provided for you. Graze, rest, and enjoy the “shady green pastures” of God’s abundant love, grace, and mercy.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Have a Ducky Day (Nice)!

ReedyRiverDuckDerbyT.jpg

I was going to send someone a note and wanted to close my note by wishing them a "nice" day.  After thinking about that it sounded so . . . shall I plain and generic - "nice".  Sure we all want every day to be "nice".  But I just wanted to wish them an extra "nice" day - not a run of the mill, ho-hum day but something a little more than that.  Have you felt like you wanted to wish someone more than a simple "nice" day, "nice" time, "nice" visit, "nice" lunch, "nice" - but something a little bit more "extraordinaire"!!?? 

Well, that was just what I wanted to do!  So I looked up the synonyms for "nice".  Since my brain surgery in December and my 5 1/2 months of speech therapy, I am fascinated with words and find myself using words that I never used before - interesting isn't it?? Well, in looking up the word "nice" I found multiple synonyms for that simple little four letter word. 

Here is what I found:  admirable, amiable, approved, attractive, becoming, charming, commendable, considerate, cordial, courteous, delightful, ducky, fair, favorable, fine & dandy, friendly, gentle, good, gracious, helpful, inviting, kind, lovely, nifty, obliging, okay, peachy, pleasant, pleasurable, superior, swell, unpresumptuous, welcome, & winsome . . .  did you know there were that many words for "nice"???

Well, now those synonyms gave me something to think about.  Each of these synonyms tend to give the word "nice" a new dimension to its simple meaning. Which word did I really want to use in wishing them a "nice" day?? I could say, "have a lovely, nifty, ducky, delightful, swell, pleasurable and unpresumptuous day"!!! Would that get the real message across to them? Is that too much??!!  . . . or I could just say to them . . . have a "ducky day" and know that all of those synonyms are wrapped up in the word "ducky" floating down the river of life making your day all of those special unique qualities!! LOL! 

 Here's me wishing you just that . . . a "ducky day"! 

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