This picture is such a delight that I am probably using it too much, but it just makes me happy to use it to start with today, sooooooo... There are certain steers that just seem to be in the front of the bunch and the red one with the white face and red marks around his eyes is one of those. David named him Bullseye, and wanted grandpa to load him up in the trailer, and bring him over to David's house a few months ago. It was really cute to be there and hear the conversation. Dave just thought that Bullseye could be a big pet - not thinking about the feeding every day, and taking care of the stuff that comes out the other end too. To David he was big, and cute, and looked to be friendly and curious. Grandpa had to disappoint him, and as I recall there were some tears too. But grandpa could see the impossiblity of him having a pet steer at his house... at least he knew that it would be living in their cute red barn and not in the house! 
Here they are looking over the situation. In a way Dave is getting a lesson from grandpa about the reality of farming. Learning that there is much more to raising cattle than Dave realizes. He does love to watch grandpa work, and is getting some knowledge in his 4 year old brain. Honestly it gives grandpa a great thrill to know that Dave is interested, and would like to take a pet steer home with him. Dave has years of 4H and showing both cattle and pigs ahead of him. He will learn just how much work they are, and grandpa will remind him of when he was 4 and wanted to bring Bullseye home on the trailer to his house. There are probably 12 summers ahead of him or more, when he will have those steers and heifers at his house and living in his little red barn! He will probably love it, but it does get to be a lot - especially when you raise and show beef! I know that it gives grandpa great JOY that Dave is interested in them already... it shows us that he could put in the work and do a good job! It is wonderful to have a child's view of it at this point, and the excitement is building for when he will finally be old enough to do the work with the help of mom and dad and grandpa! He is already watching his older siblings, Simon and Mary, involved with beef and pigs.
When our daughter, Nancy, who lives in the Cities, read about this time on the fence talking about bringing Bullseye home...she was so much wanting for her little ones to have times like this on the farm! She is a farmgirl deep down, and loves the life we have here in the midst of LIFE and death. There is a very real atmosphere on the farm, and we are thankfully in the midst of calving beginning, and the beauty of precious new life has begun with a smooth beginning, so far. There are usually challanges that come with it, as you could imagine, when you are trying to help over 100 cows give birth! Now with cow TV - it is much nicer to keep an eye on them every couple hours during the night! We are loving the modern marvels that help us do a better job! We also are blessed with the excitement and wonder of the little grandkids as they are blessed with having the gift of the Farm in their lives!
Mary showing her baby sister, Rose Ida, now 10 months today, her first baby calf up close and personal. Rose, who lives just 3 miles away with her 3 older siblings, will have many wonderful years and experiences on the farm! She will make her parents and granparents smile as she responds to LIFE on the Farm!
Jesus, we listen to your Word as you remind us that we must come to our lives of Faith as if we were little children! 2" He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me." Matthew 18:2-5
We must become humble and have the blind faith and hope as a child standing on a fence looking at a large steer and thinking that he is cute and would make a nice big furry pet! That is FAITH!
Lord, it is such a lesson to us... we see the excitement and JOY of little ones, when they look at the great amazing world around them. May we come to a place where we feel excitement at each part of our days with YOU. If we are called upon to serve as the least... may we be grateful for this opportunity to be humble, and love, and serve YOU in others. May we recognize You as you come to our door as the poor man, or within our domestic Church/family as those that we are called to LOVE and serve each day. May we be open to LIFE, O Lord, realizing that our homes are filled with great JOY when they contain many new LIVES and not many things! WE are filled with the JOY of children this day as we know and LOVE YOU in all those that we meet. May our rebellious attitudes and selfishness melt away in the sight of Your Truth and LIGHT! May we recall that little boy on the fence facing a large fuzzy red animal, and thinking that it would be fun to care for... when we are faced with those big hard things that come to us over and over in LIFE. May we feel excited, when we face the challanges, as if we were a small child with such simple and real Faith, Hope and LOVE. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Halleluia
Bless-bless, Barb
St. Therese of Lisieux
"O my Jesus! what is your answer to all my follies? Is there a soul more little, more powerless than mine? Nevertheless even because of my weakness, it has pleased you, O Lord, to grant my little childish desires and you desire, today, to grant other desires that are greater than the universe ...
O luminous Beacon of love, I know how to reach you, I have found the secret of possessing your flame. I am only a child, powerless and weak, and yet it is my weakness that gives me the boldness of offering myself as victim of your Love, O Jesus! In times past, victims, pure and spotless, were the only ones accepted by the Strong and Powerful God. To satisfy divine justice, perfect victims were necessary, but the law of Love has succeeded to the law of fear, and Love has chosen me not this choice worth of Love? Yes, in order that Love be fully satisfied, it is necessary that it lower itself, and that it lower itself to nothingness and transform this nothingness into fire." - St. Therese of Lisieux
Danielle Rose - Small things with great LOVE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO_YUOAA1HU
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